OH HOW THE GRACE OF GOD AMAZES ME

        Does God's grace still amaze you or have you reached a place in your life where you just accept it without much thought?  If you've been a believer for some time the thrill of what He has done and what he does daily for you may have faded.  If that is the case then you should carefully meditate on the words and truth of this week's hymn choice.  

          The hymn was written by Emmanuel T. Sibomana (1915-1975),  a pastor in the African nation of Burundi.  He lived near Musema, a Baptist mission in central Burundi. He became a Christian in his late teens or his early twenties, and later became a Baptist pastor. Then, in 1946, he published a hymn titled "Umbuntu Bg Imana." Pastor Sibomana's hymn was translated by Rosemary Guillebaud, an English missionary in Rwanda, as "O How the Grace of God Amazes Me."  

          At  the time of writing the hymn he was just a young Christian and a farm laborer working in the heat of the day. The whole seven verses came flooding into his soul. At the end of the day, he ran home and attempted to write down what had inspired him. He then ran to his Pastor's house where his Pastor set the whole hymn to music.  While not well known or in many hymnals today, it is a hymn that UK evangelical Christians often sing with heartfelt meaning.  Little more can be said about the powerful words that speak for themselves.  

          What more can be said about the grace of God - God's Riches At Christ's Expense?  What should our reaction be?  Well the final verse tells us.  "Come now, the whole of me, eyes, ears, and voice. Join me, creation all, with joyful noise. Praise Him who broke the chain holding me in sin's domain and set me free again! Sing and rejoice!" 

           Does God's grace for you amaze you?  It should amaze us more every day.

O how the grace of God amazes me!

It loosed me from my bonds and set me free!

What made it happen so?

His own will, this much I know,

set me, as now I show, at liberty.

My God has chosen me, Though one of nought,

to sit beside my King in heaven's court.

Hear what my Lord has done,

O, the love that made Him run

to meet His erring son! This has God wrought.

Not for my righteousness, for I have none,

but for His mercy's sake, Jesus, God's Son,

suffered on Calvary's tree;

Crucified with thieves was He;

Great was His grace to me, His wayward one.

And when I think of how, at Calvary,

He bore sin's penalty instead of me,

Amazed, I wonder why He,

the sinless One, should die

for one so vile as I; My Savior He!

Now all my heart's desire is to abide

in Him, my Savior dear, In Him to hide,

my shield and buckler He,

cov'ring and protecting me;

from Satan's darts I'll be safe at His side.

Lord Jesus, hear my prayer, Your grace impart;

When evil thoughts arise through Satan's art,

O, drive them all away

and do You, from day to day,

keep me beneath Your sway, King of my heart.

Come now, the whole of me, eyes, ears, and voice.

Join me, creation all, with joyful noise:

Praise Him who broke the chain

holding me in sin's domain

and set me free again! Sing and rejoice

Listen to it here.    GRACE

HE LEADETH ME (TH)

TIMELESS HYMN - A special feature where I highlight some of my favorite hymns that I have previously featured in this blog.  These entries are revised and expanded and shared again for your encouragement and challenge. This hymn was originally shared here on October 16, 2011.

         It is unusual when you have the words of the author of a hymn that gives the account of how he was led to write the words. Such is the case this week. Listen to story told by Joseph H. Gilmore (1834 - 1918).
         "As a young man who recently had been graduated from Brown University and Newton Theological Institution, I was supplying for a couple of Sundays the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia. At the midweek service, on the 26th of March, 1862, I set out to give the people an exposition of the Twenty-third Psalm, which I had given before on three or four occasions, but this time I did not get further than the words "He Leadeth Me." Those words took hold of me as they had never done before, and I saw them in a significance and wondrous beauty of which I had never dreamed. It was the darkest hour of the Civil War. I did not refer to that fact — that is, I don't think I did — but it may subconsciously have led me to realize that God's leadership is the one significant fact in human experience, that it makes no difference how we are led, or whither we are led, so long as we are sure God is leading us.
         At the close of the meeting a few of us in the parlor of my host, good Deacon Wattson, kept on talking about the thought which I had emphasized; and then and there, on a blank page of the brief from which I had intended to speak, I penciled the hymn, talking and writing at the same time.  Then I handed it to my wife and thought no more about it. She sent it to The Watchman and Reflector, a paper published in Boston, where it was first printed. I did not know until 1865 that my hymn had been set to music by William B. Bradbury.
         I went to Rochester [New York] to preach as a candidate before the Second Baptist Church. Going into their chapel on arrival in the city, I picked up a hymnal to see what they were singing, and opened it at my own hymn, "He Leadeth Me.""
           What an interesting way to find that your writing had been published and was being used to encourage believers. I hope that you can relate to these words this week and testify that indeed He leads you.

(1)     He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav'nly comfort fraught!

Whate'er I do, where'er I be

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(2)     Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,

Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,

By waters still, over troubled sea,

Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(3)     Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,

Nor ever murmur nor repine;

Content, whatever lot I see,

Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(4)     And when my task on earth is done,

When by Thy grace the vict'ry's won,

E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,

Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Listen to it here.    LISTEN

I'VE FOUND A FRIEND

       Many inspiring hymns have been written following periods of deep distress.  Such was the case with this week's hymn choice.  Barclay Allen (1918-1966) was a very talented pianist who headlined with the Fredy Martin Band in the 1940's.  They played all over America and he accompanied people like Peggy Lee, Jane Russell, and Frank Sinatra.  

         One night in 1949, while driving in Nevada, after drinking all day, he fell asleep at the wheel, drove over an embankment, and ended up paralyzed from the neck down. He was 30 years old. At the request of his mother, a Rev. Norman Hammer launched an intensive conversion effort on the young man who was nearing death. The angry young musician's heart was finally reached by the Lord and the pastor introduced him to his friend, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

          Months later, after long and difficult rehabilitation, Barclay Allen regained a measure of his mobility. He was able to sit in a wheelchair, and even to do a limited amount of piano playing.  In 1953, Barclay Allen composed the music and a friend, Roc Hillman, supplied the lyrics for the hymn "I Found a Friend."   The hymn was made popular when it was sung by George Beverly Shea at Billy Graham rallies.  

          While the words were penned by Hillman, they probably are the testimony of Allen  ...  when life seemed not worth living ... a friend so tender and forgiving ... now He walks beside me ... his love is overflowing ... I can depend on Him to see me through ... my soul will live in glory ... He's ever near ... I found a friend and life began anew ... He can be your friend too.  What an amazing testimony from one who was paralyzed.  If God can love and care for one like Allen, certainly He can care for you.  Have you placed your trust in Him?

1.   I found a Friend when life seemed not worth living

I found a Friend so tender and forgiving

I can't conceive how such a thing could be

That Jesus cares for even me

Each day, each year, my faith in him is growing,

He's ever near, his love is overflowing

I have no fear my worldly cares are few

I can depend on Him to see me through

I found a Friend, He can be your Friend too.

2.     I found a Friend and now He walks beside me

His hand to lead, to comfort and to guide me

When clouds appear I talk to Him awhile,

He's taught this heart of mine to smile

Each day, each year, my faith in him is growing,

He's ever near, his love is overflowing

I have no fear my worldly cares are few

I can depend on Him to see me through

I found a Friend, He can be your Friend too.

3.     Because He came, my soul will live in glory,

I'll praise His name and tell my Saviors story,

What friend so true would give his all for you,

I found a friend and life began anew

I'm sure you'll find He is your Friend too

Each day, each year, my faith in him is growing,

He's ever near, his love is overflowing

I have no fear my worldly cares are few

I can depend on Him to see me through

I found a Friend, He can be your Friend too.

Listen to it here.   FRIEND

WILL YOU LOVE JESUS MORE?

          At the beginning off the day do you ever pause to think about those who will cross your path that day?  You may have appointments scheduled.  You will spend time with family members and maybe some friends.  You will probably have discussions with coworkers.  You will have conversations with clerks and those who provide a service for you.  And you will probably have numerous unexpected contacts with folks that you meet throughout the day.  
         Many of these conversations will be about necessary business items, but some will be about other topics of interest - sports, family experiences, future plans, neighborhood and national news and other general information.  Now some of these contacts may be with those who know the Lord, but many of them will be with folks who need the Lord.  Will your words and your attitude in these conversations reflect the love of your Savior?  Will they see Jesus in you? You may be the only believer that they know and ever talk to.  
         This song raises an important question for us about them - "Will you love Jesus more when we go our different ways - when this moment is a memory?"   That doesn't mean that we need to preach to them or flood them with Bible verses.  But it does mean that we need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He works through us during our conversations.
          The words of this song were penned by a contemporary Christian music trio composed of pastors Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig and Dan Dean.  According to Phillips, "Our songs are usually things that come out of our hearts as pastors. All three of us serve full-time as lead pastors, and sometimes the people sitting in the pews form what God's trying to say to you."  
         Maybe their lyrics would be a good prayer for each of us to pray early in the morning and before many of our conversations throughout the day. "I'd pray for nothing less than for you to love Jesus more."  Lord may my conversations today be acceptable in your sight.  "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."   Psalms 19:14.

I feel quite sure if I did my best

I could maybe impress you

With tender words and a harmony

A clever rhyme or two

But if all I've done in the time we've shared

Is turn your eyes on me

Then I've failed at what I've been called to do

There's someone else I want you to see

[CHORUS]

Will you love Jesus more

When we go our different ways

When this moment is a memory

Will you remember His face

Will you look back and realize

You sensed His love more than you did before

I'd pray for nothing less

Than for you to love Jesus more

I'd like to keep these memories

In frames of gold and silver

And reminisce a year from now

About the smiles we've shared

But above all else I hope you will come

To know the Father's love

When you see the Lord face to face

You'll hear Him say "well done"

[REPEAT CHORUS TWICE]

I'd pray for nothing less

Than for you to love Jesus more

Listen to it here.   LOVE JESUS MORE