Waiting
Endless wilderness
Lessons in patience
Mercy rewards faith’s journey
Perseverance
Feeding
Resurrection breathes
Faith carries righteousness
Mercy reigns over Cross
Redemption
Witnessing
Father’s love
Person to person
Sharing Spirit’s blessed light
Reflections
From John 12:12-13: “The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!'”
Son of Man enters city
Making final human walk
Fulfilling Father’s design
Ignoring others who mock
Many celebrate Jesus
Thinking He shall be their king
Throwing off Roman rulers
Ignoring grace, set to spring
Enemy sees victory
Overlooking supreme God
Forgetting Christ’s destiny
Ignoring his evil fraud
Calvary’s lonely Cross weeps
Covering in Savior’s blood
Setting up love to conquer
Releasing mercy to flood
Resurrection breathes forever
Proclaiming lasting Good News
Building bridge to salvation
Raising faith’s redemptive view
From Ephesians 1:7-9: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ.”
From Psalm 69:14: “Rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.”
Watching man’s plight
God takes human form
Breathing Scripture’s cues
Mercy conquers storm
Stumbling in faith
God sees lack of trust
Sending His own Son
Evil becomes dust
Breaking sin’s chains
Calvary’s blood flows
Kneeling in prayer
Light enters shadows
Walking through fire
Grace making descent
Pulsing with courage
God always present
Witnessing cross
Spirit opens eyes
Accepting Jesus
God, more than life-size
From 1 Corinthians 6:11: “And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
From Colossians 1:13-14: “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Looking down from Heaven
Observing broken world
Father, Son, and Spirit
Designing rescue’s lifeline
Dispatching Son to earth
Walking among sinners
Light’s rescue comes to save
Taking perfect human form
Witnessing Father’s love
Executing rescue
Journey to bloody Cross
Rebuilding faith’s cornerstone
Voiding enemy’s lies
Saving flawed humanity
God’s rescue overcomes
Replacing darkness with light
Paying man’s debts in full
Bearing each transgression
Through Son’s body and blood
Raising salvation’s rescue
From Acts 2:37-39: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Him.'”
Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:14: “But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Christ comes to the world
Bringing God’s love to us
Jesus sets the bar high
Higher than we can reach
Christ delivers two true teachings
To a sinful, unsaved world
Love your God, the Father
Love others more than yourself
Jesus does more than preach
He teaches us God’s truth
His hands heal the sick
Later pierced with sharpened nails
He raises up the dead
Just as He will rise
Christ, the Messiah, brings hope
He is Savior to mankind
Wearing a crown of thorns
Humbles himself on the Cross
Rising from a dark tomb
Christ forever defeats our sins
Christ serves His Holy Father
His sacrifice continues to give
He lives
The Resurrection lives
Eternal life lives
Respond to Christ in prayer
Humble, grateful—on our knees
Honor and praise Jesus Christ
Our eternal Savior and protector
His love lights the way
Accepting Jesus as our Savior
Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com
Originally published October, 2019.
From Matthew 4:16-17: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”
Beneath ocean’s depths
Hearing whispers of hope
God’s mercy always reigns
Transforming life’s scope
Atop mountain peaks
Echoing faith sings out
God’s righteousness descends
Removing all doubt
Across each valley
Lasting hymns, filled with pride
God’s nurturing love acts
Sending grace, Son guides
Throughout darkest world
Navigating light now leads
Christ’s faithful message calms
Healing’s peace proceeds
From Calvary’s cross
Searching for sheep, now lost
Good Shepherd never fails
Paying every cost
From Hebrews 13:20-21: “Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do His will, as He works among us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.”
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (taken from the hymn, “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus”)
From 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Robert Lowry (1826-1899) was an American preacher as well as an acclaimed hymn writer. One of his most revered hymns is “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” It was written in 1876, and it has been sung by many contemporary gospel singers.
From Luke 2:10-11: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'”
Fling wide each window
Open every gate
God walks among us
Welcoming Savior
Choir of angels sing
From heavens above
City of David
Salvation’s bright light
Answer to prayers
Shepherds witness birth
Praise this King of Kings
Called Emmanuel
Trust God’s divine plan
Faith’s most Holy Rock
Fill hearts with gladness
Redemption paid for
Father’s act of grace
Eternity’s gift
Hope, peace, joy, and love
Welcoming Savior
From Galatians 5:22-24: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Always remember
Recounting gracious deeds
Breathing trust into faith
Life’s every tender reed
Lord fulfills great acts
Praising each, filled with love
Witnessing mighty hand
Angels sing from above
Never-ending grace
Sending His Son to build
Lasting bond with Father
Redemption shall be filled
Merciful journey
Gathering at one cross
Shedding His blood for all
Evil swallows his loss
New covenant calls
Forgiving sinful ways
Creating hope’s new life
Salvation’s hands now raise
From 2 Corinthians 5:17-18: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”
God’s living grace
Bends earthly lives
Word’s special place
Righteousness thrives
Forgiveness gifts
Mercy for all
Spirit uplifts
One man named Saul
Undeserved grace
Transforming hearts
Joy shall embrace
Life’s hope restarts
Redemption shared
Walking with Christ
Because God cared
Evil’s plan iced
Grace reconciled
Sins forgiven
Darkness exiled
Gospel-driven
From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley: “Experiencing the forgiveness God offers will transform every part of life.”
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