Hymn 165
Unfruitfulness, ignorance, and unsanctified affections.
Long have I sat beneath the sound
Of thy salvation, Lord;
But still how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word!
Oft I frequent thy holy place,
And hear almost in vain;
How small a portion of thy grace
My memory can retain!
[My dear Almighty, and my God,
How little art thou known
By all the judgments of thy rod,
And blessings of thy throne!]
How cold and feeble is my love!
How negligent my fear!
How low my hope of joys above!
How few affections there!
Great God! thy sovereign power impart
To give thy word success;
Write thy salvation in my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.
[Show my forgetful feet the way
That leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love shall never die.]
poem by Isaac Watts
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Experience God's Loving Grace
I grew up believing I was a Christian, but I did not know The Lord,
For the first thirty years of my life, His Word was totally ignored.
Attending church I was led to believe I lived in a Christian nation,
But personally I never heard of Grace or even understood Salvation.
Living in such spiritual ignorance, my life at times was a disgrace.
However, The Lord used my lovely wife to help me seek His face.
Through her gentle witness The Lord brought me to a time and place,
Where The Spirit opened my heart to experience God's loving Grace.
It wasn't enough to know about God believing that He was always near,
For even the demons believe in God and they shudder with holy fear.
Things became clear when God gave me eyes to see and ears to hear,
That He's not only my God who's near but a friend who's so very dear.
Now I no longer ignore His Word, and He's with me throughout my day,
Christ leads me with The Spirit of God down His Glorious Narrow Way.
And anytime day or night should my heart become filled with dismay,
The Spirit leads me to God's Throne of Grace and even helps me pray.
My friend, my life is so much richer now that I truly know the Lord,
And as I grow in The Lord, my love for God's Word grows even more.
Friend if you read His Word and you'll understand why it has endured,
It's not simply a book by men but God's Word that's certain and sure.
(Copyright © 05/2003)
Psalm 119 part 10
Pleading the promises.
ver. 38,49
Behold thy waiting servant, Lord,
Devoted to thy fear;
Remember and confirm thy word,
For all my hopes are there.
ver. 41,58,107
Hast thou not writ salvation down,
And promised quick'ning grace?
Doth not my heart address thy throne?
And yet thy love delays.
ver. 123,42
Mine eyes for thy salvation fail;
O bear thy servant up!
Nor let the scoffing lips prevail
Who dare reproach my hope.
ver. 49,74
Didst thou not raise my faith, O Lord?
Then let thy truth appear:
Saints shall rejoice in my reward,
And trust as well as fear.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Psalm 119 part 13
Holy fear, and tenderness of conscience.
ver. 10
With my whole heart I've sought thy face:
O let me never stray
From thy commands, O God of grace,
Nor tread the sinner's way.
ver. 11
Thy word I've hid within my heart
To keep my conscience clean,
And be an everlasting guard
From every rising sin.
ver. 63,53,158
I'm a companion of the saints
Who fear and love the Lord;
My sorrows rise, my nature faints,
When men transgress thy word.
ver. 161,163
While sinners do thy gospel wrong
My spirit stands in awe;
My soul abhors a lying tongue,
But loves thy righteous law.
ver. 161,120
My heart with sacred rev'rence hears
The threat'nings of thy word;
My flesh with holy trembling fears
The judgments of the Lord.
ver. 166,174
My God, I long, I hope, I wait,
For thy salvation still;
While thy whole law is my delight,
And I obey thy will.
poem by Isaac Watts
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All That Pass By, to Jesus Draw Near
All that pass by, To Jesus draw near,
He utters a cry, Ye sinners, give ear!
From hell to retrieve you He spreads out his hands;
Now, now to receive you, He graciously stands.
If any man thirst, And happy would be,
The vilest and worst May come unto me,
May drink of my Spirit, Excepted is none,
Lay claim to my merit, And take for his own.
Whoever receives The life-giving word,
In Jesus believes, His God and his Lord,
In him a pure river Of life shall arise,
Shall in the believer Spring up to the skies.
My God and my Lord! Thy call I obey,
My soul on thy word Of promise I stay,
Thy kind invitation I gladly embrace,
Athirst for salvation, Salvation by grace.
