Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Unknown

 
 
The unknown; an inevitable strait
All voyages pass through
There is no one who can escape
This ethereal avenue

We stand upon life’s open deck
And sail the roving sea
Only our Captain can predict
What the Unknown will be

Fear not the waves beneath the calm
Fear not the stormy gale
The Captain holds within His palm
The ocean and the sail

© Janet Martin
 

Our understanding at best, O God
Is inadequate and trite
On our own each breath a fraud
And every moment, night

Our perception without Your Spirit
Is blinded ignorance
And Death, O death, how I would fear it
But for deliverance

Your mercy, hope and love fulfills
Your changeless eye of grace
The tempter wears ten-thousand ills
Deceiving human race

Our understanding will ever be
Only what God imbues
Therefore but by His grace go we
On earth-bound avenues

Beyond these briefest stance of Time
Our eyes will see anew
As we behold Love, pure, sublime
Oh God, as we see you

© Janet Martin

Behold the Lamb of God
which takes away the sins of the world. John 1:29

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" -- Jim Elliot

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Royal Wedding

Behold: look yonder
See what breaks the ramparts of the sky
As golden thunder
Sends the stars in showers from on high
Behold; who comes
In royalty on heaven’s mercy seat
With angel legions at his side
Winged creatures at His feet

Behold; what sounds
What fills the air with roar of rushing water?
And who descends
With glory rare in search of Zion’s daughter?
Behold; behold
It is the Lord. Behold the Bridegroom comes
As hallelujah fills the air
His bride is coming home

Behold the Love
He sees her there in linens bright and clean
Behold the blood
That cleansed Her where vile sin-stains once had been
Behold the song
That rends the earth; behold the great I AM
Blessed are those invited to
The wedding of the Lamb’

© Janet Martin

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both great and small!"
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
Rev. 19: 5-9

Four Easter Tankas

While I chose my pride He chose three nails and a cross A spear in his side While rivers of holy blood Poured in streams of redemption *** While I stood with them Scoffing to hide my just fear He gave perfect love As He bowed His thorn-crowned Head Declaring, ‘it is finished’ *** While I stood condemned Jesus signed my redemption With His sacred blood And now all who will believe May have everlasting life… *** (I was going to stop here, but how can I? One more tanka of humble grateful praise) Sing hallelujah Lift your voice in joyful praise Christ reigns forever This King calls us His children All we must do is believe ~Janet Martin~

Grand Privilege


It is no small thing
This privilege we are given
To approach the throne of grace
And God of earth and Heaven
To make our wants and wishes known
And claim His victory as our own

It is no mere thought
That we can freely call
Upon the Name of Christ the Lord
Creator of us all
That He who formed us from the dust
May be the One in whom we trust

When we beckon to Him
It is no casual place
That we approach with love and shame
To kneel in His embrace
But by His holy Blood-drops spilt
He vanquishes our debt of guilt

It is no small thing
This little word called prayer
As He makes intercession
For those groans we cannot air
And there He lavishes on us
The hope we find in Him, JESUS!

© Janet Martin


Pray without ceasing; 1 Thess. 5:17

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26