Tag Archives: faith

Bible Study – Death and Burial of Sarah

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Abraham said of his wife,

“I know [Sarah] that thou art a fair woman to look upon” – Gen. 12:11.

She was a beautiful woman, whose beauty was more than fair looks.  She was adorned with the…

“ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – 1 Pet. 3:4

Sarah was God’s example of a submissive wife.

“Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.”  

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Genesis 23 (Approximately 1860 B.C.)

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Though Abraham was wealthy, and owned rich herds of flocks, and servants, he owned no property in Canaan.  When Sarah died at age 127, Abraham sought to buy the cave of Machpelah for 400 shekels of silver – rather that receive it as a gift from heathen neighbors.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying,

If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying,

But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

This was the only property Abraham owned in Canaan.  The cave in the field of Machpelah in Hebron, later became the family burial place of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

For the Lord’s Day – Great is Thy Faithfulness

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Great is Thy Faithfulness

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Great is Thy Faithfulness, The Song and the Story

Composer Thomas Chisolm Writes Great is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had a difficult adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends meet.

After coming to Christ at age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and provide his needs. Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. Runyan found one of Williams’ poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. Great is Thy Faithfulness was published in 1923.

For several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college.

It was not until 1945 when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.

Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns including O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/great-is-they-faithfulness-the-song-and-the-story.html

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)

For the Lord’s Day – Sweet Hour of Prayer

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Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this lovely hymn!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

Short Name: W. W. Walford
Full Name: Walford, W. W (William W.), 1772-1850
Birth Year: 1772
Death Year: 1850

William W. Walford, a blind preacher of England, is the author of the hymn beginning “Sweet hour of prayer.” This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer September 13, 1845. The contributor who furnished the hymn says:

“During my residence at Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, I became acquainted with W. W. Walford, the blind preacher, a man of obscure birth and connections and no education, but of strong mind and most retentive memory. In the pulpit he never failed to select a lesson well adapted to his subject, giving chapter and verse with unerring precision, and scarcely ever misplacing a word in his repetition of the Psalms, every part of the New Testament, the prophecies, and some of the histories, so as to have the reputation of knowing the whole Bible by heart.”

Rev. Thomas Salmon, who was settled as the pastor of the Congregational Church at Coleshill in 1838, remained until 1842, and then removed to the United States, is believed to have been the contributor who says of the hymn: “I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil as he uttered them, and send them for insertion in the Observer if you think them worthy of preservation.”

http://www.hymnary.org/person/Walford_WW

EPHESIANS 6:17-19

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel. . .

For the Lord’s Day – What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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I thought how this week’s studies were all focused on prayer and friendship with God, this seemed like just the right thing.  Praise Him! 

Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this beloved hymn!

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Joseph Scriven

Joseph M. Scriven

Composer

Joseph Medlicott Scriven, was an Irish poet, best known as the writer of the poem which became the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. wikipedia.org

  • Born: September 10, 1819
  • Died: August 10, 1886

Irish born Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph’s hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place.

Although one can only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza’s death Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist church. He never married, but spent the remainder of his life giving all his time, money and even the clothes off his own back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and compassion of Jesus wherever he went.

Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph’s poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.  http://hishymnhistory.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-friend-we-have-in-jesus.html

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

For the Lord’s Day – I Know Whom I Have Believed

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Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this beautiful hymn!

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Major Daniel Webster Whittle (born 1840 November 22 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; died 1901 March 4, Northfield, Massachusetts)

whittle_dw

Daniel Whittle worked as a cashier for Wells Fargo bank as a teenager and into his early twenties. He was not a wicked man at first, on the contrary, he was quiet religious. He surrendered his life to the Lord one night while acting as a night watchman at the Wells Fargo Bank. He went into the vault, got down on his knees and gave his surrendered his life for the Heavenly Father to use as he would. He even became the Sunday School Superintendent at the great Tabernacle in Chicago where he would meet his wife, Miss Abbie Hanson. He would join the army in 1861 and be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. In the summer of 1862, August as the Civil War began to intensify his unit was called to go South. August 22, 1862, the night before his departure, he and Abbie were married. It would be a year before they would be reunited. In his own words he tells of his departure, “My dear mother was a devout Christian, and parted from me with many a tear, and followed me with many a prayer. She had placed a New Testament in a pocket of the haversack that she’d arranged for me”

This little New Testament would pay a vital part in his rededication. Whittle rose to the rank of Major and while leading a charge, actually filling in, and he was wounded in his sword arm which led to the amputation of his arm and a stay in a prisoner of war camp. It was while he was in this POW camp that out of boredom he began to search for something to read. He found in his personal effects the little New Testament that his Mother had placed there. He read through the New Testament in a matter of days and started through it again. One night the nurse woke him up and told him that one of his men was dying and had been begging for someone to pray for him. The nurse told Major Whittle that he (the nurse) was a wicked man and could not pray. Major Whittle confessed that he too was wicked man with many sins in his own life and could not pray either. The nurse said that he thought Major Whittle was a Christian because he had observed him constantly reading the Scripture and the Major Whittle did not cuss as the other men. The nurse begged Major Whittle to at least accompany him to see the boy as he did not want to return alone. Moved with compassion, Major Whittle reluctantly agreed. Here, in Major Whittle’s own words, is what took place that night: “I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet him in heaven.”

