Concerning our Calling

"Now when they.... were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia.... they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.... And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over to Macedonia, and help us. And after that he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them" (Acts 16:6-10).

The whole earth surely needs to know
The Gospel of God's grace,
But God must be the One to show
Our calling and our place.

Since we cannot be everywhere
To preach the Word to all,
We ought to listen and prepare
To go where God will call.

We see this principle displayed
When Paul made his decision
To map his course till God forbade,
Then giving him a vision.

And Paul did not procrastinate
Or doubt when he had heard
The Macedonian call so great
To come and preach God's Word.

The Spirit of the Lord makes known
His calling to each one
Who seeks God's will above his own,
To glorify God's Son.

Good to God

"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.... Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord" (Acts 15:28,35).

How wonderful indeed it is
That God the Holy Spirit
Shares the counsel that is His
That we may also hear it!

It's surely good to have the light
From God's Word that we need,
That we may teach and preach what's right
When with Him we've agreed.

We set aside our vain opinion
That we may know God's will,
That He may thus by His dominion,
His workmanship fulfill.

Feast of Faith

"Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day" (Psalm 81:1-3). "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them [the Gentiles] witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.... We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:8,9,11).

Blow the trumpet! Sing aloud!
Make a joyful noise to God!
Jew and Gentile join the crowd:
Praise the Lord! His work applaud!

We celebrate what God has done
To purify the hearts of those
Who put their trust in God the Son,
Who died to save us and Who rose.

Jew and Gentile, great and least,
And all who come by faith to Christ:
Praise Him in the solemn feast!
Behold the Lamb once sacrificed!

The middle wall is broken down!
Our hearts by faith are purified!
Jew and Gentile join to crown
Our risen Savior glorified.

One by One

"Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself. So will not we go back from Thee: quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved" (Psalm 80:17-19).

Real revival from God's hand
Proceeds from God the Son
To those obeying His command;
It happens one by one.

Turn us, Lord, and cause Your face
To shine that we may run
To tell the world of saving grace;
It happens one by one.

Let Your right hand be upon
The work that You've begun
Within the man that You made strong;
It happens one by one.

Judgment or Jubilation?

"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from your, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.... And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:46-48).

There is a choice that we will make
For judgment or for jubilation.
Eternal life is here at stake!
There's danger in procrastination!

Men judge themselves unworthy when
They choose to let the days slip by,
But days turn into years and then
Their choice is over when they die.

Why then should this be the case
When Jesus Christ now lives to save?
Why should we refuse His grace,
And choose instead a Christless grave?

Souls judge themselves unworthy of
The mercy of God's great salvation
When they neglect His Gift of love,
And choose thereby His condemnation.

Wondrous Warnings

"They believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation, though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat.... For all this they sinned still, and believed not for His wondrous works; therefore their days did He consume in vanity, and their years in trouble" (Psalm 78:22-33). "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets: Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you" (Acts 13:40,41).

There is an unbelief bizarre,
Unmoved though facts are found;
It matters not how clear they are,
Or that their truth is sound.

That unbelief was widely spread
Through forty years of shame
When Israel, with manna fed,
Forgot from Whom it came!

How sadly was this evident
When Jesus rose again,
Yet many still would not repent
And trust the Savior then.

How strange indeed is unbelief
In those who stop their ears
And close their eyes to God's relief,
While yet His judgment nears!

Beware, all you who yet despise
The truth at such a cost!
The devil only blinds the eyes
Of those who yet are lost.

Beware, I say! Behold, believe,
Or perish evermore!
Your one escape is to receive
The Savior at your door!

Perfect Pursuit

"He gave testimony, and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfill all My will" (Act 13:22).

God Himself has testified
Of David who pursued His heart.
Goals are sweetly simplified
When this is where we choose to start!

A thousand things distract our eyes,
And many more bombard our ears,
But seeking God will make us wise,
And prudently invest our years.

May this testimony given
Concerning David's wise pursuit
Be the reason we are driven,
With steadied purpose, bearing fruit!

Reason for Reversing

"The Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee" (Deuteronomy 23:5).

The Lord our God has turned our curse
Into a blessing by His cross!
His love could think of nothing worse
Than viewing our eternal loss.

His love unbounded has reversed
Our dreadful curse that He might bless.
He took away the sin that cursed
And clothed us in His righteousness.

The only reason Jesus came,
Descending from His throne above,
Was that He might endure our shame
That we might rather know His love.

Triumphant Training

"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:3,4,6).

Now train up your children (as well as yourself)
In all of the ways God would have them to go.
There's much more to training than books on a shelf;
It's more about DOING those things that you know.

Teach from the Bible the evil foreseen,
From which we with prudence will do well to hide.
Show by example a thought life that's clean,
By the fear of the Lord and hatred of pride.

Show them the dangerous thorns and the snares
That lie in the way of the froward in heart.
Train them to cast on the Lord all their cares;
There's no better time than the present to start.

Rising Resistance

"Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth Thee daily. Forget not the voice of Thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increaseth daily" (Psalm 74:22,23).

Arise, O God, and plead Your cause
Against the blasphemy of men.
Their tumult rises without pause;
They think You will not come again.

Arise, O God, in these last days,
That we may stand against the tide
Of dark deception that betrays
The soul by ignorance and pride.

Arise, O God, against the foe,
Who as a lion would devour,
That we may with Your Gospel go,
Not in our strength, but in Your power.

Beauty and the Beast

"So foolish was I and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:22-24).

How beautiful is Christ our Lord
Who loves the very least,
For by His love I was restored
When I was as a beast!

Even when He hides His face,
The beauty of His love
Will guide and counsel me with grace
Until we meet above.

The beauty of my Lord is great;
His glory is sublime.
Though I was in a beastly state,
He lifted me in time!

Handful of Humanity

"There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth" (Psalm 72:16).

They really didn't look like much;
A handful of humanity.
The world wouldn't honor such,
But God used them triumphantly.

They turned the world upside down!
Who would have ever guessed
That God would turn this world around
By those His Spirit blessed.

That handful of disciples sown
Who in the earth took root,
By whom the Gospel was made known,
Continues to bear fruit.

So may we flourish in our day,
Though handfuls still are spurned,
And bear much fruit as we obey,
Until Christ has returned.

Regularly Resorting

"Be Thou my strong Habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my Rock and Fortress" (Psalm 71:3). "The name of the Lord is a strong Tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.... A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:10,24).

I have a Habitation strong,
In Christ, my Lord and Savior.
He is my Refuge all day long,
The Fountain of God's favor.

I have a Tower where I run,
And safely there resort
Within the name of God the Son,
My Shelter and my Fort.

I have a Friend who reigns supreme;
No other can compare!
I ask sometimes, "Is this a dream?"
I wake, and He is there.

Lord, You are my Habitation.
Lord, You are my Tower,
Lord, I find in Your salvation
Friendship every hour!

To You, Lord, I resort each day;
You are my closest Friend.
I know You'll guide me all the way,
And guard me till the end.

Make Haste to Magnify Him

"Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying" (Psalm 70:4,5).

There is a time to magnify
Our Lord that He'll allow:
Be careful, lest it pass you by:
That time is surely now!

There is no time that we should waste;
How quickly flies each hour!
With that in mind, O Lord, make haste,
We need Your grace and power!

Lord, we seek You to this end:
To magnify You more.
On You alone, Lord, we depend;
You know that we are poor.

According to Your riches, Lord,
Your love we would proclaim.
We would with strength that You afford,
Make haste to praise Your name.

Make haste, O Lord, and tarry not,
To help us magnify
And glorify You as we ought
Each moment till we die!

Quality Questions

"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:3-6).

As Saul of Tarsus was inclined,
He journeyed to Damascus till
A light from heaven round him shined,
And God revealed then His will.

A voice from One to testify,
Knowing Saul so thoroughly,
Said "Saul, Saul," demanding, "Why
Are you persecuting Me?"

Saul was trembling, mystified,
Wondering then who this could be!
"Who are You, Lord?" Saul replied.
"I am Jesus," answered He.

Saul, astonished, asked Him, "Lord,
What will You have me to do?"
God will graciously reward
Such questions from a heart that's true.

Consider then, the quality
Of such questions like these two:
"Who are You Lord?" and honestly,
"Lord, what will you have me do?"

For these are questions that explore
The depths of Who God is;
And so shall we desire more,
Not our own will, but His.

Ethiopian Evangelization

"The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that published it.... Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.... ETHIOPIA shall soon stretch out her hands to God" (Psalm 68:11,18,31). "And they, when they had testified and preached the Word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.... And behold, a man of ETHIOPIA, an eunuch of great authority... had come to Jerusalem for to worship.... Then Philip... preached unto him Jesus.... And the eunuch said.... I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.... and he [Philip] baptized him.... and he [the eunuch] went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:25-39).

The Lord God has given His Word:
How great were the messengers sent!
How good were the tidings then heard:
That rebels are saved who repent!

How great is evangelization,
A gift God has given to men:
The Gospel is sent to each nation
Till Jesus our Lord comes again.

