Showing posts with label City Alight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Alight. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Concerning the Crucial Matter of Hope

I have the habit of using the word 'hopefully', quite often!
Without dissecting hope fully!

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, 
putting on the breastplate of faith and love, 
and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

Flowers bring such a glorious splash of cheer and beauty
to life but are powerless in matters of hope!



Sometimes I write a poem like today's poem
to remind myself of what can be easy to forget, 
seduced by the seen rather than secured by the Unseen

Our small group through our church, was discussing the topic of surrender last night,
reminding me, without full surrender to Christ,
through the new birth, by His mercy, into living hope,
hope is dead!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

My family thinks I listen to this song more than anyone else in the world
If so, there is a good reason for this.
I am forgetful!





Hope is no helium balloon
On which we fix our eyes
No fling of flowers to festoon
The portent of its prize
No wild rush of adrenaline
No showy evidence
Hope is the heart’s cry anchored in
Unfailing Providence

Hope is no quick and easy fix
No genie in a flask
Wielding a big bag full of tricks
For anything we ask
Hope is a hand we cannot see
To hold us in the gale
The crux of immortality
Through love that will not fail

Hope is a hallelujah hymn
Defeating dread and doubt
A Beacon, no matter how dim
That nothing can put out
Hope is a banner billowing
In the thick of the fight
It is the staff to which we cling
Until faith becomes sight

It is a whisper none can hear
Save in God’s faithful word
It is the archrival of fear
Endurance undeterred
Hope is salvation’s Certainty
The faith that makes us whole
Hope is the cross of Calvary
The anchor of the Soul

Hope is not found in lucky charms
Like rabbit’s feet and such
Hope is God’s everlasting arms
We feel but cannot touch
Hope is intangible yet sure
Through what the cross has won
 Faith's unseen foothold kept secure
In Jesus Christ, God's Son

© Janet Martin

Heb.6:13-20


God’s Unchangeable Promise

13When God made His promise to Abraham, 
since He had no one greater to swear by, 
He swore by Himself, 14saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.”c
15And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, 
and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. 
17So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear 
to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. 
18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, 
we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 
20where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf.



Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth 
and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” 
(which is done in the body by human hands)— 
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, 
excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, 
without hope and without God in the world. 
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away 
have been brought near by the blood of Christ...

Friday, September 23, 2022

Hymn of Today



How oft it seems my heart is torn
Twixt want and wonder's 'How?'
While from wellsprings of morn to morn
Mercy renews Love's Vow

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Jer.31:3

Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the loving devotionb of the LORD 
we are not consumed,
for His mercies never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness!
24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lam.3:21-24

It was one of those mornings where the knowledge of Hope
grappled with the Anchor; where the heart's cables groaned 
beneath the ache and weight of creature-care,
where there was but one thing remaining; prayer
as Mercy Renewed broke through the darkness!
Hallelujah!

The sunrise like a mighty metaphor...





On shores of hurt and hunger yon doors of daybreak part
Where wars of want and wonder vex body, mind and heart
Where anguish and elation in constant conflict vie
A vexing combination of intent and reply

Before soon slips to After; twixt What Was and Will Be
Time’s roar of tears and laughter pours through humanity
In stunning revelation; nobody left intact
Where no imagination can void matters of fact

Faith and fear, hope and heartache, desire and despair
A smorgasbords of choices, we partake of its fare
Where today hinged to morrow, is like life’s quintessence
Of love’s joy hinged to sorrow, of choice to consequence

Where whatever we weather, more weather waits to be
Where we are altogether bound for more than we see
Where the glory of living is not in what we get
But in the sacred giving earnest heed to The Yet

Of what is sure and certain, still waiting in the wake
Until death’s lowered curtain unveils what is at stake
Until the holy thunder of Last Breath sails the sea
Twixt Shores of Want and Wonder and Vast Eternity

Through doors of Divine Mercy, to shores of you and me
New morning shines with berths of fresh opportunity
Where the grace of the Giver holds Judgment’s bar at bay
He strums the strings that quiver with hope’s/love's hymn of Today

© Janet Martin

Eph.3:14-21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, 
to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; 
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints 
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
 that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
 above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus 
throughout all ages, world without end.
 Amen.

This song premiered on YouTube half an hour ago!
How unbelievably fitting!! 
I weep and leap for joy!
Oh God, I praise you again!




Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Perfect Reason to Boast

 


This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, 
nor the strong man in his strength, 
nor the wealthy man in his riches.
But let him who boasts boast in this, 
that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, 
who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth--
for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

1 Cor.1:31
Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

Glory ye in his holy name: 
let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.








Then, even when hard knocks abound 
And we are found wanting, we boast 
In humble worldwide common ground 
That He who made us loves us most 

When trouble tests the best with worst 
And we doubt what we see, we know 
And by this grace of God we go 

Through ages past or yet to come 
His kind assurance soothes the soul 
Nothing can separate us from 
God’s love in absolute control 

Then sing for joy and glorify 
The One who does not shift or change 
Praise Him who cares for you and I 
With love that nothing can estrange 

Then, even when hard knocks abound 
And we are found wanting, we boast 
In humble worldwide common ground 
That He who made us loves us most 


© Janet Martin 

The verses below are this week's life's theme!!
Hallelujah!
his love is certain through all uncertainty

Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 
nor angels nor principalities nor powers, 
nor things present nor things to come, 
39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, 
shall be able to separate us
 from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.














Saturday, August 17, 2019

Reasoning Reason


A little while ago I thanked a friend for all the time/freedom 
she and her husband sacrifice for 'the church' 
Her reply; "All for Jesus!"
Imagine if we all lived with that as our unflinching cause/zeal?!

(Sharing some music from one of my favourite bands)




To make the most of what we hold
And who we ought to be and how
Is to be modest-meekly bold
With what we have right here, right now

And not for man’s approving eye
Should we be driven to and fro
But by the grace of God to try
To honour He who loves us so

For all we have He grants us first
Without His grace our cause is lost/loss
And we would still be Hopeless-cursed
If love had not endured the Cost/cross

Then when we meet God one on One
Where Truth unveils what yet seems hid
Pray all He sees will be His Son
As the Reason for all we did

© Janet Martin

 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Psalm 139:3