MEDITATION IN VERSE

AMANDA LAZARUS, B.B.S.

AMANDA LAZARUS 1890-?

PRINTED BY NADAVOC INDUSTRIES SHELTERED WORKSHOP FOR THE HANDICAPPED

THE BEREAN BIBLE STUDENTS

We are Berean Bible Students We cannot believe all that we hear But we search the scriptures daily As those noble ones did in Berea It brought us out of the darkness Into His marvelous light It taught us the truth of God’s word Like as dawn of day after night Now may God add his blessing And open the scriptures to you After you read this booklet I pray you may see the truth too

MILLENNIAL DAY SUNRISE

The millennial day is dawning While the trouble clouds roll away; The darkest hour comes before dawn OF the brigh millennial day. The sun will soon be rising, We can see the glow in the east, With healing in its beams; Knowledge of God shall be increased. All will be taught to know God In the coming thousand-year day; They will love and trust each other. All shall know God’s will and obey.

MEDITATION FROM SCRIPTURE

Ps 1:2 Blessed is the man that walketh not In the Counsel of the ungodly. In the Lord is his delight, In his law he meditates day and night.

Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and The meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight.

Ps 77:12 I will meditate on thy work And talk of all thy ways.

Ps 119:97, 99 Oh how I love thy law, My meditation all my days. Thy testimonies are my meditation.

Ps 104:34 My meditation of Him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord, Remember His marvelous works; They are my meditations. He remembers His covenant forever To a thousand generations.

1Ti 4:11, 15 These things command and teach: Meditate on them all the day. Give thyself wholly to them, And he shall direct thy way.

SCRIPTURE IN VERSE

1Ch 29:11 Thine, Lord, is the greatness and power, Glory, victory and majesty All that is in heaven and earth Is thine and ever shall be.

Ps 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes to the hills From whence comes my help from the Lord, He made heaven and earth, I believe and trust in His word.

Ps 149:4 The Lord takes pleasure in His people With an everlasting crown of salvation If the throne of grace they seek He will beautify the meek

Pr 8:25 Before the mountains I was brought forth, Or before thou had formed the earth; From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God and hast given all birth.

Isa 40:4-5 Every valley shall be exalted, And every mountain and hill Shall be made low, and the crooked Shall be made straight by His will.

Isa 43:2,3 When you pass through rivers of waters They shall not overflow thee; For I am the Lord thy God, I will be upholding thee.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God; The light and truth was the Word, And the Word was a God.

Joh 1:12 As many as received Him To them He gave power to claim And become the sons of God, Even them that believe in His name.

John 14:19 The waters wear the stones away, Thou washest away all things Which grow from the dust of the earth, Mankind, nobles, and kings.

Ga 6:14 God forbid that I should glory Save in the cross of our Lord, By whom the world is crucified Unto me and I unto the world.

1Co 26:28 Not many might, wise or noble are called; God has chosen foolish things to confound the Base things of the world and things despised Hath God chosen. It is marvelous in our eyes.

1Jo 1:7 We have a fellowship with each other If we walk with God in the light, Christ’s blood has cleansed us from sin And has set us right in God’s sight.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

Astrologers in the far East Saw a new star in the sky, They knew that I was a sign That the Messiah’s birth was nigh. It began to move onward, This brilliant, shining star, Three wise men followed on camels, They departed to their own country, They inquired at Herod’s palace When they came to Jerusalem, Where the babe was born to be king It was prophesied in Bethlehem). Then Herold heard these things He gathered the religious men And demanded where Christ should be born— They answered, in Bethlehem. Herod told the wise men to search Bethlehem, When you have found Him I ask you To return to me and tell me, That I may worship Him too." Then they had heard the king Herod, They departed and went their way, And lo! The star went before them And stood over the place where He lay. When they came into the house The saw Mary and the babe. They fell down and worshipped Him, At is feet costly treasure laid Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they had seen Mary and the boy They departed to their own country., By another devious way. God warned Joseph in a dream also In Bethlehem no longer to stay, But flee to the land of Egypt Till he got word to go away. When Herod saw he was mocked He was very angry, and slew In Bethlehem and Judaea All children to the age of two. There was great lamentation in Israel, Rachel weeping, her children were not; Oh how could men be so cruel As to slaughter wee babes in their cot? Herod died, and Joseph got the word In a dream sent by the Holy One So the prophecy was fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son". No power on earth could harm Jesus Until his work had been done; God sent him to pay man’s ransom, And was glorified in his Son.

THE OLD, OLD STORY

I will tell you the old, old story— The story that is ever new, Tell the story to others Tell it because it is true.

Jesus had a pre-existence Before he became a man; Made a little lower than angels For a little while as in God’s plan.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His parents took him to Jerusalem, His life principle was transferred To a virgin whose name was Mary;

Duly the birth of Jesus occurred. Joseph was warned in a dream— Take the child and mother, he heard, Flee to the land of Egypt

Until I again bring thee word. Jesus grew and waxed strong in spirit, Filled with the grace of God, In favor with man and the Lord.

Herod died, Joseph was told to return In a dream from the Holy One; Thus the prophecy was fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.

They dwelt in the city of Nazareth, In parts of the Galilean scene, Thus thee word spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

They attended the passover feast; Each year they journeyed from Nazareth As the custom was in the east. When the passover season had ended

They were returning to their home At the end of the first day’s journey They could not find their son. They returned again to Jerusalem

He increased in wisdom and stature And searched for Him; after three days They found Him in the temple, When they saw him they were amazed.

