That's the Great Thing about Jesus

I can tell him anything
And he won’t laugh at me
I can pour my heart to Him
He listens patiently
And I don’t need to re-explain
When things don’t come out right
He knows exactly what I mean
And holds me close and tight

That’s the great thing about Jesus…….

Jesus does not pick and choose
To Him we’re all the same
There is no one He will refuse
If we call on His name
There is no status to achieve
He only asks one thing…..
If we truly do believe
We must be born again

That’s the great thing about Jesus……

Whosoever will may come
The door stands open wide
Beckoning to nations from
Each country and each tribe
He loves each one the very best
Regardless of our race
He fills us with His righteousness
And sweet amazing grace

That’s the great thing about Jesus………..

He calls us His very own
And never leaves our side
And if perhaps we stumble on
Our foolish sin and pride
He forgives us patiently
And helps us to our feet
And never leaves us angrily
On some forgotten street

That’s the great thing about Jesus…………..

His precious love will never fail
Though oft we fail for Him
Through life’s tempest and stormy gale
His love will never dim
He holds us fast within His arms
And never lets us go
Stands beside us through the storm
For he loves us so……………

That’s the great thing about Jesus…………..

And when at last my final hour
On this sad earth has come
I need only trust His power
To gently lead me home
Out across death’s deep dark sea
I see a father come
To draw me to Him tenderly
As He cries, welcome home

That’s the great thing about Jesus…………….

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

….whoever comes to me
I will never drive away. John 6:37

As I began writing this I realized it’s a poem that could go on forever!
I was going to quit after the first three verses
But the thoughts kept coming
Eventually I quit writing because there is NO END
To His goodness!!!!!

Crosses

Every now and then perhaps
We’re tempted to compare….
And wonder why it is that some
Have heavier loads to bear
We look upon what eye can see
And count their list of woes
Forgetting those who bear the hurts
That nobody else knows

Or we may look at those who seem
To live on easy street
Their life appears a happy dream
And everything is sweet
But we don’t see behind the walls
Can’t count their gain or loss
And who are we to then declare
Who bears the greatest cross?

Every now and then perhaps
We’re tempted to despair
We may even dare to say
That life just isn’t fair
But there is One who knows the truth
He sees each hurt and loss
And He will help each one of us
To carry our own cross

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

He that takes not his cross
And follows after me is not worthy of me. Matt.10:38

The Unknown.....

It looms before us like a great abyss
Void of shape or form
And no one knows just what it is
Will it be sun or storm?
We gaze at it with awe and dread
There’s nothing we can do
To glimpse the road that lies ahead
When this moment is through

All must face this mystery
This shroud across the way
We might gaze back at history
But there is not one ray
To beam into the vast beyond
Or shed a little light
That would reveal the great unknown
Before it becomes sight

And yet, we need not shrink in fear
Or worry needlessly
To our God the way is clear
And He knows what will be
Each life He holds within His hand
We never walk alone
We do not need to understand
He knows the great unknown


Janet Martin
All Rights Reserved

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be. Ps.139:16

Battle Cry

It’s time to stand up; stand up and be bold
I’ve heard them say that His Church is cold
It’s time to stand tall with His armor in place
For we are the army that is saved by grace

Oh, whose side are you on
Which Commander do you serve?
Will you be brave in battle
Or have you lost you’re nerve?
The enemy is ruthless
He will fight at any cost
For he knows his days are numbered
In a war already lost


Oh, will you answer the battle cry
For your Commander would you dare to die?
It’s time to go forward across all the land
Put on His armor and obey his command

Oh, whose side are you on?
Do you hold the Spirit’s sword?
Will you endure the suffering
As a soldier of the Lord
Some day if we faint not
We will here the words ‘well done’
As we sing the song of victory
Around God’s holy throne

Janet Martin

Therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs
Of this life; that he may please Him who has chosen him to be a soldier. 2Tim.2:3-4

To Know........

……to know that He is watching us
In every step we take
To know we can’t escape His love………….
What difference does it make?
To know he paints the landscape
And the sky in glorious hue
To know the object of our faith
Dwells within me and you
To know He calls us each by name
Heirs and joined-heirs with Him
And someday at His side we’ll reign
In an eternal Kingdom
To know His mercies never fail
His spoken word is true
And if we trust His perfect will
His peace will fill us too
To know that He is great and good
And all His ways are just
Do we do the things we should?
And do we simply trust?
……to know He holds us in His hands
And will not let us go
When we do not understand
The sorrow here below……..
………..to know He came to earth to die
To pay sins awful debt
And in this gift for you and I
Our every need is met…
…………to know He gave His perfect life
In love, for our sake
To know this…….as we live today
What difference does it make?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

…hopefully it makes
ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!!!!!

