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Learning to Lean

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Words: John Stallings (b. _____, 1938)
Music: John Stallings

Note: John Stallings (born in Georgia) has been a pastor and evangelist, and a singer and song-writer, over the course of many years. During the 1970s, when Southern Gospel Music came to prominence, with the influence of musicians such as Bill and Gloria Gaither, John Stallings wrote his most popular Christian song. It has a similar theme to Hoffman and Showalter’s Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (based on Deut. 33:27).

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Consider what it means to lean–to tilt, slant or bend. Often it implies a need to lean on something, for support of some kind.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy, is the free-standing bell tower of a nearby church. Completed over six centuries ago, it was built on marshy ground, and began to tilt almost immediately. As the angle of incline continued to grow, it was feared the tower would collapse. But engineers have used counterweights, bracing, and improvements to the foundation to stabilize it. The tower now seems safe from falling any time soon.

People can lean too, a little bit, and straighten up again without a problem. But when weakness or injury brings the danger of falling, various aids are used to provide support. Perhaps the injured limb is strengthened with a bandage or a cast, or the individual leans on a cane, crutches, or some kind of walker, to give more confidence in getting around.

Spiritually, this has an application to our faith in God. To lean on the Lord is to trust in Him, to depend and rely on Him. God’s Word says:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him [as Lord], and He shall direct your paths.

Prov. 3:5-6

In the affairs of life, there are definitely things we should not lean on, as the passage indicates. That’s not to suggest, of course, that we shouldn’t use the brains God has given us, and apply our experience and training to a given situation. But we should beware of making that the bottom line, of making no attempt to factor in God’s Word and will. We might end up building a tower on marshy ground!

As the Lord Jesus put it in a parable:

Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.

Matt. 7:26-27

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11:28

When life’s puzzles confuse and confound us, we need to lean on the Lord and His certain Word. Missionary to China Hudson Taylor once said, “Trust in the Lord is not heavy baggage, and it never fails.”

John Stallings had been the pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama, for a time. Author Lindsay Terry, in his 1990 book, Stories Behind Popular Songs and Hymns, says it was then multiple trials descended on his life. One of his daughters took sick and nearly died, another daughter was seriously injured in a car accident. Also, Pastor Stallings felt it was time to leave his ministry in Montgomery. He moved to Florida, when he began to construct a new home.

In Terry’s words, “Things weren’t going well.” But Stallings determined to trust in the Lord. One day he was sitting in the place where he lived in those days, and the words and music of a simple little chorus came to him.

Learning to lean, learning to lean,
I’m learning to lean on Jesus.
Finding more power than I’d ever dreamed
I’m learning to lean on Jesus.

John Stallings had no idea what an impact that chorus would have. He shared it in various places where he was booked to preach, and soon it was being sung everywhere. Many were blessed by the reminder to trust in the Lord. Mr. Terry even reports a time when the Lord used the chorus to pull her back from suicide.

A few months later, Stallings wrote a couple of stanzas to go with it, making it a full song. It’s been published in Praise! Our Songs and Hymns (Singspiration, 1979), and Favorites (9) (Singspiration, 1981).

The song–especially the chorus–remains a favourite, and has encouraged many of us to lean on the Lord in difficult times. It’s something we all need to be doing–learning to lean trustingly on Him.

Questions:

  1. What is an experience you’ve had recently when leaning on the Lord became a reality?
  2. How do we “learn to lean”?

Links:

Jesus, Still Lead On

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Words: Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (b. May 26, 1700; d. May 9, 1760)
Music: Seelenbräutigam, by Adam Drese (b. Dec. ___, 1620; d. Feb. 15, 1701)

Note: Nikolaus von Zinzendorf was born into aristocracy and wealth in Germany, but from boyhood he had a desire to be a follower of Christ, and bring others to Him. Submitting to the wishes of his family, he trained as a lawyer, but that was not to be his life’s work. When he married, in 1722, he and his wife agreed to lay aside their rank and give themselves to winning others to the Saviour. Zinzendorf also wrote about two thousand hymns.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

A follower is literally one who comes after. The word may have been passed down to us from the Old English term full-gan, meaning full going. This can refer to an individual travelling on behind the one in front, from one place to another. But we more commonly use it as a synonym for a disciple, and mean someone who accepts the teaching and authority of another.

Evolutionist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose Godless theories came to be called Darwinism, has had many followers in the latter sense, including British author H. G. Wells. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Freudism significantly influenced the theories of psychiatrists Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. The political theories of Chinese Communist Mao Zedong (1893-1976), later called Maoism, have been reproduced in many other countries, including Cambodia and Bangladesh.