Ten years later at the encouragement of his close friend D.L. Moody he would enter into evangelism. Some of his first songs were set to music by Phillip Bliss. Whittle attended and participated in the memorial service for Phillip Bliss. Later he would work closely with the man who would set to music many of his later songs, and who set the music to this song, “I Know Whom I Have Believed”, James McGranahan. Major Whittle died March 4, 1901 after having written over 200 hymns.  http://churchchoirmusic.com/the-story-behind-the-song-i-know-whom-i-have-believed

2 Timothy 1:7-14

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

For the Lord’s Day – Rescue the Perishing

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Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Refrain

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.

Refrain

crosby_fj_1872

As I was ad­dress­ing a large com­pa­ny of work­ing men one hot Au­gust ev­en­ing, the thought kept forc­ing it­self up­on my mind that some mo­ther’s boy must be res­cued that ve­ry night or per­haps not at all. So I re­quest­ed that, if there was any boy pre­sent, who had wan­dered away from mo­ther’s teach­ing, he would come to the plat­form at the con­clu­sion of the ser­vice. A young man of eight­een came forward and said, “Did you mean me? I have prom­ised my mo­ther to meet her in hea­ven; but as I am now liv­ing that will be im­pos­si­ble.” We prayed for him; he fin­al­ly arose with a new light in his eyes; and ex­claimed tri­umph­ant­ly, “Now, I can meet mo­ther in hea­ven; for I have found her God.”

A few days be­fore, Mr. Doane had sent me the sub­ject “Rescue the Per­ish­ing,” and while I sat there that ev­en­­ing the line came to me, “Res­cue the per­ish­ing, care for the dyi­ng.” I could think of no­thing else that night. When I ar­rived it my home I went to work on it at once; and be­fore I re­tired the entire hymn was rea­dy for a mel­o­dy. The next day my words were writ­ten and for­ward­ed to Mr. Doane, who wrote the beau­ti­ful and touch­ing music as it now stands.

In November, 1903, I went to Lynn, Mass­a­chu­setts, to speak be­fore the Young Men’s Christ­ian As­so­ci­a­tion. I told them the in­ci­dent that led me to write “Res­cue the Per­ish­ing,” as I have just re­lat­ed it. Af­ter the meet­ing a large num­ber of men shook hands with me, and among them was a man, who seemed to be deep­ly moved. You may imag­i­ne my sur­prise when he said, “Miss Cros­by, I was the boy, who told you more than thir­ty-five years ago that I had wan­dered from my mother’s God. The ev­en­ing that you spoke at the mis­sion I sought and found peace, and I have tried to live a con­sist­ent Christ­ian life ev­er since. If we ne­ver meet again on earth, we will meet up yon­der.” As he said this, he raised my hand to his lips; and be­fore I had re­covered from my sur­prise he had gone; and re­mains to this day a name­less friend, who touched a deep chord of sym­pa­thy in my heart. It is these notes of sym­pa­thy that vi­brate when a voice calls them forth from the dim mem­o­ries of the past, and the music is ce­les­ti­al.  http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/e/rescuetp.htm

new heaven and new earth

Isaiah 52:7

 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

For the Lord’s Day – The Church’s One Foundation

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The Church’s one foundation
  Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
  By water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her
  To be His holy Bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
  And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
  Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation,
  One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
  Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
  With every grace endued.

’Mid toil and tribulation,
  And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
  Of peace for evermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
  Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
  Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
  With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
  With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
  Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
  In love may dwell with Thee.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/833#ixzz2y4Rp4xIi\\

samuel j stone

Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900)

This hymn is well known for calling the church to be a community. The basis of the text is from the Bible when Christ tells Peter that the church will be built off of the Rock that is Himself. Written by Samuel J. Stone in 1866, “The Church’s One Foundation,” was one of the most famous of hymns written by Stone. Born in 1839 in Whitmore, Staffordshire, England, Stone was the son of Reverend William Stone. As Samuel became older, he eventually attended Charter School and Oxford College where he was ordained in 1862. Immediately after he was ordained he began serving orders at various different churches until 1870., when he joined his father in his ministries at St Paul’s in Haggerston, England. Four short years later, Samuel J. Stone followed in his fathers footsteps and took over for his father as Vicar at St. Paul’s. S. Stone served as Vicar in Haggerston until 1890, and from then until his death in 1900, he served at All-Hallow-on-the-Wall in London turning it into a safe haven for working girls and women in England. This hymn came at a very important time in the history of the church, a time where there was a great dispute of how the church should work.  http://etymologyofhymns.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-churchs-one-foundation.html

