Have you ever listened to a Billy Graham Crusade and noticed what song is played at the end of the meeting? Here is the story of the lady who wrote that hymn, 'Just as I am without one plea'.
A Swiss hymn writer was visiting England one day. This man, Cesar Malan, was one who tried to speak a word for Jesus, wherever he went. He was at the table with a lady named Charlotte Elliot, and was concerned for her soul, whether she knew the Lord or not. What he said to her was that he hoped that she was a Christian. Charlotte bristled at those words spoken to her. She did not want to talk about it, and Malan apologized if he were offensive to her.
For three weeks, Charlotte was troubled though, for she could not get those words out of her mind. She met Cesar again and told him that she was trying to find Jesus. But she did not know how to come to Him. "You have nothing of merit to bring to God. You must come just as you are." said the Swiss hymn writer to her.
Charlotte came to know the Lord! But her life was not a bed of roses, for she was ill since she was 33 with a crippling type of fatigue, which she lived with the rest of her life. She died at age 82, but in the meantime, through her difficulties in life with her illness, she wrote a song. And her song ended up ministering to many, many people. People were not only touched, but some came to know the Lord through it.
Here are the words to her song:
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou biddest me come to Thee
O, Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Charlotte Elliot died on September 22, 1871 at the age of 82. After her death, many letters were found telling of how people were touched by her song.
Read the full article here: Church History - Christianity.com
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Harper's Last Convert on the Titanic Voyage in 1912
This is s true story of a man who preached the Gospel until his very last breath. As the story unfolds, look at the sovereignty and mercy of God. This story was originally retold by the young Scotsman who was the very man whose life was in the balance that fateful night when the Titanic struck the iceberg on April 14, 1912.
The story goes something like this; John Harper, a pastor of a Baptist church in England, boarded the Titanic in order to reach America and get to Chicago to preach at Moody Church. His niece and daughter were also with him on this trip.
After the Titanic crashed into the iceberg, the men were giving preference to the women and children, as the rescue boats came by to bring survivors to safety. Harper's daughter and niece were able to be rescued. But Harper was left in the dangerous waves, probably holding onto a piece of wood or wreckage for survival.
While the waves were pouncing and threatening, John Harper called out to a man who was in his view. He asked the man 'Man are you saved?' The man answered, 'No, I am not.' Harper replied by saying, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.' A while later, the man came back into Harper's view. Again he asked, 'Are you saved now?', to which the man replied, 'No, I cannot honestly say that I am.'. Harper gave the same answer as the first time, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'
That was the last person who probably saw or spoke to Harper, as Harper went down into the water and drown. This young Scottish man was 'Harper's last convert' and by God's grace, he lived to tell the story.
Read a more detailed version of this story at: Harper's Last Convert on the Titanic
The story goes something like this; John Harper, a pastor of a Baptist church in England, boarded the Titanic in order to reach America and get to Chicago to preach at Moody Church. His niece and daughter were also with him on this trip.
After the Titanic crashed into the iceberg, the men were giving preference to the women and children, as the rescue boats came by to bring survivors to safety. Harper's daughter and niece were able to be rescued. But Harper was left in the dangerous waves, probably holding onto a piece of wood or wreckage for survival.
While the waves were pouncing and threatening, John Harper called out to a man who was in his view. He asked the man 'Man are you saved?' The man answered, 'No, I am not.' Harper replied by saying, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.' A while later, the man came back into Harper's view. Again he asked, 'Are you saved now?', to which the man replied, 'No, I cannot honestly say that I am.'. Harper gave the same answer as the first time, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'
That was the last person who probably saw or spoke to Harper, as Harper went down into the water and drown. This young Scottish man was 'Harper's last convert' and by God's grace, he lived to tell the story.
Read a more detailed version of this story at: Harper's Last Convert on the Titanic
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Dark Time in History - The Black Plague
There are many bright spots in History and we appreciate them. But there are many more dark spots in the History of mankind. The Black Plague is one of those times. Fortunately, there people wrote down things that they didn't want to forget, so we have much in writing about this event.
The Black Plague, or Black Death, came to Europe in 1347, and spread throughout Europe and Scandinavia until 1349. It went through Russia in 1350, then came back around through Europe. Many people died from this plague. The disease itself was called 'Bubonic Plague' because of the little bumps that appeared on the bodies of its victims as the disease manifested itself. The plague could have been several types of diseases that attacked the people during this time, or it may have been a more specific type of disease. Medical care and attention was not prevalent in the Middle ages, so there was not enough research done to determine exactly what the disease was or how to cure it.
