To Those Who Win the Victory

[You may listen to the only existing recording of this song here. A lead sheet is not currently available.]

To those who win the victory,
God gives the right to eat
From His tree, the tree of life,
That grows in His garden.

Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life,
The only Way to God.
He is the door to His Father’s fold
And bids lost sheep to enter.

To those who win the victory,
God gives the right to eat
From His tree, the tree of life,
That grows in His garden.

Jesus knocks at the door of your heart
And waits to be admitted.
He would live and work through you
To help you to do all things.

To those who win the victory,
God gives the right to eat
From His tree, the tree of life,
That grows in His garden.

As you seek to run the race,
Problems will distract you.
Keep your eyes upon the prize
And victory will be yours.

To those who win the victory,
God gives the right to eat
From His tree, the tree of life,
That grows in His garden.

About This Song:

These lyrics are based on a number of different Scriptures:

Revelation 2:7. . .
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God
(NIV)

Revelation 3:20. . .
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
(NIV)

John 10:7-9. . .
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
(NIV)

Hebrews 12:1-2. . .
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(NIV)

John 14:6. . .
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(NIV)

Philippians 4:13. . .
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Do you remember the Boston Marathon bombings? It’s been years now, but I still do. So perhaps the better question is how we could ever forget them.

I can’t imagine the joy the first few people felt when they crossed the finish line or their terror when they learned about the bombings and realized that the goal they had worked so hard to reach was deadly. If the timing of the bombs had been different, those winners could have been the victims.

Christians will never experience that kind of terror at the end of their “good race.” The path they’re running may be fraught with troubles and even danger–Jesus promised that–but we don’t have to worry about unexpected dangers when we pass over from this earthly life to our heavenly life with God Himself.

And what a grand victory each of us will experience. We’re not competing with one another for the prize. Every Christian will be a winner; in one sense, we’ll all be in first place. That’s the kind of victory I’m looking forward to.

Are you assured of that kind of victory? How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    
 

    

Links you might be interested in:

• • Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com

• • Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets

• • Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

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Sowing Seeds of Love

[You may listen to the only recording of this song here.]

A farmer sows his seeds, and they fall everywhere.
Some seeds die where they land, but some will multiply.
Some seeds fall upon the path and some on rocky soil;
Some seeds choke among the thorns, but some fall on good ground.

God’s children scatter seeds of love with all their words and ways.
Some people do not listen; some do not understand.
Some follow, yet they soon turn back–from worry or for wealth.
But some show they’re God’s children now by sowing seeds of love.

About This Song:
This song is based loosely on Matthew 13:3-8 and 19-23, Jesus’ familiar Parable of the Sower. Here are the relevant verses:

3. A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

19 “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
(NIV)

You’ll notice I referred to this story as the Parable of the Sower, which is the heading the NIV uses. And that makes sense. After all, the farmer sowed seed that fell on all of those different kinds of soil.

Different kinds of soil? Hmm. Maybe that’s why some translations call this the Parable of the Soil. I think that makes more sense, because the story really isn’t about WHO sows the seed. It’s about WHERE the seed lands.

If I understand correctly –Jesus explained it pretty simply to His disciples–those who preach God’s Word share it with all kinds of people. Some will reject it outright. Some will accept it for the moment and then fall away. Others will really take it to heart and let it change their lives.

If you’re a Sower of God’s Word, don’t be discouraged that your message won’t reach or win everyone. Jesus had that problem, too.

If you’re not a believer, what kind of soil are you?  Are you receptive to God’s message of love?

Please leave a comment if this song has said something to you.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

A Seed Planted by the Lord

[An old recording of this song is available here. I can’t find a lead sheet anywhere.]

I’m like a seed that was planted by the Lord;
I was warmed and watered by His Word until I finally came to life.
My roots reached ever deeper as I thirsted for God’s Truth,
And my stem stretched through the dark soil towards God’s sunlight up above.

And when I broke through the surface of the earth,
I reveled in the freshness and thought that’s the best my life could be.
But when I started to grow, I realized I’d just begun,
And I couldn’t even tell for sure what type of plant I was.

For at that stage, I looked like just any plant;
I could have been a tree or vine, a food or weed, a springtime flower.
But God knew who I was and He attended to my growth.
Now I show that I am His plant when I bear His fruit of love.

About This Song:
Have you ever planted a garden but forgotten to mark which seeds you planted where? I have.

Waiting for the seeds to germinate and break ground was hard enough, but I found that several of the things I’d planted looked amazingly similar when they first pushed their way through the earth. Those little leaves all looked alike to me. Which plants were which?

As the plants continued to grow, I started being able to tell them apart. Some grew upward. Others vined and spread out along the ground. So there was no mistaking a zucchini plant for a watermelon vine–or vice versa. But the most distinguishing feature was yet to come.

Once those plants flowered and started to bear fruit, all doubts about what was what flew out the window. Cantaloupe didn’t grow on a watermelon vine and tomatoes didn’t grow on a zucchini plant.

Every Christian is a seed God has planted. The Lord does everything necessary to nurture our growth. As baby Christians, our identity won’t be fully identifiable until we start to bear God’s fruit by sharing His love with other people.

Are you one of God’s seedlings? I hope so. How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

Is This the Church?

Look right through those stained glass windows.
Look beyond those heavy wooden doors.
Look above that towering steeple spire.
Is this the church or is there more?

Look behind the curtained baptistry.
Look beneath the pulpit furniture.
Look above the rows of organ pipes.
Is this the church or is there more?

Oh, the church isn’t found within.
No, the church isn’t bound within these four walls.

About this Song:

[Note: I’ve never recorded this song and can’t find the lead sheet for it. In the original version, I used “beyond” in the first three lines of each stanza. I’ve since changed that to “through, beyond, above” and “behind, beneath, above” for greater variety. Take your pick.]

This song may not describe your church–it doesn’t describe mine, either–but I believe it’s a far too accurate portrait of many contemporary churches that get so caught up in the fancy trappings that they lose track of what’s really important: the lost people outside their doors. Lost people who may not feel welcome or comfortable in grandeur.

Especially if the membership is so focused on itself that it fails to look beyond and outside itself to meet the needs of outsiders, welcome them, and invite them to become insiders.

King David wanted to build the temple in Jerusalem as God’s earthly dwelling place, but the Lord said no. David’s history of violence made him an inappropriate choice. Instead, his son Solomon would be allowed to carry out David’s dream.

But that didn’t stop David from stockpiling materials for the work Solomon would carry out. Only the finest of materials would do. After all, this would be the House of God, and God deserved the best man was capable of doing.

Solomon took over this project when he became king, and the temple he built would make even the fanciest of today’s churches look like ramshackle sheds in comparison.

God respected and blessed the temple and accepted it as his earthly dwelling place. He commanded his people to come there to make sacrifices for their sins. God truly inhabited Solomon’s Temple.

But did you notice one particular thing in the previous paragraph? Even today, we tend to refer to it as “Solomon’s temple.” Not God’s.

Is that the problem with today’s fancy churches? Have those congregations failed to place their buildings in God’s hands? And have they so badly dishonored Him by ignoring the people outside that He refuses to inhabit those buildings?

That’s something to think about. If you have something to add, please leave a comment.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

Learning to Touch Lives

[An old recording of this song may be heard here. A free PDF lead sheet is available here.]

When I meet someone for the first time
And I shake that person’s hand,
I touch his life in a physical way
That says, “I know you’re there.”

But my prayer is to learn to listen
To just what he thinks and how he feels–
So I may learn to touch his life
In a way that says, “I care.”

About this Song:
Shaking hands is the most common way for men in our society–often women, too–to greet one another. Especially the first time they meet.

A handshake is a formal greeting, though. Nothing at all like a brotherly hug or a peck on the cheek of a special woman. Those are greetings we reserve for people we know well and care about.

Nonetheless, a handshake allows one person to acknowledge the existence of another one–and the second person to return the acknowledgement. But it’s purely a physical greeting.

No emotional involvement is at risk. A handshake doesn’t mean that one person cares about the other. Learning to care–especially to care deeply–is apt to take many  contacts beyond the initial one.

If we listen to what people tell us–especially on an ongoing basis–they will discover that we care. Then they’ll be more willing to open up to us and permit us to minister to them in ways we couldn’t do otherwise. It’s one method of giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.

