Friday 31 October 2014

LIGHT

Stars in the darkness -
What heaven's delight to see
Saints active in faith before
The dispensation of faith
Had begun!

Full sunlight!
When the Sun was here,
Perfect in manhood,
Perfect in service,
Perfect in His atoning work.
What heaven's delight!

A filament of light,
This network of saints
Electrified by God's Spirit -
What heaven's delight
In a lucent dispensation!

Thursday 30 October 2014

PLACE

He has gone to prepare
A place.

He will receive us to
That place.

His Spirit brings light from
The place.

He will rejoice to share
His place.

Wednesday 29 October 2014

SATISFIED

When Man and Woman
Were thrust from the garden
The justice of God
Was satisfied.

When Christ walked on this earth
Serving in perfection
The glory of God
Was satisfied.

And when He bore our sins,
Made sin for us,
The righteousness of God
Was satisfied.

Throughout a dispensation
Of the Spirit and of faith
The grace of God
Has been satisfied.

He will rest in His love;
He will exult over thee with singing:
The love of God
Will be satisfied.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

INFLUENCE

Distressed and storm-tossed seamen found a berth,
And hungry found an answer to their dearth,
Under the influence of the Son of God
Rejected and a pilgrim on the earth.

The savage man sat calmly at His feet;
The stricken woman's healing was complete;
The girl was raised - and given food to eat -
Under the influence of the Son of God.

Under the influence of the Son of God
The eunuch went upon his happy way,
The Pharisee was brought from night to day,
And Gentiles yielded to the Spirit's sway.

God will secure Himself a universe
Under the influence of the Son of God
Where His enjoyed affections will immerse
His world, expelling all that is diverse.

Monday 27 October 2014

THRONES

(Rev 3: 21)

What worthy accolade can we give
The Overcomer? None; it is beyond us.
But - blessed be His Name - the Father
Has made room for Him on His throne.

He awaits the Father's time, when He
Will take His own throne. There He will reign
One thousand years, the Ruler among men -
Just - as a priest upon a throne.

(1 Cor 15: 20-28)

And when the Son gives up the kingdom
To Him who is God and Father, and is placed
In subjection - will that diminish His glory?
No; it will, rather, glorify subjection.

Sunday 26 October 2014

THE PREACHER

His face a fistful of character,
Clenched with the urgency of his message,
His folded hands a weather-scarred creel,
The preacher prayed.

His preaching begun -
The rising sun
Lights steeples,
Moves to chimneys,
Finally embraces the houses
In light and warmth
- His face lit.

His dialect love
He says “Come;
Come to Jesus”.

Saturday 25 October 2014

STEPHEN

How splendid for the martyr Stephen
To see His Lord's glorification:
But there was something greater even
Than that: Christ saw his admiration!

Friday 24 October 2014

ABBA FATHER


We often sing the line
Father, to Thee we now draw near,
Yet freshly thrill to find God thought this blessing should be mine,
And even more to apprehend it is to satisfy Gods heart that we are here.

We do not come alone -
With Christ the Firstborn to appear.
Each one has been a living stone drawn to the Corner Stone -
The Son who gives the character to all that has its part in Gods eternal sphere.

Since we are now His sons
The double portion we enjoy;
He chose before time was to draw us near as heavenly ones;
The Father gave His Spirit in our hearts which, in His presence makes our spirits buoy.

And now we know a place
Where endless praise our lips employ;
Warmed by paternal love as brought here by transcendent grace,
We magnify the Fathers glorious Name within a place where sin cannot alloy,

And Abba Father cry.

Thursday 23 October 2014

RONDEL

He will be with His saints;
His saints will be with Him,
Beyond the present grim
Restrictions and complaints.

Recall, amid restraints,
When all around seems dim:
He will be with His saints;
His saints will be with Him.

Already He acquaints
Our souls with joys that brim;
More blest than cherubim,
As drawn by love's constraints,
He will be with His saints;
His saints will be with Him.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

GLEANINGS

Among God’s ancient chosen race
Who always tended to rebel
One came to show the heart of God,
Whose title is Emmanuel.

“God with us”, to express God’s love,
To show His constant will to bless,
To bring a humbled nation back
And to fulfil all righteousness.

The poor in spirit were His care,
Hungerers, those who mourned, the meek,
And all whom human pride despised;
Such were the ones He came to seek.

He listened to His Father’s voice
Each morning from the time He woke,
And His disciples came to know
The Father of whose grace He spoke.

The children God had given Him,
Under His word and touch, began
To grow in grace and thus display
The features of the heavenly Man.

He praised His Father that though He
Was One the nation might despise
The Father had revealed to babes
What had been hidden from the wise.

If Israel despised His rights
And thus blasphemed the Father too
The Gentiles were embraced to share
In concepts which were wholly new.

For He was minded to secure,
To His great cost, the entity,
Unnamed as yet to men, which would
Delight Him to eternity.

But Who was this who in His grace
Among the needy humbly trod?
The Father sovereignly revealed
It was the Christ, the Son of God.

Into a world of sins and ills
One who was God in Person came,
And His assembly can be built
On the confession of His Name.

Yet if that joy for Christ and God
Will merge as a celestial whole,
It meant His suffering and death,
It meant the anguish of His soul.

Those who are faithful to His name
Through this can be victorious
As conscious of the present love
Of Him who came as “God with us”.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

THIS IS HE

How do we answer when we see
The excellence of Jesus’ face
Replete with righteousness and grace?
“Arise, anoint Him, this is He!”

Knowing the grace that sets us free
To enjoy the fragrance of His Name,
His brethren joyously exclaim,
“Arise, anoint Him, this is He!”

We who are raised to high degree,
Surrounding One beyond compare,
Appreciatively declare,
“Arise, anoint Him, this is He!”

Monday 20 October 2014

BEHOLD THE MAN!

“Behold the Man!” poor Pilate cried,
Knowing the Master’s innocence:
And centuries of saints replied:
“Behold the Man!”

Betrayed by Judas, and denied,
Scourged by the Romans – how immense
The sufferings of the Crucified!

Yet much more awful and intense
His sufferings before He dies.
Drinking all, He can now dispense:
Behold the Man!

Sunday 19 October 2014

LET US GO ON

Because of all that God has done
In giving us His only Son
Let us go on!

Since Christ descended from above
To show the fulness of God’s love
Let us go on!

Because the land of promise which
God purposed for His saints is rich
Let us go on!

The Spirit drawing us apart,
Spreading God’s love within our heart
Let us go on!

Saturday 18 October 2014

PRAISE

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!

Until His advent dying creatures groan,
Waiting until sin’s imprint is erased –
But even now a song comes from His own –
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!

Soon He will come to reign, but not alone,
Since saints will share the glory to be shown.
While all the earth will sing, blessed and amazed,
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!

Friday 17 October 2014

REST

(On the death of a sister in Christ)

One who had answered to the Saviours call,
Come unto meand I will give you rest
Took up the yoke of Him who served us all,
As many whom she worked for can attest.
As Martha served, she served, but now is blessed
In dying in the Lord. This is reserved
For her and all who serve Him: they shall rest,
But God will not forget that they have served.

For those she loved and served most, who are left,
The Man who is of meek and lowly heart
Tells them - as when He was Himself bereft
Of one He loved - Come ye yourselves apart
Into a desert place and rest a while -
To learn His touch, and sympathetic smile.

Thursday 16 October 2014

WILL YOU, IN SIMPLE FAITH, BELIEVE?

Gods grace is for you to receive;
Its more than human words can tell -
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

Christ came in mercy to relieve
Your soul of sin and death and hell -
Gods grace is for you to receive!

What triumphs Christ came to achieve,
And all Hes done He has done well -
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

Satan is active to deceive
As he caused Adam to rebel;
Gods grace is for you to receive.

Christ promises He will not leave
His saints until, near Him, they dwell;
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

His grace will bless and will not grieve:
Come, buy of Him and do not sell!
Gods grace is for you to receive;
Will you, in simple faith, believe?

Wednesday 15 October 2014

DISTINCTIVE

The Just stands at an unjust throne,
Accused by sinners who disown
The Man who is their King -
The cry Behold the Man! makes known
That Jesus is distinctive.

Three men bore crucifixions shame -
Of One alone could men exclaim
That He did naught amiss -
Myriads for whom Christ died proclaim
That Jesus is distinctive.

Many had lain within the grave,
But One Man death could not enslave
Despite its mighty power;
We know, whom Jesus died to save,
That Jesus is distinctive.

One Man sits now at Gods right hand
By His own right and Gods command
To be Gods great delight.
Saints witness as their hearts expand
That Jesus is distinctive.

Now we await the moment when
Jesus our Lord will come again
And we shall see His face;
Well sing as in His presence then
That Jesus is distinctive.

Tuesday 14 October 2014

HE CAME

He came
To die
In shame
That I
Might know the fulness of the love of God,
That there for me He should endure God’s wrath
And that forgiveness might be shed abroad.
My path
Is led
By Him
My Head.
His claim
On me
Must be
Each limb,
Or cell,
Or breath.
In life or death
Everything will be well
Since, through the grace of God, He came.

Monday 13 October 2014

PEACE

And this Man shall be peace
For this is Gods delight;
He sees Man perfectly
In Christ who shall hold sway
When all things shall be right
And this Man shall be peace.

Sunday 12 October 2014

THE GREATNESS OF THY LOVE

The greatness of Thy love
Lord Jesus, who can tell?
It brought Thee from above
That we with Thee might dwell.
And in Thy blessed image shine
Through endless days, in light divine.

What joy 'twill be to Thee
When Thou hast gathered home
Those whom Thy love set free!
Not left, as now, to roam
Mid scenes of trial, sin and care
But all, with Thee, O Lord, to share!

To see Thy glory there
Our greatest joy will be;
Our constant bliss to share
The home of love with Thee -
The father's house - fit resting-place,
For sinners saved by wondrous grace.


Hymn by T Willey, from "The Songs of the Lord"

Saturday 11 October 2014

COVERED

Though the avenging angels power
Drives onward as a flood
Gods faithful people did not cower
As covered by the blood.

Friday 10 October 2014

BELOVED

As Joseph sought his brethren till
He found them, by his fathers will
He wore the many-coloured vest
Which showed his father loved him best.
Thus Jesus in His earthly days
Showed by the tenor of His ways,
And in the grace with which He moved
He was the One whom God approved.