Faith for Newbies
After a challenge from a visiting evangelist I decided to carry my Bible around the 8th grade at Montebello Jr. High School. I was determined not to hide it between the history and math texts. The locker housed books, my girlfriends picture, and some gym socks, but would not secretly keep this Bible. No more underground faith! This soldier stands up for Jesus or dies!
I think my brother laughed first! Someone noticed and innocently ask, “presentation today?” By the time I got to first period the Bible was hidden in a sock at the bottom of the locker.
James, the half-brother of Jesus instructs us on how to stand up for Jesus. I love the story of this great him by George Duffield, The Hymn is Stand Up for Jesus.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
A great city-wide revival swept across Philadelphia in 1858. It was called “the work of God in Philadelphia.” Of the participating ministers none was more powerful that the 29-year-old Episcopalian, Dudley Tyng, who was known as a bold and uncompromising preacher.
In addition to pastoring his own church, Dudley Tyng began holding noonday services at the downtown YMCA. Great crowds came to hear this dynamic young preacher. On Tuesday, March 30, 1858, over 5,000 men gathered for a noon mass meeting to hear Tyng preach from the text “Ye that are men, go and serve the Lord” (Exodus 10:11). Over 1,000 of these men committed their lives to Christ. At one point, the young preacher exclaimed:
I must tell my Master’s errand, and I would rather that this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God’s message.
The very next week, while visiting in the country and watching the operation of a corn threshing machine in a barn, young Tyng accidentally caught his loose sleeve between the cogs; the arm was lacerated severely with the main artery severed and the median nerve injured. As a result of shock and a great loss of blood, the Rev. Dudley Tyng died.
On his death bed when asked by a group of sorrowing friends and ministers for a final statement, he feebly whispered, “Let us all stand up for Jesus.”
The next Sunday, Tyng’s close friend and fellow worker, the Rev. George Duffield, pastor of the Temple Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, preached his morning sermon as a tribute to his departed friend. He closed his sermon by reading a poem that he had just finished writing, inspired, as he told his people, by the dying words of his esteemed friend.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus; ye soldiers of the cross; lift high His royal banner—it must not suffer loss. From vict’ry unto vict’ry His army shall He lead, ’till ev’ry foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus; the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day. Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus; the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle—the next, the victor’s song. To Him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.
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