Can we think too much about what we say? Not according to the Book of Proverbs. Almost from start to finish, the Proverbs contend that our words have great ability to do harm or good. I think of parents who speak unguardedly in their children’s presence, and then are shocked when later, the little ones repeat verbatim EVERYTHING their parents said!
Well, it’s not just children who record our words – our every thought and word is recorded in heaven. Thankfully – if we are saved under the Blood of Christ – we will not have to pay for our verbal refuse. But that does not give us license to say whatever pops into our heads.
I beseech you to have the mind of Christ – and filter everything you say and do through the Bible. And you can only do that by being immersed (baptized) in His Word to the point that His Word becomes a part of you. You are what you eat – after all!
Proverbs 10:20-21
20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver:the heart of the wicked is little worth.
Indeed – the Pharisee and the Publican are an exemplary picture of this Proverb. As Christ said – the Publican was “justified.” That means his humble words were – “as choice silver.” The Pharisee’s self aggrandizing was of very “little worth.”
21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Certainly, Paul is our master example of Christian speech and behavior. His written words, authored by the Holy Spirit, have “fed many.” Just with his Epistles, we can lead a sinner to a saving knowledge of Christ. Think how remarkable that is. In China – people are happy just to have one page out of the Book of Romans! They are known to sleep with it, love it, and memorize it so they can pass it on to another. Are the words of Mohammed, or Joseph Smith, revered in such a fashion? Hardly. Those who feed on the words of false shepherds will “die for lack of wisdom.” And that death will be ETERNAL DEATH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE!
Which brings to mind what the work of a believer is. To spread the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. It is not righteous or wise to keep it to yourself. If you are reading this, and you do not know what it means to be “saved,” please read the following:
(1). Admit you are a sinner (have disobeyed God).
Sin separates man from God. Imperfect man cannot come into the presence of a perfect God.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” -1 John 1:8
(2). Repent (be sorry for and turn from your sins, to a new life in Christ).
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”-Acts 3:19
(3). Salvation is available only through Jesus Christ.
“Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” -John14:6
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” -1 Timothy 2:5
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12
(4). Accept the free gift of eternal life through Christ.
You cannot earn salvation by your own efforts.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” -Ephesians 2:8,9
“That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -Romans 10: 9,10
(5). Do it now.
“…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” -II Corinthians 6:2
(Jesus said) “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” -Revelation 3:20
Gossiping, backstabbing, and lying – are all traits that should never be named in the Body of Christ – but they are there all the same. Hidden jealousy, covetousness, and bitterness don’t really stay buried – they ooze out of our mouths with the greatest of ease – but leave a sticky coating that is hard to escape from. Words once spoken can never be taken back.
Proverbs 10:18-19
18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Wow! Hiding hatred with lying lips. . . how awful. But it’s all too true. We comfort ourselves by sugar coating what we are doing, thinking we are not hurting anyone, but it puts us in the category of fool no matter what the reason. Cutting up someone’s appearance, children, marriage – whatever – is nothing more than slander. If it’s not something you can say directly to the person – then do not say it! This includes tearing apart the pastor’s sermon in the car on the way home from church. Repeating something you’ve heard is a dangerous and shameful practice. So is embellishing and exaggerating something that may be true in order to make it more interesting to your listeners.
slander, lying, and gossiping are all acts of self centeredness. they are the hallmark of the baby christian. this sin is one of the greatest detriments to the furtherance of the gospel to a lost and dying world. it is a demonstration of the opposite of love – which is hate.
19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:
Did you realize that the more you talk, there is more chance of you saying something wrong? The odds are against you. Those who run-off at the mouth, are notorious for putting their foot in that same mouth. Even when you are not talking about yourself (which most talkers do) you are still feeding your ego, by holding your listener(s) hostage. Parents – this includes lecturing of your children or spouse. Less is more in this case, and in every case. The longer your spiel – the greater chance you will sin, and sin big, during the overflow.
20but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
There is a reason why God gave us two ears, and only one mouth!
The most miserable sin of self justification, is a sin we all contend with. Continually attempting to explain why we do the things we do (even alone in our minds) does not “sit well” with our Sovereign Creator. Oh – to be free of this flesh and with the Lord for ever . . .
Proverbs 11:28
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall;
At right you see the Parable of the Rich Fool aptly portrayed.
Luke 12:19-21
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 Lord in no way states that material possessions and riches are wrong. The issue at hand, is where we put our trust. Many Christians have fallen into the general hype of “hoarding.” It is interesting to note, that some of the super-stars of television’s “Extreme Couponing,” are professing Christians, one even a youth pastor! There are dozens of conservative news sites which have their own brand of food storage systems, and right leaning financial advisers beat the drum of buying gold and silver – from them – of course.
