Publish with Passion

"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" (Psalm 68:11,18). "Open thy mouth for... the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction" (Proverbs 31:8). "Son of man, I have set thee a watchman... therefore thou shalt hear the Word at My mouth, and warn them from Me" (Ezekiel 33:7). "Thy Word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:17,18).

Publish with passion the Word that God gave;
Tell it to rebels with whom He would dwell!
Preach the glad tidings: Our Lord lives to save
All who will trust Him to save them from hell!

Open your mouth as a watchman to warn
Souls yet appointed to their condemnation!
Don't be discouraged by mockers who scorn;
Publish with passion the way of salvation.

Lord, as Your Father in heaven sent You,
Even so, send us to publish Your Word.
Give us Your passion in all that we do,
Preaching the way of salvation assured.

Expedient Evangelism

"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). "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7,8).

God has been so merciful
And caused His face to shine:
He tasted death for every soul;
Yes, even yours and mine!

He lavished on us heaven's wealth,
So rich in His salvation,
And sent His news of saving health
To every tribe and nation.

He sent His Spirit from above
To give us His instruction,
To woo the world with His love,
And warn of wrath's destruction.

He clothes us with His righteousness,
Since we ourselves have none,
When we receive Him and confess
Our trust in God the Son.

O Lord, commission us again!
It is expedient
That we should preach Your Word to men
And call them to repent!

Witness of Words and Works

"Come and see the works of God... toward the children of men.... Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul" (Psalm 66:5,16). "If I had not come and spoken unto to them, they had not had sin.... If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin" (John 15:22-24).

Come and see the works of God,
So plain in history.
That men would not believe is odd,
In view of all we see!

Come and hear what He has done
To save our souls from hell.
Behold these sinners: I am one
Who testifies as well!

Now surely unbelief is blind,
That chooses to ignore
The evidence that all may find
And thoroughly explore!

Our Savior came to plainly speak
And do the things He did
To witness to both Jew and Greek;
His power was not hid.

O Lord, the witness of Your Word
And works so powerful,
Have rendered unbelief absurd
And inexcusable!

Lord, thank You for the eyes to see
And for the ears to hear
Your witness to humanity
That You have made so clear!

Peculiar Peace

"Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away" (Psalm 65:3). "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

There is a peace that won't be found
In treaties that this world gives:
Our calm assurance shall abound
Because our Lord and Savior lives.

There is a comfort from the Lord
That Christ has purchased for His own.
There's no one else who can afford
This peace, but Jesus Christ alone.

Peculiar peace! It had a price,
Though freely now it is bestowed,
For Christ became our Sacrifice
To pay the awful debt we owed!

Iniquities against us stand,
Yet these cannot our peace negate,
For Christ has met the Law's demand
And purged from us our sin so great.

We thank You, Lord, for perfect peace,
And stand amazed at love so vast
That nothing could have made You cease
To thus secure our peace at last!

Answer as an Arrow

"But God shall shoot at them with an arrow" (Psalm 64:7). "My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer Him that reproacheth Me" (Proverbs 27:11). "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34,35).

God will answer all His foes
Who plot deception in the dark,
As an expert Archer knows
The way to surely hit His mark.

God will choose the time and place
To answer with an arrow sure.
He would use us by His grace
In every a trial we endure.

God has called us to be wise,
And thereby fill His heart with joy.
Thus He answers Satan's lies
And thwarts his purpose to destroy.

God has given His command
To love each other as He did.
Like an arrow from His hand,
His grace displayed shall not be hid.

As Your arrow in the strife,
Lord, may we thus be sharp and true,
Testifying by our life
Of all the grace we find in You!

Little Longer

"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee.... because Thy lovingkindness is better than life" (Psalm 63:1,3). "Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth" (John 12:35).

The earlier we seek the Lord,
The better we shall be,
For in His love is His reward,
And in His light we see.

A little longer is the light
Of daylight from the sun.
Our sun will set, then comes the night,
And time on earth is done.

A little longer down our path
The light of Christ will lead.
His love that saved our soul from wrath
Is all the light we need.

A little longer, Lord, we know,
And we shall then be home,
So keep us in Your light below
Lest we in darkness roam.

Infinite vs. Insignificant

"My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.... Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity" (Psalm 62:5-9).

In God is all our expectation;
On Him we cast our care.
In God is infinite salvation;
With whom does He compare?

All men of low or high degree
Have souls of equal worth,
But titles with their flattery
Shall perish from the earth.

Though earthly wealth and honors seem
To carry greater weight,
These things, like disappearing steam,
Shall soon evaporate.

The temporal things that men applaud
Are subject to decay,
But every treasure found in God
Shall never pass away.

We thank You for deliverance,
O Lord, from what is vain:
From empty insignificance
Esteemed on earth as gain.

We thank You, Lord, for intimate
And everlasting love,
Which weighed that price so infinite
And sent You from above.

We see our riches in the scales
Of heaven's perfect measure:
Salvation full that never fails
In Christ, our truest Treasure!

Images of Immanuel

"Thou hast been a Shelter for me and a strong Tower from the enemy" (Psalm 61:3). "Then said Jesus unto them again..... I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.... I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" (John 10:7-11).

How many images conform
In Scripture to Immanuel:
A Shelter in the raging storm,
A Tower where we safely dwell!

Such images have shown us more
Of Christ in patterns etched so deep:
He is salvation's only Door;
He is the Shepherd of His sheep.

We see Him in each sacrifice
And hero in His Word explored.
Our time on earth shall not suffice
To search the fullness of our Lord!

O precious Lord, we cannot find
A more exhilarating view
To thrill our heart, our soul, and mind
Than Scripture's images of You!

Banner of the Beloved

"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. (Selah.) That Thy beloved may be delivered, save with Thy right hand, and hear me.... Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies" (Psalm 60:4,5,12). "And He it is that talketh with thee" (John 9:37).

Through God alone we shall succeed,
As all His foes are brought to shame.
We tread the path where He will lead,
And raise our banner in His name.

Through God our Savior we're made wise;
He tells us what is on His mind.
His truth illuminates our eyes,
As now we see, who once were blind.

Through God the battle shall be won,
And we shall see Him face to face.
Until our life on earth is done,
Our banner shall proclaim His grace.

Lord, we delight in what You say,
And as we hear and heed Your voice,
We find Your help when we obey,
And in the battle we rejoice!

Center of our Certainty

"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). "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, than are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32).

The center of our certainty
Is surely in God's Word,
As we continue faithfully
Applying what we've heard.

If God had not communicated,
How could we ever give
The reason that we were created
And purpose that we live?

The multitudes in Noah's day
Were wrong about his ark.
Until they all were swept away,
They all were in the dark.

But God was striving then with men
And gave to them His warning.
Yet even now, as it was then,
His truth is met with scorning.

The Lord has written words of truth
With counsels never flawed,
To teach us and to train our youth
To put their trust in God.

O Lord, Your truth has made us free,
As now we look toward
The center of our certainty
In Jesus Christ our Lord.

Judging Justly

"Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation [lit. O silent ones]? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?" (Psalm 58:1). "Every way of man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (Proverbs 21:2,3). "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).

Do we thus speak with righteousness
If our objections are not raised?
Indeed we don't! And how much less,
When good is scorned and evil praised!

The Lord makes us accountable
To say and do the thing that's right.
As atheism takes its toll,
We're called to stand as salt and light.

Unrighteous judgment has its start
Whenever silence gives consent.
But God is pondering the heart,
And calls upon us to repent.

In our society and schools
Where atheism reigns supreme,
Lord, help us walk now, not as fools,
As time, with wisdom, we redeem.

Forming the Faithful

"In the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.... My heart is fixed, O God" (Psalm 57:1,7). "A faithful man, who can find? (Proverbs 20:6). "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none" (Ezekiel 22:30). "And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.... but He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid" (John 6:18-20).

The faithful are not merely found;
They're molded in the storm.
Calamities in life abound
Where faithfulness may form.

The Lord still rules the stormy seas,
And He commands their waves.
He forms, through our calamities,
The faithfulness He craves.

The Lord is searching in our hearts,
Yet He is working too,
And thereby faithfulness imparts
In those who find Him true.

O Lord, when all the storms have passed
With all of their distress,
We'll see Your purpose then at last:
To form our faithfulness.

Until that day, Lord, give us ears
To hear You testify
Above the storm and all our fears:
"Fear not, for it is I!"

Searching the Sublime

"The counsel of the LORD, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death into life.... Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:24,39).

Many things may call for time
That will expend our energy;
Some are worthless, some sublime,
Affecting all eternity!

