God’s Saving Love

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Amazing, awesome, wonderful
is God’s unspotted love.
Its span we cannot fathom,
its greatness far above
mere human understanding –
a love that’s not concealed,
for he has demonstrated
his love intense, revealed.

Amazing, awesome, wonderful –
the love that God has shown.
He showed his love by sending
his one and only Son;
and to our world he sent him, –
a world at enmity,
so hostile to its Maker,
and love and purity.

And we should love each other,
and show our love, reveal
in word and deed unselfish,
the love the ransomed feel.
Love brethren, – saints imperfect, –
though in this hostile world,
upon those who are loving,
scorn, insults may be hurled.

True love can reach an enemy,
can touch a heart like stone,
can melt its opposition,
for few such love have known.
A rebel’s heart may soften
to listen to God’s Word
when shown concern and kindness
by him from whom its heard.

Amazing, awesome, wonderful –
the love that we should show
if God lives in us, loving,
and Jesus Christ we know,
reborn and recreated to
righteousness and love,
by loving people showing
we love our God above.


Harvest

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God in heaven, his earth sustaining,
seed-time, harvest, still controlling,
in his kindness, food providing,
though we are so undeserving.

To him giving thanks abundant,
daily asking bread, – dependent;
if we suffer his chastisement,
do we pray, for sin repentant?

When crops fail, – disastrous flooding,
drought, or pests, – keep faithful, praying.
When we’ve plenty, are we lusting,
wanting more, and money wasting?

‘Thank you for the crops that yielded
so much fruit, now safely gathered.
Help me share what you’ve provided,
live as in your Word directed.’

Providence of God displaying
who to pray to, humbly trusting.
These are days for gospel preaching:
time for turning, judgement waiting.

Greatest blessing – Christ returning,
this creation then all burning,
all who’ve trusted him receiving
perfect life, eternal blessing.

Appropriate Worship

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(Psalm 131)
Ascending to worship the LORD high and pure,
my heart must be lowly, God will not endure
the proud and the haughty; but he will receive
the humble, the rev’rent, who truly believe.

God’s wisdom is vast and his words I will trust,
and when I am puzzled, remember I’m dust,
created to know God and live to his praise,
to pray, but not bitterly question his ways.

Ascending to worship, my soul I have stilled,
I make no demands, but I trust, – God has willed
great good, and my hope I have set on his grace,
in peace now I enter the holiest place.

And so I will worship and make my request,
and plead for his glory, and ask to be blessed.
I’ll praise him in wonder, and tremble with shame,
– for only the contrite his mercy can claim.
Tune: 11 11 11 11

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(2 Corinthians 13:14)
The grace of Christ means we can come, –
approach God in his Son:
he shows us him we cannot see,
and brings his grace so full and free;
sufficient, saving grace,
cascading, sovereign grace!

The Love of God, eternal, sure, –
a love all-wise and pure;
the Father’s love knows what is best,
and tenderly through every test
and trial, holds his child;
the Father loves his child!

The Spirit’s fellowship for all
who on the Father call –
enabling us Christ’s grace to know,
enjoy the Father’s love, and so
have fellowship with him,
and with his saints, in him!

The doctrine of the Father, Son,
and Spirit – Three but One –
draws out our worship, gives delight:
we cannot understand  his might,
but love to learn and praise,
tell of his gracious ways!

[Tune: 86 88 66 eg Newcastle by Henry Morley (Tune of ‘Eternal Light! Eternal Light’)
or Repton  by H Parry (tune of ‘Dear Lord and Father of mankind'(last line of tune repeated in either)]

Who knows … ?

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The meaning of life –
before any strife
was ever on record,
ill-word ever heard:
life’s Origin, Source
knew its purpose, of course,
for he had created, concocted
for perfect contentment,
fulfilment,
satisfying work,
no drudgery to shirk;
was grieved when bad choosing
meant misery, losing
that sense and that sight
of meaning and purpose, sad plight –
but then gave directions
a fix-it book, and help-line
– no queueing, ‘put-on-hold’ time –
but warned of ‘solutions’
that mangle,
‘cowboy’ repairers who wrangle –
whose bungles he’ll sort out, untangle.
The Designer’s Instruction Manual
can save from the scrap-heap,
give new-life whose vigour he’ll keep
(expectation, direction anew,
though problems persist,
while temptations exist),
identify spam,
guide out of a jam,
direct to smooth running,
and strength for the shunning
of grit that will hamper
or act as a damper,
can scan, oil and test,
supplying the zest –
for after all,
He knows best.

Screwtape’s three-pronged strategy

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– with indebtedness to C S Lewis

Let them think that God’s remote
– to him they do not matter,
and so they need not give much thought
to get to know him better.

Let them think there is no God,
there’s nothing else but matter,
and human wisdom has evolved
to understand things better.

Let them think there is no code,
that morals do not matter,
with no restraint, experiment,
and think they’ll feel much better.

Do anything to keep from thought
of God, who walked this earth,
by miracle had human birth,
revealing God to whom we matter,
and showed a way of life that’s better,
a God who is and was and shall be,
and soon will change this world of tragedy;

keep them from joy, discarding mutiny.

Beauty is …

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quietness and gentleness,
a personal, warm smile;
wisdom without brusqueness,
discretion without guile,
firmness without harshness,
meekness without weakness,
unselfishness and kindliness,
perceptive service, righteousness.

Because of Calvary

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The crimson flow,
the life leaked out to death;

in final breath
he gasped his work was now completed,
satanic scheme had been defeated,
salvation pure procured,
secured,
for all who will receive,
believe,
repent:
content –
more white than snow
my guilty stain has be removed,
I know.

“I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! …

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Who’d put their hope in a dead man?
in disappointment, fear they ran.
– But now, he lives! they’re full of joy,
they boldly speak, though threatened by
those who their bodies can destroy.

They know like Christ they will arise
– good news they gladly share
(though some will scorn and some despise):
his Resurrection they declare!

His life had always held surprise
of miracles, words kind and wise,
fulfilment of the prophecies –
view God, as Man, from death arise!

And so we know he’d fully paid
the price for pardon that was laid
upon the Son, – he has returned
to show that gift by us unearned
is his to give, – he lives for ever,
his grace and rule no-one can sever!

… And I hold the keys of death and Hades!” (Revelation 1:18)

Advent Step 8) Announcement to the Shepherds

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Humble shepherds told the news,
by messenger who awed,
with glory of the Lord
shining all around:
good news of greatest joy
a Saviour born, he’s Lord and Christ,
a baby boy
in manger laid.
Wondrous sound:
Glory to God in the highest,
peace, God’s favour can be found.
Then hurredly they made
their way to Bethlehem:
it was as they had heard
– they spread the word
of what they’d seen and learned,
and praised as they returned.
(Luke 2:8-20)