Love Unfeigned

 

                                              Luke 6:46

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
                                                                
                                                                    --The Words of Jesus Christ,
                                                                from the Gospel according to Luke
                                    
                                             
                                        Mathew 7: 22-23

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess to them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

                                                                  --The Words of Jesus Christ,
                                                            from the Gospel according to Mathew 

The scriptures afore have warned us                                            
That the love of many would grow cold, and die   
For men would be lovers of themselves                                      
And cast the way of truth aside--                                


And for evil make explanation,                                
To make the Bible seem irrelevant and old;              
But God's word is life everlasting,                                
More precious than the rarest gold.                                                      


But strong delusion comes down to this-- it's simple:                      
Rebellious people have always contrived                                    
To carve cunning excuses for their sin--                                        
Thus falling to empty stones, and lies.                                            


But the sword of the Spirit-- it cuts both ways                                
God's word convicts, yet lends mercy and truth;                                      
Consider the day when Jesus bled--
Yet behold: he made all things new.                                        

                                             
Thus to love the Lord is to obey him;                                                
To follow Jesus is to overcome all, by faith--                                
Not rituals repeated, but love unfeigned;                
The Lord is risen: thus the meek find grace.

                                

Salvation is a gift, and cannot be bought or sold,                      
Nor does it any earthly wisdom claim--                      
For we do good even if men hate us:    
We abide in love, in Jesus' name.                  

                          

As children of the Righteous King

We pray for lost and heavy hearts--                
Ambassadors for the mercy of our God                                                    
Thus for heaven set apart.            

                    

But the Serpent likes to gnaw on human flesh,                          
Enticing men to hate and revile;                          
Still Jesus heals, with tenderness.                                                
He carries us, all the while.     

                             

O Jesus, Lord and Master of my life                                  
Pierce my heart with thy word, anew--                                            
That I might be found worthy, on that day              
To abide in your light, with you.
                   

                  

(~ sister Abby Elizabeth)


10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will be converted unto thee.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

                                 --Psalm 51, a Psalm of David

A Song of Love, for JESUS

My Lord was a man of sorrows
He paid in blood for my broken heart;
And bought for me safe passage--
A simple path, apart.


So what can I do, but follow him
And shine this little light?
If they hate me, well, they hated him too
(And the Master didn't fight.)


Oh, Lord of glory that the world disdains,
Who regards my splattering tears;
Oh bend me to your holy word~
Lend your kindness, here.


Lord Jesus, teach me how to live each day
As if it were the last,
To serve you in each little thing
'Til all the shadows pass~

That by thy grace to be found faithful,
This vain world to ever deny~
One day to fall before the King who bled
And live~ because my Master died.


This world that is bound to darkness 
Shall soon be swept away, like dust;
The word of God breaks forth forever~ with light and life: 

The love of Christ breaks my earthy husk.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Beyond the Clouds *

 

BEYOND THE CLOUDS *

There's nothing new beneath the burning sun;
Time will twist 

(until God's done).
Still truth falls like rain, the weary soul to drench--

The fiery darts of the wicked: quenched.

Led from Babylon's groves to rest beneath the living tree--

We seek the will of God on humbled knees;

The Father in heaven hears,

(for Jesus bled, and wept)

Thus we know his word will be ever kept.

Beyond clouds so dark and heavy: still, God's throne.

It is the Lord that loves us: we are never alone.

As ambassadors of truth and light,

We are kept apart. 

We are not of the night.

Oh now see brother rail against brother, friend against friend--

But the Lord cometh in the clouds, the raging storm to end.

So we seek only Jesus-- our Redeemer, our King

And render to him-- 

Everything.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

Fire and Water *

FIRE AND WATER


Oh, God let us ne'er forget the crimson sea
Where the path was cut for us, deep and wide;
When all our sins were washed away
That on thy holy word we might rely--

To daily walk by faith in this wilderness
This strange desert-- with it's serpents fierce;
Our faces ever set on Jerusalem
And the King of glory that the traitors pierced--

For now we traverse that same high and narrow mountain
Cliffs scream on either side;
Chasms open beneath to seize the soul--
Tears and shadows cloud the eyes--

Oh but then we cry out-- O Jesus!
O catch us, lest we fall!
And then, thy tender feathers gather above
To lift the faithful up and over all.