One triumph especially named
Among all the peoples and lands,
Was within Ethiopia claimed:
To God they would stretch forth their hands.

We see this occurring with joy,
To the eunuch to whom Philip preached,
Who saw from the Scriptures employed,
The Gospel of Christ to him reached.

So then let us be ready to share
As was Philip who spoke from the Word
To that dear Ethiopian there,
Who rejoiced in the Gospel he heard!

Heaven's Health

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; (Selah) that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations" (Psalm 67:1,2). "But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.... And at that time there was a great persecution against the church.... Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.... And there was great joy in that city" (Acts 7:55-57, 8:1-8).

May God be merciful to us,
And so from heaven shine His face,
That He may send His people thus
To show the earth His saving grace.

Stephen, seeing heaven's light,
Made known the glory of our God,
And as the church was put to flight,
They preached the Word to those abroad.

Philip also then went down,
And with God's Word, Samaria reached.
Heaven's health was there renown,
And joy was great where Christ was preached.

The Gospel is the same today.
The need for Christ has not diminished.
The earth still needs to know His way.
Our mission here is not yet finished.

May we therefore keep in mind,
As debtors sent to every nation,
God has blessed us and has shined
That we may share His great salvation.

Come and Consider

"Come and see the works of God.... Come and hear... what He hath done for my soul" (Psalm 66:5,16).

Come and see the works of God
In every time and place.
Declare His majesty abroad
And magnify His grace.

But though the Lord is infinite
In wisdom and in power,
His love is also intimate
And faithful every hour.

He paid the awful penalty
That I could never pay.
He gave Himself at Calvary,
And all I did was pray.

Come and hear what God has done
To save and keep my soul.
I put my trust in God the Son;
He paid my debt in full.

Approach Approved

"O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that He may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy temple " (Psalm 65:2-4). "Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. Then said the Lord unto him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground" (Acts 7:32,33).

How is it, Lord, that we have found
Permission of this sort
To draw near on this holy ground
And dwell within Your court?

Even though our sins prevail,
You purge them all away.
Into Your courts within the veil
You hear us when I pray.

How blest indeed is everyone
Who draws near by Your grace!
The work that purges sin is done,
Removing every trace!

How marvelous is this approach
For which we are approved!
Iniquities that caused reproach
By grace have been removed!

Sure Reward of Sowing Righteousness

"To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.... He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.... The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:18,29,30).

To him who sows in righteousness
Shall be a sure reward.
This isn't just a hopeful guess;
It's promised from the Lord.

To chase the wind in vain pursuit
Shall rid us of a prize,
But righteousness shall bring forth fruit,
And winning souls is wise.

Why then should we waste our time
With wind that comes to naught,
While things eternally sublime
In wisdom should be sought?

To chase the wind repays us double
With vanity and sin:
Our house is burdened with our trouble,
And we inherit wind.

Let us therefore cultivate
The righteousness we should.
The fields are white. The time is late.
The sure reward is good.

Helping Hand

"Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me" (Psalm 63:7,8).

Lord, my soul still follows You,
But now I understand;
The strength I have to yet pursue
Is found in Your right hand.

I follow still because of love,
But love that's not my own.
It's lovingkindness from above
That lifts me to Your throne.

I follow hard, but soon would fall
And never rise again,
But for Your help each time I call;
That's how it's always been.

Because You are my Help, O Lord,
I rest beneath Your wings.
I run with strength that You afford;
My heart with gladness sings.

Lord, it's surely good to know
Your hand is holding me,
And that Your hand will not let go
For all eternity!

Preaching Brought by Prison Break

"But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life" (Acts 5:19,20).

Prison doors could not prevail,
Nor could the arm of strife,
Neither threats of men so frail,
Against the words of life.

The angel opened prison doors
And brought forth preachers then,
And God today still likewise pours
His Spirit upon men.

For God still gives His liberty,
To go, to stand, and speak
The words of truth that made us free
When we were bound and weak.

So let us go where God will send
With all the words He gives
And preach with freedom to the end
Because our Savior lives!

Daily Discourse

"From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings.... So will I sing praise unto Thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows" (Psalm 61:2,3,8). "Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors" (Proverbs 8:34).

Lord, lead me to that lofty place,
Up to the higher rock than I,
Into the shelter of Your grace,
Within Your tower strong and high.

This is my place of confidence:
I worship here; my spirit bows.
God Himself is my Defense,
That I may thus perform my vows.

I will rest beneath His wings,
Sheltered by His mighty power.
Here my soul with rapture sings
Within the refuge of His tower.