At that time he was twelve years old, Sitting among the doctors of law, Hearing and asking questions Things they had not thought of before.

"Son, we sought Thee sorrowing": He answered, "Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business, That is why I could not go.

He returned home with His parents And was subject to them Until He became of age, Then His mission on earth began.

JESUS’ MISSION ON EARTH

Our praises we bring to Jesus, He has done all for me and you, He left his glory in heaven And died for Gentile and Jew. He came to this world to save us, It was all in the Father’s plan To send his beloved son to earth; His work was to save fallen man. The Jews expected the Messiah At that time, and when he came They thought he would be born higher Of some worldly and famous name. He came to his own and was rejected; Meek and lowly, the story is told— Wise men of the East brought presents Of frankincense, myrrh and gold. At the age of thirty he began His mission in this world, to preach— Thousands of people would follow To hear him talk and teach. He fed them with a few loaves and fishes, They could not buy in the wilderness; Each had enough and they gathered Twelve baskets that were in excess. He did many miracles, Healed the maimed, the sick and blind Cured lepters, raised the dead to life; Stilled the waves and calmed the wind. All praises to Jesus we bring, The most precious Lamb who was slain! Soon he will reign as our King, Then wrongs will be righted again.

THE UNIVERSE

O God, how great is thy name; The sun, moon and stars, and the earth, Are all the work of Thy fingers In thy marvelous vast universe.

A thousand years are in thy sight As yesterday when it is past, From everlasting to everlasting, Thou are God, thy kingdom will last.

The sun sheds warm sunshine by day, Look down on a city from the hills, A splendorous scene of color’d light Stretches as far as you can see, Like a jewel adorning the night.

Look up to the heavens and see, A velvety sky studded with stars; We wonder if they are cities too, Sometime we may know what they are.

JESUS’ DEPARTURE FORETOLD

I am going away to my Father— My Father is greater than I. The world shall see me no more, But you shall see me on high. In My Father’s house are many mansions, As yet there is no place for you. You are my new creation, I will prepare a place for you. I will return to receive you To myself in the resurrection day. Now I must take my departure, It is expedient that I go away. And I will send the Comforter, The holy spirit at Pentecost. If I go not to present the merit OF my sacrifice all will be lost. My Father will glorify me With more glory than I had before; You shall be spirit beings And be with me forever more.

LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE

The shades of evening close the beauty of the flower, Its fragrance lingers in that silent hour; So life’s brief day closes and the precious life God gave Passes as the roses to a silent grave. Peacefully sleeping till the shadows flee away, Until the sun shines in serener day, Till the mists are vanquished and the gloom dispelled by light, Till the faith that languished is restored by sight. Who traced the silver around the darkest cloud, Or spanned the rainbow in bright splendor clad, With the fleeting vision comes a message from above ‘Tis the bow of promise, emblem of God’s love. God in His kindness His promise will perform, Soon in His mercy quell the raging storm, And our loved ones sleeping shall awake to cloudless day, Night of death and weeping ever passed away. Thy choicest blossoms, my inmost soul entrails, Fade as the sunlight when night’s curtain falls. So life blooms as briefly in God’s garden—not in vain; In His glorious springtime, all shall bloom again. Chorus: Have faith in God’s promise, He alone has power to save, He is able to give all Life beyond the grave.

Tune 269 B.S.H.

THE BEGINNING

In the beginning God framed the earth, A beautiful, wonderful place, He formed it to be inhabited By a perfect human race.

He prepared a lovely garden Of herbs and fruits and flowers, Where mankind could dwell in happiness Beneath its leafy bowers.

From the dust of the earth He made Adam, From Adam’s rib He formed Eve. Thus man shall leave father and mother, And unto his wife he shall cleave.

God made man in His own image, He blessed him and said "multiply, Be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it, Have dominion, rule as on high."

God sent an archangel from heaven To guard them in all their way, But Lucifer envied the kingdom And schemed to win it that day.

As Eve wandered alone in the garden, She paused by the forbidden tree; Lucifer appeared beside her And said, "Why don’t you eat of this tree?"

"God said we may eat of the garden, But of the tree of knowledge don’t try, On the day thou eatest thereof Thou shalt surely die."

The Serpent was eating the fruit Lucifer Said "Thou shalt not die, It will only make you wise." She ate and believed Satan’s lie.

She gave of the fruit to her husband, But Adam he did not deceive, He knew if he ate he would die. If not he would be parted from Eve.

Adam had been disobedient, Was sentenced to death, God can’t lie, Lucifer was highly delighted, saying "I’ll be Prince of this World though they die."

Oh, Lucifer, son of the morning, As lightning from heaven you fell, You have gained the world by deception, But you shall be brought down to hell.

God gave them the choice to obey Him, He gave them an open mind, They chose to be disobedient, So God had to be cruel to be kind.

God drove them out of the garden, Ere they ate of the tree of Life, And they would have lived forever, In wickedness, sin and strife.

God knew the end from the beginning, He had planned a way to save, He sent the Saviour from heaven, And ransomed us from the grave.

GOD’S COMING KINGDOM ON EARTH

He stands on the mountain of Sion, The most precious Lamb who was slain, One hundred and forty four thousand Are with Him preparing to reign.

