Stand Up for Jesus!

Hearts stirred

A revival occurred in Philadelphia in 1858. The leader was a 29-year-old Episcopal minister named Dudley Tyng. It began during a series of noonday Bible studies for men that he led and grew to thousands in attendance. On March 30, 1858, he addressed a group of 5,000 from Exodus 10:11,

“Go now you that are men, and serve the Lord”

As Dudley read this words, some stirred in him. He raised his right arm and declared,

“I would rather have my arm removed at the stump
than to fail to declare God’s Word to you.”

After he said these words, 1,000 men gave their lives to Jesus Christ.

Inspired song

The next week Dudley Tyng visited a farm outside the city. Fascinated by a mule-drawn corn thresher, he reached out to pat the mule. As he did so, the sleeve of his jacket got caught in the thresher and his arm was badly mangled, severing the artery and doing severe nerve damage.

Several days later doctors had to amputate his arm. Unfortunately it was too late. Infection had set in and he was declining quickly. Knowing that he was dying, Dudley called his family and friends to gather around his bed. He struggled but managed to speak these words to them…

“Stand up for Jesus! Go back to the church
and tell them to always stand up for Jesus.”

When those words were repeated at the funeral, they had an enormous impact on a man young man named George Duffield. He wrote them down, and later put them to music…

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.