HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?

          It is a very special privilege in life to have a friend here on earth with whom you can share your joys, your problems, your hopes and your experiences.  And if you have such a close friend you want to spend time with that person as often as you can.  And even if you are separated by many miles you find ways to share through visits, cards and letters, the internet, social media and especially the telephone.  If it is a good friend you don't let too much time pass between contacts.  Now if you've experienced such a relationship with an earthly friend, the question then  is why don't we seem to carry these same priorities over to our relationship with the Lord.  He is the one who really loves us and cares for us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He has promised to guide us and provide for us.  What more could we want?  What a friend we have in Jesus. And yet, sadly, even though He is always with us, we often allow so much time to pass before actually spending any time with Him.  We let our burdens pile up.  Sometimes we have sleepless nights filled with worry and anxiety.  Sometimes there are difficult decisions to be made and we wrestle with them.  And often we just forget about His presence until we have exhausted all of our energy and don't know what else to do.  Then we go to Him.  And how often do we ever take time to thank Him and praise Him for His provision and presence? If we treated our earthly friends like that they might give up on us. Now the story is told that one wintry night in 1956, simple childhood prayers such as "Now I lay me down to sleep" began to fill the mind of song writer Mosie Lister. "How long has it been since some people have talked to the Lord?"  He asked himself.  "Some of us prayed in younger years, but have gotten away from that childhood faith."  He then picked up a pencil and paper and phrases began to flow nearly as fast as he could write them down.  And a tune came with them.  In about fifteen minutes this week's song choice was written.  Hopefully, if your friendship with the Lord has grown cold, the words will stir you to renew that friendship and spend your time with a "friend who stickest closer than a brother".  Talk to Him and tell Him your heart's hidden secrets.  And know that He is always there and ready to answer your prayers.  Know that you can call Him your Friend, for He cares for you.

How long has it been

Since you talked with the Lord,

And told Him your heart's hidden secrets.

How long since you prayed?

How long since you stayed on your knees

Till the light shone through?

How long has it been

Since your mind felt at ease

How long since your heart knew no burden?

Can you call Him your friend?

How long has it been

Since you knew that He cared for you?

How long has it been

Since you knelt by your bed

And prayed to the Lord up in heaven?

How long since you knew

That He'd answer you,

And would keep you the long night through?

How long has it been

Since you woke with the dawn,

And felt the day's worth the living?

Can you call Him your friend?

How long has it been

Since you knew that He cared for you?

When I was a college student, two of my close friends and I used to enjoy singing this song.  That brought back many good memories when I found this video of the Booth Brothers singing this song.  Listen to it here.   LISTEN

WE SHALL SEE HIS LOVELY FACE

        While my freshman year at college was many, many years ago, I still have some vivid memories of being away from home for extended periods for the first time in my life.  I remember some of the homesickness which I encountered and I remember the anticipation of visits from my parents on Friday nights.  I would wait for them with great anticipation and concern until I finally saw their faces.  And what a relief that was.  And I can recall many other experiences, especially times of waiting to see the face of my fiance/wife.  What joy there was in my heart when I finally saw her face.  And that same anticipation is something we should experience when we think of finally seeing our Savior face to face.  The blind hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, often shared this expectation in her hymns, such as in "Face to Face shall I Behold Him".  And this is the very same thought that motivated Norman Clayton (1903-1992) to pen the words of this week's hymn choice.  He wrote, "We shall see His lovely face some bright golden morning ... Sorrow will be turned to joy, heartaches gone forever; no more night, only light, when we see His face."  He continues, "God shall wipe away all tears some bright golden morning, no more crying, pain or death in that home of gladness, trials cease, all is peace, when we see His face." And he concludes, "Songs of vict'ry fill the skies in that hour of greeting, endless days, endless praise, when we see His face."  The experience of finally seeing the face of a loved one can be a very special event, but it pales in the promise of what will happen when we finally see the face of our Lord.  Now I have featured Clayton's songs before in this blog, but it might be helpful to once again share a little about him.  Norman Clayton was born in Brooklyn, New York, the ninth of ten children. He was converted at the age of six in the South Brooklyn Gospel Church, where his mother had been a charter member. He was church organist by the age of 12 and he kept that position for the rest of his life.  His profession was in the building industry, but he also created his own publishing house, Gospel Songs, which was later absorbed into the Rodeheaver Company.  During that time he authored many well known songs.  It is said that his usual practice was to write the music first before writing the words. In order to create songs worthy of His Lord, Clayton made it his practice to memorize scripture, so his songs would have a strong Biblical basis.  In 1992, at the age of 92, Clayton finally experienced personally the thrill of what he had written when he passed into eternity and saw His Lord face to face.  May we live daily in the anticipation that this could be the day that we also experience that awesome event.  What a day that will be!

