Monday, April 26, 2010

What is a friend?

Have you ever considered “friendship”?
So easy to pay lip service, “My friend”!
But who has reached that place in your life?
Not many, my friend, for few are the number!
Yet many may call you friend, few are their true number!

There is a line unseen, a spiritual wall, between true friends and the rest!
Friendship with Jesus makes us good candidates as friends!
But many times we be members of His body, like toes on the feet
Though we walk uprightly, the toes of the right foot
And the toes of the left foot never meet

If you are a finger of the hand you will find more fellowship
For the left hand and the right forever meet
The left ear is stationary and will never meet the right
Neither the eyes though they rejoice in the sun
The nose has blocked their meeting as friends

Now if you are a tooth you will have fellowship often
Everyone likes the “food and fellowship” meetings
Yet friendship is built on a more sure foundation
Than hamburgers and fries with idle chatter
Friends are made in the fires of affliction, in times of need!

When you really need a hand in life and the stranger appears
The angel sent from above, the six winged kind
Whose only desire is to lift you from your pit
Then leave you in the hands of the One who sent him
One ruled by the Spirit not by the flesh whose coming is God sent

Friendship need be tested in the hottest trials
The true ones handle the heat when the acquaintances hit the door
The honest one's care about your soul and not your face
Their gain is seeing your prosperity over their own
When they are not there you will never forget them

They know when you need space and you never have to ask them to leave
For they know the times, even early warnings in times of trouble
Speaking in proverbs for the wise to understand
Waiting for the right time, the living Word resting quietly within
Waiting for the hour that it can be received with understanding

A friend loves without conditions, drips mercy and truth like honey
Eyes red with new wine, teeth white with milk, weaned with the truth
Full of joy and ruled by God’s principles of grace and kindness
Like a law within that commands a godly response in times of need
To ignore the needy deep conviction brings

If you meet this friend, he will not at first be recognized
He knows friendship must first be tested, friends must be proved
Patience must have her perfect work, for friends are forever friends
And hearts must be plowed by trials of life for good seed to sprout
For to grow deep roots of righteousness, the soil must be prepared

For enduring friendships are not casually made, even in Christian circles
They are formed deep in the spirit with the bond of Christ love
They are lasting, enduring absences for long periods of time
They are sure and secure in their relationship
Because they are bound by Him who is a friend who said:

Greater love hath no man than this,
than to lay down his life for his friends.

Labels:

Mercy, Justice and Faithfulness

Could not have know His mercy
twere not His justice sure
And His righteous judgment’s coming
though it tarry for a time

For what need is there for mercy
if justice is bound in chains
And who would fear His judgment
if death came not for sin

So mercy has her triumph
over judgment she has gained
Still sin brings retribution
its wages death does bring

Yet there’s a faithful promise
in the garden He did give
For Eve would birth a Savior
for Adam’s sin was grave

And now we do see Jesus
and the price He paid for all
At Calvary sin defeated
there is the empty grave

So faithful is His promise
on it we can depend
There’s mercy in Christ Jesus
or God’s just judgment in the end!

Labels:

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Set The Trumpet To Your Mouth

Let us rise up in Christ early
   To the warning trumpet blasting
Let us take up shield and buckler
   To the battle that’s now raising
Let us not be slow or fearful
   Knowing that our Savior’s with us
Let us take the enemy’s ramparts
   And to God be all the glory

Come and be in God’s pure army
   With its standard High and Holy
Come to Christ whose blood’s atoning
   All the sin that keeps one stumbling
Come to His life and die daily
   To the self life that’s corrupting
Come to the peace in resurrection
   Of the new man God’s creating

Turn your ear to counsel worthy
   Walk assured by faith that’s pleasing
Turn your feat to walk uprightly
   On the Highway that leads to Zion
Turn your hands to works enduring
   The holy fires of God’s testing
Turn your eyes and come up higher
   On the eagle’s wings God gives you

Be in Him an over-comer
   Trampling under foot the devil
Be in Him ascended and seated
   On His throne with Him forever
Be victorious o’er death and Satan
   Wear the crown of life He gives you
Be a conqueror in His army
   Speaking righteous words of healing

Put away all that God exposes
   Of the old man’s ways of thinking
Put on the mind of Christ our Savior
   Press to the mark of His high calling
Put down all that is high minded
   And take captive all thoughts to Jesus
Put on the garments of high praises
   And cast down all discouragement

Yield everything in life to Jesus
   For He’s the captain of our salvation
Yield your fears and every problem
   Cast on Him your cares and burdens
Yield as the clay to the great potter
   So He can mold you as He pleases
Yield to the gentle shepherd Jesus
   Who like us, was in all ways tempted

Knowing that by faith we’re living
   In Him we live and have our being
Knowing that the Lord’s our portion
   That in Him all true riches are hidden
Knowing that He said’ “It’s finished”
   Now we proclaim this very message
Knowing that He alone is worthy
   To receive all praise, honor and glory

Now we are in Him complete
   But not by works that we are doing
Now we live by faith abiding
   In His very glorious presence
Now we have all that is needed
   To live this life without spot or wrinkle
Now we endure with expectation
   To see His face, blameless at His coming

Labels:

Beyond the Veil

The veil was thick
   it blocked our view
      of Him, to behold on the other side!

Our mundane tasks of daily chores
   oil in the lamps,
      incense placed over hot coals!

In awe we worked in the Holy Place
   but to the Holiest of All,
      access awaiting the Day of the Lord!

Then came the Lamb, wounded and slain
   He held the true keys
      the way now open to the Holiest Place!

His head bowed down
   He breathed His last
      The veil was rent, it was His flesh

We stand in awe
   Access now sure
      to stand before our Holy God!

A place reserved
   for those who seek
      who die to self to ascend with Him!

To sit with Him
   who rules over all
      forever in Christ, redeemed from the fall! (Pause)


The wood was olive,
   fashioned and carved
      cut from its soil, redeemed from the curse!

A symbol of man
   once ruled by sin
      free from its passion, brought near by the blood!

Now placed inside
   the partitioning veil
      from the Holy Place of service to the Holiest of All!

Free standing not bound
   to the Ark of the Law
      wings spread and touching, midway to the wall

All covered with gold
   wings and head to the toes
      once earthy, now covered to stand before Him!

Once hidden from us
   today now revealed
      two covenants were there, one new and one old!

There behind the veil
   in the Holiest of All
      four angles were standing, not two as before!

Two, solid gold
   one work, one piece
      joined as One to the Mercy Seat!

Witnessed the blood
   poured once a year
      need be repeated, no freedom from sin!

So for us soon to come
   God placed two more
      free standing Angles, olive wood under gold!

Free standing, wings stretching
   not bound to the Ark’s Law
      ready to fly, the veil rent and did fall!

Yet ever to remain
   there before His throne
      free flying messengers of the New Covenant!

Today 4.21.2010, Thomas G Walsh

Labels: