Call to Commitment

Karyn

As my heart You individually fashion,
Make me a servant humble, lowly and meek.
To know Jesus my only sought passion,
So on this earth no reputation I’ll seek.

But my affections You will fix up above,
And conspicuous, my mission made clear,
You will fill me with His “no greater love”,
Then pour me out to draw others near.

And to this world so dark I’ll be light,
Selfless to serve with each breath.
Through me He will manifest bright,
By my being conformed to His death.

On my knees to wash feet I will bend,
And offer other’s burdens to bear.
Laying down my life as a friend,
I will in His suffering share.

I will willingly bear up my cross,
Enduring whatever be the cost,
Counting all on this earth rubbish and loss,
Even my life to rescue Your lost.

I’ll press on through trial and pain,
Accept every circumstance grim,
Until death is surely my gain,
Because that is the way I’ll know Him.





Enthrone Him

Almighty! God with us! Placed in a stable,
To rescue the world the Only One able.
Saviour, Redeemer, the Great I Am,
For sinners, the slaughtered and sacrificed Lamb.
Bruised unto death, He poured out His soul,
For the worst of sinners to be restored and made whole.
Despised and rejected, named Man of Sorrows,
To provide grace all-sufficient for our thorns in tomorrows.
His Father just watched so His precious blood could flow,
And now sins though as scarlet can be washed white as snow.
Through love and obedience, He sin and death overcame,
That to the glory of God all knees will bow at His name.
Victorious over death at His Father’s right side,
He awaits to return to rapture His bride.
Lord of All, we will see Him as the Faithful and True,
May the world fall prostrate at His glorious hue.
His whole life lived for us even unto death,
Come let us adore Him to each dying breath.
Holy One, all of which you are worthy cannot come from man,
But by your grace help me give what I can.
My life holy, acceptable, a living sacrifice,
With all love, praise and worship could never suffice.
You’re Immeasureable! Infinite! Dare this praise stop and start!?
Be the Alpha, Omega and King of my heart!
Dear reader, give thought now in awe of His grace,
And surrender your heart’s throne, give Him rightful place!




Good and Faithful Parent

Frame for wall-hanging. (click to see big picture)

Into my arms you have graciously laid.
A precious heritage sent from the Lord,
Fruit of the womb, an undeserving reward.
O Lord what a blessing! What gratitude do You expect?
To be wise, not a fool and walk circumspect.
Not only train him in the way he should go,
But by word and action the right way to him show.
Take up this arrow in your quiver and aim
Down My separate path, do not mock My name.

Show My law perfect, My testimony sure,
That fear of Me is clean and will forever endure.
Help him love Me and seek Me with all of his heart,
Do not be lazy, it’s not too early to start.
Write on your doorposts; make sure I am heard,
While his heart is like sponge, soak him in My word.
Faithfully teach him my statutes to keep,
Be diligent, in this child - what you sow you will reap.
Redeem your time, seek My kingdom first,
He will be watching where you quench your thirst.

You won’t need to tell him I am your life’s authority
Because he will see how you give to Me first priority.
Together on your knees come and worship at My throne
Until he is able to come on his own.
Do not be anxious; come with him in prayer
And with thanksgiving your requests with Me share.
When his heart is broken and for salvation he cries,
His simplicity and youthfulness do not despise.
The work I begin when his heart is committed
I will be faithful to finish, but you must be submitted.

To walk humbly before Me is what I require,
Find out what pleases Me and of My ways never tire.
With you I have entrusted this tiny, little talent;
Invest in Me and I will name you a good and faithful parent.
And not only this child that inherits your name,
But of one born spiritually I ask you the same.
Remember how you treat him, as to Me it will be,
And you’ll have no greater joy than to know he loved Me.




Riches of Life

What inexpressible joy! What a heavenly place!
How is it, Your glory we behold with open face?
All the riches of life freely flow from Your throne.
Each life-giving breath is hid in You alone.

Our eyes are so distracted by Your beauty all day.
Our ears ever anxious to hear a word You might say.
Nourishment to our souls, Bread of Life from above,
Our mouths are wide open under Your banner of love.

Allow nothing to come between us, continuously feed.
Keep us ever, always yearning, but full of all that we need.
Our own hands are barren, we have no offering to bring.
But to the hem of Your garment we must desperately cling.

