Praise the LORD in Song

I will sing to the LORD
I will praise the LORD, 
My God, in song
Recite the victories 
Of the LORD
On the road 
You walk along
Wake up, wake up
Break out in song
Though there are battles
All around, march on, 
My soul; be strong
May all who love God,
Shine like the sun -
A beacon of light
In the heavens, strong
---
From Deborah's Song in Judges 5

The Saviour Proclaims God's Favour

After Jesus was tested 
For 40 days in the desert,
He taught in the synagogue 
By the power of the Spirit
Praise and news about Him spread
Throughout the countryside
One day in Nazareth, He stood to read
What Isaiah had prophesied
"The Spirit of the Lord
Is on Me to proclaim
Good news to the poor
And freedom for those in chains,
To free the oppressed 
And sight, to restore,
To proclaim the year
Of the favour of the Lord"
When Christ rolled up the scroll,
And sat down in His place,
Everyone was watching Him,
Amazed by how He spoke with grace
He said the scripture was fulfilled
In the people's hearing
And prophets get spurned in their hometowns
Then the locals started jeering 
Furious, they drove Him out of town
To the brow of a hill
But Jesus walked right through this crowd
That turned on Him 
And wanted to see Him killed
---
Luke 4

The Hope of Resurrection

Brothers and sisters, hold firmly
To the gospel of Christ
Who died for our sins
And on the third day rose to life

Put your hope in Christ
Each minute and each hour
For the splendour of heaven
Is full of glory and power

It's ours to inherit
Through the victory of the Lord
So, stand firm in God's work
For great is our reward
---
Based on 1 Corinthians 15

Shalom

God worked for our benefit
Each day of His Creation
And when we fell, He worked
To bring us restoration

He offers hope and peace
To every tribe and nation
Through His Beloved Son
Who is God's incarnation 

The life of Jesus Christ
Was love in demonstration
His ultimate sacrifice,
Paid full for our salvation

We cannot work to earn
Forgiveness, justification
But simply receive God's gift
With grateful celebration

Then with all of God's people,
In benevolent cooperation,
We can work for the benefit 
Of both strangers and relations

And the peace of Christ,
Which passes estimation,
Will guard our hearts and minds
Against anxious situations

This is what shalom is
More than the absence of altercations
But a full and complete peace
Like a fragrant saturation

That flows and overflows
With goodwill inspiration
That we would be, in fact, intact -
May we live to seek its maturation

Do You Have a Sense of Honour?

You say you are born again
But are you born from above,
Living a life of peace,
Walking in the way of love?

Do you say unwholesome things
And hope they have a sense of humour?
Or is your speech pure and noble?
Do you have a sense of honour?

Are your words careless and corrupt
Or beneficial to those who hear?
Because, for every idle word,
Before our Judge, we'll appear

From the depths of one's heart
Comes good and evil speech;
Since a tree is known by its fruit,
Let your words be nourishing and sweet
---
Matthew 12:34-36

I Am a Child of God

I am a child of God,
Clothed in the  robe of Christ
I am united in His kingdom;
My inheritance is Christ

He has redeemed me 
From my life of sin
And with His Holy Spirit,
His Father, is, too, my kin

I'm no longer a slave,
Reborn from Heaven's vow
I rejoice and am glad,
Before my God, to freely bow
---
Galatians 3:26-4:7; 4:23-27

Instructions for Praising the LORD

Sing to the LORD, all the earth
Each day proclaim His salvation,
His marvellous deeds among all people,
His glory, declare among the nations

For great is the LORD
And worth praise and reverence
For He is not an idol
But the One who made the heavens

Splendour and majesty are before Him
Strength and joy are in His abode
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength
That His holy name is owed

Bring an offering 
And kneel before Him
Worship the LORD
And tremble before Him

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad
Let them declare, "The LORD reigns!"
Let the sea resound
And all that it contains

Let the fields be jubilant,
Let the trees of the forest sing
For the LORD comes to judge the earth
Let them rejoice before Him and sing

