Longing for His appearing. And singing about it.

Here.

hymn of the day

By Anne Steele [1717-1778]

My God, my Father, blissful Name

O may I call Thee mine

May I with sweet assurance claim

A portion so divine

This only can my fears control

And bid my sorrows fly

What harm can ever reach my soul

Beneath my Father's eye

Whate'er Thy providence denies

I calmly would resign

For Thou art just and good and wise

O bend my will to Thine

Whate'er Thy sacred will ordains

O give me strength to bear

And let me know my Father reigns

And trust His tender care

If pain and sickness rend this frame

And life almost depart

Is not Thy mercy still the same

To cheer my drooping heart

If cares and sorrows me surround

Their pow'r why should I fear

My inward peace they cannot wound

If Thou, my God, art near

this is what i remember listening to when i was young. if you're not charasmatic by the end of watching, you've got issues.

hymn of the day

"It is Not Death to Die" [Henri Abraham César Malan]

It is not death to die

To leave this weary road

And midst the brotherhood on high

To be at home with God

It is not death to close

The eye long-dimmed by tears

And wake in glorious repose

To spend eternal years

THE SiNGiNG FRiDAYS

In Mr T's class, we start the weekend early. Fridays are not very academically oriented in my classroom. We usually take a quiz, grade it, catch up on or review the notes from that week, do a devotion, and/or see what the question box might hold for us.

Occasionally, our devotion time is a sing-along. We sing hymns though. It's fantastic. Even though close to half of the kids don't know some of them, I make them learn the hymns. This is education for crying out loud!

[this guy plays pipe organ in my class for me... I wish]

We will usually sing a hymn and then discuss which line or thought was our favorite and why. Yesterday, we sang 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.' After we spiritually mulled over it for 8-10 minutes or so, I asked them, "We only have a little bit of time left. Would you like to do the question box or sing another song?" Their reply: "Let's sing 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty' again!" Tons of fun.

So, because they were greatly edified, I hope you will be too:

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 over 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 shall daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him
Let the Amen sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

hymn of the day

"Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee" [Josiah Conder]

Tis not that I did choose Thee
For Lord that could not be
This heart would still refuse Thee
Hadst Thou not chosen me
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free
Of old Thou hast ordained me
That I should live to Thee

Twas sovereign mercy called me
And taught my opening mind
The world had else enthralled me
To heavenly glories blind
My heart owns none above Thee
For Thy rich grace I thirst
This knowing if I love Thee
Thou must have loved me first

hymn of the day

"Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" [Charles Wesley]

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel’s Strength and Consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear Desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

hymn of the day

"Thy Mercy, My God" [John Stocker]

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue
Thy free grace alone from the first to the last
Hath won my affections and bound my soul fast

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here
Sin would reduce me to utter despair
But through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive
And He that first made me still keeps me alive

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart
Dissolved by Thy goodness I fall to the ground
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found

Great Father of mercies Thy goodness I own
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine

This has been recently recorded with a more modern and really pretty melody. Go here for the sheet music. Or listen to a demo here.

happy monday

From William Rees [1802-1883]:

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

happy predestination day

Today and tomorrow in Systematic Theology class we are going to be discussing election. One of my main points is going to be that it was never really an issue of contention or debate. It was often a comfort through trial [Romans 8] or grounds for praise [Ephesians 1].

So, just as Eph 1.3-14 is hymnic in nature, I've tried to find some hymns that express humble gratitude for God's election of His people. Needless to say, this is a tough task. Aside from the classic "Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee" [you can listen to my wife and me sing a version we wrote here or read the lyrics here], I could only find a couple others. I think I like the following because I don't know who wrote it, I only found one verse of it, and I can mysteriously hear myraids of people belting out the "Hallelujah!" part. It is called "Sons We Are Through God's Election."

Pause, my soul, adore and wonder

Ask, "O, why such love for me?"

Grace hath put me in the number

Of the Savior's family

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Thanks, eternal thanks, to Thee!

go listen. new musics.

If you click here, you can listen to new tunes that I have posted online. You should probably get your hopes up because I'm not even singing on a couple of them.

Or, as usual, you can scroll down in the right hand column and click on this picture and it will take you there. Shalom.

HAPPY VALENTiNE'S FROM JOHN NEWTON

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer's ear

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away his fear

It makes the wounded spirit whole

And calms the troubled breast

Tis manna to the hungry soul
And to the weary rest

Dear Name! the rock on which I build
My shield and hiding-place
My never-failing treasury fill'd

With boundless stores of grace

Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend
My Prophet, Priest, and King
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End
Accept the praise I bring

Weak is the effort of my heart
And cold my warmest thought
But when I see Thee as Thou art
I'll praise Thee as I ought

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death

happy black friday from JOHN NEWTON

These lyrics are awesome. I had fun writing new music for them this morning. You can go here and listen to an older melody. I just went and sang it with that old melody by myself and Mac. Fun times. Also, go here for some of my favorite hymn lyrics of all time... also by Jonny Newton himself. Be blessed and enjoy.

Why should I fear the darkest hour
Or tremble at the tempter's power
Jesus vouchsafes to be my Tower

Though hot the fight, why quit the field
Why must I either flee or yield
Since Jesus is my mighty Shield

When creature comforts fade and die
Worldlings may weep, but why should I
Jesus still lives and still is nigh

Though sin would fill me with distress
The throne of grace I dare address
For Jesus is my Righteousness

Though faint my prayers and cold my love
My steadfast hope shall not remove
While Jesus intercedes above

Against me earth and hell combine
But on my side is power divine
Jesus is all and He is mine

heavy metal hymnody [reprise]

I went to a pastor's conference this past spring. It was tasty. One of my favorite parts was 5000 pastors singing to the tune of songs written by dead guys and a grand piano. They're finishing production on it right now. Soon, it better be spinning at your house on Sunday mornings. Here's the line-up:

• A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
  
• It Is Well with My Soul
  
• How Firm a Foundation
  
• Oh the Deep, Deep Love
  
• Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
  
• How Deep the Father’s Love For Us
  
• How Sweet and Aweful Is the Place
  
• My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
  
• I Will Glory in My Redeemer
  
• Arise, My Soul, Arise
  
• The Power of the Cross
  
• My Song Is Love Unknown
  
• And Can It Be That I Should Gain
  
• There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
  
• Before the Throne of God Above
  
• In Christ Alone
  

holy historical hymnody, batman

Tis preposterous to say that the church today is in the state it is in solely because of the sometimes shallow and dumb lyrics in the songs we sing. However, we are certainly helping to sustain our emaciated spirituality by them. So, here's a little John Newton to soothe the soul.

begone, unbelief
my Savior is near
and for my relief
will surely appear
by prayer let me wrestle
and He will perform
with Christ in the vessel
I smile at the storm

though dark be my way
since He is my guide
tis mine to obey
tis His to provide
though cisterns be broken
and creatures all fail
the word He has spoken
shall surely prevail

His love in times past
forbids me to think
He'll leave me at last
in trouble to sink
each sweet Ebenezer
I have in review
confirms His good pleasure
to help me quite through

why should I complain
of want or distress
temptation or pain?
He told me no less
the heirs of salvation
i know from His word
through much tribulation
must follow their Lord

since all that I meet
shall work for my good
the bitter is sweet
the med'cine is food
though painful at present
twill cease before long
and then, o how pleasant
the conqueror's song!