THE STRANGER OF GALILEE

          What a thrill and privilege it must have been to have lived when Jesus lived and to have followed Him as He taught, performed amazing miracles, and ministered to so many.  I imagine many followed because they felt He was a "great show" and a wonderful teacher.  But others must have realized that they were with the Son of God.  We can only imagine what it would have been like and how we would have responded.  When I was growing up, my contacts to Christian music were generally limited to hearing musicians in church.  We didn't have television or Christian radio or all the recordings and internet music which we enjoy today.  The first talented vocalist that I can remember was Ruth Hartman, the wife of one of my early pastors.  She had a beautiful soprano voice that I still haven't forgotten.  And the song that I most enjoyed hearing her sing was this week's choice, written by Lelia N. Morris, "The Stranger of Galilee".  And as Mrs. Hartman sang the verses I could picture being with Jesus ... by the Sea of Galilee ...healing the blind ... making the lame whole ... calming the angry sea ... teaching and ministering to the great crowds. And as I would have viewed the nail prints in His hands I could imagine him saying "It was for thee!".  Hearing this beautiful song was almost like being there.  And I can still echo the words of the chorus, "And I felt I could love Him forever,so gracious and tender was He!"  And one day, as the chorus states, I did claim Him as my Savior.  As mentioned earlier, these words were penned by Lelia Morris in 1893.  I have featured many of her 1000+ texts in this blog before.  She wrote hymns as she did housework.  And if you remember, after she became blind at the age of 52, she continued to write hymns on a 28-foot blackboard that her family built for her.  Maybe this hymn is new to you.  If so, read the words carefully and think about Jesus, the Stranger of Galilee, who "went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." (Matthew 4:23).  And thank Him for going to the Cross for you.  Hopefully you have also experienced your burden of sin falling off at His pierced feet.  If you haven't, then listen to the words of the last chorus, "Oh, my friend, won't you love Him forever, so gracious and tender is He! Accept Him today as your Savior,this Stranger of Galilee."  And when you do that, He will no longer be a stranger to you, He will be your Savior and Friend.  What more could you want or need?

1. In fancy I stood by the shore, one day,

Of the beautiful murm'ring sea;

I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way

Of the Stranger of Galilee;

I saw how the man who was blind from birth,

In a moment was made to see;

The lame was made whole by the matchless skill

Of the Stranger of Galilee.

And I felt I could love Him forever,

So gracious and tender was He!

I claimed Him that day as my Savior,

This Stranger of Galilee.

2. His look of compassion, His words of love,

They shall never forgotten be;

When sin-sick and helpless He saw me there,

This Stranger of Galilee;

He showed me His hand and His riven side,

And He whispered, "It was for thee!"

My burden fell off at the pierced feet

Of the Stranger from Galilee.

And I felt I could love Him forever,

So gracious and tender was He!

I claimed Him that day as my Savior,

This Stranger of Galilee.

3. I heard Him speak peace to the angry waves,

Of that turbulent, raging sea;

And lo! at His word are the waters stilled,

This Stranger of Galilee;

A peaceful, a quiet, and holy calm,

Now and ever abides with me;

He holdeth my life in His mighty hands,

This Stranger of Galilee.

And I felt I could love Him forever,

So gracious and tender was He!

I claimed Him that day as my Savior,

This Stranger of Galilee.

4. Come, ye who are driven and tempest-tossed,

And His gracious salvation see;

He'll quiet life's storms with His "Peace, be still!"

This Stranger of Galilee;

He bids me to go and the story tell—

What He ever to you will be,

If only you let Him with you abide,

This Stranger of Galilee.

Oh, my friend, won't you love Him forever?

So gracious and tender is He!

Accept Him today as your Savior,

This Stranger of Galilee.

