A witness story to DTS’ Theme Song

In  Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) we regularly sing the hymn “All Hail the power of Jesus’ Name” written by Edward Perronet in 1779. This is a story of Rev. E.P. Scott's use of it in mountains of India--

Transcript of the video:

Soon after Rev. E.P. Scott was a missionary to India, One day he passed a man of unusual appearance. A man from a wild mountain tribe, unreached by the gospel. Mr. Scott prayed over the matter. . .Against the pleadings of his friends. . .H e decided to visit the tribe. As he neared their village. . . He was ambushed by a war party. They seize him. Spears pointed at his heart. With no hope of escape. . . Scott carmly open his violin case . . .Breathed a prayer. . . and began to sing “all Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” At every kindred, every tribe. . . He opened his eyes. . .The warriors stood in tears. . .Spears lowed. . .Mr. Scott was allowed into the village. He speared two years with them, many believed in Christ.

If, Just If…

"One prominent Sri Lankan clergyman D.T. Niles said, 'evangelism is one hungry beggar telling another where he can find bread!'

Just imagine a village full of beggars, whom no one knows where to find bread; therefore hundreds are dying in hunger daily.

Several miles away, there is a place where people not only have their full but they just throw fresh bread as trash, because they have so plenty.

If a person knew the existence of these two places, What would his/her response be?

Now… Just think

If the remote hungry beggars' village is a real existing remote village in Venezuela, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Somalia, China, India, Vietnam or Sri Lanka;

If the plentiful place of food is your church, here in USA;

If the bread is the living word of God, the gospel message of Jesus Christ,

and the only person who knows the existence of this two place is YOU (now you know any way)—

what would you do?

Two Ladies were sharing lunch together when one said to the other: "I don't know many Christians,but somehow I can't help regarding them as hypocrites." Said the other, "But your sister-in-law, she lives in the same house with you; surely you must acknowledge that she is a devoted Christian." "That's just it," was the laughing reply. "She has a very lovely disposition, and she devotes her life to missions and Sunday schools, but she has never said a word to me about becoming a Christian. It's only make-believe with her about souls being in danger. You need not tell me! I know that she is fond of me, but if she believed all that, don't you think she would not have said something?"

[This is a part of the application in a sermon I prepared for World Missions Class].

The one less traveled by,

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost (1874–1963), Mountain Interval, 1920.

Dr. James E. Allman in his summer chapel sermon titled "Ministry Burnout" talk about the road that less travelled. As human's we tend to take the road which frequently traveled. This the road leading to doing things by our own strength and as we see best. Dr. Allman said, “Difference of religion of Man and the religion of living God is who carry whose. Are you serving with a purpose of establishing work of God or Are serving because of God is carrying you?” This question penetrated into my inner most being and woke me from my deep slumber.

While I was in Sri Lanka, I have being working hard and long. Many times got disappointed because I seek to establish the Kingdom of God by my efforts. I have being discourage by opposition, lack of finances, bad things happened to good parishioners, and death of beloved faithful and young fellow workers. I was tired of God’s work. Some times I felt I could not speak a word of encouragement. I hate to preach and reluctant share the word of God. I was so tired. I was so near to burnout; that is because, I missed the crucial point: “Who carry whose?” Do I carry God, his work, and his kingdom in my shoulders or do I dare trust God to carry me in his arms?

He concluded his sermon, “I don’t serve because God needs me. I serve because God has enabled me. I don't serve in order to establish the kingdom of God; I serve because God has established the His kingdom . . . but in the pathless travel when God carrying you; You snuggle into his arms when things are really tuff. Sometimes you cannot tell where the arms are but by faith you claim the idea of childhood, to womb to gray hairs I will carry you!”

Text: Isaiah 46:1-9