Have You Seen His Glory?

As He fell upon the ground and cried ‘Oh Father,
All things are possible with Thee
If it were possible, oh Father
Would You let this cup then pass from Me?
Nevertheless, not My will, oh Daddy
But as Thou wilt, oh Father, let it be
As He prayed and cried and wept in agony
Weeping blood-drops there for you and me
Oh tell me, have you seen His glory?

As He was stripped and mocked and scourged and beaten
Spat upon, He watched them bow in scorn
As the courts of men tried God’s holy perfection
And crowned Him with a diadem of thorns
Silently He bore false accusation
Humbly, He answered not a single word
He saw them in their pitiful condition
As they cried ‘Crucify Him’ to the Son of God
Oh tell me, have you seen His glory?

Above the sound of violent hatred screaming
Above the blows of steel ringing on steel
Above the angry thousands surging, teaming
Against the Hands that love, comfort and heal
Comes the sound of a Savior pleading
‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do’
From His gentle hands mercy is bleeding
For the ones who hold the nails and pierce Him through
Oh, tell me, have you seen His glory?

His voice calls out above the groaning sorrow
To where loved ones weep in disbelief
As He beholds them in this hour of horror
He speaks a word of comfort to their grief
And then the Greatest words in all of history
Ring across the rock-strewn field and hill
‘It is finished’ Redemption, hope and victory
Immortal in the yielding of His will
Oh tell me, have you seen His glory?

Janet~


Matthew 26:39 (New International Version, ©2011)
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
This verse struck me profoundly the other night.
The imagery of the perfect Son of God
Falling with His face to the ground
Pleading to His Father….for us!!!!

Remind Me, Oh God

When doubt o’er-whelms me like the dark of the midnight
When hope seems to crash like a wave to the sea
When all of the promises that our God has given
Fade in the gloom of despair’s misery
Remind me, oh Lord, what to do
And turn my eyes back to You

Remind me of the night where You wept crimson blood-drops
As You cried to your Father, ‘not My will be done’
As You prayed, not for Yourself but for Your beloved
Knowing what must be wrought by God’s Son
Knowing that only You could pay the price
For the debt of mankind with love’s sacrifice

Remind me to follow the blood-stained footsteps
As You carried Your cross to the place of the skull
Remind Me that You did not forsake any promise
As you died in the arms of Your Father’s will
Remind me of the price that You paid
As my sin on Your shoulders was laid

Remind me, oh God, through the death of Perfection
We become righteousness through Your blood
Offering our lives as a thankful reflection
Because we are now the children of God
And there’s nothing left for us to do
But to trust and follow You

Janet~

Romans 5:8-11 (New International Version, ©2011)

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Here Am I.....

Maybe it’s just another sunrise
In a sense perhaps that’s what it is
Beautiful wakening of deep skies
But I believe it’s so much more than this
As the glory of a new day hails from high
I hear a mighty Voice say ‘here am I’

Here am I, the Father of compassion
Holding out my offering to you
As the Light rends the dark horizon
Piercing through the veil of somber hue
His power spreads across the morning sky
Flooding the universe, ‘Here am I’

Here am I, with perfect love unfailing
Here am I, the teacher of the sun
Here am I at the glorious unveiling
Of another day of grace for everyone
Look up, look up behold the glowing sky
And the Ruler of the morning, ‘here am I’

Here am I with mercy for a new day
Here am I, oh won’t you follow Me?
Here am I, the one and only true Way
Here am I, God of eternity
Won’t you trust the Painter of the sky?
Oh can’t You hear him saying, ‘here am I’?

Janet~

Lamentations 3-
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

No 'Free' in Freedom

Up the somber, tree-lined street
The steady stream of solemn ranks are led,
As sun-beams dance to the drummer’s beat
Filtering through the branches overhead
Beyond the tears and past the trees
The music of a small child’s laughter swells
Stark contrast to the infantry
Bowing ‘neath the tolling of the bells

Then, as the bag-pipe sound exalts
The melody of sweet Amazing Grace
The banner-covered coffin halts
For it has reached its final resting place
The last note fades, the cannon flies
Echoing across a distant shore
But none as stirring as the mother’s cries
“There’s no ‘free’ in freedom anymore

Put down your banners, lay down your guns
My sweet baby boy has died
Tributes, salutes, many battles won
Won’t bring him back” she cried
“Take away all the roses for nothing will be
Like it ever was before
The price of freedom is too hard for me
There’s no ‘free’ in freedom anymore”