Search the Scriptures everyday
Which testify of Christ our Lord!
In this world gone astray,
We need the counsel they afford!

Here within the Scripture's page,
Eternal truths from God are heard!
His counsel stands from age to age
To bless those who obey His Word.

Thank You, Lord, that You have spoken:
In Scripture we have heard Your voice!
Sublime, supreme, and never broken,
We search its treasure and rejoice!

Fairest Friend

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee" (Psalm 55:22). "A brother offended is harder to be won than a city, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.... There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:19,24).

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And be assured it's not in vain.
Every heart to Him outpoured
In faithfulness He will sustain.

Even brothers are offended,
And every human love is flawed.
Fragile friendships soon are ended,
But this is not the case with God!

We thank You, Fairest of all friends,
For love that stood the strongest test,
For friendship now that never ends,
And for Your grace on which we rest!

Mercifully More

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.... He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:16,30).

There is so much in that word "so"
That thus describes God's wondrous love
Which makes me want to further know
Still more of Christ who reigns above.

The Lord must increase; I must not,
That I may by His grace explore
His love by what He did and taught,
So I may know Him more and more.

O Lord, there's more that I would find,
But much of me stands in the way!
Increase Your presence in my mind,
My heart, my soul, and strength today!

Manifested in Man

"God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Psalm 53:2,3). "Jesus... knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24,25).

God looked down from heaven's height
Upon the children of all men.
All were evil in His sight,
And even now it is as then.

So it was that Jesus knew,
And needed not for one to tell,
What was plain in His own view:
That we were surely fit for hell.

Lord, we thank You that You came
To change our fearful destiny!
You bore the judgment and the shame
We would have faced eternally!

Lord, we praise You for Your love
(In spite of what You saw within!)
That made us fit to dwell above
By purging from us all our sin!

Light of the Lamb

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.... That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.... And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.... Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:4-29).

Behold the Lamb of God today
Who shines the light of His salvation.
He gave His life to take away
The sin that called for condemnation.

Behold, His light in darkness shines
And of His fullness we receive,
For grace and truth in Him combines
To save those who on Him believe!

The law that Moses gave was light
That showed how far from God we fell.
Behold the Lamb, that wondrous sight,
Whose grace delivers us from hell!

We thank You, Lord, for light that came
With heaven's love and life so full.
O Lamb of God, we praise Your name
For grace and truth that saves our soul!

Renewed to Reach

"Renew a right spirit within me.... uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee" (Psalm 51:10-13). "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations.... but tarry ye... until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:47-49).

Lord, grant us a spirit renewed with Your praise,
Upheld by Your Spirit to preach what is true,
For then shall we teach the transgressor Your ways,
And sinners shall then be converted to You.

Lord, You have commanded all men to repent,
And now for a season Your Spirit will strive.
Revive us again, so that we may be sent
With power to show them that You are alive.

Lord, we are Your servants in this present hour
Who look to Your Spirit for power to preach,
For then, and then only, shall we find the power
To bring Your conviction to those we would reach.

Gathered to God

"Gather My saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.... Offer unto God thanksgiving.... And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psalm 50:5,15). "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto Him, verily I say unto thee, today Thou shalt be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:42,43).

Give thanks to the Lord for His love that endured
To gather His people together!
The Lamb that was slain by His grace has secured
Our place in His presence forever.

That thief who cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ
Shall surely remember that day
When trouble pursued him, but mercy sufficed
To wash his transgressions away!

How great was the mercy which opened his eyes
To see in the Savior such grace
That granted forgiveness, secured paradise,
And gathered him in His embrace!

O Lord, we are gathered to You just the same
As each one You rescued from hell,
For just as the thief did, we called on Your name
And found our deliverance as well!

Prophetic Precious Price

"They that trust in their wealth... none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption of their soul is precious.... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me" (Psalm 49:6-15). "My body... is given for you.... My blood... is shed for you.... For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me... for the things concerning Me have an end" (Luke 22:19,20).

Prophetic things concerning Christ
In time must surely have an end.
Though others are by lies enticed,
On Christ alone our souls depend.

For they that put their trust in wealth
Can never purchase their salvation;
They are deceived by Satan's stealth
And by their own imagination.

There is a price God prophesied,
And in this way redemption came:
It was through Christ, who for us died,
That we were ransomed from our shame.

