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Dare to Believe with DJ Jash (Episode Seven [How Great Thou Art])

Aired: September 1, 2012

A blessed day to all of you! Once again you’re with DJ Jash. Dare to believe will start in a bit, so please stay with me. And while you wait, here’s Shout to the LORD and How Great is Our God by Christ Tomlin, and You Are More by Hillsong.

Music

Each of the song I’ve played is about the greatness of our Creator. Our main song for tonight also declares the greatness of Yahweh.  We sang this song at church last Sunday and I’ve been LSSed to it ever since. Here is How Great Thou Art, rendition by Carrie Underwood.

PRESENTATION

Music: How Great Thou Art (Carrie Underwood)

What you’ve just heard is only one of over one thousand, seven hundred documented recordings of How Great Thou Art. This performance by Country star Carrie Underwood reached #1 spot in iTunes Top Gospel Song and Top 40 in iTunes All-Genre Songs only April last year after being televised. It debuted at #2 position in Billboard Christian Digital songs chart and #35 in Country Digital Songs chart. After four months, it sold 236,000 digital copies in the USA.

Among other notable performers of the hymn are Alan Jackson, George Beverly Shea, Burl Ives, Dixie Carter, Roy Rogers,  Connie Smith, and Elvis Presley, whose rendition received a Grammy Award for “Best Sacred Performance”.

How Great Thou Art became widely known first in 1957 when the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City launched it on a never-ending spiral around the world; it was used more than 100 times by George Beverly Shea and the Crusade Choir in 119 meetings. Two years later, it became the theme of Billy Graham’s “Hour of Decision” weekly radio broadcast. It also became the best-loved hymn of the Billy Graham Crusades. Soon, How Great Thou Art has been named in numerous polls as the number one hymn in Britain and America, and How Great Thou Art has been performed in Broadway productions in New York, and on the London stage.

In the mid 70’s, How Great Thou Art received an award for one million performances on radio and television, and was also named, in 1978 by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, as “The All-Time Outstanding Gospel Song” in America. It is considered to be the most recorded Gospel song by major Gospel artists, as well as many secular artists. How Great thou Art has been used on major television programs, major motion pictures, and has been named as the favorite Gospel song of at least three United States’ presidents. The song has received two Grammy Awards.

These things are no doubt quite impressive, but indeed these things aren’t the real deal. The real deal is that this majestic song speaks of praise and adoration of the omnipotence of the Creator who did it all. It was translated from Swedish, to German, to Russian, and finally to English, and ever since many other translations have been made from each of these versions; and the important thing is this song has spread around the world, revealing to the heathens and reminding the saints the greatness of Yahweh. As Billy Graham put it, “[How Great Thou Art] turns Christian’s eyes toward God, rather than upon themselves . . . . it is such a God-honoring song.”

  "It was that time of year,” said the original writer of How Great Thou Art, “when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.

"When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of 'When eternity's clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.' That evening, I wrote the song, 'O Store Gud.'”

How Great Thou Art was originally written by Carl Gustav Boberg. He was a Swedish poet and writer who was born in the end of 1850s (August 16, 1859) in Mönsterås, Kalmar County in Småland. Boberg was a shipyard carpenter’s son, and had worked briefly as a sailor. He became a lay preacher, the editor of a weekly Christian newspaper from 1890 until 1916, and an elected official in the Upper house of the Swedish Parliament for 20 years from 1912 to 1931. He published more than 60 poems, hymns and gospel songs, including collaboration with Swedish hymnist Lina Sandell.

            Boberg was around 26 when he wrote the lyrics of ‘O Store Gud’ or ‘O Great God’. It was after attending an afternoon service in Kronobäck. He was a young minister then, walking back home to Mönsterås (myozteroz) with some of his friends. It was said that “Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Presently a thundercloud appeared on the horizon, and soon sharp lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain. The thunder pealed in loud claps. Then rain came in cool fresh showers. In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared.”

After trekking through a thunderstorm from a church meeting two miles away, Boberg arrived home and opened the window, seeing the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him… “From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush…the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening. It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired the writing of the song.” In short, it was the beauty of creation reflecting the majesty of the Creator that urged Boberg to write the poem. A literal translation of the poem is as follows:

When I the world consider Which Thou has made by Thine almighty Word And how the webb of life Thy wisdom guideth And all creation feedeth at Thy board.

Then doth my soul burst forth in song of praise Oh, great God Oh, great God.

Yes, Boberg wrote a poem, not a hymn. He did not write any music to the text. The truth is after appearing in several periodicals and being published in his weekly paper in 1891, the poem was seemingly forgotten. Several years later though, Boberg attended a meeting and was surprised to hear his poem being sung to the tune of an old Swedish folk melody of unknown origin. This was followed by a German translation in 1907, which spread throughout Germany, which the German people sang. After twenty years, from German, a Russian translation appeared and was published in Moscow in a Russian hymnal. This was the version that Stuart Hine first heard, while on an evangelistic mission to the Carpathian Mountains, near the Polish border, in 1927.

Stuart K. Hine was an English Methodist missionary who was born in 1899. He believed in the Messiah when he was fourteen years old, and was influenced greatly by the teachings of British Baptist evangelist Charles Spurgeon. Being members of the Salvation Army, his parents dedicated him to Yahweh during a time when there was a strong opposition against those who proclaimed the Messiah. After serving in the Armed Forces, Hine was called to the mission field. For many years he served in Poland and, with his young wife, in Czechoslovakia, where they first heard a very meaningful hymn that was a Russian translation of Carl Boberg’s “O Great God”. It was also during missionary work in these countries that Mr. Hine composed songs and verses, including the additional and optional verses he wrote for “O Great God”.

Hine first thought of translating the hymn from Russian to English while ministering in the Carpathian Mountains. Like Boberg, Hine found himself in the midst of a storm, lightning flashing and thunder rolling across the mountains. It had to be very beautiful and majestic and there Hine began writing those English verses in his mind, verses that were suggested by the Russian translation of “O Great God”.

Next came the second stanza. When Hine crossed the mountain borderline into Romania and into Bukovina, together with some young people, through the woods and forest glades he wandered, and heard the birds sing sweetly in the trees. This obviously prompted him to write the second verse.

Hine’s addition of the second, third, fourth, and other optional stanzas were more of his own writing rather than mere translations, that’s why people call How Great Thou Art a paraphrase hymn. According to Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service, "Hine and his wife, Edith, learned the Russian translation, and started using it in their evangelistic services. Hine also started re-writing some of the verses – and writing new verses (all in Russian) – as events inspired him."

