This hymn was written after two major traumas in Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.
WORDS TO "IT IS WELL"
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Refrain
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
Refrain
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
angelintro 051102
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANGELS
We seem to have entered an era where there is a
growing fascination with angels.
Unfortunately, some have allowed this fascination to go too far. We
see around us what amounts to a cult worship of angels. To dispel some of
the mystique concerning angels let us look to God's Word. The Hebrew, Aramaic,
and Greek words used for "angel" all mean "messenger or ambassador", in other
words a servant. Angels reside in Heaven therefore, they are Heavenly beings-
but are not Divine beings. Since they are heavenly beings we tend to view
them with awe. Yet, we must remember that they, like us, are only servants
of God. The awe we exhibit should be for the fact that Our Heavenly Father
cares enough about us to send messengers in to our lives.
It also should be remembered, that by definition, not all angels are heavenly
beings. That Preacher, neighbor, stranger, etc., who has touched our lives
in a special way bringing us closer to God is also by definition an angel.
Also important to keep in mind is that not all angels come to do God's work.
"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light."
(2 Corinthians 11:14) A lot of the reverence given to angels stems from some
of the accounts of angel-human meetings contained in Old Testament. What
should be remembered is that the angel (messenger/ambassador) was, in a lot
of cases, none other than Jesus, who most certainly deserved the worship.
How do angels view themselves? "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But
he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and
of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10) "Now I, John, saw
and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to
me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your
brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship
God." (Revelation 22:8-9)
While it is human to be fascinated with angels-after all they are a manifestation
of God's love for us, it is important to keep in mind that awe, reverence,
and esteem are due the Master, not the servant. As a side-bar, have you ever
considered that angels, having never been separated from God's love and presence,
can not appreciate that love and presence as fully as those who have been
separated from them for a time.
I would like to thank my wife Carol, for being patient with me
as I have almost insisted she look at these pages each time I think
it looks fair (which if you put it in figures it
could well be over 100 times plus) and also the rest of the Randalls and
the Watsons (especially Michelle) and various friends.
Hopefully this will be the last time I have them look at it before
I " show it"
to the world.
A*N*D
N*O*W Y*O*U M*A*Y
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***COMING IN JULY 2003
THE NEW TESTAMENT***
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