Poetry For The Church In Renewal Book 3

POETRY FOR THE CHURCH IN RENEWAL BOOK THREE

BY IRENE MCGOUGH

All poems by Irene McGough Copyright © 2009 http://www. discipleofjesussite.com

All rights reserved. Disciples of Jesus Ministry. 2009

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Page 3. INDEX Page 5. I MUST BE HOLY FOR HE IS HOLY Page 6. HE IS RISEN Page 7. ARE WE GOING TO ENTER A WINTER OF DISCONTENT? HEALING OF THE WHOLE PERSON Page 9. Page 11. AT THE CROSSROADS Page 12. BAPTISM Page 13. COME ON ALL YOU PEOPLE Page 14. COME THIRSTY Page 15. CREATIVE GIFTS Page 16. DEAR FATHER IN UNITY WE COME Page 17. RUNNING TOWARDS ABBA DADDY Page 18. EAGLES WILL SOAR TO THE THRONE OF GOD Page 19. FINDING IDENTITY Page20. FIRE OF PENTECOST Page 21. FRIEND ARE YOU HAPPY? Page 22. THE HEART OF GOD FOR THE CITY Page 24. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Page 25. GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH Page 26. GUIDANCE Page 27. HOLY GHOST FIRE Page 28. HOMECOMING Page 29. I AM A SOLDIER Page 30. I BELIEVE ( My first poem) Page 31. I KNOW I AM SAVED Page 32. I WANT THAT GOD KIND OF LOVE Page 33. INVITATION TO A WEDDING (the Wedding Feast of the Lamb) JESUS IS KING Page 34. Page 35. JESUS IS MY LORD Page 36. JOY IN JESUS Page 37. LIFE HAS MEANING Page 39. MAY GOD BLESS YOUR MARRIAGE. Page 40. MY SOUL DOES MAGNIFY YOU Page 41. POWER IN YOUR BLOOD REND THE HEAVENS LORD Page 42. Page 43. Page 44. Page 45. Page 47. Page 48.

REVIVAL SET ME ABLAZE WITH YOUR FIRE SET THIS LAND ABLAZE SHEKINAH GLORY SONS AND DAUGHTERS PROPHESY 3

Page 50. STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. Page 51. SWEET INTIMACY Page 52. SWEET DAUGHTER Page 54. TAKE ME BACK TO THE CROSS THANK YOU JESUS Page 56. Page 57. THE BRIDEGROOM Page 58. THE CRY OF A MOTHER’S HEART. Page 59. THE YEAR OF THE GATE, 2008 Page 60. THE GATES ARE WIDE OPEN. 8/8/2008 Page 61. ONLY BELIEVE Page 63. THE KINGDOM Page 64. THE RIVER Page 65. THE SEASON Page 66. I AM IN LOVE WITH A MAN Page 67. THERE IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL ABOUT THAT NAME TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO OR SO Page 68. Page 69. THEY DARED TO INTERRUPT. TO A DEAR CHILD OF OUR HEAVENLY Page 70. FATHER Page 71. TO A GRACIOUS MERCIFUL FATHER Page 72. WE NEED TO SEE THROUGH HIS EYES Page 73. WE WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD Page 74. YOU ARE A SOMEBODY Page 75. WHAT WOULD I DO? YOU CAME AND REVIVED MY HEART Page 76. Page 77. A LETTER TO THE 21st CENTURY CHURCH Page 80. YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE Page 81. NEW YEAR 2009

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I MUST BE HOLY FOR HE IS HOLY

I want to tell you a marvellous story, Of how the King of glory, Came and pointed out my sin, That I might be cleansed deep within. He said “My child I want you to be holy, Rid yourself of sin and pride and be holy, for I am holy,” I fell down upon my face for I was far from pure, Who was I to stand in the presence of one so pure? And I cried unto the Lord “I want to be more like you, It amazes me that you can love one such as me, How the sinless spotless son of God can love me like you do, Yet your blood paid the price for my sin setting me free.” So often Lord I have cried out saying “I want to see your face, And I dearly love your sweet, sweet embrace,” Then you ask me, yes one such as me to come closer, You say to me “Come my child I will reveal to you so much more.” “So Lord I ask you to come and purify my whole heart, I fall so far short of what you would have me to be, Please dear Lord cleanse me and let me have a fresh new start, That from this moment on, people looking at me, it will be you they see.” I have realised now that I can no longer do anything in my own strength, And I’m crying out “Dear Lord take the me, and the I out the storm, For it can no longer be me that takes control of my life, I need your strength, I need you to come and the deep recesses of my heart and mind transform.”

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HE IS RISEN

Hallelujah! How wonderful Jesus is risen, What joy Christ the Lord is alive and living, For he won the victory over death and the grave, That resurrection power might be known to us the saved. He asked us to take up our cross and follow Him, Not promise of an easy road we enter sufferings with Him, But even in death for us the redeemed, where is the sting? Eternity we will spend with the one who has washed away our sins. When we think of that empty tomb and that stone rolled away, We stand amazed when reflecting on what it took to wash our sins away, There was nothing could cleanse us except the shedding of His blood, It was all for us that Jesus our Lord and Saviour suffered and bled. And we know that today He sits at His Father’s right hand, Interceding for us that we might in love and unity stand, Being drawn ever closer unto Him that we might behold His glory, And walk throughout life, in resurrection power and victory. Hallelujah, Jesus is risen, He is risen indeed.!

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ARE WE GOING TO ENTER A WINTER OF DISCONTENT? We are in danger of entering a winter of discontentment, Many Christians at the moment are feeling disillusioned, And there are many feeling angry at God and disgruntled, We as believers are not walking united in one accord. Some having run with the recent outpouring are disappointed. For it all seemed to come to an end at the end of Lakeland, But it was God, who stirred a hunger in you for more of Him, He wants each one of us to keep pressing on in to Him. The people of God are imperfect and leaders may fall, Now more than ever He wants us to press in and give Him our all, He calls us now to humble ourselves and fast and pray, And He wants us to enter the secret place and here what He has to say. For real revival always, always starts with an awakening in our hearts, He wants us to learn from the mistakes made in the past, We must be well grounded in the Word and in relationship with Him, We need to spend time in His Presence and at His feet learn. But we must never give up for God has promised to pour out His Spirit, And all over the world hearts of God’s people are being stirred, For we are going to be made ready for the return of our King, So for now let us in one accord our dear Saviour’s praises sing. It is time for the body of Christ to spend time seeking His face, He wants us His bride to start giving Him His proper place, We need to put aside discontentment and turn our eyes on to Him, For true long lasting revival can only come when it’s all about Him. So, we God’s people need to repent right now for allowing the enemy in, He is very subtle and comes like a thief trying to kill steal and destroy, But when we become disillusioned we go head first into sin, And the Lord Himself says to us, “Come to me and I will restore your joy.

I have never left you I have always been there for you, I just gave you a taster, My people you were not ready, you will be purified and then comes the power, 7

A mighty new wave of the Spirit is on it’s way and I do not want you to miss it, You will no longer walk in your own strength but in the might and power of the Holy Spirit. So, don’t give up, do not enter the valley of despair for fresh joy comes in the morning, Even through your times in the valley seek my face and you will be rejoicing, Fix your eyes on me, for I will guide you right up to the top of that mountain, And my dear friends I assure you that you have a future hope that is certain.”

