Early one morning – the sun was still weak, I stepped through an old rusted gate.Walked into my garden and took peekWhat I saw, I know, was my fate. Overcome by a wonder I’d never seenAs if traveled the universe vast I looked and there from a vine shone a beam, Drew me in to the way of […]
IN THE BEGINNING — -Wings of the Dawn-
GOD IS GREATER THAN“IN HIM WE LIVE AND BREATHE AND HAVE OUR BEING.”
Acts. 17:28
“AND WE ARE IN HIM WHO IS TRUE, IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
HE IS THE TRUE GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE.”
1 John 5:20
Dear Father, interweave between my human thoughts the truths and the authority of Your Word. I thank you and praise you that Your Words are Spirit and Life to me. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name Amen
Fran
Image: Google
In 2014, at the age of 75, I wrote this hymn as a witness of how, over many years, the Lord brought me to Himself. I set it to a tune to be sung as a solo but I plan to use a familiar tune, instead, so that it can be sung in corporate worship. It is a hymn all true Christians should be able to sing.
I share only the text in this post. I will share the musical version when it is available.
A SINNER’S PRAYER
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:19
1. LORD, be merciful to me, a sinner.
What have I to bring to you?
I am poor, and lost, and helpless;
Show and teach me what is true.
Hear me calling, gracious Father,
I am deaf and cannot see.
I am hopeless; I am dying.
No one here can answer me.
2. Lord, you said that you would save me
If I trust in you alone.
What is faith; what is believing?
It is your work, not my own.
Hear me crying, dear Lord Jesus;
Hear my pleading; see my tears.
In my sin and in my anguish,
I have struggled through the years.
3. All my trying, all my labor
Are but vanity to you.
I am dust in need of Spirit.
Breathe in me your life anew.
I confess Lord, that I need you.
I repent of all my sin.
By your Spirit, live within me.
Be my strength and be my Friend.
4. Lord, you promised life abundant
When you came and bled and died.
Let me see and hear you clearly —
Jesus Christ, the crucified.
O, I can see you, I can hear you.
You have opened eyes and ears.
You have covered sin and sorrow;
You have banished all my fears.
5. Lord, let this poor, ransomed sinner
Know you, love you, and obey;
With your guidance, daily leading,
Showing me your will and way.
Hear me calling, blessed Redeemer,
In my nights and in my days.
I am helpless, but your grace, Lord,
Will lift these weak lips to praise.
© Fran Rogers 2014
Heidi is our author this week for Words of Life. Visit and get to know her at
Wings of the Dawn
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In the hallway of my parent’s home in Germany is a plaque with a poem that I have translated from German into English.
This is my house, yet still not mine.
My heir will own it for a while.
And soon the third comes to reside,
Then – when he’s done – gets dragged outside.
The fourth and fifth, too, don’t stay long.
Tell, to whom does it belong?
When I look around, I see many things I confidently call my own. But are they really mine? How long will they be in my possession? To whom do these things truly belong?
As we search the Word of God for the word belong, we find it cannot be translated into a single word since it is commonly used as a verb phrase and is tightly connected to an owner. Therefore, it is better to consider who owns what. There are 8478 references in the Bible to the word his ~ not counting the words hers, theirs or ours. The idea of possession connects everything.
The Word of God says that He is the Possessor of all things.
Possessor H7069 The One who possesses, created, acquired, obtained, and redeemed. Everyone and everything belong to God
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: Genesis 14:19
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We will focus on the word belong as we find it mostly in the Old Testament. Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible reference what belonged to certain men in the Old Testament.
Genesis 40:8 Do not interpretations belong to God?
Numbers 1:50 Numbers 7:9 and Numbers 8:24 speak of the things that belong to the service of the sanctuary of the tabernacle.
There is a profound meaning to this verse. There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God and there are those things that belong to us as His children. We cannot lose these. They are given to us as our inheritance, forever. We might think of this family relationship in connection to Jesus’ words in Luke 13:32 of the Father’s desire to give us the kingdom.
“the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:9
“God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this;
that power belongeth unto God.”
Psalm 61:11
Psalm 94:1 vengeance belongs to God.
