POETRY FOR THE

CHURCH IN
RENEWAL 2009
COLLECTION

BY IRENE MCGOUGH

Copyright © 2009 Irene McGough

Disciples of Jesus Ministry

www.discipleofjesussite.com
2009

It is now the year 2009,

And this indeed is our time,
To turn our eyes on the Divine,
And in Him walk the line.

Let us come in repentance,

For leaving so much of our lives to chance,
So often we have done things our way,
Yet we have been saved by He who is the Way.

So let us this year be led into truth,

By He who is the way, the life and truth,
We need to be cleansed deep within,
The wheat from the tares he's separating.

Through this year He will us refine,

Taking us through His refiner’s fire,
For surely He wants us to refire,
So let us with our groom come and dine.

He is calling the bride to holiness,

In all situations showing thankfulness,
For this is the year to drink new wine,
It is the year to exalt the Divine.
A New Year – time for a new start

Time once again for many to make resolutions,

By next week though most of them will be broken,
We may even wonder why we bothered to make them?
But somewhere deep within man looks for a better solution.

Deep down within us is a need for something better,

Desiring to see change and a life that really matters,
You may have wondered if what you have is your lot?
Sometimes through it all you feel you’d be better left to rot.

Someone this New Year who wants to give you a new start,
A life full of hope and joy and a change of heart,
He wants to bring into your life healing and restoration,
His offer to you in this New Year is a free gift of salvation.

He is longing today for the moment of your homecoming,

For at that moment all the angels in heaven will be rejoicing,
His love for you dear friend took him all the way to the cross,
And now he has asked me to get this message across.

He offers a life worth living and a brand new start.

Every sin you have committed he will wash away,
Come to him and he will come right into your heart,
You will know peace and joy and eternal hope today.
WAKEN UP SLEEPY HEAD

Jesus said to me, “Wake up oh sleepy head,

Where is my prayer warrior?
It’s time to leave distractions behind,
And start praying prayers with constant fervour.

There was a time when communing with me,

Was given first place in your agenda,
Where is the desire to come closer to me?
My sister, my bride come up higher.

Do you know that when you pray I am listening,

Not only that your prayers I am answering,
Prayer is a powerful weapon against spiritual attacks,
But today many of my people have become relaxed.

You and so many others have not sought real intimacy,

You have entered a place of spiritual complacency,
A place that leads to spiritual stagnancy,
And I am offering you wisdom and knowledge of me.”

So I started to turn around and seek His face,

I sought intimate moments with Him in the secret place,
Each and every day I long to draw closer,
I said yes to Jesus and He is taking me up higher.

I am on exciting journey of discovery,

I know there is more yet to see along this journey,
But I know with a certainty that my Lord answers prayers,
When I truly humble myself and seek His face.

I don’t have all the answers,

But I know the One who does,
He deserves of all praise, honour and glory,
In and through Him I will know victory.
It’s a heart matter.
Lord I want you to have my whole heart,
Now and forever for you I am set apart,
You want me to know the intimate secrets of your heart,
You want my heart to beat with the beat of your heart,

My heart cries out for more and more of you,

I am hungry and thirsty, desiring only you,
Keep changing me into something that resembles you,
Teach me your ways and help me walk in them too.

Lord I want to keep on falling more in love with you,

How can I possibly give any other response?
For you constantly pour your love upon me too,
You live in me and my heart and soul rejoices.

How can my heart do anything other than engage with you?

You are the Holy One who left heaven’s glory for me to die,
And you looked upon me and poured out love, grace and mercy,
Your blood has washed away my sins setting me free.

But it’s much more than just knowing that I am forgiven,

And it’s much more than knowing I have a home in heaven,
For one moment in your presence takes my breath away,
I need to draw closer to you each and every day.

You come and refresh me with your living waters,

And now out of my heart can flow living waters,
I am starting to learn how to care like you care,
Come Lord and help me your love to share.

So transform and renew my mind and heart,

May I to others your loving kindness impart,
For when my heart starts to beat with your heart beat,
Others will see you shining through and you they will seek.
HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE MY BRIDE

How beautiful you are my bride,

Please do not try to hide,
I have gone before you,
And I have prepared a way for you.

Every promise I will keep,

For I have already made a conquering leap,
No matter what comes against you,
Know that I am with you.

My resurrection power is greater than your problems,

You just need to claim the victory over them.
Speak to your mountains and they will be removed,
For that mountain of fear, grief or debt I have conquered.

There is no temptation that you cannot withstand,

Just come with me as I take you by the hand,
I will lead you in the way that you should go,
Stay by my side and my ways you will get to know.

Oh my darling one, my bride come away with me,

The beauty of my Kingdom I long for you to see,
Winter is passing , we have the promise of spring,
Come away with me a new song to sing.

I look a leap upon the Mountain of Calvary,

But on the third day I rose victoriously,
And I did it that your sins might be forgiven,
So that you my bride might be with me in heaven.

Do you know that I want to heal your sickness,

I want you to start to your faith release,
For there is no circumstance where I am not in control,
I want you healed up totally my bride and made whole.

Do you know I will guide you and equip you always?

You will carry the sweet fragrant aroma of my presence,
I am with you every second of every day,
And I have given you my Spirit to help you be me my witnesses.

Ah, my, sweet lovely bride how beautiful you are,

Please do not try to glimpse at me from afar,
I have so much more to reveal to you, I long for intimacy,
I want to embrace you with my kisses, come out of your complacency.

Come away with me, my sister, my bride, my beloved ones.

It’s time for you to come and enter into my throne room,
Behold my glory and the beauty of my countenance as you gaze upon me,
There is so much more I have to teach you from this place of intimacy.
Do you know you are saved? Do you hear His
voice and follow Him?
Dear friend do you know for sure that you are saved?
Do doubts flood through your mind as to whether you are saved?
Do you know the wonder working power of your salvation?
Or do you find yourself merely going through the motions?

Do you know that if you died today you are going to heaven?
Do you have the knowledge and peace knowing your sins are forgiven?
Did you say the sinner’s prayer looking for a ticket to heaven?
Or have you now with your Father in heaven found reconciliation?

Do you find that there is much in you that is pure emotion?

Emotion that can be turned on and off like a tap,
Or have you given yourself over to a life of devotion,
To the one who shed His blood for you and me?

He wants us to come to Him in true repentance,

Each and every one of has been given the chance,
We have been asked to take up our cross and follow Him,
To die to all that is self living now and forever only for Him.

Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice and follow me.”

How He longs for us His heart and His face to seek,
So friend the Spirit of the Lord is asking you today,
“Do you really know Jesus Christ, He is the only way?”

Do you have other things you place before the Lord Jesus?
Does your mouth pronounce words of blessings or curses?
This is a serious topic for a poem for sure,
But we must remember that Jesus is sin’s only cure.

Do you really know the Perfect Spotless Son of God?

The one who reveals Himself to us in His Word?
All scripture is breathed on by the Spirit of the Lord,
Do you feed yourself and live by the truth of the Word?

Are there things you need to bring before the Lord?

Things hindering you in your walk with your Father, God;
Just as the Lord is dealing with me as He gives me this poem,
He says to all who are afar off “Today is the time to come home.”

I can hear the Spirit speaking to me about my own selfish ways,

And yet I have promised to serve Jesus the rest of my days,
Oh I am a wretched woman, who can take my eyes off of Jesus,
And find myself about silly things making such a fuss.

So I’ve not got it all together, I am a work in progress,

But I know that in Jesus I can find perfect rest,
And I find it so amazing that Jesus for me intercedes,
In Him I have now found a wonderful joy and peace.

The Lord says” I long for you my people to draw close to Me,
To walk in harmony, to forgive one another and love as I love,
Hurts of the past I want to heal, but I want you to submit to Me,
I have given you My Spirit that you might be empowered from above.

Get to know My voice, it’s time for discernment and recognition,

As I speak afresh to you, giving you words bearing new revelation,
For I speak with clarity, every detail, you so often are not listening,
Open your ears My bride, hear what I am saying and do My bidding.

Are you ready to obey my voice when I tell you what to do?
If you are truly one of My Sheep you need to follow Me,
Listen to what I am saying specifically as I speak to you,
An obedient and contrite heart will be blessed by Me.

From that place you will see the wonders of my Kingdom,

I long to see you to move in full might and power by my Spirit,
That lives of people around about you might find freedom,
Many, many captives set free in the knowledge of Me by My Spirit.

Remember now that I have given you a commission,

I asked you to go outside your church walls and preach the Gospel,
The message you have to take is the Gospel of the Kingdom
For I want to see towns, cities and nations saved if you the people will tell?”
“I WANT YOU TO BE HOLY”

Jesus says to me “I want you to be holy,

You need to give yourself to me wholly,
Holding nothing back to go your own way,
I want you to give me your all today.”

