Lord why did you awaken us?

Oh Lord why did you awaken us from our deathbound sleep

Why did you choose to rescue us from the desperate deep

What was your purpose in leaving heaven’s glorious scenes

What nature is the love by which you show us what love means?

You chose us to heed your call , the call which called us out

Out of darkness and decay, then from debilitating doubt

You spoke a word and quickened us, our souls received the light

By grace alone you favored us and sought to set us right.

You are the God of justice, you are the God who weeps

The judge and justifier in the high place and the deep

The owner of the universe, the one who sows and reaps

You give and take away, yet we’re held fast within your keep.

You gave us life for living, to move and be In You

Our iniquities forgiving, you cleanse and make us new

Now agents of redemption, we can live what we confess

We have become your body, the nations now to bless

And as your body bears the scars, for those who’re found in Christ

The fellowship of suffering now fires the sacrifice

We seek first your kingdom and your righteousness pursue

To know and understand you in who we are and what we do.

You are the God of mercy, of grace and holiness

The solace for the thirsty, giver of righteousness

You have ordained that we should be the chosen and the blessed

You are the purpose and the plan so in your Truth we rest.

August 28, 2019

Anthony Foster      

I am Satisfied

When death is all around

And your time is next

By the pain of persecution

Your soul is sorely vexed

And the call is to give up your life

There is meaning in the cross

That reaches to the depths of strife

To promise gain from anguished loss

And I am satisfied in the crucified

The cross shall be my plea

And I am satisfied in the crucified

And the blood that was shed for me

The blood that sets me free.

If to death I am called

To lose my life for Christ

Or if I live to give my all

To become a living sacrifice

I know t’will be by grace alone

That I may follow there

My keeper will see it done

That cross he’ll help me bear

And I am satisfied in the crucified

The cross shall be my plea

And I am satisfied in the crucified

And the blood that was shed for me

The blood that sets me free.

8/28/2019

Anthony Foster

Grass Withers

Grass withers, flowers fade

The Word of God shall stand

All shall pass that is manmade

Gods Word shall ever stand.

Societies will crumble

The strongest man will stumble

Hopes will fail with all we’ve planned

But the Word of God shall stand

It endures forever

It endures forever

Gods Word endures forever

It endures forever

It endures forever

Gods Word endures forever

Nations rise and nations fall

The Word of God shall stand

Seasons change and so shall all

Gods Word shall ever stand.

Every man shall die one day

Heaven and Earth shall pass away

 All other ground Is sinking sand

But the Word of God shall stand.

It endures forever

It endures forever

Gods Word endures forever

It endures forever

It endures forever

Gods Word endures forever

Isaiah 40:8

1 Peter 1:24-25

August 28, 2019

Anthony Foster

Evermore (Shadows to Substance)

The backside of glory is all we now see

But one day all will be revealed

We’ll burst these old wineskins with reality

And then faith  to clear focus will yield.

And souls shall be satisfied in that great day

When heaven comes down and the darkness gives way

We see in a glass darkly  but then we shall discern

The glorious presence for which our souls yearn

These are but shadows but God is the substance

These scattered beams but God is the sun

These are but streams but God is the ocean

Shadows yield to substance when our day is done.

Here hearts break with wonder and eternal song

Awed and stunned by the work of his hand

To God wisdom, power and beauty belong

Soon He’ll be the Lord of every man.

Bridge:

This is our soul’s end to rejoice in the Lord

To sing praise to our God evermore, evermore

And while we remain,  we will seek His great gain

As  a living sacrifice on this altar outpoured.

For in Christ we are surely anchored.

These are but shadows but God is the substance

These scattered beams but God is the sun

These are but streams but God is the ocean

Shadows yield to substance when our day is done.

After Jonathan Edwards

1 Corinthians 13:12

Psalm 104:31-34

Psalm 8:3

August 28, 2019

Anthony Foster

Giannini 517

Anthony sez, I came across this old beat up guitar dirt cheap. The soundboard has deep ridges in it but it plays really well and is great on the arthritic fingers for practicing.This Giannini model 517 was made in Brazil in 1965 from spruce and a laminated back and sides made of Brazilian Rosewood. I have played several solid wood Brazilians and have never heard one sustain as long as this well played one does. A chord sustains 16-17 seconds when moderately strummed, and you can hear your voice reverberate a good 14 seconds after singing a note into it. I cannot turn anything up on this model in particular other than one that was sold in Europe a while back. It DOES look like laminate as the grain is different inside and out. But WHAT GREAT laminate!

Great God Almighty

Great God Almighty, we are your offspring

Eternal Father,  Lord of everything

We sing hallelujah as our offering

Our hallelujah we sing

Great God Almighty, Christ to you we cling

You are our perfect prophet priest and King

We sing hosannah and our praises ring

to you hosannah we sing

Great God Almighty, Spirit, our lifespring

Convict and cover us beneath your wing

Come Holy Spirit and your comfort bring

Veni Spiritus we sing

Great God Almighty- You are Three In one

Immortal, Triune, Father, Spirit, Son

We lift our eyes up as we are undone

To you our praises we sing

Now Maranatha we sing

To you our praises we sing!

Anthony Foster

August 14, 2019

Jesus the Righteous One

Jesus the Righteous One

The only righteousness we’ve known

You make your righteousness our own

So we may come when day is done

To stand boldly b’fore your throne

Jesus the Righteous One

You are our perfect great High priest

Your intercede and never cease

You make atonement for our Sin

And give new life to begin again.

Lord plead our case

Our guilt erase

And into glory lead

Your many sons

The chosen ones-

You meet our very need.

Jesus the Righteous One

Plead our case before the throne

Make our unknown sin known

In this very time and place

So we can repent and find grace

Lord plead our case

Your blood bought grace

Shall cover all our sin

Till we shall stand

With empty hands

On mercy to depend.

Anthony Foster

August 13, 2019

Oh, Hunger and Thirst

May the Lord increase our hunger -Lord increase  our thirst

We hope to see the face of God -And see the curse reversed

We want to see our God-We want to be with God

Then we will be rightly awed-To know and understand our God

May this be our prime pursuit

To return unto our Righteous Root

With willing spirit and flesh that’s weak

His kingdom still we shall first seek

To know the Lord and make Him known,

Oh we hunger and thirst for You alone

Lord, we hunger and thirst for You!

This is our great desire-Into holiness to enquire

To have Our thirst quenched And see our hunger slaked

And Holy desires fulfiilled-For which our Spirit’s ache

Till we see our fond desires-Purified by Spirit fire

May this be our prime pursuit

To return unto our Righteous Root

With willing spirit and flesh that’s weak

His kingdom still we shall first seek

To know the Lord and make Him known,

Oh we hunger and thirst for You alone

Lord, we hunger and thirst for You!

Covered by the blood,Burning in the light

Washed in the living water, A living sacrifice

Now burn away the darkness that blinds us

Burn away the darkness that binds us

May this be our prime pursuit

To return unto our Righteous Root

With willing spirit and flesh that’s weak

His kingdom still we shall first seek

To know the Lord and make Him known,

Oh we hunger and thirst for You alone

Lord, we hunger and thirst for You!

Anthony Foster

August 13, 2019