AnthonyFosterPhD

Why are you so Gracious Why are we so blessed? To have your face to shine upon us The destination of life’s quest. There we find abundant rest This is the eternal essence Of the deep desire we bear To abide within your presence To be ne’re   cast out from there The answer to our very prayer. We partake of endless mercies Stand faultless before the throne Clothed in robes of righteousness Woven by wounded hands alone Our Savior’s hands and not our own We cannot stay secluded Yet we ever linger long We must live the victory in this world To sing the victor’s song As we live before the throne where we belong So now lose your life to find it Live and give your life away Live life how the Lord designed it Walk in victory today Take up the cross and follow The Way. And at the throne of blessedness Standing there we are undone There is no place for selfishness For pride and lusts are done Standing there within the Holy One As we go  our God is with us In this God’s likene...

A song from a decade ago... The fruit of the vine must not remain forever on the vine It must be crushed and trampled to make refreshing wine. The grain is harvested and then is ground in  mills for wheat To make a pure and sifted flour to bake good bread to eat. The seed of nard is gathered and crushed to release Its fragrance-- so to be fulfilled, it's former life must cease The olive on the branch is plucked and in the vise is pressed To make the oil of gladness it must become distressed. For living we die and dying we live All that is given is for us to give Buried we're raised if we only believe Because of the life of the vine For in dying we live and in living we die We take up our cross with the One crucified Present ourselves a living sacrifice Because of the life of the vine The fig must in its season be pruned and cut away Else it will never bear good fruit or see its fruit displayed The tree must be cut down to make a cross of wood Else all the world would die like i...

Christ be our strength and our refuge A Rock in a troublesome day Our ark within the great deluge To our tower of power we pray. Lord of Hosts be our stronghold Lord of Hosts, calm our fears, make us bold Our striving must cease if we’d know sweet release And the peace worth   more than riches untold. Lord be   our very present help, very present help Very present help in our time of need. You are our very present help, very present help Very present help in our time of need. We who walk in darkness still need your great light All those dead in their sins need your new life A new glory you’ll make for you own glory’s sake We shall be satisfied as you dawn on our sight. From the darkness that burdens our souls we’d be freed Meet us now, even now in the time of our need Rise up and redeem us for your lovingkindness’ sake Com quickly and rescue and our bondages break Lord be our very present help, very present help Very present help in our time of need. You are our ve...

On this sojourn On this course From the day we are born We seek our source On this journey As we pray A light we cannot see Will light our way For there’s wisdom we need And the way to be freed From distractions that pull us apart As we fall on our face Into rhythms of grace We will find the true beat of our heart For our prayers are a longing To know we are known And that we are belonging To desires not our own There's One who declares us As righteous and just Who renews and repairs us So in Him we shall trust So on this quest On this long road Receive what is best Leave behind that old load For there is a blessing In the straight narrow path And the heart’s that’s confessing Shall be spared the wrath For there’s wisdom we need And the way to be freed From distractions that pull us apart As we fall on our face Into rhythms of grace We will find the true beat of our heart For our prayers are a longing To know we are known And that we are belonging To desires not our own There...

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...