Put Off, Put On

New Year's Eve

"Put off... the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind... Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Put off the old man with all of his lust
Put on the new man in true holiness.
It's not a suggestion, but rather a must:
The Spirit of God will not settle for less!

Put off the old way when you were once blind.
Put on the new way, with wide open eyes,
Renewing your spirit and cleansing your mind
With grace that God's Word and His Spirit supplies.

Put off the old life that had its dominion.
Put on the new life now hidden in Christ.
Neither be swayed by this world's opinion,
Nor by its pleasures of sin be enticed.

Put off the old love so selfish and cursed!
Put on the new love for Jesus your Savior.
We love the Lord because He loved us first;
Love for our Lord will transform our behavior.

Shield and Surety

"Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (Psalm 3:3). "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5).

There is an unseen battlefield
That faces us each day,
But You, O Lord, are still my Shield,
My Surety, and Stay.

There is a glory that parades
Upon this world's path,
But, Lord, Your glory never fades
That saves my soul from wrath.

There is a sorrow and a dread
That unbelievers share,
But You're the Lifter of my head,
On whom I cast my care.

There is a Shield and Surety,
For all who trust God's Word:
It is the Lord eternally;
Our hearts are thus assured!

Cords of Compassion

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" (Psalm 2:1-3). "I drew them with cords of a Man, with bands of love" (Hosea 11:4). "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, hath quickened us together with Christ... At that time ye were without Christ... having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye... are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-13).

What are these bands they are breaking apart?
What are these cords they are casting away?
These are the bands of God's loving heart
And cords that would draw all His sheep gone astray!

Why do the heathen so foolishly rage?
Why do the people imagine such things?
How can they think that the war that they wage
Could ever unsettle the King of all kings?

Examine again these compassionate cords:
These are the cords of the Man Jesus Christ!
Once we were lost, but now we're the Lord's;
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb sacrificed!

How vain are the cords of this world's seduction!
How great is God's love that would draw sinners near!
Soon they'll be facing eternal destruction
Unless they respond to the Gospel they hear!

Unveiled to our Understanding

Celebrating that wonderful day on December 28, 1973, when I called upon the name of the Lord for salvation, received Him as my Lord and Savior, was born into the family of God by His grace, and was thereby made fit for heaven forever! Hallelujah!

"God... hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.... Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus... cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers... that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe" (Ephesians 1:1,15-19).

All of the spiritual blessings above
In heavenly places with infinite worth,
Are now freely given to us through the love
Of Jesus our Savior and Lord by new birth.

I pray that the Lord will enlighten your eyes,
To see now the hope of His calling this hour,
His riches in us whom His grace sanctifies,
And what is the greatness of His saving power!

So now may our God be pleased to unveil
The cup of His blessings that flow past the brim,
Assured that His fullness of grace cannot fail
In the hope, in the riches, and power in Him!

Placed for Praise

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet... psaltery and harp... timbrel and dance... instruments and organs... loud cymbals... high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord" (Psalm 150:1-6). "As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place" (Proverbs 27:8).

Praise the Lord, each instrument;
Praise Him in His sanctuary.
Praise in His firmament;
In His presence, come and tarry.

Come, all instruments of praise:
Praise Him for His mighty acts,
For the greatness of His ways,
And for His love He never lacks.

God ordains the time and place
For every instrument He makes.
God has placed us by His grace;
And never does He make mistakes.

Trumpet, psaltery, timbrel, dance,
Harp, and cymbals loud and high:
In every place and circumstance,
Praise the Lord and testify!

God has placed us where we are
To shine for Him and not to wander.
He who placed and named each star,
Now has a place for us to ponder.

We wait for the Conductor's hand;
We see the music He has scored.
As instruments at His command,
Be ready now to praise the Lord!

Free to be Fruitful

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty.... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:13,22).

We have the liberty and root
That comes from God above
By which we have the Spirit's fruit:
The first of these is love.

We have the joy and peace He gives,
Longsuffering, gentleness,
With goodness and the faith He lives
Eternally to bless.

Meekness is that humble trait,
Surrendering the soul,
And temperance on the Lord will wait,
Displaying self control.

Thank You, Lord, for liberty
To bear much fruit for You,
To show the truth that makes us free,
Because Your Word is true.

Matter of Mercy

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2).

Search out the matter of mercy concealed,
As wise men so long ago did.
God sees the humble; to them is revealed
The things that His glory has hid.

The glory of God will conceal a thing
That the natural man cannot find.
To search out a matter will honor the king
Who seeks with his whole heart and mind.

Fullness of Favor

"But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, under the law, to redeem that were under the law" (Galatians 4:4,5).

There was a day when time was full
When God sent forth His precious Son
To give redemption for the soul
And righteousness, where there was none.

For centuries the prophets said
With all the sacrifices slain,
That as a lamb to slaughter led,
Our Lord would come, and not in vain.

For only He could thus redeem
The souls of sinners gone astray.
Virgin born, with no esteem,
He came to take our sin away.

As was foretold, in Bethlehem
Our Savior came in humble birth.
He came to save, not to condemn,
And so redeem the souls of earth.

The fullness of His time then came
With all the fullness of His favor.
Rejoice today! Come, praise the name
Of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Previous Promise

"The God of Jacob... keepeth truth forever" (Psalm 146:5,6). "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.... For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things which are written in Book of the Law to do them.... Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us.... And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect" (Galatians 3:8-17).

The Law of God concludes us all
Without exception cursed.
And yet with joy we now recall
The blessing promised first!

Hallelujah! Christ became
Our curse upon the cross,
Redeeming us from sinful shame
And from eternal loss!

The Law is thus uncompromised,
Nor can it disannul,
The promise made through Jesus Christ,
Who paid our debt in full!

The promise made to Abraham
In which his faith would rest
Was through his Seed, God's perfect Lamb,
The nations would be blessed.

With Abraham we rest as well
In Christ through His salvation,
Who saved us from eternal hell,
Removing condemnation!

Marking Me

"That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:19-21). "The Son of God... loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

God so loved the world that He
Spared not even His own Son,
Yet He set His love on me,
No less than any other one!

I would be careful not to miss
That Jesus set on me His love.
For when I rightly ponder this,
I set my heart on things above.

I cannot help but wonder why
The Son of God would leave His throne
With love so great that He would die
For even me to be His own.

For even me Himself He gave;
He marked me as redemption's goal!
He weighed the awful cost to save,
And paid that ransom for my soul!

Lord, I join the blood-bought ranks
Whom You have loved with me as well;
Together, Lord, we lift our thanks
For love that saved our souls from hell.

Hopelessness to Happiness

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path.... I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my Refuge and my Portion in the land of the living.... Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 142:3-5, 144:15).

Overwhelmed and void of hope,
I looked in vain for help from man.
At the end then of my rope,
I looked, but no one had a plan.

No one cared then for my soul;
They all seemed just as lost as me!
Joy was empty, grief was full,
As on they marched in apathy.

In hopelessness I cried to God,
And, Lord, You heard me when I cried.
You knew my path then that I trod,
You gave me then a Place to hide.

When every other refuge failed,
I found in You my Hiding Place.
I saw by faith where You were nailed
To save me by redeeming grace!

