I just finished listening to a sermon on the atonement of Christ. I was moved to try and express in a poem what impacted me so greatly in hearing such a wonderful exposition of scriptures that describe the intention and co-operation of Father, Son and Spirit in the plan of salvation.

Not a Drop

Not a drop was wasted Lord

When You died that day.

Of the precious blood You spilled

T'was the perfect way

To propitiate the wrath

We so true deserved.

It was not stored up for us

But for You reserved.

None of what You suffered there

Was for nothing done.

Nothing spent upon those who

Would reject the Son.

Never Lord, how could we think

That plan would be defeated?

Any suffering be in vain

Its' purpose not completed?

You in wisdom from the start

Did not on us wait.

Else you would have none to meet

At the heavenly gate.

So instead You had a plan;

Full of grace so needed.

So much mercy, so much love

From Your heart proceeded.

Chosen by the Father

'Ere time had begun,

Each by name You called us Lord;

One by one we'll come.

Help us see Your sacrifice

Made on our behalf.

Not for nameless, faceless ones

You endured the wrath.

But instead you poured your grace

On those whose hearts were dead.

Saving us from death eternal,

Giving life instead

We who gave you not a thought

But instead ignored.

From the darkness to the light

You have now restored.

Jesus all the blood you shed

Will in time have bought

Every single chosen soul;

None was shed for naught.

SIT AND PRAY

Come, Thou bidst me, sit with Me

  For a little while, and see

What communion there can be

Sorry Lord, I've often said

Many things run through 

My head;

Maybe later, in a while

Say You'll save for me 

Your smile

Oh my heart, so desperate cold!

Still You bid me

Yes, be bold!

Come My child, the way is clear.

Only mercy now 

you'll hear

Condemnation put away

Come, I bid you

Sit and pray

IN THE MEANTIME

God of Mercy, God of Grace

Seated at the highest place

Looks upon us from above

Blesses us with  perfect love

May our hearts look up to Thee

Seek Thy face, Thou One in Three

Asking, always, for Thy grace

Waiting till we see Thy face

All our moments in Thy hands

Counted by Thee, grains of sand

One day we will be complete
Then in perfect union meet

Standing on that golden shore
Us with Thee forevermore

This "New" Year

Here we are again. According to the calendar, we are in a new year. I must admit, I haven't "celebrated" this annual event for quite some time. Maybe I'm just getting old, but staying up until midnight is not something I deal well with anymore. I like my sleep, and experience has shown me that nothing "magical" happens at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. In my "old/younger" days, New Year's Eve was mainly an excuse to "party-hearty"; that mode of recreation has certainly lost its charm.

It has got me to thinking, though. About all things "new". How in our society we are constantly reaching for them. From the latest and greatest in electronics, from clothes, to houses, to cars, to spouses. We so quickly abandon, and mark as obsolete, the outdated versions of these things, and so many more. The list is, quite literally, endless. There is this unquenchable thirst for what is new, because we are convinced that what is new must be better. I wonder sometimes if we are just dumb sheep being programmed by advertising and the media. We buy more and more "new" stuff, to the point where getting rid of the "old" stuff has become problematic. From a certain angle, this appears, at the very least, counter-productive and silly.

I know that getting older, and maybe it is just the "generation gap" having its effect on my thinking. But I am saddened, and even alarmed by things that I observe in our world. The English language seems to be devolving daily, due in large part to social media. My grandchildren are not being taught cursive writing in school; my grandson had to learn how to "write" his name when he started high school. Prior to that, he only had to write his first name, since there were no other kids who had that name. Once in high school, however, he had to start using his surname.  (This is only one example of things, or values, that have long held a place in our world that have gone by the wayside. There are too many more to explore and capture here.)

Lately I have this new affection for things old and used. I have started to make quilts. A large part of the appeal for me has been using up scraps of fabric, and I feel determined to use as little "new" fabric as possible. I prefer, instead, to seek out fabric from second-hand stores. The same for clothes, books, and anything else that I have need of.  There is this desire to shun the latest "must have", and I do find satisfaction in re-purposing that which might otherwise end up in a landfill.

Why do we crave newness? It is not an altogether bad thing to do. New life is a miracle, be it in plants, animals or humans. It is a miracle because it is God Who gives it and sustains it. We are programmed to create, and this is good. It is one of the ways that we share, albeit dimly, God's image. The problem arises when we worship the creature, and the created thing, rather than the Creator of all. We seek satisfaction where it will never be found, instead of where we were created to find it, in a relationship with Him.

Many are saying that Christ is coming soon. I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe even in my lifetime. I wonder how much worse things will get in this world before He does come. I look around and see such a dichotomy. Parts of the world are filled with people who have nothing, look forward to nothing but hunger and despair and persecution. And then there are the rest of us, happily being led by the promise of fulfillment in financial security, health and well being, fairy tale relationships, material possessions and social status. Meanwhile, the very fabric of our society is being eroded by the breakdown of the family unit. While science and technology advance, we are losing generations to warped value systems and an ever-increasing  tendency to self-fulfillment, divorced from any acknowledgement of absolute truth, let alone an Absolute God. 

Well, I didn't start out to bring a message of doom and gloom. And the good news is, there is hope. I am so thankful that, even though I may not live out my "resolutions" to perfection each day, God's mercies are new every morning. I don't have to wait until 2015 to start again. Each moment that I walk in His light, His blood cleanses me from all sin. And these promises are for anyone who will repent and believe. The world we live in is fallen and broken, but one day it will be made new, restored to the way it was meant to be. He will make all things right, and every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. It may not take place on December 31st of any given year, but it will mark a true, glorious, everlasting change. One that will not grow old, or need to be made "new and improved." It will be eternal perfection, and I am so looking forward to that. Happy New Year.

 

A Christmas Wish

I’ll spell out in a little rhyme
My wish for you this Christmas time.

This season, special though it be
Is not the only time, you see

To celebrate and praises give
For what God did so we might live.

We love to look with tender eyes
On Baby Jesus, where He lies

And wonder at Him, sweet and mild
This precious, tiny, Saviour Child.

But did you know that even now
He reigns above, and we should bow,

Give worship, honour, and adore;
He’s not a baby anymore!

He grew up like us, so He knew
All that we face; He faced it too!

He knows our greatest need is met
When He forgives our sins, and yet

We still resist, and He must move
To open hearts, and to us prove

That He is all we’ll ever need,
And in us place one tiny seed

Of faith that saves, and holds us fast
Until we see His face at last.

And so my wish, my prayer for you
Is that in grace, He would so do

If you have not Him yet received
Into your heart, then I would plead

That you might please consider then
Long past when Chrismas Season ends

This Jesus Christ, Who owns each day;
He is the Life, the Truth, the Way.

 
_________________________________________________________________

At the Cross

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Galations 6:14)

How many things pull my thoughts and my heart away from God? From the truth of Jesus Christ crucified? It all begins, and ends, in that. If I take the truths of the implications of the Cross, and apply them to every situation and concern, I can only find hope. I can only find mercy. I can only find justice. I can only find victory. If I keep the Cross in view, if I imagine a continual cleansing flow, from His wounds, over me, I can only know joy and peace. If I imagine a shadow cast from His Cross, over all the world, over all history, over all the future, hope grows in me. No matter the reports of man. No matter my own inward confusions. They do not decide outcomes. They do not determine truth. Both of these are made complete in the Cross.

Not for a moment only

To lift my weight of sin

Nor simply to grant freedom 

And peace so deep within

But looking unto Jesus

Each moment I believe

Continually, forever

His blessings I receive

His body does not hang there

The nails, the wood, are gone

But in His body, always

The precious wounds belong

They serve as a reminder

Of all that they procured

And in them I find refuge

By them, my heart is stirred

Hi cross has cast its shadow

From 'ere time had begun

it reaches to the future

Its victory is won

His cross has been my portion

Has healed my broken past

It still will lead me onward

As long as life will last

For 'neath the cross of Jesus

So tiny I become

Each care and worry shrinking

Each knot of fear undone

Its shadow is my blanket

Of peace and promised rest

I curl up, safe, contented

His grace becomes my nest

My heart is sure to wander

Play fast and loose with grace

But gently He will bring me

Back to my hiding place

I cling to His dear promise

I gladly run the race

Keep looking unto Jesus

Until I see His face

Our Great High Priest

"Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and Your law is truth" (Psalm 119:142).

There are so many jewels of truth to consider concerning Jesus Christ. One of these is His role as our Great High Priest. I have been reading some chapters in Hebrews over and over again, because the truths there are so astonishing. One that I have come to understand is that Jesus is forever our Great High Priest. He will continue to intercede on our behalf throughout eternity. When I first realized that, I was stunned. To me, it makes an incredible statement about the great love He has for us, and about our need of His intercession and righteousness.

We know that we have no righteousness of our own, and that our only hope is to have His righteousness applied to us. Everything in this world gets old and wears out. Nothing lasts forever. We are continually replacing things: appliances, clothing, cars, buildings, etc. And try as we might, we simply cannot keep these earthly tents of ours around forever; they will most certainly grow old, or sick, and die one day. Yet God's righteousness will be around forever. And we have the righteousness of Christ. I cannot seem to dwell enough on these things. I want to think and ponder over them till they truly penetrate my heart.

What a merciful God we have!

"The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:23-25).

(Originally posted 27.11.08)