Day: November 16, 2017

Lamb of God

Backgrounder: Twila Paris (b1958)
has been one of the leading
contemporary Christian artists
for three decades, with 32 of her
singles reaching No 1 on Christian
radio charts. Several of Twila Paris’
songs have been included in
hymnals, including “He Is Exalted”
and “Lamb of God” (1985). Paris
comes from a family of ministers
and musicians. Her great grand-
parents were revival preachers
in Arkansas & Oklahoma, and her
grandmother composed sacred
songs. She was encouraged
to sing in church from a young
age by her father, who was also
a minister & songwriter. Following
graduation from high school and a
year of study in Bible school, Paris
focused on singing & Christian
composition. While composed in
the late 20th century, this hymnal
song’s biblical roots run deep in
Christian tradition & experience.

Lord, we adore U the Lamb of God:
The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said:
Behold the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!
This is He of whom I said:
After me comes a Man
who is preferred before me,
for He was before me…
And John bore witness, saying:
I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove,
and He remained upon Him…
He who sent me to baptise
with water said to me:
Upon whom you see the Spirit
descending and remaining
on Him, this is He who baptises
with the Holy Spirit. And I have
seen and testified that this is
the Son of God (John 1:29-34).

Dear Father God, Your only Son,
no sin to hide; but yet U sent Him
to become the sacrificial Lamb
of God so that his precious blood
can become the substitutionary
atonement for our sins. Your gift of
Love, they crucified. They laughed
and scorned him as he died.
O Lamb of God, Sweet lamb of
God. I love the Holy Lamb of God
I was so lost I should have died.
Lord Jesus, we Praise You for
all that you have accomplished.
For Your sacrificial death, for
Your triumphant resurrection
and for Your certain return.
Worthy is the Lamb to receive
all the power and the glory
forever and ever, Amen!!

Your only Son, No sin to hide
But U have sent Him from Yr side
To walk upon this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God

Your gift of Love, they crucified
They laughed and scorned him
as he died
The humble King
They named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God

Refrain:
O Lamb of God, Sweet lamb of God
I love the Holy Lamb of God
Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God

I was so lost I should have died
But U have brought me to Yr side
To be led by Your staff and rod
And to be call a lamb of God.

Jesus Loves Me

Backgrounder: Anna Warner and
her sister Susan grew up near
West Point Military Academy
where they became known for
leading Sunday school services.
After the death of their father,
the sisters supported themselves
with their literary endeavours.
Susan became known for as a
best-selling novelist. Anna also
wrote novels and published two
collections of poems. She wrote
this simple hymn in 1860 to be
included in one of her sister’s
novels. In the story, it was a poem
of comfort spoken to a dying child.
Today millions around the world
sing these words: Yes Jesus loves
me. This profound yet simple truth
is certainly worth singing about.

Lord, we love U for U first Love us:
God loved the world so much that
He gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes
in Him will not perish but have
eternal life. God sent his Son into
the world not to judge the world,
but to save the world through him
(John 3:16-17).

Father God, thank you for loving
me beyond what I could imagine.
It amazes me that you love me so
much that you sent your only Son
to pay the ultimate price so that
I could know you and experience
eternal life. Let your love flow thro
me so that even more people may
experience your boundless love.

Lord Jesus, it is hard to understand
love so great as Yours. For You
laid down Your life for me so
that I can live forever with You.
My response to Your first loving
me is to love You wholeheartedly
in return. Help me to lay down
my life fully for You in serving
Yr purpose here on earth. Amen.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.

Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead us

Backgrounder: We don’t know
who wrote the words to “Savior,
Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” It first
appeared in a children’s hymnal
compiled by Dorothy Thrupp in
1836. But it is clear the wording
was inspired by the 10th chapter
of Gospel of John where Jesus
says: I am the good shepherd.
And we know the music was by
William Bradbury, a gifted music
student in Boston. After finishing
school, Bradbury moved to
New York City, where he worked
as a church musician specializing
in children’s music. He intended
Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us
to be a children’s hymn, but it
turned out adults enjoyed it too.

Lord, you lead us & we follow U:
He who enters by the door is
The shepherd of the sheep…
The sheep hear his voice,
and he calls his own sheep
by name and leads them out
I am the good shepherd, I know
my own sheep and they know me
So I sacrifice my life for the sheep
(John 10:2-3, 14-15).

Lord, thank you for making me
one of your sheep. What a
privilege it is to belong to you!
Thank you for going ahead
and preparing the way for me.
You call me by name, speak to
my heart and lead me. With all
the voices in the world, quiet
my mind and heart so that
I will recognise your voice and
follow only you my Saviour. Amen

Saviour like a shepherd lead us
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy fold prepare;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou has bought us Thine we are

We are Thine do Thou befriend us
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock from sin defend us
Seek us when we go astray;
Blessed Jesus, Blesses Jesus!
Hear, O hear us, when we pray.

