Father, ’twas Thy love that knew us

James George Deck was born in Suffolk, England. His father was a postmaster and their Godly Huguenot heritage came through in Mrs. Deck’s piety. She never punished her children without first praying with them. Every evening she prayed alone to God for her children and grandchildren, and she had the joy of seeing everyone come to Christ. As a teenager, James went through officer’s training in Paris, under one of Napoleon‘s generals and was commissioned to India in 1824 as an officer in the E. India Company in the 14th Madras Native Infantry. At this time, he struggled with the belief in God because of all the negative experience. Later, he remembered his mother reading about Jesus and His love and grace. Deck’s conviction led him to become a moral and righteous person, but he could not follow through in his commitment. In 1826, stricken by cholera, he returned home a sick and humbled young man, his ambition had been to become a heroic soldier and to represent his hometown in Parliament, but the sickly 19 year-old on a stretcher did not look too gallant or dynamic. His sister Clara had recently been converted listening to an evangelical Anglican and she brought James to hear him. There he was brought under the power of the gospel and was converted. All things passed away, and all things became new. His life’s ambition then being to follow Jesus and win souls for the Kingdom. Three years later, he married a Godly young lady named Alicia Field. Returning to India he made a bold stand witnessing alongside other Christian officers, and several soldiers became believers through his work. In 1833, he met Anthony Norris Groves, who may have influenced him in a major way. Distressed by a conflict of interests, he saw the goals of the military vs. the goals of Christianity. James took a stand for non-resistance and resigned his commission in the army. He returned to England in 1835 with his wife and two children intending to become a clergyman like his father-in-law Samuel Field. While staying with him at the Vicarage of Hatherleigh in Devon, James’s second son was Christened. In conversation, Field complained to his son-in-law about those troublesome Baptists. This stirred his curiosity to go to the Word of God to find what it said about baptism and the sprinkling of infants. What he found turned him against the errors in the “Prayer Book. ” How could he ever be ordained as an Anglican priest to something he could never consent to? “all and everything contained in the Book of Common Prayer” He told Alicia, “I have left the army to become become a clergyman but now I see that the Church of England is contrary to the Word of God. What shall we do? ” She replied “Whatever you believe to be the will of God, do it at any cost. ” Leaving the Anglican Church and future in a salaried pastorate, James and Alicia were baptized by immersion as believers. Having left the state church, he began to preach Christ wherever possible all the while trusting the Lord to supply the young family’s material needs. His son would later testify that his parents enjoyed “a trust, never disappointed. ” James preached in the nearby villages. It was in Devon that he contacted simple gatherings of Christians and acquired both lifelong friendships and settled convictions about what the Church is. Moving to Somerset, he labored in the gospel in villages around Taunton. This was a happy time of blending and building-up. In that part of England singing became a trademark of the Awakening. During the period of 1838 to 1844 Deck penned his hymns: Abba! Father! We Approach Thee; Lamb of God! Our Souls Adore Thee; Jesus We Remember Thee; and A Little While! Our Lord Shall Come. The themes of worship, consecration and our Lord‘s return were prominent. Deck’s hymns were published as Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs in 1842. In 1838, George Wigram published a collection of hymns called “Hymns for the Poor of the Flock. ” In 1856, The most common edition was later edited by Darby in 1881. The Little Flock Hymnbook has 44 hymns by Deck and one by his sister.

(J. Bjorlie)

God of love, our souls adore You! Thank You for loving us before foundation of earth

unto thee our worship flows!

VI. SERVING GOD AND THE LAMB

Revelation 22:3 also says, “His slaves will serve Him. ” To serve God and the Lamb will also be a blessing to God’s redeemed in eternity. The pronoun Him in this verse refers to God and the Lamb; God and the Lamb are one in eternity. It is the same with His in the next verse.

VII. SEEING THE FACE OF GOD

Verse 4 says, “And they will see His face. ” This also is a blessing to God’s redeemed in eternity. The His in this verse refers to both God and the Lamb. Seeing His face means seeing the face of God and the Lamb.

VIII. HAVING THE NAME OF GOD AND THE LAMB ON THEIR FOREHEADS

God’s redeemed will have the name of God and the Lamb on their foreheads (v. 4). This is still another blessing of God’s redeemed in eternity. We will not have two names; we will have just one name, the name of God and the Lamb. This is similar to Matthew 28:19, which speaks of being baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In eternity both God and the Lamb will have one name. Because we belong to Him, this name will be written on our foreheads forever. Not only will we belong to Him; we will also be one with Him.

Life-study of Revelation

Message 66 (LSM)

A. The Throne of God and of the Lamb

Revelation 22:1 says, “He showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. ” The throne of God and of the Lamb, showing that there is one throne for both God and the Lamb, indicates that God and the Lamb are one—the Lamb-God, the redeeming God, God the Redeemer. In eternity the very God who sits on the throne is our redeeming God, from whose throne proceeds the river of water of life for our supply and satisfaction. This depicts how the Triune God—God, the Lamb, and the Spirit, who is symbolized by the water of life—dispenses Himself into His redeemed under His headship (implied in the authority of the throne) for eternity.

Notice that there are not two thrones, one for God and another for the Lamb. According to the traditional terms used in Christianity, the reference to God and the Lamb means that two distinct persons, God and the Lamb, are on one throne. How could God and the Lamb sit on one throne? Do They sit side by side? In 21:23 we find a clue to the correct answer to these questions. In this verse God is likened to light, and the Lamb is likened to a lamp. The light and the lamp cannot be separated; neither can they stand side by side. Rather, the light shines out from within the lamp. Therefore, God as the light is in the Lamb as the lamp. God and the Lamb are not sitting side by side; rather, the very God is within the Lamb as the lamp and shines out through Him.

Life-study of Revelation

Message 65 (LSM)

God of love, our souls adore Thee!

Be to God and to the Lamb!

Lord we will praise you till the end of our days.

The writer of this hymn died in 1884, when there wasn't as much clarity about God's economy. The line in stanza 3, "Till we cast our crowns before Thee," is a problem. The hymn is all about the saints love for the Father, and has nothing to do with the angels. According to Rev. 4, it is not WE the believers, but the 24 ANGELIC ELDERS who cast their crowns before the Man on the throne. "According to the preceding verses, this section of the holy Word implies that when the redeemed saints--represented by the man among the 4 living creatures who are redeemed--have been perfected and glorified to be the proper priests and kings (20:6), the temporary priests and kings, the 24 angelic elders, will resign from their offices... (RcV, v. 10 fn. 1)." This error can be corrected by just changing the line to, "AS WE GATHER HERE BEFORE THEE, and in glory praise Thy name."

Unto thee our worship flows!

Thank you Lord that you are the only one we worship! Keep us looking into you! The author! The finisher of our faith!!

God of love, our souls adore Thee!
We would still Thy grace proclaim,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
And in glory praise Thy name;
Praise and worship, praise and worship
Be to God and to the Lamb!
Be to God and to the Lamb!