Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul. Break down every idol, cast out every foe; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow. Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain, Apply Thine own blood and extract every stain; To get this blest cleansing, I all things foregoโ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies, And help me to make a complete sacrifice. I give up myself, and whatever I know, Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat, I wait, blessรจd Lord, at Thy crucified feet. By faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow, Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait, Come now, and within me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst No, Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
The blessing by faith, I receive from above; O glory! my soul is made perfect in love; My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know, The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.
Refrain
This hymn was written in 1872 by James Nicholson, who lived in Washington D. C. He was a dedicated Christian and was active in the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church as a Sunday school and evangelistic worker.
The tune was written by Philadelphia musician named William Gustavus Fischer who was a popular song leader for revival meetings. He also composed the tune for โI love to tell the storyโ.
The hymn is based on Ps51:7 โ โPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.โ
This beautiful hymn tells the salvation story from start to finish. It contains all three elements of true repentance:
change of mind
change of heart
change of will
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, now is the time to get right with the Lord. In all sincerity โ there is no better time than right now.
If you will only let God guide you, And hope in Him through all your ways, Whatever comes, Heโll stand beside you, To bear you through the evil days; Who trusts in Godโs unchanging love Builds on the Rock that cannot move.
Only be still, and wait His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whatever the Fatherโs pleasure And all discerning love have sent; Nor doubt our inmost wants are known To Him Who chose us for His own.
Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways, But do your part in conscience true; Trust His rich promises of grace, So shall they be fulfilled in you; God hears the call of those in need, The souls that trust in Him indeed.
Winkworthโs original translation:
If thou but suffer God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, Heโll give thee strength, whateโer betide thee, And bear thee through the evil days. Who trust in Godโs unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.
What can these anxious cares avail thee These never ceasing moans and sighs? What can it help if thou bewail thee Oโer each dark moment as it flies? Our cross and trials do but press The heavier for our bitterness.
Be patient and await His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whatever thy Fatherโs pleasure And His discerning love hath sent, Nor doubt our inmost want are known To Him who chose us for His own.
God knows full well when time of gladness Shall be the needful thing for thee. When He has tried thy soul with sadness And from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own His loving care.
Nor think amid the fiery trial That God hath cast thee off unheard, That he whose hopes meet no denial Must surely be of God preferred. Time passes and much change doth bring And set a bound to everything.
All are alike before the Highest: โTis easy for our God, We know, To raise thee up, though low thou liest, To make the rich man poor and low. True wonders still by Him are wrought Who setteth up and brings to naught.
Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word: though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
Words:Georg Neuยญmark, 1641 (Wer nur den lieยญben Gott lรคsst walยญten); first pubยญlished in his Fortยญgeยญpflantzยญer muยญsikยญalยญisch-poยญetยญischยญer Lustยญwald (Jeยญna, Gerยญmaยญny: 1657). Caยญtherยญine Winkยญworth transยญlatยญed the words from Gerยญman to Engยญlish in 1855, and pubยญlished them in the Choยญrale Book for Engยญland, 1863.
Music: Neumark, Georg Neuยญmark, 1641 (MIยญDI, score). The tune is said to have been used for 400 difยญferยญent hymns.
Things appeared desperate for Georg Neumark. Walking cross country in the early Autumn of 1641 to begin his studies at the University of Konigsberg, the young German scholar was robbed of virtually everything he owned. With no money left to pay for food or classes, George had to drop out of college and look for work. He was hungry, poorly clothed, forced to take whatever shelter he could find as the cold weather came on.
He went back to Magdeburg but could find no work there. However, he made friends easily, and they pointed him to different cities. But he had no more success in the next three cities he tried: Luneburg, Winsen or Hamburg. He passed on to Keil. The chief pastor of Keil, Nicolaus Becker took an interest in Georg. Like Georg, he was from Thuringia. However, he could find him no immediate work. It was now December. What was Georg to do?
At this darkest moment, a miracle happened. A tutor in a prominent family fell into disgrace and fled. Nicolaus Becker recommended Georg for the position and he was hired. Georgโs response was to burst into a hymn of praise, โon that very day.โ
If thou but suffer God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, Heโll give thee strength, whateโer betide thee, And bear thee through the evil daysโฆ. Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word: though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
We remember George Neumark mainly because of that one hymn and the tune he composed for it. For two years he worked and saved his money, finally getting together enough to enter University. In 1646 he again lost everything he owned, this time to a fire.
However, he was able to complete his studies and return to his homeland. There Duke Wilhelm II of Sachse-Weimar recognized his merits and gave him a trusted position.
Georg went blind shortly before he died, but the court allowed him to keep his jobs with their badly-needed income right to the end. He died on this day, July 18, 1681, having turned 60 shortly before. He had performed his part faithfully and God did not forsake him, bearing him through the evil days.
Bibliography:
Covert, William Chalmers and Laufer, Calvin Weiss, editors. Handbook to the Hymnal. (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, 1936).
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
How many of us think, that if we only had enough money in the bank, or enough food in storage, or enough gold coins, or enough whatever โ that we would be safe from impending doom?ย
Or conversely, how many of us rely on our poverty to sustain us?ย Believing that some entity or other will always be there to pick us up after we fall, or feed, clothe, shelter, and educate us merely because we exist?ย Assuming no harm can befall us because โtheyโ will help?ย
Proverbs 10:15
ย The rich manโs wealth is his strong city:
This image applies to both aspects of the Proverb โ because within a city or any metropolitan area like that โ both the wealthy and the poor live within yards of each other. Artificial insulation deceives the dwellers into thinking that all is well. The wealthy thinks his high tower protects him, and the poor thinks the system will protect him. And it doesnโt only apply to cities โ think of the wealthy plantations in the South before the Civil War. They were micro-complexes of supra-independence. But many of them were razed and burned to the ground โ lock, stock, and barrel.
the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Do people trust in poverty? Absolutely! It is the same assumption that the wealthy make โ trusting in the world. Content to let others care for them โ the poor will end in destruction says the Proverb.
Not everyone who is poor or wealthy must end this way. It is a matter of where we put our trust. Trusting in ourselves, in money, in โprepping,โ in the government, in family, in religion, in education, in the media, in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ โ is folly and destruction for both the rich and the poor.
Psalm 118:8-9
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Please look at verse 8 above โ putting confidence in man โ includes yourself! V. 9 โ putting confidence in princes is the same as putting confidence in politicians.
Psalm 9:9-10
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.
1 I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.
Refrain: How marvelous, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvelous, how wonderful is my Saviorโs love for me!
