The Dazzling Wine of Deception

They tell you what you want to hear;
They prophesy of wine and beer.
Their words are pleasant to the ear.
Beware of men like these.

They come to you as gentle sheep,
When really, they are wolves with teeth.
They put you to enchanted sleep
With toxic words of ‘Peace.’

Your preachers feed you easy words
And not a message whole and pure.
You never feel that holy hurt
From undefiled Bread.

Your itching ears crave something sweet,
But not the vegetables and meat.
The shepherds withholding what you need
Tend malnutritioned sheep.

They flatter you with gold and silk,
With homilies as smooth as milk.
They have the masses wonder-filled.
It’s glamour, not the Gospel.

Anyone through glitz and gleam
Can quickly gain a following.
Just being popular doesn't mean,
You’re anointed by the Lord.

Preachers up on pedestals;
Make man-worship inevitable.
The blatancy's incredible!
Has everyone gone blind?

They teach a life of luxury,
“Live at ease without worries.”
But now, a Judgment Day hurries.
That shatters all illusions.

-- Charity Lacroix

Scriptural Basis

"If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' that would be just the prophet for this people!" (Mic 2:11)

"My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. "'Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash," (Eze 13:9-10)

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2Ti 4:3)

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (Mat 7:15-16)

"Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." (Mat 7:20)

"You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror. You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end." (Amo 6:3-7)

Related articles:
What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?
Popularity of the Gospel
Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality
Testing the Spirits of False Prophets
Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies
Exposing Heresy
Are We Really Little gods?
The False Gospel without Repentance
Catholic Priests Molesting Children
The Truth About the Roman Catholic Church
The Truth About Hillsong
Andy Stanley's Disconnect from the Old Testament
Eternal Security
New Age-New World Order

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages fourteen through twenty-one. The Why This Blog post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Jesus? 
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_____________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Fruit in Every Season

When Jesus comes looking for fruit on our tree,
Regardless of the season that it may be,
May He find our branches with something to offer --
Something delightful to Him and the Father.

Love is the first fruit the Lord wants to find.
Is this at the root of our acts toward mankind?
And do we obey Him because “it’s required”?
Or does love compel us to seek what’s desired?

Joy follows second as fruit for the Groom.
It’s a choice that we make in defiance of gloom.
When clouds overshadow to darken our days,
He still wants to find us exuding joy’s rays.

What about peace, the anchor in shaking,
When all is tumultuous, unstable, and quaking?
At all times we ought to have peace in our soul,
Especially when things get out of control

Then there is patience. When we are short-tempered,
We fail in this fruit and haven’t remembered
That frustration and anger do not bring about
The righteousness of God in any amount.

Kindness is something the poor and the weak,
With gazes imploring do hope for and seek.
There may be some sacrifice made on our part,
But really, God’s looking for a cheerful heart.

The sweet fruit of goodness is equally needed
It truly affects the way others are treated.
All that comes forth from our lives as our deeds
Reveals what we’ve laid up within as the seeds.

Now let not the Lord find us failing the test
Whenever He checks for the fruit faithfulness.
Will we keep all our promises, stand by our word?
Pressing ahead, though it’s hard to endure?

The Gardener expects just as much to discover
The fruit gentleness as He would any other.
Look through His eyes at the simple and slow.
Then will compassion from Him through us flow.

Last but not least, do we bear self-control?
We can’t leave it out, for it makes our tree whole.
Our wills must be fully submitted to Christ
For if they take charge, we will pay a great price.

-- Charity Lacroix, age 18, August, 2016

Related Scriptures:
“…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” (Col 1:10)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)

"Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!' And His disciples were listening." (Mar 11:13-14)

"Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, 'No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.' And at once the fig tree withered." (Mat 21:19)

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:1-2)

"By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." (Eze 47:12)

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." (Joh 15:1-2)

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." (Joh 15:4-6)

Related articles:
Fruit in Every Season (article)
Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?
Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work
Multiplication

More children's poems:
Perfect for the King
Overflowing Blessings
Use Your Talents
The Sheep and the Goats
Reward for the Overcomer
Vessel for the Master
Connected to the Vine
Make Your Bride Ready

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages seven through fourteen. The "Why This Blog" post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. Poems on this site may be copied and used for non-commercial purposes, as long as proper credit and backlink to this blog is given.  No commercial use allowed without express permission from author.  I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord when you are in distress.
Wait for the Shepherd, the Giver of rest.
He will deliver the weak and oppressed.
Cling to the faith He is putting to test.

He may not reply at the time you expected,
Yet do not despair if you’re feeling rejected.
You can either succumb and be wrongly affected,
Or else you can see how you’re being perfected.

Then when you awaken, His face will be there.
His peace and His presence will still every care.
Then He’ll smile and say, “Such faith is quite rare,
For you would not relent till I answered your prayer.”

-- Charity, girl, age 16

Scriptural basis:
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Ps 27:13-14)

“And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” (Ps 17:15)

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note:  The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages seven through sixteen. The "Why This Blog" post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.