1.
Oh, what a prize
on which to fix our eyes
While lesser gods
appeal with pleasure’s trance
And wolves dressed
in sheep’s clothing cover lies
With what seems satisfying
at first glance
Oh, what a prize
for us to press toward
Where Heaven waits
beyond this finish line
The High Calling
of Jesus Christ our Lord
Will make each earthy
sacrifice divine
Oh, what a Prize
when all is said and done
If we have fought
the fight, finished the race
And kept the
faith, then triumph has begun
Henceforth, a
crown of righteousness awaits
Oh, what a prize prayer
warriors march toward
To hear ‘well
done’ from Jesus Christ, the Lord
2.
To hear ‘well
done’ from Jesus Christ the Lord
Ah, let this be
our hunger and our thirst
To recognize
love’s ultimate reward
Makes worth all
battles we must suffer first
This day of grace,
someday will cease its pleas
The glory of the
Lord will dim the sun
The stars will
fall like unripe figs from trees
Tossed in the
wind; then judgement has begun
Ah, pray we do not
wait to bow the knee
And confess with
our tongues that He is Lord
Too late; consider
now what Then will be
Eternity… who can
God’s wrath afford
Then call on Him,
the Giver of the Prize
Believe on Him,
Author of paradise
3.
Believe on Him, author
of paradise
The Way, The
Truth, The Life, He came to brave
The horrors only
Mercy justifies
On Calv’ry’s cross
He died each soul to save
Thus, there is no
excuse that will withstand
When grace has
sealed the Door to Safety’s Ark
As in the days of
Noah, once again
He beckons ‘Come’
before the day grows dark
When everyone will
wail because of Him
Yes, even those
who pierced Him will behold
Who IS, Who WAS,
Who IS TO COME, amen
The Almighty
death’s mys’try will unfold
Where keys to hell
and Heaven crown the sword
Listen; this is
too grave to be ignored
4.
Listen, this is
too grave to be ignored
Forbid we jeer or
scorn the King of kings
Or turn a deaf ear
to His earnest Word
And thus deserve
the verdict Judgement brings
When all who have
repented and believed
Will witness what
faith could not visualize
Hope’s inheritance
of endless life received
In Heaven; the
unveiling of the Prize
So lift your head,
if any suffer, pray
If any receive
comfort, praise His name
No one is exempt
from Reckoning Day
Will we live for
his glory or our shame?
This is no glib,
loud-laughing matter, love
No works of man
can ever be enough
5.
No works of man
can ever be enough
To earn the right
to by-pass Calvary
No head-knowledge
or vantage-point can prove
Faith’s Rock of
Ages and trust’s guarantee
Will we accept His
gift; will we refuse
We are creations
of free will, not bound
Love never forces
but He lets us choose
Who we will serve;
there is no middle ground
No, no, oh, do not
turn away and laugh
As if this is some
scheme that fool’s inspire
For God will clear
The Threshing Floor of chaff
And it will feed
an unquenchable fire
The wheat He
gathers up; it will not burn
Will we be wheat
or chaff at His return?
6.
Will we be wheat
or chaff at His return?
The Crux of mortal
kernel never dies
Will we believe or
join the proud who spurn
The gift of God
and exchange truth for lies
Come, let us
reason while there is still time
There must be more
to life than dust-to-dust
There must be more
to these moments that chime
Than wish and whim
and selfish wanderlust
Where joy would a
pitiful prelude
To sorrow’s empty,
awful agony
Surely even a poor
fool must conclude
There must be more
to this than you and me
Aha, small wonder
the greatest gifts none can prove
Where now abide
these three; faith, hope and love
7.
Where now abide
these three; faith, hope and love
The greatest of these,
love; God’s All in all
As we who love and
have been loved thus prove
What atheistic
views seek to annul
For God is love;
His Authenticity
In every tear,
smile, wave, hug, cuddle, kiss
So we have
glimpses of Him whether we
Believe in Him or
deny who He IS
His divine essence
no one can escape
No skin is thick
enough all love to shun
For no one thirsts
and hungers after hate
Love made us in
His image; every one
Far more we are than
a flesh and blood urn
Love is the common
quaff for which we yearn
8.
