Coram Deo

Before the face of God we stand, He knows the hearts of men

He knows our every secret our desires and every sin

He knows the plans that He has made to cover us with grace

And so we boldly stand before His throne, before His face,

The eyes that saw creation’s birth and in His image made

This dust into a living being, earth’s good foundations laid

Made to enjoy His presence, ever glorious, ever to gaze

Upon the Holy Three in One and to ever seek His face

Bridge

Lord we desire your presence more than all else that you give

To dwell within your righteousness forever there to live

Now upon Your power and glory we may turn our gaze

As souls a-thirsting after the smile upon Your  face

So many times we stray away and so we must return

To our loving Father once His hard lesson we learn

And so we will pursue Him though the prodigal path we’ve trod

And seek the ever loving ever holy face of God

So purify your hearts you sinners and to Him draw near

And He will draw near to you, who have a holy fear

We rest within His favor when we apprehend His grace

With clean hands and a pure heart we will seek His face

And so we will pursue Him though the prodigal path we’ve trod

And seek the ever loving, ever holy face of God

We seek the ever loving, ever holy face of God

We stand before the ever loving, holy face of God

Psalm 105:4; 2 Chron 7:14; James 4:8; Luke 15:11-32; Heb 4:16

Psalm 24:3-6; Psalm 63:1-3; Numbers 6:25; Psalm 80:3, 7, 19

Jeremiah 29:11

February 24, 2024

Anthony Foster

Truth and Love

The truth is all compassion

They never are at odds

If we follow fashion

Our will and not God’s 

We will walk in real error

This is no slight mistake

So in our soul’s sinbearer

We must walk for His name’s sake

As we weep with those who weep

Taste the grace the Lord  imparts

If we lead with mercy we will keep

The trust that guards our hearts

No compromise will attain

Results that are not sin

If the Father’s will we will fain

The truth we’ll try to bend.

So love and truth are married

One purpose and one flesh

They give birth to a varied

Grace that flows ever fresh

An action that’s of pity born

Abounds in steadfast love

And as we mourn with those who mourn

Mercy flows from above…

February 26, 2024

Anthony Foster

The Fullness of Christ

Oh we feel the wonder that we’ve received

Grace upon Grace from the fullness of Christ

In every moment  blessings are conceived

From the fullness of His sacrifice.

Oh feel His fullness now overflow

Nothing could be sweeter than this

Than know that we know that we know

Such infinite moments of bliss…

Pursuing our God for His glory

We will find the  fine pearl of great price

Astonished we’re part of God’s story

Filled with joy at the fullness of Christ!

Fullness divine boundless and free

Drenching our souls with God’s grace

Rooted in rock-solid reality

Anywhere, any time, any place

In this fullness we are made complete

In Christ, fullness of Deity dwells

We find fullness of life at His mercy seat

Where with fullness of blessing we’re filled

Pursuing our God for His glory

We will find the  fine pearl of great price

Astonished we’re part of the story

Full of joy at the fullness of Christ

John 1:14, 16; Mt. 13:45-46; Eph 3:19; 4:13; Col 2:9-12

February 22, 2024

Anthony Foster

Wintersong (They Speak of Thee)

The summer breeze-The gentle rain

Beflowered fields and birds on the wing

The moonlit nights-this truth is plain

The Lord above made everything

You send out Your command to the world;

Your word goes forth and swiftly runs

Your crystal flakes are downward hurled

The shards of ice like crystal crumbs;

Whether hot or cold, -Deep or high, -Bright or dark-What e’re they be

Sharp or blunt, -Or loud or quiet, -Your creations sing-They speak of Thee

Your eternal power and divinity, The heavens shout, They speak of Thee; 

Declaring your glory For all to see They speak of Thee They speak of Thee

You give snow like whitened wool;

Like ashes.You scatter the frost 

Who can stand before Your cold?

Your word melts them, and they are lost

You make your mighty four winds blow 

They speak of Thee, they speak of thee

You make the peaceful waters flow.

They speak of Thee, they speak of thee

Whether hot or cold, -Deep or high, -Bright or dark-What e’re they be

Sharp or blunt, -Or loud or quiet, -Your creations sing-They speak of Thee

The heavens shout, They speak of TheeYour eternal power and divinity

Declaring your glory For all to see They speak of Thee They speak of Thee

Psalm 147:15–18 after a Piper devotional

February 21, 2024

Anthony Foster

 . . . don’t toy with me. I am God. I made all these things. 

At the Reckoning

Set your hope fully upon the grace

That in Christ Jesus will be revealed

At His coming we will see Him face to face

And our infirmities will be healed

Set your hope fully upon the grace

To be fully delivered to us

When our Lord in Glory comes to this place

To gather His sheep and fulfill our trust

At the reckoning, Hope is beckoning

There is no condemnation now or then to bear

At the reckoning, at our quickening

We shall rise and meet our Savior in the air

Then forever in Christ’s kingdom we shall share…

Set your mind fully upon the grace

That will every blessing provide 

When in pure rapture we finish our race

With the Lord we’ll forever abide

Set your mind fully upon the grace

That will glorify us in the end

All that is weak in us shall be replaced

When our Warrior King shall descend

Bridge

Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus

Come quickly Lord, Come Lord Jesus

Maranatha, Maranatha!

Come quickly Lord, Come Lord Jesus!

At the reckoning, Hope is beckoning

There is no condemnation now or then to bear

At the reckoning, at our quickening

We shall rise and meet our Savior in the air

Then forever in Christ’s kingdom we shall share…

Forever in Christ’s kingdom we shall share…

1 Peter 1:13; Revelation 22:20; 1 Corinthians 16:22

February 8, 2024

Anthony Foster

In Obscurity

I would seek to live, my whole life to give

All that’s in me all that I am

So may I decrease and may Christ increase

Till God’s glory fills the land

I would fain all fame for the sake of your name

Where you plant me I will grow

With self crucified and set free from pride

All my end I’ll surely know.

For he is no fool, it’s the wise one who’ll

Give away what he can’t keep

In exchange to gain what’s not sown in vain

What he’ll never lose, he will reap.

For He died for all who will heed His call

To take refuge at His throne

For His own name’s sake, whatever it may take

To live is Christ and Christ alone.

In obscurity I may come to see

To be abased is to abound

To be fully blessed by Christ’s faithfulness

For in losing, life is found!

For he is no fool, it’s the wise one who’ll

Give away what he can’t keep

In exchange to gain what’s not sown in vain

What he’ll never lose, he will reap.

In obscurity I may come to see

To be abased is to abound

To be fully blessed by Christ’s faithfulness

For in losing, life is found!

February 8, 2024

Anthony Foster 

The Power of Grace

Take heart you who struggle

Take heart you who fail

Your trials won’t define you

For Christ will prevail.

Take heart oh you sinner

Take hope in what you face

The Lord will preserve you

With the power of Grace.

For the Power of Grace is the Power divine

The gift of your Father who is good and kind

It overcomes evil and death in its wake

The power of Grace attains for His name’s sake.

For grace is sufficient 

In grace, persevere

God’s timing is perfect

So child do not fear

Your wrestling with worry

Yields nothing at all

But the power of Grace

Will lift you when you fall.

Bridge

Grace is God’s favor so undeserved

Unmerited mercy given without reserve

But Grace is also power to overcome

No force can resist it when the day is done.

For the Power of Grace is the Power divine

The gift of your Father who is good and kind

It overcomes evil and death in its wake

The power of Grace attains for His name’s sake.

February 7, 2024

Anthony Foster