Sunday, April 30, 2017

5/7/17 Through 5/13/17

5/7/17 Through 5/13/17

Sunday
My sins He bore upon the tree
His wounds a healing balm for me
A wayward sheep that's prone to stray
He leads along the narrow way

Monday
Call not profaned what God has claimed
To enter in the fold
But go and speak to those who seek. 
All nations must be told

The spirit spoke to Gentile folk
The same as you and me
Cornelius found in Joppa town
The words to set him free

Tuesday
He speaks so very plain you see
But far from all find certainty
For they cannot get past the view
That God would come so close to you

If they could only see their way
To listen to the words You say
Their sight would be so crisp and clear
Of God Himself who comes so near.

Wednesday
The light has come and shone on me
But often still I fail to see
For pride can blind the sinful eye
And make of me a selfish guy

Then ruled by passion and delight
I block the rays of healing light
But if confessing I repent
Again the healing light is sent

Thursday
If God Himself should wash my feet
No life on earth should be complete
Without much service to the poor
To help them in  their trial endure

How patiently He bore the pain
In hope of our eternal gain
He gave us there upon the cross
Our greatest gain, His life of loss

But then He showed once glorified
The prize He won when crucified
The back of evil broken when 
We look upon the Great Amen.

Friday
Drawn to hear His gentle voice
Trembling there with Him rejoice
Unworthy of His presence here
The Lord inspires holy fear

How could One so great attend
To those who frequently offend
Yet He prepares a place for all
Even those who often fall

Saturday
How little I can understand
Of all the things my Lord has planned
So all there is for folks like me
Is simply place our trust in Thee

I've known You now for quite a while
But still can't figure out Your style
Surprise occurs at every turn
With always so much more to learn.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

4-30-17 Through 5/6/17

4-30-17 Through 5/6/17

Sunday
Open Lord Your word to me
Reveal the things that I can't see
Upon these pages here of Thine
Allow Your rays of light to shine

Then cause my heart to burn within
And keep me far away from sin
I'll savor every word You said
And daily come receive the bread

Monday
Intently Stephen looked upon
The face of Christ in land beyond
Not cursing them in painful groans
But blessing those who threw the stones

Angelically his face appeared
No pain or torture then was feared
For in that time he fixed his eyes
On Jesus Christ his faithful prize

Tuesday
May I consume the daily bread
Your very flesh on which I'm fed
True manna, heavens greatest sign
God's one and only Son divine

Wednesday
To ask within His holy name
He promises receipt
Our lack is not on him to blame
But on our own deceit

For what we ask indulges that
Which leads us far astray
It's nothing more than idle chat
To help us on our way

Thursday
Come down from heaven holy bread
On which the faithful all are fed
The Bread of Life for all to eat
Our strength on earth to sin defeat

Friday
The light of Christ around him shone
But voice was heard by him alone
See how blind you've come to be?
The one you persecute is Me

Now go into the city where
My messenger will find you there
And tell you all that you must do
As what the lord commands of you

Then after three days fasting spent
A man named Ananias sent
The scales removed, his sight restored
And now the Son of God adored

Saturday
Who can accept these words you speak
Perhaps another one we seek
Returning to their former way
So many souls have gone astray

Nowhere to go that I can see
I never wish to part from Thee
Although I may not understand
I  trust in what my Lord has planned

Sunday, April 16, 2017

4/23/17 Through 4/29/17

4/23/17 Through 4/29/17

Sunday
Doubt no longer but believe
The grace for faith now all receive
But some reject it out of pride
And thus begin a downward slide

Monday
Lord, look at our society
How they despise our faith in Thee
They think that they can make the rules
But show themselves no more than fools

Help us boldly to proclaim
The strength and power of Jesus' name
May our daily sacrifice
In them, a longing, there entice.

That those we meet might come to know
The Holy Spirit You bestow
Then born again from up above
Our culture turn to one of love

Tuesday
Forever of Your goodness
And praises I will sing
Forever is Your kindness
Oh good and gracious King

The sky proclaims Your wonder
For none like You exist
Your voice a mighty thunder
Youe breath a gentle mist

Wednesday
No prison now can hold the word
With vision now no longer blurred
The Son of God became a man
To rescue us from Satan's plan

By giving of Himself complete
The power of sin did He defeat
And cast away the darkest night
By bringing everlasting light

Thursday
Witnesses of righteousness
He came for those who will confess
the obstinent who hide the sin
May never His salvation win

For all have sinned and crucified
The Son of God who bled and died
It seemed as such a tragedy
But truly it has set us free

Friday
Would I be glad to suffer now
for witnessing to Him
Could I be strong and thus allow
My pride to now grow dim?