The current third and fourth verses are my personal favorite part of the song. It’s, like, the part that I always abruptly sing, y’know when I’m in my room or in the bathroom. It goes:

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Sorry, I couldn’t help it. We have an explanatory story about the third verse from Michael Ireland:

“It was typical of the Hines to inquire as to the existence of any Christians in the villages they visited. In one case, they found out that the only Christians that their host knew about were a man named Dmitri and his wife Lyudmila. Dmitri's wife knew how to read -- evidently a fairly rare thing at that time and in that place. She taught herself how to read because a Russian soldier had left a Bible behind several years earlier, and she started slowly learning by reading that Bible. When the Hines arrived in the village and approached Dmitri's house, they heard a strange and wonderful sound: Dmitri's wife was reading from the gospel of John about the crucifixion of Christ to a houseful of guests, and those visitors were in the very act of repenting. In Ukraine (as I know first hand!), this act of repenting is done very much out loud. So the Hines heard people calling out to God, saying how unbelievable it was that Christ would die for their own sins, and praising Him for His love and mercy. They just couldn't barge in and disrupt this obvious work of the Holy Spirit, so they stayed outside and listened. Stuart wrote down the phrases he heard the Repenters use, and (even though this was all in Russian), it became the third verse that we know today..."

When World War II started in 1939, Hine returned to England. There, after the war ended, he added stanza four. Throughout that time, Hine continued sharing the gospel in England. He worked among the exiled Polish refugee community. 1948, Hine visited a camp in Sussex, England, where displaced Russians were being held. Only two were professing Christians. The testimony of one of these refugees and his anticipation of the second coming of Christ inspired Hine to write the fourth and final stanza of his English version of the hymn.

Again, according to Ireland:

One man to whom they were ministering told them an amazing story: he had been separated from his wife at the very end of the war, and had not seen her since. At the time they were separated, his wife was a Christian, but he was not, but he had since been converted. His deep desire was to find his wife so they could at last share their faith together. But he told the Hines that he did not think he would ever see his wife on earth again. Instead he was longing for the day when they would meet in heaven, and could share in the Life Eternal there. These words again inspired Hine, and they became the basis for his fourth and final verse to 'How Great Thou Art': "When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation to take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then we shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, My God How Great Thou Art!

In 1949, the year after writing the final verse, Hine printed the hymn in a Russian gospel magazine and then printed it in leaflet form. One of the leaflets was given to George Beverley Shea during the Billy Graham Crusade in 1954. Shea helped introduce the song in the meetings of the Toronto Crusade in 1955, and it was only the beginning of the long and ongoing history of the song How Great Thou Art. Yes, how great Yahweh is.

O mighty God, when I behold the wonder Of nature’s beauty, wrought by words of thine, And how thou leadest all from realms up yonder, Sustaining earthly life with love benign.

With rapture filled, my soul thy Name would laud, O mighty God! O mighty God! With rapture filled, my soul thy Name would laud, O mighty God! O mighty God!

When I behold the heavens in their vastness, Where golden ships in azure issue forth, Where sun and moon keep watch upon the fastness Of changing seasons and of time on earth.  

When crushed by guilt of sin before thee kneeling, I plead for mercy and for grace and peace, I feel thy balm and, all my bruises healing, My soul is filled, my heart is set at ease.

And when at last the mists of time have vanished And I in truth my faith confirmed shall see, Upon the shores where earthly ills are banished I’ll enter Lord, to dwell in peace with thee.

O when I see ungrateful man defiling This bounteous earth, God's gifts so good and great; In foolish pride, God's holy Name reviling, And yet, in grace, His wrath and judgment wait.

When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance, Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face; And then in love He brings me sweet assurance: 'My child! for thee sufficient is my grace'.

With rapture filled, my soul thy Name would laud, O mighty God! O mighty God! With rapture filled, my soul thy Name would laud, O mighty God! O mighty God!

MESSAGE

While lookin’ around Booksale, I saw this book about the outer space. It showed a bunch of pictures taken with, I think that was the Hubbard or Hubble telescope? Yeah, so it showed a bunch of HD pictures of the nebulas and comets and stars and stuff. The pictures were amazing. I showed the book to my brother and he was like are these pictures even real? They looked computer manipulated, but they were not. The pictures showed what those heavenly bodies really look like. And they definitely looked amazing. They were works of art. What’s amazing about the book is all throughout it keeps on reminding the reader the One who created the universe, and that is no other than Yahweh. “The heavens declare the glory of El; the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” Psalm 19:1.

How great Yahweh is, that’s our theme for tonight. Mosheh (or Moses) asks in Exodus 15:11, Who is like Thee among the gods, O LORD? (the all-caps LORD stands for the Tetragrammaton, Yod-He-Waw-He, which is no other than the name of the Creator, Yahweh.) Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?”

From the previous verses, 7-10, we read about the mighty power of Yahweh. How He has total control over the elements, which He uses to destroy His enemies. Mosheh here talks about the blast of Yahweh’s nostrils (verse 8) and Yahweh’s blowing with His breath (verse 10). These are poetic anthromorphism or poetic use of attribution of human characteristics or behavior to Yahweh to better grasp the idea. He destroyed those arrogant Egyptians at the Red Sea. They were so confident of themselves, that they would win, proudly charging against Yisra’el, but what happens? Do they prevail? At the moment Yahweh showed His power, at His tiniest “expense of divine energy”, He annihilated each one of them. So Mosheh was, like, “Who is like You, O Yahweh?” Who among the gods is like You? Those deities that the heathens call gods, are they anything like Yahweh?

Let’s take a look at Psalm 86:8. Look at the psalm. David said, “There is no one like You among the gods, O Adonai…” So David says, no way! Yahweh has this remarkable greatness. He is unique! There is no one like Him. “Nor are there any works like Yours.” No deeds can even be compared with Yahweh’s. Those other so-called gods are dead. Even Dios is dead. Dios, a.k.a. Zeus, supreme god of the Greeks, Hercules’ dad, ring a bell? The guy with the thunder bolt, whom Disney gave orange skin and pinkish-purple toga? Why do we Filipinos even refer to Yahweh as Dios? Is Dios-slash-Zeus like Yahweh? Can he split the red sea? Fire up Eliyah’s sacrifice? Well, no, ‘cause he’s dead. Paul is on my side on that one. But Yahweh is alive! And He is so great!

