“Nevermore the Same”

Tenebrific tendencies
Tender for the flame
All of flesh abandoned now
Glory to the Name
Sin no longer satisfies
Life has filled the sinner’s eyes
Hope now grows as darkness dies
Nevermore the same

God’s messiah is revealed
Way and truth and life
Holy kingdom now at hand
Bringing joy and strife
Captive souls, he liberates
Darkest sin, propitiates
Open now are heaven’s gates
Enter, rescued wife

Glory that outweighs despair
All-surpassing hope
Trial now the exercise
Sanctifying trope
Healing wrought in bitter pain
Death: the door to greatest gain
Now removed is every stain
Life: eternal scope

First thoughts in 2015

How often does my heart long for blessings in time rather than the eternal Lord? I find myself wanting what I can feel and see over what truly lasts. I long for shadows more than the Son.

This year, may that change. I pray that I would look to God at all times in all things. Let me no longer be satisfied with the temporary when eternity is in my heart. Let the Almighty be all my hope and joy and peace. May I seek to glorify him in every action, thought, relationship, exercise, job, etc. I want to live like I’ve been redeemed. I want to want holiness.

God, hear my prayer. Change my desires. Increase my faith. Sanctify my soul. Discipline me. Use me.

I surrender all.

GPS Apps and Temptation

James 1:12-18

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

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#Gospel

O Lord, I feel I stand as one alone,
Outnumbered far by fearsome fallacies.
Without, the monsters curse the God they’ve known;
Within, they call the monsters pharisees.
And I, although I know my eyes have seen,
Abandon light to look to darkest gain.
Forsaking wisdom, falling cured and clean
For fetching after fault and loss and stain.
I turn away from love to lovelesness
Inciting sin in spite of forgiveness.

For what I’ve done, I do not dare draw near.
For I, an heir, have spent his air to chase
Salvations proffered by this spinning sphere,
Solutions problematic to my race.
And now, though mind knows truth and heart knows life
And spirit sips the sanctifying stream,
Yet flesh forgets the food and fondles strife,
Yet yearns for filth far more than crossed beam.
Life seems to sit transfixed on sin and death,
Lifegiver laid aside for loss of breath.

So powerless, the weakness of the dust;
So powerful, the tendency to stray.
Surrendered now to sovereignty, I trust
Salvation’s hope, though shrouded in decay.
The King approaches me, the rebel thief,
To lavish love and grace and mercy free.
He answers my despair with his belief.
He kills my death. He gives me eyes to see.
This central theme, this hope, I stand and sing:
This Jesus Christ, my Lord, my everything.

Life, true eternal, only found in one,
Lifts up my soul to seek the things on high.
The holy bread and wine of God the Son
Transforms my appetite for things that die.
Weak, I confess, my faith, my will, my love.
While I desire depth, I stay ashore.
My lack finds his sufficiency above.
My sin, it reaches far; his grace is more.
I have naught but my sin to offer. He
Imputes his holy righteousness to me.

Now I, a vessel salvaged from the deep,
Not on my own behalf, do sail anew.
To save the souls still trapped and fast asleep
To lead them from the many to the few.
And this not by my strength nor will nor word.
All by him, for him, through him, to him – Lord
Of glory, glorified by trials endured –
Obtained by grace through faith all can afford.
My life is lived by light shone from the way.
My soul, he’ll keep to stand upon the day.

For Christ has conquered Satan, sin, and self,
Forsaking for a time his form of light.
Though sold and slain for silver, bloody pelf,
The Son stole from the jaws of death the bite.
He, bruised and crushed, has crushed the serpent’s head.
He, laid to rest, has satisfied the swords.
And he, by resurrection from the dead,
Appropriated us to be the Lord’s.
Division torn asunder in the veil.
Divinity in death did us avail.

Now, more than conquerors, we stand and fight.
No more are we the monsters of the dark.
For he has sparked our souls with his own light.
Filled by his Spirit. Carried in his ark.
Temptations have no power in his wake.
Transfixed are we on holy things above.
Desires of flesh forsaken for his sake.
Designer’s glory – this the greater love.
O blessed Gospel! God has made me free!
O blessed Love of all eternity!