November 5, 2024

Up From the Grave He Arose

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Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior 
‘Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord 

 Up from the grave He arose
 With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
 He arose a Victor from the dark domain
 And He lives forever, with His saints to reign 
 He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose

Vainly they watched His bed, Jesus my Savior 
Vainly they sealed the dead, Jesus my Lord 

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior 
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord

 
David Thornton
Written by Robert Lowry
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What a way to celebrate Easter by singing this song with all of your heart!

As the disciples waited in the upper room…barely speaking to one another or even looking at each other.  None of them were blameless. All of them deserted Jesus in the end.  Then one of the women comes running to tell them that Jesus was gone from His grave.  Suddenly, there is hope, there is an excited expectation…though still mingled with  doubt.

Then, running out to the tomb, they see for themselves that it is indeed empty.  How can this be?  Who could have rolled the stone away and taken His body?  Then an angel appears telling them that Jesus has risen and asking them why do you look for him here?

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  …The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ … Then they remembered His words.  …Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

excerpts from Luke 24:5-12 

What a glorious day for the disciples! To know that the past three years were not in vain and that they were going to be spreading God’s word to all the nations.

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Father, thank You for the hope and promise of bringing more people into Your Kingdom.  I pray for hearts and minds to be opened to receive Your wonderful news of everlasting life with You!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He Lives (I Serve A Risen Savior)

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I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near

He lives, He lives
Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives
Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart

In all the world around me I see His loving care
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind

Alan Jackson
Words and Music – Alfred Ackley, 1933

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One morning I was feeling a bit sad…life wasn’t going as I had envisioned.  And I was wondering why God wasn’t answering my requests and my desperate pleas.  Then, in the mail, I received a beautiful card with some much-needed reminders.  In it was this Scripture:

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a Mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

As I walked up the stairs to enjoy my quiet time, I was thinking about that verse, and this song sprang into my mind.  Christ lives!  He lives in me.  He walks with me and talks with me.  He is my Hope and my Help.  No one loves me like He does.  Whenever I need Him, He is always near.  Christ is my Savior and He takes great delight in me.  He actually rejoices over me with singing!  (If that doesn’t lift your mood, honey, you DO have problems!)  In a matter of moments my whole perspective had shifted.

All of this reminded me of another card I had received earlier in the week that contained this Scripture:

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you;
do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen…yes, I will help you;
yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 AMP

Another card I received reminded me that God is with me ALL the time and that ‘God is my Strength and Power, and He makes my way perfect’ (2 Samuel 22:33 NKJV).  God reminded me through these ladies and these cards that I have no reason to be dismayed or discouraged.  I have nothing to fear.  Christ lives and He holds me in His VICTORIOUS right hand.  (I just love that phrase!)  Christ alone is my Strength and my Power.  He loves me and ‘makes my way perfect.’  Who am I to question His plan?

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Lord Jesus, thank You for the much needed reminder that You are alive and live within my heart.  Thank You for walking with me daily, talking with me, and calming my fears.  I am so very blessed that You take great delight in me and rejoice over me with joyful songs.  Thank You for the lesson I learned through all of this and giving me the words to share it with others.  In Your holy name, Amen – So Be It!

Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)

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Today I felt led to share this poignant song by Alan Jackson. It is so hard to believe that it has been 13 years since the horrific attack on the Twin Towers and the almost 3,000 who died on 9/11/01. Mr. Jackson’s song brings us back to what will always be the greatest thing we can do—love.

(Please be aware that the video includes many photos of the tragedy that happened at the Twin Towers.)

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Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in L.A.
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red, white, and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to Heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that Bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watching
And turn on “I Love Lucy” reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Singer / Songwriter: Alan Jackson
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Such a beautiful song which ends with the Truth of God’s Word—‘and the greatest is love.’

But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

There is no doubt that we have been given the standard to love throughout the entire New Testament.  From Jesus’ words to His disciples, to Paul and Timothy’s encouragement to the believers of the 1st Century Church, to the standard that John, the beloved Apostle, laid out in the epistles he wrote…all point directly to the greatest thing we have to do.  LOVE.

Jesus said quite a bit to His disciples about love. Listen…

“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and most important command.
The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:36-39

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34 and 35

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Matthew 5:43-45

Shortly before Jesus’ trial and persecution and His death, the disciples were asking Him about His return. Amongst other warnings, He admonished them about the great importance of love.

“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
Matthew 24:8-14

All of Jesus’ disciples died before He was sent by His Father to return to the earth and gather the faithful.  So these words must be taken seriously by those of us who still remain. We don’t know WHEN He is coming…but we DO know that He IS coming! And so these warnings should be heeded to.

The attacks of those who hate God against the Christians in the world have definitely increased.  Our military continues to fight heated battles in Afghanistan (and also in other regions of the world).  Christians in many countries are arrested, tortured, and some killed for their faith in God and Jesus Christ.  Even here within the borders of our own country, hatred increases it seems every day.  We must not be counted among those whose ‘love will grow cold.’  There is great hope, too!  Remember, Jesus said, ‘…MOST people’s love will grow cold.’ (Not ALL people’s.)  Love will survive and can even thrive where we (you and me!) choose to love and not hate. It will be hard…it IS hard! It will seem to be an up-hill battle, and it IS.  But we have the Holy Spirit within us to lead and guide and help us!  May God give us grace every day to choose love.

Even in the days of the 1st Century Church, Paul and Timothy and John encouraged the believers to choose love.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.
2 Timothy 3:1-5

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:7-12

But our living love, practicing love, showing love is now of utmost importance, more important than having any of the other virtues or gifts, because love is the greatest (hey, I didn’t say it!).  Oh, yes, we must have faith and hope…and live our lives with those virtues.  But, since ‘the greatest is love’ we must remember…

LOVE is
patient and kind
does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited
does not act improperly
is not selfish, is not provoked
keeps no record of wrongs
finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things
never ends

There are so very many ways for us to show love to those around us.  To some, it is easy and natural…but to others it takes effort and work (sometimes it seems we need supernatural help!).  But we can.  And we can grow in our ability to love others.  Paul wrote,

I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.
Philippians 1:9

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But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13