O hasten the hour! Send down from above
The Spirit of power, Of health, and of love,
Of filial fear, Of knowledge and grace,
Of wisdom and prayer, Of joy and of praise;
The Spirit of faith, Of faith in thy blood,
Which saves us from wrath, And brings us to God,
Removes the huge mountain Of indwelling sin,
And opens a fountain That washes us clean.
poem by Charles Wesley
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Hymn III: All That Pass By, to Jesus Draw Near
All that pass by, To Jesus draw near,
He utters a cry, Ye sinners, give ear!
From hell to retrieve you He spreads out his hands;
Now, now to receive you, He graciously stands.
If any man thirst, And happy would be,
The vilest and worst May come unto me,
May drink of my Spirit, Excepted is none,
Lay claim to my merit, And take for his own.
Whoever receives The life-giving word,
In Jesus believes, His God and his Lord,
In him a pure river Of life shall arise,
Shall in the believer Spring up to the skies.
My God and my Lord! Thy call I obey,
My soul on thy word Of promise I stay,
Thy kind invitation I gladly embrace,
Athirst for salvation, Salvation by grace.
O hasten the hour! Send down from above
The Spirit of power, Of health, and of love,
Of filial fear, Of knowledge and grace,
Of wisdom and prayer, Of joy and of praise;
The Spirit of faith, Of faith in thy blood,
Which saves us from wrath, And brings us to God,
Removes the huge mountain Of indwelling sin,
And opens a fountain That washes us clean.
poem by John Wesley
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Today... 'The Word
Word of love and the Word made flesh
Word incarnate forever blessed
Word of life and the Word of light
Word of power and Word of might.
Word that was spoken, Word of the Lord
Word of the Law and the Word of God
Word of peace and Word eternal
Word of truth and last Word of all.
Word of wisdom and the Word of healing
Word from heaven, a Word so appealing
Word fulfilling the Word of prophecy
Word of the Spirit and Word of destiny.
Word of exhortation and Word of grace
Word of encouragement and Word of faith
Word of promise and a Word of insight
Word from the beginning and Word of delight.
Word of knowledge and a Word of boldness
Word of peace and the Word of righteousness
Word of the covenant and Word of love
Word of the Father from heaven above.
(see also the additional information in the Poet's notes box)
Hymn 77
The love of Christ to the church, in his language to her,
and provisions for her.
SS 7:5-13.
Now in the galleries of his grace
Appears the King, and thus he says,
"How fair my saints are in my sight!
My love how pleasant for delight!"
Kind is thy language, sovereign Lord,
There's heav'nly grace in every word;
From that dear mouth a stream divine
Flows sweeter than the choicest wine.
Such wondrous love awakes the lip
Of saints that were almost asleep,
To speak the praises of thy name,
And makes our cold affections flame.
These are the joys he lets us know
In fields and villages below;
Gives us a relish of his love,
But keeps his noblest feast above.
In Paradise, within the gates,
A higher entertainment waits
Fruits new and old laid up in store,
Where we shall feed, but thirst no more.
poem by Isaac Watts
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It Starts With The Fear of God
It starts with the fear of God my friend and the fear of God alone,
That removes self from the heart and places Jesus on the throne.
Worldly knowledge won't change your heart, won't change it at all,
For my heart and yours, my friend, was tainted way back at the fall.
Even if you read God's Word and thoroughly understand what it said,
It won't benefit you at all my friend, if it only stays in your head.
For a head full of knowledge, even understanding, is only the start,
It becomes a true Saving Faith when you accept Jesus into your heart.
For it is with your heart you believe and are justified in His sight,
And with your mouth you confess and are saved, much to His delight.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and will be to the end,
For this world's wisdom is folly, in the eyes of The Lord my friend.
The fear of God is not weakness my friend, as it leads to Salvation,
While no fear or reverence towards God above leads to Damnation.
Man's wisdom and his desire to be God leads down all the wrong paths,
As God who sent His Son, as the Only Way, sits in Heaven and laughs.
These men always learning will never come to The Truth who will save,
And like the nations that forget God will be turned into the grave.
But there still is time for you to turn to The God of all creation,
And with fear in your heart, you can embrace His Truth of Salvation.
(Copyright © 03/2003)
Psalm 119 part 16
Prayer for quickening grace.
ver. 25,37
My soul lies cleaving to the dust;
Lord, give me life divine;
From vain desires and every lust
Turn off these eyes of mine.
