AnthonyFosterPhD

I have found that in the rhythm of our new life, many things get put aside. I have just finished filling up the 2012-2013 scrapbooks with the accumulated memorabilia of the past year or so, plus uploading writings and sorting files. The fifteen or so lyrics below are a part of that divestiture. I look forward to a big housecleaning of the non-digital sort this winter.

In the inescapable darkness Deliverance was not in view But light has shined in darkness The advent of the TRUE Remember and rejoice Watch and wait For the fulfillment of His promise is come Source of   our Magnificat What great things has God done for me? A wretched man was I. The flood of judgment mine. When I was dead he drew me He gave salvation to me Now in The blessed Love of Christ Forever I abide Oh deep, deep love Precious gift from God above Grows ever deeper still In the living of His Will. Oh deep deep love This itself will be enough This alone can satisfy The blood of love will be our cry. In the valley of the shadow of death The devil wants our final breath. Drowned in oceans of deep darkness Or into hell’s futile abyss To take us Down into the depths of judment’s flood But deeper is the fountain filled with blood. So align my heart with your heart Remove anything that would keep us apart Make my heart tender as I surrender Open my heart to its innermost part As ...

Eternal Word that became flesh Condescending in the Creche Glory limited by choice Wrath bearer with an infant’s voice. Our unrighteousness to overcome Where sin’s wages devastated men To become a holy ransom And His righteousness would cover our sins. The suffering you embraced Priceless blood in the cup of grace Poured out at the altar Conqueror, overcomer Raised to glory forever Nevermore to falter. All the holy ways of God Are steadfast love and faithfulness. All the holy ways of God Are steadfast love and faithfulness. All the holy ways of God Are steadfast love and faithfulness. All the holy ways of God Are steadfast love and faithfulness. So stop and rejoice and remember Reflecting purposefully The theme of hope is on our hearts In eager expectation to see HE is our treasure and our greatest good Grace is yours, grace is yours The spirit of God in the people of Your Book Serving you in what we preach Things into which angels long to look. All the holy ways of God Are steadf...

Of those who have fallen asleep We are the firstfruits He will keep In Christ our victory, is our Truth Our Jesus is the point of our pursuit. Imperishable seed Sow your harvest inside of me Plough our fields and penetrate The hard soils of sin and hate Life giving, living vine Graft us into life divine. The crushed son has borne the wrath And borne it all on our behalf A living Hope-A sure salvation Now born again through His resurrection Imperishable seed Answer to our every need Open our eyes and open our doors Show us what you made us for Atoning, living sacrifice It is all of God in Christ. Anthony Foster July 2013

The seed of the woman promised to Eve The covenant promises to all who would believe The joy of the scarlet thread woven in the word The praise of heaven now on the earth is heard Christ is Come We are Rooted in the resurrected one Christ is Come We are Rooted in the resurrected one Word made flesh among us dwells Ancient of Days and God most High Exalted one of Heaven now came to die Holy Holy Holy Christ Comforter, full of wonder Came to tear death asunder Came the serpent’s skull to crush Came to raise children of dust. One who has died One who was raised We gather around And this glory we praise Christ is Come We are Rooted in the resurrected one Christ is Come We are Rooted in the resurrected one Rooted in the resurrected one Rooted in the resurrected one Anthony Foster July 2013

Let all of creation worship Him Who for a little while was made Lower than the angels Transcendence came near to be displayed Immanuel indwelling man Once enemies now one, together This is our precious paradise Union with our Christ forever This is our precious paradise Union with our precious Christ For His presence   we have longed To abide and to reside In the shadow of His wings we hide. And He has become our song. Fullness of God’s glory here Not one of us can comprehend Not one of us can understand The depth of how he’d condescend. He came down from his throne above Set us apart, swept out the leaven Shed glory on this work of dust And raises us to heaven. He is our precious paradise Union with our precious Christ For His presence   we have longed To abide and to reside In the shadow of His wings we hide. And He has become our song. Anthony Foster August 2013

His sufferings were to our doors applied For the blood bought bride he died. To sacrifice his life for us he came For those who trust the power of His name We lift our hearts in ardent celebration We seek to tell the world of His salvation By living lives empowered by true adoration! True adoration, let this be our offering True adoration, now fill up the praise we sing True adoration, overflowing hearts of grace As gratitude and worship fills this place. To your will conformed By your word we are formed In our sacrifice our praise He is adored If we are following our Lord Chosen vessels now are filled As we seek to serve His will Redeemed of the ages Exempted from sin’s wages Passionate obedience remains Exultation in our chains Living, breathing by your Name To you, through you By you and for you To your glory, we obey So we will do the things you say. True adoration, let this be our offering True adoration, now indwell the praise we sing True adoration, overflowing hearts of gr...