Give thanks to the good LORD;
His love endures forever 
Cry out, "Save us, Saviour,
Gather us and deliver

That we may give thanks
To Your holy name
And glory in Your praise"
From age to age to age
---
Based on 1 Chronicles 16:23-36

Questions of the Ages

Philosophers have often asked,
"Why are we here?"
The answers they fashion
Are not always clear

But God, in the garden,
Asked Adam and Eve,
"Where are you?"
When they hid in the leaves

God didn't ask, "What have you done?"
Or, "Why'd you disobey Me?"
But, "Where are you?"
Though He knew; He could see

He didn't want them to hide
But to come clean and confess
For He loved them so much
And God loves, to bless

For in His own image
They were created
And they talked with each other
In the world He created

He made them to rule over
The fish and the birds
And all of the animals
In packs and in herds

He wanted them united
And to never bear shame
But they believed a lie
When the slippery snake came

He put doubt in their minds,
Made them question God's heart
And when they rebelled, 
Fear entered their hearts

They blamed God and one another
And the slippery snake
Instead of admitting
The wrong choices they made

God cursed the snake
And the ground where it lives
And God told Adam and Eve
Pain and toil, He would give

God made garments of skin
To cover their shame
And He sent them away
To protect from more pain

God said that one day
A virgin would conceive
And God will crush the snake
And it will strike Christ's heel

Wise men will ask, "Where is this king
Born to us in Bethlehem 
Who will shepherd God's people?"
And rejoice when they find Him
---
Based on Genesis 3

The Miracle of More

The man of God, Elisha
Received 20 loaves of bread
Baked from the first ripe grain
"Give it to the people," he said

"How can I set this before 100 men?"
His servant queried
But Elisha answered him,
"This is what the LORD decrees:

They will eat and be satisfied;
There will be enough and more"
Then he set it out before them
Trusting the word of the LORD

It was barely enough barley
For these hungry souls, to eat
But our compassionate God
Supplies more than we need

Christ fed 50 times more men
And with a whole lot less
To show us all, abundantly 
How God moves to bless
---
2 Kings 4:42-44; Matthew 15:32-38

Jabez

Jabez was a man, who brought 
Honour to his name
Yet his mother complained,
"I gave birth to him in pain."
He cried out to God to attain
His blessing 
And to enlarge his domain
And to keep him free
From harm and stain
So he would be unchained
From the label of disdain
And God blessed him
And took his sorrow and shame
And for you, God can do the same
---
Based on 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Remember the Sabbath

Take time to cease from your labour
So your rested spirit can savour
Feasts and joyful celebrations
And from your burdens, find liberation

Take time for contemplation
And refocus your mind's meditation
To that of quiet and stillness and rest
And realize how much you are blessed

With God as our strength and our shield,
We can stroll past the beautiful flowers afield
Knowing nothing should cause us to worry
So, enjoy the Sabbath and pause from the hurry

Christ Calms the Storm

Even the wind and waves
Are calmed by His spoken Word
"Peace; be still," Jesus declares
"Fear not, only believe"
Remember who Christ is
And how much our Father cares

He stills the storm to a whisper
And hushes the waves 
Of the turbulent ocean
Consider the reasons to rejoice:
His wonderful deeds 
And unfailing devotion

Exalt and praise the Lord's name
Who hears and attends 
To our cries of distress,
Who guides us to Himself,
A refuge, a haven, 
A secure and mighty fortress 
---
Based on Mark 4:38-41; Psalm 107:28-32

Psalm 98

Sing to the LORD a new song
For He has done marvellous things
Shout for joy to the LORD
Our God and our King 
He has worked salvation 
By His holy hand
And revealed His righteousness
To people of all lands
And He has remembered 
His love and faithfulness
Burst into jubilant song
With harp and voice to bless
Make music with trumpets
And with the shofar's blast
Let the sea resound
And let the rivers clap
Let the mountains sing in unison
Let them sing out joyfully
To the LORD who comes 
To judge the earth with equity

