Pages from History: 4 September, 1847: Henry Francis pens Hymn ‘Abide with me’
4 September, 1847: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) writes the Hymn “Abide with me” (Malayalam – Koode paarkka neram vaikkunnitha, No.8 (7) in Kristheeya Keerththanagal). Lyte wrote this hymn at the end of his life, just two months before he died. The text for this Hymn was taken from Luke’s Gospel Ch.24 v. 29 “Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent”.
Henry Francis Lyte
Pages from History: 3 September, 1889 – Birth of Sadhu Sunder Singh
Sadhu Sunder Singh was a member of an ancient, aristocratic, and wealthy Sikh family from the village of Rampur in the State of Patiala. He was very religious. Jesus appeared to him in a vision in the early hours of 18th December 1904. Like Paul he heard a voice “Why do you persecute me? Remember that I gave my life for you upon the Cross”. On Sunday, the 3rd of September, 1905, on his sixteenth birthday, he was baptized in St. Thomas Church at Simla according to the rite of the Anglican Church.
Sadhu Sundar Singh
A month after his baptism, Sundar Singh donned the yellow linen robe that celibate Indian Sadhus wore and set out to preach the gospel, carrying nothing but a New Testament. From now on he would have no permanent home and no income.”I am not worthy to follow in the steps of my Lord,” he said, “but like Him, I want no home, no possessions. Like Him I will belong to the road, sharing the suffering of my people, eating with those who will give me shelter, and telling all people of the love of God.’ He also authored eight books.
He is believed to have died in the foothills of the Himalayas in 1929 on his way to Tibet. His body was never found.
Sadhu Sundar Singh
Pages from History: 31 August, 1688: John Bunyan dies.
English Puritan writer and preacher John Bunyan, author of “Pilgrim’s Progress” dies at the age of 69. Though one of England’s most famous authors even in his own day, he maintained his pastoral duties to his death, which was caused by pneumonia he caught while riding in the rain to reconcile a father and son.
John Bunyan
John Bunyan’s grave at Bunhill Fields, London.
Pages from History, Herod executes John the Baptist.
29 August, A.D 29: Herod executed John the Baptist. Since the fifth century, this has been considered as the traditional date for the beheading of John the Baptist. 
Pages from History, 28 August, A.D 430: Saint Augustine passes away.
St. Augustine was born on 13 Nov 354, in Tagaste, Numidia, in Roman North Africa, of a mixed marriage. His father was a pagan, but his mother, Monica, was a Christian. It was because of her prayers that Augustine became a church leader and later a saint. He was known for his writings that consists of more than one hundred separate titles in Latin.. Nobody before Martin Luther (reformation Leader) has influenced the western Church as much as Augustine.
St. Augustine
Pages from History, 29 July, 1955: Mr. Daniel files suit against Mar Thoma Metropolitan
K. Ninan Daniel
On 29 July, 1955, Mr. Ninan Daniel, of Kurumthottikkal, Melukara Pathanamthitta District and three others filed a civil suit in District Court of Kottayam against the then Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church Most Rev. Juhanon Mar Thoma and six others.
Pages from History: 14 July, 1947, Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi passes away
14 July, 1947: Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi passes away. Mammen Upadeshi was born in the Vadasseri house of the Punchamannil family in Maramon on 25 Nov.1868, as the son of Mathai and Achiyamma.
Mammen’s elder siblings all died while they were still infants. So Mammen was baptized at home when he was very young by the Parish Priest Rev. Titus (Later Rt. Rev. Titus I Mar Thoma).
Mammen Upadeshi trusted the Lord like the Old Testament Prophet Elijah and lived like Elijah, spoke the messages of the Lord like Elijah, fought against evil forces like Elijah and even performed miracles like Elijah.
Punchamannil Mammen Upadeshi
Pages from History. 10 July, 1919: P.V. Thommy Upadeshi passes away
10 July, 1919: P.V. Thommy Upadeshi passes away. Thommy Upadeshi was born in a very poor family of the Kunnamkulam Mar Thoma Parish in 1881. After his basic education he became a teacher. But after few years of teaching he became a full time evangelist in the Mar Thoma Church.
Rev. C.M. Joseph, Vicar of the Kunnamkulam Parish encouraged him in his Gospel work. Titus II Metropolitan appointed him as evangelist in Trichur and Perumbavoor He was a blessed Hymn writer. In 1905 he published a Hymn Book “Vishudha Geethangal” comprising of 136 hymns.
His language is simple and even the illiterate persons can enjoy his hymns. The following hymns in the book Kristheeya Keerththanangal are written by him: 3 (3), 11(10), 12(11), 30(28), 56(56), 61(61), 67(67), 70(70), 71(71), 73(73), 96(96), 130(111), 35(126), 145(136), 243(221), 247(225), 286(286), 295(281), 345 (345), 351(351), 366(242), 368(251).
In 1919 there was an outbreak of Cholera in Kunnamkulam and many persons died. Thommy Upadesi volunteered to serve the cholera patients and was finally infected with cholera. He passed away on Wednesday 10 July 1919 at the age of 38.
Kristheeya Keerththanangal
Pages from History: 5 July 1415, Church burns John Hus
5 July, 1415: John Huss, Bohemian preacher and forerunner of Protestantism, is burned as a heretic in Constance, Germany. John Huss was a religious thinker and reformer. He initiated a religious movement based on the ideas of John Wycliffe.
His followers became known as Hussies. The Catholic Church did not condone such uprisings, and Huss was excommunicated in 1411, condemned by the Council of Constance. Hus was offered a chance to recant and declined with the words “God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today.” He was then burned at the stake, and his ashes thrown into the Rhine River.
Jon Hus being burnt at the Stake.
Janíček Zmilelý z Písku – Jena codex
Pages from History: 1 July 1899, Formation of The Gideons International
1 July, 1899: Three travelling businessmen met in a YMCA building and decided to form an organization to distribute Bibles. The Christian Commercial Men’s Association of America, later renamed the Gideon’s, placed their first Bibles in a hotel nine years later.
Gideon’s started their work in India in 1961. The 33rd annual convention of Gideon’s International (India) was held at Tiruvalla in May, 2002.
Gideon’s distribute complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. They have placed 1.9 billion Scriptures and are on a mission to reach 2 billion.
The Gideons International
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