Living by Faith

Romans 1:17b: The just shall live by faith.
Every person who trusts God believes to see;
All others must see to believe.

Christians: Let's Live for Our Lord

Is there anyone, man, woman, boy, or girl, who will unreservedly give your very own self to our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, for Him to take you up as you are, where you are? Will you express to Him now and each and every day that you choose to give yourself to Him, yielded, and surrendered? Soon our Lord is coming to take us home.

Gaze with affection on Him in His miraculous birth, spotless life, horrendous death, and glorious resurrection and ascension. He so willingly gave Himself to sinners. In the dark hours on the cross God poured His wrath on our Lord in our stead. On one lone figure almighty vengeance fell. Then He cried "Finished", glorious words from our Beloved. His blood was shed, His life was given. Then in mighty power He rose from the dead on the third day. Our Lord ascended to Heaven and is coming again soon to claim His bride. Let us give ourselves to Him now, find our delights in our Beloved now, be occupied with His beauties now. The world will lose its allurements as we behold the Lamb of God in all His splendour.

Anyone willing to give Him all, please respond to our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Lord and I

In the Old Testament God had plans for individual people and nations and kings and so on ---all began in the heart of God. God revealed His plan to many with the purpose of carrying out His purposes, blessing all who would surrender to Him as Lord.

Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Isaiah, and the list goes on, of those who were approached by God with instructions of work to do. They would either yield to God for blessing and to further God's work and eternal plan, or they could refuse and go on a path of their own, often at great cost.

God, the Master Planner, has a world - wide future plan. He also has an individual future for each of us who are saved by grace. We may not make much of a splash on the world-wide grand plan of things, but what about our own individual corner where we find ourselves? What about right now? Does my Lord have a say in my life right now? I search my own heart as I write. What would I do differently if my Lord was allowed to direct me right now? Is He directing my pen as I write? Am I writing for the blessing and help of all who read these lines? My heart would be blessed indeed if it was my God guiding as I write these lines. That would be marvellous, yet that is exactly what I want. God doing it, God speaking it, God prompting it, then God would be seen and heard. That would be sweet for God to speak to me and then I could pass it on to His people for their blessing and God's glory.

Our circumstances are all different, where we live, our families, our work, our hobbies. We are all so different in so many ways, yet our Lord takes us up as we are for His honor and His glory.

Since I am saved, then I am a purchased person. I am not my own but I am redeemed, purchased with the precious cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. I used to have a master who promised great things in this world but He delivered nothing but disappointment, sorrow, hopelessness and so on. My Beloved Lord now owns me, as they say, lock, stock, and barrel. The problem is I so often won't give Him what is His---me. He would love to guide and direct me for His honor and my blessing. I should love to be guided and directed and led by my Beloved who dotes on me as His bride. Why should I ever hold myself from Him? Why would I want to row my own canoe over the falls and into the sharp rocks, when My Lord would love to row it for me? He knows the way, He knows the dangers. We so often take over and lose our way, yet He remains faithful. When we call on Him in our distress, He in grace comes to our rescue. So amazing is His love, grace and mercy to us failing saints.

So, in light of all we have written and read, what am I going to do? Life is short and eternity is long. We are in the dressing room for the real life which is eternal life with God. Would I even consider living for self and selfish interests, with God on the outside of my daily experiences? Surely not, after all He has done and is doing for us continually. He is watching out for us for our good and blessing.

In Genesis we read of a man whose name was Enoch. There were no amazing feats or victories that he did but one sweet thing he did was that he walked with God. Wouldn't that be awesome to just walk with God? Would that be that hard to just walk with God? To ask Him if we could just walk with Him for this day? It would be delightful.

If Jesus lived in your community, wouldn't it be something to see Him walking by, and you went out and asked if you could walk with Him? I know His answer. He would say "Come, My beloved." So you would go along on the sweetest walk you ever had. He might even show you His hands and feet, maybe tell you of the darkness and deep sorrows of the cross, His death, His resurrection, His ascension and His soon coming again. What a sweet walk that would be! You could go the next day too and that is just what He would want you to do.

So - why don't we just walk with Him today? He would love it, so would you and I. How would we do that as He is in heaven? The only way that we could do this is to ask Him in prayer 'Can I walk with Thee today Lord?' Will He refuse your company? Not for a minute.

