The Avenger

High as the heav'ns above the ground

Reigns our Creator, God;

Wide as the whole creation's bound

Extends his awful rod.

Then let the rulers of this globe

Not dare to plague the just;

He puts on vengeance like a robe,

And treads their bones to dust.

God will give justice to his elect,

who cry to him day and night?

Will he delay long over them?

He will swiftly make it right!

Ye judges of the earth, be wise,

And think of heav'n with fear;

The meanest saint that you despise

Has an avenger there.

Know that his kingdom is supreme,

Your lofty thoughts are vain;

No matter what you dream and scheme

Your death is still ordained

God will give justice to his elect,

who cry to him day and night?

Will he delay long over them?

He will swiftly make it right!

For them there is no mercy seat

He will own their every crown,

He’ll trample them beneath his feet,

And cast their glories down.

The Lord God will avenge his saints

God's wrath will see them slain

Vengeance belongs to God alone

He does not bear the sword in vain.

God will give justice to his elect,

who cry to him day and night?

Will he delay long over them?

He will swiftly make it right!

Romans 13:4; Luke 18:7-8

After Isaac Watts
Anthony Foster
July 31, 2018

Unshakeable Faith

Lord let me be shaken

Let my resources be taken

If it means I may gain an unshakeable faith

Stress me to the limit

As long as you are in it

If it means I may gain an unshakeable faith

When my faith is threatened and tested

And stretched to the point it might break

The result is greater endurance

He forms steadfast faith for His name’s sake

Take what is feeble and frail

Steadfast faith will never fail

Oh Lord may I gain an unshakeable faith

It is on God alone we rely

He raises the dead though we die.

Oh Lord may I gain an unshakeable faith

Bridge:

Whom have I in heaven but you?

There’s nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

But steadfast faith will prevail

For God is the strength of my heart

God is the strength of my heart

God is the strength of my heart

And my portion forever and ever

So keep it strong and pure

Steadfast faith will endure

Oh Lord build in me an unshakeable faith

Take every voice I might heed

For Jesus will be all that we need.

Oh Lord may I gain an unshakeable faith

Oh Lord build in me an unshakeable faith

Oh Lord build in me an unshakeable faith

James 1:2–3

Psalm 73:25–26

Anthony Foster

July 31, 2018

Sovereign Call

In darkness souls are languishing

Our sin, how deep it stains!

And Satan binds man’s captive minds

Fast in his weighty chains.

But there's a voice of sovereign grace

Sounds from the sacred word:

Come to me, sinners in despair

And trust upon the Lord!

Each soul that obeys His sovereign call,

May run to this relief;

I would believe your promise, Lord;

O help my unbelief!

Chorus:

I hear your sovereign call Lord

I rise at your command

I hear and heed your sovereign call

Write my name upon your hand!

I hear your sovereign call Lord

You chose to seek and save

You give the grace to follow you

Just as you raised me from my grave!

So to the fountain of your blood,

Incarnate God, I fly;

Here let me wash my spotted soul

From crimes of deepest dye.

Stretch out your arm, victorious King

My reigning sins subdue;

Drive the old dragon from his seat,

And give me life anew

This guilty, weak, and helpless dust,

On your kind arms I fall;

Now be my King of righteousness,

My Jesus, be my ALL!

Chorus:

I hear your sovereign call Lord

I rise at your command

I hear and heed your sovereign call

Write my name upon your hand!

I hear your sovereign call Lord

You chose to seek and save

You give the grace to follow you

Just as you raised me from my grave!

After Isaac Watts

Anthony Foster

July 31, 2018

Pardon Me

Though your mighty guilt extends Low as the deeps of hell:

And has its cursed foundations laid Within your soul as well

See here an endless ocean flows See never-failing grace increase;

Behold a dying Savior's veins The sacred flood release.

It rises high, and drowns the hills, Has neither shore nor bound:

Now, if we search to find our sins, Our sins can ne'er be found.