How precious was the price He paid:
He gave Himself to save our soul!
His blood was shed, its value weighed:
Redemption then was paid in full!

By faith, O Lord, we clearly see
What far exceeds our comprehension:
Your love for us at Calvary
Which made You pay for our redemption!

Tell of the Towers

"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a Refuge.... Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:2-14).

Walk around Zion, that city sublime,
And tell of the towers and bulwarks you see.
God is our Guide, never hindered by time,
Who shows us the future with great certainty.

Come and discover the city of Zion,
That beautiful city, the joy of the earth!
See Christ exalted as Judah's great Lion,
Adored as the Lamb, and acclaimed for His worth.

How splendid is Zion in her elevation!
How joyful are those who surround the great King!
Now tell it to all of the next generation;
Explain it precisely, and don't miss a thing.

O Lord, we give thanks for the things that You show,
Declared by the prophets who thus testified,
That we may be training our children to know
The future unveiled with You as our Guide.

Precluded Proverb

"Be still, and know that I am God... I will be exalted in the earth.... For God is the King of all the earth.... He is greatly exalted" (Psalm 46:10, 47:7-9). "Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore: Thus saith the Lord GOD, I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.... For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination.... For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass" (Ezekiel 12:21-25).

What is this proverb we have in our land,
That all things continue as they have before?
Dismissing the evident works of God's hand,
Creation and judgment they wrongly ignore!

Be sure that this proverb shall very soon cease,
For God has declared that His judgment is near.
Though mockers will say that there's safety and peace,
This proverb shall vanish when Christ shall appear.

O Lord, You have said that You're coming again;
That day is approaching; You shall not be halted.
All flattering falsehoods shall surely cease then
When all through the earth You are greatly exalted!

Missing the Moment

"When Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down, for TODAY I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully.... for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.... And when He was come near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying... in this THY DAY.... thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:10,41-44).

The Seeker and Savior of sinners is near
To freely impart His salvation!
Make haste to come down as the time is now here,
The moment of His visitation!

Zacchaeus affords us a picture of grace,
Who climbed in the tree to see Jesus,
But when the Lord Jesus had come to that place,
He fastened His eyes on Zacchaeus.

"Zacchaeus, make haste!" we hear our Lord say.
He needed no other persuasion:
Zacchaeus came down and received Him that day,
Thus saved on that happy occasion!

How great was the sorrowful difference at last
When Jesus wept over the city
For missing their moment when He had then passed
To seek and to save them with pity!

O Lord, we are debtors to Your patient love
Which sought us until we received
Your mercy extended from heaven above
When we in that moment believed!

Sword and Scepter

"I speak of the things which I have made touching the King.... Grace is poured into Thy lips.... Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with glory and majesty.... Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter" (Psalm 45:1-6).

The King of glory came to earth;
Who would have thought His sword
Was cloaked beneath His humble birth,
Though He was heaven's Lord?

Within His lips were words of grace,
And by His words thus spoken,
He waged His battle in this place,
And Satan's hold was broken!

To enemies it may have seemed
His death was His defeat,
But that is how we were redeemed:
His triumph was complete!

Your throne, O God, is justified,
Your scepter righteous too,
In granting pardon, since You died
For those who trust in You.

Lot's Loss

"Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Luke 17:32,33).

Remember Lot and what he lost,
Though God had spared his life.
Remember what his choices cost;
Do not forget his wife.

We do not even know her name,
Yet surely we recall
Her backward glance which then became
A warning to us all.

Whatever Lot perceived was gain
In Sodom's wicked place,
Was soon reduced to great disdain
And horrible disgrace.

Though Sodom and Gomorrah's waters
Had made its landscape green,
Its wickedness exposed his daughters
To life that was obscene.

O Lord, when Lot is called to mind
With Sodom's infamy,
We think of things he left behind
And of his family.

O cleanse us, Lord, from life so wrong
That we would seek to win
A life for which we shouldn't long
That loses life to sin.

Persuaded by the Prophets

"I have five brethren.... if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he [Abraham] said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:28-31).

How strange it is in this our day
That men can be persuaded
By those who cast the truth away
With lies they have paraded.

In spite of all the evidence
That prophecy provides,
The world's willful ignorance
Still stubbornly abides.

Yet soon it shall no longer be
That souls have not believed,
For no one in eternity
Is anymore deceived.

We shudder at the end that came
That Christ our Lord conveyed
To one tormented in the flame
Who hopelessly then prayed.

If one were risen from the dead
And to his brethren sent,
He thought they'd hear what he had said,
And promptly would repent.

Yet if they weren't persuaded through
The prophets that God gave,
They wouldn't count the message true,
Though one rose from the grave.

O Lord, we thank You for Your Word
Through prophets' inspiration,
Confirming faith when we had heard
By Your profound persuasion!

Higher Hope

"My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day. Why art thou cast down my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 42:3-5).

Hope is plunged into the mire
That hangs on fair reactions.
There is a hope supremely higher,
Above these mere distractions.

Hope that yearns for good times past
Shall not be satisfied.
There is a higher hope at last
That God will now provide.

Hope that's anchored in the Lord
Is lifted by His grace
To view that day we look toward
When we shall see His face!

Thank You, Lord, for hope that's true
Which cannot be mistaken
Because it rests at last on You,
Our Rock that's never shaken.

Monument of Mockery

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all the behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish" (Luke 14:27-30).

Every well-intentioned life
May start with confidence and joy,
But indecisiveness and strife
Its testimony will destroy.

Every nation that has planned
To lay God's truth at its foundation
Has prospered by God's gracious hand
To be a beacon of salvation.

Yet as a life may turn away,
A prideful nation, too, may turn
From God, as sheep who go astray,
And all His grace forget and spurn.

O Lord of mercy, God of love,
The Author of our liberty,
Now send Your Spirit from above
Lest we become a mockery!

Revive us, Lord, now once again
To be Your city on a hill
And be a light among all men,
A nation that will do Your will!

Pitied in the Pit

"I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock, and established my goings" (Psalm 40:1,2).

Eternity was drawing near,
And I was not prepared.
I cried to friends, but none would hear,
Nor was there one who cared.

I waited for the Lord and cried,
For what else could I do?
Like many others who had died,
I knew that I would too.

I knew that I was in a pit
Of deadly apathy
Where others were content to sit
Until eternity.

But God was working in my heart;
He looked on me with love,
And He was waiting to impart
Salvation from above.

The hand of God was wonderful
Which drew me to that place
And set His love upon my soul
And lifted me by grace!

O Lord, I never would forget
Nor would I cease to talk
About Your saving love that set
My feet upon the Rock!

Trilogy of Tragedy

"Mine AGE... is altogether VANITY.... Man walketh in a VAIN show... he heapeth up RICHES, and knoweth not who shall gather them.... Thou makest his BEAUTY to consume away as a moth: surely every man is VANITY.... O spare me, before I go hence, and be no more" (Psalm 39:5-13). "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth. And He spake a parable unto them saying... A certain rich man... thought within himself, saying.... Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou has provided?" (Luke 12:15-21).

My fleeting age is vanity
By God's eternal measure,
And things accumulated flee,
Depleting earthly treasure.

Whatever beauty there may be,
The years shall soon consume.
Lord, spare me from futility
In life before the tomb!

For as a steward I must give
Account for temporal gain.
O spare me, Lord, that I may live
A life that's not in vain!

Whatever now is left of days,
Of wealth, or of attraction,
I would surrender for Your praise
Instead of vain distraction.

I hear that painful parable
And shudder at the thought,
Of life perceived to be so full
Which may be spent for naught!

Eternity! Eternity!
Lord, keep this thought in view
To spare me from the tragedy
Of life not lived for You!

Watchmen Warn

"Turn you at My reproof.... For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them" (Proverbs 1:23,32). "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman... therefore, hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me" (Ezekiel 3:17). "Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto Him, Master, thus saying Thou reproachest us also. And He said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye.... have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered" (Luke 11:45-52).

The task of watchmen is to warn.
This describes what watchmen do.
No matter who will heed or scorn,
The watchman warns of what is true.

The Lord has likewise called His own
To preach the Gospel to the lost,
To tell them Christ can save alone
And warn them of rejection's cost.

Our Savior warned the Pharisees;
He warned the lawyers then as well
Who had, yet took away, the keys
Of knowledge to escape from hell!

O Lord, we know we are assigned
As watchmen, since we have Your Word.
Yet light will not convince the blind,
And words to deaf cannot be heard.

We are Your watchmen, just the same,
Though You must open eyes and ears.
There is no other saving name
But Jesus Christ as judgment nears!