According to His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us, that means He is ever present with us. So we just have to enjoy His presence. Tell Him you love Him. Tell Him what is troubling you: your fears, distresses, sorrows, joys, etc. You can even talk to Him out loud if you want. He is ever present. He hears us. Look at the stars. Tell Him that His creation is beautiful. See that flower? It's His handiwork. That little bird, He made it. Bring God into everything. Commune with Him. Pray that He will occupy the throne of your life. We mess it up, He will fix and restore our life. Does that not sound interesting to you and me? Surely it is of greatest interest to us. You see, "the greatest of these is love." That is our Lord's irresistible force with which He deals with His own.

So how will it be my brother, my sister? Will you and I yield and surrender? If He wanted to walk up that road, would you forget your own road and plans and walk with Him? What about that desire --- is that His desire? What about that want or wish, is that His choosing?

If we had one year to live one day at a time, and we knew at the end of it we were going home, how would we live those days? Surely, surely, brethren and sisters, we would give our all to Him, our beloved Lord.

My dear brother or sister, maybe you would love to have sweet fellowship with your Lord, but, but what? There is that dark thing that happened and it is still unsettled in your mind as to your relationship with the Lord. Is He sort of turned off with you? Maybe you feel He is silent to you and giving you the cold shoulder. Along with all that you feel guilt and shame of the past. You are stalled and don't know really where to turn. Well, let's see what God says about all this.

We have been looking at your difficulty from your point of view. Let's look at this from God's point of view. First God knows all about what you said, thought, or did. It's no secret to Him. Furthermore, He has taken care of that before you were born and before you committed the sin. The only place of rest from your problem is where God Himself has found rest. Let's be plain --- God has, already, on the cross punished your beloved Substitute, who is our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way you can receive peace about the matter is by faith believing what God says about the finished work of our Lord on the cross. He paid for your sin of whatever nature it is. There is no more payment needed. It's taken care of and finished. God is satisfied so you can be satisfied too. Does this all seem too simple and easy? It was far from easy for God to punish His Son on lonely dark Calvary's cross where wave after wave of our judgement poured relentlessly over His sinless soul thus exhausting God's wrath and pouring our cup of judgement on Christ the sacrifice. We come into the good of this once and for all sacrifice and rest where God rests.

In conclusion, my brother, my sister in Christ. Our Beloved has plans for each one of us --- some to go this way, others to go that way, each of us using the talents given to us to honor our Lord as He directs. As our bodies have many members, each differing with a unique work to do but all members yielded to the Head, so the body flows along functioning sweetly one member with the other. Let us live yielded to our beloved Lord, tender and humble in love to Him till He returns to the air to take His waiting bride home to dwell with Him forever ---sweet eternal future.

PSALM 119:105 Selah

Poem 1

Oh Blessed Lord I long for thee;
Those precious wounds I fain would see.
The love that held Thee on the cross,
Unmeasured suffering such a cost!

What drew Thee from Thy Father's side
With sinners for a time abide?
True Shepherd of the sheep was He,
To pay the cost at Calvary.

Like Joseph was rejected, sold,
Price of a slave so we are told.
But it was God who made the plan,
Redemption full and free for man.

We needed one to take our place,
To die for us a sinful race.
Now it is finished was His cry,
Then bowed His sacred head and died.

I asked what drew Thee from above?
Will tell you now, it was His Love!
Oh yes, He died, but rose again,
In mighty victory now He reigns.

Lord Jesus Christ again soon come!
Our Bridegroom then will take us home,
And safe with Him forever be
His bride for all eternity.

Poem 2

We bade the world a glad goodbye,
With pleasures that don't satisfy.
Such promises the world had made.
Delivered emptiness instead.

With saddened hearts nowhere to turn,
Of Christ the Lord we then did learn.
Our empty hearts He'd surely call,
And offer Life and peace to all.

"I gave my life for you," we learned.
With joy believing Him we turned,
From the dark world to Heavens love,
Sent to us from our God above.

He calls us now with Him abide,
To day by day walk by His side.
Sweetest friendship can it be?
The Lord of Lords now dwells with me.

How is your state my friend I pray?
Is He your everything today?
Once our first love and constant thought,
Is He still precious? Yes or Not?

Just feast on Him the Lamb once slain,
To draw us out in love again.
We'll dwell with Him for eternal days,
And sing to Him with sweetest praise.

Poem 3

Oh storm of sin that built for ages!
Broke upon His sinless Head.
Judgement for sin, God's fury rages,
Fell on Him, t'was in our stead.

Oh blessed Lord the storm that bowed thee
On the cross, nailed, and alone.
Noonday sun deep darkness must be
Silent Lord, the cross His throne.

When sin's last dark drop was taken,
"It is finished," was His call.
Judgement past, new life awaken
For us ruined by the fall.

Silent in the grave they laid Him,
Tender hands with loving care.
Mighty Lord He now is risen,
Waiting for His bride up there.