Jesus told us that what we do for others we are doing for Him.

But the hard part is being quiet and listening. All too often, we want to be the ones sharing our problems with others. How much more effective we are as Christians when we close our mouths and open our ears–and our hearts.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

As God’s Love Leads

[A free PDF of the lead sheet is available here. The only recording, a short instrumental, is available here.]

Wherever there is need,
That’s where I long to go,
With feet that move in Jesus’ name,
So the love of God will show.

Wherever there are problems,
That’s where I long to be,
With hands that work in Jesus’ name,
So God’s love will show through me.

Wherever there are problems,
Where there is need,
As hands and feet of Jesus Christ,
Let me go as God’s love leads.
Let me do as God’s love leads.
Let me serve as God’s love leads.

About This Song:

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 reminds us that the Church–the Body of Christ–is made up of many people performing many different roles, each of which is necessary and important.

I don’t consider myself very multi-talented. There are a number of roles both at church and “in the world” that I’m not qualified to fill. But I can care and pray about people’s needs.

And, yes, some needs are things I can actually help to meet. On a daily basis, I pray for God to lead me to be a blessing to somebody else. Not just with my writing and my music, but in whatever way He desires.

What could be more important than to be Jesus’s hands and feet as I go about my daily walk? And to provide that “cup of cold water” Jesus talked about in Mark 9:41:

“And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of My name,^[a] since you belong to the Messiah—I assure you: He will never lose his reward.” (HCSB)

Have you had an opportunity to be Jesus’ hands and feet today? Or perhaps someone has been Jesus’ hands and feet to you. How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

Perfect Present

[You may listen to a recording of this song here and view or download a free PDF lead sheet here.]

When you purchase presents for the people you love,
It’s fun to do because you know what they like.
But could you imagine if you had to choose the perfect gift
For a perfect stranger?

That’s what God did for me when He sent Christ to earth.
He gave me His love long years before I was born;
Yet He knew me better then than I know myself today.
He knew His love would be what I need now.

When I shake the hands of the people I meet,
I can’t imagine just who they really are.
Yet God sees within their hearts and knows what each one needs;
He longs to love them through me.
Yes, God longs to give them His love through me.

About this Song:

Even though we sometimes complain about people who’re hard to buy for,  most of the folks on our gift-giving lists aren’t that bad. Especially if we’ve known them for years. We’re familiar with their tastes…their interests. . .their preferences.

Hmm. But what about those office gift drawings?

That can almost be like buying for a perfect stranger. Sure, those drawings frequently include a request from the recipient-to-be, but that can still be a challenge. Especially if the requested item doesn’t make sense or isn’t easily found or is outrageously expensive.

God has a unique perspective on giving mankind the truly perfect gift, though. That’s because He knew each of us from the beginning of time. He knew who we would be and what we would need the most.

He knew we would inherit sin and death because Adam and Eve were going to use their free will to sin. He wanted us to have something better. Life. Real life.

So He gave us the Perfect Present by sending Christ to earth not only to show us how to live righteously, but to set us free. How could a present be more perfect than that?

But His giving didn’t end with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As crazy as it might sound, He also gives each of us the freedom to reject that first gift. But if we accept it–a meaningful earthly life and the assurance of eternal life in Heaven–we also accept His desire for us to share His gift with others.

Many of them will be strangers. Or people we don’t know overly well.

We may not know what near-strangers think they want, but God knows who they are. He knows their real needs. He knows how desperately they need His love.

So when we share His love with them, we’re offering a pre-approved gift. A gift He has pre-approved, that is, and that makes it a Perfect Present.

Have you accepted God’s Perfect Present? Does sharing it with others come naturally? How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

The Owner’s Satisfaction

[You may listen to an old recording of this song here. A free PDF lead sheet is available here.]

A man once planted a vineyard
And built a high wall all around;
He leased it out to some tenants
Who paid rent when the harvest was done.

Every year at the end of the harvest,
When the tenants had money in hand,
The owner sent round a servant
To collect the fair share he was due.

But the tenants were selfish and stubborn;
They balked at the small debt they owed–
Till one year they beat up the servant
And said that they’d no longer pay.

