Send the Light
1
There's a call comes ringing o'er the
restless wave,
"Send the light!
Send the light"
There are souls to
rescue, there are souls to save,
Send
the light! Send the light!
2
We have heard the Macedonian call today,
"Send the light! Send the
light!"
And a golden off'ring at
the cross we lay,
Send the light! Send
the light!
3
Let us pray that grace may ev'rywhere
abound,
"Send the light! Send the
light!"
And a Christ-like spirit
ev'rywhere be found,
Send the light!
Send the light!
4
Let us not grow weary in the work of
love,
"Send the light! Send the
light!"
Let us gather jewels for a
crown above,
Send the light! Send the
light!
Refrain:
Send the light, the blessed gospel
light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
Hymn lyrics: Chas. H.
Gabriel (1890)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se2DyCyLSuA&list=RDSe2DyCyLSuA&start_radio=1
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. ~Acts 16:9
* * *
What does it mean --
"We have heard the Macedonian call"?
A little background:
The four gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry make it clear that his initial focus was to bring the concept of salvation by faith -- not by law -- to the Jewish nation, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were God's chosen people in the Old Testament. However, Jesus' Jewish contemporaries refused to acknowledge this teaching, and rejected the idea that Jesus was the promised Messiah -- the embodied son of God. After his death, while the other 12 apostles were still living, Paul was called to be the "13th apostle" (my words). Paul the Apostle, originally named Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish Pharisee converted to Christianity, who became the primary missionary to non-Jewish (Gentile) populations throughout the Roman Empire. After persecuting early Christians, Paul experienced a blinding vision of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). He was specifically identified by Jesus as a "chosen instrument" to carry his name before Gentiles.
Acts 9
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
The Macedonian call refers to a New Testament vision in Acts 16:9 where the Apostle Paul was summoned by a man from Macedonia to "Come over to Macedonia and help us." This divine, midnight directive, received during Paul's second missionary journey, compelled him to pivot his ministry from Asia to Europe. It marked a crucial turning point for the expansion of Christianity, initiating the spread of the gospel to the European continent.
Acts 16
9 And a vision
appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him,
saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the
vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering
that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. 11 Therefore
loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next
day to Neapolis; 12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of
that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain
days. 13 And on the sabbath we went out
of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down,
and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14 And a certain woman named
Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard
us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were
spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought
us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my
house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed
with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by
soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are
the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the
spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he
came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their
gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace
unto the rulers, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men,
being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are
not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the
multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their
clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes
upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely.
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and
made their feet fast in the stocks. 25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison
awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his
sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been
fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we
are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling,
and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of
the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour
of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his,
straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before
them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
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