I need the influence of thy grace
To speed me in thy way,
Lest I should loiter in my race,
Or turn my feet astray.
ver. 107
When sore afflictions press me down,
I need thy quick'ning powers;
Thy word that I have rested on
Shall help my heaviest hours.
ver. 156,40
Are not thy mercies sovereign still,
And thou a faithful God?
Wilt thou not grant me warmer zeal
To run the heav'nly road?
ver. 159,40
Does not my heart thy precepts love,
And long to see thy face?
And yet how slow my spirits move
Without enliv'ning grace!
ver. 93
Then shall I love thy gospel more,
And ne'er forget thy word,
When I have felt its quick'ning power,
To draw me near the Lord.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Hymn 140
A living and a dead faith. Collected from several scriptures.
Mistaken souls, that dream of heav'n,
And make their empty boast
Of inward joys, and sins forgiv'n,
While they are slaves to lust!
Vain are our fancies, airy flights,
If faith be cold and dead;
None but a living power unites
To Christ the living head.
'Tis faith that changes all the heart;
'Tis faith that works by love;
That bids all sinful joys depart,
And lifts the thoughts above.
'Tis faith that conquers earth and hell
By a celestial power;
This is the grace that shall prevail
In the decisive hour.
[Faith must obey her Father's will,
As well as trust his grace;
A pard'ning God is jealous still
For his own holiness.]
When from the curse he sets us free,
He makes our natures clean;
Nor would he send his Son to be
The minister of sin.
[His Spirit purifies our frame,
And seals our peace with God;
Jesus and his salvation came
By water and by blood.]
poem by Isaac Watts
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Psalm 119 part 14
Benefit of afflictions, and support under them.
ver. 153,81,82
Consider all my sorrows, Lord,
And thy deliv'rance send;
My soul for thy salvation faints
When will my troubles end?
ver. 71
Yet I have found 'tis good for me
To bear my Father's rod;
Afflictions make me learn thy law,
And live upon my God.
ver. 50
This is the comfort I enjoy
When new distress begins-
I read thy word, I run thy way,
And hate my former sins.
ver. 92
Had not thy word been my delight
When earthly joys were fled,
My soul, oppressed with sorrow's weight
Had sunk amongst the dead.
ver. 75
I know thy judgments, Lord, are right,
Though they may seem severe;
The sharpest suff'rings I endure
Flow from thy faithful care.
ver. 67
Before I knew thy chast'ning rod
My feet were apt to stray;
But now I learn to keep thy word,
Nor wander from thy way.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Hymn XVII: Jesus, From Whom All Blessings Grow
Jesus, from whom all blessings flow,
Great builder of thy church below,
If now thy Spirit moves my breast,
Hear, and fulfil thine own request!
The few that truly call thee Lord,
And wait thy sanctifying word,
And thee their utmost Saviour own,
Unite, and perfect them in one.
O let them all thy mind express,
Stand forth thy chosen witnesses,
Thy power unto salvation show,
And perfect holiness below!
In them let all mankind behold
How Christians lived in days of old,
Mighty their envious foes to move,
A proverb of reproach - and love.
From every sinful wrinkle free,
Redeemed from all iniquity,
The fellowship of saints make known;
And, O my God, might I be one!
O might my lot be cast with these,
The least of Jesu's witnesses!
O that my Lord would count me meet
To wash his dear disciples' feet!
This only thing do I require:
Thou knowest 'tis all my heart's desire
Freely what I receive to give,
The servant of thy church to live;
After my lowly Lord to go,
And wait upon thy saints below;
Enjoy the grace to angels given,
And serve the royal heirs of heaven.
Lord, if I now thy drawings feel,
And ask according to thy will,
Confirm the prayer, the seal impart,
And speak the answer to my heart.
poem by John Wesley
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Hymn XVII: Jesus, From Whom All Blessings Grow
Jesus, from whom all blessings flow,
Great builder of thy church below,
If now thy Spirit moves my breast,
Hear, and fulfil thine own request!
The few that truly call thee Lord,
And wait thy sanctifying word,
And thee their utmost Saviour own,
Unite, and perfect them in one.
O let them all thy mind express,
Stand forth thy chosen witnesses,
Thy power unto salvation show,
And perfect holiness below!
