Author: Kate Plourde Page 16 of 59

Hymns 2.0 – I’d Rather Have Jesus

On October 27, 2023

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1 I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand

Chorus:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway.
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

2 I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I’d rather be true to His holy name [Chorus]

3 He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs.
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead [Chorus]
Rhea F. Miller (1922)

The History Behind the Hymn

Her father, Martin James Ross, such had been no more than a drunk for some time and would actually steal money from his wife’s purse, just to get enough money to buy another drink. Mrs. Ross was a good, solid, faithful Christian, though. And she just kept living her life for Jesus. She would walk to church in any kind of weather- rain, snow, sleet, mud, whatever it was, just to get there to be with God’s people. Eventually her steadfastness broke through the walls her husband had isolated himself with. He surrendered to the wooing of God’s Spirit and was wonderfully delivered from the awful bondage of sin. He stood one night in a service in Brooktondale and began his testimony of how much Jesus meant to him… “I’d rather have Jesus than all the gold or silver in the whole world. I’d rather have Him than anything this world has to offer.” Mrs. Miller sat there and heard the words of her father’s testimony and a new song was born- “I’d Rather Have Jesus”.
https://hymnary.org/person/Miller_Rhea

A Lesson for Me

Pro 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Pro 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Riches can be a fleeting thing. I think of people who win the lottery and fall into millions of dollars but they do not have the wisdom to take care of their new found wealth. They squander their millions on things rather than putting it towards God’s eternal kingdom. After losing their fortune, they are remembered by others as someone having no common sense; thus goes their good name.

But I think of riches as more than that: my eternal salvation purchased by Jesus Himself, the love of family, grandchildren(s)’ hugs and kisses, longevity with your sweetheart, etc. Those to me have more weight in my heart than gold itself.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I’d rather be true to His holy name

Message for today

Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if that recognition is more important to you than to hear Jesus say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” then your priorities are misplaced.

The work we do here on earth for the furtherance of the Gospel is what will matter for all eternity. Did you lead someone to Christ? Some lead thousands in their lifetime. While others lead one or two. What is the price of one soul? A soul is priceless when compared to that soul living in the fires of hell for all eternity. What would one person pay to avoid the pits of hell, I wonder?

Mat 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Friend, if God has blessed you with riches, then use those riches for His glory. Those are the ones that will last for all eternity. If you don’t have monetary riches, then use your talents for His glory!

Oh that we would look upon Jesus as the leader in all that we say and do. If we did, we would be doing all things according to His will, amen? It’s easier said than done, I understand that. However, striving for that mark on a daily basis will bring us closer to Him and more like Him!

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs.
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – At Calvary

By Kate Plourde

On October 25, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click he r e to hear instrumental)

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain:
Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty–
At Calvary.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned–
Then I trembled at the Law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary. [Refrain]

Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus ev’rything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary. [Refrain]

O the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. [Refrain]
William Reed Newell (1868-1956)

The History Behind the Hymn

William R. Newell was born on May 22, 1868 in Savannah, Ohio. All who knew him considered him a “humble man”, however that was not how his life began.

Dr. Torrey, President of Moody Bible Institute told the following story. “When I was president of the Moody Bible Institute, I received a letter from a very concerned pastor who told me of a son who was causing himself and his family a great deal of trouble. His life was really mixed up. And the father felt that attendance at Moody would help. I advised the father that even though I sympathized with him, for I was a father; yet, because I was running a Bible school and not a reform school, I had to deny his request. After many letters of pleading his cause, I finally gave in with the stipulation that the rebellious teen must see me each day and make every effort to abide by the rules and requirements of the Institute.”

“Torrey went on to say that the boy faithfully visited his office each day; and with wisdom from God’s word, he answered the questions that had been keeping the boy from God. Finally, after many months of counseling, the prayers of the boy’s father were answered.”

Years I spent in vanity and strife, caring not my Lord was crucified…There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary

That young man was William R. Newell. Newell eventually became a minister and later returned to Moody Bible Institute as a teacher.

