Archive for the ‘born today’ Category
Edgar Stites – born
Posted in born today, history, poet American, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged “At the Golden Landing”, “Just Ahead”, Beulah Land, Edgar P (Page) Stites, Edgar Stites on March 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Alfred Edersheim – born
Posted in Bible, born today, converted to Christ, education, European writer, Evangelist to World, history, Jesus Christ, philosophy, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah on March 7, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Alfred Edersheim was born in Vienna, Austria, 3/7/1825, to Marcus & Stephanie (Beifuss) Edersheim. The home had culture, wealth and though both were of Jewish beliefs, English was spoken in the home & Alfred became fluint in it. He studied in the local gymnasium, studied the Talmud & Torah at a Hebrew school & attended the University of Austria.
About 1845 he moved to Pesth, Hungary & met John Duncan (& other Presbyterians) under whose influence he became a Christian. In 1846 he married Mary Broomfield with whom he shared seven children. After a stay & studies in Scotland he entered the Presbyterian ministry & ministeried a year to the Jews & Germans at Jassy, Rumania. It was at the Old Aberdeen Church (1848-1860) he wrote his History of the Jewish Nation from the Fall of Jerusalem to the reign of Constantine the Great.
Edersheim held other positions, changed to the Church of England, & spent two years (or so) as the university preacher at Oxford but today he is most appreciated as the author of The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Declining health took him to Menton, France, where he died 3/16/1889.
David Tsutada – born
Posted in Bible, born today, Creator or Creation, education, Free will, history, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, opposing wrong, the home, today in history, uncategorized, war, worship, tagged David Tsutada, David Tsutada - born, Japan, rise of nationalism, WWII on March 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
David Tsutada was born 3/6/1906, 2nd son of Kenri Tsutada, a Japanese, Methodist dentist in Singapore. After finishing high school in Japan David studied law at Cambridge U. but believing he was to preach ended his studies in England, to attend a Bible College in Japan. Before graduation the Bible college president selected a wife for him. He & his Christian wife, Nobuko, were blessed with 5 children.
When Japan entered WWII there was a rise of nationalism. David believed it would be wrong for him to erect a Japanese flag in front of his church & bow (relative to the Emperor & his palace), stating “only God in heaven is divine. We worship Him alone.” David (with some 130 others) on 6/26/1942, was arrested for not observing this government regulation & imprisoned for a 2 yrs.
After the war & his release (on probation) he build a church in Tokyo, named “Immanuel” because “You, O God, are with us, just as you were in the cell with me.” His ministry reached out to the poor, on 21/10/1945 his church became an indigenous Holiness Denomination (Immanuel General Mission), reaching university students & farmers. He became known as “John Wesley of Japan.” He died 7/25/1971.
[ Personal note: I was in Wesley Biblical Seminary with a grandson, also named David Tsutada.]
Daniel B Towner – born
Posted in Bible, born today, Creator or Creation, education, history, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged at Calvary, “Anywhere With Jesus”, “Grace Greater Than All Our Sins.”, “My Anchor Holds”, “Saved By the Blood”, “Trust & Obey”, Daniel B Towner, Daniel Brink Towner was born, George Root, James Webb, John Howard on March 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Daniel Brink Towner was born 3/5/1850, at Rome, PA & here he began his musical training under his father, Professor J D Towner, a well-known teacher & singer. As a teenager Daniel traveled through parts of PA, NY, OH singing bass solos. He studied under John Howard, George Root, & James Webb.
In December 1870 he married Mary McGonigle, herself a beautiful singer. They settled in Binghamton, NY (he directed music at Centenary Methodist Church. In the ‘80s he was in Cincinnati (NY Street ME), then across the river in Covington (Union M E) before joining with D L Moody. In ’93 he took the directorship of (what is now) Moody Bible Institute’s music department.
He composed music for 2000 hymns including “Trust & Obey” “Anywhere With Jesus” “Saved By the Blood” “At Calvary” “My Anchor Holds” & “Grace Greater Than All Our Sins.” He compiled songbooks & wrote music textbooks. He died October 3, 1919, leading singing in a revival at Longwood, Missouri.
“At Calvary”
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.
Lettie Burd Cowman – born
Posted in Bible, born today, Evangelist to World, God's Kingdom, holy living, Jesus Christ, lady writer, opposing wrong, pride, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged Lettie B Cowman, Lettie Burd Cowman - born, Streams in the Desert on March 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Lettie Burd was born 3/3/1870, to Isaac & Margaret Burd, Afton,IA. Isaac was a banker, the home reflected culture & wealth, & their last child, Lettie became a talented, delightful teenager. When she was 14 a Western Union Telegraph operator Charles Cowman, age 16, entered her life. Her parents didn’t approve of the friendship & when Charles was transferred by WUT they were relieved. But he returned with 5 solid WUT yrs. experience & as manager of their Glenwood Springs, CO office. They were married 6/18/1889.
