God’s House is not a coffee shop;
'Tis to be a place of prayer.
'Tis not a place where we come to eat
But the Bread of Life to share.
'Tis not a place to spend our time
With a well-filled coffee cup,
But to drink Life's Water from the heavenly spring
And at God's Table sup.
God's House is not a coffee shop
Where silly women prattle
But where the saints of God are trained
And then sent forth to battle.
So if it's coffee that you crave
And mortal food to eat,
Have it at home before you come
To the house where God's saints meet,
For God's House is not a coffee shop,
In case you have not heard,
But a place where the saints of God are fed
The pure meat of God's Word.
September 28, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by A. Franklin Staples
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Great Lake of Fire
The Great Lake of Fire
There’s a fiery lake that’s prepared for the devil
And those angels who’ve followed him,
A fire that’s unquenchable, burning forever,
And it’s waiting for you, my friend,
If you’ve turned your back on the Lord of Creation,
Who died for your sins on the cross.
If you’re living in sin, and you die without Him,
You’ll be cast away with the dross.
As the flames roar higher in the great lake of fire,
And there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth,
Will you be forever in the great lake of fire
Or in Heaven with those who believe?
Don’t fall for the lies of those who subscribe
To the notion that hell doesn’t exist,
For it’s being prepared, you must needs be aware,
And when Christ returns for those who are His,
Time as we know it will come to an end
And before the White throne you will stand
To hear the stern judgment of King Jesus Himself
Upon those who’ve ignored His command.
Should you be among them, a part of that throng
Who’ll be there when they open the Book,
The Lamb’s Book of Life on whose pages are written
The names of the saints, take a look!
You’ll find that your name has been blotted out,
Completely erased, can’t be found,
You’ve been weighed in God’s balances
And found dreadfully wanting,
And you won’t be alone! Look around
And you’ll see weeping, hear wailing and gnashing of teeth
As the lost of the ages stand there
Before Him who died that they might have life,
Whose glory they never shall share,
For they shall be cast, as will you, my dear friend,
If my Saviour and Lord you deny,
Into that great lake of fire that shall never be quenched,
Where the soul forever shall die.
-a. franklin staples
September 18, 1998
© 1998 by A. Franklin Staples
There’s a fiery lake that’s prepared for the devil
And those angels who’ve followed him,
A fire that’s unquenchable, burning forever,
And it’s waiting for you, my friend,
If you’ve turned your back on the Lord of Creation,
Who died for your sins on the cross.
If you’re living in sin, and you die without Him,
You’ll be cast away with the dross.
As the flames roar higher in the great lake of fire,
And there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth,
Will you be forever in the great lake of fire
Or in Heaven with those who believe?
Don’t fall for the lies of those who subscribe
To the notion that hell doesn’t exist,
For it’s being prepared, you must needs be aware,
And when Christ returns for those who are His,
Time as we know it will come to an end
And before the White throne you will stand
To hear the stern judgment of King Jesus Himself
Upon those who’ve ignored His command.
Should you be among them, a part of that throng
Who’ll be there when they open the Book,
The Lamb’s Book of Life on whose pages are written
The names of the saints, take a look!
You’ll find that your name has been blotted out,
Completely erased, can’t be found,
You’ve been weighed in God’s balances
And found dreadfully wanting,
And you won’t be alone! Look around
And you’ll see weeping, hear wailing and gnashing of teeth
As the lost of the ages stand there
Before Him who died that they might have life,
Whose glory they never shall share,
For they shall be cast, as will you, my dear friend,
If my Saviour and Lord you deny,
Into that great lake of fire that shall never be quenched,
Where the soul forever shall die.
-a. franklin staples
September 18, 1998
© 1998 by A. Franklin Staples
What Is Truth
“What is truth?” old Pilate asked,
And men still ask today. —
If you were asked the question, friend,
Just what would you have to say?
Could you give an answer, friend,
That’s based on cold, hard fact,
In a day when “truth” seems relative
To the way men want to act?
Do you know the Truth, my friend,
In Whom all fulness dwells,
Or have you fallen for Satan’s lies
And doomed yourself to hell?
For Truth is found in Jesus Christ,
And nowhere else at all;
In point of fact, He is The Truth
In all things, great and small.
By Him in truth were all things made
That we see or cannot see,
From sun and moon and stars and atoms
And, yes, friend, you and me.
December 12, 1998
And men still ask today. —
If you were asked the question, friend,
Just what would you have to say?
Could you give an answer, friend,
That’s based on cold, hard fact,
In a day when “truth” seems relative
To the way men want to act?
Do you know the Truth, my friend,
In Whom all fulness dwells,
Or have you fallen for Satan’s lies
And doomed yourself to hell?