These are the tried and found faithful, Elected and chosen of God, These are the saints who have followed The Lamb wheresoever He trod.

And thousands of thousands are serving In white robes before the great throne, These are the virgins who follow The bride to her eternal home.

Sadness will change into gladness, Satan is bound and all evil Is restrained for one thousand years; His angels are judged and the guilty Destroyed and will banish our fears.

Streams shall break forth in the dry lands, There shall be a great time of trouble, Such as never was known upon earth, And out of destruction and rubble The old world will have a new birth.

And happy voices are singing He breaketh the nations to shivers, As a potter’s vessel reject, And after confusion and chaos, The light in the world will reflect.

But God in His wisdom destroys him, As the sun rises bright in the morning, Gently shining from East to the West, So the truth of God’s Word will be dawning, All kindreds on earth will be blessed. The kingdom we prayed for and longed for, The kingdom of peace has begun.

There will be no more crying or dying As ages and ages roll on, God’s kingdom shall be everlasting, Thy will on the earth shall be done. He will waken the souls that are sleeping, He will call them all forth from the tomb, For all who have lived there’ll be room.

The earth shall then yield her increase, The desert shall bloom as the rose; And verdure will spring where it flows. A garden like unto Eden Is spreading all over the earth, For sorrow is turned into mirth.

Then Satan is loosed a short season, He goeth abroad to deceive, No shadow of sin will He leave. All glory to God in the highest, All glory to Jesus His Son,

SOW THY SEED

Sow thy seed in the morning, In the evening hold not thine hand, You know not if it will prosper, Sow thy seed in the land. It may be seed of golden wheat Or perchance of some other grain ... Sow the seeds of love and kindness Sow thy seed, it won’t be in vain. It may take root in a sad heart And lighten a load of care; It may grow in a heart of love And blossom in beauty there. Sow thy seed in the day dawning, In the parched lands streams shall not cease, You planted, others have watered, But God will give the increase.

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS

The Jews sought to kill Jesus, He went to another place, Two days’ journey from Bethany, And rested a little space. Lazarus was stricken by illness, His sisters sent a message which said Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick, Before word came, lazarus was dead. Jesus told his disciples he slept— "It is good if he sleeps", they said, Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus whom I love is dead." I said it for those standing by." After two days he went to Bethany, To raise Lazarus to life again His disciples said, "The Jews will kill you", They thought it would all be in vain. Jesus said, "Loose him and let him go." When Martha heard he was coming She went out to meet him and cried, "If you had only been here My brother would not have died." Jesus said, "He will rise again." She said, "I know at the last day". "You will see the glory of God, Believe and he will rise today." Jesus said, "Where have you laid him?" He told them to roll away the stone; Martha said, "He will have corrupted, He has been four days in the tomb." Jesus said, "Did I not tell you That if you would only believe, I am the resurrection and life? So Martha you must not grieve." Then they rolled away the stone, He said, "Father", and lifted his eyes. "I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me, He called out with a loud voice, "Lazarus come forth"; and lo! He who was dead rose in grave clothes, Then many believed on Jesus, That Jesus raised Lazarus to life, Their jealousy only increased. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead To demonstrate His wondrous power; All in their graves shall hear His voice, And come forth in that coming hour.

( Joh 5:27,28)

THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS

Jesus rode a young ass to Jerusalem, The people strewed palms in the way, Shouting, "Blessed be the King of Israel Coming in the Lord’s name this day." The Pharisees and Priests were envious, They counselled what they should do; They decided to put Jesus to death, They thought they might kill Lazarus too. "The whole world is following him, We truly can nothing prevail, We will lose our place and nation While he lives we will only fail." Martha and Mary gave a feast for Jesus, And all his disciples were there; Mary anointed him with perfume, And wiped his feet with her hair. "This could have been sold for the poor" Said Judas. Jesus said, "Let her be; The poor you have with you always, For my burial she did this for me." The passover supper was ended; They went to a garden, and then Judas came and he brought with him A band of officers and men. Jesus said to them "Whom seek ye?" They said "Jesus the Nazarene"; They fell backward on to the ground, When Jesus quietly said "I am he." They led him away to be slaughtered, On the cross he was crucified; The ransom paid, the victory won, For our sake he suffered and died. He returned to his Father in heaven, He will return to earth as a King. In the bright Millennial day His praises forever we’ll sing. He will come to resurrect all; ‘Neath his feet he will put everything. He will rule with authority and power, Then all will acknowledge him King.

THE PATIENCE OF JOB PART 1

There once lived a man named Job, Perfect in heart and upright; He feared God and hated evil, He always did that which was right. Job had seven sons and three daughters, His household was great and increased With thousands of sheep, camels and oxen.

PERFECT PEACE

He was greatest of all in the East. In their homes his family feasted And drank wine, each his day apart; Job said maybe my sons have sinned And cursed God in their heart.

The hand of the Lord is upon me, I delight to do his will—. Sacrifices and burnt offerings thou wouldst not, Only trust him and be still.

Job rose early in the morning, And offered burnt offerings for all; This he did continually, To save them from sin and the fall.

God’s sons came to present themselves, And Satan had seen Job’s sons’ mirth; "Have you considered my servant, Job, He is perfect in heart and thought, Fears God and escheweth evil."

Satan said "Does Job fear God for nought"? "Thou hast made a hedge about him, And blessed him in every place; He will curse Thee to Thy face."

The Lord said "I give you power, But on himself lay not thine hand." Then Satan began the destruction Of all that Job had in the land.

When the storms of life break around you, He whispers, the storm will soon cease; Only put your trust fully in him, He will keep you in perfect peace. The Lord said "From whence comest thou"?

He answered, "I come from the earth." When your heart is sad and lonely And your troubles seem to increase, Remember the words he has spoken, I will keep you in perfect peace".

Only give your heart to Jesus, His love will never decrease; Don’t tremble and fall by the wayside, He will keep you in perfect peace. Take all that he hath from him,

When your heart is heavy laden And the load you cannot release; Ask the Lord, he will help you lift it, He will keep you in perfect peace. When the trials of life have ended

And we see our loved ones decease, He draws us nearer and whispers, I will give them peace, perfect peace." Calamity after calamity, His sons’ house was wrecked, all were dead

Job fell down and worshipped God; He lost everything and said: "The Lord gave and He taketh away, Naked I came at my birth, And naked I shall return, Bless the Lord of heaven and earth."

PART 2—THE PATIENCE OF JOB

Again God’s sons came to report, Satan had wrought Job such dearth; The Lord said, "From whence comest thou?" He said, "I came from the earth."

"Although I gave you the power, To ruin Job without a cause, He has kept his integrity, And he tries to keep my laws."

Then Job cursed the day he was born, He wished that he could die; Satan said, "If you afflict him, What won’t a man for his life give?" The Lord said, "You may do as you will, But you must still let him live." Their words were empty and vain, Then Job was smitten with boils, From the soles of his feet to his head; He took a potsherd and scraped him And made the ashes his bed.

Oh that the Lord would hide me In the grave till His wrath is past, His wife said, "Curse God and die", He answered, "You speak foolishly, Shall God give good and not evil?" He still kept his integrity.

"I am vile", Job said, "now I see His three friends came to comfort him, They saw that his grief was great, They wept, and sat down beside him, For a week not a word they spake.

Where the tortured are at rest As within the grave they lie. When his friends spoke, they gave no comfort, They blamed him for being unrighteous, They only gave him more pain.

Though He slay me I will trust Him, In my flesh I shall see Him at last." The Lord spoke to Job from a whirlwind, "I have heard of Thee by the ear, But now mine eye seeth Thee."

The Lord rebuked Job’s three friends, He told them to offer that day Burnt offerings of sheep and oxen, And then Job would for them pray. Job’s neighbors each gave a portion, He was twice as rich as before; He had seven more sons and three daughters, His integrity increased more and more.

JESUS’ MISSION ON EARTH

Our praises we bring to Jesus, He has done all for me and you. He left his glory in heaven And died for Gentile and Jew. He came to this world to save us, It was all in the Father’s plan To send his beloved son to earth; His work was to save fallen man. The Jews expected the Messiah At that time, and when he came They thought he would be born higher Of some worldly and famous name. At the age of thirty he began His mission in this world, to preach— Thousands of people would follow To hear him talk and teach. He fed them with a few loaves and fishes, They could not buy in the wilderness; Each had enough and they gathered Twelve baskets that were in excess. He did many more miracles, Healed the maimed, the sick and blind, Cured lepers, raised the dead to life; Stilled the waves and calmed the wind. All praises to Jesus we bring, The most precious Lamb who was slain! Soon he will reign as our King, Then wrongs will be righted again.

THE UNIVERSE

Oh God, how great is thy name; The sun, moon and stars, and the earth, Are all the work of Thy fingers In thy marvelous vast universe. A thousand years are in thy sight As yesterday when it is past, From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God, thy kingdom will last. The sun sheds warm sunshine by day, The sun sheds warm sunshine by day, The moon in the star-spangled sky Turns darkness of night into light, Shining down from its orbit on high. All spheres in orderly fashion Are kept in their apportioned place, It seems as if they are hanging By nothing in outer space. The moon was once a mystery, Sometimes seen as a silver boat Sailing away high in the sky, But now it is not so remote. When I see the silvery moon It is no longer a mystery, There is not any life upon it, Man has been up there to see.

Look down on a city from the hills, A splendorous scene of color’d light Stretches as far as you can see, Like a jewel adorning the night. Look up to the heavens and see A velvety sky studded with stars; We wonder if they are cities too, Sometime we may know what they are. And now we are trusting the Lord, And now we are trusting the Lord. We adore Him and study His word. What he holds for us in store Eye hath not seen nor ear heard. We are travelling on to a City Whose builder and maker is God, The Lord is the light thereof, We follow the road Jesus trod. Thought the road may be rough ofttimes And we fear we might lose the way, At the end of the road we will meet All our loved ones in endless day. We don’t know what we shall be like Till we see Him as He is, A glorious Spirit Being, We’ll be like Him when finally His.

HAPPINESS AFTER PAIN

Glorious it will be on this planet When Jesus comes to be King; He will sweep all the refuse away And revoke every sinful thing. Little children are crying and sad When our parents are taken away; Gross darkness covers the people; The Lord brings the light of new day. Humanity is so prone to err; The Heads of the state whom we trust Use their powers for a selfish end; Remember that they are but dust! All shall dwell on earth in safety, No fear of sickness, sorrow or pain. Christ will abolish despotic rule When He comes to earth to reign. Cruel wars waste precious lives, And misery covers the land. Sin, sickness, and untimely death Comes not from the Father’s hand. And to Jesus His only Son. Jesus gained the crown of glory, The only pure spotless One— Glory to God in the highest,

THE HEAVENLY PHASE OF THE KINGDOM

An angel talked to me, saying, "Come hither, I’ll show you the bride; She was chosen to be the Lamb’s wife And with him forever abide." He carried me away in the spirit To a mountain great and high— He showed me the holy city Descending from heaven in the sky. The walls of the city were high, And the angel who talked with me Measured the length breadth and height— "I find they are equal," said he. The walls were built of jasper And the city was of pure gold, Its walls studded with precious stones, A beautiful sight to behold. Say, The tent of God is with men, Jasper, saphhire, calcedony, Emerald, sardonyx, sardius, Chrysolite, beryl, and topaz, Chrysoprasus, jacinth, amethyst. Each wall had three gates in the city, The gates were of priceless pearls; Its streets were of transparent glass, It was garnished with precious jewels. The city needs no light of the sun, The Almighty God gives it light; And the Lamb is the light thereof, There’s neither day nor night. The gates represent the apostles, Whom by Jesus opened heaven; The gold means the divine nature. To all those who enter is given. The jewels represent the saints Who will wear a golden crown, A crown of life eternal, And be clothed with a wrought gold gown.

LIVING WATERS

Jesus rested on Jacob’s well, Weary after a long journey. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, "Will you give me drink" said He. "How is that you, being Jew, Should ask for a drink from me?" Jesus said, "If you only knew Who it is asks a drink from thee."

Living waters, the Word of Truth, From Thy holy Scriptures, O Lord; The precious Truth for ages hidden, Made known to us now; dear God. ‘Tis like a fountain gushing forth, Its waters crystal clear, Where we may drink the untainted Truth,

And cherish it ever dear. "I would have given you living water If you had but asked of me, Whoever drinks this living water Shall never more thirsty be. The water that I shall freely give Shall be as a well to him, Springing unto everlasting life, And his light shall never grow dim." In His promises rich and sure.

Drink of the spiritual water of Truth, Let its waters overflow To others thirsting for righteousness, And hungering for Truth to know. Let your servants bring from the eternal spring The waters of Truth clean and pure, Where we may find life eternally

THE RANSOM

God dwelleth high in the heavens, In realms of marvellous light; His loved son is always with Him, He is His chief delight. Myriads of angelic beings Are serving before the great Throne, There could not be found a Redeemer, To save the lsot world, alone. A perfect man’s life was required As a willing sacrifice, For all that was lost by Adam To pay the Ransom price. God said, "My Son I can trust you, Will you consent to be made A little lower than the angels As a human and go to their aid?" His Son was always obedient, He delighted to do God’s will, He left His glory in heaven Because God loved the world still.

He sent the archangel Gabriel, To a virgin named Mary, said he, "Thou art highly favored of women God’s Son shall be born of thee." Mary was puzzled and answered, "How can this happen to me?" "God’s spirit", he said, "shall come o’er thee." His power shall o’er-shadow thee." Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem There was no room at the Inn, Lowly He lay in a manger, Born to save this world of sin. Shepherds while tending their flocks Saw the sky light up, and then They heard angel voices singing "Peace on earth, goodwill to men." As a man He did good and wonders, By wicked men He was slain, The Ransom was paid, His work finished, God raised Him to glory again.

GOD IS NEAR IN A GARDEN

I love to roam in a garden While the dew is yet on the flowers, Early in the fresh morning and wile away the hours. There is beauty all around me, Dewdrops on the labyrinthal web Like diamonds are brightly sparkling, Dangling from each slender thread. The birds are warbling gaily, Flitting about in the green trees Among the sweet-scented flowers; I hear the hum of the bees. The brook at the foot of the garden, Babbling softly along its way Reminds me of the stream of time That takes all our loved ones away. I can feel God near in a garden, I meditate on His great love; He grants us such beauty below, What must it be like up above!

THE SOUL

Some are wondering, What is a soul? Is it something that cannot die? Is it a mystic body within us? NO! that’s but a preconceived lie. God made man from dust and breathed In his nostrils the breath of life, And he became a living soul. From Adam he made Eve, his wife. God made man’s mind in his own image, He blessed them and said, "multiply" They filled the earth with living souls, Because of sin all have to die. Even animals were called souls When entering in Noah’s Ark; Every sentient being is a soul, There’s not mysterious or dark. The soul that sinneth, it shall die; Written in God’s work, it is true. Souls and body combined one being It is wrong to believe there are two.

THE ROBE

My precious Lord, to Thee I raise My voice of meditated praise; To Thee so gracious and so high, Grant me the privilege to lie In adoration at Thy feet; Fill my heart with thoughts lovely and sweet.

The robe of righteousness I wear And cherish it with greater care; The linen garment loaned to me With patience I work embroidery. If my robe should perhaps spotted be, I pray Thou wilt remove it for me.

Apply the precious blood, make me clean, That at last I may see Thy face, Fit me to be a heavenly queen. Lord, I only ask Thee for grace And dwell in the courts above Where all is beauty and love.