They came back to Chicago & he advanced with Western Union. Lettie after some time was converted to Christ in a ME church. Charles was impressed with her immediate life change but didn’t have interest himself. Later he was redeemed & the distance he’d felt between their conversions became a happy, holy reunion. They once went to Moody Church & as A B Simpson made appeals Charles turned to Lettie, “This means you & me.” They briefly attended God’s Bible School (Cincinnati) & sailed for Japan in 1901.
Along with Juji Nakada & E A Kilbourne they organized Oriental Missionary Society (1907). Charles died in 1924, Kilbourne in 1928, & Lettie carried on the work until 1949. Her Streams in the Desert (first published in ’25) has been translated into 15 languages, passing 3,000,000 in sales. The attractive banker’s daughter (she said “In a sense Charles was my savior, he saved me from a life of wealth, leisure & plenty”) gave the world a view of her greater, bigger Savior via her famous devotional text. She died 4/17/1960.
Charles Sheldon – born
Posted in born today, education, history, philosophy, today in history, uncategorized, tagged Charles M Sheldon, Charles Monroe Sheldon was born on February 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Charles Monroe Sheldon was born 2/26/1857 at Wellsville, NY to Stewart (Congregational pastor) & Sarah (Ward) Sheldon. After graduating from Brown U. & Andover Theological Seminary & a stint pastoring in VT, Sheldon took a Congregational pastorate in KS. There he married Mary Merriam, 5/20/1891.
It was also in KS he developed a Lord’s Day evening sermon series which included the question, “What would Jesus do?” A religious magazine (Chicago) began to publish his story/sermons in weekly installments. His famous book, In His Steps, followed (1896), which sold some 23 million copies. In all Sheldon authored 50+ books. He died 5/24/1946, at Topeka.
Without endorsing social Gospel (which I do not) it’s to his credit he took a week (while pastoring) to labor here & there, to see working conditions first hand. He & his Central Congregational sponsored the first kindergarten for blacks west of the Mississippi. He (had signed a abstinence card at 7) was active in the Prohibition & Peace movements. Sadly, he was associated with Alfred Langdon’s gubernatorial campaign.
Ray Chamberlain – born
Posted in Bible, born today, Evangelist to World, history, poet American, the home, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged Ray Chamberlain, Ray Willis Chamberlain born on February 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Ray Willis Chamberlain was born 2/25/1902 at Charleston, Missouri, to Charles & Barbara (Griffith) Chamberlain. He married Marianne Elizabeth Horine and they were blessed with several children. In the 40’s – 50’s he and his family were Pilgrim Holiness missionaries to Jamaica. In the fall of 1987 Ray & Marianne started the Holiness Lecture Series at Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi: first speakers were Roy Appleby, Andy Miller, Keith Drury, & Richard S Taylor (the last of these was Best).
In 1982 Orlow Webb started an organization called TRY (Training Righteous Youth) Conference. Bro Ray W Chamberlain came to one of the TRY Conference meetings (hosted 4 years at Friendsville, TN) and sang his chorus, “We’ve Got a Great Big Wonderful God.” He died 1/2/98.
If the reader ever sees his small paper-back book, God Leads His Dear Children Along, it is definitely worth owning and reading a chapter a night in family altar.
[ Personal note: The Lord has given us 2 sons & 2 daughters. Both girls and their husbands & families) have spent years on 2 different continents as Gospel spreaders for Christ. One or both would probably say that my view of missions influenced their lives. And I trace my interest in missions to a man named Ray Chamberlain coming by the old Pilgrim Holiness Church in Bremen, when I was about 10. 🙂 ]
Esther L. Kerr – born
Posted in Bible, born today, heaven, holy living, lady writer, poet American, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged Esther, Esther L. Kerr born on February 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »
ON THIS DATE
Esther L. Kerr was born 2/21/1909, in Arizona Territory. Arizona was a Territory from 1863 until it became the 48th state, 2/14/1912, one week before Esther turned 3. Her brother was an evangelist, Phil Kerr. She married Howard Rusthoi, a minister – together they were called the “revival broadcasters.” She (they?) attended/participated in a church called Angeles Temple in Los Angeles, California. She died in Los Angeles, April 8, 1962. She wrote “It will be worth it all.”
“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase, So bravely run the race till we see Christ.”
Personal note – this is the song our daughter Laura, my wife & I were singing to Mom (Ruth E. Bryan) as she slipped from this world to the next, 2/26/12.
Elmo Mercer – born
Posted in Bible, born today, poet American, today in history, uncategorized, worship, tagged Elmo Mercer born on February 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »