Songs 1

Music: Songs 1 - Songs 2

Walk by Faith

This is the first song I ever wrote as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ...nothing fancy by any stretch but it amazes me how that we knew so much of what was required of us while yet babes in Christ. Twenty-one years later, I feel we have only been learning what we've known all along, that faith is the key and substance of our walk with God, that we must come away from all carnal thought and participation in order to walk with God by faith and be pleasing to Him.

CHORUS:

You've got to learn how to walk by faith,

You've got to learn how to walk by faith,

You've got to learn how to walk by faith

If you're ever goin' to walk with the Lord.

VERSES:

You can't go by your own understanding;

Do as He says and stop demanding;

You won't understand so stop your figuring

If you're ever goin' to walk with the Lord.

You'll have to say good-bye to all institutions,

Carnal man's creeds and all their traditions;

You'll have to say good-bye to all their doctrines and systems

If you're ever goin' to walk with the Lord.

You've got to say good-bye to mother and father;

If they won't come with you then you just don't bother;

Only those in Jesus will you call brother

If you're ever goin' to walk with the Lord.

You can't walk by your eyes and ears;

You're goin' to have to shake all your doubts and fears;

Be ready to accept heavy trials and tears

If you're ever goin' to walk with the Lord.

The most important part of this wonderful story,

The part you must know if you are to enter into glory,

Is if you start and finish, you’ll never be sorry,

If you put your trust in the Lord.

While travelling, 1975 - Oct. '83.

The Power of Jesus

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While I called this song the above name 20 years ago, I would not do so now. The power of Jesus as the Pentecostal circles like to call it is nothing less than Christ in us, the hope of glory. His Spirit we receive not while seeking power but while seeking to do His will in reality and not as we perceive it.

If you try to live the Jesus life

You'd rather eat peas with a butter knife;

That's how it is if you don't have the power.

The disciples walked with Him three years

And at last their efforts came to tears

When Jesus died and they were without power.

CHORUS:

But at Pentecost in the upper room

They were filled with the Holy Ghost

And they had power...

Jesus' power...

Yes, at Pentecost in the upper room

They were filled with the Holy Ghost

And they had power,

Jesus' power.

Today there is a form of godliness

And souls are falling in the deep abyss

And all because some just don't have the power;

But if you will come and ask of Him,

He'll fill you right up to the brim

And you'll be overflowing with Holy Ghost power.

CHORUS REPEAT.

Prince Albert, Aug. 1976.

Job

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Twice in my life has the Lord enlightened me on this person in particular, once by revelation without the experience and the second time by a taste of what Job suffered, taking me back to my mother's womb, my earthly origins. It is not our righteousness.

There once was a man in the land of Uz;

Perfect and upright was he;

He offered sacrifices for himself and his sons

And his daughters religiously.

One day the Lord saw He had to break a man;

He put the devil to the job you see.

The devil took his goods but wasn't satisfied with that...

He also took his family.

And Job said, "Naked have I come from my mother's womb,

Naked will I return;

The Lord did give and the Lord takes away;

Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

Still the Lord saw He had to break a man;

And all Job had left was his wife.

The Lord sent the devil in to plaster Job with boils

But told him to spare his life.

And Job said, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God,

And shall we not receive evil too?

Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,

Yet I'll maintain my own ways before Him."

Days went by and Job was in a mess;

He couldn't understand where he went wrong.

Then the Lord spoke to him and set his spirit straight

And Job began to sing a new song.

And Job said: "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear

But now my eye sees You;

Now I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes,

Blessed be the Name of the Lord." (last line over)

Prince Albert, Sask, Oct. 31, 1976

Life's a Road

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I was given this song while ministering to some men in a correctional in 1976. I cried and they cried. I felt for them and they with me. God only knows how this song affected them in time.

Life's a road that is hard to travel when you're lonesome;

Everybody just wants to do his own thing.

And it's hard when you don't know just where you're going

'Cause when you're through, you don't know what the end will bring.

I've got a Friend Whom I know I can always count on

And that Friend will never let you down.

He'll take you by your hand just as you are and guide you

And at the end of that road you'll have a crown.

Some people think they've gone too far and there's no hope left.

Some say they've tried most everything to no avail,

But let me tell you friend, I know I've got the answer:

Only Jesus Christ can help you on life's trail.

Now when you hear His voice and take His invitation,

He'll tell you who you are and where you're heading to,

And He'll fill your heart with love and joy and laughter

And with peace that passes understanding too.

Prince Albert, Sask, June 1976

Cause Me to Hear

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Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning;

For in Thee do I trust:

Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;

For I lift up my soul unto Thee.

Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies:

I flee unto Thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will, O LORD;

For Thou art my God.

Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning;

For in Thee do I trust:

Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;

For I lift up my soul unto Thee.

Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies:

I flee unto Thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will, O LORD;

For Thou art my God.