The vineyard owner was patient,
But insisted the debt must be paid.
He sent one servant after another;
Each was battered and beaten or killed.

When the owner had no more servants,
He sent his own dear Son instead.
But the tenants murdered him also
And thought the whole debt issue dead.

But some of the tenants were sorry
For the way they’d mistreated the son.
When they begged the father’s forgiveness,
He told them their debt had been paid.

The day and hour are soon coming
When the rest of the tenants will pay,
And the owner will have satisfaction:
Death to all who reject his son still.

About This Song:

The words to this song are based on Jesus’ parable of the tenants–Mark 12:1-12:

1 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
(NIV)

Throughout the Old Testament, God sent prophets to warn His people of the simple debt they owed Him: their love, loyalty, and obedience. Yet His people tended not only to reject the prophets, but to beat and even kill some of them. Like the vineyard owner in the parable, God finally sent His Own Son to collect the debt His people owed Him. And like tenants in the parable, they ultimately killed the Owner’s Son and thought all was well.

I used the word “satisfaction” in the sense of “satisfying a debt.” That is, squaring it away.

God forgives those who repent. Their repentance satisfies their debt to Him. People who continue to reject Him will find that death is the only acceptable payment for their continued rejection of His Son.

I hope your debt is satisfied. All comments are welcome.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

Don’t Try to Walk on the Water

[You may listen to an old recording of this song here. A free PDF lead sheet may be viewed and downloaded here.]

Don’t try to walk on the water (3x)
Till you walk by faith on land.

Don’t try to move any mountains (3x)
Till you move by God’s heartbeat.

Don’t try to preach any sermons (3x)
Till your life tells God’s whole truth.

Don’t try to love everybody (3x)
Till you know who lives next door.

About This Song:

What Christian wouldn’t love to have the positive influence Billy Graham had? But that’s not the goal God set for anyone but Dr. Graham himself.

No matter how simple this song may appear, don’t let its truth escape you: How can we attempt to accomplish big things for God until we’ve successfully done some of the seemingly smaller ones?

Walking by faith, moving in coordination with God’s leading (“by God’s heartbeat”), living a life that gives an accurate portrait of our merciful God, and learning to love the people we already know–these are all major goals to strive for.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon

Brag on Him!

[NOTE: The second stanza is a more recent addition. It’s not included on this recording. The lyrics on this free PDF lead sheet may be different, too.]

Let those who are wise
Not boast about their wisdom.
Let those who are strong
Not brag about their strength.
Let those who are wealthy
Not boast about their riches.
But let all those who know the Lord
Brag on Him!

Let those who are righteous
Not boast about their goodness.
Let those who are smart
Not brag about all they know.
Let those who’re successful
Not boast of their achievements.
But let all those who know the Lord
Brag on Him!

Let those who know the Lord
Boast about His goodness!
Let those who know the Lord
Brag about His righteousness.
He is the King of Kindness;
He is the Lord of Love,
And He delights in those who
Brag on Him!

Let those who are wise
Not boast about their wisdom.
Let those who are strong
Not brag about their strength.
Let those who are wealthy
Not boast about their riches.
But let all those who know the Lord
Brag on Him!

About this Song:
A few years ago the drummer on our church praise team at the time shared this Scripture from Jeremiah 9:23-24:

²³ Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
²⁴ But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

After that I found several Scriptures that refer specifically to boasting about the Lord. That made me feel more confident that the idea of bragging and boasting about God was not only appropriate, but quite biblical.

I’m not a boaster. If I have any strength or any wisdom, it’s not mine to boast about. And riches? My wife and I live comfortably, but far from luxuriously.

Nonetheless, those Scriptures really spoke to me. As good as God is in every way–when has He ever withheld His blessings from me?–shouldn’t I be boasting about Him whenever and wherever and however I can?

I pray that this Scripture and the song itself will inspire me to do just that.

What about you? Are you so conscious of God’s love and provision that you like to brag on Him? How about leaving a comment.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

    

Links you might be interested in:

• Visit Roger’s website, RogerBruner.com
• Check out Roger’s free Christian lead sheets
• Shop for Roger’s books on Amazon