Freedom (part two)

Up the rocky skull-strewn trail
A teaming, screaming throng of hatred surged
Swarming ‘round a form so pale
Upon a place called Calvary they converged
Beyond the tumult, wild and raging
Not a solitary friend is found
Stark contrast to the shouts and praising
As the palm-tree branches decked the ground

Then as the sound of steel on steel
Rings beyond the horror on the hill
As they drive in each cruel nail
‘Gainst the cries of ‘Father, not My will’
And as they raise the blood-stained cross
In victory the maddened thousands roar
As Mary weeps her deepest loss
“There’s no ‘free’ in freedom anymore

Take away your hammers, lay down your swords
My dear precious son has died”
As the lightning flashed and the thunder roared
There at His feet she cried
“Take away all your hatred, your jeers and chanting
For you have slain my Lord
Take away all your weapons, your raging and ranting
There’s no ‘free’ in freedom anymore”

There’s no ‘free’ in freedom, oh what a price
So that we may be set free
There’s no ‘free’ in freedom, love's sacrifice
Is beyond understanding for me
There’s no ‘free’ in freedom, let us value each day
And cherish each living breath
Oh, what a price Jesus Christ had to pay
Our freedom paid by His death

Janet~

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Behold Redemption

Awake, awake and see the One
Who left the glory of His throne
God incarnate though He be
Became a Lamb for you and me
Lift up your eyes from shame and loss
Behold redemption on the cross

Awake, awake and cast aside
The chains of unbelief and pride
Look upon the cross and see
Perfect love’s humility
Paid in full, the debt we owe
As redemption’s blood-streams flow

Awake, awake come as you are
His fullness waits to heal, restore
Oh, see the perfect Lamb of God
As crimson tear-drops stain the sod
The curse of sin will not endure
His blood makes our redemption sure

Janet~

Isa. 52-55

I was reading in Isaiah and needed to re-read
This line multiple times to let its impact sink in…..
‘Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise him…..’ Isa. 53:10
The Lord saw the finished work!!!!


So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. Isa.28:16

Come on, Everybody.....

We call each other sister and brother
And gather to worship the Lord,
We politely smile as we meet in the aisle
As if in sweet accord,
We sit through the preachin’, nod at the teachin’,
Discreetly watchin’ the clock,
But if God hung up charts to reveal our hearts
I believe we would get quite a shock…..

Good grief! Why won’t the preacher sit down?
Does he know how fast restaurants fill up in this town?
Did you notice that Suzie has another new shirt?
She probably needed it to match her new skirt,
Mrs. Parker’s shoes must have cost a mint!
And Freda’s new hairdo makes her look like a kid,
Why can’t we sing a more modern song?
Mrs. Brown says anything but old hymns is wrong,
Why does Hank have such a smug look on his face?
Does he think maybe he owns the place?
COME ON EVERYBODY, LET’S SING A NEW SONG,
WHY CAN’T EVERYBODY JUST GET ALONG?

But still we nod and worship God,
This loving righteous King,
In ‘holy fear’ we gather here
To read His Word and sing,
We join in prayer, the cup we share,
Release to God each grudge,
And we admit there’s nothing hid
From this most righteous Judge…..

But isn’t the guy doing announcements boring?
Maybe that’s why someone behind me is snoring,
He should stop his rambling and ‘cut to the chase’,
Does he realize how much time he wastes?
Does nobody know how to keep it brief?
Oh, he’s sitting down, that’s a relief!
And we’re sitting on benches, though some prefer chairs
And still make mention of it in their prayers,
Which reminds me, they should pray for more discretion,
Last week they allowed a most lengthy confession!
COME ON EVERYBODY, LET’S SING A NEW SONG,
COME ON EVERYBODY, LET’S JUST GET ALONG

The ‘House of Peace’ where worries cease
Then, why all these complaints?
They preach too much on such and such
And not enough to saints,
Too much on his glory, not on the Story
Too little on how we live,
And still we fret ‘bout what we don’t get
Yet never seek to give

Today I’d like to sing a brand new song,
COME ON EVERYBODY, LET’S JUST GET ALONG,
In true humility and with one accord,
COME ON EVERYONE, LET’S WORSHIP THE LORD,
Lift up our voices and gratefully sing
To the God of our choices, Creator and King,
Let’s worship together in Spirit and truth,
It matters not whether we’re aged or youth,
Let God be our focus and not each other,
In true love let’s call ourselves sisters and brothers,
We’ll gather as servants around the Lord’s Table,
Worship in reverence, as long as we’re able,
And sing from our hearts His most worthy song,
SO COME ON EVERYBODY, LET’S GET ALONG

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Yes, it is a re-run from a few years back
but the message still applies:)


This is meant to be
a humorous look at something
that in reality is no
laughing matter.

Be completely humble and gentle;
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity
of the Spirit through the bond of
peace. Eph. 4:2-3

The Only Way....

We’re a band of broken pilgrims
On a journey to a place
Where the only way of entry
Is through Christ’s amazing grace
God’s of earth have naught to offer
That can be sustained in death
But the gift of Christ’s forgiveness
Gives us hope through our last breath

All the vain gods of this old world
Have no merit of their own
But our redemption is unfurled
Through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son
This is our God, three in One
Father, Holy Spirit, Son
Father, Holy Spirit, Son

We’re a band of pardoned pilgrims
Our brokenness will cease
In the moment we reach Heaven
And we see the Prince of Peace
No other god would die to save us
Bear the sorrow of the cross
No other god compares to Jesus
And His love….their boast is loss

All the vain gods of this old world
Are but stubble, wood and stone
But the one God of redemption
Reigns supreme on Heaven’s throne
This is our God, three in One
Father, Holy Spirit, Son
Father, Holy Spirit, Son

Janet~

I am the Lord,
And there is none else
There is no God besides me. Isa.45:5

More of You.....

You seep into me
Like the glow of the sun
You pour into me
Like wild rivers run
You breathe into me
Like a sky of pure blue
And I want to learn more.........
....so much more about You

You reach for me
Through the prayer of a friend
And I feel your touch
Somewhere deep within
The Hand that cradles
The vast ocean blue
Reaches for me…..
And I want more of You

Bright as the morning
Soft as a dove
I feel the wonder
Of Your perfect love
Breathing into me
From out of the blue
And I reach for more…
…so much more of You

The Creator of earth
And heaven above
Fills me with worth
Through His wondrous love
There’s not one thing
That I can do
But reach out for more…..
….so much more of You

Janet~
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-3

A Rich Reward

It takes courage to write the words
That perhaps we would never say
It takes courage to love when it hurts
It even takes courage to pray
It takes courage to rise above
The force that begs our retreat
It takes courage to stay and prove
We will not accept defeat

It takes courage to say ‘I was wrong’
And it takes courage to make it right
It takes courage to remain strong
When temptation dangles its fair delight
It takes courage to stick to the truth
When it would be so much easier to lie
It takes courage to say hello
But far more courage to whisper ‘good-bye’

It takes courage to be a man
It takes courage to be yourself
It takes courage to take a stand
Instead of following every one else
It takes courage to do our best
It takes courage to trust the Lord
But if we do we will be blessed
For courage yields a rich reward

Janet~

The Report: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim.4:7)

The Response: "Well done, good and faithful servant.... Enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21, RSV)

Trying to Grasp...Eternity

The ocean chuckled at my feet
I asked, “What does it feel like to hold
An eternity of turquoise in your palm?”
She looked at me with eyes translucent, sweet
And I’ll never forget the words she told
As her voice grew soft and calm

My hands hold but the merest drop
In light of eternity
If for ten-thousand years the clock would stop
But at the end you stole from me
One tiny drop of water
And this would continue until you could see
The ocean floor and its mystery
One drop every ten-thousand years would be
A day in eternity….

And if I should take as I lap at your feet
One single grain of sand
Then wait for a thousand years to return
For another in my hand
And if I should do this until every grain
In every beach across the world
Was in my palm,
And in the same measure
Return it again until every beach was restored
One grain of sand every thousand years
Until all of the sand is gone
Is simply a breath in eternity
A moment in its sun

The ocean chuckled at my feet
And then looked up at me
“As I am doing all of this,” she asked
“Pray tell, where will you be?”

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

For God so loved the world
That he gave His one and only Son,
That whosoever believes
Should not perish but have
Everlasting life! John 3:16

Fearing God......

We fear You, oh God
Not with the fear
Of hopelessness and damnation
But we fear You
With a reverent awe
For you are the God of salvation

We fear you, Lord
With a holy fear
We worship You and adore
Giving You thanks
As we draw near
For you remember our sin no more

We fear you, oh God
For our righteousness
Is made possible only though You
We fear You, oh Lord
Not as the world
But as a wretched sinner made new

Janet~

Let us draw near with a true heart
In full assurance of faith,
Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
And our bodies washed with pure water
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
Without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Heb. 10:22-23

No Empty Promise.....

When everything within us wants to quit
And the desire to persevere
Has faded with phrases like ‘this is it’
Accompanied with frustration’s tear
When we are o’er-whelmed by this life’s care
We know what we need to do
We need to fall on our knees in prayer
And give it all to You

You did not pose an empty plea
Or a polite invitation
When You said ‘Come unto Me
Ye weary, heavy-laden’
Lord, when we trust and come to You
How greatly we are blessed
What You promise us is true
Oh Lord, You give us rest

Janet~

Come unto Me,
All you who are weary and heavy-laden
And I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn of me
For I am meek and lowly in heart
And you shall find unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matt.11:28-30

Often I Wonder.....

Often I wonder
About a place
They say it’s over yonder
And we’ll see Jesus’ face
No sorrow, no misery
Or heartache there
They say its beauty
Is beyond compare

Out past the stars
And the Milky Way
Jupiter, Mars
We will fly someday
I often wonder
How far it will be
Oh, how far is heaven
From me

It’s hard to imagine
Such a wonderful sight
Heavenly mansions
Where God is the light
I gaze to the heavens
Suddenly I see
It’s not very far
To eternity

There is just one breath
Separating me
Only God knows
When that one breath will be
As I take my last breath
It will open a door
And I won’t have to wonder
Anymore

Janet~

And the city had no need of the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine in it;
for the glory of God did lighten it....Rev. 21:23

Because of Who You Are.....

Because of who You are, oh God
Believers rest secure
Though terror weeps upon the sod
We have a hope that’s sure

Because of who You are, oh God
Though tears of dread may fall
You keep us in each mile we trod
For You are in control

We know who You are, oh God
Though man destroys and kills
You tell us we should fear the One
Who casts lost souls to hell

Because of who You are oh God
The wicked one will fail
You will strike Your holy rod
Evil will not prevail

Because of who You are, oh God
We ought to bend our knee
How short the day of temporal sod
How long eternity

Janet~

And he said, ‘Go thy way, Daniel;
For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Many shall be purified and made white, and tried;
But the wicked shall do wickedly;
And none of the wicked shall understand;
But the wise shall understand. Daniel 12:9-10

Prayer Changes Things....

Oh, dear God I see the news
Desperation and tragedy,
Japan, Lybia, Egypt, and China
Are some of what I hear and see
And as I look with sorrowful heart
I ask, Lord, what can I do or say?
You whisper, dear child you can do your part
You can pray and pray and pray

Janet~

Just as the apostle Paul had never actually
Met the Colossians when he wrote to them
He told them that he prays for them faithfully…..
We can do the same for all of our fellow-men

So we have not stopped praying for you
since we first heard about you.
We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will
and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Col. 1:9

Consider Him......

Consider the lilies that grace the field
And deck the humble sod
Are they not ten-thousand miracles
Flung from the hand of God?
Consider the galactic brilliance
Where earth is but a mere molecule
Yet many deny God’s existence
As they scoff and ridicule

…and consider Love, it cannot be defined
With a logical explanation
Its wonder is above comprehension of mind
For it comes from the God of creation
And just like the intricate human brain
Is beyond man’s understanding
So too we cannot completely explain
Love; free and undemanding

Love was torn from limb to limb
And nailed upon a tree
Yet as His life-blood poured from Him
He sealed death’s victory
Holy, perfect, wonderful
Love cries out ‘it is done’
As sin’s vast debt is paid in full
By Jesus Christ, God’s Son

Janet~

…..consider the lilies of the field, how they grow
They toil not, neither do they spin;
And yet, I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory
Was not arrayed like one of these. Matt.6:28-29

When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
The moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained;
What is man that Thou art mindful of him? Ps. 8:3-4

Consider the work of God.
For who can make straight that which
He has made crooked? Eccles. 7:13

His Precious Peace.....

Dear Father, give me faith enough
To rest upon Your promise
As we accept Your gift of love
You truly do redeem us

How sad to whisper, ‘I believe’
But never in full measure
As doubt desires to deceive
And rob us of His treasure

His treasure being precious peace
He bestows within us
The peace that rests within His grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus

Janet~

Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory,
with exceeding joy,
to the only wise God, our Savior
be glory and majesty, dominion and power
both now and forever.
Jude 24-25

Tears...........

