Didactic Sonnet (Ephesians 6:4)

Let every father train his children well,
In love and patience – humble for your part,
All for their good – you dying to yourself,
For anger breeds up anger in their hearts.
Yet loving them requires discipline,
To guide their wayward souls to God’s decrees.
Confronting; demonstrating pain of sin,
Correct with words or rod as is their need.
And after discipline be quick to love.
Affection is the most effective means,
To show atonement from the Lord above;
So discipline will make their conscience clean.
Your discipline will shape their view of God,
His saving grace must be shown by your rod.

To Men From Mighty Nations Come

To men from mighty nations come,
Where men are full of greed,
Where demons dance and breed,
Where affluence and idols home:
In short a country dead in sins,
Of pride, adultery,
Of hate, and sorcery,
For them I now take up my pen:
To saints entrenched in holy war,
Who worldlings seek to mold,
In sins both new and old,
Those battered, bruised, and battle-sore,
Who fight for God for all their life,
This fight from start of man,
In every time and land,
That culminated with our Christ:
My brothers, you are Jesus’ bride,
You are not of the world,
You serve another lord,
They have no power of your lives.
For He has given life to you,
And with His Spirit filled,
When your old man was killed,
So Christ Himself will see you through.
You need not fear the plots of man,
But fear the Lord your God,
With honor and with love,
Who died for you when you were damned.
Such love, such grace, such sacrifice!
What demon poses threat?
Or who renews our debt?
Who dare declare He not suffice?
The devil must bow down to Him,
His name placed on your life,
That name of Jesus Christ,
Which gathers truth and purges sin.
God’s love endures though demons rage,
Though men still hate and boast,
Possessed by Satan’s hosts,
And thus pervert the world God made.
Then serve the Lord and love His bride,
Renew your mind in Him,
His grace to cleanse your sin,
And trusting Him to sanctify.
We trust that as He saves our souls,
He seeks to, by His church,
Transform this sinful earth,
His glory then our only goal.

Shwcase of Grace (Ephesians 2:19-22)

The Lord the father made,
In beauty, truth, and grace,
Creation thus displays,
The image of His face.
His image found in man,
His grace found in the church,
That we might understand,
That when for Him we search,
That He is manifest,
Within His church – His bride,
So we may see Him best,
When at our brother’s side.
Where two or more unite,
Then He is there with them.
If seeking after Christ,
Seek His forgiven men.
For if you hate His church,
You’ll never follow Him,
But you must love and serve,
Your brother, though he sin.
For then you will find Christ,
And then you see His grace,
His image in your life,
When in the church you’re placed.
The church is not His grace,
But in her is displayed.
We unity embrace,
That hell may be dismayed.
For then we show the Lord –
His unity in us –
Unto the watching world,
With every pride rebuffed.
Humility and grace,
And truth, and unity,
Are parts of Jesus’ face,
That in His church we see.