ISAIAH 28:16

water in a weary land

 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,

a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Attributes of the Holy Spirit – #4 – Work of the Holy Spirit

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The Holy Spirit is God, and should never be referred to as “it,” or as a mere influence.  We have observed from Parts 1,2, and 3, that the Holy Spirit is equal to, yet distinct,  from the Father and the Son.  In this fourth study of the Attributes of the Holy Spirit, we will explore the Work of the Holy Spirit.  

JESUS CHRIST SAID THAT WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME HE WOULD:

  • Convict men of the sin of unbelief. 

John 16:9 – Of sin, because they believe not on Me:

  • Convict men that Jesus Christ IS the righteousness of God.  

John 16:10 – Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more;

  • Convict men that the power of Satan has been broken.  

John 16:11 – Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

  • Regenerate the believer. 

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

  • Indwell the believer.  

1 Cor. 6:19,20 – What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

  • Seal the believer. 

Eph.1: 13,14 – In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

  • Baptize the believer. 

Acts 1:5 – For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

  • Infill the believer. 

Eph. 5:16 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

  • Empower the believer. 

Acts 1:9 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

  • Lead the believer. 

Gal. 5:16-18  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, and will remain with the church until His work is finished, in the same manner that Jesus Christ finished His work in the flesh. . .

JOHN 16:13

holy-spirit-6

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

For the Lord’s Day – Just a Closer Walk With Thee

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Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom’s shore, to Thy shore.

The history of this beloved hymn is uncertain, the safest conclusion is that it belongs to the wonderful legacy left to us known as the “spiritual.” (hymns developed by Christian slaves)

2 CORINTHIANS 13:4

peace and comfort

 For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God.

For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

For the Lord’s Day – Softly and Tenderly

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Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Refrain

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Refrain

thompson_wl

Words & Music: Will L. Thomp­son,
When the world-re­nowned lay preach­er, Dwight Ly­man Moody, lay on his death bed in his North­field, Mass­a­chu­setts, home, Will Thomp­son made a spe­cial vi­sit to in­quire as to his con­di­tion. The at­tend­ing phy­si­cian re­fused to ad­mit him to the sick­room, and Moody heard them talk­ing just out­side the bed­room door. Re­cog­niz­ing Thomp­son’s voice, he called for him to come to his bed­side. Tak­ing the Ohio po­et-com­pos­er by the hand, the dy­ing evan­gel­ist said, “Will, I would ra­ther have writ­ten “Soft­ly and Ten­der­ly Je­sus is Call­ing” than an­y­thing I have been able to do in my whole life.”

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/o/softlyat.htm

peace and comfort

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

For the Lord’s Day – O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

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O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing, ’tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

francis_st

“O the Deep Deep, Love of Jesus” is a well-known Christian hymn, written by the London merchant Samuel Trevor Francis.[1] Francis (1834–1925) had a spiritual turning point as a teenager, contemplating suicide one night on a bridge over the River Thames. Experiencing a renewal of faith, he went on to author many poems and hymns and was a preacher in addition to his merchant career.[2]

The song compares Jesus’ love to the ocean in scope, emphasizing the limitless, unchanging, and sacrificial nature of God’s affections for the singer and all of humanity.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_the_Deep,_Deep_Love_of_Jesus

EPHESIANS 3:17-19

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Friday Proverb – The Lord’s Wisdom

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supremecourtmoses

The wisdom of God, is the only true wisdom there is. Prideful, pagan mankind puts Gandhi, Buddha, Plato, and a host of other philosophers before our Sovereign Creator. In America we place our faith in a set of laws that are overseen by a Supreme Court covered with friezes of these philosophers. At right you see Moses in the center of Confucius and Solon. This sculptural frieze appears on the back of the Supreme Court Building (the east side). One would think that Moses might be on the front, since we are a “Christian” nation. Ten Commandments? There are entire websites devoted to exposing the “Zionist agenda,” and Israel’s occult Supreme Court building.  Another case of the pot calling the kettle black! 

muhammadcourt

On the left is Mohammed among 18 other “law-givers.” This frieze is above the Supreme court Justices bench. Notorious pagans such as Hammurabi, Menes, Lycurgus, Draco, Augustus, and Justinian also appear. Pagan gods and goddesses (Minerva, Zeus, Mercury, and Juno) are also memorialized in the Great Hall.

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Three guesses Who is missing. . .

That’s right. Not one representation of Jesus Christ in the entire United States Supreme Court Building. The Supreme Court Building came into existence in 1933. (Great occult significance) Go here for a timeline of events that took place during this period. The New Deal is only a symptom of the real cause of the downfall of our country.

foundation

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens.

20 By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

resting

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Proverbs 3: 19-24

As we wrest with the kingdom of anti-Christ growing ever more powerful, we would do well to remember that the government we have, is the government we deserve. Putting your trust in our now completely pagan government is beyond foolish.  No king can do it for us. No human law can reverse it. We must turn back, we must repent, we must put all our faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. He is our only hope. He is our only salvation. He is our only King.

. . . Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Revelation 22: 20b

Friday Proverb – Finding Wisdom

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Last week we discussed the ever popular subject of chastening. We now move on to a continuation of the wisdom theme, again personified as a woman. In this passage as in other Proverbs – the woman (wisdom) is an extraordinarily virtuous, extremely desirable female, who is pursued by everyone. Not easily seen, she keeps herself above the fray and is hidden from view. She is what every man wants, but very few find.

wise-woman1

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: 

and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Many men pursue after wealth – yet this verse says that even fabulous wealth beyond imagination is nothing compared to wisdom.

scale

16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 

Verse 16 tells us that there is balance received from wisdom, long life in the strong right hand, and in the weaker left hand – riches and honor. The riches are not to be thought of as temporal ones.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

peaceful-path

All her paths are peace.

Sigh. Think about that. That means – if we walk with wisdom – all our paths will be peace, not just peaceful – but peace itself.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her

tree

It says “a tree of life,” not the Tree of Life. But what this is telling us, is that wisdom from God will sustain us, just as a food bearing tree would.

We are also told that holding steadfastly onto wisdom will give us happiness. Can we lose wisdom? Yes – if worry, fear, or besetting sin is allowed to displace it.

Proverbs 3: 13-18

Here is wisdom –

28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Friday Proverb – Chastening

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Last week we talked about honoring the Lord with our substance, which is something entirely different from tithing. Today we will focus on the Lord’s method of correcting us.

The atheists and secular humanists of the world rail at God – angry that the Sovereign would punish His creatures. Seeing themselves as virtuous, they become filled with anger at what they perceive to be a God Who is unjust, mercurial, and even cruel. Randomly selecting a verse from the Bible, they smirk and taunt Christians with this “contradiction,” or that “savage act.”

It’s just not so, says the Bible. In fact, He chastens because He loves us.

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11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction:

Isn’t that just what the atheist does? Hate the chastening of the Lord first, and then progress to actually hating Him? How about Christians? Do we say – “Why me?” or “When am I going to get a break?” How about “But I haven’t done anything wrong!” or “Why would Jesus do this to me?” “I don’t think I deserve this.”

lions

12 For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Proverbs 3: 11-12

The writer of Hebrews (Paul) expands further on this –

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12: 5-8

I must stress that this only applies to those of the household of faith.

If nations have fallen into national idolatry, they have no protection. They are all born of Adam, with a sin nature, and must come to repentance to receive forgiveness.

God will use every means to bring the heathen to repentance. Please see here for a study on the heathen’s responsibility to God, whether they believe in Him or not.

Chastening is one of the means by which God perfects His saints.

book

This book by Harold S. Kushner feeds into the idea that people are inherently good. That is the mantra of Oprah Winfrey, Ekhart Tolle, Phil Donahue, James Cameron, and a host of other pagan talking heads. The reality is quite the opposite. People are anything but good. Only God is good.

How do we handle this chastening when it comes along? Get mad at God? Sink into self pity? Allow bitterness to consume us?

Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is there unconfessed sin lurking somewhere deep inside? Even from years and years ago. . .? Bring it all out, and confess it to Him.
  2. Is there an area of life where the sinful, fallen world has taken hold, in the form of an addiction, pride, coveting, lust, laziness, greed, gossiping, or idolatry. . . Repent, repent, repent!!
  3. If none of the above seem to be the problem – then you must consider that the Lord is afflicting you for another purpose, one that may not be clear to you for a long time.
  4. Realize that the chastening is meant for your good, and that it is “but for a while.”

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Hebrews 12: 11

For the Lord’s Day – God Will Take Care of You

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To say I need this reminder is an understatement.  For those of you who read the post “Faith is a Gift and a Grace,” you will understand when I say that God did not “gift” me with faith.  I believe He gave me wisdom, but not the kind of faith that George Muller was given.  That is why this hymn is like getting a shot of spiritual vitamins for me.  Praise Him!

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

Words: Ci­vil­la D. Mar­tin, 1904; first ap­peared in Songs of Re­demp­tion and Praise, by John A. Da­vis, 1905.

I was con­fined to a sick bed in a Bi­ble school in Les­ter­shire, New York. My hus­band was spend­ing sev­er­al weeks at the school, mak­ing a song­book for the pres­i­dent of the school. “God Will Take Care of You” was writ­ten one Sun­day af­ter­noon while my hus­band went to a preach­ing ap­point­ment. When he re­turned I gave the words to him. He im­me­di­ate­ly sat down to his lit­tle Bil­horn or­gan and wrote the music. That even­ing he and two of the teach­ers sang the com­plet­ed song. It was then print­ed in the song­book he was com­pil­ing for the school.

water in a weary land

Nahum 1:7 

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.

For the Lord’s Day – Good News!

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Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

There’s a long white robe in Heaven I know
(There’s a long white robe in Heaven I know)
There’s a long white robe in Heaven I know
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

There’s a starry crown in Heaven I know
(There’s a starry crown in Heaven I know)
There’s a starry crown in Heaven I know
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, Chariot’s comin’
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

There’s a golden harp in Heaven I know
(There’s a golden harp in Heaven I know)
There’s a golden harp in Heaven I know
And I don’t want to leave it behind

Good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good news, good news, Chariot’s comin’
Good, good news, Chariot’s comin’
And I don’t want it to leave me behind

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I could find no information about the author of this song – as it is part of the musical legacy created by slaves  during the Underground Railroad period.  There are about 47 such songs – including Swing Low Sweet Chariot.  The date of origin is unknown – and in addition – there are many variations to the verses.  This wonderful genre of music is known as the Spiritual.

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chariots

Isaiah 66:15

For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.

For the Lord’s Day – Jesus Paid It All

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I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Refrain

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain

JESUS PAID IT ALL

PAID IN FULL

Jesus Paid It All was written under unusual circumstances. Did your mind ever wander during a Sunday service? Perhaps you started thinking about other things–maybe what occurred last week, or plans for the coming week or what you will be doing later that day. Something like that happened to the writer of a familiar hymn.

On a hot summer Sunday morning in 1865, Mrs. Elvina Hall (1820-1889) was found in her accustomed place in the church choir loft. But as the pious words of the Reverend Schrick’s prayer droned on and on, her thoughts drifted to other things. She pondered the meaning of the cross, and the storied scene flashed before her mind’s eye.

High upon a rocky crag, three crosses scarred the afternoon sky. On the outer gibbets, hung two notorious thieves. Below, Roman soldiers drank and gambled, waiting for death to overtake the poor wretches suspended above them. It was a public execution, but far more significant than they imagined at the time. Suddenly, the air grew dense and an eerie darkness invaded the scene.

As the soldiers gazed about them in superstitious dread, a triumphant cry pierced the gloom. It came from the figure on the centre cross. One word, in the Greek tongue: “Tetelestai!” Then He was dead. That shout of victory Christ uttered as He died is usually translated “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). But it had another meaning back then. It was an accounting term. When a bill was paid, it was commonly stamped with the word “Tetelestai,” meaning Paid in Full.

And that is precisely what the death of Christ accomplished. “[He] bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” says Peter (I Pet. 2:24). “He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world,” (I Jn. 2:2). The groaning weight of all the world’s sin was laid on Christ at Calvary. He bore it in our place.

As the pastor’s prayer continued, Mrs. Hall took up her hymn book and, turning to a blank page inside the cover, she began to write. Afterward, she presented the pastor with some simple lines of poetry–not likely telling him when they were written! Glancing at them, the pastor was reminded of something that had happened just that week. The church organist, John Grape (1835-1915) had composed a new hymn tune, with no words in mind. He passed it on to Pastor Schrick, suggesting they might find a use for it in future.

Stepping into his study, the pastor laid Mrs. Hall’s poem next to the lines of music. In surprise, he saw they fit one another like hand in glove. “Indeed, God works in mysterious ways!” he thought. (Little did he know!) The words and tune have been partners ever since, in the hymn, “Jesus Paid It All.”

http://www.wordwise-bible-studies.com/Jesus-Paid-It-All.html

ROMANS 6:22-23

King James Version (KJV)

water in a weary land

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the Lord’s Day – Holy, Holy, Holy

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This makes me weep – my very favorite hymn.  It is pure worship, with no mention of the “I” word.