One day in 1895, Newell was sitting in his classroom during a planning period. He began to pen a word picture in the form of a poem describing his testimony. His original words were penned on the back of a used envelope.

After writing the poem, Newell paid a visit to the Music Director at Moody. That man was Daniel Towner. “Towner went to a vacant piano room, sat down, and started writing a tune for his friend’s lyrics. An hour later, the music was finished, and the two friends were sitting down by a piano, singing the new creation together.”

Newell died on April 1, 1956, in Florida.

Today, Newell’s testimony is a reminder of all that Christ did for all of us At Calvary.
https://dianaleaghmatthews.com/at-calvary/

A Lesson for Me

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

A lot happened at the cross of Calvary. I think that one of the very first things that happened was that Jesus paid the price that the Law (the Ten Commandments) could not pay. We all know that even on our best day, we break one of those commandments. It’s impossible to live a sinless life and that is why Jesus came!

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned–
Then I trembled at the Law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

Message for today

The Old Testament is our teacher. It tells us all about Jesus, why He had to come to die for our sins, and that He is coming again. It is our “schoolmaster” as the verses below tell us.

Gal 3:24-26 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

It is by faith that we are saved. The Ten Commandments were given to the Jews as laws to live by. These laws were to open their eyes to realize that they could not keep the entire law without breaking at least one. If one could keep the Ten Commandments without breaking one each and every day of their life, they would be sinless. But Romans 3:23 tells us that there isn’t one person that is sinless. That is why Christ had to come. The Law was to teach them that they could not work for their salvation but that they needed a Savior.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Abraham came before the Law was given to Moses, yet we see in James 2:23 that Abraham believed God – he had faith in his God – and he is known in the bible as the Friend of God! Therefore, the Law points us to recognize our sin and the need for a Savior, and faith leads us to salvation.

O the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.

Friend, are you in the same boat as William Newell was in? Are you searching to fill a hole in your empty heart? It is not until you reach the cross of Calvary and realize that you are in need of what Jesus did there. It is there that forgiveness for your sins can be found.

Hymns 2.0 – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

By Kate Plourde

On October 23, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
Robert Robinson (1758)

The History Behind the Hymn

It is an unfortunate turn of events when a young boy is forced to grow up without a loving father. Thus was Robert Robinson’s fate. His dad passed away when he was only eight years of age. Robert was born on Sept. 27, 1735, to Mary Wilkin and Michael Robinson, a customs officer, in Swaffam in the county of Norfolk, a market town and civil parish in the English countryside.

To make Roberts’ circumstances much more difficult, his maternal grandfather, Robert Wilkin, a wealthy man, who had never reconciled himself to his daughter’s lowly marriage, disinherited his grandson and provided an inheritance for him of only ten shillings and sixpence.

As soon as Robert was old enough, he secured a job as an apprentice to a barber. Even in his youth he endured the hardship of having to be the bread winner for his widowed mother and himself. His formal education was limited. However, his knowledge was varied and extensive because he spent many hours in study. There was an adult-like quality deeply ingrained in him, and it allowed him to accept the responsibilities of adulthood, even as a teenager.

As he grew older, he came under the influence of the famed evangelist, George Whitfield. On Dec. 10, 1755, Robinson could not push from his mind a particular phrase used by Mr. Whitfield in one of his sermons: “Oh, my hearers! the wrath to come! the wrath to come!” He was wondrously converted and became a minister of the gospel; first, in a Baptist church, then in a Methodist church, and later in other denominations.

In one location his congregation grew to 1,000 in attendance.

Unfortunately, and for some unexplained reason, he became altogether unstable and unhappy. His Christian beliefs and training seemed of little importance to him.

On one occasion, years later, he found himself the fellow passenger of a young lady on a stagecoach. It is reported that she began to sing to break the monotony of the trip. And what did she sing? Come, Thou fount of every blessing!

As she finished singing the young woman asked Roberts what he thought about the song. His startling reply was: “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago; and, I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, if I could feel now as I felt then.”
https://www.cocdiscipleship.org/middle-ages/story-behind-the-song-come-thou-fount/

A Lesson for Me

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Some hymns penetrate the heart and move the soul to repentance. Other hymns, encourage the believer to press on. Today’s hymn doesn’t find the author living according to the verses he penned. He sadly finds himself having come to the end of his race and whatever it was that “beset him” afflicted his soul. Mr. Robinson had the same Bible you and I have. What happened to him? The history says, “Unfortunately, and for some unexplained reason, he became altogether unstable and unhappy. His Christian beliefs and training seemed of little importance to him.”

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

Message for today

The message I got out of this was that even though we are born again and train under the best of the best in the Scriptures, we can be the victim of ending up last in the race of our spiritual life. Or we can even be a close second, or not even finish the race at all. It is very sad that this man’s Christian beliefs seemed of little importance to him. It appears as though the Gospel seed fell on thorny grounds. He had the excitement of a “new found faith” but the seed didn’t bury deep into the rich soil of his heart. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 13. The Parable of the Sower is a popular one and it gets down to the nitty gritty of salvation.

Mr. Robinson wrote about the Lord’s help in the second verse and it is surprising that he didn’t live by those words. The word he used was “Ebenezer,” which is a Hebrew word that means “stone of help.” God helped Israel against the Philistines and they overcame! Are you overcoming the Philistines of your life, believer? Is God your stone of help, your Ebenezer?

1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

David knew who his Ebenezer was. He lived that life and he finished his race, much like Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:7! We don’t want to end our hymn of life like Mr. Robinson’s. We want to be able to end our life singing with joy that we finished our course!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

Friend, if you’re a believer and you’re at a point in life where you feel disillusioned with the Christian walk, start over – go back to square one and settle your salvation once and for all. Then move on … finish your course for Christ. Don’t be like Mr. Robinson and end your course with great regret.

Hymns 2.0 – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

By Kate Plourde

On October 20, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro’ death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion–
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Helen Lemmel

The History Behind the Hymn

Few know, however, this call to fix your eyes on Christ was given by a blind woman!

Born in 1864, Helen Lemmel moved to the United States around the age of twelve. From a young age, her musical ability was noticed by all those around her.

In 1907, She moved to Germany for 4 years to undergo intensive music training. It was here that she would meet her husband. Together, they returned to the United States in 1911. While in America, she served faithfully in the Lord’s work. She dedicated herself to writing, arranging, and teaching songs and hymns of the faith

A few years after her marriage, a tragic illness caused her to lose her vision. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her. This time of hurt and loss weighed heavily upon Helen.

Then, in 1918, Lemmel was introduced to a pamphlet written by Algerian missionary Lilias Trotter. Trotter was a well-known artist who had given up a rising and lucrative career to serve the Lord on the mission field. Her words stirred the heart of Lemmel. She writes, “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and, singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody…These verses were written…the same week…”

The words that so captivated Helen were these: “How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look…look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait” by which God’s saints are made…will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Helen kept her eyes on the Lord Jesus and continued to serve Him faithfully. She would lead a women’s choral group for many of the Billy Sunday outreaches, teach music at the Moody Bible Institute, and pen over 400 hymns! Her life is a stirring challenge to us all. Hence, it may be said that although blind, her spiritual sight has challenged those of us who can see to keep our eyes fixed on Christ.
https://enjoyingthejourney.org/hymn-history-turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus/

A Lesson for Me

Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Consider your walk on this earth as a journey in total darkness. Your steps are uncertain and you must feel your way in order not to stumble. Along your journey, you find a flashlight and turn it on! All of a sudden, things are made clearer! The uncertainties of what lies ahead is not so unsettling, is it?

