WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

Despite his short life, Philip P. Bliss was one of the most important and influential gospel song writers of the nineteenth century.  At age 10, while selling vegetables to help support the family, Bliss first heard a piano. At age 11, he left home to make his own living. He worked in timber camps and sawmills. While working he irregularly went to school to further his education.  In 1857, Bliss met J. G. Towner, who taught singing. Towner recognised Bliss's talent and gave him his first formal voice training. He also met William B. Bradbury, who persuaded him to become a music teacher. His first musical composition was for a flute. In 1858, he took up an appointment in Rome Academy, Pennsylvania.  In Rome Bliss met Lucy J. Young, whom he married in 1859. She came from a musical family and encouraged the development of his talent.  At age 22 Bliss became an itinerant music teacher. On horseback he went from community to community, accompanied by a melodeon. Bliss's wife's grandmother lent Bliss $30 so he could attend the Normal Academy of Music of New York for six weeks.  In 1869, Bliss formed an association with Dwight L. Moody. Moody and others urged him to give up his job and become a missionary singer. In 1874, Bliss decided he was called to the task of "winning souls" and he became a full-time evangelist. Bliss made significant amounts of money from royalties and gave them to charity and to support his evangelical endeavours.  On one occasion, Christian publisher Fleming H. Revell (Dwight Moody's brother-in-law) was about to launch a new Sunday School paper and wanted a song that would capture the overall focus of the publication. The name of the paper was to be Words of Life. Mr. Revell asked Bliss if he could come up with a song to fit the paper.  So Bliss composed this week's hymn, "Wonderful Words of Life"  But after the first issue of the publication the song was all but forgotten. Mr. Revell passed on a copy to another hymn writer, George Stebbins, who began using it in evangelistic meetings.  It caught on, after that, and became very popular.  About the hymn and meetings, Bliss said,  "I carried that song through two seasons of evangelistic work, never thinking it possessed much merit, or that it had the element of special usefulness, particularly for solo purposes. It occurred to me to try it one day during the campaign in New Haven, and, with the help of Mrs. Stebbins, we sang it as a duet. To our surprise the song was received with the greatest enthusiasm and from that time on to the close of the meetings was the favorite of all the hymns used. As an illustration of the hold it got upon the people all about that section of the country, I received a letter from the Secretary of the Connecticut State Sunday School Association offering me what seemed an absurdly large sum of money, if I would, with Mrs. Stebbins, come to the State Convention and sing that one song."  I have not been able to find if they went to the convention and what the "absurdly large sum of money" was.  However, it is a great song reminding us of the impact of God's words.  May we never take them for granted.

(1)   Sing them over again to me, 
wonderful words of life,

Let me more of their beauty see, 
wonderful words of life;

Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life,

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life.

(2)   Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all 
wonderful words of life;

Sinner, list to the loving call, 
wonderful words of life;

All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life,

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life.

(3)   Sweetly echo the Gospel call, 
wonderful words of life;

   Offer pardon and peace to all, 
wonderful words of life;

Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life,

Beautiful words, wonderful words, 
wonderful words of life.