This is the righteous fire that purges--
And the precious truth that keeps us free--
And when these earthy husks be broken, at last
Into thy joy we shall be released.











(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

ReplyForward

BEYOND THE STORM *

BEYOND THE STORM

Can you see the glory, rising--
Just past the sunset, over there?
The clouds collapse-- the heavens roll-- 
Still the Lord hears a little prayer.

The stars are strewn about his cloak of night--
And in the deep, that holy fire;
His footsteps melt the mountains.
His word lifts us from the mire.


Oh, that wonderful day when the Master called us...!
By that red river, so deep and wide...!
Thus rejoicing we traipse through this wilderness
Casting our tears behind--


For to rejoin that distant singing;
Even as his tender rain, it clears our eyes--
The thunder breaks the darkness
And glory beams, on high.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

TORRENTS

TORRENTS


The Eternal One who made the worlds,
It is his hand that commands the storm.
Soon the nations will fall before his glory:
Man will know he is a worm.

Now the clouds of heaven burst and fall, cascading
As the flaming sword yet glints and turns--
Time beats hard, unrelenting.
Men's hearts falter as they burn.

So who was self-righteous, standing
Now shuddering, as the grass?
Righteousness rushes high and low;
Truth cleanses to the last.

O merciful Saviour, Most Holy King
Regard these heavy, lowly tears
Lead us in a simple path
For the darkness grows deep, and near.

For we remember our Master's sorrow.
For we know he walked this same narrow path.
But can we bear his reproach, unwavering...?
Can we overcome all, at last...?

But faithful and true is the King who bled
And to him our souls now belong!
His Spirit in us, o'erflowing
In the truth of Jesus Christ the weak are strong.

O Lord of glory who speaketh to us in thunders,
As the dayspring from on high o'er spills--
So may the hearts that tremble at thy word
In those torrents be ever washed, and filled.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

VESSELS

 

Formed in miry mud and iniquity

Lost in the dark, we ached and wandered--
Hardened, marred and hollowed out:
Of no use to anyone.

Why did our Maker make it so--
Why did our hearts have to break and fall?

That we might know the grace of the Potter's hand--
That we might heed the Father's call.

Shattered to be gathered.
Bound to be released.
O mercy profound, O love so vast--
T'is how all selfish seeking ceased.

The depths of God's goodness cannot be fathomed,
Nor can his word e'er be undone;
The powers of darkness have been defeated:

The everlasting kingdom has been won!

For in darkness we were lost-- bound for Hell,
Helplessly waiting for sin's bitter end--
Yet God in his mercy sent his beloved Son
To purchase his Bride, instead.

On that cruel cross he washed our ruined urns--
On that cross the Lord Jesus healed sin's blight--

Behold: earthen hearts redeemed for glory,
Overspilled with the Father's love, and light.

(~sister Abby Elizabeth)

The Battle is the LORD'S

THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S

One wonders at the little birds
Esteemed so shabby-- deemed so frail;
Fluttering unnoticed under the feet of men--
Yet their provision never fails.

Behold now also how they soar above the dust--
Wings painted with light by the Father's hand;
Occupying-- yet far above-- the dismal cities
Throats ever filled with songs of the glorious land--

O behold their testimony of meekness!
Hear their song before the Holy One that breaks and heals!
Unacknowledged-- simple-- small-- despised--
(From the wicked and proud, concealed.)

Therefore, O thou little one, so lowly
Lift thy voice in sweet delight,
For God, thy Father, loveth thee
And will every battle fight--

For in love the Father watches over we
Who tremble at the word in Jesus Christ, our King--
Behold: the sun, the stars, will be brought low
But the meek will forever sing.







(sister Abby Elizabeth)