Upward I Look

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross...Forever

I've been using Nancy Guthrie's new book, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, to help me preach the gospel to heart.

The title of this book has me singing the old hymn by Fanny Crosby that I haven't sung in a long time.

However, I'm troubled by some of the words of this popular old hymn.

I like this line:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;

Yes, we will glory in the Cross forever!

I don't like this line:
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

What? Does that not contradict the other line?
What does "till" mean? Let the cross be my glory "until" I don't need the Cross anymore?
The implication of "till" is that there will come a point when the Cross is no longer my glory.
So, does "ever" in the first line mean "while I'm still alive on this earth"?

Friends, we won't even know what it means to really glory in the Cross until we find rest beyond the river. Heaven will be the realization of Galatians 6:14. There will be only one boast reverberating through the halls of Heaven:

"Worthy are you (Lamb of God)...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation..." -Rev. 5:9

In Heaven, there will be a deep realization that we don't belong there.
In Heaven, there will be a deep realization that all this was purchased for us by the blood of Christ.
In Heaven, there will be a deep realization that everyone else there (from all nations) is clothed in the garments given to them by Christ.
In Heaven, there will be a deep sense of gratitude for what Christ accomplished on the Cross.
In Heaven, there will be much glorying in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

I'm reminded of these quotes by Jim Elliff:
“One is taken aback by the emphasis on the cross in Revelation. Heaven does not “get over” the cross, as if there are better things to think about…Heaven is not only Christocentric, it is cruci-centric, and quite blaring about it."

“When we are prone to think of the cross in a diminutive way, forgetting its grandeur, its accomplishment, its power, then remember what the angels think of it all and what we will see and sing at a future date when things are clearer.”

So, sing this hymn; just sing it with an understanding that "till" should actually be "especially when."

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary’s mountain

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

"Lord, Why Was I a Guest?"

A month ago, I posted the words to an old hymn by Isaac Watts called How Sweet and Awful is the Place. I was looking for a good recording of it, but never found one. T4G has just released a slideshow of the '08 conference set to Bob Kauflin leading this song. Watch the slideshow, but also pay attention to the words of this great hymn.

HT: Challies.

How Sweet and Awful is The Place

I'm loving meditating on this hymn. It has been in my head since T4G. Does anyone know of anywhere to get a recording of it?

1. How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.

2. While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?"

3. "Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?"

4. 'Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

5. Pity the nations, O our God,
Constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

6. We long to see Thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May, with one voice and heart and soul,
Sing Thy redeeming grace.

Isaac Watts