Our Father, Ever Dear!

Michael E. Wood

November 15, 2013

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Quite often, my precious wife Dianna will ask me if I am ready to preach just prior to the time I am scheduled to preach. More often than not my answer is, “I never feel ready.” Now while that statement may not be altogether true, I do find that with my current schedule in teaching and preaching several times a week I feel so very inadequate and ill-prepared when I think of the incomprehensible responsibility of proclaiming the Excellencies of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And yet I am encouraged by the promises God has given through the written word that it is indeed He who makes those whom He has called to this task sufficient as ministers of the good news of the grace He gives from day to day and enables us by His Spirit to be the conduits through which He speaks.

While in the process of preparation for a Bible study at the Terraces in Roseville, California, a flood of passages came to mind to bring emphasis and weight to the particular text we would be looking at for the day. In this process I was given the confidence that these passages came to mind as a free gift of the grace of God and that He would use them to magnify Himself during our time for the day, and then the following words came to mind.

I often marvel at the grace

You give to seek You in the face

Of Christ whose glory we behold

By faith in scripture You unfold

Because He came and bled and died

As You in Him are glorified

While by the Spirit we are changed

Fulfilling all You have arranged

Till all shall see Him then on high

And bow the knee to glorify

Your matchless Name by which You own

All praise and glory on the throne

From which You rule o’er every thing

And shall forever as we sing

New songs of praise with all who fear

You, as our Father, ever dear!

In the Beauty of Your Reign.

Michael E. Wood

November 5, 2013

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

While moving from the great doctrinal statements of the preceding eleven chapters of Romans the apostle Paul appeals to the practical aspects of living out the gospel of which we have received by faith in the finished work of Christ alone. By the grace of God we are what we are, children of God. Though it does not yet appear what we shall be, we are to be continually being transformed from one degree of glory to another through the renewing of our minds by the power of the Spirit and effectually showing forth the excellencies of Him who died that we might live to the praise of His glory.

Oh purify my motives!

May they all come forth from Thee

To magnify by life and word

Thy grace which set me free

From sin and self and captivates

My heart and mind to show

No other one or thing

Comes even close to Thee to know.

For knowing You exceeds

All earthly pleasures or their gain,

As all else pales completely

In the beauty of  Your Reign.

So guide us by Your pleasure

And Your faithfulness in love

To live the words You've spoken

For Your glory shown above.

More of You (New Song)

Michael E. Wood

October 2, 8-9, 2013

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

While this verse speaks particularly of the relationship of John the Baptist with Jesus the Messiah in salvation history, the thought occurred to me that the principle of our ongoing sanctification could also be observed.

As we consider how we might become more usable to God in the advancement of His Kingdom, our focus should be continually brought to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  For we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.  So then as we proceed to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it should likewise become more and more evident that it is Christ in us, the hope of glory, who will bring about His purposes by the power of His Spirit to praise of His glorious grace.

Contemplation's never cease

Of how Your kingdom may increase.

But I find so oft, I fall so short

Through life You give on lease.

And what I need in all I say,

And what I need in all I do

Is so much less of what’s of me

And so much more of what’s of You.

More of You to cheer the heart

Which feels the pains of searing loss.

More of You to give the strength

To bear the burdens of the cross.

For the joy You set before all those

Who look to You and live,

You have promised to bring forth

That we may You the glory give.

---------

Father, help me by Your Spirit

In the cross of Christ to hide,

Knowing You are ever present

As the blood spilled from the side

Of my Savior who has given words

To know Him as my guide,

And to slay my pride remaining

And in Him alone abide.

More of You to give the grace

I need to honor You each day.

More of You to shine the light

Of life to others on the way

To the house You have prepared

For those who look to You and live,

As our Father through the Son

That we may You the glory give.

-----------

So then all You have appointed,

Help us see by Your own hand,

You have brought to know the truth,

By Christ alone we’re made to stand.

May Your faithfulness and love

Give strength in weakness that we feel

As the treasure in these jars of clay

Show others, He is Real!

More of You to give the grace

To walk in true humility.

More of You to change our thoughts

To live a life of purity.

For the glory we behold

As those who look to You and live

Shall be fully consummated

In Your presence then to give.

His Name Is Jesus! (New Song)

Michael E. Wood

October 8, 2013

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

While contemplating the fact, that it is God which gives a new heart through the sacrifice of Christ which brings about brokenness over sin, this new song was written.

Only God can make a heart

That’s truly broken over sin.

