The Fight for Who Presides

Though the Victory
A Song by Edward Waters
(Copyright © January 1996)

Sometimes I'm a warrior in service to my Lord,
And the hordes of Hell are vanquished

by the power that wields my sword.[1]
But most times I'm just a battlefield, contested by both sides;
A wasteland scorched and trampled in the fight for who presides.[2]

I can hear the call to faithfulness, but my heart is still besieged
By a thousand fierce temptations, and they grant me no relief.
I grow more oppressed and weary with my every failed campaign
Till surrender seems my one recourse and hope appears in vain.

O Father, make me pure, for though the victory is sure,[3]
Still this raging war within withers my soul.
And I long to spend these days

learning to walk in all Your ways,[4]
But I'm torn between my wandering and the goal.

Sometimes in my brother I perceive far greater sin,
Till in shame I hear the word of God declare, 'Thou art the man.'[5]
Lord, create in me a clean heart; once more make my spirit true.
Only then may I teach other sinners to return to You.[6]

O Father, make me pure, for though the victory is sure,
Still this raging war within withers my soul.
And I long to spend these days

learning to walk in all Your ways,
But I'm torn between my wandering and the goal.

With Satan roaring in my face, God whispers what is true.[7]
The prince of dark would ravish, but the Lord of Light must woo.
I'm driven by my flesh while to the Spirit I am drawn.[8]
One voice demands my slavery, yet another calls me 'son'.[9]

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ,[10]
Yet I seem bound to resurrect the sin for which He sacrificed.
Like the captured ark of Israel within pagan temple walls[11]
 Is the grace that I've been given, when my former nature calls.

O Father, make me pure, for though the victory is sure,
Still this raging war within withers my soul.
And I long to spend these days

learning to walk in all Your ways,
But I'm torn between my wandering and the goal.

With Satan roaring in my face, God whispers what is true.
The prince of dark would ravish, but the Lord of Light must woo.
I'm driven by my flesh while to the Spirit I am drawn.
One voice demands my slavery, yet another calls me 'son'.

And then sometimes, in speechless awe, I gaze up at the cross.
I am loved past comprehension, but I'm appalled at what I cost![12]
How can there be further contest over a heart so dearly bought?
In my confession and humility, let holiness be wrought.[13]

O Father, make me pure, for though the victory is sure,
Still this warrior must find his strength in You.[14]
 And I resolve to spend these days

learning to walk in all Your ways
As Your Spirit renders me faithful and true.[15]

Yes, I resolve to spend these days

learning to walk in all Your ways
As Your Spirit renders me

what Your word commands me be:
­Growing till I'm finally faithful and true.[16]

[1] Ephesians 6.17b [2] Romans 7.22-23 [3] Romans 8.38-39

[4] Deuteronomy 10.12-13 [5] II Samuel 12.5-7a [6] Psalm 51.10-13
[7] I Kings 19.11-13 [8] Galatians 5.17 [9] Romans 8.12-17
[10] Romans 8.1 [11] I Samuel 5-6 [12] Romans 5.7-8
[13] 1 John 1.9 [14] Ephesians 6.10-11 [15] Galatians 5.16
[16] II Corinthians 3.18

No God but God

The Shepherd of My Soul
A Song by Edward Waters
(Copyright © September 2001)

(Click to hear this song.)

You are the Shepherd of my soul.[1]

You are my all-sufficient Lord:

You give me rest;[2] You give me strength;

in You my spirit is restored.[3]
You are my Father[4] and my Friend,[5]

the greatest comfort in my grief,[6]
The Love that heals my fear and shame,[7]

within whose arms I find relief.[8]
Some men may say my faith is blind,

but I see You are who You are:[9]
No god but God, no way but Truth.

Whatever comes, You're never far.[10]
When You put gladness in my heart,

all shadows hasten to withdraw.[11]
You are gracious; You are God:[12]

You have my love; You have my awe![13]

You are the Shepherd of my soul.

O let me follow where You lead!
Yours is the Word by which I live,

the only Voice I choose to heed.[14]
It is a lamp unto my feet.

It is a light unto my way.
My lips have sworn, my life shall prove,

that I will hold to what You say.[15]
And should men ask what god I serve,

I'll answer, 'He is who He is:[16]

No god but God, no way but Truth.