 “Many, O Yahweh my El, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare,” Psalm 40:5.

“He has caused his wonders to be remembered; Yahweh is gracious and compassionate,” Psalm 111:4.

 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what El has done from beginning to end,” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

“You are the El who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples,” Psalm 77:14.

“How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation,” Daniel 4:3.

“I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke,” Joel 2:30.

“Yahweh said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do,’” Exodus 4:21.

Of all the miracles shown to His people in the Old Testament, probably the most unforgettable ones are the ones shown from the time Yisra’el was held captive by the Egyptians, to their deliverance in the Red sea, to the provision in the wilderness. How many wonders and miracles were shown to them? They’d seen the petrifying plagues; they’d seen the Red sea divided into two and form a dry path for them to cross, and they’d seen it return to drown the Egyptians; they’d seen and eaten manna that fell from the sky, and drank water from a rock.  And still they would come a time that they would disobey.

But that shows even more just how great Yahweh really is. Even so, Yahweh is their merciful Creator – our merciful Creator – the merciful Creator. Despite our shortcomings we are forgiven because we are precious in His sight.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well,” Psalm 139:14.

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3.

We may never understand, but He does care for us. And He proved just that by sending Y’shua the Messiah to die instead of us sinners, so that by faith alone in Christ alone we might be saved. The greatest greatness of Yahweh is that while we were yet still sinners, the Messiah died for us. 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” How great His love is. Truly, how great Yahweh is.

Let’s pray…

Dear Father,

When I recall and see the wonders and miracles You’ve done for those who belong to You, when I see Your beautiful creation, when I remember what the Messiah has done on the Cross in my place, I know then that there really is a Creator and that it is You, Yahweh. It is You. And You are great and awesome. You’ve given me an imperishable life. My mind can’t comprehend why You would do that, but the important thing is that You did it, because You love me, and I believe. Thank You, Father. Hallelu-Yah… You deserve all the praise, honor and glory.

In the Name of Y’shua the Messiah,

Amein

Thank you so much once again for tuning in tonight to Dare To Believe! If you have any questions regarding the bible lesson for tonight, or if you wish to suggest or request a theme for Dare to Believe, we could do that you know, e-mail me at jbagabaldo@truthonair.com, or simply tweet me @jashbagabaldo. Ok? Go. Behind a great song is a great story, so join me every first Saturday of the month at 8 PM PHT if you dare to believe. This is DJ JASH for TruthOnAir.com. All for His fame, everything for His name!

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Dare to Believe (Episode Six [A Mighty Fortress])

Aired: August 10, 2012

By: Jash Bagabaldo

Music: Hiding In Thee/Rock of Ages - Haven Quartet

            A blessed evening to my listeners! You are once again with DJ Jash, and this is Dare to Believe. Before we start our main presentation, I would like to borrow a few paragraphs from evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher, Dr. Charles R. Swindoll. He said:

            “Music,” wrote Martin Luther, “is a gift and grace of God.” Through its majestic harmonies, it weaves the chords of courage and comfort. With its mighty crescendos, it plants determination and discipline into our souls. Of all the different, marvelous types of music, none makes me think deeper, stand taller, sing louder than the great hymn of the Reformation, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

            I love this grand old hymn. In a day when good, solid doctrine from the Scriptures is often lacking in our music, this great piece is dripping with biblical truth. Luther tugs on our heart’s strings when he proclaims God as our helper and Jesus as the man on our side. It is He who will win our battle!

            Anyone who knows Martin Luther’s story knows his battle for truth. His name is a synonym for courage and determination—the same character qualities we need in our battles. In a day when warriors are scarce and surrender is more popular than firm convictions, this hymn brings us back to those needed reminders.

            Read through the words slowly … thoughtfully. Even without the majestic chords building our anticipation, the message will stir your heart. Though Luther penned these lyrics almost five hundred years ago, it’s amazing how up-to-date they really are! His struggles mirror our own. And his remarks about demonic assaults are as current as this morning’s newspaper.

            I often sing these words to myself or quote the lyrics when my courage needs undergirding. The song never fails to remind me where I need to go when I’m afraid or in Whom I need to place my trust. My determination is strengthened when I sing, “We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.” God is our mighty fortress. Our bulwark. Our helper. We can trust Him!

            Allow me to suggest to you a real faith-builder. In addition to memorizing Scripture, commit this great piece of musical doctrine to memory. I guarantee it will strengthen your faith, because it will remind you of God’s power and faithfulness. Perhaps you can sing it as a family before a meal or start your Bible study with it. However you weave it into your memory, never forget the scriptural truth on which it is built: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.”

            Those words were from the preface of Chuck Swidoll’s book Can One Person Make a Difference? He wants his readers to read thoughtfully through the words of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. But in our case for tonight, we do have the majestic chords and you will hear them, so instead I want you to listen thoughtfully. Here is A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, sung by Steve Green.

Music: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

            A Mighty Fortress Is Our God is probably the best known hymn of Martin Luther, a German monk, priest and professor of theology born in the 15th century. The hymn was written during Luther’s opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, being his doubtless expression of triumph in that crisis.

            Martin Luther was the eldest son of Hans and Margarethe Luther. He was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Deutschland, which was at that time part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was said that Martin Luther was a very big disappointment to his father who had dreamed and wished that he would study law and be a lawyer. His father was furious when Martin, at age twenty-one, after almost being hit by a lightning bolt and realizing that death and divine judgment is terrifying, entered a monastery to live as a monk. Little did his father know that Martin would one day be far better known than any lawyer in Germany.

            Martin Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507 and in the following year began teaching at the University of Wittenberg. It was there, October 31, 1517, on the door of the All Saints’ Church, that Luther nailed his famous ninety-five theses, or articles, against the doctrines, rituals, and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, not to mention the papal abuses and corruption, which sparked the Reformation. Two years later Martin Luther rejected the supremacy and authority of the pope, the Roman Catholic Church and its so-called traditions; he came to know that the real authority is not in a religion, but is in the Word of Yahweh; he believed in the doctrine of plenary verbal inerrancy of the Scriptures, or that not only the ideas but each word in the Word of Yahweh was and is indeed inspired and chosen by Yahweh. Martin became convinced that the Roman Catholic Church was corrupt in its ways – that it had lost sight of what Martin saw as several of the central truths of real Christianity, like the one Luther considered with utmost importance: the doctrine of justification, which states that salvation is by faith alone through grace alone and cannot be purchased with money. This action resulted in papal condemnation of Luther and his writings; he later received excommunication from the pope and was condemned as an outlaw by Emperor Charles V.

            Martin Luther had been given a chance to renounce his writings, but he did not recant. In 1521, Luther appeared before a deliberative assembly called the Reichstag zu Worms, or Diet of Worms, despite his friends urging him not to go because they believed it was not safe. It was in Worms where he declared, “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils because they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.” Even before the night of that trial, he knew that he would be confronting a spiritual battle, so he prayed to Yahweh for help, to be His fortress: “My God, stand by me, against all the world’s wisdom and reason […] Not mine but Yours is the cause […] I would prefer to have peaceful days and to be out of this turmoil. But Yours, O Lord, is this cause; it is righteous and eternal. Stand by me, You true Eternal God! In no man do I trust […] Stand by me, O God, in the name of Your dear Son Jesus Christ, who shall be my defense and shelter, yes, my mighty fortress, through the might and strength of your Holy Spirit. Amen.” He fully trusted Yahweh’s might to win the battle. He was tested, and here he was enabled to overcome the peril. We could only hope that this was always the case. But just like any other Christian, there came a time in Luther’s life where he stumbled in faith.

             In 1529, he was very ill and weak and wrote to his friend about his physical conditions. In his letter, he told his friend that “Christ has completely abandoned” him, that he “labored under the vacillations and storms of desperation and blasphemy against God”. The sad thing about this is that he wasn’t only physically sick, he was experiencing a spiritual rebellion as well. Soon though he saw the power of prayer and once again acknowledged the continuous mercy of Yahweh. He was urged to write his best-known hymn. It was called “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott”. It was translated by Thomas Carlyle with the beginning of “A safe stronghold our God is still”. A more popular translation though was made by Frederick H. Hedge, which begins, “A mighty fortress is our God.”

            As you may see, Luther was used by Yahweh in numerous ways. He was also used to make a scholarly translation of the Word of Yahweh into the tongue of his people: German, making Yahweh’s Word available even to those who were thought to be ordinary people. This was Luther’s greatest literary achievement. He also wrote 37 hymns in his lifetime, teaching that music was a gift from Yahweh and should be used in doing the work of Yahweh. Can I get an amein on that? Amein! He said, “Next to theology I give to music the highest place and greatest honour.”

            Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546. He was on his bed, thanking Yahweh for revealing Y’shua the Messiah to him in whom he had believed. A couple of his friends loudly asked him, "Reverend father, are you ready to die trusting in your Lord Jesus Christ and to confess the doctrine which you have taught in his name?" He had prayed a common prayer of the dying, Psalm 31:5, and Luther’s reply was a simple “Yes”.

Did you know? “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” has been called ‘the greatest hymn of the greatest man of the greatest period of German history.”

MESSAGE:

Last month, our featured song was "Rock of Ages", and I read to you many bible verses about Yahweh being our rock and our fortress. Tonight, I would like to focus on one passage in the Bible that states this wonderful truth – the passage where “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was based on: Psalm 46.

I love this chapter. Though the chief message revolves around the Elohim of Israel, the city of Elohim, Yeruwshalem, and how Yahweh delivers His people Yisra’el and gives them peace, just like any other Psalm, there’s a lesson here that can be applied for our daily Christian lives. This Psalm magnifies that Yahweh is the certain Defence of His people at all times. And that includes us, the believers, and the saints.

The chapter starts:

To the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. A song set to Alamoth. Which literally means maidens, most probably referring that this song is for soprano voices.

Elohim is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, and though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea; though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

Verses 1-3 declare that Elohim – the Sovereign One, the Creator, the Almighty – is the refuge, machseh, which means “shelter from danger”, of believers. Yahweh, as our refuge, gives us the power and ability to face uncertainties and hardships of life. We have no idea what might come our way, but we shouldn’t worry about it, because we know that we have a true security at times when everything falls apart. Yahweh is our strength, ‘owz, which means “power” or “courage”. He gives us the power and courage to defeat our foes, because it’s not our battle but His. He enables us to jump over the hurdles of life. Once again you hear the word “enable” from me. We are only enabled because we can’t just do it on our own. Yahweh only works through us. He works in us.

We, the believers, find safety by trusting in Yahweh who is always present to help us in our troubles. It is the result of His being our refuge and strength. He is always available. When you’re in trouble, call Him. Actually, that’s what He wants: He wants us to call upon Him when we need help. He wants us to depend on Him. This “very present help in trouble” can have the idea of “well-proved help” – that Yahweh’s help is not only consistently present, or available, or we could say just standing by and ready, but it is also consistently proven therefore dependable. It never fails! Summon Him, and His help will be there in a snap. And it will always be enough for any unpleasant situation we might have in our way. We do not have to fear, even if many dangers come our way. He is there when we call upon Him and will never leave.

The language here is poetically beautiful. It is hyperbolic, using disasters such as mountains moving, eroding and falling, just to emphasize how great the dangers may be that could come. But no matter what happens those who trust Yahweh are safe.

The next verses read:

There is a river, whose streams make the city of Elohim glad, the holy place of the Most High. Elohim is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: Elohim will help her when morning dawns.

Here we see that the peace of Yeruwshalem—the city of Elohim with the holy place whereElohim dwelt—was secured by Him. If perils are like terrifying torrents, Yahweh’s presence is like a peaceful flowing stream. “Stream” could also be translated as “river”. This river flows with both physical and spiritual blessing for Yeruwshalem. It continually flows with Yahweh’s grace, glory and power in the midst of the faithful ones. 

Yeruwshalem shall not be moved because Yahweh was within her. So now you understand the vision of Yeruwshalem’s destruction in Ezekiel. In chapter 8, there was a widespread idolatry; in chapter 10, Yahweh’s presence left. Of course Yahweh is omnipresent. It just means that His glory left, and without His protection, the city fell. Yeruwshalem is only under Yahweh’s protection when Yahweh is with them. When morning dawns, or when attacks are launched, Elohim is there to help her.

Yahweh is the believers’ security. Flowing from Yahweh the Father, Yahweh the Son, and Yahweh Ruach HaKodesh, this river constantly gives refreshing calmness to the believers. When we understand the most significant blessing that flows from this stream, bringing Elohim into our midst, we will not be moved. He is our help when we are attacked by the Enemy. You see, trusting Him rejuvenates us. It saves us from our worthless use of energy spent in worrying.

The heathen peoples rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts. Yahweh of hosts is with us; the Elohim of Yahakob (or Jacob) is our fortress.

Yahweh of hosts is with us. Here Elohim’s mighty power is illustrated: by Yahweh’s powerful word He melts the Gentile nations that rage against Him. Kingdoms fell, but Yeruwshalem was safe because Yahweh the Almighty was their protection. He is like a fortress to His people. He is our misgob, our “stronghold”. When we trust him, he will bring us to a “high safe place” where the floods cannot reach us.

Selah.

It might mean that there’s a pause, a crescendo, or there’s a musical interlude. Then the Psalm then continues:

Come, behold the works of Yahweh, how he has brought desolations on the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am Elohim. I will be exalted among the heathen peoples, I will be exalted in the earth!’

The psalm says, be still. It means cease striving. Stop, and watch Yahweh do the job. Have a relax mental attitude. Execute the faith-rest technique. We’ve talked about the faith-rest technique in one of my blogs. These breaking of the bow and the shattering of the spear show how Yahweh brings peace to His people.

“Be still” can also be translated “let go”. We must let go of things that are keeping us away from giving glory to Yahweh and giving Him His proper place in our lives. Think about these things that are hindering your spiritual growth. Is it a certain habit? A certain hobby? Is it a certain person? Well, we must let go and put Yahweh as number one in our lives. Don’t worry. I know it’s hard. Even impossible. But you don’t have to do this in your own strength. Remember, if you will let Yahweh, He will enable you to do all the things that bring glory to His Name.

Be exalted among the heathen peoples! The psalmist encourages the saints to observe the mighty and saving actions of Elohim. He will be exalted throughout the earth! This is undoubtedly an urge since the line in verse 7 is repeated:

Yahweh of hosts is with us; the Elohim of Yahakob is our fortress.

Selah.

            We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us…

         Like Luther, all of us, at some point of our spiritual lives, experience spiritual barrenness or unproductiveness. But this is not the normal thing for a Christian. We have Yahweh, who wants to give us help and comfort when we need Him, and that’s exactly what Luther had realized. This psalm expresses trust, confidence in and thanksgiving to Yahweh even in time when things are wavering and one feels so unsecured. Luther’s health was deteriorating, and he started to feel as if Christ had abandoned him. But of course the Messiah hadn’t! And even when Luther doubted Elohim, it didn’t stop Him from showing Luther His undying mercy readily available when needed. He was the very present help in trouble.

            How many times have we tried to defend ourselves and failed? Remember: The battle is not ours, but Yahweh’s! He only enables us to overcome anything in our lives. So when everything falls apart, stand back, trust Yahweh—He is the One—our strength and deliverer, and let Him put you in the safety of His fortress.

Let us pray…

PRAYER

Dear Father,

Thank You for the safety and security that You give us in our times of need. We know that no matter happens, you are our refuge and our strength. We continue to pray for our Filipino brothers and sisters who were troubled by the recent rainfalls. Bless them Father. Give them comfort and peace. Show them that you are their mighty fortress. Thank You Father for this evening.

In the Name of our Savior Y’shua the Messiah,

Amein

Thank you so much for tuning in tonight to Dare To Believe. This is DJ JASH for TruthOnAir.com. All for His fame, everything for His name! If you’re interested in hearing A Mighty Fortress in its original language, German, then stick around for awhile. Here’s Blessed night to all of you!

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Dare to Believe with DJ Jash: Rock of Ages Aired: July 5, 2012 ByJash Bagabaldo

A blessed day to all of you! You are once again with DJ JASH. Please stay tuned for Dare to Believe.

SONGS (Artists) :

            Hiding in Thee

            A Shelter in the Time of Storm

            The Solid Rock

Before I present to you our main song for tonight, I would like for you to think about the theme in the songs I’ve just played. The songs were Hiding in Thee by William Cushing, A Shelter in the Time of Storm by Vernon J. Charlesworth, and The Solid Rock by Edward Mote. What are these songs talking about? Of course these songs are going to point out our theme for tonight, and if it isn’t that obvious, here’s a hint. I’m going to quote Erick Routley, a 20th Century English Congregational minister, composer and musicologist. He said,

“All sociology, all psychology, all medicine and science come to this at last, that a man needs friendship with God, and in that will find friendship with the world. He needs a rock for shelter, a rock for refreshment, a rock for forgiveness. That Rock is Christ.”

This quotation from Mr. Routley wonderfully puts our topic for tonight. Tonight, we’re going to talk about our Hiding Place, our Shelter, our Solid Rock. So, Here’s Rock of Ages sung by Amy Grant and Vince Gill.

Song: ROCK OF AGES (Amy Grant Rendition)

Rock of Ages was written by an Anglican cleric and hymn writer, Augustus Toplady. Augustus Toplady was born in Farnham, Surrey, England on November 4, 1740. Having been converted by the preaching of a Wesleyan preacher in a service conducted in a barn, Toplady was ordained in the Church of England in 1762. At first he was John Wesley’s close friend, but later he openly criticized Wesley because of his strong Calvinistic beliefs, which lead to Toplady being a major opponent of John Wesley.

            In 1776, the hymn Rock of Ages appeared in a religious magazine published in London. It appeared with an article by Augustus Toplady. The said article was about the absolute impossibility of one’s paying his indebtedness to God. You know what? Toplady calculated the number of sins a person could commit by the day, the hour, the minute, and the second. According to his calculations, a person who lived eighty years could committed around 2,522,880,000 sins. And if you’re that person, how can you pay for that? When paying for even just one sin will cost you your life? It all leads to our “Rock of Ages”, Y’shua the Messiah, who died on the Cross instead of you, that by faith alone in Him alone, you will be saved.

The term “Rock of Ages” is found in Isaiah 26:4.  The Darby bible Translation translated it, “Confide ye in Jehovah for ever,” Of course, Jehovah is only a substitute for the Name of God. The Name is Yahweh, and could in no way be Jehovah because there’s no letter in the Hebrew language that could represent J. Anyway, the verse continues, “For in Jah, Jehovah, is the rock of ages.” Other versions translate this Rock eternal, eternal rock, everlasting rock, and everlasting strength.

            The Hebrew word used is in this verse is tsur. It means a cliff or a boulder. It is also translated as rock or strength, as we have read, and at times as stone. The same word is found in Deuteronomy 32:15, “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.”

