Day: November 14, 2017

Alas & Did My Saviour Bleed
(At the Cross)

Backgrounder: Isaac Watts
(d1748) was an English Christian
minister, hymn writer & theologian.
He was a prolific and popular
hymn writer and was credited
with some 750 hymns. This hymn
in particular has touched the hearts
of millions through the centuries.
After drawing the start contrasts
between the sacrificial death
of the mighty Maker and the
unworthiness of the sinful creature,
he concludes with consecration:
Here Lord, I give myself away,
’tis all that I can do.

Lord, thanks for yr redemptive love:
He was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins. He was
beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could
be healed. All of us, like sheep,
have strayed away. We have left
God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the
sins of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Dear Father God, you brought
your son Jesus to earth to bring
wholeness to a broken world;
not only spiritually, but also
mentally, emotionally & physically.
Lord Jesus, Thanks for taking
every of our transgressions –
when You went to the cross.
Your death gave us eternal life.
Your death brought wholeness
to our body, mind, soul and spirit.
Yr death released peace to our soul
Your sacrificial death brought us
a complete deliverance once You
paid the penalty of sin for us and
overcoming death victoriously.

Lord, we receive yr total healing:
We receive spiritual healing
and have the connection with
you through the Holy Spirit.
We receive healing to our soul
so that we do not need to be
emotionally tortured anymore.
We receive healing to our minds
& choose to reflect on that which
is pure, noble & praiseworthy.
We honor you by daily renewing
our minds on your living word.
We receive deliverance from
demons for at the name of Jesus
they must all flee and Jesus’
blood cleanses us completely.
We receive healing to our
physical body because when
Jesus was crucified He took
all of the illnesses, sickness
and disease upon Himself.

Lord Jesus, We remember You
through communion and thanking
you for all the deliverance.
We honor you with obedience
which is the least we can do
for Your deep sacrificial love.
Guide us each day by your
Holy Spirit and the word so that
we will make the right choices
and live in complete freedom.
Let us not to forget the cost of
your love. And stir in us abiding
memory of yr redemptive grace.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Hymn:
Alas, and did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where
I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart
rolled away,
It was there by faith I received
my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Was it for sins that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man, His creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears.
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.

Here I Am Lord

Backgrounder: When The United
Methodist Hymnal was published
in 1989, one of the most popular
hymns was Here I Am, Lord (1981)
by Daniel Schutte (b. 1947). Many
Protestants are unaware that this
hymn represents Roman Catholic
renewal music resulting from the
2nd Vatican Council (1962-1965).
Schutte is a native of Wisconsin.
He received his master of divinity
degree in 1979 at the Jesuit
School of Theology, Berkeley.
Following graduation, Mr. Schutte
served as the director of liturgy
at Marquette Univ (1982-1986)
and then entered parish ministry
in two Milwaukee parishes.

An unusual attribute of this hymn
is the change in point of view
that the singer makes between
the stanzas and the refrain.
The stanzas speak from the
perspective of God in the first
person singular, while the refrain,
though remaining in first person,
is from the perspective of
the singers of the hymn
offering their lives to God.

Lord, we offer our lives to You:
In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne..
So I said: Woe is me… Because
I am a man of unclean lips…
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of Hosts. Then one of
the seraphim flew to me, having
in his hand a live coal from the
altar. And he touched my mouth
with it and said: Your iniquity is
taken away. And your sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying: Whom shall I send. And
who will go for US. Then I said:
Here am I, send me (Isa 6:1-8).

Lord, whenever I sense Your holy
presence, I am greatly aware of
my own unworthiness. And that
makes me even more grateful for
how much You sacrificed for us,
so that I can come to Your throne
with confidence and find Your
mercy and grace in time of need.
Touch me and purify me, and
help me to separate myself from
all that is unholy, unpleasing to U.
And help us to have a tender
heart to respond positively to
your perfect plans for our lives,
so that we do the good works
that you have prepared for us &
live a life of destiny for your glory.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

I, the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night
I will make the darkness bright
Who will bear my light to them
Whom shall I send?

Refrain:
Here I am Lord; Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go Lord; If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.

I the Lord of snow and rain
I have borne my people’s pain
I have wept for love of them
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone
Fill their hearts with love alone
I will speak my word to them
Whom shall I send?

Jesus Paid It All

Backgrounder: What do you do
when pastor rambles on too long?
Elvina Hall wrote a hymn (1865).
Seated in the choir loft at the
Monument Street Meth Church of
Baltimore, she wrote the stanzas
on the flyleaf of the hymnal.
The composer of the well-known
tune was John Crape,the organist
and choir director of the church.
He had called the tune “All to
Christ I Owe”. His wife like it but
no one seemed to. It was the
pastor George Schrick who put
the words and tune together,
and she added the chorus
to fit with his tune title.

Lord, U Paid It All & we Adore You:
Come now, and let us reason
together, says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
u shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by
the sword; For the mouth of the
Lord has spoken (Isaiah 1:18-20).

Lord, we’re grateful for your Grace.
Nothing stains quite as sin, for
it not only leaves a stain in our
heart but a residue in our minds.
But Your grace is shown in that
you don’t just forgive our sins,
You banish them; the stain is
removed & the guilt taken away.
We are clean by your grace.
O what joy your grace give us
merciful God! We can never really
thank you and praise you enough.

Lord, Thank you that you do not
see my sins, rather you see me
righteous because of the work of
your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Help me bring the prayers out of
your word, reason with You and
really appreciate yr love & mercy.
Thank U for yr loving kindness &
I want to eat the good of the land.
Help us follow the Holy Spirit
so that we’ll remain obedient.
And help us have deep gratitude
to You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

I hear the Savior say:
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch & pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.

To God Be the Glory

Backgrounder: It was hard to
discourage Fanny Crosby; for
though blind, her heart can
see splendidly in the sunshine
of God’s love. Written in 1872,
this hymn was taken to England
by Ira Sankey, who led singing for
Moody’s evangelistic campaigns.
The hymn became immediately
popular in England, but was
published in only a few American
hymnals until Billy Graham
rediscovered the hymn during
his I952 British crusade. It then
became as popular in America
as it had been in England,
and then around the world.

Lord, to You be praise and glory:
I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever
and ever. Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name
forever and ever. Great is the
Lord, and greatly to be praised;
No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation praise your
works to another, and declare
Your mighty acts (Psa 145:1-4).

Mighty God and loving Father,
today I want to tell you how
marvelous & wonderful you are.
You are faithful, holy & merciful.
You are tender, loving, and
yet magnificent in glory and
incomparable in strength.
You have redeemed me from
my sin & given me hope beyond
my own death. You have filled
my life full of good people & have
promised me a home with you.
Father God, are without peer:
You are awesome and majestic.

And Lord, thank U for revealing
thro v2 that the way we praise
God forever, the way we honor
our pledge to give him glory
for all the days of our life,
is simply to start doing it today.
As long as we praise God today,
the forever takes care of itself.
So, we lift Your name on high.
not only in the things we say,
but also in the way that we live.
To God be the Glory!
Great things He hath done!!
In Jesus’ name we praise You,
today and forever. Amen.

To God be the glory –
great things He hath 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.

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 hath done!

O perfect redemption,
the purchase of blood!
To ev’ry believer
the promise of God;
The vilest offender
who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus
a pardon receives

Thy Word

Backgrounder: Amy Grant and
Michael Smith wrote this hymnal
song in 1984. Michael came up
with the melody & some words for
the chorus straight from David’s
Psalms about being a light into
my path. But as Michael had
no idea what the verses were
supposed to say, he gave it to
Amy & told her to finish the tune.
So that night she starts walking
back to her cabin,” Michael said.
Caribou Ranch is 8,000 acre and
it’s very dark, And she got lost.
There’s bears & that sort of thing.
“She finally saw a lamp & started
walking towards that light, didn’t
realize that that was her cabin,”
he continued. “And she walked
into that little cabin and sat down
with a notebook and pen and
wrote the verses to ‘Thy Word.'”