A Prayer of Thanks

Here is a poem that Leland's father Laurie wrote after he was saved.

I thank thee, Father, for Thy Son,
That glorified and lovely One
Who bare MY sins on Calvary's tree.
Surely, Father, I thank Thee!
(Colossians 1:12-23)

Through His love and matchless grace,
He suffered there, He took MY place,
That I, a sinner, could go free!
Surely, Father, I thank Thee!
(Romans 3:9-23)

I thank Thee for Thy blessed Word,
And for the day I stopped and heard
That all was done, done just for ME!
Surely, Father, I thank Thee!
(Romans 5)

My praise goes up to Thee above
Who bore MY burden, through His love;
Now I know that I am free!
Surely, Father, I thank Thee!
(1 John 5:11-15)

Now as I go life's earthly way,
I have Thy help from day to day;
I look ahead with Thee to be;
Surely, Father, I thank Thee!
(1 John 2:15-17)

Composed with God's help, 1971 by Laurie Swan, Millbrook, N.S.

Choosing Life

Satan's work is to take from God the Father and God the Son what rightfully belongs to God by creation and by the cross work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan usurps authority---God's authority. Satan takes over and seeks to control what God has purchased.

We as God's purchased possession can and often are tempted to follow Satan's tactics. May we give complete devotion and allegiance to our loving God and Father.

Let us daily, hourly be occupied with God, His Word, tender to the promptings of the Spirit of God. Let us study to know God's will and carefully do it. Our Lord is now rejected and by the world disowned. Let us with great care and loving affection read His Word owning Him as Lord and Master. Let us worship and serve Him while we are here on earth.

The Sower and the Seed

What's that I see in yonder field?
Peculiar shape and high spoked wheels,
What would the purpose of this be---
Explain its use that I might see.

Its lid's on top and space inside,
A plank on back for one to ride;
The wheels do lock to turn a shaft,
To sow some seeds is its lone task.

The farmer fills the bin with seeds.
Soon they're all gone and more he needs.
Where do they go I then do ask?
Into the ground to die at last.

Its been a faithful old farmhand;
It does its work and then it stands
At ready when the owner needs,
When season comes to sow some seeds.

It needs repairs at times, you know,
Its age and labour sometime show,
But so important for a crop,
Without its work increase would stop.

Did you just say---the seeds all die?
The ground, their prison, silent lie?
But listen to these words of grace:
One seed dies---ten take its place.

Such is God's way of increase true,
From early days and all way through,
Back then and now it's still the same,
From one comes many, is God's great aim.

But seems unfair that one should die,
And in earth's darkness 'lone should lie,
But in that seed is life to give,
Complete surrender makes more to live.

This is the way that Jesus took.
He gave His life so we may look
Upon the cross where One did die,
And in the grave did silent lie.

But God in victory raised Him up!
Now sinners at His table sup.
He died but once to cleanse from sin,
And we forgiven, will live with Him.

Eternal life from His lone death
Draws us to thank Him with each breath.
Now from His death so many live.
Joyful thanks we to Him give.

This little poem with message clear
Of seeder, seeds and sower hear.
Let us our work with joy perform,
To sow and reap, then on to Home.

The Story of Jesus

I'd like to tell you a story
Of Jesus who came from above.
Yes, sinners He'll take up to Glory,
Forgiven through grace and His love.

This Savior came down from His Father,
Miraculous birth in the east;
No earthly father; just mother,
God's love gift sent e'en for the least.

Now given are gifts for receiving
In love from the one it is sent.
Our Father did love us; though sinning,
Our hearts are so prone to be bent.

To sinners, the Savior's so precious,
For we are the ones in such need.
He died for the lost, not the righteous;
That's love in shoe leather we read.

By grace are you saved says The Bible,
That wondrous compassion of God,
With mercy and love He is able
To save and redeem by His blood.

Now what have you done with the Saviour?
Received or rejected is He?
Safe in the arms that so love you
Or adrift on life's ocean to be.

What is the main purpose of writing
These lines in a poem to you?
Seek now the blest Saviour, He's waiting
To save you; Your peace is our view.

Our Beloved Lord

Oh, what is thy Beloved?
The question they did ask,
Above all other loved ones,
How does He them surpass?

Well, our beloved was wounded;
Has suffered, bled and died,
And gloriously confounded
Our foe. He rose on high.

There is no one like Jesus
Among the sons of men.
For none but Jesus loved us,
And died and rose again.

Did your beloved sufffer?
Did he for your sin die?
That makes the sinner's Saviour
Beloved of all time.

Leland Swan

Poems and Other Writings