NUMBER 500!

          It was October 19, 2008 when I posted my first hymn in this blog.  Appropriately it was "Great Is Thy Faithfulness".  This blog started as a hobby, something to do in my retirement.  But it quickly turned into a ministry, as expressed in the many fine comments that readers have left over the year. Now over 900 folks come to this blog weekly. In fact, last week over 1,100 visited here.
          I can hardly believe it, but this week's post is actually  the 500th post I've made in this blog.  And to mark this fact I've decided to do something different this week and share my three personal favorite worship songs. Unfortunately they each seem to be lost or forgotten in the multitude of new worship songs that today seem to be written weekly.
          The first one shares my desire for this blog, "Glorify Your Name In All The Earth".  Amazingly this blog is now read worldwide, from Spain to the Ukraine, from Russia to Brazil and to many others.

Father, we love You
We worship and adore you
Glorify Your Name in all the earth
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name in all the earth

Jesus, we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Your Name in all the earth
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name in all the earth

Spirit, we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Your Name in all the earth
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name
Glorify Your Name in all the earth

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN

          The second one shares my personal desire for my life.  It is simply "Praise You, Praise You, Let My Life Praise You."  And that is my daily prayer for my own life as well as for this blog.

Lord I come to you today,

With a simple prayer to pray.

In everything I do,

let my life O Lord praise you.

Praise you, praise you,praise you

let my life, praise you

praise you, praise you, praise you

let my life, O lord praise you

Lord you formed me out of clay,

and for your glory I was made.

Use this vessel as you choose.

Let my life O Lord praise you

Praise you, praise you,praise you

let my life, praise you

praise you, praise you,praise you

let my life, O Lord praise you

Let my life O Lord praise you.

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN

The third speaks for itself.

Down at Your feet, oh Lord

Is the most high place

In Your presence, Lord

I seek Your face, seek Your face

There is no higher calling, no greater honor

Then to bow and kneel before Your throne

I am amazed at Your glory, embraced by Your mercy

Oh Lord, I live to worship You

You can listen to it here.  LISTEN

          If you have been a regular reader of this blog, then thank you.  While I don't know who you are, your stopping by has been an encouragement to me.  Please consider leaving some comments when you visit.  And for those who have just dropped by this week, let me invite you to come here regularly.  Hopefully the great hymns and gospel songs that are shared here will challenge you and encourage you in your Christian walk.  And together we can praise and worship our amazing God.  God is so good, He's so good to me - all the time!  Praise Him!

YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER

        Lately a phrase from the hymn "Abide With Me" keeps flooding through my mind. "Change and decay in all around I see."  And how true that phrase is in today's world.  It often appears that everything around us is changing and often these changes are not for the good.  We long for a sure foundation and for stability and truths that we can depend upon.   And, thankfully, we find that only in Jesus Christ and His Word.  We marvel at the truth that centuries ago He came to this earth to pay the price for our salvation. That truth will never change. And while here on earth He performed many miracles, He healed the sick, He made the blind to see again, He made the lame to walk again, He comforted the poor and weak, He controlled the elements and He conquered the grave.  And that power has not changed. The amazing thing is that while He no longer walks on this earth, this same Jesus still cares for us and works in the lives of believers today.  "All may change, but Jesus never!"  And what a comfort that should be for us.  Based on Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever", Albert Simpson (1843-1919) expressed this truth in this week's hymn choice.  Simpson was  a pastor and served mainly in U.S. churches, eventually founding the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. In the early 1880's his health gave way and doctors told him that he had only a few months to live. However, Simpson experienced a dramatic healing, enabling him to continue in active ministry for another thirty-five years. He wrote about 170 hymns, most of them published in Alliance hymnbooks.  This particular hymn of his reminds us that the risen Savior is alive and that He hasn't changed. Nor will He ever.  His promises are still true.  He still walks beside His children. He still cares about all of our needs. He still is all powerful today as He was yesterday. May we never forget that.  All may change, but Jesus never!  Glory to His name. 

1.     O how sweet the glorious message simple faith may claim

Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same.

Still He loves to save the sinful, heal the sick and lame

Cheer the mourner, still the tempest, glory to His Name.

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name!

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

2.     He, who was the Friend of sinners, seeks the lost one now

Sinner come, and at His footstool penitently bow

He Who said "I'll not condemn thee, go and sin no more,"

Speaks to thee that word of pardon as in days of yore.

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name!

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

3.     Oft on earth He healed the sufferer by His mighty hand

Still our sicknesses and sorrows go at His command

He who gave His healing virtue to a woman's touch

To the faith that claims His fullness still will give as much.

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name!

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

4.     As of old He walked to Emmaus, with them to abide

So through all life's way He walketh ever near our side

Soon again we shall behold Him, Hasten Lord the day

But twill still be this same Jesus as He went away.

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name!

All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

The following two verses are believed to also have been written by Simpson even though they do not usually appear in hymn books.

*  He who pardoned erring Peter never needst thou fear,

He who came to faithless Thomas all thy doubt will clear;

He who let the loved disciple on His bosom rest

Bids thee still, with love as tender, lean upon His breast.

* He who 'mid the raging billows walked upon the sea

Still can hush our wildest tempest, as on Galilee;

He who wept and prayed in anguish in Gethsemane

Drinks with us each cup of trembling, in our agony.

You can listen to it here.  LISTEN

WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

          This week many people will celebrate Valentine's Day.  They will express their love to another by buying flowers, cards, candy, jewelry or going to a special restaurant or taking a romantic trip.  If there is someone that you really care for or love, this is a good tradition to observe. But hopefully this isn't the only day of the year when you express your love to that special person. And if you do have one that you love, you are very fortunate and should never take that person for granted. But there is One who loves us far beyond any earthly love.  We are reminded in Romans 5:8 that "God showed His love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!"  That is an amazing, wonderful story of real love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.  John Merritte Driver (1858-1918) was born in Illinois but I couldn't find much information about his background or his life.  But after he attended Illinois Agricultural College and Boston University, he became a Methodist Episcopal preacher and served at the People's Church in Chicago, IL, from 1902 to 1907. He is credited with composing some 30 hymns.  But he may be best known for writing the words of this week's hymn about God's love. In this hymn Driver summarized some pivotal points relating to the life and ministry of Christ which illustrate some aspects of God''s wonderful love. First, he dealt with the significance of the birth of Christ, when the shepherds heard the good news, "There is born to you … a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke. 2:11).  Then comes His sacrifice on the cross, and the call to salvation through faith in Him (John. 3:16).   Finally, there is His promised return to take us to our home, to the "many mansions" in heaven that He is preparing for us (John. 14:2-3).  And that is a wonderful story of love.  Unfortunately, sometimes we tend to forget about this love.  We shouldn't need a special event like Christmas or Easter or Valentine's Day to be reminded of His love, it should permeate our minds and actions each day.  May we daily thank Him for this wonderful love which He does demonstrate for us each day.

1      Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;

Wonderful story of love;

Wake the immortal strain!

Angels with rapture announce it,

Shepherds with wonder receive it;

Sinner, oh, won't you believe it?

Wonderful story of love. 

Refrain:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, wonderful story of love. 

2     Wonderful story of love;

Though you are far away;

Wonderful story of love;

Still He doth call today;

Calling from Calvary's mountain,

Down from the crystal-bright fountain,

E'en from the dawn of creation,

Wonderful story of love. 

Refrain:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

3      Wonderful story of love;

Jesus provides a rest;

Wonderful story of love;

For all the pure and blest,

Rest in those mansions above us,

With those who've gone on before us,

Singing the rapturous chorus,

Wonderful story of love. Refrain:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

Listen to it here.  LISTEN1

I also found a beautiful instrumental version which I chose to share.  LISTEN2

LOVE LIFTED ME (TH#15)

TIMELESS HYMN #15 - Another revised and repeated blog of one of the great hymns of the faith - LOVE LIFTED ME - originally shared on April 26, 2009

          The month of February is a month when we think of Valentine's Day and love.  So I've chosen to repeat a hymn which talks about real love - the love of God our Father.  Many of the old hymns used pictures of storms and seas to convey messages of salvation, safety, and protection provided by the Lord.  Sometimes the pictures are of lighthouses, lifelines, shelters, rocks, or sinking experiences.   One of my favorite is this week's hymn which shares of God's love to us when we were far from the peaceful shore and sinking in sin.  It was then that His love lifted us.  We were so unworthy and not deserving of being rescued, but in His love He did rescue us and now we are safe in Him.  That is real love.  "But God showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8.  But while the hymn talks about being saved while sinking in sin, it is also a reminder that when we face the storms of life and feel like we are sinking, in His love He rescues us again.  And we are safe. The words to this hymn were penned in 1912 by James Rowe.  During his lifetime, Rowe claimed to have written more than 19,000 song texts. Rowe and his friend Howard Smith created "Love Lifted Me" in Saugatuck, Connecticut, and sold the copyright to Charles Tillman, who transferred it to Robert Coleman in 1915 for one hundred dollars.  According to Rowe's daughter: " I can see them now, my father striding up and down humming a bar or two, and Smith playing it and jotting it down. The two huddled together, working line by line, bar by bar, composing this hymn in tandem."  The words were jotted down by James Rowe, and the music was hammered out at the piano by Smith whose hands were so twisted from arthritis that his friends wondered how he could play the piano at all. When they finished, the world had "Love Lifted Me."  Rowe reminds us of the "redemption from sin by our Saviour" in the first verse  The second verse shows "the change in our walk as we owe Him our song, our service, our whole heart."  The last verse is a "witness to the lost."   And the hymn also reminds us that we need to live in His presence and continually sing His praises. Are you doing that today?  Amazingly, He has lifted us!

(1)   I was sinking deep in sin,

Far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within,

Sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea,

Heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me,

Now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help 

Love lifted me!

(2)   All my heart to Him I give,

ever to Him I'll cling

In His blessed presence live,

ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true,

merits my soul's best songs,

Faithful, loving service too,

to Him belongs.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help 

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help 

Love lifted me!

(3)   Souls in danger look above,

Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love,

out of the angry waves.

He's the Master of the sea,

billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be,

be saved today.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help 

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help 

Love lifted me!

Listen to it here.   LISTEN