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
That we are Gods’ children.
Now if we are children then we are heirs
And co-heirs with Christ
If indeed we share in His sufferings in order
That we may also share in His glory. Rom.8:17

One Day..............

One day the Father will turn to His Son
And say it is time to go
Time to gather the family home
They’ve been waiting so long, you know
Prepare the Hall and the wedding feast
I cannot wait anymore
As lightning that flashes from west to east
Time and chance will be o’er

Then the Groom will descend on a chariot of clouds
And every nation will see
The lost will fall and weep long and loud
In the face of eternity
But His own will turn to look on His face
The face of the One who died
The One who saved them by His grace
Has come to meet His bride

Oh what a day of all days it will be
As earths greatest joy and sorrow
Weep in the light of eternity
It may be tonight or tomorrow
When the Father will turn to His Son and say
Now is that day and hour
And we will look up in joy or dismay
To behold His glory and power

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Behold I am coming soon. Rev.22:7

Therefore we ought to give more earnest heed
to the things which we have heard,
lest at any time we should let them slip. Heb.2:1

Love............

How did it feel oh God
On that first night and day
How did it feel as spoken thought
Drove the darkness away?
How did it feel to separate
The earth and sky above
The seed of a universe so great…….
He said, it felt like ……..
Love

And how did it feel oh God, to see
The hills and trees and flowers
Your wondrous perfection breathed
Upon this world’s first hours
As You viewed this galaxy
From higher thrones above
How did it feel Your words to see?
He said, it felt like……….
Love

And how did it feel oh God, to take
The dust of this new span
And in Your greatest mystery make
The image of a man
How did it feel to breathe in Him
Your breath and see him move
Among the Garden of Eden
He said, it felt like………..
Love

How did it feel oh God, to drive
Man from this paradise
And know that hope for man to live
Must now need sacrifice
How did it feel to know the hour
Must come when You will prove
The magnitude of Your great power
He said, it felt like………
Love

How did it feel to put on flesh
In fashion of a man
As heavens sacred righteousness
Came to fulfill hope’s plan
How did it feel, rejection, hate
The nails that cruel hands drove
Into the palms of One so great
He said, it felt like…….
Love

And as you broke the seal of death
And as you tore the veil
And brought hope to a curs-ed earth
Oh God, how did it feel?
As You broke the chains of sin
And as You made a way
For mankind to be clean within
And dwell with You some day
And as you see the trusting soul
In true repentance bow
Giving You his life’s control
Cleansed in redemption’s flow
How does it feel, oh God to look
On us from up above
Knowing the sacrifice it took
He said, it feels like…….
Love

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

How great is the love the
Father has lavished on us
That we should be called
Children of God. 1 John 3:1

Best For Me

Alone in quiet solitude
I kneel at dawn to pray
Before a God, holy and good
I don’t know what to say
For there is not one jot concealed
That His eye does not see
My deepest thought to Him revealed
And yet He still loves me

Beneath the scepter of His grace
I humbly call to Him
Relying on His righteousness
When my vision is dim
For I can’t see what lies ahead
Or what this day will be
Help me God, to trust Your lead
You know what’s best for me

In spite of all my errant ways
And all my foolish pride
You never leave me in disgrace
Nor ever leave my side
So as I kneel before Your throne
And pour my heart to Thee
Help me to say ‘Thy will be done’
You know what’s best for me

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding......Prov.3:5

Praise be to God.....

You formed the jagged mountain top
You stilled the rising sea
You clothe the earth with awesomeness
Poured out abundantly
You brush the splendor of the dawn
Across the darkest hours
And breathe upon a bud to spawn
A garden full of flowers


Creator of the universe
You wore a robe of flesh
To free mankind from sin’s dark curse
And bring us righteousness
You did not withhold Your love
From wretched, sinful man
But left Your glory up above
To fulfill redemption’s plan

You keep our footsteps in Your way
A Shepherd to Your sheep
And if in foolishness we stray
Kind vigil still You keep
The God who holds the stars in space
And reigns on Heaven’s throne
Saves humble sinners by His grace
And calls each one His own

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Shout with joy to God,
All the earth!
Sing the glory of His name;
Make His praise glorious!
Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!
So great is Your power that the
Enemies cringe before You.
All the earth bows down to You.
They sing praise to You.
They sing praise to your name. Ps.66:1-4

Signs.......

