Friday, November 30, 2012

Couriers of Christ

“And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters… So the posts went with the letters… according to the commandment of the king, saying… Turn again unto the LORD God… for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return unto Him.  So the posts passed from city to city… but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.  Nevertheless diverse… humbled themselves, and came” (2 Chronicles 30:1-11).  “I speak of the things which I have made touching the King… of truth and meekness and righteousness” (Psalm 45:1-4).  “The Lord appointed… two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.  Therefore said He unto them… Go your ways… and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke 10:1-9).

In ancient Judah there were kings
Whose hearts by God were greatly stirred
To seek His face and speak of things
Which God had promised in His Word.

King Hezekiah rightly saw
That God extended mercy then,
And thus with letters he would draw
The hearts of many wayward men.

And so his posts went place to place
Proclaiming at the king’s command
That it was time to seek God’s face,
Whose tender mercies were at hand.

His couriers were mocked and scorned,
As are God’s messengers today,
Yet now, as then, some will be warned
And turn to God while still they may.

As couriers of Christ we speak
Of things that touch our King and Savior,
Declaring that it’s time to seek
And trust the Lord to find His favor.

In truth and meekness Jesus came
To give to us His righteousness.
Apart from Him there is no name
By which the Lord our God will bless.

What gracious words from Christ are poured!
What mercies now our Lord extends!
As couriers of Christ our Lord
We take the Gospel where He sends.

It is by grace we’re taught to fear
And prompted then to run and hide.
Our Hiding Place in Christ is near,
And those who come are justified.

We thank You, Lord, that You now use
Your people as ambassadors
And couriers of Your Good News,
So all the glory may be Yours!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Why People Will Perish

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy... Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:1,18).  “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.  For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?... For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:24,25,56).

The people reproved by the Lord’s Holy Spirit
May choose to resist Him, and so they are hardened.
The Gospel is preached, but they choose not to hear it,
And so they will perish, who could have been pardoned.

The people will perish by closing their eyes,
Refusing to see their great need of salvation,
For where there’s no vision, the people aren’t wise
Who thus, without remedy, face condemnation.

Alas, without vision the people will perish,
Whose eyes have been blinded by choices they make:
They will not let go of the things that they cherish,
Until there’s no remedy for their mistake.

So people will perish by their own decision
Because they’re rejecting Christ Jesus the Savior.
It’s only by choice they’re refusing the vision
That God will impart to those seeking His favor.

O Lord, we’re amazed at Your patience and love
So clearly displayed when You came to this earth.
You saw our rebellion, yet came from above
To ransom our souls with Your infinite worth.

In view of the passion that You demonstrated
By laying Your life down to rescue the lost,
Lord, cause us to likewise be so motivated
By love that is willing to pay any cost.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Facing our Focus

“O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles.  Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.  Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm 43:3-5).  “They that seek the LORD understand all things” (Proverbs 28:5).  “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25).   

Where is our faith in these troubling days?
What is our fountain which flows with true wealth?
When does our focus lose sight of God’s praise?
Why should our face not reflect saving health?

Our faith should be centered in Jesus our Savior
Who leads us in triumph and lifts our head up.
Our fountain of joy overflowing with favor
Is salvation’s blessing exceeding our cup. 

Our focus should never lose sight of our Lord,
The One who upholds us as we run our race. 
Our face should reflect now the joy He’ll afford
As we testify of His marvelous grace.

These are the things we should guard from distraction,
Directing our faith and our focus to Christ.
There’s no other source for our soul’s satisfaction,
And no other ransom for sin has sufficed.

O send out Your light and Your truth, Lord, to lead.
O comfort our hearts with Your staff and Your rod.
We know at Your altar our joy shall exceed
Our cup that You fill with Your mercies, O God.

We thank You, O Lord, that You freely impart
Your own understanding of what matters the most
To those who will seek You, preparing their heart
To give You their praise, and in nothing else boast. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Wisdom's Worldview

“Mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?” (Psalm 42:10).  “And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?  And to what are they like?  They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept…  But wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:31-35).

The enemies of truth have spoken,
Declaring now their worldview,
But laws of logic they have broken
Still make their case for what is true.

The atheistic audience
That daily asks, “Where is your God?”
Will then dismiss the evidence,
Yet willful blindness they’ll applaud.

The worldview of wisdom shouts,
And by her children justified,  
Her case for God removes all doubts
By evidence on every side.

Like children in the marketplace,
With songs so sweetly orchestrated,
So wisdom thus displays her grace,
And still her worldview is hated.

O Lord, You’ve given us Your truth;
We celebrate its certainty!
Your worldview shall guide our youth
With light that shines eternally.

Unlike this world’s shifting norm,
O Lord, we know Your Word is right.
It is to Your view we conform;  
Your Word of truth shall be our light.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Both of the Builders

“Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:47-49). 

This parable showing the different foundations
Of houses constructed before the storm came,
Compared and contrasted their two situations,
To show what was different and what was the same.

We know that both builders had heard the Lord’s Word.
We know that both builders completed construction.
To both of the builders, the storm then occurred: 
But only the fool’s house collapsed in destruction.

The lessons are many which we may derive
By thinking on these things of which our Lord spoke.
Though only one house of the two would survive,
The trials of life upon each of them broke.

The souls who are saved and the souls who are not
Are like the two builders portrayed in this story.
The wise, by obedience, thereby is taught,
As trials occurring result in God’s glory.

The fool who wants nothing to do with God’s way,
Will still have his trials, but not for his good,
For those who decide that they will not obey,
Shall know they rejected God’s counsel that stood.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your purpose in storms
In all of our trials, which You orchestrate,
For therein obeying with patience performs
Your work of perfection as on You we wait.