Drawn Higher and Closer

Drawn Higher and Closer That more might be refreshed...

Copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo ON, 2018

Time of Refreshing Have we seen Its special footprint Do we know how To draw near Have we noticed Some in passing Who are cramped In doubt and fear 1

Can we offer Affirmation Can we lovingly Give ear Can we bring That holy savour That says Jesus Christ is near.

They are seeking A connection Not another Shoulder cold They are asking Does He hear and heal As in lakeside Days of old?

And you meekly Hold the answer If you simply Dump that pride And a newfound friend Cries “Glory” As he finds The Christ inside.

Gone Out Your faith has “gone out” Not placed upon the shelf Nor locked behind these walls As if some hoarded wealth Now less congratulation Of saints long known to you 2

But more the invitation For those who find this new For those who hardly look up For answers to their pain For those in drought and thirsty And crying out for rain.

And Christ applauds obedience And gives His Spirit more To saints who heard the challenge And went out through that door Who knows of the decisions And healings soon to come And happy reproduction In this our ransomed Home.

(1 Thessalonians 1: 8 NKJV)

Just Do It

You have asked me In the sweetest words When does revival come?

You have thought of ages Long ago when Faith touched countless homes You have visioned Desert scenes abloom As life and water came And you’re thirsty for Refreshment now And the proxy in Christ’s name.

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I have heard your pleading Many times And I know your hearts’ desire So loose those hands Stand on your feet And go with Gospel fire.

To the one alone Yes down the hall And yearning for a chat With troubles for unloading And grave doubts where I am at.

To the one at work Whose skills have slipped Because of strife at home To the Dad whose lad Pursues dark paths And in rebellion roams.

You have the fire You see the need That simple help and smiles Might bring to hope In those who grope While Satan still defiles.

Yes Go I say I placed you there And gave you eyes and ears And love within To conquer sin And soothe away all fears.

The Shantyman

It is good to toil 4

With the men I know; And to trim the trees And to lay them low; And to haul their bulk To the stream below; I am glad that the Lord sent me here.

And from time to time When the mood is right, In the vaulted wood With its dappled light; Where the blue-jay’s flash Quickens shrill and bright; I can sense that the Lord meets me here.

There’s a constant strain From the whistle call; As we scale the heights Making giants fall; And we swing our steel And our chain and maul.

And I know that the men test me here.

But the dusk does come, And the campfires burn; And the grub is good, And our thoughts will turn To the ones at home, And for those we yearn; But for weeks we must still labour here.

Yet another time The alarm will sound; That a trunk has split; That a man is downed.

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And like mother birds We all gather ‘round.

And I sense they are glad I am here.

Then the Sabbath day Brings some extra rest; And a few will come, And by that I’m blessed; And we search the Book, And I share Christ’s best; For the Lord of the harvest is here.

Oh shantymen sing!

In the golden field; In the fishing hull; In the mineshaft’s yield; In the factory’s pulse; Sing of grace revealed; And the joy of the Lord finds us here.

Note: Canada recalls many work situations in which humble servants of the Gospel got into the workplace, rubbed shoulders, earned trust and simply prayed and helped.

Move of God

I remember seeing a painting of George Whitefield (1714 - 1770) preaching to a crowd in an English village. The faces of those in attendance registered every possible reaction – mild interest, polite

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boredom, awkward smirks, heckling, distraction toward the activity of others and some in heavy conviction and mourning for sin.

The face of the preacher showed only severe focus on the Word being preached. He was not scanning the crowd for their reaction or trying to tailor his presentation for sake of persuasiveness. He modeled the dedicated, humble messenger of the simple seed of the Word. I saw nothing of debater, salesman or distinguished celebrity.

How often do we hear of the ministries of “great men or women of God” wielding some “mighty anointing”. It is as if the sweet ministry of the Holy Spirit and His fruit have been reduced to a commodity like baking powder available for better effect. I am convinced that we are seeing the eclipse of “great personalities” in ministry. God is jealous for His glory.

