Peter's Admonition

I always will remind you then, dear friends,
   These are the Truth, I know you know them well.
   Be rooted in them to the very end.
   It's right that I should stress and warn as well,
   As long as I on earth by Christ do dwell;
   For soon I know I'll put this tent aside,
   As Christ Himself so long ago did tell.
   I'll work so that these Truths are deep inside;
So after my departure, in them still abide!

- D. Benning


In anticipation of our Pastor preaching from 2 Peter 1:12 - 15.

In Honor of Lewis Caroll

Behold the Lewis Caroll Sonnet Poem:
The well-turned twist and aptly made-up word,
Play o'er the lips as treasure from a tome
That printed was before the press was heard.
Look on his rhymes, his Jabberwocky tales:
So brillig, mimsy in its uffish state;
Midst vorpish logic twisted through the veils,
He paints a picture in the mind so great
That actual meanings to his words don't mind
A casual inexactness to their key.
The tales then race along to find
The ending of his tale through tulgey tree!
   The master wordsmith—logic bent in peril—
   Must honor Master Wordsmith, Lewis Caroll.

- D. Benning

Creation

The Father spoke; creation sprang with joy,
   To do His bidding and to win delight!
   Light sprang then forth—against the dark deployed—
   The cosmos formed through Son and His foresight:
   By Him, for Him, creation leaped to sight;
   The Father loved Him, gave to Him as won,
   And showed much greater things to herald His might.
   Creation earned the Father's joy once done,
Then rested He from work and gloried in His Son.

- D. Benning

The Sentinel

Artwork by Alterworld Art, Christopher Story

 
As darkness closes in, don't fear the night!
   The cold and vicious claws of doubt and dread
   Shall not touch you nor spread their wasting blight.
   For there above you and around your head
   With shimmering wing and power round you spread,
   Though hardly seen nor touched—intangible!
   Your night is safe, he guards you on your bed.
   This angel on your watch—dependable!
God gives him charge to guard: your heav'nly sentinel.

D. Benning ©2018

Calling and Election Sure

O soul, there is a coming Judgment Day—
Consider carefully these truths therein;
Make sure your calling and be true alway!

Continue in these qualities—don't stray!
Work hard at them and give not way to sin—
Consider Jesus: let us run to win!
O soul, there is a coming Judgment Day.

Have you no fruit?  Your life reduced to gray?
Grab hold the Spirit's qualities to win,
Possessed increasingly will keep from sin,
Press into God, each day with prayer begin—
Make sure your calling and be true alway!

Your life then lived, these qualities display
The truth regeneration then is in
Your heart and not a mask like phony skin.
The Spirit seals His ownership within;
Secure in Christ—make sure He is your kin.
O soul, there is a coming Judgment Day!

Remember this though still within the fray,
That Christ redeemed and purchased you from sin;
You have no need to walk like that again.
Then on that Day His vict'ry you will win
An entrance into Paradise with Him
Abundantly He'll give forever then!
Make sure your calling and be true alway!

So fight the fight and do what's right,
Take up His cause and sin destroy;
Soon Day will blaze and burst with praise,
So purely live down here with joy!

- D. Benning

Based on the Sunday am service, 24-Jun-2018, by Pastor on 2 Pet. 1:8 - 11.

Pray For One Another

Then pray for one another in His will,
   He called us out to be His holy Bride
   And He will never rest nor stop until
   He sees His image then in us applied.
   So pray for all the saints at ev'ry side
   It's for our good and Father's glory too!
   Pray that the church and Lord be glorified;
   Pray that the Word be preached, proclaimed as true.
Then persevere in holiness with truth imbued.

- D. Benning

Encourage One Another

Encourage one another in the Lord:
   Our enemies about us bring us down,
   But living life in Christ and one accord
   Defeats the devil and all those around.
   Remember Christ; our basis then is found
   Upon His finished work at Calvary!
   With this encouragement our speech is crowned.
   We speak and pray with spiritual bravery
Then spur each other on to immortality!

- D. Benning

Heb. 3:13
Heb. 10:24

Agree With One Another

Agree with one another in the Lord,
   Be patient for this fosters unity.
   Pride hinders and disrupts our one accord,
   And wrong beliefs destroy community!
   Be patient then as God in Trinity
   Has borne with you, so treasure grace from Him;
   Consider it an opportunity
   By Spirit's Pow'r and Grace filled to the brim—
Humility and patience form a fitting hymn!

- D. Benning

Based on a message from Thurs. pm, 21-Jun-18
1 Cor. 1:10

We Are a Body Fitly Joined

We are a Body fitly joined as one;
   That's why we quickly run to serve our friend.
   We serve as our Example had begun:
   We know our gifts, act under those who send,
   Whole-heartedly our gifts we nurse and tend
   So that the Body may be fitly knit.
   Be Humble—let all quarr'ls and grumblings end,
   Give glory unto God who makes us fit!
And Honor leaders as described in Holy Writ.

- D. Benning

Based on a message from Fri. am, 22 Jun 2018.
Roms. 12:3 

For One Another

Our Lord commands that we should think of all,
Of all who dwell within His sacred fold;
Pray, pray for one another in His church.

Then serve and honor, bearing then with all
And trust His word and then in Him be bold;
Let all you do by Spirit then controlled—
Our Lord commands that we should think of all.

Agree with them and do not give to brawl,
Remember that He bids us be as one,
To take the harm and do not let them shun
A weaker member of His church as none—
Agree, agree with one another in His church.

And patient we should be in our complaint:
An inward character of humbleness—
Remember pride our Lord will never bless—
Make judgments right and God's Word then confess,
Pray for your friend and then yourself see less—
Our Lord commands that we should help the faint.

Then love as Christ has love His precious Bride:
Encourage, sacrifice, and seek her good—
For Christ our model and our attitude—
Be taught of God in zealous magnitude!—
Encourage each through holy fortitude—
And use the Gospel then to be renewed:
Love, encourage one another in His church.

Then come what may and on that Day,
Our Lord will bless His saints with Joy.
So seek the good of saints you've viewed—
His unity you'll then enjoy!

- D. Benning

A summary of the Retreat Message, 21-24 June 2018