“O Lord, righteousness belongs unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces… because they have trespassed against thee.” Daniel 9:7
“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;” Daniel 9:9
“Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people.” Psalm 3:8
“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” Mark 9:41 “And you are Christ‘s; and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:23
“But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14
Before I knew Jesus as Lord and Master, someone asked me, “Who is your authority?”
I understood the question to mean, “To whom do you belong? Whose are you?”
Not everyone submits to the truth of God’s ownership. Some continue through life thinking they live on their own. Others commit all they are to Him when convicted of their need for His authority and ownership in their lives.
Of His gracious love and kindness, God our Father has given us many gifts — material possessions, talents, relationships, and time to enjoy these within the souls He has given.
None of these belong to us — they are given for us to steward for only a short time. And then, in His time — we shall claim all the promises of our inheritance in Christ.
As joint-heirs with Him, we shall know what it truly means to belong to Him and enjoy the never-ending pleasures of His presence and kingdom.
Lord, Maker of the universe and Possessor of all things, help us to see that nothing truly belongs to us but that You have graciously given us many gifts to manage for Your glory. Help us to know with assurance, that we belong to You. Thank you for Jesus ~ that by grace through faith in Him we belong to You, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Heidi
Image: Heidi
(The following was written by a dear friend who
knows the Potter and the work of His hands.)
The Potter took a lump of clay;
He made of it a vessel one day.
He chose the fashion it would be;
It was to look like Him, not me.
It would be of use a future day.
He took of that same piece of clay;
And shaped it in another way,
Then joined them as one piece of clay.
In a special place He put them to use,
There were many things from which to choose.
“One thing you should not choose to do”
He said, “This would not be good for you.”
They were tempted to sample, to see
Why that one choice should not be.
Something happened on that day
That changed the looks and use of the clay.
The thing that marred it He called sin;
The Potter knew what it could have been.
The Potter used it anyway
And refashioned it for a future day.
He designed it to bear His own reflection
Then gave the clay a new direction.
The Potter reshaped it to look like Him
Which was His original purpose for them
Mary Clay © 2018 Used by permission
Image: Google
A few weeks ago, the pastor and elders of the church we had been visiting, came to our home to pray for us and while here, to hear our witness of Christ for membership. God had been working twenty years for this transition from our last church. All that the Lord has done in my life (almost 79 years) could never be shared in one day, and I praise Him that He is not through with His work in my life. The following poem is the concise witness the Lord gave me for that day.
His Story is My Story
No one knows even half of my story
It is covered by heaven’s pure glory.
Jesus came down and died for my sin.
By HIs blood I am cleansed from within.
By His righteousness alone,
For my sins did He atone.
So that sinners such as I
May on His work now rely.
Singing and praising every day
In the new and upward way.
Fran ~ 2018
Image: Google
“To every thing …….. a season.”
“A time to be born” ……… A time to know.
“A time to die” …….. And then to grow.
To sense the touch of the Gardener’s hand.
With His strength and love ……. to stand,
And feel the rain upon our face;
To live in the sunshine of His Grace.
Ecclesiastes 3:2; Luke 9:24 F.R. 1995
For Emery Elise Bourchier
January 18 – February 15, 2018
Image: Google
Give me not a god,
a god that I control.
Don’t give me a god
that I can mold.
Give me GOD, THE LIVING GOD,
who’s free to come and go.
I need GOD, the REAL GOD,
who knows more than I know.
GOD, Himself, who created Life,
and all living things—
GOD, who lives, and to my life
His own LIFE He brings.
I want GOD, the HOLY GOD,
who has a master plan.
GOD, the GOD who acts in grace,
though I can’t understand.
Where is GOD, the GOD OF TRUTH,
who tells it like it is;
Though painful it may seem to me,
shapes my heart like His?
I see GOD, the MIGHTY GOD,
when I look at the cross,
Who gave His life that I might live,
removing all the dross.
This GOD, THE GOD I’m looking for,
is greater than the world;
Able to do anything,
simply by His Word.
I will wait for GOD, THE LOVING GOD,
THE GOD OF POWER, still,
Who can, in JESUS, fill my heart,
and conform me to His will.
F.R. 1996
(Poem was written for our oldest grandchild, Ansley, for her fourth birthday. She is now twenty-five, married, and has a three-year-old daughter.)
God's Grace ~ God's Glory! 