A Holy God has made the way

To make us pure and clean within.

And only God could offer up

Himself to make the covering;

Sufficient purchase by His blood

Upon His cross of suffering.

His Name is Jesus!

He is the Christ; the crucified!

And only Jesus

By His own death with which He died

Could ever take the guilt and shame

And for our sake take all the blame.

His Name is Jesus!

His Name is Jesus!

Only God can justify

Ungodly souls before the throne.

A Holy God is satisfied

By only One who did atone.

And only God could give us

Access by true faith into this grace.

And we rejoice in hope to see

The glory of our Savior’s face.

His Name is Jesus!

He was condemned to set us free.

And only Jesus,

Both God and man upon the tree,

Could as the Just One, justify.

And it was “finished” when He cried!

His Name is Jesus!

His Name is Jesus!

Only God can take the mess

We made and work it for our good.

A Holy God, who is Omniscient,

Planned before Creation stood.

And only God can make anew

All things, who reigns above as King,

And see’s the smile upon our Father’s face

As we to Him now sing.

His Name is Jesus!

He will return in victory!

And only Jesus

Has conquered every enemy.

With all the angels shout His praise,

As all His children, He will raise.

His Name is Jesus!

His Name is Jesus!

Spark - All These Things

Michael E. Wood
October 7, 2013

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: 5-7

Since the passage from 2 Peter speaks of the process of our ongoing sanctification while we remain on earth, which is the effect of the gospel to the glory of God, I thought it would be appropriate to also include the following quote with the little spark of poetry that came to mind while reading the scripture passage.

“… we think of holiness in terms of deliverance from particular sins, but that is not its object. The object of holiness is to bring us into fellowship with God, that we may enjoy this fellowship; it is to prepare us for heaven. It must all be thought of always in terms of this fundamental relationship to God and not some feeling you are going to get. No, no; but to give you this deep knowledge, and to lead to a communion that goes on ever deepening so that eventually you shall have a vision of God: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ That is the object of holiness.” *

All these things we’re called unto
Reflect the glory found in You.
So help us show the full effect
Of grace You give to make perfect
The fruit that others may partake
Of Christ who suffered for our sake
The wrath of justice that was due
To show, O God, Your mercy too.

*From An Exposition of Romans 9, page 130, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

Forgive Me Father

Michael E. Wood
September 2013

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

While many accountability groups require confession of wrongs done toward mankind as a part of their "program", many or most are actually designed simply to make the individual feel better about themselves. And though outward sin against an individual should be confessed and appropriate restitution should be made when possible, it should likewise be understood that all sin is an infinite offense against an infinite Almighty God, to whom we shall give an account.

Thus a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, are the only sacrifices that God accepts. These can not be conjured up through the imagination of the mind but come as a free gift of the grace of God through the one sacrifice acceptable to Him. The sacrifice, He provided by sending His own Son to bear the iniquity of many, that He might redeem us from all unrighteousness.


Oh, not the guilt and shame I feel
But knowing my offense is real
Toward You, my God, and Father’s Son
That nailed You to the cross as one
Of all of Adam’s race that day
Is why I look through You and pray,
Forgive me Father, I have sinned.
In brokenness, I comprehend
The truth of what I’ve really done
And what You did that I be won,
As a captive of the war
From all my pride, to love You more!

This Wonder I See

Michael E. Wood
September 17, 2013

For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 
2 Corinthians 5:4

As children of the living God, we groan, being burdened. We groan through the process of aging. Bodies which were once vibrant, seemingly without care, are outwardly deteriorating. Minds which seemed to grasp and retain things with very little effort, struggle to be disciplined and to focus on the One who set us apart from our mother’s womb and called us by His grace to be conformed to the image of His Son, to the praise of His glory.

We groan, being burdened with the remnants of our old Adamic nature, which is continually rising up fighting against the Spirit. But thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, and has given us of His Spirit, continually working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

And we groan, being burdened for those which are lost, both from within our earthly families and those with whom we encounter on a day to day basis.

Yes, we groan being burdened, and yet we rejoice in our Sovereign God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who will change our vile bodies to be like His glorious body and will perfect the deficiencies of our minds. He is ever present, just as He promised, and He will leave none of His behind at His return.


Where ever I am, this wonder I see,
God ever present and made known to me.
And this for His glory, His captive to be,
With God ever present and made known through me.

Each circumstance guided, controlled from above
To shape me within and without by His love.
To be like my Jesus: no shame will I see
When all that is mortal, no longer shall be.