Imperishable Seed

Of those who have fallen asleep

We are the firstfruits He will keep

In Christ our victory, is our Truth

Our Jesus is the point of our pursuit.

Imperishable seed

Sow your harvest inside of me

Plough our fields and penetrate

The hard soils of sin and hate

Life giving, living vine

Graft us into life divine.

The crushed son has borne the wrath

And borne it all on our behalf

A living Hope-A sure salvation

Now born again through His resurrection

Imperishable seed

Answer to our every need

Open our eyes and open our doors

Show us what you made us for

Atoning, living sacrifice

It is all of God in Christ.

Anthony Foster

July 2013

Rooted in the Resurrected One

The seed of the woman promised to Eve

The covenant promises to all who would believe

The joy of the scarlet thread woven in the word

The praise of heaven now on the earth is heard

Christ is Come

We are Rooted in the resurrected one

Christ is Come

We are Rooted in the resurrected one

Word made flesh among us dwells

Ancient of Days and God most High

Exalted one of Heaven now came to die

Holy Holy Holy Christ

Comforter, full of wonder

Came to tear death asunder

Came the serpent’s skull to crush

Came to raise children of dust.

One who has died

One who was raised

We gather around

And this glory we praise

Christ is Come

We are Rooted in the resurrected one

Christ is Come

We are Rooted in the resurrected one

Rooted in the resurrected one

Rooted in the resurrected one

Anthony Foster

July 2013

Precious Paradise

Let all of creation worship Him

Who for a little while was made

Lower than the angels

Transcendence came near to be displayed

Immanuel indwelling man

Once enemies now one, together

This is our precious paradise

Union with our Christ forever

This is our precious paradise

Union with our precious Christ

For His presence  we have longed

To abide and to reside

In the shadow of His wings we hide.

And He has become our song.

Fullness of God’s glory here

Not one of us can comprehend

Not one of us can understand

The depth of how he’d condescend.

He came down from his throne above

Set us apart, swept out the leaven

Shed glory on this work of dust

And raises us to heaven.

He is our precious paradise

Union with our precious Christ

For His presence  we have longed

To abide and to reside

In the shadow of His wings we hide.

And He has become our song.

Anthony Foster

August 2013

True adoration

His sufferings were to our doors applied

For the blood bought bride he died.

To sacrifice his life for us he came

For those who trust the power of His name

We lift our hearts in ardent celebration

We seek to tell the world of His salvation

By living lives empowered by true adoration!

True adoration, let this be our offering

True adoration, now fill up the praise we sing

True adoration, overflowing hearts of grace

As gratitude and worship fills this place.

To your will conformed

By your word we are formed

In our sacrifice our praise He is adored

If we are following our Lord

Chosen vessels now are filled

As we seek to serve His will

Redeemed of the ages

Exempted from sin’s wages

Passionate obedience remains

Exultation in our chains

Living, breathing by your Name

To you, through you

By you and for you

To your glory, we obey

So we will do the things you say.

True adoration, let this be our offering

True adoration, now indwell the praise we sing

True adoration, overflowing hearts of grace

As gratitude and worship fills this place.

So now the lovesong of the bride

As we are taken to His side

The chorus of the living sacrifice

The beautiful body of Christ.

True adoration, let this be our offering

True adoration, now fill up the praise we sing

True adoration, overflowing hearts of grace

As gratitude and worship fills this place.

Anthony Foster

November 2013

Anchor of our Souls

He is the harbor and the hedge

A place of abiding rest

To not forsake us is His pledge

In Him is blessedness.

Oh anchor for our souls

A secure foundation

Keeper of your fold

There is now no condemnation

Lest we should drift away

In stranger tides each day

Come hold us fast we pray

Anchor of our souls.

Our spirits’ sure defense

Rock of Righteousness

In you forever blessed

Anchor of our souls

Rule over the appetites

That with our souls wage war

Secure us in the shallows

Secure us in the storms

So come embrace us in Your arms

He will  draw us to His side

Your mighty love will anchor us

In our hearts come to abide

Oh anchor for our souls

A secure foundation

Keeper of your fold

There is now no condemnation

Lest we should drift away

In stranger tides each day

Come hold us fast we pray

Anchor of our souls.

Anthony Foster

August 2013

Awash in Blessing

Bestowing your riches you come

For our salvation and our surrender

We call on the name of the Lord

To the name of Jesus all glory render

Praise running over…

The name  above all other names

Come and trust Him now and forever

See if  He will not pour out blessings

On you pressed down, shaken together

… and running over

Awash in blessedness, awash in blessing today.

Running over

Overcome by Christ’s embrace

Overflowed by God’s good grace

Awash in blessedness, awash in blessing today.

Running over…

Running over…

Running over…

Running over…

Anthony Foster

September 2013

Tears of Glory

Tears of Glory

God of the closing and opening doors

May I disdain any other voice

God of the roadblocks and paths made straight

God of inclinations and choice

May your light flash down from heaven

May your radience upon us shine

May your voice speak loud and often

May we seek and hear and find

Baptized in the tears of your glory

We lift our eyes to You

Higher than the heavens are your ways

To you all majesty is due.

