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!