The Walk with God

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As we continued our walk with God by faith, we were disillusioned about our relationships with religious people and family. We discovered the value of true friendship, the cost of walking with God and how few there were willing to pay the price.

The walk with God will start out simply;

Religious people will throng your side.

As you go on, you'll have to leave them

If it's in Christ that you'll abide.

CHORUS:

Don't let them you fool you, it isn't easy;

The road is hard and lonely too.

Don't let them fool you, it isn't easy;

It's just like He said it would be.

Your folks may say they have the answer;

Your peers will say that they've arrived

But they're the ones that'll really hurt you

With the love that they've contrived.

Count the cost before you start;

You're ploughing fields, not picking daisies.

Building towers takes strength and patience;

The cross you bear will cost your life.

CHORUS REPEAT.

Dauphin, 1978

The Butterfly (or) The Shadow of the Gallows Tree

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Of all my writings, there are two that were written in 2 sittings, years apart. These were the first ones I ever wrote, and this one, interestingly enough, speaks of two births. While I had known the first, I had written of it but did not write of the second, which is the resurrection, until I had known it as well. It is therefore most befitting that the words of this writing came in two parts. The first part came only as a poem, words. It is all now a song though the music did come somewhere inbetween the two sittings.

The shadow of the gallows tree

Spreads darkly over the grave,

And in the dust I toss and turn,

Hoping He will save.

I know the work is good as done;

He did it all for me;

He laid my sins upon His Son,

Who suffered the gallows tree.

Some day I'll be a butterfly,

No more to crawl or squirm,

But it's His work, I can't deny,

For I am but a worm.

The angels watch from up above

To see this work beneath;

When God has formed in me His love,

His holy sword He'll sheath,

And glorious will be that day

When Jesus Christ is manifest,

The day for which the saints do pray,

The whole world will be blessed.

Dauphin, 1978, 79

And then...

The heavy stone is rolled away; I've risen from the earth.

I have new life and power now; I've had my second birth.

The day for Him to judge is here; I sit upon His throne;

He draws His sword a second time and I am not alone.

Yes, now I am that butterfly, no more to crawl or squirm,

But it's His work, I can't deny,

For I was but a worm...

Yes, it's His work, I can't deny,

For I was but a worm.

Lethbridge, 1984, 85

Do We Thank God and Live?

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In our losses we bore as we forsook all to follow the Lord, we were discovering that "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of that which he possesses." We were also learning about the sovereignty of God, how He is over all and engineers all things according to His will. (See also Intro. in Poem section).

We weep at the loss of our holdings,

Our ambitions and savings destroyed,

But to bring us to greater horizons

Has God these events employed.

CHORUS:

Do we thank God and live or curse Him and die

As Job's wife suggested to him?

Do we climb up that mountain receiving more light

Or do we sit in our valley so dim?

Job lost all his possessions;

Even children and health were not spared,

But when brought to loftier places,

He realized how poorly he'd fared.

The circumstances besetting us all

Are not the issue at stake,

But how we respond to the Lord our God,

This will make or break.

Dauphin, 1978, 79

A Deadly Pull

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I think that one of the greatest battles I have ever had has been to forsake family and more particularly my parents, and perhaps most particularly, my father. His draw on my heart was so powerful, so very powerful. In his last years, his state was so pitiable that it was very hard for me to refuse him any wishes. It was agonizing indeed. But he died and was buried on my birthday, April 1, 1985.

His death was the morning after I received a vision of the Lord standing up to put a stop to the enemies who were tormenting me. I did not know anything of my father's death until the following morning, or that his death and the vision were related. In his death, I felt loosened, with new freedom and power.

A dead man beckons me from his dismal grave,

One which he had dug for himself,

And begs that I come and join him there

Where I was once myself.

I struggle at the familiar voice,

A tear drops from my eye;

It's almost as though I have no choice,

For if I go back, I die.

Impossible it has been for me

To convince him of the risen life;

My words fall on a dead man's ears

And the result is only strife.

My life is in deepest turmoil,

The bloodiest struggle I bear;

To Jesus alone I'll be loyal

For He alone does care.

I must go on to greater things,

More noble, holy and pure;

Whatever the mysterious future brings,

In Christ my steps are sure.

For me to live is Christ my King

And He is my Father new;

He wants me to live and to reign with Him

And He alone is true.

Dauphin, 1978, 79

Up Is Down and Down Is Up

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This satire is an expression of a time oft repeated wherein I felt incredulous and scornful of the thinking of so-called "theologians." They shape and size God, formulate the things they think He does, analyze Him, dissect Him, figure Him all out, put Him back together again according to their desires and tastes and put Him in a neat box, gift-wrapped and stamped, ready to be reproduced and mass-marketed to the ignorant masses the world over who swallow their doctrines as unsuspecting fish swallow bait, hook, line, sinker and rod.

By the way, God hates the term "theology." How presumptuous is man that he should dare try to study God!

It is commonly believed by small and great

That God dwells in Heaven in royal estate,

That Satan in Hell lives in darkness and hate,

That this will never change.

God IS in Heaven and also in Hell,

The psalmist does declare

And with sons of God in Heaven, says Job,

Satan too is there.

God is in Hell and Satan in Heaven

The Scriptures testify

And only the sincere seeker of truth

Will faulty doctrine defy.

God in Heaven, man on Earth

And Satan in Hell is the creed,

Yet Satan walks to and fro in the earth,

And Emmanuel is "God with us" we read.

The Christian is seated in heavenly places,

The heathen dwell in Hell,

Yet both walk the earth with Satan and God

And where who is who can tell?

To know the truth is to shed the lie

And born full of lies we are;

It therefore takes a shedding of self

And to all we've been taught we must die.

The answer lies in the Spirit of God

Who leads us to know all things

And once we've discovered the answers we've sought,

To our souls peace and freedom He brings.

Dauphin, 1978, 79

The Path of Truth

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An exhilarating path it is but a lonely one. Each segment of this path brings its trials and troubles but also its rewards along with proof and assurance that any segment of it is more than worthwhile the endeavour.

Well, here we go down the path of truth again,

Looking danger in the eye, fearing nothing but the Lord.

This path is hard and there are few that care to come

But as we go along we find that chains will all be left behind.

The tears we shed both for ourselves and our friends

Aren't worth comparing to the glory that'll be ours when we're done.

It's like a dream; it's like a story of outer space;

It's like a fairy tale for children

But as we go we find it's true.

I wouldn't stop and turn around for all the world;

It's life or death for me

And those who've realized the facts of life.

Let come what may even death if that must be

But I'm convinced that I obey the One Who'll finally set me free.

The light grows bright as I come closer to the end

And worldly pleasures and possessions fade away as so much smoke.

I find a joy within me bubbling to the surface

As in peace I run the race

That will soon give me the prize.

Dauphin, before going to Israel, 1979

The Father Gave Me Words

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We encountered an incident wherein religious people, friendly and all, counseled us to reconsider an undertaking we knew was the Lord's leading. We were learning that Satan's servants are ever there, with Bible under arm, God's praises on their lips, prepared to do battle "with love." The strange thing is that while I recall the Lord giving me what to say to these people, I do not recall what those words were, so occupied I was with learning another lesson.

Satan came to my house one evening;

He tried to cast a doubt into my mind.

With his mouth he blessed the Lord

And with his face he flashed a smile;

Satan came to my house one evening.

At the time I didn't know it was the devil.

He often comes in the guise of a good man.

But I knew there was a battle

And strong resistance from his vessel

And the Father gave me words to speak to him.

Repeat 1st verse.

The Lord has given us commandment

To trust in Him, with all our hearts,

To shun the works and the words and ways of man.

And if we're true to His commandment

Then peace will follow and victory too

And men will have no power to make us stray away from Him.

Repeat 2nd verse.

Dauphin, before Israel, 1979

Crossroads

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This song was written in Israel when a future friend to whom the Lord led us to speak was confronted with a major decision. This decision had major implications for him either way. He took the right road only to come to many crossroads since.

At times while travellin' you will come to some crossroads.

They'll come in sight just when you least expect them.

And then you'll have to decide

To walk the path of truth or run and hide

And if you choose the right path, you'll travel further on...

Till crossroads come into your sight again.

How can you tell to choose the right path from the wrong?

Do signposts fill you in so you can easily tell?

Everything appears to be so good

And you may think it's easily understood,

But listen to the Voice inside whose motive is for good

And recognize the peace that's in your soul.

Some paths we take that we can never change again.

They may be easy first but harder in the end.

Don't ever take the road that looks so smooth;

It's smooth from crowds who've passed by foolishly;

The rarely traveled road with rocks and holes for travelling guests

Is the road that leads you to the truth of life.

So if you want it easier for now

Then take the road that pleases you the most,

But if it's peace instead of shame you want to meet at last,

Then ponder all these things before you choose.

Revivim, Israel, Sept. 1979

It's Great to Be Somebody

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I knew a man by whom I met Judas Iscariot. Judas, I learned, was a glory seeker, one who wanted in on the best this world had to offer and who was prepared to betray any association to get what he wanted. Ironically, what he wanted was belonging, acceptance, social security. He lost it all or rather, lost all opportunity of gaining such because he never did have it.

I've waited for riches; I've waited for fame;

I've longed for the glory, and all in His Name.

I've sought for the spotlight; I've sought for the crowds,

But it's great to be somebody because you're nobody

Because you're His.

We lust after good things; we want every gift;

We look for fulfillment, and all in His Name.

We want to do great things; we want to be wanted,

But it's great to be somebody because you're nobody

Because you're His.

In sun or in shadow, in fame or seclusion,

In mountains or valleys, it matters no more,

When all that's important is your life in Jesus,

It's great to be somebody because you're nobody

Because you're His.

Winnipeg, Man, May 3, 1980