Hopelessness was cast away,
And joy unspeakable was mine!
O how happy was that day
I found in Christ my Hope Divine!

Triune Treasure

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen" (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The grace of Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord,
The love of our God, and His Spirit's communion,
Be with you all in their Triune accord,
By mercy and truth in their marvelous union.

You not Yours

"I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours but you.... And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you" (2 Corinthians 12:14,15).

What a Savior came to me,
Seeking me, not what I had,
Who spent Himself on Calvary,
For the joy that made Him glad!

We see in Paul this faint reflection
Of our Savior's attitude,
Yet in Christ we see perfection
In its fullest magnitude.

Thank You, Lord, for selfless love
That faithfully continues now,
And draws me to Your throne above
For daily mercies You endow.

For Your mercies, Lord, I come
That You may make me more like You.
Let me shine Your love to some,
That they may see Your mercies too.

When I am Weak

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.... for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

Grace is abundantly offered to me,
And when I don't think that I need it, I'm wrong!
At times God may show by infirmity
That when I am weak, by His grace I am strong.

When I am weak, I can feel my need
To find in His grace the strength that I lack
To patiently follow wherever He'll lead,
Looking to Jesus and not turning back.

When I am weak, I can hear His command
To follow His counsel instead of my own.
Led by His mercy, upheld by His hand,
His grace is sufficient to make His will known.

When I am weak, O Lord, I have found
Your grace is sufficient to strengthen my heart.
For in all my weakness Your grace will abound
To meet every need by the strength You impart.

When I am weak, Lord, I'll call for Your grace;
Thank You for hearing each prayer that I pray!
The day will soon come when I'll finish this race,
And see then Your grace every step of the way!

Serpentine Subtlety

"They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips" (Psalm 140:3). But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Subtle changes here and there
Can change the truth into a lie.
We can see it everywhere
We look with a discerning eye.

Like a serpent's sharpened tongue
With his deadly poison's power,
Sparing neither old nor young,
Satan's goal is to devour.

Like he was when in the garden
Beguiling Eve through subtlety,
Satan seeks for hearts to harden
Against the truth's simplicity.

The thief cannot deceive forever
With subtlety he will employ,
Yet while he may he will endeavor
To steal, kill, and to destroy.

We thank You, Lord, for Your defense,
For You have bruised the serpent's head!
In You we place our confidence,
And trust the words that You have said.

Some of their Sum

O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.... I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.... How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they are more than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee" (Psalm 139:1-18).

Lord, You have made me and searched me as well:
There's nothing about me that You have not known.
You counted the sum that would save me from hell,
And paid it in full on the cross all alone.

How precious, O Lord, Your thoughts are to me!
How marvelous, Lord, is the work of Your hands!
The ear that can hear and the eye that can see
Are wondrous indeed, and my soul understands!

And Lord, how much more, are the thoughts of Your heart
That ponder my spirit and care for my soul!
I never could count them, I know from the start;
Their sum too great, and their depth is so full!

Your thoughts are a source, Lord, of unending pleasure,
To meditate daily on some of their sum,
Rejoicing in love that is boundless in measure,
For this was the love that compelled You to come!

Uttering the Unspeakable

"I will worship toward Thy holy temple and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Psalm 138:2). "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

How shall we begin to utter
The praise of Christ our Lord who came?
Human words just seem to clutter
The sweet perfections of His name!

Yet that which is unspeakable
The Word of God has uttered well:
For grace and truth in Christ were full,
The Word made flesh with us to dwell!

A name conveys a reputation
Based on things already done;
The Word of God declares salvation
Eternal in His glorious Son!

The Word of God has uttered now
The things of Christ we look toward
When every knee to Him shall bow
And every tongue will call Him Lord.

God has magnified His Word
Beyond the things of history.
O what glorious things we've heard
Of Zion in eternity!

Lord, we thank You for the Gift
That human words could not convey.
Accept the worship that we lift
With speechless love to You today.

Greatness of His Grace

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

How vastly great the distance was
From heaven's throne down to the cross
That grace would travel, all because
Our Lord would save our souls from loss.

How great was the abundant grace
That left behind that wealth above
And brought our Lord down to the place
Where He could lift us by His love.

How great was grace that stooped to save
And called us out of poverty!
How great the riches are He gave,
Obtained for us at Calvary!

How great His grace is now indeed,
That calls us each to live for Him,
That meets abundantly our need,
And fills our cup beyond the brim!

Knowing now the grace of Christ,
That He for sinners was made poor
And for our souls was sacrificed,
Let us praise and thank Him more!

Salvation's Sorrow

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).

There is a sorrow to salvation,
That leads a sinner to repent,
That bids him flee from condemnation,
To trust the Savior God has sent.

There is a sorrow of the world
That leads to God's eternal wrath,
Into the lake of fire hurled,
The second death, the hopeless path.

Choose your sorrow while you may,
And do not boast of a tomorrow.
Repent while it is called today
Sincerely with a godly sorrow!

Chosen and Cherished

"Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name, for it is pleasant. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure" (Psalm 135:3,4). "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.... and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

Praise the Lord with grateful pleasure!
Sing the praises of His name!
We are His peculiar treasure,
Chosen and redeemed from shame!

Praise the Lord, for He is good!
In His people He will dwell.
Let us praise Him as we should,
As the brands He plucked from hell.

Praise the Lord, for He has cherished,
As His temple, all His own.
We, who surely would have perished,
Worship now around His throne.

Praise the Lord, and come apart,
Separate from this world depraved.
Worship Him with all your heart,
Sons and daughters whom He saved!

Now Viewing the New Value

"We thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead... Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh.... Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:14-17).

We should not value in our view
A person by his outward features.
The old is passed, all things are new,
When we become in Christ new creatures!

There is a value God has priced
That shows the worth of every soul:
It was the death of Jesus Christ,
Who paid the sinner's debt in full!

Since all were dead, for all One died:
No other value would suffice
That we might thus be justified,
But Christ alone, our Sacrifice.

So look again at those you see
With heaven's value on each one.
Their price was weighed at Calvary,
Where God spared not His precious Son.

Horribly Hidden

"But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

How horrible is this condition
That renders unbelievers blind,
Who march toward their own perdition,
And cast the Gospel's hope behind.

Our Gospel to the lost is hidden,
And yet we know the reasons why:
They turned away, though they were bidden,
And then were blinded by a lie.

Their daily nightmare does not cease!
The wake each day in hopelessness.
They find no meaning and no peace,
As laughter hides their deep distress.

There is an answer to their plight:
The Gospel still has saving power
To draw the lost into the light
And save their souls this very hour!

That light is shining now with grace;
The Word of God is verified.
His promises in Christ we trace
Were all fulfilled as prophesied.

The Lord will open eyes today;
His Spirit still reproves the lost.
Let's preach the Gospel while we may,
By every means, at any cost.

Sending vs. Sitting

"Wisdom hath builded her house... she hath also furnished her table. She hath SENT forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city.... Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.... A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she SITTETH at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call passengers who go right on their ways" (Proverbs 9:1-15).

Wisdom wisely uses time;
She sends her maidens forth with pity.
With compassion she will climb
The highest places of the city.

Forsake the foolish now and live!
Now turn into the narrow path,
For only Christ the Lord can give
Deliverance from eternal wrath!

Wisdom sends with urgency
While foolishness sits on a seat
With ignorance and apathy
Toward the souls that she will meet.

These passengers will go their ways,
No wiser by her vain seduction,
Until complacency betrays
And leads their souls to their destruction!

Sons of wisdom, now arise:
Wisdom sends you forth today!
With tears of earnestness she cries:
Now turn to Christ without delay!

Supremacy of His Sufficiency

"Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me" (Psalm 131:1). "He prepared the heavens... He set a compass on the face of the depth" (Proverbs 8:27). "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.... And who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).

And who is sufficient to bring forth creation,
Preparing the heavens and forming the earth?
Now thanks be to God for His manifestation:
He spoke, and creation by Him had its birth!

And who is sufficient, without contradiction,
To be Justifier, and still fully Just?
Now thanks be to God, who by His affliction,
Accomplished redemption for sinners like us!

And who is sufficient to make us victorious
And cause us to manifest Christ in each place?
Now thanks be to God! Come, make His praise glorious,
Supreme in His power, His truth, and His grace!

God and Gideon

"And the three companies [of Gideon] blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon" (Judges 7:20).

Gideon's men were only armed
With trumpets, pitchers, and their lamps;
These could never have alarmed,
Much less routed Midian's camps!

But there was more than met the eye
Against those hosts of Midian
When Gideon and his men would cry:
"The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

It surely wasn't Gideon's sword,
That turned those Midianites away!
It was the presence of the Lord
Against those armies in array.

As Gideon now we likewise stand
In this our day, in this late hour:
The Spirit's sword is in our hand,
As God advances with His power!

The gates of hell shall not prevail
Against the Church that Christ will build.
Obeying Him, we cannot fail;
We know His Word shall be fulfilled!

Advancing against Adversaries

"A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9).

It shouldn't come as a surprise
That when an open door is found
To thus advance the cause of Christ,
That adversaries will abound.

Enter through that open door!
Though adversaries lurk within,
They're also outside even more,
With counsel that advances sin.

Now seize the opportunities!
For such a time as this, advance.
Our God will deal with enemies.
There may not be a second chance!

Always Abounding

"Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Thank the Lord who freely gives
The triumph that we did not earn!
For us He died, for us He lives,
And soon for us He will return!

Our labor, therefore, is not vain
When it's done in Christ our Lord.
Grace abounding shall not wane
By which our souls may be restored.

Let us therefore triumph now,
Abounding with the Spirit's sword,
Till every knee to Him shall bow,
And every tongue confess Him Lord.

Abounding in this confidence,
That Jesus Christ shall come again,
Let us trust in His Defense
To keep us steadfast until then.

Vanities and Victories

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with the enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:1-5).

We vainly strive for anything
That's done without the Lord;
Our working, watching, worrying
Are wasted efforts poured.

In contrast to these things so vain,
What victories are heard
In homes where godly parents train
Their children by God's Word!

As arrows in the archer's bow
Whose aim is strong and sure,
When it is time to let them go,
Their impact shall endure.

How sweet the triumph and reward
Of seeing children raised
With grace and power for the Lord
That God may thus be praised!

Grace God Gives

"And the Lord looked upon him [Gideon], and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" (Judges 6:14). "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6). "He giveth grace to the lowly" (Proverbs 3:34). "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

When God commands, He will bestow
The grace that we will need,
To go where He would have us go
With strength for every deed.

The Lord said, "Go in this thy might,"
When Gideon was threshing,
And God equipped him for the fight
With His command and blessing.

The Lord commanded us as well
To go with precious seed.
He promised that the gates of hell
At last shall not succeed.

He gives His grace to humble hearts,
But He resists the proud.
Let not the grace that God imparts
By pride be disallowed!

By grace I'm what I am: that's plain,
But not what I should be.
Lord, let Your grace be not in vain
That You bestowed on me!

Force of Five

"I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue" (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Give me words that are alive,
Simple, forceful, understood!
I would rather speak just five,
Than thousands that will do no good.

Give me words that I may preach
The truth that makes the sinner free.
With the Gospel let me reach
The lost who face eternity!

Give me words that find their mark
In those who yet may be persuaded.
Send the light where it is dark!
Soften hearts that once were jaded!

The force of five is felt today
In words like "God so loved the world,"
And "Will you also go away,"
"Into the lake of fire" hurled?

Give me words, Lord, from Your heart,
Going forth with holy tears
With compassion You impart,
Warning souls that judgment nears.

Thank You, Lord, for words You gave
With the power of Your Spirit,
Preaching Christ alone can save
To everyone with ears to hear it!

Willing Warriors

"Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves... Then was war in the gates.... My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord" (Judges 5:1,8,9). "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?" (1 Corinthians 14:8).

Our warfare is a fact of life;
We face it everyday,
For though we do not ask for strife,
It does not go away.

The only choices left to us
Are seen as "either/or":
We're either a victorious
Or fallen warrior.

The warfare does not ever cease
Upon this battlefield;
Satanic forces will increase
On any ground we yield!

Now blow the trumpet in the air:
The battle now is here!
For who shall otherwise prepare
Unless that sound is clear?

Behold, our Captain leads the way:
Lift up your eyes and see
Those dark dominions in array
From Christ our Lord must flee!

Put on the helmet! Raise the sword!
Be offered willingly!
Willing soldiers: Praise the Lord!
To God the glory be!

Charity's Champion

"Charity never faileth.... And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13:8,13).

The love that springs from Jesus Christ,
The Champion of charity,
Displayed when He was sacrificed
Was shining strong at Calvary.

Faith will one day be replaced
When we behold our Champion.
Hope gives patience as we've raced
Until we hear our Lord's "Well done!"

But charity will neither fail,
Nor shall it ever be diminished.
Even so shall Christ prevail
When faith and hope at last are finished.

Lord, clothe us with Your charity,
As with faith and hope we run.
So we may shine with clarity,
As the moon reflects the sun.

Pray for the Prince

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalm 122:6).

Pray that Jerusalem's peace may be learned,
Knowing that peace will most certainly come
When Jesus, the great Prince of peace has returned,
For He is the Source where her true peace is from.

Yes for You!

"The Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread. And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken FOR YOU: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Remember what our Savior said;
Consider now His words anew.
When with His hands He broke the bread,
He thus portrayed His death "for you!"

For on that night He was betrayed,
He told us what we ought to do:
Partaking of this bread displayed,
Remember now it was "for you!"

We hear Him say: "Remember Me",
And ponder thus His love so true
That ransomed us at Calvary,
Reminding us it was "for you!"

We gather to remember Him,
But here we have remembrance too
Of wrath from God up to the brim
Within that cup He drank "for you!"

Thus we take the bread and cup
With many gathered or a few
Around our Savior as we sup
To hear Him say: It was "for you!"

Gladness and Glory of God

"My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth Me" (Proverbs 27:11). "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This is the principle, simple and true,
That always will guide us aright:
Make the Lord glad and His glory pursue,
And shine before others His light.

This is purpose and goal that we need
To sort out the good and the bad.
Hear now the Lord with His child now plead:
"Be wise" now, "and make My heart glad!"

