I Surrender All

In the Fall of 1974 I was traveling over Southern India with two of my friends: Doug Anderson (20) and Harold King (22). I was only eighteen years old, myself. Freshly graduated from Morgan County High School in Hartselle, Alabama.

 

  I lost count of how many cities, towns, and villages we traveled to. We rode on bicycles, rickshaws, Three-wheeled cabs, buses, taxis, trains, and planes!

We slept in what I called The Crow's Nest (the guest quarters at the Hindustan Bible Institute), in hotels, motels, missionary guest quarters, and even in what looked like a large baseball dugout with wire-covered open windows.

 The Crow's Nest at the HBI

We preached and sang on the streets, in chapels, in churches, in homes, hospitals, orphanages, and public meeting halls.

Our personal Cook (Vincent) traveled with us everywhere that we went (Bless HIS heart ---- Bless OUR hearts!!) and a group of the students from the Institute also traveled with us to guide us from place to place and serve as translators when we preached.

 Our dear Friend, Vincent, shopping

The official state language of the nation of India is called Hindi, but our journeys took us up and down what is known as the Andhra Pradesh in Southern India -- where many of the people speak an ancient dialect called Telugu. Our student companions could speak English very well, but their native language was most often Tamil or Telugu.

India had been under British rule (much like the United States) for many years, so many Indians speak English, and most of them drop everything that they are doing in the late afternoon to have Tea! (It is a custom that I enjoyed and came to look forward to every day the same as they).

In most of our engagements, Harold King and I would sing hymns, songs, and choruses to begin, make any comments that we wished to our group, crowd, or congregation, and then Doug would preach.

Doug enjoyed music and singing, but he was a gifted preacher -- a singer -- not so much.

Harold and I were both preachers, and we had a burning desire to be used of God in sharing a verbal message that He had given us. But, I could play the guitar, a VERY mobile instrument that permitted us accompaniment wherever we went, and both Harold and I were pretty decent singers.

In MOST of the unusual locations where we found ourselves I was grateful to have my guitar with us. It was the same 12-string Gibson that my Dad had given me when I was twelve years old. The Flint Baptist Church had bought me a very heavy-duty guitar case to house it. I still use that guitar often and carry it in the case that has borne and protected it around the world.

BUT, in some of the churches that we entered we found that they had organs, sometimes a piano, a guitar, and tambourines. My favorite instruments in the churches, however, were the little Harmoniums.

A Harmonium is a little keyboard wind-driven instrument which is played with one hand while the other hand pumps an air-baffle on the back.  It produces a very sweet organ-like sound. A number of the churches where we ministered had these with several talented people in the congregation who could play them.

An Indian Harmonium

Harold and I were always delighted to join in worship with a congregation or village where we were not the only musicians or music worship leaders.

Wherever we went, Believers wanted to learn the songs that we sang. They often asked me to write down the words and chords to the songs that they heard us sing that were new to them.

AND they would teach us to sing some of the songs and choruses that were popular in their circles of worship. I can still remember a few of them and can sing them. (I just can't remember where I put my glasses!).

When we were in churches that had their own music leaders, or choirs, or musicians they always sang during the final song -- the altar call or invitational hymn.

It was strange to see that they had many recognizable customs in their worship and church work. Music, the reception of an offering, the offering of prayers and personal testimonies, the preaching of the word, and then a closing invitational hymn for response to the message and God's leading.

As we went from place to place I noticed that in every different location, the congregation was singing the very same invitational hymn in Telugu.

Now, if you are familiar with the long ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, you know that Cliff Barrows has only ONE hymn that he has used as in invitational hymn over the years.

Just as I Am.

No search for variety, just simplicity. It conveys the message that Billy wanted the decider to hear. I can come to Jesus: Just as I am.

I recognized the song that our Indian brothers and sisters were singing almost immediately. And they were singing it everywhere that we went.

I Surrender All.

I knew the melody and the words of every verse, in English. Soon both Harold and I could sing most of the verses and the chorus without fail -- in Telugu.

I can still remember the words of the chorus, and I can hear us singing that song and watching so many people come forward to give their lives to Christ!

Na Samasthamu

It was only years later, in memory and reflection, that God showed me why these Christians were using that particular hymn to call their families, friends, and fellow-countrymen to Christ.

We knew at the time, but were not fully aware, of what persecution any Indian faced when he or she gave their lives to Christ. To become a Christian there is very dangerous.

We had learned that through listening to Dr. and Mrs. Gupta's conversion stories. Dr. Gupta's father had tried to kill him, Mrs. Gupta's family had completely disowned her.

Many of the students at the Hindustan Bible Institute were so happy to be able to live and work at the school, because their profession of Faith in Christ had made them homeless outcasts.

In our preaching and singing we were not only inviting souls to Christ. We were challenging them to surrender everything to come to Him.

Not just church membership, or getting religion -- surrendering all.

It made my preaching and singing -- from that time until now -- a little more earnest.

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine

All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessings fall on me

All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
Oh the joy of full salvation
Glory glory to His name