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HEALING OF THE WHOLE PERSON I want you all to know that God is so awesome, He loves you and beckons you to come home, He watches over the sparrows in the air, And he’s numbered every one of your head’s hairs. I came to Jesus as a young child of seven, And now I know I have a new home in heaven, I don’t feel at home in this world any longer, For my longing to be with him is getting stronger. The Word says that “By his stripes I am healed,” The little word “salvation” means so much more, Than I first understood it to mean when first I was saved, For he came and he shook me right to the core. He has been revealing new truths as to His nature, To help me to grow up as a Christian more mature, For Jesus wants to meet us right where we are, He wants us to come up closer, come up higher. Now I know what it is to be healed of emotional hurts, Jesus gave his life for me the just for the unjust, And he wanted to bring restoration into my life, That I might walk hand in hand with him throughout life He came and he wiped away all my tears, And he came and he rid me of my fears, He saw me in times of trouble and carried me through, And he said “ My child I have planned the way for you.” He saw me sitting sick and afflicted and he met me there, And he poured out his healing touch for he really cares, And he looks at you with love and compassion too, Then he says “ I want to set you totally free for I love you.” What the Lord has done for me he wants to do for you, He wants to rain down on you his heavenly dew, With arms open wide he beckons you to come home, He wants to restore you totally and make you whole. So if you have yet to accept this free gift of salvation, freely given, 9

Why not repent of your sins and you will be on course for heaven? For today Jesus is looking upon you with love and compassion, And he wants to birth new life in you making you a new creation. So choose my friend what you will do with Jesus today? Be assured there is one way to eternal life, there is no other way, And Christian are you walking in a life of victory? Submit all over to Jesus and the place of defeat is history. Come then friends and know that the Lord wants you to be free, He wants to take first place it’s not all about you and me, So come and give your whole self over to him today, Declaring openly to all around you, you belong to Jesus today.

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AT THE CROSSROADS

I’ve been walking along life’s journey for a long time now, And I came to the crossroads and looked for the right way to go, But I was confused as to which road was right for me to pursue, Should I follow the broad road or the one which is narrow? My friends looked at the broad road and thought together we will go, I was a pilgrim seeking something new so I chose the road that was narrow, It meant going a lonely road and a big change in life’s direction, But this narrow road meant finding Jesus Christ and salvation. For broad is the road that many will pursue but it leads to destruction, And narrow is the road leading to eternal life and regeneration, For although I am travelling on the lonely road that less pursue, I never ever travel this journey alone for the Lord is with me too. I have a hope that is certain and sure, of eternity with my best friend. And I know that I will go to be with Him when I reach life’s journeys end, I need not worry and I need not fear for my Lord brings peace and joy, No matter what comes at me along life’s journey, in him I rejoice. For he gave me a prize when I entered that narrow gate, His blood washed my sins away, giving me a clean slate, And he said “My dear child your sins are forgiven, At the end of your journey you will find a new home in heaven.” So my friends if you are today seeking which direction to go, The road I am travelling brings peace and joy I want you to know, You may see a large crowd travelling along the broad road, But pause and give thought, and come follow the narrow road.

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For you my friends on the occasion of your baptism BAPTISM What a precious day this is for you my friend, Declaring to all present that you’ll serve Jesus to the end, For in obedience you are following the Master’s call, Testifying that from now on, you want to give Him your all. May the Holy Spirit fill you up to overflowing, For you are declaring to all that you will live for God alone, And as you go through the waters of baptism, For the old life has gone and you are a new creature in Him So as you are immersed in the baptismal water, May your heart start flowing with living waters, And may you long for your Saviour with such desire, That the Spirit baptizes you, also with fresh fire. And may you know the full joy of your salvation, Adopted into God’s family you are now His relation, Throughout the good times and life’s trials He will stay, Right there beside you helping you, each and every day.

So may your life from now on be a living testimony, That Jesus is in your life and all else is history, And may you go now from strength to strength, Walking with the Lord Jesus throughout day’s length.

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COME ON ALL YOU PEOPLE

Come on all you people; Come on all you people. Sing praises to the Lord; Magnify the Lord. Exalt His Holy Name Put your trust in Him right now. He’s forever more the same, He delivers us from fears; He comforts all our tears. Taste and see that the Lord is good, He alone is provider of our food. Seek to do His will right now.

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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.

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CREATIVE GIFTS God wants us to use our creative gifts, For he is bringing them to the fore in us today, So if you can draw or paint, write prose or poetry, It is time my friends to use your God given gifts. So whatever it is that he has birthed in you, Be sure to use your gift for His glory, Take the first step in doing that which he has birthed in you, Could it be that he wants you to tell your story? Maybe you lean more to acting or mime? Than putting verses into poetic rhyme, But if God has planted creativity in you, Be assured whatever it is he will enable you to do.

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DEAR FATHER IN UNITY WE COME Dear Father in unity we come seeking more revelation of who you are, You are the Holy One; Glorious in Infinite Splendor you are, And we long to see your Kingdom come in full reality, For when heaven touches earth healing of the whole person is a surety. We give you praise and thanks for you always provide for us, We need never worry about having food provided for us, For you provide the food on our tables and a roof over our heads, So no matter what comes against us we will trust in you instead. Forgive us Father for our foolish ways, for debts we have accumulated, You have forgiven us so let us forgive those who against us sinned, Help us to overcome the temptations that the devil casts our way, That we might be overcomers, empowered by the Holy Sprit every day. Fill us up afresh that we might play our part in heralding in your Kingdom, For it’s not by our might, nor by our power but by your Spirit we move, And as we tell the people about King Jesus we will see many come to salvation, As we come in repentance and obediently in response to your voice move. We will praise your Precious Name and give you all the glory, Your precious cup of oil that anoints us to spread your “Good News” story, Of how you call sinners to repentance and wash away their sins, And You want to heal every part of them cleansing them deep within. So let the fire of heaven ignite us afresh to see the captives set free, May the light of your countenance shine forth in us that people might see, Just even a glimpse of how marvelous and wonderful you are Dear God, And they might come to the foot of the cross declaring Jesus as Lord. We worship only you Our Lord and our God for you alone are Worthy, There is none like you, in unison we cry Holy, Holy, Holy unto you. How magnificent in glorious splendor you are Worthy, Worthy, Worthy, And now in unity your people come with voices of one accord to worship you. 16

RUNNING TOWARDS ABBA DADDY 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, 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.”

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EAGLES WILL SOAR TO THE THRONE OF GOD God wants us to soar right up there with the eagles, He wants us to be victorious and eager, For don’t you see the victory is already won., For God so Loved the World He sent His only Son, And the enemy has been defeated, he’s in his last rampage, For his days are numbered and he’s heading straight to hell, And our dear Saviour the Lord Jesus is triumphant throughout the ages, Now the glorious gospel of the Kingdom this message we must tell. Christian can’t you see it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory, He is the baptiser with the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live in victory, For we are no longer in defeat, satan is under our feet, And our rightful place is to be caught up and in the heavers seated. And if we seek His face and listen to His voice and obey our Lord , He who has equipped us with full armour including His Spirit Sword, We will indeed soar up with the eagles to the throne of God, And we will see heaven touch earth and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

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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 19

FIRE OF PENTECOST Let coals of Holy Spirit fire fall upon your people today, And let those burning embers fan into flame, Make us burn with your holiness, Lord have your way, Lord ignite us, may we be ablaze with your flame. Burn us with your Shekinah Glory, let it shine through us, We want you to come and consume every part of us, Send us another Pentecost that will flood through the nations, A greater outpouring of your Holy Spirit than previously seen. We want to be like fiery coals burning for you forever ablaze, So baptize us with your power from on High, give us boldness, Revive us, rid of us all fear, for we walk in Holy Spirit Power, Burst open the Heavens and let your Glory come down this hour, We want fire, we want fire; for you Lord are the object of our desire, More, more, more, more of you Lord, alight the fire, Fire of God fall on the nations, north to south, east to west, And may we in this hour of Pentecost start to give you our best. Fire of God fall on us, fire of God come fall on us, Let us burn with fire and passion for you Lord Jesus, Glory, glory, glory, precious Heavenly glory coming down on us, Touching down upon each of us where we are in our home town. We are ruined for anything else but living for you and you alone, And we come this day longing for another glimpse of your Heavenly Throne, Holy, Holy, Holy are you Lord,; Worthy, worthy, worthy are you Lord, And we cry “More Lord,” “More Lord” with voices of one accord. More of your presence, more of your glory Lord is what we crave, Holy Spirit come in power and bring us another wave, Let your kingdom come in fullness, may heaven touch this earth, As we see you Holy Spirit move in power and fires of revival birth.