Disciple and follower are, of course, words the Bible uses too, many times, particularly in the four Gospels, and the book of Acts, where believers become disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. The term disciple translates the Greek word mathetes, from which we get our word mathematics. It suggests a disciplined course of study, and the Lord makes it clear that learning from Him will also involve serving Him and labouring on His behalf. Jesus said:

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mk. 10:45). And, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15).

A disciple, then, is what we could call a learner-servant of Christ. And we are summoned, not only to preach the gospel and call others to put their faith in Christ, but to enlist them too as His learner-servants: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19).

Christians are followers of Christ. The Gospels show the Lord calling others to Him for that purpose.

He said to them [fishermen named Peter and Andrew], “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men [in other words, disciple-makers].”

Matt. 4:19

And we see them doing that in Acts, beginning in Jerusalem, where “the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly” (Acts 6:7). Later a new term was introduced: “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

This leads us to look at a remarkable man. During a time of religious persecution, Zinzendorf offered his estate as a refuge for Moravian believers fleeing their oppressors. He and another man, a carpenter named Christian David, built the village of Herrnhut (meaning the Lord’s Shelter) as a religious community that grew to about six hundred people. Later, learning of the need for a gospel witness in America and the West Indies, and elsewhere, the Moravians began sending out missionaries.

It was through meeting Moravians that John and Charles Wesley were converted. Another thing that linked them together was a great love of hymns, and an awareness of their importance in ministry. Charles Wesley wrote many, and so did Count von Zinzendorf. Best known is the latter’s hymn Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness, translated from German into English by John Wesley. But another of Zinzendorf’s songs speaks of being a follower of Christ.

(The word “fatherland” refers to one’s native country. Zinzendorf uses it in the hymn as a term for heaven, the Christian’s native land through the new birth (cf. Phil. 3:20).)

(1) Jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won,
And, although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless,
Guide us by Thy hand to our fatherland.

(2) If the way be drear, if the foe be near,
Let no faithless fears o’ertake us,
Let not faith and hope forsake us,
For through many a woe to our home we go.

(4) Jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won;
Heavenly Leader, still direct us,
Still support, control, protect us,
Till we safely stand in our fatherland.

Questions:

  1. What has it meant in your own life to be a “follower” of Christ?
  2. Zinzendorf speaks of times when the way is “cheerless,” and of going through “many a woe.” How do these things relate to your own experience? (And how has the Lord sustained you then?)

Links:

Gazing on the Lord

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Words: Centra Thompson (no data available)
Music: Dijon, by J. G. Bitthauer (18th century, no other information)

Note: Nothing is currently known about Miss Centra Thompson, but she has given us a lovely hymn about believers gazing in wonder and worship on the Lord Jesus in heaven. If you know other things about her–birth and death dates, country she’s from, etc., please pass the information along to me.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

It was a rare event. In August of 2017 a solar eclipse tracked across the entire United States. Even those a distance to the south and north got to see at least a partial eclipse. But seeing was a potential problem. We didn’t want to miss it. But warning after warning was issued concerning the damage that could be done by gazing directly at the sun. To gaze or not to gaze.

We’ve likely all experienced sunburns on our skin from the harmful rays of the sun, if we don’t use proper UV protection. It’s also possible to get a burn on the retina of the eye (and the damage is not reversible). The only safe way to view the eclipse was through specially designed dark glasses, or through a device that would project the image on a piece of card. It’s to be hoped all acted wisely and enjoyed the experience.

But consider the word “gaze” for a moment. Gazing is usually applied to something that has little or no movement. It’s difficult to gaze at a meteor that’s gone in the blink of an eye. The word relates to things that are stationary or slow moving.

The dictionary says it means: to look steadily and intently, with feelings such as great curiosity, interest, pleasure or wonder. A couple of related words carry a different emphasis. To gape at something is to stare at it open-mouthed. To gawk is to stare foolishly, without being sensitive to the meaning. An example of the latter would be gawking at a car accident, with no concern for those involved, and no intention of helping.

Applied negatively, we can gaze in shock at a huge bill from the plumber, or gaze with hurt feelings at an angry letter from someone we considered a friend. We can also gaze lustfully at impure photographs. On the positive side, we can gaze in wonder at a beautiful flower, or the crimson glory of a sunset.

We can find examples of the word in the Bible. At the time of Jesus’ ascension back into heaven, two “men” (likely angels) appeared to His disciples and said:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11

And when Stephen was stoned to death, becoming the first Christian martyr, we read:

He, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Acts 7:55

Other times the same Greek word is translated differently, but to express a similar meaning. At the synagogue in Nazareth, when Jesus began to speak, the people sat with “eyes…fixed on Him” (Lk. 4:20). And when Paul was summoned before the Jewish Sanhedrin, he stood “looking earnestly at the council” (Acts 23:1). The same Greek word, in both cases.