In them let all mankind behold
How Christians lived in days of old,
Mighty their envious foes to move,
A proverb of reproach - and love.
From every sinful wrinkle free,
Redeemed from all iniquity,
The fellowship of saints make known;
And, O my God, might I be one!
O might my lot be cast with these,
The least of Jesu's witnesses!
O that my Lord would count me meet
To wash his dear disciples' feet!
This only thing do I require:
Thou knowest 'tis all my heart's desire
Freely what I receive to give,
The servant of thy church to live;
After my lowly Lord to go,
And wait upon thy saints below;
Enjoy the grace to angels given,
And serve the royal heirs of heaven.
Lord, if I now thy drawings feel,
And ask according to thy will,
Confirm the prayer, the seal impart,
And speak the answer to my heart.
poem by Charles Wesley
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Knowledge Shall Increase
Learned people in the world gain more knowledge as each day goes by,
Unfortunately they never seem to acknowledge The Lord up in the sky.
Diplomas, certificates, and achievements are their present disguise,
But, The Lord up above will make foolishness the wisdom of the wise.
In the Bible the prophet Daniel stated that knowledge would increase,
However, in light of this increasing knowledge where is their peace.
Even in this world there's a peace to be found, this you can be sure,
But this peace is not of the world, but in the knowledge of The Lord.
The Lord also spoke of a famine that will spread throughout the land,
But his is not the normal famine of food that is known to common man.
It will be a spiritual famine, a worldwide famine of God's Holy Word,
Men's hearts will become harder, even some of those who have heard.
Soon all of the knowledge of the earth will be a thing of the past,
While only the knowledge of The Lord through all Eternity will last.
Man's wisdom and knowledge can be necessary down here on the earth,
But the knowledge for Heaven is higher and must include a New Birth.
This knowledge required for Eternity you will find in only one place,
It is found in God's Holy Bible, which we received through His Grace.
This knowledge is essential for everyone, when all is said and done,
For the only knowledge that will save you, is knowledge of The Son.
(Copyright © 06/2002)
Hymn X: Ye Thirsty For God, to Jesus Give Ear
Ye thirsty for God, To Jesus give ear,
And take, through his blood, A power to draw near;
His kind invitation Ye sinners embrace,
Accepting salvation, Salvation by grace.
Sent down from above, Who governs the skies,
In vehement love To sinners he cries,
Drink into my Spirit, Who happy would be,
And all things inherit By coming to me.
O Saviour of all, Thy word we believe!
And come at thy call, Thy grace to receive;
The blessing is given Wherever thou art.
The earnest of heaven Is love in the heart.
To us at thy feet The Comforter give,
Who gasp to admit Thy Spirit, and live;
The weakest believers Acknowledge for thine,
And fill us with rivers Of water divine.
poem by Charles Wesley
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Hymn X: Ye Thirsty For God, to Jesus Give Ear
Ye thirsty for God, To Jesus give ear,
And take, through his blood, A power to draw near;
His kind invitation Ye sinners embrace,
Accepting salvation, Salvation by grace.
Sent down from above, Who governs the skies,
In vehement love To sinners he cries,
Drink into my Spirit, Who happy would be,
And all things inherit By coming to me.
O Saviour of all, Thy word we believe!
And come at thy call, Thy grace to receive;
The blessing is given Wherever thou art.
The earnest of heaven Is love in the heart.
To us at thy feet The Comforter give,
Who gasp to admit Thy Spirit, and live;
The weakest believers Acknowledge for thine,
And fill us with rivers Of water divine.
poem by John Wesley
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Psalm 51 part 3
The backslider restored.
O Thou that hear'st when sinners cry,
Though all my crimes before thee lie,
Behold them not with angry look,
But blot their mem'ry from thy book.
Create my nature pure within,
And form my soul averse to sin:
Let thy good Spirit ne'er depart,
Nor hide thy presence from my heart.
I cannot live without thy light
Cast out and banished from thy sight:
Thine holy joys, my God, restore,
And guard me that I fall no more.
Though I have grieved thy Spirit, Lord,
His help and comfort still afford;
And let a wretch come near thy throne,
To plead the merits of thy Son.
A broken heart, my God, my King,
Is all the sacrifice I bring;
The God of grace will ne'er despise
A broken heart for sacrifice.