For Truth is found in Jesus Christ,
And nowhere else at all;
In point of fact, He is The Truth
In all things, great and small.
By Him in truth were all things made
That we see or cannot see,
From sun and moon and stars and atoms
And, yes, friend, you and me.
December 12, 1998
Saturday, February 12, 2011
I AM THE RESURRECTION
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25, 26)
I AM THE RESURRECTION
“I AM the Resurrection.” These are the words Jesus said,
“I AM the Resurrection.” And called Lazarus forth from the dead.
“I AM the Resurrection. “ Through the torture, the pain and the strife,
“I AM the Resurrection,” And the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Bread of Life and the Door.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Saviour of the rich and the poor.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Water of Life freely give.
“I AM the Resurrection,” Once I was dead, now I live!
“I AM the Resurrection.” These were the words JESUS spake—
“I AM the Resurrection.” He who died on the cross for my sake.
“I AM the Resurrection.” He was slain for my sins and yours.
“I AM the Resurrection.” Behold, He’s ALIVE EVER MORE!
April 12, 1987 a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1987 by a. franklin staples
I AM THE RESURRECTION
“I AM the Resurrection.” These are the words Jesus said,
“I AM the Resurrection.” And called Lazarus forth from the dead.
“I AM the Resurrection. “ Through the torture, the pain and the strife,
“I AM the Resurrection,” And the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Bread of Life and the Door.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Saviour of the rich and the poor.
“I AM the Resurrection,” The Water of Life freely give.
“I AM the Resurrection,” Once I was dead, now I live!
“I AM the Resurrection.” These were the words JESUS spake—
“I AM the Resurrection.” He who died on the cross for my sake.
“I AM the Resurrection.” He was slain for my sins and yours.
“I AM the Resurrection.” Behold, He’s ALIVE EVER MORE!
April 12, 1987 a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1987 by a. franklin staples
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Rock of My Salvation
Mangers— To those of us who live in North America, they are hay boxes made of wood, and so they are depicted in Christmas manger scenes throughout the Western World. But mangers in Judea in the time of Jesus earthly sojourn were hewn from solid stone, either free-standing or hewn out of the wall of the cave being used as a stable.
Have you who have read God’s Word considered the number of times rocks and stones are associated with our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the Old and the New Testaments?
Both Moses and David refer to Him as the “Rock of Salvation,” David specifying the “Rock of my salvation;” Isaiah calls Him a “great Rock in a weary land;” Isaiah, Paul and Peter all refer to Him as a “Rock of offence;” Paul says He was a stone of stumbling; Jesus Himself said that upon Himself, “This Rock,” He would build His Church; Matthew said of Him, “The stone that the builders rejected, the same became the head of the corner;” Daniel saw Him as the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” which dashed the image of Nebuchadnezzar to pieces, and so on.
I awoke this morning, December 5, 1987, with these images passing through my mind and then came the words to this poem:
The “Rock of My Salvation”
The “Rock of my salvation” was laid in a manger of stone
When He came as a babe in Bethlehem To make this earth His home.
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of God,” Said Peter, a little stone,
Of the “Rock of my salvation,” Jesus the Cornerstone.
The “Rock of my salvation” Was laid in a tomb of stone
When He died on the cross of Calvary For my sin to atone.
The “Rock of my salvation” Came forth from that tomb of stone,
Forever and ever conquering death, Jesus, and Him alone.
Said the “Rock of my salvation” As He stood on Mount Olive’s stone,
“Go, preach, baptize, and teach,” Then into heaven was gone.
But the “stone cut out of the mountain” All nations will claim as His own,
When the “Rock of my salvation” Shall return to sit on His Throne.
— a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1987 by a. franklin staples
Have you who have read God’s Word considered the number of times rocks and stones are associated with our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the Old and the New Testaments?
Both Moses and David refer to Him as the “Rock of Salvation,” David specifying the “Rock of my salvation;” Isaiah calls Him a “great Rock in a weary land;” Isaiah, Paul and Peter all refer to Him as a “Rock of offence;” Paul says He was a stone of stumbling; Jesus Himself said that upon Himself, “This Rock,” He would build His Church; Matthew said of Him, “The stone that the builders rejected, the same became the head of the corner;” Daniel saw Him as the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” which dashed the image of Nebuchadnezzar to pieces, and so on.
I awoke this morning, December 5, 1987, with these images passing through my mind and then came the words to this poem:
The “Rock of My Salvation”
The “Rock of my salvation” was laid in a manger of stone
When He came as a babe in Bethlehem To make this earth His home.
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of God,” Said Peter, a little stone,
Of the “Rock of my salvation,” Jesus the Cornerstone.
The “Rock of my salvation” Was laid in a tomb of stone
When He died on the cross of Calvary For my sin to atone.
