Monday, June 30, 2014

Willing Witness


“Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Psalm 110:3).  “What shall I do, Lord?  And the Lord said unto me… It shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do… Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 22:10, 23:11). 

The Lord is even now fulfilling
The prophecy about His power
In every witness who is willing
To glorify Him in this hour. 

The question, “Lord, What shall I do?”
Should be our constant prayer and guide. 
This is the goal that we pursue: 
To live for Him who for us died. 

That day of power shall be seen
When Christ returns in majesty.
Yet Christ in us will intervene
To witness for Him presently! 

There is a witness God has planned  
For all His own in every place.
He leads them onward by His hand
To manifest His saving grace. 

For Paul, the Lord appointed Rome,
And thus empowered him with cheer. 
Our mission post may well be home
As God appoints our witness here. 

We thank You, Lord, for Your salvation
And for the witness of Your Spirit
To testify in every nation
Your saving truth those who hear it. 

Lord, send us with Your own compassion
To sow the Gospel we proclaim. 
Thus may Your Spirit in us fashion
A willing witness for Your name.  


Sunday, June 29, 2014

Confused Contention


“They have rewarded Me evil for good, and hatred for My love” (Psalm 109:5).   “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy…  If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest” (Proverbs 29:1,15).  “Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together” (Acts 19:32). 

Contention is surely confused
That rages against Christ our Lord. 
Our Savior was greatly abused;
He loved us, yet He was abhorred!   

Consider such hardened confusion  
With thinking so hopelessly flawed:   
How great is the sinner’s delusion
Who foolishly fights against God! 

The one who is often reproved  
With stubbornness all the more hardened,
Could have his transgressions removed,
And all of his sins could be pardoned! 

The Spirit of God will contend  
With those yet resisting the Savior,  
But one day the striving will end,
And so will His offer of favor. 

The rebel won’t listen to reason,
Regardless of how it’s presented. 
Destruction will come in its season
To those who have never repented. 

We see this confusing contention
In those who don’t know why they’re here,
And yet they despise the mere mention
Of truth in the Gospel so clear. 

O Lord, we give thanks for Your kindness
Which You plainly show in Your Word
That turns us from our willful blindness
To rest in Your promise assured. 

We thank You, Lord, for Your salvation,
Which You, by Your grace, have made plain. 
Your Gospel is our declaration;
Contention confused is insane!  


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Fixed to Finish


“O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory” (Psalm 108:1).  “Then Paul answered… I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:13,14).

How rightly we should fix our heart
To sing to God and give Him praise,
And never from this mind depart
From henceforth and for all our days. 

We see this attitude in Paul
That demonstrates a focused vision
Who was a model for us all
To cast away our indecision. 

We hear him say that he was ready
To live for Christ with every breath. 
The Lord Himself would keep him steady
In bonds, affliction, or in death. 

Though some persuaded otherwise,
His confidence was not diminished. 
Upon the Lord he fixed his eyes,
Until his course on earth was finished. 

Now may the will of God be done
In us with such compelling grace  
That we may thus be fixed to run
And finish our appointed race. 

O Lord, we thank You for Your love
That draws us now fix our choice  
And set our hearts on things above
Till in Your presence we rejoice.  


Friday, June 27, 2014

Continuing our Course


“O my Lord… teach us what we shall do” (Judges 13:8).  “They cried unto the LORD… and He led them forth by the right way” (Psalm 107:6,7).  “My son, be wise, and make My heart glad… Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds” (Proverbs 27:11,13).  “Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). 

The Lord will teach us what to do
So we may stay on course each day. 
His counsel every day is new;
Our God will guide us all the way. 

It is our joy to seek His pleasure
As He has called us to be wise. 
Our testimony is His treasure,
Which to His glory testifies.

He calls us to be diligent
Regarding flocks now in our care. 
Each one of them to us was sent
By Christ, who numbers every hair. 

May life we hold be not so dear
That it would serve as a distraction. 
The coming of the Lord draws near:
His pleasure is our satisfaction! 

Our course’s end is just ahead! 
Our Savior surely knows its length,
And He will help us, as He said,
That we may finish with His strength. 

O Lord, the ministry we hold
Is ours for just a little while
To feed the flocks within Your fold,
To know their state, and seek Your smile. 

Our time on earth shall soon be done. 
Lord, grant us strength to run this race,
Continuing our course we run
As we, with joy, declare Your grace. 


Thursday, June 26, 2014

Examine the Exchange


“They changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.  They forgat God their Savior” (Psalm 106:20,21).  “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:19,20). 

Have we examined the exchange
That we are making every day?
Should not we count it very strange
If treasures thus are cast away? 

If we forget our God our Savior
And set His glory thus aside,
We have exchanged His loving favor
For things that feed our foolish pride. 

We see these episodes rehearsed
When Israel forgot their God:
Forsaking blessings, they were cursed
And felt the judgment of His rod. 

Yet we discover there was grace
When people truly would repent
And diligently would seek His face,
So healing mercies could be sent. 

We see this in the days of Paul,
When by His preaching many turned.
They answered thus the Savior’s call
And Satan’s books were promptly burned. 

They counted then the market price
For books that they consumed with fire,
Yet they esteemed the sacrifice
Of Jesus Christ to be far higher!

And thus the Word of God prevailed
When lesser things had been forsaken.  
How greatly had their value paled
In light of  truth that is not shaken! 

O Lord, the lesson here is plain
As we examine what we’ve heard. 
As we let go of what is vain,
We thus exchange it for Your Word. 

We thank You for Your admonition
With Your exchange of grace, O Lord,
As You examine our condition
That we may daily be restored.