SCRIPTURE AND MUSIC TO CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION

There are some days when I long for home (heaven) more than others. I have been struggling with a great deal of back pain the last few weeks, and many of these days have caused me to long for release from this pain. Even though I struggle here below, I rejoice that because Christ now lives and sits at the right hand of the Father, that I too, will one day possess a redeemed and resurrected body when that time comes and God calls me home, either in death and the resurrection of the dead, or when the trumpet sounds if I am still alive, to meet Him in the air. Here are a few passages of scripture that have given me great comfort during difficult days. I praise God that since Christ was raised from the dead and given an incorruptible body, so too shall I, on that great day!

Photo courtesy of Freefoto.com. Photographer: Ian Britton

Oh that my words were now written!
Oh that they were printed in a book!
That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
FOR I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH
AND THAT HE SHALL STAND
AT THE LATTER DAY UPON THE EARTH:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold,
and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me.
Job 19:23-27


Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:2


Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain;
ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up
the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
I Corinthians 15:12-26

There are so many wonderful hymns commemorating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I just had to post a few more songs today. I hope they will bring you comfort and courage in the days to come.

HANDEL'S I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH


CHRIST AROSE/HE'S ALIVE - LGC SINGERS


CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY - BY TONEDR


I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES


I couldn't resist including this final one. Although this is not the rendition of "O Happy Day!" that I was looking for (the older hymn version, of which I could not locate a good video), I couldn't resist adding this final one.

Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" Matt. 21:16b

O HAPPY DAY!/JESUS LOVES ME


Click HERE to listen to the original hymn.

GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD BOAST EXCEPT IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED TO ME, AND I TO THE WORLD.

Galatians 6:14

I read a great article today called "The Old Rugged Cross" on Crossroad, a website operated by Andy and Berit Kjos, discussing how the world and the modern church views the cross in these days. It saddens my heart to see the reality that formerly evangelical churches are turning their backs on the only way there is for man to be saved. If they are not outright denying the cross, they are doing it in a practical sense. The article draws attention to what is in store for churches who will not soften their stance on holding tightly to Christ's work on the cross as the only way of salvation, and some of the legal ramifications they will likely face. Click HERE to read the article.

The editors at Lighthouse Trails wrote an article, "Celebrating the Resurrection, but Denying the Atonement", exposing the pathway the emerging church and contemplative spirituality are taking in their practical denial of the cross. Here is an excerpt from that article:

This weekend, people throughout the world are celebrating Christ's resurrection. Even people who don't believe in the resurrection are celebrating the weekend and wishing Happy Easter to others. But while that seems odd to celebrate a day when you don't even believe in it's reason, what is more odd is that so many Christians are celebrating the resurrection but are throughout the year promoting a spirituality that ultimately denies the atonement. Without the atonement, why bother thinking about the resurrection - it would mean nothing.

Some may be saying right now-- my pastor doesn't deny the atonement. Really? Does he ever promote Brennan Manning or Richard Foster? What about the college you attend? Do your professors ever tell you to read Henri Nouwen or Larry Crabb? And what about the women's Bible studies you attend? Do you ever read books by Keri Wyatt Kent, Jan Johnson, or Ruth Haley Barton? And what about the youth group your teens go to? Do they watch Rob Bell's Noomas and read books by Dan Kimball and Brian McLaren? And is your church involved with Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life? You see, the spiritual formation movement (of which category all these authors and leaders fall into) has a core of mysticism. And contemplative mysticism, by its very nature, denies the Cross, the atonement, and the resurrection. So to celebrate the resurrection and yet to embrace spiritual formation is a terrible contradiction.