The Book of Ecclesiastes

There is nothing new 
Under the sun
That from the east to the west,
Hurriedly runs

Like chasing after the wind,
That robs leaves from the trees,
So is the pursuit of knowledge
That leads to much sorrow and grief

The pursuit of pleasure 
And delighting in one's toil
Has its rewards
But both the foolish and wise
Will be buried beneath the soil

There is a season for everything
Within this time and space
A burden of good and evil
Lays upon the human race

God has made everything beautiful
In its time and within our hearts,
Eternity, He has set
There is nothing better than to be 
Happy and do good while you have breath

God will call the past to account
And He will judge every deed
When we, to the dust, return;
Better to be a poor and wise youth 
Than an old foolish king
Who, warning, he has not learned

Guard your mouth when you go towards God
Approach Him with a listening ear
Let your words be few 
For God in heaven, is to be reverently feared

Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied
But they cannot take it with them
It is wise to remember though
That everyone has sinned

Eat, drink and be glad
Enjoy the work God has given you
For time and chance happen to all
No one knows when their time is through 

Remember your Creator while you are young
Before mourners go into the streets
Fear God and keep His commands
For God will judge everyone's deeds

God's Promised Restoration

This is what 
The Sovereign LORD utters:
I will gather you
From where you have scattered

I will put a new spirit in them
Removing their heart of stone
I will give them a new heart of flesh
That beats to worship Me alone

They will follow My decrees
And with devotion, keep My laws
They will be My people
And I will be their God
---
Ezekiel 11: 17-21

The LORD Watches Over You

I look to the majestic mountains -
Where does my help come from
But from the LORD who made
The earth and heavenly kingdom
God will not let you stumble
He watches you and never sleeps
He who sees His chosen ones,
Does not slumber or sleep
The LORD sees you
He is as close as your shadow
The sun will not harm you
Nor the night's moon glow 
The LORD will guard you from evil
He will watch your activities
He will watch over your life
From now through eternity
---
Psalm 121

How Majestic is the LORD

LORD, our Lord, how majestic 
Is Your name in all the earth
Your enemies are silenced
As children praise Your worth
When I consider the work of Your hands
The heavens so glorious
What is mankind that You
Are mindful of us?
Lower than the angels,
Yet, with glory, we're crowned
To rule to animal kingdom
That lives on the ground
And the birds of the sky,
The fish in the vast oceans' girth
LORD, our Lord, how majestic's 
Your name in all the earth
---
Psalm 8

The Servant of the LORD

Here is My servant, Whom I uphold,
My chosen One, who brings Me elation
I will put My Spirit on him
To bring justice unto the nations

He will not shout or cry out
Or raise his voice in the streets
A smouldering wick he won't snuff
Nor will he break a bruised reed

In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice;
He will not falter or lose hope
Until he establishes justice on earth;
Through his words, all men can find hope

This is what the LORD declares,
The Creator of the vast heavens
Who formed the earth and gives life
To every one of its denizens:

In righteousness, I have called you;
I will take hold of your hand
I will keep you and make you My promise,
A light for every land

To open the eyes of the blind,
To set the captives free,
To release those living in darkness,
To be both the Door and the key

See, the former things have come to pass
And before new things do, I'll declare
I am the LORD and My glory,
I won't yield or with idols, share
---
Isaiah 42:1-9

Choose Life

I declare to you this day
That the Lord has set before you
Life and blessings 
Or curses and death

Choose life that you may live, 
Loving God, 
Listening and clinging to Him
For He is your life and breath
---
Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Touch the Hem of God's Robe

