Hello OCBC family! Here is a passage to introduce the story of a loved hymn, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

A young man, sixteen years of age, from Montreal, became a Christian in 1862. After his conversion he wrote a simple hymn. He went to be with his Lord when he was just twenty seven years old, and perhaps this was the only hymn that he ever wrote. The title of the hymn, “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” The name of the young man was William Featherston.

He sent this poem to his aunt in Los Angeles, and then she sent it to England, where it appeared in the “The London Hymnbook” of 1864. The music that was set for this hymn is totally different than the one that we are familiar with.

A Baptist minister from Boston, Massachusetts, was preparing a new hymnal for Baptist congregations when he saw this lyrics in the hymnal from London; he felt in love with the lyrics but not with the music, and he wrote a new melody, a simple melody to match a simple hymn. The name of this pastor was A. J. Gordon, and he was a remarkable pastor in New England, but became more popular because he composed the music of this hymn that was written by a young man, a hymn that has been a blessing for many believers through the years.

Once again, enjoy and worship the Lord with the lyrics of “My Jesus, I love Thee.”

1 My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

2 I love thee because thou hast first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

3 I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

4 In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
​
In His service,
Israel

Hello OCBC family. This week I want to share a familiar passage. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:3-4 – ESV). What a wonderful promise form our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; we are not perfect but we can abide in someone who is perfect and can help us to bear fruits. This passage was very real for Lydia Baxter. She was a very zealous Christian worker from Petersburg, New York. She was born on September 2, 1809, and at very young age she became a Christian, and she and her sister started holding evangelistic meetings at their home.
​
When she married and move to New York City, she continued having meetings at her home, bringing many fruits like John’s passage says. Mrs. Baker loved to read and study her Bible, and because of that she knew the meaning of several names of Bible’s characters. But, of course, the name that inspired the most was the name of Jesus. She used to say, “I have a very special armor. I have the name of Jesus. When the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and he can’t get through to me anymore. The name Jesus means ‘Savior’ and it comes from the same Hebrew root from which the names of Joshua and Joash come.” Yes, she loved her Savior, and during a sick time, she wrote a hymn, “Take the Name of Jesus with You.” Four years later she passed away, and finally she met her Savior, the one that she trusted all her life.
Please, read this hymn and enjoy its message.
 
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it, where'er you go.
 
 Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
 
 Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
 
 O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!
 
 At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.
 
In His service,
Israel

Hello OCBC family. Let me share a passage that is very familiar and might be the favorite one of many of you. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 – ESV). Paul is having an explosion of praises toward God and he encourages us to rejoice in the Lord. We might have difficult times but our joy is in the Lord. Henry van Dyke knew how to rejoice in the Lord.

Van Dyke was a Presbyterian minister who wrote many books, including the best-selling “The Other Wise Man.” He was a professor of literature at Princeton University. He was a Navy chaplain during World War I, and ambassador to Holland and Luxemburg under President Woodrow Wilson.

One day, he was serving as guest preacher at Williams College in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. It was during this time, while he was enjoying the creation of God, that he had an explosion of praises, rejoicing in the Lord, like Paul said in the book of Philippians. He wrote a hymn and the next morning he gave it to a professor of Williams College, saying, “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’”

This hymn became very popular (and still is), and its message is that we can trust in the God who created everything; He is a God who is near to us, and who saved us. The name of this hymn is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” Enjoy, once again, the lyrics of this powerful hymn.

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

2 All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!

3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
​
In His service,
Israel

Hello, OCBC family. Let me share a passage with you, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17 – HCSB). This passage is a closing word that Paul used after sharing his testimony. He called himself the worst of the sinners, but because of the mercy of God he is a new creature. His only reaction after this marvelous act of God is an explosion of worship toward God, the eternal, the immortal, the invisible, the only wise.

This passage was used by Walter Chalmers Smith from Aberdeen, to create the hymn that we love to sing, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.” Smith was ordained pastor of the Scottish Church in Chad well Street, Islington London. He wrote several hymns and created a collection called “Hymns of Christ and Christian Life (1883). His original version of “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” had six stanzas, but Percy Dearmer edited the text into a four stanzas version for the English Hymnal (1906). These are the verses that we normally sing here at OCBC.

The melody of the hymn has a Welsh origin, and is a very easy melody to follow and to learn; it sounds great in unison or in harmony. We sang it this past Sunday and my heart was full of joy listening the saints singing this powerful hymn of adoration.

Here is, again, the lyrics of this hymn, but do not sing it but read it; meditate on these words as a devotional time.

1 Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2 Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might:
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above,
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3 To all, life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish, but naught changeth thee.

4 Thou reignest in glory, thou dwellest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

In His service,
​
Israel