© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen
All Rights Reserved
Character is what you are in the dark.
-
Dwight L. Moody, 1837-1899.
My father was a very sick man when, at the age of 86, he telephoned me on 1 October 2010, a Saturday morning, to tell me that he had finally decided to put his frail hand in the mighty right hand of God and henceforth trust Him unconditionally for his life and personal salvation. The strangest thing was that he phoned me at the same moment that Andre Rieu’s Amazing Grace was playing on TV … I even held my cell-phone close to the speakers of the TV to share the remarkable ‘coincidence’ with him (What were the mathematical odds for that happening?). To further add to the mystery of this 'coincidence' I have also since learned that Andre Rieu was born on 1 October 2013.
My father was a very sick man when, at the age of 86, he telephoned me on 1 October 2010, a Saturday morning, to tell me that he had finally decided to put his frail hand in the mighty right hand of God and henceforth trust Him unconditionally for his life and personal salvation. The strangest thing was that he phoned me at the same moment that Andre Rieu’s Amazing Grace was playing on TV … I even held my cell-phone close to the speakers of the TV to share the remarkable ‘coincidence’ with him (What were the mathematical odds for that happening?). To further add to the mystery of this 'coincidence' I have also since learned that Andre Rieu was born on 1 October 2013.
Nevertheless, he passed away peacefully at his home in Vanderbijlpark,
South Africa in the evening of 6 January 2013, one month before his 89th
birthday. This song emphasizes the fact
that God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us (the
ultimate sacrifice!) when we were still sinners. Do the math ... if He would die for us when we were still
sinners, what can and will He not do for us now that we are believers? This is the mystery of God’s amazing grace … God’s
redemption at Christ’s expense.
The ‘YouTube’ sample of this song is Andre Rieu’s striking version where he, performing in Australia, elicited
the aid of the Australian Pipe Band to play it together with his famous Johan Strauss
Orchestra.
(John Newton, 1725-1807)
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we‘ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Piet Stassen
Bibliography
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. Andrews,
Allen (1969) Quotations For Speakers And
Writers. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. London.
2. Smith, Alfred B. (1971) Great Hymns Of The Faith.
‘Amazing Grace’. Zondervan Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
3. Wikipedia. 'Andre Rieu'. Accessed At < https://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#sclient=psy-ab&q=wikipedia%2C+andre+rieu&oq=wikipedia%2C+andre+rieu&gs_l=hp.2...74477.77369.1.77399.21.15.0.0.0.9.352.3398.2-4j7.11.0....0.0..1c.1.20.psy-ab.3gelfdqSLYE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49405654%2Cd.ZWU%2Cpv.xjs.s.en_US.QXiTEk6XjhM.O&fp=e4bf48cf8eb7c60f&biw=1191&bih=615> [online] 2013.
4. Wikipedia. 'John Newton'. Accessed At <vhttps://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#gs_rn=20&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=LWmKdeQC1bwlhRvhyirU5g&cp=17&gs_id=1x&xhr=t&q=wikipedia,+john+newton&es_nrs=true&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=wikipedia,+john+n&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49405654,d.ZWU&fp=e4bf48cf8eb7c60f&biw=1191&bih=615> [online] 2013.
3. Wikipedia. 'Andre Rieu'. Accessed At < https://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#sclient=psy-ab&q=wikipedia%2C+andre+rieu&oq=wikipedia%2C+andre+rieu&gs_l=hp.2...74477.77369.1.77399.21.15.0.0.0.9.352.3398.2-4j7.11.0....0.0..1c.1.20.psy-ab.3gelfdqSLYE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49405654%2Cd.ZWU%2Cpv.xjs.s.en_US.QXiTEk6XjhM.O&fp=e4bf48cf8eb7c60f&biw=1191&bih=615> [online] 2013.
4. Wikipedia. 'John Newton'. Accessed At <vhttps://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#gs_rn=20&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=LWmKdeQC1bwlhRvhyirU5g&cp=17&gs_id=1x&xhr=t&q=wikipedia,+john+newton&es_nrs=true&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=wikipedia,+john+n&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49405654,d.ZWU&fp=e4bf48cf8eb7c60f&biw=1191&bih=615> [online] 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment