****LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH

There are some songs that I hate to love.

What do I mean by that?  They are songs I love.  I grew up with them.  I memorized them I sang them with passion.   The people in my church love them.   They are songs that raise the human spirit.  They touch our hearts.  They make us feel warm and fuzzy.  They inspire us.  The music is pleasant and dynamic.

But I HATE THEM.  They are egocentric.  They are theologically anemic at best and downright errant, heretical, or blasphemous at worst.  Yet, because they are ingrained in our church culture, undiscerning people are filled with false doctrines.

So I hate them; I hate it that I love them.  

This song should not be sung in church.

*****

Here’s one that rears its ugly head every few years.  It was performed at the 9-11 memorial service a few years ago and this year the world thrilled over it once again at the ungodly display of a man in Washington who thinks He is god, hosting another man (the Pope) from South America who thinks He is god, to bring about worldwide peace and love among heathens who don’t care about God.

Let There Be Peace On Earth is a BAD hymn.  It is liberation theology.  It anticipates the glorious end of the earth when all people will live in love and drink Coca-Cola while they "teach the world to sing in perfect harmony."

It deifies mankind.  The premise of the song doesn’t begin with God; it begins with me.  This heavenly peace on earth is achievable because, if every one of us will just dedicate ourselves to the goal, we can make it happen. 

It smacks of universalism.  I hate to break this to you but, God is NOT the father of all men and we are NOT all brothers.  God is the Father of His elect and Satan is the father and god of everyone else.  So, as a Christian, as much as I might try, I cannot walk together in perfect harmony with unbelievers.

And what about this peace?  Is this peace really meant to be?  What does that even mean?  Who meant it to be?  Was it God?  If so, then why don’t we have it?  Maybe God is impotent and we have to do His work for Him.  If we don’t do it, it won’t be done.

This song is classified as a Christmas song, perhaps because of the phrase “peace on earth.”  But when the angel appeared to the Shepherds and declared “peace on earth; goodwill toward men,” he wasn’t just mouthing a mushy Hallmark sentiment.  He was declaring that, with the advent of the Messiah (God’s goodwill toward men),  we can now be at peace with God.  That peace was achieved at Calvary; it is a done deal and that is evidenced by the fact that God doesn't just kill us all but, instead, has provided a way for some to be reconciled to Him.  And someday, Jesus Christ will return, take his throne, and rule over all the earth for 1000 years of peace.  He will do it; we cannot.  And, no matter how hard He tries, neither can King Obama.

This is a lousy Christmas Carol and a terrible, unbiblical Christian hymn but, other than that, it is a really great song.  Please, can somebody write some better lyrics?  Until then, let's keep it out of our churches.

****PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN

One of the things I have noticed is that many of the greatest hymns of our faith have been authored by godly men and women who have been tested through extreme sufferings, losses, and persecutions.  And yet God has used them as testimonies to His goodness.

 

The Reverend, Mr. Henry Lyte, was one of them.   He was a frail, and sickly man who suffered most of his life with chronic asthma and tuberculosis.  Yet his friends described him as “strong in faith and spirit.” 

At the age of twenty-five years, he had just entered the ministry when a close friend and fellow clergyman died of a serious illness.  That experience changed Henry.  He said, “the death of my friend, who died happy in the thought that there was One who would atone for his delinquencies” made me study my Bible and preach in another manner than I had previously done.”

In 1834 Henry published an obscure collection of 280 hymns that he had written called, The Spirit of the Psalms.  They were not strict paraphrases but they were all loosely inspired by the Psalms.

 

His classic hymn, "Abide With Me," was the best known of his works for over 100 years, until Queen Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh.

  

The Queen had chosen another one of Henry’s obscure Psalms to be sung at her wedding ceremony.  That single event on November 20, 1947 (which was also the 100^th anniversary of Henry Lyte’s death) caught the attention of the whole world and Henry’s hymn was instantly popularized for use at weddings and funerals for decades.  PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN has probably begun more ceremonies than any other hymn in the English language.

The hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103.  It is a declaration of the Goodness of God.   The author mentions several benefits of God’s grace but I think the most stunning line in the entire hymn, is in the first stanza.  It summarizes God’s goodness in just four amazing words: 

“Ransomed, Healed, Restored, Forgiven.”

 

And therein is the Gospel; God’s Good News.  

As sinners, we owed a debt that we could not pay.   The payment for our redemption was made by the Son of Man who "gave His life a ransom for many."  

Jesus paid a debt He did not owe.  And for all who have been ransomed, the disease of sin that results in spiritual death has been cured.  We have been made whole.  All our sins have been forgiven.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

“Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

“Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

“Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  (Psa. 103:1-5)

God is Good and this Hymn urges us to do now, what we will be doing in eternity; “PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN.”

****NAME OF ALL MAJESTY

I don’t usually look for doctrinal fights on purpose but, occasionally, they just come and find me.

 

I bumped into a man one day who had been a regular attendee at my church but then, he just stopped coming. When I asked where he had been, he said, “Oh, I’m not into church.  I love God and I talk to Jesus every day.  But you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”

I couldn’t ignore that; I tried to convince him of the importance of the regular gathering of believers for worship and fellowship. But after a quite lengthy exchange, His response was, “We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

I reminded him that my arguments were not my own opinions but they were, in fact, scriptural and that his disagreement was not with me but with God.

That’s when he got a little uppity and said, “SHOW ME IN THE BIBLE WHERE IT SAYS I HAVE TO…” (Now you can fill in the blank on this one; it doesn’t really matter how people end that sentence. Usually, when a person deflects to that kind of “show me” demand, his real problem is a rejection of the Word of God. It’s a classic, foolish, non-argument that began in the garden when the serpent tempted Eve with her own words; he asked, “Did God really say 'don’t touch that fruit?'”  But I digress.)

I continued to try to convince my friend with scripture. My arguments were biblical and true but I lost the debate when he stripped me of nearly 70% of my authoritative ammunition and set a boundary around the debate with one idiotic statement.  He said, “…and don’t give me any of that Old Testament stuff either; we are in New Testament times.”

When someone rejects God’s revelation, any supporting arguments we may have, on any subject, are reduced to just personal opinions.  He had me right where he wanted me - on an equal playing field in an emotional arena of subjectivity and personal preferences. That’s when I knew there was no more point in continuing; the fight was over.

There is an inseverable relationship between the Living Word of God and the written Word of God; you cannot love Jesus and hate His Word.  

This person, who claimed to love God, had just revealed his real problem; he was unwilling to recognize or submit to the authority of God’s Word. 

Jesus once scolded His disciples when He asked them, “… why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”  (Lk. 6:46)

Then He compared a person who hears His Words and does not listen, to a fool whose faith is built on a shaky foundation. 

In the hymn, NAME OF ALL MAJESTY, our God is identified as the Immortal, Eternal King of the Ages. He is attributed with incomparable Splendor and Dignity. He is our Sovereign Master and our Savior. And, in the midst of all those superlative titles, attributes, and descriptors, is this stunning reminder; He has all Power and Authority; Jesus is Lord! 

This hymn was partially inspired by David’s prayer of praise to God, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;

“For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.   In Your hand is power and might;  In Your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.

  

“Now, therefore, our God, we thank You And praise Your glorious Name.”  (1 Chron. 29:11-13)

NAME OF ALL MAJESTY

Name of all majesty, fathomless mystery,

King of the ages by angels adored;

Pow'r and authority, splendor and dignity,

Bow to His mastery, Jesus Is Lord!

Child of our destiny, God from eternity,

Love of the Father on sinners outpoured;

See now what God has done sending His only Son,

Christ the beloved One, Jesus is Lord.

Saviour of Calvary, costliest victory,

Darkness defeated and Eden restored;

Born as a man to die, nailed to a cross on high,

Cold in the grave to lie, Jesus is Lord!

Source of all sovereignty, light, immortality,

Life everlasting and heaven assured;

So, with the ransomed, we praise Him eternally,

Christ in His majesty, Jesus is Lord!

Timothy Dudley-Smith

Words © 1984 Hope Publishing Company