To Live a Hymn

Yesterday I attended the funeral

of my friend's father-in-law.

He was 65.

Then, I attended a visitation for another friend's son-in-law.

He was 34.

There my friend told me how my sister Lucy's picture hangs near her sewing machine

so she remembers to pray for me and Lucy's family.

(for irregular visitors here; my sister lost her life suddenly 

when she was hit while riding her bicycle last Sept.) 

Lucy was 55. 

When someone we love passes away it brings an end to

conversations, activities, dreams and plans once fondly shared.

But it flings wide the renewed invitation to dredge the deeps of

what truly matters, above all!

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love.

 1 Cor.13:13

Faith in the finished work of the cross!

Hope through Jesus' resurrection!

so we may know God's love

that surpasses knowledge!

1 Cor.15:16-19

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, 

we are of all people most to be pitied.

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.

 The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 

26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. 

Do you believe this?”

Do the above verses not ignite or rekindle a desire

to live the reflection of belief/faith?!

to live a hymn of hope?!

to live the light of love?!!

To live a hymn of love for Thee

O Lord, let this our motive be

To yield Want’s will to Thy command

To trust the leading of Thy Hand

And not with human wisdom try

Reason’s demand to satisfy

But without fail, to find enough

Where these abide;

 Faith, hope and love

To live a hymn to worship Thee

No matter what the cost may be

To know, no matter what our lot

Tis cradled in Divine Forethought

Where, once for all, Thy sacrifice

Suffered and covered pardon’s price

So, we would always find enough

Where these abide;

 Faith, hope and love

To live a hymn of humble awe

O Lord, to delight in Thy law

And then to fill Time's bar of days

With open-handed, thankful praise

Rather than loot of fleeting pelf

That cannot appease gods of Self

Lord, overflow hearts with enough

Where these abide;

Faith, hope and love 

To live a hymn of joy in Thee

With faith and hope's expectancy

Without a dearer purpose than

To love you first, then fellowman

To lay before Thy throne of grace

Each tear that treads the soul or face

Each prayer learning to find enough

Where You provide

 Faith, hope and love

© Janet Martin

Eph.3:14-21

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,

 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.

 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you

 with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,

 to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 

19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

 according to his power that is at work within us, 

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

for ever and ever! 

Amen.

Read the full glorious chapter of 1 Cor.15 HERE

1 Cor.15:50-58

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, 

that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,

 nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 

52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, 

and we will be changed. 

53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, 

and the mortal with immortality.

 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, 

and the mortal with immortality,

 then the saying that is written will come true: 

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[h]

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 

57 But thanks be to God! 

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. 

Let nothing move you.

 Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,

 because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Below, the last paragraphs of yesterday's and today's devotions from

Streams in the Desert Vol.2

...and last but not least, my most listened to song of 2024...

I Set My Hope on Jesus

In The Light of Salvation

What a weekend of events I was blessed to be part of, 

in roles both of serving and being served through/with our church family!

I am so thankful for fellow-believers who lovingly understand and forgive 

my imperfections and love me because of the love of Christ!

Hallelujah🙏

On Saturday I was part of a team that served food to men 

who gathered for encouragement and instruction, 

as they strive to be spiritual leaders and servants of God

 in their homes, church, community, etc. 

yummy fresh fruit, bundt and coffee cake buffet for the morning refreshments,

...and then I TOTALLY forgot to take pictures of lunch!

***

Fellow-believers are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Just as in any family, we don't all see eye to eye in everything

but as we cherish and marvel at the grace of God,

through His gift of salvation, He helps us to forgive

and love one another!

We cannot love as we ought, while clinging to grudges,

and hope, while doing so, to reap the benefits/blessings of God's grace.

After professing to receive the gift of saving grace, the redemption

 that pardons the penalty of sin, through the precious blood of Christ,

pray we do not we refuse grace/forgiveness to our fellowman.

Grace to our fellowman is not approving of, or excusing brokenness, sin, etc.

but it is a willingness, in light of God's mercy and faithfulness

to love one another and to trust Him to work in each of our lives 

as we humbly pray for and encourage each other. 

How much we miss firstly, of joy of  the Lord

 and then also of loving each other,

 if we allow bitterness to bind our wounds,

rather than forgiveness! 

Matt.18:21

21 Then Peter came to Him and said,

 “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, 

and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, 

but up to seventy times seven.

