Wonder-witnesses

Last night I got home after Jim (husband) was sleeping and he got up early to leave

so I got up as well to see him off.

then I was wide awake so I settled down for some 'quiet-time'

(such as praying for my sister-in-law Karen who is having 

a hip-replacement surgery today!! prayers valued)

but, my quiet-time was soon interrupted by a rather

suspicious rustling, so I set the mouse traps I have been saving for Jim to set,

...then returned to reading and writing (a few minutes ago I heard a 'snap!')

The background music and backdrop of poetry is often anything but poetic!!

This poem was inspired in part by a conversation this morning

 (while we waited for the coffee to brew) about

how it's harder to get the Christmas 'feeling' as we get older...

Also in part by my devotion passage from Isa.43.

As I read through the chapter I was suddenly so thankful

for the Christmas 'knowing' which is better forever

than just a 'feeling'.

We, by faith are witnesses of Hope's reason!

We are witnesses of wonder!

Isa.43:10-11

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

That you may know and believe Me,

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

Nor shall there be after Me.

11 I, even I, am the Lord,

And besides Me there is no savior.

We are witnesses of wonder...

He whose Word will never dim

Causes earth and sky to thunder

With the evidence of Him...

(upstairs window with a screen was my only option

to capture December dusk yesterday)

a wonder-evoking beauty in spite of being blocked by buildings

We are witnesses of wonder

He whose Word will never dim

Causes earth and sky to thunder

With the evidence of Him

Causes creation to capture

Eyes and ears with sight and sound

Overflowing hearts with rapture

As both great and small confound

We are witnesses of glory

So we may know and believe

In He who fulfilled love's story

Hope, joy and peace to achieve

He whose servant-like behaviour

Purchased pardon for sin's debt

Hallelujah, what a Saviour

Dying in the sinner's stead

We are witnesses of promise

Only faith can apprehend

As we fix our eyes on Jesus

And hope's assurance defend

As we trust the One and Only

Author and Perfecter of

Faith; as His truth cheers the lonely

With His everlasting love

We are witnesses of wonder

Where good tidings of great joy

Break the bars of hell asunder

Through Bethlehem's Baby Boy

Glory to God in the highest

Glory to the King of kings

Glory to His love unbiased

And the hope that Jesus brings

He, wounded for our transgression,

Bruised for our iniquities

Through Calvary's intercession

Fulfilled ancient prophecies

We, witnesses of salvation

We, who by His stripes are healed

Sing with joyful exaltation

For the Lord's pleasure revealed 

We are witnesses of 'Knowing'

What the angels sang about

Of the love of God bestowing

Light to pierce shadows of doubt

Of the Word that makes His dwelling

In the likes of you and me

Witnesses of Christ's compelling

Love for all humanity

Janet Martin

Mary's Boy Child- Jim Reeves

Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven (A Children's Carol) - Keith & Kristyn Getty

An Advent Reveille

 

Sometimes when daybreak kindles the eastward horizon

in flaming appeal, (like yesterday morning!!) 

it rushes the air like a celestial reveille,

beckoning us to rise and 'shine' !

Do not grow weary in love’s dues bearing eternal worth

Continue to tell the Good News of the Messiah’s birth

Continue to proclaim the Name, commanding prophecy

Tell the world of Jesus who came to set sin’s captive free

The ‘last days’ prophets long foretold, on that first Christmas morn

Began to fulfill and unfold when Jesus Christ was born

Jesus, knowing the dreadful price of His sinless blood shed

Came to become sin’s final sacrifice and crush Death’s head

Then pray, do not cease to proclaim He who conquered the grave

Salvation knows no other Name; Jesus, mighty to save

Stepped from His divine station to suffer redemption’s rod

To be the hope of nations, to fulfill the will of God

Then do not faint, but hail the Name of Jesus every morn

Good tidings of great joy proclaim; a Savior has been born

For God so loves the world, He gave His only Son to be

Sin’s off’ring once for all, to save and set condemned souls free

Joy to the world, the Prince of Peace is trustworthy and true

Someday the wars of earth will cease and all will be made new

Till then, continue to proclaim the angel’s hymn. Extol

The Good News; JESUS is His Name, the Savior of the soul

Janet Martin

Acts 3:18-26

But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, 

that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,

 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 

20 and that He may send [c]Jesus Christ, who was [d]preached to you before, 

21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, 

which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since [e]the world began. 

22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you

 a Prophet like me from your brethren. 

Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 

23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet 

shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 

24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, 

as many as have spoken, have also [f]foretold these days. 

25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,

 saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 

26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, 

sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

We All Have Much In Common (or, We All Need God)

Rom.8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

 Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,

 or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Ps.44:22)

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors

 through Him who loved us.

 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 

nor angels nor principalities nor powers,

 nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor 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.

2 Cor.4:7-9

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, 

to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; 

struck down, but not destroyed;

Read full chapter

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Selah - There Is A Redeemer

We all have discouragements, doubts and wants and wishes, still withheld

And worlds within, where those without cannot behold dream-castles felled

Where we are often soundly taught by age-old laws of live-and-learn

Because wisdom cannot be bought, but is something we all must earn

We all have reason to lament when love is buffeted and kicked

We all need God to heal and mend the wounds life is bound to inflict

Thus, we should all call upon Him; before the silence of the grave

Because there is no other Name under Heaven able to save

Nothing is greater than God’s love, though sometimes hate appears to be

Because it is the servant of pride and deceit’s barbarity

Evil is handicapped by Time; but because God is love, love IS

His truth endures: He IS Sublime; greater IS He than all of This

We all have holy hurts and hopes, and long for happiness made whole

Where, without God the spirit gropes but cannot find rest for the soul

Therefore, we all should purpose to be kinder to our fellowman

Because we are all part of who God knew would need salvation’s plan

We all need hope; invalid, save through the power of Christ’s shed blood

But what a wondrous hope we have in the redeeming love of God

(He IS the Way, the Truth, The Life) His everlasting love prevails

No matter what trial or strife may test our faith, Love never fails

We have treasure in jars of clay, no worldly avenger can seize

We know that come whatever may God’s pow’r transcends all enemies

His truth endures forevermore; His is judgement and mercy’s seat

Then lift your voice and praise Him for His love no rival can defeat

We all have much in common in this very broken human race

But most of all the love of One who saves us through His Son, by grace

We all need God; without Him every earthly gain is utter loss

But with Him every grief and pain reflects the glory of the cross

Janet Martin

Matt.5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the [a]earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

For One and All, the Same

Ten thousand people doing something wrong does not,

as the number of wrong-doers increases,

eventually make the wrong right!

'They do it too' is a dangerous excuse if 'they' are doing wrong!

2 Cor.5:9-10 (read the whole sacred chapter HERE)

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, 

to be well pleasing to Him. 

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 

that each one may receive the things done in the body, 

according to what he has done, whether good or bad...

We are well known to God

Our hearts, an open page

Then bow before Him, wholly awed

For He holds judgment’s wage

A wage we justify

With simple clarity

The track-record of our reply

Will prove if we loved He

…who suffered Calvary

To pardon our sin

So that all who believe will be

Heirs and co-heirs with Him

(To believe is to know

For all that we do not

That by the grace of God we go

Regardless of our lot)

The hour we believe

Repenting of our sin

Is the same hour we receive

Eternal life with Him

Through God’s Son, sacrificed

Salvation’s gift was wrought

Repentance, through the blood of Christ

Redeems each soul, blood-bought

How Mercy must have groaned

Knowing love’s albatross

To gain the joy of sin atoned

He must endure the cross

But there, belief begins

A lifelong wonderment

In He who forgives our sins

And makes the heart content

He arms us for faith’s strife

Through the might of His name

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life

For one and all, the same

© Janet Martin

John 3:14-18

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 

even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 

but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; 

but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:

 but he that believeth not is condemned already, 

because he hath not believed in the name 

of the only begotten Son of God.

Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?

 

Amazing Grace

Recently our Sunday morning messages have been on salvation!

