The Church of God

The Church of God! The Church of God,
Which Thou hast purchased with Thy Blood,
Lord Jesus, by Thy Spirit lead
The flocks Thy servants tend and feed.

2 The Church of God! We gladly give
Our hearts and service; hence we live
To watch, to work, to wait, to weep
To guard, to guide our Master's sheep.

3 The Church of God! whose souls are fed
Before the Table Christ has spared:
Upon Thy saints, O Saviour, shine
Who break Thy bread and drink Thy wine.

4 The Church of God ! O Father, keep
Thy chosen, called and Blood-bought sheep
Which Thou hast given to Thy Son
In love and truth forever one.

5 The Church of God! The Bride, whose Spouse
Prepares on high a heavenly house:
Spirit of grace, our souls adorn
To see Him on that blessed morn!

6 The Church of God, in which is found
A pillar to the truth, and ground:
Lord, on her walls uphold and bless
The mystery great of godliness!

7 The Church of God! to earth and heaven
All glory, praise and thanks be given
To Him, who dwells in midst of Thee,
The ever-blessed Trinity!

-- JPB, 14 December 2007

L.M.

Lord Jesus, Take My Ransomed Life

Lord Jesus, take my ransomed life
And use it to Thy praise
Through service, suffering, strain or strife:
To Thee I yield my days.

2 Send where Thou wilt; there shall I go
To all the vast world wide,
To work, to weep, to wait, to sow
Till comes Thy harvest-tide.

3 I hold not dear to live or die,
But to complete my race,
My ministry -- to testify
The Gospel of Thy grace.

4 "He must increase, I must decrease"
Let me my days thus spend
Till I at last depart in peace,
Enduring to the end.

-- JPB Wednesday 22 August 2007

C.M.

Jehovah Is Our Strength and Song

JEHOVAH is our Strength and Song
In Him we shall rejoice!
To Him alone shall praise belong,
To Him we raise our voice!

2 MOST HOLY FATHER, who dost dwell
On high and in the heart,
Our praise inhabit, as we tell
How very great Thou art!

3 LORD JESUS, now declare Thy Name
And sing Thy FATHER's praise
Among Thy brethren, unashamed,
Whom Thou to heav'n shalt raise!

4 SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD,
Fill all the Church with song,
And in Thy saints still shed abroad
Christ's love our whole lives long!

5 Come, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST
MOST HOLY TRINITY --
Inhabit all Thy Blood-bought host
To all eternity!

-- JPB Lord's Day 20 April 2008

Christ is Our All

1 Christ is our peace; He shed His precious Blood
To reconcile and bring us nigh to God.

2 Christ is our hope; abolished, death and night!
Life's immortality now comes to light!

3 Christ is our life, now raised to God's right hand;
We lift our hearts where we shall with Him stand.

4 Christ is our all, according to His Word;
"Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord!"

5 Wisdom and righteousness in Christ have we --
Sanctification and redemption free!

6 Strength everlasting, fullest grace on grace
Is ours in Jesus --to HIs Name be praise!

-- JPB, Friday 15 June 2007
10.10.

What Boldness have we Brethren now to pray

1 What boldness have we, brethren, now to pray
And enter into heaven's holiest place,
Since Jesus made that new and living way
Through His rent flesh unto the throne of grace!

2 Our great Priest standing o'er the house of God
Now saves His people to the uttermost:
There, where He entered in by His own Blood,
He lives and reigns o'er earth and heaven's host.

3 In faith then, let us to our God draw near;
In hope, let us hold our confession fast:
In love, let us still hold each other dear,
Till that great Day when Christ returns at last!

Based on Hebrews 10:19-25

--JPB 21 May 2007

10.10.10.10.

O that the Lord's Salvation

"O that the Lord's salvation
From Zion soon should come,
When Israel's captive nation
Returns rejoicing home!"
So sang the saints with longing
To see the dstant day
Upon all people dawning
Of great Messiah's sway.

2 Salvation came from Zion
At dearest, direst cost,
When by His crucifixion
Christ died to save the lost:
When sore in His soul's travail,
He shed His precious Blood
T'atone for sin's great evil
And bring us back to God.

3 Salvation comes from Zion
Whene'er the saints proclaim
The grace of God's election,
The power of Jesu's Name:
For all who, sin forsaking,
On Christ alone believe
Shall, in His death partaking,
Eternal life receive.

4 Lord Christ, send Thy salvation
From Zion in this hour:
In grace and supplication
Shed forth Thy Spirit's power
Where'er Thy Brideis giving
To sinful souls and lost,
The call to waters living,
Send forth the Holy Ghost!

5 From holy, heavenly Zion
Soon every eye shall see
Our Captain of salvation
Return in victory:
Each day that Day is nearing:
We pray, "Lord Jesus, come!
We long for Thine appearing --
O bring Thy captives home!"

6 All praise and exaltation
To God the LORD, Most High
The God our our salvation
Who brought His people nigh:
To Father, Son and Spirit,
Jehovah -- Three in One,
Be giv'n all mght and merit,
Be endless honours done!

-- JPBodner, 27 September 2002 7.6.7.6.D

Copyright: Publications Committee, Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America.

Lord Jesus, Thou hast prayed for me!

1 Lord Jesus, Thou hast prayed for me --
Now let Thy prayer prevail!
Return my contrite heart to Thee,
Forbid my faith to fail!


2 Behold how Satan hath desired
Thy saints to sift as wheat!
For every trial Thou hast required,
O purge and make me meet!

3 Thus, chastened, humbled 'neath Thy hand
And once again restored,
Grant me to help my brethren stand
According to Thy Word!



