Thee We Own a Perfect Savior

Lamb of God, We Fall Before Thee
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

Lamb of God, we fall before Thee,
Humbly trusting in Thy cross.
That alone be all our glory;
All things else are dung and dross.
Thee we own a perfect Savior,
Only source of all that’s good.
Every grace and every favor
Comes to us through Jesus’ blood.

Jesus gives us true repentance
By His Spirit sent from Heav’n;
 Jesus whispers this sweet sentence,
“Son, thy sins are all forgiven.”
Faith He gives us to believe it,
Grateful hearts His love to prize;
Want we wisdom? He must give it,
Hearing ears, and seeing eyes.

Jesus gives us pure affections,
Wills to do what He requires,
Makes us follow His directions,
And what He commands, inspires.
All our prayers and all our praises,
Rightly offered in His Name—
He that dictates them is Jesus;
He that answers is the same.

When we live on Jesus' merit,
Then we worship God aright,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Then we savingly unite.
Hear the whole conclusion of it;
Great or good, whate'er we call,
God, or King, or Priest, or Prophet,
Jesus Christ is All in All.

Metrical Version of Psalm 131

Here is the ESV text of Psalm 131:

131 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.

And here is my metered version of Psalm 131, which is in Common Meter and can be sung to the tunes of hymns like "Amazing Grace," "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," or "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed." 

O Lord, My Heart's Not Lifted Up (Psalm 131)

Justin Wainscott

O Lord, my heart's not lifted up;

My eyes aren't raised too high;

With things too great and marvelous,

I am not occupied. 

I've learned to calm my fretful soul,

And hush my clam'ring fears;

My soul is like a weaned, young child,

Content his mother's near.

So in the Lord let all the hope

Of God's redeemed now be,

From this time forth and evermore,

Through all eternity.  

A Mother's Day Poem

This Verbal Tribute We Now Raise
M. Justin Wainscott

For my wife, Anna, on behalf of our children
Mother’s Day 2013

For all the toil and all the tears,
For countless pray’rs and list’ning ears,
For ev’ry long and sleepless night,
For finding joy in our delight;
For words of wisdom that you share,
For all the hats you’re made to wear,
For sacrificing time and health,
For always giving of yourself;
For ev’ry burden that you bear,
For all the ways you show you care,
For ev’ry kind and thoughtful deed,
For all you do that we don’t see;
For untold blessings still in store,
For all these things and so much more,
We find it hard to rightly show
The love you’re due, the thanks we owe.
So as an effort of our praise,
This verbal tribute we now raise.
It’s so much less than you deserve,
This meager monument of words,
But here it stands to honor you,
A symbol of our gratitude,
A way for us to somehow say:
We thank you, Mom, this Mother’s Day!

God's Love So Sure, Shall Still Endure

The Love of God
Frederick Lehman, 1868-1953

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain

Getting the Word Out, By Any Means Possible

Luther on the importance of communicating the Word of God:

The Word should be read, sung, preached, written, and set in poetry. Wherever it may be helpful and beneficial, I should gladly have it rung out by all bells and played on all organ pipes and proclaimed by everything that makes a sound.

Our Desperate Need for the Word of God

It has become all too common in our world today to hear well-meaning people say things like, "Look inside yourself" or "Listen to your heart" (and its twin, "Follow your heart").  The implied truth underneath such statements is that everything we need for guidance and governance in life can be found within.  We have no need for anything external to guide and govern our thoughts or our actions.

But the Word of God shatters such illusions, reminding us that our hearts are prone to lead us astray (and therefore should often not be listened to or followed).  We need to look outside ourselves to the Word of God in order to rightly find guidance and governance of our lives.  And sadly, we often need visible reminders to call our attention to the fact that we should not look within but without, to the external Word. 

Hear what the LORD told Moses to tell the Israelites in Numbers 15:37-39 (emphasis mine):

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after."   

We Rejoice To See the Curse Removed

Not All the Blood of Beasts
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.

But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood, than they.

My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of Thine,
While like a penitent I stand,
And there confess my sin.

My soul looks back to see
The burdens Thou didst bear
When hanging on the cursed tree,
And hopes her guilt was there.

Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing His bleeding love.

Songs that Endure - The "Secret" Behind the Gettys' Success

The Christianity Today blog has a great post on the "secret" behind the success of modern hymnwriters, Keith and Kristyn Getty. What is that secret?  Instead of writing songs they hope will end up on the radio, they write songs they hope will last (and will one day end up in dusty old hymnbooks).

Read the article here.

Salt and Light in the Public Square

For those of you in and around West Tennessee, Union University will be hosting a conference this weekend (Thursday-Saturday) to honor the legacy and vision of Chuck Colson entitled Salt and Light in the Public Square. Keynote speakers include Robert George, Timothy George, Garland Hunt, and Russell Moore.