And I say “ Yes Lord , I gladly give you my all,

Please Lord, keep my eyes on you so I do not fall,
I have often thought I was truly serving you,
But there was an element of the ‘I’ in the picture too.

So Lord I ask you to help me to die to self,

May I gather riches only in Kingdom wealth,
Storing up treasures in heaven for sure,
As I am purged of every thought and deed that is impure.

Humbly now I come and bow the knee,

For it is more of you Lord I truly long to see,
You speak to me Lord, may I hearken to your voice,
And may following you always be my choice.

Lord, draw me closer to you each and every day,

I am so thankful that you came into my life to stay,
You are the potter Lord, and I am the clay,
Come now transform me, Lord have your way.”
IN MY DARKEST HOUR

In my darkest hour I will praise the Lord,

For He is worthy of all praise honour and glory,
And I will overcome by the word of my testimony,
Whatever befalls me I will proclaim Him as Lord.

When I am troubled he carries me through,

And what He’s done for me He can do for you,
When I feel deserted and all alone He is there for me,
His love, grace and mercy He pours over me.

When my brothers and sisters turn against me,

I focus my eyes towards my Saviour and it is Him I see,
Looking at me with such love and compassion,
A love that goes beyond all measure , there is no comparison.

When sin get’s in the way, His Spirit convicts me,

And I know I must repent and go back to the foot of the cross,
For one moment in His presence means more to me,
Than a thousand days spent on a luxury cruise.

When struggling financially I remember Jesus is my provider,

And He has never left me without a roof over my head,
My needs have been met, I have not gone without my daily bread,
So I will not stress, I need not worry for I am resting in the arms of my Saviour.

When my body says I am sick I remember that my God heals,

I know also that as one who has suffered He knows how I feel,
And I remember that He loves me and wants to see me healed,
I will declare “By His striped I am healed” for often healing I have received.

When I feel as though fear wants to take a nasty grip,

I will seek the living waters and take more than a sip,
For God has not given me a spirit of fear but of sound mind,
A mind which is being transformed to be of the Jesus kind.

When I start to look inward thinking it’s all about me,

I will turn around and focus on the One who died to set me free,
For it is only when I am walking in obedience to Him,
It is only in that place that I can know real satisfaction.

When He seems afar off and His voice seems distant,

I will cry out to Him, chase after Him, I will be His pursuant,
For one thing for sure I have learned through the years,
Without Jesus at the centre of my life only brings tears.

When I feel unhappy with my lot in this life,

I remember the One who is the giver of life,
And I know that He is for me and not against me,
Then an unspeakable joy rises up within me.
So, praise be to God for He does all things well,
Of His goodness I will continue to testify and tell,
I am on a wonderful journey and I don’t go it alone,
It’s not always an easy road but I am never on my own.

Joy is rising up within me for Jesus is my surety,

And I know that with Him I will spend eternity,
To know Him more is my greatest desire,
Come Lord now and within me rekindle the fire.
IN THE GARDEN
In the garden man walked with God in perfect fellowship,
They did not know what it was to suffer hardship,
They heard so clearly from God and had such sweet communion,
But this was all before the hour of their rebellion.

God placed one tree in the garden of which they were forbidden to eat,
And for a while Adam and Eve obeyed the words of God,
But along came the serpent with his lies and deceit.
“You will surely not die if you do disobey God.”

So succumbing to temptation Eve took that first bite,

Adam followed and found that God was far from sight,
They knew for the first time what it was to feel guilt,
So they hid clothed with fig leaves for of sin they were guilty.

They could not see God but He could always see them,
Yet He asked “Where are you? “of them .
For indeed they were hiding now from God.
I cannot imagine the horror that they felt in that separation from God.

For they had known what it was to walk with God in perfect harmony,
And now the fall had come and all that was history.
They had not understood the death that they would experience was spiritual,
But now they knew what it was to feel a separation that to them was unnatural..

For they no longer felt that wonderful presence of God,

Cast out of Eden and so distanced from God,
They no longer knew a life of peace and ease,
For now in came toiling and disease.

But God made a way through the second Adam,

In the person of the Christ bringing redemption for man,
All those who come and repent of their sins,
Through the blood, shed at Calvary can know they are forgiven.
JOY IN MY FATHER'S ARMS

What a joy it is to be caught up into my Father's arms,

For I know that in that wonderful place I can come to no harm,
His love pours into me so wonderfully refreshing,
This is what it means to have joy everlasting.

No matter what this world sends my way,

I know that you dear Father are with me to stay,
And I have a wonderful hope that is a surety,
A knowledge of now and forever eternal security.

I am at home caught up with you in those heavenly places,

This world I live in is not my home any more,
The desire of my heart is to see my Lord face to face,
While my heart keeps crying out from deep within more, more.

And my heart cries out Holy, Holy Lord you are,

I cannot just glimpse you from afar,
I am hungry and thirsty for you alone,
I want to linger in the room of your throne.
 LET GLASGOW FLOURISH
The city of Glasgow belongs to you Lord,
May it once again flourish by the preaching of your Word,
And let us be known as a people who praise your Name,
For your love for the people of this city remains the same.

Lord we have sinned and gone our own way,

We thought it was better to live for today,
And we forgot that you are the life, the truth and the way,
The people of this city have gone astray.

Yet you look upon us with compassion and love,

You long for the people of this city to turn to you,
For you desire to shower us with blessings from above,
But we need to heed the first commandment and love you.

An insidious lie has sneaked in that all religions are the same,
Many people believe they can worship a god of any name,
But you alone are God and worthy of our praise,
And it’s time for an army of your people to arise.

For we as your people are luke warm at best,

Are we really ready to be put to the test?
When the crunch comes are we prepared to make our stand?
It is time for us surely to draw a line in the sand.

Lord we need to come to you in true repentance,

And allow you now and forever to take your rightful place,
Lord make us humble, teach us how to pray,
For you will heal our land if we fully return to you today.

So Lord as your people we return to you today,

For we have failed even by trying to do church our way,
Help us now to die to self, and let it be you that lives through us,
May the people of this city look at us and see Jesus.

So help us now to love like you love,

May our eyes shine with the beauty of your dove,
For you have given us your Spirit to shine through,
Make us into a true reflection of you.

For now your people in this city are returning to you,

We are focusing our eyes fully onto you,
Fill us afresh with your precious Holy Spirit,
Set us ablaze moving in the might and power of your Spirit.

Let us boldly proclaim that we belong to Jesus today,

So the people of Glasgow can know that there is only one way,
To have hope for today and a future with you Lord,
Glasgow will praise you and flourish by the preaching of your Word.
LOOKING FOR MORE

I have stood on the street corner and you passed me by,

Oh yes I was looking for a punter it’s true, I will not lie,
But you saw me there and you barely glanced my way,
And you walked right on by with your head lifted high.

Then I saw your face light up as you entered your church,

You seemed to be so happy when you entered the door,
But you never stopped to tell me what you found in church,
You did not tell me about the God you say you adore.

And I stand here wondering if there can be more to life than this?
But I have got to make money somehow for another fix,
I may be just a prostitute and a user but I have feelings,
Even the drugs don’t fully manage to deaden those feelings.

And I long to find an answer, a way out of this,

I will not live very long going from fix to fix,
If Jesus is the answer why won’t you tell me?
Why can’t you come and tell me that He loves me?

For so long I have watched you and others pass me by,

And on occasions like tonight I have really questioned why,
For it seemed to me that you are maybe hypocrites at best,
Some looked at me with disdain as though they couldn’t care less.

So please if your Jesus is real to you won’t you smile at me,

You don’t have to say much but let me know Jesus loves me,
I want a better life than this, I have always wanted more,
Yet you see me hurting and pass by hurting me to the core.
THE BODY OF CHRIST

We the redeemed are the body of Christ,

A people who should certainly put Jesus first,
Yet so often we are struggling in a place of defeat,
He will build his church and the gates of hell won’t prevail against it.

For a body to function it’s members need to work together,

Yet in the church body we are often competing with one another,
And we give the enemy a place that is not rightfully his,
So the body of Christ become so weak and powerless.

Our eyes cannot hear, our ears cannot see,

The hand cannot tell the foot how to function,
Yet if all those members work together in unity,
We like a human body can learn to function.

We have yet to learn to function like the Lord intended,

It’s time for us to realize that we should his kingdom extend,
He gave us a commission to go out into the world and reach out,
Our arms aren’t reaching properly for we have forgotten what it’s about.

For many of us want to be glued to our pews and there stay,

But he asks us to go beyond the walls to take the gospel to the nations,
So will we respond to his call and start reaching out today?
Will we finally take heed and obey the great commission?

