WHAT BECAME OF THE MAN WHO CARRIED THE CROSS?
Have you thought of the man who carried the cross
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill;
Just a face in the crowd who had gathered to watch
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
He was pressed into service right there on the spot
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill
To be known as the man who carried the cross
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill.
What was he thinking as beside Jesus he trod
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Did he know the man beside him was the true Son of God
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Was he sickened by the sight and the smell of the blood
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Did any words pass between them as the way they did plod
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
What became of the man who carried the cross
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Did he know he was a sinner, helpless and lost,
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Did he know Jesus would die to pay sin’s dreadful cost,
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Were his senses in turmoil , troubled and tossed,
As they walked my Lord up Calvary’s Hill?
Was he there in Jerusalem that year at Pentecost
After walking my Lord up Calvary’s hill,
When Peter preached Christ crucified for those who are lost,
For he’d walked with my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
Did he come to lay his sins at the foot of the cross,
He who’d walked with my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
What became of the man who had carried the cross
And walked with my Lord up Calvary’s hill?
a. franklin staples
March 29, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by A. Franklin Staples
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Just a Pitiful Sinner Destined for Hell
The life he had lived was of sin filled with shame;
He had cursed and blasphemed in God’s Holy Name;
Of drugs and of alcohol he’d had more than his share,
And the load that he carried was just too heavy to bear.
He had once had a family, a sweet wife and three sons —
Those once he held dear, but they, too, were now gone,
Driven out by his rages and drunken tirades,
By the beatings he’d given and the threats he had made.
Their leaving he had taken as a matter of course,
With no thought of repentance or the slightest remorse.
The business he once owned had then gone “belly up”
So he turned to the needle and the bottle and cup;
His money he spent on parties and wine,
And it, too, was soon gone, So he joined the bread line.
A poor wretch of a man, living only for self,
He was just a pitiful sinner Destined for hell.
Then one night, as he staggered, bleary-eyed, down a street,
With his clothing in tatters and worn-out shoes on his feet,
He passed by a little church with its door open wide,
And he stopped just a moment, peered intently inside,
Saw the man at the front with uplifted hands,
Then he heard someone singing, “Just As I Am!”
Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee; O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
“Just as I am,” he thought, “Would God accept me?”
“Oh, that from this burden I could forever be free.”
Then he walked up the steps to that meeting house door,
And knelt just inside on the meeting house floor.
He lifted his hands, prayed the poor sinner’s prayer,
And Jesus’ blood saved him, right then and right there,
Washed all of his sin away, cleaned out all its dross,
As that small congregation sang “Down at the Cross.”
Down at the cross Where my Saviour died; Down where for cleansing from sin I cried;
There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His Name!
Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name! There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!
A new man in Christ Jesus, he walked down that aisle
To be met at the altar by the preacher, who smiled,
And said, “Welcome, my Brother, we’re so glad you have come.
The Father has been waiting for you to come home.”
He knelt at that altar as tears streamed down his face,
While that small congregation sang “Amazing Grace.”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
And how about you, my friend? Are you still in your sin?
Do you know Jesus died that you might be clean?
Would you be washed clean in the blood of God’s Lamb?
Then take Him as your Saviour, singing “Just As I Am.”
Just as I am and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot;
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, Though tossed about With many a heartache, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, poor wretched, blind, Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
a. franklin staples
© Copyright 1999 by A. Franklin Staples
The life he had lived was of sin filled with shame;
He had cursed and blasphemed in God’s Holy Name;
Of drugs and of alcohol he’d had more than his share,
And the load that he carried was just too heavy to bear.
He had once had a family, a sweet wife and three sons —
Those once he held dear, but they, too, were now gone,
Driven out by his rages and drunken tirades,
By the beatings he’d given and the threats he had made.
Their leaving he had taken as a matter of course,
With no thought of repentance or the slightest remorse.
The business he once owned had then gone “belly up”
So he turned to the needle and the bottle and cup;
His money he spent on parties and wine,
And it, too, was soon gone, So he joined the bread line.
A poor wretch of a man, living only for self,
He was just a pitiful sinner Destined for hell.
Then one night, as he staggered, bleary-eyed, down a street,
With his clothing in tatters and worn-out shoes on his feet,
He passed by a little church with its door open wide,
And he stopped just a moment, peered intently inside,
Saw the man at the front with uplifted hands,
Then he heard someone singing, “Just As I Am!”
Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee; O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
“Just as I am,” he thought, “Would God accept me?”
“Oh, that from this burden I could forever be free.”
Then he walked up the steps to that meeting house door,
And knelt just inside on the meeting house floor.
He lifted his hands, prayed the poor sinner’s prayer,
And Jesus’ blood saved him, right then and right there,
Washed all of his sin away, cleaned out all its dross,
As that small congregation sang “Down at the Cross.”
Down at the cross Where my Saviour died; Down where for cleansing from sin I cried;
There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His Name!
Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name! There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!
A new man in Christ Jesus, he walked down that aisle
To be met at the altar by the preacher, who smiled,
And said, “Welcome, my Brother, we’re so glad you have come.
The Father has been waiting for you to come home.”
He knelt at that altar as tears streamed down his face,
While that small congregation sang “Amazing Grace.”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
And how about you, my friend? Are you still in your sin?
Do you know Jesus died that you might be clean?
Would you be washed clean in the blood of God’s Lamb?
Then take Him as your Saviour, singing “Just As I Am.”
Just as I am and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot;
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, Though tossed about With many a heartache, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, poor wretched, blind, Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
a. franklin staples
© Copyright 1999 by A. Franklin Staples
Saturday, February 25, 2017
My Father’s Bibles
(Written as an introduction to the poem which follows which was first read at a Gospel Way concert on April 6, 1999.)
My father literally wore Bibles out. His Bibles were used so much and so often that it wasn’t long before the bindings got loose, pages began to get ragged around the edges, and pages even began to fall out. He would underline passages, write in the margins and on both fly leaves (front and back).
I don’t know how many Bible Dad wore out in his lifetime of almost seventy-five years, but I know it was certainly more than two or three.
Sometime in the late 1950's he bought his last Bible, the version that he had talked for several years of obtaining. It was a King James Version (he would never even think of using any other version) with Schofield References, bound in real leather. Over the years that he used that Bible, it, too, became worn, the bindings loosened and the pages became dog-eared. He used it right up until almost the last minute before he passed into eternity.
He had been to church that Sunday morning, January 30, 1977, just twenty-three days before what would have been his seventy-fifth birthday. He was on his way home, riding in the right front seat of my Aunt Bertie’s car, with his bible in his hand, when he took a massive stroke and died instantly. His Bible slipped from his lifeless fingers onto the floor of the car.
When choosing a text for his funeral , Rev. A. J. Burton asked if he could look through Dad’s Bible to find a favourite verse or verses. He took the Bible home with him, set it on its spine on his desk and let it fall open. It opened on the 90th Psalm.
I am privileged to have fallen heir to that Bible, with its loose bindings, dog-eared pages, marginal and fly leaf notes, and it’s underlined verses. In fact, I brought it with me tonight. I have used it off and on over the twenty-two years since Dad passed on, but I have Lately retired it from active service and placed it on the Bible shelf of my small office as a reminder of my Dad’s devotion to the Word of the Lord.
Now let me tell you a story in verse:
(Written as an introduction to the poem which follows which was first read at a Gospel Way concert on April 6, 1999.)
My father literally wore Bibles out. His Bibles were used so much and so often that it wasn’t long before the bindings got loose, pages began to get ragged around the edges, and pages even began to fall out. He would underline passages, write in the margins and on both fly leaves (front and back).
I don’t know how many Bible Dad wore out in his lifetime of almost seventy-five years, but I know it was certainly more than two or three.
Sometime in the late 1950's he bought his last Bible, the version that he had talked for several years of obtaining. It was a King James Version (he would never even think of using any other version) with Schofield References, bound in real leather. Over the years that he used that Bible, it, too, became worn, the bindings loosened and the pages became dog-eared. He used it right up until almost the last minute before he passed into eternity.
He had been to church that Sunday morning, January 30, 1977, just twenty-three days before what would have been his seventy-fifth birthday. He was on his way home, riding in the right front seat of my Aunt Bertie’s car, with his bible in his hand, when he took a massive stroke and died instantly. His Bible slipped from his lifeless fingers onto the floor of the car.
When choosing a text for his funeral , Rev. A. J. Burton asked if he could look through Dad’s Bible to find a favourite verse or verses. He took the Bible home with him, set it on its spine on his desk and let it fall open. It opened on the 90th Psalm.
I am privileged to have fallen heir to that Bible, with its loose bindings, dog-eared pages, marginal and fly leaf notes, and it’s underlined verses. In fact, I brought it with me tonight. I have used it off and on over the twenty-two years since Dad passed on, but I have Lately retired it from active service and placed it on the Bible shelf of my small office as a reminder of my Dad’s devotion to the Word of the Lord.
Now let me tell you a story in verse:
THE MAN WITH THE BATTERED BIBLE
The Bible he carried was well-worn, yes, aged,
With highlights and notations on about every page.
The cover was shabby, the pages dog-eared,
And some, perhaps many, were stained by his tears,
Tears that he shed for the souls of the lost,
Out on life’s wild seas, by the world’s tempest,
Or for some poor lost soul he had met on the street,
Who was begging for handouts, with nothing to eat,
Or for the widow next door, whose family didn’t care
Whether she lived or died. They just left her there.
He cried for the family with six children just down the street
Who could hardly afford shoes to cover their feet,
And he’d spent his last dollar at the grocery store
To give them a meal, and wished he’d has more.
Oft times, in the evening, he’d kneel down by his chair
And just talk with the Lord in intimate prayer;
He’d tell Him the burdens he had for the lost
And thank Him for Jesus, Who died on the cross.
He’d pray for the hungry and the sick and the poor
As he knelt by his chair on the sitting-room floor.
When he’d finish his talk and get up off his knees,
He’d take that battered old Bible down, and he’d read
About Jesus and His parables and the sick that He healed,
Or the wondrous insights to old John He revealed,
About David the shepherd boy who was born to be king,
Then he’d lift his eyes heavenward and prayerfully sing:
What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege carry Every thing to God in prayer!
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure.
And each night, when at last he lay to rest on his bed,
He’d place that old Bible right next to his head.
It’s precepts he’d hidden long ago in his heart,
And he vowed he would never from those precepts depart
While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown, and behold Thee on Thy Throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.
a. franklin staples
1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
Friday, February 17, 2017
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. (I’m now going on 81 years and nothing has changed much.)
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
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. (I’m now going on 81 years and nothing has changed much.)
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
THROUGH THESE WEAK, IMPERFECT VESSELS
Through these weak, imperfect vessels
Has chosen God to work,
For 'tis through this frail clay vessel
That He builds His glorious church;
To such men He gives commission
To preach and teach His Word
That those whom He has chosen
May be called unto the Lord.
Yes, God works, has worked, through mortal men,
Imperfect though they be,
To call out those He's chosen
To receive salvation free.
Through these weak, imperfect vessels
God chose His Word to preach;
To them He gives instructions
As to what they are to teach.
Just mortal men, like you and me,
But imbued with the Spirit's power,
They take their stand upon that Rock,
That strong and mighty tower
That is the one and only Saviour,
He who paid sin's awful price,
Our one and only Potentate,
The God-man, Jesus Christ.
Yes, through these weak, imperfect vessels
Has chosen God to work;
Those called by Him from the depths of sin
Into His glorious church —
That Church whose head is the Lord Himself
And not some mortal man,
Made up of the saints that God has called
According to His plan.
a. franklin staples
November 12, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Through these weak, imperfect vessels
Has chosen God to work,
For 'tis through this frail clay vessel
That He builds His glorious church;
To such men He gives commission
To preach and teach His Word
That those whom He has chosen
May be called unto the Lord.
Yes, God works, has worked, through mortal men,
Imperfect though they be,
To call out those He's chosen
To receive salvation free.
Through these weak, imperfect vessels
God chose His Word to preach;
To them He gives instructions
As to what they are to teach.
Just mortal men, like you and me,
But imbued with the Spirit's power,
They take their stand upon that Rock,
That strong and mighty tower
That is the one and only Saviour,
He who paid sin's awful price,
Our one and only Potentate,
The God-man, Jesus Christ.