The Black Death may have started in China, but no one knows for sure. There were different ways the plague was spread. Some of the diseases were carried by fleas. Others were spread when a person sneezed. There were 'Septicemic' plagues that spread through open sores.
Whatever happens to mankind, whether it be good or bad, God is sovereign over all. We can pray and trust God with our lives. We could think like the three men who were caught praying to the True and Living God, when they were caught and about to be thrown in the fire, they made a firm decision to trust in the God they were praying to. But they indicated, that they were going to trust in God whether God delivered them from the fire, or not. God blessed them, and did deliver them while they were in the fire. God does not always take us out of the difficulties though. But He does promise to be with us while we are in them.
We have no guarantee that there will never be another plague. We have no guarantee that a World War will not break out tomorrow morning. We don't have a promise that the earth will not be hit by a meteor. God doesn't promise us tomorrow. Yet, He does gracious bless us with wonderful things and promises to be with us through the storm if we know Him and are trusting in Him. No person knows what the last day of his or her life is. We might have a really long life that God has blessed us with. We might only have a few short years on earth. It is all under God's sovereign control. The key for us is to know God. We are not born knowing God. We are born separated from God, and we are spiritually dead, until He rescues us. We need to be rescued from our sins. We need to be rescued from ourselves. For more information on this, please go to The Gospel Conversation or Are You Good Enough For Heaven?
Yes, the Black Plague devastated the world during the Middle Ages. Many died and suffered. Why did God allow this? The reason we have these things happening, is because of an event that took place thousands of Years ago. When God created the world, in the beginning, everything was perfect. Everything was beautiful. God called His creation 'good'. So, what happened? The devil tricked the first woman, Eve, into disobeying God. He got her to not trust in God, but to do exactly what God told her not to do. When that happened, not only was the fellowship broken that mankind had with God, but now the earth, the devil, and human beings were under a curse. That was when disease began. Not too long after this happened, the first murder took place. Everything that was beautiful was now chaotic. But God provided an answer to this dilemma when He sent His Son to earth. His Son took the curse upon Himself when He died on the Cross. When He comes back, He will restore the earth to the way it was in the beginning. You can read about this in the Bible in the book of Genesis, and the book of Revelation, and the books that are in between them! If you have any questions, please send an email to RUgood@mail.com
Source on Black Death: Black Death Middle Ages About.com
The Black Plague, or Black Death, came to Europe in 1347, and spread throughout Europe and Scandinavia until 1349. It went through Russia in 1350, then came back around through Europe. Many people died from this plague. The disease itself was called 'Bubonic Plague' because of the little bumps that appeared on the bodies of its victims as the disease manifested itself. The plague could have been several types of diseases that attacked the people during this time, or it may have been a more specific type of disease. Medical care and attention was not prevalent in the Middle ages, so there was not enough research done to determine exactly what the disease was or how to cure it.
The Black Death may have started in China, but no one knows for sure. There were different ways the plague was spread. Some of the diseases were carried by fleas. Others were spread when a person sneezed. There were 'Septicemic' plagues that spread through open sores.
Whatever happens to mankind, whether it be good or bad, God is sovereign over all. We can pray and trust God with our lives. We could think like the three men who were caught praying to the True and Living God, when they were caught and about to be thrown in the fire, they made a firm decision to trust in the God they were praying to. But they indicated, that they were going to trust in God whether God delivered them from the fire, or not. God blessed them, and did deliver them while they were in the fire. God does not always take us out of the difficulties though. But He does promise to be with us while we are in them.
We have no guarantee that there will never be another plague. We have no guarantee that a World War will not break out tomorrow morning. We don't have a promise that the earth will not be hit by a meteor. God doesn't promise us tomorrow. Yet, He does gracious bless us with wonderful things and promises to be with us through the storm if we know Him and are trusting in Him. No person knows what the last day of his or her life is. We might have a really long life that God has blessed us with. We might only have a few short years on earth. It is all under God's sovereign control. The key for us is to know God. We are not born knowing God. We are born separated from God, and we are spiritually dead, until He rescues us. We need to be rescued from our sins. We need to be rescued from ourselves. For more information on this, please go to The Gospel Conversation or Are You Good Enough For Heaven?
