No Other Place

Michael E. Wood

August 20, 2017

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:2-7


“… the transcendent excellency of this life of communion with God: it is the life of our life, the joy of our hearts; a heaven upon earth,”


“It is the instrument of mortification, and the most excellent and successful instrument for that purpose in all the world.”


“A temptation overcome this way is more effectually subdued than by all the vows, resolutions, and external means in the world.” John Flavel, The Works of John Flavel, Volume 4, pages 250, 253, 254

Lay hold of Him through promises made

Which do not change nor do they fade.

And more secure we cannot be

Than when we first by grace believe.

Oh, venture then in every place

To please Him who has shown His face

Of glory in the Christ, the Lord,

Jesus, who thus wields the sword

Of truth which renders such effect

To slay remaining sin subject

To death and must be laid to rest

As we draw near our Savior’s breast.

Commune with Him as He with you

Will show transforming power to,

And demonstrate to those around

No other place can grace be found.

With Me

Michael E. Wood
August 18, 2017

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1

As children of the living God all His promises are Yeah and Amen through the finished work of Christ. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is with us always and yet we may find ourselves struggling with the conscience awareness of His presence at times. While sitting in Sunday school at Beacon Baptist Church these words began to roll and then came to an abrupt stop and thus I sit this little poem to the side for nearly two weeks. Knowing I had a little extra time after some time in the Word and prayer I decided to pick it back up and here is the result.

You are with me in my studies as my mind I must submit

To the wisdom You alone can give to know that which is fit

To transform me as a vessel through which You alone may speak

By the power of Your Spirit to bring forth some who will seek-

To know You as the Father as the One who qualified

Every member of the body through the Son who for us died.

And You sent the Holy Spirit both to birth and then to teach

Every part for Your own glory, till the day we all shall reach

The apex of maturity which only shall be seen

In its, fullness as the ages show the fruit that You did glean

Through the Vine of Your own planting, that great Truth through which You shine

Forth the Light that’s everlasting in the midst of all of Thine.

Through Him Alone!

Michael E. Wood

May 19, 2017    

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.  Psalm 25:1-5

 

Pleasing the Father is perhaps the greatest reward for obedience to His commands; made possible through the merit of Christ alone for the glory of God alone.

Oh, let my satisfaction be

To know that You are pleased.

To walk within Your faithful paths

As one who once was seized

From depths of sins dominion

By Your Righteous Holy Arm

Transported by Your Spirit

Where no devil can now harm.

The truth that though I may not be

All You before designed,

I am and shall forever have

A heart in which You shined

The light of glory in the face

Of Jesus Christ, my Lord

Who paid the price of which

No other ever could afford.

Through Him alone we’re qualified

As sons who once bore shame,

Forever to proclaim the praises

Of Your Holy Name!

New Songs in Your Glory (New Song, first since moving back to N.C.)

Michael E. Wood

April 28, 2017

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!  His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  Psalm 98:1

 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.  Colossians 1:2

“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!  Job 19:23-27

What began with simple meditation from Colossians 1:2 on the grace and peace which comes from God our Father began to develop into a new song interwoven with the prophetic words of the Psalmist from chapter 98 and later confirmed with the opening words of congregational prayer by Bobby LaTour and a message preached by Pastor Michael Karns at Beacon Baptist Church which included the passage from Job.

You are holy, You are righteous, You are just, and You are good.

You are gracious, and compassionate, these things are understood.

Not because of what is found in us but all because of You,

Christ redeemed us from our dead estate, gave hearts made all anew.

You have opened by Your Spirit our blind eyes that we might see

And our ears to hear the voice of Christ that to Him we would flee

And You welcomed us as children to be part of one true fold.

Holy Father help us now approach in fear and yet as bold.

May Your kingdom come and thus fulfill Your purpose and decrees

Where all peoples of all time will find ourselves on bended knees.

Every tongue confessing truly, Jesus Christ is Lord of all,

To Your Glory Holy Father, blessed Savior from the fall.

Oh, Lord Jesus, when we see You then unhindered by Your grace,

No more sin and no more sorrow as we look into Your face;

For You made us to be like You and forever then we’ll be

Singing new songs in Your glory then through all eternity.

Singing praises with the new songs that You give eternally.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

May 18, 2017

Over the last seven years it has been my tradition to write a poem for our anniversary.  Though there were some lines that came to mind last night, they never completely gelled.  My good intentions have been disrupted you might say with the business of getting some things done around our new place of abode in preparation for my wifey's arrival here in North Carolina next week.

So, to my surprise and delight she wrote one and we rejoice together in the goodness of God.

Here it is ....

"Sweet Kisses" on my husband's face
Although he's far away
He calls me every morning
before I start my day.

At 5 am, it's 8 am

My phone begins to ring

Three messages delight my heart

A Song he picks to sing

A morning prayer, A Bible verse

The sweetest sounds I've heard

I hold the phone close to my ear

And hang on every word.

I love this man with all my heart

We're very strange, it's true

But seven years ago today

God knew just what to do.

No one really understood

The weirdness that is me

Until I met my Michael

And he let me, be me!

God took two wacky people

Three thousands miles apart

And joined us both together

But, that was just the start!

Sweet Kisses on his handsome face

We're very strange it's true

But strange is good, and weird is fine

When there are two of you!

After seven years of marriage

It gets clearly every day

How blessed I am that this sweet man

Loves me anyway!

So husband, as I close these lines

Although we're far away

Sweet Kisses on your handsome face

I love you more each day!

Happy 7th Anniversary Husband!

Dianna Lynne Wood

To Your Praise

Michael E. Wood

April 21, 2017

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 
  Is. 55: 6-11

For those of us whom God has given the capacity to both read and comprehend His Word to some degree, we can easily find ourselves reading passages repeatedly with a disciplinary mindset.  This is not bad but if we are not careful we can very well find that in the habit of reading we are doing just that, reading out of habit rather than seeking to know Him and desiring to see His face in the reading.  While our heavenly Father is pleased to see, us reading His infinite Word, and has promised it will not return void but will accomplish that for which He has sent it, the benefits which we receive through reading are greatly increased as we are empowered by His Spirit to hear His voice through the scriptures and enabled to do what He says to the praise of His glory.

Words of glory, words of grace

Help me through them seek Your face.

Not mere duty but with glee

Brighten more my eyes to see

The wonders now of who You are

My Jesus, My bright Morning Star.

In seeing more, Oh, make me then

Renewed in mind so that within

The change will wholly demonstrate

You save for Your own glory’s sake.

So now in time and end of days

Oh, may my life be to Your praise.

Taste of Heaven

Michael E. Wood
April 8, 2017

And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness.
I Chronicles 29:22

While simply reading several portions of scripture as my normal portion for the day, the thoughts of this poem came to mind. I am fairly certain lingering thoughts from the preaching of Pastor Mark Webb at Beacon Baptist Church for the annual Spring Bible Conference had an impact on the resultant lines and they have a special place in being written as the first poem in our new place of abode in Burlington, N.C.  The preceding text of scripture is aptly appropriate and was read after the poem was written. How Great is our God, to confirm us as we go. To Whom is all the praise.

Oh taste of heaven in my heart
Which You by grace through Christ impart,
And all the glory goes to Thee,
Oh, Father through that matchless tree.
Though simple now these lines profess
The gift of Thine own holiness
Which by Your Spirit, You conform
Each child of Thine to be the norm,
To be like Christ in every thought,
Transformed to live as we are brought
Into Thy kingdom of the light
To show Thy glorious beauty bright.

While reading through Thy Holy Word
These thoughts of joy did thus occur.
Oh, take from us the frothiness
And fill with solid comforts bliss,
That we may honor as we stand
For truth, protected by Thy hand.
And help us see the open doors
By which Your Spirit thus out-pours
The Gospel to a dying land
Till all of Yours before You stand!

His Grace is Sufficient for me (Chorus)

Michael E. Wood
March 14, 2017

Sometimes simplicity is the best translator of eternal truth and this little chorus which came to mid is proof .

His grace is sufficient for me today.
His grace is sufficient for me.
Christ hath redeemed me from sin and shame.
His grace is sufficient for me.

The Providential Hand of God

Michael E. Wood

March 13, 2017

While God has shown Himself faithful to do abundantly above all Dianna and I could ask or think, He has likewise revealed wisdom in withholding things in the past to provide for things both in the present and for the future in relation to the temporal things that we have need of.  How much more are we enabled by His Spirit to trust Him for those things we need to be consistent in proclaiming His greatness both in the present and to future generations.

The providential hand of God by all who see is seen,

The glory of His majesty, and on Him wholly lean.

Tis seen by those who do not know and do not understand

His glory is the reason He controls with His own hand

The movements of His people for the gospel to be known

Both in and through and to all those whom Christ has made His own.

Oh, that we might with humble hearts and firm affections go

Where e’er He leads from day to day as soldiers made to grow

In strength to strengthen others for the battles yet to fight

That Christ be magnified to show the power of His might.

For of Him, through Him, to Him may the glory ever be

Expressed through songs of praise to God for all eternity.

All Creation Points to Jesus (New Song)

Michael E. Wood

December 25, 2016

  Having posted the Christmas poem “To Jesus”, Dianna decided to share it with the ladies Bible study group she has been involved with.  One of the women liked it so much she said, “You ought to put that to music”.  Upon hearing that, the music to “What Child is This” almost immediately came to mind and I began to sing it to Dianna. The music was a little bit of a stretch for my voice but she liked it so much I decided to work on it and sing it in the various assisted living facilities during the week.

  A funny thing happened in the “Life Guidance” (Alzheimer/Dementia unit) Center at Atria El Camino Gardens. I read the introductory remarks and prepared to sing when suddenly I realized I couldn’t remember the music.  How appropriate is that?  So, after standing there for a moment with a surprised and blank look on my face, the LORD brought the music to “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken” to mind and I began to sing. Amazingly the flow of the music fit perfectly to the music and was a far better fit for my voice.

  To top it off, after singing it a couple of times at different facilities I found I was having to double up on one of the phrases to work with the music. On Christmas morning while thinking these things over, the last two lines came to mind and thus we have the finished product.

All creation points to Jesus; Son of God and son of man.

Even Adam in his forming was a type to show God’s plan.

Now the angel’s proclamation clearly seen by all who see

Glory in the incarnation of the Christ who set us free.

For His Name’s sake, God did send us such a Savior, humbly born,

Living life that we have failed to, cursed, rejected, bearing scorn.

Yet He stumbled not by seeing joy beyond that rugged cross,

Offering Himself completely to redeem us from our loss.

Now in heaven, how amazing and in hearts of all of those

Who are joined as one abiding in the knowledge, He arose!

Oh, to grace, how great a debtor, mercies fruit both you and I

If we’ve humbly bowed before Him, Jesus Christ, who reigns on high.

For the glory of the Father is more worth than all of men

And the hearts of all who love Him shout His praise who has no end!

In His Likeness, all redeemed will see Him as He truly is

And forever marvel in His Grace who made us for Him, His.