You can listen to part of this hymn sung by one of my favorite groups, Greater Vision.  LISTEN 1

Here is a more complete version of this beautiful song.   LISTEN 2

REJOICE, THE LORD IS KING

          "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!"  Phillipians 4:4.  Now you might think that this is easy to say, but you don't know what I am going through.  How can I rejoice when things in my life right now are so very challenging?   But, we need to remind you that when Paul wrote this admonition, he was in prison.  And I would guess it would be a real challenge to actually rejoice in those circumstances.  But if you want an interesting study, check out all the references in the Bible about rejoicing.  For example, 1 Chronicles 16:31, "Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth."  Psalm 5:11, "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee."  Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."  Matthew 5:12, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice evermore."  And there are dozens more of these.  It is obvious that we are to rejoice in both the good and bad times. It's not an option to take just when things are going well.  And there is a reason for this if we understand that our loving and all powerful God is really in control of all that happens.  The great hymn writer Charles Wesley must have realized this when he penned the words of this week's hymn in 1744.  It was one of over at least five thousand that he is said to have penned.  And in this hymn Wesley has reminded us of so many reasons that we have to rejoice.  The Lord is King.  Jesus, the Savior reigns.  His kingdom cannot fail for He rules over earth and Heaven.  Jesus sits at God's right hand till all His foes submit.  He all His foes shall quell. And if that isn't enough, he concludes by reminding us that Jesus, the Judge, will come and take His servants to their eternal home.  And that alone should encourage us to rejoice.  Despite what we might see and feel in our present circumstances, He is alive.  He is in control.  He will protect us.  And in the end, He wins!  Lift up your heart, lift up your voice, rejoice, again I say rejoice!

(1)     Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;

Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

(2)     Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;

When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

(3)    His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o'er earth and Heav'n,

The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv'n;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

(4)     He sits at God's right hand till all His foes submit,

And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

(5)     He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,

And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

(6)     Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,

And take His servants up to their eternal home.

We soon shall hear th'archangel's voice;

The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!

Here is one version of the hymn that you can listen to.  LISTEN 1

Now if you prefer a more contemporary version of this old hymn, you might like this.  LISTEN 2

HOW BIG IS GOD?

          How big is God?  From our intellect that isn't too hard to attempt to answer, especially if we refer to creation and the universe.  We might discuss the magnitude and beauty of the nebula or galaxies which he has created. We could even back this knowledge up by quoting scripture.  "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name" (Psalm 147:4).   "He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion" (Jeremiah 10:12)..  Come and see the works of God; He is awesome" (Psalm 66:5).  We could discuss how He resides in eternity and exists in infinity.  We could share how He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.  And these would all be great answers.  But aside from these intellectual answers we might rather question how big is our God in our day by day life.  Is He really big enough to handle all the personal challenges that we face or do we worry and seek answers and comfort from other sources?  Do we believe that He can really do the impossible in our lives?   Do we really believe that He really knows and cares about our everyday lives?  I believe that how we live demonstrates how big we feel that our God really is.  It's not the intellectual answers and knowledge, it is the heart and trust knowledge.  The God who controls the universe is able to live within our hearts and control all the events of our lives, if we allow Him to do so.  Carl Stuart Hamblen (1908-1989) has been discussed here in previous blogs.  He was the son of a traveling Methodist preacher. He was a country western gospel singer, composer, radio-movie personality, and master storyteller.   He developed a friendship with Billy Graham and later was converted and gave up his sinful lifestyle.  He produced a weekly nationally syndicated "Cowboy Church of the Air" program and wrote numerous gospel songs, including this week's choice.  While it only has two verses, I pray that these words might speak to our hearts this week and challenge us to question how big is our God and what this means to us personality. He is the same God who led the Israelites through the Red Sea, enabled David to slay Goliath and kept Daniel safe in the Den of Lions.   And He is big enough to handle anything that comes our way, and yet small enough to live within our heart.  Do our lives demonstrate this?

1.    Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space

To walk beyond the distant glimmering stars.

This world's a room so small within my Father's house

The open sky but a portion of his yard.

How big is God? How big and wide is his vast domain?

To try to tell these lips can only start;

He's big enough to rule the mighty universe,

Yet small enough to live within my heart.

2.     As winter's chill may cause the tiny seed to fall,

To lie asleep till waked by summer's rain,

The heart grown cold will warm and throb with life anew;

The Master's touch will bring the glow again.

How big is God? How big and wide is his vast domain?

To try to tell these lips can only start;

He's big enough to rule the mighty universe,

Yet small enough to live within my heart.

