He Lives

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,” – Psalm 103:1-4

 

Alfred Ackley, born in 1887 in Pennsylvania, showed great musical potential as a child. He was tutored by his musician father and then went to New York City to study and on to the Royal Academy of Music in London. There, Alfred played the piano and cello and showed great promise as a composer.

After completing his musical training, Alfred returned to the states and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1914. He pastored in Wilkes-Barre and Elmhurst, Pennsylvania, and then to a congregation in Escondido, California. For a few years, he worked with evangelist Billy Sunday.

While in California in 1932, Alfred began witnessing a Jewish man who attended some of the evangelistic meetings. This young student kept saying, “Why should I worship a dead Jew?”

This bothered Alfred and it stayed on his mind. After waking early to prepare his Easter Sunday message, he was amazed to hear on the radio a famous liberal preacher in New York say, “Good morning. It’s Easter! You know, folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main thing is, His truth goes marching on!”

Alfred’s anger at this was displayed as he threw the radio across the room, yelling, “It’s a lie!”

During the Easter service that morning, Alfred preached with strength and urgency about the reality of Christ’s Resurrection.

But later that night, he continued to dwell on his Jewish friend’s words and the sermon on the radio.

His wife told him it was time for him to do what he did best — write a song — and then he would feel better.

In his study, Alfred re-read the Resurrection account from Mark’s Gospel in the Bible, and soon he wrote the words to “He lives”. A few minutes later, he put music to the words, and answered the question, “Why should I worship a dead Jew?”

 

Jesus is alive and because He lives we have eternal life! Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is alive. 

 

“He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.” – Alfred Ackley

 

God’s Word: “Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.” – Jeremiah 20:13