THE BELOVED

I am redeemed

In the Beloved;

The Father has been declared

By the Beloved;

I am to hear

The Beloved;

I am taken into favour

In the Beloved.

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.

LOVE

The greatness of God’s love

Is that of an ocean

Not a river - grace is

A river sourced in His love.

PARABLE

“My pain is great, my wounds are sore,

My life bleeds to its end.”

“I’ve come to care for you, to pour

Oil on your wounds, my friend.”

“I faint, I feel my spirit pine:

My soul is reft by strife.”

“My friend, I’ve come to pour you wine

To stimulate your life.”

“I have no shelter, can’t begin

The journey to my home.”

“I’ll bring you safely to the inn -

There is no need to roam.”

“I lie within a world of harm

And cannot be released.”

“My friend, I’ll bear you on my arm

To set you on my beast.”

“My money and my goods are lost;

I cannot pay a fee.”

“Do not despair, my friend - the cost

Has all been borne by me.”

“Out of this inn what shall I do?

When I am gone - what then?”

“The innkeeper will care for you

Until I come again.”

“My Friend - how I shall miss your face!

Why must you go away?”

“I’m going to prepare the place

Where, with me, you shall stay.”

THE MAN

The Man who opened the ears

Of the man who could not hear

Was history’s greatest Listener.

The man who anointed the blind man

And brought light into his life

Was the greatest Seer among men.

And of the Man who raised

Dead from the dead it was written

“In Him was life”.

CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGES

Chosen in Christ before the world began,

Redeemed through the munificence of grace,

Associated with the heavenly Man.

Given the Earnest of a settled place,

Clothed in the worth of One raised from the dead,

Enregistered in an undying race,

United by the Spirit to the Head,

Forming a part of the illustrious bride,

In this dry wilderness refreshed and fed,

Rejoicing in the food which will abide,

Waiting to share Christ’s glory by His side.

SWEETNESS

Among computers or washing,

Pens, basins, or branches

There is a Man who will

Bring sweetness.

Among catheters and scalpels,

Even graves and coffins

There is a Man who will

Bring sweetness.

Among saints and angels,

And the splendours of heaven

There is a Man who will

Bring sweetness.

PATIENCE

Because I lock
The door He has to knock;

He has to wait

Because I bar the gate;

Because I wall

Him out He has to call.

Although I mock,

In patience, He will knock;

And He will wait

If my reply is late;

His love will call

When my response is small.

Lord, I unlock

My heart, break down the wall,

Unhinge my gate;

Thou shalt no longer wait

Or knock, or call:

Lord, lead me to Thy flock.

ABILITY

The Man who loves me

Is the Man with the greatest

Love ability.

LIGHT

If life around seems grim

With all-embracing dark;

If Christians’ light grows dim

And gutters to a spark

Lift up your eyes and see afar

The shining of the Morning Star.

And mid His faithful saints

The love of Christ gives light

Excluding Satan’s feints

To lead them into night;

Within the heart of every one

Shines gloriously the risen Sun.

His sweetness does not cloy

But makes our spirits full;

He makes our souls enjoy

The principle of rule;

His warmth surrounds with its embrace

Suffusing all our hearts with grace.

And His assembly shines

With God’s own glory’s rays:

The Spirit’s wise designs

Will soon appear in day

But in the night she rules for Him

Whose light towards her is never dim.

Where Light which has no taints

Has once, in beauty, been

Now all Christ’s chosen saints

Are lights in a dark scene:

While patiently His people wait

With variant lights they scintillate.

JACOB

More than a mother's love,
A divine secret,
Moved Rebecca to discern
Jacob was loveable.

"What was torn I have not
Brought to thee", Jacob attested,
The words of a man
Who did justly.

Renamed, after his wrestling,
And his maiming
He, Israel, could walk as one
Of God's nobility.

To approach God's house
- "Put away the strange gods ...
And cleanse yourselves" -
Demanded purity.

After the byways, 
Skewed routes, now
Leaning on his staff,
A true worshipper.

Edinburgh & Anand 11-12/13
Testing the history of Jacob by Phil 4: 8.

STANDING

The Son of God, who did God’s will,

The Son of Man, who came to die,

The Son of David, Christ, stood still

In answer to a beggar’s cry.

The Man who is the Lord of all,

Who soon will reign in equity,

Stood prisoner in the judgment hall

Of one steeped in iniquity.

He stood as the Victorious One

Within the circle of His own

Bringing His peace since all was done

By which the Father might be known.

Soon He will come to claim His right

And stand upon the sea and land;

All shall be set for His delight

And all shall prosper in His hand.

LUKE 15

What the shepherd looked for

Was one who would recognise

His voice, one who would follow

His feet, one to enjoy

His pastures, one who was suitable

To be brought to the house.

What the woman sought

Was one who would shimmer to

Her lamp, one who would show

The Master’s face, one to enhance

Value within the house.

And what the father looked out for

Was one who could wear

The best robe with dignity, act

According to the gold ring, dance

Like a son in the sandals. One

With whom, in his house, he could share.

SAYINGS

“He shall be great” the angel said

Before His birth and drawing near;

Now risen, Victor from the dead,

He shall be great.

“Behold the Man” the Roman said -

Greatest since all this world began,

Proclaimed though His disciples fled -

Behold the Man!

“The Lord is near” the apostle said,

Encouraging through toil and fear;

They relish, who hold fast the Head,

The Lord is near.

“Lord Jesus, come” the bride says now

Engaged in His encomium;

His saints cry, as their spirits bow

“Lord Jesus, come”.

It's time for a break - off to India for a couple of weeks!

PERFECTION

Never to stir but

As another guides you is

Perfection in man.

STANDING

The One who is the Lord of all

Stood still to heed a beggar’s call.

He stood because of men’s deceit

Before a Roman judgment seat.

But how His peace and love were known

As Jesus stood amidst His own!

They found His care had gone before

When He was standing on the shore.

His witness Stephen saw Him stand

As Son of Man at God’s right hand.

Sheaves now, as product of His grief,

Bow down to His one standing sheaf.

Claiming His rights He soon will stand

Upon the sea and on the land.

But now He loves to see His bride

Standing in splendour at His side.

CLOTHING

The first clothes maker,

God, acted - and faith can see

Someone must suffer.

CLOTHING

To be before the face of God

Without the taint of sin

We must be clothed in Christ Himself -

Clothed in the coats of skin.

We cannot come with righteousness

Of which our nature brags

We must be clothed in Christ Himself

And not our filthy rags.

When God desires to celebrate

His dear Son’s wedding feast

We must be clothed in Christ Himself

From greatest unto least.

To be within the Father’s house

Where He may gladly rest

We must be clothed in Christ Himself -

Clothed in the Father’s best.

DAYS

This is One to Whom personally

Servitude to time could not apply -

One who inhabits eternity. Yet

His love constrained Him to this thirlage.

He took part in our habitat

Days. He slept in them, woke in them,

In them moved, ate, carpentered.

Daily He absorbed the Father’s voicing.

One day the word directed Him towards

Jordan; one day to the wilderness.

Each of the days of the Son of Man

Was distinguished, although He is the Same.

And there were nights too - healing

Or praying. Until there came the night

When He was delivered up. And the day

When over His suffering daylight was withheld.

Time knows no day like that day -

Denial at cockcrow, injustice early,

Scourging, nailing, hanging, suffering:

And the secret sorrow the sun did not lighten.

Energy charged the resurrection day -

The Risen One gave to Mary

Revelation, to Simon restoration,

To two wanderers a Shepherd’s care.

From the day when He was received up in glory

We wait in the patience of the Christ until

His vindication: when the world takes moral direction

From that Sun in the day of Jesus Christ.

SHEEP

“The firstlings of His flock” -

In choiceness God introduced

In His word, the sheep.

He brings soon to our view

The ram’s vigour,

Entrapping it to His will.

He shows us His yearling

Whose blood is cover

And whose flesh sustains.

And if our weakness

Attains to a sucking lamb only

He accepts it as a whole burnt-offering.

HE LOVED

He loved, though I was sinful;

He loved, when I was lost;

He loved, when I was needy;

He loved, to His great cost;

He loved when left out, knocking,

He loved, when brought within;

He loved me by the wayside,

He loved me at the inn.

He loved me though I wandered;

He loved, as I returned;

He loved, when my love faded;

He loved, when my heart burned;

He loved, despite my weakness;

He loved, despite my will;

He loved, through joy and sorrow;

He loved - He loves me still!

He loves, though we are faithless;

He loves, although we fail;

He loves when times are easy;

He loves, when storms assail;

He loves us in the battle;

He loves us in God’s house;

He loves us as His brethren;

He loves us as His spouse.

UNTIL HE COMES

Until He comes

Be faithful to His Name;

The Spirit's guiding as your sword,

Do battle for your absent lord

Until He comes.

Until He comes

Announce the Master's death;

In deep affection break the bread

And drink the cup, as He has said

Until He comes.

Until He comes

Pursue the path of faith;

Pursue the way of righteousness

Faith, love, and peace that Christ may bless

Until He comes

ONE MAN

God’s heart desires that all should know
He is distinguishing one Man,
According to His glorious plan
Which finds an answer here below.

Before Christ’s service here began
The heavens opened up to show
God’s heart desires that all should know
He is distinguishing one Man.

God will have no one other than
His Christ, to whom now praises flow
Because He plumbed the depths of woe:
Delighted with the course Christ ran
He is distinguishing one Man.

NOTHING

When I had nothing

To pay grace told me that I

Had nothing to pay.

HOW GREAT

How great is His mercy! - when we were still lawless,

He came to redeem us from hell;

He came as the Lamb who was perfect and flawless -

The Lord has done everything well!

How great is His goodness! - He heals all who need Him

In grace more than humans can tell;

He comes now as manna for all those who heed Him -

The Lord has done everything well!

