Thorn in the Flesh

 

I’ve a thorn in the flesh

Troubles come, ever fresh

For my strength never passes the test

This troublesome thorn

From the day I was born

Keeps me down on my face where I’m blessed

The thorn in this case

Is an entry to grace

A gift that presents now as pain

For here in my need

My Lord intercedes

And His presence and power attains

What this life requires I could never afford

For my resources fail constantly 

My limitations do not limit my Lord

Nor the mystery He works in me

The foolishness I nurse

Is disguising a curse

Leaves me undone and my sin confessing

But He forgives my sins

And my heart He will cleanse

For the thorns become  platforms for blessing

So the thorn is a grace

That drives me to embrace

The one who is my righteousness

For in suffering’s revealed 

The wounds that will heal

In my weakness I’ll boast that I’m blessed

What this life requires i could never afford

For my resources fail constantly 

My limitations do not limit my Lord

Nor the mysteries He works in me

By these mercies my heart is refreshed

These Blessed thorns in the flesh...

These Blessed thorns in the flesh...

2 Cor  11:30, 12:9

Anthony Foster

August 1, 2022

Romans 6

 

Anthony sez, Romans 6 is probably the text in the Bible I return to more often than any other point in Scripture. Every verse is life changing. Maybe you are like me: I constantly have to be reminded of what I already know. I have the following written in the flyleaf of my Bible, all point starting with an "R" to help me remember: By the power of the Holy Spirit, we have to Reckon Reality Rightly, then we have two choices: Reject the Truth or Receive the Truth: If the latter we will be moved to Repent, then Reject Sin's Reign, and Render oneself as a Righteous instrument to GOD. Then we step into the Reconciliation and Restoration found in God's Reality. Then Remember and Recount this truth as we live coram Deo- before the face of God. I am reminded of the words of an old Keith Green song: "I was lost in a fantasy that blinded me- until your love broke through." Remember: God gets to define reality, not man.... Here is a verse that turned in to song that I wrote in 2003-

Holy Sacrifice

Reckon the realities

Of all of our God’s mercies

Then reject the reign of sin

And the lies that draw you in

Render to the Lord instead

Body, soul, and heart and head

As instruments of righteousness

Presented to Him as you confess

Offer a living sacrifice

Pleasing now to God in Christ

This is worship that makes sense

A spiritual act as evidence

Not to the world to be conformed

Renew your mind and be transformed.

Then you will yourself be the proof

Of His mercies and His Truth

Good and pleasing, perfect too

Is the plan He has for you.

Romans 6:13, 12:1-2

Anthony Foster January 25, 2003

From Dust to Glory

The best days are ahead beyond when we’ve died

Death is not the end of the story

We’ll be suddenly  completely satisfied

When we are changed from dust to glory

 For then in Christ’s likeness we one day awake

And arise to His image conformed

Our glorification complete for Christ’s sake

For His glory we shall be transformed

This prison of clay will be remade anew

We’ll be fitted for eternity

Our hope is fulfilled for His promise is true

And His face with new eyes we will see

Then our deepest desires shall be satisfied 

And with joy we shall be made complete

For to our Sin we will have totally died

In His presence in awe  at His feet

To know as we are known

To bless as we are blessed

And we shall be like Him

This is our trust and test

To love as we are loved

In Him we shall then rest

And we shall be like Him

And we shall be like Him

To stand in your majestic beauty arrayed

With your glorious light then adorned

This then is the promise for which we have prayed

And your children of dust are transformed

To know as we are known

To bless as we are blessed

And we shall be like Him

This is our trust and test

To love as we are loved

In Him we shall then rest

And we shall be like Him

And we shall be like Him

July 25, 2022

Anthony Foster

In Your Presence, at Your Feet

Your great name we now confess

As we stand in awe of holiness

Set  apart in Your righteousness

And our joy shall be complete 

In Your presence, at Your feet

As we approach the throne of grace

As we seek to see you face to face

Devastate us in this place

For sin’s ruin shall be complete

In Your presence, at Your feet.

At the throne we understand

Pardon proclaimed by Your command

So now we may boldly stand

There before the mercy seat

In Your presence at Your feet.

What was shadow now is light

What was wrong  is now made right

What was faith now becomes sight

For hope has become obsolete

In Your presence at Your feet.

(Key change)

All our longings and desire

Are consumed in Your holy fire

Lifting us up higher and higher

Our broken image now complete

In Your presence at Your feet.