We know, as we feel the deepening chill
That winter is coming….and it will
We know as the leaves deck the ground below
That scarlet and green will soon be covered in snow
And we know as the daylight fades too soon
As we gaze at the low amber harvest moon
As we shiver in tall blue shadows cast
That summer and autumn soon are past
We know what is waiting around the bend
By the signs in the air that nature sends
We know before spring breezes play
Winter must come and pass away

But we do not know the day nor the hour
When the Son of Man will return in His power
Someday the stars will fall like snow
And every nation on earth will know
That this is He; the one true God
Returning, like He said He would
And every single knee will bend
As we behold Beginning and End
Today is the day of Grace and Time
But He has given us warnings and signs
And we know as we see His prophecies fulfill
That He is returning…..and He will

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

……the stars will fall from the sky
And the heavenly bodies be shaken,
At that time the Son of Man will appear in the sky
And all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds
Of the sky, with power and great glory…..Matt24:29-30

Therefore keep watch, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matt.24:42

Love Them.....

Hold your loved ones close to you
But do not hold too tightly
When the eve is bathed in dew
Or as the sun beams brightly
Hold them close and love them well
They are not ours forever
And only God above can tell
When this gold thread will sever

Tell them kindly, tell them oft
The love you dearly treasure
In touch and tone, patient and soft
Fill their hearts with pleasure
Lest suddenly we’re called to bear
The path of grief tomorrow
And all the words we did not share
Would be our greatest sorrow

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

The Hope

In the quiet little moments of the morning
Before the busy bustle of the day
In the soft and golden whispers of the dawning
Breaking through the fields of deep blue-gray
As life’s constant care seems to remind me
Just how high the hill will be and steep
Suddenly I hear a Voice somewhere inside me
He whispers precious words that I can keep

Lo, I am with you forever
Wherever the road may go
I am with you on the hilltop
And in the valley low
I will never leave or forsake you
There’s nothing that I cannot see
In my loving arms I will keep you
From now through eternity

And suddenly the hill I was dreading
Seems possible in His tender grip
For I can trust His faithful leading
To guide me if my own footsteps slip
There’s not much in this world we can lean on
That will stand the true test of time
But One; so I cry out, “oh, God lead on”
And in this hope He helps me climb

I will never leave or forsake you
Ah surely this must be all we need
Wherever this life may take you
We can trust Him to take the lead
For all in this life we are given
To see if our love is true
And each step leads us closer to Heaven
The Hope when this short life is through

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin


Keep your lives free from the love of money
and be content with what you have
because God has said,
I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you. Heb.13:5

There is Nothing Like a Prayer

Oh, there’s nothing like a prayer
For there is no barrier
That it cannot cross or climb
It does not lose its power with time
As a Father up in Heaven
Hears each prayer that He is given

Oh there’s nothing like a prayer
For His own, ah, this is where
We sense His tender arms surround
Invisible and yet profound
His mercy guides us through our day
As we look to Him….and pray

Oh, there’s nothing like a prayer
In our moments of despair
When the light of hope is dim
We need only look to Him
In our whispers He is there
Oh, there’s nothing like a prayer

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

When you pray go into your room and close the door
And pray to your Father , who is unseen….
Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him….Matt.6:6-8

Of Love and Home......

In the arms of love and home
Here the smiles and teardrops flow
Here at last we all may come
To rest upon its hearth’s soft glow
When we tire of the storm
When life’s tempest’s ebb and flow
Love is tender, true and warm
In the arms of love and home

Sorrow too must have its day
Just as laughter, smile and song
Out across the deep dark quay
Lies the ending of the storm
While the world is cruel and cold
Gladly, thankfully we come
Like a sheep into the fold
To the arms of love and home

Someday in a better place
We will not look back again
As we see the glorious face
Of a Father and a King
God, help us keep this humble hearth
A foretaste of that day to come
When we shall leave this troubled earth
For the Arms of love and home

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Great sorrow touched our hearts recently……..
It causes us to look with fresh eyes
At those we love and take far too for-granted!!!

For who is God save our Lord?
Or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girds me with strength
And makes my way perfect. Ps. 18:31-32

Merits of Trouble........

There is nothing like loss
To remind us of what we hold
And in the darkest dark
We recognize life’s gold
There is nothing like sorrow
To make joy grow more dear
And the hope that we borrow
Oft renews in a tear
There is nothing like loneliness
To help us cherish a friend
And in our brokenness
We learn how to stand
It’s seems when we stumble
We learn how to seek
As He gives grace to the humble
And strengthens the weak
It seems to be filled
He must empty us first
And only in His will
Can we quench our thirst
It seems here below
We must oft look above
For it seems He must show
Us so oft, how to love

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

...my Strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9

His Love Never Fails

In a world where words are easily spoken
Where trust and promises are callously broken
We have a sacred invisible token
Of a love that will never fail
In a world where love is oft misunderstood
And we wonder if all things work together for good
We have an assurance of the power in His blood
And His love will never fail

He is not just a fair-weather friend
His love knows no beginning or end
His love sustains through our disappointment
For His love never fails
In this world of sorrow and pain
Of loneliness and hunger, shadows and rain
His love abides and will forever remain
For His love never fails

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

In Canada we are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend.
Above all my countless blessings are His love and grace!!!
Without His love that never fails all else is meaningless.

