Friday 30 May 2014

VOICE

The voice from heaven
Breathed identification
With saints on the earth.

Thursday 29 May 2014

PRAYER

The finest commendation is the first:
That Jesus, as come into manhood, prayed;
Thus in a perfect Man a perfect thirst
For speaking to the Father was portrayed.
And since then generations of His saints
Sought for their Father or their Lord to tell
Their needs and thoughts - and even their complaints -,
Were listened to, and knew that all was well.
Since Jesus as a Man could understand
Our need for prayer He made it His command;
The Father has expressed His love to hear
The voices of His sons as they draw near;
So let us go, leaning on one another,
To confidently speak to Him, my brother.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

NEW HYMN

We worship Thee, Lord Jesus,
The everlasting One;
He who had His existence
Before time had begun,
"Over all God", we gladly fall
Before Thee, Maker of us all.

We bow to Thee, Lord Jesus;
Thou art Emmanuel:
Come down to serve in manhood
And thus do all things well.
Thy glories as the Firstborn shine
With power and grace that are divine.

We praise Thy Name, Lord Jesus,
For all Thou has achieved;
Thou hast secured the blessings
Thy brethren have received;
How great this is - but, greater still,
Thou hast accomplished all God's will .

Lord Jesus, we adore Thee
For what Thou dost, and art,
Thou art the assembly's Object
To satisfy her heart.
Enraptured by Thy grace and charms
Thy bride is resting in Thine arms.




You'll find a tune for this here.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

TRUST

The sinner who puts
His trust in God has Jesus
For His comforter.

Monday 26 May 2014

GOD'S WORKS

Oh praise God for His mighty works
For He has made both sea and land;
He shaped and beautified the Earth
In might men cannot understand.

Oh praise God for His detailed works -
The webs of colour in the flower,
Glimpses of colour on a wing,
Or shades of rainbow in a shower.

And praise God for His tender works
As here in Christ to touch man’s need,
To heal, to comfort and to raise,
To bless, to bear, to calm, to feed.

But praise God for His mightiest work
In raising Jesus from the dead -
By power which works in strength towards
The church, for which Christ is the Head.

Sunday 25 May 2014

YEA, HE LOVETH THE PEOPLES

(Deut 33 v 3)

All his saints are in thy hand...
Coming through the wilderness,
Coming to the promised land:
How He loves to care and bless -
Yea, he loveth the peoples!

...And they sit down at thy feet...
Knowing thus the better part,
Since Thy teachings are so sweet
That they satisfy their heart:
Yea, he loveth the peoples!

...Each receiveth of thy words...
To supply their spirit’s needs
Naturally as the birds
Feed upon the ripened seeds:
Yea, he loveth the peoples!

Saturday 24 May 2014

THE LORD COMES IN


The Lord comes in to give His own
Fresh touches of His love,
Tastes of the favour they have known
With savours from above.

And He comes in that He may taste
The sweetness of the bride;
He comes to her in fervent haste
To bring her to His side.

And He comes in that He might bring
Saints to the Father’s sphere,
To share with Him, to hear Him sing,
To worship and revere.

Friday 23 May 2014

LIFE

The Lord would rather
Give up His holy life than
God's favour for us.

Thursday 22 May 2014

CHRIST

Among the dust of Palestine
He, come within our human span,
Displayed a worth that was divine
While God was glorified in man.

Between heaven’s glory and earth’s sod
The Son of man was crucified,
And through Golgotha’s torments God,
Regarding sin, was glorified.

As faithful women reached Christ’s tomb
The rising Sun dispelled the night -
God’s glory dwelt on Christ through whom
Men are accepted in God’s sight.

A Man is now at God’s right hand -
A Man is on the Father’s throne!
And Christians gladly understand
God’s thoughts secured in Christ alone.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Monday 19 May 2014

JOHN 4

Asking for a drink
the Lord was content to be
beholden to her.

Sunday 18 May 2014

HEAVENLY FATHER

Our Heavenly Father
Measures blessing and chastening
With Fatherly care.

Saturday 17 May 2014

HOW MUCH I'M LOVED!

On me, God’s grace has beamed;
By blood, I am redeemed;
To me His kindnesses have streamed:
How much I’m loved!

For me, the Saviour died;
For me, was crucified;
And now, for me He’s glorified:
How much I’m loved!
Christ suffered to atone,
But now, upon the throne,
He cares for me, with all His own
How much I’m loved!

He has prepared the place
Before the Father’s face
Which we will share, through boundless grace:
How much I’m loved!

Though here the world outside
Should raise an evil tide
With me, He says, He will abide:
How much I’m loved!

And as His word may be
Abiding now in me
Increasingly He’ll make me see
How much I’m loved!

Friday 16 May 2014

NEW TESTAMENT

What grace of the Father
To invest me
With the Best Robe -
The measure of Christ's worth.

Who else but God
Could nourish me with
Exotic cuisine:
The Bread of God?

Love in the Giver;
Love in the Gift -
Each, the Lord and the Spirit,
God personally.

Thursday 15 May 2014

OLD TESTAMENT

Jehovah Elohim
Condescended
To be a clothes-maker
To cover Man's nakedness.

The God of glory
Condescended to give
His recalcitrant prophet Elijah
Two breakfasts.

And the Rock - smitten once -
Was prepared to be
The nation of Israel's
Water-carrier.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

IN MEMORIAM

We thought we knew the way the river went
Until well-laden waters reached the seas -
We thought we saw its fertile green extent
Broadening through fields and valleys, crops and trees.
God had another thought - it suddenly
Dropped seaward in a rushing cataract -
His vision and His wisdom rapidly
Brought it to His broad sea. This was His act.

Within love’s ocean she is now at rest,
Guarded by Him through whom she is asleep;
Since One she trusted and whom she confessed
Endured the anguish of the greatest deep.

And when He comes - her Lord and Lord of all -
She will spring forth in answer to His call.



(Written following the death in a boating accident of a young sister in Christ)

Tuesday 13 May 2014

NOT ONLY...

He gave not only
The Best Robe but the setting
Where it will shine best.


We are not only
Placed in His house but given
Suitable clothing.

Monday 12 May 2014

THE LORD IS GREAT

Let songs of praise and wonderment be raised
To Him who, having suffered to atone,
Is seated now upon the Father’s throne –
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!

Waiting until sin’s impact is erased
The whole creation has been caused to groan,
But even now a song comes from His own throne –
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!

And when we see Him we will be amazed
Because of His delightfulness and grace,
And we will sing, as we behold His face throne –
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!

Sunday 11 May 2014

LEAVES

The colours of autumn leaves
Are always there - awaiting
Display. On the tree my Saviour
Shone with beauties
That were always there.

Leaves do not fall from
A dead branch. His was a death
Which had life
Intrinsic in it.

Spring has fresh beauty -
Pullulant with life. A Sprout
For beauty and glory
Has sprung forth!

Saturday 10 May 2014

HAND

Lord, keep me underneath Thy hand
Secure from harm;
Without Thee I cannot withstand
Storm or alarm.

Lord, keep me underneath Thy hand
Guided by Thee
Finding as under Thy command
Thy path for me.

Lord, keep me underneath Thy hand
Both warmed and blessed
Where in Thy love I understand
The way that’s best.

Friday 9 May 2014

BENEFITS

Gods benefits are
Administered to us through
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thursday 8 May 2014

NO ONE ELSE

No one else has set me free;
No one else secured my heart;
No one else draws me apart:
No one else has died for me.

Some may give a high degree,
Some provide profound advice,
Some give presents of great price:
No one else has died for me.

No one else will hear my plea;
No one else can meet my need;
No one else will balm or feed:
No one else has died for me.

Wednesday 7 May 2014

THOUGHTS ON JOHN (VII)

A man who follows
Jesus
Will continue till He comes.

A man who rests in
The bosom of Jesus
Will be maintained.

A man who leans on
His breast, Jesus
Will sustain.

And He will keep
Till His coming a man
Who enquires from Him.

This concludes my series of thoughts on John, written in 2009.

Tuesday 6 May 2014

THOUGHTS ON JOHN (VI)

When there was a select few
You were among them.

With James your brother,
And Peter, the first, you observed
Christ, the resurrection and the life,
Awake Jairus's daughter.

You observed also
The Son of God glorified
On the mountain top.

And the sorrows of
The Son of the man at the press,
Gethsemane.

Andrew joined you three on the mount
Opposite Jerusalem
As the Prophet prophesied.

And with Peter, adjusted
By the man with the pitcher of water,
You went to prepare for what became
The Lord's supper.

With Peter you ran
To find a bare tomb
And you saw and believed.

And in that partnership
You stood by Peter's acclamation,
"In the name of Jesus Christ
The Nazareaen".

You barely mention
Any of these things.

Monday 5 May 2014

THOUGHTS ON JOHN (V)

You usually think of John
As a contemplator: one whose mind
Had been moulded by dwelling on
The Word.

Why then was this the man
Who craved a high place
In the Lord's kingdom?

Why was this the man
Whose human zeal thought
To call fire from heaven?

Yet it was a mark
Of the Lord's approval
To call him and his brother
Boanerges.

And Christ accepts
No fleshly zeal.

Friday 2 May 2014

THOUGHTS ON JOHN (IV)

Though the Saviour went to die,
First He gave His loved ones rest:
At the supper see John lie
In His bosom, on His breast.

Jesus answered the request
Of the one who drew so near
Where His love had cast out fear
In His bosom, on His breast.

One make then could take that place
But in times of faith and grace
You can be divinely blest
In His bosom, on His breast.

Thursday 1 May 2014

THOUGHTS ON JOHN (III)

By the cross of Jesus
Stood one who lay in
The bosom of Jesus.

In the tomb of Jesus
He who stood by the cross
Believed Christ was risen.

The man who had believed
That Jesus was risen
Could proclaim, "It is the Lord".

The one who has recognised
Jesus the Lord was seen
As following Jesus.

He who followed Jesus
Became in the Spirit,
Alone, on the Lord's day.

The one who became
In the Spirit could see
God's work in perfection.