Lord, we’ll feed & Follow Yr Word:
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path. I have taken
an oath and confirmed it, that
I will follow your righteous laws…
Preserve my life, according to
your word..Though I constantly
take my life in my hands, I will not
forget your law..Your statutes are
my heritage forever; they are the
joy of my heart. My heart is
set on keeping your decrees to
the very end (Psa 119:105-112).

Dear Lord, Your Word is perfect &
it makes us Wise. Thank you for
giving us the Truth thro Yr Word.
Thanks for giving us the blueprint
on what to follow and what
to believe in this fallen world.
Help us to delight in your Word,
to obey it and to commit to
walk in the light it provides.
Help us to continue reading,
absorbing & following Your Word
daily so that we be transformed
to be more like Christ.

Lord, we praise you that Your
Word lights the path at our feet
so that we don’t have to wander
in the wilderness. Thank you that
Yr Word acts as spiritual compass
to guide and direct our paths.
Help us to remember that we
can always count on Your Word
to guide, lead and keep us on
the right track. All Thanks to You
Lord for your wonderful Word.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path

When I feel afraid, think I’ve
lost my way
Still You’re there right beside me
Nothing will I fear as long as
you are near
Please be near me to the end.

Refrain:
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

I will not forget your love for me
And yet my heart forever
is wandering
Jesus be my guide, hold me
to Your side
And I will love You to the end.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Backgrounder: The author of the
original German text is Joachim
Neander (1650-1680), who studied
theology in Bremen. Neander’s
life was tragic – a life of great
potential cut short by tuberculosis.
However, he wrote 60 hymns.
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
is based on Psa 103 & 150. It was
also inspired by the beauty of
the hills and rivers that Neander
experienced on his walks
through the German countryside.
We owe a debt of gratitude
to Catherine Winkworth, who
translated this and other German
hymns during the 19th century.

Lord, we praise yr lovingkindness:
Let all that I am praise the Lord,
with my whole heart,
I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good
things he does for me.
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from
destruction, Who crowns you
with lovingkindness and
Who satisfies your mouth
with good things (Psa 103:1-5).

Lord, we praise You for Your
lovingkindness, and thankful
for providing all that we need.
In times of difficulty, we will
Ponder anew What the Almighty
can do. We will ponder “What need
or grief ever had failed of relief”
For indeed our mighty God is not
limited ever & He has sustained
us with wings of an eagle.
And he is our friend and
defender. Praise indeed to
the Lord – The ALMIGHTY!!
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Praise to the Lord,
The Almighty, the king of creation!
O my soul, praise Him,
For He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord,
Who o’er all things so
wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy work
and defend thee;
Surely His goodness And
mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

I Need Thee Every Hour

Backgrounder: Annie Hawks,
a homemaker from Brooklyn,
was busy with her household
chores when the words came
to her. She later wrote: I was so
filled with a sense of nearness
to my Master that, wondering
how one could live without Him
in either joy or pain, these words,
‘I need Thee ever hour’ were
flashed into my mind. Seating
by the open window in Apr 1872
& possibly inspired by Psa 86,
the words were penned to paper.

Lord, hear me for I need yr help:
Bend down, O Lord, and hear
my prayer: answer me, for I need
your help. Protect me, for I am
devoted to you. Save me, for
I serve you and trust you. You
are my God. Be merciful to me,
O Lord, for I am calling on you
constantly. Give me happiness,
O Lord, for I give myself to you.
(Psalm 86:1-4).

