WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JESUS?

What do YOU think of Jesus?
Was He a man or is He God?
That question’s as important now
As when this earth He trod.

What do YOU think of Jesus?
It’s an answer YOU must provide,
For it will resolve for eternity
Where YOUR SOUL will abide.

What do YOU think of Jesus?
Is He YOUR Lord and King?
Or is He but a word that taints your lips
As you curse some earthly thing?

What do YOU think of Jesus?
Will you claim Him as Saviour and Friend?
Will you trust Him as Lord and Master
‘Ere your earthly life shall end?

What do YOU think of Jesus?
It’s a question YOU CANNOT IGNORE,
For no response is admission of guilt,
And torment for evermore.

Yes, what DO YOU think of Jesus?
Somehow YOU must reply
To this greatest of all questions
Before YOUR TIME comes to die.

What DO YOU think of Jesus?
Claim Him and all will be well -
But should you choose to reject Him
YOU condemn YOURSELF to HELL!

a. franklin staples
1987

Copyright © 1987 By Allison F. Staples

From “Suffering Servant” To
“King of Kings”


“Are you a king, as some have said?”
The Roman procurator asked,
As Jesus stood before him
For his sentence to be passed.

But Jesus only answered him,
“For THIS cause I came
Into the world,” - that is, to die
On a Roman cross of shame.

For Jesus knew that His hour had come,
The time for Him to die,
The time to pay the price of sin
Demanded by God most high.

No kingly crown adorned His head
As Pilate judgment passed;
Instead there was a crown of thorns
And blood drops flowing fast.

As a suffering servant He had come
Into this world of strife
To pay the awful price of sin
With His own precious life.

And so He did, when on the cross
He suffered, bled and died,
That I might have Eternal Life,
Who should be crucified.

No, not as a king did He come to earth
As God in human form
To be born as a babe in a manger
On that long ago blessed morn,

But as THE KING He will return,
For He’s coming back to earth
To reign for a thousand glorious years
On the planet of His birth.

As “King of kings and Lord of lords”
He will return again,
And every knee on earth shall bow
At JESUS’ precious Name.

a. franklin staples      

December 17, 1988

Copyright© 1988 by Allison F. Staples

HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE

Heaven is a real place,
Not an ethereal somewhere out there,
And one day, perhaps soon, I shall look on the face
Of King Jesus, in that city so fair.

Heaven is a real place, my friend,
Just as real as all that we see,
With its walls of jasper and its gates of pearl,
And its River of Life flowing free.

Heaven, my friend, is a real place
Where the streets are paved with pure gold;
Where the Lamb is the Light and there is no night
For those who have entered God’s fold.

Heaven is a real place, my friend,
Where joys indescribable await
For all who will accept Christ Jesus as Lord
And will enter in by the gate.

Heaven, my friend, is a real place
Where friends and loved ones we’ll know;
Those who’ve gone on before to be with the Lord,
Clad in garments whiter than snow.

Heaven is a real place, my friend,
The eternal place of God’s Throne
Where Jesus now sits at the Father’s right hand
And intercedes for each of His own.

Yes, Heaven. My friend, is a real place,
And its glories one day I’ll see,
For my Jesus has gone to prepare a home over there
And He’s building a mansion for me.

a. franklin staples

July 2, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Allison F. Staples

FATHER, I THANK THEE FOR THY GRACE

Father, I thank Thee for Thy grace;
That Jesus died to take my place;
That from my deep sin I've been set free;
For all that Thou hast done for me.

Lord, I pray that, by Thy Spirit
(Not by my own, for it has no merit),
I may be cleansed of evil thoughts,
Of thinking thoughts that I ought not,
Of doing things I should not do. —
Lord, cleanse Thou me, yea, through and through.

Help me, dear Lord, to be gentle and kind,
To operate with Jesus' mind;
Not to speak so curt and short,
Not to be often "out-of-sorts".

Take from me that critical spirit
That judges others by earthly merit;
Help me be gracious in my walk,
In the way I think and act and talk.

Help me to do all these things, dear Lord,
Not for merit or reward,
But from my love, dear Lord, for Thee
And Jesus Christ who died for me.

a. franklin staples

January 24, 1994


Copyright © 1994 by Allison .F. Staples

GOD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE

God is a God of justice;
God is a holy God.
We are an unholy people
With hearts that are sinful and flawed.

God is a god of judgment; —
Great and fierce is His wrath.
We are deserving of vengeance; —
We have strayed very far from His path.

But thank God, He's a God of mercy,
A God of such marvellous grace
That He provided for our justification,
Sent Jesus to die in our place.

Yes, God is a God of justice,
And justice is what we deserve,
But by His wonderful grace we've been pardoned!
What a merciful God that we serve.

a. franklin staples


January 23, 1994


Copyright © 1994 by Allison F.Staples

The Great Works Of God

All of the "great" things accomplished by men
Won't count for much when all's said and done.
They will pale into sublime insignificance
When compared to the works of the great Three in One.
The "great" works of men will be valued at nothing,
Those "masterpieces" of architecture, music and art,
When measured against what our God has created,
The "creations" of men play a very small part.
Yes, all the "great" things that have been
accomplished by men,
Are just the poor fruits of weak human endeavour; —
They won't stand comparison to the great works of God,
For the great works of God are forever.

a. franklin staples
January 21, 1994

Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR JESUS TODAY?

What have you done for Jesus today?
Have you thought what He's done for you?
Do you lift Him up by the things you say,
Use His example in all that you do?

What have you done for Jesus today?
Has His name crossed your mind at all?
Have you taken a moment to think and to pray?
In His name on God have you called?

What have you done for Jesus today
As you've gone about this day's tasks?
All of your trials at His feet have you laid?
His guidance in all have you asked?

What have you done for Jesus today?
He paid the price for your sin.
He paid a debt that you never could pay
That the crown of life you might win.

What have you done for Jesus today?
To Him have you given your best?
Has the work you have done shown another the Way?
By your care has another been blessed?

a. franklin staples

November 5, 1993

Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

INDELIBLY WRITTEN IN BLOOD

In the blood of my Saviour
My name's written down
In the Lamb's Book of Life, praise God!
It's not written in pencil;
It can't be erased; —
'Tis indelibly written in blood.

'Tis indelibly written in blood,
Yes, indelibly written in blood;
On record forever, it cannot be erased
For 'tis indelibly written in blood.

Some think it's in pencil,
Still others, in ink,
But both those ideas are flawed,
For the record is permanent
For those who are saved; —
'Tis indelibly written in blood.

In the blood of the Saviour,
God's own precious Lamb,
Lord of lords, King of kings, Son of God,
The names of all saints are forever recorded; —
They are indelibly written in blood.

They are  indelibly written in blood,
Yes, they're indelibly written in blood; —
The names of all saints are forever recorded; —
They are  indelibly written in blood.

December 24, 1993


Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

NO SIN IS TOO GREAT FOR GOD TO
FORGIVE!

No sin is too great for God to forgive!
Nay, none is too wicked or too base
But what God, in His mercy, will wipe clean away,
Forgive and forget and erase.

No sin is too great for God to forgive
If the sinner will repent and give in,
Let the pure blood of Jesus, shed for his sake,
Wash away all of his sin.

No sin is too great for God to forgive!
The way home is open to all
Who will turn from their wickedness and be born again —
Who on Jesus the Saviour will call.

No sin is too great for God to forgive,
No sin that is, except one:
The sin of rejecting the Way, Truth, and Life —
The sin of rejecting God's Son!

a. franklin staples

October 9, 1993

Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

UNITY

To maintain unity, that's the thing
As we serve Jesus Christ, our Lord and King;
To be one in heart and soul and mind;
To put our differences behind
In all we do and think and say;
'Tis for that unity we pray.

To be united in our common cause
Is essential, friend, to the church because
Without it Christ is not what we preach
And souls for Him we cannot reach.
That is our purpose, let us not forget,
That the premises of His commission be met —

That we should preach, baptize and teach,
That souls for Him we may truly reach;
That is our cause — we have no other —
It's that which is paramount, my brother,
Not buildings, large, small, fancy, plain,
But in Christ alone is our great gain!

In His great Name we must go forth
To south and east and west and north,
To preach the Word of God to men
That we might win some of them.
Christ is the One on whom we call
For 'tis He who died for one and all.

a. franklin staples

July 4, 1993

Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT

"Therewith to be content,"
 No matter what my state;
 Not to be anxious about tomorrow
 But to live each day by faith;

 To have "the peace that passes all understanding"
 That only comes from God —
 That is the way I want to live
 As on life's way I trod.

"Therewith to be content,"
 With that, not less nor more,
 Which the great loving God shall give to me
 From His abundant store.

a. franklin staples

June 27, 1993

Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

NO WONDER

In these days of rampant moral degradation,
When right and wrong depend on the situation,
And there's chaos and confusion in education
And a plethora of other problems in every nation;
When those who are fools are thought to be wise,
And society's disintegrating before our eyes;
When truth is elusive, clouded by lies;
When deaf ears are turned to misery's cries;
When wise men's voices are either hushed or stilled
And millions of babies are being killed,
Their innocent blood so callously spilled
While Satan's armies are groomed and drilled;
When no one seems to know which way to turn;
When those with intelligence don't want to learn
Because failure is no longer a cause for concern;
When the men from the women it's hard to discern;
When so many are burned out from coping with stress;
When being mediocre outranks being the best;
When so many are living without God to bless,
It's really no wonder that the world's such a mess.

a. franklin staples

June 15-27, 1993

Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples

...WE HAVE A BUILDING OF GOD, AN HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS. ( 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1b)

ONE THAT IS NOT MADE WITH HANDS...

I look not to a building of human design,
One made from an architect's plan,
But a building eternal in heaven is mine,
One that is not made with hands.

I am not all bound up in a structure of wood
Or one made of glass, metal or stone,
But there's a building of God for those washed in the Blood,
Built by the Lord for His own.

I'm not really concerned about a building down here
For such structures must all pass away,
And all of their glory will fade, disappear;
Not one thing about them will stay.

It's the building eternal in heaven, dear friend,
That this pilgrim is longing to see;
The one that's forever, in a world without end —
Ah! That is the building for me.

a. franklin staples

June 20-21, 1993

THE WORD OF THE LORD IS SUFFICIENT

The Word of the Lord is sufficient;—
There's no need to add or delete;
Yes, the Word of the Lord is sufficient —
In Itself, it is perfect, complete.

The Word of the Lord is sufficient
To take care of that which we need
If we will but search through its precepts
And give what is written there heed.

The Word of the Lord is sufficient
As a Guide to living and life; —
There is no other instruction to follow.
God's Word alone leads aright.

The Word of the Lord is sufficient
As a guide from the cradle to grave
For it tells of Jesus the Saviour
Who came both to seek and to save.

The Word of the Lord is sufficient.
It tells of the Christ of the cross
Who paid sin's price with His own blood
To redeem mankind who was lost.

Yes, the Word of the Lord is sufficient!
God is its Author, that's sure.
It is not temporal, but eternal —
'Twill forever and ever endure.

a. franklin staples



January 22, 1994

Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

"Under Construction," the highway sign said.
'Tis a sign, I admit, that fills me with dread —
The roadway ahead's likely rocky and rough
And driving that way will no doubt be tough.

"Under Construction": there's no other way,
To make the road better, so come whatever may
We'll drive through the potholes and suffer the dust.
Until it's completed, endure it we must.

"Under Construction" is this Temple called man
Who has stepped out with Jesus to follow God's
plan;
'Twill not be completed 'til this life's race is run; —
We're just "under construction" here "under the sun".

"Under Construction", as yet incomplete,
Still prone to sin and distress and defeat;
But when ever we stumble, God's hand reaches down
To steady our walk and point the Way to the Crown.

"Under Construction", with all that entails;
Though we often falter, Our God never fails.
He'll mould us and make us, as a potter the clay,
For we're going through Jesus, the Life, Truth, and Way.

a. franklin staples


August 15-28, 1993 - January 21, 1994


Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples

He Giveth Me Songs In the Night

Blessed be the Lord God, my Maker
Who giveth me songs in the night;
Jehovah— the Almighty — Creator,
The Giver and Sustainer of life.

Oftimes as I lay awake in my bed,
God giveth me songs in the night,
And sometimes the urge to record them
Won’t wait until morning light.

I cannot say that He speaks to me
In words that I can hear,
But in the darkness of night’s quiet solitude,
Of His presence I’m very aware.

When my heart is attuned to His voice,
And I’m walking by faith, not by sight,
The Lord comes softly into my room
And He giveth me songs in the night.

a. franklin staples
December 15, 1998

© 1998 by A. Franklin Staples

But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;    (Job 35:10 KJV)

The Artistic Touch

Brushes and pencils and pens and ink,
Canvas and paper and such
Are the tools of the artist, his "stock-in-trade",
Along with the artistic touch.

To be an artist is to view the world
In a way that few others do;
Artists see things that others miss,
And bring them into view.

An artist's touch is not in the hand
But is rather found in the mind,
For an artist can draw with mouth, hand or foot,
And can "see" with eyes that are blind.

An artist can hear sounds that are not yet made,
Play music that has never been heard,
And convey to others what he or she wants to "say"
Without ever speaking a word.

An artist can take us back in time
And show us things long past,
Or interpret the present, the world of our day,
Pose questions that beg to be asked.

An artist can bring stories in books to life,
Cause things unseen to be seen,
Create creatures and visions of fantastic things
On paper or canvas or screen.

An artist can show us what the camera cannot,
For a camera must needs have been there
To record the event or the scene at the time,
And it has no insights to share.

a. franklin staples

Autumn, 1993-June 20, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by a. franklin staples

GOD HAS AT LEAST ONE MORE THAN WE'LL FIND!

When we look at the night sky and marvel thereat,
View the glory and the brightness of the stars,
We look back to a time that has long since gone past
Though it seems we don't see very far.

'Tis not to the end but to the beginning we look,
For all that we see is before;
We see all the stars as they were long ago:
They may not even be there any more!

The farther man penetrates the vastness of space,
The farther he looks back in time,
And the more that he ponders the mysteries there,
The more he's faced with the sublime.

The dimensions of the universe are more than we know,
Far more than length, width, height and time;
And whatever the dimensions we may find it to have,
God has at least one more than we'll find!


a. franklin staples

July 7, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples


TOO WEAK AND TOO SMALL

Our concept of God is too weak and too small.
Why, many don't believe there's a God at all,
And those who do, it's sad to say,
Would rather follow their own than walk in His Way!

He's our Master, our Saviour, our Redeemer and Friend,
Yet He's Almighty God before whom every knee must bend.
His thoughts are not our thoughts and ours are not His,
For 'tis He that has made us and all that there is.

Too high are His thoughts for our feeble minds;
Our thoughts are earthy while His are sublime.
He's the Creator of everything — earth, stars, sky and sea —
But He died on a cross to redeem you and me.

a. franklin staples



Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Are You Caught in the Current of Time?

The first two lines of this poem came to me "out of the blue" in the wee hours of this morning.


Are you caught in the current of time,
Just being swept along by its tide?
Is your life without reason or rhyme?
Do you just feel empty inside?
Time's river is no gentle stream,
Although it may sometimes seem so,
But so often we're willing, it seems,
To just go along with the flow.
When its ripples turn into wild torrents
As it careens its wild course to the sea,
Then we frantically search for deliverance
Where the water's serene and at peace.
But even when the water seems tranquil,
As peaceful and serene as can be,
It still flows steadily onward
Until it merges with eternity's sea.
Our frail bark is in need of a Captain
Who knows every channel and shoal,
Who can guide us safely through danger
And bring blessed peace to the soul.
The Captain that we each need is Jesus,
He who died on the cross for man's sin,
For He's traveled time's river before us
And knows it from beginning to end.

a. franklin staples

May 21, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Nothing of Hell Doth Satan Know...

In his mainly very informative and useful book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis, in a number of places, has senior devil Screwtape refer to Satan as "our Father".  That is an error.  Satan is many things, including the "prince of the power of the air", the "adversary", "that old dragon", the "ruler of this present world", and so on, but the only thing that he is described as being the father of in God's Word is lies!


Nothing of hell doth Satan know
Save what is written, my friend.
He only knows what God has revealed
Of his fate at the time of the end.
Yes, Satan still roams the face of this earth
As a lion in search of a prey,
But his time's getting short, his actions more desperate,
As the seconds keep ticking away.
Though he has great power to deceive and disrupt,
Omnipotent he's certainly not,
For he's only a creature, once the most beautiful,
And God gave him the power he's got.
He's not omnipresent, as some people believe —
He can't be, all the time, everywhere;
Though perhaps he can travel with a speed close to light,
He can't bear to stand in its glare.
Only God knows all from beginning to end;
Only God is everywhere all the time.
Satan, the creature, is a wandering spirit;
To what's yet to come he is blind.
He studies the scriptures, knows them full well,
And his demons study them, too,
Fearing and trembling at what they read there
As they wonder what God's going to do.
Satan's not master of that place that's called hell;
That's just another one of his lies:
Hell's something he fears above everything else
For it signals his certain demise.
Hell doesn't exist yet but it's being prepared;
No demons dance there with glee;
It's a place that they fear above everything else,
A torment from which they would flee,
But flee it they can't, as they fully well know,
For they've taken the time to look
At their Judgment that's written and the Sentence pronounced
On the pages of God's wonderful Book.

a. franklin staples


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Walk Ye In the Old Paths

Thus saith the LORD, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. [Jeremiah 6:16a]


Walk ye in the old paths, the paths of long ago.
The path that's straight and narrow is the way we ought to go.
The Lord Himself has said it, that we should walk therein,
For those that stray far from it walk in the way of sin.
The Guide that we must follow is the steadfast Word of God,
For it leads us safely onward if upon that Way we trod.
Don't follow every shepherd that would have you follow on;
Take care that your Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ, God's Son.
He only is the Master, who died for one and all,
And rose again to save us, if upon His name we call.
By grace He gives salvation when hell's what we deserve;
He is the God who made us and Him only we must serve.


a. franklin staples


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples



Put the “Busy Work” Away!

We get too involved in "busy work".
Let's put the "busy work" away.
Take time to read God's Holy Word,
To meditate and pray.

Some people turn to "busy work"
To take their mind off things.
Let's get our minds off "busy work",
Start serving the King of kings.

If you really want some "busy work"
That's really worth the time,
Start serving Christ with all your soul
And all your heart and mind.


a. franklin staples


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

In This Quiet Place of Prayer

Lord, I need this time alone with Thee
In this quiet place of prayer,
Though, Lord, I know that where e'er I be,
Thou wilt be with me there.

I come to Thy throne of grace, dear God,
To thank Thee for Thy Son
Who died for me upon the cross.
Praise God!  The vict'ry's won!

I need not worry, Lord, nor fret,
For my salvation is assured
Through Him who shed His blood for me,
Jesus Christ, my blessed Lord.

Dear God, I thank Thee for my wife
Who has walked close by my side,
And for the past blessed sixty plus years
That she has been my bride.

I thank Thee, Lord, for life and breath
And food, and clothes to wear;
And thanks to Thee, dear heavenly Father,
For Thy great love and care.

I thank Thee for the children
By whom our home's been blessed,
And for Thy patience with me, Lord,
For so oft I've failed the test.

When my faith is weak, and I've stumbled, Lord,
And stepped outside Thy will,
Yet Thy strong arm hath lifted me
And Thy hand hath held me still.

Forgive me, Lord, for those times I've slipped
And failed to look to Thee,
But tried to get through by myself.
Thanks, Lord, for helping me.

And now, dear Lord, I pray for those
Whose names I've written down,
For friends and family, neighbours, too;
For lost souls all around.

May I truly be a witness, Lord,
For Jesus in this place;
To tell how He died and rose again,
And of Thy saving grace.

So, Lord, I need this time with Thee
In this quiet place of prayer,
For here I can talk with Thee alone
And cares and blessings share.

a. franklin staples

Originally written in 1996. Updated 2017
Copyright © 2017 by A. Franklin Staples

Sin's Much More Than Garbage!

Sin's much more than garbage,
For garbage is but waste.
Sin keeps the soul apart from God
And closes Heaven's gates.

Yes, Sin's much more than garbage!
It is cancer of the soul,
And unless it's taken from us,
We cannot be well and whole.

We, of ourselves, are helpless;
There's nothing we can take
To take away sin's cancer
Nor restitution make.

Sin's much more than garbage!
It cannot be thrown away.
Only God could pay the debt of sin
And take its curse away.

A garbage collector we do not seek
When it's a doctor we must have.
Only God's Son, the Great Physician,
Can cure all our sin and shame.


a. franklin staples

March 10, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples


Oh, My Lord!  What a Crutch!

The worldly philosophers, in ignorant bliss,
Sneer that Christ is a crutch.
What they don't know is that He certainly is.
But oh, my Lord!  What a Crutch!

Without Him not one of us could even take a step.
He gives us life by His touch.
He holds us up through each step, then the next.
Oh, my Lord!  What a Crutch!

When I, in my weakness, can't make it alone,
'Tis He who holdeth me up.
His power sustains me; I'd be lost on my own.
Oh, my Lord!  What a Crutch!

Jesus is the One on whom I can lean.
Oh, my Lord!  What a Crutch!
He went to the cross my soul to redeem.
He loves you and me that much.


a. franklin staples

March 10-12, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Too Often, We Take For Granted

Too often, it seems, we take for granted
The great things that the Lord God has done,
How He's blessed and He's guided us, chastised and chided us,
How He's saved us from sin through His Son;
How He gave of Himself on Calvary's cross,
Shed His own blood that we might become
Part of His family, joint heirs with Jesus,
And what wretched lives He's saved us from.
We're not grateful enough for the way God has led;
We don't sorrow enough over sin;
We don't shed enough tears of joy and of gratitude
For the great love that God has for all men.
We're so stiff and so proper, with our "stiff upper lip",
That we can't say "Hallelujah" or sing
The praises of Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour,
The great Lamb of God, and our King.



a. franklin staples
February 22, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples




What If God's Trumpet Should Sound Today?

As I looked out my window at noon today
At the cloudy brightness of the eastern sky,
This thought crossed my mind as I looked that way:
What if God's trumpet should sound today?

What if the Archangel's voice should be heard today,
And the Lord Himself be in those clouds,
Coming at last, as the Scriptures say —
Yes, what if God's trumpet should sound today?

What if God's trumpet should sound today
And the Lord Jesus should come for His bride?
Would you be among the saints He will catch away?
What if God's trumpet should sound today?

For it will surely sound, yes, one of these days,
And the Lord Himself shall descend from above
With a mighty shout, as the trumpet plays.
What if God's trumpet should sound today?


a. franklin staples
March 5, 1996


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

I Have a God Who Answers Prayer

I have a God who answers prayer,
Who knows my every need and care,
Who never wanders off somewhere.
I love this God who answers prayer.

I have a God who never sleeps,
Who constant vigil with me keeps,
Who guides me through the heights and deeps.
I love this God who never sleeps.

I have a God who died for me
On Calvary's cruel and cursed tree
That from sin I ever should be free.
I love this God who died for me.

I have a God who Himself is love,
Whose dwelling place is heaven above,
Who loves with everlasting love.
I love this God in heaven above.

a. franklin staples
December 12, 1995


Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples


The Language of Heaven

The language of Heaven is what we will speak
When with the redeemed we shall sit at His feet,
Praising the Lamb who for us shed His blood
In words that we never before understood.

Yes, the language of Heaven, with its beauty so grand,
Is what we will speak in Heaven's fair land,
Communing in glory with all the saints gathered there
In that heavenly home that our Lord has prepared.

In the language of Heaven, so pure and so sweet,
Our praise and our worship will up there be complete
When we sing in the presence of Jehovah, I AM,
The glad song of Moses and "Worthy the Lamb".

In the language of Heaven we will sing that new song
Of praise to the Father and praise to the Son
And praise to the Spirit, in whose language we'll sing
That glad song of thanksgiving to our Lord and our King.


a. franklin staples


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples



Just A Cup of Cold Water

Just a cup of cold water, in Jesus' name,
Is a service performed for the Lord;
A handclasp of comfort is doing the same,
As is speaking an encouraging word,

Yes, a word kindly spoken, in Jesus' name,
Or a song sung from the depths of the soul
That tells of God's love, and of why Jesus came,
And of how, by God's grace, we're made whole;

Or a listening ear when someone wants to talk,
Just being there for someone to lean on,
These are all very much a part of our walk
With the Lord to whom we belong.


a. franklin staples

February 17, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples


I Can Claim Every Promise

The marvelous thing about the Word of the LORD
Is that I can claim whatever He's said,
And never, no never have to just pass it off
As just something else that I've read.

I can claim every promise, hold fast every word
Of comfort, of peace and of rest
That He ever inspired the ancients to write,
By every sweet sentence be blessed.

For my learning 'twas written, that I might know Him
Whom to know is sufficient for all,
Know the peace that He gives, the sweet mercy and grace,
To each one who will answer His call.

No, there's not a promise that I cannot claim,
Not a statement that I cannot hold to —
For my sake it was penned; 'twas for me Jesus died,
And by His blood has my life been renewed.

How I love this dear Book, this Word of the Lord.
It's my guide, the Lamp to my feet;
It shows me the way through the darkest of nights.
It message is sure and complete.


a. franklin staples

February 20, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

All There Is To Know

My God knows all there is to know
Of things above and things below,
Of stars and seas and seeds and snow,
And He shows the way I ought to go.

My God knows all that has ever been,
The "how" and "why" and "who" and "when".
With Him there is no "now" and "then",
For He is God!  We are but men.

My God knows all that will ever be
For the endless span of eternity.
There is nothing, NOTHING He does not see,
For my God knows all that will ever be.


a. franklin staples

January 25, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by Allison F. Staples


If I Have Any Goodness...

If I have any "goodness", it is not of myself.
It is that which was given to me
By the great God of heaven Whose Son died on the cross
That I from sin should be free.

There is none that is good, No, not even one,
For all have sinned, don't you see,
And come short of the glory, That pure glory of God,
And that includes both you and me.

Of myself, I'm unrighteous, Fit only to die,
A worm that by God should be loathed,
But I'm washed in the blood Of the pure Lamb of God,
And in His righteousness I'm clothed.

There is none that is good, No, not even one,
For all have sinned, don't you see,
And come short of the glory, That pure glory of God,
And that includes both you and me.

a. franklin staples

January 27-28, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by Allison F. Staples



I Know Where I've Come From...

I know where I've come from, And I know where I've been.
There's no more wretched sinner in this world of men,
But God reached down and saved me, gave me new life within,
And when I die and leave this world,
I'm going to live with Him.

Yes, I know how I used to live, And I know what I've done,
And how I've sinned against the Lord, the High and Holy One,
But thank God, He forgave me when I surrendered to His Son,
The One who died to save me.
Through Him the victry's won.

a. franklin staples
January 29, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples



God Loves The Sinner

God loves the sinner! What God hates is SIN‼
That's why Jesus came to die for all men,
So that sinners like you and sinners like me
From the power of sin should ever be free.

God loves the drunkard enslaved by the wine,
He loves all the poor and the wretched and blind,
And will clothe them in righteousness, make them white as the snow,
If they'll surrender to Jesus and to Calvary go.

God loves the rich man who strives but for gold,
And warns of the danger of losing his soul
If his quest for riches is confined to this earth.
The real treasure's in heaven and it's obtained through new birth.

God loves the homosexual, the murderer, the thief,
The adulterer and adulteress, the liar, the cheat;
There's not a sinner alive that God doesn't love;
That's why He sent Jesus down from above

To die on a cross to pay the price, once for all,
That all might have salvation who on His name will call;
Mercy and pardon, the free gift of God's grace,
To the vilest of sinners.  Jesus died in their place.

Yes, God loves the sinner!  What God hates is SIN‼
That's why He sent Jesus to die for all men,
That those who believe on His Name and repent, turn around,
Might be no longer lost. Praise God, they are found!

a. franklin staples



Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples


Trust In The Lord!

Trust in the Lord! These are no idle words,
For they have often been put to the test.
Those who believe will God's blessing receive,
For He always does what is best.

We've no cause for alarm, for by His strong arm
He will lead us each step of the way,
Through the darkest of nights into His glorious light,
And He always hears when we pray.

Trust in the Lord!  Give heed to His Word,
For what He has said never fails.
He is Faithful and True.  What He says He will do!
He'll walk with us through death's dark vale.

Trust in the Lord!  He's a refuge secure.
He's the sweet "Haven of rest" in life's storms.
No tempest can harm us, no foes need alarm us
While He holds us safe in His arms.


a. franklin staples


February 13, 1996

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

If God Hadn't Answered Prayer

How do you know just where you'd be
If God hadn't answered prayer,
What trials He's helped you through
Even though you've not asked Him to,
How many burdens He's helped you bear?

What if someone hadn't prayed for you,
Hadn't gone to the Father in prayer
To petition before God's throne
For your trials, and yours alone?
What if God hadn't answered that prayer?

What would be your situation, friend,
If the God of heaven did not care,
Did not hear the fervent pleas
Of poor weak men on their knees?
What if God had not answered prayer?

How do I know just where I'd be
If God hadn't answered prayer,
What trials He's helped me through
Even though I've not asked Him to,
How many burdens He's helped me bear?

What if someone hadn't prayed for me,
Hadn't gone to the Father in prayer
To petition before God's throne
For my trials, and mine alone?
What if God hadn't answered that prayer?

What would be my situation, friend,
If the God of heaven did not care,
Did not hear the fervent pleas
Of poor weak men on their knees?
What if God had not answered prayer?

a. franklin staples
January 13, 1996

This poem does not adequately express what I want to say with regard to answered prayer.  It occurred to me just a short while ago that much, if not most, of what we are in terms of our Christian life is the result of answered prayer, prayer that is often not our own but that of some dear brother or sister who was concerned enough about us to raise our name and our circumstance to the Father, and to ask for His intervention on our behalf.  We have no idea of the effect that the prayers of someone else has had on our own circumstances.  Thank the God who answers prayer, for we know not what dire straights we would be in without daily answers to prayer.
Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

When We Get To That Home Over There

The day never comes in this earthly life
When we're free from its burdens and cares,
But someday, with Jesus, they all will be gone
When we get to that home over there.

When we get to that home over there,
We'll be free of all burdens and cares.
With Jesus we'll be in that land of the free
When we get to that home over there.

In this life here below we have trouble and trials;
We're oft burdened down with life's cares,
But when we see Jesus there'll be gladness and joy
When we get to that home over there.

When we get to that home over there,
We'll be free of all burdens and cares.
With Jesus we'll be in that land of the free
When we get to that home over there.

Here on earth we have problems, heartaches and sorrows —
We must take them to God's Throne in prayer;
But the day soon will come when they'll all be forgotten
When we get to that home over there.

When we get to that home over there,
We'll be free of all burdens and cares.
With Jesus we'll be in that land of the free
When we get to that home over there.

a. franklin staples
December 3, 1995

I have lived on this old earth for going on to sixty years and I don't believe there has ever been a day of my adult life when there hasn't been a concern about something, whether minor or major, either about my work, my home, my wife and family, my church, my health or my financial situation or something else that had some bearing on my life.  It seems we are always looking forward to a time when things will be somehow less stressful and our problesm will be diminished or disappear entirely.  That is never going to happen as long as we live on this earth.  Even though we trust in Him who has promised to bear all our burdens if we will but lay them on Him, those burdens are not going to disappear completely until we reach our heavenly abode.
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples

April, 2017
I have now lived on this old planet for over 80 years and the foregoing statement is still true.

WHAT WE DESERVE

Don’t think you deserve any more than you have,
For we’re guaranteed nothing down here;
And what we do have is not ours to keep
So we shouldn’t hold very much dear.

For material goods one day won’t count for much;
In fact, they’ll be worth nothing at all
When Jesus returns to take up His Bride,
The ransomed who’ve answered His call.

Be thankful, so thankful, if God’s prospered you;
Give credit to whom it is due,
And whether you’ve little or much in this world,
Remember that Christ died for you

And that if you received what you really deserve,
If God’s Son hadn’t done “all things well,”
You’d be without hope, under sure sentence of death (rightly so),
Condemned to a fiery hell.

So don’t think you deserve anymore than you have;
Be content, for many have less!
God gives what we need to get by, day by day,
And He will continue to bless

If we give Him the glory for all that we have,
And thank Him and praise Him each day
For His mercy and goodness and wonderful love,
And be sure to let Him have His way.

a. franklin staples

June 11, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Allison F. Staples

WHY DO I BELIEVE IN JESUS?

Why do I believe in Jesus? Because I’ve come face to face with me,
And I see in Him perfection That in myself I cannot see.
Why do I believe in Jesus? Because I’ve come to understand
That He framed the worlds and created man By the power of His hand.

Why do I believe in Jesus? Because He makes good His claim
That He is the begotten Son of God; There is power in His name!
Why do I believe in Jesus? Because I read in God’s Holy Word
That the Father gave Him all power; That over ALL He is LORD!

Why do I believe in Jesus? Because no MAN could do what He did
Unless He was God Incarnate Whose form, until then, had been hid.
Why do I believe in Jesus? Because He died for me on a cross;
Gave his life to pay sin’s awful price, To cleanse my life of its dross.

Why do I believe in Jesus? Because my faith in His name
Has cleansed me from sin forever And washed away every stain.
Why do I believe in Jesus? That’s a story I’m eager to tell,
Because He died on a cross and rose again To save my soul from hell.


a. franklin staples

June 9, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Allison F. Staples

HAVE YOU COUNTED YOUR BLESSINGS LATELY?

Have you counted your blessings lately?
Have you truly counted with care,
Or have you allowed Satan to tell you
That you’ve cause for feeling despair?

Have you counted your blessings lately?
Have you considered them one at a time?
If you really take time to count them,
Why, yours may be equal to mine.

Have you counted your blessings lately?
Sit down and start counting , my friend,
And if you’re living for Jesus,
You’ll find that to them there’s no end.

Have you counted your blessings lately?
I need reminding, as well
That God has blessed me so richly -
More than I ever can tell.

a. franklin staples

May 9, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Allison F. Staples

IMPERFECT VESSELS


Our perfect God uses imperfect vessels
In His plan for winning the lost.
He could have used angels
To accomplish His purpose,
But He must have counted the cost.

Yes, our perfect God uses imperfect vessels,
All flawed and scarred by sin,
And washes them clean
In the blood of the Saviour
To praise and glorify Him.

Our perfect God uses imperfect vessels,
His treasures in vessels of clay,
But He’ll mold us and make us
And someday we’ll be perfect
If we’ll only let Him have His way.

Yes, our perfect God works through imperfect vessels,
And I’m happy to be one of them,
And although I’m not perfect
He can still use me
To tell of His grace to all men.

a. franklin staples

November 23, 1989

Copyright © 1989 by Allison F. Staples

Read in public for the first time at the Maple Ridge Wesleyan Church,
on Sunday, May 27, 1990.

PRAISE THE LORD! HALLELUJAH!

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! What marvellous words!
But isn’t it strange how seldom they’re heard?
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! God’s praises extol!
It’s what we’ll be doing while eternity rolls.#
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Let Heaven’s courts ring
As we shout glad “Hosannas” to Jesus our King!
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Let our voices be raised
In one mighty chorus,”Our God be praised!”
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Both words mean the same;
Give glory and honour and praise to God’s name.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Both say the same thing!
God reigns in Heaven and Jesus is King!
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Won’t you join in the song?
Let the rafters resound as we shout loud and long.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Let us hold nothing back,
For Jesus, our Saviour is soon coming back.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Yes, sing and rejoice!
If you’re living for Jesus, you’ve made the right choice!

a. franklin staples

November 16, 1989

Copyright © 1989 by Allison F. Staples

NOTHING “PRETTY”

There was nothing "pretty" about the old rugged cross,
That "cursed tree" where my dear Saviour died;
That place of suffering and agony and loss
Where the dear Son of God was crucified.

No beauty was there of jewels or of gold;
'Twas made of the roughest of wood —
No lilies adorned it in that "place of the skull"
Where with two other crosses it stood.

It was stained by the blood that was shed there for me,
The blood of the dear Lamb of God
That was shed that from sin I might ever be free,
Though my own life had been sin-scarred and flawed.

No, there is no "beauty" in that old rugged cross;
Naught but suffering and anguish and pain,
But my Saviour endured it to save me from loss
And that I might eternal life gain.


a. franklin staples

September 17-22, 1995



Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples

IN LOVING MEMORY

With the Lord! What sweet release
Where joy ne’er ends and sorrows cease;
With our dear Saviour she’s found rest
And dwells forever with the blessed.

A faith that trusted Him each day;
A smile to brighten someone’s day;
A life of service for her Lord,
Resting secure upon His Word.

A faithful servant and dear friend;
A sweet memory that never ends;
Our sorrow is but for us alone
For Jesus has claimed her for His own,

And took her home to be with Him -
No pain is there nor shadow dim,
But all is light and peace and love
Where she now lives, in Heaven above.

a. franklin staples

May 16, 1989

Written in memory of Linda (Gilbert) Brewer, a former student and dear Christian friend, who died today, May 16, 1989, of cancer, after a long illness.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE BIBLE?

Have you considered the Bible,
 That Book so precious and rare,
That tried and true Word of the living God
 That tells of His love and His care?

Have you considered the Bible
 And what a great Treasure we have
In this Book breathed of God to men long ago
 That tells of His power to save?

Have you considered the Bible?
 Have you read about God's blessed Son —
How He died on a cruel Roman cross for you —
 That victory over death has been won?

Have you consdiered the Bible,
 And the trials and tribulations it took
And how many have died cruel, horrible deaths
 That you might read this great Book?

Have you considered the Bible,
 And how it has been passed down to us
Through the devotion and courage of great men of God
 Like Wycliff, Savanarola, and Huss?

Have you considered the Bible?
 Have you read in its pages so fair
Of the marvellous grace of God to man
 That Martin Luther found written there?

Have you considered the Bible?
 On God's Holy Word do you stand,
Like Zwingle and Calvin and men of like faith,
 Held firm in God's life-giving hand?

Have you considered the Bible?
 Are its words to you plain and real?
Like Whitfield and Wesley and Spurgeon,
 Does it impart to your soul a deep zeal?

Have you considered the Bible?
 'Tis God's Word that shall not pass away!
It firmly shall stand through the ages
 'Til the dawn of God's Great Judgment Day.

a. franklin staples
May 1, 1990
Copyright © 1990 by A. Franklin Staples

TOO MANY “GREEKS”

Too many "Greeks" in the "church" of today
Who call the cross "foolishness" and explain it away;
Too many liberals, the many, not "few",
Who make it a "stumbling block" just like the Jew.
Too many people who won't take a stand
On God's Holy Word, but pay heed to some man
Who tickles their ear with talk of God's love
But denies the Lord Jesus who came down from above
To die on that cruel cross because of man's sin
And shed His life's blood our pardon to win.
Too many leaders going the wrong way
And leading the unwary Christian astray;
Too many willing to follow the Pope
Back into slavery, to that place without hope.
A reverse reformation is now well under way
To lead all of Christendom back under the sway
Of that great harlot church that all true Christians shun —
The false Church of Rome, yea, that is the one.
Too many "Greeks" have now entered the church
And are falsely proclaiming that they're doing God's work
But the "gospel" they preach and the "story" they tell
Is leading the many right straight into hell.
But "Christ crucified" is the gospel to preach;
The truth of the Bible is the word we're to teach
And no man can deny that it's the Way that God planned
To extend His love and His grace to poor sinful man;
For that "Christ crucified" rose again from the grave
And is coming again to receive those who are saved.
God's grace is extended to each one who believes
In the crucified Christ and pardon receives;
That new life's to be separate, unto God set apart;
Of the great "Royal Priesthood" it is surely a part -
"Come ye out from among them", is the word that God speaks,
And don't get entangled with too many "Greeks".

a. franklin staples


August 27, 1994

Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples

ONLY A CHRISTIAN

Only a Christian, no more and no less,
Saved by the blood of the Dearest and Best;
Yes, only a Christian, wearing no other name
Than that of my Saviour, who for my sin was slain.

Only a Christian, of that primitive stock
First given the name there in old Antioch;
A believer in Jesus, Messiah, the Christ,
Cleansed by the blood of His pure sacrifice.

Only a Christian!  What more could I ask?
Indwelt by God's Spirit, equipped for the task
Of telling the news of God's marvellous love
Through Jesus, my Saviour, sent down from above

To live thirty-three years on this earth among men,
Then to die on a cross to pay the price for my sin.
The Creator Himself, who made all that there is,
Suffered the shame of the cross that I might be His.

Only a Christian, in the strict sense of the word,
One who acknowledges Jesus as Lord,
Who stands firm on the Scriptures without compromise,
Giving no quarter to the "father of lies".

Only a Christian!  There's no title so grand
That compares with Christ's name, dear friend, understand.
God's promise is sure; He has promised His rest
To those who are Christians, no more and no less.

a. franklin staples


October 4, 1994


Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples

SATAN TRIES HARD

Satan tries hard to silence the one
Who confesses his faith in Jesus, God's Son.
He sows doubt and confusion wherever he can;
He plants stumbling blocks; It's part of his plan
To destroy Christian witness, to nullify the effect
Of a life lived for Jesus, to bring disrespect
On God's plan of salvation; to make it seem hollow
To believe in God's word and His Way to follow.
But living for Jesus is what life's about
And those who are saved ought to stand up and shout
That there's only one way to achieve heaven's goal,
That only through Jesus is the sinner made whole.
Though Satan, like a lion, prowls about by the hour,
Seeking and searching for some soul to devour,
He knows he's defeated and that his time is short;
He's been sentenced to "hellfire" by the Judge of God's Court.
He still has more power than have you or have I,
So we're warned to flee from him, not to fall for his lies;
Ye, Satan tries always to silence the one
Who confesses his faith in Jesus, God's Son.
He'll do all that he can to make him turn back;
He'll paint everything gray, not white nor not black;
No absolutes wanted - there's no wrong and no right,
Yet his realm is the darkness.  God's is the LIGHT!

A. Franklin staples

October 16-30, 1994

Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples

LIFT UP THE CHRIST, NOT MORTAL MEN

Lift up the Christ, not mortal men;
It matters not how "good" they've been; —
No righteousness have they to call their own!
The glory is Christ's and His alone!

Lift up the Lord Jesus, who died for all,
Who has ransomed man from Adam's fall;
Give not the glory unto men,
For all they, like I, were born in sin.

Humble servants they may be,
Those whom Jesus has ere set free,
But angels, yet higher now than men,
Give all the glory unto Him.

Man is nothing without God;
His very best is worthless, flawed;
But he who trusts in Christ the King
Will give Him the glory in everything.

Yea, though God's humble servant hath he been,
'Twas Christ who saved him from his sin,
Gave him the Pearl of matchless worth —
Salvation by the second birth.

a. franklin staples

December 11-12, 1994

Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples

NEWS

The news of the world is of famine and war,
Violence and tragedy and strife,
News of finances lost or gained,
Of disaster and loss of life;
It's news of corruption, murder and greed,
Of vice in high places and low;
Of destruction by storms, earthquakes and volcanoes,
By fire, by flood or by snow.
'Tis of car accidents, ship wrecks, plane crashes, the like,
Things that are terribly grim;
It seems that what most of us want most to hear
Is of sickness and ruin and pain.
The news media thrive on sexual perversion,
Tragedy, disaster and rape,
And reporters professional, yes, and amateur, too,
Record it all on video tape.
Even most conversation seems centered around
Money, taxation and debt;
And the talk among neighbours, more often than not,
Is of sickness and accident and death.
Even those who are Christian, or who claim to be such,
Get caught up in the very same thing,
Though the topic they should be talking about
Is the fact that they belong to the King.
For the only "Good News" in this wicked old world
Is the news of salvation through Christ,
God's own precious Son who died on the cross
That those who believe should have life.
Yes, the "news" that is borne by the servants of God
Is the "good news" of salvation from sin;
Of Jesus, God's Son, who redeemed us from loss
That we might the great victory win.
We, of all people, should be happy and glad,
For the News we have heard and believed
Is the Good News of the Saviour, Jesus the Christ,
Whom we, through faith, have received.
No cause do we have to be sad or forlorn,
Downcast or down-trodden, distressed,
For we, of all people, believers in Jesus,
Have been wonderfully, marvellously blessed.
Ah, the news of the world is the news of the devil,
That of a world that's depraved:
Good news?  Yes, we have it, and have been charged to proclaim it,
That all they that hear might be saved.

a. franklin staples

December 31, 1994-January 1, 1995 Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples

WHO AM I, LORD, TO SPEAK ABOUT HOLINESS?

Who am I, Lord, to speak about holiness;
I who am merely a man?
When I stand in Thy presence, I feel so unworthy
To be a part of Thy marvellous plan,
For I know what I've done and how I have grieved Thee
By a will that is carnal and weak;
How can I then, who am but a poor sinner,
Presume to of holiness speak?
But to holiness, Lord, is what Thou hast called me,
As one saved by Thy marvellous grace,
Because I've believed in Jesus, the Saviour,
Who died on the cross in my place.
True holiness, Lord, I can never attain
While here on this old earth I dwell,
But You've bid me strive to be more like the Master
And be ready the Good News to tell;
So the longer I stay here and study Thy Word;
Yea, draw ever closer to Thee,
Be more obedient to Thy will day by day,
The more like Him I shall be.
And as I grow like Him, no matter how little,
For a little it's likely to be,
I grow day-by-day into that holiness
That will one day be perfect in Thee.

a. franklin staples

January 15, 1995

Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples

GOD’S GARDEN PATCH

The church is like a garden patch
Growing for the Lord;
Its produce is the life reborn,
Its seed the Word of God.

Like a garden, it must be tended,
Its weeds and thorns removed,
For Satan sows his weeds there, too,
As he is wont to do.

His seeds are greed and selfish pride
And the glory-seeking life;
It's weeds like these that choke the Word
And often lead to strife.

So the Gardener must be vigilant,
Always on the watch
For signs of sprouting of such seed
Within God's Garden Patch.

Right quick he must remove it,
Not let it get a start,
For one such weed, allowed to grow,
Can tear the church apart.

a. franklin staples

January 16, 1995

LORD, HELP ME BE A GENTLE MAN


Lord, help me be a gentle man
In thought and act and speech;
I claim the blood of Christ, Thy Son —
Help me practice what He preached.

Lord, help me be a gentle man,
Considerate and kind;
Not a boorish man or arrogant,
But of noble heart and mind.

Lord, help me be a gentle man
In thought and speech and act;
Help me to deal with those I meet
With diplomacy and tact.

Lord, help me be a gentle man
And do my very best
Not to denigrate or criticize
In fact or seeming jest.

Lord, help me be a gentle man,
Not one who plays the fool,
But one who treats others with respect
And obeys Thy Golden Rule.

A. franklin staples


November 11, 1994


Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples

I DON’T FOLLOW MEN

I don't follow men; they're just human like me —
They're weak and they're frail, for they're just men, you see,
Creatures of dust in a weak, earth-bound frame;
Good, bad or indifferent, they're still men, just the same.

No, I don't follow men in that sense of the word,
But I'll  walk with the man who follows the Lord.
I'll count him a friend and accept him as brother
If he stands on God's Word and preaches no other.

But the man who denies it God's Word says to shun,
To come out from among and be separate from,
And if the Word says it, that's what I must do,
For I believe every word of it, the whole Book, through and through.

Not that I'm perfect, for the Lord knows that I'm not,
But His blood has cleansed me from sin's darkest blot,
And I cannot deny Him nor compromise on His Word:
I must acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord!

No, I don't follow men, for they're just human like me,
But I count those as brothers whom Christ has set free,
Who acknowledge His Lordship and stand firm on His Word.
I walk with the man who follows the Lord!


a. franklin staples

February 21, 1995

Copyright © 1995 by Allison F. Staples

Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. [Mark 7:9]

REJECTED

Rejected!  For what?  For taking a stand
On the pure Word of God, not the opinion of man!
Rejected!  By whom?  Certainly not by the Lord,
But by men who believe not what He says in His Word!

Rejected!  Praise God!  His wonders proclaim!
What a glorious privilege to be shunned for His Name!
Rejected!  Speak boldly, as the prophets of old
Who suffered that God's message to the world might be told.

Rejected - by the many, but not by the few
Who honour God's Word and stand on it, too.
Rejected for telling it just like it is,
Straight from God's Word in the words that are His.

A. franklin staples

Copyright © 2017 by Allison F. Staples

DON’T LET SATAN GET YOU DOWN!

Satan loves it when we fuss and fume
And get ourselves upset
About things that don’t really matter
That we really should forget.
It gives him a chance to work on us,
Get one foot in the door,
And unless we wise up and kick him out,
We’ll wind up on the floor.
We take our eyes off Jesus
And forget to trust in Him,
And then, before we know it,
We’re way out on a limb.
So keep your eyes on Jesus;
Trust Him to take you through!
Don’t let satan work you up
Or get a hold on you,
For he has been defeated!
His war with God was lost
When Jesus died to conquer sin,
And shed His blood on the cross.
When Jesus rose up from the grave
The sting of death was gone,
That those for whom the price was paid
Forever should live on -
So if you’ve trusted Jesus
As your Saviour and your Lord,
Don’t let old satan get you down!
Stand firmly on God’s Word!

a. franklin staples

June 30, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Allison F. Staples

MY GOD DEALS WITH THE BIG AND THE SMALL

My God deals with the BIG and the small.
Why, to Him size means nothing at all!
Old Elijah rejoiced at His "still small voice."
Yes, God deals with the BIG and the small!

My God deals with the BIG and the small!
To Him, size doesn't matter at all.
He made every last thing from one-dimensional "strings".
Yes, God deals with the BIG and the small.

My God deals with the BIG and the small!
To Him, size matters not at all.
World, kingdom, nation or personal relation,
My God deals with the BIG and the small!

My God deals with the BIG and the small!
To Him, size doesn't matter at all.
There's no mountain too high nor any valley too wide!
My God deals with the BIG and the small!

My God deals with the BIG and the small!
To Him, sIzE means nothing at all.
From the stars to the sea; most of all, you and me,
My God deals with the BIG and the small!

a. franklin staples

August 6, 1996





Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

THE FACE OF A SINNER


I look in the mirror, and what do I see?
The face of a sinner stares back at me,
A sinner deserving of hell's fire and flame,
But one saved by God's grace, through Jesus' dear Name,
Washed in the blood of Calvary's Lamb,
Declared righteous by God, though a sinner I am.
Not one shred of righteousness dwelleth in me,
But God, by His grace, hath declared me sin free,
And though I should stumble, mortal man that I am,
I'm washed white as the snow in the Blood of the Lamb.

a. franklin staples

June 28, 1996


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

It Could Be Here

It could be here, and soon it may,
That it becomes a crime to pray
Or assemble as we are today.
It could be here.

It could be here that soldiers stand,
By an evil government’s command,
And forbid to preach salvation’s plan.
It could be here.

It could be here that Christians weep
For those who sleep death’s silent sleep
And quiet vigils in secret keep.
It could be here.

It could be here that Christians die
For not endorsing Satan’s lie,
Where mothers weep and children cry.
It could be here.

It could be here, and may be soon,
In this or other darkened room,
That Christians gather in the gloom.
It could be here.

 Yes, it could be here, and soon it may,
That it becomes a crime to pray
Or assemble as we are today.
It could be here.

a. franklin staples
March 27, 1999

©1999 by A. Franklin Staples

A Great Religion

Outward form and ceremony
May a great religion make,
But you'd better trust in Jesus Christ,
Who died for your sins' sake.
Lighting candles and chanting prayers
Makes an impressive outward show,
But if you want the peace of sins forgiven,
To Jesus you must go.
The worship of a bit of bread,
Though it be called the Host,
Will not suffice to cleanse from sin
Nor to please the Holy Ghost.
Worldly priests, though richly robed,
With God can't intercede,
But Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest,
Can meet your every need.

a. franklin staples

September 22-October 1, 1996





Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Only One “STAR”

There is only one "STAR" on the great stage of life;
He's Jesus, God's Son, the One who's called Christ.
All the rest are but "extras" whose appearance is brief,
With "bit parts" here and there, none of them chief.
Yes, some prima donnas appear on Time's stage
But their voices are soon silenced by death and the grave;
Their worldly fame vanishes like a vapour of smoke
And soon are forgotten the vain words that they spoke,
But the Word of our God forever endures.
His promises are true and His judgment is sure;
His STAR is eternal; there's none other so bright
As Jesus, God's Son, the Way, Truth and Life!

a. franklin staples

August 11-18, 1996


Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

But Some Doubted...

"But some doubted," and so it is today;
"But some doubted."  That's what the Scriptures say.
Some among the followers, of those who'd been with Christ
Doubted what they'd seen and heard of the One who gave them life.

"But some doubted," didn't believe their eyes;
"But some doubted," believed instead the Devil's lies,
Though they'd seen the mighty pow'r of God
In the miracles He had done,
Yet the road of doubt they firmly trod
And rejected God's Holy One.

a. franklin staples

Copyright © 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Works Alone Will Not Avail

The law required works;
Grace is freely given.
‘Tis not by works but by God’s grace
That men will enter heaven.

Nay, ‘tis not by works that men may do,
For works will not avail;
Through naught but the blood of Jesus Christ
Will men pass through the veil.

a. franklin staples
October 27, 1996

© 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Don’t Let Me Be Proud...

I’m thankful to be a Christian, Lord,
But don’t let me be proud,
For pride is of the adversary
And must not be allowed.
Let me not be proud, Lord,
Of what I’ve done or be,
For all I have and am, Lord,
You have given me.
Nay, let me not be proud, Lord,
Of the way that I’ve been blest,
For if I was on my own, Lord,
I’d never pass the test.
I’d stumble on my own, Lord,
And oft would lose my way
If You weren’t there to guide me
Through each and every day.
Yes, on my own I’m nothing, Lord,
But a sinner, helpless, lost,
Condemned to hell by my own sin,
By earth’s every tempest toss’d.
Proud, Lord? Proud of what?
That I’m but a sinner born?
There’s naught I have or am, Lord,
That I’ve accomplished on my own.

a. franklin staples
October 20, 1996

© 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Be Still And Know That I AM God...

“Be still and know that I AM God.”
That’s what the Father says,
And as life’s weary way we trod,
We must heed, for so He is.

Too oft we think that many words
A fervent prayer doth make,
When what we need is just to be still
To hear God when He speaks.

Too oft we pray just to be heard
By those who linger near,
When we needs be in our closet, friend,
To pray that God may hear.

“Be still and know that I AM God.”
No idle words are these,
But precious, true, eternal words
That should bring us to our knees.