2 He took my sins and my sorrows; he made them his very own; he bore the burden to Calvary and suffered and died alone. [Refrain]
3 When with the ransomed in glory his face I at last shall see, โtwill be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me. [Refrain]
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (August 18, 1856, Wilton, Iowa โ September 14, 1932, Hollywood, California) was a writer of gospel songs and composer of gospel tunes. He is said to have written and/or composed between 7,000 and 8,000 songs,[1] many of which are available in 21st century hymnals. He used several pseudonyms, including Charlotte G. Homer, H. A. Henry, and S. B. Jackson.[2]
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel was born in Wilton, Muscatine County, Iowa, and raised on a farm. His father led singing schools in their home, and young Charles developed an interest in music. It is said that he taught himself to play the familyโs reed organ.[2] Even though he never had any formal training in music, he began to travel and lead his own singing schools in various locations around the age of 17.[3]
His musical talent was well recognized in his boyhood home of Wilton. There is one folklore story, that the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilton (Pastor Pollock or McAulay) once saw Gabriel walking in town early in the week. He asked Gabriel if he knew a good song to go along with his sermon. The pastor shared the sermon topic and by the end of the week the boy had written a song for that Sunday, words and music. The Rev. N. A. McAulay was a pastor at the Wilton church for many years, and it is also said that young Gabriel wrote the music for one of McAulayโs songs. The song, โHow Could it Be,โ was later published in Songs for Service, edited by Gabriel, with the music being credited to โCharles H. Marsh,โ possibly one of Gabrielโs pseudonyms.[4]
ย I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemerโs praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, To spread through all the earth abroad The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease; โTis music in the sinnerโs ears, โTis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.
He speaks, and, listening to His voice, New life the dead receive, The mournful, broken hearts rejoice, The humble poor believe.
Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb, Your loosened tongues employ; Ye blind, behold your Savior come, And leap, ye lame, for joy.
In Christ your Head, you then shall know, Shall feel your sins forgiven; Anticipate your heaven below, And own that love is heaven.
Glory to God, and praise and love Be ever, ever given, By saints below and saints above, The church in earth and heaven.
On this glad day the glorious Sun Of Righteousness arose; On my benighted soul He shone And filled it with repose.
Sudden expired the legal strife, โTwas then I ceased to grieve; My second, real, living life I then began to live.
Then with my heart I first believed, Believed with faith divine, Power with the Holy Ghost received To call the Savior mine.
I felt my Lordโs atoning blood Close to my soul applied; Me, me He loved, the Son of God, For me, for me He died!
I found and owned His promise true, Ascertained of my part, My pardon passed in heaven I knew When written on my heart.
Look unto Him, ye nations, own Your God, ye fallen race; Look, and be saved through faith alone, Be justified by grace.
See all your sins on Jesus laid: The Lamb of God was slain, His soul was once an offering made For every soul of man.
Awake from guilty natureโs sleep, And Christ shall give you light, Cast all your sins into the deep, And wash the รthiop white.
Harlots and publicans and thieves In holy triumph join! Saved is the sinner that believes From crimes as great as mine.
Murderers and all ye hellish crew In holy triumph join! Believe the Savior died for you; For me the Savior died.
With me, your chief, ye then shall know, Shall feel your sins forgiven; Anticipate your heaven below, And own that love is heaven.
Charles Wesley 1739
Wesley wrote this hymn to comยญmemยญoยญrate the first anยญniยญverยญsaยญry of his conยญverยญsion to Christ. This orยญiยญgin is reยญflectยญed in the lyrยญics, โOn this glad day the glorยญiยญous Sun of Rightยญeousยญness arose.โ The stanza that beยญgins โO for a thouยญsand tongues to singโ is verse seven of Wesยญleyโs origยญinยญal poยญem. This work first apยญpeared in Hymns and Sacยญred Poยญems in 1740.
The majestic music for this breathtaking hymn was composed by Carl Glaser, 1828.
Psalm 35:27-28
27ย Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let theย Lordย be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28ย And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalm 119:171-173
171ย My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172ย My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
173ย Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears; The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears: Before the throne my surety stands, Before the throne my surety stands, My name is written on His hands.
He ever lives above, for me to intercede; His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead: His blood atoned for all our race, His blood atoned for all our race, And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary; They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me: โForgive him, O forgive,โ they cry, โForgive him, O forgive,โ they cry, โNor let that ransomed sinner die!โ
The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One; He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son; His Spirit answers to the blood, His Spirit answers to the blood, And tells me I am born of God.
My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear; He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear: With confidence I now draw nigh, With confidence I now draw nigh, And โFather, Abba, Father,โ cry.
Charles Wesley 1707-1788
Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the โBard of Methodism.โ His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the โWesleyan Hymn Book,โ 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone, or in conjunction with his brother. The number of his separate hymns is at least five thousand. http://www.hymnary.org/person/Wesley_Charles
โI have a reยญcord,โ said a Wesยญleyยญan misยญsionยญary laยญborยญing in the West Inยญdies, โof two hunยญdred perยญsons, young and old, who reยญceived the most diยญrect evยญiยญdence of the forยญgiveยญness of their sins while singยญing โArise, my soul.โ The conยญverยญsion of the greatยญer numยญber of these perยญsons took place while I was a misยญsionยญary abroad.โ
Due to the stressfulness of this past week, the Lord put it on my heart to choose this hymn, and post it this evening instead of waiting for tomorrow morning. Please let this wonderful hymn be a balm to your spirit.
Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm; In celestial strains it unceasingly falls Oโer my soul like an infinite calm.
Refrain
Peace, peace, wonderful peace, Coming down from the Father above! Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray In fathomless billows of love!
What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace, Buried deep in the heart of my soul, So secure that no power can mine it away, While the years of eternity roll!
Refrain
I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace, Resting sweetly in Jesusโ control; For Iโm kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!
Refrain
And I think when I rise to that city of peace, Where the Anchor of peace I shall see, That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing In that heavenly kingdom will be:
Refrain
Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest, Marching down the rough pathway of time? Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark; O accept of this peace so sublime!
Refrain
Lyrics โ Warren D. Cornell โ Alas โ no picture is available of brother Warren Cornell.
Died: Febยญruยญaยญry 4, 1901, Fond du Lac, Wisยญconยญsin.
Cornell & Cooper wrote this song at a camp meeting near West Bend, Wisconsin:
One day while seated in the tent, Mr. Cornell, following a period of deep introspection, wrote down the thoughts with which his mind had been busied. They later proved to be parts of this hymn, Wonderful Peace. Sinking again into introspective rumination, he arose, unwittingly dropped the written verses on the tent floor and went out. When Mr. Cooper entered the tent an hour or two later he discovered the paper. He was fascinated by the theme and the accompanying verses. It so fitted his own thinking that he filled in and completed the poem. Then sitting down at the organ he composed the melody as it has since been sung.
Cooper was living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (1870); Buchanan, Michigan (1880); and Hortonville Village, Wisconsin (1900). He pastored at the Hortonville Community Baptist Church from September 1, 1897 to April 1, 1901. In May 1922, he became pastor of the Baptist church in Ira, Vermont. His works include:
History of the Baptist Church of Ira, Vermont, with Simon Lewis Peck (Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Company, 1925)
Sacred Songsย (Canton,ย Maine: The Pinewood Press, 1936)
A Biblical understanding of peace begins with the Hebrew expression ืฉึธืืืึนื (shalom), a word as rich in meaning as it is lovely in sound. In English we generally think of โpeaceโ in terms of what it is notโas an absence of conflict, or confusion, or struggle. But shalom is defined positively, as the presence of certain qualities, such as โcompleteness,โ โsoundness,โ and โwellnessโ (Brown, 1022). In this sense it was (and still is) used in Hebrew as an all-purpose greeting and farewell (Jewish Encyclopedia). With this in view, it becomes apparent that even when shalom is used in our sense of โpeaceโโthe opposite of warโit is more a state of mind than of situation. One might have shalom even in the midst of all sorts of external stresses and conflicts; it is not dependent on the actions of others.
1 Once to evโry man and nation Comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth and falsehood, For the good or evil side; Some great cause, some great decision, Offโring each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever โTwixt that darkness and that light.
2 Then to side with truth is noble, When we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, And โtis prosperous to be just; Then it is the brave man chooses While the coward stands aside. Till the multitude make virtue Of the faith they had denied.
3 By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, Toiling up new Calvโries ever With the cross that turns not back; New occasions teach new duties, Ancient values test our youth; They must upward still and onward, Who would keep abreast of truth.
4 Thoโ the cause of evil prosper, Yet the truth alone is strong; Thoโ her portion be the scaffold, And upon the throne be wrong; Yet that scaffold sways the future, And, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, Keeping watch above His own.
Short Name:
James Russell Lowell
Full Name:
Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891
Birth Year:
1819
Death Year:
1891
Lowell, James Russell, LL.D., was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 22, 1819; graduated at Harvard College, 1838, and was called to the Bar in 1840. Professor of Modern Languages and Literature (succeeding the Poet Longfellow) in Harvard, 1855; American Minister to Spain, also to England in 1881. He was editor of the Atlantic Monthly, from 1857 to 1862; and of the North American Review from 1863 to 1872. Professor Lowell is the most intellectual of American poets, and first of her art critics and humorists. He has written much admirable moral and sacred poetry, but no hymns. One piece, โMen, whose boast it is that yeโ (Against Slavery), is part of an Anti-Slavery poem, and in its present form is found in Hymns of the Spirit, 1864. Part of this is given in Songs for the Sanctuary, N.Y., 1865, as โThey are slaves who will not choose.โ [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] โJohn Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) http://www.hymnary.org/person/Lowell_JR
1 Kings 18:21
ย And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,ย How long halt yeย between two opinions?ย if theย Lordย be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.ย And the people answered him not a word.
1 Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me. Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes; illumine me, Spirit divine!
2 Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear. And while the wave notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my ears; illumine me, Spirit divine!
3 Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere. Open my heart, and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my heart; illumine me, Spirit divine!
Clara H. Scott (December 3, 1841 โ June 21, 1897) was an American composer, hymnwriter and publisher.[1] She was the first woman to publish a volume of anthems, the Royal Anthem Book, in 1882.[2] Scott was also well known for her hymn, Open My Eyes, That I May See, written in 1895.[3] The hymn was inspired by Psalm 119, verse 18.[4] She died in 1897 after being thrown from her carriage by a spooked horse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_H._Scott
Psalm 119:18
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.
1 Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills the breast; but sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy presence rest.
2 O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, to those who fall, how kind thou art! How good to those who seek!
3 But what to those who find? Ah, this nor tongue nor pen can show; the love of Jesus, what it is, none but his loved ones know.
4 Jesus, our only joy be thou, as thou our prize wilt be; Jesus, be thou our glory now, and through eternity.
โDown through the ages many great hymns have been written. Many of them have survived the centuries and decades and still minister to people today. This weekโs choice comes from the height of the Middle Ages, the period of history often called โThe Dark Ages.โ The spiritual and moral darkness of the church had reached a new blackness. The institution founded by Christ some 1,000 years prior was mainly degenerate and corrupt. The moral standards of many of its prominent leaders were characterized by disgrace and shame. Yet within this system of religious confusion, God laid it upon the heart of a dedicated monk, Bernard of Clairvaux (1091- 1153) to write a devotional poem about his Lord. At an early age Bernard was known for his piety and scholarship. With his natural charms and talents, he had many opportunities open to him for a successful secular life. While still in his early 20s, however, he chose the life of a monk at the monastery of Citeaux, France. Within three years Bernardโs forceful personality, talents, and leadership qualities were recognized, and he was asked to form other branches of this order throughout Europe. Within Bernardโs lifetime, 162 other such orders were founded. One of these new monasteries was at Clairvaux, France, where Bernard was made its abbot. He remained there until his death in 1153. The English Translation of this hymn is attributed to Edward Caswall, (1814โ1876). Meditate upon these great words this week which call us to love and worship Jesus, our hope and our only joy. Does the very thought of Him fill you with sweetness?โ
15ย For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16ย I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17ย And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard. Tell how the angels in chorus, Sang as they welcomed His birth, โGlory to God in the highest! Peace and good tidings to earth.โ
Refrain: Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.
Fasting alone in the desert, Tell of the days that are past, How for our sins He was tempted, Yet was triumphant at last. Tell of the years of His labor, Tell of the sorrow He bore; He was despised and afflicted, Homeless, rejected and poor.
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain; Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth again. Love in that story so tender, Clearer than ever I see; Stay, let me weep while you whisper, โLove paid the ransom for me.โ
Tell how Heโs gone back to heaven, Up to the right hand of God: How He is there interceding While on this earth we must trod. Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit He has poured out from above; Tell how Heโs coming in glory For all the saints of His love.
SONG WRITER: Fanny Crosby MUSIC WRITER: John R. Sweney WHEN WRITTEN: 1880
Blindness never produced self-pity in Fanny and she did not look on her blindness as a terrible thing. At eight years old she composed this little verse:
Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see! I am resolved that in this world contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy that other people donโt! So weep or sigh because Iโm blind, I cannot โ nor I wonโt.
All for Jesus, all for Jesus! All my beingโs ransomed powโrs: All my thoughts and words and doings, All my days and all my hours.
Refrain 1: All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my days and all my hours; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my days and all my hours.
Let my hands perform His bidding, Let my feet run in His ways; Let my eyes see Jesus only, Let my lips speak forth His praise.
Refrain 2: All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Let my lips speak forth His praise; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Let my lips speak forth His praise.
Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, Iโve lost sight of all beside; So enchained my spiritโs vision, Looking at the Crucified.
Refrain 3: All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Looking at the Crucified; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Looking at the Crucified.
Oh, what wonder! How amazing! Jesus, glorious King of kings, Deigns to call me His beloved, Lets me rest beneath His wings.
Refrain 4: All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Resting now beneath His wings; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Resting now beneath His wings.
Short Name:
Mary D. James
Full Name:
James, Mary D. (Mary Dagworthy), 1810-1883
Birth Year:
1810
Death Year:
1883
Born: August 10, 1810, Trenton, New Jersey. Died: October 4, 1883, New York City. Buried: Mercer Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey.
When she was 13 years old, James began teaching Sunday school in the Methodist Episcopal church. She became a prominent figure in the Wesleyan Holiness movement, assisting Phoebe Palmer, and often leading meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and elsewhere. She wrote about 50 hymns, and articles by her appeared in the Guide to Holiness, the New York Christian Advocate, The Contributor, The Christian Witness, The Christian Woman, The Christian Standard, and the Ocean Grove Record. Her works include:
The Soul Winner: A Sketch of Life and Fact and Incidents in the Life and Labors of Edmund J. Yard, 1883
ย I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Please enjoy the wonderfully complex choir work, of this beloved hymn. The many layers are indicative of the depth of the Saviorโs eternal love and mercy for mankind.
Refrain
There is a balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin sick soul.
Some times I feel discouraged, And think my workโs in vain, But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.
Refrain
If you canโt preach like Peter, If you canโt pray like Paul, Just tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.
Refrain
Question: โWhat is the balm of Gilead?โ
Answer: A balm is an aromatic, medicinal substance derived from plants. Gilead was an area east of the Jordan River, well known for its spices and ointments. The โbalm of Gileadโ was, therefore, a high-quality ointment with healing properties. The balm was made from resin taken from a flowering plant in the Middle East, although the exact species is unknown. It was also called the โbalsam of Mecca.โ Myrrh is taken from a similar plantโCommiphora myrrha.The Bible uses the term โbalm of Gileadโ metaphorically as an example of something with healing or soothing powers.
โBalm of Gileadโ has three references in the Bible. In Genesis 37:25, as Josephโs brothers contemplated how to kill him, a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by on their way to Egypt from Gilead. In their cargo were โspices, balm, and myrrh.โ Jeremiah 8 records Godโs warning to Judah of what Babylon would do to them. Upon hearing the news, Jeremiah laments, โIs there no balm in Gilead?โ (verse 22). His question is a poetic search for hopeโa plea for healing. Then, in Jeremiah 46:11, as God describes an impending judgment on Egypt, He taunts them: โGo up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; there is no healing for you!โ
These scriptural references to the balm of Gilead have inspired many literary and cultural allusions, including references in โThe Ravenโ by Edgar Allen Poe and movies such as The Spitfire Grill. Notably, โThere Is a Balm in Gileadโ is an African-American spiritual that compares the healing balm to the saving power of Jesusโthe one true treatment that never fails to heal our spiritual wounds.
Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light:
Refrain
Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.
When my way grows drear, Precious Lord, linger near, When my life is almost gone, Hear my cry, hear my call, Hold my hand lest I fall:
Refrain
When the darkness appears And the night draws near, And the day is past and gone, At the river I stand, Guide my feet, hold my hand:
Refrain
Words: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932. Dorsey wrote this song in Chicago, Illinois, after his wife Nettie died while giving birth to a child (who also died shortly thereafter). Dorsey sang the song for his friend, Gospel singer Theodore Frye, and Fryeโs choir sang it the next Sunday at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
3ย Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4ย Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5ย For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6ย And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7ย And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Refrain
Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.
Jesus! what a Strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in Him. Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my Strength, my victory wins.
Refrain
Jesus! what a Help in sorrow! While the billows over me roll, Even when my heart is breaking, He, my Comfort, helps my soul.
Refrain
Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper! While the tempest still is high, Storms about me, night overtakes me, He, my Pilot, hears my cry.
Refrain
Jesus! I do now receive Him, [or Jesus! I do now adore Him,] More than all in Him I find. He hath granted me forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine.
Refrain
John Wilbur Chapman (June 17, 1859, Richmond, Indiana โ December 25, 1918, New York, New York) was a Presbyterian evangelist in the late 19th Century, generally traveling with gospel singer Charles Alexander. His parents were Alexander H. and Lorinda (McWhinney) Chapman.
Chapman grew up attending Quaker Day School and Methodist Sunday School. At age 17, he made a public declaration of his Christian faith and joined the Richmond Presbyterian Church. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and his seminary degree from Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his ordination into the ministry 13 April 1881, while still attending Lane. He was later awarded a Doctorate in Divinity from the College of Wooster and an LL.D. from Heidelberg University.
In May 1882, Chapman married Irene Steddon. In April 1886, she bore him a daughter, Bertha Irene Chapman. Irene Steddon Chapman died in May 1886. Chapman remarried on November 4, 1888 to Agnes Pruyn Strain; they had four children: Robert (who died in infancy), John Wilbur, Jr., Alexander Hamilton, and Agnes Pruyn. His second wife died on June 25, 1907 and Chapman married a third and final time on August 30, 1910 to Mabel Cornelia Moulton.
Chapman took on several pastorates before shifting to the evangelistic circuit. He began preaching with the legendary D. L. Moody in 1893, as well as leading many evangelistic events of his own. Among Chapmanโs disciples on the evangelistic circuit was Billy Sunday.
In 1905, John H. Converse, a wealthy Presbyterian philanthropist, offered to underwrite Chapmanโs expenses if he would re-enter the evangelistic field full-time. Converse also set up a trust fund so as to finance Chapmanโs crusades posthumously. Chapman accepted the offer and in 1907, joined forces with popular gospel singer Charles McCallon Alexander to launch the โChapman-Alexander Simultaneous Campaign.โ
The duo assembled an impressive team of evangelists and song leaders and took to the streets. The first joint campaign was held in Philadelphia from March 12 to April 19, 1908. They partitioned the city into 42 sections covered by 21 evangelist-musicians teams. They spent three weeks on each half of the city, resulting in approximately 8000 conversions.ย It was at a similar Chapman-Alexander event in North Carolina that the legendary King James Only proponent, David Otis Fuller, committed to the Christian faith.