We look forward to the time when the children of God will be gathered around His heavenly throne. In that day we will gaze upon the glorified Son of God with awe and adoration. That is what Miss Thompson tried to capture, at least in part.

Significantly, the marks of Calvary were clearly evident after Christ’s resurrection. For doubting Thomas this was a final proof it was indeed the risen Lord who met with them (Jn. 20:24-28). And in one of John’s visions of heaven, Christ appears as “a Lamb as though it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6), eliciting these words of praise:

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!

Rev. 5:11-13

It seems likely that the scars of Christ’s crucifixion will still be visible in heaven, reminding us of the great cost of our salvation, and filling us anew with joyful praise and worship.

1. Gazing on the Lord in glory,
While our hearts in worship bow,
There we read the wondrous story
Of the cross, it’s shame and woe:

2. Ev’ry mark of dark dishonour
Heaped upon the thorn-crowned brow,
All the depths of Thy heart’s sorrow,
Told in answ’ring glory now!

3. On that cross, alone, forsaken,
Where no pitying eye was found;
Now, to God’s right hand exalted
With Thy praise the heav’ns resound!

Questions:

  1. What have you gazed at recently that was a joy and a blessing?
  2. Can you think of a couple of reasons why the disciples needed to stop gazing up into heaven in Acts 1:11?

Links:

Where High the Heavenly Temple Stands

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Words: Michael Bruce (b. March 27, 1746; d. July 5, 1767)
Music: Brookfield, by Thomas Bishop Southgate (b. June 8, 1814; d. Nov. 3, 1868)

Note: Some old hymnbooks try to compromise, and credit the hymn to both Bruce and Logan, but careful research has removed any reasonable doubt that Logan stole the credit for himself of something that was not his property. The story is below.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

It happens once in a while. One person builds an addition on his house. Nicely done, quite attractive. But his neighbour says there’s been a mistake. That his property line cuts right through the middle of the addition. And a subsequent survey shows that to be the case.

So it wasn’t the builder’s property, and he had no right to use it. It’s to be hoped, when this happens, the neighbours can reach a satisfying resolution of the problem, but sometimes, sadly, they don’t. There can be hurt feelings on both sides, friends become enemies, and reputations are soiled by an unseemly squabble.

This struggle over property rights has shown up in another arena: popular music. It may relate to similar phrases in the lyrics of two songs, or be something in the tunes, or in the arrangements of the tunes, even sometimes in background sound effects. Many legal battles have been waged over the unlawful copying of a song. But it’s far from simple. There can be a blurred line between inspired by, and stolen from!

So what about our hymn writers? Would they stoop to stealing someone else’s songs? Aren’t they Christians? As to the latter question, no, not always. But that is only part of the story. Even genuine Christians can sometimes stray, and do foolish, and even illegal things. As for a Scotsman named John Logan (1748-1788), whether or not he was a born again Christian, that’s for the Lord to decide. But here’s the unsavoury story of what he did.

It involved another Scotsman, Michael Bruce, who was a fine poet, and also wrote a number of hymns. Bruce began training for the ministry, but he died at twenty-seven, before his training was completed. The two men named, Bruce and Logan, knew each other. And Logan went to his friend’s bereaved parents with a proposal.

John Logan asked for the handwritten manuscript of Michael Bruce’s writings, saying he wanted to publish them for the benefit of the family. They readily agreed. And three years later, a book of poems was published under Bruce’s name but, for some unexplained reason, the hymns he’d written were omitted.

Meanwhile, Logan himself had become a clergyman. And the Bruce family wrote to him and requested a return of the manuscript copy of their son’s work, but their letters went unanswered. Then, Mr. Bruce himself went and asked for the material, but was told the servants must have accidentally used the pages in the kitchen to singe fowl!

However, eleven years afterward, Logan published a second book that included some of his own writings, plus the missing hymns of Michael Bruce–which he claimed as his own creations. That he was a man of questionable character is evident. And John Logan eventually got himself in other trouble. A play he wrote was banned because it was ruled to promote rebellion, and he was forced to resign his pastorate.

Not a nice story. But below is part of a hymn by Michael Bruce, based on Hebrews 4:14-16, which says:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Lord knows and understands the struggles we have. He went through them too. And He invites us to come boldly (with cheerful confidence) to the throne of God, seeking the grace and mercy available there to help us.

(1) Where high the heavenly temple stands,
The house of God not made with hands,
A great High Priest our nature wears,
The Guardian of mankind appears.