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Message for today

Jesus said He is the light of the world in John 8:12. Today’s hymn depicts this beautifully! It reveals to us that the Saviour, Jesus Christ, is a light in the darkness. But what darkness?

The human heart is filled with wickedness.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

One only has to create a check list of the Ten Commandments and put a checkmark next to each commandment one has broken to discover that Jeremiah had it right.

Jesus says that He is the light of the world. The light of His Gospel reveals to us that He is the Son of God – He is God; He came for one purpose and that was to save us from our sins. He wants to shine truth and salvation into our hearts so we can plainly see our sins and admit we need a Saviour. (John 3:16, John 1:1)

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Every person must realize that there is no way to receive God’s peace through one’s own merit. The light of the Gospel now begins to shine in man’s heart and he looks to God’s Word for redemption. Jesus took our sins and nailed them to the cross because God knew that man could not earn or work his way to Heaven.

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Once one recognizes and confesses his own sin and accepts Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, he is born again. A new life is given and that soul is no longer walking in darkness but in the light of the Word of God.

God’s Word will never fail you. Now tell someone else about what God has done for you!

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Hymns 2.0 – Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling

By Kate Plourde

On October 18, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain:
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Will Thompson

The History Behind the Hymn

I didn’t find anything in this hymn’s history that related to “a story behind the hymn.” However, I did find this:

Will Lamartine Thompson (1847-1909) was born in Pennsylvania and died in New York City. He attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, before continuing his musical studies in Leipzig, Germany.

Hymnologist Ernest Emurian told a story associated with this hymn: “When the world-renowned lay preacher, Dwight Lyman Moody, lay on his deathbed in his Northfield, Massachusetts, home, Will Thompson made a special visit to inquire as to his condition. The attending physician refused to admit him to the sickroom, and Moody heard them talking just outside the bedroom door. Recognizing Thompson’s voice, he called for him to come to his bedside. Taking the Ohio poet-composer by the hand, the dying evangelist said, ‘Will, I would rather have written “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” than anything I have been able to do in my whole life.’”
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-softly-and-tenderly-jesus-is-calling

A Lesson for Me

1 Kings 19:11-12 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: (12) And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Although today’s hymn revolves around salvation, the phrase “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling” is what stood out to me. Jesus doesn’t come out in full force, screaming to get your attention. We see in 1 Kings that the LORD (Jehovah) was not in the noises and frightful views. No, God was in a “still small voice.”

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Message for today

Jesus doesn’t force anyone to be born again. No! In fact, I have heard a saying that I love: “He is a Gentleman, not forcing Himself on anyone”! Reader, how many times has your heart been stirred in a message in church or something you’ve read? That’s the still small voice! Did a long-lost friend come into your life and told you about the changes that came over him when he was born again? Did you feel a nudge? That’s the still small voice!

Times are getting difficult in this world. Two significant wars are currently underway and rumors of wars on the horizon. There is no comfort to be had in this world at this moment in time.

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Isa 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

There is a still small voice waiting to speak to you! You only need to crowd out life’s noises and sit still. Hear and listen before it’s eternally too late for you!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Hymns 2.0 – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

By Kate Plourde

On October 16, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1. O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

2. Thro’ death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion–
For more than conqu’rors we are!

3. His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Helen Howarth Lemmel

The History Behind the Hymn

Born in 1864, Helen Lemmel moved to the United States around the age of twelve. From a young age, her musical ability was noticed by all those around her.

In 1907, She moved to Germany for 4 years to undergo intensive music training. It was here that she would meet her husband. Together, they returned to the United States in 1911. While in America, she served faithfully in the Lord’s work. She dedicated herself to writing, arranging, and teaching songs and hymns of the faith

A few years after her marriage, a tragic illness caused her to lose her vision. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her. This time of hurt and loss weighed heavily upon Helen.

