Inspiration and Hope -

Amazing Grace

Produced, arranged, recorded,
and mixed by John D’Elia
Musicians:
John D’Elia, guitars, bass, percussion
Beth D’Elia, vocals
Bill Hutzel, solo flute

How profound to think that blessings often cause us to divert our attention away from God, and that troubles almost always make us look to God. Such were the troubles of John Newton who wrote “Amazing Grace”.

Newton wrote the words to “Amazing Grace” from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his path in life would be formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were “often put into motion by his willful and wanton disregard for all that is right and holy and which led him into a life plagued with despair, dangers at sea, abuse, public floggings, destitution, depression, near drownings and miraculous escapes. During those years Newton often entered into a state of spiritual awakening. Consequently those times were short-lived, and he invariably lapsed into a more wicked and loathsome direction.

One particular harrowing experience at sea was used of the Lord to cause young Newton to seriously consider his standing before a holy God. After being at sea for several months with a load of lumber, livestock and beeswax, the ship ran into a violent storm. So severe was the gale that the otherwise seaworthy vessel was in danger of sinking. When the livestock were washed overboard, the crew tied themselves to the ship to keep from being swept into the sea.

For four weeks, because of damage to the ship, the sailors despaired of life. Most of their waking hours were spent at the pumps to lighten the ship of water she had taken on. Rations were so low the men feared starvation. When they finally reached a port in Ireland, Newton began a sincere effort to become right with God.”[1]

John Newton, were it not for his troubles and despair, may never have come to write the song “Amazing Grace”. The song “Amazing Grace” is Newton’s most famous hymn, and is the most popular spiritual song in the history of American music having been recorded more than 1000 times.

The song was first published in 1779, however, since then it has been associated with more than 20 different melodies including contemporary tunes such as from “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals composed in the early 1960’s. The hauntingly beautiful melody that we are most familiar with today, however, was published in 1835 from an early-American tune called “New Britain”, although you might not recognize it right-away unless you listen closely to the parts. The second staff below is the melody that we are familiar with.

New_Britain_Southern_Harmony_Amazing_Grace — An 1847 publication of Southern Harmony, showing the title “New Britain” and shape note music. (Play song)

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear; and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear; the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.

Of the tens of thousands of times it has been performed, the instrumental style and expressive quality may change with each interpretation, but the message always remains the same; that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins we have committed, and that our souls can be delivered from despair through God’s Amazing Grace.

When we find it difficult to spiritually concentrate on God, and although troubles almost certainly always make us look to God, remember also to look to Him when you are enjoying His blessings because blessings tend to divert our attention away from God. “Narrow all your interests until your mind, heart and body focus on Him.”[2] “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22,WEB).

FOOTNOTES

[1] https://www.crossway.org/tracts/the-amazing-story-behind-amazing-grace-3033/

[2] Chambers, Oswald “My Utmost for His Highest”, January 27

So this is what it feels like to be a castaway on a deserted island

On a deserted island

A man on a deserted island placed a message for help in a bottle and threw it into the sea. The bottle drifted on the waves for a while, until someone found it and read the man’s note. It was an SOS for help. A search and rescue party was then dispatched.

The island is either a perceived place of loneliness, or an actual place of banishment. Often we feel as if God has deserted us when life hurts so badly that we cannot think, plan, dream, or hope anymore. As an example, the hurt of a broken marriage and of the heartbreak can be debilitating. When abandoned by the one you love, the hurt can be too much to bear. You feel like a castaway on a deserted island. I have experienced pain nothing like this before. It saps you of all your energy. On the island you feel alone with your pain. No one is there to help you overcome your loneliness and discouragement. You grieve with tears that no human sees or hears.

Have you forgotten that God sees and hears? He has searched you and knows you. He knows when you sit down and when you rise up. He knows your every thought and is acquainted with all your ways, even to the remotest parts of the sea.

Perhaps several weeks, months or a year has passed since you wrote your message in a bottle. You cry out once again “God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me”[1].

As you look up into the night time sky, you can’t help but marvel at the infinite number of stars. How vast is the sum of them! If you should count them, they would outnumber the sand.

You’re drifting off to sleep now. You take wings and ascend into the heaven, searching for the Heart Mender, but tonight you cannot find Him, yet you know he is out there somewhere.

Upon waking, you rub your swollen eyes.
“I don’t believe what I saw,
A hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore
Seems I’m not alone in being alone
A hundred billion castaways looking for a home”[2]

Agony.