(3) Though now ascended up on high,
He bends on earth a brother’s eye;
Partaker of the human name,
He knows the frailty of our frame.

(5) In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part,
He sympathizes with our grief,
And to the sufferer sends relief.

(6) With boldness, therefore, at the throne,
Let us make all our sorrows known;
And ask the aid of heavenly power
To help us in the evil hour.

Questions:

  1. What particular distress in your life are you glad Christ understands and has sympathy and compassion for you?
  2. Is there a trial someone near you is going through that you can bring today to the throne of grace?

Links:

Is My Name Written There?

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Words: Mary Ann Pepper Kidder (b. March 16, 1820; d. Nov. 25, 1905)
Music: Frank Marion Davis (b. Jan. 23:1839; d. Aug. 1, 1896)

Note: Not a great deal is known of Mary Ann Pepper, who became Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder. There is even some confusion over the details of her life. Phil Kerr, in his usually reliable book Music in Evangelism (1962), says Mrs. Kidder was a Baptist, and she spent her entire life in Massachusetts. But preeminent scholar of hymnology, John Julian, in his massive (1,768 pages) Dictionary of Hymnology (1907), wrote that Kidder was a resident of New York City for 46 years, and she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Until there’s more confirming data, I’m inclined to favour Julian, as he was half a century closer to her time.

If we hope to stay organized, making lists is a part of life. In many homes there’s a weekly shopping list, of groceries and toiletries, and more things to be purchased. There are also to-do lists of home projects or other activities we need to fit into our busy schedules. And at Christmas time, we may make a list of who we’re planning to give gifts to, and what the gifts might be.

Then, there are the “Top Ten” lists that describe either what’s the best or the most popular in various categories–books, movies, songs, and so on. In 1977, the first Book of Lists was published, with hundreds of lists, some fascinating, others bizarre. Lists of: the world’s greatest libel suits, of dogs that bite, of people accused of being Jack the Ripper, and much more.

In New York City, in the late nineteenth century, something called the Social Register was developed, a list of prominent families said to be the socially elite in polite society–mainly well-to-do, white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPS). The “Establishment.” To be on the list was seen to be a doorway to success; to be omitted from it could be a serious barrier.

But there’s another list of people that were hated, and facing mortal danger, rejected just because of their ethnic background. During the days of the Second World War in Europe, millions of Jews were imprisoned and killed by the Nazis. But one who did his part to prevent this slaughter was, remarkably, a prominent Nazi himself.

Oskar Schindler (1908-1974) was a German industrialist who operated several factories. And “Schindler’s List” identified Jews that he went out of his way to hire to work for him. Gradually, he took on the role of their protector. He used bribery and other means to keep them out of the clutches of the Gestapo, even, at one point setting up a hospital in the back of one of his factories to help Jews that were too old or sick to work. Before he was done, Oskar Schindler had saved the lives of twelve hundred Jews.

When we turn to the Bible, we find more lists. Because tribal identity in Israel was important, and associated with God-given tribal territories, there are lists of families with their tribes (Num. 1:1-4; Neh. 7:5). But God has His list, too, called the Book of Life. That may be the one referenced by the Lord Jesus, when He says:

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Lk. 10:2

When we get to the book of Revelation, we find the Book of Life spoken of seven times. It soon becomes clear that this is a list of all who have, through faith, been granted eternal salvation.

There shall by no means enter it [the heavenly kingdom] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Rev. 21:27

Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev. 20:15

Given this eternal peril, there is some urgency to making sure that we are among those who will joyfully gather around the throne of God in the future. A jailer in Philippi asked the question one day, “What must I do to be saved?” And missionaries Paul and Silas responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30-31). That is, believe that, when Christ died on the cross, He paid the debt of your sin in full (Jn. 3:16). The jailer and his family did just that (vs. 34).

In 1876, Mary Ann Kidder gave us a hymn about being found listed in the Book of Life.

(1) Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold;
I would make sure of heaven, I would enter the fold.
In the book of Thy kingdom, with its pages so fair,
Tell me, Jesus, my Saviour, is my name written there?

Is my name written there,
On the page white and fair?
In the book of Thy kingdom,
Is my name written there?

(2) Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea,
But Thy blood, O my Saviour, is sufficient for me;
For Thy promise is written, in bright letters that glow,
“Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow.”

Questions:

  1. Are you confident today that your name is written in the Book of Life? (If not, please read God’s Plan of Salvation.)
  2. Other than John 3:16, what is another great verse on the subject of salvation?

Links:

We Saw Thee Not

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Words: John Hampden Gurney (b. Aug. 15, 1802; d. March 8, 1862)
Music: Knowles Shaw (b. Oct. 31, 1834; d. June 7, 1878)

Note: John Gurney was a British pastor. He is credited with publishing the final version of the hymn in 1851. The Cyber Hymnal says it’s a revision of a poem by Anne Rigby Richter, who died in 1857. However, W. J. Limmer Sheppard, in his book Great Hymns and Their Stories (1923) says the original was a poem by an unknown American poet, later revised in 1834 by a Mrs. Carus-Wilson, then still later by Gurney. Evangelist and song writer Knowles Shaw who composed the tune is best known for Bringing in the Sheaves.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

How much of this old world’s history have you lived through? Twenty or thirty years? Seventy or eighty years? That’s not much of the totality of recorded history. It goes back thousands of years. Wouldn’t it be amazing to travel back through time and witness some events of the past?

Novelists have frequently made use of that theme. The Time Machine (1895), by English author H. G. Wells, became not only a popular book but a Hollywood film. In it, the central character actually moves forward in time, and he’s discouraged to find a dark and dangerous society up ahead. Madeleine L’Engle’s award winning novel, A Wrinkle in Time (1962), was a children’s adventure about time travel. And Jack Finney’s classic book, Time and Again (1970) is a romantic adventure about travelling back to New York City, in the 1880s.

But these books and others like them are all fiction. What about seeing and hearing real history? In the nineteenth century the means of taking still photographs and, later, movies, were invented. Experimental sound recording began in 1860, and movies with sound in 1900–though it took more than two decades for the latter to become workable at a commercial level. Of earlier times than this we have only written records.

Of special significance to Christians is the fact that we have no photographs of the Lord Jesus, or sound recordings of His teaching. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we did!) But we do have the trustworthy record of the Bible, particularly the four Gospels that describe His days on this earth, books that include some extended times of teaching, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7).

But there’s something unusual about those four biographies that some may not have noticed. Though they cover the entire time Christ was on earth, all the way from before His birth to His ascension back into heaven again, much of the Gospel record deals with a single week of His life. In all, nearly a third (32.75%) of the Gospels is taken up with the Passion Week, from Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, to His death and resurrection a week later.

There was an incident at the time of Jesus’ resurrection that illustrates the issue of not being personally present to experience or confirm a historical event. The Lord appeared to His disciples at a time when one of them, Thomas, was absent, perhaps purchasing food or doing some other errand. When he returned, the others excitedly told him they had seen the risen Christ. But Thomas said he could not believe it.

Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.

Jn. 20:25

Then, days later, Christ visited the disciples once more, when Thomas was present. He was then convinced (vs. 27-28). But the Lord gently chided him for his reluctance to believe, saying, ““Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (vs. 29)–which includes each one of us, today.

We were not actually there. Separated by nearly two thousand years from those events, we know about them through the inspired record. We’re those who, Jesus says, “will believe in Me through their words” (Jn. 17:20). Among the New Testament authors, Peter and John were witnesses of those long-ago events.

We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty [at His Transfiguration].

II Pet. 1:16

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life [Christ]…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you.

I Jn. 1:1, 3a

The present hymn is based on the Lord’s comment to Thomas in John 20:29. The song describes different events in Jesus life, saying, “We saw Thee not…but we believe.”

(1) We saw Thee not when Thou didst come
To this poor world of sin and death;
Nor yet beheld Thy cottage home,
In that despisèd Nazareth.
But we believe Thy footsteps trod
Its streets and plains, Thou Son of God.

(2) We did not see Thee lifted high,
Amid that wild and savage crew;
Nor heard Thy meek, imploring cry,
“Forgive, they know not what they do!”
Yet we believe the deed was done,
That shook the earth and veiled the sun.

(3) We stood not by the empty tomb,
Where late Thy sacred body lay;
Nor sat within that upper room,
Nor met Thee on the open way.
But we believe that angels said,
“Why seek the living with the dead?”

May we be among those who see Him, by faith and, “though now [we] do not see Him [physically], yet believing, [we] rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (I Pet. 1:8).

Questions:

  1. Other than Christ’s death and resurrection, which scene during His earthly stay would you most wish you had witnessed?
  2. Is there a special way we are blessed by having to trust in God’s Word, rather than being there to see Christ at the time?

Links:

Pray, Always Pray

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Words: Edward Henry Bickersteth, Jr. (b. Jan. 25, 1825; d. May 16, 1906)
Music: Pax Tecum, by George Thomas Caldbeck (b. _____, 1852; d. Jan. 29, 1918)

Note: Edward Bickersteth was a pastor, hymn writer, and hymn book editor. He wrote at least thirty hymns. The tune for the present hymn is also used with another of his songs, Peace, Perfect Peace.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

After travelling through the Canadian North in the 1880s, pioneering anthropologist Franz Boas claimed the Eskimos (Inuit) had fifty different words for snow–hard snow, soft snow, heavy snow, light snow, icy snow, watery snow, and so on. Boas’s claim was debated for a time, but more recent study has proven him right.

