Conversational Prayer-Sonnets and Scriptures
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March 18 ~
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love ... Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you ... If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned ... if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries ... It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ...
Jn.15:10,14 (KJV); 15:6 (RSV); Heb.10:26-27,31 (RSV) (our emphases)
Four IF's
Thou'lt love me if I keep, Lord, Thy commands?
And if I don't, Thy friend I will not be?
Lo! --
in like stringent light Thy Word demands
that I abide in Thee, and Thou in me:
If I, a branch, do not abide in Thee,
cast forth I'll be and gathered to be burned!
And if I sin 'gainst Thee delib'rately
no sacrifice for sin remains: I've earned
God's fearful wrath; 'twill be the end of all!
From these four if's I've hidden, Lord, in fear.
Art Thou not Love? Is Love conditional?
My Love and I, child, hover always near.
Keep thyself in My Love! As catalysts
these warnings serve. Come thou, who still resists!
____________________
If you have My commandments and obey them, you love Me. And if you love Me, My Father will love you, and I will love you and show Myself to you ... keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life ... For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off ... having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation ... Correct me, LORD, but only with justice --
not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing ...
Jn.14:21 (Beck); Jude 21 (NAS); Rom.11:21-22 (KJV); Jer.10:24 (NIV) (our emphases).
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