When I Read The Bible Through (Poem)

 When I Read The Bible Through

I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah,
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),
Twelfth of Romans, First of Proverbs -
Yes, I thought I knew the Word!
But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,
Dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel aweary,
And yawn through a hurried prayer;
You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book -
Just a paragraph disjointed,
Just a crude impatient look -
Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through!

by Amos R. Wells

2 Timothy 3:15-17  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When This Lion Begins To Roar (Poem)

 When This Lion Begins To Roar

The Lamb is coming back again -
This time it’s not like before:
The world will never be the same
When this Lion begins to roar.

Once meek and lowly, like a Lamb,
Riding gently upon a colt;
Now with vengeance unrestrained,
Like a charging thunderbolt.

Once a sacrifice for sins:
Perfect, holy, white as snow;
Soon His wrath will begin
Against this world - Woe, woe, woe!

All creation groans in expectation,
Waiting for the Messiah promised long before;
As our sacrificial Lamb,
Jesus opened salvation’s door.

As this sin-cursed world rushes towards its destiny,
And men seek Babylon more and more,
The Lord will come like a charger trained for war -
Get ready, world, the Lion is going to roar!

May 18th, 1998
Jerry Bouey

Revelation 5:1-14  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

If you are interested, please visit the link below to hear this poem presented in church:
(The audio recording is at the top of the page)

When This Lion Begins To Roar

Behold Your Saviour (Poem)

 

Behold Your Saviour

Behold the Man – the Perfect Man,
The Promised Seed from days of old;
The Son of Man who came from Heaven,
As all My chosen prophets had foretold.

Behold My Servant – with opened ears,
Delighting to do all of My will;
In the Volume of the Book it is written,
All of My Law would He fulfill.

Behold your King – the King of Kings,
The Son of David ruling from on High;
The Prince of Peace, the Lion of Judah,
The Living Waters of Shiloh flowing by.

Behold your God – the one True God,
Your greatest need He would provide;
This is My Son in whom I’m well pleased,
This is the reason for which He died:

Behold the Lamb of God – which took away the world’s sin,
He was smitten of God – as the Bible has revealed;
The only Mediator between God and men,
Your atonement for sin – with His stripes you are healed.

Behold your Saviour – who shed His blood on the cross,
The Man of Sorrows – who by wicked men was slain;
He came out of the tomb, death couldn’t hold Him –
Behold, the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again!

September 30th, 2021
Jerry Bouey

John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

Isaiah 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Quietness And Confidence (Hymn)

Quietness And Confidence

I come to Thee, O Lord, to-night,
A glad and trustful child;
Thy light has made my darkness light,
Thy love my heart beguiled.

I came to Thee by sin oppressed,
Now many years ago;
And I have found that perfect rest
Thou only canst bestow.

My hand is placed in Thine, my Lord,
Thou canst not lead me wrong;
I stay my soul upon Thy word,
My pilgrim-way along.

Some call our life a wilderness,
A desert dark and drear;
To me this life is nothing less
Than Heaven begun down here.

They surely cannot know the grace
Which from Thy presence flows,
Which makes the solitary place
To blossom as the rose.

They cannot know the joy there is,
Which I have claimed as mine;
The joy - nay, more, the perfect bliss,
In this great love of Thine.

Oh! Thou, who to the mire and clay
Hast stooped for one like me;
Thou who hast washed my sins away,
When nailed to Calv'ry's tree;

Oh! set their feet upon the Rock
Who wander from Thee still;
At their dull hearts, oh, louder knock,
And bend the stubborn will.

Thou who hast put the glad new song
Within my mouth to praise,
Oh! let me all my way along,
Fresh Ebenezers raise.

And let my life more wholly be
Conformed to Thy pure word,
That those who are observing me
May glorify my Lord.

E. J. Carr
From Hand In Hand With Jesus, And Other Poems
Published 1877

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Isaiah 30:1-5 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

Isaiah 30:7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

If you are interested, please visit the link below to hear this poem presented in church:
(The audio recording is at the top of the page)

Quietness And Confidence

For another poem by this same author, please visit this page:
The Fulness Of Jesus

The Touch Of The Master's Hand (Hymn)

 

 The Touch of the Master’s Hand

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
      Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
      But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
    "Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two?
      Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"

"Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
      Going for three…" But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
      Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
      And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
      As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
      With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
      And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
      Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
    And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
    "We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
    "The touch of the Master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
      And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
      Much like the old violin.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
    A game — and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
    He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
    Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
    By the touch of the Master's hand.

Myra Brooks Welch (1921)

Genesis 2:5-7  And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

John 9:1-7  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Isaiah 64:8  But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Jeremiah 18:1-6  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Psalm 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

The following is taken from the study Earthen Vessels, based on John 9:

First the Potter healed the blind man physically, then He healed him spiritually. First Jesus healed this man's physical blindness, then He healed his spiritual blindness. When the man who was born blind, but who now saw, when he realized who it was who had healed him, he placed his faith in the Son of God.

The Potter, the Creator who made every one of us, has the power to remake us for His glory. Jesus has the power to take every blind man and give him sight - take every hellbound sinner and open their eyes to understand the truth of the Gospel. He can take every marred vessel and use it for His glory - He can take a vessel of dishonour and make it into a vessel of honour, through faith in Him and His finished work on the cross of Calvary. Then the Lord is glorified by the lives of those earthen vessels that were once marred but now are miraculously recreated; He is magnified by the testimonies of those He has healed; and He is worshipped by those whose lives He touches and transforms!

Are you an earthen vessel that Jesus has touched and changed? If not, you can be. The Potter who created you also has the power to recreate you - He can change your sinful, sin-filled vessel of wrath into a vessel of mercy that will honour and glorify Him (see Romans 9:22-23). Will you turn to Him and let Him remake you according to His perfect plan?

If you will turn from your sin and receive the Heavenly Potter, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour, then He can transform you into a vessel unto honour and use you for His glory. Though you are an only earthen vessel, a weak vessel made of clay, you can be sanctified (set apart for the Lord), and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work, as the power of God works in your life and through you.

2 Corinthians 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

June 6th, 2006
Jerry Bouey

If you are interested, please visit the link below to hear this poem presented in church:
(The audio recording is at the top of the page)

The Touch Of The Master's Hand