Death is Swallowed Up in Victory! (Repost)

Click here for The Easter Song,sung by the 2nd Chapter of Acts

Easter Song

Keith Green

Hear the bells ringing

They're singing that you can be born again

Hear the bells ringing

They're singing Christ is risen from the dead

The angel up on the tombstone

Said He has risen, just as He said

Quickly now, go tell his disciples

That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah

He's risen, hallelujah

He's risen, hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hear the bells ringing

They're singing that you can be healed right now

Hear the bells ringing, they're singing

Christ, He will reveal it now

The angels, they all surround us

And they are ministering Jesus' power

Quickly now, reach out and receive it

For this could be your glorious hour

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah

He's risen, hallelujah

He's risen, hallelujah

Hallelujah!

Reposted from Easter Day, 2010...

I wonder how many of you sang the familiar hymn, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today...Alleluia!" at your Easter service this morning.  I know I did, and I cherished every word and phrase of this beloved song.  It tells the whole story of Christ's resurrection... I don't think Charles Wesley will mind if I reprint the words here for you to ponder:

"Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won; Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!

Christ has opened Paradise. Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where,O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Dying once, He all doth save, Allleluia!

Where's thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like Him, like Him we rise; Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.  Alleluia!"

I will borrow the words to another familiar hymn to further my point today:

"Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus, my Saviour! 

He tore the bars away, 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!"

(Christ Arose, by Robert Lowry, 1826-1899)

In reciting these words for you above, I am stating my battle cry..."Christ the Lord is Risen Today"..."Where, O death, is now thy sting? Where's thy victory, O grave?"...and  "Death cannot keep his prey...Jesus, my Saviour...He tore the bars away...Jesus, my Lord!"......"He arose a VICTOR from the dark domain, and HE LIVES FOREVER WITH HIS SAINTS TO REIGN!"

We have a victorious Savior...and because Christ is a living Savior...we too shall overcome this life and be resurrected to life eternal.  But we don't have to wait until we die to have eternal life...That is something that starts right now...but, as our pastor taught us this morning...

"We have to die first to have a resurrection."...We have to die to self, die to the desires of this world, die to the things that hold us back from living the life God intended us to live...bad habits, fear, doubt, anger, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness... we need to let these unhappy feelings, memories, and unwholesome thoughts perish from our minds and hearts, and instead embrace a resurrection of love, forgiveness, hope, trust, and faith in God...and

"let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..."

(Colossians 3:15-16)

 We have a choice...we can continue to live as though we have no hope of the resurrection...or we can embrace the resurrected life right now...by faith in our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ...Who LIVES...and is preparing a place for you and me right now so that we can be with Him forever in Paradise...(see John 14: 1-6)

I've already made my choice...what about you???

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Tonight I have heard some disturbing news.  A dear couple, whom I have known since childhood, having gone to school together, have lost their son suddenly.  He was only 29 years old, and the father of two children.  At noon he went in to lie down, and when his father went in to check on him, he was not breathing, and could not be revived. Just that quickly, God had called him home. No warning, no time to pray for him, no time to say good-bye...gone, in a moment's time.  It seems cruel in some ways, not fair...we don't understand why...apparently he even had a fiance'... He was too young...still had his whole life ahead of him.  But he is gone.  My heart is breaking for that family...his parents, his children, his fiance', his brother and others who loved him.

I guess this hits me really hard because we have been dealing with life and death issues in our own family...our son, who is only 37, is battling a very deadly disease, cancer.  And yet, we have high hopes...the Doctors have been somewhat encouraging in that they believe they have caught it in time to treat it and hopefully bring about a cure.  We've been given time to pray for him, to help him fight for his life, to spend time with him and encourage him and love him. For this kindness we are eternally grateful to God.

Yet, none of us are guaranteed any time on this earth...we are here because God brought us into existence and placed us here. But no man knows how many days, months, years or decades he may live.  I am not trying to be morbid...but truthful.  This life that we've been given is exactly that...a gift.  There are no guarantees of long life, good health, or financial wealth.  There is a fragile thread that holds us between life and death. A "silver cord" that holds us here...but then comes the real life...the real joy...

"Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing;

But, oh, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King!"

Chorus:

"And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story--saved by grace;

And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace."

"Someday my earthly house will fall, I cannot tell how soon 'twill be;

But this I know, my All in All has now a place in heaven for me."

(Chorus)

"Someday, when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy-tinted west,

My blessed Lord will say, "Well done!" And I shall enter into rest.

(Chorus)

"Someday, till then I'll watch and wait, My lamp all trimmed and burning bright,

That when my Saviour opes the gate, My soul to Him may take its flight!"

(Chorus:)

"And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace!

And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story, saved by grace."

I love this old-fashioned hymn, "Saved by Grace", written by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), whom I believe was blind.  It is a beautiful testimony of her faith in Christ and His promise to prepare a place for her in heaven.  I, too, claim this promise, and look forward to that day "when I shall wake within the palace of the King!"

My prayers are with my friends tonight as they are grieving this great loss in their family. There are no words that can fully comfort them at this time. I can only pray that God's Holy Spirit, our Great Comforter, will undergird them with His Mighty Arms, and hold them close and calm their hearts. I pray that they will think about their son, safe in the arms of Jesus, and in the palace of the King.  We have this great hope of heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.