O the view is marvelous
Now lifted up upon this rock,
Where God and I, the two of us,
Sup together here and talk.

Daily here shall I retreat
That I may hear my Savior's voice.
Daily God and I shall meet,
And I will worship and rejoice.

Senseless Silence

"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:18-20).

When summoned, John and Peter came
To hear the rulers' stern command
To speak no more in Jesus name:
O what a senseless, vain demand!

The Lord commanded them to speak
The things which they had seen and heard.
Those threats against them were so weak,
The thought of silence so absurd!

May our boldness now increase
To speak the Gospel truth with power.
How senseless would it be cease
To teach His Word in this late hour!

Basis for Boldness

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

Examining the life of those
Who spoke with boldness for our Lord,
It was because the Savior rose,
Their courage therefore was restored.

Religious leaders took offense,
Remembering that they had been
With Jesus, and the consequence
Was boldness in the face of men.

Let us likewise thus be found
With boldness seen in our behavior:
Courage in us shall abound
When we have been with Christ our Savior.

Repentance for Righteousness

"Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence your hands in the earth" (Psalm 58:1,2). "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.... Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:14,15,19).

Have you spoken what is good
In your pride, O congregation?
Are you judging as you should,
In this wicked generation?

God has seen the wickedness
Of your hearts and of your hands;
He will judge with righteousness
As His holiness demands.

For you denied the Holy One
And killed the Prince of Life.
God gave His own beloved Son,
And you gave Him your strife.

The murderer that you desired
Was granted you instead
Of Christ whose death you had required,
Whom God raised from the dead.

But what you did in ignorance,
Deserving condemnation,
God ordained to thus advance
And grant you His salvation.

Repent, therefore, and turn to Christ
From all your sin and doubt,
For He was therefore sacrificed,
To blot your sins all out!

Preoccupied with Praise

"What does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.... He is thy Praise, and He is thy God" (Deuteronomy 10:12, 21). "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise" (Psalm 57:7). "Keep thy heart with all diligence.... turn not to the right hand nor to the left" (Proverbs 4:23,27). "And they continued steadfastly.... with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God" (Acts 2:42-47).

Distractions that have often vied
For my attention call my name.
Excuse me, I'm preoccupied:
To praise the Lord is now my aim.

I would reverence God above,
While walking daily in His ways.
I would worship Him in love:
He is my God; He is my Praise.

I would serve the Lord my God
With all my heart and all my soul.
I wouldn't care if men applaud:
I'd live for Him who made me whole.

Now fixed with sure determination,
While turning neither left nor right,
I'd praise the God of my salvation,
Through every day and every night.

With gladness and with singleness,
Continuing for all my days,
I'd join with all who will confess:
He is our God! He is our Praise!

Treasonous Trust

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?.... In God I have put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me" (Psalm 56:8,11). "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths... for the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken" (Proverbs 3:5,6,26).

There is a trust that comes to mind,
While strolling memory's lane,
Of wanderings and tears we find
That brought regret and pain.

It was those times we put our trust
In our own understanding,
Misguided by our selfish lust,
Instead of God's commanding.

The record of our God is clear
When wisdom we forsook.
His bottle holds our every tear;
Our sins are in His book.

Our tears shall soon be wiped away;
Our sins shall not be found,
But our self-trust can still betray
Our souls, though heaven bound.

Trust in God with all your heart
In every place and season.
From pride and trust in self depart,
For trust in self is treason.

Comfort in Casting

"As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.... Cast Thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee" (Psalm 55:16,17,22).

At evening, and morning, and noon I will pray,
I know that the Lord shall be hearing my voice.
It never will matter what time of the day,
Or whether in sorrow, or when I rejoice.

I'll cast all my burden on Jesus my Lord;
He called me to do so when I came to Him.
The comfort He gives only He can afford;
The cup that He fills shall run over the brim.

Power and Privilege

"Turn you at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you; I will make known My words unto you" (Proverbs 1:23). "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

God has provided His power and Spirit
To those He has sent to proclaim
The Gospel of Christ to all who will hear it
And turn now to trust in His name.

O what a privilege is ours for a season
To go to earth's uttermost part
And answer all those who ask us the reason
For having this hope in our heart!

God has assured us that we're not alone;
His Spirit is with us as well,
To woo souls to heaven, to make His words known,
And warn of the danger of hell.

The days of our power and privilege are few;
Lord, teach us to number our days,
For nightfall is coming when work will be through,
And morning will dawn with Your praise.

So teach us, O Lord, to redeem every hour:
How rapidly from us they fly!
As witnesses sent with Your Spirit and power,
We go with the grace You supply.