In 1909, Chapman demanded that any field evangelist who doubted the inerrancy of Scripture be removed from ministry. Chapmanโs biography reports, โThe first Chapman-Alexander worldwide campaign left Vancouver, British Columbia on March 26, 1909, and returned on November 26, 1909.
My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire! As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee, Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!
While lifeโs dark maze I tread, And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide; Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrowโs tears away, Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.
When ends lifeโs transient dream, When deathโs cold sullen stream over me roll; Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove; O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!
Ray Palmer wrote these lyrยญics upยญon reยญceivยญing a viยญsion of Christ shortยญly afยญter his gradยญuยญaยญtion from Yale Unยญiยญverยญsiยญty, while workยญing as a tuยญtor at a New York school. Howยญevยญer, he kept them to himยญself unยญtil meetยญing Lowยญell Maยญson on a street in Bosยญton, Masยญsacยญhuยญsetts. When Maยญson asked him to write someยญthing for a new hymnยญal, Palmยญer dug out his old notes and proยญduced these lyrยญics, writยญten two years earยญliยญer. Afยญter takยญing the lyrยญics home and readยญing them, Maยญson comยญposed this tune. Sevยญerยญal days latยญer he saw Palmยญer again and said:
You may live maยญny years and do maยญny good things, but I think you will be best known to posยญterยญiยญty as the auยญthor of My Faith Looks Up to Thee.
An interesting story conยญnectยญed with this hymn:
Mrs. Layยญyah Barยญaยญkat, a naยญtive of Syrยญia, was edยญuยญcatยญed in Beiยญrut and then taught for a time in Egypt. Drivยญen out in 1882 by the inยญsurยญrectยญion of Araยญbi Paยญsha, she, with her husยญband and child, came to Amerยญiยญca by way of Malยญta and Marยญseilles. Her hisยญtoยญry is a strange ilยญlusยญtraยญtion of Godโs proยญviยญdenยญtial care, as they were withยญout any diยญrectยญion or friends in Philยญaยญdelยญphia when they landยญed. But the Lord took them into His own keepยญing, and brought them to those who had known of her in Syrยญia. While in this counยญtry she freยญquentยญly adยญdressed large auยญdiยญencยญes, to whom her deep earยญnestยญness and brokยญen but piยญquant Engยญlish proved unยญuยญsuยญalยญly atยญtractยญive. Among other inยญciยญdents she reยญlatยญed that she had been perยญmitยญted to see the conยญverยญsion of her whole famยญiยญly, who were Marยญoยญnites of Mount Leยญbaยญnon. Her mother, sixยญty-two years of age, had been taught โMy Faith Looks Up to Theeโ in Arยญaยญbic. They would sit on the house roof and reยญpeat it toยญgeยญther; and when the news came back to Syrยญia that the daughยญter was safe in Amerยญiยญca, the moยญther could send her no betยญter proof of her faith and love than in the beauยญtiยญful words of this hymn, asยญsurยญing her that her faith still looked up to Christ.
In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.
โThe words for these stanzas were born out of my own soul with very little effort. I recall that 1 wrote the verses with tender emotion. . . . When writing the last line, โO bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!โ the thought that the whole work of redemption and salvation was involved in those words. . . brought me to a degree of emotion that brought abundant tears.โ
This beautiful song of praise, is characterized as โplain-song,โ which was developed during the earliest centuries of the church age. It shows influence from both the ancient singing of the Jewish synagogue, and the Greek modal style. The heartfelt worship of the only begotten Son of God is the theme.
1. Of the Fatherโs love begotten Ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the Source, the Ending He, Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see Evermore and evermore.
2. Oh, that birth forever blessed When the Virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bare the Savior of our race, And the Babe, the worldโs Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face Evermore and evermore.
3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him; Angel hosts, His praises sing; Powers, dominions, bow before Him And extol our God and King. Let no tongue on earth be silent, Every voice in concert ring Evermore and evermore.
4. This is He whom Heaven-taught singers Sang of old with one accord; Whom the Scriptures of the prophets Promised in their faithful word. Now He shines, the Long-expected; Let creation praise its Lord Evermore and evermore.
5. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father, And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving And unending praises be, Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory Evermore and evermore.
โOf the Fatherโs Love Begottenโ by Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413, cento Translated by John. M. Neale, 1818-1866 and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977
Revelation 1:7-8
7ย Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8ย I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
In times like these, we need a Savior In times like these, we need an anchor Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
This Rock is Jesus, Yes, Heโs the one This Rock is Jesus, The only One Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
In times like these oh be not idle In times like these we need the bible Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
That Rock is Jesus, Yes, Heโs the one That Rock is Jesus, The only One Be very sure, oh youโve gotta be sure That your anchor holds, and it grips the Solid Rock Your anchor it holds, and it grips the Solid Rock
In times like these, I have a Savior In times like these, I have an anchor Iโm very sure, Iโm very sure My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
That Rock is Jesus, Yes, Heโs the one That Rock is Jesus, The only One Be very sure, oh youโve gotta be sure That your anchor it holds, and it grips the Solid Rock
Author: Ruth Caye Jones
Born: 1902, Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Died: August 18, 1972, Erie, Pennsylvania. A self taught pianist and organist, Ruth married Bert Jones, and together they worked in the evangelism field. In 1948, they founded a radio ministry in Erie, Pennsylvania, broadcasting a weekly family devotional program from their home called โA Visit with the Jones.โ http://www.hymnary.org/text/in_times_like_these_you_need_a_savior
Psalm 95:1-3
95ย O come, let us sing unto theย Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2ย Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.
3ย For theย Lordย is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Is there a heart bent oโerbound by sorrow? Is there a life weighed down by care? Come to the cross, each burden bearing; All your anxietyโleave it there.
Refrain
All your anxiety, all your care, Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there, Never a burden He cannot bear, Never a friend like Jesus!
No other friend so swift to help you, No other friend so quick to hear, No other place to leave your burden, No other one to hear your prayer.
Refrain
Come then at once; delay no longer! Heed His entreaty kind and sweet, You need not fear a disappointment; You shall find peace at the mercy seat.
Words & Music: Edยญward H. Joy, 1920, alt. (MIยญDI, score). Joy, a Salยญvaยญtion Arยญmy muยญsiยญcian, inยญtroยญduced the song to the Thornยญton Heath Corps, and latยญer used it throughยญout Canยญaยญda. It was pubยญlished in The Muยญsicยญal Salยญvaยญtionยญist in 1929.