Betrayal.

Heartbreak.

Disappointment.

Hopelessness.

Despair.

Loneliness.

Anger.

Bitterness.

Unforgiveness.

Loss of identity.

You have flares. Send one up. Maybe a passing ship will see you. You cry out “Rescue me O Lord!”

Many of you will relate to the character played by Tom Hanks (Chuck) in the movie Castaway, although metaphorically. He is a man marooned on an island after his plane crashes into the ocean during a violent storm. After crashing into the ocean, he is able to cling to his life-raft, loses consciousness, and floats all night before being washed up on a deserted island. He is tested mentally, physically, and emotionally in order to survive.

Similarly, I too have crashed, and have been tested, and wonder why it seemed that God had abandoned me, or why I must suffer. But, in retrospect, I have come to realize that it was during those times of loneliness, pain and suffering that I grew stronger in my faith and closer to God. I could either feel sorry for myself or treat what had happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep me from growing. I get to choose.

Four years later, Chuck is dramatically changed, wearing nothing but a loincloth, yet he has become adept at surviving. Then, one day, a large section from a portable toilet washes up on the island; Chuck uses it as a sail in the construction of a raft and sets sail from his island. After drifting for some time, a passing cargo ship finds him and rescues him.

Everything is different now for Chuck. His girlfriend is in a relationship with another man, and his company is being run differently now from when he ran it. Seems like life will always be full of obstacles, sorrows and brokenness. This is part and parcel with life. But some way, somehow, you find the courage to go on and find hope again.

Just so you know; the movie “Castaway” did end on an optimistic note. Chuck delivers a package to someone, a woman flirts with him, and this foreshadows a future past the ending of the film.

And it will also be for us that the Lord hears us when we call to him for help. He will rescue us from all our troubles. He is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed [3]. There is peace and joy again in your future.

Whether your island is due to someone you loved having walked out on you for someone else, or a place of separation due to your own brokenness and sinfulness, take courage; take hope! God hears everyone that calls on Him for help. “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth … he hears their cries for help and rescues them”[4]. And like the psalmist David, may God turn your wailing into dancing, that your heart may sing your praises to God again. Weeping is only for a short time, then rejoicing will come again.

__________

FOOTNOTES

[1] Psalm 70:1, New Living Translation

[2] Lyrics from song Message in a Bottle by The Police, 1979

[3] Psalm 34:17-18

[4] Psalm 145:18-19

In no uncertain terms

How many of us can say that God has spoken to us in no uncertain terms? Yet, He probably has and you just didn’t know it. I refer to them as God-incidences, messages of reassurance that come when we most need them.

The events in the following story came during a time of great anxiety. It tells of a battle between faith and fear. It tells of the discomfort often felt during life changing events, and the uncertainty that always accompanies them. And it is especially a time when we are most apt to hear God’s message of reassurance to us – “Everything will be okay. I have everything under control”.

“I have been employed for many years as a library manager at New Jersey state colleges,” says Mark Thompson. With higher education funding in serious decline, it was difficult to maintain services with lower budgets. As the leader, the most pressure was on me. To the detriment of my health, I had to take on larger and larger burdens due to having to take up the slack for staff reductions. There was reason to worry that my job could also be eliminated. It became too much.

Then in August 2015, I was without a job. I applied for unemployment benefits, grateful that it would help me over the six months of job searching. Other than unemployment, my wife and I only had $1,000 per month of income. We prayed for God’s mercy, but instead the world crashed upon us. I fell down some concrete steps and was brought to the hospital. I had no insurance. Next, my stress-induced ulcer led to a life-threatening stomach infection – more medical bills. Plus, it interfered with the job search. I needed to surrender to God, and muster up the courage and faith to let go and let God take the steering wheel from me. No easy task. I like to take control.

Then after almost three months receiving benefits, my former employer fought to repeal them. After an ugly set of four hearings, they won. I would not receive any more benefits and I would have to immediately pay back what I had received. Was this really happening to me? I did not have enough money as it was to pay bills and then pay them back. Not only was this a great financial hardship, but also emotionally devastating, plunging me deep into despair. So, I asked friends to pray hard to help me to keep trusting in Him. Although I knew that the Bible said that God was in control, I couldn’t shake that “no way out” gut wrenching feeling of panic that I now succumbed to.

As a believer, I am often conflicted by the fear that I feel when confronted with circumstances that threaten my well-being, shamed, knowing that God has always provided for me in the past, and also knowing that He promised to continually meet my needs “according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). So when I am facing fears, I (we) must remember that we are human and it is normal for us to worry, but not unsurmountable when we exercise our faith in God through fervent prayer and praise. Do you want to know if prayer works? Then put prayer to the test. God wants us to ask Him for the impossible, for God is a God of miracles and He wants to answer our prayers.

A week after losing my final appeal on unemployment, I received news from the attorney that had settled my Uncle Morton’s estate that additional monies had been found in the State’s unclaimed property fund and that I would be the recipient of it. I was elated. The timing couldn’t have been orchestrated better, and the amount found was nearly the amount I owed. God knew my need and answered me with a check in the amount of $16,796.00. That would nearly cover my total bill of $16,987.96 that I owed the State. “Unbelievable! Thank you, Lord – you are faithful. You are merciful.”

Well, God did leave a balance owed of $211.96. I guess I am not totally off the hook yet for trusting in God. But the God-incident served to raise my God awareness of Him in my situation. As we mature in Christ, and with each new circumstance that comes our way, our faith is tested, and it grows with each answered prayer, especially when the odds are slim to none that there will be a positive outcome.

Thanksgiving: In a politically correct world

Although Thanksgiving was first observed here in America following the arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock in 1620, George Washington, the first President of the United States, proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day on October 3, 1789. The decree appointed the day “to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.”

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America A PROCLAMATION –“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour … rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for his kind care and protection of the people of this country”.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln urged all Americans to set aside the last Thursday of November to give thanks and praise to God the Father who dwelleth in heaven.

On October 27, 1961, quoting from the Bible, President Kennedy proclaimed “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord” (Psalm 92:1, KJV). He urged all citizens to make Thanksgiving not merely a holiday from their labors, but rather a day of contemplation, reverence and prayer.

Americans all over the country will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. What was once a celebration of thanksgiving to God for provision, and prayer for forgiveness, for many today, it has become secular, a holiday from their labors.

Thanksgiving is even becoming an anomaly in stores and businesses today in favor of being politically correct. As I was checking out at a store register yesterday, the employee at the cash register said to me “Have a nice holiday”. This would be the “politically correct” thing to say; certainly not “Happy Thanksgiving”, lest I offend someone. But I guess wishing someone a nice holiday sounds better than wishing them a happy day off. As I could have replied the same, I instead wished her a “Happy Thanksgiving”.

I often wake early in the morning. It was around 4 am the other day that I awoke. I could not return to sleep, so I turned on my radio to Dr. Charles Stanley who was sharing a message on “Overflowing with Gratitude”. Thankfulness is a choice, and that which we are thankful for should be an outgrowth of one’s relationship with Christ.

So, tomorrow, as we thank God for good health, family, and turkey and stuffing, those who acknowledge God as the source of every provision and blessing in their life, let’s also be thankful for the many benefits we receive as children of God – for the peace of God in our heart, for our salvation and promise of our eternal home in heaven, for the Word of God, and God’s unconditional love for us.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Related Post: THANKSGIVING, November 2014

and he will lift you up

When I was in junior high school, I used to go over to my cousin’s house often. I looked up to my cousin Marty who was several years older than me. I loved my cousin. We would sit up in his room calling on his HAM radio anyone who would answer.
“Breaker, Breaker good buddy … are you out there?”
Unfortunately, I don’t think that all were good buddies.

As I entered high school, I did not see Marty as often. Marty was in some type of trouble and had been thrown from a moving vehicle out on to the highway. He would receive multiple injuries, and although God was eager to rescue his life, Marty was spiritually bankrupt. Marty was in with the wrong crowd and had become a heroin addict. It should have been a wake up call for him.

Years later, I ran into Marty just outside of the Port of Authority bus terminal. This was the first time that I would run into him after quite awhile. He was in a feeble state, and was begging on the streets of New York City. We would talk briefly, he would ask me for some money, and then move on. It was heart-wrenching to see him this way.

The second time that I ran into Marty, we were both crossing at an intersection at Broadway and …, but this time we had no words with each other as he quickly turned away from me, ashamed. I recall that he looked gaunt and many of his teeth were missing now. That was the last time I heard of or saw my cousin, until he was featured on the CBS 60-Minutes News Hour with Harry Reasoner about panhandlers. Marty would later be incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison, where he would spend the rest of his life and die.