People are going to a lost eternity because we have stayed quiet,

No-one has told them that God loves them and wants to save them,
Many have the wrong idea of God and who can blame them?
For they have looked at us his body who have not shown his light.

So we need to learn to function as his body and further his kingdom,

And let the world out there know what it is to have freedom,
For Christ died to set us free yet we behave like those in captivity,
Jesus sets captives free it’s true, he saves, heals restores and sets at liberty.

We are free to walk the walk of liberty and freedom,

Free to fulfil our purposes in his glorious kingdom,
Proclaiming the full gospel message to hungry people out there,
They need our Saviour and it’s time for us to show that we care.

God’s Word says we will lay hands on the sick and see them healed,
The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to baptize us and empower us,
To do what we the body have been commissioned to do by the Lord Jesus,
So it’s our time to start functioning as a body and see many saved.

If we will listen to his voice and heed his message,

We will see many people reached for Jesus in this day and age,
The eyes will see, the deaf will hear, our arms will reach out,
Our feet will step out, the body in unity, living by faith and not doubts.

And we will be ignited by the fire of the Holy Spirit,

As we take our eyes of off self and focus upon Christ,
For our function as his body is to live for him alone,
And to reach out so that Jesus by others might be known.
ALIGN US WITH YOUR WORD

Your Word says we are blessed and not oppressed,

And all of our needs for us you have provided,
Your word states clearly that we are healed,
Yet here we are your people suffering and depressed.

We are a foolish generation who have not learned to walk by faith,

Oh yes we may even declare that we believe what the Word says,
But the reality is we are not walking in faith and victory,
We have forgotten to give thanks for what you have done in history.

For we can like the Israelites bear witness to the past,

When you stepped in at that moment when all seemed lost,
For Lord you are always good of that there is no doubt,
And you have promised never to leave us or forsake us.

Your Word says your people will inherit the land,

But Lord it is clear that for you we must make a stand,
You have redeemed us with unmerited favour and grace,
And your desire is for us your people to surely seek your face.

You have called us to be witnesses to the whole human race,

Many have yet to witness to neighbours of your mercy and grace,
How foolish we are, we sit in church saying “Lord bless me,”
Yet it’s meant to be all about drawing close to you and we fail to see.

Change our hearts oh Lord, make us more like you,

We come repentant asking for your forgiveness too,
Teach us now how to walk in faith and victory,
Let us to those around us reflect something of your glory.
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL

The Word of The Lord has been planted as seed,

The Lord of the harvest is bringing in the harvest,
His voice hearkens to you and me “Can I send you?”
The harvest is plentiful It’s labourers I need.

Will we gladly respond “Here I am Lord send me.”

Or will we look around and say “Please Lord send another,”
Will we boldly go and proclaim “One way to God there is no other.”
For it was for all the lost that Jesus died, can’t you see?

Lord cleanse deep within our hearts, start with mine,

Rid me of all my foolish ways, make me over anew,
Oh Lord our God, You must increase, we must decrease,
From now on let our foolish striving in fleshly ways cease.

So Lord when we hear your cry “Will you go for me?”

Let us gladly respond “Here I am Lord send me.”
“Anoint us and commission us Lord for the work we must do,
That the people out there will know that you love them too!”
I am in love with a man

I am in love with a man who is not my husband,

No-one who has ever lived is quite like this Man,
He loves with a love beyond all measure,
And He wants to give us life's greatest treasure.

It was at the cross I found Him,

It was there my sins were washed away,
Now I know He has come into my life to stay,
Today and forevermore I will praise Him.

For now I know my sins are forgiven,

And I am on my way to a place called heaven,
For the Son of Man left Heaven's glory,
To write a new page within History.

He was with the Father before creation,

Yet as a lamb to the slaughter He went for our salvation,
Oh yes He died but in that grave He did not stay,
For up from the grave He arose on the third day.

He ascended to heaven glorified and sits beside His Father,

The wonder of it all is that through Him I am reconciled to Father,
This man, His name is Jesus is like no other man,
Can you wonder why it is that I love Him?
I COULD HAVE BEEN A PUPPET ON A STRING.

I could have been like a puppet on a string,

But God gave me a choice to do my own thing,
This choice he gave to all the angels and mankind,
To allow us to choose to honor Him was good and kind.

He does not force us to do good instead of bad,

Nor does he force us to for Him make a stand,
I am so glad he let us choose out of our own volition.
We can chose whether to run to Him for salvation.

Will we choose to follow Him who is the way , the truth and the life?
Accept the free gift of salvation and have eternal life,
Or will we reject the One who gave His life for us today?
Thinking I can do it all better my own way.

It was love that caused Him to allow us a choice,

He wanted us to chose to praise Him with our voices,
His love and mercy He desires to pour upon all men,
How he wants us to come to Him and have our sins forgiven?

So my friend if you do not know with a surety that you are saved?
Any doubts at all it's time to get it right with the Lord,
Come to the foot of the cross, repent of your sins and you will be saved,
And you will come to know how amazing it is to have Jesus as Savior and Lord.
LET LOVE ABOUND

Let us love one another as Christ loves us!

Lord let us see through your eyes,
Teach us to love like you love,
May we love with a love that comes from above.

Let our hearts beat with your heart beat,

For you poured out love and grace from your mercy seat,
So Lord we pray make us like you.
And most of all let our love for you increase too.

Let love, grace and mercy abound,

Words of life from our lips resound,
As we bless and do not curse,
Realizing the world does not revolve around us.
YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE

How I long to fully look upon your beautiful face,

A face full of love, compassion and grace,
A perfect Holy face without a single flaw,
Oh how it fills me with wonder and awe.

Yet that face was marred for my sake,

As the Lamb being slaughtered the sacrifice made,
And it pleased the Father to bruise you dear Lord,
Bruised and beaten, thorns piercing your head, Lord.

Drops of blood dripping from your face in the garden,

As the hour of your betrayal was approaching,
And the love and compassion you had for me,
And indeed all mankind as you hung upon that tree.

You said “Father forgive them for they not what they do,”
Then looking into heaven “ I commit my spirit unto you,”
Finally as the bitter cup you took saying “It is finished,”
And upon that cross you breathed tour last and died.

Hallelujah, praise you Lord for that was not the end,
Today, you are risen, ascended and glorified,
Some day soon in full resplendent glory your face I’ll see,
What an amazingly wonderful day that is going to be.

But for now I see as though through a mirror dimly,

And I long for more visions of that, which is heavenly,
You are so beautiful, my Lord, my Saviour my King,
Throughout eternity, forever your praises I will sing.
Love changes everything.

Love, love changes everything:

Real joy this love does bring,
Hands raised up high,
Faces aglow gazing upon the skies..
Love, love changes everything:
How you live and how you die.

Love is constant and sure,

For all man’s ill’s a cure,
Yes love, love changes everything
How I tremble at your name.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.

Love, love changes everything:

Days are sweeter, Your Word means more.
Love, love changes everything:
I have found a peace I never knew before.

Love will turn your world around

And eternity will last forever.
Yes love, love changes everything,
To God be the glory, bring praise to His Name.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.

The ways of the world have to go,

God will guide our futures, shape our years.
This love has bursts in and suddenly,
We find a new wisdom for Jesus is here

God’s love turns around the lives of everyone:

Of all who come to Him as the broken.
Yes love, love changes everyone.
Live for Jesus and let Him fan the flame.
With Jesus in your life you’ll never be the same.

(based on the original song Love changes everything.)

Lover of my Soul

Jesus you are the lover of my soul,

Through your precious blood I have been made whole,
I cannot imagine living my life without you,
Now and forever I will sing praises to you.

For you are everything to me,

And I just long for others to see,
How they can find the meaning of life,
For you came to give us abundant life.

So there is a message I want to get across,

That real life can begin for them at the cross,
For Jesus you died for the whole world,
That men might make you their Saviour and Lord.
SWEET COMMUNION
The bread and wine are set before us,
As we gather to worship the Lord Jesus,
This is no ritual without a meaning,
It is even more than merely remembering.

Jesus said “This do in remembrance of me.”

But there is clearly more He wants us to see.
For the one we behold is indeed the bread of life,
And the bread is feeding our souls with health and life.

Then we come to the wine knowing there is life in the blood,

For that blood washed away our sins in a cleansing flood,
And we come with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts,
In deep reverence and awe we come in one accord.

Thanking the One who is the true life giver,

The One who we will throughout eternity live with,
Who shed His blood on a cruel cross that we might be saved,
Through that same blood we are healed, saved and delivered.

For there is power in the blood, full resurrection power,

We must never forget the magnitude of that wonderful power,
Words are unable to express the depth of our gratitude,
For while we were dead in our sins Christ came and he died.