Lord, we humbly come before
Thee thanking you for your peace
for our soul will be in helpless
condition without your grace.
We need your strength to
overcome temptations and
the challenges that we face.
Indeed save and deliver us for
we serve you and trust in You.
And we need your blessings so
that being blessed we in turn can
be source of blessings to others.
Lord, we need Thee in every way,
in joy or in pain, so help and bless
us even as we come to Thee!!
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Ev’ry Hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly, and abide,
Or life is vain.

Precious Lord Take My Hand

Backgrounder: Precious Lord
was written by black American Thomas Dorsey. Much great poetry is inspired by personal tragedy & this modern hymn, which started the Gospel genré, is his greatest composition out of about 400 songs. Thomas Dorsey had religion and music in his blood; he was born in 1899, the son of a minister and
a piano teacher. Unsurprisingly,
he became a professional musician, and in 1925 married his first wife Nettie. The following year he turned to religion in a big way, and took up the post of Musical Director at the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago.

In August 1932, his wife died during childbirth and his newborn son died the following day. Dorsey’s faith took a severe blow: “I felt God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve him or write gospel songs. I just want to go back to the jazz world, he said. In the midst of despair, a friend visited him and
left him alone with a piano. Then
he experienced peace & revival.
I found myself playing a melody, and words just fall into place.”
The song was an immediate
hit and by 2003 it had been translated into 32 languages. Although Dorsey is generally credited with writing the music,
he adapted the melody from
the 1844 hymn Maitland
composed by George Allen.

Precious Lord, Take My Hand:
My heart was grieved and I was
vexed in mind. Nevertheless I am
continually with You; You hold me
by my right hand. You will guide
me with Yr counsel & afterward
receive me to glory..There is none
upon earth that I desire besides u
God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever… It is
good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord
God, that I may declare all
Your works (Psa 73:21-28).

Lord, I want to know, see and
experience you in fresh ways.
You are the strength of my heart.
And I am thankful that U are mine
forever when I accepted you as
Lord and Saviour. Nothing can
separate me from your love:
not good things, not bad things,
nor any circumstances. Open my
eyes and grant me vision to see
your beauty and your love for me. And be with me & hold my hand.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, thro the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord
Lead me home

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:
Take my hand, precious Lord
Lead me home.

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

Abide With Me

Backgrounder: Henry Lyte wore
out when he was 54 years old,
an obscure pastor who laboured
for 23 years in a poor church
in a fishing village in Devonshire
England. This hymn was written
shortly before his death in 1847,
was inspired by the words of
the two disciples met by Jesus
on the road to Emmaus: Stay the night with us, since it’s getting late (Luke 24:49). It was eventide
for Lyte & he felt very much alone.
But he was not alone; for the Lord
is “the help of the helpless”,
our guide and security. And He
will never leave us nor forsake us.

Lord, abide with me:
The one thing I ask of the Lord,
the thing I seek most – is to live
in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire
in His Temple. For in time of
trouble, He shall hide me in the
secret place of His Tabernacle,
He shall set me high upon
a rock (Psa 27:4-5).

Thank You ALMIGHTY GOD for giving us the hymn: Abide With
Me for it soothes and heals the
soul. It reassures hope beyond
yet unaccomplished desires.
Such a powerful song and cry
of helplessness that the Lord cannot turn His back but attend to. For Surely Help comes to the
helpless who Looks to the Lord,
who is both Loving and Almighty!

Lord, at times when I feel weary
as burdens lay heavily as not having the solution yet & fear the
future, this hymn speaks to me.
It gives hope & encouragement,
and reconnects me to the
Source of hope and peace.
And heaviness of heart gives way to relief & hope as I listen to the song and join in singing the lyrics.
I can only say that our God is real, caring, faithful & He has touched me with His love. For in life and
in death, the Lord Abide With Me!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Abide with me; fast falls
the eventide;
The darkness deepens;
Lord with me abide !
When other helpers fail
and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless,
O abide with me.

I need Thy presence every
passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil
the tempter’ power?
Who like Thyself, my guide
and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine,
Lord abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before
my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and
point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and
earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord,
abide with me.