(1)     We shall see His lovely face some bright golden morning,

When the clouds have rifted and the shades have flown;

Sorrow will be turned to joy, heartaches gone forever;

No more night, only light, when we see His face.

(2)     God shall wipe away all tears some bright golden morning,

When the journey's ended, and the course is run;

No more crying, pain or death in that home of gladness,

Trials cease, all is peace, when we see His face.

(3)     We shall meet to part no more, some bright golden morning,

At the gates of glory where our loved ones stand;

Songs of vict'ry fill the skies in that hour of greeting,

Endless days, endless praise, when we see His face.

I had real difficulty finding a video presentation of this Gospel song, but I did find a beautiful recording of it done by the White Sisters who were one of my favorite singing groups early in my life.  You can listen to them here.   LISTEN

LORD SPEAK TO ME

         I was so blest to have a grandfather and a father who were godly men.  I learned so much from their wisdom and example.  But they are now home with the Lord.  And so often I wish that I could talk to them once again and be taught by them.  But I can't.  However, I have a heavenly father who is all knowing, all powerful and always present.  And He knows my needs and cares about them.  And while He will never speak to me verbally as my earthly father did, His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit do lead me daily.  And He gives me the strength to serve Him and carry out his plan for me here on earth.  And while this week's hymn choice is a prayer for His leading, it does remind us of the many needs that we have that He will meet.  We need His leading, His feeding, His strength, His teaching, His rest, His filling, His guidance and His blessing upon what we do and say.  And it should be our prayer to be used by Him where and how He wants us to be used. We are made to be reflectors of God and His truth. All around us are those in deep spiritual need. What can we do for them? Nothing, on our own. They need a touch from God. They need Him, and we can have a part in bringing them together. We can be His reflectors. or as it says in the first verse, His "living echoes." As Jesus said to His followers,"Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). And later Paul was able to say, "I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you" (I Cor. 11:23). We can only pass on what we have received. In 1872, Frances Ridley Havergal wrote a hymn-poem she entitled, "A Worker's Prayer." Today we know it by the opening words, "Lord, Speak to Me."  It is a prayer that believers should pray daily. If we are to lead others, it must be as God leads us. If we are to feed them with spiritual manna, it must come from Him.  Daily we need to open the Word of God first for ourselves, in order to hear His voice, praying, "Lord, speak to me that I may speak."  And not with a verbal voice or even a vision, but through His written word and the Holy Spirit. Have you spent time alone with Him and His Word today?

(1)     Lord, speak to me that I may speak

In living echoes of Thy tone;

As Thou has sought, so let me seek

Thine erring children lost and lone.

(2)     O lead me, Lord, that I may lead

The wandering and the wavering feet;

O feed me, Lord, that I may feed

Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

(3)    O strengthen me, that while I stand

Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,

I may stretch out a loving hand

To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

(4)     O teach me, Lord, that I may teach

The precious things Thou dost impart;

And wing my words, that they may reach

The hidden depths of many a heart.

(5)     O give Thine own sweet rest to me,

That I may speak with soothing power

A word in season, as from Thee,

To weary ones in needful hour.

