Deep

Deep is the fountain of promise

Deep is the mystery of death

Deeper still is the river of life

That calls us into its depths.

Down, down into the deep

The blood calls out to those who sleep

Plunge into its undertow

And into its life-giving flow.

Cover us Lord, cover us

With the water of your Word

The cleansing power poured out on us

Wash us  as it is heard.

Cover us, Lord cover us

With lovingkindness’ flood

Until we are clean again

Purged by your cleansing blood.

Deep is the river of mercy

That flows from the storehouse of grace

Each time one steps into its current

The guilt of sin is erased.

So down into the deep

There your own you will keep

And none may ever fathom  this

None may plumb the depths of bliss­­­

Cover us Lord, cover us

With the water of your Word

The cleansing power poured out on us

Wash us  as it is heard.

Cover us, Lord cover us

With lovingkindness’ flood

Until we are clean again

Purged by your cleansing blood.

Anthony Foster

March 5, 2014

Lifted Up

I will lift up my eyes

Fix them upon your throne

I will lift up my eyes

Set my sights on you alone.

I will lift up my heart

From the depths of the earth

You will lift up my heart

And fill it with new worth.

I will lift up my hands

Reaching out to now receive

I lift up empty hands to you

Open and ready to receive.

You will lift up my soul

Set my feet on your high place

You will lift up my soul

Through depths of love to heights of grace

Through depths of love to heights of grace

I will lift up my voice

To give praise as you receive

My worship is conformed

When by faith I believe

I lift up my hands

My eyes, my heart, my voice

My offering, my very soul,

With my spirit I now rejoice

You will lift up my soul

Set my feet on your high place

You will lift up my soul

Through depths of love to heights of grace

Through depths of love to heights of grace

Anthony Foster

March 5, 2014

Peace-Speaking Blood

When the darkness draws nigh And doubt and fear assail

When depression rages And your faith seems to fail

As you pray for endurance and for wisdom and peace

There is one who will faithfully cure and release

Infinite love gives rise

To infinite praise

For the one who in dying

Puts all my transgressions away

So seek to realize with all your heart

Now in the Lord place your trust

To know anew the power of peace

In the peace-speaking blood of Jesus.

For within His wounds our only true healing is found

It was for us he bled and wore a thorny crown

And we will find no better cure

Than the one who can cleanse and make us pure

Infinite love gives rise

To infinite praise

For the one who in dying

Put all my transgressions away

So seek to realize with all your heart

Now in the Lord place your trust

To know anew the power of peace

In the peace-speaking blood of Jesus.

Oh the peace-speaking blood

For His glory and our good

Redemption’s full release

The fruit of righteous peace

After a quote from Spurgeon

Anthony Foster

March 1, 2014

No Other Way

We were walking in darkness But there is a great light

A present state of wrongness Can be changed and made right

For we each have a problem That we never will solve

Stains we cannot remove Guilt we cannot absolve

There is no other answer There is no other way

That can solve our sin problem And can put it away

But there is a redeemer Who is faithful and true

He restores and forgives us And creates us anew

Yes there’s but one solution Who can make sinners whole

To remove the pollution In the depths of our soul

For we sin ‘cause we’re sinners, we’re sinners ‘cause we sin

But He breaks sin’s dominion As He’s living within

There is only one Savior There is only one Lamb

Only one sacrifice That attains as He stands

As he rose from  the tomb Victor over the fall

With a foot that was wounded He crushed the serpent’s skull

And death’s power was broken As for Sin he atones

Now through propitiation Our judge casts His last stone

Surely he bore our griefs And our sorrows and sins

As he took them all on Him And a new world begins

There is no other answer There is no other way

That can solve our sin problem And can put it away

Now there is a way forward A crossroads at the cross

A place of salvation Gain exchanged for His loss.

