Background of Favorite Religious Songs

 Alas and did my savior bleed

             Hymn by Issac Watts has touched millions for years

There was a young man in the west, haunted by the line the line “alas and did my savior bleed”

And was it for crimes that I have done

He decided to surrender his life to God

            “here Lord I give myself away, tis all that I can do”

He went about singing this song and teaching others, one time

        Leading it in a congregation when there was a visitor

            Poor blind woman, torn clothing,

                        Stanza after stanza of this song affected her

                        She gave herself to Christ that night

                                    Her name was Fannie Crosby 

He hideth my soul

             Blind person, Fanny Crosby, faced much insecurity,

She wrote for many preachers in that day.

            They would tell her what the sermon was about, she would compose a song

            Became world famous finally, but never made any real money

She loved the book of Psalms

                                    Ps 32:7 You are my hiding place

            But the verse that inspired this song was from Ex 33:22

                        I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand.

            This was her favorite of all the dozens of songs she wrote

                        From that humble beginning when the she heard the words “alas and did my savior bleed”

Amazing Grace

            John Newton was a troubled child, father died at an early age

            Raised by alcoholic mother, ran away at age 8, lived off the streets of London

            Organized a teen age gang known especially for it heinous crimes and brutality

            One man approached him telling him he had heard of him, had the perfect job

                        At age 18, he was in charge of slave transport boats to America

                                    He didn’t care much if the “cargo” lived or died

                                    Often threw overboard, especially during one big storm

                                                After killing all slaves on board, the seas remained high

                                                Was in the captains quarters and began reading the Bible

                                                            Something touched him, and he read all night, next night

                                                            When the boat reached shore back in England, he was baptized

                                                                        Became a preacher and song writer

 One of his last statements was “My memory is about gone, but I do remember 2 things.  That I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

             P.P. Bliss  recall the story about the lower lights burning

            This was his last song, in fact he didn’t even finish it

             Was on his way to Chicago to work in the Dwight Moody Evangelism School

                        Train wreck - he could not find his wife and went back into the fiery car to look for her

                                    Both perished in the fire  2 songs found in his trunk

                                                Can’t remember the other one, but this one I remember

            He wrote the 1^st 4 verses and you can see how they have a somewhat somber mood

            When he died, it was assumed he merely changed his address to heaven’s, so the last

                     Verse was finished for him

                                    Became a song of victory for him and all the other saints who have gone home

Nearer my God to thee

            Made famous by the string quartet aboard the Titanic, which played this song over and over again

                    While the ship was breaking up around them, bringing calm and peace to many perishing

            Author, Sarah Adams, had to say good bye often, at 5 her mother died, father 17 years later

        Age 32 she was leading actress on London stage, had to leave for health reasons in her prime

        Sister was very bad health, dreaded the day she would bid her farewell as well

        Her minister asked her and her sister to write a hymn for his sermon

        They did, wrote 16 different verses to different types of songs, 62 new tunes

        Preacher then told them he would be preaching on Jacob’s dream of a ladder to heaven

        He said there was no appropriate hymn for this

        She and her sister wrote this song with that message in mind

        This is truly a great sermon all by itself!

Just As I am 

            Charlotte Elliott seemed to have everything going her way

                        Gifted portrait artist and writer of humorous verse

                                    In her 30’s, contracted an illness robbing her of this ability, weak, depressed

                                    When sick, a preacher came to see her

                                                Noting her depression, asked if she was a t peace with God

                                                            She threw him out

                                    Few days later she apologized to him and told him she wanted to come to Christ,

                                                But had a few things she wanted to clear up first

                                    Preacher told her to come as she was  she did, and was baptized

14 years later, she still remembered his wise words, to come as she was, and she was determined to share that message with others, and could not think of any way to do it any better than to present this message DURING and AS PART OF an invitation song

Now one of the best known invitation songs of all time

Because of the simple message.  Come as you are, and come right now!