Or would I cower in the face
Of ridicule and scorn
With shame of my rejected grace
Awake to rue the morn?

Saturday
Out on the sea alone, afraid
Against the wind they rowed and prayed
Then on the water drawing near
They heard, "It's I, no need to fear."

Then as they turned to look around
Behold, the yonder shore was found
Within an instant fear was gone
And Christ alone relied upon

How many times in every life
We feel afraid amid the strife
But if we look in spite of fear
We too can see, the Lord is near.


Sunday, April 9, 2017

4/16/17 Through 4/22/17

4/16/17 Through 4/22/17

Sunday
Early in the morning
They rose to see the tomb.
Disciples all still huddled
Within the upper room.

When lo from in the heavens
There came a holy light
That shook the earth around them
And filled the guards with fright

Behold the Son is risen
No more among the dead
While women were conversing
The guards stood as if dead

Go tell to His disciples
To Galilee He goes
For now and all eternity
The font of Mercy flows

Monday
A tidy sum may quell the word
For them to play their game
When resurrected Christ is heard
Their story comes up lame

The truth a clarion to call
The poor, lame, and oppressed
His saving grace goes out to all
If sins are now confessed

Tuesday
Dear Mary called the Magdalene
Recalled to all where she had been
And that she saw in risen flesh
The Lord upon the morning fresh

Oh let me see with morning dew
The face of all I meet as You
And somehow come to understand
The love You have for every man

Wednesday
With blatant root of jealousy
The Pharisee and Saducee
 Condemned to death the righteous one
And crucified God's only Son

But now upon the third day hence
Some women from our group dispense
A word of angels sitting there
But not a body anywhere

How slow we are to see His hand
To grasp His way and understand
But when we break the holy bread
Somehow our hunger there is fed

Thursday
He waited there upon the shore
With breakfast and a whole lot more
The catch of fish was great this time
But from now on, it's souls they find

Friday
In privilidge I was raised with these
The Pharisees and Saducees
The law I know in great detail
It can't be wrong.  It cannot fail!

So how then can these lowly ones
Declare themselves adopted sons
And make the crippled man to walk
Ther must be something to their talk.

Saturday
Doubt no longer, but believe
The grace for faith now all receive
But some reject it out of pride
And thus begin a downward slide.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

4/9/17 Through 4/15/17

4/9/17 Through 4/15/17

Palm Sunday
Shepherd struck and sheep all scattered
Holy face all beat and battered
Gone the loyalty once promised
Now fulfilled the words of psalmist

Hanging there upon the wood 
His mother there beneath Him stood
She watched as every drop of blood 
Became a tide of mercy's flood

His body drained of all its life
Our pure and holy sacrifice
Now Jesus, in the tomb, was laid
The price of all our sins was paid.

Monday
The chosen one who comes to us
Comes not to shout or make a fuss
He comes to heal the broken reed
He comes to sow His precious seed

That formed and nourished by His hand
We learn to follow each command
Becoming light to help men see
And setting all the captives free

Tuesday
Let me sing of Your salvation
Let me be a light to nations
You my rock and fortress be
Rescue and deliver me

In my weakness, be my strength
Help me love to greater length
Let my mouth declare Your praise
Let my soul Your anthem raise.

Wednesday
The unprepared disciples hear
My appointed time draws near
But only one will travel near
While the rest will flee in fear

Am I prepared to meet the day
That surely comes my way
Have I learned to love and pray
My blessed Savior's way?

Thursday
Anticipation in the air
A somber mood is everywhere
The expectation He is King
But puzzled by His offering
To wash the feet of lowly ones
And make of them His Father's sons

Betrayal by a chosen friend
That leads to such a bitter end
And yet a heart intent to serve
The lowly ones who least deserve
Who can this be with such great love
But God's own Son from up above

Lord let me find in You the way
To serve the ones I meet today
To strip away my foolish pride
And lift a basin to my side
Then wash the feet of those in need
And learn from You to love indeed

Good Friday
How good this day Christ died for me!
When I knew not, I wasn't free
When I assumed my way was right
Because I held the power or might

How good it was for every blow
To wake me up that I would know
The depth of love He held within
For one so mired deep in sin

How good the thorns upon His brow
To take the pain of broken vow
And nails that pierce His hands and feet
For avarice and ill conceit

And oh, how good that precious tide
To wash away my sinful pride
The parched and painful burning thirst
Of love that saves a sinner cursed!

Holy Saturday
Ridiculed and crucified
Upon the cross the Savior died
He came from Mary's virgin womb
But now He lies within the tomb

No joy this day of sabbath rest
While faith endures this emptiness
No more Messiah spoken of
They crucified the man of love.