Awake, our hearts, adore the grace That buries all our faults;

And pard'ning blood, that swells above Our follies and our thoughts.

Chorus: Lord pardon me, pardon me, pardon me, pardon me

Forgive my sins and cleanse my soul And set my spirit free

The guilty wretch that trusts thy blood Finds pardon at the cross;

The sinful soul, averse to God, To gain Christ Counts all as loss.

He makes the great salvation known, He speaks of pardoned sins;

While grace divine, and heav'nly love, with its glory enters in,

Yes we are washed in Jesus' blood, We're pardoned through his name;

And the good Spirit of our God Has sanctified our shame.

He renews our mind and heals our heart and devastates our pride,

The law gives sin its damning power; But Christ, my ransom, died.

Chorus: Lord pardon me, pardon me,pardon me, pardon me

Forgive my sins and cleanse my soul And set my spirit free

The guilty wretch that trusts thy blood Finds pardon at the cross;

The sinful soul, averse to God, To gain Christ Counts all as loss.

Bridge:

Lord, how secure and blest are they

Who feel the joys of pardoned sin!

Should storms of wrath shake earth and sea,

Their minds have peace within.

Lord, I believe thy heav'nly word, I would have my soul renewed;

I mourn for sin, and trust the Lord To have it pardoned and subdued.

But Lord, your final sacrifice Hath answered these demands:

And peace and pardon from the skies Came down by Jesus' hands.

Now, sinners, dry your tears, Let hopeless sorrow cease;

Bow to the sceptre of his love, And take the offered peace.

Lord, we obey thy call; We lay an humble claim

To the salvation thou hast brought And love and praise thy name.

Chorus: Lord pardon me, pardon me, pardon me, pardon me

Forgive my sins and cleanse my soul And set my spirit free

The guilty wretch that trusts thy blood Finds pardon at the cross;

The sinful soul, averse to God, To gain Christ Counts all as loss.

Some words after Isaac Watts

Anthony Foster

July 31, 2018

Great God, Almighty

Great God! Your glories shall employ

My holy fear, my humble joy;

My lips in songs of honor bring

Their tribute to the eternal King.

Earth, and the stars, and worlds unknown,

Depend upon your royal throne;

All nature hangs upon your will,

And grace and glory the earth fill.

His sovereign power what mortal knows?

When He commands, who dares oppose?

With strength he girds himself around,

And treads the rebels to the ground.

Who shall pretend to teach him skill,

Or guide the counsels of his will?

His wisdom, like a sea divine,

Flows deep and far beyond our time

Great God, Almighty, most Holy One

Your love conquers all when the day is done

Above all others you reign alone

Now you bid us to stand before your glorious throne!

The eternal law before him stands;

His justice, in His righteous hands,

Divides to all their due reward,

Either by the sceptre or the sword.

His mercy, like a boundless sea,

Washes our guilt and sets us free

Filled with your love, I dare proclaim

The brightest honors of your name.

Great God, Almighty, most Holy One

Your love conquers all when the day is done

Above all others you reign alone

Now you bid us to stand before your glorious throne!

After Isaac Watts

July 29, 2018

Anthony Foster

I Do Not Lose Heart

I look to the things I cannot see

I will walk by faith and not sight

Fixing my gaze on the invisible truth

I will continue to fight the good fight

So I do not lose heart, I do not lose heart

I renew my inner man as I learn to see

I’ll look beyond my senses, perfecting the art

Of apprehending the most precious realities.

God said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’

He has shone in our hearts to give the light

Of the knowledge of the glory of God

In the face of or Lord Jesus Christ”

So go on seeking with new eyes

Seeing with the eyes of the heart

The truth that sets you free will make you wise

Though your senses fail it will never depart.

Bridge:

I am being renewed day by day.

Though the things that are seen are passing away,

For our affliction in time for us will prepare

An eternal weight of glory beyond all compare

The things that are eternal are also unseen

Neverending, persisting,and evergreen

Eyes of this kind will set us apart

The unseen light will strengthen the heart

I look to the things I cannot see

I will walk by faith and not sight

Fixing my gaze on the invisible truth

I will continue to fight the good fight

2 Cor 4: 6, 16-18

Anthony Foster

July 28, 2018

Good Shepherd

Lord be my Shepherd and my Guide;

And through this barren desert land

Still draw and keep me near your side:

Guard me by your protecting hand!

O let my feet never run astray,

But should I wander from the fold

If I rove, or seek the crooked way

Carry me over the gate’s threshold.

My Great Good Shepherd, he shall keep

My wandering soul among his sheep;

He calls their names, He feeds his flock

And sets their feet upon the Rock.

The lion with his dreadful roar

Strikes fear within the feeble sheep:

Reveal the glory of your power,

And cast and chain him in the deep.

Our Shepherd hears our sore distress;

Our sins attempt again to reign;

Stretches His rod of conquering grace,

And all the wolves of Sin are slain.

Chorus:

I love my Shepherd, he shall keep

My wandering soul among his sheep;

He calls their names, He feeds his flock

And sets their feet upon the Rock.

After Isaac Watts

Isaiah 40

John 10:11-18

Anthony Foster

July 26, 2018

Beautiful Glorious Child

You are my beautiful glorious child

Plucked from the dust where you were growing wild

Castaway from grace that has been reconciled

My beautiful glorious child

Oh my beautiful glorious child

You walked a way that was dark and defiled

And by your very own tribe you were reviled

My beautiful glorious child.

You were created for so much more than this

I chose you and claimed you from that deep abyss

Now in the beloved and covered by grace

You’ll discover that love fills your empty place.

Oh my beautiful glorious child

Orphaned by a world where you were exiled

Chosen to be one on whom love has smiled

My beautiful glorious child.

My beautiful glorious child.

My beautiful glorious child.

Anthony Foster

July 29, 2018

Hope in God

How oft have sin and Satan tried

To rend my soul from thee, my God!

But everlasting love abides,

And Jesus seals me with his blood.

The oath and promise of the Lord

Join to confirm the wondrous grace;

Eternal power performs the word,

And fills all heav'n with endless praise.

So Why are you downcast, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

He holds the future, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

Amidst temptations sharp and long,

My soul to this dear refuge goes

Hope is my anchor, firm and strong,

While billows rise and tempests blow

The gospel bears my spirit up;

A faithful and unchanging God

Lays the foundation for my hope

In oaths, and promises, and blood.

So Why are you downcast, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

He holds the future, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

When I can read my title clear

To mansions in the skies,

I bid farewell to every fear,

And wipe my weeping eyes.

Though cares like a wild deluge come,

And storms of sorrow fall,

May I but safely reach my home,

My God, my hope, my all!

So Why are you downcast, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

He holds the future, oh my soul Hope in God! Hope in God!

Anthony Foster

After Isaac Watts

July 22, 2018
Psalm 42:5

The Triune One

Blessed be the Father of all grace, To whose eternal source we owe

Rivers of joy in His embrace, And the balm of comfort here below.

We give immortal praise To God the Father's love,

For all my pleasures here, And better hopes above:

He sent his own Eternal Son

To die for sins That man had done.

Glory to the great Son of God, From whose dear wounded body flows

A precious stream of vital blood, Pardon and life for dying souls.

To God the Son eternal glory goes

Who bought us with his wounds From everlasting woes

And now he lives, And now he reigns,

And sees the fruit Of all his pains.

We give the Holy Spirit praise, Who in our hearts of sin and woe

Makes living springs of grace arise, and into boundless glory flow.

To God the Spirit's precious name unending worship give,

Whose new-creating power Makes the dead sinner live:

His work completes The great design,

And fills the soul With joy divine.

Thus God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, we adore;

That sea of life and love unknown, Without a bottom or a shore.

Almighty God! To you be all honor and service done,

The undivided Three, And the mysterious One:

Where reason fails With all her powers,

There faith prevails And love adores.

Adapted from Isaac Watts

Anthony Foster

July 22, 2018

We Will Behold the Glory

Where our poor mortal eyes are blind

Eyes of faith will apprehend

For glory overwhelms our minds

Pure majesty our souls would rend

Unless our maker veils our eyes

Until we rise that glorious day

And behold him coming in the skies

And with remade eyes we see His day

Then we will behold the glory that is His and His alone

We will behold His glory in His presence at His throne

Infinite leagues beyond the sky

The Ancient of Days reigns supreme

Where neither wings nor souls can fly,

No angel may climb the mercy seat

Yet, glorious Lord, thy gracious eyes

Search to and fro from heights above

Beyond our praise thy grandeur flies,

Yet we adore, and yet we love.

For we will behold the glory that is His and His alone

We will behold His glory in His presence at His throne

Tell how he shows his smiling face,

And clothes all heav'n in bright array;

Triumph and joy run through the place,

And songs eternal as the day.

Proclaim his wonders from the skies,

Let every distant nation hear;

And while you sound his lofty praise,

Let humble mortals bow and fear.

For we will behold the glory that is His and His alone

We will behold His glory in His presence at His throne

Then we will behold the glory that is His and His alone

We will behold His glory in His presence at His throne.

After Isaac Watts

Anthony Foster

July 21, 2018

Draw Us oh God

There is a greater comfort- much greater than our pain

Our suffering is real enough- how do we count it gain?

We can find good courage and find that strength we must

To walk by faith and not by sight and for our future life to trust

So let’s live for God’s glory Let Jesus write our story

Open our eyes and ears Brighten my mind so I might hear.

The perishable shall pass away but clothed with a victor’s crown

Emblazoned for God’s glory being light where truth is found

When days run thoughtlessly along,

Without a moment's stay;

Just like a story or a song

We pass our lives away.

God from on high invites us home,

But we march heedless on,

And ever hast'ning to the tomb,

Stoop downwards as we run.

So let’s live for God’s glory Let Jesus write our story

Open our eyes and ears Brighten my mind so I might hear.

The perishable shall pass away but clothed with a victor’s crown

Emblazoned for God’s glory being light where truth is found

How we deserve the deepest hell,

If we slight the joys above!

What chains of vengeance should we feel,

That break such cords of love!

Draw us, O God, with sovereign grace,

And lift our thoughts on high,

That we may end this mortal race,

And see salvation nigh.

Anthony Foster

After Isaac Watts

July 22, 2018

The Great Exchange

His righteousness replaces my all my Sin

He exchanged His Glory for my guilt

His joy has displaced my mourning with rejoicing

What my turmoil has destroyed he has rebuilt

Goodness and mercy are becoming my new trait

His kindness overcomes my enmity

A heart of Love is beating now where there once was hate

And His Patience has replaced anxiety.

And by his wounds our wounds are healed

By his wounds our wounds are healed

He became my substitute, God’s perfect spotless lamb

His sacrifice has taken all our sins

The obedient sin-bearer bears the sin of ev’ry man

When he laid down his life true life begins

He was forsaken I was forgiven

Faithfulness is now exchanged for infidelity

Self-control resides now where my chaos reigned before

And God’s riches have repealed my poverty

And though Death was due me I was given life anew

Christ atoned for sins when His blood was spilt

A reconciliation realized by what he was born to do

And His sacrifice has overcome my guilt.

And by his wounds our wounds are healed

In this great exchange true mystery is revealed

He became my substitute, God’s perfect spotless lamb

His sacrifice atones for all our sins

The obedient sin-bearer bears the sin of ev’ry man

When he laid down his life true life begins.

Anthony Foster

July 20, 2018