The “Rock of my salvation” Came forth from that tomb of stone,
Forever and ever conquering death, Jesus, and Him alone.
Said the “Rock of my salvation” As He stood on Mount Olive’s stone,
“Go, preach, baptize, and teach,” Then into heaven was gone.
But the “stone cut out of the mountain” All nations will claim as His own,
When the “Rock of my salvation” Shall return to sit on His Throne.
— a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1987 by a. franklin staples
Fathers
Fathers
Let’s thank the Lord for fathers on this their special day;
We make so much of mothers that fathers fade away.
In far too many cases, the majority, it seems,
The lot of many fathers is to be behind the scenes.
Our society’s great disaster is that fathers, to their grief,
Have given up, forsaken, their place as head and priest.
Instead of being honoured as head of house and home,
O so many fathers let mothers stand alone.
The home has suffered greatly; the world’s in disarray;
Divorce is running rampant and children run away,
Or else, in many cases, they’re physically abused
By mothers and by fathers who don’t care how they are used.
So stand up, Christian father, and take your priestly place
As head of home and household; yea, stand there by God’s grace.
Be not among the weaklings; stand straight and tall and sure
On the Holy Word of Almighty God that ever shall endure.
Give love and honour to your wife, as Christ has loved His own,
And work with her, side by side, to make a loving home
Where children are welcomed, cherished, with love that’s sweet and pure,
Disciplined, trained up in the Lord, and made to feel secure.
We give honour to our mothers and to our fathers, too,
For God, in His commandments, so said that we should do.
Let us not forget the fathers when honour is being given,
For a Christian father is a blessing from the Father who’s in heaven.
— a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1993 by a. franklin staples
Let’s thank the Lord for fathers on this their special day;
We make so much of mothers that fathers fade away.
In far too many cases, the majority, it seems,
The lot of many fathers is to be behind the scenes.
Our society’s great disaster is that fathers, to their grief,
Have given up, forsaken, their place as head and priest.
Instead of being honoured as head of house and home,
O so many fathers let mothers stand alone.
The home has suffered greatly; the world’s in disarray;
Divorce is running rampant and children run away,
Or else, in many cases, they’re physically abused
By mothers and by fathers who don’t care how they are used.
So stand up, Christian father, and take your priestly place
As head of home and household; yea, stand there by God’s grace.
Be not among the weaklings; stand straight and tall and sure
On the Holy Word of Almighty God that ever shall endure.
Give love and honour to your wife, as Christ has loved His own,
And work with her, side by side, to make a loving home
Where children are welcomed, cherished, with love that’s sweet and pure,
Disciplined, trained up in the Lord, and made to feel secure.
We give honour to our mothers and to our fathers, too,
For God, in His commandments, so said that we should do.
Let us not forget the fathers when honour is being given,
For a Christian father is a blessing from the Father who’s in heaven.
— a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1993 by a. franklin staples
Friday, February 4, 2011
A Forgiving Spirit
A Forgiving Spirit
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This is the great example of forgiveness that I, if I am to be Christ-like, must follow.
No matter what men may say about me or to me or would attempt to do to me, none of it can upset me or divert me from God’s Way if I have a forgiving spirit! Of what value is it, or what satisfaction can my critic or adversary derive from it, if I have already forgiven him for it?
And not only that, but it brings to me peace of mind that would be impossible to obtain by any means if I allowed it to be unforgiven, but rather went around bearing a grudge or a hurt feeling day after day.
Yes, I am only human, but I cannot allow myself to use that as an excuse to commit the sin of being unforgiving. I am human, but I am being remade to conform to the image and likeness of the Creator God, covered by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and sustained daily by the power of the Holy Ghost. Like everyone else, I must take life as He gives it — ONE DAY AT A TIME — and casting all of my burdens and cares on Him, strive daily to do His will.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1985 by A. Franklin Staples
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This is the great example of forgiveness that I, if I am to be Christ-like, must follow.
No matter what men may say about me or to me or would attempt to do to me, none of it can upset me or divert me from God’s Way if I have a forgiving spirit! Of what value is it, or what satisfaction can my critic or adversary derive from it, if I have already forgiven him for it?
And not only that, but it brings to me peace of mind that would be impossible to obtain by any means if I allowed it to be unforgiven, but rather went around bearing a grudge or a hurt feeling day after day.
Yes, I am only human, but I cannot allow myself to use that as an excuse to commit the sin of being unforgiving. I am human, but I am being remade to conform to the image and likeness of the Creator God, covered by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and sustained daily by the power of the Holy Ghost. Like everyone else, I must take life as He gives it — ONE DAY AT A TIME — and casting all of my burdens and cares on Him, strive daily to do His will.
a. franklin staples
Copyright © 1985 by A. Franklin Staples
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