How great is His beauty - His charms and His graces

Delight all the hearts they impel

To be near Himself to enjoy His embraces -

The Lord has done everything well!

WEAVING

Since He came to relieve bearers,
The bereaved, blind, and dumb,
So that strangers should be retrieved;
Ears He opened - where first Eve
Let temptation enter; fever
He rebuked, and those who believed Him
Followed; and all He would achieve
Rooted from His excellence. God
Saw a heave offering; men
A panacea for their peevishness.
See those who received Him, children
Of God - metal to magnet, cleaving
To Him - grace made them perceive
His worth, leave all for One
Weaving a seamless garment.

HOW GRAND THE REVELATION!

The mighty God, who dwelt alone,

Before the world’s foundation,

In perfect light, has been made known -

How grand the revelation!

The Lord of glory took His place

Within His own creation

To demonstrate transcendent grace -

How grand the revelation!

We know the One who took our part

For our emancipation

And to disclose the Father’s heart -

How grand the revelation!

And, brought to know God’s holy Name,

His sons with exultation

Expand their praises and exclaim -

How grand the revelation!

MERCY

Mercy endured for me

When I was lost;

Mercy secured for me

Peace - at great cost;

Mercy has reached for me,

Mercy has preached for me,

Mercy beseeched for me

When I was lost.

Mercy has cared for me,

One who is found;

Mercy prepared for me

Heavenly ground;

Mercy has sought for me,

Mercy has wrought for me,

Mercy has fought for me -

One who is found.

DAVID

A man went to the valley of trees

Lordly face like a sword-edge.

Goliath might scorn, Goliath might spurn

Loud as wolves his howls of disdain.

Ardent man, sapient man, distinctive man

David had pierced bear and lion.

Harsh in the skull he would drive his stone,

Accurate, brash weapon on brow.

At his feet the shield-lord bowed humbly,

Fleet Philistines, hero-wrenched, fled.

REJOICE IN THE LORD

Rejoice in the Lord who has brought us salvation:

He came from the glory to challenge our foes;

He came in His grace to have no reputation,

To serve as a bondman, to bear all our woes.

Rejoice in the Lord who was here for the Father

To show what God’s ideal in manhood would be,

To work out God’s purpose, to heal men, to gather,

To bring sons to glory, to set our souls free.

Rejoice in the Lord who is raised and ascended

And seated in glory at God’s own right hand:

He waits till God’s work in His people is ended

And all shine in glory as God’s heart has planned.

Rejoice in the Lord who has touched our affection,

Our Shepherd, our Master, our Shield and Reward;

The Man who has won us through charm and perfection:

O saints He has purchased - Rejoice in the Lord!

JOAN WASTE

“Is it all right”, I asked her,

“For me to lead my sister

Towards the fire?”

“Our father is dead”, she said.

“So who else would I want

To give me away?”

“I could help you escape”, I claimed.

But she replied, “No. See these ropes -

I myself made them

It was gracious of my Lord

To make my poor handiwork

The bands of a Man”.

Truly, day by day, strand by strand,

Her dexterity and patience had made

The finest ropes in Derby.

“The fire is ravenous”. But she responded,

“We must all burn, by fevers or rheumatics:

As well swift as slow.”

And when I longed that God would send

Elizabeth she said she waited for

One Monarch only.

She rejoiced that she would not see

A sin-marred world - “but I will see it

When Christ is king".

And “What is light? Is it to the body

What faith is to my soul -

The expansion of perception?

You will have to let go my hand soon

But remember that a stronger hand

Holds me still.”

I led her to the stake. She did not cry

Among the faggots, but spoke tenderly,

And her last word was “Jesus”.

JESUS’ BLOOD

 

Jesus' blood gives God a basis

That He may for forgive;

That the persons who offended

Now may live.

Jesus’ blood shed at Golgotha

Where He was reviled,

Has effect that all things may be

Reconciled.

Jesus’ blood can cleanse the sinner,

Purging every sin,

That a life in joy and blessing

May begin.

Jesus’ blood was shed for sinners

That eternally

Those who trust may know God’s favour

Righteously.

Jesus’ blood sufficed to purchase

All who are redeemed:

God reveals how much its virtue

Is esteemed.

Jesus’ blood upon the leper,

Cleansed in power and grace,

Claims each one on whom the Spirit

Takes His place.

GLORIOUS

In no circumstance

Was Christ so glorious to God

As when He suffered.

REDEMPTION

Redemption subsists in the worth of the Person

Who holds the first place in the Father’s affection,

The Son of His love, who is given the kingdom

For which we are fit through His worth and perfection.

Redemption is known through the blood of the Saviour

Through which, by God’s grace, we are brought into favour;

Christ satisfied God in the work of atonement

While God’s heart rejoiced in His charm and His savour.

We wait for adoption, the body’s redemption,

And with us is waiting the whole of creation

Till Christ is acclaimed on the throne of his kingdom

And all is transformed at that great liberation.