How shall we answer? Should we hesitate
To respond to our Father's request?
O let us not waiver or procrastinate
To do what He shows us is best!

Whatever we do, our priority one
Should be to give glory to God.
Let's seek for His gladness and for His "Well done!"
Who cares if no others applaud?

Favor of Faithfulness

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:12,13).

Trials come with their temptation;
Such are common to all men.
We may fall in our frustration,
But God is faithful even then.

Sometimes we may think we stand,
As on our own strength we depend.
Then trials come we had not planned,
But God is faithful to the end.

Our difficulties come and go,
Our trials never come to stay.
Friends may fail whom we know,
But God is faithful everyday.

Sometimes trials are allowed
To mold in us a heart that's humble.
He resists us when we're proud,
But God is faithful, though we stumble.

Thank You for the blessings, Lord
That trials bring in their disguise.
Our souls may need to be restored,
But God is faithful and is wise.

Thanksgiving for the Thirst

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (Proverbs 25:25).

God has given such good news
To satisfy the thirsty soul!
The longing that our heart pursues,
The Savior quenches to the full.

Thank You, Lord, for giving thirst,
That aching emptiness inside,
That made us seek, yet find that first
You sought for us and for us died.

Hallelujah! What a find!
The Savior for this purpose came:
To satisfy this thirst designed
To stir our souls to trust His name.

The Lord alone can satisfy
Our souls within this world's drought.
All other springs but Him are dry
Within this desert land of doubt.

Thank You for the thirst You gave,
O Lord, to seek You for salvation
And for the price You paid to save
Our guilty souls from condemnation!

Resources of Revival

"Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken (i.e., revive) me according to Thy Word.... Great are Thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to Thy judgments.... Consider how I love Thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy lovingkindness" (Psalm 119:154,156,159).

Revive me now, Lord, by Your Word;
Plead my cause, and intercede.
Let my heart by You be stirred;
There's no one else but You I need.

Revive me by Your judgments, Lord,
Remembering dark Calvary.
The wrath of God on You was poured,
Which on the cross You bore for me!

Revive me, Lord, by love sublime
That holds me in Your strong embrace.
Ascending by Your love I climb
To see new vistas of Your grace.

Thank you, Lord, for making known
Your Word, Your judgments, and Your love.
Revival comes from You alone,
Provided freely from above.

Challenged to Choose

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

Some misunderstand volition
As if there is a neutral choice,
And neutral ground is our position
If we decline to raise our voice.

But God reproves such vain confusion,
Affirming there's no neutral ground.
Neutrality is a delusion:
We're either hell or heaven bound.

We see this theme in Noah's day,
When clouds had gathered thick and dark,
And judgment waters swept away
Everyone outside the ark.

Joshua spoke with clarity:
Choose this day whom you will serve.
That challenge comes to you and me
With mercy we do not deserve.

Amazing grace alone affords
The choice, O Lord, You freely give
To serve the Lamb, the Lord of Lords,
Who died for us that we might live.

Perfectly Pure

"Thy Word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it" (Psalm 119:140). "The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge... that Thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee to know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:12,19-21).

Your Word, O Lord, is very pure,
Which You have taught my heart to love.
Your eyes preserve and thus ensure
Its sureness from Your throne above.

That I may put my trust in You,
This certainty You have made known:
That every word of God is true,
As steadfast as Your sovereign throne!

That I may know the certainty
Of all the words that You inspired,
You wrote them down in prophecy
Fulfilling them as You required.

That I may answer those who send
With questions lodged within their heart,
You showed me, Lord, I can depend
On every word that You impart.

Thank You for Your precious Word
That You have thus made understood!
With perfect purity ensured,
Lord, help us preach it as we should!

Precious Price

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

Have you given proper thought
To how much you are worth?
Do you not know you were bought
By Christ who came to earth?

Have you thought about the price
That Jesus Christ has paid?
How precious was His sacrifice
That for your soul was made!

Have you given God the place
As the Lord upon the throne
Within your heart, since by His grace,
You now are not your own?

Have you not yet understood
That His Spirit is inside?
Your body as His temple should
For the Lord be sanctified!

Come into Your temple, Lord,
Receive the highest praise
That all within me can afford
In worship all my days.

Time to Tell

"It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law" (Psalm 119:126). "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?.... The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them" (Proverbs 20:12).

It's time to tell it like it is
Regarding God, His work, and power.
The heavens and the earth are His;
It's time to say so in this hour.

The hearing ear and seeing eye
Could not arrive by chance and time.
The macro-evolution lie
Still teaches we evolved from slime!

Time is deaf and chance is blind,
And never could make ears and eyes.
These the Lord alone designed;
It's time to praise our God so wise!

It's time as well to make it plain
That man could never save his soul!
For who can cleanse one sinful stain?
The Lord alone can make us whole!

It's time to show it is absurd
To think that God can be denied.
It's time to preach Gospel Word:
Now come to Christ, and flee from pride!

Steadfast Stewards

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord" (1 Corinthians 4:1-4).

Stewards of the mysteries
That God would have revealed,
There's only One you need to please,
To whom you ought to yield.

That One is Jesus Christ your Lord,
Who gave to you your mission.
No other person or reward
Should turn from Him your vision.

How sweet is this simplicity
To live for Christ alone,
The One who died to make us free,
And ransom all His own!

Search us, Lord, expose our ways
Before Your searching eyes,
Until we give You all the praise,
And our own pride despise!

Teach us, Lord, each day to live
Accountably to You,
To use each blessing that You give
As steadfast stewards do.

Led by Light

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.... The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.... There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:1,2,10,24).

Led by light that was not mine,
I sought the Lord upon my path,
And there His Word did brightly shine
To turn my feet away from wrath!

This world could never answer me;
How dark was the indifference
Of those who faced eternity,
Yet did not seek for a defense!

What hopelessness! Where could I turn?
I could not even trust my heart,
For how could I myself discern
The truth this earth could not impart?

But then I thought upon that name,
That tower strong throughout all time:
Christ Jesus to this world came,
And still His impact was sublime!

Could He hear me? Did He care?
How would I know it if He did?
I cried to Him, "God if You're there..."
He was! In fact, He never hid!

What blissful joy was mine that night!
What love His Word unveiled to me!
Receiving Him then, in that light,
My eyes, once blind, could clearly see!

His Word still shines upon my way;
He speaks to me as Friend to friend.
I'm led by light from day to day,
And kept by love that cannot end.

Wiser Words

"Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies... than all my teachers... than the ancients... for Thou hast taught me" (Psalm 119:98-102). "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things we also speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God... because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:12-14).

Wiser words were never spoken
Than the words by Scripture taught.
We know the Scripture can't be broken;
Human wisdom comes to naught.

For every enemy of God
And every teaching atheist
With all the ancient ones are flawed,
Pretending God does not exist.

The natural mind cannot receive
God's wisdom, though he'll often hear it.
It is by grace, when we believe,
That we are taught by His own Spirit.

O how precious is God's Law
And all His grace to us made known!
Things before we never saw
The Holy Spirit now has shown!

Perfect Precepts

"Forever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations.... I will never forget Thy precepts, for with them Thou hast quickened me.... I have seen an end of all perfection, but Thy commandment is exceeding broad" (Psalm 119:89-96). "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (1 Corinthians 1:19).