Living with an abundance of snow for most of the year led the people to adopt words that made important distinctions in what they were dealing with. It’s surely the same with many different areas of expertise. A doctor, for example, will have many different and distinguishing terms for a pain, or a cough. Defining these conditions more precisely points the way to the most effective treatment.

In the spiritual realm, the Bible’s discussion of prayer similarly uses many different terms. Some form of the word “prayer” is found there more than three hundred times. But there are other words too: supplication, intercession, confession, worship, praise, thanksgiving, plus more general words–ask, seek, plead, and so on–that may be related to prayer.

However, that’s not to suggest that the subject is complicated and difficult to understand. In simple terms, prayer is talking to God. Even a child can grasp that, and children can pray sincerely and meaningfully. Prayer is one half of a conversation with God, of which the Bible, in which He speaks to us, is the other half.

Prayers can be audible or silent. Even a wordless cry of anguish lifted heavenward, in a time of severe trial, can be a prayer. We should all have a set time each day to read God’s Word and pray, but we can also talk to God through the day, sending up flash prayers of gratitude or expressing a need.

Prayers can be private or public, formal (even written down) or informal (off-the-cuff). There are examples in the Word of God of people praying standing up, kneeling down, lying in bed, or even chained in prison. Jonah is unique in that he prayed to the Lord from the belly of a great sea creature (Jon. 2:1-9)!

Prayer is a definite act, not just an attitude. But it’s founded on an attitude of faith, trust and confidence in God, and on the many promises of God. Scripture says:

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Heb. 11:6

The Lord Jesus taught His followers that they should pray in His name (Jn. 16:24), that is in His authority–just as we take a cheque to the bank and ask for money on the authority of the one who has signed it. “For through Him [Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18).

This hymn of Pastor Bickersteth’s, little known now, is called Pray, Always Pray. It presents, in seven short stanzas, many important truths about our subject. The title phrase is repeated in every stanza, urging us to pray. This is in accord with the Bible which says, “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1), and “pray without ceasing [i.e. habitually]” (I Thess. 5:17).

Here are some stanzas of the hymn, with Scriptures inserted relating to the points covered.

1. Pray, always pray; the Holy Spirit pleads
Within thee all thy daily, hourly needs. [Rom. 8:26]

2. Pray, always pray; beneath sin’s heaviest load,
Prayer sees the blood from Jesus’ side that flowed. [Eph. 1:7]

4. Pray, always pray; amid the world’s turmoil,
Prayer keeps the heart at rest, and nerves for toil. [Phil. 4:6-7]

5. Pray, always pray; if joys thy pathway throng,
Prayer strikes the harp, and sings the angels’ song. [Ps. 28:7]

7. All earthly things with earth shall pass away;
Prayer grasps eternity; pray, always pray. [II Cor. 5:1; Rev. 21:1-5]

Questions:

  1. Do you ever say to someone, “I’ll pray for you about that”? (Great! But, if so, make sure you keep your promise.)
  2. Do you have a prayer list to remind you to pray about various things? (If not, how about jotting one down.)

Links:

A Passion for Souls

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Words: Herbert George Tovey (b. May 6, 1888; d. March 20, 1972)
Music: Foss Luke Fellers (b. May 4, 1887; d. June 16, 1924)

Note: Herbert Tovey was an American pastor and musician, and taught at a number of colleges. He established the Sacred Music Foundation, which published several collections of Christian songs, and wrote a number of gospel songs and tunes himself. His book, Applied Song Directing, gives practical help to service leaders and choir directors. It was very useful to me as a young man, when charged with the direction of our church choir.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

A survey was conducted by Forbes Magazine. One hundred women in their thirties were asked: What are you passionate about? The top answer was, “Being a good daughter, mother, sister, wife/partner, aunt, granddaughter, friend and member of the community.” Second was, “Living a life filled with meaning and finding the balance to enjoy their lives.”

A few more things high up on the list of what these women were most passionate about; health, nutrition and exercise; professional success; gender equality–helping other women to be successful; learning, both personally and professionally; and supporting causes that are meaningful to them.

Back to that list in a moment. It’s revealing. But it will be helpful to think about what it means to be passionate. Passion is a strong and compelling emotion (for example, love or hate). It involves qualities such as longing, desire, craving, enthusiasm, and excitement. In a negative sense passion can be an immoral lusting after something we have no right to have.

The latter seems to be the way the Bible most often speaks of it. When people turned from the living God to worship idols, Scripture says, “God gave them up to vile passions” (Rom. 1:26). And “each of you should know how to possess his own vessel [his body] in sanctification and honour, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (I Thess 4:4-5).

But it’s certainly possible to have a strong and compelling emotion–to be passionate–in a good and godly sense too. The Apostle Paul says, “the love of Christ compels [urges, impels, continually constrains]” believers to live “for Him who died for them” (II Cor. 5:14-15). Phillips’ paraphrase says, “The very spring of our actions is the love of Christ.”

Strikingly, and sadly, this did not make the list anywhere in the things the women surveyed were passionate about. Imagine! Women keen to be successful, and with many fine goals. Yet no room for the Lord Jesus Christ who loved them so much He came to this earth to die, paying the penalty for all their sins.

After all God has done for us, in saving us, and blessing us in so many other ways, we ought to “Serve the Lord with gladness [with joy and pleasure]” (Ps. 100:2). “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavour; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11, Amplified Bible).

One particular aspect of that service is our witness for Christ. When one has experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness, through Christ (Eph. 1:7), and the promise of an eternal home in heaven (Jn. 3:16; 14:2-3, 6), it makes sense that he or she will want to share that with others, and invite them to put their faith in the Saviour. We have passions for many things in life–enjoyable things, fun things. Music, football, fancy cars, chocolate, and more. Why not that?

Herbert Tovey thought so. In the early years of the twentieth century, he was a young student at Moody Bible Institute, in Chicago. One of the requirements for the students was to speak to someone about Christ, at least once each week. This meant leaving the classrooms and dorms behind, and going out into the busy city streets to share their faith.

Perhaps Tovey found this difficult, or at least it wasn’t a compelling desire of his heart. But he prayed for a loving concern for lost sinners, and he wrote one of his first gospel songs about that. A prayer for the kind of passion that would motivate him to reach out to those in need of Christ. A music teacher at the school provided the tune.

(1) Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord,
A passion to save the lost;
O that Thy love were by all adored,
And welcomed at any cost.

Jesus, I long, I long to be winning
Men who are lost, and constantly sinning;
O may this hour be one of beginning
The story of pardon to tell.

(3) How shall this passion for souls be mine?
Lord, make Thou the answer clear;
Help me to throw out the old life line
To those who are struggling near.

Questions:

  1. How long has it been since you talked to someone about what the Lord means to you?
  2. What are some ways you can aid in the cause of evangelism, either through your church, or by helping some other agency or individual?

Links:

O Lord and Master of Us All

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Words: John Greenleaf Whittier (b. Dec. 17, 1807; d. Sept. 7, 1892)
Music: St. Anne, by William Croft (b. Dec. _____, 1678; d. Aug. 14, 1727)

Note: New England poet John Greenleaf Whittier didn’t consider himself a hymn writer, saying he had no knowledge of music. Even so, several hymns have come from his poems. The hymn O Lord and Master of Us All consists of a number of verses taken from a much longer poem entitled “Our Master.”

It should also be noted that different hymnals have used different verses of the original poem, causing the hymn to look quite different from book to book. And at least one hymnal has the last line of stanza nine as the more expected “the Life, the Truth the Way” (Jn. 14:6).

The tune St. Anne is commonly used with Isaac Watts’s O God, Our Help in Ages Past.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” has been around at least since the fourteenth century. It portrays a person in the middle of a forest, who can see the trees around him, and may even make a careful study of some. But from his point of view he’s unable to appreciate the immensity and grandeur of the forest as a whole. To do that, he must go back (or above) some distance.

It points to the difficulty of one who can get so involved in the details and complexities of his subject that he fails to appreciate the main point, or misses the big picture. For example, consider an orchestra performing Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony (the Pastoral Symphony).

  • A newspaper reporter is there so he can write an article for his paper. He notes that the horn section in the first movement seems too loud, and the violins come in too soon at bar thirty-four. But he describes the depiction of the storm in the fourth movement as particularly well done.
  • Another who attends the concert is herself a composer. She’s there to study the sonata format of the second movement, and note how it transitions into the scherzo of the third movement.
  • But what of the one who simply delights in listening to good music? The music lover who attends likely notices none of the things mentioned. He’s there to enjoy the music, to simply let it wash over him, feeling it’s changing moods, and delighting in the experience.

It’s not that the purposes of the first two individuals are unworthy, or of no value. Examining every tree in the forest has its place. But so has the appreciation of the forest in broader terms.