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FRIEND ARE YOU HAPPY? Friend are you really happy at the close of the day? A good job, flash car, fancy house do they satisfy? For you money is no problem, you seem to have everything, But right deep down you wonder about life’s meaning. So you throw yet another party, and gather fair-weather friends, But what happens if you’re down on your luck and money ends? So when your parties over and you think you have all you need, Take a rain check and ask yourself “Am I satisfying my deepest need?” Do you long for someone to love you for just who you are? Or could it be they love you for your fancy flash car? Do you know the true meaning of having someone to love? For lust and sexual attraction will never take the place of love. But there is someone who wants to pour out His love upon you. God so loved you He sent Jesus His only son to die for you, Jesus died that you might be reconciled to a relationship with God, All you have to do is confess your sins and accept Him at His Word. For God wants to forgive your sins and give you a new life, A life with real meaning, purpose driven, no more strife, For the love of God the Father is a love beyond compare, He will give you a life everlasting, take to Him your every care. So my friend come to Jesus, He gave His life for you on the cross, Ask Him into your life today and you will no longer turn and toss, For there is real joy and freedom with Jesus as your friend. And you will know a hope for sure beyond this life’s end.

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THE HEART OF GOD FOR THE CITY God has heard the heartfelt prayers of the faithful, He has heard you cry out for this city, He says it will be unto you according to your faith, For God loves all the people in this city, Don’t you see it was God who birthed compassion for the lost in you? Can’t you see that as Jesus wept for Jerusalem He weeps for your city? He says rise up my people, it is harvest time for you. “Come walk with me through your city, it’s time to take the city.” God desires to see the Kingdom of heaven come; He’s changing the city air. He is waiting for His people to rise up and violently take it by force. We need to see that we already have the victory standing in faith. We need to go to war against the principalities and powers of the air. The enemy has been defeated; he’s headed for the pit of hell. The victory is ours through Jesus our Lord, He’s prepared the way well, Many tears have been shed from Heaven as Father God gazes down on the city, Then he sheds tears of joy when he hears his people intercede for their city. Like any good Father he wants to meet the needs of those who are hungry. He wants to feed and clothe those who are poor, and set the captives free. He looks at men and women trapped in addictions and He wants them to see, That only through Jesus and His blood shed for them they can have real victory. There is a river flowing through the city of Glasgow and the river brings life, In times past many made their livelihoods in the shipyards by the docks, Recent decades have meant shipyard closures, and many have had to find work, But the river still flows through the city and with it comes new life. I see swirling waves birthing a river flowing through the city streets, This river is the river of life flowing freely through the streets of this city. 22

God’s people from all denominations are taking the message to the people they meet, Salvation, signs wonders and miracles has come to the people of our city. As the woman with an issue of blood once touched the hem of His garment, We as ambassadors for Christ are going to see strangers asking us about Jesus, We will lay hands on the sick with authority and all will be healed in Jesus name. Our shadows may bring healing to the sick for the Holy Spirit is forever the same. So let us the people of God arise as the Lord has called us to. He is the Lord of the harvest and He is bringing forth the harvest, The river of life is about to flow freely through the city, I want to be immersed in that river as it flows through this city, don’t you?

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Wishing you dear friend, a very happy birthday, And for God’s richest blessings to come your way, Your dear friend are a precious child in God’s family, May He give you wonderful visions that are heavenly, Our prayer is for you to experience such joy and happiness, May God bless you as you show others His love and kindness, Dear friend you may be thinking that you are getting old, And feel your youth has passed you by if truth be told? But the Lord wants to renew your youth and your strength, He wants to take you and have you soar, with the eagles today, For the best is yet to come ahead of you this day, For you are being raised to new heights throughout your days length. Your family and friends love you and wish you all the best, May you know more and more of God’s wonderful peace and rest, For He sees your heart and the love and care that you to others impart, And before time began He had purposed to call you apart. So dear friend we want you to know that you are so loved, And we long for you for with the desires of your heart to be blessed, So once again we wish you a wonderful birthday, And may joy and happiness today come your way. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Love from

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GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH God is your strength in your hour of weariness, He has all things under His control, Know that through moments of difficulties, You have One who makes you complete and whole. So come enter His sweet place of rest and peace, The love that the Lord has for you will never cease, Every worry, every care take to the Lord and leave them there, He has heard your prayers and each one He will answer. Come running to him and feel His sweet embrace, You are His child and He welcomes you with open arms, Those tears and hurts He will wipe fully away, He will restore your joy no matter what comes your way. For you joy is in Him, your rest in Him, And though life may have brought disappointment, You can know a real peace and joy within, Experiencing the Lord's sweet fellowship and contentment.

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GUIDANCE Lord , you know I love to dance with you, But sometimes I forget that you guide that dance, So dear Lord I ask you to guide all my footsteps, So I will not run ahead or lag behind your steps. Let my heart beat with your heartbeat, Teach me to walk fully in your ways, Help me to spend time sitting at your feet, “I want to know so much more of you” I pray. So Lord let me remember that word guidance, That I might keep in step following the Lord of the dance, Guide my steps, that I might live for you alone, Keep me walking in step with you and don’t let me roam.

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HOLY GHOST FIRE There’s a fire burning, A Holy Ghost fire A fire burning, Within my heart. A fire burning, Consuming me. A fire burning, Consuming me. That fire burns freely, For I am free, Jesus set me free Now its Jesus and me. A fire burning, Consuming me. A fire burning, Consuming me. Oh, that fires burning A Holy Ghost fire. A fire burning Within my heart A fire burning, Consuming me. A fire burning, Consuming me. Let's let the fire burn. A Holy Ghost fire. A fire burning Within our hearts A fire burning, Consuming us, A fire burning, Consuming us.

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. HOMECOMING

Home life was tough I felt like an orphan, From abuse, troubles and strife I ran, I was lost and all alone, Had my heart really turned to stone? All I wanted was someone to care, Life’s trials were just too much to bare, Then someone told me that Jesus loved me, He went all the way to Calvary for me. It was at the cross that I found love, The Holy Spirit descended on me like a dove, Father God, put His arms around me, He said come home my child and welcomed me. Now I know what it is to be alive, For I was dead inside from the age of five, Praise the Lord for He set me free, From now on it’s just Jesus and me. Irene McGough 2007 (Not personal testimony but written from the perspective’s of those I have met, and seen how Jesus has broken in through the darkness.)

