Glorious Gospel

“Open thy mouth for… the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction” (Proverbs 31:8).  “The glorious gospel… was committed to my trust… This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:11-15). 

The glorious Gospel of God

Which we are commissioned to tell,

May not be what sinners applaud,

But still it can save them from hell.

The answer to sin and seduction

Must not be our tacit consent!

As sinners march on to destruction,

We warn them, in love, to repent. 

The Gospel should never be changed,

No matter whom it will offend,

For those who from God are estranged

Shall know it was right in the end. 

The Gospel is God’s faithful Word,

And worthy of all acceptation, 

For by it our hearts are assured

By Christ who has purchased salvation! 

The Gospel of Christ has conveyed

The reason He came down to earth:

A ransom for souls must be paid

For sinners to have a new birth. 

He did not come down to be served,

But rather to pay the full price

That none of us ever deserved: 

Redemption through His Sacrifice. 

Your glorious Gospel, O Lord,

Has given such cause to rejoice

Through promises we have explored

In which we have heard Your own voice! 

We thank You, Lord Jesus, our Savior,

For showing the reason You came,

That You might bestow on us favor,

By bearing our sin and our shame. 

Salvation is needed by all;

Your glorious Gospel is true.

Lord, send us to sinners You call

To flee to the Refuge in You. 

Openly Obvious

“The LORD hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly showed in the sight of the heathen.  He hath remembered His mercy and His truth… all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:2,3). 

The Lord has made known His salvation;

These things were not done in the dark. 

He strove since the days of creation

Before Noah entered the ark. 

The way of salvation is known

To all of the ends of the earth,

As prophets before have foreshown

The place and the line of Christ’s birth. 

The earth should be standing in awe

In view of the things that took place,   

For Moses had given the law

But Christ manifested God’s grace! 

His mercy and truth were not hid

When Christ on the cross for us died. 

He promised to rise, and He did;

His power could not be denied! 

Though many are willfully blind,

Denying the truth they despise,

The record is clear to the mind

Of one who will open his eyes. 

O Lord, we give thanks for the love

Unveiled in salvation’s plan. 

Descending from heaven above,

You laid down Your life as Man.

O Lord, there was no other way

For sinners so lost and depraved! 

You openly put on display

The singular way to be saved! 

The openly obvious need

Of souls now is clearly in view: 

Lord, help us to prayerfully lead

More souls to salvation in You!  

Good Hope from God's Hand

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and GOOD HOPE through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work” (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17). 

How good the hope is we’ve received

From God our Father’s gracious hand!

We know in whom we have believed,

And by His grace alone we stand. 

His everlasting consolation

And comfort of His love’s embrace

Is ours forever with salvation

Established by His saving grace. 

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Who gave Himself to save our soul,

Upon the cross was sacrificed

To pay our ransom there in full. 

The love of God must surely be

Beyond our comprehension’s scope,

Who comforts us eternally

With mercy that extends good hope! 

How great the contrast is we find

Between the hope this world gives

(Mere wishful thinking that is blind)

And Christ our Lord who ever lives!

Lord, thank You for Your precious Word

Which rests upon Your faithfulness. 

By good hope we are thus assured,

Not by a frail human guess! 

Lord, let the words that we should say

And every work we’re called to do

Be thus established to display

That good hope only comes from You.

Shadow of our Surety

Celebrating my 40^th Born Again Birthday!  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

“Judah said… I will be surety for him… then let me bear the blame forever” (Genesis 43:8,9).  “O sing unto the LORD a new song… show forth His salvation from day to day… Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name… Be Surety for Thy servant for good” (Psalm 96:1-8, 119:122).  “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things” (Proverbs 28:5).  “We pray always for you… that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11,12).

As Judah to his father said

That he would be a surety,

We see a type of Christ so led

To bear our blame eternally. 

In Judah’s vow and his endeavor

We see a shadow here of Christ:

“Then let me bear the blame forever!”

Behold our Savior sacrificed. 

Though men who will reject the Lord

Will never understand such things,

There is from God a sure reward

That seeking Him in earnest brings. 

The Lord imparts a song that’s new

That thrills us daily with its theme

With Christ our Surety in view

Who died for those He would redeem. 

Now let our Savior’s wondrous name

Be glorified from day to day!

Our Surety who bore our blame

Is greater than we can convey!

Is not this Gift Unspeakable

From Him who gave HIMSELF for us? 

Does not His mercy thrill the soul

With His salvation glorious? 

O Lord, according to Your grace

You stooped in love to pay the price

And thus became our Hiding Place,

The only One that would suffice!

O Lord, our Surety above,

We gather by Your invitation

To draw near with adoring love

And thank You for so great salvation! 

O Lord, as we approach Your throne

To worship You with all our hearts,

We glorify Your name alone

With joy Your presence now imparts. 

Be glorified, Lord, as You should,

In those You saved from coming wrath,

And be our Surety for good

To show the lost Your saving path.  

Taking Today

“Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7,8).  “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth… My son, be wise, and make My heart glad” (Proverbs 27:1,11).  “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day… For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-10). 

Today is given now to us

As if it were a precious jewel. 

We wisely make it glorious,

Or we may waste it as a fool. 

We take the day, a brand new start,

And seize its opportunity

To come to God with softened heart

And listen to Him earnestly. 

We boast not of the next tomorrow;

We do not know what it will bring.

We cannot see its joy or sorrow;

This is the purview of our King. 

We’re called as children of the day

Since we have trusted Christ the Savior. 

He gives us light to show His way

Where we may daily find His favor. 

The Lord delivered us from wrath

And now extends to us His grace

To walk with Him along His path

As friends communing face to face.

So whether we shall sleep or wake,

The Lord has promised to abide. 

This is the Gospel that we take

To daily show why Jesus died.

O Lord, we thank You that You give

Another day to hear Your voice

To teach us how we ought to live

That we may make Your heart rejoice.  

Since You have told us, Lord, to go

And preach the Gospel in Your name,

We take each day that You bestow

To show the reason that You came. 

Lord, every day now is a treasure

Which we’re receiving from Your hand. 

It is our joy to give You pleasure

As we fulfill Your Word’s command.