He is the harbor and the hedge A place of abiding rest To not forsake us is His pledge In Him is blessedness. Oh anchor for our souls A secure foundation Keeper of your fold There is now no condemnation Lest we should drift away In stranger tides each day Come hold us fast we pray Anchor of our souls. Our spirits’ sure defense Rock of Righteousness In you forever blessed Anchor of our souls Rule over the appetites That with our souls wage war Secure us in the shallows Secure us in the storms So come embrace us in Your arms He will   draw us to His side Your mighty love will anchor us In our hearts come to abide Oh anchor for our souls A secure foundation Keeper of your fold There is now no condemnation Lest we should drift away In stranger tides each day Come hold us fast we pray Anchor of our souls. Anthony Foster August 2013

Bestowing your riches you come For our salvation and our surrender We call on the name of the Lord To the name of Jesus all glory render Praise running over… The name   above all other names Come and trust Him now and forever See if   He will not pour out blessings On you pressed down, shaken together … and running over Awash in blessedness, awash in blessing today. Running over Overcome by Christ’s embrace Overflowed by God’s good grace Awash in blessedness, awash in blessing today. Running over… Running over… Running over… Running over… Anthony Foster September 2013

Tears of Glory God of the closing and opening doors May I disdain any other voice God of the roadblocks and paths made straight God of inclinations and choice May your light flash down from heaven May your radience upon us shine May your voice speak loud and often May we seek and hear and find Baptized in the tears of your glory We lift our eyes to You Higher than the heavens are your ways To you all majesty is due. We are bound by chains of sin Behind the bars of guilt and shame Tears of glory, tears of glory Of our hope and of a warning Tears of glory tell the story Dancing comes after the mourning Oh I would weep and be weak Rather than in myself be strong Where I did not sow I would reap I would cry out as I seek To find solace where I belong As we view you through the tears You wipe them all away And give new eyes with which to see The unseen brighter day. We are bound by chains of sin Behind the bars of guilt and shame Tears of glory, tears of glory Of our hope and of...

  Abandoned and orphaned-Fatherless and faithless With no inheritance or hope-With no family to bless And no past to rely on-Pain and trauma is your part Secure in manipulations-Survival the finest art Now to be chosen-Now to be adopted, Now to be beloved-Oh to be so loved! By the Love of the Father-By the cost of His son Grafted into a family-Where many hearts are made one Let these words land on them-The unaccustomed to your grace Adopted as sons and daughters-Here with your father face to face The anthem of orphans Once unloved and rejected Now arms e’re enfold you Esteemed and protected. Sing the song of a City on a Hill Melody of overcoming souls Cadence of redeemed hearts A music that rages as it rolls But God, but God, but God has made a way To see the Righteous One A root of righteousness Yielding fruit in daughters and sons And all but one are grafted in The begotten one made a way We call upon your lovely name You wash our sins away. The anthem of orphans Once...

Come by the way of the cross. Come by the way of the cross We receive our freedom purchased at the cross of Christ We receive forgiveness In His final sacrifice The rugged wretched cross where his purpose was fulfilled The rugged wretched cross Where all our wounds are healed God says I love you at the cross For He is willing to forgive Forgive and cleanse you of all your sins So you can truly live Atonement and remission Through blood poured out for us that day A price was paid on our behalf One we could never pay The true meaning is an offense It confronts our hearts of stone A confrontation all of us must face Found at the cross alone. The way of the cross leads home The way of the cross leads home The way of the cross leads home Anthony Foster November 2013

To all who are bound up b y self tonight, For all who’ve lost their way Here is a good word for you, The best that I can say "This is the blessed life – not anxious to see far in front, nor eager the path to choose, but following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time." Taking one step at a time your way you cannot lose. Quietly, quietly, This road will take me on One to greater glories Than I could ever have known Into greater mercies And never alone. "This is the blessed life – not anxious to see far in front, nor eager the path to choose, but following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time." Taking one step at a time your way you cannot lose. Quietly, quietly, This road will take me on One to greater glories Than I could ever have known Into greater mercies And never alone. Anthony Foster After F. B. Meyer October 2013

Open to me the gates of righteousness I would enter in through them Give thanks to the Lord who is this gate Through it the righteous enter in   The stone the builders rejected My salvation you have become I give thanks for what you’ve perfected This is the Lord’s doing alone.   Enter in, enter in The beckoning open gate At the end of a narrow path But the way is straight This is the day the Lord has made It is marvelous in our eyes Let us rejoice and be glad in it It is marvelous in our eyes   You tore apart the temple veil Now against the gates of Hell prevail Our inheritance we will possess You have opened your gates of righteousness   You were bound to the horns of the altar For our sake you willingly died King of Glory has come in The righteous lamb that God provides.   Your righteousness and not our own Your righteousness and yours alone Our works are filthy rags unless They’re sourced by your own righteousness.   Enter in, enter in The beckonin...