Month: March 2013

Set Free! Christ Arose!

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During the early Christian era on Resurrection Sunday you would hear this greeting:
“Alleluia, He is Risen!”
“Alleluia, He is Risen Indeed!”
This greeting has been revived during the last 100 years. I’m sure you have heard the greeting many times through the years on Easter Sunday Morning. This greeting makes me want to sing the great hymn written and composed by Robert Lowry in 1874, Christ Arose!
When we sing the song, notice the two different moods of the song. This was intentional by Lowery. The verses are to be slower and in a more somber mood. The chorus is to sung with enthusiasm and praise! Lowry says that this hymn was born out of his devotions. He was reading Luke 24:6-8 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
Robert began to picture in his mind the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Before he realized it, he was at his little pump organ in his house writing and composing “Christ Arose”. It happened almost spontaneously. In fact most of his hymns happened just that way. He spoke of his method for hymn writing saying that he has no set method. When the mood strikes him, no matter where he is he begins to write the song. He says his brain starts spinning and wont shut off. The music is constantly running in his head.

On this Easter week what is running through your head? Galatians 5:16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of your sinful nature.”
Proverbs 4:20 tells us to “Guard your heart”. Some how our brains are connected to our hearts. I don’t mean your physical blood pumping heart. I mean you Spiritual Heart. What we think about directly effects our actions. If we focus on the things of God then this will bring about good actions in our life. If we focus on the world then we will be drawn away from God. There is a video on youtube that expresses this so very well. It is called “Everything” by Lifehouse Church. It starts with Jesus and a girl enjoying God’s creation. As she gets older the things of the world begin to draw her away from Jesus. He tries to get her to come back to Him but she is too distracted by the world. Soon the world has control of her mind and actions. Just before she tries to commit suicide she realizes what has happened and she tries to reach for Jesus. The things of the world are holding her back. Then Jesus steps in and sets her free. Watch the video. It is awesome!
What kind of things in this world are keeping you captive? This would be a great week for you to let Jesus set you free! 

The Crown of Control

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The “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem happened one week before His resurrection. Zachariah 9:9 prophesied, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
 Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey riding on a donkey’s colt.”
The prophecy is fulfilled in Matthew 21:7-9, which says, “They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”
We call the Sunday before Easter Palm Sunday because of the palm branches that were spread out for Jesus as the crowd cried out “Hosanna”! The same crowd a week later cried out, “Crucify Him”.
Why were the people shouting “Hosanna”? Hosanna means save or rescue. The Jews were under Roman rule and they wanted to be rescued. They were waiting for the Messiah. But their idea of the Messiah was a King that would come and conquer Roman military and take control. They wanted a Messiah that would save them from Rome. Jesus did come to save but not with military power. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” He came to save us from the penalty of our sin. The punishment we deserve is eternal separation from God. Thankfully, by His grace, we do not have to serve a sentence of spiritual death. We are saved by His grace from the penalty of our sin.
This Sunday morning March 24, 2013 our foundation hymn is “Crown Him with Many Crown”. The “Crown” symbolizes power and authority. Have you crowned Jesus the Lord of your life? It is typical for us to “Crown” Him one day and then take the crown away the next. As you sing this hymn take a look at your life and ask yourself if you have given Jesus complete control of your life.
Our songs for the morning include:
• Crown Him with Many Crowns
• Hosanna (Praise is Rising)
• Holy is the Lord
• Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty

A Love Song

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William Featherson lived to be almost 27 years old. We don’t know much about his life other than he was born on July 24, 1846 and he died just before his 27th birthday. There is one thing of note that he did that we are familiar with, he wrote a poem. William wrote the poem when he was 16 years old. His poem is a deep expression of his love for his Lord. Then 14 years later, 3 years after William’s death, Adoniram Gordon put music to this beautiful love poem. Since the song was published it has been printed in almost every evangelical hymnal.

There is one other story about this love poem. I found this story at http://www.biblestudycharts.com. Here is the story copied from that site.

“A Protestant Minister once related the following story regarding this hymn.
to a large audience in one of the Rev. E. P. Hammond’s meetings in St. Louis.
“A young, talented and tender-hearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that
by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance, so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly convert­ed, and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of the theater troupe, of her conversion, and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure, and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined, if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose, and partially consented to fill the published
engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favorite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won
back his daughter, and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose, and the young actress stepped forward firmly amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Amid the breathless silence of the audience, she repeated:

‘My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.’

This was all. Through Christ she had conquered and, leaving the audience in tears, she retired from the stage, never to appear upon it again. Through her influence her father was converted, and through their united
evangelistic labors many were led to God.”
As we sing “My Jesus I Love Thee” make sure to make it a love song between you and God.