Yes, through these weak, imperfect vessels
Has chosen God to work;
Those called by Him from the depths of sin
Into His glorious church —
That Church whose head is the Lord Himself
And not some mortal man,
Made up of the saints that God has called
According to His plan.
a. franklin staples
November 12, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Thursday, February 16, 2017
LORD, I COME TO WATCH AND PRAY
Lord, I come to watch and pray,
To hear Thee speak to me today;
Help me to heed what Thou hast said
In Thy Holy Book that I have read.
Help me, Lord, to stand for Thee;
Open mine eyes, that I might see
The things Thou hast for me to do.
From day to day my strength renew.
Give me, dear Lord, the strength to stand,
Upheld, sustained by Thy all-powerful hand,
That I might give Thee the glory when I speak
And daily, Lord, Thy wisdom seek.
Yes, give me strength, Lord, to do what's best,
To meet the challenge and pass the test;
To resist the Adversary at every turn
And seek to Thy sovereign will discern.
a. franklin staples
April 10, 1993
Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples
Lord, I come to watch and pray,
To hear Thee speak to me today;
Help me to heed what Thou hast said
In Thy Holy Book that I have read.
Help me, Lord, to stand for Thee;
Open mine eyes, that I might see
The things Thou hast for me to do.
From day to day my strength renew.
Give me, dear Lord, the strength to stand,
Upheld, sustained by Thy all-powerful hand,
That I might give Thee the glory when I speak
And daily, Lord, Thy wisdom seek.
Yes, give me strength, Lord, to do what's best,
To meet the challenge and pass the test;
To resist the Adversary at every turn
And seek to Thy sovereign will discern.
a. franklin staples
April 10, 1993
Copyright © 1993 by A. Franklin Staples
THE ONE WHO MADE THE WORLDS
The One who made the worlds,
By Whom all things consist,
The great Creator, God, the LORD of hosts,
Gave up all His power
And laid aside His glory;
Became a man so He could die upon a cross.
Jesus Christ, the LORD of glory,
The Word of the beginning,
The mighty God, Jehovah, the great "I AM",
Became flesh, dwelt among us,
Without sin or spot or blemish;
Shed His own blood as God's own perfect Lamb.
None other could have done it;
No mere man could pay the price,
For all mankind bears the mark of Adam's sin.
Only He who came from heaven,
God Himself in human flesh,
Could pay the price and man's redemption win.
Let not one forget it,
As we come around the Table
To eat the bread and drink the cup of wine,
That the very God who made us
Died that we might live,
Shed His precious blood for your sin and for mine.
a. franklin staples
March 6, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
The One who made the worlds,
By Whom all things consist,
The great Creator, God, the LORD of hosts,
Gave up all His power
And laid aside His glory;
Became a man so He could die upon a cross.
Jesus Christ, the LORD of glory,
The Word of the beginning,
The mighty God, Jehovah, the great "I AM",
Became flesh, dwelt among us,
Without sin or spot or blemish;
Shed His own blood as God's own perfect Lamb.
None other could have done it;
No mere man could pay the price,
For all mankind bears the mark of Adam's sin.
Only He who came from heaven,
God Himself in human flesh,
Could pay the price and man's redemption win.
Let not one forget it,
As we come around the Table
To eat the bread and drink the cup of wine,
That the very God who made us
Died that we might live,
Shed His precious blood for your sin and for mine.
a. franklin staples
March 6, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
GOD DIED FOR ME.
I am overwhelmed and awed
When I realize that God,
By Whose hand the worlds were framed,
Became a man and suffered pain
And died upon a cursed tree
For sinners such as you and me;
Yes, God Himself, in Jesus Christ,
For us became the sacrifice;
He, Whose name is the "I AM",
Became the sacrificial Lamb
Who, for the sin of Adam's race,
Suffered humiliation and disgrace,
Was beaten, spat on, mocked, reviled,
That man to Him should be reconciled,
Redeemed, the full price paid,
For all our sin on Him was laid.
Yes, I am overwhelmed and awed
When I realize that God,
Who made the worlds and all that is,
Died on a cross to make me His.
a. franklin staples
March 6, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
I am overwhelmed and awed
When I realize that God,
By Whose hand the worlds were framed,
Became a man and suffered pain
And died upon a cursed tree
For sinners such as you and me;
Yes, God Himself, in Jesus Christ,
For us became the sacrifice;
He, Whose name is the "I AM",
Became the sacrificial Lamb
Who, for the sin of Adam's race,
Suffered humiliation and disgrace,
Was beaten, spat on, mocked, reviled,
That man to Him should be reconciled,
Redeemed, the full price paid,
For all our sin on Him was laid.
Yes, I am overwhelmed and awed
When I realize that God,
Who made the worlds and all that is,
Died on a cross to make me His.
a. franklin staples
March 6, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
LORD, BRING US TOGETHER
Lord, bring us together;
Let us not be apart
As we toil in Thy vineyard down here;
Lord, bring us together;
Give each one a pure heart;
May it always be Thee that we fear.
Lord, bring us together
In all that is done;
Let us stand sure and firm on Thy Word;
Lord, bring us together;
May each honour Thy Son
As Master and Saviour and Lord.
Lord, bring us together
In Thy Holy Name
In spirit and truth and in love;
Lord, keep us together.
May our goals be the same;
May we each seek Thy wisdom above.
Lord, Keep us together
In Jesus, we pray,
That in mind and in Spirit we're one;
Lord, keep us together.
May each do and say
What brings glory to Jesus, Thy Son.
a. franklin staples
January 17, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
Lord, bring us together;
Let us not be apart
As we toil in Thy vineyard down here;
Lord, bring us together;
Give each one a pure heart;
May it always be Thee that we fear.
Lord, bring us together
In all that is done;
Let us stand sure and firm on Thy Word;
Lord, bring us together;
May each honour Thy Son
As Master and Saviour and Lord.
Lord, bring us together
In Thy Holy Name
In spirit and truth and in love;
Lord, keep us together.
May our goals be the same;
May we each seek Thy wisdom above.
Lord, Keep us together
In Jesus, we pray,
That in mind and in Spirit we're one;
Lord, keep us together.
May each do and say
What brings glory to Jesus, Thy Son.
a. franklin staples
January 17, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
JESUS, ROSE OF SHARON
Jesus, Rose of Sharon,
The sweetest rose of all,
But yet a common rose out in the fields;
Not a rose of sheltered beauty,
But a Friend on whom to call
Whose bright hues and sweetest scents
To usward yields.