Yes, the Black Plague devastated the world during the Middle Ages. Many died and suffered. Why did God allow this? The reason we have these things happening, is because of an event that took place thousands of Years ago. When God created the world, in the beginning, everything was perfect. Everything was beautiful. God called His creation 'good'. So, what happened? The devil tricked the first woman, Eve, into disobeying God. He got her to not trust in God, but to do exactly what God told her not to do. When that happened, not only was the fellowship broken that mankind had with God, but now the earth, the devil, and human beings were under a curse. That was when disease began. Not too long after this happened, the first murder took place. Everything that was beautiful was now chaotic. But God provided an answer to this dilemma when He sent His Son to earth. His Son took the curse upon Himself when He died on the Cross. When He comes back, He will restore the earth to the way it was in the beginning. You can read about this in the Bible in the book of Genesis, and the book of Revelation, and the books that are in between them! If you have any questions, please send an email to RUgood@mail.com
Source on Black Death: Black Death Middle Ages About.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Today in History - September 12, 1953 - Nikita Khrushchev elected Soviet leader
Nikita Khrushchev elected Soviet leader- September 12, 1953
Six months after the death of Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev was elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Khrushchev was born in a Ukrainian peasant family in 1894. He worked as a mine mechanic, before joining the Soviet Communist Party in 1918. In 1953, Stalin died, and Khrushchev was contending with Georgy Malenkov for the position of first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and he won.
In 1964, Khrushchev retired in obscurity, and he died in 1971. For more details of the story: History.com -Khrushchev
A famous quote by Khrushchev is this one: 'We will bury you.'. He was not happy with capitalism, and much like the president of our country today, he was not happy about colonialism. Some of his statements remind me of what I am hearing today, from our president. I see some similarities in their thinking.
"We will bury you!" ("Мы вас похороним!", transliterated as My vas pokhoronim!) was a phrase famously used by Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev while addressing Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy in Moscow on November 18, 1956.[1][2][3]
Later, on August 24, 1963, Khrushchev remarked in his speech in Yugoslavia, "I once said, 'We will bury you,' and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you,"[5] a reference to theMarxist saying, "The proletariat is the undertaker of capitalism", based on the concluding statement in Chapter 1 of the Communist Manifesto: "What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable". Khrushchev repeated this Marxist thesis at a meeting with journalists in the U.S. in September 1959. However, many Americans interpreted the quote as a nuclear threat.[6]
The actual verbal context was: "Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will dig you in" ("Нравится вам или нет, но история на нашей стороне. Мы вас закопаем"). In his subsequent public speech Khrushchev declared: "[...] We must take a shovel and dig a deep grave, and bury colonialism as deep as we can".[4]
Source: Wikipedia-We_will_bury_you
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Today in History - September 11, 2001 - America is Attacked
America is Attacked - September 11, 2001
Today in History, September 11, 2001, is still fresh in the minds of many people. It wasn't all that long ago when many of us were watching television and saw the second plane crash into the second of the Twin Towers in New York City. It will be a day when those of us who were alive at that time, will always remember.
It was a day, much like any other, until around 8:30 in the morning. I was at a school co-op teaching a class of third-grade boys. I was out in the lobby when it happened and heard those at the front desk talking about it. All I could think was, 'What does this mean?' or 'What will happen next?' I went home to get a radio, but I needed to get some gas in my car. What if all the gas stations blew up at once? I did go home, got a radio, and brought it back to class. How would we communicate with our students? There were a lot of things that had to be worked out, that we never had to do before.
Children in schools were upset. One of mine wanted to come home. What exactly happened though, this day, 11 years ago?
Here is the beginning of the story, that tells what happened on the memorable day:
At 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors. As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767--United Airlines Flight 175--appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.
It was horrible to watch on television. Many people died. Many bodies were never found. But there were heroic people who risked their lives in order to rescue those who couldn't get out. About 3,000 people died, including police, paramedics and fire-fighters. Only 6 people survived that were in the building.
Two planes crashed into one of each of the Twin Towers. Another plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, which may have been intended to destroy the White House, Capital, or the Pentagon. This was one of the worst tragedies ever to happen in this country. There are evil people trying to destroy this nation. They hate America with a passion.
We live in an age of turmoil. A time is coming, when all turmoil will cease and be no more. God will allow people to do whatever is in their wicked hearts right now. One day, all of us will have to face God in Judgment. The wicked Terrorist will have his day before a holy God, as will the average American, or European, or African. We can't gauge the depth of our goodness or badness on the standard of the Terrorist. All of us are selfish and need to be rescued from our love of ourselves. Only God can do this for us. This is why He sent His Son to earth. The only power that can set us free from sin and all its trappings is in the Cross of Jesus Christ.
You can read the rest of the story at: History.com-9/11
Today in History, September 11, 2001, is still fresh in the minds of many people. It wasn't all that long ago when many of us were watching television and saw the second plane crash into the second of the Twin Towers in New York City. It will be a day when those of us who were alive at that time, will always remember.
It was a day, much like any other, until around 8:30 in the morning. I was at a school co-op teaching a class of third-grade boys. I was out in the lobby when it happened and heard those at the front desk talking about it. All I could think was, 'What does this mean?' or 'What will happen next?' I went home to get a radio, but I needed to get some gas in my car. What if all the gas stations blew up at once? I did go home, got a radio, and brought it back to class. How would we communicate with our students? There were a lot of things that had to be worked out, that we never had to do before.
Children in schools were upset. One of mine wanted to come home. What exactly happened though, this day, 11 years ago?
Here is the beginning of the story, that tells what happened on the memorable day:
At 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors. As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767--United Airlines Flight 175--appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.
It was horrible to watch on television. Many people died. Many bodies were never found. But there were heroic people who risked their lives in order to rescue those who couldn't get out. About 3,000 people died, including police, paramedics and fire-fighters. Only 6 people survived that were in the building.
Two planes crashed into one of each of the Twin Towers. Another plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, which may have been intended to destroy the White House, Capital, or the Pentagon. This was one of the worst tragedies ever to happen in this country. There are evil people trying to destroy this nation. They hate America with a passion.
We live in an age of turmoil. A time is coming, when all turmoil will cease and be no more. God will allow people to do whatever is in their wicked hearts right now. One day, all of us will have to face God in Judgment. The wicked Terrorist will have his day before a holy God, as will the average American, or European, or African. We can't gauge the depth of our goodness or badness on the standard of the Terrorist. All of us are selfish and need to be rescued from our love of ourselves. Only God can do this for us. This is why He sent His Son to earth. The only power that can set us free from sin and all its trappings is in the Cross of Jesus Christ.
You can read the rest of the story at: History.com-9/11
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Today in History - September 6, 1620 - Pilgrims Land in New England
Pilgrims Land in New England - September 6, 1620
Today in History, a ship had begun their journey from Plymouth, England in order to find a new land where they would be free to worship God without the restraints of the King. They originally started out in a boat called the 'Speedwell' which was not seaworthy and returned back to England.
There were two different groups on the Mayflower, actually. One of them, familiar to us, was known as the Pilgrims. The other group was called 'Strangers'. The two groups did not get along very well while sailing to the New World, but they made the trip in 2 months and 5 days.
There were about 101 people on board, half of them Pilgrims and the other half Strangers. There also was a baby born on board. The baby was named 'Oceanus'.
It was a very hard journey. But they made it, all the way across the ocean in less than 3 months! They didn't get off the ship right away, and while they were still on it, they drew up and signed the 'Mayflower Compact' an agreement which would enact just and equal laws for the good of the people of the colony.
When the Pilgrim got off the ship at their final destination, they built rough houses and shelters. The winter was extremely hard on them and at least half of them died. The ones that survived continued to build and learned how to plant seeds to grow food. The following year, they celebrated the very first Thanksgiving with all the produce they grew and invited some of their Indian friends who had helped them in settling in. In spite of all their hardships and loss, the Pilgrims were a grateful people and had no intention of ever returning to England again.
One more little thing. The Strangers were not people who professed to love God. This is important to note because there are people who teach History today, who would claim that the Pilgrims were immoral people. The reason they say this could be because of the Pilgrim's association with the Strangers on the ship. It would be easy to think that everyone on the ship had the same belief system, but that is not true in this case. What the Pilgrims believed and trusted in was very different from what the Strangers believed in. The Pilgrims, from what we can tell from the readings, were very moral, upright people, though they were not perfect. But the Strangers were very crude, rough people, who were not very moral or upright. Perhaps God used this adventure so that the Strangers would be in a place where they could see the Gospel at work in the lives of the people on board. Maybe this was the only opportunity in their lifetimes that they would have been able to hear and see the Gospel.