Listen to it being sung here.   LISTEN

ONE DAY

John Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) was an evangelist  who won thousands of souls to Jesus Christ and influenced hundreds of young men to enter the ministry.  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 late 1895, Chapman was appointed Corresponding Secretary of the Presbyterian General Assembly's Committee on Evangelism, overseeing the activities of 51 evangelists in 470 cities. In 1905, John H. Converse, a wealthy Presbyterian philanthropist, offered to underwrite Chapman's expenses if he would reenter 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 songleaders and took to the streets. During these years Chapman was also heavily involved in the promoting of religious summer conferences. He was at one point the director of the Winona Lake Bible Conference in Indiana and also helped to establish Bible conferences in Montreat, North Carolina, and the Stony Brook Assembly summer conferences on Long Island, By the end of 1910 Chapman's "mass evangelism" technique was losing favor in evangelistic circles, and Chapman and Alexander were back to large meeting revivals by 1912. In May 1918, Chapman was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, a position which inundated him with such a high level of stress that he developed a serious enough case of gall stones and needed emergency surgery on December 23, 1918.  He died two days later, on Christmas Day, aged 59.  Now we have no information on the writing of this hymn.  Possibly it came from a sermon he was working on.  He most likely gave the text to his organist, Charles Marsh, who provided the tune.   The hymn relates the key events in the life of Christ - His birth, His death, His resurrection and His second coming.  And the impacts of these events on us are emphasized - He loved me, He saved me, He justified me and He is coming back for me.  What a stirring reminder of what Christ has done for each of us.  Thank Him for all of this as you meditate on these words this week.

(1)   One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,

One day when sin was as black as could be,

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,

Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming — O glorious day!

(2)    One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,

One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;

Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming — O glorious day!

(3)    One day they left Him alone in the garden,

One day He rested, from suffering free;

Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;

Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming — O glorious day!

(4)   One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,

One day the stone rolled away from the door;

Then He arose, over death He had conquered;

Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming — O glorious day!

(5)   One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,

One day the skies with His glories will shine;

Wonderful day, my belovèd ones bringing;

Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming — O glorious day!

Listen to the words of this hymn here.  LISTEN

TEN THOUSAND REASONS

I have decided to go a different direction this week with my choice.  Generally we have been looking at hymns, many of which were written centuries ago but have survived through the ages.  You are probably aware that for many there is still a controversy over the fact that today most churches have generally abandoned these great hymns and now feature praise choruses.  Unfortunately the vast majority of these will never pass the test of time.  They are often written, sung, and then forgotten.  But even so, some of them are very good and they can lead us to worship.  With that in mind, I have deviated from my usual pattern of choices and have chosen one of my favorite praise choruses that was written just last year.  I think it is a great choice to start 2013 and it could be a daily prayer for each of us during the year ahead.  It was written my Matt Redman, an English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author who, at the age of 39, has had a major impact on the church music of this generation. In 2008 Matt, his wife Beth, along with their three children, moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to plant a church with Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin called Passion City Church. In August 2010 Redman and his family returned to the UK. They have since joined a church plant in Brighton at St Peter's Church, Brighton.  In February of 2011, Redman joined Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, and Nathan and Christy Nockels at LIFT - A Worship Leader Collective. His live album, 10,000 Reasons, was recorded during this event.  On July 28, 2012, the title track of Redman's album topped the Billboard Christian Songs chart. It was Redman's first number one hit on American Contemporary Christian radio.  In discussing this number, Redman has said the following.  "When I talk about the reasons for God's worth and say there are "ten thousand reasons for my heart to find", that's actually a huge poetic understatement.  The reasons for the praise of God are so wide and wonderful that we could sing from now until forever and never run out of ideas as to why He is quite so worthy.  "... my heart may sing to You and not be silent, O lord my God, I will give thanks forever." (Psalm 30:12).  The Psalmist knows of a multitude of reasons why we should worship God.  And he knows of not one reason why he should refrain from doing so.  He can't think of a single motive why he should remain silent.  The same must be true for our own lives.  The worship of Jesus should be vibrant, creative and colorful ss we unfold our hearts in praise.  There will be an eternity of reasons to adore and revere Him"  And I doubt that I could add anything to what Matt and the Psalmist have shared.  Truly we have many more than 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord.  May we be reminded of that as we sing these words this week as part of our worship of our Great God.

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name

Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name

I'll worship Your holy name

Listen to Matt Redman singing and playing this week's choice.  LISTEN

BE THOU MY VISION

Whenever we begin a new year, many folks make resolutions for the year ahead.  They vow to lose weight, to exercise more, to follow a budget , to get out of debt, to spend more time with loved ones, and a variety of worthwhile goals.  Unfortunately, many of these resolutions are broken or forgotten as the weeks pass by.  But for those who do have the discipline to follow through, their lives can be enriched and improved.  And with those positive results in mind, let me suggest that this week's hymn choice might be an appropriate prayer or goal for your spiritual life during 2013.   St. Patrick (385-461 AD), a missionary, was a man zealous for the things of God.  He  chose to defy an Irish King's edict that restricted the lighting of candles on Easter Eve. King Logaire of Tara had decreed that no one was allowed light any fires until a pagan spring festival was started by the lighting of a fire on Slane Hill. But Patrick decided to honor God in spite of  the threat of death. It is said that King Logaire was so impressed with Patrick's brave devotion that he let him continue his missionary work unhindered.   An 8th Century Monk, Dallan Forgaill penned the words to Be Thou My Vision, as a tribute to St. Patrick's loyalty to God. The hymn was translated from Irish to English in 1905 by Mary E. Byrne. In 1912, Eleanor H. Hull arranged the song into the verse most commonly found in English hymnals today. The music to accompany the lyrics is an ancient Irish folk tune called Slane.  Meditate carefully on the words this week and make them your prayer today and throughout 2013.

(1)   Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

(2)   Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

(3)   Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul's Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

(4)   Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

(5)   High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Listen to it being sung here.   LISTEN

HE RANSOMED ME

Julia Harriet Johnston (1849-1919) was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister who served First Presbyterian Church for many years in Peoria, Ill. Julia became a Sunday school teacher and for 41 years was head of the infant class in the children's department.  In addition, for twenty years, Julia was president of the Presbyterian Missionary Society of Peoria which had been founded by her mother. Also a prolific author, she produced primary Sunday school lesson material for the David C. Cook Publishing Co. She also wrote about 500 hymn texts. Today her reputation as a hymn writer rests primarily upon the hymn "Grace Greater than Our Sin."  We don't know what led her to write the words to this week's choice, but her inspiration might have been 1 Timothy 2:6, "Christ Jesus…gave Himself as a ransom for all men."  The verses of the hymn trace the glorious story from the time that we were lost in sin and sadness, to his sacrifice to ransom us, to the point where we became trophies of his grace, and finally to the time when we will eternally join the hosts in singing to Him, the King of Love.  And our response should be "Hallelujah!  what a Saviour who can take a poor lost sinner and lift him from the miry clay and set us free!"  And if you've experienced this in your life you should also want to always tell the story, shouting Glory!  Glory! Glory!  I love this song of testimony and victory because I have personally experienced this.  Have you?  I hope that this be a constant reminder  to you throughout this week of  what Jesus has done for you.

1.    There's a sweet and blessed story
Of the Christ who came from glory,
Just to rescue me from sin and misery;
He in loving-kindness sought me,
And from sin and shame hath brought me,
Hallelujah! Jesus ransomed me. 
Refrain:
Hallelujah! what a Savior,
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting glory, glory, glory,
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me. 

2.   From the depth of sin and sadness

To the heights of joy and gladness

Jesus lifted me, in mercy full and free;

With His precious blood He bought me,

When I knew Him not, He sought me,

And in love divine He ransomed me. 

Hallelujah! what a Savior,

Who can take a poor, lost sinner,

Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!

I will ever tell the story,

Shouting glory, glory, glory,

Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me. 

3.   From the throne of heav'nly glory—

Oh, the sweet and blessed story!—

Jesus came to lift the lost in sin and woe

Into liberty all-glorious,

Trophies of His grace victorious,

Evermore rejoicing here below. 

Hallelujah! what a Savior,

Who can take a poor, lost sinner,

Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!

I will ever tell the story,

Shouting glory, glory, glory,

Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me. 

4.   By and by, with joy increasing,

And with gratitude unceasing,

Lifted up with Christ forevermore to be,

I will join the hosts there singing,

In the anthem ever ringing,

To the King of Love who ransomed me. 

Hallelujah! what a Savior,

Who can take a poor, lost sinner,

Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!

I will ever tell the story,

Shouting glory, glory, glory,

Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me. 

Listen to it here.   LISTEN

LO HOW A ROSE E'ER BLOOMING

This Advent hymn is one of my favorites especially when it is sung a cappella. The hymn's origins may be traced back to the late 16th century in a manuscript found in St. Alban's Carthusian monastery in Trier in the original German, "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen." The original stanzas (sources list at least 19 and as many as 23) focused on the events of Luke 1 and 2 and Matthew 2.   There is some speculation about the origin of the image of the rose with some Catholic sources claiming the original focus was upon Mary.   It has been suggested that at a later date Protestants took the hymn, altering its focus from Mary to Jesus, citing Isaiah 11:1, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.". Some controversy arose as to the original German word in the first line of stanza one: Was it "Ros" (rose) or "Reis" (branch)?   A passage from Isaiah 35:1 suggests a stronger biblical basis for the image: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."   Theodore Baker (1851-1934) provided the most commonly sung translation of stanzas one and two in 1894.  The third stanza is a slightly adapted version of a stanza written in German by Friedrich Layritz (1808-1859) and translated by Harried Reynolds Kraugh (1845-1925) in 1875. Layritz's final stanza expands the metaphor of the Rose image, adding fragrance. He then petitions the "Flower" to "dispel in glorious splendor the darkness everywhere." Of course, this is no ordinary flower and it represents Christ, the Light of the World.   And while we don't know in what season Christ was actually born, we do know that He came to a world that was cold and dark because of sin.  And He came to bring the glorious splendor of light and fragrance to people everywhere who would claim Him as Savior.  And that is the message shared through this hymn over the centuries.  Are you still living in the darkness and coldness of winter night or have you been transformed by what He has done for you?  That is the true importance of Christmas.

(1)   Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung.

It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,

When half spent was the night.

(2)   Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;

With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.

To show God's love aright, she bore to men a Savior,

When half spent was the night.

(3)   The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,

How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.

To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,

As angel heralds said.

(4)   This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;

True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,

And lightens every load.

(5)   O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,

O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;

Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,

And to the endless day!

Listen to it here.   LISTEN

I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America's best known writers, faced some difficult times during his life.  In 1861, his wife tragically died when her dress caught on fire in their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  That same year the Civil War broke out, tearing the nation apart.  Two years later, during some of the fiercest days of the conflict, Henry's seventeen year old son, Charley, ran away from home and boarded a train to join President Lincoln's army.  In June of 1863 Charley contracted typhoid fever and malaria and was sent home to recover.  By August he was well enough to return but on November 27, during the battle of New Hope Church, in Virginia, he was shot through the left shoulder.  The bullet nicked his spine and came close to paralyzing him.  Upon hearing the news, Longfellow rushed to Washington to be with his son.  Finding him well enough to travel, he brought him back home to Cambridge.  There he sat by his son's bedside, slowly nursing him back to health.  On Christmas Day Longfellow vented his feelings by penning the words of this week's carol which is best understood against the backdrop of the war.  Two verses are omitted from most hymnals because they speak of the cannons thundering in the South and the hated tearing apart "the hearthstones of a continent."  The author feels like dropping his head in despair but then he hears the Christmas bells and is reminded that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."   And while the author was reflecting upon the times in which he lived, I believe the same can be said about the times in which we live.  Trouble, despair and even hatred can be seen all around and at times there seems to be no hope.  But God is not dead.  And while we will never see true peace and goodwill on earth until Christ returns, we can rest in the fact that God does provide personal peace to those who trust Him. And someday He will return and reign.  So as you see or hear the Christmas bells during this season, be reminded that we can know and obey the God who is the only perfect peace giver.

(1)   I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

(2)   I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

(3)   And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

(4)   Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

(5)   Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Listen to it being sung here.   LISTEN