Joy joined the Salยญvaยญtion Arยญmy (SA) in Canยญterยญbuยญry, then played in the band at Folkeยญstone, and beยญcame an SA ofยญfiยญcer in 1894. He went on serve the SA Corps at Tunยญstall, then the SA Inยญterยญnaยญtionยญal headยญquarยญters in 1917, where he was Unยญder Seยญcreยญtaยญry in the Forยญeign Ofยญfice. Afยญter 1919, he served as Imยญmiยญgraยญtion Seยญcreยญtaยญry in westยญern Caยญnaยญda, and in 1932 beยญcame edยญiยญtor-in-chief of The War Cry in South Afยญriยญca. He rose to the rank of SA colยญoยญnel, and reยญtired in 1938.
Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.
O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet, O trysting place where Heavenโs love and Heavenโs justice meet! As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given, So seems my Saviorโs cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.
There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.
Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me; And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess; The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face; Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss, My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.
Clephane, Elizabeth Cecilia, third daughter of Andrew Clephane, Sheriff of Fife, was born at Edinburgh, June 18, 1830, and died at Bridgend House, near Melrose, Feb. 19, 1869. Her hymns appeared, almost all for the first time, in the Family Treasury, under the general title of Breathings on the Border. In publishing the first of these in the Treasury, the late Rev. W. Arnot, of Edinburgh, then editor, thus introduced them:โ
โThese lines express the experiences, the hopes, and the longings of a young Christian lately released. Written on the very edge of this life, with the better land fully, in the view of faith, they seem to us footsteps printed on the sands of Time, where these sands touch the ocean of Eternity. These footprints of one whom the Good Shepherd led through the wilderness into rest, may, with Godโs blessing, contribute to comfort and direct succeeding pilgrims.โ
1. Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart, Draw me, my Saviorโso precious Thou art! Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast. Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest; Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest.
2. Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring, Naught as an offering to Jesus, my king; Only my sinful, now contrite heart. Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart. Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.
3. Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine! Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign, All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride, Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified. Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified.
4. Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last. Till safe in glory my anchor is cast; Through endless ages ever to be Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee; Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!
Lelia N. Morris. Usage Mrs. C. H. Morris. Born: Apยญril 15, 1862, Pennsยญville, Ohio. Died: Juยญly 23, 1929, Auยญburn, New York (at her daughยญterโs home). Buried: McยญConยญnelsยญville, Ohio. Leila Naylor Morris(1862-1929) As a child, Leila lived in Malยญta and McConยญnelsยญville, Ohio. In 1881, she marยญried Charles H. Morris. Leila was acยญtive in the Methยญodยญist church, camp meetยญings, and song writยญing, auยญthorยญing more than 1,000 Gospel songs. When her eyes beยญgan to fail in 1913, her son built a 28-foot blackยญboard with overยญsized staff lines, so she could conยญtinยญue comยญposยญing. โhymntime.com/tch
As earยญnest Christยญian pasยญtor told of a young man about whom he had long felt much anยญxiยญeยญty, as he had seemed so unยญconยญcerned about his soul, and was, in reยญalยญiยญty, a real cause of disยญturbยญance and inยญterยญruptยญion in classยญes for other young men. Meetยญing him one day, the lovยญing pasยญtor sought once more to inยญfluยญence him, urgยญing, โWe want you for Christ and his serยญvice.โ There was a cerยญtain change in his manยญner which did not esยญcape the eye of the prayยญerยญful watchยญer for souls, andโlackยญing time to do moreโhe seized the opยญporยญtunยญiยญty to seยญcure the preยญsence of his young friend at a Christยญian Enยญdeaยญvor meetยญing soon to be held. True to his promยญise he was there. When an opยญporยญtunยญiยญty was givยญen for some of the young men to choose a song, it was seen that he was urgยญing his comยญpanยญion to seยญlect some parยญticยญuยญlar hymn. The other, yieldยญing to his reยญquest, asked if the hymn, โPass me not, O gentle Savยญiour,โ might be sung; and both young men joined in the singยญing with evยญiยญdent inยญterยญest and heartยญiยญness. Latยญer in the evยญenยญing it was reยญquestยญed that all who were defยญinยญiteยญly on the Lordโs side would conยญfess their alยญleยญgiance by standยญing. Whereยญupยญon the one over whom the heart of the pasยญtor was speยญcialยญly yearnยญing rose at once, and with deยญciยญsion.
โTell me about your conยญverยญsion,โ the thankยญful pasยญtor reยญquestยญed at the close of the meetยญing, when hands were clasped in glad, broยญtherยญly welยญcome and reยญcogยญniยญtion.
โOh, yes,โ asยญsentยญed the other. โIt was all through that hymn we have just sung. I was workยญing on the canal at Gโ, and there was a meetยญing beยญing held at the Marยญinยญerโs Chaยญpel, nearยญby. The words floatยญed out over the waยญter, and from the tug where I was workยญing I could hear them plainยญly enough. When they were just goยญing to sing those linesโโWhile on others Thou are callยญing, Do not pass me by!โ a great fear came over me, and I thought, โOh, if the Lord were to pass me by, how terยญriยญble it would be!โ Then and there, on the tug, I cried out, โO Lord, do not pass me by.โ Andโโwith a bright smileโโhe didnโt pass me by. I am saved.โโ
ย The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Unruly behavior is one thing โ unruly mouths are another. Using our mouths to glorify Him is wisdom, which only comes from Him.
Proverbs 10:13
ย In the lips of him that hathย understandingย wisdom is found:
Any wisdom that comes forth from our mouths comes from Him.ย Havingย understandingย is different than having knowledge.ย The depth of our understanding will be commensurate to our walk with Him.ย Many sheeple devote their energies to earning advanced degrees or to studying the evil antics of politicians.ย From a humanistic perspective, they could be identified as having great knowledge.ย Yet โ they do not have understanding.ย No passage in Scripture expresses thisย difference better than the following:
Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
In the forty-two chapters of the Book of Job, he makes an arduous journey from the mere knowledge of God โ to the true understanding of God. When Job submits โ he receives understanding.
but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
At its very essence โ the above verse means exactly what it says . . .ย rejecting Jesus Christ demonstrates a complete void of understanding.ย
Oh,ย the power of the tongue to commit good and evil!ย Wars have been waged over verbal missteps.ย Studies show that children parrot what their parents say -good or bad.ย Throughout Scripture, we are taught to speak with measure and care.ย The unsaved will judge the entire church and the Godheadย by what just one Christian says!ย It is so important, that there are dozens and dozens of verses relating to what people say with their mouths, not just their actions.ย
Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:
With our words we can encourage, comfort, teach, edify, and otherwise do great things through the Righteousness of Christ. We can ask Him to speak through us โ to use us to glorify Him. The only righteousness the believer can possess is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ โ it is His Holy Spirit working through us that allows our words to be a well of life. And done in His Spirit โ our words can do the work we are here for. We can worship Him โ and we can witness about Him. All with words. And at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be rewarded for what we have done with words.