There where justice and mercy meet

In Your presence at Your feet

Hebrews 9:3-5, 1 Cor 13:12, Isaiah 6:4-5; Hebrews 4:16 

July 26,2022

Anthony Foster

 

Your Great Grace

My Jesus, my Lord and my Savior

Lord Jesus You are gracious and True

All of my days I want to bring praise

And give you the worship  you are due

I worship you Lord for you’re worthy

Your majesty I can’t comprehend 

The infinite wonders of your love

Your mercy and love shall never end

For your great grace empowers faith

Your great grace empowers hope

Your great grace empowers love

Eternity lies in its scope

In your presence there is fullness of joy; 

Your presence is what I  am called to live for

Your presence is ours to enjoy

At your right hand are pleasures forevermore 

Forever here in your embrace

I will trust in Your Great Grace

You are my sure shelter and refuge

My tower of power when I’m weak

The wonders of Your grace astound me 

With all that’s in me your face I seek

And your great grace empowers faith

Your great grace empowers hope

Your great grace empowers love

Eternity lies in its scope

In your presence there is fullness of joy; 

Your presence is what I  am called to live for

Your presence is ours to enjoy

At your right hand are pleasures forevermore 

Forever here in your embrace

I will trust in Your Great Grace

Psalm 16:11 

July 23, 2022

Anthony Foster

Dirt for Diamonds

I will give up hay and stubble

And the  things of this poor earth

And no matter what the trouble

I’ll live for what has True worth

Everything not done in faith is sin

It’s dung and it is dross

The fantasies of dead men

Will only suffer loss.

I will give up dirt for diamonds

Time for eternity

I will give up passing pleasures 

For the treasures meant for me

I will seek the  pearl of great price 

I will fain all vain pursuits

I’ll become a living sacrifice

And bear God’s righteous fruits

Bridge

The grass withers and flowers fade 

If mountains crumble I won’t be swayed

God’s love is a never ending story

He will make me a vessel for  glory! 

I will give up dirt for diamonds

Time for eternity

I will give up passing pleasures 

For the treasures meant for me

Anthony Foster

July 14, 2022

One Voice

 

So many voices in our heads

So many voices, so many voices

I’ve often listened to what they’ve said

And made some fatal choices

Voices competing to be heard

They will shout your senses down

Chaos confounds the more sure word

Until by the voices we are bound

There is one voice that is true

He is the voice to listen to

He will take you through

He will take you through

Voices are shouting everywhere

They will lead me astray

Telling me lies I want to hear

Taking my peace away

Voices  that argue with my soul

Tempting me with their lies

Compelling with a lesser goal

To turn my heart from what is wise

There is one voice that is true

He is the voice to listen to

He will take you through

He will take you through

Bridge: All we like sheep have gone astray

Many wild ways we have roamed

We have gone every one to his own way

But there is a voice that will lead us home

There is one voice that is true

He is the voice to listen to

He will take you through

He will take you through

He will take you through

He will take you through

John 10:27-30

July 7, 2022

Anthony Foster

Take Refuge From the Road

The road is rough and steep

It's narrow and it's deep

We wonder and we weep

On this peculiar pilgrim way

There is shelter from the storm

Where to  Christ we’ll be conformed

And our life He will transform

When we fall on our knees and pray

Chorus

So lay down your heavy load

All those bad seed that you  sowed

Take the  grace He has bestowed

Come take refuge from the road

On the devil’s detours we limp along

Where each turn we take is wrong

The winds we face are strong

And we need a place to rest

There’s a change must come within

Thus has it ever been

As we leave behind our sin

At His table we are blessed

Bridge

We’ll journey on-till our day is done

Traveling through a wearisome land

We’ll take shelter in the Son

We will rest within God’s hand.

Chorus

So lay down your heavy load

The trouble you’ve borrowed

Take the grace He has bestowed

Come take refuge from the road

Come take refuge from the road

Come take refuge from the road

July 6, 2022

Anthony Foster

Fear Not, Little Flock

Fear not little flock

Take heart till your loss becomes gain

Fear not little flock

Inherit the kingdom and you shall reign

Fear not little flock

Your shepherd is here to defend

Fear not little flock

His providence is without end

To give you the Kingdom

Is your Father’s good pleasure

Every blessing is yours

If He is your treasure

Fear not little flock

Set your feet upon the Rock

Fear not…

Fear not little flock

The sheep-gate is open, rejoice! 

Fear not little flock

Come follow when  you hear His voice

To give you the Kingdom

Is your Father’s good pleasure

Every blessing is yours

If He is your treasure

Fear not little flock

Set your feet upon the Rock

Fear not…

Luke 12:32

Anthony Foster

July 2, 2022

 

Tremble

Oh look to me oh Lord as I pray

As I reckon with the truth that I have heard

Teach me to walk  the broken way

Lord I will tremble at your word...