Anthony Foster

February 28, 2014

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully

As joy permeates this place

Serve with gladness

With a smile on every face

Come before His presence

Come and joyfully sing

This is the command

Of our Lord and King

Know that the Lord, He is God

Know that the Lord, He is God

He is our maker, our creator

We are his people, the sheep of His pasture

Grounded in this Truth forever

Know that the Lord, He is God

Enter with thanksgiving

Enter in with praise

The temple gates are now our hearts

Enter in today

Oh give thanks to Him

Oh bless His name

The Lord is good

Forever the same

His mercy endures

His steadfast love is secured

Faithful to all generations

Faithful to all generations

Know that the Lord, He is God

Know that the Lord, He is God

He is our maker, our creator

Grounded in this Truth forever

Know that the Lord, He is God

Anthony Foster

Psalm 100

January 21, 2014

New verse for Life of the Vine

The tender shoot is pruned away

Cast out to be destroyed

It is cut off from whence it came

Its former life is void

The broken branch is rescued from

The place where  waste is stored

Behold, the days the locusts ate 

Can surely be restored

And though it's hope was barren

And its prospects full of strife

The fires have all but burned it up

It shall have abundant life

This chosen branch is grafted in

And joined to the strong root

Now the hardy tree is wounded

So they can bear much fruit

Anthony Foster

Joel 3

Romans 11

January 19, 2013

Paradox of the Presence

Why are you so Gracious

Why are we so blessed?

To have your face to shine upon us

The destination of life’s quest.

There we find abundant rest

This is the eternal essence

Of the deep desire we bear

To abide within your presence

To be ne’re  cast out from there

The answer to our very prayer.

We partake of endless mercies

Stand faultless before the throne

Clothed in robes of righteousness

Woven by wounded hands alone

Our Savior’s hands and not our own

We cannot stay secluded

Yet we ever linger long

We must live the victory in this world

To sing the victor’s song

As we live before the throne where we belong

So now lose your life to find it

Live and give your life away

Live life how the Lord designed it

Walk in victory today

Take up the cross and follow The Way.

And at the throne of blessedness

Standing there we are undone

There is no place for selfishness

For pride and lusts are done

Standing there within the Holy One

As we go  our God is with us

In this God’s likeness view

The nature of God’s glory

Has made His Image bearers new

Empty vessels made good and true!

So now lose your life to find it

Live and give your life away

Live life how the Lord designed it

Walk in victory today

Take up the cross and follow The Way.

Written during Advent 2013

The Life Of The Vine

A song from a decade ago...

The fruit of the vine must not remain forever on the vine
It must be crushed and trampled to make refreshing wine.
The grain is harvested and then is ground in  mills for wheat
To make a pure and sifted flour to bake good bread to eat.

The seed of nard is gathered and crushed to release
Its fragrance-- so to be fulfilled, it's former life must cease
The olive on the branch is plucked and in the vise is pressed
To make the oil of gladness it must become distressed.

For living we die and dying we live
All that is given is for us to give
Buried we're raised if we only believe
Because of the life of the vine
For in dying we live and in living we die
We take up our cross with the One crucified
Present ourselves a living sacrifice
Because of the life of the vine

The fig must in its season be pruned and cut away
Else it will never bear good fruit or see its fruit displayed
The tree must be cut down to make a cross of wood
Else all the world would die like it- it's death would do us good.

This is life's purpose the reason God gave
We're born to be used up so others are saved
We can nurture each other because He forgave
Part of the chain of life divine
This mysterious life on the vine.

For living we die and dying we live
All that is given is for us to give
Buried we're raised if we only believe
Because of the life of the vine
For in dying we live and in living we die
We take up our cross with the One crucified
Present ourselves a living sacrifice
Because of the life of the vine...

Anthony Foster

Very Present Help

Christ be our strength and our refuge

A Rock in a troublesome day

Our ark within the great deluge

To our tower of power we pray.

Lord of Hosts be our stronghold

Lord of Hosts, calm our fears, make us bold

Our striving must cease if we’d know sweet release

And the peace worth  more than riches untold.

Lord be  our very present help, very present help

Very present help in our time of need.

You are our very present help, very present help

Very present help in our time of need.

We who walk in darkness still need your great light

All those dead in their sins need your new life

A new glory you’ll make for you own glory’s sake

We shall be satisfied as you dawn on our sight.

From the darkness that burdens our souls we’d be freed

Meet us now, even now in the time of our need

Rise up and redeem us for your lovingkindness’ sake

Com quickly and rescue and our bondages break

Lord be our very present help, very present help

Very present help in our time of need.

You are our very present help, very present help

Very present help in our time of need.

Anthony Foster 

December 8, 2013

On my way home

On this sojourn

On this course

From the day we are born

We seek our source

On this journey

As we pray

A light we cannot see

Will light our way

For there’s wisdom we need

And the way to be freed

From distractions that pull us apart

As we fall on our face

Into rhythms of grace

We will find the true beat of our heart

For our prayers are a longing

To know we are known

And that we are belonging

To desires not our own

There's One who declares us

As righteous and just

Who renews and repairs us

So in Him we shall trust

So on this quest

On this long road

Receive what is best

Leave behind that old load

For there is a blessing

In the straight narrow path

And the heart’s that’s confessing

Shall be spared the wrath

For there’s wisdom we need

And the way to be freed

From distractions that pull us apart

As we fall on our face

Into rhythms of grace

We will find the true beat of our heart

For our prayers are a longing

To know we are known

And that we are belonging

To desires not our own

There's One who declares us

As righteous and just

Who renews and repairs us

So in Him we shall trust

Anthony Foster

December 3, 2013

Archives unpacked

I have found that in the rhythm of our new life, many things get put aside. I have just finished filling up the 2012-2013 scrapbooks with the accumulated memorabilia of the past year or so, plus uploading writings and sorting files. The fifteen or so lyrics below are a part of that divestiture. I look forward to a big housecleaning of the non-digital sort this winter.

The Blood of Love

In the inescapable darkness

Deliverance was not in view

But light has shined in darkness

The advent of the TRUE

Remember and rejoice

Watch and wait

For the fulfillment of His promise is come

Source of  our Magnificat

What great things has God done for me?

A wretched man was I.

The flood of judgment mine.

When I was dead he drew me

He gave salvation to me

Now in The blessed Love of Christ

Forever I abide

Oh deep, deep love

Precious gift from God above

Grows ever deeper still

In the living of His Will.

Oh deep deep love

This itself will be enough

This alone can satisfy

The blood of love will be our cry.

In the valley of the shadow of death

The devil wants our final breath.

Drowned in oceans of deep darkness

Or into hell’s futile abyss

To take us Down into the depths of judment’s flood

But deeper is the fountain filled with blood.

So align my heart with your heart

Remove anything that would keep us apart

Make my heart tender as I surrender

Open my heart to its innermost part

As true service I seek, forge my affections

Into a heartfelt connection

Take my motives I pray

And renew them today

Powered by your resurrection!

Ps. 42:7

Anthony Foster

September 2013

Eternal Word that Became Flesh

Eternal Word that became flesh

Condescending in the Creche

Glory limited by choice

Wrath bearer with an infant’s voice.

Our unrighteousness to overcome

Where sin’s wages devastated men

To become a holy ransom

And His righteousness would cover our sins.

The suffering you embraced

Priceless blood in the cup of grace

Poured out at the altar

Conqueror, overcomer

Raised to glory forever

Nevermore to falter.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

So stop and rejoice and remember

Reflecting purposefully

The theme of hope is on our hearts

In eager expectation to see

HE is our treasure and our greatest good

Grace is yours, grace is yours

The spirit of God in the people of Your Book

Serving you in what we preach

Things into which angels long to look.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

All the holy ways of God

Are steadfast love and faithfulness.

Anthony Foster

November 2013