I lift up my hands 
And wonder, "if only"
I could touch the hem 
Of God's robe
But He is holy, 
Holy, 
Holy;
I am made of the dust,
Encrusted with sin;
If I could place a seal
Upon my biting tongue
For all of the words 
That have scorched 
People and stung,
In the depths of my heart,
Thoughts would slither still-
A wildness in me
That needs to be crushed,
Crucified, killed
Even Isaiah, 
The prophet, trembled
When God's glory
Filled up the temple
Oh, that I would understand 
And more abundantly grasp
Hone my ears, 
My eyes, unclasp
To see the virgin-born Jesus 
Now high and exalted 
Who, for my sins, atoned
And turn and find healing 
From the Lord Almighty
Who reigns from His
Resplendent throne
---
Referencing Isaiah 6:1-10

Follow Our Servant King

Let us renounce  
our titles and entitlement
to serve the One
who's titled Lord
and enter into other's stories,
following the example
Jesus has set forth;
the greatest among you
became the least
when the King bowed down
to wash sinners' feet;
bless-ed are those
who do the same sort of thing,
humbly serving our Master 
in every good thing
---
Based on John 13:1-17; Luke 22:24-27

When We Abide

When we abide in Christ,
The True Vine,
We make our Father's
Countenance shine;
With Jesus,
Lasting fruit, we will bear
And God will answer
Our submitted prayers;
If we keep God's commands,
And remain in His love,
Our joy will be complete
As we love as Jesus loved;
Christ laid down His life
And He calls us chosen friends;
He speaks through His Spirit,
The Advocate, He sends
So that we will testify of Christ
Though persecution comes,
Having peace amidst trouble
For our Saviour's overcome
The world and death and sin;
Oh, how we need, to abide in Him
---
Based on John 15 & 16

There is No God Like You

There is no God like You,
Who pardons sin and forgives transgressions;
You relent from anger,
Delighting to show mercy and compassion
You hurl all our sins in the depths of the sea
And tread underfoot, our iniquities;
You will be faithful to Israel
And love, to Abraham, show
As You vowed on oath
To our people long ago
---
Micah 7:18-20

The Way of the Heart

In solitude, with the Son of God,

Solidifies that we are flawed;
In the furnace, we face
False identities we've forged
Significance, magnificence
And influence, 
Must come from the Lord;
As we focus on 
Our Saviour's face,
We can face our true selves 
Through His healing grace;
We are purified 
In this place of salvation;
Compassion flows 
After transformation;
One with Christ, 
Eyes of mercy, we share
To step into darkness, 
With God's light to flare;
In quietness and trust,
The Spirit's flame will glow
So to wayward wanderers 
God's love is seen and known;

Through silence we will

Still the clashing gong

And hear the voice of Him

Who speaks the waters calm;

Commune with Christ,

Who dwells within;

Speak truth and come

To rest with Him;

He knows our needs 

Before we pray;

His presence guides

Throughout the day;

Praise God from whom 

All blessings flow,

Unceasingly,

As rivers flow; 

Stand firm in prayer

And there proclaim 

Hope for wholeness 

In Jesus’ name

—-

(Based on book by Henri Nouwen)

A Song of Thanksgiving

Your love is everlasting; 
Your kindness does not fail

Your mercies are new every morning, 
Your promises prevail

You give rest to Your people; 
You rebuild and You restore

We make music and dance 
With joy before the Lord

We enjoy the fruit, 
Of our labour in the vineyard

We shout to the Lord 
And make our praises heard

Lord, save Your people, 
Gather Your lost sheep

Lead them beside still waters 
As they pray and weep

Watch over Your flock, 
Like a Father to a son

Deliver and redeem 
Your people from oppression 

Come and shout for joy, 
Rejoice in the bounty of the Lord

He makes His people flourish 
And sorrow no more

He gives comfort and joy; 
Young and old will dance and be glad

He satisfies with abundance, 
From the bounty of His hand

---

(Jeremiah 31:3-14)