Now it is true that not all of the people who promote contemplative reject the Atonement, but by their adhering to and promoting the spirituality that does, they in a round about way reject it also. Those who believe in the true elements of contemplative/emerging spirituality say they love the Cross and they consider Christ an example of a great servant who sacrificially gave His life for others, but they deny the idea that He was a substitute - in other words He paid the penalty that we should have because we are sinners. They say that God would not send His Son to a violent death on a Cross to bear the sins of others (see our research on this). They say Jesus is their model but cannot say He is their Lord. By Christian leaders embracing spiritual formation as they are now doing in large numbers, they are inadvertently denying the atonement and are helping to usher in a world religious system that will attempt to snuff out the true gospel. This effort is already knocking at the door.(1)

Click HERE to read the rest of the article on the Lighthouse Trails website.

Here is a video of that old favorite hymn:

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS ON ACOUSTIC GUITAR


(1). http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?cat=41

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT AND RESURRECTION SUNDAY

The traditions of Easter that Christendom celebrates in this day and age are by and large the traditions of men. The ordinance given in Scripture for believers to commemorate the work of Christ on the cross is the Lord's Supper.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26 RSV)

Central to the gospel is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, who knew no sin became sin for us, while we in turn receive the righteousness of God through Him. The Lord's Supper, which is a celebration symbolizing this new covenant and a remembrance of His death and resurrection most adequately pictures this. Our contemporary Easter celebrations which take place only once a year are a rather poor alternative to Christ's original pattern, as given to us in Scripture. The Easter our contemporary culture celebrates today has Roman Catholic origins and often includes many pagan elements that reflect the traditions of those who worship the goddess Ishtar, from which Easter derives its name. The eggs, bunnies, and symbols of new life and Spring are some of these which represent the element of fertility so important to worshipers of this goddess. The Roman Catholic church allowed this in order to gain converts, allowing paganism alongside the Roman Catholic traditions.

I do not condemn those who choose to celebrate the festival we now call Easter by attending Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, as many do not understand the origins of the celebration and its many associations with paganism. I prefer to call these days the Day of Atonement and Resurrection Sunday myself, as the term Easter is a derivative of the word Astarte or Ishtar, the pagan goddess. I continue to enjoy many of the traditional hymns associated with Christ's death and resurrection, and I will still be attending the services in our local church. My focus will be on the ongoing commemoration of His death in the Lord's supper and its meaning for me as I partake with our small congregation and sing the hymns associated with these events. I have chosen however, not to participate in the traditions that have pagan origins. It is my hope and desire that the Lord's Supper will take place more frequently within our congregation (which currently takes place approximately once a month), as it is central to my faith. I think its importance has been minimized in many churches in North America and that it does not take place often enough. I think of it as a joyous occasion, with the understanding that I have been allowed to be free from the bondage of sin and its eternal consequences, while soberly remembering what it cost Christ to pay for that freedom. It is a time to examine myself as to whether I am living a life worthy of the calling I have received. In other words, is my life lining up with what I believe, and are there areas that I need to place before the Lord in submission to Him. Am I cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He is working in my life through the process of sanctification, which is to be done with utmost care and diligence on my part.

For those who have chosen to commemorate Christ's death and resurrection during this time of the year, here is a reminder of the true meaning of the events. This is one of my favorite hymns. Although this video is made by an amateur, I admire the fact that this is a father and his sons, joining together to sing this song of praise, and it is being sung from the heart; not for the purpose of entertainment, but for worship and in gratitude. May God bless you as you listen and reflect on God's mercy.

JESUS PAID IT ALL

THE MEANING OF THE CROSS

Today I decided to post a video collage telling the story of the true meaning of the cross for the Christian believer. In and of itself, the cross is an instrument of torture and execution used by the Romans in the ancient world, and has no meaning to the Christian. It is THE PERSON who was on the cross ~ THE SON OF GOD ~ and THE WORK He did there ~ ATONEMENT FOR SIN ~ that gives it any meaning at all. Apart from these elements, the cross is a cruel and senseless instrument of death. It happened in this way as a prophetic fulfillment of Scripture, and was an act that can change the course of your life.

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Paul Washer ~ The True Meaning of the Cross





Paul Washer ~ The Cross the Modern Preachers Put in the Back





Jim Greeninger ~ Nothing But The Blood of Jesus