All Hail The Power

© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

   People who feel themselves to be exiles in this world are mightily inclined to believe themselves citizens of another.

-       George Santayana, 1863-1953.

   My father died of cancer on the 6^th of January 2013 at the age of 89 and was buried on the 11^th.  With his body ravished by merciless cancer, he died in the comfort of my sister’s home and in the company of his wife and children.   During the last hours of his life, he didn’t require the services of expert medical personnel, or any intravenous feeding and supplementary oxygen.  In fact, he adamantly refused to be hospitalised at all. 
   My brother C., who had had professional paramedic training, attended faithfully to his personal needs, while the rest of the family ran the necessary errant’s and now and then prepared food and/or savouries for some of the sporadic visitors, sympathisers and well-wishers.  The only pharmaceutical support that was of any practical use was the odd sleeping pill now and then and some morphine stickers applied to his body to alleviate the pain.   I was completely at rest about his demise because he had accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour on the 1^st October 2010.  I know that because he had phoned me on that eventful Saturday-morning to tell me so, and by some sheer coincidence, Andre Rieu’s Amazing Grace was playing on the TV at the very moment that he phoned.

   Nevertheless, his last joke, in the sunset of his long and industrious life, was the following question that he put to us as a riddle: “How far did the dog wander into the woods?” We were at a complete loss … ‘how far did the dog wander into the woods’? Then the cocky solution to the riddle: “Only halfway … thereafter he was wandering out of the woods!”

   That simple little riddle taught me a lesson about the mystery of life, for I then suddenly realised that, chronologically speaking, all people below the age of 40 were probably still wandering into the woods, while all people above the age of 40 were probably already wandering out of the woods … maybe that could also explain the great rift between the two major generations (‘young’ and ‘old’). 

   Be that as it may, I am of the sincere opinion that those who have not yet made their peace with God and have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (regardless of age) are probably still wandering into the woods of ignorance and unbelief.  Those who had made their peace and had accepted Christ (regardless of age) are probably already wandering out of the woods (of ignorance and unbelief).  Amazingly, most atheists still cannot even see the woods for the trees anyway.         

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All Hail The Power

(Edward Purronet, 1726-1792; Alt by John Rippon, 1751-1836/Oliver Holden, 1765-1844)

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him, Lord of all!

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,

Ye ransomed from the fall;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all!

Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe,

On this terrestrial ball,

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of All;

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of All!

O that with yonder sacred throng

We at His feet may fall!

We’’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all;

 We’’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all!

Piet Stassen

eLiterature/eLiteratuur:

1. Scribd Publishing Site:  www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
2. eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)  
3. eBook:  'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
4. eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
5. eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
6. eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
7. eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
8. eBoek:  'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
9. eBoek:  'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
10. eBoek:  'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
11. eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable):  Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
12. eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)

Bibliography

1.     Andrews, Allen (1969) Quotations For Speakers And Writers. Newnes Books. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. London.

2.     Peterson, John V. (1968) Great Hymns Of The Faith. ‘All Hail The Power’. Singspiration Inc. Zondervan Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan.