Hello OCBC family. During my devotional time I read this passage, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27 – ESV). This is a very special call from the Lord to us, His disciple, to take our cross daily and follow Him. What is your cross? I do not know, but the Lord does; but I can assure you that He will help you with it. It will be not easy but we have the words of our Savior to give us peace, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Perhaps John E. Bode had these words in his thoughts when he wrote the hymn “O Jesus, I Have Promised.”

John E. Bode served in the parish of Castle Camps, near Cambridge, England. During this time he had the privilege to officiate the confirmation ceremony of his daughter and two sons. This hymn “O Jesus, I Have Promised” was written for this occasion. The original version of the hymn said at the first stanza, “O Jesus, We Have Promised” as a reference of the three children of Bode.
This hymn is a powerful prayer that we can say to our Lord that we will be faithful to Him. We are not perfect but He is, and He will help us to remain faithful to His kingdom. Paul said, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end--
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.
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In His service,
Israel

Hello OCBC family! Hebrews 10:22 says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (ESV). Several times you have heard me talk about Fanny Crosby, a blind hymn writer, who wrote over 8,000 hymns. Every experience, every daily activity, every conversation brought an inspiration to Fanny for a new hymn, to proclaim God’s glory and to teach a truth. This passage at the beginning of my article is an example.

One day Fanny Crosby was having a friendly conversation with William Howard Doane, a philanthropist from Connecticut, who helped Fanny several times with melodies for her lyrics. This particular evening, and after reading this passage from Hebrews, their conversation turned to about how close God is to His children. I can see Fanny talking about feeling God’s presence when she was a little blind girl, learning how to do daily tasks that for other girls were easy; but God was near to her every single moment. I can see William Howard Doane talking about experiences when he helped people in their necessities and could feel God close to him, blessing his efforts. That night, after Mr. Doane left and before Mrs. Crosby went to bed, she penned the lyrics of a new hymn, a hymn that has been a blessing for many: “I Am Thine O Lord.”

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
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Refrain
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

In His service,
Israel

Hello OBC family. The Bible said, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 – HCSB).

I am sharing this passage because last Monday I had the opportunity to play the piano to a group of seniors with the gospel quartet, “The Pathfinders”, and at the very end of the program, a sweet lady asked me if I can play the old hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I did, and she was in tears, perhaps having a memory attached to this hymn. Let me tell you something about this hymn.

The author of the lyrics was Joseph Medlicott Scriven, a young man from Ireland. His life was full of tragedies, but he remained faithful to the Lord. He had poor health and was not able to join the army. Then, when everything was looking better, on the evening of his wedding day, his fiancée died tragically in a drowning accident. He moved to Canada to start over and there he found a girl and fell in love with her. They got married but, sadly, she died suddenly from an illness just a few days after the ceremony, even though, he trusted in the Lord every day.

In the midst of these hard times, he wrote a poem to his mother back in Ireland, to comfort her soul, telling her that the only friend that she has, and the only friend that he has, was Jesus. He never expected that these lyrics would become a popular hymn. After its publication, a friend asked if Scriven really did write it and he replied, “The Lord and I did it between us.”
 
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
you wilt find a solace there.

In His service,
​
Israel