A beautiful rendition of this classic hymn by Olive Tree Hymns. https://www.youtube.com/@OliveTreeHymns
  1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
    Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
    Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
    God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
  2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
    Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
    Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
    Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
  3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
    Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
    Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
    Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
  4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
    All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
    Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
    God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Author: Reginald Heber

Reginald Heber was born in 1783 into a wealthy, educated family. He was a bright youth, translating a Latin classic into English verse by the time he was seven, entering Oxford at 17, and winning two awards for his poetry during his time there. After his graduation he became rector of his father’s church in the village of Hodnet near Shrewsbury in the west of England where he remained for 16 years. He was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823 and worked tirelessly for three years until the weather and travel took its toll on his health and he died of a stroke. Most of his 57 hymns, which include “Holy, Holy, Holy,” are still in use today.  http://www.hymnary.org/text/holy_holy_holy_lord_god_almighty_early

Isaiah 6:1-3

King James Version (KJV)

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6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4

King James Version (KJV)

4 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Please share your classic hymns! Post it here or email at vinevigil@gmail.com.

For the Lord’s Day – Have Thine Own Way Lord

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How we all like to “have our own way.”  Our way stinks!  As an aside – most sheeple have never even heard the very deep fourth verse of this wonderful hymn.  And it is very, very deep.

  1. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
    Mold me and make me after Thy will,
    While I am waiting, yielded and still.
  2. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Search me and try me, Master, today!
    Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
    As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
  3. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
    Power, all power, surely is Thine!
    Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
  4. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
    Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
    Christ only, always, living in me.

Born: No­vem­ber 27, 1862, Bloom­field, Io­wa (birth name: Sar­ah Ad­di­son Poll­ard).

Died: De­cem­ber 20, 1934, New York City

Adelaide Pollard was distressed. In spite of her best efforts, she could not raise the funds she needed to go as a missionary to Africa. “Why?” wondered the forty-year-old woman.

Discouraged, she attended prayer meeting one evening in 1902. There an old woman prayed: “Lord, it doesn’t matter what you bring into our lives–just have your way with us.”

The words sank home. Adelaide went home. She meditated on the old woman’s prayer and on Bible texts in Jeremiah 18:3,4 and Isaiah which referred to God as a potter. As a result, she wrote a hymn which millions have sung:

Have Thine own way, Lord!
Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Adelaide was named Sarah when she was born in Bloomfield, Iowa on this day, November 27, 1862. She didn’t like her given name and adopted Adelaide in its place.

Her life was always centered on her faith. After training in Chicago, she taught in several girls’ schools and then became active as a Bible teacher, evangelist and healer. She herself had been healed of diabetes through prayer. Contemporaries saw her as a mystic and saint.

During the years that she was unable to go to Africa, she taught at the Christian and Missionary Alliance school in Nyack, New York. Shortly before World War I, she did reach Africa. However, the war forced her to retreat to Scotland. After the fighting was over, she returned to the United States where, despite failing health, she preached in New England. One of her major themes was that Christ would soon return.

Adelaide wrote over 100 other songs, but just how many we do not know for certain, since she seldom signed them, not desiring credit.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/sarah-pollard-didnt-like-her-name-11630530.html

JEREMIAH 18:3-4

King James Version (KJV)

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.

Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.

For the Lord’s Day – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

Helen Howarth Lemmel

1863-1961

Lyrics and music

Born: No­vem­ber 14, 1863, War­dle, Eng­land.

Died: No­vem­ber 1, 1961, at her home in Se­at­tle, Wash­ing­ton.

Daughter of a Meth­od­ist min­is­ter, Hel­en em­i­grat­ed from Eng­land with her fam­i­ly to Amer­i­ca when she was 12 years old. They first set­tled in Miss­iss­ip­pi, then re­lo­cat­ed to Wis­con­sin. She moved to Se­at­tle in 1904, and for three years was mu­sic cri­tic for the Se­at­tle Post-In­tel­li­genc­er. While in­ter­view­ing Ger­man sing­er Er­nest­ine Schu­mann-Hein, Hel­en was per­suad­ed to go to Eur­ope. A gift­ed sing­er, she stu­died mu­sic in Ger­ma­ny for four years. Up­on her re­turn to Amer­i­ca, she be­gan giv­ing con­certs and tra­vel­ing on the Chau­tau­qua cir­cuit. Event­u­al­ly, she be­came a vo­cal mu­sic teach­er at the Moo­dy Bi­ble In­sti­tute in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois. Af­ter re­tire­ment, she moved to Se­at­tle, Wash­ing­ton, where she was a mem­ber of the Bal­lard Bap­tist Church. Among her works are a hymn­al used by evan­gel­ist Bil­ly Sun­day for over a de­cade. Lem­mel and a wo­men’s chor­al group she di­rect­ed were part of Sun­day’s group at the peak of his ca­reer.

