A Mighty Fortress

In a day of so many uncertainties, there may be difficulties of knowing where to find a solid and firm foundation.

Where can we turn during life's stormy days?
What about those times of ease and calm?

Martin Luther wrote:

"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper, He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:"

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
(Psalms 18:1-2)

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad

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How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

~John Rippon, 1787

Jesus, I Come

And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun's light failing: and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, he gave up the ghost. And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
(Luke 23:42-47)


Jesus, I Come
William T. Sleeper, 1887

1. Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

2. Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows, into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

3. Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair, into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

4. Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Amen.

At the Cross

Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed
Lyrics by Isaac Watts; Music and Chorus Lyrics by Bob Kauflin

Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I
Was it for sins that I had done
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity, grace unknown
And love beyond degree

My God why would
You shed Your blood
So pure and undefiled
To make a sinful one like me
Your chosen precious child

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut His glories in
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man the creature’s sin
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear Cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness
And melt my eyes to tears

Listen here. (Click on the song to hear a sample. All Sovereign Grace Music on sale for $6 or less through tomorrow, February 28.)

When I Survey

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Issac Watts, 1707

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The New Year 2011

I Asked the Lord
(Words by John Newton, 1725-1807)

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

'Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He's answer my request
And by His love's constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed
Cast out my feelings, laid me low

Lord why is this, I trembling cried
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
"Tis in this way" The Lord replied
"I answer prayer for grace and faith"

"These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me"

~~~~~~

"Help me not to shrink from any cup of suffering you might have prepared for me." -Paul Miller

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Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
(Philippians 3:12-21)

~~~~~~~

I will try to pray in the new year that it will be one in which each of us finds our all in Him. May our Lord richly bless you and shine His face upon you in 2011.

December 18

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley, 1745.

December 17

Of the Father's Love Begotten
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, 5th century

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean in their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
Of the moon and burning sun, evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face, evermore and evermore!

This is He Whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected,
Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him, and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing, evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, righteous King of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted none in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming
Sinners from Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens, with glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its music bring, evermore and evermore!

Christ, to Thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving, and unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory, evermore and evermore!

December 8

Nations that Long in Darkness Walked

Nations that long in darkness walked
Have now beheld a glorious light;
On them who dwelt in shades of death
The light hath shinèd heav’nly bright.

For lo! the virgin’s Child is born;
To us the Son of God is giv’n.
Upon His shoulders shall be laid
The government of earth and Heav’n.

His Name is callèd Wonderful,
The Counselor, the mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace,
Peace dearly purchased with His blood.

His government shall know no bounds,
But far and wide o’er all extend;
And happy peace, the glorious fruits
Of His just reign, shall know no end.

O’er David’s kingdom, on His throne
To rule, and ’stablish it secure
With judgment clear, and justice right;
His reign forever shall endure.


Words by John Barnard, 1752.
Recently released on Christmas by Andy Gullahorn and Jill Phillips (great album!).

What is the object of your life?

The first four commandments deal with the relationship between man and God. The remaining six deal with relationships between men.

What is to be the object of our life?

"To give our all to the glory of God, to love Him with all our soul, mind, and strength, and to love one another as we love ourself."

Examine yourself!

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad

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My Lord, I did not choose You
For that could never be
My heart would still refuse You
Had You not chosen me
You took the sin that stained me
You cleansed me, made me new
Of old You have ordained me
That I should live in You

Chorus
Jesus, You have saved me
And taken all my sin, all my sins away
Jesus, You have called me
Before the world began, to glorify Your name
I was without hope and dead inside
But You chose to save my life

Unless Your grace had called me
And taught my darkened mind
The world would have enthralled me
To Your glories I’d be blind
My heart knows none above You
For Your rich grace I thirst
I know that if I love You
You must have loved me first

Jesus, You have saved me
And taken all my sin, all my sins away
Jesus, You have called me
Before the world began, to glorify Your name

Jesus, You have saved me
And taken all my sin, all my sins away
Jesus, You have called me
Before the world began, to glorify Your name
I was without hope and dead inside
But You chose to save
I was without hope and dead inside
But You chose to save my life

Lyrics by Josiah Conder (1836); Chorus and Music by Devon Kauflin
Looked Upon album by Sovereign Grace Music, 2008

Beautiful Hymn

This is a beautiful hymn. Click here to listen or download it to your desktop.

Abide With Me

Abide With Me
(words by Henry Francis Lyte, 1793-1847)

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide
When other helpers, fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, abide with me

Thou on my head, in early youth didst smile
And though rebellious, and perverse meanwhile
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee
On to the close Lord, abide with me

I need Thy presence, every passing hour
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight, tears lose their bitterness
Where is thy sting death? Where grace thy victory?
I triumph still, abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross, before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, Lord, abide with me.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
(Latin, 13th Century)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Let All Mortal Flesh

Let All Mortal Flesh
(French Carol, 17th Century)

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood;
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

A Paradox

O What a Paradox I Feel — Don Fortner and D. M. Blake


1. Two armies war within my soul; —
Both flesh and spirit seek control.
Both grace and sin resolv’d to reign,
This daily war within maintain.

2. Grace bids me seek the Lord in prayer,
Though sin would drive me to despair.
Sin drags me downward to the earth,
While grace uplifts by heav’nly birth.

3. The spirit truly loves the Lord,
His house, His people and His Word;
But, still, my heart with sin is tried.
The flesh will never step aside!

4. Grace fills my soul with heav’nly joys;
But sin my happiness annoys.
Though sin’s resolv’ed to hold me fast,
Grace shall prevail o’er sin at last!

5. O what a paradox I feel
A heart of flesh a heart of steel
In love with sin, with sin at war
Myself I love, myself abhor.

The Ninety and Nine

"And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." Matthew 18:13

Evangelist D.L. Moody enlisted Ira Sankey as the song leader and soloist at his great campaigns. The two became a renowned duo; but unfortunately, within a few years Sankey's magnificent voice was ruined by over use. Later in life, exhausted and facing blindness, he was invited by Dr. J.H. Kellogg (of Kellogg's cereal fame) to Battle Creek, Michigan, for convalescence. There Sankey finished a long-anticipated book of hymn stories. But a fire at the sanitarium destroyed his manuscript and all his notes. He rewrote the book as well as memory would allow, and there we find the story of "The Ninety and Nine."

In 1874, Moody and Sankey had just finished a series of meetings in Glasgow. At the station en route to Edinburgh, Sankey picked up a penny newspaper, hoping for news from America. Aboard the train, he perused the paper, finding in it a poem by a woman named Elizabeth C. Clephane.

Sankey wrote:
I called Mr Moody's attention to it, and he asked me to read it to him. This I proceeded to do with all the vim and energy at my command. After I finished I looked at Moody to see what the effect had been, only to discover he had not heard a word, so absorbed was he in a letter he had received. I cut out the poem and placed it in my musical scrapbook.

At the meeting on the second day, the subject was the Good Shepherd. At the conclusion Moody turned to me with the question: "Have you a solo appropriate for this subject with which to close?" I was troubled to know what to do. At this moment I seemed to hear a voice saying: "Sing the hymn you found on the train!" But I thought this impossible, as no music had been written for it. Placing the newspaper slip on the organ, I lifted my heart in prayer, struck the key of A flat, and began to sing.

Note by note the tune was given, which has not been changed from that day to this. Mr. Moody was greatly moved. He came to where I was seated and said, Sankey, where did you get this hymn? I've never heard the like of it in my life." Moved to tears, I replied, "Mr. Moody, that's the hymn I read to you yesterday in the train, which you did not hear."

The Ninety and Nine

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold,
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.

Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?
But the Shepherd made answer:
"This of mine has wandered away from Me,
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep."

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed thro'
Ere He found His sheep that was lost,
Out in the desert He heard its cry
Sick and helpless, and ready to die,
Sick and helpless, and ready to die.

Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way,
That mark out the mountain's track?
They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring Him back.
Lord whence are thy hands so rent and torn?
They're pierced tonight by many a thorn,
They're pierced tonight by many a thron.

But all thro' the mountains, thunder riv'n,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav'n,
"Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
Rejoice for the Lord brings back His own,
Rejoice for the Lord brings back His own.

(from Then Sings My Soul)

My children (and husband) love the story of the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:1-7) from Arch Books collection of religious stories for children (copyright 1965).

Jon and the Little Lost Lamb

Inside the sheepfold, fast asleep,
What do you see? One hundred sheep!
That little one is "Baby Baa,"
who loves to snuggle in a heap
beside his brothers on the straw.

The morning sun is peeking in
to waken Baby Baa, who's been
a-dreaming of the meadow grass
that grows up where the hills begin,
right near the narrow mountain pass.

Since now another day's begun,
who comes along but Jonathan,
the shepherd, who unlocks the door,
and counts each sheep to see that none
is missing or is sick or sore?

One hundred strong, all safe and sound,
come greet the sun, as out they bound.
And little Baby Baa runs, too,
his tiny hoofs beat on the ground-
until he spies a plant to chew.

The shepherd lets them frisk and play,
before he leads them on their way
to meadows green, quite far from home-
good Jonathan knows every day
just where it's best to graze and roam.

At times it can be dangerous,
as through the narrow mountain pass
they walk along in single file-
(Now, Baa, don't be so mischievous!)
so Jon is watching all the while
to see that wolves aren't waiting there
about to spring down from their lair.

What's that? A lion sees the flock!
The shepherd, with no time to spare,
hurls with his sling a well-aimed rock.
He hits the beast between the eyes.
The lion falls. Stone-still he lies:
he's harmless now. Say, look ahead-
green, juicy! Their spirits rise,
and as they eat, Jon had his bread.

His kindly eyes keep in full view
his flock of sheep, who romp and chew,
or rest beneath the big tree's shade.
Let's see what Jon's about to do-
sweet music on the flute he made!

The hours go by, the sun sinks low;
it must be time for them to go
along the path for home again.
The shepherd calls, and in a row
he leads them downhill toward their pen.

They reach the fold; the shepherd counts
the sheep as through the door they bounce
to find a soft spot on the straw.
But wait! Just ninety-nine? He frowns-
oh, where is little Baby Baa?

How sad is our good shepherd Jon;
one lamb is lost or strayed. It's gone.
Jon's tired from tending sheep all day-
but must search up hill and down
and find this lamb who's lost his way.

Jon climbs back to the pasture gound,
keeps calling, looking all around-
until beyond the place they'd stayed
he hears a little bleat that sounds
so low and faint and sore afraid.

You see, this lamb forgot and strayed
from his good shepherd late that day.
He did not hear Jon's call to come
and get in line for walking home,
so Baby Baa just romped and played.

But then he stumbled, tumbled down
into a hole- Would he be found?
The day turned slowly into night;
no shepherd near. What was that sound?
A jackal's howl - Baa froze with fright.

Another sound - his shepherd's voice!
Above the wild beast's night-time noise.
Baa's gently lifted up by Jon;
what happy reason to rejoice!
So safe at last, all fear is gone.

Once back inside the snug sheepfold,
the shepherd does not rant nor scold,
but smooths on olive oil to heal
all Baa's deep scratches, and we're told
it's done so kindly, Baa can feel
How much his shepherd cares for him-
one poor, lost lamb, back home again!