Our Deliverer, You are Freedom from our bodies of death.
We cleave to You, our Healer and Never-Ceasing Breath.
You’re overwhelmingly faithful, each promise remains true.
You alone are Surety, eternal life- it is You.

With the family: Steve, Katie, Karyn, Macy, Troy, Andy

Our Lord, in Your bosom forever let us rest,
And do not awaken us until it be in Your likeness.
Oh, unsearchable riches! We’ve just begun to taste and see,
And yet we already found Heaven in Thee.





Life by Death

O merciful Savior, it was to redeem me You sought,
As me and my sin to Calvary You brought.
You knew against my sin, the Father had great wrath,
Yet You carried it with You along Gethsemane’s path.
In great agony You prayed, no one cared, they just slept.
From Your forehead to the ground, fell like blood, drops of sweat.
No one else was sorrowful or even shed a tear,
But cruelly betrayed You and fled away in fear.

It was me and my sin that burdened Your back,
Yet I didn’t bleed from the whip’s horrific whack.
For me You were stripped, I experienced no shame,
When they mocked and they scorned, they should have used my name.
Not my cheek, but Yours was dripping with spit,
And Your precious body that was bruised by each hit.
To my awful shame I didn’t feel a thing,
When for me on the cross, by nails, You did cling.
You could have exposed me when the sword pierced Your side,
But in the flow of that blood You told me to hide.
Me and my sin You chose to take as Your own,
All the torment I deserve, You paid for all alone.

Oh relief! Sweet victory! You walked out of the cave,
And me and my sin, they remain in the grave.
How dare I should live as if I’m still alive,
For my own sinful pleasure as if I survived?
O dreadful hopelessness, this death--how to live it!?
Not by my wretched might, but by the filling of Your Spirit.

Help me never, oh ever, for a moment make light,
Of the war on the cross against sin You did fight.
And remember my sin You don’t tolerate or understand,
As I freely receive this gift of grace from Your hand.

Oh, don’t wait until Glory to make my soul worth the pain,
In me display Your power, that You didn’t die in vain.
To know this love, in my heart, You shed abroad,
And live as I’m dead…..with all the fullness of God.




Come into the Light

I always came to You
when there was something that I needed,
But still I felt so tired,
restless and defeated;
In hopelessness I came to You,
knowing only You could make it right,
You agreed and said, the only way,
was to expose me in Your light.
I reluctantly uncovered
and let You shine inside,
For it really couldn’t be all that bad,
I couldn’t have much to hide;
But what You found was blackness,
filthy, gross and hidden sin,
You wept and said, “Don’t use My name,
when you hide all this within”.

There was brightness in Your presence,
I saw no darkness at all in You,
Now I know why I was defeated,
for I’ve tried to mix the two;
Oh, how long You’ve tried in vain
to bring me to this place,
In utter humility and shame,
I lay smitten on my face;
Wretched fool that I have been,
unfaithful to stay pure,
I didn’t cherish You, a precious Jewel;
surely You’ll forsake me here.

But at last, Your love reached deeply,
into this awful pit of despair,
And lifted me to greatest heights,
that we alone can share;
The lengths You’d go to love me,
by Your death for me, You’ve shown,
Now I’m compelled to share with others,
Your love make widely known.

It used to be so hard
from this world to pull apart,
But now my greatest pain would be,
if I were to break Your heart;
I had to lay uncovered
under the Bright and Morning Star,
If You were ever going to be to me,
as precious, as You now are.






Perfect Love

To abide in Your loving presence, I longed for it to be true,
I desired Your favor, with nothing between me and You;
I tried so hard to get there; I strove to obey,
But found it a fearful, tiring and impossible way;
I was so quick to sin, in spite of my efforts to cease,
I was tormented by bondage and sought for release.

In Your goodness and mercy You revealed Jesus, as Mediator,
Freedom from all my striving, through a new covenant better;
Through His crucified flesh He tore down the wall,
So He could give His resurrected life to enter the Holiest of All;
His precious blood not only cleanses and sets free from sin,
But promises His indwelling to keep me pure within.

How my flesh warred against Him, but now relief from all strife,
I’ve surrendered to death and now He is my life;
He arose to possess me, indeed I am free!
Hope of glory! I’m hid in Him and He is reigning in me;
Oh blessed assurance! Now by His urging I draw near,
For His perfect love governs me and casts away all my fear.