I'll live no life but one that's His.[17]
He is the Kindler of the Stars,[18]

Master of All,[19] Ancient of Days;[20]
And no pretender to His throne

shall stand one moment in His gaze!'[21]

There is a life that cannot start

until what's dead has been entombed.[22]
There is a fire that ever burns,

and yet its host is not consumed;
And he that turns to see this sight

is nevermore the same.
I stand unshod on holy ground

and hear a Voice within the Flame:[23]
'Though men will ask what god you serve,

I Am Who I Am:[24]
No god but God, no way but Truth.

I hold all things in My hand.[25]
If you will trust now in My word,

I'll teach you what to say[26] and do;[27]
Reach out in faith and see My power,[28]

and know that I will be with you.'[29]

Lord, I have sworn, my life shall prove,

that I will hold to what You say.

You are the Shepherd of my soul.

[1] I Peter 2.25 [2] Matthew 11.28 [3] Psalm 23.1-3 [4] Luke 11.13

[5] Proverbs 17.17a [6] Matthew 5.4 [7] Psalm 34.17-18

[8] Luke 15.20; John 16.22 [9] Matthew 8.5-13 [10] Psalm 145.18

[11] Psalm 4.6-7 [12] Nehemiah 9.31 [13] Hebrews 12.28-29

[14] John 10.27-28 [15] Psalm 119.105-106 [16] John 10.29-30

[17] Matthew 10.37-39 [18] Genesis 1.16 [19] Philippians 2.9-11

[20] Daniel 7.9ff [21] Revelation 6.15-17; Isaiah 2.8-11; Psalm 2

[22] Romans 6.3-11 [23] Exodus 3.2-6 [24] Exodus 3.13-14

[25] Psalm 95.3-5; Isaiah 48.12-13 [26] Exodus 4.12

[27] Exodus 4.15 [28] Exodus 4.4-5; 14.13-16,21

[29] Exodus 3.12; Matthew 28.20

We may not wear the collar, but we wear Him.

Taking the Name
By Edward Waters
(Copyright © 2006)

‘To be a witness ... means to live in such a way
that one's life would not make sense
if God did not exist.’

(Emmanuel Suhard, Cardinal)

I once heard a pastor tell how he had come to something of a change of heart concerning clerical collars. At first he had entirely disapproved, regarding them as sanctimonious status symbols which he felt had the effect of keeping ordinary people at a distance, or causing them to behave artificially while such clergymen were around. Eventually, however, after spending time with some very godly men who did wear the collar, he gained a new respect for it. He realized that if he were having an 'off' day, he could be short with a waiter or honk at another driver or stare too long at vulgar magazine covers in the grocery store check-out line; and while he might feel badly about it later and ask God's forgiveness, most of the time no one else would have known who and what he was to judge him. His colleagues, however, could never relax their guard. Their collars continually reminded them of their accountability to be try to be faithful models of Christ -- an accountability which really applied to him as well, however he might choose to dress.

In fact, this accountability applies to all of us who call ourselves Christians, or followers of Christ, or people of God. We may not wear the collar, but we wear Him; for in identifying ourselves with our Lord we invite the world to see us as His witnesses, to see Him in us, and to understand Him better based in part on what we show them. He taught us to pray, 'Hallowed be Thy name' -- in other words, 'May Your name be treated as holy.' As His people, we bear His name; and the best place to begin hallowing His name is with what our lives say about Him.

Then too, Jesus authorized His disciples to pray in His name, work in His name, and speak in His name. This is very much like what we now call 'power of attorney'. It is a kind of stewardship. When you authorize a lawyer to represent you in some business or judicial matter, you assume he will manage your interests faithfully. If he does not, if he uses your name to embezzle your money for his own indulgences, if he publicly attributes to you values or goals which in fact are not your own, or if, in your name, he launches some venture contrary to your wishes, then he has abused both his authority and your trust. He has taken your name in vain.

We tend to forget that the third commandment, 'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,' was first addressed to God's own people. It is concerned far less with the careless blasphemies of those who profess little or no faith to begin with, and far more with the careless blasphemies we ourselves commit when, to give our opinions or actions more credibility, we attribute to God what is not truly of Him. 'I was led by the Spirit to do ... [thus and such]'; 'God told me to say ... [so and so]'; 'The Lord has called me to ... [whatever].' These are far more serious and holy claims than we may recognize, and we must be very, very careful how we invoke them.

For though He is often impersonated, God is not mocked.