When sin first reared its ugly head

And forced the widening span,

Between the man who walked with God

And the God Who made the man...

With sense of sin came sense of shame-

The naked sought to hide;

Instead of peace and fellowship,

There came the Great Divide.

Infinite love was wounded sore,

And sought to bridge the span;

Crush out the penetrating gulf,

And walk again with man.

He sent His own Beloved Son-

He came, He bled, He died;

To reconcile, He paid the price,

And He bridged the Great Divide.

Author Unknown

He and I

"The Lord thinketh upon me" (Ps 40.17)
"He thinketh on me." O what grace
That God should condescend
On such a one to turn His gaze -
On me one thought expend.

"Your Father knoweth" (Mt 6.8)
"Your Father knoweth." Precious thought
That all my needs are known
By Him the source of all supply;
Sweet claim, I am His own.

"He careth for you" (1 Pet 5.7)
"He careth for you." Can it be
That He who bore sin's load
My burden seeks – says, "Cast all care
On Me along life's road".

"The Father himself loveth you" (Jn 16.27)
"The Father loves you." Here, O Lord,
With humbled heart I trace
To its great Head each desert stream,
Find here the source of grace.

J Wilson

One Hope

 

The great exodus for "change" begins today,
With the future in mind, all making their way;
Contending, Campaigning, or just Casting a vote,
Here's a small plea on that intentional note.

As much thought is given to better the country,
Do spare some thought for a better eternity;
While the Aku Janji and Buku Jingga draw your attention,
"One Hope" is now offered for your careful consideration.

Click here to read the booklet that could change your destiny.

Beneath Thy Cross

Am I a stone, and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss,
And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon--
I, only I.

Yet give not o'er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock. 

Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) 

Resting

Once my hands were always trying, 
Trying hard to do my best; 
Now my heart is sweetly trusting,
And my soul is all at rest.


Once my brain was always planning,
And my heart, with cares oppressed;
Now I trust the Lord to lead me, 
And my life is all at rest. 

Once my life was full of effort,
Now 'tis full of joy and zest;
Since I took His yoke upon me,
Jesus gives to me His rest. 

A. B. Simpson

Everlasting Love

Did He love me when I lay
Dead in trespasses and sins!
Is there, then, no time, no day
Where this wondrous love begins?
No! The Lord who died for thee
Loved thee from eternity.

Doth He love me even now,
Though my faith and hope are dim?
Will He still regard His vow
When I've broken faith with Him?
Yes! He loves thee still the same
As when thou didst love His name.

Will He love me all the way,
'Spite my wayward, selfish will?
O, if I again should stray - 
Tell me, will He love me still?
Yes! Thy failures can but prove
His eternal, changeless love.

Lord, how long I've striven in vain,
Resting not on Love Divine!
Now I know it doth remain
Changeless 'spite each change of mine.
Perfect, peerless, deathless, free
Is Thy love, O Lord, to me.

William Blane

New Year

O, year by year we well may be
Deep exercised in soul to see
Just what is chaff and what is wheat,
As valued at the judgment seat!

Look DOWN into the deep dark pit,
Whence we were digged - O think of it!
Look BACK - we only render praise
For grace attending all our ways.

Look OUT upon the fields so white-
The gladsome harvest just in sight!
Look UP - the objects of God's love
Are fed with manna from above.

Look ON - for glory is in view,
And Jesus waits to welcome you!
But do not ever look WITHIN,
Upon the wretched source of sin.

How bright the coming days would be,
If only souls from self were free,
And had the mind and heart absorbed
With CHRIST alone - their glorious Lord!

E.J.C.

Walk before God

Walk before God, and perfect be, 
Care not for human eyes, 
Which but the outward aspect see - 
To Heaven's standard rise.
Be not afraid to let thy ways - 
Each thought, and word, and deed - 
Be tested in the searching rays
Which from His throne proceed.

Walk before God. Be often where 
No human eye can see,
And all thy heart to Him lay bare:
From secret sins be free.
Thus shall thy actions and thy ways
His own approval meet;
Thy life shall be a life of praise,
Its end a triumph sweet.

Walk before God. Be not at ease
Though saints may think you right;
Be careful that Himself you please - 
Be perfect in His sight.
The fear of man but brings a snare - 
Care not for smile or frown;
Misunderstood, still do and dare,
That no one take thy crown.

Walk before God. Obey His Word,
And yield to His demands;
Beware of calling Jesus Lord,
And slighting His commands.
Live for that moment when unveil'd 
Each secret thing shall be,
Which every eye but His has fail'd
Within the breast to see.

William Blane

O my Saviour, I am weary

Lord, I'll bear Thine indignation
(For my sins have hid Thy face),
Till the joy of Thy salvation
Shall be mine again through grace;
Only let me, while I'm weeping,
Weep, O Saviour, at Thy feet;
For, though sin's sad fruit I'm reaping,
There to grieve make's sorrow sweet.

William Blane

Peace, Perfect Peace

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to Heaven’s perfect peace.

Peace, perfect peace, ’mid suffering’s sharpest throes?
The sympathy of Jesus breathes repose.

Ed­ward H. Bick­er­steth, Jr.

I said to the man that stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he said to me, "Go forth into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God; And it shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way."

Minnie Louise Haskins

Start Over

When you've trusted Jesus and walked His way,
When you've felt His hand lead you day by day,
But your steps now take you another way,
Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry,
When you've tried your best 'till there's no more try,
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why,
Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit,
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit,
When you've tried and tried to get out of it,
Start over.

When the year's been long and success few,
When December comes and you're feeling blue,
God gives a January just so you
Start over.

Starting over means victories won,
Starting over means a race well run,
Starting over means the Lord's "well done"
So don't just sit there,
Start over.

Woodrow Kroll

When God wants to drill a man
and thrill a man and skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
to play the noblest part;
When he yearns with all his heart
to create so bold a man
that all the world will be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch his ways:

How he relentlessly perfects
whom he royally elects;
How he hammers us and hurts us
and with mighty blows converts us
into trial shapes of clay
which only God can understand,
While our tortured heart is crying
and we lift beseeching hands.

How God bends, but never breaks
when his good he undertakes;
How he uses whom he chooses
and with every purpose fuses us;
By every act induces us
to try his splendor out —
God knows what he's about!

Author unknown

Oh! I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner into His house of wine!
I stand upon His merit; I know no other stand,
Not e'en where glory dwelleth, in Immanuel's land.

The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bride-groom's face;
I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace -
Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.

Anne Ross Cousin

If I gained the world, but lost the Saviour,
Were my life worth living for a day?
Could my yearning heart find rest and comfort
In the things that soon must pass away?

If I gained the world, but had no Saviour,
Would my gain be worth the life-long strife?
Are all earthly pleasures worth comparing,
For a moment with a Christ-filled life?

Anna Olander

I hear the accuser roar of ills that I have done;
I know them well, and thousands more Jehovah findeth none.
Though the restless foe accuses - sins recounting like a flood;
Every charge our God refuses; Christ has answered with His blood.

Author unknown

Do you ever feel down hearted or discouraged?
Do you ever think your work is all in vain?
Do the burdens thrust upon you make you cheerless,
And you fear that you shall never the victory gain?

Have faith in God, the sun will shine,
Though dark the cloud may be today,
His heart hath planned your path and mine:
Have faith in God, have faith alway.

May Agnew Stephens

Will not the End explain?

Will not the End explain
The crossed endeavor, earnest purpose foiled.
The strange bewilderment of good work spoiled.
The clinging weariness, the inward strain;
Will not the End explain?

Meanwhile He comforteth
Them that are losing patience; 'tis His way.
But none can write the words they hear Him say,
For men to read; only they know He saith
Kind words and comforteth.

Not that He doth explain
The mystery that baffleth; but a sense
Husheth the quiet heart, that far, far hence
Lieth a field set thick with golden grain,
Wetted in seedling days by many a rain;
The End - it will explain.

Amy Carmichael in Toward Jerusalem

An hour of waiting!
Yet there seems such need
To reach that spot sublime!
I long to reach them--but I long far more
To trust HIS time!

"Sit still, my daughter"--
Yet the heathen die,
They perish while I stay!
I long to reach them--but I long far more
To trust HIS way!

'Tis good to get,
'Tis good indeed to give!
Yet is it better still--
O'er breadth, thro' length, down length, up height,
To trust HIS will!

F. M. N.

Lo! He comes, with clouds descending, Once for our salvation slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him, Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, Shall the true Messiah see.

Yea, Amen! Let all adore Thee, High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory, Claim the kingdom for Thine own:
O come quickly, O come quickly, Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!

Charles Wesley