Love is the common
quaff for which we yearn
Its second miles
and smiles are not in vain
God sent His Son
for only He could earn
What only Love’s
perfection could attain
Eternal life; for
it is not love’s will
That any perish
when time’s grace expires
But that all would
believe while there is still
Redemption and
exemption from hell’s fires
And whosoever
calls on Him in truth
His perfect love
will, in no wise, cast out
From aged
patriarch to tender youth
He beckons come,
believe and do not doubt
Love groans and
longs to flings wide Heaven’s gates
But too many still
wander…so He waits
9.
But, too many
still wander so He waits
A Groom eager to
meet His precious bride
Where the table
has room for far more plates
It is His will
that no one is denied
Entrance into the
grandest Banquet Hall
But there is just one
Way to enter in
Through Jesus’
blood that flowed for one and all
And frees us from
the curse of death through sin
Oh, pray that
glorious cleansing we have borne
A seat reserved in
Heaven for that day
So when the Bridegroom
comes we will not mourn
And be at last
forever turned away
Doomed to the
place each graceless Outcast goes
Rejection for the
rejection we chose
10.
Rejection for the
rejection we chose
God, rich in
mercy, therefore lingers on
The devil rages,
roaring to and fro
Knowing his
numbered days are almost done
He tackles us,
whoever we may be
Deception has no
vice it will try
And if we do not
stand on guard then we
Might fall prey to
some sumptuous little lie
But if we ask of
Him it will be giv’n
And if we seek
from Him then we will find
And if we knock
He, the door will open
No excuses for we,
still sound of mind
If we choose to
refuse, knowing the stakes
To disregard the
love that mediates
11.
…to disregard the
love that mediates
Twixt God and man
is then to worship sin
Look, here is He
whose workmanship creates
The wonders of the
world and all therein
Where oft we stand
amazed and gaze on He
Who wows us with
His Everlasting care
See how the
morning unveils land and sea
How spring returns
to clothe limbs stark and bare
How rain falls on
the just and unjust too
How hope is
rekindled in human breast
After the storm of
sorrow has passed through
See how, after
day’s toil comes slumber’s rest
Then, to disdain
what no man can compose
Justly, befits us for Denial’s woes
12.
Justly befits us
for Denial’s Woes
For God so loves
the world His kind heart breaks
His Hand that hung
the stars and overthrows
The enemy must
wonder what it takes
To wake the one
who slumbers without fear
When Judgement Day
is too near to ignore
And Time, for all
its tokens we revere
Will disappear
like mist and be no more
He does not shake
us to make us believe
We have His Word;
ah, what more do we need
What else save His
Appearing would achieve
Reaction that more
than a few will heed
Oh bow your head,
believers, gather where
The devil cannot
thwart love’s humble prayer
13.
The devil cannot
thwart love’s humble prayer
Here is a bulwark,
safe from evil’s darts
And here the hope
of nations feels the flare
That finds its way
into man’s heart of hearts
Do not grow weary,
saints-in-waiting, pray
There is no
barrier prayer cannot scale
No prayer of love
will ever lose its way
For God is love
and love will never fail
Then do not faint
or doubt in love’s reward
Remember, Jesus
said, blessed are the meek
Know this, that if
you labour in the Lord
Then He will make
you strong when you are weak
Lift up your weary
head, do not despair
God never gives us
more than He can bear
14.
God never gives
us more than He can bear
Nor will He leave
us half-way through the race
His forgiveness, is
a thorough affair
Then lean on Him;
trust his sufficient grace
Press on; Triumph
does not precede the Goal
The prize waits
when the finish line is crossed
For all are
athletes with a Living Soul
God’s love desires
not one ‘runner’ lost
So He keeps vigil
over one and all
Counts cups of
water given in his name
He hears us call,
He helps us when we fall
A friend who does not
change; always the Same
Where Heaven is
for real; no compromise
Oh, what a Prize
on which to fix our eyes
15.
Master Sonnet
(first line of each preceding sonnet)
Oh, what a prize
on which to fix our eyes
To hear ‘well
done’ from Jesus Christ the Lord
Believe on Him,
author of paradise
Listen, this is
too grave to be ignored
No works of man
can ever be enough
Will we be wheat
or chaff at His return?
Where now abide
these three; faith, hope and love
Love is the common
quaff for which we yearn
But, too many
still wander so He waits
Rejection for the
rejection we chose
…to disregard the
love that mediates
Justly befits us
for Denial’s Woes
The devil cannot
thwart love’s humble prayer
God never gives us
more than He can bear
© Janet Martin