This has its application to the Christian faith. There are 783,137 words in the King James Version of our Bible. And every word is important. It’s all God’s true and trustworthy Word, worthy of our study. But we mustn’t lose sight of the essential message of faith and obedience, sin and salvation, and the centrality of Christ in it all (Lk. 24:26-27, 44-45).

In Whittier’s hymn, he turns us from the many learned volumes about various details of theology, and from the systems, and symbols of various churches and denominations. Whatever “our name or sign,” he paints the Christian faith in broader strokes. To Whittier, the big picture is to follow Christ, the One who calls Himself the Light (Jn. 8:12), the Truth and the Way (Jn. 14:6). The Apostle Paul states it simply: “For me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21).

It’s not at all that the details of theology are unimportant. There is a place to study Bible doctrines and know them well. There is a place for symbols and rituals too, if they represent the reality of the Christian faith, and the gospel.

And what is that? The Christian gospel rests upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the faith and confession that He died to pay the penalty for our sins. Without that, doctrine is dead, and symbols become empty playacting.

(1) O Lord and Master of us all,
Whate’er our name or sign,
We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call,
We test our lives by Thine.

(7) Apart from Thee all gain is loss,
All labour vainly done;
The solemn shadow of the cross
Is better than the sun.

(8) Our Friend, our Brother, and our Lord,
What may Thy service be?
Nor name, nor form, nor ritual word,
But simply following Thee.

(9) We faintly hear, we dimly see,
In differing phrase we pray;
But dim or clear, we own in Thee
The Light, the Truth, the Way.

Questions:

  1. What does the poet mean by saying, “The solemn shadow of the cross is better than the sun”?
  2. What is the author trying to convey by saying “in differing phrase we pray”?

Links:

Look to the Lamb of God

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Words: Henry Godden Jackson (b. Jan. 1, 1838; d. Nov. 10, 1914)
Music: James Milton Black (b. Aug. 19, 1856; d. Dec, 21, 1938)

Note: Henry Godden Jackson and his wife spent many years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, serving as Christian missionaries. After returning to the States, they lived in the area of Chicago. Jackson wrote quite a few hymns, many of them in Spanish. He based the gospel song we’re considering here on John the Baptist’s announcement of Jesus quoted below. The tune was composed by James Black, who also gave us the song When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Some animals have remarkable eyesight. It’s said that an eagle can spot a rabbit 3.2 kms (2 miles) away. But which human being has the sharpest vision? Years ago, the testing of an unnamed Aboriginal man found he had what they called 6/1.5 sight, meaning the smallest print the average person could read he could read from four times further away.

But now, a new laser eye surgery is able to give patients what’s been called “super vision,” the ability to see fifty percent better than the best humans could formerly do by nature. Doctors say new eye charts will be needed to test this, since those with “super vision” can easily read the smallest print on the chart.

We can look with our physical eyes. But there’s also looking with our soul’s insight and perception, a kind of looking that involves giving attention to our interests and priorities. “Look to your future,” some will say, meaning think about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. Or we could be advised, “Look to your health.” Or, “Look to your conscience.”

The Bible too talks about this kind of looking. Using the term in a negative sense, the Lord describes corrupt leaders in Israel as “greedy dogs,” saying, “They are shepherds who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain” (Isa. 56:11). And in our day, who hasn’t known politicians like that–who seem to be in office mainly for what they can get out of it for themselves?

In the positive sense, we are to look to God in faith and expectant hope. “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us” (Ps. 123:2). That’s an appealing image of trust and confidence.

The great nineteenth century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, put his faith in Christ in 1850, at the age of sixteen, responding to the call of God from Isaiah 45:22, “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!” He decided, as the prophet Micah did, “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7).

In the New Testament this look of faith is focused particularly on the Lord Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist introduced Him at the beginning of His public ministry, he called out:

Behold! [Look!] The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jn. 1:29

It was a way of saying, “Here is the One who’ll fulfil those Old Testament sacrifices. His will be the final and full atoning sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews invites us to…

Consider Him [think over what you have learned about Him]….Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher [the Source and Goal] of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb. 12:2-3

(1) If you from sin are longing to be free,
Look to the Lamb of God.
He to redeem you died on Calvary,
Look to the Lamb of God.

Look to the Lamb of God.
Look to the Lamb of God.
For He alone is able to save you,
Look to the Lamb of God.

(2) When Satan tempts and doubts and fears assail,
Look to the Lamb of God.
You in His strength shall over all prevail,
Look to the Lamb of God.

(4) Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall,
Look to the Lamb of God.
In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all.
Look to the Lamb of God.

Questions:

  1. What or whom are you looking to, today, to meet your deepest needs?
  2. What does it mean that Paul calls Jesus “our Passover” (I Cor. 5:7)?

Links:

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