When we talk about the gospel to the unsaved โ we are giving someone a lifeline โ we are giving living waterย from the well of life โ Jesus Christ!ย
The second half of this Proverb must be fairly important, because it is repeated twice in Proverbs 10.
but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Once again we see that the wicked will not be able to speak to defend themselves. Right now โ it seems that the wicked are in great power, and have control of the air waves, and all media. Scripture assures us that this will not last much longer. And these scorners and mockers of Jesus Christ will not be allowed to speak at the Great White Throne Judgment when the charges are made against them. No lawyers to speak for them, or juries to empathize with them. Jesus Christ is the Judge, and Jury.
Revelation 20:11-13
11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Please donโt delay getting right with the LORD. Now is the right time to find Him โ not after you are dead. After this life is over โ there is an eternity โ and it is up to you to choose how you will spend it. That is the free- will given to man by God. We must choose Him. And we must come to Him by the way He specifies in His Word โ the Bible. If you would like to talk to us about it โ please email at:
The title pretty much says it all, but on this blog we like to delve into the โdeep things of God.โ Most Christians make a cursory pass through the Book of Proverbs, especially the chapters consisting of scores of one verse axioms. Is that really how the Lord wants us to study His precious Word? No, it isnโt. We are admonished over and over again throughout the Bible that His Word is paramount to knowing and serving Him. Each Word. Not just the easy passages which โspeak to your heart.โ
Proverbs 10:9
ย He that walkethย uprightlyย walketh surely:
Merriam Webster: upright โ marked by strong moral rectitude <an upright citizen>
Marked by โstrong moral rectitude?โ That means it should be observable by others. No one should ever be able to say โ โwhy would I want to be a Christian โ youโre no better or different than anyone else!โ The public failures of prominent Christians have done great damage to the furtherance of the Gospel. We have a great obligation โ famous or not โ to walk uprightly. Not only for our own safety and well-being; but for a walking testimony. Christians will be held to a higher standard because we are a target of the evil one. Do not let the lusts of this world spoil your testimony! Walk surely and safely on the narrow path โ for your own sake, as well as the sakes of those watching you.
but he thatย pervertethย his ways shall be known.
Merriam Webster: pervert
a: to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right :corrupt
b: to cause to turn aside or away from what is generally done or accepted :misdirect
This second part of the Proverb is interestingly phrased. How often the sinner thinks that heโs โgetting away with it.โ The idea of โsecret sinโ is a misnomer if there ever was one. It is sold to us as a โguilty pleasure,โ and that you have a โright to indulge yourself.โ One of the most over-used copouts of the porn addict is that โitโs not hurting anyone.โ Prominent pastors caught in adultery never go into the affair with the idea that they will be found out!
Famous pervert, Oscar Wilde, gave the practice of โsecret sin,โ the literary treatment in his classic โ The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Wilde and his friends knew the effects of the libertine, perverted lifestyle only too well. In this fantasy novel, the beautiful Dorian Gray makes a deal with the evil one, which would cause all the excesses of his licentious activities to only appear on his portrait โ not his own face or body. The catch to this was, that the more his sins were hidden, the more perverted he became, even offending his libertine friends. It has long been a trick of Satan to sell the bills of goods, without revealing the โside effects.โ Those most deeply immersed in a sinful lifestyle, are usually the last to know how their choices have caught up with them. There is no hiding it โ the Proverb says โ โhis ways shall be known!โ
If you are struggling with an addiction, please realize that it is rooted in sin. And sin is sin is sin. Calling it something else does not change what it is. Face up to it, and call on the Lord Jesus Christ to free you from that bondage. Bondage to sin and perversion is not freedom, even though at the outset โ it may seem very freeing to be released from moral constraints. But it is not freedom at all โ rather โ it is the worst kind of bondage to a very harsh taskmaster known as the Father of Lies. And he does not love you or care whether you live or die. But Jesus Christ loves you so much that He died for all the terrible things youโve done โ so that you can live forever and spend eternity with Him.
My story is not as extraordinary as some of the testimonials we like to hear about. But to me, it is extraordinary to the point that I can barely describe it.
I will start with a short summary of my childhood. My parents were decent parents, not happy, not unhappy. My mother was Lutheran, and my father was Catholic. They made an arrangement regarding how our religious lives would be balanced. The children would attend Catholic School, and attend Lutheran church on Sundays. My mother calculated that to be a good compromise. Neither of my parents were saved at that time.
I will state in the most diplomatic terms that I can โ that my ten years of Catholic school (I graduated two years early) were nothing short of hellacious. Ten years of physical and psychological abuse. From hitting us with books, to putting small children into garbage cans and throwing garbage on them. . .
I believe that from before I could even articulate my thoughts โ I was aware of God. Even while very young, I was fascinated by nature. Even a leaf impressed me. Iโve always been aware of an intense love for Jesus within me โ to the point that my family made fun of me. The irreconcilable teachings between evolutionary science classes and religion Bible stories disturbed me to the point I was challenging the teachers at the age of eight, because it was so contradictory. At my school, we were required to attend chapel every morning, and confession once weekly. During one session, while on my knees at the age of twelve, I told the priest how unhappy I was, and that I wasnโt getting anything out of church or religion classes. He responded that โFaith is an empty shell. You can get nothing out of it unless you put something into it.โ So-o-o frustrating.
Years went by, with me feeling more and more unhappy about life in general. I was heavily involved with the performing arts, and had the nagging sensation that something was terribly wrong with it all. My mother had been fairly miserable and self absorbed most of the time. She also had a terrible 35 year smoking habit that she had tried every method known to man .. . Smoke Enders, hypnotism, medical doctors. . . Then one day, when I was 18 years old, my motherโs hair dresser led her to Christ. She came home a different person โ and the very visible miracle was her instant deliverance from her addiction to cigarettes. Very impressive to me.
Two years passed, while I lived my life, and watched my mother try to lead all of us to Christ. Her witnessing was rather more like nagging! But the fact was incontrovertible. She was changed! I started reading her Bible โ from the back. I donโt know why I started with Revelation, but it spoke to me. I had always known I was a sinner. It was so easy โ I held the Bible, closed my eyes, and asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart and save me from myself. I told Him I didnโt want to live like I was living โ pursuing the world. I told Him I wanted peace. I told Him I wanted Him.