THE RAINBOW

I saw a beautiful rainbow, At the end of it I was told If I was able to reach it I would find a pot of gold. One day it seemed very near, An end rested on the ground; But as I went near, it moved on— The pot of gold was never found. Afterwards I learned it was a sign, A promise sent us from God That ever since Noah’s time The message is still the same, Though thousands of years have gone by; Beautiful promise of God, Although there are floods in places And cause the people much dearth, There will never be such a flood The world was destroyed by water Because of wickedness then; It will be destroyed by fire They will all be resurrected, And they will be taught of the Lord; They won’t want to sin any more

KINDNESS

There would never more be a flood. Kind words from loving hearts spoken Are precious in God’s sight above Little tiny seeks of kindness Grow to flowers in the heart of love. A brilliant bow in the sky. Unkind words of the wicked Are as a fiery dart Aimed as a posoned arrow To pierce the innocent heart. That covered the whole of the earth. Kindness and love we owe, Then kindness and love we must pay; No other debt should we know But kindness to all every day. At the end of this age again. Be kind to the aged and infirm; They may be deaf and blind And have other infirmities; It costs nothing to be kind. When they know the truth about God. All is love in the mansions above, Not an unkind look is ever seen, Not a cross word is ever heard In that loving heavenly scene.

A TRUE STORY

When I was a little girl, We lived near a water catchment. We never used to go near it, Unless we had been sent. I had to pass it on an errand, My mother said, "take Clare with you, But don’t go near the water, I was five, she, a half year and two, The path was close to the water, Only a few yards away. It had no guard around it, On the path we were told to stay. On the way home, Clare darted away, I said, "come back you’re too close to the dam." She raised her arms up, closed her eyes And said, "I am wheeling a pram." She stepped in a drain and disappeared, I ran before a moment could pass, And to my relief I found her Clinging to a tuft of grass. I laid down and grabbed her wrist, I said, "give me your other hand." She did, and I helped her climb safely Again upon the dry land. I kept it a very close secret, I thought I’d be blamed for it all. I will never forget how I felt, When in the dam I saw her fall. How glad I was to return home With my wee sister safe and sound. If she had fallen in the water, We both surely might have been drowned I believe God did protect me. Every night I used to pray God would keep me safe through the night, And guide me through the day. I always believed He would guard us, And keep us from any harm. But Clare was too young to remember That near tragedy on the farm. We have always believed in God’s care, All our lives we have loved the Lord, We cling to the Bible to save us, Because we trust in His Word.

FAITH AND LOVE

Without faith it’s impossible to please God. If you have faith as a mustard seed You could move mountains of trouble— Faith in God is all that you need.

Jesus raised the dead to prove his power In the coming kingdom age; By faith he did all kinds of things, His miracles we cannot gauge.

He cast out the evil spirits That affected the human mind; If they only touched his garment He would cure the sick and blind.

He gave demonstrations of faith, Those who asked were made perfectly whole; He walked on the sea, calmed the storm And gave faith to the living soul.

According to our faith, even, We rejoice in tribulations; Compared with the glory to follow We count them as light afflictions.

Have faith in God, why are you fearful? Faith and love come from above, Show me thy faith by thy works, But the greatest of these is love.

REFLECTIONS

Through my window sunbeams reflect When the sun is rising bright, They are sparkling in the mirror Like clusters of stars in the night. Above in the beveled mirror Are colors of exquisite hue, Red yellow green like a rainbow, And violet orange and blue. A maiden fairs is reflected, Her cheeks pink as roses in May, Her eyes are as bright as the stars— It is sad that youth does not stay. Time has changed her hair to silver, Once a crowning glory of gold; Each day brings her nearer to heaven. Is it sad to be growing old?

SUNSET

I saw a cloud coloured purple It was bordered with burnished gold Setting sun reflecting it’s glory A beautiful sight to behold The vision lasted a few moments And then it vanished away Man looks on the outward appearance, But the Lord looketh on the heart; She is all glorious within, From her God she never will part. At the end of the Millennial age Youthful life will return to all, Their hearts will be loving and kind When they are redeemed from the fall. As generations come and go So our lives too will pass away Life is akin to a vapour It departs as the shadows away Like a flower of grass it withers And droops and falls in a day. But our works follow with us They will not ever decay They will shine brightly forever Unlike the sun’s setting ray.

THE LATTER TIMES

The harvest is past, and the reapers Have gathered the golden grain. The angels are the messengers— Only the gleanings remain! The prophecies are all fulfilled, The kingdom is very near; The signs of the end are visible, Hidden mysteries all made clear. We are now on the stream of time When the ends of the ages have met, In the dawning of the morning— The bright day has not come yet. The Lord has descended from heaven With a shout and a trumpet sound. In the day of His preparation They will help with the work to be done, The putting down of the nations— Each king will lose his throne. The saints on earth who are dying In the twinkling of an eye Are changed to Spirit Beings To meet the lord in the sky. In the next age of a thousand years The dead will be raised, and man Will all be taught of the Lord In His wise and wonderful plan Satan was bound for a millennium To be loosed a short season to test All those of mankind who are righteous All those who love sin the best He will be destroyed with all evil, Sin will not be permitted again. When Christ and the saints have finished Their appointed righteous reign. When the work harvest is accomplished The marriage of the lamb will take place, The Bride has made herself ready, She beholds the Bridegrooms face. Blessed are they who are called to The marriage supper of the Lamb— "I shall give them eternal life, They shall be with me where I am." O blessed thought of the promise TO those who trust in the Lord, They will dwell with Him in God’s kingdom, This shall be their reward.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WORLDS

