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2013 PJ Stassen
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Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself!
As a young Christian convert, when I was still doing my 'apprenticeship' as a gospel pianist, I used to accompany my good friend, Nancy Bouwer, to the singing of this song, O That Will Be Glory For Me. In later years, my wife, an organist, was also added to the mix. Nancy, an accomplished pianist, and true 'old school' prayer warrior, was many years our senior, and had been acting as a sort of mentor for us in the Youth Ministry (I think I was Youth Leader at the time). We spent many a Sunday lunch at her home, just reminiscing on beautiful gospel songs and the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in general.
She passed away during the eighties as a result of congestive heart failure, and is still sorely missed. One of her favourite phrases was, "Hi my boy! What are you doing?" Great was my surprise when, a number of years after her demise, I received a 'phone call' from her, directly from 'Heaven'. The phone rang (in this weird dream) and when I picked up, she said: "Hi my boy, what are you doing?" That cryptic sentence was all she spoke, but it was very precious. Now, I am not that naive not to know that the chances are good that that mystery-event was psychologically induced ... after all, the words as well as the sound of her voice were stored in my mental archives, plus I had a 'motive' (I was missing her a lot). However, why do I get the feeling that there is more to life than meets the eye?
She used to be quite a formidable soprano in her youth, and I will never forget the gusto with which she, even in old age, used to sing that song at every opportunity. It was my privilege later to be a pallbearer at her funeral at Koster, South Africa. Her homesickness for Heaven used to both puzzle and fascinate me at the same time. I was still young and in my late twenties and early thirties, so why would anyone in her right mind want to exit this exciting planet and leave her loved ones behind? But today, as I am growing older and also approaching the sunset-years of my life, I can appreciate her deep melancholy back then ... at times one gets quite fed-up with the nonsense of this world: The corruption in political circles and high places; the runaway crime; war; regional conflicts and the massacre of innocent civilians, including missionaries in foreign lands; disease, pestilence and natural disasters, HIV AIDS orphans; racism, nepotism and genocide, global warming, inflation ... you name it. So, today my prayer seems strangely to echo hers: "O that will be glory for me! When by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in Heaven a place, Just to be there and to look on His face, Will through the ages be glory for me!"
With Jesus Christ being the only Mediator between man and God, I cannot save myself, arrange for my own Salvation or grant total absolution to myself (or anybody else for that matter). I am forever hoping and trusting in the blood and sacrifice of Christ for His unmerited favour now ... but especially when I die. Like the lowly beggar of the Gospels, I shout out my (as well mankind's) primordial need for forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with the Holy Creator: "Jesus, Son of David: Have mercy on our souls! And, if You do, O that will be glory for me!"
CHORUS
Piet Stassen
Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself!
- Charles Spurgeon.
She passed away during the eighties as a result of congestive heart failure, and is still sorely missed. One of her favourite phrases was, "Hi my boy! What are you doing?" Great was my surprise when, a number of years after her demise, I received a 'phone call' from her, directly from 'Heaven'. The phone rang (in this weird dream) and when I picked up, she said: "Hi my boy, what are you doing?" That cryptic sentence was all she spoke, but it was very precious. Now, I am not that naive not to know that the chances are good that that mystery-event was psychologically induced ... after all, the words as well as the sound of her voice were stored in my mental archives, plus I had a 'motive' (I was missing her a lot). However, why do I get the feeling that there is more to life than meets the eye?
She used to be quite a formidable soprano in her youth, and I will never forget the gusto with which she, even in old age, used to sing that song at every opportunity. It was my privilege later to be a pallbearer at her funeral at Koster, South Africa. Her homesickness for Heaven used to both puzzle and fascinate me at the same time. I was still young and in my late twenties and early thirties, so why would anyone in her right mind want to exit this exciting planet and leave her loved ones behind? But today, as I am growing older and also approaching the sunset-years of my life, I can appreciate her deep melancholy back then ... at times one gets quite fed-up with the nonsense of this world: The corruption in political circles and high places; the runaway crime; war; regional conflicts and the massacre of innocent civilians, including missionaries in foreign lands; disease, pestilence and natural disasters, HIV AIDS orphans; racism, nepotism and genocide, global warming, inflation ... you name it. So, today my prayer seems strangely to echo hers: "O that will be glory for me! When by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in Heaven a place, Just to be there and to look on His face, Will through the ages be glory for me!"
With Jesus Christ being the only Mediator between man and God, I cannot save myself, arrange for my own Salvation or grant total absolution to myself (or anybody else for that matter). I am forever hoping and trusting in the blood and sacrifice of Christ for His unmerited favour now ... but especially when I die. Like the lowly beggar of the Gospels, I shout out my (as well mankind's) primordial need for forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with the Holy Creator: "Jesus, Son of David: Have mercy on our souls! And, if You do, O that will be glory for me!"
(Words & Music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932)
When all my labors and trials are o'er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
When, by the gift of His infinite grace,
I am accorded in Heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
Friends will be there I have loved long ago,
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
CHORUS
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.
Piet Stassen
eLiterature/eLiteratuur:
- Scribd Publishing Site: www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
- eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
- eBoek: 'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
- eBoek: 'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
- eBoek: 'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
- eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable): Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
- eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)
Bibliography
1. Comfort, Ray, (2005) Spurgeon Gold. Bridge-Logos. Gainesville, Florida.
2. CyberHymnalTM
‘O That Will Be Glory For Me.’ Accessed At
<http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/t/othatwbg.htm>
[online] 2013.
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