And he has given us a hope that is certain and sure,

That when we give our lives to the only one who is pure,
We have a glorious heritage as sons and daughters of the King,
So throughout eternity his praises we with the angels will sing.

And now as we take the bread and the wine let us rightly discern,
Just what we are doing and come humbly seeking new revelation,
Our Lord and Saviour left heaven’s glory, a sacrificial offering to be,
And the wonder of it all was that he done it all for such as you and me.

So we will continue to come together partaking of the bread and wine,

Until that day we with the saints from down through the ages dine,
 When we the bride, meet with our dear bridegroom at our wedding feast,
And we look upon the glory of his countenance and fall at his feet.

Even so come Lord Jesus…………….

A CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS

How you long for your people to go outside the church halls,
For you desire to see a church without walls,
You want us to be where the people are sowing precious gospel seeds,
People are lost and they have so many needs.

The rich man, the poor man, the politician, the drug addict, the sick and afflicted,
They all have one thing in common at the end of the day they are not satisfied,
Deep down inside they are searching for a purpose and a reason for it all,
Many are looking for love in all the wrong places and yet we sit inside the church halls.

The lonely wish they could find someone to spend the time of day with,
The homeless man sits freezing in a corner huddled in filth,
The church folk walk on by as though they just don’t care,
Many hurting people are anxious for someone to listen while their souls they bare.

But we are all right we go to meetings and conferences,

We are not like the people out there, those sinners,
But God says “I have called you the church to be a witness,
I have asked you to go tell the message of good news.

I want you my sons and my daughters to be fishers of men,

It is time for you, your hard hearts to soften,
Don’t hide behind those church walls it’s time to reach out to them,
To the broken and the hurting and tell them that I really love them.

They need to know that I care, that Jesus died for their salvation,
It does not matter where they have been or what they have done,
When they repent the blood of my son will wash away their sins,
I just long for them to know the truth of salvation.

For all mankind were made to walk with me,

I give them a choice to choose life and a new life see,
But some are still waiting to hear the message of the Gospel,
How will they know unless someone goes and tells.

So stop hiding, within those church halls,

I long for you my church to answer my call,
It is time for you to be the church without walls,
Reaching this generation, remember that you I have called.”
FACEBOOK ADDICTION

Addictions come in many forms,

It may start for us like a little acorn,
But soon it grows up as a full grown oak,
We have forgotten in His presence to soak.

Confession is good for the soul,

And in repentance I can be made whole,
Lately facebook has been my struggle,
Being lost in it has caused me trouble,

I must fix my eyes on Jesus my Lord,

And never forget to take up my sword,
I need to listen to his voice and follow Him,
Holy Spirit come and fill me to the brim.

The Lord has called me for a purpose,

So to follow Him I must daily choose,
There is a world out there on their road to hell,
How will they know if we of God’s love don’t tell?

So I cannot live in the world of farmtown,

While people are dying in my home town,
I have to get off my blessed assurance.
Interceding in prayer for His Kingdom to advance.

Then get out there and reach out to the lost,

Jesus said discipleship comes with a cost,
I cannot live for me any more,
My Lord and Saviour must be to the fore.
FACEBOOK ADDICTION

Addictions come in many forms,

It may start for us like a little acorn,
But soon it grows up as a full grown oak,
We have forgotten in His presence to soak.

Confession is good for the soul,

And in repentance I can be made whole,
Lately facebook has been my struggle,
Being lost in it has caused me trouble,

I must fix my eyes on Jesus my Lord,

And never forget to take up my sword,
I need to listen to his voice and follow Him,
Holy Spirit come and fill me to the brim.

The Lord has called me for a purpose,

So to follow Him I must daily choose,
There is a world out there on their road to hell,
How will they know if we of God’s love don’t tell?

So I cannot live in the world of farmtown,

While people are dying in my home town,
I have to get off my blessed assurance.
Interceding in prayer for His Kingdom to advance.

Then get out there and reach out to the lost,

Jesus said discipleship comes with a cost,
I cannot live for me anymore,
My Lord and Saviour must be to the fore.
FINDING IDENTITY

"Some of you have a distorted view of who I am,

Religion has taught you so much that is fallacy,
Come on a journey of discovery, "For I am the great I AM"
Come like a little child, discover my love, grace and mercy.

I am not " Santa Claus" giving you your desired lots of toys,
Getting all you desire is not always good for my girls and boys,
But I have promised that when you walk with me,
Every one of your real needs will be met, just wait and see.

I am jealous for your attentions, jealous for your time,

It is time my children to take your eyes off of self,
Who are you living for, are you truly mine?
I love you and I do not want any of you lost in hell.

You may have said the sinners prayer as a ticket out of hell,
But who are you living for, is it me , or is it self?
Others who are mine, do not realize how much I love them,
They do not know that I want to heal all the hurt in them.

I want you healed up for the harvest so others might find me,
At the moment many of you do not know your true identity,
Yet you have to know that you carry your family stamp upon you,
I have given you an authority that comes with my name too.

In my name I have said you will cast out demons and heal the sick,
But it is my power you will walk in, don't self glorification seek,
I have asked you to lift my name up High that I might be glorified,
It's not your ministries, your church, it's time for you to self die.

I am a jealous God and I want you to give me all the praise and all the glory,
You will put on your full spiritual armour and tell satan he is history,
And you will listen carefully to my voice a and you will follow me,
I will direct your paths each and every day you will walk with me.

So it's time my dear ones, to know your true identity,

It's time for you to find and walk in your destiny,
You are my beloved ones and I long for you to really know me,
So start now, come sit at my feet and learn of me"

Love from Father

GOD HAS ALWAYS LOVED ME

God has loved me since before time began,

The designer of all things had a great plan,
He had a plan to bring salvation to man,
The day I was reborn even the angels sang.

Rejoicing in heaven took place in heaven,

For I had found my Father and restoration,
It was a gift of love, grace and mercy freely given,
When the blood of Jesus washed me clean.

Like any good Father God gives good gifts to his children,
But that does not mean he does not discipline,
The Christian life has been a training ground for me,
My Father has instructed me to come away and learn of Him.

I am his child and I don't have all the answers,

But I know the one who has all the answers,
So I will spend time in the Word learning of Him,
And spend time in prayer and to his voice listening.

As I grow in wisdom and knowledge I can see,

Without a shadow of doubt he has been faithful to me,
Even when my faith has been weak he has come through for me,
There are times when I turned away, but he was always with me.

So even in the biggest difficulties of this life I need not fear,

For my Lord and my God is always, always near,
He said to cry out to Him in times of trouble and he will rescue me,
So I need not worry, I need not fear though all may seem at sea.

For my God is able to do things thought impossible,

And I bear witness in my life that he has done the incredible,
He has turned bad situations around and truly blessed me,
What he has done for me, he will do for you, can't you see?

You are dearly loved ,and so precious in his sight,

But he wants you to come in faith and view him aright,
Rid yourself of all false perceptions and commit all over to him,
For he wants you to come in faith believing that with Jesus you will win.

Flee from the sin of unbelief in your heart,

Today is a new day, so make a new start,
You can trust in the Lord with your whole heart,
Now and forever your life can be for him set apart.

For He loved you too from before time began,

He even designed for you salvation's plan,
The day you to Jesus the angels rejoiced,
On that wonderful day you were by Father adopted.

He is a good Father who loves you,

He wants to lavish good gifts on you,
Whose report will you believe, the enemies lies?
Or will you believe God will prosper and not harm?

God's report is the one I will believe,

I will trust in him and his provision I will receive,
For my Daddy is good 100% of the time,
An easy road is not promised but he is with me all the time.

There is no need for me to live in fear,

Let today's troubles be sufficient, no worrying about tomorrow,
I will not be anxious because the Lord I know,
Has all things under his control so I have no fear.

Irene McGough 2008

MY SHACKLES ARE GONE (extended version by Irene McGough)

I will praise the Lord ,

Who set me free,
He spoke His Word,
And set me free,
I can dance with Him,
For I found freedom,
My shackles are gone,
My spirit is free!

My shackles are gone

My spirit is free
Oh praise the Lord
He lifted me
My sins are forgiven
And now I am free
Oh praise the Lord
My shackles are gone
My spirit is free!

The blood washed me,

From sin I’m set free,
I’m free to sing praise,
My arms I will raise,
To the King of Kings,
His praises I will sing,
My shackles are gone,
My spirit is free

My shackles are gone

My spirit is free
Oh praise the Lord
He lifted me
My sins are forgiven
And now I am free
Oh praise the Lord
My shackles are gone
My spirit is free!
THE CRY OF A MOTHER’S HEART.

Dear Lord, it so saddens me that my kids have walked away,

All the temptations of this world have led them astray,
Many a tear I have shed when I have seen them search for gain,
And all that they have found is more and more pain.

They would rather read fantasy books than your precious Word,
How I long for them to turn around and run to you Lord,
Sci – fi films and Harry Potter have become the order of the day,
They have so confused their reality and forgotten you are the Way.

An Alladin’s cave of computer games and DVD’s doesn’t cut it,

It’s spend, spend, spend and getting into deeper debt,
Maybe a designer outfit will satisfy their need of the moment,
But in the midst of it all they have only found torment.

They tried intellectualism for a degree must be the answer,

But all they have found was stress which they could not conquer,
And now they are all suffering from depression in varying degrees,
For they still owe a fortune in loans and college fees.

Lord, I know they need you at the centre of their lives,

For where would I be if I did not have you in my life,
Lord, I pray break through their darkness, bring them into the light,
They need you for this world has nothing to offer to set their course aright.

And Lord I give you thanks that In all things you are in control,
The desire of your heart is to make all of my kids so completely whole,
I know that you have them all in the palm of your hand,
The day is coming closer when they will all for you make a stand.

Thank you Lord.

THESE DEAR CHILDREN I LOVE

Children, those dear children how I love them,

My heart breaks to see little ones crying,
How I long for my people to intercede for them,
Come see what I see in that child who is lying.

I see the fatherless child, desperately seeking a daddy,

I see the abused child, lying huddled in a corner crying,
Others have parents drinking, taking drugs and squabbling,
And how I long for them to know me as their Heavenly Daddy.

I see the orphan child never really knowing a place called home,
Do you know that I want them to know heaven as their future home?
I want you my people to care like I care, to make a difference,
Each of you can do something that can start to change things.

I want you to feel something of my heart for those little ones,

Do you know that you can prevail in prayer for them?
I do not want them to follow on in a generational cycle of wrongs,
Come my child, I will wipe away your tears is my cry to them.

So my people I want you to care like I care and see what I see,
That you in turn might play your part in directing those children to me,
Children all over the world are so dear to my heart,
It is time for you my people to get involved and play your part.

Love from Father.

YOU COME WITH HEALING IN YOUR WINGS

Heal me oh Lord and I will be healed,

Save me dear Lord and I will be saved,
To you Lord I will sing a song of praise,
Throughout all the length of my days.

You come with healing in your wings,

And you healed my body, soul and spirit,
Now you are my Lord and my King,
Come and fill me up afresh Holy Spirit.

You dear Lord are the fountain of living waters,

Let those waters now flow through me,
May I be well grounded in your Word and not falter?
Help me dear Lord to become all you want me to be.

Lord I ask you to help me to impart your wisdom,

That others might have a revelation of your kingdom,
And the wonderful good news you have for them all,
The message of salvation, healing and deliverance is for all.

Give me words in season and out of season,

May I help other’s see that their lives have reason,
Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can I accomplish this task,
So dear Lord, Precious Saviour come, empower me I ask.

I thank you Lord that I go not in my own power,

But you are indeed empowering me for this hour,
Prepare the hearts of the people I meet,
That many will find your love and grace at your Mercy Seat.

Be glorified in me, please Lord shine through me,

That even through tribulations others might see,
How in you I can triumph and be victorious in every situation,
So I will place my trust in you, Jesus for healing of this nation.
COME AWAY WITH ME

Come away with me my sister my bride,

A new wave is coming, it’s a changing tide.
Come and see what I am about to do,
For I am about to make all things new.

For this to happen, you need to come up higher,

I long for you my bride, my delight, to come closer,
Then and only then will you see my plans unfold,
Come and fulfil the destiny for which you have been called.

It’s time for you to listen and hear my voice,

For I have so much to say to you, just stop and listen,
Do you know I adore you and want you in me to rejoice?
It’s time for your ears to open wide and your eyes to fully open.

Only then can I reveal to you sweet treasures of my kingdom,

It is only in the secret place that you can truly learn of me,
You have to enter my chambers to learn real wisdom,
There is so much more my dear bride I want you to see.

So come on up here, come away with me, it’s your time,

The plans I have planned for you were made before time,
Your destiny awaits you, so you just have to come up here,
Can you see the longing in my eyes for you my dear?

My dear bride come away with me,

Love from Jesus.

THERE IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL ABOUT THAT NAME
Yes
terday, today, and forever Jesus is the same,
There is something wonderful about that Name,
For at the name of Jesus demons have to flee,
He is the Lord Jesus Christ who died for you and me,

He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
Our soon coming King who did to heaven ascend,
He’s the Author and Perfecter of our faith,
He is the Word of God so listen to what He says.

He is the Eternal one and the way, the truth and the life.
It is only through Him that we can have eternal life,
He is the Lamb without blemish who gave His life for us,
He’s the Good shepherd who cares for sheep such as us.

Forever and forever He is faithful and true,

He is holy and desires us to be holy too,
He is Immanuel, our God who is with us,
And we are so blessed with His Presence with us.

He is the Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace,

This bridegroom’s love for His bride will never cease.
He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings,
So my friends let’s forever His praises sing.
COME THIRSTY

Come thirsty and drink from those living waters,

Drink from them and you will never thirst again,
For the Lord will refresh you with those waters,
And He just longs to pour out his love upon men.

Seek first the Kingdom and walk in righteousness,

And you will not have to worry about life’s necessities,
So give your all over in obedient service of the Lord,
For he has promised to provide for you in the Word.

Take your eyes off of all this life’s problems,

Instead turn your eyes around and focus on Jesus,
He is looking for lovers among the world of men,
For it was surely the Lord who first loved us.

From that place of refreshment we will run the race,

And surely as we seek Him we will gaze upon his face,
Can’t you feel that longing deep within your heart?
A longing to be now and forever for Him set apart.
 MY HEART SINGS WITH LOVE FOR YOU.

Oh Lord, my heart sings with love for you,

How many days and nights has it ached for you?
Yet I lost sight of you darling one, my first love,
You came and brought me home by the power of your dove.

I have found you now and I can never let you go again,
Without you Lord I cannot find happiness in this world of men,
For many days my heart felt as though it was breaking apart,
For the rest of my days I want to walk with you for you have my heart.

And you found me there and wrapped me in your arms once again,
Joy and happiness are filling every crevice of my heart,
Although I am unworthy I know great joy for I have been forgiven.
Please don’t let me spend another day from you apart.

How I love you, my heart and soul cries out to you,

And I am so thankful that you love me too.
For it’s joy unspeakable to be under the shelter of your loving arms,
And I know that when I am with you I will come to no harm.

My dear bridegroom will you come and introduce yourself to my family,

I want them to see you as I see you, to see you so clearly,
I want them to know the joy of knowing you and loving you,
For you are so beautiful to me and I long for them to know you too.
AWAKEN IN ME A LOVE SO DEEP

Awaken in me a love so deep,

Let me no longer slumber or sleep,
A deeper level of intimacy with you I seek,
That you become the earnest desire I seek.

Lord you have searched me and known me,

Cleanse me, create a pure spotless spirit within me,
To behold your face Lord is all I long for,
Help me now above the eagles to soar.

May my love for you deepen day by day.

I cannot live one moment without your presence,
Holy Spirit I ask you to come and have your way,
May I see and hear more clearly in the spiritual realms.
YOUR LOVE

Dear Lord there is no other love like yours,

A love that is so constant, steadfast and sure,
Love so amazing and so totally pure,
The love that is surely sinful man’s cure,

You came and you wooed me with that love,

For you saw me hurting and reached down from above,
There is no other love quite like your love,
You endured the cross to make a home for me above.

You came and you healed me and saved my soul,

And now I am rejoicing feeling I am made whole,
Your love touched deep into my heart,
And your love gave me a fresh new start.

Your love alone is pure and righteous,

Your arms stretch out wide for prodigals to come,
They move your way and you run to them with forgiveness,
You welcome them like a son who has wandered far from home.

Your love is love beyond all measure,

Your love is my greatest treasure,
How I love you Lord, I must come closer,
The desire of my heart is to come up higher and higher.

I love to behold the beauty of your countenance,

You are so beautiful to me as I gaze upon you,
As I gaze upon you there is such a sweet radiance,
Then I see your expression knowing how you love me too.

Yet throughout my journey there have been many days,

When I have attempted to do things my way,
Oh, how can I forget that your way is always best?
For it’s only when I walk closely with you I find rest.

So many sleepless, restless nights in my past,

I could have most surely been saved from,
If instead of feeling lonely and forlorn,
My fears and anxieties on you I had cast.

Yet your love saw me there in that place,

And you said “My bride seek my face,
Come away with me now and I will show you the way,
What seems like a mountain can be removed today.”

“I am coming your way, now dear Lord,

And let this be the voice of your bride in one accord,
For you have laid out the best path for us to take,
That we need not needlessly wrong choices make.

Yet you never ever force us Lord to go your way,

We have a choice to make each and every day,
Will we choose to go with you Lord today?
Or where we are in our comfort zones stay?

Yet you pour out upon us your love,

Salvation’s plan was wrought with your love,
Your love speaks of love poured out for us,
What wonderful amazing love is yours Lord Jesus.

So Lord let us your bride say yes to your call,

And lovingly respond by giving you our all,
Teach us to love the way that you love,
That we in turn might show others your kind of love.”
 I WANT TO DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE

I want to dwell in the secret place of the most High,

And I long to live under the shadow of the Almighty.
My Lord is my refuge and my fortress, I trust in Him,
He is my deliverer and my healer, there is none like Him.

He protects me under the shadow of His Wings,

Of His truth and His faithfulness I will sing,
I will not be afraid of the terror of the night
Nor any harm by day for I will keep Him in my sight.

I shall not live in fear of sickness, disease or even death,

For though many fall by my side, to my right or my left,
“So I will stay strong in the knowledge that my God protects,
I praise you Lord for you are my refuge and strength.

I will spend my days dwelling in the secret place with you,

No evil will fall on me, nor will calamity come near me.
I can rest in the knowledge that your angels protect me too,
And because of Jesus I can trample all things under my feet.

I long after you with passionate love, thank you for saving me,
Forever I will praise your name, the one who first loved me,
When I call upon you; you answer each and every prayer,
I go through life’s trials with confidence that you are there.

And you will raise me up and take me out of the miry clay,
You are my deliverer and I will serve you all of my days,
With a long fulfilled life, will I be satisfied, living for you,
For you have saved my soul, setting me free to dance with you
DESIRING TO BE A MIGHTY WARRIOR

Here you are running towards Abba Daddy

Do you see his loving arms outstretched just for you,
So come like a little child with eyes only for Daddy,
For deep down inside you long for him to embrace you .

And he takes you on his knee wiping your tears away,

He calls you his child and speaks with words of love,
He says your sins are forgiven, Jesus washed your sins away,
And now the Holy Spirit has come to you like a dove.

And he is stripping you of the stuff that gets in the way,

All, the pretence, all the pride and the intellectualism must go,
For behind the façade your heart cries “Daddy I need you each day,”
The truth is you can’t manage in your own strength, any more.

It is only when you come like a little child in perfect submission,

So that you can be raised up as a Mighty Warrior of God.
And you say “Strip me of self and raise me up in this generation,
Not by my might, nor my power; but Holy Spirit I need you.

For I need you to come empowering me for battle,

For I want to be a warrior equipped for battle,
Abba Father, Daddy total surrender to you is my intent,
That I as your child may as a warrior slay all my giants.”
MY LORD AND MY GOD

My Lord and my God, I find it so hard for me to comprehend,

How the Lord of heaven and earth could love me like you do?
Yet you love me without measure, a love that will never end,
The desire of your heart is to have me really love you too.

You long for me to know real intimacy with you,

And you have birthed in me a longing for you too
So here I am once again moving on into the secret place,
Where I might draw ever closer, and come face to face.

With you my dear Saviour the one whom I adore,

For I come thirsty and hungry seeking more and more,
And as I draw closer I am overwhelmed by your presence.
Holy Spirit come, teach me Godly wisdom and revelatory lessons.

So Lord I give you permission to sift through all the dross,

My whole life might be submitted to you, who died on that cross,
And may I live the rest of my life for you and you alone,
Until that glorious marvellous day when you call me home.
I AM NO LONGER SATISFIED

I am no longer satisfied for I know there is more,

And I’ve got to come closer, I want more,
I know that it’s only you who can satisfy me Lord,
So I come hungry, oh so hungry for you Lord,

You came into my life and gave me a new start,

And you dear Lord have captured my heart,
You are beautiful Lord, you take my breath away,
How I long for you, more of you this day.

From the very depth of my being I am crying out,

Lord I long to know you more is my shout,
For I just long to see you face to face, just one glance
And I will worship you forever in song and in dance.

You’ve made a way for me to come up closer,

The veil was rent into two and now I come up higher,
I can enter the Holy Place just to be with you,
Oh Lord, take me away into the Heavenly Places with you.

And you have been waiting for me to come closer,

For you have wooed me, pouring your love upon me,
And you have said to me “Dear one, come up higher,
There are many things that I want you to see.”

So I will come seeking, seeking to draw close to you,

For I am longing after you, I’ve got to have more of you,
And I will not be satisfied until I see you face to face,
How I love your sweet presence poured out by your grace.

I will not stop pursuing you Lord until I am satisfied,

Lord you shed your blood upon that cross and for me you died,
And I have to know you more, feel your very heart beat,
Drawing closer to you caught up into the Heavenlies seated.

So Lord continue to fan the flame, kindle the fire, more fire,
For you are my Lord, my King, are the object of my deepest desire,
Nothing else can satisfy this longing deep within, only you,
And I know without a shadow of a doubt that you love me too.
MY SOUL DOES MAGNIFY YOU

Oh Lord my God my soul does magnify you.

And my Spirit will rejoice in Christ my Saviour,
Generation after generation have been blessed by you,
You saw my need and gave me a new life to savour.

Lord you are mighty and you have done great things for me,
And Lord Your name is Holy and I want others to see,
That you shower grace and mercy on those who love You.
Generations have known your strong arm upholding them too.

So Lord I cast down my pride and my imagination,

I pray, "Oh Lord, make me humble for I am a new creation."
The desire of my heart is to be a humble servant of Yours,
Yet I long to be Mighty for the Kingdom, so Lord let me loose.

I came to My Lord in my time of hunger and He fed me,

I came With a thirst and he quenched it with living waters,
My Lord has blessed me indeed and met all my needs,
For on days long ago He planted His Word as a precious seed.

And I will rejoice in my merciful King who saved me by grace,

And I love to spend time with Him in the secret place,
All the days of my life I will praise you name, Oh Lord,
Raising a standard proclaiming "You alone are God."
TAKE ME BACK TO THE CROSS

Father, take me back to the cross that I might see,

More of what it cost for my Lord to die for me,
From heaven’s glory He came to a lowly birth,
Born in Bethlehem as Micah had prophesied this.

One among the twelve betrayed Him with a kiss,

Giving His master up for thirty pieces of silver no less,
What anguish of heart the Lord Jesus must have felt at this?
For Judas saw Him as Master, but He was never His Lord.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus sweat drops of blood,

As he contemplated the bitter cup he must drink,
He must go as a lamb to the slaughter as prophesied in the Word,
The mental anguish of this must been horrific I think.

The agonising scourging He took was that I might be healed,

For by His Stripes my sicknesses and diseases are healed,
It was my sins that took my Lord to the cross on that day,
He died that his blood might wash my sins all away
.
And what excruciating pain he bore for one such as me,
The scourging alone would remove layers of skin.
His nerves would be exposed and damaged can’t you see?
Oh the agony, that my Lord endured and He did it all for me.

Pilate asked the crowds who to release, would it be Jesus Son of Man?
But the crowds wanted release of the thief Barabbas the son of a man.
So Pilate gave Jesus up to the crowd, washing his hands of this dreadful deed,
The King of the Jews wearing a crown of thorns, this would be agony indeed.

Beaten, bleeding and in excruciating pain Jesus must go up Mount Calvary,

The cross on His back He must bear so God sent Simon His cross to bear,
And all around the crowds did jeer as Jesus proceeded, their sins to bear.
A bitter cup of gall they offered Him to drink at Golgotha on Mount Calvary.

But the bitterest cup of all was that which He swallowed on the cross,
When He took your sins and mine on His body on the cross,
They nailed Him to the cross piercing His hands and his feet,
And they made His grave with the wicked, He who knew no deceit.
 My Saviours words to You Father were “Forgive them for they know not what they do,”
Then as He was taking the sins of the whole world on Himself, He cried “It is finished.”
And now I gaze upon that cross and get an inkling of what He suffered for me and you,
I’m so thankful that He has forgiven me for it was for me His blood was shed.

The temple veil to the Holy of Holies was rent in two making way for me to enter in,
A once for all sacrifice by the precious Lamb of God, Messiah, had been paid for my sin
The grave couldn’t hold Him and on the third day the King of Kings rose again,
Now He sits at the Father’s right hand on His heavenly throne, and soon He’s coming again.

THE BRIDEGROOM

Come see our bridegroom with outstretched arms,

His eyes search deep and piercing into His beloved’s eyes,
He says” My beloved I long for you to come up here,
Rise up my bride, my fair one come away with me,”

Let the bride in unison with the Spirit say “Come.”

Longing for your sweet presence we come,
We come thirsting and drinking from the living waters,
In passionate pursuit of the One who we adore,

Feeling that longing from down deep within,

For our dear Saviour who has freed us from sin,
We enter your courts with thanksgiving in our hearts,
Yielding wholly unto Him we make a new start.

The glory of the Lord transcends from His throne room,

Our beloved Saviour and King, the one coming soon,
We take our place caught up in the heavenlies with Him,
Moving right on into the Throne room with Him.

We gaze in wonderment at that wonderful glow,

Like a glorious rainbow encircling the one we adore,
We see that beautiful compassionate love as He gazes upon us,
His bride, the one He adores, as He pours love out upon us.

Face to face with Christ our Lord, our bridegroom,

The one who has pursued us from the beginning,
Now here we are coming all the way home to Him.
Throughout all eternity His praises we will sing.

Holy, Holy, Holy are you, Lord God Almighty, you call us your own,
Singing with the angels and elders around your throne,
“You’re worthy, oh Lord to receive all glory, honour and power,
Lord there is none like you, how we long for you in this hour.”
YES LORD

Lord I have to say yes when you call my name,

I can no longer try and hold on to the reigns,
You are asking me to put all aside and follow you,
It is time for me to put aside all compromise too.

I know that where you are taking me is the safest place to be,
And I want to go to new heights and see all you want me to see,
Here I am Lord I’m ready to surrender all to you,
For I can’t live another second apart from your presence now.
YOU RAVISH MY HEART

How beautiful you are my sister, my spouse,

Such passion in me you do arouse,
You have ravished my heart,
Now you are a beauty set apart.

I love to see your eyes dancing,

When joyfully you at me are glancing,
You proudly display the jewels I gave you,
That let the world know you belong to me now.

My heart is filled with joy when you draw close,

How I love to see that longing deep within you,
Before you were even conceived it was you I chose,
For I saw then how you would embrace me too.

I saw you rising up to come away with me,

Becoming more beautiful each and every day,
Transforming into a bride only fit for me,
And now you are letting me guide you along life’s way.

Your Bridegroom,
Jesus
CHURCH ARISE, LIKE LAZARUS RISE UP FOR I AM CALLING YOU FORTH
“Church
arise like Lazarus I am calling you forth and raising you up,
Your past is behind you, can’t you see my dear children, I have forgiven you,
As far as the east is from the west your transgressions are removed from you,
My son’s blood has set you all free to soar and the only way is up.

So come my children and walk with me you are mighty warriors you know,
Yesterday is gone and when you hear my voice you will be ready to go,
Can’t you see my dear children the victory is already fully won.
For you my beloved children will overcome by the blood of Jesus my Son.

You are not only forgiven sinners you are victorious saints,
And you will rise up now and you will walk and not faint,
For I am here with you, to help you to win life’s race.
So step out into the unknown, and I will increase your faith.

I have some wonderful plans ahead for you can’t you see,
From this day forth you will listen to my voice and hear me,
You will walk hand in hand with me for the sake of my Kingdom,
You will step into the miraculous and see many find freedom.”

Love your Heavenly Father

SEARCH MY HEART TODAY

Lord I ask you to come and search my heart today,

Mould me for you are the potter and I am the clay,
Cleanse me now from all sin,
Do a work in me deep within.

Rid me of all thoughts and deeds that are fleshly,

Cause me to walk along with you uprightly,
I want to be more and more like you,
And I know Lord that you desire this for me too.

So let my heart beat with your heart beat,

In humble submission let me learn at your feet,
Your Word Lord is like a cleansing fountain,
It washes over me and your blood has washed every stain,

Lord you are my everything, let my flesh life disappear,

For now and evermore to you I long to draw near,
Impart to me your wisdom that I might run life’s race,
That I might at all times dear Lord, seek your face.

Transform and renew my heart and my mind,

Lose me of all the values of human kind,
May I look on all things from an eternal perspective,
In all that I do and all that I say may I follow your directive.
PSALM 91- the poem

I will dwell in the secret place with you Lord,

Abiding under the shadow and protection of my God,
I declare that you are my refuge and my fortress,
For you are indeed the God in whom I place my trust,
And Lord you will deliver me from disease and pestilence,
From the snare of the fowler you will rescue me as the just.

As a bird protects her young under her wings you will protect me,
I will find refuge in you for you are my armour and protection,
And I will not fear anything that might come against me,
During the night hour though others at either side start falling,
By your grace I will stand strong keeping my gaze fixed upon you,
For you dear Lord are my dwelling place and my refuge too.

No harm shall come my way for you are protecting my home,

I am so thankful that you have sent even your angels for my protection,
The angels will help prevent me from stumbling on my path and falling.
They are sent by you Lord to help keep me walking right into my calling,
With your Spirit’s help I will trample upon all that would try to devour,
Empowered by your Spirit I will trample upon demons during this hour.

I know with a surety that you love me and that you have saved me,
You have a plan and purpose for me and you will lead me into my destiny,
You have heard all of my prayers and have answered them all,
No matter what life throws my way I can walk into your rest,
For you have promised me life in all it’s fullness life at best,
A long fulfilled life you have promised, so I give you my all.
PRAYER FOR ISRAEL

We who are Gentiles drafted in,

Need to remember God's chosen,
We who were once so far apart,
Have through Jesus been given a new start.

But we must remember to pray for Israel,

The nation right now are going through turmoil,
We who have been brought under the covenant of Abraham,
Must remember our Father promised them the Land.

Our brothers and sisters cry out at the Wailing wall,

For they Long to have access to the Holy of Holies,
The veil was rent in two so we have access to the Holy of Holies,
But they know not that the Messiah has come so they stand at the wall.

Yet here we are now part of God's chosen,

And His people so often we have forgotten,
To uphold in prayer as we really should,
For this surely is something to which we've been called.

Senseless murders of God's people continue,

Lives cut short in their youth too,
And it's all done in the name of religion,
Persecution of God's chosen nation.

And do we cry out to God for Israel?

A people who are hurting and wailing at the wall,
For most do not know their sins can be forgiven,
And the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

So won't you join me and pray for them today,

For the Lord would not want us in complacency to stay,
He wants us to cry out to Him for Israel,
And He wants to bring restoration to Israel.

So let's pray.
YOUR FEET WERE MADE TO WALK WITH ME.

Come my bride and walk with me,

Pay attention to my Word and see,
How I have lit a path before you,
My desire has always been for you,
Will you let me wash you feet today?
That your feet might on my path stay.

I have said to you come follow me,

For I long for you to be obedient to me,
How beautiful now are your feet,
Shod now with gospel sandals on your feet,
You’re walking in the Spirit and walking by faith,
For you now walk in love and in my ways.
I AM A SOLDIER

I am a believer and a soldier in the army of God,

To spread the good news my feet are with gospel shoes shod,
Upon my head I wear my helmet of salvation for all to see,
For I know with assurance that I am saved and set free.

This armour the Lord has given me is thick and battle worn,
But after many years of use it is now mighty and strong,
The enemy may come trying to bring me down,
A defeated foe because Christ has gone before me and already won.

So because Jesus shed his blood I, my breastplate of righteousness adorn,

For holiness and walking in righteousness is my longing,
And I need not worry though I am surrounded on all fronts,
For Satan has already been defeated and Jesus the victory has won.

Around my waist I wear this beautiful strong belt of truth,

Not compromising, I will proclaim that Jesus is the way, the life and the truth,
And when I go into battle I am protected by my huge shield of faith,
I will not be beaten by attacks in the spiritual realm or from the human race.

I have the Spirit who empowers me so I need not walk in fear.

I shall walk in might and power protected by heavy armour gear,
I will keep my armour intact and be sure to carry my sword,
The Holy Spirit himself wields this sword which is God’s Word.

So I will pray at all times staying in touch with the battle commander,
For I need to be alert and watchful and in prayer persevere,
Interceding and upholding my brothers and sisters in prayer,
That they with me will keep fully intact their battle gear.

For when the army are fully united in the task in front of them,
Together we will function as the King’s men,
And together every foe, every enemy we will defeat,
For with one purpose we have learned at our Commander’s feet.

So as of now I am staying alert in prayer keeping my armour intact,

For I desire to walk boldly in righteousness and that’s a fact,
I will listen to the voice of my Commander and obey his commands,
I will follow the cloud by day and the fire by night and stay standing.
THE SEASON

Everything has it’s time and it’s season,

And this is a season of new beginnings,
Be assured this all has a purpose and reason,
For a new day is being heralded in.

For many years Father God has been wooing us,

Drawing the church closer and closer to Jesus,
But this is now our commissioning time,
He says “I want you to let others know you are mine.”

We are called to be witnesses to this generation,

Taking the message to people of every tribe and nation,
That Jesus wants to save, heal and deliver,
He wants them to know Him as Lord and Saviour.

So it’s time for us to go outside of the church walls,

We will say yes to Jesus answering the call,
Taking the wonderful good news of salvation,
Out to the people of this day and generation.

And the Holy Spirit will come upon us in this hour,

We will walk in boldness, authority and power,
For each one of us have been called with a purpose you see,
That the light of the glorious gospel should shine forth from you and me.
HOLY,HOLY, HOLY

Holy, Holy, Holy,is the Son of Man,

Worthy, Worthy Worthy is the Lamb,
Let's give Him all the glory and all the praise,
For He alone is worthy, let us our hands raise..

For in the presence of the King of Kings,

There is a sweet fragrant essence,
See how the most beautiful glorious cloud of His Presence,
Fills this place, so let us His praises sing.

Holy Holy Holy are you our precious Lord,

Worthy , worthy, worthy are you Lord,
Take us in closer, nearer and nearer to you,
We are entering the Holy of Holies to be with you.
YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE (revisited)

I am now starting to gaze upon your beautiful face,

A face full of love, compassion and grace,
A perfect Holy face without a single flaw,
Oh how it fills me with wonder and awe.

Yet that face was marred for my sake,

As the Lamb being slaughtered the sacrifice made,
And it pleased the Father to bruise you dear Lord,
Bruised and beaten, thorns piercing your head, Lord.

Drops of blood dripping from your face in the garden,

As the hour of your betrayal was approaching,
And the love and compassion you had for me,
And indeed all mankind as you hung upon that tree.

You said “Father forgive them for they not what they do,”
Then looking into heaven “ I commit my spirit unto you,”
Finally as the bitter cup you took saying “It is finished,”
And upon that cross you breathed your last and died.

Hallelujah, praise you Lord for that was not the end,
Today, you are risen, ascended and glorified,
Some day soon in full resplendent glory your face I’ll see,
What an amazingly wonderful day that is going to be.

But now I am starting to see much more clearly,

And I am having more visions of that, which is heavenly,
You are so beautiful, my Lord, my Saviour my King,
Throughout eternity, forever your praises I will sing.
SLEEPING IN THE ARMS OF MY BELOVED

I am my Beloved’s and He is mine,

Now I can rest knowing all is fine,
Oh the beauty of this peaceful place,
Even in my dreams I gaze upon your face.

How I love you my Lord and King,

In my dreams your praises I will sing,
For I know that what ever comes my way,
You will guide and lead me throughout each day.

All fear is gone and oh the wonderful joy,

Resting in you is something I can enjoy,
Sleep brings refreshment to my soul,
And I dream dreams of you the one who is Holy.
WHO IS THIS I SEE COMING OUT OF THE WILDERNESS?

“Who is this I see coming out of the wilderness?

They are leaving behind those desert places.”
“It’s my people” says the Lord, “arising in this hour,
Can you see my sons and daughters now moving in power?”

“I see a mighty army of us marching for you, Lord.

And we are walking in unity, in one accord,”
“There is rejoicing in heaven when we see you marching,
What a delight it is to hear you my name proclaiming.

Fear of men is no longer holding my people back today,

As they proclaim to all that Jesus is the only way,
This army of my people have learned to yield their swords,
And they are now boldly speaking forth the Word.

My Word does not return void so many are being saved,

They are laying hands on the sick and seeing people healed,
And substance addictions are becoming a thing of the past,
For those who have lived in captivity have been set free at last.

Like their forefathers they now know what it is to walk by faith,

My people are speaking words of life into others and not death,
They can hear from me so clearly now for their ears are open,
And they can see so much better now their eyes are opened.

I have sent my glory cloud to accompany my people by day,

And by night I have sent a pillar of fire to guide them on their way,
They are walking not by might and power but by my Spirit,
I have given them strength and power of a supernatural kind.

The young and old are walking together hand in hand,

For I the Lord have drawn a new line in the sand,
What a beautiful sight it is to see my people walking in freedom,
Now moving in the authority I have given them to take my Kingdom.
Every day I see them getting stronger and their numbers increasing,
Even many of those who have been sleeping are now awakening,
I love when I hear them declaring the power of my Name,
With a certainty I know that many of their lives will never be the same.

They are overcoming by the blood of the lamb and their word of testimony,
And satan’s efforts to keep back my sons and my daughters is now history,
For they have formed this mighty army that is a force to be reckoned with,
They now listen to my voice and follow me as I direct their ways.

There is a party of rejoicing going on every second here in heaven,

For so many are seeing the light shine through my people and finding salvation,
This is a new day, a new hour when my people are walking in kingdom authority,
They are strong in the Word and strong in the Spirit, all else is history.

I am so proud of my sons and my daughters for many of them earnestly pursued me,
They truly came seeking my face and they humbly bent their knees,
And I came and revived their hearts and graced them with my presence,
Now they go in among a world of men carrying my sweet fragrant essence.

I have always loved them and poured out my love, grace and mercy upon them,
But now they are coming to real maturity and affecting the world of men,
They are doing even greater works now than Jesus done on this earth,
He promised that greater works you would do and his kingdom would invade the earth.

My sons and my daughters are keeping their focus on my Son,

They do not lose sight of the author and finisher of their salvation,
Their great High Priest who went like a lamb to the slaughter,
Through the blood he shed, he made a way for them to become my sons and daughters.

Now here they are, my children coming to me crying out ‘Abba Father,’
Yet they know my name is Holy and do not lose reverence in the familiar,
And they worship me and my Son with such beautiful adoration,
And because they came humbly before me submissive I am healing their nations.”

Love from Father,

Almighty God
LET US SHOW LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER

He wants us to love like He loves,

He wants us to show compassion and love,
To love one another as he has loved us,
Treating others as we would have them treat us.

So Lord we ask you to change our hearts,

That we, your people making a fresh new start,
Might gather together united, in one accord,
Rather than speaking to others that last hasty word.

So we need to get our focus right, with Jesus first,

For when we truly come and for him thirst,
Everything else starts to fall into it’s God given place,
And we can treat our brothers and sisters with grace.

We will spend eternity together, worshipping our King

And his praises forever together we will sing,
So since the first fruit of the spirit is love,
Let us all start now on a new learning curve.

Learning to show love as he would have us do,

A humble and contrite spirit he would have us pursue,
For when we see others as more important than self,
The desire to prove that we are right will be left.

For our Heavenly Father wants us to first show love,

He does not want us intent our own point to prove,
The Word says we will know them by their fruits,
So showing love, grace and mercy should be our pursuit.

Teach us your ways our dear Lord and Saviour,

That we might indeed be salt full of savour,
And may our light shine in this world of men,
As we learn to show love to one another and to them.
SHORT CHRISTMAS POEMS WITH A MESSAGE

WHAT A JOYOUS WONDERFUL TIME

What a joyous wonderful time,

A time of joy and celebration,
As we celebrate the one who was born,
Two thousand years ago in Bethlehem.
May the Christ of Christmas,
Be real to you this Christmas,
May you know the love and joy that He gives,
For truly He came for you and I to save.

A FREE GIFT

Children jump up and down excitedly,

Awaiting Santa’s visit and opening their gifts,
But another child was born in a stable so lowly,
Today He offers to us a most precious gift,
For this child came to die for our sake,
Today Jesus wants you His free gift of salvation to take.

THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS

Oh the wonder of the Christmas story,

It gives such unspeakable joy, full of glory,
For He who was God for us came down,
Born in a manger in Bethlehem town,
It was love that brought Him there,
For all mankind He did surely care,
That love He so wants us all to know,
So as His child this seed I will sow,
Christ the Lord offers to you and I salvation,
Adopted by His Father, brought into reconciliation,
Every hurt and tear He wants to wipe away,
You can know the Christ of Christmas this Christmas day.

JOY AND GOOD TIDINGS

Joy and good tidings to you today,

The message of Christmas brings great joy,
For the Saviour was born in Bethlehem town,
So you and I might lay our burdens down,
Christmas is about more than just toys,
Jesus loves us and wants to show us the way,
To find hope and joy and real meaning in life,
For He came to die to give you a brand new life,
A free gift He offers to all mankind,
For He loves us with a love beyond any other kind,
This Christmas you can know your sins are forgiven,
And know with a certainty you are on your way to heaven,
Accept the gift of merciful loving kindness freely offered to you,
Then you like me can know peace and joy in your heart too.

Irene McGough©2009

http://www.discipleofjesussite.com