Forever, Lord, Your Word extends
Its truth to every generation.
The wisdom of this world ends,
And fails in its expectation.

Knowing this, I can't forget
The perfect precepts that You gave:
Your words have never failed yet,
Nor shall they ever cease to save.

This is where our souls can rest;
This is where we find our peace:
By His faithfulness we're blest
In His love which cannot cease.

Cloudless Clarity

"Mine eyes fail for Thy word... for I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget Thy statutes" (Psalm 119:82,33). "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.... Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 15:3,11). "The preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began... now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures... made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-27).

I need not wait for smoke to clear
Before I trust the Lord.
I have assurance He is near:
What peace this will afford!

Yes, He's near and He can see
The evil and the good.
He always knows what's best for me;
That much is understood.

He beholds the realms of hell,
And hearts of all mankind.
The future He can see as well;
He knows what He will find.

When all the clouds are cleared away,
We'll see His revelation.
But even while the smoke will stay,
We'll trust in His salvation.

Maker and Master

"Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:73).

Lord, You made and fashioned me;
No one knows me like You do.
Your commandments make me free;
You have shown me what is true.

Every need You've met with love,
In joy or sorrow, peace or strife.
You descended from above,
Laying down for me Your life.

This much I can understand:
Only Love would pay that price!
I can trust the Heart that planned
And would pay that Sacrifice!

My Maker, Master, precious Lord,
My God and Savior, my Defender:
There's still much more to be explored,
And yet much more I would surrender!

Aggressive Ambassadors

"A wicked messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful ambassador is health" (Proverbs 13:17). "I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given me of God, that I should be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God.... So have I strived to preach the Gospel.... as it is written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand" (Romans 15:15-20).

A wicked messenger will fall.
A good ambassador will stand.
This applies to one and all
Who have the Gospel in their hand.

For all of us should know indeed
It's wickedness to now withhold
The Gospel message sinners need,
The saving truth they should be told.

Some may think it is excessive,
Preaching with such urgency.
Nonsense! We MUST be aggressive
In this deadly apathy!

To whom He was not spoken of,
They shall see and understand.
Declare the offer of God's love,
Ambassadors of His command!

Robbers Rebuffed

"Thou art my Portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep Thy words.... The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten Thy law.... I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:57-63). "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus" (Romans 15:4,5).

Robbers with their deadly sword
Can't rob what matters most:
You are still my Portion, Lord,
No matter how they boast.

Secondly, I have Your Word
For comfort, hope, and trust.
The counsels of this world heard
Shall be reduced to dust.

Companions now of those who love
And fear You, Lord, I see
On earth below, and still above,
Are mine eternally!

The things that robbers take away,
Which rust and moths consume,
Are destined all to soon decay,
As flowers lose their bloom.

My Portion, Lord, is found in You,
The Lamb once sacrificed,
The Word of God forever true,
And fellow saints in Christ!

Away with Slack, Awake from Sleep

"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?" (Joshua 18:3). "And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light" (Romans 13:11,12).

Away with slackness of the hand!
How long will we persist
In putting off the Lord's command
Whose will we thus resist?

Awake from sleep in harvest time!
Cast off halfheartedness!
For as the daylight hours climb,
Our time to work is less!

Away with slack! Awake from sleep!
Be stirred with holy fear!
Though we were once as straying sheep,
Salvation now is near!

Put on the armor of God's light;
Prepare your heart for war!
Do not use slackness in the fight;
Advance yet more and more!

The day of opportunity
Is ours if we obey!
In view of all eternity,
Awake! Awake today!

Liberty of Love

"And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.... and I will walk at liberty... I will speak of Thy testimonies, and will not be ashamed" (Psalm 119:43-46). "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins... The labor of the righteous tendeth to life.... The lips of the righteous feed many" (Proverbs 10:12,16,21). "Let love be without dissimulation.... Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love" (Romans 12:9,10).

Take not Your word from my conversation;
Lord, guard me from falling from Your liberty.
The privilege of speaking of Your great salvation
Is drawn from the fountain of Your love for me.

Take not Your work from my laboring hands,
Lord, guard me from hatred that only stirs strife.
There's love in the liberty of Your commands
That covers all sins and produces new life!

Take not Your power in word or in deed
Bestowed by your mercy from heaven above.
How many the lips of the righteous thus feed!
How great is the harvest when reaping in love!

Reasonable Renewal

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken Thou me in Thy way" (Psalm 119:37). "Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:6). "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1,2).

How good it is, upon reviewing
God's merciful and perfect will,
To be transformed by the renewing
Of our mind to serve Him still!

The only other way to live
Is in conformance with the rule
Of this world's vain alternative:
A blind and God-denying fool.

Why then would we be so blind
And so unreasoning in heart,
That we would not renew our mind,
And would not from our sin depart?

Lord, hear my prayer to turn away
My eyes that look on vanity.
O keep me, Lord, again today,
From all this world's insanity.

Renew my mind, O Lord, to prove
The things that You esteem as good,
And every other thing remove,
So I may serve You as I should.

Enlightened on Enlarging

"Make me to understand the way of Thy precepts: so shall I talk of Thy wondrous works... Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Thy Law graciously.... I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:27,29,32). "Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" (Proverbs 8:10,11).

Make me understand the way
Of all Your precepts I should know.
So shall I be bold to say:
How wondrous are the works You show!

The way of lies from me remove,
And grant Your Law now graciously
To lead, to teach, and to reprove,
For then the truth shall make me free.

Lord, now I think I understand
This concept of a heart enlarged:
It's making room for Your command
That I may run as You have charged.

Whatever obstacles there are,
Lord, please remove them all from me.
For Your commandments are by far
Of greater worth eternally!

Remarkable Righteousness

"The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise: Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Roman 10:6-9).

How remarkable indeed
Is righteousness that saves the soul:
Jesus Christ is all we need
Who paid redemption's price in full.

Faith that saves us will not ask:
Who will bring Christ from above?
Grace alone performed that task,
Compelled by everlasting love!

Righteous faith will not inquire:
Who shall bring Christ from the dead?
This was done by God's desire,
Through His power, as He said.

Faith that grants us righteousness
Rests in what the Lord will do.
Only He can save and bless;
Faith confesses He is true.

Hero of Hebron

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:10). "Caleb... said unto him, Thou knowest... my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.... Now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive.... Now therefore give me this mountain.... Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb.... because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (Joshua 14:6-14).

There is today a pressing need
For heart revival to be stirred
By seeking God and taking heed
According to His precious Word.

Sometimes companions come along,
Yet surely sometimes they will not.
Sometimes the crowd is very wrong
In conversation, deed, and thought.

Caleb saw the promised land,
And so did all his fellow spies.
Caleb followed God's command,
While all but one would follow lies.

Caleb therefore would survive
To thus inherit Hebron's mountain.
God alone kept him alive;
The fear of God had been his fountain.

Hebron means "a sure alliance".
This was surely what he found:
For in the midst of such defiance,
God helped Caleb stand his ground.

And so may we be likewise led,
As Joshua and Caleb were,
To wholly follow God instead
Of those whose faith will not endure.

