COME CHRISTIAN, JOIN TO SING

          My wife and I are big Penn State football fans.  Before our physical challenges prevented us from going, we often were able to attend five or six home games each year.  We enjoyed the enthusiasm of the band, the excitement of the fans and the general atmosphere.  It was stirring to hear the 105,000 fans cheer “We are ... Penn State!”  Now we watch the games on television but we miss the thrill of being there. Sports fans can be enthusiastic. Likewise, concertgoers raise their hands and swoon at rock stars. Supporters clap, cheer and throw confetti for leading politicians. So why shouldn’t Christians unite their hearts, souls and minds and raise their voices and cheer for the lover of souls, the giver of good things, the creator of the universe, the all-powerful glorious one, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end?  “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:15).  King David was eager to worship. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1). And he had so much enthusiasm, dancing before the Lord when the ark returned to Jerusalem, that his wife was embarrassed by his behavior (2 Samuel 6:14-16).  Christian Henry Bateman (1813-1899) was ordained into the Church of England after being a Congregational minister.  He is credited as being the author of this hymn although there are some who believe that Bateman’s hymn is actually  a rewritten version of the hymn “Join Now in Praise, and Sing” by William Edward Hickson (1803-1870).  But no matter who actually wrote it, the hymn is a challenge to Christians to join in praising the Creator.  Each stanza begins with an exhortation - an imperative command to “Come” or “Praise.” In stanza one, Bateman provides us with the reason for singing - We offer “loud praise to Christ our King  ... before his throne ... ”   Christ desires our praise - “praise is his gracious choice. . . .”  Stanza two reassures all of us that this King is also “our guide and friend” and that “his love shall never end.”  This King will “condescend” to be our friend. To condescend surely did not mean to patronize as it tends to mean today, but implies that Christ the King humbles himself to be in a personal relationship with us.  Stanza three reassures us that we need not fear death. Beyond life, our songs will continue on “heaven’s blissful shore  ...  singing forevermore: Alleluia! Amen!”  Football games and concerts are fun. Political events are important. But a greater priority is to worship God. Why not praise Him with the enthusiasm of a Super Bowl fan, the adoration of a music enthusiast, and the zeal of a political supporter?  Pray for this nation to recognize the awesomeness of God and give Him the praise due to His name.

1    Come, Christians, join to sing

Alleluia! Amen!

loud praise to Christ our King;

Alleluia! Amen!

let all, with heart and voice,

before his throne rejoice;

praise is his gracious choice.

Alleluia! Amen!

2    Come, lift your hearts on high,

Alleluia! Amen!

let praises fill the sky;

Alleluia! Amen!

he is our Guide and Friend;

to us he’ll condescend;

his love shall never end.

Alleluia! Amen!

3    Praise yet our Christ again,

Alleluia! Amen!

life shall not end the strain;

Alleluia! Amen!

on heaven’s blissful shore,

his goodness we’ll adore,

singing forevermore,

"Alleluia! Amen!”

Listen to it here.  COME

HELD IN HIS MIGHTY ARMS

        "The eternal God is your Refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms."  Deuteronomy 33:27.   "The arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous"  Psalm 37:17.  Possibly you have good memories of being held in the arms of a parent.  It was a place of comfort and safety, a secure retreat from the cares of your world.  Now in my senior years I often wish that I could again escape to those arms of love and protection of my parents.  But believers do have the everlasting arms of God which are always there to protect and comfort us.  Now we know God is spirit and doesn't have arms as we do. However, the imagery is used in Scripture to convey the idea of His limitless power.  One who believed and experienced this was Winfield Macomber (1865-1896).  He came to Christ at age 16, then worked distributing materials for the American Bible Society. In 1890, he enrolled at the New York Missionary Training Institute (later renamed Nyack College), and in 1892 went to the Congo for the International Missionary Alliance. He returned to America a year later for health reasons, and in 1894 began teaching the Congolese language at his alma mater. He compiled an English-Fioti grammar and dictionary for use by missionaries, and, in 1896, he returned to missionary work in the Congo. But once again, ill health forced his departure but he never made it back to America.  He died in Portugal at the age of forty-one.  His was a short life, but one of lasting influence. And he was safe in God's keeping until his work here was done and then he was lifted to his heavenly rest in the Lord's loving arms. But he left behind a hymn which may have been his testimony.  "Oh! what wonderful, wonderful rest! trusting completely in Jesus I'm blest. Sweetly He comforts and shields from alarms, holding me safe in His mighty arms."  If today you are facing difficult challenges in your life, then flee to His almighty, everlasting arms and experience the rest and comfort which is there for you.

1.    Safe is my refuge, sweet is my rest,

Ill cannot harm me, nor foes e'er molest;

Jesus my spirit so tenderly calms,

Holding me close in His mighty arms.

Refrain

Oh! what wonderful, wonderful rest!

