Sunday, April 24, 2016

I Surrender All

I Surrender All
By: Judson W. Van De Venter

All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; 
I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.  
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior,
 I surrender all. 

~~~~~

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. 
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, 
I surrender all. 

~~~~~

All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee. 
Fill me with Thy love and power, let thy blessings fall on me. 
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, 
I surrender all. 

~~~~~

 Someone once said, "Only in the Christian life does surrender bring victory." Judson Wheeler Van De Venter learned that for himself. 

Born on a farm in Monroe Country, Michigan, in 1855, Judson grew up interested in art and music. He was converted to Christ at age 17. After graduating from college in Hillsdale, Michigan, Judson became an art teacher and then supervisor of art for the high school in Sharon, Pennsylvania. In 1885, he toured Europe, visiting art galleries and museums and studying painting. He was also a musician, having studied in numerous singing schools. All the while, Judson was heavily involved in his local Methodist Episcopal Church where he sang in the choir. He found himself especially fulfilled when participating in evangelistic rallies and revivals in which people received Christ as their personal Savoir. Friends encouraged him to resign from the school system to enter fulltime music evangelism, but for five years he struggled with the decision.

Finally falling to his knees, he said, "Lord, if you want me to give my full time to Thy work, I'll do it, I surrender all to Thee." For the next several years he traveled extensively through the United States, England, and Scotland, assisting in evangelistic work, leading the singing for Wilber Chapman and other evangelists, and winning men and women to Christ. While engaged in meetings in East Palestine, Ohio, Judson stayed in the home of George Sebring (whose family founded Sebring, Ohio, and who himself later found Sebring, Florida.) It was there that he wrote the hymn, "I Surrender All," while recalling his own personal submitting to full-time ministry. 

Moving to Tampa in 1923, he began teaching hymnology at Florida Bible Institute. He retired after several years, but still occasionally showed up on campus to lecture or to speak in chapel. In the 1930s, a student at Florida Bible Institute sat wide-eyed, listening to Judson Van De Venter. That student, Billy Graham, later wrote: "One of the evangelists who influenced my early preaching was also a hymnist who wrote 'I Surrender All,' the Rev. J.W. Van De Venter. He was a regular visitor at the Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity Bible College) in the late 1930s. We students loved this kind, deeply spiritual gentleman and often gathered in his winter home at Tampa, Florida, for an evening of fellowship and singing." This widely known and sung hymn still encourages Christians to surrender their lives fully to the Savior, for he's the only one that can bring real peace. 
Taken from "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan
 
In Christ's unending love and mercy,
Ashley
Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

8 comments:

  1. This is one of my favorite hymns of all time! We sang it in service yesterday. How beautiful the story behind those words of surrender.

    Thanks for sharing, Ashley! {I will respond to your email as soon as I can!}

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  2. I love this song. Only in surrender totally to God's will are happy and blessed.

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  3. Nice post. There's only one line in that hymn that has always bothered me, and that is, ''let me feel thy holy spirit, truly know that thou art mine.' I think too many people crave a feeling, rather than believing God, taking him at his word. (This is not a problem with your post, by the way.) :-) I'm just a stickler for good theology in lyrics. Great post!

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  4. Oh, I love the old hymns....They were so full of meaning. Your history of this one makes me appreciate it all the more, Ashley!

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    1. Oh yes. I love singing and learning about the authors who wrote the old hymns he old hymns as well.

      Thank you for commenting.
      Much love in Christ,
      Ashley

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  5. Oh, wow! I LOVED this story! And, how wonderful to see that Billy Graham was a person this man influenced! See, we just never know who is watching our lives and who we are having an influence on. Thank you for sharing this amazing story, Ashley. :) Sending you much love.

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  6. I love that old hymn! I remember Evie had sang it years ago and I always loved her singing. l appreciate the hymns especially when I learn the history of them. I also enjoy some of the music of today but it doesn't always show reverence for the Lord. {that's my opinion} A lot of our Christian society today is very self centered and it oftentimes is reflected in the music that is written. Great post and thank you for sharing. Thank you also for your visit and have a lovely weekend.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  7. Another way to send you a message. I also became a Born Again Christian when I was 17. And some of Don's family lives in Hillsdale Michigan. I will ask them if they are aware that All to Jesus I Surrender was written by Judson.
    We got home a week ago, but just got back to church this Sunday. That's good, but we really miss BBC and our dear friends there and the teaching and music. I'm getting rested up but the trip is very tiring. We visited cousin in Bluefield, WV, and my friend in Erie PA. It was great to visit, but also made the trip longer. Love to all, Aunt Sharon

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