Hello OCBC family,

Right now, as part of my school, I am taking a class called “Spiritual Formation”.  During these five weeks, I’ve been practicing more hours than normal in devotion time and prayer time (which it is good).  For a particular week, we were talking about the power of prayer, and doing some study for a particular paper, I found a wonderful prayer, a Puritan Prayer that I want to share with you in my article.  The name of the prayer is “Christ Alone”.

O God,
Thy main plan, and the end of thy will
is to make Christ glorious and beloved
in heaven
where he is now ascended,
where one day all the elect will behold his glory
and love and glorify him for ever.
Though here I love him but little,
may this be my portion at last.
In this world thou hast given me a beginning,
one day it will be perfected in the realm above.
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ,
though obscurely,
to take him, receive him,
to possess him, love him,
to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
Let me study and stand for discipline,
and all the ways of worship,
out of love for Christ;
and to show my thankfulness;
to seek and know his will from love,
to hold it in love,
and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.
Thou hast led me to place all my nature
and happiness
in oneness with Christ,
in having heart and mind centred only on him,
in being like him in communicating good
to others;
This is my heaven on earth,
But I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit
to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.
Here, it is my duty
to be as Christ in this world,
to do what he would do,
to live as he would live,
to walk in love and meekness;
then would he be known,
then would I have peace in death.

In His service,
Israel

Hello OCBC family,

Last Sunday we sang the familiar hymn “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” as our closing hymn, and I have to tell you that this hymn is one of my favorites.  This is one of the few hymns that you can sing in any season of the year.  It doesn’t matter if it is Easter time, you can sing this hymn; it doesn’t matter if it is Christmas time, you can sing this hymn; it doesn’t matter if you are happy or sad, you can sing this hymn.

The author of this jewel of the hymnody was Louisa M. R. Stead.  We know too little about Mrs. Stead.  She has born in Do­ver, Eng­land, circa 1850. When she was very young she felt the Lord call her to be a missionary and she came to America.  Here she had a burning heart for China and her desire was to go there and do mission work, but sadly her health was not strong.  She got married and tra­gic­al­ly, her hus­band died off of Long Is­land, New York while try­ing to res­cue a drowning boy.  It was during this mourning time that she wrote this hymn.

Around 1880, Stead went to South Af­ri­ca, and served as a mis­sion­ary some 15 years. She re­mar­ried, to Rob­ert Wode­house of that count­ry. She re­turned to Amer­i­ca in 1895 to re­cov­er her health, but once again went into mis­sions in Rho­de­sia in 1901.  She died on Jan­u­a­ry 18, 1917, in Penk­ridge (about 50 miles from Um­ta­li), Zim­ba­bwe, and she is buried there.  She gave her life for her Lord on the mission field.

William J. Kirkpatrick composed the melody that everyone loves.  It is very interesting that this melody is very singable, with one octave range (if you have questions about this, I will be glad to explain it to you). The musical ideas make it a very easy hymn to memorize and this was the goal of William J. Kirkpatrick.

Isaiah 12:2 said, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

The next time that you are happy, or sad, or afraid, please, sing these lyrics and the Lord will bless you and help you.

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Refrain

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Refrain

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain

In His service,

Israel