The more I try to plumb the depths of God's amazing love and grace

that purchased the gift of salvation to pay the sinner's debt

 for all who repent and believe and thus receive it,

the more I marvel at how impossible it is

to fully comprehend amazing grace! 

or how impossible it is to believe without repenting

or repent without believing!

Heb.4:16

 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

2 Cor. 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, 

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

There's Not A Friend Like The Lowly Jesus

You could confound us with the crumbs that fall 'neath The King's chair

But you invite us to sit at Your table, saved by grace

No judgement from the mercy seat that Calvary laid bare

As all who repent and believe become Your dwelling place

You could condemn us but instead You, sinless, became sin

So that through You we might become 'the righteousness of God' 

Not by works lest we boast; salvation, none can earn or win

It is a gift, a gift that leaves believers/receivers humbly awed 

Then, who is qualified to cast judgment's first stone, pray tell

For there is no one righteous, no, not one, we, debtors all

To grace, the grace that saves us from eternity in hell

When truly, truly on Your Name above all names, we call   

You know our hearts, you hear our prayers, You know that we are dust

The recompense that we deserved You bore, once and for all 

You are good, holy, merciful, compassionate and just

Your everlasting love abides as kingdoms rise and fall 

Once, I was a prodigal child squandering love and life 

Once You left the ninety and nine in the fold, to find me

Amazing grace, agape I gaze where redemption runs rife

You reconciled your rebel child and set my doomed soul free 

The crumbs that fall from Your table, would be too good for me

But you invite me to sit down, beloved and justified

By Your amazing grace; I, once condemned have been set free

And clothed in robes of righteousness that only You provide

Janet Martin

Amazing Grace 

Rom.5:6-11

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,

 Christ died for the ungodly. 

 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, 

though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood,

how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 

10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, 

how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 

11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 through whom we have now received reconciliation.

A Long Joy-Song or Before The World Began

John 17:1-5

“Father, the hour has come. 

Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 

2 For you granted him authority over all people 

that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 

3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, 

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 

4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory 

I had with you before the world began...

***

Someday we will enter eternity,

where there will be no time constraints on our joy song!

where poetry won't be criticized for being 'too wordy' or long,

and where no words will be needed

to worship our Saviour!

Hallelujah!

ready? Set...Go!!

The past weekend had many 'glad' moments

but all pale in comparison to the reason for the Easter-season!

This was the Easter sunrise!

(I would have loved to do this post on Easter morning but

dinner-prep and early church service kept me hopping!)

He makes me glad; no eloquence of loving speech can tell

Salvation’s joy, blood-bought; enough to cheer my soul full-well

Wonder confounds thought’s finite scope; awe utters ‘what is man

That Triune God would anchor Hope before the world began?’

He makes me glad; praise He from whom redemption’s wellsprings roar

When I confess my sin, mercy remembers it no more

Though I have played the harlot and Judas, He loved me so

Though my sins were as scarlet; He has washed me white as snow

He makes me glad; I shall not want because at Calvary

He bore the cross, its gore and taunt and sword, to set me free

Obedient to death, to prove the power of His Name

He rose again; He overthrew death and hell’s hopeless claim

He makes me glad; joy bids me sing in awed humility

O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory

Thanks be to God who gives us victory through Jesus Christ

Who saw beyond the agony of his Son, sacrificed

He makes me glad; God knew His will would prosper in His hand

And only Jesus could fulfill salvation’s grim demand

He saw the Light of life proclaimed through horrors humbly braved

The power of the only name whereby man can be saved

The Name above all names, the King of kings and Lord of lords

Jesus! Sin’s outpoured offering God’s gift of grace affords

He makes me glad; though oft we grieve this world’s darkness-filled boast

For all who repent and believe receive the Holy Ghost

He makes me glad for what eye has not glimpsed nor ear yet heard

Nor entered into human hearts the things God has prepared

For all who love Him, truly love with heart, soul, strength and mind

Whose affections are set above this world’s vain glory-grind

He makes me glad; though all else fails God is not overthrown

He is not mocked, His truth prevails; by fruit the tree is known

And though many are sick and weak, by His goodness unstirred

He looks with favour on the meek who tremble at His word

He makes me glad; though oft I rue the tempter’s cunning vice

Accomplishing mad blindness to salvation’s purchase price

Not of silver or gold but blood; the precious blood of He

Who satisfied the wrath of God through love’s divine decree

He makes me glad, though often love makes me too sad to laugh

He understands the tear-filled trove I lift on their behalf

So many Gospel-unshod feet, no faith to make them whole

Fearless, though unprepared to meet the Saviour of their soul

He makes me glad; goodness and mercy follow me always

His comfort strengthens tenderly and fills my heart with praise

For He has made me glad; my prayer, my joy cries ‘what is man

Oh God, You knew the cross was there before the world began’

© Janet Martin

Eph.1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 

4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world

 to be holy and blameless in His presence. 

In love 5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ,

 according to the good pleasure of His will, 

to the praise of His glorious grace,

 which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

1 Pet.1:18-19

For you know that it was not with perishable things 

such as silver or gold that you were redeemed 

from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,

 but with the precious blood of Christ,

 a lamb without blemish or defect.

Jesus Paid It All 

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...

Fortune of Fear

Today's devotion from the book Consolation

by Chas. E Cowman

"We all started somewhere at some point in our journey as a believer'

was my dad's reply a few months ago when I asked him to pray

for someone who, as yet, has not taken the first step of faith.

How often since then, those words have encouraged me not to give up

in lifting my loved ones to God in prayer,

whether it is for the first, sacred, genuine step of confessing that we are a sinner

and need Jesus as our Saviour, 

or in the ups and downs that follow repentance and belief.

On Sunday, the pastor closed his message with encouragement,

reminding us the Christian life is a course of ups and downs,

feeling near to God on some days and on others days

wondering why He doesn't feel so near.

He encouraged us to cling to the truth of a changeless God,

who, no matter how we feel steadfastly abides with us,

So then, he reminded us to abide in the Vine so we may live a fruitful life

for apart from Him we can do nothing.

John 15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,

and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Proverbs 3:7:

"Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil"

Matt.10:28

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Heb.10:31

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It is impossible to truly love or follow God until we truly fear Him;

Until He who loved us so much He gave His Son/himself

to break the curse of sin, so all who believe

will never perish but have everlasting life...

 until this Holy God confounds our utter thought

as we try to fathom His love, mercy and holiness

we will fail to live the Christian life.

As our reverence/fear for God grows,

so grows our love.

Ps.103:11

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

 (read the whole glorious chapter of Ps.103 HERE)

Lord let not faith be warped by sight

Nor trust, by understanding

But let the fear of Thee delight

My will with Thy commanding

And let devotion not be swayed

By ups and downs of living

Lord, keep my want-prone wonder stayed

Beneath Thy cross, life-giving

And woo me, not with worldly creed

Or fortune's vain ovation/persuasion 

But, help me pay more earnest heed

To Thee, Rock of salvation

That I may gain a heart of love

Of wisdom's priceless treasure

And grow in grace and knowledge of

Thee, one true God, forever

Amen

Janet Martin

Ps.62:2

He only is my rock and my salvation;

 He is my defense; 

I shall not be greatly moved.

Rock of Ages

For The Sacred Sake of Souls...

Greed, coupled with unscrupulous savvy

 can accrue great worldly wealth,

but at what cost?!

Love, coupled with fear of God

will, through humble generosity

  accrue great heavenly treasure

of unfathomable gain!! 

Which 'wealth' do we pursue?

Who consumes our thought?

Who thrills our soul?

With the word TARIFF weighing on many minds

aren't you SO thankful for Who IS,

FOREVER FAITHFUL/TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE.

You Are Mine

No Friend Like Jesus

All That Thrills My Soul is Jesus

Lest care for temporary gain dictates what we pursue

Lest prayer is a pious refrain or Duty's daily due

Lord, lest we lose faith's fervent love and let it grow lukewarm

With minds set, not on things above, but on earth's fleeting charm 

Lord, for the sacred sake of souls, lest ease becomes a snare

Let trouble take its holy toll to waken us to prayer

Lest we grow blind and deaf and numb to Thy kind faithfulness

Lest heart and soul and mind become consumed with worldliness

Dear Lord, lest pride and greed take root and thus choke out Good Seed

Let trouble waken us to fruit, known by thought, word and deed

Let it expose selfish footholds that grieve You, Holy God  

Lord, for the sacred sake of souls, do not withhold love's rod

Lest our mouth Your praise extols with heart cold and afar

Lord, for the sacred sake of souls, remind us who You are

You are the hope of humankind, You died and rose again!!

All who call on your Name will find rest for their souls, amen 

And You alone know what it takes to make our love more true

You know, tis for Soul's Sacred Sake; trouble draws us to You

Janet Martin

  

Originally I was going to share 

only the last verse of the chapter below

but the whole chapter is so timely and comforting

I changed my mind 🙏💗

Ps.138 NKJV

The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful

A Psalm of David.

 I will praise You with my whole heart;

Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,

When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

For great is the glory of the Lord.

6 Though the Lord is on high,

Yet He regards the lowly;

But the proud He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;

You will stretch out Your hand

Against the wrath of my enemies,

And Your right hand will save me.

8 The Lord will [a]perfect that which concerns me;

Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

White as Snow or Triumph's Reservoir

Genesis 15:1

...Fear not,  Abram, (Janet, and all who believe.)

I am Thy Shield and Thy exceeding great reward.

Prayer is the greatest power-source in the universe.

Why do we so often settle for something/someone less

than the Best?!! 

Through God's Word and humble prayer we, through Him,

become who He created us to be

We will never be all we or others wish us to be...

Until/unless we have been crucified with Christ and

'it is no longer I but Christ in me'

then we can be infinitely more

 than thought humanly possible,

not to please people,

but, by and to the honour and glory of God!

The 'more' Christ works in us

may never be applauded by the masses

or perhaps, often times, even noticed...

Such as

The private victory over temptation,

The bridled tongue, 

The second mile,

The altar of sacrifice,

The yielded will, (oft-repeated)

The peace that God alone grants

to all who fear Him and seek/strive 

to live in obedience to His commandments...

The sacred fulfillment of 'Love one another'

The joy, gloriously, mysteriously complete

though we sorrow/suffer,

The power to truly and completely forgive!

...but God knows

and keeps a precious record

of our earthly relationship with Him,

until, some day when we will see Him face to face;

Jesus Christ, our salvation, who through His shed blood,

though our sins were like scarlet

He washed us white as snow!

Isa.1:16-20

Wash and make yourselves clean.

Take your evil deeds out of my sight;

stop doing wrong.

17 Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.[a]

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good things of the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Read the whole dire chapter HERE

***

Imagine if snow was scarlet, like sin, instead of white, like redemption!!!

How glorious its whiteness suddenly seems! 🙏

When the groan of Intercession yields no dramatic reply

When our sorrowful confession does not move the earth and sky

When the evidence of Seeing challenges Faith's Things Hoped For

'Christ in us', instills faith's being with whispers to trust Him more

God, whose faithfulness and justice vexes logic's rationale  

Will fulfill his every promise; never slack or forgetful 

He beholds The Precious Many, ignorant of Calvary 

(It is not his will that any should perish eternally)

Love, beyond all comprehension bore death's cross in our stead 

God, rich in mercy's compassion, gave His Own to pay sin's debt

He is ever interceding, for all who call on the Lord

He, both shield and faith's exceeding, everlasting great reward, 

Love, beyond all comprehension holds eternity at bay

Love, whose scarlet intervention washes sin's cursed stains away

White as snow, Redemption's River courses, bridging death's dark rift 

Would that all would trust the Giver of Salvation's sacred gift

 

Then, though groans of Intercession yield no visible reply

When our sorrowful confession does not move the earth and sky

When the evidence of needing challenges Faith's Things Hoped For

'Christ in us', transforms faith's pleading into Triumph's Reservoir 

© Janet Martin 

Blessed be the Fountain of Blood (Lyrics Only)

Alan Jackson-Blessed Assurance (Lyrics)