A Declaration of Faith

By Sharon Dexter

I'm designed to live by faith,

So I will believe. 

I firmly believe that I am, as is each individual, designed to live by faith. We are designed with a God- shaped hole, that only He Himself can fill. And, in filling us with His presence, He makes us whole, and wholly His.  

Who

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Summit House
• Release date: Mar 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638216131

Book preview

Chapter One 

A Beginning Faith

My Dear Friend

Never dare to ignore the Lord!

Don’t turn your back on Him,

Don’t plug your ears, or sit on your hands,

Don’t shut your eyes, nor harden your heart.

But, open wide to cleanse all senses,

And seek the Lord, for He will be there.

I warn you, my dear friend,

Ignoring the Lord is not wise!

You who have ears to hear, listen.

For He—alone—is Lord.

If you’ll obey, He’s willing to save.

The treasures held, reserved just for you,

Include mercy, forgiveness, and peace.

Bask in the warmth of His loving arms.

I tell you, my dear friend,

Pleasing the Lord is much wiser!

Which Gate?

Over there’s a wide gate,

Leading straight to hell itself.

Bad companions, without thinking,

Will drag you in with them

Easily, you can slip right through,

Hidden in the crowd.

While the gatekeeper calls,

"Come in! Come in, one and all!

Here the gate is narrow.

Only room to enter one-by-one.

Each one is seen, judged, and redeemed (or not)

Before allowed within.

On coattails of another’s soul

Will not work for you.

Christ will judge your sins, your faith,

Then reconcile you by His blood.

Don’t Worry

Please, don’t worry.

Don’t focus on your own needs.

God wants us to change

From worries to hope.

In your contentment,

Your longing for God,

In waiting, comes

The Holy Spirit’s presence.

Please, don’t worry.

Instead, focus on your God.

Any substitute

Will not fill your soul.

Instead, it will feed

Lonely emptiness.

Peace shall be yours

With Holy Spirit’s presence

When Empty

When you feel empty,

Depressed or defeated,

When God seems absent,

And you’re feeling alone—

These are times you are without hope.

Recall God’s promise.

You must remember

Music will touch your heart,

God will grant His peace,

And you will smile again—

Your hope in the Lord will return.

Fresh Joy

You should not become discouraged

By how often your soul wanders.

Return, and just be persistent,

It takes time to nurture new habits.

As long as you’ll keep on trying,

And putting your faith in the Lord,

Habits of trust will develop.

You will find a fresh joy, and deep peace.

Clarity of Purpose

Christ had a clarity of purpose

Which guided His words and deeds,

Without which our actions

Are just

Our actions!

A Sin

A sin begins with thought

Niggling away in the head,

Mere whisper of an idea.

But, if given a chance,

It festers, and rots the soul

Until it develops, and grows.

And then, through our actions,

Sin’s desire is to destroy.

Remember, the sin doesn’t care!

Allow God In

Don’t allow your soul to wander

Through messy, unsafe, darkened streets.

Don’t allow your mind to ponder

What’s gone wrong. Focus on the Light.

When your thoughts begin to flounder,

When your heart continues hurting,

Remember arms, outstretched in love,

Awaiting your return to Him.

We’re not made to just meander

Through a world beset with evil.

But opened hearts allow God in,

And He can change us - every time.

Builders

Don’t be a stupid carpenter,

Building on that sandy beach!

Don’t merely read the Bible

But, excavate the Word of God

Work the Word into your life,

Building life upon the Rock

Of Jesus Christ, your Savior

Law and Shadows

For the Israelites,

The Lord was but a shadow

Of the good that would come,

But the Law was not the end.

Those of today’s world

See shadows in many things—

Shadows of good and evil—

But shadows are not the end.

When will the end come?

The end is but beginnings

Of a new life within—

The Law and Light, together.

In His Time

In His time,

God will come for His harvest.

Tares and wheat; weeds and oats,

All may be allowed to grow until then.

Together, in the world, good and evil

Both growing.

The wheat is surrounded,

But if weeds are pulled too soon,

From too-young plants,

Both perish.

God allows the weeds to seemingly flourish.

Evil attempts to choke out the good,

To totally destroy the wheat.

God aerates the soil,

Helping the wheat prosper.

But—

At