            Toplady had drawn the idea of “Rock of Ages” from the Old Testament Hebrew. Rock is figuratively used in a lot of different ways. One of these ways is by referring to a refuge refuge:

De 33:27, “The eternal God is your dwelling place…”

Ps 27:5, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”

31:20, “In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.”

46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

71:3, “Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”

Old Testament writers also used the image of the rock as a Hiding Place:

Ps 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…”

27:5, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

31:20, “In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.”

32:7, “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”

119:114, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”

143:9, “Deliver me from my enemies, Oh, Yahweh! I have fled to you for refuge.”

Is 32:2, “Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.”

Likewise, the image of a rock is used for portraying a fortress:

2 Sam 22:2, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer

A shield:

Ps 84:11, “For Yahweh the Almighty is a sun and shield; Yahweh bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

And who can forget the story of Moses striking a rock to quench the thirst of the Israelites in the wilderness? The rock was used as a source of life-giving water! The analogy is clear: Who is the source of living water – the water that if anyone drinks will never be thirsty again? Of course, our Rock Y’shua the Messiah! He is the Rock of Ages!

            Y’shua is the Rock of which each our spiritual lives finds its foundation. Mt 7:24, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” 1 co 3:11, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” It is He in whom one can find not only shelter from the storms of life but also forgiveness of sins and most importantly eternal salvation.

Let us pray…

Dear Father,

Thank you for being my refuge, my hiding place, my shelter and my shield in times of troubles. Thank you for being my Rock and my Fortress.

In the Name of my Savior Y’shua the Messiah,

Amein

IN TIMES LIKE THESE

In times like these you need a Savior,

In times like these you need an anchor;

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock!

  In times like these you need the Bible,

In times like these, oh be not idle;

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock!

  This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One,

This Rock is Jesus, – The only One!

  In times like these I have a Savior,

In times like these, I have an anchor

I’m very sure, I’m very sure,

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

  This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One,

This Rock is Jesus, – The only One!

– Ruth Caye Jones

Thank you for tuning in tonight to Dare to Believe. Please join me again next month, August 3. Dare to Believe airs ever first Friday of the month, at 8PM. So mark your calendars if you dare to believe! This is DJ JASH for TruthOnAir.com. All for His fame, everything for His name!

ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND!

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Dare to Believe with DJ JASH: Great is Your Faithfulness Aired on June 1, 2012

INSTRUMENTAL INTRO: I’d Rather Have Jesus

A blessed day to all of the people who are now tuned in to truthonair.com. This is once again DARE to BELIEVE with DJ JASH.

Song: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

And that was Chris Rice’s rendition of Great is Thy Faithfulness. This hymn was written by Thomas O. Chisholm, a native of Franklin, Kentucky. At the age of sixteen he became a teacher and taught in the country school where he had received his education. He was converted to Christianity when he was twenty-seven. This was during a revival in Franklin. When he turned thirty-six, he was ordained to the Methodist ministry and joined the Louisville Methodist Conference. After a one-year pastorate his health failed and was very unstable; he moved to Vineland, New Jersey to start his sporadic career as a life insurance agent. And because of these, Chisholm, who has always been interested in poetry, started writing hymn texts. In 1923, when he was fifty-seven, he mailed a number of poems to a long-time friend, William M. Runyan, then living in Baldwin, Kansas. Among these poems was the one beginning “Great is thy faithfulness.”

William M. Runyan, finding “Great is Thy Faithfulness” beautifully written, composed music to accompany this particular poem. But even by then, this hymn received little recognition. Years later though Great is Thy Faithfulness was by sung George Beverley Shea and the choirs in Billly Graham’s Crusades and it finally received worldwide appreciation.

Chisholm wrote more than one thousand and two hundred poems in His lifetime. Eight hundred of these were published, and many were put to music, including O To be Like Thee! and Living for Jesus.

Chisholm based Great is Thy Faithfulness on Lamentations 3:22-23. Do you know what these verses say? They say,

The unfalling love of Yahweh never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.

This context of Lamentations chapter three is about Jeremiah’s lament. It’s about his external affliction and internal confusion. He was downcast. He was in despair. Yahweh was punishing Judah for her sin. He allowed and sent trials and tribulations, even destruction, along her way. But we can see Yahweh’s faithfulness despite this sad fact, because He did not reject her as His covenant people. He remained devoted to her. Jeremiah sees this, too, because he says in verse 21 that he “dares to hope” when he remembers that Yahweh’s faithfulness never fails. He calls Yahweh’s faithfulness to his mind and therefore he has hope.

In the previous verse 22 we can read that by “Yahweh’s great love we are not consumed.” Chezed means “great love”. This Hebrew word has the idea of mercy, of loyal love. As we can see clearly, even though Judah has been punished, Yahweh still preserved them, the people He had chosen. He had made a covenant with them, which can be read in Deuteronomy 28, and this covenant was kept. It was not abrogated. It was not put to an end. As a matter of fact, Yahweh’s chezed or loyal love could be seen in His faithfulness in carrying out the judgment He had cursed upon Judah at the same time preserving a trace. The discipline itself was a witness to the fact that Yahweh had not abandoned His people. “His compassions never fails.” Yahweh’s “compassions” showed His gentle feeling of concern for those who belonged to Him.

Could Judah do anything to change His compassions? Could being disobedient take away his faithfulness? Could refusal to repent erase his concern? Is Yahweh’s loyal love limited? Jeremiah’s answer to this was simple. No. Yahweh’s loving-kindness is “new every morning.” He offers a fresh supply of chezed to His covenant people. It could not be exhausted, so Jeremiah says in praise, “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

That’s exactly what Mr. Thomas Chisholm also realized. Though he had a very poor and fragile health; though his job was erratic – he found the sole source of genuine comfort: the Scriptures. And in the Scriptures he read that his Creator, his Maker, his God will always be faithful.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

All l of us know how hard life can be. Each of us has a struggle. But think of it. Every day you wake up experiencing the mercy of Yahweh. Despite our weaknesses, our mistakes, Yahweh remains faithful and forgives. “Yahweh is faithful” says 1 Corinthians 1:9; while “I am Yahweh, and I do not change” is stated in Malachi 3:6. Even David tells about this extraordinary faithfulness; he says in Psalm 36:5, “Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Each day, whether we are aware or it or not, we experiences His mercies and His grace. We are alive right now. We are breathing. We are anticipating eternity in joy, peace and love. And none of these is based on our faithfulness. We’re subject to variability! It is all based on the faithfulness of the immutable One who has saved us. And because that we are humbled.

In James 1:17, we read, “Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from Yahweh above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. “

Whatever the trials you’re going through right now, Yahweh is there. He is faithful. All you have to do is realize it. He will never leave you nor forsake you. And like Jeremiah and Thomas, do you dare to hope?

Let us pray…

Dear Father,

Thank you for your chezed, your great and loyal love, your mercies. Thank you for Your incomparable faithfulness, and for all of your provisions. They never lack.

In the Name of Y’shua the Messiah,

Amein

And that’s all for tonight, folks. Thanks a bunch for sticking with me. I’ll be accompanying you again next month with Dare to Believe, July 6, same day, same time, only here on Truth On Air.com. All for His fame, everything for His name!

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

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Dare to Believe with DJ JASH: Holy Week Special Aired April 6, 2012 

INSTRUMENTAL INTRO (Rock of Ages)

A blessed day to all of my listeners! You’re now tuned in to truthonair.com. This is once again DARE to BELIEVE with DJ JASH.

Song: OLD RUGGED CROSS

And that was Sandi Pattie’s rendition of the famous hymn, The Old Rugged Cross.

On a Hill Far Away Stood an Old Rugged Cross, or simply known as The Old Rugged Cross, is one of the most-loved hymns in the world. Itwas written by Rev. George Bennard, an independent evangelist in the early 20th century. He started writing the song in late fall in 1912 and must have completed the song during a revival in Wisconsin from December 29, 1912, through January 1913.

Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Being a late coal miner’s son, when he was fifteen, he had to work in the coal mines to support his widowed mother. Bennard was converted through a Salvation Army meeting. Soon, he and his wife became ardent Salvation Army workers. He left the Salvation Army to become an independent evangelist, later joining the Methodist Church. He was an evangelist in the northern states of the Midwest and in Canada for several years. In 1958, being loved and honored, Bennard died, spending his last years in Reed City, Michigan. The famous words he left touched many hearts as the much-loved hymn called The Old Rugged Cross.

“I will cling to the old rugged cross

And exchange it someday for a crown…”

As George Bennard put it, the Old Rugged Cross, where Y’shua the Messiah, or Jesus Christ, died for the sins of the world is where true salvation was executed. Have you ever wonder why? What happened on that Cross? Did Y’shua simply die physically? Or is there more to that?

First, let’s take a look at His physical death. Of course, He did die physically on the Cross. And as we have known from His Word, He rose again and to this very moment the Messiah is alive. But have you ever considered how He died? Was He killed? Was He killed by the soldiers? Pilate? The Jews? The nails? The crucifixion itself? Did He bleed to death? None of these is the answer, because Y’shua died physically by His own volition – no one killed Him! No one took His life!  His physical body died because He chose it, because He let it. No one could kill Him, no one could take His life. The Father’s Plan called for Him to depart, to be separated, and the Messiah dismissed His own spirit. His work was done. Here, you can see the uniqueness of our Savior. Both His birth and life were unique. His spiritual death was unique. Even His physical death was unique. Who is authorized to dismiss His own life? Only our Savior was. He is the sole Person who was authorized to dismiss His own life when His assignment to execute the plan of redemption was complete. By an act of His own volition – by His own choice, His own decision, His own preference or will – His soul and human spirit left His body, and only then was He physically dead.

In Matthew 27:50, we can read that the Messiah cried out loud again before He gave up His spirit. Even though Matthew does not mention what was cried out, he emphasizes the strength and self-control necessary for the Messiah to shout His last words; whereas in a parallel verse in Mark, Mark focuses on our Master’s unbelievable breath control. Mark 15:37 says, “With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.” A more precise translation would be, “And Y’shua shouted with a loud voice, and exhaled His breath.” Why? Because the Greek word used in this verse is ekpneo. It means “to expire”, it means “to exhale”. when the Messiah breathed out his final statement, He did not breathe in again. He exhaled and did not inhale again. Isn’t His breath control amazing?

Now let’s turn to Luke’s account. In Luke, we can finally read a portion of the content of what our Master cried out loud. We can read, “Jesus called out in a loud voice, ‘Father’…” This indicates that He was once again in fellowship with the first person of the Trinity after bearing the sins of the world and executing salvation. So He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my very life.” After He said this, He took His last breath. Luke records only a fragment of the Messiah’s statement. The complete text can be found in the Old Testament. Y’shua quoted Psalm 31:5, “Into Your hand I commit My spirit; You have delivered Me, Oh Yahweh, God of truth.”

What is truth? Truth is doctrine. Truth is the Bible – Yahweh’s Word. In His dying breath, the Master Y’shua the Messiah made the many messages on the spiritual heritage of the royal family of Yahweh. Just as the legacy and product of His spiritual death is eternal salvation, so Bible truth is the legacy of His physical death. Just as salvation is the basis for relationship with the Almighty, so bible teaching is the basis for spiritual growth. As I’ve mentioned in my blogs, it cannot be emphasized enough how fundamental Bible doctrine is. It is impossible for a Christian to grow if he does not read and study his Bible. It is the means provided for a Christian to mature in his spiritual life. In Psalm 31:5, Yahweh the Father is the God of truth. If you’re familiar with Psalm 138:2, it might have crossed your mind that Yahweh even exalted His Word above His own Person and reputation. Well, it’s true, the verse says, “I will bow down facing your holy temple. I will praise your name, because you are loving and faithful. You have honored your Name and your word more than anything else.” The inner strength, inner resources and diving operating assets that the Messiah required in order to go to the Cross of Calvary were provided by the bible doctrine resident in His human soul. Thus our Master Y’shua set the pattern for us to follow or to obey in adjusting to the justice of Yahweh through the intake of Bible doctrine.

That was how our Master died. The Cross of Calvary – the place where the Messiah suffered in our place, dying both physically and spiritually. The Old Rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame, where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. It all marks the perfect salvation Yahweh has given freely to all mankind.

Let us pray…

Dear Father,

Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die in my place. Thank You for the wonderful gift of salvation. I cannot imagine the suffering the Messiah had to go through so that by grace through faith I am saved. I pray that You will use me to share this good news and be a witness to the unsaved.

In Y’shua the Messiah’s Name,

Amein

A drop…

            A drop of curse to Adam’s will

            Became a drop of curse to humanity

A drop…

            A drop of love from Heaven above

            Became a drop of curse to Christ’s humanity

A drop…

            A drop of righteousness to those who trust

            To what Christ has done at Calvary

              A drop of curse

            A drop of love

            A drop of grace

            Rain and reign in all humanity

  Drops, Marv Q. Bagabaldo

Do you have any questions? Suggestions and requests? Just e-mail me at jbagabaldo@truthonair.com. Don’t forget to like Truth On Air’s Facebook Page for the latest news on the site.

And before we play our last song for tonight, I would like to invite you to Truth On Air’s second year anniversary Media conference 2012. This will be on May 26, 1pm-6pm, at JOGSGO QC. Please check out our poster and soon printed ads for more details.

I would also like to invite you to my Summer Songwriting Seminar. Do you dream of writing the next hit song? Come and join me and we’ll discuss the step-by-step process of songwriting: finding inspirations, making memorable titles, creating melody hooks, handling copyrights and getting royalties, and much, much more! This seminar will equip you of all the vital things a songwriter needs to know about the songwriting world. For more details about when and where this seminar will take place just visit my facebook page, that’s www.facebook.com/jashbagabaldo, or you can directly text message my organizer at 09167840730.

And it’s time for our last song! Our last song for tonight is “Lema Sabachthani”.  It’s the bonus track of my debut CD Pagbangon, which is now available at House of Praise. And since it’s Holy Week, the song is available for free download on truthonair.com. Yes, that’s for free downloading. Absolutely legal.

DOWNLOAD SONG: http://truthonair.com/2012/04/lema-sabachthani-why-hast-thou-forsaken-me-by-jash-bagabaldo-free-download/

For a little background, “Lema Sabachthani” is one of the Messiah’s last words on the Cross before He gave up His spirit. It’s about His real suffering on the Cross, which is not just the physical pain as we have learned, but the separation from the Father, or spiritual death. While you listen to this song, I pray that you will be reminded of what our Master had to go through when He cried out aloud, “Eli! Eli! Lema sabachthani!” He was dying for your sins, for my sins – for all the sins of the world. Here is “Lema Sabachthani” by Jash Bagabaldo.

LEMA SABACHTHANI

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Dare to Believe with DJ JASH: Are You Weary & Heavy Laden? Aired on March 2, 2012

Are you weary and heavy laden? Well, tonight let me remind you what is recorded in the book of Matthew. We’ll talk about the command and promise of Y’shua HaMashiach (or Jesus the Messiah in English) for all the people who are plainly tired.

SONG: Give Your Heart a Home

A blessed day to my listeners! You’re now tuned in to truthonair.com and this is Dare to Believe with DJ Jash. The song that was played is “Give Your Heart a Home” by Don Francisco. You may download the song and dozens of his other songs by visiting donfrancisco.com. All of the mp3s there are for free.

As I have asked, are you weary and heavy laden? Are you depressed? Tired? Dreary? Unmotivated? We can all admit, there really comes a time in our lives when life becomes so difficult yet dull. It seems like nothing new can be gained from our daily routines. We wake up, go to school or to work, trying to at least secure our future, which, whether we are aware of it or not, we ourselves can never really secure. Surely, there comes a point in everyone’s lives when he or she feels like living is just a tiresome obligation, too much to take. But no matter how hard life can be, no matter how it seems like no one really cares anymore, I would like to remind you Who does care, and because He cares, He’s willing and wanting to give you rest.

Our passage for tonight is Matthew 11:28-30. Y’shua, or Jesus, said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  Here the Savior commands those who are weary and burdened; hoi kapiontes kai perphortismenoi, in Greek... CONTINUE TO READ AT TRUTHONAIR.COM

POEM: Eliza E. Hewitt, Beautiful Words of Jesus

If you have any questions regarding our bible lesson for tonight, or if you wish to suggest or request a theme for Dare to Believe, you may e-mail me at jbagabaldo@truthonair.com. Don’t forget to like Truth on Air’s Official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/truthonair. And before I go, I would like to make a few of announcements. Flaming Youth is going to have a concert this February 14, which will be hosted by Truth On Air. Just click on the poster in Truth On Air’s Sidebar at the right side of the site for more details. And, catch our team, yes the Truth On Air Team, on February 20 at Philippine Sports Arena at Citipointe, Hope is Erupting Tour Live Concert. We’re going to have our own booth there. And sell t-shirts. By the way! Speaking of t-shirts, Truth On Shirts are soon available, and you may now pre-order. Check out the designs by clicking the Tab that says, “Truth On Shirts”. They’re super cute made by our beloved artist, Ate Jen. And last, but not the least, listen to this: Grab your tickets now! Because tickets are on a 25% discount till February 8. That’s for a limited time only. Thank you for tuning in tonight to truthonair.com. I pray that you have been blessed with tonight’s short message. Remember that no matter how hard life can be, all we have to do is to come to our Savior for abundant rest. This is DJ Jash and this was Dare to Believe. Have a blessed night.

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Dare to Believe with DJ Jash Launching Episode: Aired on December 8, 2011 Amazing Grace

  INSTRUMENTAL INTRO: Make Me a Blessing

A blessed day to all of my listeners! This is DJ JASH. You’re now tuned to truthonair.com and this is to Dare to Believe…

Song: AMAZING GRACE

And that was Rhema Marvanne’s rendition of Amazing Grace. She is a nine-year-old gospel singer from… You may check her other songs by visiting her website, that’s www.rhemamarvanne.com, or her facebook page, www.facebook.com/rhemamarvanne.

The song you’ve just heard is one of the most popular hymns of time. So I’m not surprised if you’ve heard, or even sang it before. But do you know the story behind this heartfelt song?

READ ON www.truthonair.com

TRIVIA

DID YOU KNOW . . . ?

In 1779, the Olney Hymns, a volume of hymns written by John Newton and William Cowper was published. This work had a great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's well-known hymns such as "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken" and "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds!", and the hymn that Newton said told his fascinating story, "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be known by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace"

Hmmm… What is this amazing grace that John Newton talks about? Well, what is grace to start with?

READ ON www.truthonair.com

THE GRACE AWAKENING BY CHARLES R. SWINDOLL 

If you have any questions you may tweet or direct message on twitter. My twitter account is www.twitter.com/shockingreality. If you don’t have a twitter account, of course, you may e-mail me instead at jbagabaldo@truthonair.com. Also, please visit and like Truth on Air’s Official Facebook page. That’s www.facebook.com/truthonair. This is DJ JASH, and this was Dare to Believe. Again, have a blessed day!

  AMAZING GRACE