There is NOTHING wrong with stockpiling. Nothing. Joseph wisely stored food against the prophetically revealed famine. But we must never, never trust in food stores or caches of precious metals to save us. Our faith is not ever to be in anything of this world. If we are walking closely to Jesus – all of these things will grow dimmer and dimmer as we mature in Christ. We will not fear anything that “might” happen in the future – simply because we already know our future…
Together with the LORD in eternity.
but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
Looks good! That is how we appear (metaphorically speaking) when we allow the righteousness of Christ to rule in our hearts. Every truly born-again believer possesses the righteousness of Christ – and is completely capable of bearing much fruit. The child of God may require a great deal of pruning in order to bear prolifically. This is chastening from a Father to a son. Praise Him for it. Take it and learn of Him. Is your trust in your IRA, or a basement full of freeze-dried food stores? Or is your trust in Him alone?
Jeremiah 17:7-8
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Keeping our hearts and minds on the Lord becomes easier the more we read the Word, fellowship with other believers, and turn from the world. In a sense, we need to repent of the world every moment of every day – because we are living in it while being housed in very weak flesh. To put it in perspective, we are not unlike sailors long at sea – being lured to their deaths by the call imaginary sirens among jagged rocks. Or a thirsty soul in the desert – seeing a mirage and swallowing mouthfuls of sand instead of water. What the world presents to us – is a trick of the devil. It has the appearance of something we are convinced that we need – but will in reality – only destroy us. It is of utmost importance to spread the Gospel. It is of very small importance to stockpile food and gold.
As believers, our natural inborn tendency leans towards works of self-indulgence, rather than works of righteousness. The struggle within us, mirrors the twins (Esau and Jacob) wrestling within their mother, Rebekah. It is a continuous battle between our flesh, and God’s Holy Spirit. The strength of one over the other, depends entirely on what we feed them. If we indulge our flesh with worldly fare, the Spirit will become weaker. These Proverb studies, and other such materials, are intended to feed the Spirit of true believers.
Proverbs 11:23
The desire of the righteous is only good:
As born-again Christians, we have the Righteousness of Christ within us. We Have no righteousness of our own. The holy righteousness living inside you, desires only good. If the Holy Spirit is your dominant “twin” you will desire only good. On the other-hand, if the flesh is the dominant twin, you will desire the opposite of what is good.
For example, when pondering the evil antics of worldly politicians and other leaders, do you sometimes fantasize that a lightening bolt, or some other act of God, would strike them down, and put them out of your misery? If someone has wronged you – do you long for them to “get what’s coming to them”?
Beloveds – that kind of attitude is your flesh talking. The best thing to do is rebuke it, and turn to the Lord in prayer. Rather than wishing for revenge, or “inexorable justice” on the workers of iniquity, why not pray for them? Pray for the most evil of them. Yes, it is true, that some individuals are beyond redemption, but that is not for us to determine. It is for us to pray, and pray, and pray.
but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
The lost have a truly bleak future in eternity. As the children of God, we should not desire that for anyone. Though your prayers for the wicked may seem like they go unanswered, it is a fact, that if your heart is right with the Lord, He hears all your prayers, even if you are praying for the worst miscreant in the world. We should desire their good, and the only good for them, is salvation in Jesus Christ. It is a terrible, awful, thing – when someone dies in their sins. And when you pray for that lost soul – make sure you mean it.
1 Timothy 2:1-3
2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour
Please reread verse 2 again – do you see what that says? It is conditional. If we don’t pray for those in authority over us – we will have persecution! Obviously, the Body of Christ has dropped the ball on this one.
While it is one hundred percent certain, that each member of the human race is responsible to the Creator for their own sins, there are things sheeple do, which can adversely affect their offspring – or seed. The obvious things are consuming drugs and alcohol during pregnancy – but there are the more subtle – and equally devastating things mankind does which seeps down to their kids. Global leaders, politicians, business owners, school boards, churches leaders, voters, and every other sort of human interaction that you could imagine – regularly compromises in agreement with the Devil. It is tossed off as a “necessary evil,” “choosing the lesser evil,” or “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.” We sinners may make light of such agreements, but our Heavenly Father takes serious note.
Proverbs 11:21
Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished:
These compromises, treaties, contracts, and agreements may give us a temporary feeling of success, but in the long run, we and our children will suffer for it. Legal maneuvers are frequently mentioned in the media as “burdens placed on our grandchildren.”
President Trump’s daughter (Ivanka Trump) and Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter (Ella Emhoff).
President Donald Trump’s son, (Barron Trump) and Former President Barack Obama’s daughter (Sasha Obama).
