Hello There, 

My song for today has strong childhood memories attached to Jeanene and 
myself. Sung often in her home church in Ottumwa, Iowa. I recall it from 
great conventions of  Open Bible Standard Churches.

The convention met annually at Nineteenth and Crocker Streets in a building 
originally built as the main meeting place of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
in Des Moines, Iowa.

The high domed building with wraparound balconies would be filled to 
overflowing. The fire officials allowed children under twelve to sit in 
single file on the steps from platform to the balconies on either side. We 
had the best seats in the house.

Bob Fulton, organ; Erbelle Scalf Stearns played the biggest Steinway grand 
piano I had ever seen; W. Crawford Jones led singing using his trombone as a 
giant baton. The orchestra--trumpets, Ralph Isbill, Cal Loper and Lyle 
Anderson; R.B. Mitchell and Don Welshons on trombones; Gerald Pontsler on 
saxophone; violins were Robert Haynes and Ruth Stewart; G.H. Crooks had a 
full set of drums--oh, what music!

On the third refrain, the word "hosanna" was shouted three times. I had no 
idea of meaning, but could feel the steps literally shake beneath me.

'TWAS A GLAD DAY WHEN JESUS FOUND ME

I WAS LOST IN SIN WHEN JESUS FOUND ME,
BUT HE RESCUED ME, ALL GLORY TO HIS NAME
AND THE CORDS OF WORLDLY PLEASURE BOUND ME,
TILL HE SAVED ME FROM SIN AND SHAME.
REFRAIN 
'TWAS A GLAD DAY WHEN JESUS FOUND ME,
WHEN HIS STRONG ARMS WERE THROWN AROUND ME;
WHEN MY SINS HE BURIED IN THE DEEPEST SEA,
AND MY SOUL HE FILLED WITH JOY AND VICTORY.
'TWAS A GLAD DAY, O HALLELUJAH!
'TWAS A GLAD DAY HE CLAIMED HIS OWN.
I WILL SHOUT A LOUD HOSANNA IN GLORY
WHEN I SEE HIM UPON HIS THRONE.

O THE BELLS OF HEAVEN NOW ARE RINGING,
FOR I HEAR THEIR TONES WITHIN MY RANSOMED SOUL;
AND MY HEART IS FILLED WITH JOYFUL SINGING
SINCE THE SAVIOR HAS MADE ME WHOLE.

O THE JOY WHEN WE SHALL MEET IN GLORY,
IN THE MANSIONS OF MY FATHER'S HOME ABOVE;
AND THROUGH ENDLESS AGES TELL THE STORY
OF THE SAVIOR'S REDEEMING LOVE.

From the parable of The Lost Sheep in Luke 15:5. "And when he hath found it, 
he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing."

ROARING TWENTIES-Has a certain meaning as the nation recovered from World War 
I. The "breadbasket" of America also had a religious revival 1920-1935. 
Victor and Clement Foster in Kansas, Theodore Epp in Nebraska, Paul Rader and 
C.E. Erickson in Chicago, C.M. Leaming in Iowa, Charles Hollis in 
Moline-Davenport area, John R. and Raymond T. Richey in Iowa and Minnesota. 
You readers can add to the list, I am sure.

Songs like the one above by Albert S. Reitz, a Baptist preacher from Kansas, 
were upbeat heralds of victory. 

CONNECTING-Life, at times, seems to exist in segments that make no sense and 
have no bearing on the other parts. What I have discovered, with joy, is 
that it fits into one single, splendid tapestry for the believer. My 
reminiscing is not a desire to live once again. Nor is it being done in a 
preparation to die. Today will fit nicely when I look back in 2022 to write 
to you. I so enjoy making connections and helping others to do so. I get a 
sense of what Paul must have felt in Romans 1:11. "For I long to see you, 
that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be 
established;".

RELAX-I seem to have closed last week on the correct theme. "My wife has 
been telling me to relax more," "I am a little too 'hard' on myself," "I seem 
to take things far to seriously","A sense of humor has escaped me over the 
years"; these and other quotes have come to me by e-mail this week. I do not 
intend to analyze anybody. Those are not skills that I possess. I was 
relating another person's appraisal.

INSTE EASTERN EUROPE UPDATE- A regular monthly letter from Tammy Swailes. I 
asked you to pray about incorporation in the Ukraine. It moves ahead-very 
slowly-please keep praying. Growth is great in every nation, More help and 
personnel are going to join. We are seeing translation into Romanian, 
Hungarian and Ukrainian. God is faithful!

MY GRANDMA SAID-The sucking sound you hear is a collective gasp from those 
who knew my Grandma Eaves. Grandma was colorful-mostly blue. This short lady 
was an Okie about one generation removed from the Cherokee reservation. To 
her, conversation was an art form. She was occasionally profound. "You 
wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you, if you knew how seldom 
they did."

I JUST WATCHED DR. PHIL-Again. Since I mentioned this new program a few 
weeks ago, I have heard from several of you. Here goes-knowing that I am in 
a "no-win" position. First of all, what you are seeing is the product of 
many hours of study and production-even on the days that are billed as ad 
lib. The problems are of long making; to fix about four an hour is absurd. 
You want my gut response, huh. I feel that I am watching a well run revival 
meeting. The "quick-fix" style has tremendous appeal and he's good.

I am concerned that the church program has spread itself into areas well 
beyond the Great Commission of Mark 16:15-- "And he said unto them, Go ye 
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." 

I heard of a very large church (4,400) that shut down its segment of eleven 
full-time persons who were involved in counseling, recovery groups , etc. 
The position of the senior pastor is to place more emphasis on decision and 
deliverance during the altar services. Follow-up efforts would be done 
secondarily, and the ministry of encouragement through counseling would fit 
in a notch of its own. We shall see.

Differences of style and situation will adjust all program efforts of the 
church. A practicing psychology Ph. D. once asked me, "Why is it that the 
church seems to attempt the philosophies that my profession has attempted and 
abandoned years before?"

We dare not "put our head in the sand" in matters that the 21st century 
presents us; but we dare not overreact every time a spoiled kid in prolonged 
adolescence goes "through a phase."

FROM INSIDE OUT-If you are reading Psalms with me in October, Friday gave you 
4, 34, 64, 94 and 124. Jeanene read aloud for us as the pattern evolved. 
Beginning with inward meditation, bursting forth by an act of will into 
praise and recognition of the care and might of God, the end result seems to 
have national results.

WALKING TOGETHER-In my effort to connect, I am tying into places of my early 
ministry. You are joined by Pastor Richard Kirby in Bradenton, FL and Pastor 
Jack King in Tallahassee. The years 1957-1968 hold many precious memories 
for Jeanene and me.

I'M AFRAID-NOT FRIGHTENED-I visited our local Walmart this week. My business 
was in a department that deals in optical needs. That business was conducted 
fairly and efficiently. The scary matter was in the general decor. Is 
Halloween a new national holiday?

Pumpkins are just the beginning. Ghosts and goblins, scarecrows and 
skeletons, signs warning me of witch crossings and cobwebs draped over the 
door. I am not an overreactive person and probably will not call to 
complain. Why am I afraid?

Is the general public going to begin to regard all holidays as colossal 
spoofs? Are Christmas and Easter going to be buried in a common grave with 
all of this nonsense?

His,
Ron Krantz