Our Constant..............

The rain follows the sunshine
The springtime melts the snow
And so within this lifetime
Seasons come and go
Nothing lasts forever
And nothing stays the same
Except the wonder of His love
And the hope of His name

Jesus is our Constant
No matter what the tide
In both joy and sorrow
He is at our side
Faithful true Companion
On life’s broken road
Whisper of compassion
Beneath a heavy load

What will come tomorrow?
Only He can know
But this we know that He is there
Wherever we may go
Jesus is our Constant
Eternal hope unfurled
His love a changeless banner
Above life’s changing world

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Never will I leave you
Never will I forsake you.......

Jesus Christ the Same
Yesterday, today and forever. Heb.13:5-8

Put it in His Hands

Are you running out of answers?
Is the wisdom of this sphere
Too inconclusive, void and empty?
Do you worry, do you fear?
Are the burdens you are bearing
Placing you on sinking sand
There is One, faithful and caring
Oh, just put it in His hands

Are you tired of believing
That this cruel life isn’t fair
Are you reaching, ever reaching
But no one seems to be there?
There is One who always sees us
There is One who understands
There is One, His name is Jesus
Oh, just put it in His hands

Put it in the hands of mercy
In the hands of Heaven’s own
Put it in the hands of Jesus
He will never let you down
Are you weary of the struggle?
And this life’s endless demands
There is One who knows your trouble
Oh, just put it in His hands

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Come to Me, all you who are weary
And burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will
Find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matt. 11:28-30

No More Heartache......

God, I know the day is coming
You have told us in your Word
There’ll be no more tears and sorrow
No more failure and no hurt
So God, in the mean time
When the promise seems obscure
Help us to remember
In your love we are secure

‘Cause someday…….there’ll be
No heartaches for you and me
Someday…..we’ll see
How ‘worth it all’ it will be
So let’s just…..keep on…
It’s not very far...
And someday…there’ll be
No heartache anymore

It’s easy to forget Your promise
When we focus on our fear
But each day complete fruition
Of your Word is drawing near
Life is but a vapor
In the eye of what will be
And someday we will never
Recall this brief misery

‘Cause someday….......there’ll be
No heartache anymore
Someday…..eternity
Will be more than just a word
And someday……we’ll see
The hope of that far shore
Where someday…......there’ll be
No heartache anymore

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

There will be no more death or mourning,
or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Rev.21:4

Blinded......

He spreads before our wondering eyes
A banquet rare and fine
And beckons us to taste and see
His love rich and divine
Yet blinded multitudes ignore
The feast he longs to share
And choose the husks upon the floor
The filth of this worlds fare

He hung before mans hateful eyes
The fullness of His love
A perfect Lamb, a sacrifice
Once for all; enough
Yet blinded multitudes ignore
The victory of the cross
They spurn His gift and trade it for
This old world’s sin and dross


He paints before ungrateful eyes
The beauty of the land
Yet many reject and despise
The mercy of His Hand
He loves the blinded multitudes
His promise will not sway
And someday soon He will return
This world shall pass away

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin



Have you not read this scripture;
The stone which the builders rejected
Is become the head of the corner;
This was the Lord’s doing
And it is marvelous in our eyes. Mark 12:10-11

God is Good

When the dark of the midnight
Sweeps over my soul
And the fears of tomorrow
Like angry waves roll
When the seeds I have scattered
Yield sorrowful fruit
Still let me remember
God is good

When life’s disappointments
Bring deep, silent pain
And I begin wondering
If hope is in vain
Through my sad doubting
A soft Voice is heard
He rebukes without shouting
God is good

Life cannot alter
His wonderful love
His grace will not falter
Though dark forces move
There is victory and freedom
When washed in the blood
And we have His promise
God is good

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Truly God is good. Ps.73:1

Something More......

You disappear; a ripple washing up on the vast shore
Here; like a little moment then gone forever more
But all the ripples together form the great big sea
And all the moments make a lifetime and eternity

I feel so small as I view the sea and the sky
My life is but a speck of sand in the eternal eye
Enough, enough of all this useless worry
Tis but a sequence of seasons in one life story

All existence returns at last to sleep within the earth
The daffodil will bloom and die on graves of lost self-worth
The rich and poor together share the same hillside of dirt
The red sun sets upon a silent field of love and hurt

Success and failure lay together in the soil
Kings and beggars take to death the same amount of spoil
God, I am so thankful that you give us something more
The hope of life eternal when this little life is o’er

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

For the wages of sin is death
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom.6:23

Hallelujah!!!!!