“Be still and know that I AM God,”
Says the God who answers prayer,
And as life’s weary way we trod,
Will all our burdens bear.

a. franklin staples
October 13, 1996

© 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

“Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,”
Say the words of that precious old hymn,
Yes, “nothing but the Blood of Jesus”
Can wash away all of my sin.
But hymns don’t speak of the Blood anymore,
Nor mention that dear precious Name,
The name of Jesus, my Saviour and Lord,
Who bore all of my sin and my shame.
“What can wash away my sin?”
The answer still is the same:
The pure cleansing flood of my dear Saviour’s blood,
God’s pure, precious Lamb who was slain,
Slain on that old cross on that dark lonely hill
At the place that was called Calvary,
Where the Son of God died on that cross, crucified,
That from sin’s curse I should ever be free.
No, hymns don’t speak of the blood anymore,
Nor of sin, degradation nor shame,
Nor of worms such as I, unworthy, condemned,
Was it not for God’s Lamb who was slain.
The hymns being written are so politically correct,
Full of vain repetitions of phrase,
That one wonders what happened to the blackness of sin
From which mankind must be saved.
Yes, nothing but the Blood of Jesus
Can wash away all of man’s sin,
And there is no other way to come unto God
Than to come, dear friend, by Him.

a. franklin staples
January 12, 1997

© 1997 by A. Franklin Staples

In Everything Gives Thanks

“In everything give thanks,”
For the great and the small,
For blessings abundant
Or no blessing at all.
Give thanks in all things
As it says in God’s Word,
For every blessing we have
Is a gift from the Lord.
Give thanks in the good times;
Give thanks in the bad;
Give thanks for the problems;
Give thanks when your sad;
Give thanks when your happy;
Give thanks for the trials;
Give thanks for the frowns you get;
Give thanks for the smiles.
“In everything give thanks,”
As it says in God’s Word,
For every blessing we have
Is a gift from the Lord.

a. franklin staples
(finished December 12, 1998)

© 1998 by A. Franklin Staples

God Loves With An Everlasting Love

God loves with a love everlasting,
A love deeper than the deepest of seas;
A love that encompasses all of mankind,
Yes, a love that encompasses me.

Yes, God loves even me, a vile sinner,
A wretch and a worm from my birth;
Why, He loves me so much that He sent His dear Son
To die a cruel death on this earth.

'Twas His love for mankind that sent His Son to the cross,
His Son born in Bethlehem's stall,
That all who will call on His name should be saved,
For He paid sin's great price once for all.

God loves with a love everlasting,
A love that men can't comprehend,
A love that's eternal, sublime and supernal,
With neither beginning nor end.

a. franklin staples

September 15 - October 5, 1996

© 1996 by A. Franklin Staples

Little David, Shepherd Boy

“Little David, shepherd boy” is a term we often hear,
But that Little David, shepherd boy, killed a lion and a bear.
Little David, shepherd boy, kept his father Jesse’s sheep,
Trusted to well look after them and a careful watch to keep.
Little David, shepherd boy, sang and played the harp,
Sang praise to God and became known as “a man after God’s own heart.”
Little David, shepherd boy, could wear the armour of the king,
So let’s not think that, in his youth, he was some puny little thing,
But because he had not tried it, as a seasoned soldier should,
He wore it not to battle, but in shepherd’s clothes he stood
To face Goliath’s challenge, who viewed him with disdain
And boasted loud, for all to hear, that David would be slain.
Little David, shepherd boy, met Goliath in the plain.
With one smooth stone in his trusty sling, he took sure and careful aim,
Sent the stone whistling on its way, struck Goliath in the head,
And before he could draw another breath, the giant Goliath was dead.
Yes, Goliath fell dead upon the ground and mighty was his fall
Because Little David, shepherd boy, was not little after all.

a. franklin staples
Completed March 26, 1999

©1999 by A. Franklin Staples

Under the Gun

Under the gun for God and His Son,
To suffer and die for the Lord...
Would you be ready? Is your faith sure and steady?
Would you stake your life on His Word?
Under the gun for God and His Son
Is the way many are living today;
In danger of dying, on Christ they’re relying.
They are staking their lives on His Way.
Under the gun for God and His Son
May soon be the state you are in.
Will your faith take you through? To Christ are you true?
Would you be ready to die for Him?
Under the gun for God and His Son,
Or maybe the sword or the knife;
What would you do, my friend, if ‘twas you?
Would you die for your faith in the Christ?
Yes, under the gun for God and His Son;
What if it happened right here?
Would you stand true and firm, upheld in His arms,
Or surrender to terror and fear?
Under the gun for God and His Son...
My friend, if it happened to you,
Would you turn tail and run, as many have done,
Or trust Jesus to carry you through?

a. franklin staples , March 22, 1998

Copyright © 1998 by Allison F. Staples

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE SENSE OF SHAME?

Whatever happened to the sense of shame?
Did it go the same way as the acceptance of blame?
In this age that we live in, when everything’s right,
When even most of the church is living by sight,
Is shame out of date, a thing of the past,
Or is it still with us? That’s the question I ask.

Now, shame is not something I’m ignorant of,
For I’ve felt it before and I well knew the cause
Was something I’d done that I knew I should not,
And the reason I knew was because I’d been taught
That there are certain things that it is not right to do,
Like cheating and lying, to name only two.

But shame’s seldom mentioned in this day, it seems,
For fear it will harm some poor soul’s “self esteem.”
No matter that God, in His Book, says it’s wrong
To do whatever it is that’s been done;
It’s often smoothed over or the wrong’s made to be right,
White’s turned into black, and the black into white!

God’s Word is manipulated, turned upside down,
Inside is turned out and the Truth is not shown;
The deeds done in darkness are not brought to the light,
Right is deemed wrong, and the wrong is made right.
Remember, my friend, it’s what God says that’s true,
And every man is a liar who won’t hold to God’s Truth.

Yes, shame is still with us, believe it or not,
For God’s Word proclaims it as every man’s lot
Who refuses to heed what the LORD has to say
And gropes blindly along in his own sinful way,
Searching for something he cannot explain,
But refusing salvation through Jesus’ dear name.

Coveters, enviers, yes, and murderers, too,
Harlots and fornicators, to name but a few,
Adulterers, whoremongers, liars and thieves—
We who are saved were once some of these—
But thanks be to Jesus, we’re no longer the same,
For He died to redeem us from sin and from shame.

a. franklin staples
Completed March 27, 1999

©1999 by A. Franklin Staples

Have You Ever Asked Yourself...?

Have you ever asked yourself this question?
“What brought me to this place
Where they praise the name of Jesus Christ
And sing of God’s amazing grace?”
Do you think it was just by accident
That you walked in through these doors,
Or could it be, do you suppose,
You were led here by the Lord?
Do you suppose that He has plans for you,
If you’d only let Him in
To cleanse your soul of all its dross
And wash away all of your sin?
He died, you know, on an old rugged cross
In Jerusalem on a day long ago,
And He paid the price for all of your sins,
Yes, every last one, don’t you know?
He bore all of your sins on that cursed tree,
Shed His own precious blood for you;
Just believe on His Name In pure simple faith,
That’s all that you have to do.
He’ll bear all of your burdens, Calm all your fears,
Be with you in bad times and good,
Take all of your sins and wash them away
In the fountain of His precious blood.
You see, it was He who brought you here
To this place at this very hour,
That you might hear of His love for you,
And learn of His saving power.
Don’t turn Him away from the door of your heart —
Open it and let Him come in.
Surrender your life to Jesus today
And eternal life you shall win.

a. franklin staples
(Finished December 13, 1998)

© 1998 by A. Franklin Staples

Let the Holy Spirit Work

Let the Holy Spirit work, for ‘tis He who builds the Church;
Blessed Comforter and Guide Who in each saint doth e’er abide.
Ours is but to sow the Seed And lend a hand to those in need.
When it comes to adding to God’s Church, Let the Holy Spirit work.

Preach the Gospel, tell the Story; Praise the Lord, give God the glory,
But when it comes to adding to God’s Church, Let the Holy Spirit work.
Tell of Jesus, crucified; That for all man’s sin He bled and died,
But when it comes to adding to God’s Church, Let the Holy Spirit work.

Tell the Story; make it plain That Jesus died and rose again,
But when it comes to adding to God’s Church, Let the Holy Spirit work.
Preach the Word; yes, make it plain That Jesus lives and will come again;
Your Christian duty do not shirk, But let the Holy Spirit work.

You may push and probe and plead and prod, But you’re just a man! You are not God!
Men’s hearts and minds you cannot search! Let the Holy Spirit work!

a. franklin staples
October 1, 1998
©1998 by a. franklin staples