One of a messenger’s greatest fears in service or testimony should be the fear of the praise of men and its debilitating effect. The sower simply, obediently and faithfully scatters the seed. God gives the increase.

(Mark 4 and Mark 16)

I am expecting a groundswell of grass-roots love and sharing to be in the next outbreak of revival. It occurs across the back fence, in the lunch room, at the back of the sanctuary, alongside in the work stations. We must all be prepared to give the glad report and to offer listening ears and hands of help.

Friendly Conversation You sit there And you take me in Eyes do not wander 7

No haste to short-circuit My remarks Perhaps you are Enjoying this Enjoying what we share Enjoying me.

Time seems unimportant We have territories To traverse Problems to address Secrets slowly undressing Joyful sagas To relate, chuckling The transparency of it Shocks us men …We’ll do it again.

Though He Slay Me

Three men talking over lunch What gives with Brad His situation just goes from bad to worse.

Lay-off.

Eldest kid caught in a gas-bar heist Possible mortgage foreclosure.

Too bad He has always been a great help at the Church when asked Yeah, but there must be some inner darkness Or rebellion or ignorance 8

He needs to take a tougher look at himself Just the other day I gave him a copy of that DVD series Confess Into Favour Wonderful teaching.

Helped get me through the sale of my business last year ...Six blocks from the Diner Brad was taking a walk in the park to clear his head.

Sun was starting to peek through the clouds.

Sat down on a wooden bench Watching Moms and kids over on the swings Little blonde one leaves her perch and runs over to him Hiya Mister. Did you see me on that swing This park is great, isn't it?

You can join us, if you want Sun comes out now full blast Brad notes a spiritual significance God is close.

God knows, and He is Father.

Love of Christ

I can't contain this thing inside It grows with each new morn And helps me see the needs so real Of lonely and forlorn Of hurting and self-loathing In town, at work, next door Of all the ones in need of Christ I never saw before.

It makes no sense to plead the case 9

Of those I never knew But pray I do, and comfort too For truly Lord, it's You. You walk these streets and offer smiles And help the old to cope You hug a child and calm the wild And give the hungry hope.

It's not a job; a life instead To serve the Man of Peace So use this clay, yes e'en today In wondrous Love's release.

The Pursuit

To apprehend And gather all the holy gems Long touted The purity And peace of walk For weary years Long doubted And pressing forth The prize seen by these eyes So worth the contest Scarce knowing Christ Is apprehending me With His best.

(Philippians 3: 12-14) 10

John Thirteen

Know what I have done?

Meant for sharing with each soul In the washing of the feet In the lowly servant's role I have left the master's chair And removed the robe replete And have wrapped in simplest towel And with basin washed your feet.

Getting low at this rich feast Ere I face the scorn of men For the raising of your souls In a death the prophet penned.

Not a one yet knows the cost As I sing our people's psalm (118) And we move on to the grove Word and Spirit keep me calm.

Do you get this rite of love?

Will you share it when I'm gone?

It's the lowest who must lead Simple comfort passed along.

That Straightening Hill

It comes like A wave of the sea In midst of everyday In midst of triviality And calls up short.

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Has this day’s Span given me Been lost to good?

Been mere frivolity?

Or moodiness Good for little Kind productive sand Through the glass.

One mourner helped One captive’s pass?

Calvary And a Prince Rudely raised While mobs Scorning dazed Miss the love Miss the King Miss the hope That He was sent to bring.

Like a wave it is Shocking Shaming But also bracing Claiming This day And hereafter For Him Child ...For Him. Rejoicing.

Somewhere a Rooster Crows I’ve read the Gospel story 12

The miracles and such The preaching from the hilltop The crowds He loved so much.

The fish and bread for thousands The girl raised from the dead The stormy sailor crossings The supper when He said His death was at the doorway His blood a new life paves And none would dare stand with Him When Evil rants and raves.

And Peter e’er the leader Would cringe, deny his Friend.

A fear he thought beyond him Would break him at the end.

And I can see the limits To what this story proves That God is good And God is just And hurting ones He loves.

But do I need salvation?

I try my best ya’ see And over-much religion Is sure to hamper me.

A business has me running With corners cut to gain.

And friends would soon be shunning If I proclaimed His Name.

And pain would come large measure If I turned right around And changed my speech And changed my paths For mercy I had found.

No, I must draw the limit For history’s matchless Christ 13

He’s not my Lord He’s not adored I just won’t pay that price.

And surely all these drawbacks Each modern person knows. …What’s that? I hear out yonder Somewhere a rooster crows!

(Mark 14: 66-71)

Note: The good news is that many of the “Peters” of this world receive the rebuke, repent and enter into the life of joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:8)

Stay Your Hand Lord

Is it possible that repentance and prayer could turn the Lord from fierce anger and judgment in a period of great tribulation forecast by Him? My wife Hilary and I have been considering prayerfully whether such a weighty reversal might be possible with the gracious help and intercession of Jesus. With mountain-moving intensity of faith. With persistent prayers.

Listen to words from the prophecy of Jeremiah chapter 18: 7. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8. If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil.

I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. (See also Jeremiah 26) 14

We also turn to the story of Jonah. First his rebellion and the great fish.

Then his repentance and serious warning to the people of notorious Ninevah, and particularly their king. There was an immense corporate repentance and fasting in sackcloth. Judgment was reversed. Hear the words of that king in chapter 3: 8. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away his fierce anger, that we perish not?

10. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he would do unto them: and he did it not.

We have also seen God changing his mind or a least considering changing his mind in the following incidents: With Abraham in Genesis 18 With Moses in Exodus 32 With Joel in chapter 2 With Amos in chapter 7 Hear also the heart of the psalmist in Psalm 85: 4. Turn us O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

5. Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

6. Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7. Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

We now consider the prophecies of Jesus issued in the “Olivet Discourse” in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 and Luke 21. Upsetting conditions will worsen upon the planet in wickedness and godlessness until the prophecy of Daniel 9 is fully realized in the stepping forward of wicked Anti-Christ in full manifestation. General judgment swiftly follows as 15

Jesus returns with heavenly hosts and a supernatural separation occurs.

The redeemed from the rebellious. Then the ushering in of a Golden Age under Jesus’ administration.

Many evangelicals have seen what they call the period of Great Tribulation lasting 7 years, and particularly the last 42 months, before the Battle of Armageddon. They also see a supernatural snatching away into heaven of the faithful in a rescue event commonly called the Rapture. (see 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 to 18 and Luke 21: 34 to 36) This period of tribulation is thought to include the worst natural calamities ever experienced on the planet or in the heavenlies. It will also include the worst of the occult and of warfare, disparity and violence in men. Can this judgment be stopped? Can the Lord be persuaded to relent again in response to massive intercession and repentance? We see worsening times each day in the news. But...are we missing out on perhaps the greatest age of revival because we have surrendered expecting the scenario of 7 terrible years to be unavoidable? This Word unchangeable? God immutable?

How seriously have we taken Jesus’ admonition in Luke 10; 2...The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (also Matthew 9: 35-38) Of course nothing here changes the sure way of repentance unto life and salvation; neither the forecasted time of general judgment and separation of redeemed from the careless. At that time and whenever, God’s wrath will be most evident as described at Olivet and in Matthew 13. The godless will enter into eternal woe, apart from the presence of the Lord and His family of faith. (Revelation 21: 22-27) In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3: 1) 2 Peter 3: 16

10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Prayer Heavenly Father by your Grace please give us the resolve and the words to speak of our glorious Gospel treasure. To speak of the nobility and availability of our best friend and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us name His name and nature to other needy ones who search. Let us do honour to the Body of Christ. Let us labour in love to bring more into the fold under the Good Shepherd. And before final judgment.

(Luke 15: 4-7) http://revitsaint.blogspot.com/

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