For more details, click here. 

Grace All the Work Shall Crown

Grace, 'Tis a Charming Sound
Augustus Toplady, 1740-1778

Grace, ’tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to mine ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace first inscribed my name
In God’s eternal book;
’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.

Grace led my roving feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.

Grace taught my soul to pray
And made mine eyes o’erflow;
’Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.

Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.

O let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength divine
My all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.

The Importance of Prayer to Preaching

If you are a preacher of God's Word, let this spur you on to pray more urgently as you prepare.  If you are listener of God's Word, let this encourage you to pray regularly for your pastor and other preachers as they prepare.

While it's true that there has been a significant resurgence of biblical preaching, I'm not sure this has been accompanied by a resurgence in praying - and especially not prayer about preaching.

Gradually, we seem to be losing sight of the fact that God uses weak and sinful people, and that he uses them only by grace. Yes, we may sow, plant, and water - but only God gives growth. That's true in your local church and mine. It's also true of every podcast and e-book and conference address under the sun. God doesn't use people because they are gifted. He uses people (even preachers) because he is gracious. Do we actually believe that? If we do believe it, then we will pray - we will pray before we speak, and we will pray for others before they speak. It's that simple.

--Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God's Word and Keep People Awake 

Not What You Give But What You Keep

A Rich Young Man (Simple Living)
Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend



A rich young man came to ask of Christ,
"Good teacher, will you tell me:
What must I do for eternal life?
I've kept your laws completely."
"Sell all you have, give to the poor;
Then heaven's treasure shall be yours."
How hard for those who are rich on earth
To gain the wealth of heaven.

Now Jesus sat by the off'ring gate
As people brought their money.
The rich they filled the collection plate;
The widow gave a penny.
"Now she's outgiven all the rest;
Her gift was all that she possessed."
Not what you give but what you keep
Is what the King is counting.

O teach me Lord to walk this road,
The road of simple living.
To be content with what I own,
And generous in giving;
And when I cling to what I have,
Please wrest it quickly from my grasp.
I'd rather lose all the things of earth
To gain the things of heaven.

Highly Recommended Book for Preachers

This new book by Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God's Word and Keep People Awake, comes highly recommended.  Just listen to these endorsements:

“I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is interesting, and I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is faithful to the text, but this book wants your sermon to be both. If I could, I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry. It avoids cutesy and manipulative suggestions, and makes its practical points while urging integrity, faithfulness, and imagination. Many books on preaching are published every year; this one is a "must.”
- D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“This book teems with ‘plusses’: it is short (as a tome that takes Eutychus as its poster boy must be); it is stretching (the authors force one to deal with longer texts—and leave one asking, “Why can’t I summarize extended passages like that?”); it is specific (they include actual sermons with critique); it is searching (in case you skip the first chapter, ‘pray’ occurs eight times in the conclusion); and stirring (you still want to preach when you’ve finished reading). If you don’t buy the book, don’t cry if Eutychus isn’t saved!”
- Dale Ralph Davis, Bible expositor and author

“Millar and Campbell write with much wit and wisdom for the sake of our listeners. At some point every preacher must decide whether to preach for the regard of one’s peers or for the welfare of Christ’s people. Millar and Campbell have obviously decided for the latter and give much sound advice for the rest of us to do the same.”
- Bryan Chapell, Chancellor, Covenant Theological Seminary

“Two men who would never be deadly boring or dull are Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, and in this book they use their lively wit to help other preachers keep Eutychus awake. More importantly, they are united in their understanding of and commitment to the task of making God's word known. I pray this book will be of benefit to both preachers and congregations.”
- Phillip D Jensen, Dean of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, NSW

“This book deserves to be included in the ‘must read’ category for preachers. It is readable, which always helps! And, as we would expect, it is biblical and practical. But it is also funny and forthright in a way that made me re-evaluate my preaching and resolve with God’s help to improve. This is a different book from Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers and Between Two Worlds by John Stott, but it may prove to be just as influential.”
- Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor, Parkside Church, Cleveland, OH

  

Be Thou My Shield and Hiding Place

Approach, My Soul, The Mercy Seat
John Newton, 1725-1807

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea;
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin;
By Satan sorely pressed;
By wars without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my shield and hiding place,
That, sheltered near Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died.

O wondrous love! to bleed and die;
To bear the cross and shame;
That guitly sinners such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious name.

Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still;
My promised grace receive;
I'll work in thee both power and will;
Thou shalt in me believe.

John Wesley's Rules for Singing (1761)

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.
2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, than when you sing the songs of Satan.
3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, not stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.