Time for a break!

Off to Northern Ireland for a week from tomorrow - see you on my return, if the Lord will.

LORD JESUS, COME

Lord Jesus, come,  Thy saints are waiting for Thee,
Their love ensuring  a deep and growing longing:
Thou art the One  whose precious blood has bought us;
Thou art the One  through whom we have adoption;
Thou art the One  by whom our hearts are conquered.
Thy loveliness  retains us in our orbit
About Thyself  the Bright Star of the Morning
Whom now we see  as eminently lordly,
And justifying  each title we might posit.
We long to see  Thy face since Thou hast drawn us;
We long to hear  Thy voice of rapture calling;
We long to praise  where Thou hast been exalted.

CROSS

God was glorified
At the cross more than ever
Before or after.

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.

17/05/05

If cleanliness is

Next to godliness let us

Be thankful for soap.

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!”

THE LORD'S SUPPER

See those who have been filled with the same Spirit
Gather together; for as pigeons home
To their own dovecot so they are assembled
Instinctively; because they have one pole
As iron filings shift towards one magnet
They range themselves. Love bonds them all to Him.

For they have come to call their Lord to mind
In His own way; imagination would
Dye, gild and forge to ignorantly mar
With human artifice. His way is simple.

Do you desire to know the love of Christ?
“My body” He has said, “Given for you”:
And what a body! “Thou preparedst me
A body” - God in tender wisdom digged
Ears, and formed limbs, all of the Holy Thing.
In the reality of human weakness
God cared for it: as swaddled in the manger,
Or wrapped in linen in the tomb.  Between
What excellence in use of such a body!
Daily His ears were opened, His hands subject,
His feet were beautiful, treading God’s way
Through deserts, towns or pastures - towards the cross.

And do you wish to know the love of God?
“This is my blood” Christ said: for it was shed
For many that men’s sins might be remitted.
And how God values Jesus’ precious blood
So that a universe which suits God’s heart
Will have the blood as its secure foundation.
And there the love of God will be displayed
Unhinderedly.  And that unhindered love
Flows now towards the saints which it has bought
Who cherish the new covenant in His blood.

16/05/05

Men cannot impose

Respect; God has put me where

Respect is usual.