Samuel Wolcott – penned

ON THIS DATE

Samuel Wolcott, on this date, penned the words to “Christ for the World We Sing.”   He was born 7/2/1813 at South Windham, CT. After attending both Yale (AB 1833) & An­do­ver The­o­log­ic­al Sem­in­ary, he was briefly a mis­sion­ary in Syr­ia. He held pastorates in the east but also pastured in Chicago and Cleveland. While in Ohio he served as sec­re­tary of the Ohio Home Mis­sion­ary So­ci­e­ty and pastured the Ply­mouth Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church of Cleve­land.

He wrote, “It was on my way home from this serv­ice [a YMCA evangelistic service] in 1869, walk­ing alone through the streets, that I put to­ge­ther the four stan­zas of the hymn.” Some 200 hymns are at­trib­ut­ed to the Congregational clergyman Wolcott, who died 2/24/1886, back east in MA.       

Stanza 1 (of 4)

Christ for the world we sing, The world to Christ we bring, with loving zeal,

The poor and them that mourn, the faint and overborne, Sin sick and sorrow worn, whom Christ doth heal.

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Asbury Wrote

ON THIS DATE

On 1/26/1779 the Pioneer American Methodist bishop, Francis Asbury, is said to have penned these words in his journal:

“We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works;

   and

so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.”

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Ben Franklin – born

ON THIS DATE

Benjamin Franklin was born 1/17/1706 in Boston, the 10^th son of Josiah and Abiah (Folger) Franklin. Josiah had wanted Ben to be a minister but as he could not afford the schooling, Ben was apprenticed to a printer.  Ben went on to “play” with lightning, be an inventor, represent the US in Europe and influence his age.  He died 4/17/1790.

Franklin quotes:

“How many observe Christ’s birthday!  How few, His precepts!”

“Tis a great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults;  greater to tell him his.”

“Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.”

“He that can have patience can have what he will.”

>> Disclaimer – Franklin seems to lack in a commitment to Christ (which most souls included in #OnThisDate have had).  Of course, I am no man’s judge.  I hope Ben is heaven.  If you have positive “proof” he was a Christian please give a reference.  Some may not like this disclaimer but I take Mat 7.18 seriously.  Franklin’s inclusion therefore is not approval of his life nor his “letters.” <<

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Horrible Law

ON THIS DATE

1/16/1543 the British Parliament prohibited any “women or artificer’s prentices,

journeymen, servingmen of the degree of yeoman or under,

husbandmen or labourers to read the New Testament in English.”   

 

Soooo – this is a good day to rejoice: 1) that we can read, 

2) that we own a NT,  3) and we can read the NT.

Question.  Have you – YOU – read your Bible/NT today? 

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B B McKinney – wrote

ON THIS DATE

This is the date, 1/13/1936, Baylus Benjamin “B B” McKinney wrote words and tune to “Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go.”  B B was born 7/22/1886 at Heflin, Louisiana.  He at­tend­ed Lou­i­si­a­na Coll­ege and South­west­ern Bap­tist Sem­in­a­ry in Ft. Worth.  He taught school, was mu­sic ed­it­or at Rob­ert H Cole­man com­pa­ny, pas­tored in Fort Worth, and in 1935, be­came mu­sic ed­it­or for the Bap­tist Sun­day School Board in Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see.  He died 9/7/1952, Bry­son Ci­ty, NC, in an au­to ac­ci­dent. 

Mc­Kin­ney wrote “He Lives on High” sung to the Music of Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii (see http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/l/i/hliveson.htm for tune – arranged by B B.)

“Christ the Savior came from Heaven’s glory, To redeem the lost from sin and shame;

On His brow He wore the thorn-crown glory, And upon Calvary He took my blame.

Refrain

“He lives on high, He lives on high, Triumphant over sin and all its stain;

He lives on high, He lives on high, Some day He’s coming again.”

