A PSALM ON THE TITLES OF CHRIST

 

If He is the Alpha and the Omega

All titles between belong to Jesus;
If He is the Father's Beloved
He is the assembly's Beloved too.
Since the Lord Jesus is the Christ of God
How wonderful a Christ-ian is to God!
Since the Dayspring from on high has risen
What guidance we have in the way of peace!
Emmanuel has come in - God with us -
So that by His grace we should be with God;
He came that He might become Friend to me
And fold me with those who are friends of God.
If God distinguishes His "gracious one"
He will also pour grace into His lips;
Since He is the Head of the assembly
He's worthy to be Head of every man;
The Person who could call Himself, "I am"
Said also, "I am the door of the sheep".
Since the Just One has suffered on the cross
The just may be justified by his faith. 
Jesus, the rejected King of the Jews,
Will reign in universal kingship.
He is Lord of all we willingly say, 
Before the day when all confess Him Lord.
If already we have the Morning Star
Soon the world shall shine in Messiah's light.
How suitable that the Nazareaen
Should be the branch of true nazariteship;
Since He is the Alpha and Omega
He must have as spouse the Aleph to Tau.
He is a clearer Prophet than Moses;
He is a purer Priest than Aaron;
For the dead the Son is the Quickener:
For the storm-tossed He is the Quietener;
If in His grace He is the Redeemer
Such grace made Him a Ransom for many;
To the One who is Saviour and Shepherd
Belongs the title of the Son of God;
We receive instruction from the Teacher
And refreshing fruit from the Tree of life.
Our  holy, harmless, undefiled High Priest
Bears to our unfading inheritance.
O Wisdom of God, the incarnate Word,
Come and show us the way of prudence.
He who expired is risen: exult Him!
He who excels us all: exult in Him!
We are awaiting the once-slain Yearling:
"Yea, I come quickly", the Lord Jesus says.
Zechariah tell us where His feet shall stand;
And Zephaniah tells where He will rest.

Completed 5 August 2019.

Around Berwick-upon-Tweed

AND AGAIN

 The story is: one night I woke up and thought about the five "One Things" of the previous post. Completely forgetting I had already written about them I wrote the one below.  I could blame old age but some bits of my memory have never been very good!

Secure in law-keeping;

Secure in your finances,

"One thing lackest thou":

A sense of need.                            Mark 10: 21

Conscious of the grace

That had given the light

"One thing I know ...

Now I see".                                    John 9: 25

One thing is needful:

To take the listening part

That Mary took:

At the feet of Jesus.                        Luke 10: 42

"One thing I do":

The aging apostle could say,

Delineating a way for me:

"I pursue".                                    Philippians 3: 13

"One thing I have desired

Of the Lord": to dwell in His house,

To behold His beauty,

To enquire in His temple".              Psalm 27: 4

Down the coast towards Berwick

Into Berwick-upon-Tweed

"ONE THING"; FIVE "ONE THINGS"

 Swaddled in affluence,            Mark 10: 21

Swathed in self-esteem,

"One thing lackest thou":

A lack.

The light revealed                    John 9: 25

I could not see the light;

One thing I know:

A Man called Jesus

Opened my eyes.

Cooking things up,                     Luke 10: 42

Baking, preparing, survey

One thing is needed:

Rest at the Master's feet.

Not possessing, yet, the prize;           Philippians 3: 13

Not being yet full-grown,

One thing: forgetting the things behind,

I pursue.

To dwell in the house of God               Psalm 27: 4

To see His beauty:

One thing have I asked of Jehovah:

That will I seek.

As we were emptying my mother-in-law's house since she was going into a care home I came on a little battered old book for children called, "The Homeward Journey: of Five "One Things" by A.T.S.  This seems to be A T Schofield with Amazon showing a date for it of 1 January 1924.  It is available here.  And that's the source of the thoughts above. (There's another wee story about it.)

Looking back to Scotland

The Coast of Northumberland on the way to Berwick

Friend I met on the way!

WINGS (again)

"He shall cover thee with His feathers,       Psalm 91: 4

And under His wings shalt thou find refuge."

Thus I take refuge                                   Psalm 57: 1

in the shadow of Thy wings

till the calamities are past

For His desire was to enfold                      Luke 13: 34

as a hen enfolds its chickens

beneath her wings.

Eagle, stirring its nest,           Deuteronomy 32: 11, 12

Hovering, spreading its wings,

He alone has led me from the wilderness.

If I have weltered in ashes                     Psalm 68: 13

He caused me to be

wings of a dove;

with green-gold feathers.

They vainly spread the net                   Proverbs 1: 17

for me:

for He has given me wings.

From Burnmouth to the Border

England to the left of the fence, Scotland to the right

THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK

"I came to your church

To hear my own language - 

Gaelic - spoken.

I had not heard it

In my long campaigning.

You spoke of a child

Secreted by his mother

In a rock cleft; and how,

Wrapped in her plaid,

It survived the storm

She died in.

I loved that mother

Who tenderness sacrificed

Her life for her child.

But now I have learned to love

The Rock, the Christ,

To be ready to die in the cleft

Of that Rock.

I was the child in the cleft."

More of Burnmouth< Scottish Borders

GOD'S PEOPLE

            I

Galatians 6:10

In a world of mist and quagmire

See them, eyese to the light,

Stood upon the Rock:

"The household of faith".

1 Peter 3:17, 5: 9

And as you see them

Surrounded by the world's fangs,

Accomplishing sufferings,

"Love the brotherhood".

1 Peter 2: 10

Though once the world claimed

Them its; or Satan his;

Or they even claimed they were their own:

"Now God's people".

Into Burnmouth, the most south easterly village in Scotland

Due east would be Denmark

HUSHAI

If it was after David worshipped             (2 Samuel 15: 30-37)
On the summit of the mount of Olives
That Hushai appeared, yet it was
Torn-clothed and with earth on
His head.  To be no burden to
The king he was sent be
Faithful in the false court.
There deluding Absalom by
His honesty: “Long live the king  ….”     (2 Samuel 16: 16-18)
(Over the water) he masterfully
Acted treacherously for truth,
For if he loved pureness of heart,
With grace on his life not only
In the cabinet was he the king’s            (1 Chronicles 27: 33)

Friend: the king was his friend.             (Proverbs 22: 11)  

               

A Few Final Views of the Firth of Forth and Blackness Castle

GLORY TO GOD ...

(Luke 2: 14; Judges 9: 8-15)

Glory to God,

Secured by God, in the highest;

 - be an olive tree

Its expressed fatness

Honouring God.

And on earth peace

In the Child who shall be peace

 - be a fig tree,

Bearing, already, sweetness

Of the day of the Prince of peace.

Good pleasure in men,

Through One it will please God to bruise;

 - be a vine

Producing that new wine

That cheers God and men.

(Ramsay Bing 20/12/2025)

More of Blackness Castle and the Firth of Forth