Sunday, March 22, 2026

At Calvary

AT CALVARY
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
caring not my Lord was crucified,
knowing not it was for me He died
on Calvary.
By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
till my guilty soul imploring turned
to Calvary.
Now I've giv'n to Jesus ev'rything;
now I gladly own Him as my King;
now my raptured soul can only sing
of Calvary.
O the love that drew salvation's plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span
at Calvary!
Refrain:
Mercy there was great and grace was free;
pardon there was multiplied to me;
there my burdened soul found liberty,
at Calvary.

William R. Newell



I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20

Friday, March 20, 2026

Worthy Art Thou

1
Worthy of praise is Christ our redeemer, 
Worthy of glory, honor and pow'r!
Worthy of all our soul's adoration,
Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!
2
Lift up the voice in praise and devotion,
Saints of all earth before Him should bow;
Angels in heaven worship Him saying,
Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!
3
Lord, may we come before Thee with singing,
Filled with Thy spirit, wisdom and pow'r;
May we ascribe Thee glory and honor,
Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!
Refrain:
Worthy of riches, blessings and honor,
Worthy of wisdom, glory and pow'r!
Worthy of earth and heaven's thanksgiving
Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!

Tillit S. Teddlie



Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Psalm 18:3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

* * *

Tillit Sidney Teddlie was born on June 3, 1885 at Swan, Texas. He was a leader in the Churches of Christ denomination in the 20th Century. In addition to singing schools which he taught for 61 years, he also preached and taught across Texas and the southwest. For one period of time (two years) he sang only with Foy E. Wallace, Jr., (a well-known, conservative Churches of Christ preacher around World War II) while they conducted meetings across the country.

Teddlie was honored by many people in many places. On June 2, 1985, 630 churches across the land proclaimed Sunday “Tillit S. Teddlie Day” and sang his songs. Teddlie had composed 130 songs and published 14 song books. One of his song books, "Golden Harvest Hymns" included 100 of his best-known hymns. He attended a song fest in his name at the Preston Crest Church of Christ in Dallas where more than 1,200 gathered. Teddlie's 100th birthday was honored by President Reagan who sent a telegram, and Sen. Phil Graham among others. The Briar, Texas, Church of Christ gave him a bronze statue worth $6,000.

His songs published in hymnals from Churches of Christ include “Worthy Art Thou,” “Heaven Holds All to Me,” “When We Meet in Sweet Communion, “Oft We Come Together,” “Singing Redemption’s Song,” “Hear Me When I Call,” “O God of Infinite Mercy,” and many more. While Teddlie had success as a publisher of many of his own smaller hymnals, his contributions as a composer to every major hymnal published in Churches of Christ since 1921 have left an indelible imprint on the denomination’s hymnody.

Teddlie died August 17, 1987 at the age of 102. He is remembered for his preaching, teaching, and music and his good influence upon all the people that he met and worked with.

Thursday, March 19, 2026

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

 

1  
We read of a place that’s called heaven,  
It’s made for the pure and the free;  
These truths in God’s Word He hath given,  
How beautiful heaven must be.  
2  
In heaven no drooping nor pining,  
No wishing for elsewhere to be;  
God’s light is forever there shining,  
How beautiful heaven must be. 
3  
Pure waters of life there are flowing,  
And all who will drink may be free;  
Rare jewels of splendor are glowing,  
How beautiful heaven must be.  
4  
The angels so sweetly are singing,  
Up there by the beautiful sea;  
Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing,  
How beautiful heaven must be.     
Refrain:  
How beautiful heaven must be,  
Sweet home of the happy and free;  
Fair haven of rest for the weary,  
How beautiful heaven must be. 

Author: Mrs. A. S. Bridgewater   

Sometimes I like to hear a song recorded by non-professionals -- more like real people, like we used to sound when we sang these songs at church and at home. (Except we didn't play instruments when we sang church songs.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRNSjoHdKI&list=RD8aRNSjoHdKI&start_radio=1

"fair haven of rest for the weary"  

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  

Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

"God's light is forever there shining" 

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 

"pure waters of life there are flowing"  

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.  

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  

Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.   

"rare jewels of splendor"  

Revelation 21:19-21 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.   

"the angels so sweetly are singing"  

Revelation 5:11-12 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.   

"sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing"  

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  

Revelation 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  

Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

More About Jesus


 1  

More about Jesus would I know,  

More of His grace to others show;  

More of His saving fullness see,  

More of His love who died for me.   

2  

More about Jesus let me learn,  

More of His holy will discern;  

Spirit of God, my teacher be,  

Showing the things of Christ to me. 

3  

More about Jesus in His Word,  

Holding communion with my Lord;  

Hearing His voice in ev'ry line,  

Making each faithful saying mine.  

4  

More about Jesus on His throne,  

Riches in glory all His own;  

More of His kingdom's sure increase;  

More of His coming, Prince of peace. 

Refrain:  

More, more about Jesus,  

More, more about Jesus;  

More of His saving fullness see,  

More of His love who died for me.

 

Author: E. E. Hewitt 


John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 


"Spirit of God, my teacher be"  

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Luke 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 "hearing his voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine" 

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.


Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Paperbacks are available now

 Now available in paperback on Amazon
This is actually what I had planned to do when I published Heart Bells, but I got impatient and jumped the gun. This series of three books are a sort of musical memoir of various periods of my life.

Travelin' Shoes

I ran across a passage in the Bible today that I don't remember seeing before:

Ezekiel 47

New International Version

The River From the Temple

1 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

*   *   *

I was immediately reminded of this great old bluegrass gospel song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayIk2LSo4-Y&list=RDayIk2LSo4-Y&start_radio=1


Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Spring Break

Gonna take a little spring break. Can't say why, exactly. Just feel like I need a bit of a re-set. 

Be back soon.