The Lily of the valleys,
Though Highest Lord is He;
God's blessed Son who now sits at His right hand.
Though God, Himself He humbled,
Gave His life for you and me,
Spent His years down here
As but a common Man.
He calls us also lilies
Who strive to be like Him,
For as He is we all would fain become;
Among the thorns we're planted
In this wicked world of sin
To lilies be
Until our race is run.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1992
by
A. Franklin Staples
Jesus, Rose of Sharon,
The sweetest rose of all,
But yet a common rose out in the fields;
Not a rose of sheltered beauty,
But a Friend on whom to call
Whose bright hues and sweetest scents
To usward yields.
The Lily of the valleys,
Though Highest Lord is He;
God's blessed Son who now sits at His right hand.
Though God, Himself He humbled,
Gave His life for you and me,
Spent His years down here
As but a common Man.
He calls us also lilies
Who strive to be like Him,
For as He is we all would fain become;
Among the thorns we're planted
In this wicked world of sin
To lilies be
Until our race is run.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1992
by
A. Franklin Staples
O TO BE AMONG THE CHOSEN
O to be among the chosen
And to enter into rest;
To be with Jesus over Yonder,
There to dwell with all the Blessed.
O to be among the chosen,
Not the many but the Few,
Not to enter by the Broad Gate
But the Narrow to pass through.
O to be among the chosen
When my earthly race is run;
To know the bliss of life eternal;
To hear my Saviour say, "Well done."
Will you be among the chosen?
Surrender now your life to Christ;
Receive His pardon and forgiveness —
Through grace, receive eternal life.
a. franklin staples
January 16, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
O to be among the chosen
And to enter into rest;
To be with Jesus over Yonder,
There to dwell with all the Blessed.
O to be among the chosen,
Not the many but the Few,
Not to enter by the Broad Gate
But the Narrow to pass through.
O to be among the chosen
When my earthly race is run;
To know the bliss of life eternal;
To hear my Saviour say, "Well done."
Will you be among the chosen?
Surrender now your life to Christ;
Receive His pardon and forgiveness —
Through grace, receive eternal life.
a. franklin staples
January 16, 1993
Copyright © 1993
by
A. Franklin Staples
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
HOW EASY IT IS TO BE BLINDED!
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. -Micah 3:11
How easy it is to be blinded;
To ignore "the signs of the times".
So many today are crying, "Peace, peace",
But there will be no peace in our time
For there shall be "wars and rumours of wars",
Crime and violence shall also increase,
And "nation shall rise against nation"
Until the "times of the Gentiles" cease.
These are the "signs" all around us
For those who have their eyes open to see,
Those signs that precede the Lord's coming,
For "Behold, I come quickly," saith He.
Yet many who claim to be Christians,
Who claim that they follow the Lord,
Seem oblivious to the signs all around them
And ignore what God says in His Word.
They seek out the weakest of preachers
Who speak words that will tickle their ears,
For they want not to hear God's stern warnings
That in His Word are made perfectly clear.
As long as nothing is said to upset them,
They think everything's going just fine.
Yes, how easy it is to be blinded,
To ignore the "signs of the times".
a. franklin staples
July 30, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. -Micah 3:11
How easy it is to be blinded;
To ignore "the signs of the times".
So many today are crying, "Peace, peace",
But there will be no peace in our time
For there shall be "wars and rumours of wars",
Crime and violence shall also increase,
And "nation shall rise against nation"
Until the "times of the Gentiles" cease.
These are the "signs" all around us
For those who have their eyes open to see,
Those signs that precede the Lord's coming,
For "Behold, I come quickly," saith He.
Yet many who claim to be Christians,
Who claim that they follow the Lord,
Seem oblivious to the signs all around them
And ignore what God says in His Word.
They seek out the weakest of preachers
Who speak words that will tickle their ears,
For they want not to hear God's stern warnings
That in His Word are made perfectly clear.
As long as nothing is said to upset them,
They think everything's going just fine.
Yes, how easy it is to be blinded,
To ignore the "signs of the times".
a. franklin staples
July 30, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Monday, February 13, 2017
EITHER IT'S ALL GOD'S WORD OR IT'S NOTHING AT ALL!
My supposed Christian friend, let me ask you some questions,
Just to make myself perfectly clear:
Does God's clear spoken Word set your teeth on edge?
Does it say things you don't want to hear?
Do you call into question the Lord's clear command
On things that you would like to hold to
That don't quite match up with what He has to say
Or with what He clearly would have you to do?
Would you rather follow the liberal crowd,
Those who say that the Bible's a myth,
Or that some of it's true but some of it's not? —
Let me tell you it's not worth the risk.
Let me ask you, my friend, what parts you'd leave out
And on what basis you would decide?
What of God's warning not to add or delete? —
Or perhaps you think that doesn't apply.
Either it's all God's Word or it's nothing at all —
There's no middle ground, understand!
If your faith isn't grounded upon God's Solid Rock,
It's shifting about on the sand.
Your faith has no basis; it's devoid of foundation
If God's Word you refuse to obey;
Your soul's in grave danger! Wake up to the fact
That the Devil has led you astray.
Stop grieving the Spirit; get back to the Bible
And believe what it says, every word!
What God says to do, do your utmost to do it;
Make Jesus Christ truly your Lord!
Be no longer deceived by the master deceiver
Into thinking that you're safe as you are,
For if you've been denying the Word as it's written,
You've been straying just a little too far.
a. franklin staples
February 20, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
My supposed Christian friend, let me ask you some questions,
Just to make myself perfectly clear:
Does God's clear spoken Word set your teeth on edge?
Does it say things you don't want to hear?
Do you call into question the Lord's clear command
On things that you would like to hold to
That don't quite match up with what He has to say
Or with what He clearly would have you to do?
Would you rather follow the liberal crowd,
Those who say that the Bible's a myth,
Or that some of it's true but some of it's not? —
Let me tell you it's not worth the risk.
Let me ask you, my friend, what parts you'd leave out
And on what basis you would decide?
What of God's warning not to add or delete? —
Or perhaps you think that doesn't apply.
Either it's all God's Word or it's nothing at all —
There's no middle ground, understand!
If your faith isn't grounded upon God's Solid Rock,
It's shifting about on the sand.
Your faith has no basis; it's devoid of foundation
If God's Word you refuse to obey;
Your soul's in grave danger! Wake up to the fact
That the Devil has led you astray.
Stop grieving the Spirit; get back to the Bible
And believe what it says, every word!
What God says to do, do your utmost to do it;
Make Jesus Christ truly your Lord!
Be no longer deceived by the master deceiver
Into thinking that you're safe as you are,
For if you've been denying the Word as it's written,
You've been straying just a little too far.
a. franklin staples
February 20, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
IT PUZZLES ME
It puzzles me that some would choose
God's offer of salvation to refuse;
To turn and walk the other way,
To await some distant "better day" —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some can't see
That Jesus Christ can set them free
From the fetters of sin by which they're bound:
Lost souls refusing to be found —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some are blind
With a blindness set deep in the mind;
Blind to the sin that binds them fast,
Defying God right to the last —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some men's hearts,
Shot through and through with Satan's darts,
Become so hard they will not break:
Of God's saving grace they'll not partake —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some who've heard
Still don't believe God's Holy Word;
And why some believe, or so they say,
But continue still to disobey —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some thought wise
Walk the worldly way of compromise;
Denying the stedfast Word of God,
The road to hell they blindly trod —
It puzzles me.
Yes, it puzzles me, amazes even,
That men deny the God of Heaven,
Refuse the offer of His grace,
Put earthly idols in His place —
It puzzles me!
a. franklin staples
January 23, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
It puzzles me that some would choose
God's offer of salvation to refuse;
To turn and walk the other way,
To await some distant "better day" —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some can't see
That Jesus Christ can set them free
From the fetters of sin by which they're bound:
Lost souls refusing to be found —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some are blind
With a blindness set deep in the mind;
Blind to the sin that binds them fast,
Defying God right to the last —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some men's hearts,
Shot through and through with Satan's darts,
Become so hard they will not break:
Of God's saving grace they'll not partake —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some who've heard
Still don't believe God's Holy Word;
And why some believe, or so they say,
But continue still to disobey —
It puzzles me.
It puzzles me that some thought wise
Walk the worldly way of compromise;
Denying the stedfast Word of God,
The road to hell they blindly trod —
It puzzles me.
Yes, it puzzles me, amazes even,
That men deny the God of Heaven,
Refuse the offer of His grace,
Put earthly idols in His place —
It puzzles me!
a. franklin staples
January 23, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Sunday, February 12, 2017
MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD...
The pen is mightier than the sword, my friend,
And that statement is not new;
'Tis borrowed from the pen of one
Who found the premise true.
The written and the spoken word
Have done far more for man
Than fighting and killing with sword or gun
And such like ever can.
No writing is more powerful
Than that that's from the Lord,
That Holy Book, God's Living Word,
That is the Spirit's Sword.
A man so armed, friend, cannot fail,
No matter what the strife,
For inscribed upon its blessed pages
Are the precious words of Life,
Words God-breathed and written down
By men filled with His Spirit,
That men might read and understand,
Know God's will and fear it.
Yea, the pen is mightier than the sword,
For the sword brings naught but death,
But from the pen of inspired men
Comes life's Word breathed by God's breath.
a. franklin staples
January 18, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
The pen is mightier than the sword, my friend,
And that statement is not new;
'Tis borrowed from the pen of one
Who found the premise true.
The written and the spoken word
Have done far more for man
Than fighting and killing with sword or gun
And such like ever can.
No writing is more powerful
Than that that's from the Lord,
That Holy Book, God's Living Word,
That is the Spirit's Sword.
A man so armed, friend, cannot fail,
No matter what the strife,
For inscribed upon its blessed pages
Are the precious words of Life,
Words God-breathed and written down
By men filled with His Spirit,
That men might read and understand,
Know God's will and fear it.
Yea, the pen is mightier than the sword,
For the sword brings naught but death,
But from the pen of inspired men
Comes life's Word breathed by God's breath.
a. franklin staples
January 18, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
MAKE UP THE HEDGE; STAND IN THE GAP!
Resolve to stand your ground
If you're doing what is right;
Stand fast upon the Word of God,
And you'll surely win the fight.
Yield no quarter to Satan's crew,
For 'tis with him you surely strive;
Make up the hedge; stand in the gap;
God's one true Church revive!
Those who don't obey the Word
Rebel against the Lord!
Pray for their souls, that they might repent
And sheath the rebel's sword.
The faith that was once delivered
Has not been changed one whit;
Not one word of God's Holy Book's
Been modified — nay, not a bit!
So stand your ground, my brother,
For 'tis solid, firm and sure;
If God's Word is where you're standing,
Take heart! Stand firm! Endure!
a. franklin staples
January 18, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Resolve to stand your ground
If you're doing what is right;
Stand fast upon the Word of God,
And you'll surely win the fight.
Yield no quarter to Satan's crew,
For 'tis with him you surely strive;
Make up the hedge; stand in the gap;
God's one true Church revive!
Those who don't obey the Word
Rebel against the Lord!
Pray for their souls, that they might repent
And sheath the rebel's sword.
The faith that was once delivered
Has not been changed one whit;
Not one word of God's Holy Book's
Been modified — nay, not a bit!
So stand your ground, my brother,
For 'tis solid, firm and sure;
If God's Word is where you're standing,
Take heart! Stand firm! Endure!
a. franklin staples
January 18, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Saturday, February 11, 2017
I’D RATHER HAVE JESUS
I would rather be a peacemaker than a troublemaker,
Correct a fault than find one, improve than disapprove;
I would rather help a neighbour than try to tear him down,
Give of myself and mine than take of his; — That's called Christian love.
Correct a fault than find one, improve than disapprove;
I would rather help a neighbour than try to tear him down,
Give of myself and mine than take of his; — That's called Christian love.
I would rather try to make things better than make them worse,
Refrain from speaking at all than speak to wound;
I would rather turn the other cheek than lose a friend,
Gain a brother or a sister than the other way around.
Refrain from speaking at all than speak to wound;
I would rather turn the other cheek than lose a friend,
Gain a brother or a sister than the other way around.
I would rather praise the Lord than fret and worry,
Trust in Him completely than put my trust in money or in men;
I would rather tell the Good News than make headlines in the world's news,
Make the best of my present situation than brood about what it might have been.
Trust in Him completely than put my trust in money or in men;
I would rather tell the Good News than make headlines in the world's news,
Make the best of my present situation than brood about what it might have been.
But the things I'd rather do, I confess I do not always,
For I'm not perfect yet but growing still;
My "old man" still rears his head, my will takes over
When I should be acting in my Heavenly Father's will.
For I'm not perfect yet but growing still;
My "old man" still rears his head, my will takes over
When I should be acting in my Heavenly Father's will.
Most of all, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can offer,
For without Him, nothing else is worth a plugged nickel!
For without Him, nothing else is worth a plugged nickel!
a. franklin staples
January 16, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Friday, February 10, 2017
FACE-TO-FACE WITH ME
Many times in my journey, at some turn in life's road,
I've come right face-to-face with me,
And I have to admit that I find it disturbing,
That I really don't like what I see.
For I see a man who is prone to mistakes,
A sinner who is still prone to sin,
Who, but for the blood of Jesus my Saviour,
Has no hope of salvation to win.
'Tis then I thank God for His marvellous grace,
That Jesus Christ died for my sin,
That my sin is covered by His precious shed blood,
That I'm declared righteous through Him.
For righteous I'm not in my own fleshly state;
Filthy rags is the best I can do.
But God sent His own Son to die in my place,
And by His righteousness I'll make it through.
a. franklin staples
October 4, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
Many times in my journey, at some turn in life's road,
I've come right face-to-face with me,
And I have to admit that I find it disturbing,
That I really don't like what I see.
For I see a man who is prone to mistakes,
A sinner who is still prone to sin,
Who, but for the blood of Jesus my Saviour,
Has no hope of salvation to win.
'Tis then I thank God for His marvellous grace,
That Jesus Christ died for my sin,
That my sin is covered by His precious shed blood,
That I'm declared righteous through Him.
For righteous I'm not in my own fleshly state;
Filthy rags is the best I can do.
But God sent His own Son to die in my place,
And by His righteousness I'll make it through.
a. franklin staples
October 4, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
Thursday, February 9, 2017
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
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
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
GOD HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL
The basic theme of this poem is certainly not new or unique, nor are the words "original". This theme is substantially supported by the Scriptures.
Be ye not anxious of what may happen tomorrow;
God has everything under control.
Whether it brings happiness or trouble and sorrow,
God has everything under control.
Though the view may be terrifying from your private perspective,
God has everything under control,
Trust Him in everything; keep calm and cool and collected;
God has everything under control.
Seek daily His counsel in matters that alarm you;
God has everything under control;
Fear Him and reverence Him: He's the One you can turn to —
God has everything under control.
He alone knows the future that no man can foresee;
God has everything under control;
He knows all that has been and what's still yet to be;
God has everything under control.
Yes, we've no cause to be anxious of what may happen tomorrow
For God has everything under control.
Let us live for Him today, tomorrow's trouble not borrow;
God has everything under control!
a. franklin staples
October 26, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
The basic theme of this poem is certainly not new or unique, nor are the words "original". This theme is substantially supported by the Scriptures.
Be ye not anxious of what may happen tomorrow;
God has everything under control.
Whether it brings happiness or trouble and sorrow,
God has everything under control.
Though the view may be terrifying from your private perspective,
God has everything under control,
Trust Him in everything; keep calm and cool and collected;
God has everything under control.
Seek daily His counsel in matters that alarm you;
God has everything under control;
Fear Him and reverence Him: He's the One you can turn to —
God has everything under control.
He alone knows the future that no man can foresee;
God has everything under control;
He knows all that has been and what's still yet to be;
God has everything under control.
Yes, we've no cause to be anxious of what may happen tomorrow
For God has everything under control.
Let us live for Him today, tomorrow's trouble not borrow;
God has everything under control!
a. franklin staples
October 26, 1995
Copyright © 1995 by A. Franklin Staples
Sunday, February 5, 2017
SOCIETY THINKS IT’S CLIMBING
Society thinks it's climbing
When it's really on a slide;
Its perspective is distorted, friend,
Its logic misapplied,
For instead of getting better,
The world is getting worse,
And what is viewed as progress
Is really the reverse.
Governments are in trouble;
There's no peace anywhere;
And it's hard to find a person
Who will take the time to care.
The rich are getting richer,
As it has always been,
And the poor man is forgotten,
His awful plight unseen.
The criminal's rights are uppermost
In the decisions of the courts,
While children terrorize the streets
And kill without remorse.
Computers take the jobs away
From those who want to work,
And the Information Highway
Will drive us all berserk.
Students rule the classrooms;
There's no discipline in schools,
And teachers, once respected,
Are made to look like fools.
Parents are not parents,
They just let their children run
And do whatever they want to do,
Except, perhaps, for some
Who realize the danger
Of an undisciplined child,
But parents, for the most part,
Just let their kids run wild,
And wonder how it happens
That the child turns out so bad,
Still looking for the discipline
That, from birth, it never had.
Women marry women,
And men with men the same,
And the world looks on approvingly,
Without a sense of shame
At such perverted lifestyles,
Such filth and degradation,
Ignoring the fact that Almighty God
Calls such things abomination.
It seems there's no commitment
To a marriage that's for life.
Women go from husband to husband,
And men from wife to wife
Or else each one has a "lover",
Is involved in an "affair"
That, instead of bringing happiness,
Brings sorrow and despair.
There's no regard for morals; -
They've all "gone by the board";
Nothing's private any more,
No evil thing's deplored,
Yet society thinks it's climbing,
When it's really on a slide;
Its perspective is distorted friend,
Its logic misapplied,
For what it thinks is progress
Is really its reverse,
For instead of getting better, friend,
This world is getting worse!
May 22, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by a. franklin staples
Society thinks it's climbing
When it's really on a slide;
Its perspective is distorted, friend,
Its logic misapplied,
For instead of getting better,
The world is getting worse,
And what is viewed as progress
Is really the reverse.
Governments are in trouble;
There's no peace anywhere;
And it's hard to find a person
Who will take the time to care.
The rich are getting richer,
As it has always been,
And the poor man is forgotten,
His awful plight unseen.
The criminal's rights are uppermost
In the decisions of the courts,
While children terrorize the streets
And kill without remorse.