God formed the earth in the beginning, He pronounced it very good; And prepared the Garden of Eden, To provide mankind with food. God wanted mankind to obey Him, If they ate of one tree they would die; They were told and they disobeyed, They were sentenced to death, God can’t lie. Our first parents and those yet unborn Passed away in the first thousand years; In God’s sight it was but a day— There was sadness and many tears. Because of disobedience to God They lost their Edenic place; They had to work for their living Through hardship and sweat of face. Of wrong they could not be released. The world was ruled by Satan, And wickedness increased: God repented that He had made man. Angels who were sent to be guardians Kept not their first estate, Saw the daughters of men were fair (They materialised, it is sad to relate), And married the daughters of man, Who bore children of angelic blood; It was not as God intended, So He destroyed the world by a Flood. One family only found favor, Noah, his wife, their sons and wives. God instructed Noah to build an ark To save their and the animals’ lives. He was laughed at by the worldly, It had never rained before— To see a man building a ship Standing alone on the dry shore. When the ark had been finished And they were all safe within, The rain poured down in torrents, Destroying the first world of sin. The ark rested on Mount Ararat, It remains there unto this day; All in the ark were kept alive, Thus the first world passed away. The second world that is now Is as evil as it was then; It will be destroyed by fire Unto judgment of ungodly men. The third world will be made righteous, "A stone cut from the mount without hand" Seen in a vision by Daniel "Grew until it covered the land". The third world will be God’s kingdom, It will never pass away, It will continue forever After the next thousand-year day.

GOD OR MAMMON?

Your have the choice of two pathways; Will you serve mammon or God? Jesus chose the way to heaven, And blazed a trail where he trod. You cannot serve two masters, You will love one and the other hate; Make your decision quickly, Before it may be too late. You have now come to the crossroads— Will you take the left or the right? The right will lead you to heaven, The left keeps the mammon in sight. The joys of the heavenly kingdom Are far more than pen can write; Praise God who has kindly brought us Out of darkness into the light.

THE CRUCIFIXION

Mary was weeping near the cross; "Behold your mother", said Jesus to John. From that day John took her away To dwell with him in his own home. Yonder while reading these verses— It’s a wonderful comfort to know The Great God of all creation Should notice and love us so! He sent His only begotten Son, His precious life He gave That we may have eternal life, And be ransomed from the grave. Oh what a wonderful Saviour! He died on the cruel cross, He came to this world to save us Human nature to humbly share Jesus preexisted in heaven, Where all was bright and fair; He came to this dark world of sin Human nature to humbly share. He was made a faithful high priest, Learned obedience by things He suffered, Touched with feelings of our infirmities, By evil men was jeered and buffeted. He carried the cross to Calvary A title read "Jesus King of the Jews". A thief hung on either side. "Come down from the cross and save us", One said, "If you really are God’s son!" The other said, "He did nothing amiss, We are here for the wrong we have done. Remember me when you come to your kingdom." Jesus said, "Truly I say today, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise" — He referred to a future day. He felt the Father’s influence withdrawn When suffering on the unrelenting cross, He cried, "My God, why have you forsaken me? His heart broke as He feared the loss. No human ever suffered such agony. He won, and the ransom was paid; He finished His work on the earth, Then meekly bowed His head and died. It was dark over all the land, And there was a great earthquake; The temple veil was rent in twain And the people did fear and shake. The centurion and those with him, Watching Jesus and the things done, All feared greatly and said, "Truly this was God’s own son" A rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea, Begged of Pilate His body, and when He received the body of Jesus He wrapped it in clean fine linen; And there He was crucified. Joseph placed it in a new tomb And rolled a great stone to the door. He made his grave with the rich, As it had been written before. Death and the tomb could not hold Him, He arose from the dead the third day: He appeared and spoke to many For forty days before going away. He returned to His home in Heaven, To a higher position than before, Above all principalities and powers At God’s right hand forever more.

THE RESURRECTION

Life is alike to a flower, It blooms and then fades away. Life returns to dust, awaiting The coming resurrection day. We will see flowers next season.

RESTITUTION

They will bloom for a little day; Life will return rejoicing And forever come back to stay.

In the time of the next millennium Which will last for a thousand years, Jesus will call all from the grave, There will be no more pain or tears.

Thy word is sown for the righteous, It is scattered all abroad, Sometimes trampled under foot, All will return from the dead.

In the grand resurrection morn; There will be happiness forever, We can now see the glad day dawn, That treasures and loves it so.

All shall learn to be righteous, The wicked will be destroyed; They will die the second death If they do not obey the Lord.

God’s dispensational truth The friends we have loved are sleeping; We have loved and lost them awhile. They departed while we were weeping, We will meet them again with a smile.

Spoken by all the prophets of old, Some say it’s too good to be true, After all the wrong we were told; Search the Scriptures and you will see The truth of God’s word unfold.

He will put all evil under his feet We have found many mistakes In the past translator’s deeds, It is our duty to correct The dark ages’ man-made creeds. Earth’s future will then be secured.