Thankfully, if we are walking closely to the Lord, His Holy Spirit will guide us farther and farther away from the worldly things and into the deep things of God. But the perpetually infantile Christians who continue in the world without spiritual growth, in every way resemble the pagans they contract agreements with. And it doesn’t matter what kind of contract it is. From marriage to global treaties – any contract that omits God is a deal with the devil.
but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
Young people are like sponges and mirrors. Whatever they see and hear becomes an integral part of them. When they live with televised politicians who don’t know the difference between right and wrong, hypocritical and ignorant teachers, and parents who are lazy, liars, and compromisers – they will both reflect and absorb such ungodliness in their teenage and adult lives. Additionally, they develop a hardness of the heart against the things of God. Believers have the ability and opportunity to give their offspring a great example to follow. While this is not a guarantee that your children will be saved, in my observation, those parents that are steadfast in their devotion to the Lord (with minimal hypocrisy) are respected by their adult kids. And many, many times, even those children who have walked the Prodigal trail, return and repent. If you live prudently, gently and without avarice – you are doing a wonderful thing for your descendants. Salvation is an individual’s choice. At the same time – we are doing God’s will in helping our children along the path to Godliness. What a kindness you are doing for them, when they see you praying and reading your Bible! And as our children walk closely to the Lord – our families are a wonderful testimony to a lost and dying world.
Mature Christians rarely need to be reminded to show mercy. Young believers, on the other hand, can lapse into their flesh more easily. This Friday Proverb study is devoted to our young brothers and sisters in Christ, who are growing and learning in all the doctrines of God. As young Christians, you also need to know, that we were also young once, and can recall with vivid clarity how impulsive and unwise we could be in those early days of our earthly sojourn.
Proverbs 11:17-19
17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
Animal shelters unite pets with owners. Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
This study by secular scientists agrees with what the Word of God has said all along. Kindness is a boon to your health. Those who are saved under the Blood of Christ, do not need a scientific study to tell them anything. The King James Bible is all sufficient for every life question you will ever have. Mean spirited people, will reap such nastiness in their own flesh. Our Lord in the Beatitudes said:
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Psychologists like to tell us that everything we do is a reaction to things that other people did to us. While this may be true for the flesh, it is not so for those who have been made free in Christ Jesus. The flesh tells us to justify what we do – because so and so did that to us. The flesh tells us to hold grudges and get revenge. This Proverb tells us that those kinds of machinations are wicked and deceitful!
My wife gained a lot of weight during pregnancy. She’s tired all the time, and doesn’t take care of herself. That’s not what I wanted from marriage. I think it’s OK for me to look at porn, because I’m not hurting anyone, and I need some kind of outlet.
My husband doesn’t give me any attention. I feel like eating because it makes me feel better. I also like to buy things I don’t need, because it’s self medicating for me.
My employer doesn’t pay enough for this terrible job. I’m not going to kill myself working for nothing. The company has enough money. They should give me some.
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.
19 As righteousness tendeth to life:
Make no mistake about it. Satan hates you. He will try everything in his substantial bag of tricks, to cause you to kill yourself before you can get saved, or, if you are saved, before you can lead any others to God’s salvation. Let’s look at the short list in Satan’s suicidal bag of evil. All of these will lead to death – eventually. Some sooner rather than later.
risky behavior (too numerous to list – including sodomy and drug use)
alcohol (Christians should not drink alcohol under any circumstances)
These behaviors are evil, and also appear evil to the unsaved world. They know in their hearts that it is wrong. All ungodly and fleshly desires are different forms of the sin of lust. We are to be separate and sanctified.
so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
This song, has a lot of “bounce,” but it is not syncopated. The tempo is even, at a quick march beat, known as a “quick-step.” A real “foot stomper!” The offering for today was inspired by Terry Dawson’s testimony, wherein he was saved at “an old fashioned tent meeting.” The words to this hymn are outstanding – especially verses 3 and 4!
The Complete 1922 Lyrics to the song: The Old Fashioned Meeting, By Herbert Buffman
Verse 1: Oh how well I remember in the old fashioned days, When some old fashioned people had some old fashioned ways In the old fashioned meetings, as they tarried there In the old fashioned manner, how God answered their prayer.
Chorus: ‘Twas an old fashiomed meeting, In an old fashioned place Where some old fashioned people, had some old fashion grace As an old fashioned sinner, I began to pray, And God heard me and answered in the old fashioned way
Verse 2: There was singing, such singing, of those old fashioned airs! There was power, such power, in those old fashioned prayers An old fashioned conviction made the sinner pray And the Lord heard and saved him in the old fashioned way.
Repeat Chorus:
Verse 3: Well, They say it is better, ” Things have changed, don’t you know!” And the people in general seem to think it is so And they call me old fashioned when I dare to say That I like it far better in the old fashioned way.
Repeat Chorus:
Verse 4: If the Lord never changes, as the fashion of men, If He’s always the same, why, He is old fashioned then! As an old fashioned sinner saved through old time grace, Oh, I’m sure He will take me to an old fashioned place.
Repeat Chorus:
Short Name: Herbert Buffum
Full Name: Buffum, Herbert, 1879-1939
Birth Year: 1879
Death Year: 1939
Born: November 13, 1879, Lafayette, Illinois. Died: October 9, 1939, Los Angeles, California. Buried: Valhalla Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California. His epitaph reads “I have fought a good fight.”