As a heroin addict, I learned from my aunt that Marty would check himself into and out of rehab centers, yet always return to his addiction after being released. Only if Marty had cried out to God to pick him up and help him get his feet back on the ground might he have been spared his sad fate. And yet a parallel can also be made to a believer’s life who refuses to allow God’s Word to penetrate their heart, who repeatedly asks God for forgiveness, but always returns to their sin.

How many of us wholeheartedly devote ourselves to the Lord God in all His ways? For most believers, it is so easy to get distracted and forget to cast our cares upon the Lord, especially “when all is well with me”. This was the psalmist David’s sentiments in Psalm 30. But, oh, how we wish that we might be lifted up from our mind’s distractions and the torture of unbelief when things are not going well; don’t we? David is not an exception.

Most of us will admit that we have all fallen from time to time just as David had. And perhaps many of us also keep coming back to God (maybe too many times), asking for God’s forgiveness, and that He might lift us up. But is it an earnest prayer, one that is wholeheartedly felt, a prayer of confession that we truly need God? Or is it like Marty who was in and out of rehab, only to return repeatedly to his sin of addiction? We all have addictions of some kind or another. Sin takes on many forms. Perhaps your sin is unbelief, or pride, or manipulation, or substance abuse or a sexual integrity addiction, or anger, or something else. Have you asked God to forgive you your sins and lift you up? Don’t be one whom God turns his face from.

The song Pick Me Up (composed by Bill Hutzel and John D’Elia, 2014) was inspired by Psalm 30, but can also find inspiration from Psalm 71:20 and James 4:10. So often we fancy ourselves as secure, and we think we can go it all alone. But when God hides His face from me because I choose to go it on my own, my soul cries out to Him to “Pick Me Up, and turn me around … Lord set me free, for I’ve been going it on my own, now it’s time for me to come home, Help me get my feet back on the ground.”

The psalmist David had a propensity for going it on his own, for he said “When all was well with me, I said, I will never be moved”. In Psalm 30:6-12 it says that David then asked for God’s mercy as he was shaken because God turned his face from him. God being compassionate, then lifts David from his troubles, turns his crying into dancing, and establishes his feet with joy on God’s firm foundation again.

But how do we go about picking ourselves up or restoring our relationship with God? James 4:10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up”. To humble yourself means to be subservient and wholeheartedly devoted to God. “and he shall lift you up; this is God’s way of lifting up those who seek Him in all things – Over time, as we mature in Christ, we find God lifting us up more frequently, and consequently changing us so that we become more like Christ. He draws us nearer to Him, and as a result we grow in faith and wisdom, better able to overcome our limited expectations of ourselves for overcoming sin in our lives. He delivers us from our old ways; He comforts us as we sing our praise to Him alone and raise our voice up to His throne, our arms outstretched to His delight, stars shimmering in His reflected light; He gives us a place with Him in eternity.

The song Pick Me Up is a prayer of confession that we need God to lift us up and deliver us – “Oh Lord, set me free”. It is a song of confession to God that we have all gone it on our own. “Now it’s time for me to come home, Help me get my feet back on the ground”.

God is eager to rescue us just as He was eager to deliver King David; just as He was eager to deliver Marty, although Marty was unaccepting of God’s help and mercy. He is eager to help us live successful and victorious lives. He wants us to draw near to Him so that we can know Him better and love Him more, and so that we might be empowered with with His Holy Spirit to do what is right, live in faith and do good works (Romans 7:18, Ephesians 2:4-10). Will we allow God to lift us up?

(Pick Me Up song lyrics)
Oh stand by me
Oh Lord, set me free
Oh I’ve been goin’ it on my own
Now it’s time for me to come home
Help me get my feet back on the ground

Pick me up and turn me around,
Jesus make a change in my life,
Pick me up and don’t put me down,
Jesus make a change in my life.

Sing my praise to You alone
Raise my voice up to Your throne
My arms outstretched to Your delight
Stars shimmering in Your reflected light.

Oh stand by me
Oh Lord, set me free
Oh I’ve been goin’ it on my own
Now it’s time for me to come home
Help me get my feet back on the ground.

Pick me up and turn me around,
Jesus make a change in my life,
Pick me up, don’t put me down
Jesus make a change in my life.

If I’m up or if I down
Sing Hallelujah, we all bow down,
Let Your light, shine in me now,
Empower me with Your Spirit now.