(6)     O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,

Until my very heart overflow

In kindling thought and glowing word,

Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

(7)     O use me, Lord, use even me,

Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,

Until Thy blessed face I see,

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

You can listen to this here.  LISTEN

LOOK TO THE LAMB OF GOD

           Today we live in a world where there are so many things competing for our attention.  Magazines, television, and media promote all sorts of things that are supposed to help us feel better, grow healthier, make our leisure time more enjoyable, make are days more convenient, make us popular, grow our finances, help us keep up with our neighbors and connect with others. We are promised all sorts of enjoyable results if we use them and trust them. They all promise to make our lives more satisfying, fill all of our needs and solve all of our problems.  But they really tend to only distract us and take our time and attention away from that which only can satisfy man's soul, Jesus, the Lamb of God.  One doesn't have to look too far to see how so many people today are living in fear, frustration and without any real purpose and hope.  Their only hope in life is to focus on Jesus. As John the Baptist put it, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John. 1:29). Behold Him, yes, but not simply out of academic curiosity, or as part of mere religious ritual. We need to turn our gaze upon Jesus in confident trust. He is the One who bore the punishment for our sins. We need to look to the Lamb of God, who died in our place, and rose again, in triumph over death. There's life in a look. Back in the nineteenth century, Henry Jackson (1838-1914) and his wife Alice, worked as missionaries in Argentina. Later, he served as a pastor in the United States. Today, he is remembered for this week's hymn choice which he wrote inviting sinners to look to Christ in faith. It reminds us "If you from sin are longing to be free, look to the Lamb of God ... to redeem you ... for He alone is able to save you."  And for those of us who have experienced this redemption, this week's hymn also reminds us that in times of temptation, in times of weariness, and in times of sorrow, which we all face at times,  the answer is not to look at the many false cures advertised in today's media, but to look to the Lamb of God, the only true solution to our needs.  Have you looked to Him for your salvation and redemption?  Are you looking to Him daily for His leading, peace and provision?  If not, do so today ... "for He alone is able to save you!" ... "Look to the Lamb of God!"

(1)   If you from sin 

Are longing to be free,

Look to the Lamb of God.

He to redeem you died on Calvary, 

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

For He alone is able to save you,

Look to the Lamb of God.

(2)    When Satan tempts 

And doubts and fears assail,

Look to the Lamb of God.

You in His strength

Shall over all prevail,

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

For He alone is able to save you,

Look to the Lamb of God.

(3)    Are you aweary?

Does the way seem long?

Look to the Lamb of God.

His love will cheer

And fill your heart with song.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

For He alone is able to save you,

Look to the Lamb of God.

(4)    Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall,

Look to the Lamb of God.

In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.

For He alone is able to save you,

Look to the Lamb of God.

You can listen to it here.    LISTEN

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

         Looking out our kitchen window I enjoy watching dozens of birds who daily come to feast at our bird feeders.  And I am often reminded how the Lord cares for these small members of his creation. "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26).  "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29–31).  The birds are a daily reminder to me of my Father's care for me.  Often I need that reminder when facing the toils, discouragements and cares of daily living.  These scriptures were the inspiration for this week's song which has encouraged listeners for over a century.  According to Civilla Martin, writer of the lyrics, "Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle - true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience." The next day she mailed the poem to Charles Gabriel, who supplied the music. Singer Ethel Waters helped make this song popular and she so loved this song that she used its name as the title for her autobiography.  Of course I don't know what is going on in your life right now, but I am sure that you, too, often face times of frustration, challenge and discouragement.  In those times be reminded that if you are a child of God, He will take care of you.  Your heart need not be troubled.  He is your constant friend and will put a song in your heart as you experience His care, comfort and leading.  If He can see and care for the sparrow, certainly He will see and care for you.  "For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!"

(1)     Why should I feel discouraged, 

why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

(2)     "Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

(3)     Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Listen to it being sung here.    LISTEN

O THAT WILL BE, GLORY FOR ME

Dad on his
90th birthday

          Today, on Father's Day I have decided to honor my father by repeating, in his memory, a blog that I wrote just after his death in 2009.  My father was a godly man who had a profound influence on my life and I still miss him greatly.  He had great wisdom and a deep faith in the Lord that I observed throughout his life.  In addition to Father's Day, today would have been his 98th birthday.  But instead of celebrating it with us, he is celebrating with mother and his Lord Jesus Christ in a much better place.  This hymn was one of his very favorites and it speaks of an experience which my father has now had.  His labors and trials are over and he is safe on that beautiful shore, near the Lord that he adored and served throughout his life.  What a thrill it is to know that this is his experience and someday it will also be mine.

March 3, 2009 blog:

When my father recently passed away some of the grandchildren told us that Grandpa wanted to have this song sung at his funeral.  So we honored his request by having the family sing it at his Memorial Service.  We had never sung together before in public as a family and it went well considering that we didn't have time to practice as a group and many of the grandchildren and great grandchildren had never heard the song before.  The words certainly reflect dad's desire and hope and most likely his present experience.   The song itself has an interesting history.   When it first appeared in 1900, a musical expert predicted, "It will never go; it has too many quarter notes."  In other words, 'the rhythm is too monotonous." But in a few years, it was the most popular hymn Homer Rodeheaver led in the Billy Sunday campaigns.  It was affectionately called the "Glory Song." It was inspired, not by an experience, but by a personality!  The author, C. H. Gabriel, was perhaps the best known and most prolific gospel song writer of the early twentieth century.  One of his good friends was Ed Card, superintendent of the Sunshine Rescue Mission of St. Louis, Missouri.  Ed was a radiant believer who always seemed to be "bubbling over" with Christian joy. During a sermon or a prayer he would often explode with "Glory" just like some people say "Amen!" or "Hallelujah!"  His beaming smile earned him the nickname "old glory face."  It was his custom to close his fervent prayers with a reference to heaven, usually ending with the phrase "and that will be glory for me"   What a fitting song for the believer who has the assurance that he will someday be reunited with loved ones, and with the Lord, in heaven.

When all my labors and trials are over,

And I am safe on that beautiful shore,

Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,

Will through the ages be glory for me.

O that will be glory for me,

Glory for me, glory for me,

When by His grace I shall look on His face,

That will be glory, be glory for me.

When, by the gift of His infinite grace,

I am accorded in heaven a place,

Just to be there and to look on His face,

Will through the ages be glory for me.

O that will be glory for me,

Glory for me, glory for me,

When by His grace I shall look on His face,

That will be glory, be glory for me.

Friends will be there I have loved long ago;

Joy like a river around me will flow;

Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know,

Will through the ages be glory for me.

O that will be glory for me,

Glory for me, glory for me,

When by His grace I shall look on His face,

That will be glory, be glory for me.

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN 

TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY

         It is obvious that we live in an age when advances in technology have changed almost everything we do.  Various appliances and machines now relieve us of much of our labor.  Smart phones keep us in constant contact with everything in the world.  We can text and call others at any time.  GPS's get us to our destinations quickly.  And computers and the internet make tedious jobs much simpler and faster.  And we can even save the time it used to take shopping by ordering online and having it delivered directly to us.  And with all of these advances we should have so much extra time available to spend with family and in leisure.  But we don't!  We are busier than ever.  Our calendars are packed full and we live life at a hectic pace.  And what often suffers the most are relationships.  And healthy ones do take time. That is true for husband and wife, for parents and children, and for friends. We need "quality time" with others - time to get to know them, time to share, time to help, time to listen. Relationships need nurturing and the time we give them suggests what priority, or lack of priority, we place on such things. But a more penetrating question is how is our relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we have time left for Him or does He get anything left over?  Does the urgency of other things keep us from "quality time" with Him?  It is in our fellowship with Him that our desires and ambitions are turned toward heavenly things. In turn, it is from these fundamental attitudes that our daily choices and decisions come.  When Peter and John were hauled into court for preaching the gospel, their conduct and their speech revealed they had long been in the company of Christ. The Bible says the members of the Sanhedrin "realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Is that true of us? The Apostle Paul says believers "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory" (II Cor. 3:18). In the words of William Longstaff (1822-1894), "By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see." When others observe our behavior, or hear our conversation, will they realize that we have been with Him? Longstaff was a Christian layman in England, and a great supporter of the work of Dwight L. Moody. He was also for a time an associate of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. Born into a wealthy family, he used his resources in various causes, helping others in many ways. On one occasion, Mr. Longstaff heard a sermon on First Peter 1:16, where the Lord says, "Be holy, for I am holy." It impressed him deeply. After that, he set himself the goal of living a truly godly life. He wrote this week's hymn, in 1882, based on insights God was giving him. It reminds us to "Take Time to Be Holy."   May that be our challenge, desire and priority, not only this week, but everyday of our lives.

(1)     Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

(2)      Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

(3)     Take time to be holy, let Him be thy guide;

And run not before Him, whatever betide.

In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

(4)       Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,

Each thought and each motive beneath His control.

Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,

Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Listen ti it here.   LISTEN

WHAT IF IT WERE TODAY?

        As children we often could not wait for special events to come ... a birthday ... Christmas ... summer ... a family vacation.  We would often wake up wishing that this would now be the day that we were so eagerly anticipating.  And I guess even as adults we've often felt the same kind of excitement and anticipation about coming special events.  But do we wake up each day with the anticipation that this could be the day that Jesus comes to take us home?  What a difference this might make in our daily lives if we really believed this.  But it is a fact that Jesus promised that He would return for us although He hasn't revealed when that actual day might be.  It could be today and it is a possibility worth considering. The Apostle Paul commended the Thessalonian Christians for living expectantly. He says, "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven" (I Thess. 1:9-10). He himself lived in hope of that event in his own lifetime, assuring his readers, "We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [the dead in Christ] ...to meet the Lord in the air" (I Thess. 4:17).  For centuries many believers have lived with that hope but did not experience it.  And there have always been skeptics.  Peter writes of skeptics who say, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (II Pet. 3:4).  But Jesus promised to return for us and it could be today that He takes His bride home. Lelia Naylor Morris (1862-1929) believed this and shared this hope and anticipation in this week's hymn. A homemaker, Mrs. Morris operated a ladies' hat shop for a number of years. The Lord also used her to write poetry and compose gospel music. Her accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering that for most of her adult life Lelia Morris was blind.  It is said that she authored more than 1,000 Gospel songs.  When her eyes began to fail, in 1913, her son built a 28-foot blackboard with oversized staff lines so that she could continue composing.  In this hymn she asks the penetrating question,"What if it, the rapture, were today?". The rapture of saints could come any day, when He claims His chosen bride.  But, in addition to the rapture, she also talks about a future second coming when Jesus will return to set up His kingdom here on earth - a time when He returns to earth to reign in power. Both events are intermingled in her writings and this can be confusing and maybe even a little misleading. Hopefully He will soon call us home - the rapture.  Then later He will return to reign as King and bind Satan - the second coming. Both are events to anticipate and long for. But her question about the timing of the rapture is a penetrating question because the possibility of the rapture today should make us question our priorities, activities and even our plans for today.  Are we really ready should this be the day?  But it is also an encouraging question, reminding us that at any time we believers could be taken out of this sinful world with its challenges and disappointments to be forever with Jesus.   Are we ready?

(1)     Jesus is coming to earth again; what if it were today?

Coming in power and love to reign; what if it were today?

Coming to claim His chosen bride, all the redeemed and purified,

Over this whole earth scattered wide; what if it were today?

Glory, glory! Joy to my heart 'twill bring.

Glory, glory! When we shall crown Him king.

Glory, glory! Haste to prepare the way;

Glory, glory! Jesus will come some day.

(2)     Satan's dominion will then be o'er, O that it were today!

Sorrow and sighing shall be no more, O that it were today!

Then shall the dead in Christ arise, caught up to meet Him in the skies,

When shall these glories meet our eyes? What if it were today?

Glory, glory! Joy to my heart 'twill bring.

Glory, glory! When we shall crown Him king.

Glory, glory! Haste to prepare the way;

Glory, glory! Jesus will come some day.

(3)    Faithful and true would He find us here if He should come today?

Watching in gladness and not in fear, if He should come today?

Signs of His coming multiply; morning light breaks in eastern sky.

Watch, for the time is drawing nigh; what if it were today?

Glory, glory! Joy to my heart 'twill bring.

Glory, glory! When we shall crown Him king.

Glory, glory! Haste to prepare the way;

Glory, glory! Jesus will come some day.

Listen to it here.     LISTEN