I felt like a ten ton weight came off of me right then. It was so incredible, but I actually felt it lifted off! Right at that moment! I spent the entire weekend crying as one sin after another came up into my awareness, as the Holy Spirit convicted me, for me to confess.
I didnโt become the Bible thumper that I am overnight. That was a gradual development! And, by the mercy of God, my very stubborn father got saved two years after I did, and devoted the next thirty years of his life to studying the Word.
Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.
If you would like to know this kind of peace โ it can be yours today. There are four steps to true conversion. If one of them is missing, it will not be complete.
FIRST, admit that you are a sinner โ just like me.
Romans 3:10
As it is written. There is none righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
SECOND, realize that you canโt save yourself.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
THIRD, believe, and turn (repent) towards Jesus Christ, believing in your heart of hearts that He can deliver you โ Jesus Christ โ Godโs only begotten Son Who died for your sins.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
FOURTH, call upon Jesus for salvation. Ask Him!
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Wonโt you please, take a moment, right now, and pray for God to forgive you of your sins,
This research, recently published (July 2024), entitled โReal-Time Self-Assembly of Stereo microscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study,โ indicates that everyone who was coerced into taking that Pfizer or Moderna vaccine could very well be infected with some strange unidentifiable nanotech.
Just Read the Highlighted Text:
As we reported here, we have isolated numerous and various unidentified materials โ a few ฮผm in size โ beyond the nanoparticles described in FDA reports for the mRNA injectables, in the Pfizer and even more so in the Moderna products.
Having concluded various experiments and careful observational studies, we infer that the materials and their observed stages of development are not natural. They are synthetic, and elemental seeming to govern a well-programmed process of structural self-assembly. That their provisional final production could be described as artificial has already been suggested in the numerous articles referenced so far…
โฆSasha Latypova, an executive and researcher for the pharmaceutical industry, discovered an extreme deviation in side effects among the batch-to-batch vials of mRNA COVID-19 injectables. In a normal world, this sort of wildly uneven deviation would be intolerable in ordinary pharmaceutical products receiving routine oversight by regulatory bodies adhering strictly to established protocols and safety guidelines. Nevertheless, as the public has been reminded continually, we are living in a โnew normalโ. How, therefore, might we understand more generally this obvious deviation from the old normal? One way is to consider intentionality. These products were meant to serve foremost as experimental injections for the whole of humanity โ including all ethnicities, sexes, and age groups.
This depiction squares with the FDA approval letter of the Comirnaty (Pfizer product; FDA, 2021), the post-marketing requirement, in infants under 6 months of age, the study completion of July 31, 2024, and the final report which is to be submitted by October 31, 2024. Worth nothing is that in the accompanying documents for the injectable products all details referring to the factories where they were manufactured were conspicuously redacted, which begs larger questions about secrecy undermining informed consent.
Broudy, Daniel & Lee, Young. (2024). Real-Time Self-Assembly of Stereomicroscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 3. 1180-1244. 10.56098/586k0043.
…
2 Timothy 3:1-9
3ย This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2ย For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3ย Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4ย Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5ย Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.6ย For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,7ย Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8ย Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.9ย But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
It is endlessly fascinating to me, just how specific the Word of God is on virtually every subject. Most thinking people are aware on some level of the basic human desire to be remembered after passing on. Some call it a legacy โ some want their name in the history books โ some want a nice eulogy at their funeral. However it is expressed โ it seems to exist in all people on some level โ and that is why it is addressed in the Bible.
What is notable about the Bible and Its treatment of this subject, is that It is only concerned with Godโs memory of our legacies. Not things made with human hands, such as plaques, memorials, headstones, charitable trusts, art work etc. . .
Do you know that to God โ there are only two kinds of people?ย Sheep and goats, or saved and unsaved.ย Thatโs right โย not good, bad, hard working, lazy, selfish, charitable or greedy โ it makes no difference.ย You are either justified and sanctified by the Blood of Christ or you are not.
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the just is blessed:
Think about that โ if you repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior He has promised that He will not remember your sins, because God will only see His righteousness โ and we achieve justification through Him.
Psalm 103:11-13
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.
but the name of the wicked shall rot.
No matter how famous, no matter how much charity, no matter how many good works โ the promise for the wicked unrepentant is that every idle deed and word is remembered โ none of the record of their world famous deeds will stand โ none of their riches โ not even a bowling trophy! The only thing, the only thing that matters is that you trust in Him today without delay!
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power;
As wickedness grows apace in this world, believers sometimes wonder longingly when the LORD will call them home. The Word of God is implicitly clear โ He is keeping track โ and He will hold all accountable.
Proverbs 10:6
ย Blessings are upon theย headย of theย just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
It is extremely important to understand the meaning of the word โjustโ in the first section of this Proverb. Who are the just? Those who seek after righteousness through saving faith in Godโs Christ! No one can be just on their own โ because no one can obtain their own righteousness. And Who is our Head? Jesus Christ of course!
1 Corinthians 11:3
ย But I would have you know, that theย headย of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
It is evident in this Proverb that blessings come to us only through Jesus Christ โ Who is both our Head and our Righteousness. And what blessings they are! Pardon from sin, limitless peace, rest for our souls, every sanctifying grace, adoption, eternal life. . . need I say more? What joy! What bliss! What a Savior!
The second part of this Proverb is sad indeed. We see the wicked prospering in the world, and it โvexes our souls,โ as it should! But look closely at that verse โ and you will see it says something far more than most think it does. โViolence covereth the mouth of the wicked.โ Picture this, because this is what the Word is saying โ the unrepentant will NOT be able to answer when the charges are brought against them at the Great White Throne Judgment! Their mouths will be โcovered with violence.โ There will be no pleading or bargaining involved, such as the courts of law hold today. No negotiating โ no reduced sentences โ no parole. . .no purgatory!
If you belong to an organized religion or cult, or are an atheist or agnostic โ please think carefully about this Proverb โ because it tells the future in one short sentence.ย Think about a trial โ where you are not even allowed to speak โ and every idle word, deed, and thought you ever had is exposed and read aloud for all to hear.ย You will have no defense โ because your mouth will be covered.ย
Do not think this is some cruel fate โ you have had ample time to repent, and the Lord is not willing that any should perish. Now is the time โ not next year, or in a couple of years after you get done โliving your life.โ The time is never going to get better than right this minute. Turn to Jesus Christ, your Creator and Savior, please do it now because you may not get the chance later.
Luke 12:16-21
16 And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
The Vine Vigil 
