Song of the Shepherds

For how many Sabbaths we waited and prayed
To see his redemption before us displayed

We yearned for his mercy, and begged Him with tears
To see the Messiah come now, in our years

For we have inherited unending hope
A promise passed down and confirmed by God’s oath

That to Abram’s children a Savior would come
One greater than David, yet called David’s son

Here out with the sheep God has placed in our care
His glory came down—caught our hearts unaware

We all were afraid, but the angels sent joy
In small Beit-Lechem had been born a small boy

The promised Messiah had finally come
God’s grace and perfection revealed in the Son

In awestruck delight we all hastened to go
And see what this was that the Master made known

And there was the baby, laid down in the trough
He lifted His voice, and we heard His first cough

We knew God was with us—that there was our King
The hope of millennia our eyes have seen

Like Sunshine on the Raindrops

Like sunshine on the raindrops
Is Your word upon my tears
Reflecting hope and comfort
And dispelling all my fears

You melt my heart by wonder
As Your wondrous plan I see
More sharp and clear than thunder
Your small voice speaks life to me

Like moonlight on the valley
Is Your peace upon my soul
You light my path with glory
Guiding where my feet should go

Your loyal love envelops
All my heart like an embrace
You sing o’er me with gladness
I yield freely to Your grace

Tear Down

Tear down the strong walls—iron bars that we trust in
Tear down all our treasures of earth that will rust
Hedge in every way we might flee for protection
Till only in You have we put all our trust

Far be it from us to rely on another
When You were our Savior from youth until now
We rest upon You, our strong King and our Father
And only to You shall our knees ever bow

Tear down the deceptions—all pride, self-reliance
Get rid of ourselves till we fully are Yours
Your banner alone we shall raise toward these giants
Your Name is our vict’ry far past Jordan’s shores

Tear down every chain of this world that would bind us
Tear down our heart’s boundaries—our walls to the dust
For only Your Spirit and grace ever saves us
Come change us, till only in You do we trust

How Did I

How did I e’er gain the right
To call the King by name
That great Yehovah, blessed is He
For my salvation came

That for my sin He bore the cross
And hung upon that tree
In flesh of man, He bled and died
Then rose to set me free

How did I e’er gain the right
To come before his throne
To daily share with Him my cares
And never live alone

Who am I, that I should call
The King my closest friend
‘Tis only through Yeshua’s grace
And love that will not end

Give Me a Hunger

Yah, give me a hunger, though need makes me cry
A thirst for Your glory and endless supply

Though now I feel empty, I know You will fill
My soul in Your timing as planned by Your will

Allow me to hunger if thus I shall see
The depths of the beauty You’ve treasured for me

Though small tastes of heaven cause hunger on earth
I choose those small glimpses of infinite worth

Yah, give me a hunger, if that You shall choose
For passion and yearning You doubtless shall use

To burn for Your kingdom, and strengthen my soul
To work for Your gospel till all nations know

Allow me to hunger if that’s what must come
To those whose whole hearts are remade by the Son

Obsessed by the wonders You’ve done and will do
This hunger springs forth from my passion for You

Touched by the Gospel

A heart that’s been touched by the Gospel
Holds power that can’t ever hide
For could a mere person be able
To hold Yahweh’s Spirit inside?

If truly you’re touched, you will know it
It seeps from the core of your soul
And out of the depths of your spirit
His rivers of life overflow

It flows, and you cannot restrain it
You yield plans and choice to its strength
It rules you, yet you do not fear it
It gives you the viewpoint of faith

His mercy consumes you like fire
Displayed in your life—on your face
To love Him is your true desire
To serve and give others His grace

If yet you’re not touched by the Gospel
Still sinful, still burdened, still lost
Surrender alone is the channel
And all of your self is the cost

That brings to your life this rich blessing
Of being a soul truly changed
To lead you from seeking to finding
The destiny He has arranged

Kneel down, fix your eyes, and accept Him!
He’s worth all we ever could give
When truly you’re touched, and you know Him
In radiant light shall you live

Yeshua, My Savior

In remembrance of Feast of Tabernacles 2012, when I entered covenant with Yeshua

Yeshua, my Savior
Who saved me from death
Redeemed me forever
Gave life, hope, and breath

Yeshua my Master
Best King men could find
I’ll serve Him, no other
My Lord’s just and kind

Yeshua, my healer
When pains hedged my way
He stayed my soul’s keeper
Though I went astray

Yeshua, my teacher
Who led my heart home
His voice is my comfort
He called me His own

Yeshua, my treasure
My steadfast best friend
I’ll love Him forever
Each message He sends

Yeshua is all this
Yet even much more
My lover by promise
Who’s worth living for

Truth

Is truth just the present—what happens today?
Is truth found in words—in what others will say?

No, truth must endure beyond feeling or fact
It stands through the ages, and calls our hearts back

Is truth only logic—things known and perceived?
No, truth often hides, but must still be believed

Is truth really truth if it does not remain?
It must stand through testing, through breaking, through pain

Forever truth stands, past what people have known
In justice and truth God established His throne

For truth we must seek, but to seek is not all
To really know truth you must answer God’s call

Yes, truth has been constant—beyond time and space
For truth became flesh, and beheld we His grace

Yes, truth is our way, and the life of our souls
For truth is the promise of hope that we hold

*************

Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
-John 14:6

Cloud and Flame

Oh, where is His cloud in this desert?
And where is His flame in this night?
I yearn for His shelter and comfort
The guidance and warmth of His light

“Where is He, since He has not left me?”
In pity I selfishly say
“Did Yahweh not say He would give me
A fire by night—cloud by day?”

I look for His cloud and His fire
But often my eyes can not see
Encumbered by fear and desire
The things He is doing in me

While looking around, could I find them?
On earth—filled with weakness and sin?
By flesh could I ever perceive them?
Through Spirit we look upon Him!

Oh, where is the cloud of His presence?
Is it not within my own soul?
And what is the light of His guidance?
Is it not His love’s gentle pull?

Oh, where is the flame of His passion?
Does it not within me abide?
My heart shall be His habitation
Where His cloud and flame shall reside

To You

To You our hearts are open
And to You our lives unfold
Made new as You have chosen
And revealed since days of old

Our boundaries fall before You
In Your love our hearts are lost
We pour our hearts before You
You are worth the highest cost

To You be all the glory
All the majesty and praise
To you be all the wisdom
‘Midst our weak and humble ways

For You have looked upon us
In our weak and lowly state
And sent for us a Savior
To redeem us in the gate

For You is praise in Zion
And dominion in those gates
For You are Judah’s lion
And for You the throne awaits

For You are blessed forever
King eternal in the skies
In You our souls find shelter
And we lift our weary eyes

For who on earth is like You?
None in heaven could compare
When in Your Name we gather
You come down and meet us there

By mercy You have called us
And have known us each by name
You wrought great wonders for us
And through grace thus far we came

So we raise the holy banner
Of Your triumph and Your praise
As this story keeps unfolding
In the most amazing ways

Thus we keep on marching further
On the path ordained of old
Till the day Your matchless splendor
With unveiled face we behold