Sweet Communion (Part One)

While reading through the book of Colossians conjoined with the completion of "The Privy Key to Heaven" by Thomas Brooks, I came to chapter one verses 12-14 and contemplated writing some lines of poetry but was distracted by wrestling's within my own soul concerning my own faulty attitudes and my need to grow in the grace and endurance of prayer and supplication for others and thus the following lines came to mind as an open confession and trust the Lord will be pleased to use this for the exaltation of His abounding grace to lead us into the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake, and most especially in the matter of personal private prayer.

This is the place of which I need
To grow and yea, mature.
The place of prayer and see the face
Of Christ Who made me pure.

For prayer is that which draws us near
Our Father to confide in
And secrets of our heart confess,
As Jesus now we hide in.

For He will not withhold from us
In things that we have need,
But will through Christ give richly all
As He doth intercede.

Oh Father now be glorified,
Attend to one so weak,
And hear my prayer, I know You care,
As to Your face I seek.

Oh help me to display Your love
And intercede for others
Especially those now hid in You,
My sisters and my brothers.

It matters not this part of life
To others is not seen.
But is the sweet communion
Of a heart of which You cleaned.

Oh help me to be bearing fruit
In this good work You've given.
And help me fully please You
In this life that I'm now living.

Oh strengthen with all power
According to Your glorious might,
For all endurance, patience, joy,
The inheritance of the saints in light.

We thank You Father, Who qualified us
To share in this with them,
Delivered us from darkness and
Transferred to the kingdom with Him,

Who is Your Beloved Son in Whom
We have redemption, and come,
Forgiven of our sins, by His blood
And in Him we are made one.

He Is Your very image, O our God,
Who art invisible.
The Firstborn of all creation,
Both the unseen and the visible.

For by Him all created things
Both in heaven and on earth
Will wondrously show the great display
Of His Eternal Worth!

Michael E. Wood
July 4, 2010 6:38-10:30 pm

How Precious are Your Thoughts

While in the enjoyment of God and pondering the fact that God speaks to us through His Word, and that it is through His Word by the power of His Spirit that He brings us into a relationship with Himself because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, and that He reveals His thoughts to us by the voice of His Word once He has made us His Own. And, taking into account the fact that we are not promised another day, and that our faith transcends time and this temporal world, we being dead yet speak through our faith; the following came to mind:

How precious are Your thoughts to me
Your Word gives peace of mind,
For in Your thoughts You speak to me
To know that I am Thine.

What more could I then ask You for,
In You I now rejoice.
For You have saved me from my sin
Through Christ, You fixed my choice.

For I would not have chosen You
Had You not chosen me,
And now the cross is all I boast,
Your Glory set me free.

And though through lines I replicate
With such simplicity,
I trust You will be pleased to show
Your will and Sovereignty.

For there are yet so many more
Who spurn You like I had,
And yet You will bring to Yourself,
Through Christ to make them glad.

Good News You will send from afar,
As I am in Your hand.
Oh use me to convey Your Truth
Though I in glory stand.

Michael E. Wood
July 2, 2010

Rejoice in His Love

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance." Proverbs 1:5

All true wisdom from an eternal perspective comes as a gift from God having the promise of blessing on and in the life which we have now and in the one to come. "If any of you lack wisdom", and we all do in proportion to our understanding of the Great Glory and Majesty of our Omniscient God, for the more we see that His understanding is unsearchable, the more humble we become, and yea, the more broken and contrite, as we are enabled by Him through confession of our own incapacity's because of sins, pride, and afflictions of heart, mind, soul, and spirit, and thereby being enabled to see our infinite need of God Himself to give us wisdom as seems best to Him for His Own Glory and Praise.

It is then and only then that we have any grounds whereby we can have any expectation or confidence that He will give to us out of the abundance of His ways which are past finding out, for He not only knows and has all wisdom, but through the person of Jesus Christ, Who Is our wisdom and upholds us through His mediation, that we may obtain all things that pertain to life and godliness.

Therefore ask of Him Who gives to all His children liberally, lavishly, and more than we can perceive or contain, for we are finite, and shall never completely comprehend the infinite, and He is pleased to grant to us that which we have need of as He sees us, and loves us through the person and work of Christ alone, for His Own Glory.

Oh Father in wisdom, You've given us ears
Whereby to hear You in meekness and fears.
The times of our trials we know You're commanding
To grant to us wisdom and great understanding.

For guidance You give, to meet every task
Unto which You call, as humbly we ask.
And thus for the testing of faith to produce
Steadfastness for fullest effect in it's use.

Though we see not yet fully Your purpose and will,
You grant to us calm and the storms You will still.
By Your Word You remind us to not hesitate,
And generously wisdom You give to partake.

All joy we will count as we meet all our trials
For through them we see our Great God as He smiles.
All comes from His hand as good perfect gifts.
Oh rejoice in His love as our soul He uplifts.

Oh Father please help us and make our ears quick
To hear all You're saying though healthy or sick.
For all of our need and for us to enjoy,
Is to praise You in all things and give You the glory.
(James 1:2-5,12,17)

Michael E. Wood
July 1, 2010

"...whoever listens to Me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread or disaster." Proverbs 1:33

Father of Mercies

While reading Psalm 149, I came to verse 6 which says, "Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands." Through this I was directed to Hebrews 4:12 which tells us, "For the word of God is living and active, SHARPER THAN A TWO-EDGED SWORD, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thought and intentions of the heart". The following poem came to mind and as I looked again to Psalm 149 verse 1, which says, "Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly!", a tune came to mind to go with the poem, and thus the poem became a new song unto the praise and the glory of God!

(Chorus)
O Father of mercies, O please meet with me,
That more like You Jesus I shall now be.
Please Holy Spirit, speak that I might see,
More clearly O God, Your Great Majesty!

For now in Creation I see Your great wonders
And know of Your judgments in sounds of the thunders,
But nothing compares as Your Word cuts asunder
My soul and my spirit as I now am under

Your watch-care and love through which You now diffuse,
The light of the glory of Christ and to use
As a vessel of mercy to the blind and confused,
A servant of Jesus of which You did choose.

(Chorus)

Not for my merit, for that could not be,
For I too was lost, through the cross I am free.
For grace You have given through faith now to see
All glory and praise belongs only to Thee.

So now if it pleaseth, I know that it will.
For this is the promise of which You instill.
By the word of Your grace, as Your captive fulfill,
Your pleasure to make me like Jesus more still.

(Chorus)

Michael E. Wood
June 30, 2010

My Glory and My Head!

Having purchased an ESV Study Bible through DesiringGod.com, one of the benefits which came with the purchase was an on-line audio of the Bible. While being busy with some other things and listening to 1st John in it's entirety, the following came to mind;

The Son of God has come to me--
The Savior of the world;
And soundness to my mind He gives,
Though Satan's dart are hurled.

For on the cross He purchased me
And crushed that serpent's head
And freed me from my sin within
And to it, I am dead.

Though writhing yet remains in me
Through flesh of which I hate,
My Savior Is my Comfort
And through Him I shall escape.

Oh No, I take not lightly
All the flaws of which you've read;
But joy in God through Jesus Christ,
My Glory, and my Head!

Michael E. Wood
June 29. 2010

To Be A Godly Man!

While contemplating Palm 145:4,18 which tells us, "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.", and the Priority of Prayer, as spoken of in the apostle Paul's charge to Timothy in 1st Timothy 2:1-6, the following came to mind:

I charge you now of first importance
To be a godly man.
That men should pray in every place
Uplifting holy hands.

For supplications must be made,
As with Aaron and with Hur,
Stayed the hands of Moses
When in battle fatigue occurred.

For not the arms of flesh will bring
To us the victory,
But by the means that God commands
Secures His sure decree.

Oh do not faint when you see not
With fleshly mortal eyes,
For faith will see through Christ alone,
In Him our vict'ry lies.

For it is he who wields the sword
Of His unchanging Word,
And fights unto the death by faith
With His full armor gird.

With marching orders that we have
No matter what our rank,
Approach the throne of mercy
In the lead or on the flank.

For God delights in mercy
And by Him we shall be heard,
And gives to us what He deems best,
According to His Word.

For this is good and pleasing
In the sight of God our Savior;
The blood of Christ now testifies,
The change of our behavior.

Oh what can we now offer Him,
But be His faithful witness.
Christ Jesus is our Testimony
And He for heaven fits us.

Until that day more glorious
On Him we'll keep our eyes,
For then His fullness we shall see,
Our Everlasting Prize!

Michael E. Wood
June 29, 2010

Entrusted

The voice of God tells us in 1st Timothy 1:5, "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." Every single day we are given is a gift from God through the abundance of His steadfast love and faithfulness. It behooves us to recognize it as such; ask, believe, and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us, and then use us to speak the truth of the fact that JESUS SAVES, in love, and then trust that He will bring forth fruit unto His Own glory and praise through the gifts He has given His church until we are all with Him in glory.

Entrusted with these gifts You gave
No longer to ourselves enslaved,
Oh Holy Spirit come and make
Your presence known for Jesus sake.

Oh saturate our minds and fill
With love's strong chords to do the will
Of our Great God by which we're sent
Into this world with time we're lent.

Oh fill with weight each precious line
Of Holy Writ and show to Thine,
Both those who know and those to come
The power of Christ, The risen Son!

Oh purify each conscious thought
With sincere faith in all You've wrought
That grace and glory may abound
Unto Your praise with joyful sound.

Oh help us now for Christ lay up
Treasures of souls, with Him we'll sup,
With all the folds and flocks gathered in
As all of time will come to an end.

Michael E. Wood
June 28, 2010