Psalm 57

In a crisis, David cried out
To the Most High God
For vindication;
He took refuge 
In the shadows, 
Of God's wing,
Pleading for mercy
Until God 
Sent down salvation;
In the midst 
Of ravenous beasts,
Men who lash out, 
Intent to wound
God rebukes those 
Who hotly pursue;
He sends forth His love
And His faithfulness;
Be exalted, O God,
Let the earth,
By Your glory, be blessed;
Enemies may set 
Distressing traps to fall in
But into the pit, 
Will be them, who fall in;
My heart is steadfast, O God,
I will make music and sing
Awake, my soul;
My fingers will 
Strum forth the morning;
I will praise You, Lord
Among the nations;
Of You, I will sing
For great is Your love
And Your faithfulness,
To the highest heights,
Ever reaching ;
Be exalted, O God,
Above the heavens and sky
Over all the earth,
May You be glorified

Worthy is the Lamb

Those who hold to the Word of God

Will overcome our accusing enemy,

By the blood of the spotless Lamb 

And the word of their testimony

They will not shrink from death,

Exceedingly loving their lives

But they will obey God's commands

Who gives great joy to their lives

Soon comes our Almighty Saviour 

When the kingdom of God will reign 

The triumphant Lion of Judah, 

The risen Lamb that was slain

He is worthy of worship;

Upon God's throne, Jesus commands

Where He will rule all of the nations

No rebels, before Him, will stand 

---
(Revelation 12:10-17; 5:5-6)

Exciting Exhortations

Paul penned the Corinthian church,

"You are rich and reign in God's kingdom!

We are fools for Christ;

He's given you much wisdom!

But if you think you're standing firm,

Take heed lest you fall;

One part of the body shouldn't say,

'I don't need you at all!'

If, together, you prophesy 

And a seeker comes among you,

They will be convicted of their sin,

Exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'

The ministry of the Spirit 

That brings righteousness to us

Through the new covenant,

Is abundantly glorious!

If anyone is in Christ,

The old has gone, the new has come!

Thanks be to God for the

Indescribable gift of His Son!"

---

(1 Corinthians 4:8, 10, 10:12, 12:21, 14:22-25,
2 Corinthians 3:11, 5:17, 9:15)

It's Good to Be Near God

I am always with You,
You hold me by my right hand
You guide me with Your wisdom
You will lead me to where You stand

Whom have I in heaven but You?
Earth's desires will all fade and tarnish
My heart and my flesh may fail
God is my strength, my soul's wish

It is good to be near Him, 
My Sovereign Lord and God;
I will tell of His salvation,
The wondrous deeds of my God
---
(Psalm 73:23-28)

God’s Invitation To Life

Come, all who are thirsty

Though you be poor

Come and eat. Wine and milk

Will freely pour

Spend money on food

That doesn’t sustain? Why?

Or labour for that

Which does not satisfy?

Listen to me, ingest what is good

And to your soul I will give

The richest of fare that your soul

May abundantly live

Seek the Lord while He may be found

Call on Him while He is close

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous, their thoughts dispose

Let them turn to our merciful God

Who will pardon, restore

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts

Neither are your ways Mine,” says the Lord

As the heavens are higher

Than the earth below

So are My ways higher than yours

And My thoughts also

As the rain and the snow

From heaven come down

And do not return to it

Without watering the ground

And making it bud and flourish

Yielding seeds to be spread about

And bread for the hungry

So is My word that from My mouth goes out

It will not return to Me void

But will accomplish what I desire and achieve

The purpose for which it was sent

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace

The mountains and hills will burst into song

Junipers and myrtles, and every tree will applaud

Replacing the thorn bush and briars
For the everlasting glory of God
---
Isaiah 55                    

Lord, Fuel My Passions

Lord, fuel my passions;
May they only serve You
May I only bow down
And bring worship to You
For You are my God,
My righteous Creator
You're my King and my crown,
Good and merciful Saviour
---
Isaiah 44:14-19

Live Worthily with Unity and Maturity

Live worthily of the calling
You received from the Lord above
Be humble, gentle and patient,
Bearing with each other in love

Strive to stay united 
Through the Spirit's bond of peace,
Serving the body of Christ
Until mature faith we all reach

Speak the truth in love; put off
Your corrupted self; put off the old;
Put on righteousness and holiness;
Don't give Satan a foothold

In your anger, do not sin, 
Nor let it fester and brew
Do honest work so you can share
With those who've less than you

May others be built up 
By encouraging words you utter,
Not unwholesome talk
That belongs down in the gutter

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit;
Get rid of brawling and anger,
Along with every kind of malice,
Bitterness, rage and slander

Be kind and compassionate, 
Forgiving everyone,
Just as God forgave you
Through Jesus Christ, His Son
---
Ephesians 4

Faith in Action

Be confident and hopeful 
That God's promises are true
Live a life that pleases Him
His presence, earnestly pursue

Persevere through persecution 
And you'll receive your reward -
The joy of righteousness,
Perfection with the Lord
---
Hebrews 11

Follow the Way of Love

Follow the way of love,
Speaking words of encouragement
Make room in your heart for those
Who are holy and reverent 

John's Confession of Christ

John freely confessed, "I am not the One
The Jewish people have been waiting for,
But a voice calling in the wilderness,
Preparing the way for the coming Lord
I am not the Prophet, nor Elijah
Nor the Lamb of God, nor the Messiah;
I saw the Spirit descend from heaven above
As gentle as a peaceful dove
And remain on Christ, God's Chosen One
The Son of Man, God's only begotten Son"

The discerning disciples discovered 
That Moses and the prophets wrote of Him
If you hear Christ's voice calling out to you,
Leave all behind and quickly follow Him 
---
John 1:19-51

Let There Be Good

The Alpha and Omega,
The Beginning and End
Said, "Let there be, 
May it be so, Yes and Amen"

In all, that God sees as good, 
Let us bear fruit, and multiply
For God gives all that we need,
Our good Creator, and Lord of Light
---
Genesis 1

The Body of Christ (1 Cor. 3)

Brothers and sisters, do not be worldly
Like mere infants in Christ,
But live by the Spirit,
Without jealousy and strife

Do not say, "I follow one"
And, "I follow another"
For we are all servants of God,
All sisters and brothers

One plants the seed and one waters,
But God makes it grow, producing a yield
And each will be rewarded 
For their personal labour in God's field

By God's grace, I laid a foundation
As a wise builder would,
But each should build with care,
Not with straw, hay or wood

Since our foundation is Christ,
We should use gold, silver, precious stones,
For the quality of our work
Will be, through God's refinement, shown

Remember we are God's temple
And He dwells among us
So do not boast of foolish matters,
But boast in Christ Jesus

The Stoning of Stephen (Acts 6 & 7)

When the early church was rapidly growing,

The disciples selected seven men

To serve widows in their distress,

One of them being Spirit-filled Stephen;

He was full of faith and wisdom

And God’s power and grace,

Performing great signs and wonders

But opposing Jews vainly tried to debate

Then they plotted and stirred up the people,

Bringing false witnesses before the Sanhedrin 

Accusing him of blaspheming Moses and God

All who sat in the council saw an angelic Stephen 

The high priest inquired of him,

"Are these charges against you true?”

Stephen replied, explaining 

How the God of glory had moved

Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

How God’s people would be set apart

And how Joseph was sold into slavery

By his jealous brothers, the patriarchs 

Stephen spoke of how Moses, the prophet 

Was powerful in speech and deed

And how God called him and used him

In the wilderness and at the Red Sea

Though Moses spoke living words from God,

They chose to worship idols instead

“You are like those who killed the prophets

But you’ve killed the Christ,” Stephen said 

The members of the Sanhedrin 

Became enraged and on Stephen they gnawed

He said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man,

Jesus, standing at the right hand of God”

They all yelled and rushed at Stephen 

Stoning him, as he prayed on his knees

“Do not hold this sin against them,

Lord Jesus, my spirit, receive”