A New Life in Christ

Colossians 3:1-17

Risen with Christ, holiness my call
Seeking those things that are above all.

The world’s attractions are not what they seem
They so pale in light of heaven’s bright beam.

Dead to the world my life hid with Christ in God,
Setting my affections above on this journey I trod.

The old life once lived I put off by His grace,
A new life transformed by the glory of His face.

Now peace rules my heart, I’m so happy within,
Singing Psalms and hymns of victory o’er sin.

Whatever I do both in word or in deed,
I’ll glorify God as upon His Word I do feed.

Forever thankful for His peace that now reigns,
Sin forever forgiven, His favor I now gain.

–MHB

Heaven’s Gain The Devil’s Loss

Colossians 2:10-15

Complete in Him,
Christ the Head of all.

Buried with Him in baptism,
Risen from the fall.

My sins forever blotted out,
Nailed to a cruel cross,

My Savior triumphed over all,
Heaven’s gain, the devil’s loss.

–MHB

A Sinner’s Humble Prayer

Colossians 1:9-14

Filled with the knowledge of His will
This is my earnest plea.
Walking worthy of my Lord and King
Enjoying salvation so rich and free.

In every good work may I fruitful be,
Desiring His holiness to employ.
Strengthened by His power to live each day,
Living with patience and a spirit of joy.

Thanking the Father for His mercy and grace
Delivering from darkness to glorious light.
Redeeming this sinner by His precious blood,
Filling my future with a hope so bright.

–MHB

The Glory of the Incarnation!

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter nineteen, verse ten, we are reminded that Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost. Had man not been lost, He never would have had to come.  Now here is a sobering thought — to our sin we owe the incarnation! As we contemplate the Christmas season and all of it’s hustle and bustle, let us revel in the glory of the incarnation,  that moment in time when God became man,  in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. That time when God, the Invisible, appeared. Ponder it’s mystery, slight not its history, glory in it’s majesty and clarity, it is such a wonderful story to tell. One of my favorite advent poems is that by Charles Wesley, one of the great hymn writers of all time. It deserves our thoughtful meditation. [Read more…]

I’m So Thankful For His Grace!

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O LORD God?  And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?  And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O LORD God.” I Chronicles 17:16-17

Yes, I am so thankful for grace!  As we approach another Thanksgiving Day and I ponder in my heart all of the blessings that have been mine, none exceeds the manifold grace of God which appeared to me when I was desperately lost in my sins.  An elderly saint was  heard to say, “I deserve to be damned, I deserve to be in hell; but God interfered!” My friend, that’s grace!  W.E. Best expresses my sentiments when he said, “The sinner, apart from grace, is unable to be willing and unwilling to be able.” Grace represents both the helpless poverty of man and the unlimited kindness of God.  Someone once said, “The grace of salvation is a gift and you can’t boast about a gift.  You can only be thankful.”
[Read more…]