Through The Hymnbook

Guest (Male): Welcome, welcome to the Organ Loft to enjoy a very special time of music, hearing organ chimes and sometimes a canary. This is going to be a rather different *Through the Hymnbook* because Reverend Bert Jones will be going through various hymnbooks looking for songs of freedom and victory.

Sometimes the title will actually mention the word freedom or victory, but other times it's implied. So it's going to be a very, very interesting edition of *Through the Hymnbook*.

As most of you know, Reverend Jones had thyroid cancer that had metastasized to his lungs. This program was prepared just a short time after he had been hospitalized with a collapsed lung, so his voice isn't just the best, but the music is great.

Reverend Bert Jones: For instance, here's the great song "Glorious Freedom," written by Haldor Lillenas many years ago. "Once I was bound by sin's galling fetters, chained like a slave, I struggled in vain. But I received a glorious freedom when Jesus broke my fetters in twain."

And then the chorus says, "Wonderful freedom, no more chains of sin I repine. Jesus the glorious emancipator, now and forever He shall be mine."

Of course, this is not talking about our national freedom; this is talking about freedom of sins forgiven, the freedom provided through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Let me read you another stanza of this as I get my reading glasses here. "Freedom from pride and all sinful follies, freedom from love and glitter of gold, freedom from evil temper and anger, freedom, glorious freedom, raptures untold.

Freedom from fear with all of its torments, freedom from care with all of its pain. Freedom in Christ, my blessed Redeemer, He who has rent my fetters in twain. Glorious freedom, glorious freedom. What glorious freedom one can have through Jesus Christ, our Lord."

Jesus the glorious emancipator, now and forever He shall be mine. All right, turning through the book looking for songs that speak of freedom or victory. Here's one that speaks of freedom: it's "The Song of the Soul Set Free." What a song, that "Song of the Soul Set Free."

It's good to know victory in Him. Turning through the hymnals for songs that speak of freedom, we come now to one that is called "Freely, Freely." I find that this is in at least six of the newer books that have been published within the past 10 years. "Freely, Freely" is based on the scripture of Matthew 10:8: "Freely you have received, freely give."

Let me read you a little bit of it because I doubt that very many of you really know this song, but apparently you're going to learn it because it's in so many books. "God forgave my sin in Jesus' name. I've been born again in Jesus' name. And in Jesus' name I come to you to share His love as He told me to."

He said, "Freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give. Go in My name and because you believe, others will know that I live." It's a song called "Freely, Freely." If you have a fairly new book at your church or in your home, you may find this in all likelihood in the book. He said, "Freely, freely you have received, freely give."

I trust you're enjoying the singing of Singspiration the canary. He's doing very well. One of the new announcers at one of the stations phoned me last week and he said, "There's a strange sound on with your organ music I never heard it before."

I said, "Oh, that's the canary singing." "Oh," he said, "I thought something was going wrong with my machinery and I was hearing a whistle I shouldn't hear." No, Singspiration's a real canary, and he sings when he wants to. There's a nice song. Thank you, Singspiration. "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world," and that speaks of freedom and victory.

Here's a beautiful song by the Gaithers. It says, "I'm Free," and let me read you the words. "So long I had searched for life's meaning, enslaved by the world and my greed. Then the door of my prison was opened by love, for the ransom was paid and I was freed.

So I'm free from the fear of tomorrow, I'm free from the guilt of the past. For I've traded my shackles for a glorious song. I'm free, praise the Lord, free at last."

I discovered it's very hard to find this song. We had searched and searched and searched and then finally phoned a friend who has some songbooks. And in a book which we did not have, she found the song "I'm Free."

It paints the picture of the sinner as one enslaved by sin, then the ransom is paid. Very beautiful melody too. "I'm free from the fear of tomorrow. I'm free from the guilt of the past. For I've traded my shackles for a glorious new song. I'm free, praise the Lord, free at last."

And a great old gospel song says, "Would you be free from the burden of sin? Well, there's power in the blood." Free, that's what we're looking for. That's what we're looking for in these songs in this radio visit as we go through the hymnbook. Songs that speak of freedom, the freedom of sins forgiven.

It is good to be free, free indeed. And here's a song that says "Jesus Has Lifted Me." "From every fetter my spirit is free, because Jesus has lifted me." That's what the song says. How wonderful to know its truth. "From every fetter my spirit is free, because Jesus has lifted me."

An old, old song from the Moody-Sankey days says "Free from the Law." "Through grace I'm free from the law, and I have grace in Jesus Christ."

It's been a joy playing these songs, not only of national freedom, but songs that speak of our freedom from sins forgiven through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are free, and we can sing "Glorious Freedom, Glorious Freedom." Until next time, you keep singing. Bye-bye.