Early let us seek Thy favour,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Saviour
With Thy love our bosoms fill;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou has loved us, love us still.

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Backgrounder: Louisa Stead and
her husband were relaxing with
their four-year old daughter on
a Long Island beach when they
heard a desperate child’s cry.
A boy was drowning and Louisa’s
husband tried to rescue him.
In the process however the boy
pulled Mr Stead under the water
and both drowned. Louisa was
left with no means of support
and experienced dire poverty.
One morning when she had
neither funds nor food for the day
she opened the front door and
found that someone had left
food and money in her doorstep.
That day she wrote this hymn,
inspired partly by John 14.

Lord, we will trust in You:
Jesus said: Don’t let your hearts
be troubled. Trust in God, and
trust also also in me. There is
more than enough room in my
Father’s home… When everything
is ready, I will come and get you,
so that you will always be with
me where I am (John 14:1-3).

Lord, in life challenges, we will
not let our hearts be troubled
but choose to keep trusting U
to deliver on your promises.
We trust in U with all our heart;
and lean not on our thot; for we
purpose to live by faith, not sight.
For my God knows the plans He
has for me, plans to prosper me
and not to harm me, to give me
a future and a hope (Jer 29:11).
We may have afflictions but the
Lord Will Deliver us; and in all
situations, we are more than
conqueror thro him who loved us.
Meanwhile we choose to keep
faith, trusting U will protect and
provide for in due time we’ll reap.
And thank you for the hymnal
comfort and reminder. Jesus,
Jesus, how I trust Him! How
I’ve proved him o’er & o’er! O for
grace to trust Him more. Amen.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know: Thus saith the Lord

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er & o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, previous Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease,
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest ang joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him,
Previous Jesus, Saviour, Friend,
And I know that He is with me,
Will be with me to the end.

In the Sweet By and By

Backgrounder: Fillmore Bennett
(1836-98) in his autobiography
described the composition of the
hymn: Joseph Webster, like many
musicians, was of sensitive nature
& subject to periods of depression.
And I found I could rouse him up by
giving him a new song to work on.
He came to my place in Wisconsin
walked down to the stove & turned
his back on me without speaking.
I was at my desk. Turning to him,
I said, “Webster, what’s the matter
now?” “It’s no matter,” he replied,
“it will be all right by and by.” The
idea of the hymn came me like a
flash and I replied, “The Sweet By
and By! Why would not that make
a good hymn?” Turning to my desk
I penned the words of the hymn as
fast as I could write. I handed the
words to Webster. Taking his violin,
he played the melody and jotted
down the notes. It was not 30
mins from the time I took my pen
before we were singing the hymn.

Lord,we thank U for secured future:
Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also
in Me. In My Father’s house are
many mansions…I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and
prepare for you, I will come
again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you
may be also (John 14:1-3).

Lord Jesus, U have taken the fear
of death away from us. The end
of our life here you have made
the beginning of the true life to
be with You enjoying life forever.
You free us from sin and from the
curse laid upon us, you took both
sin and the curse upon yourself.
When you rose from the dead, U
cleared the way for our resurrectn.
When out of weakness of human
nature I have fallen and sinned,
forgive me; for you have power
to forgive sins. When I am divested
of my body, may I stand before U
with my soul unspotted, cleansed
by your precious blood, receive it
faultless with your gracious hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There’s a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Refrain:
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed
And our spirits shall sorrow
no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing
of rest.

To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow
our days.

At Calvary

Backgrounder: William Newell
(1868-1956) was best known
as a Bible teacher, pastor and
professor. While on his way to
teach a class at Moody Bible
Institute, the words of this hymn
began to form in his mind.
So he went into an unoccupied
classroom and there scribbled
the words on the back of an
envelope. A few minutes later
he gave the words to Daniel
Towner, the director of music
at the school. Within an hour
Towner had composed music
for them. The first three stanzas
tell the testimony of the Christian
and the final stanza praises God
for the greatness of divine love,
the depth of grace and
the breadth of mercy.

Lord, thank you for your grace:
Now it was the Preparation Day
of the Passover and about the 6th
hour. And Pilate said to the Jews:
Behold your King! But they cried
out: Crucify Him! Pilate said to
them: Shall I crucify your King?
The chief priests answered:
We have no king but Caesar!
Then he delivered Him to them
to be crucified… And He bearing
His cross, went to a place of a
Skull, which is called in Hebrew
Golgotha or in Latin Calvary; where
they crucified Him & two others…
Now Pilate wrote a title and put it
on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH,
THE KING OF THE JEWS…
and it was written in Hebrew,
Greek and Latin (John 19:14-20).

Father God, in your mercy, you
sent Jesus to die for our sins on
Calvary’s tree and that He rose
again on the third day so that
our sins are completely forgiven,
and we have been set free.
Lord Jesus, we praise & thank U
for Your sacrifice for our sins.
You paid our debt at Calvary to give
us eternal life with U my Saviour!