Note: I did a little research on this, and found different dates for the departure of the Mayflower. The one date that makes a lot of sense would be September 16th for the departure. If it took the ship 2 months and 5 days to reach America, that would make the landing date November 21st, which makes sense if they departed on September 16th, not the 6th.
Links on the Mayflower:
Pilgrims Build Plymouth Colony
The Mayflower Lands
Today in History, a ship had begun their journey from Plymouth, England in order to find a new land where they would be free to worship God without the restraints of the King. They originally started out in a boat called the 'Speedwell' which was not seaworthy and returned back to England.
There were two different groups on the Mayflower, actually. One of them, familiar to us, was known as the Pilgrims. The other group was called 'Strangers'. The two groups did not get along very well while sailing to the New World, but they made the trip in 2 months and 5 days.
There were about 101 people on board, half of them Pilgrims and the other half Strangers. There also was a baby born on board. The baby was named 'Oceanus'.
It was a very hard journey. But they made it, all the way across the ocean in less than 3 months! They didn't get off the ship right away, and while they were still on it, they drew up and signed the 'Mayflower Compact' an agreement which would enact just and equal laws for the good of the people of the colony.
When the Pilgrim got off the ship at their final destination, they built rough houses and shelters. The winter was extremely hard on them and at least half of them died. The ones that survived continued to build and learned how to plant seeds to grow food. The following year, they celebrated the very first Thanksgiving with all the produce they grew and invited some of their Indian friends who had helped them in settling in. In spite of all their hardships and loss, the Pilgrims were a grateful people and had no intention of ever returning to England again.
One more little thing. The Strangers were not people who professed to love God. This is important to note because there are people who teach History today, who would claim that the Pilgrims were immoral people. The reason they say this could be because of the Pilgrim's association with the Strangers on the ship. It would be easy to think that everyone on the ship had the same belief system, but that is not true in this case. What the Pilgrims believed and trusted in was very different from what the Strangers believed in. The Pilgrims, from what we can tell from the readings, were very moral, upright people, though they were not perfect. But the Strangers were very crude, rough people, who were not very moral or upright. Perhaps God used this adventure so that the Strangers would be in a place where they could see the Gospel at work in the lives of the people on board. Maybe this was the only opportunity in their lifetimes that they would have been able to hear and see the Gospel.
Links on the Mayflower:
Pilgrims Build Plymouth Colony
The Mayflower Lands
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Today in History - September 4, 1886 - Geronimo Surrenders to the U.S. Government
Geronimo Surrenders to the U.S. Government - September 4, 1886
One of our favorite Apache Indians surrendered to the U.S. Government, this day in History, in the year of 1886.
Geronimo, the Apache Chief who lived in present day Arizona and Mexico, tried to protect his tribe for 30 years, but now was outnumbered by the citizens of the United States. His people, the Chiricahua Apaches, clashed with the non-Indian settlers in 1858, and finally they became exhausted and gave up.
Geronimo's parents were killed by the Mexicans, and as a way to get back for what they had done, Geronimo led raids against American and Mexican settlers. In 1874, Geronimo and his people were moved by the U.S. Government to a reservation in Arizona, where living conditions were less than ideal. After escaping and being returned to the reservation and trying to bring harm to Americans by raiding them, he was finally persuaded to surrender. Eventually, he became a farmer in Oklahoma Territory, and it is said that he converted to Christianity. He died at Fort Sill in 1909.
Source: History.com-Geronimo Surrenders
One of our favorite Apache Indians surrendered to the U.S. Government, this day in History, in the year of 1886.
Geronimo, the Apache Chief who lived in present day Arizona and Mexico, tried to protect his tribe for 30 years, but now was outnumbered by the citizens of the United States. His people, the Chiricahua Apaches, clashed with the non-Indian settlers in 1858, and finally they became exhausted and gave up.
Geronimo's parents were killed by the Mexicans, and as a way to get back for what they had done, Geronimo led raids against American and Mexican settlers. In 1874, Geronimo and his people were moved by the U.S. Government to a reservation in Arizona, where living conditions were less than ideal. After escaping and being returned to the reservation and trying to bring harm to Americans by raiding them, he was finally persuaded to surrender. Eventually, he became a farmer in Oklahoma Territory, and it is said that he converted to Christianity. He died at Fort Sill in 1909.
Source: History.com-Geronimo Surrenders
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)