After moving with his family to California and being converted to Christ at age 18, Buffum felt a call to the ministry. He held ministerial credentials with the Church of the Nazarene, and was a Holiness/Pentecostal evangelist. He was also a prolific song writer, with many songs inspired by personal experience; He had 10,000 Songs to his credit, 1,000 actually published. Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not” claimed He once wrote 12 songs in an hour. Though a talented musician, Buffum received no musical training. He sold most of his songs for five dollars or less. When he died, the Los Angeles Times called him “the king of Gospel song writers. http://www.hymnary.org/text/o_how_well_i_remember
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
Perhaps not many view the Proverbs and Psalms as being prophetic. After so many decades of Bible study, I see Prophecy in almost every line of the Bible. As is understood, the Lord reveals things to us in stages. Most often, Old Testament events and poetry, describe an actual event such as Passover – which is a picture of something far more dramatic in the future. Such is the case with this Proverb. At face value, it does not seem to reveal much to the casual reader – but we are here to see what it really says.
Proverbs 11:8
The righteous is delivered out of trouble,
Only those who are truly born-again of the Holy Spirit of God, will be delivered – because only the truly born-again – are considered righteous. When we repent, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we obtain His righteousness – which guarantees our deliverance. None of the troubles, trials and tribulations of this present life and time, can compare to the Great Tribulation, and the judgments that will befall everyone on earth at that time.
Please do not allow the recent crop of preterists to worm their way into your faith in the deliverance promised to you by God in His Holy Book. It is described over and over again – even in this short Proverb. Every Word of the King James Bible is true – and you can trust it implicitly. Read it literally, and with faith.
and the wicked cometh in his stead.
That’s right. As soon as the church is taken up – The Wicked One will swoop in. Just as a vacuum needs to be filled – this will happen in such a way – that it will not be readily apparent to those who are not alert. Since mankind always seeks to worship something or someone they can see, it will happen all too easily. The Holy Spirit that is indwelling believers here on earth, will leave along with the righteous that are being delivered. Once this happens, the only thing that was restraining the power of anti-christ will be gone! It will happen, but, we will NOT BE HERE TO SEE IT!
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them:
Hmm. Easier said than done – right? Not really. Of course, it is nigh impossible if one relies on their own righteousness, but the Bible implicitly states in many places, that only God is righteous, and that we, miserable sinners that we are, may receive His righteousness through faith in the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His perfect righteousness is given to us, by Grace.
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
We are delivered from death and judgment only by recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. He saves us from eternal death in the Lake of Fire, and promises us an eternity with Him.
but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
Just as naughty children never think they will be found out – the sinner in rebellion refuses to acknowledge what needs to be done. They willfully choose the darkness of this world, and the Proverb states they will be taken in their own naughtiness. Not the misdeeds of another – but their very own misdeeds. Sinners in rebellion will not be able to blame anyone (as is the popular trend today) because the Word says the blame will be squarely laid at their own feet.
In the universities and satanically controlled media, herculean effort is made to convince the lost that their condition is not sin and damnation, but that their misery is caused by others. Hence, the creation of the blame game. The evil one does not want man to repent, and he will do everything in his considerable power to cause the sinner to either kill themselves before they can get saved – or contrive to bedazzle the sinner with psychology and fleshly enticements. But God, in His mercy, has given us a narrow pathway of escape. . .
2 Peter 1:3-4
3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
Singh was raised a member of the Sikh religion. Prior to his conversion, Sundar attended a primary school run by the American Presbyterian Mission where the New Testament was read daily as a “textbook.” Sundar “refused to read the Bible at the daily lessons…To some extent the teaching of the Gospel on the love of God attracted me, but I still thought it was false.”
In the midst of such confusion and while only fourteen years old, his mother died, and Sundar underwent a crisis of faith. His mother was a loving saintly woman and they were very close. In his anger, Sundar burned a copy of one of the Gospels in public. Within three days Sundar Singh could bear his misery no longer. Late one night in December 1903, he rose from bed and prayed that God reveal himself to him if he really existed. Otherwise — “I planned to throw myself in front of the train which passed by our house.” For seven hours Sundar Singh prayed. “O God, if there is a God, reveal thyself to me tonight.” The next train was due at five o’clock in the morning. The hours passed. Suddenly the room filled with a glow. A man appeared before him. Sundar Singh heard a voice say, “How long will you deny me? I died for you; I have given my life for you.” He saw the man’s hands, pierced by nails.
Amazed that his vision had taken the unexpected form of Jesus, Sundar was convinced in his heart that Jesus was the true Savior, and that He was alive. Sundar fell on his knees before Him and experienced an astonishing peacefulness which he had never felt before. The vision disappeared, but peace and joy lingered within him.