Calling all Condemners

"If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:31-34).

Come condemners, bring your case
Against each soul God justifies.
God refutes you all by grace,
And every charge He satisfies.

Who is he that will condemn?
Bring your lists of evidence!
Our Advocate examines them
And stamps them PAID in our defense!

Come condemners, take your time;
Bring your charges one by one,
Yet every soul-condemning crime
Is canceled out by God the Son!

Come and make your best impression
With closing arguments so wise,
Yet Christ for us makes intercession
For every soul He justifies!

Thank you, Lord, for Your salvation
Freely given to the lost!
We deserved Your condemnation,
But You paid its awful cost!

Perfect Purpose

"I will praise Thee: for Thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. The Stone which the builders refused is become the Head Stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:22,23). "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

God is working in all things
According to His perfect will.
What a confidence this brings,
Just to trust Him and be still!

Things, at times, may go awry,
At least it seems that way to me,
But God, who knows the reason why,
Will do what's right eternally.

When Jesus Christ was left alone
To die upon that awful cross,
And scorned as the rejected Stone,
It seemed all gain was turned to loss.

Yet God's own purpose and design
Were woven in that tapestry,
For in that work of love Divine
He wrought redemption wondrously!

Praise the Lord for His direction,
Marvelous now in our eyes,
Working with Divine perfection
His purpose so supremely wise!

Reminder of the Remainder

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord" (Psalm 117:1,2). "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart" (Proverbs 3:3). "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed" (Joshua 13:1).

Praise now the Lord, every people and nation;
Praise Him for mercy and truth He has shown.
Publish the Word of His wondrous salvation
Wherever the Gospel still needs to be known.

Let not His mercy and truth be diminished:
Send forth the Gospel, proclaiming His rest!
Surely there's very much labor unfinished,
And much for the Lord that is not yet possessed!

How soon we are old and are stricken in years,
Even as Joshua likewise was told;
Yet thereby we sense that eternity nears,
So let us be stirred to be all the more bold!

Praise now the Lord, everyday, every hour,
Submitting to Him every purpose and plan.
Go with His mercy, His truth, and His power:
There's much that remains; let us do what we can!

Delivered from Death

"I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice.... The sorrows of death compassed me.... Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul.... and He helped me.... Thou hast delivered my soul from death" (Psalm 116:1-8). "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

I love the Lord, but O how much more
The Lord in His mercy has greatly loved me!
I love Him because He loved me before
My sin-blinded eyes had been opened to see!

I love the Lord because He has heard
The prayer of my soul that was destined to die.
Fast came the answer from His precious Word,
Assuring my heart that the Lord heard my cry.

I love the Lord for His great sacrifice,
For He gave Himself to His very last breath.
There on the cross He was paying the price,
That I might through Him be delivered from death.

Sorrow and death are iniquity's wages,
But God gives His life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
We'll praise Him throughout all eternity's ages,
For life everlasting that His love could afford.

Basics of Baptism

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5).

What a picture baptism is
Portraying thus the death of Christ,
Redeeming thereby all of His
For whom our Lord was sacrificed!

Thus the water represents
Our Savior laid within His grave,
And thus in a symbolic sense
We died with Christ whose death could save.

Yet Christ has risen from the dead,
And so the portrait now extends
To being raised up, as He said,
With life in Christ that never ends.

Thank you, Lord, for thus portraying
We're dead to sin, yet live in You.
May we thus, by our obeying
So demonstrate that this is true.

Much More

"MUCH MORE then, being now justified by His blood, we shall we saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.... For if, by one man's offence death reigned by one, MUCH MORE, they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.... Moreover, the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE abound" (Romans 5:9-20).

By Law's demand, we should have died;
That's what the Law is for:
Yet now through Christ we're justified
By precious blood MUCH MORE!

We once were foes of God at strife
And waged against Him war.
Now reconciled by His life,
We shall be saved MUCH MORE!

Through Adam's sin we had to face
The death we can't ignore.
But now we reign in life by grace
And righteousness MUCH MORE!

When Law was given, sin was found
There lying at its door.
But where our sin did much abound,
God's grace did so MUCH MORE!

Blessing the Barren

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord" (Psalm 113:9). "There are... things that are never satisfied... the grave and the barren womb" (Proverbs 3015,16). "And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:19-21).

Praise the Lord who gives new birth
Where barrenness had been!
What miracles He does on earth
Among the sons of men!

How rightly Abraham believed
The promise God had spoken!
The child promised he received,
And barrenness was broken.

The things we deem impossible,
Our God can do with ease.
The barren woman's house is full,
As God the Lord decrees.

In every trial, every storm,
Remember God is true.
What He has promised to perform,
The Lord will surely do.

Just and Justifier

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be Just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:23-26).

All have sinned; there is not one
Who has not thereby gone astray.
God has seen what we have done;
His justice cannot look away.

God will judge, indeed He must
Be true to His own holiness,
Since, by nature, He is Just,
He can't ignore unrighteousness.

How can God then justify
A sinner born in Adam's race?
The Law condemns us all to die,
Yet God extends to us His grace!

Praise the Lord! He found a way
To justify us who were lost:
His justice weighed the price to pay,
And Love would meet that awful cost!

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Our holy God, the great I Am,
Was willing to be sacrificed,
And so became God's spotless Lamb.

Just and Justifier now,
He reigns in majesty above
And in the hearts of all who bow
To worship Him in grateful love!

Seeking God is Scientifically Good

"The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.... He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.... He hath showed His people the power of His works.... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do" (Psalm 111:2-10). "Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things" (Proverbs 28:5).

Note: Isaac Newton rightly observed: "Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance."

The works of the Lord are wondrous indeed;
What pleasure God gives us therein!
The fear of the Lord is where they will lead,
Where science should rightly begin.

His wonderful works are not understood
By those who refuse to seek God.
They will not give glory to God as they should,
And therefore their "science" is flawed.

How senseless, when science (so-called) won't admit:
The God of the Bible exists!
How tragic this lie is that comes from the pit!
How plain is the truth it resists!

Those who are seeking the Lord understand,
As evidence clearly has shown,
The God who made heaven, the sea, and the land,
Through Jesus our Lord is made known.

The invisible things of Him by creation
Are seen, so there is no excuse.
Abandon excuses! He offers salvation!
O seek Him while yet you may choose!

Day for Diligence

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power" (Psalm 110:3). "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.... Be diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not forever" (Proverbs 27:1,23,24).

O Lord, as we ponder the day of Your power
When You shall return, it is thrilling!
And yet even now, in this day, in this hour,
Is the time when we ought to be willing.

Today is the day of salvation and might;
We ought to be diligent now!
Now is the time we should shine forth His light
And steady our hand on the plow!

Yes, Jesus shall reign! We shall see the great King,
And His joy shall replace every sorrow!
But since we don't know what the next day will bring,
We boast not ourselves of tomorrow.

Teach us to know, Lord, the state of Your flocks,
And how to look well to Your herds.
Today is the day opportunity knocks
With power for heeding Your words.

Cause for the Curse

"The curse causeless shall not come" (Proverbs 26:2). "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.... Wherefore God also gave them up... who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up.... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind" (Romans 1:21-28).

We see everywhere throughout the creation
What God declared good became worse:
Distress and decay, disease, devastation,
And death are all part of the curse.

The curse has a cause in the reprobate mind;
Unchecked it becomes more depraved.
We need only search in our own heart to find
This cause and our need to be saved!

The fool may declare himself to be wise;
The sinner may call himself good.
The truth is exchanged everyday for such lies,
With a consequence not understood.

O come to the cross where the curse has been met
By the Savior who bore all our sin!
O come to the Lord who has paid all our debt,
When He died for the souls He would win!

Ready to Reach

"I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:14-16).

I am debtor now to all,
To everyone within my reach.
I am ready for the call,
Wherever God would have me preach.

I am not ashamed today
To preach the Gospel's proclamation:
All we who have gone astray
May find in Jesus Christ salvation!

I am ready at this hour
To share the Gospel I've received,
For therein is God's saving power
To everyone who will believe.

Field and Foundation

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,27).

Before you lay the house foundation
Include within your plan
The need to give consideration
To clear the field's land.

The house that we now have in mind
Is not of brick and wood,
But rather of the moral kind;
It's living as we should.

Clear the field of your life
Of thoughts that are impure,
Rid yourself of bitter strife
With love that will endure.

Then build today as God will lead
With humility and love!
Eternity draws near with speed!
Build until we meet above!

Leaders who Learned

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned... for they have taken of the accursed thing.... neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you" (Joshua 7:10-12). "Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto for righteousness unto all generations for evermore" (Psalm 106:30,31).

These are days when we should pray,
Yet days to also stand
To hear God's Word and to obey
His practical command.

For we may pray with earnest tears,
Yet find God interrupts
To show us sin that interferes,
That hinders, and corrupts.

Joshua and Phinehas
Were men of prayer and action.
Their examples speak to us
Of how to purge distraction.

For these were leaders who had learned
To deal at once with sin
And purge its poison when discerned,
Before it could begin.

More than ever now we need
To learn from their successes!
May we, like them, learn to lead
Upon the path God blesses.

The Three Thats

"THAT thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, THAT I might make thee to know the certainty of the words of truth, THAT thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:19-21). "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).

So THAT your trust may be in Christ,
To settle faith He has made known
More evidence than has sufficed
Through prophecies that He has shown.

So THAT you might have certainty
When tossed by winds of fear and doubt,
The truth of God that makes us free
Has been preserved and written out.

So THAT you may give answers plain,
To everyone who asks you why,
You are equipped, and not in vain,
With answers now to testify.

So therefore, let us now be bold,
Believing God that it shall be
Exactly as we have been told
For time and all eternity!

Ground of Grace

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a Man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art Thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He said, Nay but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant? And the Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose the shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." (Joshua 5:13-15).

Heaven's Captain, with drawn sword,
Approached by Joshua was found,
And when he knew this was the Lord,
He knew he stood on holy ground.

As Moses learned in days of old
To loose his shoe in such a place,
So Joshua was likewise told
To do so on this ground of grace.

But for grace that sword was drawn
Not only against Jericho,
But all those whom the curse was on,
And all have sinned, we surely know!

Praise the Lord for grace to stand
Upon this ground of holiness,
To hear our Captain thus command
And lead us in His righteousness!

So let us likewise, so to speak,
With shoe loosed in humility,
Recall we were condemned and weak,
Until God gave us eyes to see!

Onward, as we hear the voice
Of Christ, the Captain of salvation,
Share the Gospel! Show the choice:
His grace to save, or condemnation.

Mistaken for Madness

"Bless the Lord... who forgiveth all thine iniquities" (Psalm 103:2,3). "I have appeared unto thee for this purpose... to open their eyes... that they may receive forgiveness of sins.... Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.... And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak words of truth and soberness... for this thing was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:16-26).

The hopeless wake up everyday
To emptiness and sadness,
Yet tell them there's another way,
And many call it madness.

We thank the Lord that some will hear
And turn to Christ the Savior.
To them the choice is very clear:
His judgment or His favor!

There is a madness so absurd,
So void of sanity:
That sinners would reject God's Word,
And hold to vanity!

Paul received this accusation:
"Much learning" made him mad,
All because he preached salvation
And pardon may be had.

It's not as if these things were done
In some fictitious place!
The prophets spoke of God the Son,
And God displayed His grace!

Though some regard it as insane,
Our God is not mistaken!
We preach the Gospel not in vain:
His truth cannot be shaken.

Reasonableness of the Resurrection

"Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" (Acts 26:8).

Why should it be thought so odd
That God will raise again the dead?
Why do nations limit God
And think He won't do as He said?

How darkened is such human thought
That will not see, upon reflection,
The wonders that our Savior wrought,
Including His own resurrection!

A day is coming, just the same,
When sinners, though not now inclined,
Shall bow the knee, confess His name,
And to their judgment be assigned.

The thing incredible indeed,
With all our Savior's evidence,
Is how the lost don't see their need
And do not fear the consequence!

Our Savior is alive and well,
And lives forevermore to save
The souls that He redeemed from hell
And from the power of the grave!

Purity on Purpose

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me" (Psalm 101:3).

Decisions I will make today
May purify or hinder me:
The things I add or take away
May help or halt my purity.

So I would set no wicked thing
Before my eyes to cause distraction.
I'd make my life an offering
Of purity in thought and action.

I hate the things that turn my heart
Away from Christ, my Lord and Savior,
So I will bid these things depart
To cleanse my heart and my behavior.

Curse of Convenience

"And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" (Acts 24:25).

There is a curse in one's perception,
When Christ is standing at the door,
That's led by pride by self-deception:
To turn away still one day more.

He says to "Go away this time,
Until a more convenient season,"
Exchanging blessings so sublime,
For lies that bring eternal treason.

No wonder Scripture clearly warns
To seek the Lord while yet you may.
The fool may boast, the sinner scorns,
But soon they die, and fly away!

Judgment comes! How quickly flies
The season of God's invitation.
Convenience mocks the one who dies
Without receiving God's salvation.

Conscience Cleanser

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). "So worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, and have hope toward God... that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men" (Acts 24:14-16).

The mercy and the truth of God
Have purged us from iniquity,
For on our Savior fell His rod
That judged our sin at Calvary.

So how can we continue in
Iniquity that caused such pain,
And worship Him who bore our sin,
Who died to thus remove its stain?

Believing all the prophets said
Regarding Jesus Christ our Lord,
The resurrection of the dead
We look expectantly toward.

So since that day approaches when
We'll stand before our risen Savior,
Let us live toward God and men,
To cleanse our conscience and behavior.

Treading in Triumph

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I give unto you, as I said unto Moses.... Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mightest observe to according to all the law... turn not to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:3-9).

The promises that God conveyed
In Joshua chapter one
Are true for all who have obeyed
And trust in God the Son.

Yes, this is true prosperity
From which we should not turn.
God's promise here of victory
Is ours to live and learn!

The Word of God will plainly show,
So we may understand,
What we should do and where to go
To follow God's command.

And in that path we cannot fail
Through God's prosperity.
The gates of hell shall not prevail;
His truth shall make us free.

Turn neither to the left nor right
Of all our God has said,
For then we'll triumph in His light
Wherever we shall tread.

