Love Climbed the Hill

Love broke the bread
Died in my stead
and bore the cross for me 

Love took wrath's cup 
and drank it up. 
It's empty now for me. 

Love climbed the hill 
fulfilled God's will 
and suffered there for me. 

Love cried out loud 
before the crowd. 
Laid down His life for me. 

Jesus bowed His head 
until He was dead 
so that I might go free.

Love's Endeavor

Each piercing blow the hammer made

Reverberated terror.
His only son had been betrayed.
They'd made a fatal error.

Each drop of blood, so precious, shed;
Like tears of crushing sorrow,
Was filling me with horrid dread.
How could I face tomorrow?

He strained to take each painful breath.
I prayed his pain was ending.
Please help him find relief in death,
A certain course impending.

I heard him cry, "My God! My God!
Oh, why have you forsaken?"
I felt a shameful guilt, so odd;
My very soul was shaken.

The sun had lost the will to shine.
With strength almost diminished;
He spoke these words with voice divine,
A final, "It is finished."

The author of creation died
And all creation trembled.
It seemed the earth in sorrow, sighed
Against the crowd assembled.

As death received his only Son
The chains of death were broken,
For everything their hate had done
Was just what God had spoken.

The grave held glory from above
Until the time appointed,
But evil couldn't stop the love
Of God's one true anointed.

There must have been a mighty fuss
For death was left to cower.
Lord Jesus Christ returned to us
By resurrection's power.

You see, this all was in his plan
To change the world forever.
The endless gulf from God to man
Was spanned by love's endeavor.

My Friend

How oft have I come unto you my friend?
Arms open wide, eternity’s embrace?
Do you not know I’m with you till the end?
Each day you can partake of my true grace?

I stand by the water’s edge in your squall
Hoping you’ll see me through waves and rain
I’ll lift you to your feet after each fall
If you will take my hand in yours again

I pour out heaven’s light upon your head
I heal each weary heart and threadbare soul
When I am not near, others in my stead
Will work with you and help you to be whole

How oft have I come unto you my friend?
Do you not know I’m with you till the end?

A Redemption Reflection

Glad, glad for grace; no work can boast
Hope’s miracle Love-wrought
Salvation is God’s gracious gift;
Man’s redemption blood-bought

Thankful, thankful, God’s offering
Sin’s supreme sacrifice
The righteousness of man attained
Through righteousness of Christ

Where once for all our All in all
Annulled at Calvary
The debt we owed; His grace alone
Sets sin-cursed sinners free

Hope fixates on a blood-stained cross
Faith on an empty grave
He died then rose again; our gain
The loss He came to brave

The gift of God, the peace of God
Sealed when the King of kings
Left His throne to secure for us
The Hope salvation brings

Passed Quietly, the Waters By

The river stones were gathered 'round.
Their speeches and their words profound.
They thought they were the best on earth -
had much more value, much more worth.

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

The rugged stones had bragged aloud
below a soft and puffy cloud,
"We're mean and tough and really cool.
We are the best but you're a fool."

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

"Huge trees? No match for guys like us!
You cannot answer nor discuss.
Our claims of greatness can't be beat.
This is our club - the great elite."

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

A tiger laid on rocky ledge
and peered below to river's edge.
The river stones looked way up there.
They were not scared. They didn't care.

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

They laughed at the moon and at the sun.
They laughed until the day was done.
They laughed at all that they could see.
They even laughed at you and me.

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

One year they gasped and looked around.
The change in them was quite profound.
The years brought change that none could soothe.
Those stones were now, not rough, but smooth.

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

Most hadn't known just what took place.
Not many learned of God's good grace.
That it was His undying love
that showered down from up above,
that brought the rainbow and the rain,
that flowed downstream to ease the pain
of each and ev'ry hard, rough stone
so they might learn and might atone.

Passed quietly, the waters by.
Most stones just laughed and wondered why...

Love's Endeavor

Each piercing blow the hammer made
Reverberated terror.
His only son had been betrayed.
They'd made a fatal error.

Each drop of blood, so precious, shed;
Like tears of crushing sorrow,
Was filling me with horrid dread.
How could I face tomorrow?

He strained to take each painful breath.
I prayed his pain was ending.
Please help him find relief in death,
A certain course impending.

I heard him cry, "My God! My God!
Oh, why have you forsaken?"
I felt a shameful guilt, so odd;
My very soul was shaken.

The sun had lost the will to shine.
With strength almost diminished;
He spoke these words with voice divine,
A final, "It is finished."

The author of creation died
And all creation trembled.
It seemed the earth in sorrow, sighed
Against the crowd assembled.

As death received his only Son
The chains of death were broken,
For everything their hate had done
Was just what God had spoken.

The grave held glory from above
Until the time appointed,
But evil couldn't stop the love
Of God's one true anointed.

There must have been a mighty fuss
For death was left to cower.
Lord Jesus Christ returned to us
By resurrection's power.

You see, this all was in his plan
To change the world forever.
The endless gulf from God to man
Was spanned by love's endeavor.

Rev. Billy Graham, The

One-half a century ago,
a day about routine,
became one quite spectacular
for boy about thirteen...

A faithful black and white TV
had doors that opened wide,
inviting all to sit a'spell
and watch what was inside.

Once on, dad had to turn a knob
for vertical control.
And then the horizontal one
in that tube-filled console.

A strong determined voice was heard
by boy and everyone.
Then picture tube came into view
with all fine-tuning done.

And what he saw astonished him -
so many people there.
Packed full, a football stadium.
He saw no empty chair.

"Evangelist", dad said he was.
He was straightforward, bold -
and not ashamed to preach the Word.
A 'someone' to behold.

A well-read Bible always would
lay open in his hand.
Not like today where gadgets live
and kids don't understand.

But why did people love this man?
What caused his flock to grow?
What special thing did this man have?
At first, he didn't know.

But when the cam'ra zoomed, he saw
a tear run down his face -
while speaking of the love of God
and His amazing grace.

Embarrassed, he was not at all.
He loved those people there.
He cared about their fragile souls
A man like that is rare.

"Just As I Am" was always sung
as invitation song.
A score of people always came
with lines to alter, long.

That little boy had learned a lot
in front of that TV.
He gave his life to Jesus too
and God had set him free!

Before this story poem ends
there's one more thing to know -
I still remember that young boy
so many years ago.

1 John 4:19

” We love him, because he first loved us.”