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Five Martyrs

ON THIS DATE

Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian (names arranged alphabetically, not for other reasons) were killed 1/8/1956 in the South American country of Ecuador while trying to reach the Auca Indians for Jesus Christ. 

I remember this event – a modern martyrdom along the Curaray River.   Jim’s widow, Elizabeth, wrote Through Gates of Splendor (1957).   

 

“The happiest day of my life was the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour

for the remission of my sins, duly repented for…”  – Roger Youderian

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Author “How Great Thou Art” – died

ON THIS DATE

Carl Gustaf Boberg died 1/7/1940, Kalmar, Sweden.  He was carpenter’s son and served as a sailor.  He was converted to Jesus Christ at 19 and attended a Bible school in Kristinehamm.  Later he was a lay preacher for two years and edited a weekly, Sanningsvittnet, (Witness of the Truth) for many years (1890-1916).  Bro. Boberg even served in Swedish Parliament (1912-1931).  His works include several volumes of poetry & many hymns.  We know him as the author of “How Great Thou Art.”  Boberg had been born 8/16/1859 at Mönsterås, Sweden.

 

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

    Refrain

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art!”

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George Washington Carver – died

ON THIS DATE

George Washington Carver died 1/5/1943.  It is known that he was the son of a slave mother but his birth date is unknown (1864? 1965?).  He was the greatest black man born in America and a scientist who was a Christian.  His research led to new products and improved lives for black and white southern farmers. 

In his later years 3 presidents met him (both Roosevelts & Coolidge) and the Crown Prince of Sweden studied with him 3 weeks.  Henry Ford developed a friendship with him and later had an elevator installed so he could avoid the steps. 

Carver Quotes:

“Our Creator is the same and never changes despite the names given Him by people here and in all parts of the world.  Even if we gave Him no name at all, He would still be there, within us, waiting to give us good on this earth.”

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

“More and more as we come closer and closer in touch with nature and its teachings are we able to see the Divine and are therefore fitted to interpret correctly the various languages spoken by all forms of nature about us.”

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Newton – born

 

 

ON THIS DATE

Sir Isaac Newton was born (premature) 1/4/1643 (N.S.) in the hamlet of Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, only son of a prosperous farmer, also Isaac Newton, who died three months before he was born.  His mother remarried, leaving him with her mother.  After her 2^nd husband died (when Isaac was about 12) she was reunited with Isaac but his person was damaged by her absent years.  Newton never married (peers thought him a virgin) perhaps as a result of his mother’s action.

The world has long recognized Newton’s great scientific mind (2^nd scientist ever knighted) and STILL recognizes his genius.  What the world doesn’t honor is the fact that he wrote more words in Commentary on the Bible than he did about science.  His thoughts on Daniel and Revelation are available on internet and worth reading.  Newton died 3/31/1727.

Newton quotes:

“…Giving ear to the Prophets is a fundamental character of the true Church.”

“The predictions of things to come relate to the state of the Church in all ages: and amongst the old Prophets, Daniel is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood:”

“Daniel was in the greatest credit amongst the Jews, till the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: and to reject his Prophecies, is to reject the Christian religion. For this religion is founded upon his Prophecy concerning the Messiah.”  – Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, London: Darby & Browne, chap.1.

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John F Dorsey – born

ON THIS DATE

John F Dorsey was born 1/3/1916, in southern Ohio.  Dorsey entered the field of evangelism at a young age and stayed there until retirement, except for the 14(?) years he pastored at Mt Carmel (in greater Cincinnati).  He is a poet, theologian, and until entering the nursing home, a successful hunter (at least 30 big-game) and a gardener.  His book A Farmer Looks at the Parables should be read by every pastor and every man studying to be a pastor.  Glad he was our pastor for two years and that he dedicated our son Lincoln (together with the late Tim Dotson) in 1967.

Dorsey quote:

“Perfection is what God says about Himself; attributes are what man says about God.  God is not obligated to live up to these.”  – 7/23/98

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