Lord, this hymn also encourages
us to hold on to faith regardless of
the struggles we may face in life.
The chorus of this hymn reminds
us that God’s grace and mercy
will see His children through
and His mercy is new everyday.
So, let’s stop trying to carry these
burdens and Give them to Jesus.
And we’ll not let our heart grow
cold with doubt for Jesus is
all we need. For “Mercy there
was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me
And There my burdened soul
found liberty at Calvary! Amen.

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.

Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary!

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s
plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it
down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God
did span
At Calvary!

I Found a Friend, O Such a Friend

Backgrounder: James Small was
a minister in the Scottish Free
Church who loved to write hymns
This hymn published in 1863
in the Revival Hymnbook, is full
of great theological truths. From
our standpoint we sing: I’ve found
a Friend but the truth is “He loved
me ere I knew Him” and “He
drew me with the cords of love”.
Obviously it is Jesus who initiated
this friendship. Such a Friend
is truly worth singing about.

Lord, we’ll obey Your command:
This is my commandment, that u
love one another as I’ve loved u.
There is no greater love than
to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. You are my friends
if you do what I command…
Now you are my friends, since
I have told you everything the
Father told me… I appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit remain, that
whatever you ask the Father in
My name He may give you. These
things I command you that you
love one another (Jn 15:12-17).

Lord Jesus, thanks for your
sacrificial love and for being
our friend. Help us to love one
another, as You have loved us,
even as we purpose to obey
your challenging commandment.
We note that your command
for us to love one another is for
the purpose that we bear fruit.
As people see the love between
Christians, they will be drawn to
the source of our love, our Savior.
Lord, you know our propensity
towards selfishness, so help us
to always remember love is not
optional for those who follow You.
And help us also to abide in Your
love for it is the key to loving
our brothers & sisters in Christ.
After all, apart from you,
we can do nothing. Amen.

I’ve found a Friend, O such
a Friend!
He loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords
of love
And thus He bound me to Him.
And round my heart still
closely twine
Those ties which naught
can sever
For I am His, and He is mine,
Forever and forever.

I’ve found a Friend; O such
a Friend!
He bled, He died to save me;
And not alone the gift of life,
But His own self He gave me.
Naught that I have my own I call,
I hold it for the Giver;
My heart, my strength, my life,
my all,
Are His, and His forever.

I’ve found a Friend; O such
a Friend!
So kind and true and tender;
So wise a Counsellor and Guide,
So mighty a Defender!
From Him who loves me
now so well,
What pow’r my soul shall sever?
Shall life or death, shall earth
or hell?
No; I am His forever.

I Come to the Garden Alone

Backgrounder: Austin Miles
writes his story on how the words
were written to “In the Garden.”
“One day in March 1912, I was
seated in the darkroom where I
kept my photographic equipment
I drew my Bible toward me; it
opened at my favorite chapter,
John 20… As I read it, I seemed
to be part of the scene. I became
a silent witness to that dramatic
moment in Mary’s life, when
she knelt before her Lord, and
cried, “Rabboni!” . . . Under the
inspiration of this vision I wrote
as quickly as the words could
be formed the poem exactly
as it has since appeared. That
same evening I wrote the music.”

Lord, we want to Be With You:
Mary saw two angels in white
sitting where the body of
Jesus was lain. Then they said:
Woman why are you weeping?
She said to them: Because
they have taken away my Lord..
Now when she turned around
and saw Jesus standing there…
Jesus said to her: Woman, why
are you weeping? Whom are you
seeking? She supposing him
to be the gardener said to him:
Tell me where you have laid Him.
Jesus said to her: Mary! She
turned and said to him: Rabonni!
Jesus said to her: Go to my
brethren and say to them:
I am ascending to my Father
and your Father (Jn 20:12-17).

Father, thanks for the wonderful
fact that Christ is indeed risen!
Help us to put every aspect
of our lives in that perspective.
Lord God, You brought us healing
through the wonders of Easter.
Continue to pour out Your mercy
and grace on Your people.
And lead us to perfect freedom
in Christ, by which the joy that
gladdens our way on earth
will be fulfilled in heaven.

Lord, thank You for being my
Good Shepherd! I am so thankful
You speak & lead me through life.
I’m sorry I haven’t listened to You
so many times when You have
tried to warn, help and guide me.
I have lost so much because
I didn’t listen when You spoke.
But rather than focus on past
losses, I purpose to do everything
within my ability to hear You now
and to obey what U tell me to do.

Lord, I boldly confess that U are
my Shepherd & I am Your sheep.
You promise that I will know
Your voice and that the voice
of a stranger I will not follow.
Therefore, I declare by faith
that I recognize the voice of
Jesus when He speaks to me.
I am not hesitant to follow,
but I am bold and quick to obey
what He speaks to my heart.
I declare all these by faith
in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on
the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling
on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:
And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we
tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound
of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush
their singing,
And the melody that He gave
to me
Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me
be falling,
But He bids me go; through
the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.