4 Faint as my love and faith may be,
Appoint me yet to keep,
To feed, to tend as unto Thee,
Thy flock, Thy lambs, Thy sheep!


5 When Thou, Chief Shepherd, shalt appear
That great and dreadful day,
May I a crown of glory wear
That fadeth not away.



-- JPBodner, Thursday 15 March 2007 C.M.

As the Morning Light is Dawning

1 As the morning light is dawning,
As the shadows flee away,
I can hear the Master calling
To the secret place, to pray:
As I enter in the stillness
And behind me shut the door,
My Lord Jesus from the fulness
Of His grace gives more and more.


2 When my burdened heart is bearing
Sorrow, bitterness and pain,
Or the tempter comes, ensnaring
Me to fall in sin again,
I find refuge, pardon, mercy
As I call on Jesu's Name:
He'll not fail me, nor forsake me!
He'll not put my soul to shame!


3 In the day's long, weary hours,
Filled with toil and anxious care,
I receive the Spirit's power
As I raise my heart in prayer,
For my great High Priest is pleading,
There amid the shining host,
For the help my soul is needing --
Saving to the uttermost!


4 When the sun has set at evening
And my work at last is done,
Once again I kneel, believing
On the Name of God's dear Son:
And I pray our heavenly Father
For His sake will safely keep
All who in my household slumber
Through the hours of darkness deep.

5 Every morning, every evening,
Through the hours of every day,
Saviour, keep me ever heeding
Thine own Word, to watch and pray:
Till at last I stand before Thee,
Faultless at the throne of grace,
And behold Thee in Thy glory,
Safe in heaven, face to face!

Tune: In the Rifted Rock I'm Hiding
-- JPBodner, Wednesday 7 March 2007 8.7.8.7.D

Where Shall I Find the Holy Child

1 Where shall I find the Holy Child

Born of the Virgin blest,

Who comes to earth in mercy mild

To bring us heaven's rest?

2 Where may I see the infant King,

Whose long-awaited birth

Bids heaven's host all join to sing

"Praise God for peace on earth!"

3 The night reveals no beaming star

To guide my doubting feet:
No anxious Magi from afar

In search of Him I meet!

4 Through princes' palaces I look,

But cannot find Him there:

Proud scholars cite the sacred Book

But do not for Him care.

5 Yet may I find Him in the place

To which the Scriptures lead;

And from His fulness, grace on grace

Receive, in all my need.

6 I trace the path which once He trod

From manger to the Tree,

Where by His merits and His Blood

He bought redemption free.

7 Beyond the Tomb whence He arose

I seek the Throne of grace

Where He shall bring the saints He chose

And see them face to face.

8 O glorious Dayspring from on high,

O Sun of righteousness,

Shine in my heart, to draw me nigh

With Thy salvation bless!

9 According to His promised Word,

When days on earth shall cease,

I shall, still trusting Christ the Lord,

To heaven depart in peace!

-- JPB 19 December 2006 C.M.

Called to Share the Holy Supper

1 Called to share the Holy Supper
At the Table of the Lord,
Let my heart with love remember
From the pages of His Word,
All my SAVIOUR's love to me
Now and to eternity!

2 Here in grief and true repentance
Let me now my sin recall --
All its bitterness and bondage,
Darkness, sorrow, wormwood, gall,
From which CHRIST to set me free
Paid the price at Calvary!

3 Then with thankful tears o'erflowing
Let me come His Bread to break,
All His pains and torments showing
As my part in Him I take,
Hearing JESUS say to me,
"This, My Body, is for thee!"

4 With what mingled joy and trembling
In my hands I hold the Cup
Filled with mercy, grace and blessing,
All because my LORD drank up
God's just wrath and judgment dread,
As for me His Blood He shed!

5 Who can show the matchless glory
Of His everlasting love?
Who can tell the wondrous story
How He left His throne above,
Humbled, dying on the Cross,
There to seek and save the lost?

6 Pardoned, cleansed, redeemed, forgiven,
Let me spend my ransomed days
In His service, till in heaven
I shall share the song of praise:
"Worthy, worthy LAMB of GOD,
Thou hast bought us by Thy Blood!"

7 Thus with all the saints attending,
Shall I rightly show His death,
And at last, there comprehending
Height and depth and length and breadth
Of the love of CHRIST to me,
Live to all eternity.

8 "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"
Let all heaven and earth proclaim;
To our Lord and God JEHOVAH
Give the glory due His Name:
FATHER, SON and HOLY GHOST,
THREE in ONE, LORD GOD of HOSTS!

-- JPB, 2 October 2006. 8.7.8.7.7.7.

See, Pray, Go, Serve

1 Lord Jesus, who of old didst go
To cities, villages and towns,
And, teaching, preaching, healing show
Thy power and mercy all around:
Before us go, in every place
In fullness of Thy saving grace!

2 Good Shepherd, who of old didst see
The multitudes as scattered sheep,
And gathered, in compassion free,
Thy flock into Thy fold to keep:
Grant us like Thee the world to view --
"The harvest, plenteous --- labourers, few!"

3 O Lord of harvest, who of old
Didst bid Thine own disciples pray
For labourers, till with hearts made bold,
Themselves Thou send'st in their own day:
Teach us to pray, till we shall see
Our call, and answer, "Send Thou me!"

4 Into the harvest white now sent,
Grant us to labour willingly --
Spending, and in Thy service spent,
Till all flesh Thy salvation see:
Uplifted Saviour, hear our plea:
Now let all men be drawn to Thee!

-- JPB 9 August 2004 8.8.8.8.8.8.