Devastate my heart, and make me wise  

Till I am humble and contrite

A broken spirit you will not despise

Lord in my prayers I pray you will delight

I am so very far from your ideal

I am one unholy, broken mess

But as your presence you reveal

I find myself undone by holiness!

 

Lord I would listen as you call

I would answer quickly as you speak

I would worship You as all in all

A living sacrifice is what you seek

Make me upright as I stand in awe

Make me humble as my heart is stirred

I am weak but near to you I’ll draw

Lord I will tremble at your word

“This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” 

(Isaiah 66:2; Psalm 51:17)

June 18, 2022

Anthony Foster

We Bear the Marks of Mercy

 

Christ bore our sins upon the cross

Our griefs  and sorrows He bore

Jesus bears witness to the truth

That  lives forevermore

We bear the marks of mercy

We bear the gift of grace

We bear the fruit of righteousness

As we sojourn in this place

As we bear each others burdens

Christ’s sufferings we share

To God’s glory we  bear much fruit

As compassion lifts each prayer

We bear the marks of mercy

We bear the gift of grace

We bear the fruit of righteousness

As we sojourn in this place

Bridge

Lord your yoke is easy Your burden is light

Your grace is sufficient As we fight the good fight

You turn mourning to dancing When we’re suffering

The weight of your glory Yields hope as we sing

We bear the marks of mercy

We bear the gift of grace

We bear the fruit of righteousness

As we sojourn in this place

1 Peter 2:24

John 15:8

Isaiah 53:4

June 10, 2022

Anthony Foster

We Will Trim Our Lamps

We set all illusions and delusions aside

As Satan mounts his assault against the bride

But though the world, the flesh and the devil may assail

The Lord of Hosts who is our King will return to prevail

We will trim our lamps and await our King

We will persevere and to hope we'll cling

We will watch and wait while His Kingdom  comes

We will fight the fight till the victory's won

For the thief in the night is coming

You can see his day is dawning

Soon and very soon he will return

For that day we hope for that day we yearn

Satan rages on, Satan presses his attack

We will not succumb, we will not hold back

We declare the  truth  and the word we'll  tell

So to overcome the very gates of hell

So we'll run the race, we will watch and pray

We know not the hour it may be today

For the blessed hope is a promise sure

While we hold on fast we will endure

We will not be led astray!

For the thief in the night is coming,

You can see his day is dawning

Soon and very soon he will return

For that day we hope for that day we yearn

Yes,  the thief in the night is coming,

You can see his day is dawning

Soon and very soon He will return

For that day we hope for that day we yearn

Matthew 25:7

June 8, 2022

Anthony Foster

Confession

Oh Jesus please forgive my sin

This woeful state I’m drowning in

Strengthen me to rejoice here

Teach me Lord to persevere

I am stagnant, I am weak

Give me eyes so I may seek

To set my mind on things above

Jesus teach me perfect love

Jesus I come to confess

My unbelief, your righteousness

Let me find you in my distress

Give me faith  and nothing less…

I Lord renew my murky mind

Till your light again I find

A new creation you have made

But even so this lamb has strayed

Lord have mercy this I pray

Step by step and day by day

Help me Lord to overcome

Until I see your will be done.

Jesus I come to confess

My unbelief, your righteousness

Let me find you in my distress

Give me faith  and nothing less…

Anthony Foster

June 6, 2022

Eternal Weight of Glory

The road is rough  and steep The narrow way calls as we  weep

I ache because, because I am- It is part of the righteous plan

In the fellowship of suffering We learn to groan as we sing.

Affliction is hard to bear We know life is not fair

We cry out in our pain Hoping loss will become gain

In the fellowship of suffering We become a living offering.

But this is not the end of the story-

This is how we learn to trust

God is working an eternal weight of glory-

As we hope against hope here in the dust

We learn to die for die we must.

Our days are full of grief Tempted unto unbelief

Amidst our  very pain Christ will verily sustain 

In the fellowship of suffering Death no longer has its sting

Now we shall be transformed Unto His death conformed

As we come this truth to know We will truly come to grow

In the fellowship of His suffering We find shelter ‘neath His wing.

Through suffering we persevere -Character will make us wise

God invests hope in every tear-And we shall see hope arise

Our hope of glory never dies-This glorious prize, let hope arise

For this is not the end of the story

This is how we learn to trust

God is working an eternal weight of glory

As we hope against hope here in the dust

As we learn to die for die we must.

Phil 3:10; Romans 5:1-5

June 5, 2022

Anthony Foster