Listen to it here.     LISTEN

HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE

          Our small group recently completed a study on heaven which was developed and produced  by Dr. David Jeremiah.  The dvd's and lessons were excellent and it was exciting and encouraging to study this topic. I highly recommend it to you for a group study.  And while there is so much that we don't know about this special place that is being prepared for us, what God has revealed to us in the Bible should stir anticipation and longing in our hearts.  It will be a spectacular home without pain or tears.  And we will be reunited with many friends and loved ones.  But most importantly, Jesus will be there and we shall dwell with Him eternally.  And we who are God's children can have the hope and assurance of heaven because Jesus himself said that He was going to prepare a place for us and that He would one day come again to take us to that beautiful place.  This week's choice is a song which expresses the beauty of this eternal home where there shall be no more death and the Lamb is the light.  The text was written by Mrs. A. S. (Cordie) Bridgewater (1873 -1957).  Very little is known about her except that she. was born in North Carolina and married A. Samuel Bridgewater from Tennessee. The couple lived near Hanceville, AL, from 1909 to 1917, where he farmed. It is believed that she produced the words to "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" during this time. They apparently moved from Hanceville around 1917, and no further records of them have been found.   Likewise, we know little about the actual writing of this week's choice.  But we can imagine that her life experiences and study of the Bible gave her this hope for her future home.  Are you burdened today with the toils and challenges of this life?  Are you discouraged by the events around you?  Do you sometimes fear the future realizing that there is no hope for this world?  Then raise your sights, look up and be encouraged.  Christ is preparing a beautiful future for His children.  Now I'm not sure if the angels will be singing and playing golden harps as mentioned in the last verse, but I do know that heaven will be a beautiful place, more spectacular than we can even imagine.  And I am excited about such a future.  Are you?

1. We read of a place that's called heaven,

It's made for the pure and the free;

These truths in God's Word He hath given,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be,

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

2. In heaven no crying nor pining,

No wishing for elsewhere to be;

God's light is forever there shining,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be,

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

3. Pure waters of life there are flowing,

And all who will drink may be free;

Rare jewels of splendor are glowing,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be,

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

4. The angels so sweetly are singing,

Up there by the beautiful sea;

Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be,

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN

GLORY TO HIS NAME

          This week's hymn choice, also known as "Down At the Cross", was penned by Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929) in 1879.  It is said that Hoffman was reading about the crucifixion of Jesus in his Bible and he began to think about how God saved men from their sins by allowing Jesus to die on the cross.  His heart was filled with such gratitude that he wanted to give God all the glory and honor for this wonderful gift.  And so he quickly wrote the words of this poem.  And while he provided the music for most of the hymns that he wrote during his lifetime, this time it was John Stockton, a musician and member of Hoffman's church, who set the poem to music. And for almost 140 years this hymn has been a favorite of believers who desire to bring glory and praise to the Lord for the wonderful work of salvation that has transformed their lives.  Hoffman was born in Orwigsburg, in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. His father was a minister of the gospel in the Evangelical Association, and rendered over sixty years of service in preaching the Word.  Hoffman's musical education was limited, without any formal training, and was gained by personal application.  His first impressions of music came from hearing his parents sing in their home, especially during their times of family worship, both in the morning and evening. It was during these times of family worship that Hoffman developed a love for sacred music and a belief that song was "as natural a function of the soul as breathing was a function of the body." Under such an influence he came to use the gifts that God had given him in expression with words and song.  His first composition was made public at the age of eighteen.  His story should be a vivid reminder to parents of the importance of music and scripture in the home.  Over two thousand of his hymns are now in print.  Among these are "What a Wonderful Saviour!," "Enough for Me," "Are You Washed in the Blood?," "No Other Friend Like Jesus," "I Must Tell Jesus," and "Is Your All on the Altar?"  He also edited fifty song books.   Many of his hymns, like this week's choice, express the reality of how the sacrifice of Christ on the cross should impact our lives.  When His blood is applied to our sinful lives, we are forgiven and cleansed, we are saved from sin and He abides within.  He takes us into His family and He keeps us clean.  And having experienced this, our heart should cry out, just like Hoffman's did, "Glory to His Name!"  I hope that this is you testimony and song of praise today.  If it isn't, listen to the words of the fourth verse and come to this fountain today.  He will cleanse you and change you completely!  Glory to His Name!

1. Down at the cross where my Savior died,

Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name,

Glory to His Name:

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

2. I am so wondrously saved from sin,

Jesus so sweetly abides within,

There at the cross where He took me in;

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name,

Glory to His Name:

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

3. Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,

I am so glad I have entered in;

There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name,

Glory to His Name:

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

4. Come to this fountain so rich and sweet,

Cast thy poor soul at the Savior's feet;

Plunge in today, and be made complete;

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name,

Glory to His Name:

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN