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.

ELIAB

That boy! What’s he doing here

Leaving the sheep to the wilderness?

Where’s the kid off to now?

Seeing the king!

What does the lad look like

Happed up in a real man’s armour!

But look now - that youth is off

To play giant-killer!

See him - a young man against

An experienced man of war!

Here, did you see what my brother

Did to Goliath?

What a man!

MANY SONS ARE BROUGHT TO GLORY!

He who is the Source of all;

He who is their End withal;

Triumphed over Adam’s fall:

Many sons are brought to glory!

Christ has suffered to atone;

Now He’s on the Father’s throne,

While God’s thought in love is known:

Many sons are brought to glory!

Through the work which Christ has done

God can clothe us in His Son;

Blessed in God’s Beloved One

Many sons are brought to glory!

Brought from darkness into light,

Sons of God, through grace and right,

In the Father’s Spirit’s might

Many sons are brought to glory!

FOR LIFE

(As the registrar said)

For life -

No remissions or paroles

As if the judge had said,

“In this case, Life means Life”.

For life -

Not the mereness of existence,

Lichen on rock,

But vivacity

Pinioned on the high winds

Of love.

For life -

That, through God’s grace,

And by His discipline,

In His ways

Another generation

Should shoulder staves for Him.

For life -

Heirs together,

Smiths together, tasters together

Of the grace

Of life.

JOHN 4: 4

As a man in form and features,
God come down amidst His creatures,
“He must needs pass through Samaria”.

For a sinner's desperation
“He must needs pass through Samaria”
To relieve and bring salvation.

“He must needs pass through Samaria”
For the Father wished this treasure
To be found – for Jesus' pleasure.

EBED-MELECH

I’ll tell you of a happening

When Zedekiah was the king:

God sent His prophet to condemn

The wicked in Jerusalem,

While just outside the city gate

They saw the Babylonians wait.

That army was God’s punishment

For sinners who would not repent

And disobeyed when called upon

To serve the king of Babylon

Which was what Jeremiah taught

When he explained Jehovah’s thought.

The wicked men who hated it

Put Jeremiah in a pit.

The prophet thought; “This place is dire -

I’m sinking down into the mire!”

But while he found his prospects dim

His God was looking after him.

Now Ebed-Melech was the man

Whom God selected for His plan.

He went to see the king and said,

“If he’s left there he’ll soon be dead!”

The king replied, “Without a doubt

You must pull Jeremiah out”.

The Ethiopian found some rope

And soon gave Jeremiah hope.

“Just put some rags beneath each arm

So that the ropes will do no harm.”

Then Ebed-Melech and his friends

All started pulling at the ends.

Soon he was rescued, safe and sound:

He gladly stood on solid ground.

Thus Ebed-Melech pleased the Lord

Who shielded him against the sword.

Here's another Bible story for you to enjoy: The Tower of Babel.

THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

Firstly, a woman,

In whom that which was begotten in her

As power of the Highest overshadowed her

Was of the Spirit of God.

Then an ambience of receptors,

Like pistils for pollen,

Prepared for Him in the temple

By the Holy Spirit of God.

About thirty years progressed

Till the substance of divine approval

Anointing a praying Man

Was the Holy Spirit.

An active life followed

Each word, step or touch

Blessing to men

By the Spirit of God.

Qualified for glory, qualified

For rule - He was qualified

To offer Himself to God

By the eternal Spirit.

Risen, elevated, honoured,

At the Father’s right

He acted as Minister of grace

Giving His Holy Spirit.

He has His church now

Integrated and vital,

Welled by the love of God,

Through the One Spirit.

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!