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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. 29

I BELIEVE ( My first poem)

I believe in God the Father, I've put my trust in Jesus Christ, i believe in the Holy Spirit, Empowering me from day to day. I believe in the power of prayer, I believe Jesus died for me, I believe God answers prayers, Praise the Lord for He answers mine.

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I KNOW I AM SAVED Jesus sought me out offering a free gift you see, His love and mercy were directed to even me, For although I was undeserving and dead in sin, He offered to me forgiveness and a new life to begin So I came to Jesus one night long ago, I was only a child yet I knew he loved me so, And I am so thankful for the gift of salvation, Which has made me into a new creation. My parents were Christians but that wasn’t enough, The Lord said to me “You have to deal with your own sin stuff,” So even although I was only a child of seven, I knew Jesus loved me and wanted me to have a home in heaven. The Holy Spirit came and dwelt within me, Restoring to me a relationship with Father God you see, For two thousand years ago my dear Saviour died, Through his blood shed for me I have been justified. And I confessed to others that Jesus is Lord of my life, Telling others how they too can have Jesus in their lives, Jesus asked me to be a witness to the people out there, Telling them that he wants to save and restore them for he really cares. I know I am saved because the Spirit birthed this longing in me, To draw closer and closer to Jesus my Lord each and every day, And I will walk in victory for Jesus washed my sins away, Through trials and tribulations I know my Lord goes before me. My sins past, present and future were washed away, On that day when Jesus came into my heart to stay, And Jesus is surely changing me this much I know, Submitting all to him in response to his call I must surely go.

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I WANT THAT GOD KIND OF LOVE I want to love like you love, I want to care like you care, Release your anointing from above, That I might ‘agape’ love share. Lord melt my cold, icy heart, And give it a fresh new start, Oh Lord please help me to see, That others must come before me. Lord, give me your heart of compassion, For I really want to be your reflection, May I your loving compassion show, So others might long for you to know. So help me to love like you love, And help me to care like your care, So others might see something of your love, And because I have you I really care.

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INVITATION TO A WEDDING (the Wedding Feast of the Lamb) My dear friend

Hello there, I want to extend an invitation personally to you, I am so excited and looking forward to my Wedding Day, That day is coming soon and I would love for you to be there too, Come and follow me and throughout eternity with me you will stay. For I am so longing for you to come running into my arms, My arms are opened wide and I am calling out your name, Come to me I want you to be part of the true church, my bride, Dear one, this world has no answers, come and in me abide. I loved you so much that I came and died on the cross for you, And now I’m longing for the day you will say” I love you too,” This wedding feast will be like no party you have ever seen, Come to me and you will be happier than you have ever been. Dear friend I am looking forward with anticipation for your reply, Repent of your sins and I will remember them no more, And all heaven will be rejoicing as I will be throwing a party. I will prepare a mansion just for you as part of the bride I adore. People from every tribe and nation have answered my call, They have said yes to me and they have surrendered their all, I want to pour my love upon you and give you real peace, This love I have for you my friend will never ever cease. The Groom –JESUS CHRIST RSVP

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JESUS IS KING I want to tell you a story, About the King of Glory From heaven to earth He came For us the lost He came. He died to set us free, The bonds of sin were untied. When on the cross He died. From sin's penalty we are set free He is coming back again, His people he will take, With Him forever we will reign, Our King, Yesterday and forever the same. Caught up together with Him in the air, On that morning bright and fair, Singing praises forever to His name, We shall stand in the presence of our King. Hallelujah, hallelujah, sing praises to the Lord, Worship the Majesty of our God, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Sing praises to the Lord of Hosts.

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JESUS IS MY LORD Jesus Is my Lord and Saviour, He is the one who I adore, And he gave his life for me, That I might eternal life see. Love , Grace and Mercy He poured out, So eternally His praises I will shout, He has given to me assurance of salvation And now I know that I am a new creation. The Lord Jesus Christ is my best friend, I will be with Him beyond life's journey's end, And I will live my life in service of Him, For my cup of joy overflows it's brim. For I have Jesus to take every care to, He knows my needs and provides for me too, Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same, Blessed be his glorious wonderful Name. My Jesus has made me so completely whole, He came into my life and filled a big hole, Physically, emotionally, financially He heals, Praise God I am His and carry His seal.

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JOY IN JESUS Lord you have planned the path of my life; And in your sweet presence is fullness of joy; I will rejoice in you through the days of my life, For knowing you gives me immeasurable joy. My heart leaps and my voice cries out with joy, Did anyone ever know such wonderful joy? For you have poured out your grace and mercy on me, What love is this your blood shed for one such as me? Oh Lord, restore to me the full joy of my salvation, Let it be joy overflowing that impacts people in this nation, Lord I ask you to clothe me with your righteousness, In all situations let me know joy and peace and not stress. The blessings you give me are far beyond compare; When times are hard yet will I praise your name, For you, Oh Lord are the Name above all names, Lord this joy is so great, that with others I might share. Lord, the Kingdom of heaven is a treasure field of joy, My desire for that day is to hear “My faithful servant, well done!” For on that day of your return I will know such fullness of joy, But for now I will rejoice in you and reach out for souls must be won. Your Word says there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, And that joy you have given me is for others around me too, So Lord, let me share that love and joy with others as one who is sent, For you Lord long to see others know the joy that only you can give too. Holy Spirit you bear witness and have my cup overflowing with joy, Fill me up with all joy and peace in believing, that I may live by Holy Spirit power, For I long to share with others something of your Glory this very hour, And no matter what comes against me, I will rejoice with this wonderful joy. For in your presence Lord there is fullness of such marvellous joy, And that joy bubbles up from deep within so that it can’t be contained, I will dance and I will sing your praises, you give me such joy, I thank you for the joy and freedom that I have in Jesus my Lord. 36

LIFE HAS MEANING You have been searching so long for the meaning of life, And all you have found is anger, hurting and strife, But deep down within something tells you there is more, Than what you have seen or experienced before. You’ve been seeking someone to love the real you, But it’s all ended in rejection and hurting too, And all you have wanted is to know someone is there, To share precious moments with and show they care. You thought you might find the answers sleeping around, But this was not the place where love could be found, And all you found was you gained a reputation, Increasing that feeling of hopelessness, and rejection. You turned to drugs or alcohol and you found addiction, At one point you tried religion but you found man’s tradition, And still you were searching, believing there must be more, Yet all you found was that life seemed a real bore. Thoughts have tormented you as to life’s purpose, And you’ve ended with the conclusion that it’s pointless, And you’ve heard men speak of heaven and hell, But you believed if you lived a good life all would be well. I want to tell you that someone really loves the real you, It does not matter where you have been or who you have been with, This love is unconditional and comes with forgiveness. For God sent his son to die on Calvary’s cross for you. The message my friend is that God and Jesus love you, God wants to restore a loving relationship with you, He offers a free gift of salvation to you if you believe, Come to Jesus today and you will a new life receive. For you dear friend were created with a purpose, Before time began God saw the day you would be born, He saw you there and it was you he chose, And all heaven will party when you are reborn. Every hurt, all your fears, all your pain he wants to wash away, 37

