PSALM

What wonders were seen in the pristine church

Formed by the Spirit to be for Christ's glory!

What power in the word of the apostle

To turn to the Lord many in Israel!

What power in his word to heal the lame man;

And power in his word to unmask deception!

Shown the assembly's heavenly ambience

He blasted the passage through which Paul ventured.

How glorious the light that the Spirit gave

To magnify Christ, to Paul the apostle!

How full the truth that the heavenly Man

Disclosed to Paul, that the church is His body.

In the light of this what praise ascended

And what testimony came through Paul's writings.

The saints of Ephesus specially displayed

The love and life that took pulse from Christ's headship.

And throughout the vicissitudes of time

The Head has His body; the body its Head.

But whenever man is responsible

He has failed in his responsibility.

Let us give thanks for the heavenly Head

And for what is held by the Holy Spirit!

May we have help in our generation

To respond in practice to the Head's guidance!

But soon the saints departed from the way

Of constantly drawing from the Head's wisdom

Despite the power of the Holy Spirit

Since that was wise in divine operations:

Only thus could there be overcomers

Fit for the gifts that heaven longs to bestow,

Faithfully adhering to their Lord's will

In the midst of the indifferent churches.

But what a turning away from the truth

Plunging men to the depths of superstition,

Binding their souls by human fantasies,

Blinding their hearts by depriving them of faith!

But in all this the Lord knew those who were His

And rejoiced in the light that shone in the dark.

Through the clogged valleys where little fruit grew

God drove like a ploughshare His servant Luther;

Rich was the yield from that overturning,

Justification by faith being the crop.

And once that was vigorously growing

Images and superstitions went tumbling

While men, assured of divine righteousness

Grew to show the righteousnesses of the saints,

The Holy Spirit thus securing praise

And witness, even to the blood of the martyrs.

Yet throughout this growth there was this weakness:

The trend to lean on the trellis of the state,

And any leaning on man's woodenness

Will splinter the hand like Egypt's broken reed.

But the grace of God continued to give

A gospel message to those who would attend.

How could there be revival to God's thoughts

And something on earth that was for His pleasure?

The public status might not be revived

But the body's vitality might flourish.

All depended on a separate path

Walked in subjection to the heavenly Head.

Rejoice therefore that persons have been found

Subject, and departing from iniquity

- Specially as seen in the public body -

Gathered together to remember the Lord.

But as I consider this blessedness

I remember my own need for commitment:

This blessedness is not some abstraction

But depends on persons with real devotion.

Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful

In my part in the lasting testimony!

Lord Jesus, keep me under Thy guidance

Until I am taken to be with Thyself!

Father of compassion give me the grace

To walk the narrow path until the Lord comes!

TEN REASONS TO BELIEVE IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

Because the Shepherd

Knowing the depths of my need

Gave Himself for me;

Because the Shepherd

In His goodness carried me

On His own shoulders;

Because the Spirit

Has shone around me darkness

The light of God's Word;

Because the Spirit

Has swept the house carefully

Until He found me.

Because the Father

Ran to give me a welcome,

Embraced, and kissed me.

Because I am clothed

In the Best Robe that God has,

The worth of Christ.

Because I've been given

The token of divine love

A ring on my hand.

Because I now wear

The dignity that God gives,

Sandals on my feet.

Because I can share

The feast on the fatted calf:

God's thoughts of His Son.

Because God in grace

Desires to give me a place

In the Father's house.

ENDS

How does it work,

The Computer, where pulses form

New virtualities on

A myriad screens? How

Does it interpret the messages,

Without interferences to achieve

A myriad ends. The science nearly

Is as far beyond me as the achieving

Of the multifarious ends

Of the operations of God.

I LOVE THE FATHER (III)

Before the worlds were made the Father chose

Sons and I love the Father since I was

Among His chosen ones. And now because

He chose me He has blessed me among those

Whom He has chosen, since, as the wind blows,

His Spirit reached me. Since the Father draws

To Christ I love the Father, and He awes

My soul; all is though Christ who died and rose.

But if I was selected in the past

And blessed here in the present, how much rather

I love the Father since these joys will last:

Among the saints whom He delights to gather

Which all the counsel of His will amassed

Eternally I'll say, “I love the Father”.

I LOVE THE FATHER (II)

I love the Father for that name of grace

Encapsulates the virtues He displays;

Considering His counsels and His ways

I love the Father who secured a place

For persons such as me before His face.

I love the Father since in all my days

He cares for me; and all His thoughts amaze

The saints whom He enthralls by His embrace.

Since I am marred by fleshliness and sin

He has to chasten me and thwart me till

I love the Father for His discipline.

Since He has worked in patience to instil

His graces in me till they grow within

My heart, I love the Father for His will.

I LOVE THE FATHER (I)

I love the Father for He gave His Son

For me; I love the Father for He gave

Innumerable blessings and forgave

Me through the worth of all that Christ has done.

I love the Father since He deigned to run

To welcome me as one brought from the grave;

I love Him since He wished to bless and save:

He blessed me in His well-beloved One.

Considering the graciousness that brought

My soul to Christ, whence I will never drift,

I love the Father for what He has wrought.

I love the Father for He makes me lift

My heart in praise, considering the thought

Christ has me from the Father as a gift.

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.

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.

MOUNTAINS

First, Ararat - God had established

New ground for man; then that mountain

Where He demonstrated the principle

Of sacrifice; at Horeb was founded

New covenant ground; and Zion showed

Mercy's sovereign rights; best things

Of the ancient mountains. But now

Christ is recognised in the mountain

Of legislation; is signified as Son

On the transfiguration mount; while from the great

And high mountain the assembly glory

Shines in its serenity: the precious

Things of the everlasting hills.

THE SON OF GOD

Awake, my soul, and sing the praise

Of Christ, who lives to endless days,

The Son of God who died for me

In love and wisdom's glorious ways.

He who was rich and glorious

Came into poverty for us

And took my burdens, being thus

The Son of God who died for me.

The Son of God who died for me

Rose through His own inherent right

And through the Faher's rich delight

To justify me in God's sight.

Soon in the clouds I shall behold

The Son of God who died for me

And glories that cannot be told

In all their splendour shall unfold.

RESOURCES

Divine resources

Beyond creation - deployed

To reach God's purpose.

THE FATHER'S VOICE

When first the Father's voice was heard

The tenor of His words referred

To His beloved Son,

And when again me heard His voice

It told who made His heart rejoice:

The same exalted One.

JESUS

My mother read of Jesus

In our black Bible book;

I heard of His compassions,

And sympathetic look.

My father read of Jesus

Who came to clear men's sin

Once in the course of ages

To make us clear within.

The preachers told of Jesus,

Descended from above,

Who came to deal with sorrows

In His descending love.

His people spoke of Jesus

Upon the Father's throne;

They praised and sang and worshipped

Because they were His own.

At length I came to know Him -

Compassion was for me;

For me He came from glory,

For me endured the tree.

For me He has ascended

To sit at God's right hand;

For me He sent the Spirit

That I might understand.

For me He has provided

A company of saints;

For me His ear is open -

He listens to my plaints.

The stories about Jesus

Are wonderful and true,

But do you know His sorrows

Were undergone for you?

The glorious love of Jesus

Is always fresh and new;

It warms the hearts of many -

But is it known by you?

We know God gave to Jesus

The place that is His due

But now He seeks the first place

Within your heart, from you.

The Lord is coming for me,

And all who are His own,

To take us to be with Him

And with Him share His throne.

Will you be one who answers

His great assembling cry?

Will you be waiting, ready

To live with Him on high?

ABOVE

His place is above

And the place of the Christian

Is above "in Him".

ABOVE THE STORM

"Be not afraid!" His voice falls clear and still
Upon our ear;
Though boisterous winds and seas may seek to fill
Our hearts with fear.
But why should winds and rolling waves appal?
He walks, in heavenly light, above them all.

Now, Lord, attract our hearts to walk with Thee,
And bid us come!
Above the waves, in victory, Lord, to be
With Thee at home;
To find in Thee a sure and safe retreat,
The world and Satan's power beneath our feet.

With firm and steady step to take our stand
Close by Thy side;
To feel the touch of Thine own loving hand,
Whate'er betide.
And soon, the day will break and storms will cease,
A morn without a cloud, unbroken peace.


From"The Songs of the Lord", by T Willey.

GLEANINGS

It was God's purpose that He should secure

A universe that satisfied His heart,

And He has operated to ensure

Christ is its Head - yet men may have their part.

And if we are to enjoy the privilege

God had in mind before the world began

It only can be as our hearts engage

In more communion with the heavenly Man;

And if we are to be for God's delight

And have our blessings firmly in our grip

We must be those whose pathways are in light,

Finding in it the joys of fellowship.

But if I laxly let my light grow dim

Or outward pressure terrify, or shock,

We know God's purpose is secure in Him,

And that His church is founded on the rock.

PARAPHRASE

For the Lord shall stand

And He shall provide

In Jehovah's strength,

In God's majesty

And His dignity.

And they shall abide

For He is, at length

Lord throughout the land.

Micah 5: 4

MAN

As you are reading

A Man is before the Father's face

And He's there for you.

PLACES

Galiliee - where divine light

Beamed around men

In the person of Christ.

Gennesaret - where He stood,

Or took ship, or commanded the fishing,

To sinful man's best advantage.

Gadara - to which He ventured

Through the waves and the winds

To tame one wildness.

Gethsemane - where the offering,

Tested by water, was proved

To be fit for the sacrifice.

Golgotha - where man's malice

Ran out fully, and where God's justice

Exacted its own satisfaction.

Galilee - where a risen Man

Met His disciples, received homage,

And gave His constant promise.

JOSEPH

If

He had worn a coat

of many colours ...

the blue

witness of heaven ...

the purple

the imperial right ...

the green

freshness in drought ...

the scarlet

royalty ...

the gold

divine suitability ...

the false woman would seize

the slave's garment, for

He had been in bondman's form,

and, in it, caused prosperity ...

He would descend to prison garments

- and leave them - and

He was arrayed at the Sovereign's will

In purest whiteness,

His neck adorned with gold,

His hand decked with

The Sovereign's ring.