AnthonyFosterPhD

Angels descending a pitch black sky Illumined the darkness with radiant light A world unsuspecting that hope had drawn nigh Trembled in fear at the glorious sight, Yet peace fell upon their souls in their dark night. The heavens declared the weight of good news That prisoners could find their release A birth of a savior that most would refuse And for that, their turmoil shan`t cease His own would receive not His peace. Oh, make His praise glorious-our sins he forgave Over all victorious- over death and the grave Make His praise glorious-His own life He gave So rejoice in the servant who saves! Now men seek to do what is right in their eyes But there`s only One treasure that saves Belief`s never born from from some sign in the skies Discounting the salvation they crave, They rejected the gift that God gave! The Savior still comes to the blindest of eyes He comes to be faithful and true He comes in an inconspicuous disguise To do what we could not do He still comes the wretch to rescue. ...

In this advent of the Savior We shall find o ur perfect peace Joy to all who have fo u nd favor All those with whom God is pleased Joy eternal, Joy abundant Lifts our hearts to Christ in praise In our Joy we find contentment Blessed to boldly stand amazed ! Chorus Joy to all who Love the Lord Ex u lt in Glory a t His throne S ing in One tri u mphant chord We find Joy in Yo u alone! Yo u have come to earth to save u s Yo u have come o u r sin to bear Yo u arose and life you gave u s We receive your tender care So we sing in jubilation So we sing in one accord Yea, we sing in exultation Joy to all who Love the Lord ! Chorus Joy to all who Love the Lord Ex u lt in Glory a t His throne S ing in One tri u mphant chord We find Joy in Yo u alone! N ovember 30, 2018 Anthony Foster

Open the eyes of my heart that I might see your greatness Open my eyes that I might see Your goodness as I should Help me to preach to my soul that I might remember All Your benefits and all I have understood. You do all things for Your glory and for our good. And I will praise the name of God with a song I will sing His glories and sing out strong And I will pray that others might sing along I will sing, I will sing In Your presence When you take me from this world ere long Open the ears of my soul that I might hear You singing Open my ears that I might hear Your heartbeat loud and clear Help me rehearse Your Truth that I might remember All the words of life that fall upon my listening ear As I abandon myself to obey the song I hear. Bridge Lord I would magnify you But You are already magnificent Lord I would glorify You But Your Glory is evident But I can magnify You with thanksgiving And proclaim your excellencies You have called us out of darkness Out into Your marvelous light...

Lord sing your salvation song to us The hymnbook of the ages The psalms of faith and amazing grace Written on its pages We lean in and lean quickly Minds set on things above We focus our attentions On the splendor of your love Pleading that we might know you Filling our minds with your Word We sing that we might show you A joyful noise, undeterred Lord sing your salvation song to us The hymnbook of the ages The psalms of faith and amazing grace Written on its pages This holy high privilege What we were created for Joined  as a singing congregation, Oh come let us all adore Created to sing, commanded to sing In melodic celebration The fruit of our lips is our best offering! Lord in our hearts we rejoice Listening as you sing over us As we lift up a higher voice Unify us in a deeper trust! Lord sing your salvation song to us The hymnbook of the ages The psalms of faith and amazing grace Written on its pages Anthony Foster November 28, 2018

Enter now the sanctuary Christ indwells those who in Him abide For we are now the house of the Lord Meet with Him where He resides His Word dwells richly in us Vessels into whom the Spirit is poured We are now His tabernacle We are the temple of the Lord We have this treasure in vessels of clay So that his glory can be on display Our souls sanctified and set apart His word is written on our very heart His hands, His feet, His Body Are in us manifest Agents of reconciliation Jesus in the new creation dressed And so he comes to dine with us His abode in us to make He inhabits all His people's praise For our good and for His sake. We have this treasure in vessels of clay So that his glory can be on display Our souls sanctified and set apart His word is written on our very heart On our very heart. John 14:21-23 November 27, 2018 Anthony Foster

In the book of life every phrase Every season`s a chapter, a new episode Is another story of glory and praise Each milepost a memory on a long winding road The story goes on when its written By the best story teller of all But the plots open the imagination To the strange new world of Gods call. Let him make of your life a message That is good news to all who will hear Let him perfect every passage And a glorious faith will appear Turn the page of your life- where does the story end? How does the plot resolve itself What message will you send? There's no one to appeal to There's no one left to blame There's no way out and no way in Except through Jesus' name. The story resolves in God's presence As all eternity before you unfurls We are promised a most blessed ending To days strung together like precious pearls An adventure story , a thriller or see Your life become a happy mystery A romance with righteousness written An epic saga of your life...

What is written in the volume of your lifestory? Are the lines crooked and the letters blurred? Do the lines leap off the pages Or are they so crooked that you cant read a word? Let God erase the lines that you've bungled Rewrite the chapters that were a waste With a new storyline altogether All those lines of enmity He will erase Is your name written in the book of the Lamb? Or are you writing verses To suit your desires? Is your story being told by the great I Am? Gods will is not a secret, He declares what He requires Our God is a wordsmith but he will not write A single word until you come to the light. Then He'll inscribe you upon the palm of His hand  And no one will ever erase you from His plan. He will write His words on your heart`s tablet And He'll write for you a special new name Let your life now be written by the finger of God With His stories all the endings are the same So will your story end in God's presence Or in darkness and torment and st...

We have an indestructible priest So our salvation is secure This very day I am being saved by an intercession that endures Jesus is praying for us in heaven. Through His prayers He continues His Love This very day I am being saved By my Great High Priest up above Christ is able to save to the uttermost He is the only Savior we''ll ever need Christ is able to save to the uttermost He lives forever to ever intercede His indestructible priesthood By Christ’s resurrection from the dead The God Man is greater than a human priest He is the perfect  priest  of the Godhead Christ is able to save to the uttermost He is the only Savior we''ll ever need Christ is able to save to the uttermost He lives forever to ever intercede We are held fast forever by eternal prayers Saved by everlasting advocacy On the basis of his perfect sacrifice, Jesus is praying  perfectly! Christ is able to save to the uttermost He is the only Savior we''ll ever need Christ is able to save to the...

Just as the loved one is more than a photo So is the real thing  much better than shadows Yet through the shadows we can learn And the very mind of God  we  can discern. Not curtains and bowls and tables Not candles and robes and tassels Nor  goats and pigeons and sheep. This is deep calling unto deep These are a shadow of what will be done The temple, the law and the sacrifice These are but a shadow of the things to come, But the substance belongs to Christ. Bridge Every shadow and symbol and sign Are of God's righteous revelation They work together to  define Our hope of eternal salvation. So here in the shadowlands, reckon what's real Through them ultimate reality is revealed... This is far beyond what we can see This is not shadow-reality Tho the shadows do communicate This is the  True Truth to which they relate These are a shadow of what will be done The temple, the law and the sacrifice These are but a shadow of the things to come, But the substance ...

There's a gift of repentance- Its a gift to confess A gift of forgiveness-And a robe of righteousness Theres a good gift of cleansing-From iniquity's stain And a gift to be conformed-To the name above all names Hold it fast and hold it tight By the power of His might. His blood-bought gift Of your obedience will lift You to unseen heights His rod will make you right. Hold on to what will last To Hope hold fast. Theres a gift of assurance And of hope that's secure A gift to the heirs Of the promise that endures A gift of deliverance And a gift that denies A gift of His presence That will not compromise Hold it fast and hold it tight By the power of His might. His blood-bought gift Of your obedience will lift You to unseen heights His rod will make you right. Hold on to what will last To Hope hold fast. I exhort you to be bold Reach out and take hold Of that for which you have been Taken hold of by Christ`s hand. Our Father rejoices Over us in the night The give...

There will be a banquet one day, a table for the saints will be set Not a one will be left out No hunger left unmet Not a one there will be nameless No one will be unknown No one with no place to sit We will finally be home We are home home forever We are finally off the road We have set all our affections On our heavenly abode There in the Father's table In the Kingdom of our King We will revel in His presence And His praise forever sing! One day the feast will be laid out Full of satisfying fare And everyone will eat their fill With plenty left to spare There at the banquet table All the redeemed will belong We'll feast on God's provision And then we'll sing a song There's a candle in the window And it's called amazing grace It will guide our way to Glory Where we'll see Christ face to face Where all hungering is fulfilled Where He quenches every thirst And we'll eat and drink in delight But we'll worship Jesus first We are home, home forever We...

Jesus freed us from the tyranny Of worldly pain and pleasure — And worldly suffering and  success, To pursue a greater  treasure. Jesus anchored all the happiness Of suffering saints in heaven`s reward And the blessedness of righteousness Is anchored in the Lord Hope of Heaven my Joy`s mainstay Anchor of my soul, help me stand I pray. With my heart tethered to your promises, Lord I will obey and will wait for heaven`s reward. Our Joy is safe- we need not fear Our anchor will hold firm And heaven holds our future there Through every coming term If your name is in the Book of Life Your destiny is secure An inheritance kept safe through strife- Infinite, eternal, sure. Hope of Heaven my Joy`s mainstay Anchor of my soul help me stand I pray. With my heart tethered to your promises Lord I will obey and will wait for heaven`s reward. Bridge God`s promises protect our joy Not suffering nor our  success Neither can our anchor destroy This  hope and surety we confess. Hope of...

In darkness lang u ishing in rhythms black as night The world in mo u rning waits and waits and waits upon the light But no lights avails Prayers seem to fail And all that remains  are some sad refrains For those who sit in darkness with no hope of change in sight B u t there was a prophecy foretold long before That one wo u ld crush the skull of Satan and the light restore B u t as they sat there p ondering The advent of Messiah - KIng All hope had died- Then a baby cried A cry that wo u ld one day turn into a ferocious roar Hope is born- to u s this day Hope is born- to bear the dark away The promise is this little child Now God and man can be reconciled For in the darkest night God made a way Now the  prophecy ` s  f u lfilled  so it begins Th e  one  w h o  wo u ld  come to bear away o u r darkest sins H as come to  u s to live and dwell The promise of Emman u el All hope had died- Then a baby cried And now the enemies can become ...

In humble gratitude we come to say Thank you, thank you Lord today Lord hear us as we bow and pray Thank you, thank you Lord today Thank you for creation, That you  alone maintain Thank you for provision And the hope that you sustain With a flowing spring of gratitude As debtors we declare That all we have and hope to be Is held fast in your care In humble gratitude we come to say Thank you, thank you Lord today Lord hear us as we bow and pray Thank you, thank you Lord today With glad hearted satisfaction We lift our thanks to You With deep appreciation And delight for all You do Awaken gladsome hearts and minds Who need Your generous ways We are the fortunate sons That express our deepest praise! Bridge Thank You for what You give this day Thank You for what You take away Whether we die -Or if death we defy You are our life and hope - You are the Way What You save us from -or save us through Thank You for what You save us to Whether we`re spared -Or if we must forebear Our life is...

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  Given an inheritance forever to retain And it will be all glory when His presence is made plain For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Our spirits will be made perfect, relieved of this world`s pain Given a profound rest and Ill labor not in vain For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Bridge There will be no more sin in us. We`ll be done with the inner war and the heartrending disappointments of offending the Lord Beneath the watchful Eye of God I`ll be deeply satisfied The overflowing love we`ll know when he takes us to His side For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. I will be at home secure, where peace shall forever reign But best of all I`ll be with Christ there ever to remain For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) Antho...

Every one of us needs help. We are not God- we all have needs. We have weaknesses and confusion. Our limits grow, our strength recedes We have sins and need forgiveness And in our hearts we know that we don`t deserve the help we need- And so we feel trapped, nowhere to go. I need help to live my life, I need help to handle death, Help to cope with eternity When I take my first and final breath Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find help in these times of need we face. Jesus Christ became a High Priest to shatter our hopeless despair And to humble every man To the drowning wretch our God declares Because we have a Great High Priest, The throne of God is a throne of grace. So draw near through Him and be released From guilt for He will plead our case. I need help to live my life, I need help to handle death, I need help to cope with eternity When I take my first and final breath Let us then with confidence draw ...

The Word of God is our hope and stay- The good news of God’s love And the warnings of His judgment day are sharp, living and active enough To interpose their power within, to penetrate down to my soul And show me that the lies of sin are really lures that seek control. The Word of God will rescue me And make the devil turn and flee The Word of God will rescue me And give me eyes that I might see. The Word of God’s promise is like op`ning a great window bright Casting out the darkest night with overwhelming morning light With the deceits revealed I see Through sin`s deceptive masquerade It drives the truth straight through to me, The heart`s deep chasms to invade The Word of God will rescue me And make the devil turn and flee The Word of God will rescue me And give me eyes that I might see. His promises, His Word protects us from the accuser`s potent lies God gives his good news to unmask deceptive sins in their disguise To harden your heart they will try from God to lure ...

You despised the shame,  and looked unto the glory set before you You took our blame  and took us to Your side, so we adore you And now you are lifted high All for the Father’s praise Conqueror overcomer Forever to glory raised Because you condescended You are with glory crowned Our treasure and our greatest good Both  in You to be found Bread of heaven  that we bless Let us taste your brokenness You come to us from heaven To be bread without leaven You come to us from heaven And draw us to your side Come to us from heaven  And in our hearts abide The sinfulness of many hidden in the One The Sin bearer who was an obedient Son Was made to be sin for us Forsaken so we could trust That  work you came to do was done So will the work in us that you`ve begun Because you condescended You are with glory crowned Our treasure and our greatest good Both  in You to be found Bread of heaven  that we bless Let us taste your brokenness You come to us from heaven...