AWAKE

Awake, World, where things seem to fall apart
For God has shown the limits of your art,
Since for too many years you have ignored
The way by which He shared His loving heart.

Awake, poor Christians, for "How can you sleep?"
While your frail ship tosses upon this deep,
But now, "Arise, and call upon Thy God",
And grasp the word He gave to you to keep.

Awake, my soul, arising from the dead
And Christ will shine on you, as He has said,
So that you gain the blessings He would give
To those who go where He Himself has led.

2 May 2020 

EMMANUEL

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”.

THOUGHTS

JESUS CHRIST

Peace is preached by Jesus Christ
(He is Lord of all things)
For His sacrifice sufficed
For both great and small things;
Jesus Christ remains the Same,
Then, and now, and always;
We have blessing in His Name
In both great and small ways.

Jesus Christ the Righteous One
Is propitiation;
Jesus Christ God's only Son
Brought our souls salvation;
Jesus Christ the crucified
Saved us by His dying:
Once for all our Saviour died,
For our sanctifying.

In this world where sin and pain
Makes things seem disjointed,
Jesus Christ will come to reign
As the Man Anointed:
Good and vile with one accord
Will pronounce the story:
Jesus Christ alone is Lord
To the Father's glory.

THE COMING ONE

He came to His own
- Deliverer and Messiah -
But they would not have Him,
Would not accede to His rights.
        
     He stood in the midst
     - The Son of man, the Victor -
     In right of suffering and conquest
     Announcing His peace.
         
          He came to the throne
          - The Son, the Ascended Man -
          And set Himself down there
          In right of His glory.

          He came to the throne
          - The Son of the Father, the Beloved -
          To sit at the Father's right hand
          By right of the Father's will.

     He stood in their midst
     - The Risen One, the Shepherd -
     And His brethren came round
     And bowed down to Him.

He will come to His own
- Deliverer and Messiah -
And He will be anointedIn the midst of companions.

WHITEADDER RESERVOIR

REFUGE

When tested by the enemy's alarms
And he appears resilient and bold
Recall, "Thy refuge is the God of old
And underneath are the eternal arms".

When tempted by the world's apparent charms,
Reject its tinsel for God's finest gold
And say, "Thy refuge is the God of old
And underneath are the eternal arms".

Heir of a portion far from human harms
Where all the blessings of His grace unfold
Rejoice, "Thy refuge is the God of old
And underneath are the eternal arms"!

TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Help me, Spirit of Jesus,
To know the heavenly path;
Touch me, move me, and lead me
Up to that glorious Man.
Open my heart to hear Him
And be the strength of my hand
Guiding, tending and teaching.

Guide me, O Spirit of Truth
Into the truth each day:
"He shall announce it to you",
Jesus has promised His saints.
One whom the world must exclude
Thou, in Christ's saints, dost remain
Making the things of Christ new.

Comforter, here at Christ's wish
Bringing Christ's words to remembrance,
Open our minds to God's will,
Whilst in His saints forever;
Here Thou dost joy to assist
The Master's orphaned brethren,
Bringing us savours of Him.

O Spirit of the Father,
May we, through Thee, be strengthened
To have God's scheme in vastness
Before our apprehension;
To know Christ's love which passes
In its transcendent blessing
All human understanding.

Give us more fully to know "One body and one Spirit";
Under Thy power keep us close,
One Spirit, we drink into!
Now Thou hast found Thine abode,
And gift which Thou hast given
Renders the body full-grown.

We praise Thee, Spirit of God,
Recognising Thy service;
We praise for what Thou has sought:
All that God has found precious;

We praise for what Thou hast brought,

Gracing God's holy presence;

We praise for what Thou hast wrought!

How could men on earth furnish

Homage fit for Thy presence?

What Thou art is above us

Far in height as the heavens.

Thus as led by Thee, humbly,

Recognising Thy Person,

Holy Spirit, we worship.

PERFECTION.

O Man! God's Man; Thou peerless Man!

Jesus, my Lord! God's Son:

Perfection's perfect in its height,

But found in Thee alone.

Of Abba's love — of God's great claims —

Thou com'st not short at all;

Perfect in everything art Thou

Alone, since Adam's fall.

O matchless, peerless Man! shall we

Begrudge to Thee this praise?

Perfect alone, Thou cam'st in love,

To glory us to raise.

Peerlessly spotless Man! 'twas Thou

The wrath did'st bear for me,

Peerlessly righteous Man! I'm made

God's righteousness in Thee.

Peerlessly glorious Man! how soon

Shall I be like to Thee?

Thy very glory then reflect,

Thy perfect beauty see.

G.V.Wigram