#600 (8/4) [My 600th Post!] Hymn Banned From Denomination; My Special Essay

REMINDER: Check out this week's "Truth That Transforms  broadcast  at http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/truth-that-transforms/ This week's broadcast is about believing God to do great things through us entitled “The Great Adventure.” Also presented is a special feature bout having a Biblical worldview. Don’t miss it

PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

PRAISE! - "North Carolina Governor Signs New Pro-Life Legislation into Law"- 7/30/2013;  http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=1706

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed pro-life legislation into law late Monday requiring abortion clinics to comply with basic medical standards used in outpatient surgical clinics...Court action is certain to follow challenging the law. Considering abortion is a surgical procedure, holding abortion clinics to the same standards as surgical clinics is nothing extreme. Not to mention, nearly half of the states in the country now have this requirement. On the national level, Florida Senator Marco Rubio is preparing to introduce legislation in the U.S. Senate limiting abortions to five months of pregnancy. (Sources: New York Times, TownHall) As the Lord leads, please pray:

• For the courage and integrity of more state legislatures to take pro-life positions.
• About the sanctity of life issues in America.
• For the national legislative attempts that will be introduced by Senator Marco Rubio.

ATTENTION: TODAY is the 27th day of the 30 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (see link below for resource material you can download.) Please join me in focusing your prayers EVERY DAY for these over one billion people who need to hear the gospel of Jesus.[NOTE: 1) You can download a  page of helpful basic information about Islam and Ramadan at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/Islam_reference_guide-1.pdf ; and 2) The following is from a 30-day prayer guide you can download at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/2013-ramadan-prayer-calendar-1.pdf (The following is from that prayer guideAugust 4 – 27^th Day of Ramadan- SAVIOR (Malaysia)“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) Though a secular state and culturally diverse, life in Malaysia is strongly influenced by Islam. During Ramadan 2012, the Prime Minister announced that Islam will always supersede politics. It is a stable nation economically and politically; however, Muslim Background Believers (MBB) of Malay descent bear the brunt of persecution from “Islamic extremism.” Christians of other cultures are closely watched as well. This Ramadan PRAY for Christians in Malaysia, especially the MBB’s, to place their hope in Christ, their Savior.

 "Angry Islamists Turn Wrath on Egypt's Christians,"  By George Thomas, CBN News Sr. Reporter http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/July/Angry-Islamists-Turn-Wrath-on-Egypts-Christians/  Friday, July 12, 201 - "Egyptian Christians are facing growing retaliation by angry Islamists for opposing ousted President Moham3med Morsi. His supporters say Christian leaders were behind his removal from office....On Thursday, the body of a Christian merchant was found decapitated in a cemetery. Last Saturday, a Coptic Christian priest was shot by gunmen in an outdoor market. Also, days after the military coup that removed Morsi from office, Muslim extremists in southern Egypt burned dozens of Christian homes and stabbed four believers to death. "It's part of the Brotherhood's mobilization that they are targeting Christians, that they are renouncing them as behind this. If the Brotherhood is able to portray what happened as a Christian-dominated or Christian-driven protest, then they get to gain massive support in the streets," Tadros explained.PRAY for the nation of Egypt, as it faces a crucial  moment, 1) that the recent events would result in its becoming a true democracy and NOT an Islamic state; 2)  that the peoples' freedoms, in particular the religious freedom of its minorities (specifically its oppressed Christians) would be protected; 3) for peace and stability to return; 4) that the U.S. will effectively reach out to the new government, and 3) for safety for Americans living in Egypt. 

"American Pastor Saeed: 300 Illegal Days in an Iranian Prison,"  - by Jordan Sekulow, July 23, 2013 http://aclj.org/iran/american-pastor-saeed-300-illegal-days-iranian-prison ''Today [7/23] is the 300th day of American Pastor Saeed Abedini’s illegal imprisonment in Iran – 300 days away from his wife and kids, 300 days of torment for his Christian faith, 300 days and counting...Pastor Saeed’s wife, Naghmeh Abedini, responded to this positive step:"Thank you to all of the individuals who have prayed, written letters, signed petitions, called government officials, run benefit races, tweeted, and shared Saeed’s story. Thank you to all the government officials from around the world who have stood for my husband.  Iran has listened to your pleas.  While I am encouraged that Saeed is finally getting medical care, the fight is not yet over.  It has been a difficult 300 days – 300 days of torment simply because Saeed loves Jesus Christ.  I am hopeful Iran will do the just and honorable thing and release Saeed.'' ...We continue to work in this country and in the international community to secure Pastor Saeed’s freedom.  And more than 600,000 people around the world now stand in solidarity with Pastor Saeed at SaveSaeed.org. [ I urge you to pray DAILY for this courageous brother in Christ and his family and the hundreds of thousands of other Christians worldwide suffering persecution for their faith. - Stan] 

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"'In Christ Alone' Pulled from New Presbyterian Hymnal," -  CBNNews.com, Aug. 02, 2013  http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/July/In-Christ-Alone-Pulled-from-New-Presbyterian-Hymnal/

The popular hymn "In Christ Alone" will be left out of the new hymnal of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

That's because songwriters Keith Getty and Stuart Townend said they will not change the lyrics. Some members objected to the line that says "On that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied," spokesperson and chair of the Presbyterian Committee Mary Louise Bringle wrote in The Christian Century. Bringle said most of the committee wanted the lyrics changed to "The love of God was magnified." They said they didn't want to suggest in the new hymnal that Jesus' death on the cross was an atoning sacrifice needed "to assuage God's anger" over sin.

The hymn writers refused. Getty said they wrote "In Christ Alone" to tell "the whole gospel."   

AS I SEE IT - First of all, PRAISE GOD! for the faithfulness of the song writers to Holy Scripture. Secondly, I say SHAME ON the Presbyterian Church USA - without question the more liberal (ie, least faithful to Biblical truth) wing of the Presbyterian Church in America - for being offended by the Biblical truth of God's anger/wrath against sin. Of course, such views by too many in God's Church today are often the result of wanting not to ''offend" the senses of non-believers. For sure, no one wants to be "offensive" but when God's truth is concerned, the gospel will always offend those who are prisoners to UN-truth. Further, I just read  in Luke 12:51 that Jesus Himself said, "Do not think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you but division." (italics emphasis mine) 

     Furthermore, it pains me that too many in the church today (yes, I speak of even the evangelical church) - in the rush to be more "contemporary," to appeal to non-believers and to younger seekers, mistakenly believe it justifies jettisoning the hymns of the church. (I've attended one evangelical church where an entire month went by before a hymn was included in the worship service!) I can't help but envision believers meeting in Heaven one day. One of those of the present generation is suddenly approached by someone who identifies himself as John Wesley or herself as Fanny Crosby. The individual asks, "So, what did you think of my hymns?" to which the young person replies, "Hymns? I know a lot of hims and hers. Who were you referring to?"  I know, we laugh at that, but such a scene would surely be very sad to behold. 

     It's exactly as the worship leader for the Billy Graham Crusade has said, "Good hymn-ology is good theology." Who can argue that hymns are full of deep truths of God's Word, so much that you can find enough material for several sermons and more than enough to meditate on. If truth be told, I have been in many a worship service where the hymns offered more material for competition than the sermon that was the main  focus of the time. (As far as the melody to be found in contemporary music, I once heard a song presented in which the same phrase was repeated over a dozen times, over and over, as a chant of some kind. While it may have expressed some gospel truth, the repetition was so distracting it reminded me of some jingle in a advertising commercial - not so much memorable as irritating. )

     Of course, I would be the first to admit that many hymns (to be sure NOT all of them) have archaic terms or phrases. But here's a thought. What if the worship leader went to the trouble of including with the bulletin a short explanation of the terms (Also, many hymns found in the public domain can have their lyrics and melody updated to more modern tastes. Take for example, what songwriter/singer Chris Tomlin has done with the hymn "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I) 

     In any case, it just so happens I heard a great performance of the hymn in question above, "In Christ Alone," by the gospel group The Booth Brothers. What follows are the lyrics of the hymn as well as a link to that great performance. I urge you to check out the performance. Awesome stuff. - Stan

Lyrics of "In Christ Alone" -  http://www.lyrics85.com/778825/the-booth-brothers/in-christ-alone-lyrics.html; [Performance by The Booth Brothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsyEbMJMCXg]

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All-in-All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ, I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone.