Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Deeper than the Stain has Gone

At a recent worship meeting I heard a man quote the first verse of this hymn in his sermon. I’d never heard the words to this hymn before, but as he recited them I was deeply moved by the words of the hymnist.


We fully realize the corruption of man by the choice of Adam, a corruption that reaches to the deepest recesses of our heart, soul, mind and body. This corruption has affected us in divers ways from birth to death. Left to ourselves, our sin and depravity would send us straight to hell, but as this hymn proclaims, the “blood of God’s own Son purifies and reaches deeper than the stain has gone!” I’m thankful, beyond thankful for the perfect and pure sacrifice of Jesus Christ that more than elevated us from our depraved condition, but placed us firmly in the hands of His Father never to fall again!


Dark the stain that soiled man's nature,
Long the distance that he fell.
Far re-moved from hope and heav-en,
Into deep despair and hell.
But there was a fountain opened,
And the blood of God's own Son,
Purifies the soul and reaches
Deeper than the stain has gone!


Chorus


Praise the Lord for full salvation,
God still reigns upon His throne.
And I know the blood still reaches
Deep-er than the stain has gone.


Conscious of the deep pollution,
Sinners wander in the night,
Tho' they hear the Shepherd calling,
They still fear to face the light.
This the blessed consolation,
That can melt the heart of stone,
That sweet Balm of Gilead reaches
Deep-er than the stain has gone!


All unworthy we who've wandered,
And our eyes are wet with tears;
As we think of love that sought us
Through the weary wasted years.
Yet we walk the holy highway,
Walking by God's grace alone
Knowing Calv'ry's fountain reaches
Deeper than the stain has gone!


When with holy choirs we're standing
In the presence of the King,
And our souls are lost in wonder,
While the white robed choirs sing;
Then we'll praise the name of Jesus,
With the millions round the throne;
Praise Him for the pow'r that reaches,
Deeper than the stain has gone!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Goodbye, Mr. President, May God Bless You

During the election cycle I had the ominous feeling that Barack Obama would be our next president. As the returns came in that Tuesday night, I was braced for that outcome and thankfully felt peace knowing that the Lord is ultimately in control. Since that time I've prayed many times for the success of our new president, and truly hope he has an easier term(s) than President Bush has had.

Over the past few days though, I've become somewhat melancholy as the current president nears the end of his time of governing. I've realized that for the past eight years I've been able to cast most of my concerns regarding our nation aside knowing that the man at The White House was a godly man, full of integrity and honor. I felt confident while he has been at the helm.

That same feeling of security is quickly departing as 12:00 PM, January 20, 2009 approaches. I still trust solidly that the Lord is in control, and that a king's heart is in the Lord's hand, but as this new administration readies to take the helm, I know the man that will inhabit the Oval Office does not share the same values that I do. I'm not certain that he will do all that's necessary to protect our nation from aggression and attack. I know he will seek to unravel many of the gains that pro life conservatives have seen set in place during Mr. Bush's tenure. I suspect that many of his answers to our economic problems will have very long term costly consequences. I suspect that his term(s) will have a lasting impact on the social issues of our nation, and not for the better.

I realize that President George W. Bush has been a controversial and unpopular president. There have been a few items I've disagreed with him on, but I've consistently been thankful that our God allowed him to be in that place during these past eight years. I've been thankful to know that a man of principle, purpose and integrity was our leader for this time. As President Bush retires to Texas, I hope for a happy retirement for him. I pray that God will continually encourage him, and I hope his supporters will continually thank him for his faithful and unwavering service to our nation during some of the most tumultuous times we may ever see.

And I pray that President-elect Obama will prove to be a good leader, a faithful watchmen for our security. May God lead him through each issue and decision.

I truly hope for a continued future rich in the blessings of God for our beloved nation.