Hope and Holiness

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psalm 97:11,12). "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.... The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death" (Proverbs 14:26,32).

Rejoice, you righteous, for God's Son;
Give thanks as you recall
That none were righteous, no not one,
When God looked on us all.

But God by grace can now afford
To justify all those
Who find their refuge in our Lord,
Who died for us and rose!

This is all our confidence;
We hope in Jesus Christ,
For He became our strong Defense,
When He was sacrificed.

In Christ our hope and holiness
In life and death are given.
The wicked shall have great distress,
When from Him they are driven.

Stretch of our Strength

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be....The eternal God is thy Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Psalm 33:25,27). "Show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.... Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength" (Psalm 96:2,3,6,7).

As our days are, so our strength
Shall be provided for our needs.
God, who knows our journey's length,
Imparts His strength to those He leads.

The Refuge in our God we find
Protects our souls from all that harms.
He gives us strength and peace of mind;
We rest on everlasting arms.

Thus we show from day to day
The great salvation our God gives
To sinners who repent and pray,
Receiving Christ, because He lives.

We need Your strength, Lord, from above;
Uphold us by Your mighty hand
To now declare Your wondrous love
And shine Your light in every land.

We come into Your sanctuary;
Your strength and beauty there abound,
And as we in Your presence tarry,
Our strength and joy and peace are found.

The Harm in Hardening

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Psalms 95:6-8).

There's always harm in hardening
Against the Lord our hearts.
Though God continues pardoning,
There's damage this imparts.

A hardened heart cannot respond
To worship's invitation.
It rarely ever looks beyond
Its own preoccupation.

A hardened heart provokes the Lord
By pride that seeks its own.
It forfeits blessings that are stored
For humble hearts alone.

Harden not your heart today,
But heed the Savior's voice!
Cast your stubbornness away
While yet you have a choice!

Senseless Sayings

"They say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not He correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Psalm 94:7-11).

We hear such senseless words today
From those denying God!
And many, hearing what they say,
Will foolishly applaud.

They say the Lord shall never see;
They say He cannot hear.
How can they speak so foolishly?
How is it they don't fear?

He that made our ears and eyes
Can hear and see as well.
Those refusing to be wise
Consign themselves to hell.

God, who knows the thoughts of man,
Can see their vanity.
They foolishly dismiss God's plan,
Who died to set them free!

Teach us, Lord, in these last days
To make the Gospel known
That you may thus receive the praise
You ought to from Your own.

Weeping with the Waves

"The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psalm 93:3,4). "The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, 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.... And when they heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For 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 20:22-24, 21:12-14).

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The noise of threatening waves!
Yet there is peace that You afford,
With grace that mightily saves!

Those floods had no effect on Paul
With all their promised strife.
He knew that God was working all
For good throughout his life.

Yet Paul had friends beset with sorrow
Beseeching him with tears,
Who saw the dangers of tomorrow
And warned him of their fears.

The vision Paul then clearly shared,
Was filled with God the Son.
Above all other things he cared
That God's will would be done.

Lord, give us such a mind as this,
To trust You with our soul,
And find the joy we would not miss
By giving You control.

Remember the Rock

"I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.... Remember the days of old.... Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee" (Deuteronomy 32:3,4,7,18). "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.... To show that the Lord is upright: He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:1,15). "Come, eat of My bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Proverbs 9:5).

O God, Your greatness we proclaim,
And of Your perfect work we talk!
We publish our Redeemer's name:
Our Lord and Savior and our Rock!

We now remember days of old,
When at the cross our need was met.
O spare us, Lord, from hearts so cold
That we would carelessly forget!

Dear Lord, we come to join the ranks
Of those who contemplate Your love,
For it is good to give You thanks
And praise Your name with saints above!

Yet while below we take the bread,
Remembering Your body slain,
And in the cup, the blood You shed,
By tokens so profound, yet plain.

Just and right, Lord, are Your ways;
Your truth and mercy made us free!
Receive, O God, our heartfelt praise,
For now and all eternity!

The Wrong thus Wrought

"For whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me love death" (Proverbs 8:35,36).

How vast the riches are we find
Of wisdom in the Savior!
His life, His love, and peace of mind
Surround us with His favor!

How great the wrong which shall be wrought
By those who will not choose
The Lord who loved them and Who bought
The favor they refuse!

This spiritual insanity,
This self-inflicted wrong,
Shall vex their souls eternally
With lamentation's song!

Arise, O sinner! Turn to God!
Forsake procrastination!
Why, O why, would you defraud
Your soul of God's salvation?

Pressed to Pray

"The days of our years are... soon cut off, and we fly away.... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.... And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it" (Psalm 90:10,12,17).

Our days and years so quickly fly!
We hasten now to pray:
So teach our hearts, Lord, to apply
Your wisdom while we may!

And let the beauty of our Lord
Be resting on us too,
And shine in us to point toward
The peace we have in You.

And let our worship, Lord, be shown,
Established in our hands,
To make Your way on earth be known
By doing Your commands.

Fame of His Faithfulness

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.... Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound.... in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:1,14-16).

For time and all eternity
We'll celebrate the fame
Of Jesus and His victory
That washed away our shame!

We'll sing about His faithfulness
And make His mercies known
That dressed us in His righteousness
That went before His throne.

His justice and His judgment reigned
And could not compromise
The judgment that His throne ordained,
Before His holy eyes.

The Son of God was therefore sent
To go before His face
And thereby bear our punishment
That we might have His grace.

How blest indeed are those who know
The faithful love of Christ,
Who even to the cross would go,
And there be sacrificed.

Reason for Revealing

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

The secret things remain concealed
Belonging to the Lord,
But many things He has revealed,
Which promise great reward.

There's so much more that we may know
That God would yet display.
How great those things are God will show
To those who will obey!

Eternity will yet unfold
More things we never knew,
But God would have us NOW behold
Those things we ought to do.

Glorious Gates

"The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.... The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.... All my springs are in thee" (Psalm 87:2-7). "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).

How glorious are those gates above
In Zion's city bright
Where God has set His faithful love,
To watch them day and night.

Why would God esteem the worth
Of Zion's gates much more
That all the dwellings on the earth
That Jacob had before?

How wondrously they represent
The entrance God will give
For all who truly will repent,
Then look to Christ, and live!

This is where the sinner finds
The springs of wondrous grace.
More and more our pathway shines
With light from Jesus' face.

How glorious are those gates we see
That sinners enter in,
Who trust the Lord to make them free,
And save their soul from sin!

Still Stirring

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.... Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens.... as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare unto you" (Acts 17:16,22,23).

Paul was in his spirit stirred
Looking out on Athens’ city,
Longing then to share God's Word,
To show to them His love and pity.

Athens was with darkness filled,
Infested with idolatry.
Paul stood then upon Mars' hill
To shed light on eternity.

An altar found with this description
Was quite fitting, yet was odd:
The altar bore this plain inscription,
Devoted "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD."

Paul laid hold of this admission
That they didn't know the Lord,
And then advanced the great commission,
Unveiling Christ, whom they ignored.

So may our God now likewise stir
And fill our hearts with holy zeal,
Remembering how lost we were,
And His compassion for them feel.