This hymn was inspired by a tract Helen Lemmel read – written by brilliant artist – turned missionary Lilias Trotter, who wrote:

“Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen harmless worlds at once — art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best.” It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God, and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His Glory. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.”
– Lilias Trotter , “Which Passion Will Prevail”

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3: 16

For the Lord’s Day – Abide With Me

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Abide With Me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

lyte_hf2-200x280

Henry Francis Lyte – Lyrics
1793-1847

Born: June 1, 1793, Ednam, Scotland.
Died: November 20, 1847, Nice, France.

Buried: English Cemetery, Nice, France.

Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) and his wife Ann were faithful pastors of a little fishing town in Devonshire England, for 23 years. Although Henry’s health was compromised, he worked tirelessly ministering to his parish, taking care of his family, and writing poems and hymns.

In 1844, Henry was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Over the next three years his physical condition deteriorated until finally on September 4, 1847, at the age of 54, he stood in the pulpit for the last time to deliver his farewell message.

That same afternoon, after taking a walk on the beach, Henry retired to his room. He emerged about an hour later with a written copy of Abide With Me. He left soon after for a trip to Italy, to get away from the cold, damp coastal weather. While en route to his destination, he mailed a revised copy of Abide With Me to his wife. A few days later while resting in a hotel on the French Riviera, Henry went home to be with Jesus. A fellow clergyman who was with Henry during his final hours reported that Henry’s last words were Peace! Joy!

“It is better to wear out than to rust out.” Henry Lyte

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

For the Lord’s Day – Amazing Grace

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Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

John Newton’s Christian mother had died, leaving him to the care of his sailor father. He followed his father into the British Navy, and eventually became involved in the slave trade. Newton was a very unsavory character – leading others to follow him into debauchery. Some years later , as captain of a ship, they were struck by a storm of such severity – that it was doubtful any would survive. Newton – as many do when faced with death – cried out to God – “Lord have mercy on us.”

That was May 10, 1748, the date of Newton’s conversion. Newton continued in the slave trade for a while, though now treating the slaves with some humanity. But, in the natural course of maturing as a Christian – he gave up seafaring entirely in 1755. He eventually became a minister, teaching himself Greek and Hebrew. He died December 21, 1807, secure in his faith. He wrote the words to his own epitaph –

“John Newton, Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”

newton1

John Newton (1725 – 1807 ) left us a great legacy, perhaps the most beloved hymn of all time. 

At 82, Newton said, 

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”

4 But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2: 4-9

I Need Thee Every Hour

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As I sit hear alone, I am overwlemed with this song. Truly, I need Him every hour. A short story about the author as you listen but please don’t miss the words.

Annie Hawks wrote:
“One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my reg­u­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mast­er that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, ei­ther in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Ev­e­ry Hour,” were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­sess­ion of me.”

After writ­ing the lyr­ics, Hawks gave them to her pas­tor, Ro­bert Low­ry, who add­ed the tune and re­frain. The hymn was first pub­lished at the Na­tion­al Bap­tist Sun­day School Con­ven­tion in Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio, in No­vem­ber 1872. Some years lat­er, af­ter the death of her hus­band, Hawks wrote:

“I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of hu­man­i­ty. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell over my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood some­thing of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been per­mit­ted to give out to others in my hour of sweet se­ren­i­ty and peace.”

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice  like Thine can peace afford

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby Temptations lose  their power When Thou art nigh

I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need Thee I need  thee, I need thee, I need Thee every hour

I need Thee every hour in joy or pain Come quickly and abide  or life is in vain I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee Oh, bless me  now, my Savior, I come to Thee I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will And Thy rich promises in me fulfill

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee Oh I need Thee every hour I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to  Thee

For the Lord’s Day – It Is Well With My Soul

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It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

Horatio Gates Spafford
1828-1888

Horatio_Spafford

Born: October 20, 1828, North Troy, New York.
Died: October 16, 1888, Jerusalem, Israel, of malari

This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled, ‘It is well with my soul’, you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, “When sorrows like sea billows roll … It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford’s life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio’s legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong.

The Spaffords’ only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest — DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned.

He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read:

“Saved alone.”

On November 2nd 1873, the ‘Ville de Havre’ had collided with ‘The Lochearn’, an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up.

When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford’s first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, “You were spared for a purpose.”

And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father’s voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. “A careful reckoning has been made”, he said, “and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep.” Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

peace and comfort

biblestudycharts.com

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

For the Lord’s Day – Standing on the Promises

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  1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
    Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
    Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
    Standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
    • Refrain:
      Standing, standing,
      Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
      Standing, standing,
      I’m standing on the promises of God.
  2. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
    By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
    Standing on the promises of God.
  3. Standing on the promises I now can see
    Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
    Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
    Standing on the promises of God.
  4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
    Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
    Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
    Standing on the promises of God.
  5. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
    List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
    Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
    Standing on the promises of God.

Russell Kelso Carter (1849-1928) was a star athlete of a military academy and an excellent student academically, who went on to be a successful teacher and coach. He then spent several years as an ordained Methodist minister, after which he went to medical school. He spent the last of his professional years as a doctor of medicine. Carter was also a musician and songwriter. In 1886, he co-edited Songs of Perfect Love with John Sweney (1837-1899), who wrote the music for such beloved songs as Beulah Land and Fill Me Now. This hymnbook included Carter’s most famous hymn, Standing on the Promises.

Although Carter was a professed Christian most of his life, it wasn’t until a crisis with his natural heart that he began to understand the reality and power of Bible promises. At age 30, his health was in critical condition and the physicians could do no more for him. Carter turned to God for help and healing.He knelt and made a promise that healing or no, his life was finally and forever, fully consecrated to the service of the Lord.

It was from that moment that the written Word of God became alive to Carter. He began to stand upon the promises of healing, determining to believe no matter what his physical condition, no matter how he felt. Over the course of the next several months his strength returned, and his heart was completely healed! Carter lived another healthy 49 years. The hymn Carter had written several years before his healing miracle became more than words and music to him. Standing on the Promises became an integral part of his life.

For the Lord’s Day – To God be the Glory

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To God Be the Glory

Words By: Fanny Crosby

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

crosby_fj_1872

Fanny Crosby

1820-1915

Frances Jane “Fanny” Crosby (1820-1915), American hymn writer and poetess who wrote over 8,000 hymns. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised minister. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”

4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then. shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.   Isaiah 35: 4-6

For the Lord’s Day – And Can It Be?

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And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

charles-wesley

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Charles Wesley

Greatest hymn writer of all time

(18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788)

“O for a thousand tongues to sing / My dear Redeemer’s praise / The glories of my God and King, / The triumphs of his grace!”

He was said to have averaged 10 poetic lines a day for 50 years. He wrote 8,989 hymns, 10 times the volume composed by the only other candidate (Isaac Watts) who could conceivably claim to be the world’s greatest hymn writer. He composed some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the church: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “And Can It Be,” “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” and “Rejoice! the Lord Is King!“

Read more here.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no saviour. Isaiah 43:11

For the Lord’s Day – Are You Washed in the Blood?

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  1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
    Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
    Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
    Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
    • Refrain:
      Are you washed in the blood,
      In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
      Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
      Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
  2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
    Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
    Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
    Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
  3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
    Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
    Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
    And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
  4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
    And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
    There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
    Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!
hoffman_ea

Words & Music: Elisha Albright Hoffman
Born: May 7, 1839, Or­wigs­burg, Penn­syl­van­ia.
Died: No­vem­ber 25, 1929, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois.
Buried: Oak Woods Cem­e­te­ry, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois.

A min­is­ter’s son, Hoffman at­tend­ed Un­ion Sem­in­ary in New Ber­lin, Penn­syl­van­ia, and was or­dained in 1868. Af­ter­ward, he worked with the Evan­gel­ic­al As­so­ci­a­tion’s pub­lish­ing arm in Cleve­land, Ohio for 11 years. He pas­tored in Cleve­land and Graft­on, Ohio, in the 1880s; at the First Presby­ter­i­an Church in Ben­ton Har­bor, Mich­i­gan, around the turn of the cen­tu­ry; and in Ca­bery, Ill­i­nois (1911-1922). In his life­time, he wrote over 2,000 Gos­pel songs and edited 50 song books. [practicalbible.com]

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19

For the Lord’s Day – Trust and Obey

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Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

John H. Sammis (1846-1919), gave up his life as a businessman and part-time YMCA worker to study for the ministry. He was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1880 and then served at several pastorates. In his later years, Sammis taught at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.

Daniel B. Towner (1850-1919) was music director for several well-known churches and schools, including the Moody Bible Institute. He published several music books and wrote the music for many well-loved hymns, including At Calvary and Only A Sinner Saved By Grace.

In 1887, just following an evangelistic meeting held by Dwight L. Moody, a young man stood to share his story in an after-service testimony meeting. As he was speaking, it became clear to many that he knew little about the Bible or acceptable Christian doctrine. His closing lines, however, spoke volumes to seasoned and new believers alike: I’m not quite sure. But I’m going to trust, and I’m going to obey.

Daniel Towner was so struck by the power of those simple words that he quickly jotted them down, then delivered them to John Sammis, who developed the lyrics to Trust and Obey. Towner composed the music and the song quickly became a favorite. It remains popular with hymn singers today.

The Lord redeemeth the soul of of His servants; and none of them that trusteth in Him shall be desolate.

Psalm 34:22