The blood Jesus shed for you was for you to be made whole, And he is in the business of healing every hurt in you today, You need to come to Jesus though, making him Lord. So please take heed and find real meaning in your life, By finding a new life without all the hurting and strife, For God is our Heavenly father and wants to lavish his love upon you, Will you accept his love, grace and mercy which is crying out for you.. Father God stands with his arms open wide saying “Come home to me, I have always loved you, I have seen ever hurt and all your tears, I have seen your struggles for I have watched you throughout the years, And I always cared, numbering even the hairs in your head can’t you see? I want you to know that when you come to me I will never reject you, The desire of my heart has always been for you my child to love me too, I want to wipe away all your tears, and rid you of all of your fear, My Son Jesus died that you and I might now be reconciled here. Something called sin caused a separation between you and I, It was to pay the price for your sins that the Lord Jesus did surely die. Now I want you to come and accept Jesus as your Lord today, You will be forgiven of all you have ever done, your sins washed away. So come to me today, I want to lavish my love upon you, The Holy Spirit will come and reside in you, strengthening you, Revealing more through a still small voice and the Word, helping you see, How you can now walk closely in relationship with me. I have promised to give an abundant life, life in all it’s fullness, Your needs I will supply, but I have not promised it will all be easy, But you will never again feel you are totally alone throughout life’s journey, For I promise to be with you guiding and helping you each step of the way. And I want you to know what it is to be totally free, Free to live a life of joy and peace that you have yet to know, A knowledge of a sure and certain future which you will see, Come to me today, and remember that I have always loved you so.”

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For newly weds. MAY GOD BLESS YOUR MARRIAGE. Wishing you both God’s richest blessings, On this the celebration of your wedding, Cleave together as the Word of God says, Love and cherish one another throughout your days. Remember always there are three in your marriage, A Christian marriage means both you two and God, In all that you do keep God on your life’s page, And He will direct your paths as He says in His Word.

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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 savor. 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."

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POWER IN YOUR BLOOD There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, To wash away our sins. There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, To change us deep within. There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, To cover and protect us There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, To heal all our sicknesses. There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, There is power in your blood, To set us so totally free.

REND THE HEAVENS LORD 41

Rend the heavens Lord Rend the heavens Lord, Revival fire fall on me Lord let your Spirit fall, I give you my all in all Take me, melt me, mould me; Let those springs of living water flow, That I might be aglow, So the people might see, My Lord Jesus in me. Oh, Holy Spirit flow through me. Rend the heavens Lord, Revival fire fall on me Lord let your Spirit fall, I give you my all in all Show your power Lord Our Lord and our God, Let the wind of Your Spirit flow, Making Your people all aglow, May our lives be a living testimony Oh, Holy Spirit flow through you and me. Rend the heavens Lord, Revival fire fall on me Lord let your Spirit fall, I give you my all in all.

REVIVAL 42

All over the world there is a stirring of fresh revival, As the people of God come repentant giving Jesus their all, For we are no longer satisfied with what we had before, We are coming hungry and thirsty, crying out for more. It is Jesus Christ we seek; He is the object of our deepest desire, For He has birthed within us a new passion and fire, Like any good bridegroom; He is lavishing his love on his bride, Wooing us and drawing us closer; through eternity we will with Him abide. Now that we have experienced the tangible presence of the Lord, We are ready to engage in all life’s battles; fully armoured yielding our swords, For we are becoming violent; for the sake of the Kingdom you see, And we have learned that it is time for us to truly bend our knees. We will keep on drinking from the fountain of living waters, And out of our hearts shall flow rivers of living water, “Keep filling us up Lord that our barrels might be full of oil, So now and always what this world has to offer will make us recoil.” We sing a new song in our hearts declaring “We belong to Jesus, We will live for Him each and every day, it’s no longer about us, From now on we will walk in the anointing of Holy Spirit power, Seeing the people around us saved, healed, and delivered in this hour”

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SET ME ABLAZE WITH YOUR FIRE Set me ablaze with your fire, For Jesus you are the one I desire, Come burn in every part of me, For you have set me so totally free. My heart starts to skip a beat, When I spend even moments at your feet, For you have given me immeasurable joy, Those times saturated in your presence I enjoy. So let your fire come burn within me, Let that flame burn brightly shining through me, That others might too catch the fire, And Lord Jesus may it be you they desire. Holy Spirit baptize me afresh with fire, I am a new creation in godly attire, And I will walk with your might and power, Running the race well for Jesus during this hour.

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SET THIS LAND ABLAZE Come my people and set this land ablaze, Let the fire of God burn freely, A fire that can never be erased, So the people might see true reality, For the people out there need our Lord, And many today know nothing of God’s Word, Many have never known a father’s love, And they know not that God is love, They do not know that he is a loving Father, With arms opened wide for them to come home, Many are searching for real love in another, And there is only one perfect love, there is no other. The love that God had for us is love beyond compare, For He sent His only Son to die for all men everywhere, For the people out there need to know of His grace, And that the Lord Jesus died for the whole human race. They need to know that God is gracious and merciful, And wants to forgive them of all of their sins, For there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents, And it as at that moment a new creature’s life begins. God wants to heal every hurt and pain making them whole, And he knows all the needs of each mortal soul, But many don’t know that Christ is the only Way, For they have been confused by the ideologies of today. Our Saviour has commissioned us all to go out there, And be His witnesses to the people everywhere. It’s not by might, nor power but by His Spirit says the Lord, By the fire of the Spirit we can boldly proclaim He is Lord. So my friends we need to seek a fresh baptism of fire, Which comes from seeking after Jesus with passionate desire, And asking the Holy Spirit to fill us up to overflowing, That we may carry the presence of Jesus where we are going. When the Holy Spirit ignites our hearts with fire, 45

Seeing souls won for Christ daily will be our desire, Oh, Holy Spirit come and set the church ablaze, So that we will do well in finishing the race.

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SHEKINAH GLORY Shekina glory, Shekinah glory; When I behold the glory of His face Shekinah glory, shekinah glory, When I behold the wonder of His grace. What a day that's going to be, When my Saviour I will see, Shekinah glory, Shekinah glory; When I behold His Majesty. Singing Hallelujah, singing Hallelujah, And praising Hs Name; With my Saviour I will be. Through all the years of eternity. Shekinah glory, Shekinah glory, Sing hallelujah and praise to His name. For me to earth My Saviour came; It was for me he died, oh wondrous story.

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SONS AND DAUGHTERS PROPHESY

“Come my children listen to my voice and prophesy, In theses days I am pouring my Spirit out on all flesh, The dry bones will come to life when you prophesy, My Father will reveal knowledge that is not of your flesh. My sheep here my voice and follow me, so come along with me, I want to take you right into the deep places you have yet to perceive, My dear bride I am awakening your spiritual eyes that you might see, That with me all things are possible if you will only believe. So, let your deaf ears be opened that you might clearly hear, What I have to say to you all in this very hour and day, Fresh wind is blowing and you will move into the realms of seers, For my Spirit is hovering across the face of the deep today. I breathe life and I am breathing life into my church once more, Like Lazarus many of you have been half asleep can’t you see? But I am breathing life and not death, awakening you forevermore, I came to give you abundant life so place your trust in me. I have a word for your town or city, listen now and prophesy, I will turn the hearts of many people back to myself can’t you see? Prophesy the wind of change coming to your town or city, For I will turn the hearts of the people away from their iniquity. But you my bride need to get violent for the sake of the Kingdom, Pray and prophesy to your land and many will receive freedom, So write down the things that I have to say to my people today, For this generation are rising up as a people of power for today. When the enemy comes against you remember the victory is won, For I go before you as your cloud by day and your fire by night, I conquered the powers of darkness saying it is finished, it’s done, So keep your focus on me, walk by faith, believing, not by sight. Let the scales come off your eyes so you might see clearly and prophesy, And deafness be gone that you might hear clearly what I have to say, 48