Computers take the jobs away
From those who want to work,
And the Information Highway
Will drive us all berserk.
Students rule the classrooms;
There's no discipline in schools,
And teachers, once respected,
Are made to look like fools.
Parents are not parents,
They just let their children run
And do whatever they want to do,
Except, perhaps, for some
Who realize the danger
Of an undisciplined child,
But parents, for the most part,
Just let their kids run wild,
And wonder how it happens
That the child turns out so bad,
Still looking for the discipline
That, from birth, it never had.
Women marry women,
And men with men the same,
And the world looks on approvingly,
Without a sense of shame
At such perverted lifestyles,
Such filth and degradation,
Ignoring the fact that Almighty God
Calls such things abomination.
It seems there's no commitment
To a marriage that's for life.
Women go from husband to husband,
And men from wife to wife
Or else each one has a "lover",
Is involved in an "affair"
That, instead of bringing happiness,
Brings sorrow and despair.
There's no regard for morals; -
They've all "gone by the board";
Nothing's private any more,
No evil thing's deplored,
Yet society thinks it's climbing,
When it's really on a slide;
Its perspective is distorted friend,
Its logic misapplied,
For what it thinks is progress
Is really its reverse,
For instead of getting better, friend,
This world is getting worse!
May 22, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by a. franklin staples
Saturday, February 4, 2017
THE CHURCH
The church is not a building,
Not a structure made with hands,
And to say we "go to church" is wrong,
I would have you understand.
The Church of God assembled
Is what we really mean
When God's people come together
To worship Christ the King.
The Church of God is people
In whom the Spirit dwells,
The saved of all the ages
Of whom the Bible tells;
The saints, as Paul describes them,
Who've been washed in Jesus' blood,
Who've washed their robes and made them white,
Whose sins are gone for good.
a. franklin staples
May 1, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples
The church is not a building,
Not a structure made with hands,
And to say we "go to church" is wrong,
I would have you understand.
The Church of God assembled
Is what we really mean
When God's people come together
To worship Christ the King.
The Church of God is people
In whom the Spirit dwells,
The saved of all the ages
Of whom the Bible tells;
The saints, as Paul describes them,
Who've been washed in Jesus' blood,
Who've washed their robes and made them white,
Whose sins are gone for good.
a. franklin staples
May 1, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples
YOU’RE NOT AN ISLAND!
"No man is an island." —
That's been said before,
But it bears repeating
Just this once more.
There's no person on earth
Who can live to himself,
Who can keep his whole life
On some private shelf,
Who can shut out the world,
Have no contact with man;
Though some may well try,
There's no one who can.
We each have an influence
On the other in some way
By the things that we do,
Or don't do, or say,
And we who are Christian
Must take care of each other;
Put not a stumbling block
In front of thy brother.
If God says it's wrong,
Then don't do it, friend; —
Carefully consider
The message you send.
Just remember, my brother,
'Ere your days pass you by,
That you're not an island,
Nor, friend, am I.
a. franklin staples
April 24, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples
"No man is an island." —
That's been said before,
But it bears repeating
Just this once more.
There's no person on earth
Who can live to himself,
Who can keep his whole life
On some private shelf,
Who can shut out the world,
Have no contact with man;
Though some may well try,
There's no one who can.
We each have an influence
On the other in some way
By the things that we do,
Or don't do, or say,
And we who are Christian
Must take care of each other;
Put not a stumbling block
In front of thy brother.
If God says it's wrong,
Then don't do it, friend; —
Carefully consider
The message you send.
Just remember, my brother,
'Ere your days pass you by,
That you're not an island,
Nor, friend, am I.
a. franklin staples
April 24, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by Allison F. Staples
IN MATTERS OF OPINION
In matters of opinion we may differ,
But where the Word speaks, we must obey.
There can be no "maybe", no waffling, no quibbling!
The question is, "What does God say?"
What God says is wrong we acknowledge
To be evil that is to be shunned;
What He says is right we agree with
And strive hard to see that 'tis done.
We don't argue with what the Word tells us,
For all power and authority are His;
We're nothing more than His servants.
His Word tells it just like it is.
So, my friend, you may have your opinion
In matters that are of no consequence
To the things that the Lord has commanded.
Why, they may even make good, common sense.
But where the Lord speaks on a subject
And has made His will perfectly clear,
There is no room left for an opinion.
To His Word you'd better adhere.
a. franklin staples
April 17, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
In matters of opinion we may differ,
But where the Word speaks, we must obey.
There can be no "maybe", no waffling, no quibbling!
The question is, "What does God say?"
What God says is wrong we acknowledge
To be evil that is to be shunned;
What He says is right we agree with
And strive hard to see that 'tis done.
We don't argue with what the Word tells us,
For all power and authority are His;
We're nothing more than His servants.
His Word tells it just like it is.
So, my friend, you may have your opinion
In matters that are of no consequence
To the things that the Lord has commanded.
Why, they may even make good, common sense.
But where the Lord speaks on a subject
And has made His will perfectly clear,
There is no room left for an opinion.
To His Word you'd better adhere.
a. franklin staples
April 17, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
Friday, February 3, 2017
Declaration
I, Allison Franklin Staples, truly deserve the wrath of God, and, under the laws of perfect justice I should spend eternity in the lake of fire. Thanks be to God that He has written, “Pardoned in Full by the blood of Jesus Christ” across my sentence. Amen.
My Personal Statement of Faith
I am a Christian, a small “d” disciple of Jesus Christ. I was once an alien and an outcast, a sinful, imperfect man, not in the likeness of God, but in the likeness of Adam and condemned to hell by the perfect Law of the Holy and Righteous God. Now I am a “sinner saved by grace,” washed in the blood of the precious Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, indwelt by the Holy Ghost, being transformed once again into the likeness of God by the “new birth”, and a presently-earthbound citizen of Heaven.
1. I believe the Bible to be the inspired , infallible, inerrant Word of God, and I further believe it to be preserved faithfully and inspirationally in one, and only one, exact translation into the English language, namely that translation of the Sacred Scriptures into the English language made at the behest of James I, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, in the year of our Lord, AD. 1611, and known today as the Authorized or King James Version.
2. I believe that if I hold an opinion that differs from the clear teaching of the Bible it is I, and not the Book, who am wrong, and that my understanding of the passage is therefore flawed or incomplete.
3. I believe in the one true and Living God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, both seen and unseen, existent in three distinct Persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
4. I believe that the Jesus of the Bible is God manifested in human flesh; that He was conceived of the Holy Ghost; that He was born of a Virgin; that He lived a perfect sinless life as a man; that He was crucified, thus becoming a transgressor of the Law that He might bear in His body the sins of all mankind; that His death paid the full penalty for my sins and those of all who will place their trust in Him; that He was buried in a sealed tomb and that He rose bodily from the grave three days later; that He ascended bodily into Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our Intercessor and great High Priest; and that He is coming again as King of Kings and Lord of lords.
5. I believe that the Jesus called the Christ of the New Testament is the great “I AM” of the Old Testament, as evidenced by the facts (1) that Moses talked with Him “face to “, yet He Himself declares that no man (that includes Moses) has seen God (i.e. God the Father) at any time (John 1:18); (2) that John describes Him as the “Word” (Greek, Logos, the Spokesman) by whom all things were created (John 1:1-3); and (3) that by His own testimony He is the “I AM” (Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM ) (John 8:58 KJV) That is to say that whenever God (i.e. Yahweh or Jehovah) speaks directly in the Old Testament, the One whom we know as Jesus Christ is the Spokesman.
6. I believe that there is coming a period of trouble and distress on this earth which the Bible refers to as the time of great tribulation, at the end of which Jesus Christ will return to this earth in power and great glory to set up a literal kingdom which shall last for a thousand years, and I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ will be taken out of the world (raptured) before the Great Tribulation.
7. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ, as described in the Holy Scriptures, is, and always has been, a unified Church under the Headship and Lordship of that same Jesus Christ and I am therefore categorically and unequivocally anti-ecumenical. (To say that the True Church lacks unity is to claim that God did not answer the prayer of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, made in His great high-priestly prayer as recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 17, verses 11 and 22.)
8. Strange as it may seem, I am not necessarily against denominationalism. We do not always agree on non-essentials. I can worship with any group of true believers in Jesus Christ who agree on the essentials: salvation by grace, baptism by immersion, the observance of the Lord’s Supper, the Headship of Jesus Christ as regards the Church, and the Lordship of that same Jesus in the life of the individual Christian.
Now that narrows it down quite a bit, doesn’t it? But remember that Jesus said, “...straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14, emphasis mine)
To quote an unknown author. “If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Even that statement is somewhat flawed, because it really matters not whether I believe it. The true fact of the matter is, “If God said it, that settles it.”
To put it in my own words, if God is for it, I am for it; if God is against it, then so am I.
Allison F. Staples
1991
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
GOD KNOWS MY EVERY STEP
(As I walked out of the school building this morning, January 31, 1989, onto an icy step, I thought, “God knows my every step.”)
God knows my every step, each thought, each word, each deed.
He knows the way that I will go; He knows my every need.
God knows what I have been; He knows what way I’ll take.
He knows the choices I have made; He’s aware of each mistake.
God knows what I don’t know; He knows what I can’t do.
He knows all my capabilities; He knows me through and through.
God knows the state of all my cells; He knows my every breath.
He knows my life in every part; He knows my birth and death.
God knows each illness that I have; He knows each pain and ache.
He knows my thresholds and my limits; He knows what I can take.
God knows when I am tired; He knows when I’m wearing thin.
He knows where I am going; He knows where I have been.
God knows all there is to know about this life of mine.
He knows where I’ll spend eternity, beyond this span of time.
God knows when I repent of sin; He knows where I abide.
He knows what I can never know; I need Him at my side.
God knows when I am weary; He knows when I do wrong.
He knows the weakness in MY strength, for He alone is strong.
He knows when I am happy; He knows when I am sad.
He knows that only when I’m part of Him can I be truly glad.
He knows when I am moody; He knows when I’m alert.
He knows when I am tempted; He knows when I’ve been hurt.
God knows, for He has been there; He knows what all have done.
He knows, for He’s been human, too, in the Person of His Son.
God knows and loves me as I am; He knows Christ has my heart.
He knows that I’m not perfect; He knows I’ve made a start.
God knows for He’s eternal; with Him there IS NO TIME.
He knows, and sees, and answers prayer through His power divine.
God knows, with perfect knowledge that’s beyond my feeble mind.
He knows all things PERFECTLY; He is HOLY, PURE, SUBLIME!
God knows! That’s sure and certain. He is in full control.
He knows, and I must trust Him to make me fully whole.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1989 by Allison F. Staples
(As I walked out of the school building this morning, January 31, 1989, onto an icy step, I thought, “God knows my every step.”)
God knows my every step, each thought, each word, each deed.
He knows the way that I will go; He knows my every need.
God knows what I have been; He knows what way I’ll take.
He knows the choices I have made; He’s aware of each mistake.
God knows what I don’t know; He knows what I can’t do.
He knows all my capabilities; He knows me through and through.
God knows the state of all my cells; He knows my every breath.
He knows my life in every part; He knows my birth and death.
God knows each illness that I have; He knows each pain and ache.
He knows my thresholds and my limits; He knows what I can take.
God knows when I am tired; He knows when I’m wearing thin.
He knows where I am going; He knows where I have been.
God knows all there is to know about this life of mine.
He knows where I’ll spend eternity, beyond this span of time.
God knows when I repent of sin; He knows where I abide.
He knows what I can never know; I need Him at my side.
God knows when I am weary; He knows when I do wrong.
He knows the weakness in MY strength, for He alone is strong.
He knows when I am happy; He knows when I am sad.
He knows that only when I’m part of Him can I be truly glad.
He knows when I am moody; He knows when I’m alert.
He knows when I am tempted; He knows when I’ve been hurt.
God knows, for He has been there; He knows what all have done.
He knows, for He’s been human, too, in the Person of His Son.
God knows and loves me as I am; He knows Christ has my heart.
He knows that I’m not perfect; He knows I’ve made a start.
God knows for He’s eternal; with Him there IS NO TIME.
He knows, and sees, and answers prayer through His power divine.
God knows, with perfect knowledge that’s beyond my feeble mind.
He knows all things PERFECTLY; He is HOLY, PURE, SUBLIME!
God knows! That’s sure and certain. He is in full control.
He knows, and I must trust Him to make me fully whole.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1989 by Allison F. Staples
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