Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Despite his lack of formal education, Thomas Obadiah Chisholm became a teacher at the age of sixteen. By the age of twenty-one, he was associate editor for his hometown newspaper Franklin Advocate. He became a Christian in 1893, due to the ministry of Henry Clay Morrison, who founded Asbury College and Seminary in Kentucky. While ordained into the ministry, he […]
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He Hideth My Soul was written by Fanny Crosby, a popular hymn writer. He Hideth My Soul may have been Crosby’s prayer throughout her life. While a renowned songwriter, her life was not easy. As an infant, Fanny Crosby lost her eyesight due to fever and poor ministrations in her care. She lived the rest of her life blind, but […]
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The ramifications of David’s sin with Bathsheba had long reaching power. David had a daughter named Tamar. Her half-brother, Amnon, was so in love with her that he could not stop thinking about her. So, he devised a plan and pretended to be sick. Amnon asked David, his father, to send Tamar in to care for him. When she went […]
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Dr. Jeremiah Rankin was the Pastor of First Congregational Church in Washington, D. C. He was looking for a farewell hymn to close the worship service. Nothing really worked and the closest possibility was Bless Be the Tie that Binds. But, Dr. Rankin wanted something less formal and more engaging. Unable to find the hymn he wanted, he decided to […]
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Be Still, My Soul was a favorite of Eric Liddell, of Chariots of Fire fame. As he lay dying, this was the last song he requested. Katharina von Schlegel wrote the original lyrics in German. She was born in 1697. Little is known about her other than she was connected with a small court at Köthen, north of Halle, in […]
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We’ll Work till Jesus Comes was written by Elizabeth K. Mills. The song was originally published in 1829, under “Anonymous”. Some historians believe the song may be an American folk song. However, other books since then have attributed the song to Mrs. Mills. Elizabeth Mills was born in 1805 in Middlesex, England. She was the daughter of Philip King. She […]
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Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling was written by William Lamartine Thompson. Softly and Tenderly is one of his best known compositions, alongside Jesus is All the World to Me. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in a collection of songs, Sparkling Gems, Nos 1 and 2, by Thompson’s company in 1880. “UM Hymnal editor, the Rev. Carlton R. Young, notes: […]
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Jesus is all the world to me was written by Will Lamartine Thompson. William Lamartine Thompson was born on November 7, 1847 in East Liverpool, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children born to Josiah and Sarah Jackman Thompson. Thompson was composing songs by the time he was a teenager, including “My Home on the Old Ohio” and […]
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Francis Havergal grew up the youngest child of a Church of England minister and hymn writer. She was born around Christmas 1836. She led an active life, even while dealing with fragile health. From a young age she would memorize vast portions of the Bible. She is described as a brilliant pianists and said to have such a lovely voice, […]
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Lead Me,Guide Me was written by Doris Akers. Doris Mae Akers was born on May 21, 1923 in Brookfield, Missouri. She was one of ten children born to Floyd and Pearl Akers. In the 1930s, she and some of her siblings had a group known as “Dot and The Swingsters”. In 1948, she formed the Simmons-Akers trio with Dorothy […]
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Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, tells the story of Mary, sitting and listening at Jesus feet. Can you imagine the lessons and wisdom she learned from the Lord? The account is found in Luke 10:40 and this Mary is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. If you recall the story, you will remember that Martha was upset because her […]
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Lift High the Cross was written by George Kitchin in 1887. At the time he wrote the song, Kitchin was the Dean of Winchester for the Church of England. “It has been suggested that the hymn was inspired by the story of Constantine the Great’s conversion to Christianity after seeing a cross with “In hoc signo vinces” on it. It […]
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I had a request for the song history on “Let Others See Jesus in You”. The gentleman shared a special memory of his grandmother. “Her personal favorite was “Let Others See Jesus in You.” We sang the song at her funeral. Indeed, Jesus was visibly evident in her life. I suppose that is the primary reason the song means so […]
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Reach Out to Jesus was written by composer Ralph Carmichael. Ralph Carmichael was born on May 27, 1927 in Quincy, Illinois. He was the son of a Pentecostal minister. As a child, he learned to play the violin. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing with the San Jose Civic Symphony. He grew up in the days […]
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The Gloria Patri is another doxology sung by many denominations from the Catholics to the Orthodox to the Presbyterians and Lutherans to the Methodists and Baptists. This is often referred to as the Lesser Doxology {in contract to Gloria in Excelsis Deo, the Great Doxology}. The English version is translated from the Latin text, “Gloria Patri, et Filio, et […]
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“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is a doxology based on the words the angels sang to the shepherds. {Luke 2:14} “Gloria in excelsis Deo” is often referred to as the Greater Doxology. {Gloria Patri is the lesser doxology}. The Latin translation is attributed to Saint Hilary of Poitiers {310-367 AD}, the Bishop of Poitiers. This translation is believed to have […]
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Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow is a popular Doxology in the protestant church. The song was often sung as a blessing when the offering was returned. But, what is a doxology? The word doxology means a short hymn of praises to God. The tradition of a doxology began in the Jewish synagogue. Various denominations have their own doxology […]
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Getting Used to the Family of God is another Gaither song that I often love to sing along with The Family of God. While the titles of these songs are similar, they are two very different, yet beautifully touching and expressive songs. Getting Used to the Family of God was written in 1974, four years after The Family of God. […]
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The Banner of the Cross was written by Daniel W. Whittle. Daniel Whittle served in the Civil War, obtaining the rank of major. He was known as Major Whittle the remainder of his life. After the war, he went to work for Elgin Watch Company. In 1873, he resigned his job and became a revival evanglist in the Dwight L. […]
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The fourth of July is in just a few days, so I thought we would enjoy a Patriotic favorite. Some Gave All was written by Billy Ray Cyrus and debuted on his 1992 album of the same name. Billy Ray and his first wife, Cindy Smith, wrote the song together after talking with a Vietnam Vet. This occurred sometime during […]
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