So here is the word that I have for you my dear bride today, Come to me, there’s more, come closer to me, for I long for intimacy. Humble yourselves before me, seek my face and I will heal your land, I will hear your prayers and heartfelt cries and I will respond, My promises in my Word are yes and amen and every promise I will keep, Come with a spirit of expectancy, only believing the harvest you will reap. For I am wooing you my bride, pouring my love upon you, It’s almost time for you to come and wear that wedding ring, But right now there is a large harvest of souls out there, A fresh baptism of my love will help you to really care. For 2,000 years ago I asked you to love me and love others first, And it’s only now when you are coming to me in hunger and thirst, That you are now learning in part how to love as I love, When you care like I care you will prophesy with wisdom from above. For I will show you new things in the realms of the Spirit can’t you see? You will see so much more clearly and confidently prophesy, Discerning that it is my voice that you hear and my visions you see, You will really know me as a wife knows her husband, you are coming to maturity. So my bride it is time for you to draw closer, come up a little higher, Do you long for me the way that I long after you? Come away with me, come into the bridal chambers, come closer, There is love, joy and liberty in my presence just for you. In that place of intimacy there is a new level of revelation knowledge for you, I lavish my kisses upon you expressing how I see you as beautiful too, From that place of real intimacy with me now I want you to see, How much easier it is for you to see and hear now from me. So, come my bride speak to the dry bones, and those bones shall live, For the wind of my spirit is swirling over the dark places and breathing life, Chains are falling off the prisoners, being saved, healed, delivered and set free, For they are coming out of darkness and into the light, returning to me.” 49

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. The promises of my Lord and my God are yes and amen, And what God promises He is faithful to deliver, So I take hold of His promises and say amen. I will place my trust in the Lord my Saviour. My Lord and Saviour is the restorer of my soul, The blood He shed was for me to be made whole. He has wiped away all of my iniquities, And He is the healer of all sickness or disease. The scourging He took was for my healing, Bodily, Spiritual and financial healing, He is even the one who provides me with faith, My Lord has spoken promises and they come to pass. I am a believer so I shall lay hands on the sick, The power of God within me will bring forth that healing, For it is Christ in me that is the hope of glory, I will boldly proclaim the full gospel story. God has promised to prosper me and not to harm me, So I know that He will provide for all my needs, He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me, So I will stand on the promises which in His Word I read.

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SWEET INTIMACY How he wants me to come closer, He says "Come on up a little higher," I love each little touch from Him, Each sweet caress from my King. Through Him I breathe, and have my being, And He has called me to spend eternity reigning, All eternity I will spend at His side, For now I am part of His Precious bride, And oh the joy that fills my heart, Forever I have been set apart, And I love Him so much more, Than I thought was possible before. For He saw that He was my greatest desire, And He came and baptized me with fire, And I know there is so much more, For all He does is on me His love pour. How simply amazing is that? That He should love me as He does, Oh the joy deep down in my heart, In Him I place my faith and trust. I love Jesus and I love his sweet caress, Whatever comes my way I know I can rest, For He has given me a peace and joy that's unshakable, And I know that in all things my Lord is totally able. And He takes me into the secret place, And I go seeking to see Him face to face, And He is so beautiful and majestically wonderful to me. So now the desire of my heart is now to help others see. He says to me " Go tell others about me, Tell them that they can come to really know me, I want them to know that I so love them too, And I want them to come and embrace me too." 51

FOR THE LADIES

SWEET DAUGHTER Come up here my sweet daughter, Don’t let any of your steps falter, Come running now into my arms, I will not let you come to harm. You are part of my son’s lovely bride, Hold your head up high and do not hide, You are beautiful all dressed in white, I see you there in a radiant light. Jesus blood has washed away every stain, You have been cleansed under a cleansing fountain, Your eyes are dancing when you call upon your King, I just love when you my praises sing. Come now to my table and with me dine, It’s time for you to drink more new wine, From the beginning of time I knew you, You are not a mistake I have always loved you. You are a princess, and I your daddy, am a King So come right out of that place of hiding, Be assured I so love the real you, And I know that you love me too. When you felt alone and hurting I was there, Be assured that I have always cared, Every tear every hurt I want to wash away, And all your fears I want to banish away. There is comfort, rest and peace in your daddy’s arms, I protect every hair on your head, you won’t be harmed, So come now princess it’s time to dance with my son, For one glance from your eyes his affections won. Walk tall with your head raised high, You no longer need to listen to satan's lies, 52

For like an eagle you are going to soar, You will run the race with Jesus, the one you adore.

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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, 54

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.

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THANK YOU JESUS Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me All of my sins were carried away, The blood of Jesus set me free, On Calvary’s Cross, You died for me Thank you Jesus for setting me free. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Lord, take my life and let me be, More and more and more like Thee. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, I want to be a beacon of light. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Help me reach out to those around me. Bringing others unto Thee, I want to praise Your Name. Jesus yesterday, and forever the same. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord, Thank you my Saviour for dying for me Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord , Thank you my Saviour for dying for me

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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.”

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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.

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THE YEAR OF THE GATE, 2008 Now that we have entered into the year two thousand and eight, The prophets say it’s time for the people of God to go through the gate, This gate takes us into the fullness of Kingdom reality, We are entering into a new season, the place of defeat is history. The Lord is calling us as Warriors, who will take the Kingdom by force, The enemy may attack but we will stay strong and steady on our course, To see the full power of the gospel of the Kingdom invade this earth, May the glory of God so invade earth, in height; depth and breadth. This gate that’s open wide is also a broadening of the way into God’s Kingdom, And during this year we will see many captives receiving their freedom, For the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the way the truth and the life, His blood was shed that in repentance they might come through the gate into life. We need to pass right on in through the gate and press on in to the inner courts, For if we really want to tabernacle with Him we have to reach the Holy of Holies, The Kingdom’s gate is open for us to come up higher, to seek His Face, And for this we must spend time alone with Him in the Secret Place. His sweet presence is the key to the gate beloved, don’t you see? For us to violently take the Kingdom we must see it’s not about you and me. Jesus said we shall be witnesses and see people healed in body mind and spirit, And for us to see this we must go forth empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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THE GATES ARE WIDE OPEN. 8/8/2008 It is time for us to move on to maturity, Believers around the world of every nationality., For the gates to the Kingdom are wide open today, Something has been broken in the spirit realm today. The ageless, faceless generation are being released, Now is the time for many new ministries to be birthed, We are rising up to take our rightful place in the kingdom, For the gates are wide open and we have found our freedom. The winds are changing once again, it’s time to move on, For the Lord has called us all with a purpose in the Kingdom, And it is time for us the people of God to move into our destiny, For the Fire of God is spreading and church as usual is history. We shall possess the land, for it’s time to move into our inheritance, And we have to abide within the tabernacle, for the Lord wants to us romance, The Kingdom’s gate is open for us to come up higher, to seek His Face, And for this we must spend time alone with Him in the Secret Place. Hallelujah, we give all the praise to the Lord Jesus, For this hour, for this moment in time he has indeed called us, He has imparted His sweet presence to us the bride you see, It’s time to violently take the Kingdom for it’s not about you and me. We are rising up as Warriors, who will take the Kingdom by force, The enemy may attack but we will stay strong and steady on our course, To see the full power of the gospel of the Kingdom invade this earth, May the glory of God so invade earth, in height; depth and breadth. His presence is the key to the gate and he has so blessed us in this hour, Holy Spirit come, and keep filling us up afresh to move as a people of power, Jesus said we shall be witnesses and see people healed in body, mind and spirit, And for us to see this we must go forth empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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ONLY BELIEVE All things are possible if you only believe, For God is the God of the impossible, So all we have to do my friends is only believe, The Word says with God all things are possible. So come let us step right into supernatural realms, For all we need to step right in is only believe, In all that we do, we need to keep Christ at the helm, We need to walk in the gift of faith now and only believe. Let us move right on in leaving the outer courts behind us, Then through to the Holy of Holies coming face to face with Jesus, There is so much more for us to discover only believe, Seek after Jesus and we will enter the heavenly realms to receive. And the angelic realm will become accessible only believe, For in the presence of angels there is freedom and liberty, And with these open heavens we will move on to victory, The fire of the Holy Spirit will totally engulf us only believe. We will move into realms of the miraculous like never before, Moving in full resurrection power for there is still more, What we have tasted is only the beginning of what we will receive, For we are about to be revolutionized by ‘agape’ love, only believe. What men have beheld of the glory of the Lord is only the beginning, Open wide the gates it’s time for the King of Glory to come right in, We have only started to waken up; there is so much more, only believe, For Jesus is coming back for a pure spotless bride, only believe. Holy Spirit come with your refiner’s fire and purify our hearts, Increase our longing; increase our desire for Jesus in our hearts, For we long to be changed and take on his very nature, We know that there is urgency in this hour for the bride to mature. So we will press on in to the Secret Holy Places and only believe, There is more for us to access when we come in faith and only believe, Heavenly visions and miraculous signs and wonders are at hand, Our nation is about to be set ablaze as we move in power through this land. 61

And the Lord is about to set many captives totally free, only believe, It is time for the prodigals to come running home to Daddy, only believe, And all your sicknesses and diseases are being healed now, only believe. For the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, come to Jesus and only believe. The Lord is jealous for our affections can’t you see he wants intimacy, It is time for us draw real close, being taken to new levels of intimacy, For the fullness of Kingdom reality is right at hand, only believe. Step right into the realm of the supernatural now, only believe. We are going to be such carriers of the presence of God, only believe, That people will come asking us “What do we need to be saved?” People will be even healed by the “Christ in us” as we pass by, only believe, For it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory, so we need to only believe. ONLY BELIEVE

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THE KINGDOM

The enemy thinks he can lead my people astray, But I am telling you now there is no way, For I am sending my warring angels forth to protect you, And my people are getting stronger and overcoming too. Remember, I am on your side my dear children, For even through trials remember you are not forgotten, I will never leave you nor forsake you so come now, Rise up for it's time for you to take my kingdom now. You are no longer a people living in defeat, For I will your every need meet, As you walk in obedience to my great gospel commission, Touching the hearts of people with my love not religion. For it was out of love that I came and died, Suffering in every way such as man and I cried, So learn what it really means to take up your cross, That you might reach others and put my message across. And you will lay hands on the sick and see them healed, Spiritually, physically and mentally healed, For it's time for you to know full Holy Spirit power, He will equip and empower you for this very hour. Now it's time, my people its your time, I am stretching all those that are mine, Don't you know you need to be fully awake, For it is time for you my kingdom to take.

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THE RIVER There is a river proceeding from God’s Throne, And that river brings life, presence and power, With it flows God’s grace and mercy for this hour, As the Holy Spirit calls people to be new creations, Living waters quench the thirst of those who are thirsty, Those who drink of those living waters will never thirst again, For the water that Jesus gives is a fountain of life everlasting, And it was the Holy Spirit who birthed in you that thirst. The Holy Spirit reveals more of Jesus and the Father to us, He brings incomparable joy, freshness, and communion with God, And the river of living waters starts to really flow in our hearts, And in turn those living waters will flow to others from our hearts. My friend we need to go deeper in the river, ankle deep will not do, Yes we need to go deeper in the river waist deep will not do, To be freely flowing in this river we need to be swimming, But we can only swim in the river when we venture right in. So let’s put aside all fear of the deep for in the river is life, And venture right in and swim and know abundant life, For when we swim in the river Jesus is ever present with us, And when we flow with the river the Holy Spirit empowers us. The Lord’s glory is revealed in the river as the Spirit moves over the deep. The Holy Spirit will fill us up afresh so we can let the living waters flow, For a river must flow out and we need to let the river flow out to people in need, So when we are flowing in the river reaching out to others we must go.

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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.

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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 their 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?

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THERE IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL ABOUT THAT NAME Yesterday, 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.

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TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO OR SO Two thousand years ago or so, A babe was born in Bethlehem, The child was born , In a bed of straw. A humble birth for the Servant King, The Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, The Son of Man, Rejected by men; He hung upon that cross of wood, For on that hill alone he stood; He rose victorious over the grave, It was for us whom He came to save; He's with the Father in glory now, He's coming again, any day now.

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THEY DARED TO INTERRUPT. They dared to interrupt our Leadership Conference. Three lost souls in need of a Saviour, Hurting people in search of love, Yet here we were, desiring to give them the shove, This after all was not the place for them, The subject was being true disciples of Jesus, And here they were coming into the midst of us, To many of us this did not make sense, But was this God’s way or was it men’s? One came at the beginning prior to the start, One came right into the conference meeting, A wee alcoholic, a better life seeking, Surely not here, for we are a people set apart, One dared to come after the service, In search of a ladies room, no less, Our worry, was she shooting up here? That was ofcourse, our real fear. So, did we ask ourselves what would Jesus do? I’m ashamed to say, that I didn’t do. Here we were being put to the test, Yet, here we were awkward at best, Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, But has the salt lost it’s savour? Jesus said we are the light of the earth, But do we shine like our Saviour? Those women who interrupted us, Are they not people whom Jesus loves? I want to see them come to church, I work with them in the salt and light ministry, But this was not the time and place for them, This was our time, Sunday night was the place for them. I wonder if Jesus would have been embarrassed by them? Or would He have seen their needs and welcomed them? So as disciples of Jesus let’s do what he would do, Oh yes this was not for them, but remember He loves them too.

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TO A DEAR CHILD OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER It doesn't matter what you feel right now, God is there. Be assured that He really cares, And His love for you is far beyond compare, So come to the mercy seat and leave your burdens there. Every tear you shed he will wipe away, Run into His arms and in them stay, He says " Come and you will find rest, For I want you to know life at best" "Come as a little child into daddy's arms, For here in my presence you will come to no harm, My precious child how I long to lavish love upon you, I want you to know my peace and fresh joy too.”

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TO A GRACIOUS MERCIFUL FATHER Father, God you are so gracious and merciful to me, Though I am undeserving, my sins have been forgiven, The precious blood of Jesus was shed to redeem me, And now I’m saved and destined for a home in heaven. Teach me to show mercy to others as you do, Help me to impart love to others like you do, Remove unforgiveness from me, help me to forgive, Purify my heart and help me this day to for Jesus live.

Oh, Lord, my God, remove every wicked way from me, Lord may I no longer withhold any part of me from you. Here I am, broken and contrite and you say “Come to me.” And I run straight into your arms knowing I am forgiven too. Let every day of my life from now on, be lived wholly for you, With my whole heart I long to be more and more like you, Take me this day, lift the scales off my eyes and help me to see, I need to walk in the Spirit, and be all you want me to be.