Then, in 1918, Lemmel was introduced to a pamphlet written by Algerian missionary Lilias Trotter. Trotter was a well-known artist who had given up a rising and lucrative career to serve the Lord on the misson field. Her words stirred the heart of Lemmel. She writes, “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and, singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody…These verses were written…the same week…”

The words that so captivated Helen were these: “How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look…look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait” by which God’s saints are made…will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Helen kept her eyes on the Lord Jesus and continued to serve Him faithfully.
enjoyingthejourney.com

A Lesson for Me

Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I’ve often quoted this Bible passage. In fact, these were the first verses I committed to memory after I was born again. My husband was furious at the change that came upon me (John 3:3, 6-7; 2 Cor. 5:17). I was no longer the woman he had married. I longed for the rest that the Lord Jesus promised in this passage. I longed for my burdens to be made light. This is the believer’s confidence, dear Reader.

Psa 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.

Without the Lord, there is no such confidence but that of the flesh. (Proverbs 14:30a) Only a heart that is fixed on the Lord can survive the struggles in life.

His Word shall not fail you–He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Message for today

Will life have no struggles after salvation? Of course not! The unbeliever has no one to turn to who will provide peace and comfort. However, the believer in Jesus Christ does! Can’t you see that? Our trials and tribulations are not taken away. Instead, we are promised that the Lord Jesus will walk beside us and provide the right amount of grace to persevere!

How do I know this? Jesus calls those who are born again His friends! Not only are we His friends, but we are now His Bride!

Joh 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

Jesus Christ did not leave us empty handed to live willy-nilly in the world. He left us His Word so that we could learn and find comfort. There is comfort to be had while we go through the trials of life. It is up to us to spend time in prayer and in the God’s word! Jesus is the spoken word of God Himself, dear Reader!

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

It is in the light of the Bible that you will find solace for your soul. It is between those blessed pages that you will find peace which passes all understanding! The born-again child of God is not left to his own devices but is given rest during difficult times.

Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If you are not truly born-again, you cannot possibly have this peace. There is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Blessed Assurance

By Kate Plourde

On October 13, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect communion, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love. [Refrain]
Fanny crosby

The History Behind the Hymn

Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), blind at the age of six weeks, was a lifelong Methodist who began composing hymns at age six. She became a student at the New York Institute of the Blind at age 15 and joined the faculty of the Institute at 22, teaching rhetoric and history. In 1885, Crosby married Alexander Van Alstyne, also a student at the Institute and later a member of the faculty. He was a fine musician and, like Fanny, a lover of literature.

An author of more than 8,000 gospel hymn texts, she drew her inspiration from her own faith. Crosby published hymns under several pen names including “Ella Dale,” “Mrs. Kate Gringley,” and “Miss Viola V. A.” Her hymn texts were staples for the music of the most prominent gospel song writers of her day.

Frances Jane Crosby’s hymns have historically been among the most popular songs sung by Methodists. “Blessed Assurance” (1873) is one of the ten most popular hymns sung by United Methodists according to Carlton Young, and it is one of eight Crosby hymns in The United Methodist Hymnal.
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-blessed-assurance

A Lesson for Me

If there was ever a Gospel message to be penned, it was penned in this hymn! I love the hymns of old because they are centered around the Gospel: the birth, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Fanny Crosby didn’t leave anything out in that very first verse! She speaks of our ability to have Jesus in our hearts – He is mine! His presence in our lives gives us a glimpse, if you will, into what lies in store for us when we reach glory! Oh Christian, can you just stop for a moment and think about what glory divine will be like? We will be in His presence forever more. No more sorrows, no more earthly problems; just a joyous presence and an endless time of worship and praise.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Message for today

The second part of that first verse gives us insight as to what happens when we place our faith and our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. Oh how my heart leaps with joy when I think back on the moment I was born again. I went from walking the path to damnation to walking toward the eternal street of gold mentioned in Revelation 21:21!

There is no other person or “god” under heaven that will give salvation and eternal life! NONE! Jesus Christ purchased us with His own blood in order to make us heirs of God through Him and Him alone. Just as Boaz paid the kinsmen redeemer’s price for Ruth, Christ paid for your sins as He shed His blood on the cross. A transfer from your account to His account, if you will.

Act 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Friend, if you are trusting in Allah or Buddha to save you, Jesus says He is the ONLY One who can save you. Allah died and so did the Buddha but neither can claim they rose from the dead and paid the penalty for your sins. Neither can give you the assurance of salvation! But Jesus can!

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

1Jn 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Do you have that blessed assurance in your heart today, Reader? If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Victory in Jesus

By Kate Plourde

On October 11, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.

Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow’r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,”
And somehow Jesus came and bro’t
To me the victory.

Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.

Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
Eugene M. Bartlett Sr.

The History Behind the Hymn

In 1939 at age 53, Eugene Bartlett’s world changed drastically. He suffered a paralyzing stroke that left him unable to walk or even speak and for the most part, he was bedridden. Many felt the stroke ended his teaching ministry, yet it was during these dark days that Eugene would write his best-known hymn, Victory In Jesus. While looking back over his life he began to think back to the night he was born again and the rich life he had since that night. He picked up a pen and began what would become his best-known song. He began with the following words, “I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, how he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me”. Realizing that the love of God had sustained him and brought him to where he was that day, he is quoted as saying he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to add another verse. He wrote, “I heard about his healing, of his saving power revealing, how he made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see”. When he completed the song, he looked back over it and seen it was a story of redeeming power from start to finish. He wanted the song to be joyous. And while written during the darkest period of his life he chose to make the melody full of happiness and enthusiasm.
https://backstorysongs.com/2019/10/31/victory-in-jesus/

A Lesson for Me

1 Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Victory is usually viewed in light of wars or overcoming a challenge or race. But in the Christian’s life, victory is provided by Jesus Christ, the Lord. He not only conquered sin and death, but He gives us the victory through faith in Him.

I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.

Message for today

The benefit of Christ’s victory is given to each person who is born-again. At that point, our corruptible spirit and body has been given an incorruptible spirit and body. That is the whole meaning of born again. (John 3:3, 7; 2 Cor. 5:17)

1Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

1Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When a Christian is born again, he than changes direction from heading down the road to destruction and Hell. The new direction becomes moving toward living forever with the Lord. Death is no longer scary but is simply moving from one location to another. It’s like leaving the living room and walking into the kitchen. It no longer has a “sting of fear” for the believer but is a welcomed event because once our eyes close in death, they open in Heaven! Praise be to God!!

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.

Don’t you want to wake up to behold the streets of gold and a crystal sea? Don’t you want to be rid of the fear of where you will spend eternity? It will be Heaven or Hell. There is no other choice, Reader. You can either be singing the song of victory with the other saints in glory or you can be weeping and gnashing your teeth in everlasting pain and suffering. It’s a choice … your choice, so you can’t blame anyone but yourself; nor can you blame God. He will have the final word.

Hymns 2.0 – To God Be the Glory

By Kate Plourde

On October 9, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1 To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

2 Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,
but purer and higher and greater will be
our joy and our wonder, when Jesus we see. [Refrain]
Fanny Crosby

The History Behind the Hymn

Frances Jane Crosby’s hymns have historically been among the most popular songs sung most churches. Crosby (1820-1915), who became blind as an infant, was a lifelong Methodist.

She began composing hymns at age 6, became a student at the New York Institute of the Blind at 15 and joined the faculty of the Institute at 22, teaching rhetoric and history. Her hymn texts were staples for the music of the most prominent gospel songwriters of her day.

She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million copies printed. She is also known for her teaching and her rescue mission work. By the end of the 19th century, she was a household name.

Crosby was known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers”and as the “Mother of modern congregational singing in America”, with most American hymnals containing her work. Her gospel songs were “paradigmatic of all revival music”, and Ira Sankey attributed the success of the Moody and Sankey evangelical campaigns largely to Crosby’s hymns. Some of Crosby’s best-known songs include “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour”, “Blessed Assurance”, “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home”, “Praise Him, Praise Him”, “Rescue the Perishing”, and “To God Be the Glory”. Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.
Wikipedia

A Lesson for Me

Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

Psa 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

To God be the glory: it’s a statement which comes from many lips but is it a statement that comes from the heart? If there was any one person who was a living example of a true glorifier of God, it was David of the Old Testament. As a shepherd boy, he grew intimate with the Lord God while he was in the fields tending to his father’s flocks. We can see his spiritual growth throughout the Book of Psalms.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

Message for today

The Lord is in the midst of turmoil and heart ache for the believer. I’ve said it often that I don’t know how the unsaved make it through life’s hardships! God is always ready to help when one cries out to Him. It is during these times that we come to a realization of just who He is. He is not some statue or good luck charm. He is the Creator of the universe and deserves our praise!

When our eyes focus on God, we no longer dwell on our own problems in life but on praising Him, loving Him, and glorifying His name! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Psa 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

I strive to read the Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs every month along with my daily reading. One can find balm for the aching heart, joy in the midst of trials, and instructions on everyday life right there in those two books.

The Bible is a Book of instruction and direction, filled with wonders! But most of all, we find Jesus within its blessed pages. We find salvation and the wondrous works of God! We start out in life with a spirit that will dwell in one of two places for all eternity: Heaven or Hell. During our lifetime, it is our job to decide where we want to spend it. The Bible gives us all the information we need in order to get saved, to learn about God, and to live our daily lives! Everything we need is right there!

Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,
but purer and higher and greater will be
our joy and our wonder, when Jesus we see.

Hymns 2.0 – Wonderful Grace of Jesus

By Kate Plourde

On October 6, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me,
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name!
Haldor Lillenas

The History Behind the Hymn

The writer of the hymn Wonderful Grace of Jesus, Haldor Lillenas, was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States when he was a small child.

Converted to Christianity at the age of 21, he entered Bible college and later became an elder and a pastor in the Nazarene church. He obtained his musical training through personal and correspondence study. He and his wife, Bertha, worked as evangelists for a time, traveling the country.

Later, he settled down in Illinois and bought himself a used organ for the extravagant sum of $5. They didn’t have much money at the time. He composed Wonderful Grace of Jesus on that organ and made – you guessed it – $5 on the sale of the hymn.

In 1924, he founded Lillenas Publishing Company which later became Nazarene Publishing Company. He worked there for 20 years as an editor. Like many other hymn composers, he was prolific. Together, he and his wife wrote over 4000 hymns.

In 1982, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

While the tune may lend itself to being played uptempo, in a bubbly sort of fashion, Lillenas himself cautioned about the hymn begin played too fast. He wanted it to be slower so that everyone could focus on the the wonderful grace of Jesus.
https://hymnswelove.blogspot.com/2012/03/story-behind-wonderful-grace-of-jesus.html

A Lesson for Me

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

This hymn is one of my all-time favorites! It speaks of God’s grace upon His creation. God knew of full-well of our frailties. He knew from the beginning that we could not live sinless lives. He gave us the opportunity to choose whether or not to sin. But in spite of our choices, while we were yet sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and to pay the penalty for those sins!

Grace! It is not earned. It is freely given by Christ. Its definition is “unmerited favor.” Oh my goodness, how I need unmerited favor, dear Reader. We all do!

Insert verse from hymn for teaching

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Message for today

I was that most defiled! A sinner in need of a forgiving God! Oh the peace that came once I gave my life to Him. I can’t explain it but I am so very thankful for that peace. I knew that I had an encounter with God Himself because of that blessed and sweet peace! No one – nothing can provide it.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is not the peace of the world as some think. Only God’s peace can enter the very heart of man. How do I know this? I know this because Jeremiah the prophet said Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” No perfect peace can come into a wicked heart, Reader.

Only God can give perfect peace. Jesus brings that peace to every heart that turns to Him.

Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.