 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king 

who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, 

one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 

25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, 

with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 

26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 

‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 

27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, 

released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants 

who owed him a hundred denarii; 

and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying,

 ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 

29 So his fellow servant fell down [a]at his feet and begged him, saying,

 ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you [b]all.’ 

30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done,

 they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him,

 ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 

33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, 

just as I had pity on you?’ 

34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers 

until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you 

if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother [c]his trespasses.

***

I/We cannot cling to grudges against those who wrong me/us, yet

Assume the One who judges will forgive me/us, and forget

Each bitter accusation, as God pardons you and me

In the light of salvation loses its validity 

I/we cannot harbour grievances that foster futile strife

Yet claim the gift of righteousness and everlasting life 

Redemption's transformation triumphs where mortal might fails 

In the light of salvation love petitions and prevails 

I/we cannot guard an idol of reasons to sustain spite

Yet boast faith's rich reward with all who have fought The Good Fight 

The God of all creation provides hope in Christ alone

In the light of salvation none are fit to cast a stone  

© Janet Martin

CityAlight ~ Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me (Lyrics)

What a foretaste of glory yesterday, as voices united to sing this hymn of worship...

An Evolving Evaluation (of Evidence)

Today's poem began with a 'blush hush/rush' soon filled with workday noise!

 Happy workday, everyone! 

(and my heart/prayers go out to all who wish they could work and can't)

I hope today's poem grants a splash of joy and good cheer!

This poem kind of evolved with the dissolving of daybreak...

from texts from Young Mother...

...from rumble of industry

 

from not knowing where to begin

to count the ways of Evidence of Him...

all on a backdrop of Mercy's evidence renewed...

Dawn’s blush hush/rush fills with workday noise

Nature’s showcase unveils fresh joys

That none can claim with boastful pride

Where colors of the countryside

Like ever-changing works of art

Amaze the mind and thrill the heart

Evoking a hymn, like a prayer

In praise to One beyond compare

Whose ways we cannot comprehend

Whose faithfulness will never end

Whose Word is trustworthy and true

Whose promises naught can undo

Where, as dawn slips on workday hues/shoes

As industry resumes its dues

And motherhood its sacred charge

As dawn unmoors its teeming barge

How humbly wonderful to know

Whose goodness none can overthrow

Whose hope is sure, whose hand will guide

From break of day to eventide

Where nature’s showcase spills God’s heart

In unparalleled works of art

Where earth and sky declare His name

Inviting/compelling us to do the same

A wealth of wonder waits. Ahoy

Nature’s showcase erupts with joy

We hardly know where to begin

To count the frames, we see God in

Creation’s cradles stream and brim

With countless evidence of Him

Making more pitiful the clod

Who clings to denials of God

Making meeker all who believe

Because of the grace we receive

Making gladder the humbler prayer

To He who knows each creature care

© Janet Martin

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—

his eternal power and divine nature—

have been clearly seen, 

being understood from what has been made, 

so that people are without excuse.

Whose hope is sure, whose hand will guide

From break of day to eventide...

For This Unprecedented Age...

For this unprecedented age of immorality; 

 of abortion, adultery, homosexuality, 

transgenderism, mass confusion, child neglect and abuse, 

agnosticism, atheism, theism and paganism 

on and on it goes; 

there is only one cure! 

Repentance and belief in the One True God! 

Then as belief yields fruits of repentance/obedience 

to Him through His Word, only then can any real cure begin!

In this age of unprecedented distraction

esp. through the buffet of options offered through modern technology,

God's still, small Voice can be drowned out

until it goes away...!!!🙏🙏

Without careful, prayerful awareness we are all at the risk

of drowning the quietness with just enough noise

to keep us from thinking too deeply/aka, hearing God speak!

(I use the phrase 'unprecedented' cautiously but also with awareness

to the reality that due to modern technology

 and approval by the powers that be, access to

certain atrocities has become medically promoted/commonplace

like never before!)

Thus, thanks in part to modern technology

we are living in an age of unprecedented opportunity and opposition!

The cure for the problem is what it has always been...

2 Chron.7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves

 and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

 then I will hear from heaven,

 and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The page below read a few days ago,(from the book mentioned here and here)

first sparked this poem from a train of thought that has been

ongoing recently..

.(and this book was written in the '60's!!

The line that esp. hits home is this one;

'and they will be tomorrow's leaders')

And also in part by yesterday's devotion

from Pathways to His Presence by Charles Stanley

For this unprecedented age

Where, at epidemical rates

Mortal rejects its Creator

And fundaments of Truth, debates

Or altogether disregards

What once was reverenced, with awe

Choosing darkness, rather than light

Without godly order or law…

For this unprecedented age

Of lack of fear and faith in He

Who is the Saviour of the soul

The sole hope of humanity

Where churches, once ringing with praise

And sounds of glorious gospel truth

Have been abandoned for the gasp

Of worldly pleasure and pursuit

For this unprecedented age

Of pride going before the fall

As nations, founded on God’s Word

Promote abandoning it all

To be gods, wise in their own eyes

But are in fact, blind leading blind

Where deceit, like a gaping pit

Swallows the unbelieving mind

For this unprecedented age

Of impropriety endorsed

And applauded by worldly-wise

Without guilt and shame, or remorse

For this unprecedented age

Of wolves wearing sheep-like disguise

Soothing, smoothing the inner prick

With unbiblical, sweet, sweet lies

For this unprecedented age

Of unbelief, we pray and pray

We, who with faith and fear believe

In the approach of That Great Day

Oh Lord, we pray and pray that ‘they’

Would repent and believe in You

And that we who believe would be

A vessel that your Light shines through

© Janet Martin

2 Cor.4:1-6

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, 

we do not lose heart. 

2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; 

we do not use deception,

 nor do we distort the word of God.

 On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly 

we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

 3 And even if our gospel is veiled,

 it is veiled to those who are perishing.

 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,

 so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, 

who is the image of God. 

5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, 

and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] 

made his light shine in our hearts

 to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory 

displayed in the face of Christ.

Trust and Obey

Christmas That Never Ends

Day-after-Christmas contemplation...

The hustle and bustle of Christmas busyness,

the rustle of wrapping paper,

the frenzy of last minute food and gift prep,

the shrieks of excitement and delight

will soon fade like fond footfalls of farewell,

we collect in heart-vaults.

...but the Spirit of Christmas,

because of God's everlasting goodness through the gift

of his Son, Jesus, is hopefully a daily joy, all year through!

Christmas Season, with all its fuss and bustle will soon fade

And disappear into the hush of Bygone’s promenade

But, Belief in the Reason for the season, anchors peace

His everlasting goodness gladdens hope with joy’s increase

Belief transforms the lens we look through to find happiness

It mends the holes in our souls with precious promises

And grounds faith in the merit of love, unfathomable

Where Father, Son and Spirit manifests Immanuel

Where redemption endorses profound possibility

The blood of Christ that cleanses and atones, sets sinners free

From the inherent curse; the first-fruit that first sin conceived

But God so rich in mercy washed away when we believed

This keeps the joy of Christmas alive in us all year long

His everlasting goodness kindles everlasting song

Because belief in the Reason for the Season transcends

The temporal; Jesus gives us Christmas that never ends

© Janet Martin

the morning after

a lot of laughter, food and joys aka noise😅💖!!!

John 10;10

I have come that they may have life, 

and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus~

As We Face What Waits To Be...

 

After two funerals, one on Friday and one yesterday

it is impossible not to be impacted by the brevity and sacredness of life on earth.

For, even though both funerals were for elderly women who had outlived

'by reason of strength, four score years'...

the moment life ceases to be all that matters is how we prepared for eternity!

Here we all still are, where God tips the scales of mercy in our favour,

where the invitation to 'come' resounds, 

and where redemption for sin still flows full and free!

Heb.9:27-28

Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, 

28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many;

 and He will appear a second time, 

not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

Are you among those 'who eagerly await Him 

because of His gift of salvation'?!

Jesus Paid It All

Daybreak tips God’s scales of mercy in our favour; faith ahoy

With the promise of his Presence we proceed with hope and joy

Armed with the awesome awareness of the power of His Word

Gladness rekindles commitment to our calling undeterred

Because no matter what happens as we face what waits to be

Nothing in the world can sever us from God and love's decree

As Time’s thread runs through His fingers and our numbered days decrease

May Hope’s finished work through Jesus fill our hearts with joy and peace

We who believe in Him receive so much to be thankful for

As the Hour is approaching that nobody should ignore

When the joy still set before us is unveiled and we shall see

He who tips morn’s scales of mercy and beckons ‘come unto Me’

Death demands life’s full attention ere it cuts time’s sacred cord

And it ushers us to reckon with the love we most adored

Pray before the hour ceases when repentance comes too late

We have put our trust in Jesus, who will greet us at death’s gate

Then, when like a little vapor time’s brief sojourn disappears

We who have believed will enter in to ‘no more pain or tears’

But for all who disregarded He whose love tips mercy’s scales

There remains the endless horror of rejection’s endless wails

© Janet Martin

There is a Fountain filled with Blood

To Know Makes All the Difference (for the Unknown)

Who knows what Come-what-may waits to unfold today...

(well!! one unknown unfolded already;

 An unexpected day off due to two sick tots)

Here are a few fond frames of yesterday

Side note on photo below: while we 'swang' we sang every song we could think of...

including what might be the longest version of Old MacDonald's Farm ever known 😂

The Knowing keeps dark deeps of Come-What-May in tender check

Morning unmoors the bark of Day with renewed call and beck

Where none can see what waits to be, but He who spreads the skies

Where no sudden calamity His will can compromise

(or, where no sudden calamities can take Him by surprise)

His promises are like a bulwark where dread’s fathoms roll

To know God keeps his every Word comforts the fainting soul

Nothing can separate us from His love that will not fail

He will never forsake us though the glove of faith grows frail

To know He, Whom we have believed is faithful to the end

And though so often we have grieved Him, still, He is our Friend

To know when we confess our sin He forgives and forgets

To know His Spirit dwells within to help us face veiled ‘yets’

To know 'surely His goodness and His mercy follows me'

Grants courage when the darkness of Unknown rolls like a sea

To know His gentle Presence crowns the vale of death’s release

To know He cups both ups and downs bestows hope, joy and peace

© Janet Martin

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 

that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I Know Whom I Have Believed

  

Anguish...

Dear Believer, does your heart too, break for the lost and the cost of unbelief?

Do you weep for those who sleep in the darkness of sin?

Do you mourn for those not yet born again?

Do you pray

And pray

And pray?!

Come To Jesus

  

What script of desolation spills like ink-demonic seas

When naught but human logic fills thought’s godless theories

What darkness over darkness rolls without the light of Truth

How doleful daybreak's bower tolls, how hopeless is youth’s youth

Without the faith that rends the veil

And trusts the love that cannot fail

What fathoms of futility soon lie in wanton waste

What claim to shame’s depravity tunes knowledge, mortal-based

What agonizing anguish rings beyond time’s transient bar

When fullness of rejection flings the gates of hell ajar

When, without faith that makes us whole

Denial faces Deathless Soul

What weight of sorrow sears the prayer that reaches Mercy’s ears

As groan on groan beyond compare beseeches, tears on tears

Because the love and truth of God, by some, is thought a sham

No reverence, no fear, no laud for salvation’s I AM

Where without He who justifies

Hell claims the soul that never dies

What Gethsemane-like appeal should bleed from prayer on prayer

What throes of love should bid us kneel, love’s pleading cross to bear

For what good is the best laid plan unfurled if its sad goal

Is but the wink-span of the world in exchange for the soul

Where nothing, when Last Breath is spent

Can comfort Unbelief’s Lament

© Janet Martin

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.

Prov.14:26-27

He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence,

and his children shall have a place of refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

turning a man from the snares of death.

Today's Prayer

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 

will enter the kingdom of heaven, 

but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus~

Matt.7:21

Almost Persuaded-Josh Turner

Four years ago I shared the song below on this post:

No Mere Existence This

as we mourned the loss of a young man in our community

God loves us all, so poor, needy and broken without Him,

He is mankind's Healer, Deliverer and Savior!

He is love

For all who have not heard or trusted God, so good and kind

I pray today unveils the way that only faith can find

Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord, heaven’s passport will win

But only those who do the will of God will enter in

For all who have not yet bowed heads to repent and believe

I pray today the Truth will reveal doubt's lies that deceive

That eyes once blind will see and hearts once hard will yield to He

Who is not mocked; but is the Saviour of humanity

For all who have not understood the gravity of life

I pray today they find the peace that surpasses all strife

Before it is too late, I pray they roam earth’s futile sod

Until they turn from self and sin to want the love of God

© Janet Martin

Today's Bible Love Note:

Cultural Conformity

2 Pet.3:3

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come,

 scoffing and following their own evil desires.

John 12:48
There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words:

 The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith 

to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

2 Timothy 3:2
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,

 boastful, arrogant, abusive, 

disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Jude 1:16
These men are discontented grumblers, 

following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance;

 they flatter others for their own advantage.

Priceless Provision...

Visiting the dentist that I have had a long-standing 

Or rephrase, a long tipped almost upside-down relationship with

is NOT the way I would choose to start the week 

but I am very thankful for him nonetheless😅😂

This morning I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he asked me

if I'm feeling numb yet? Oxy moron?

Visiting the dentist always allows lots of time to reflect!

The eastward edge of earth and sky gives birth to break of day...

(to we who remain)

We know it will be so for nothing can dawn’s courser’s sway

How beautiful the funeral service message of comfort was yesterday

to the family and friends of my Uncle Ernie Frey

In closing the minister reiterated the wonderful comfort in the knowledge

 that though we mourn it is not without hope

because God did provide a way that defeated death

and leads to life eternal.

Oh, what a blessed hope and joy for all who believe!

So, though this year for many, Christmas is marked with sorrow

for those who believe it remains a season of everlasting joy as well!

The Child in the manger 

became man's redemption on the cross at Calvary!

Now, that's a Tree worth revering,

a joy worth shouting!

From it hung the Light of the World

in time's darkest hour!

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

The quote below is from a book of Peter Marshall messages...

The eastward edge of earth and sky gives birth to break of day

We know it will be so for nothing can dawn’s courser’s sway

Just as we know the west will showcase sunset’s artistry

Faith fixes eyes upon a prize it knows but cannot see

This is the day the Lord has made with hope and grace renewed

Time’s march, far more than stiff-starched moment-soldiers, season-hued

It is a footpath to an aftermath by breath concealed

And only when life ceases, then the rest will be revealed

God does not leave grief comfortless when death collects its due

If we believe then we receive Hope’s anchor, firm and true

Though storms may toss with loss, the power of the cross abides

Faith dearly clings through sufferings to the hope God provides

The Faithful One who gave His Son to pay the sinner’s debt

Will never fail though dark the vale of sorrows that beset

God, through His Son, knew love had won, though it appeared He died

The triumph of faith, hope and love was on death’s other side

© Janet Martin

Luke 12:31-32

But seek [f]the kingdom of God, 

and all these things shall be added to you.

 “Do not fear, little flock, 

for it is your Father’s good pleasure

 to give you the kingdom. 

Jesus, Son of God

Where Still The Call To All Remains...

 Inspired in part by Luke 3

Unto Us-Living Stones Quartet

Hark, The Herald Angels Sing- Phil Wickham

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matt.3:1

And all people will see God’s salvation.

Luke 3:6

Truth’s Voice cries in the wilderness ‘prepare’ for He who will return

The advent of His holiness trembles in hearts that wait and yearn

Where still the call to all remains, ‘repent, ‘be baptized’, ‘come, adore’

Before the Lord winnows the grains from chaff on Judgment’s threshing floor

Faith bows before Him in reply, whose feet we are not fit to kiss

Whose appearing will fill the sky; no foretold oracle amiss

Whose example still fills the Word, whose Truth will never shift or sway

Whose Spirit abides, undeterred to all who trust Him and obey

The advent of the Lord’s return burns in hearts fixed beyond time’s strife

While Mercy pleads where unfaith spurns the Only Way, the Truth, The Life

As believers become the voice that cries in holy urgency

Because belief becomes the choice that becomes soul’s eternity

Hark! Where the angels praised his birth, they will fill up the sky again

As the Lord of Heaven and earth returns forevermore to reign

Where the God of Deliverance tarries because so many doubt

And do not grasp the recompense of what God's gift is all about

Truth’s Voice cries in the wilderness ‘prepare’ for He who will return

The advent of His holiness trembles in hearts that wait and yearn

Where still the call to all remains, ‘repent, ‘be baptized’, ‘come, adore’

Before the Lord winnows the grains from chaff on Judgment’s threshing floor

© Janet Martin

He Shall Reign Forevermore

Someone posted the suggestion on Facebook to read a chapter of Luke every day till Christmas Eve to read the whole book of Luke and his account of the whole life of Jesus!

So, before I go to bed I will try to read a chapter of Luke until Christmas.

I might not have a poem for every chapter but wow!

so much wonder in the Word to kindle inspiration, rejoicing and Hope!