Happy New Year to all my friends and family. We woke up to this site this morning and it reminded me of these verses from Isaiah chapter 1:
“Let Us Reason”
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
What a great God we have! Though our sins are as scarlet, they can be white as snow.
Back around Christmas in 2010, I put up these two posts about a story that intrigued me when I heard it. I have since found out that Mr. Longfellow had some interesting beliefs (Have the revisionists taken him apart, too?). However, the words of this song are so inspirational that I felt led to share the story once more.
When Brother Dick led the congregation in singing last week, he would never know how his selection of this song would bless me this year.
It is not one of the more popular Christmas Songs, but as I sang the song I did something I don’t always do I’m sorry to say.
I took note of the words.
This song, indeed, fits the times in which we live.
I looked at the bottom of the page and saw that the words had been written by the famous American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
I went home and did some research.
I discovered that hymn books remove two of the verses that were originally written by the famous poet.
The verses are removed because they have references to the American Civil War.
Mr. Longfellow wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1864, when the war had affected nearly everyone in the country.
Unfortunately, the great poet was no exception.
Three months after the war had begun, in July of 1861, tragedy struck the Longfellow family.
Francis Longfellow had just trimmed some of seven-year-old Edith’s hair. Mrs. Longfellow then decided to preserve some of the clippings in sealing wax. While melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops of the super heated wax fell on Fanny’s dress. The hot wax ignited the dress, swallowing the beloved wife and mother in flames.
Fanny ran to Henry in the next room. Henry grabbed a small throw rug and wrapped it around his wife, attempting to smother the flames. Unsuccessful, he finally wrapped his arms around his wife in a last attempt to stop the fire.
Henry’s attempt not only burned his face, hands, and arms severely; the effort to save his wife had failed.
Fanny Longfellow died the next morning.
Because of his injuries and his unbearable grief, Henry was unable to attend his wife’s funeral.
Two years later, Charles, Henry’s oldest son, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church. This happened the month before Christmas in 1863.
It is no surprise there is no entry in Mr. Longfellow’s journal for the Christmas of 1863.
Still grieving over the events of the past few years, Henry put his famous pen to paper on Christmas Day in 1864.
This poem is the result.
Jean Baptiste Calkin added the music in 1872.
Mr. Longfellow heard his words in music for a decade, until his death in 1882.
The words have inspired many, as they have me in 2010. (And they are still as inspirational in 2023!)
May God give you a peace that passes all understanding, like He did to Mr. Longfellow, throughout this Christmas season.
Chris Reimers
(Composed on Christmas Day, 1864)
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’ unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men
And in despair I bowed my head: “ There is no peace on earth,” I said,
I hope you are able to watch what transpired today in our nation’s capitol. In our times, when antisemitism seems to be widespread, it is nice to see an event like this one. I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem. I support Israel’s right to exist as God’s covenant with Abraham is clear in Genesis 15:
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 “
The covenant between Abraham and God consisted of three separate parts: 1) the promised land. 2) the promise of the descendants. 3) the promise of blessing and redemption.
I don’t agree with the politics of some of the speakers at this event, but I appreciate their willingness to speak out in support of Israel.
It says something that this event had so much security. How did this happen in America? I hope all Christians get back to reading their Bibles. As I’ve asked so many times on this blog: “How can God bless a people who turn their backs on Him?”
May God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America.
Chris Reimers
Approximately 290,000 attended this event. The largest event of its kind ever.
At last count approximately 516,000 people have watched this video.
I hope you have heard a good sermon lately. If not, you might want to watch Alistair Begg’s message from Sunday.
Parkside Church is in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and their service is aired weekly on the YouTube channel above.
There are many other good options for those who, for whatever reason, would like to hear a sermon of a different man of God.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London for almost 30 years during the late 20th century. People of all ages came to hear his sermons. Thankfully, his studies of God’s Word were recorded in numerous sermons that can be found HERE.
Occasionally, I find myself hungering for one of Mr. Spurgeon’s sermons. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years in the later half of the 19th century. We do not have any recordings of his voice but almost every sermon he spoke was written down. His mining of God’s Word for gold can be found HERE.
Besides reading your Bible, it is always a blessing to hear a man of God give a good sermon. This video definitely fits that description.
If you are like me, you are subscribed to several You Tube channels that interest you. This audio file popped up there yesterday. I have heard Dr. James Tour teach on the Bible before but it has been awhile. He is not known as a theologian but as a world class scientist. This Bible study struck a cord with me and I appreciated his challenge to “pour over the Word of God.”
Anne Hillyard was a kind and generous woman. She lived during the Victorian era in England and loved many needy children of the time. She was the widow of an Anglican clergyman and when her husband died she was already self-sufficient and looking for some good way to invest funds that she possessed. It seems that “Mrs. Hillyard had asked a friend to recommend some totally reliable public figure to whom she could entrust her considerable fortune to be used for orphans. The man, though not a particular admirer of the prominent Baptist preacher, nonetheless immediately replied, “Spurgeon.”1 He was, of course, referring to Charles Haddon Spurgeon whose “remarkable ministry in London would last 38 years.”2
Anne Hillyard was “An ‘ordinary’ woman (with) an extraordinary legacy.” One article calls her “a woman the world knows little about, but who became a catalyst of change for thousands of lives.”3 “Born as Anne Field, in Warwickshire, she waited until she was 38 to marry. Her husband, Reverend John William Hillyard, was the Curate of an Anglican Church at Ingestre in Staffordshire. He died just one year after their 1841 marriage.”4
“In 1855, (a decade before Anne met Spurgeon) Charles travelled to meet George Müller, the founder of a famous orphanage in Bristol. At the conclusion of a worship service, Müller invited Spurgeon to say a few words, but he declined because he had ‘been crying all the while.’
“I never heard such a sermon in my life as I saw there.” —Spurgeon (after visiting Mueller’s orphanage)5,6
More than a decade later, this experience would help bring Anne and Charles together to provide a place where young orphans could learn and grow.
It was a “widely held misconception” that Anne received a large sum of money from her husband’s estate. In fact, she had an inheritance from an uncle before she got married.7 In 1866, Charles Spurgeon challenged his large congregation stating that we “should be doing more the Lord in this Great city.”8 Soon afterward, Anne sent a letter to Spurgeon expressing her desire to use her money to “establish… an orphanage for the training and educating of orphan boys.”9
When Spurgeon and one of his deacons, William Higgs, “called at her modest home they feared that there had been some mistake.”10 The home she lived in did not appear like the residence of someone who had large amounts of money to give to others. After the meeting, “Anne joined Spurgeon and a group of friends to establish the Stockwell Orphanage. Before its construction, she sold some of her household belongings, even the family silverware, to provide sanctuary to the first four orphan boys.”11
A month later two and a half acres of land was purchased not far from Spurgeon’s church. On September 9, 1867 the first stones of some of the buildings were laid by Charles, Anne, and two others.12 Four thousand were in attendance that day.13 “At the opening ceremony of the Orphanage, Spurgeon said of Anne: “When Mrs. Hillyard’s munificent contribution was first announced in the newspapers, people said it had been given by a duchess, but I say no, it is given by a princess—one of the blood imperial—a daughter of the King of kings. She has given it in the most unostentatious manner, desiring that her name should not be known, and I and my friends have dragged her into the light today contract to her wishes.”14
“Eventually a row of several individual homes, all connected as one continuous building, were erected. Each two-story home housed fourteen orphans and was sponsored by various donors. A dining hall, infirmary, large gymnasium and even a swimming pool were constructed as part of the expansive complex. Eventually a corresponding row of homes were built for orphan girls. The area between the two sets of orphan houses was a grass-covered playing field, edged with flowers and shrubs. 250 boys and 250 girls at a time were housed and received a well-rounded education at the orphan complex.”15,16
“Mrs. Hillyard lived for some years to rejoice in the good work which she had so successfully initiated, and her last words as she died on January 13, 1880, were, “My boys! My boys!”17,18
Charles Spurgeon died in 1892.
Long after Anne and Charles went to be with the Lord the work they started continued:
“When the Second World War had been announced in 1939 the children living at Stockwell orphanage had to be evacuated. The majority of the children were moved to St. David’s in Reigate, Surrey, where the children occupied themselves by looking after the animals there.
“In 1951 the home in Birchington, Kent, was opened and became the new children’s home for Spurgeons. By 1953 all of the children were relocated here. It remained open until 1979, when children were sent to smaller homes or foster families.”19
Anne’s deep devotion to God and His kingdom helped many orphans to receive a good education and to learn about the truths of God and the love of Jesus.
This post was inspired by Pastor Jim Lee (also known as SlimJim) of The Domain for Truth blog. Pastor Jim put up a post about a devotional that states how “Children need to learn the doctrine of the Cross.” Based on a sermon, it is written by Charles Spurgeon in a style that I enjoy. I have yet to find a preacher who can use the English language as well. You can see Pastor Jim’s post HERE and you can get a free copy of the Spurgeon booklet HERE.
I made a comment on his blog and he suggested that my comment was a draft for a post. So, I elaborated a bit on the comment and here is a post relating to my comment.
Born Again
Beth is a born again Christian who lives in Canada. She believes that Jesus is the the way, the truth, and the life and she also believes that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. She blogs on a variety of topics.
Elizabeth Burke's Blog
Elizabeth is a writer of Evangelical Christian books based in Ireland. Her books are currently published under “Ready Writer Publications.” Her blog is a testimony to her Christian faith and always an enjoyable read.
excatholic4christ
Tom has a loving heart for Catholics and his blog is an attempt to help those in Catholic churches understand that we are saved by grace alone. He blogs on a variety of topics.
Heavenly Raindrops
God-inspired words and images to bring blessings like rain
m'Kayla's korner
Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. Luke 11:35
Mrs. Acuna's Blog
If you have a teenager or anyone close to being one, this is a must read
REASONED CASES FOR CHRIST
Bruce Cooper’s excellent Christian Apologetic Resources For Laypersons is a place that I’ve been visiting more often as time goes by. You should too!
The Domain for Truth
Slimjim’s “about” states: “(Jim Lee) is a pastor. He is a faithful servant of the church and his Saviour. Although young in age he is trying to be an apologist for the faith. “
The Hope Blog
Former Christian Talk Show Host, Ingrid Schlueter’s blog
The Narrowing Path
A blog to help Christians in Australia connect the dots…(it’s helped me here in the “good” ole U.S.A.)
The Realist Juggernaut
John is a fellow truth-seeker and his blog mission is to navigate the intricate maze of reality, bringing you unfiltered insights and thought-provoking discussions. John efficiently balances news and faith in our challenging times.
Posted by Chris 
Wings of the Wind 
March for Israel 2023
November 14, 202315 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”
2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 “
The covenant between Abraham and God consisted of three separate parts:
1) the promised land.
2) the promise of the descendants.
3) the promise of blessing and redemption.
I don’t agree with the politics of some of the speakers at this event, but I appreciate their willingness to speak out in support of Israel.
It says something that this event had so much security. How did this happen in America? I hope all Christians get back to reading their Bibles. As I’ve asked so many times on this blog: “How can God bless a people who turn their backs on Him?”
May God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America.
Chris Reimers
Approximately 290,000 attended this event. The largest event of its kind ever.
At last count approximately 516,000 people have watched this video.
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