HymnPod

Lyrics: John H. Sammis
Music: Daniel B. Towner

This hymn was written in 1887 by John H. Sammis. He wrote a poem based on the phrase “Trust and Obey” and sent it to Towner who wrote the music for it. This phrase “Trust and Obey” is based on a testimony heard by D. L. Moody during a meeting – “I am not quite sure – but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey”.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Hymnpod episodes will resume on 14 Jun 2009, as I will be attending a church camp from 10-13 Jun 2009. God Bless.

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This beloved hymn was written in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner. She wrote this text in collaboration with her sister Susan as part of a novel entitled Say and Seal. It is a simple poem spoken by one of the characters, Mr. Linden, as he comforts Johnny Fax, a dying child.

Bradbury composed the music in 1861, and added the chorus.

Lyrics: Anna B. Warner
Music: William B. Bradbury

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! Loves me still,
Though I’m very weak and ill,
From His shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
If I love Him, when I die,
He will take me home on high.

I believe this hymn was a universal appeal, to young and old alike.

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This hymn was written in 1872 by James Nicholson, who lived in Washington D. C. He was a dedicated Christian and was active in the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church as a Sunday school and evangelistic worker.

The tune was written by Philadelphia musician named William Gustavus Fischer who was a popular song leader for revival meetings. He also composed the tune for “I love to tell the story”.

The hymn is based on Ps51:7 – “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Lyrics: James Nicholson
Music: William G. Fischer

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe-
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain:
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice;
I give up myself, and whatever I know-
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet,
By faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow-
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee Thou never said’st “No”-
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

O how we need cleansing from the Lord Jesus!

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Not much is known about the history of this hymn apart from the fact that it was written in the 19th century. This hymn encourages us to look upward to the Lord Jesus when we are down and discouraged. It is a beautiful hymn!

Lyrics: Edna H. Worrell
Music: Clarence B. Strouse

A friend I have called Jesus, whose love is strong and true,
And never fails howe’er ’tis tried, no matter what I do;
I’ve sinned against this love of His, but when I knelt to pray,
Confessing all my guilt to Him, the sin clouds rolled away.

Refrain:
It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away,
it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day,
it’s just like Jesus all along the way,
It’s just like His great love.

Sometimes the clouds of trouble bedim the sky above,
I cannot see my Savior’s face, I doubt His wondrous love;
But He, from heaven’s mercy seat, beholding my despair,
In pity bursts the clouds between, and shows me He is there.

O, I could sing forever of Jesus’ love divine,
Of all His care and tenderness for this poor life of mine;
His love is in and over all, and wind and waves obey,
When Jesus whispers “Peace, be still!” and rolls the clouds away.

This hymn goes out by special request to Cheryl.

There is an additional verse to this hymn:

When sorrow’s clouds o’ertake me, and break upon my head,
When life seems worse than useless, and I were better dead;
I take my grief to Jesus then, nor do I go in vain,
For heavenly hope He gives that cheers like sunshine after rain.

Special thanks to Leon for this update.

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This excellent hymn was written by Haldor Lillenas. He was pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene. In 1919, he published his first book, and three years later, he organized his own publishing house. For the next 10 years, he travelled, preached, wrote hymns and published song books.

Incidentally, this hymn was sold off for only $5.00, which was just enough to pay for an old second hand little wheezy organ which he bought from his neighbour, on which this hymn was composed.

Lyrics and Music: Haldor Lillenas

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!

Refrain:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful Grace, All-sufficient for 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!

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;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

See http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1997i/Ward.html for an excellent writeup on this hymn.

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This hymn was written in 1890 and found in Precious Times of Refreshing and Revival. After emigrating to America, Bottome be came a Methodist Episcopal minister in 1850. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1872.

Lyrics: Francis Bottome
Music: William J. Kirkpatrick

O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let ev’ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from Heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n;
O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found-
The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To ev’ry captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!

O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine-
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!

This hymn is an excellent one to mark Pentecostal Sunday, which falls on 31 May 2009 this year.

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This hymn was composed by Robert Robinson. His father died when he was young and his mother could not control him. He was wild as a youth and was into drinking and gang-life. One day, he attend a service with George Whitefield preaching.

He later sobered up and three years later on Dec 10, 1755, he gave his heart to Christ. After that at age 23, Robert entered the ministry and served at Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England. This hymn was written by him for Pentecost Sunday in 1758.

Lyrics: Robert Robinson
Music: John Wyeth

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 thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine 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.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, 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.

This hymn seems to be a favourite even up to this day.

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This lovely hymn reminds us the omnipresence of the Lord Jesus.

It was written by Major Daniel Whittle who remarked that, “I do not like the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour very well, because I need him every moment of the day.”

His daughter, May Whittle wrote the music, and she later became the wife of Will R. Moody.

Lyrics: Daniel W. Whittle
Music: May W. Moody

Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Refrain:
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He doth not bear,
Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
Moment by moment, I’m under His care.

Never a heartache, and never a groan,
Never a teardrop and never a moan;
Never a danger but there on the throne,
Moment by moment He thinks of His own.

Never a weakness that He doth not feel,
Never a sickness that He cannot heal;
Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,
Jesus my Savior, abides with me still.

Rev. Andrew Murray adopted this as his favourite hymn. There is a good writeup at http://nethymnal.org/htm/m/o/momentby.htm

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Henry Francis Lyte was born in Scotland, 1793. His father abandoned his mother and him and later, he was orphaned at 9 years old with no support. He was invited by Rev. Robert Burrows into his home, accepted as part of his family, and had his education paid for. Henry studied at Divinity school, was ordained at 21 and began preaching at St. Munn’s Church in Taghmon, Ireland.

This hymn was written in 1824, when he ministered to Rev. Abraham Swanne who was dying. They both studied the Scriptures together and realized they were both blind guides. After coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, Henry was inspired to write this hymn.

Lyrics: Henry F. Lyte
Music: attributed to Wolfgang A. Mozart

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me,
they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
show Thy face and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me,
’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me
while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me,
were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Haste then on from grace to glory,
armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Life is hard, therefore, let us carry our crosses and follow the Lord Jesus.

Also, please visit http://hymnplayer.hymnpod.com

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This hymn was composed in the 8th century by an unknown poet. In 1905, Mary Elizabeth Bryne, a scholar in Dublin, Ireland, translated this ancient Irish poem into English. Later, another scholar, Eleanor Hull of Manchester, English, took Bryne’s translation and created verses with rhyme and meter. It was then set to this traditional Irish folk song “Slane”.

Lyrics: Irish hymn, c. 8th century
Music: Irish melody – Slane

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

This is an old but meaningful hymn.

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