Oh God, how oft we shed our tears
Upon life’s narrow road
They represent both joys and fears
Discouragement and hope
But there is not a tear that falls
That escapes Your gaze
Oh Lord God, You see them all
As they stream down our face

Oh God, just once You shed Your blood
Upon a cruel cross
Crimson teardrops poured in love
For man’s most hopeless loss
And now, though weary tears may flow
As life’s suffering we view
There is no suffering we may know
That You did not suffer too

As we bow before You then
And pour our hearts to You
Your Spirit speaks from deep within
To comfort and renew
For You will never leave our side
Your changeless love is sure
Just once You shed Your blood and died
So we may be secure

Oh Lord God, in this confidence
Keep us strong and steady
We know not when You’ll come again
We need but to be ready
You have promised in your Word
As we meet You someday
You will banish every hurt
And wipe our tears away

Janet~

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Re. 21:4


It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Pet. 3:17

He Touched me

He touched me
I didn’t deserve it but at Calvary
Grace is free
For everyone and there He touched me
Oh, thank-you Jesus, for salvation

He touched me
Through the arms of a friend
When I was lonely
Through someone else He touched me
Oh, thank-you Jesus, for my friend

He touched me
I was sorry for my sin
He forgave me
Through blood shed on Calvary
Oh, thank-you Jesus for forgiving me

He touched me
And He’ll never let me go
He has promised this
And what He says is so
Thank-you Jesus, for your promises

Janet~

There is therefore now
no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8:1

No Other Gods......

Ah, yes indeed you must worship
And you will
But, come and I will show you
What lies beyond this hill
If you work another hour
And you buy another field
You will increase your power
By the wealth that it will yield
Yes, He is good but look o’er yonder
‘Better’ lies in wait for you
Why do you yet stand here and ponder
When there is so much to do
Eat, drink and be merry longer
Time enough for bowing then
I can make you bigger, stronger
I make fools of mighty men
But still you crave my subtle offerings
As I watch you bow before
The worthless idols you are serving
And the gods that you adore……..

Janet~

For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are—yet he did not sin. Heb.4:15

Tekel.....

If God withdrew from our hands
Our longings and our passions
And laid them out across the sands
In true and honest fashion
If He revealed without disguise
Our innermost desires
And spread them out across the skies
To test them with His fires
If every hour of yesterday
Were painted like a story
And set up high in bold display
Where would lie the glory?
If He then asked ‘who is our God’
Would we reply with pleasure?
‘You, God, you’re the only One’
Would it belie our treasure?

Janet~

Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Ex.20:3

Tekel; You have been weighed in the scales and found wanting. Daniel 5:27

Exchange......

Why do we look to the things of this world
To find hope for our misery?
There is a banner of love unfurled
If we open our eyes to see
Why do we give an exchange for our soul
The pleasures of life’s fleeting things?
There is a love that will make us whole
Beyond all that this short life brings

Why do we dig through the spoil and the rust
To find us a treasure to hold?
When there is a love in which we can trust
With value beyond temporal gold
Why do we seek for comfort and joy
On fields dark with sin and grief
Ruled by one who roams to destroy
And blinds us in unbelief?

Why, oh why do we cast aside
The Hand that held the nail?
As for all humanity He died
With a love that will never fail
Why do choose in His holy place
The offerings of sin and lust
Turning away from His saving grace
Trading Him for a mound of dust

Janet~

For where your treasure is
There will your heart be also. Matt.6:21

For what is a man profited if he
Shall gain the whole world
And lose his own soul,
Or what shall a man give
In exchange for his soul?

Matt.16:26

Awakening.....

Beyond the distant fringes of this vast and slumbering nation
Beyond the rosy tinges of the dawn
Beyond the boundless limits of a wondrous creation
Beyond the lines that human hands have drawn
There is a Hand, an unseen Hand
Which holds a slender chord
As nature bows to His command
In awe of Heaven's Lord

Beyond the subtle moments when the night-time fades away
And shadow yields to heaven's golden brush
Beyond the coral brilliance as the midnight turns to day
Melting darkness in its softened hush
Beyond this blue there is a Hand
Stirring this sleeping nation
Supremacy crowns His command
Lord of all creation

As here and there a humble soul responds to His awakening
And here and there a thankful heart is stirred
Here and there a trusting heart renews a firm ambition
Another day of grace to serve the Lord
Oh, one day soon this unseen Hand
Will move with power unshaken
And every soul across this land
On that great morn shall waken

Janet~

...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another in love. Ephes. 3:1-3

My Mission....

Dear Lord, let my mission
For each day be
Not what I can do for You
But what You can do through me

Janet~