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.