Trusting completely in Jesus I'm blest;

Sweetly He comforts and shields from alarms,

Holding me safe in His mighty arms.

2.    Pressing my tear stained cheek to His own,

Hushing my grief with His sweet gentle tone;

Touching my heart with His healing balms,

Holding me still in His mighty arms. 

Refrain

Oh! what wonderful, wonderful rest!

Trusting completely in Jesus I'm blest;

Sweetly He comforts and shields from alarms,

Holding me safe in His mighty arms.

3.    Tempests may rage, sin's surges may beat,

Ne'er can they reach my sheltered retreat;

Free from all danger, from dread alarms,

Resting so safe in His mighty arms.

Refrain

Oh! what wonderful, wonderful rest!

Trusting completely in Jesus I'm blest;

Sweetly He comforts and shields from alarms,

Holding me safe in His mighty arms.

Listen to it here.   ARMS

MY WONDERFUL LORD

          It is hard to find words meaningful enough to describe the Lord and His relationship to His children. Like many hymn writers, Haldor Lillenas (1885 – 1959) chose to use the word wonderful - "inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous". in this week's hymn choice.  And truly the Lord is wonderful.  And as we yield our all, our body and soul, to Him we experience the deep peace which He provides to His children.  The Bible reminds us of the need to dedicate our lives to the Lord. "I beseech (urge) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1). Lillenas was born in Norway and at the age of two immigrated with his mother and two brothers to South Dakota.  Lillenas indicated that soon after his conversion at the age of 21,  he began to increasingly write hymns and songs that expressed his faith and joy. Lillenas was a prolific composer of hymns, and it is estimated that he wrote some 4,000 hymns, and supplied songs for many evangelists.  In 1924 he founded the Lillenas Music Co. in Indianapolis.  Now I must admit that I struggled for quite some time before sharing this week's hymn  because of the phrase in the chorus, "I bow at Thy shrine, my Saviour divine."  What shrine?  And why would I bow at some shrine?   He is not dead. His tomb is empty. He is now seated on a royal throne, at the right hand of the Father in heaven as our Intercessor.  Robert Catrill. in his blog Wordwise Hymns, suggests changing this line to: "I know Thou art mine,"   I agree and have made that change in the words below.  After making that change, I challenge you to claim these words as your testimony.  Have you yielded your all to the Lord?  Have you found the deep peace that results from this dedication?  Indeed, our Lord, the ancient of days, is deserving of all our praise.  Is He your wonderful, wonderful Lord?  Have you yielded your all to Him?

1     I have found a deep peace

that I never had known

And a joy this world could not afford

Since I yielded control of my body and soul

To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.

My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord 

By angels and seraphs

in Heaven adored

I know Thou art mine!

My Savior divine

My wonderful, wonderful Lord

2     All the talents I have I have laid at thy feet

Thy approval shall be my reward.

Be my store great or small

I surrender it all

To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.

My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord

By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!

I know Thou art mine!

my Savior divine

My wonderful, wonderful Lord.

Wonderful, wonderful

My Lord is wonderful

3     Thou art fairer to me than the fairest of earth

Thou omnipotent, life-giving Word

O Thou Ancient of Days,

Thou art worthy of all praise,

My wonderful, wonderful Lord.

My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord

By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!

I know Thou art mine!

my Savior divine

My wonderful, wonderful Lord.

Wonderful, wonderful

My Lord is wonderful

Listen to it here.   WONDERFUL

LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS (TH)

TIMELESS HYMN  - Another revised and repeated blog of one of the great hymns of the faith originally shared here on June 27, 2010.

         It is always amazing to me how the Lord takes a person who has little or no training and uses them to create music which ministers to the hearts of many for many decades. Such is the case with Elisha Hoffman who penned over two thousand compositions and edited over fifty hymnals during his lifetime. Many of his hymns have been shared in this blog over the years. He is said to have been a natural musician and all the musical knowledge he had was gained by personal application. Mr. Hoffman's first impressions of music came from hearing the voice of sacred song in his home. It is said that his parents both had "sweet voices" and sang well. It was their custom, in the hour of family worship, both morning and evening, to sing one or two hymns. At an early age, the children became familiar with these hymns and learned to love them and to feel their power. Their lives were marvelously influenced by this little service of song in the home and a taste for sacred music was created and developed. It is sad that this custom seldom happens in homes today. Growing up my family sang together regularly, especially while we were traveling in the car. I've retained so many great hymns because of this experience. The little bit of background that I could find about this week's hymn choice indicates that Anthony Showalter actually wrote the chorus. With his need to comfort two friends who had dear ones that had just died, he sent his lyrics to Hoffman who then penned the verses. And these words continue to be a comfort to many today as we learn that leaning on the everlasting arms keeps us safe, provides real joy and peace, and allows us to face the future without dread or fear. A place of safety and security - the everlasting arms of Christ.

(1)    What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

(2)    Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

(3)    What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Listen it here. LEAN