Our foundation hymn for this Sunday will be Stand up, Stand up for Jesus. Dudley Tyng was the pastor of the Church of the Covenant in Philadelphia in 1858. About two weeks after seeing over 1000 men give their lives to Christ, Dudley sustained a terrible injury while visiting a farm. His arm was ripped from its socket in a corn-thrasher. Four days later it was clear he would not survive the accident. He spoke his last words were to his father. He said “Stand up for Jesus, father, and tell my brethren of the ministry to stand up for Jesus.”
After Dudley’s funeral another pastor in Philadelphia was inspired by his last words and wrote a poem. “Stand up; Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross. Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss”. Sometime later, the poem was put to music and was published in a hymnal extending Dudley’s last words.
Ephesians 6:10-17 gives great instruction about standing. That is what our new song for the day is about. It is called Counting on God. The chorus says;
“Joy unspeakable that won’t go away and just enough strength to live for today.
I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring because my faith is on solid rock.
I am counting on God!”
The next songs will be Mighty to Save and Blessed Be Your Name which encourages us to bless His name no matter what happens in our lives.
Phillips Brooks (1835–1893) wrote, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be strong men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”
As you prepare for worship this Sunday ask God to show you how to stand up for Jesus.