We are bound by chains of sin

Behind the bars of guilt and shame

Tears of glory, tears of glory

Of our hope and of a warning

Tears of glory tell the story

Dancing comes after the mourning

Oh I would weep and be weak

Rather than in myself be strong

Where I did not sow I would reap

I would cry out as I seek

To find solace where I belong

As we view you through the tears

You wipe them all away

And give new eyes with which to see

The unseen brighter day.

We are bound by chains of sin

Behind the bars of guilt and shame

Tears of glory, tears of glory

Of our hope and of a warning

Tears of glory tell the story

Dancing comes after the mourning

Anthony Foster

November 2013

Anthem of Orphans

 Abandoned and orphaned-Fatherless and faithless

With no inheritance or hope-With no family to bless

And no past to rely on-Pain and trauma is your part

Secure in manipulations-Survival the finest art

Now to be chosen-Now to be adopted,

Now to be beloved-Oh to be so loved!

By the Love of the Father-By the cost of His son

Grafted into a family-Where many hearts are made one

Let these words land on them-The unaccustomed to your grace

Adopted as sons and daughters-Here with your father face to face

The anthem of orphans

Once unloved and rejected

Now arms e’re enfold you

Esteemed and protected.

Sing the song of a City on a Hill

Melody of overcoming souls

Cadence of redeemed hearts

A music that rages as it rolls

But God, but God, but God has made a way

To see the Righteous One

A root of righteousness

Yielding fruit in daughters and sons

And all but one are grafted in

The begotten one made a way

We call upon your lovely name

You wash our sins away.

The anthem of orphans

Once unloved and rejected

Now arms e’re enfold you

Esteemed and protected.

Sing the song of a City on a Hill

Melody of overcoming souls

Cadence of redeemed hearts

A music that rages as it rolls

Now to be chosen

Now to be adopted,

Now to be beloved

Oh to be so loved!

By the Love of the Father

By the cost of His son

Grafted into a family

Where many hearts are made one

Anthony Foster

For Alexis

September 13, 2013

The Way of the Cross

Come by the way of the cross.

Come by the way of the cross

We receive our freedom

purchased at the cross of Christ

We receive forgiveness

In His final sacrifice

The rugged wretched cross

where his purpose was fulfilled

The rugged wretched cross

Where all our wounds are healed

God says I love you at the cross

For He is willing to forgive

Forgive and cleanse you of all your sins

So you can truly live

Atonement and remission

Through blood poured out for us that day

A price was paid on our behalf

One we could never pay

The true meaning is an offense

It confronts our hearts of stone

A confrontation all of us must face

Found at the cross alone.

The way of the cross leads home

The way of the cross leads home

The way of the cross leads home

Anthony Foster

November 2013

One Step at a Time

To all who are bound up by self tonight,

For all who’ve lost their way

Here is a good word for you,

The best that I can say

"This is the blessed life –

not anxious to see far in front,

nor eager the path to choose,

but following behind the Shepherd,

one step at a time."

Taking one step at a time

your way you cannot lose.

Quietly, quietly,

This road will take me on

One to greater glories

Than I could ever have known

Into greater mercies

And never alone.

"This is the blessed life –

not anxious to see far in front,

nor eager the path to choose,

but following behind the Shepherd,

one step at a time."

Taking one step at a time

your way you cannot lose.

Quietly, quietly,

This road will take me on

One to greater glories

Than I could ever have known

Into greater mercies

And never alone.

Anthony Foster

After F. B. Meyer

October 2013

Gates of Righteousness

Open to me the gates of righteousness
I would enter in through them
Give thanks to the Lord who is this gate
Through it the righteous enter in 
The stone the builders rejected
My salvation you have become
I give thanks for what you’ve perfected
This is the Lord’s doing alone. 

Enter in, enter in
The beckoning open gate
At the end of a narrow path
But the way is straight

This is the day the Lord has made
It is marvelous in our eyes
Let us rejoice and be glad in it
It is marvelous in our eyes 
You tore apart the temple veil
Now against the gates of Hell prevail
Our inheritance we will possess
You have opened your gates of righteousness 

You were bound to the horns of the altar
For our sake you willingly died
King of Glory has come in
The righteous lamb that God provides. 
Your righteousness and not our own
Your righteousness and yours alone
Our works are filthy rags unless
They’re sourced by your own righteousness. 

Enter in, enter inThe beckoning open gate
At the end of a narrow pathBut the way is straight
This is the day the Lord has made
It is marvelous in our eyes
Let us rejoice and be glad in it
It is marvelous in our eyes 

Anthony Foster
Summer 2013 

It's nearly Memorial Day and I have not posted here for the longest time- in fact this is the first break I have had in blogging over the past ten years. A bit of reflection is in order.

In January we started down the path that is leading to a second adoption. I am teaching more and more at church and at seminary as well- now up to 5 courses for the year.

I helped successfully launch a new learning institute at work in the late Fall and the new duties have kept me busy on that front as well. All this has effectively given me a new life with a new focus and a new passion- being a Daddy in my late 50's. All this change is daunting but also very rewarding. It may be that I will begin sharing thoughts here again instead of at my Facebook site, but I am not too terribly interested in blogging after ten years at it. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da...

I may get back into songwriting mode if the Lord wills it, but I have not picked up my guitar once in this prolonged time either. It's hard to imagine the freedom you find from the things you leave behind.

Regards,

Anthony

Glorious Advent

The seed of the woman is now born

The seed protected from life’s storm

Through flood and famine, war, and strife

God preserved His promise of new life

All history has bowed its knee

To the Father’s sovereign strategy

The scarlet thread has given rise

To the Savior who was prophesied

The Word made flesh has dwelt among us

So that He might dwell within us.

And that, my friends is glorious

That, my friends is glorious

Now he comes in human form to us

He who made man from the dust

The God-man will rise from the dead

To crush the serpent’s hoarey head

Dabar, the Logos, Word made flesh

The very word of life made fresh

God’s gift for those who will receive.

Now indwells those who will believe.

The Word made flesh has dwelt among us

So that He might dwell within us.

And that, my friends is glorious

That, my friends is glorious

Anthony Foster

Genesis 3, John 1

December 24, 2012

Cherubikon

Guardians of the Glory

What must you think tonight?

Your charge has condescended

To put off his glorious rights

To come incarnate to earth

God with us now to dwell

Here in a mysterious birth

Lies the glory of Emmanuel

Amazed now stand the cherubim

And wings still shield their eyes

From the glory in the manger

Where mercy and peace lies

You never foresaw this event

So with us you stand amazed

For this veil of flesh shall soon be rent

And eyes will still avert their gaze

Yet now within a stable

His glory shineth bright

If men have eyes to see it

They’ll not forget the sight

Light to men and light to angels

Blazing glorious in the babe

Ancient of days and God Most High

Descends from glory, man to save

For ages past the angels

Have worshipped and called out

Of blessing honor, glory

And power they all shout

The most high has become low

The only begotten son

Amidst the cattle here below

And now he hears their song

We carry this light to the darkness

By this light of life we see

We walk by the Light of Blessedness

Revealer of marvelous mystery

Anthony  Foster

Christmas 2012

Living Creatures

Living creatures at the throne

In His presence you alone

Have stood for ages at His feet

Defenders of the mercy seat

Bull and eagle, lion and man

Your wings for covering cannot stand

For stones of fire n’ere paved a way

Christ splits the skies to save the day.

Demons tremble Mountains shake

Angels assemble as Oceans quake

You are here to lead many sons to glory

You come to lead sinners on to victory

The anointed cherub who fell to earth

Now witnesses His judge’s birth.

For every scheme the devil lies

And nothing that old serpent tries

Can stop this love from coming down

It forms the chains by which he’s bound

For from Your presence sin shall flee

These things that angels longed to see

Demons tremble Mountains shake

Angels assemble as Oceans quake

You are here to lead many sons to glory

You come to lead sinners on to victory

Come the dayspring from on high

The light of righteousness now rise

You are our life, the light of men

And darkness cannot comprehend

How boldly we stand before the throne

Surrounded by the fiery stones

That burn in your most holy place

So we blaze till we see you face to face.

Anthony Foster

Christmas 2012

Cast All Crowns

All those whom the faith have kept

For His return they loved and longed

A crown of righteousness accept

For  maranatha is their song.

To all who the good news proclaim

Who loved and led men to the Lord

Who called the least of these by name

A crown of rejoicing is your reward

To all who temptation endure

Those faithful through the trials of fire

The crown of life has been secured

For obedience was your desire.

Now lay your crowns before the Throne

Of the Lamb who created all things

For by His will they were created

And by His word they have being.

Worthy are thou O Lord our God,

   To receive glory and honor and power

Worthy are thou O Lord our God,

   To receive glory and honor and power

To all who seek to humbly serve

Who shepherd God’s own people home

A crown of glory is reserved

A gift to cast before Christ’s throne.

To those who with self control live

Who subdue sin and from it flee

The imperishable crown Christ Jesus gives

As proof of His glorious victory.

These crowns all glorify the King

Before His footstool cast them down

The victor’s stephanos now bring

To Christ alone yield every crown.

So lay your crowns before the Throne

Of the Lamb who created all things

For by His will they were created

And by His word they have being.

Worthy are thou O Lord our God,

   To receive glory and honor and power

Worthy are thou O Lord our God,

   To receive glory and honor and power

2 Tim 4:8

1 Thes 2:19

James 1:12

1 Peter 5:1-4

1 Cor 9:25

Rev 4:9-11

Anthony Foster

December 1, 2012