My soul lies humbled in the dust,
And owns thy dreadful sentence just:
Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
And save the soul condemned to die.
Then will I teach the world thy ways;
Sinners shall learn thy sovereign grace;
I'll lead them to my Savior's blood,
And they shall praise a pard'ning God.
O may thy love inspire my tongue!
Salvation shall be all my song;
And all my powers shall join to bless
The Lord, my strength and righteousness.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Trusting, Obeying And Acting
Trusting, obeying and acting for us, are vital needs to follow Jesus,
Trusting God with this very life, as we follow our Lord, Jesus Christ,
Obeying the living Word of God, as Christ leads, with staff and rod,
Acting upon our belief and faith, while guided by His Spirit of Grace.
Trusting the Lord in all that He does, as believers, is essential for us;
We must trust God, day to day, through whatever He brings our way,
While God works out His larger Plan, to reach the heart of each man;
Trusting Christ in all that we do, as God Himself shall see us through.
Obeying God daily, through His Word, He will see that all have heard,
The Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, as He sows His Truth in our life,
Through obedience to God’s Son, God will use us to reach everyone,
With the Truth of God’s Salvation, as we preach Truth to every nation.
Acting on our Faith for The Lord, The Holy Spirit must not be ignored,
For The Spirit is the Power of God, as we witness on this earthly sod,
Reaching out to the end of the earth, sharing with men a second birth,
Acting on our faith to reach all men, that they too, can be Born Again.
We trust in The Lord over all, Who rules over all men, great and small,
Obeying the One, Who died for us, our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus,
As we act on God’s Word in our life, to be for Christ a living sacrifice,
To bring to every man and nation, the Good News of God’s Salvation.
(Copyright ©01/2011)
What Do You Believe?
Just what is it that you believe, and what does your faith conceive?
If you do believe in a God above, does He fill your heart with love?
Does your faith fill you with peace, that during trials doesn’t cease?
And does it give you lasting hope, that in all trials helps you cope?
Does your faith, when trouble nears, calm and sooth all your fears?
As you are guided by God’s Grace, even through the darkest place.
Does your hope go beyond earth, through the miracle of new birth?
A spiritual birth found in God’s Son, available this day to everyone.
Do you bring Him up to others, who may not be Christian Brothers?
Are you willing to pay that price, to share with others, Jesus Christ?
And if you believe as you claim, why cringe as you hear His name?
Or what, my friend, is even worse, to only use His name as a curse.
Do you make it abundantly clear, that The Lord, to you, is so dear?
That Christ is your soul salvation, according to His own Revelation.
And if you belong to our Lord, God’s revelation cannot be ignored,
For we’ve all been given a mission, to fulfill His Great Commission.
Are you for God, doing your part, by letting Christ have your heart?
To use you to spread His Word, to all around, who have not heard?
So friend if you truly do believe, allow all those around you receive,
His Light and Truth from your life, so they can come to Jesus Christ.
(Copyright ©07/2008)
All That’s Needed
I do not need any external relief, I just need to live out my belief,
Belief that goes beyond salvation, as I lean on God’s Revelation,
While things change and surely will, I need to let my heart be still,
Knowing my Lord is God over all, ordering events, big and small.
I know not what’s down the road, but, alone I don’t carry the load,
Following God, the burden’s light, even through the darkest night,
Never knowing what may be ahead, I depend on my Lord instead,
Who, through His Word is my guide, walking faithfully at my side.
The faith that I have in Jesus Christ, not only gives me eternal life,
For along with that blessed hope, God gives me strength to cope,
With unwanted trials that appear, on my earthly journey down here,
And with my eyes upon The Lord, plenty of grace, God will afford.
My friend, as I live out my faith, God provides me sufficient grace,
As my Lord leads me in this life, He comforts me in times of strife,
Upholding me in the deepest grief, as I firmly hold close my belief,
Not just my faith, but Jesus Christ, who had paid the ultimate price.
God’s Word lights my path each day, as I journey life’s narrow way,
With His Word hidden in my heart, God’s Truth each day has a part,
Directing each and every thought, as His Truth in my life is wrought,
Placing me on a Firm Foundation, through my faith in His Salvation.
(Copyright ©01/2011 Bob Gotti)