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WE NEED TO SEE THROUGH HIS EYES When we look at the people around us, We need to see through His eyes, For we see people who seem abusive at best, But His heart for them is to offer forgiveness. He wants us to love like He loves, He wants us to show compassion and love, But sometimes we need to be healed of our hurts, So that we in turn can help others who hurt. In His image He created the people we meet, Their image is fallen because of sin, But He wants to bring them before His mercy seat, And bring them into relationship with Him. For Jesus died for all men everywhere, And He wants them to see that He really cares, And the people of God need to love like He loves, For if we look through His eyes we learn to love.

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WE WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD

We will call upon the name of the Lord today, For he has called us to humble ourselves and pray, He wants us to come away with him into the secret place, For he desires that we will surely seek his face. Our dear Lord has given us a wonderful promise, If we do this as he has asked us His people to do, He will bring healing and restoration to our nations, So, let’s turn our eyes around, focussing on Him anew. For he alone is worthy of all praise, honour and glory, We waste time with pointless, useless pursuits, Precious time he has given to us and that’s another story, He’s calling out to us “My people I long to be the object of your pursuit.” So will we get it right and humble ourselves and pray, Or is so important to us to always have the last word to say? Part of praying is stopping and listening to his voice, How he longs for us to make spending time with him our first choice.

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WHAT WOULD I DO? If I knew the rapture was definitely going to occur next week; What would I do? Would it change me? Would I just go through the motions as normal, In the knowledge that I am alright, my Saviour is coming for me. What about all the people I see around me? Those I have yet to witness to; if no-one tells them how can they see?. Would I shout Christ’s name from the mountain tops? Would fear or anything be able to make me stop? What about mindless pursuits, would I carry on just like before? Would I watch the films on TV and pretend the actors never swore? Or would I spend time, praising the Lord’s Name and praying for those around me? Would my actions, my thoughts and all of my desires proclaim Jesus in me?

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YOU ARE A SOMEBODY Now you are a somebody who has Jesus within, For in you the fullness of the Godhead is living, Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, For you my dear friend are the son of a King. So lift your head high a nobody is now a somebody, For you dear friend are part of the church body, The Lord Jesus sees you as so special too, He has washed away every sin and made you anew. So walk tall your daddy is the King of Kings, Lift your voice up and his praises sing, You will no longer walk from that place of defeat, For you found God's grace and mercy at his feet. Equipped by the Holy Spirit you will walk in power, So that others will look at you and see Jesus in this hour, You once were an orphan without any standing, But you are now adopted and in you Jesus is living.

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YOU CAME AND REVIVED MY HEART I came to you Lord in hunger and thirst, seeking only you, And you came and revived my heart once more, You kindled a new fire burning strongly for you, That I might totally die to myself forever more. You said that I must now surrender my all, For holding back only brings about another fall, I must walk hand in hand with you all of my days, Dwelling in your sweet presence is where I want to stay. I am your sheep and I will listen to your voice, And what you say I will do from this day forth, Serving you with my whole life, in you I will rejoice, You have a path set before me and I will follow the course.

You made me with a purpose, to fulfil my destiny, Part of my call is to share with others my testimony, To proclaim the Gospel of your Kingdom to those far and near, For unless someone tells them, how will the lost your Word hear? I shed tears for the hurting Lord, but I want to care like you care, And I know the love you have for the lost is love beyond compare, Lord I truly want revelation of your heart, to love like you love, That I might impart the kind of love to others that comes from above.

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A LETTER TO THE 21st CENTURY CHURCH Come and listen to what the Lord has to say to you today, “Many of you are faithful in attending church every Sunday, But where are you on Monday in school, college or the work place? Yet your Pastor preached the message that you must surely seek my face. And many of you seek to be filled up with the Spirit, Coming to church looking for God to keep blessing you, Oh, foolish generation can’t you see there is a reason you are filled? Yet I shower love, grace and mercy upon you and call you to love me too. I want to impart my Spirit to you and fill you up to overflowing, That you might come and with me sup that I might prepare you, To go on out into your community seeds for the harvest sowing, Come spend time with me and you will be amazed at what I do through you. I am the way, the truth and the life and I want to give you abundant life, My plans for you are amazing you know but you have to say yes to my call, That’s right each of you has been called as a disciple of mine and I want your all, So child of mine will you respond today and give me your whole life? Some of you have swallowed a lie which has enveloped the church throughout the ages, You believe that I stopped healing and the gift of prophecy disappeared at the close of the New Testament Canon, But this is a lie that satan has perpetuated to keep the body of Christ from fulfilling the commission, Yet I have told you that “I AM, I AM and yesterday today and forever I am the same.” My nature speaks of who I am, for I am your healer, and your provider, I am your shepherd, your sanctifier, I give you peace, and I your creator am also your protector, And I have said that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world, For that to happen the body of Christ need to tell the people that I am Lord.

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I have said to you my people, that you would do even greater works than I, And yet it has still to happen even where revival is flowing and I want to ask you why? Could it be that you have yet to learn to really walk with me in intimacy in the secret place? Come right up into those heavenly places and abide with me and you will see my face. Return my people to your first love, can’t you hear my voice calling to you? I will return for a bride whose hearts are truly committed to loving me too, I said to you seek my face, but many of you your love has waxed cold, Repent and return to me and I will not forget you in the days when you are old. Many have been ravaged with sickness in the body, forgetting sometimes to commune with me, Others among you have not correctly discerned my body when taking the bread and wine, Yet I have said that by the scourging that I took you will be healed can’t you see? It was for you, yes you that my blood was shed you see, so remember that when you take the bread and wine. I have told you that each of your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, Yet many of you have abused your bodies with sins like gluttony, This is a hard message I know but I want you to know that you have always been loved, Humbly turn your whole hearts over to me today and I will heal your land and pour out my Spirit. And yet I see there are growing numbers in the church who are turning their faces towards me, It truly delights my heart when you my beloved come seeking for a great revival to see, And I delight to make my presence know to you as you come seeking my face, The veil was rent in two that you might enter the Holy of Holies in the secret place.

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So my dearly beloved, I want you to truly desire and love me, for I so long for you, Come take my hand and walk with me, give me your all this day and every day, And you will know sweet intimacy and no matter what this world puts your way peace I will give you, Take my hand and I will direct all your paths and show you the way”

As the Lord gave me this for the church 2008 Irene McGough

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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 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 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.

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NEW YEAR 2009

We are about to enter the year two thousand and nine, And we declare this to be the year of the Divine, Let us start this year by drinking fresh new wine, Our hearts and our minds we will with Jesus align.

Throughout the past year seeds of the Word we did sow And it's now harvest time when we will see the seed grow, So let harvesters aplenty, be gathered to bring in the harvest, As we rise up now and in God’s kingdom richly invest.

May all God’s people rise up in this day and hour, To walk through their lands in Holy Ghost power, Ignite a fresh fire within us, a fire for you Lord, Going out fully dressed in battle gear, carrying our swords. Let us be a beacon of light shining in a world of darkness, As we walk close to Jesus and live in righteousness, It's time to leave the old behind and embrace the new, A new year and the Lord is calling us up higher too. We need to be totally uncompromising about our faith, Strong witnesses for Christ among the human race, So Holy Spirit come and fill us up afresh, cups overflowing, And may we continually proclaim our praises to you our King.

Copyright Irene McGough

© 31st December, 2008

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Anyone who wishes to publish the poems please contact the author at [email protected]

Poems can be copied as long as the authors name is included for non- commercial use.

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POETRY FOR THE CHURCH IN RENEWAL BOOK THREE

All poems Copyright Irene McGough © 2009 DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY

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