Sometimes treasured truth from the Lord; Some falls on a stony heart Where it cannot take root and grow, Some falls in a heart of flesh

God’s people love His work and study To find some precious gem, It may have been lost for ages, Now seen as a bright diadem.

Presently is made quite clear, It was a mystery for past years, Restoration is now very near. Restitution of all things

Earth shall be restored as in Eden, Wonderful truth the Scriptures unfold. Then cometh the end of the age When Jesus puts down earthly power;

And destroy death in the last hour. He will deliver the Kingdom to God When he has all things subdued, That God may be all in all.

CALM AFTER STORM

An eerie, silent darkness of night Cast o’er the land a mantle shroud, It fell over the hills and dales— Above loomed an ominous storm cloud.

The wind and rain spent their fury, the lightning streaked through the sky; The deafening thunder resounded As the storm was sweeping by.

The thunderbolt crashed to the ground, It made the earth tremble and shake; The birds in their nests were disturbed, All life had become awake.

While the stormy night was raging All life was filled with alarm; After it had subsided Came an aftermath of calm.

The fleecy clouds like night pillows Smoothed themselves and scudded away, Flying away high in the sky To herald the coming of day.

There is another storm brewing Such as never was known before— Not the elements, but dissatisfied men Spreading fury from shore to shore.

The Lord will allow this army Godless men, to do a strange act, The pulling down of the nations To make room for love the world lacked.

The way will then be made open For Christ’s kingdom to take control; He will rule with a rod of iron And bring peace to the troubled soul.

A brighter morn is now dawning While the trouble clouds roll away, The old world will then be changed, As a garment be folded away.

It will be in the next millennium When the night of peril is past, The Lord will reign in righteousness Through His ancients on earth at last.

Isa 2:2-4

"The law shall go forth from Zion, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." By the tribe of Judah’s Lion Who was once slain an innocent lamb.

THE DAY OF SALVATION

Now is the day of salvation, Now is the acceptable time To give our lives a willing sacrifice And serve the Lord of mankind.

We consecrate our lives in his service, Do his will, trust him and obey, But with much fear and trembling Lest we should happen to stray. If our little all is accepted And we turn from the world’s sinful road, God imputes Christ’s merit to us, By faith we are clothed with his robe. This makes us acceptable to God Though we may imperfect be, He looks at us through Christ’s merit And from past sin sets us free. The God of our salvation Has provided salvation for all, Let him who thinks he standeth Take heed in case he should fall. For every wrong little action, Every word that we say, We will have to give account of In the coming judgment day. We are fit for the Master’s use When our hearts are full of love, And knowledge of God’s Word Instructed by Him above.

THE JEWISH NATION

In the days of old God chose a people To represent and honor His name. Chosen to be a holy nation, While Moses was receiving the law Written by God on tablets of stone, They could not await his return, But worshipped a gold calf of their own. They were a backsliding people; Though God fought for them in their land They only kept the law in the letter, The spirit they did not understand. Israel which followed after Did not attain to that law, Because they sought it not by faith But by the works of the law, The prophets looked into the future— When the Jewish harvest was past Their summer of favor had ended, They had not been helped at the last. Their land became a parched desert, They were all scattered abroad Without a home or a country, Without any help from the Lord. They had been punished by God For hundreds and hundreds of years; From the time they rejected Messiah, God sentenced them as many more years. When that time has expired, Their blindness shall be taken away; God has brought them back to Israel, His promise made in Abraham’s day. He will remove all their sins As far as east is from the west; In Abraham and his seed All the families of earth shall be blest.

IN GOD’S IMAGE

God made man in His own image, Not in appearance but morally; He made him a perfect being, and intended him ever to be.

Man was made from dust of the earth, And to earth he will be returned; Adam failed when put to the test, All will gain from the lesson learned.

All people will be resurrected And be taught the way to please God, They will not disobey any more When they return again from the sod.

A thousand years in God’s sight Is as yesterday when it is past; In seven days of a thousand years long Man’s perfection will come at last.

PRESENT AND FUTURE

When dwelling in a big city There are houses seen everywhere, Houses, people and cars Which pollute and poison the air. In the heart of the city you see Shops and hurrying people, And buildings rising so high They dwarf the church’s steeple. No one is in a great hurry In the country, where life is sweet; Walk by the river or lakeside Where flowers bloom at your feet. All around the clear still waters Grow beautiful leafy trees, Birds twitter in the branches That sway in the summer breeze. In the next millennial age There will be lots of leisure; All the people will love their Lord God More than they now love pleasure. No one will ever grow old, Youthful life will have come to stay; They won’t strive to gain silver or gold In the coming Jubilee Day.

Footprints on the Sand

I dreamed that I was walking along the beach on the sand The Lord was walking beside me, and He was holding my hand. I noticed past scenes from my life Mirrored against the blue sky. When the last scene flashed before me I looked back, and it made me cry, I saw many times where we had walked, Only one set of footprints appears, At the lowest and saddest times That happened throughout my years. I questioned the Lord about it. I said Lord you promised me, You would walk with me all the way If I would but follow Thee, I have seen only one set of footprints On the sand along the coast, In my saddest times you left me Just when I needed you most, The Lord replied when you were suffering Alone I would never leave you. When you saw only one set of footprints It was then that I carried you. (Pause) When I read this sad little story Scenes flashed back along memory lane Many times I was stricken with grief The Lord carried me through sorrow and pain.