Despite his family’s pleas, bribes, and threats, Sundar wanted to be baptized in the Christian faith. After his father spoke words of official rejection over him, Sundar became an outcast from his people. He cut off the hair he had worn long like every Sikh man. Against great opposition, he was baptized on his birthday in 1905, in an English church in Simla.
Conventional Indian churches were willing to grant him a pulpit, but their rules were foreign to his spirit. Indeed, he felt that a key reason the gospel was not accepted in India was because it came in a garb foreign to Indians. He decided to become a sadhu, so that he could dedicate himself to the Lord Jesus. He was convinced that this was the best way to introduce the Gospel to his people since it was the only way which his people were accustomed to. As a sadhu, he wore a yellow robe, lived on the charity of others, abandoned all possession and maintained celibacy. In this lifestyle, he was free to devote himself to the Lord. Dressed in his thin yellow robe, Sundar Singh took to the road and began a life of spreading the simple message of love and peace and rebirth through Jesus. He carried no money or other possessions, only a New Testament.
Sundar journeyed much. He traveled all over India and Ceylon. Between 1918-1919, he visited Malaysia, Japan and China. Between 1920-1922 he went to Western Europe, Australia and Israel. He preached in many cities; Jerusalem, Lima, Berlin and Amsterdam among others. Despite his growing fame, Sundar retained a modest nature, desiring only to follow Jesus’ example: to repay evil with kindness and to win over his enemies by love.
He was quite independent of outward Church authority in all his religious life, thought, and work. He dropped out of a Christian seminary that he briefly attended. Neither did he attach much importance to public worship because in his experience the heart prays better in solitude than in a congregation.
He traveled in India and Tibet, as well as the rest of the world, with the message that the modern interpretation of Jesus was sadly watered down. Sundar visited Tibet every summer and in 1929, he visited there and was never seen again.
The story of the song is covered in the Book by Dr. P.P. Job and Indian preacher in His book “Why God Why”
An excerpt from the book is given below:About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A man’s strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years. He sang:
I have decided to follow Jesus. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”
But the man sang these words in reply:
Though no one joins me, still I will follow. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”
In the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines:
The cross before me, the world behind me. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, and I too want that supernatural power.”
In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is the power of [God in] demonstration.
John 12:26
If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.
A great many articles are written about the underground bunkers of the elites and super-rich. These fortresses amount to vast underground cities, with every comfort known to man. Even the not-so-rich, have succumbed to the notion, that they can “ride-out” Armageddon. Bible believers should know, that those who are truly born again – will not need to “hide out,” because they won’t be here. Not only that – but it would be impossible to do so. This is not to say that you should not be prepared for natural disasters, and not so natural ones like losing your job. What is being discussed here is the Day of Wrath.
Revelation 6:16-17
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord‘s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
but righteousness delivereth from death.
It is of utmost importance to understand, that you have no righteousness of your own. ZERO. When you are born again – you can possess His righteousness, and it is overflowing and enough! The good works and deeds you do after being saved, will gain you rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And that is a wonderful thing to work for.
Philippians 3:9
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Revelation 16:7
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.
James 5:1-8
5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
: the quality or state of being complete or undivided :completeness
Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright shall guide them:
It is sad, but true. Not many find their way onto the narrow path. Blinded by the god of this world, sheeple are drawn to darkness, and in turn, the darkness envelopes them and ultimately destroys them. They believe they have enlightenment, but the light that is guiding them, is the false light of the evil one, the deceiver. He leads the lost to eternal destruction.
While we are still in our flesh, we are incapable of possessing true integrity of ourselves. When we are born again, of the Holy Spirit, we can possess His integrity in our new natures – the only true and completely sound integrity that there is to be had, despite what secular humanists preach. For the new nature in Christ is incorruptible, and when we surrender our bodies and souls to Him, we can live righteously through His power. We can be whole, sound, and complete in Him.
We must daily repent and confess our sins, so that we can stay in close fellowship with Him, and live uprightly. May we be beacons of the true light of Christ – and outshine the perverted, false light of the destroyer!
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
If you feed your new nature with the Word of God, more than you feed the old nature, with the world, the flesh, and the devil – you will gain more and more of His integrity, and find greater strength to resist all the wiles of the devil. Let Jesus Christ dominate your thoughts, and the devil will not be able to get a foothold.
Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless, Jesus’ blood can make you free; For He saved the worst among you, When He saved a wretch like me.
Refrain:And I know, yes, I knowJesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,And I know, yes, I knowJesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.
To the faint He giveth power,Through the mountains makes a way;Findeth water in the desert,Turns the night to golden day.
In temptation He is near thee,Holds the pow’rs of hell at bay;Guides you to the path of safety,Gives you grace for every day.
He will keep thee while the agesRoll throughout eternity;Though earth hinders and hell rages,All must work for good to thee.
We only know that the wonderful words and music to this hymn were written by a lady name Anna W. Waterman, in 1920. . .
From a home with one brother and one sister, Charles Waterman’s urge was to see the country. This took him to hitchhiking on the railroad to California. He was influenced by the worldly crowd and gave himself to become an alcoholic. Even as such, he worked his way up to become an engineer on the steam locomotive. He married Anna, who had a Christian background and did what she could to keep the testimony before him. Anna was discouraged at the path her husband followed because it was causing him to miss work on some of his hangovers. So she asked a lady in her town in California to meet with her and help her pray for Charles to be saved. His wild life went on for three or more years and one night he became frightened while under the influence and when he finally arrived at home, he told Anna he wanted to be saved. She immediately called her friend who came over to their home and they led him to the Lord. He begged the Lord for forgiveness and to clean up his life, which the Lord did. The happiness that followed caused Anna to write this song. A book with over 30 other songs was collected and published. They visited in Lodi, Fountain County, Indiana, and at the Baptist Church, later named Waterman Baptist Church. http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/y/e/s/yesiknow.htm
Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Proverbs 10:27
While the Word of God does not guarantee a long earthly life to truly born again believers, it does follow reason that those who fear Him, and forsake sinful lifestyles will have better health and greater joy in life. While we are in our flesh – we long to be with Him, and having the knowledge of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence will prevent us from taking a detour into the dark side.
Living the Holy Spirit filled life is a matter of surrendering our wills to His will. It is a matter of getting rid of our household gods and fleshly desires, and allowing the Holy Spirit to completely fill us. And while it seems that the wicked are holding sway at this moment in time – remember – that to God – there is no time! Time only exists here on earth – it is not a part of the heavenly realm.
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
Proverbs 10:28
Yes – we must fear our Creator – but we must also hope in Him. One need only see the hard, brittle, look in the eyes of the abrasive atheists when they are attacking the Bible and Bible believers. It is a cold, dead expression – void of hope. And if the eyes truly are the window to the soul – what does that tell us? There is death where there is no hope – spiritual death. And then in the not so far off future – eternal death in the Lake of Fire.
We can be truly glad of heart, and take joy in the fact that our futures are already secure, and written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There is no reason to fret over evil doers – because their future is already determined if they remain unrepentant. What a terrible thought.
The next time you hear news of murders, corruptions, and all the sundry evils that satan has in his arsenal, it would be wise to think where your hope is. It is not here! not in America, not in anything other than our blessed savior – Jesus Christ.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
[Forgive me. I so wanted to post a video with the classic hymn – “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” but was unable to find one without a sensuous back-beat.]
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 forego— 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, blessèd 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 “I love to tell the story”.
The hymn is based on Ps51:7 – “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
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 – there is no better time than right now.
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 Savior’s 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, ’twill be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me. [Refrain]
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (August 18, 1856, Wilton, Iowa – 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 family’s 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 McAulay’s songs. The song, “How Could it Be,” was later published in Songs for Service, edited by Gabriel, with the music being credited to “Charles H. Marsh,” possibly one of Gabriel’s pseudonyms.[4]
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 Redeemer’s 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; ’Tis music in the sinner’s ears, ’Tis 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, ’Twas 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 Lord’s 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 nature’s sleep, And Christ shall give you light, Cast all your sins into the deep, And wash the Æthiop 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 commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christ. This origin is reflected in the lyrics, “On this glad day the glorious Sun of Righteousness arose.” The stanza that begins “O for a thousand tongues to sing” is verse seven of Wesley’s original poem. This work first appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1740.
The majestic music for this breathtaking hymn was composed by Carl Glaser, 1828.
Psalm 35:27-28
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalm 119:171-173
171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
173 Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
1 “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Though your sins be as scarlet, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, they shall be as white as snow.”
2 Hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! Hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! He is great compassion, and of wondrous love. Hear the voice that entreats you, hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! O return ye unto God!
3 He’ll forgive your transgressions, and remember them no more: he’ll forgive your transgressions, and remember them no more. “Look unto me, ye people,” saith the Lord your God. He’ll forgive your transgressions, he’ll forgive your transgression, and remember them no more, and remember them no more.
Fanny Crosby 1820-1915
She could compose at any time and did not need to wait for any special inspiration, and her best hymns have come on the spur of the moment. She always composed with an open book in her hand, generally a copy of Golden Hymns, held closely over her eyes, bottom side up. She learned to play on the guitar and piano while at the institution, and has a clear soprano voice. She also received a technical training in music, and for this reason she could, and did, compose airs for some of her hymns. One of these is, “Jesus, dear, I come to Thee, Thou hast said I may,” both words and music of which are wonderfully sweet. “Safe in the arms of Jesus”, probably one of her best known hymns, was her own favorite. Fanny loved her work, and was happy in it. She was always ready either to sympathize or join in a mirthful conversation, as the case may be. The secret of this contentment dates from her first composition at the age of eight years. “It has been the motto of my life,” she says. It is: “O what a happy soul am I! Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world Contented I will be;”
This has continued to be her philosophy. She says that had it not been for her affliction she might not have so good an education, nor so great an influence, and certainly not so fine a memory. She knows a great many portions of the Bible by heart, and had committed to memory the first four books of the Old Testament, and also the four Gospels before she was ten years of age.
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land
Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of Heav’n to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit, Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee; Changed from glory into glory, Till in Heav’n we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
In 1961, during the Manchester, England, crusade…just as the meetings were about to start, Billy Graham became quite seriously ill…Billy had been scheduled to speak to the ministers of London just before the crusade opened. You can imagine my feelings when he sent word that I should represent him and speak at that meeting. The British pastors are themselves thorough scholars and often brilliant preachers. And they were expecting to hear Billy Graham, not me!
At the beginning of that meeting in Westminster’s Central Hall, the ministers joined in singing this great hymn of Charles Wesley. Most of these British clergymen were also well acquainted with hymn texts and hymn tunes, and they sang gloriously. Accompanied by the grand piano and the great pipe organ and using the Welsh tune “Blaenwern,” these familiar words lifted our hearts in praise and prayer to God. I felt God’s strength evident through the singing; He blessed our meeting together despite my fears and their disappointment.
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 – 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 Chapman’s disciples on the evangelistic circuit was Billy Sunday.
In 1905, John H. Converse, a wealthy Presbyterian philanthropist, offered to underwrite Chapman’s expenses if he would re-enter the evangelistic field full-time. Converse also set up a trust fund so as to finance Chapman’s crusades posthumously. Chapman accepted the offer and in 1907, joined forces with popular gospel singer Charles McCallon Alexander to launch the “Chapman-Alexander Simultaneous Campaign.”
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. 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. Chapman’s biography reports, “The first Chapman-Alexander worldwide campaign left Vancouver, British Columbia on March 26, 1909, and returned on November 26, 1909.
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 Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet! As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given, So seems my Savior’s 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:—
“These 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 God’s blessing, contribute to comfort and direct succeeding pilgrims.”
Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? [originally, For such a worm as I?]
Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do.
Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707;
[***Note from sage – you may not be familiar with this rendition – but it was the one that Fanny Crosby was referring to in 1880. The music sung in churches today was not written until 1885 when the well known refrain was added]
Hudson, Ralph E. Hudson, Songs of Peace, Love and Joy (Alliance, Ohio: 1885) It is with this tune that the hymn is known as At the Cross.
Fanny Crosby wrote of this hymn:
[In] the autumn of 1850…revival meetings were being held in the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church [, New York City]. Some of us went down every evening; and, on two occasions, I sought peace at the atlar [sic], but did not find the joy I craved, until one evening, November 20, 1850, it seemed to me that the light must indeed come then or never; and so I arose and went to the altar alone. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing the grand old consecration hymn, “Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die?” And when they reached the third line of the fourth [sic] stanza, “Here Lord, I give myself away,” my very soul was flooded with a celestial light. I sprang to my feet, shouting “hallelujah,” and then for the first time I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
Oh, the power of the tongue to commit good and evil! Wars have been waged over verbal missteps. Studies show that children parrot what their parents say -good or bad. Throughout Scripture, we are taught to speak with measure and care. The unsaved will judge the entire church and the Godhead by what just one Christian says! It is so important, that there are dozens and dozens of verses relating to what people say with their mouths, not just their actions.
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 – to use us to glorify Him. The only righteousness the believer can possess is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ – it is His Holy Spirit working through us that allows our words to be a well of life. And done in His Spirit – our words can do the work we are here for. We can worship Him – 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 – we are giving someone a lifeline – we are giving living water from the well of life – Jesus Christ!
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 – 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 don’t delay getting right with the LORD. Now is the right time to find Him – not after you are dead. After this life is over – there is an eternity – 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 – the Bible. If you would like to talk to us about it – please email at:
The title pretty much says it all, but on this blog we like to delve into the “deep things of God.” 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 isn’t. 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 “speak to your heart.”
Proverbs 10:9
He that walketh uprightly walketh surely:
Merriam Webster: upright – marked by strong moral rectitude <an upright citizen>
Marked by “strong moral rectitude?” That means it should be observable by others. No one should ever be able to say – “why would I want to be a Christian – you’re no better or different than anyone else!” The public failures of prominent Christians have done great damage to the furtherance of the Gospel. We have a great obligation – famous or not – 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 – for your own sake, as well as the sakes of those watching you.
but he that perverteth 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 he’s “getting away with it.” The idea of “secret sin” is a misnomer if there ever was one. It is sold to us as a “guilty pleasure,” and that you have a “right to indulge yourself.” One of the most over-used copouts of the porn addict is that “it’s not hurting anyone.” 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 “secret sin,” the literary treatment in his classic – 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 – 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 “side effects.” 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 – the Proverb says – “his ways shall be known!”
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 – it may seem very freeing to be released from moral constraints. But it is not freedom at all – rather – 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 you’ve done – so that you can live forever and spend eternity with Him.
Click “Watch on YouTube” to hear this classic hymn!
Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? [originally, For such a worm as I?]
Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do.
Issac Watts [1707]
From his birth his father would read the Word of God to him and pray for him. His father was a godly preacher and a Nonconformist to the Church of England. His father was sent to prison twice because of his convictions. His family were Dissenters or Non- conformists. The Dissenters were Protestants who did not think that the Church of England had separated enough from the doctrines of the Roman Catholics and refused to conform to the Church of England.
Isaac was born in 1674 and was the oldest of nine children. At the age of eleven his father addressed a letter to all of his children encouraging them to “frequently to read the Scriptures – get your hearts to delight in them – above all books and writings account the Bible the best and read it most – lay up the truth of it in your hearts”.
Isaac Watts was saved at the age of fifteen and by the age of sixteen he had mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew and French. When Isaac was about twenty he became dissatisfied with the singing of the Nonconformist Congregation. At that time it was viewed as sinful to sing songs that were not taken from the Scriptures the majority of which were Psalms or metrical Psalters. His major complaint was the quality of the writing, his father challenged him if he did not like what was being sung to do something better. Over the next two years, from the age of Twenty until he was Twenty two, he wrote the majority of his hymns. He was greatly criticized by both the Roman Catholics and the nonconformist who called his hymns “uninspired” because they were not direct quotations from Scripture. His reply to this was “…if we can pray to God in sentences that we have made up ourselves (instead of confining ourselves to the Our Father and other prayers taken directly from the Scriptures), then surely we can sing to God in sentences that we have made up ourselves”.
Isaac Watts wrote Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed in 1707, it originally had six stanzas and no refrain. The original tune as intended by Isaac Watts is not known, but in 1800 Hugh Wilson began using his original music composition entitled Martyrdom. In 1885 Ralph F. Hudson added the refrain and the tune that we know use and know as “At The Cross”.
It is interesting to note before we explore the doctrinal content of Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed, the in the Fall of 1850 at the age of thirty, Fanny J. Crosby went to the altar at the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City. She had been to the altar twice before by had not received the peace she sought. While at the altar the congregation was singing the hymn “Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed”, according to her own testimony and in her own words she says: “…it seemed to me that the light must indeed come then or never; and so I arose and went to the altar alone. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing the grand old consecration hymn, ‘Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die?’ And when they reached the third line of the fourth stanza, ‘Here Lord, I give myself away,’ my very soul was flooded with a celestial light. I sprang to my feet, shouting ‘hallelujah,’ and then for the first time I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.”
Isaac Watts was a brilliant young man and because of his intellectual acumen and proclivity to study he was encouraged by his friends and a prominent Southampton physician to go to one of the Universities, at their expense, in hopes that he would eventually be ordained into the Church of England. Because of his background and being raised as a Dissenting Nonconformist, he refused and rather chose a nonconformist academy. He started preaching at the age of twenty-four and pastored his became pastor of a well-know independent congregation in 1702, he died on November 25, 1748.
The doctrinal content of “Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed” could be examined from a plethora of Christian Theology, Justification, Propitiation, Christology, Anthropology, Harmitiology, Soteriology just to name a few, for all of these are contained within the lines of this hymn. We will however, briefly explore the doctrine of propitiation as found in the lines of “Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed”.
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 – some want their name in the history books – some want a nice eulogy at their funeral. However it is expressed – it seems to exist in all people on some level – 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 God’s 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 – there are only two kinds of people? Sheep and goats, or saved and unsaved. That’s right – not good, bad, hard working, lazy, selfish, charitable or greedy – it makes no difference. 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 – 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 – 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 – the promise for the wicked unrepentant is that every idle deed and word is remembered – none of the record of their world famous deeds will stand – none of their riches – 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 – He is keeping track – and He will hold all accountable.
Proverbs 10:6
Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
It is extremely important to understand the meaning of the word “just” in the first section of this Proverb. Who are the just? Those who seek after righteousness through saving faith in God’s Christ! No one can be just on their own – because no one can obtain their own righteousness. And Who is our Head? Jesus Christ of course!
1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head 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 – 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 “vexes our souls,” as it should! But look closely at that verse – and you will see it says something far more than most think it does. “Violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.” Picture this, because this is what the Word is saying – 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 “covered with violence.” There will be no pleading or bargaining involved, such as the courts of law hold today. No negotiating – no reduced sentences – no parole. . .no purgatory!
If you belong to an organized religion or cult, or are an atheist or agnostic – please think carefully about this Proverb – because it tells the future in one short sentence. Think about a trial – where you are not even allowed to speak – and every idle word, deed, and thought you ever had is exposed and read aloud for all to hear. You will have no defense – because your mouth will be covered.
Do not think this is some cruel fate – you have had ample time to repent, and the Lord is not willing that any should perish. Now is the time – not next year, or in a couple of years after you get done “living your life.” 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 
