Tag: 1 Timothy 2:6

Hymns 2.0 – Christ the Lord is Risen Today

On September 25, 2023

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

Charles Wesley 1739

The History Behind the Hymn

Of the thousands of churches across the world, you would only be able to walk past a few during the Easter season and not hear the congregation boisterously singing this tune. It was written by a man who wrote so many hymns that he himself would not be able to name half, and it sat as just another of his many works for many years. It wasn’t until one significant change to the hymn caused it to explode in popularity and become an essential pick for the celebration of the risen Savior.

Charles Wesley was born in 1707 as the eighteenth child of Samuel and Susannah Wesley’s overall nineteen. He was born premature, and was at first thought to be dead. But God had much in store for little Charles, and wouldn’t allow death to take him just yet. It took a few unsure weeks, but baby Charles finally became healthy. It’s a good thing too, because Charles Wesley went on to become the most successful hymn writer to ever live.
https://www.hymncharts.com/2022/01/14/the-story-behind-christ-the-lord-is-risen-today/

A Lesson for Me

Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

Out of all the “gods” that this world has created to date, not one can boast a resurrection of the dead. Not one! We are seeing more and more open dissention against Christianity as we near the Tribulation period. Christians are made fun of and are now thought to be insane. How does one live in a world such as this? The early church had it so much worse, Reader! One only has to read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to see that Christians are not really under persecution here in America … yet. If you’ve not read it, you can follow the link and download it for free. It is a very hard read – one comes to the realization of just how these martyrs were tortured for their faith.

I realize that if I should live until the Rapture of the Church, I will see persecution. America is beginning to see this and it will get much worse according to the Scriptures which depict the end times. (2 Timothy 3:1-3) The only way I can live through the upcoming persecution is to be grounded in God’s Word. My focus must be on the risen Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. This life is not a race but a Christian marathon. Each day brings new challenges and trials. However, the Father gives strength with each one. Our eyes must be fixed on the only One who can help! He is not a god made with hands! He is the Almighty, the Creator of all things, the Alpha and Omega! There are so many names for Him that if I were to include them all, this post would be endless!

Today’s hymn is at the center of the believer’s core beliefs and values. Without the resurrection, there is no conquering of sin or death!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Message for today

Love’s redeeming work is done! This praise should be ever on our lips, Christian! Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross to purchase our pardon. All humanity is born to be destined for Hell. But to those who recognize their sinfulness and desire pardon from their sins, there is One who has paid the ransom; He has paid the penalty for those sins! Had Jesus simply died on the cross with no resurrection, there would be no forgiveness of sins. Because Jesus rose on the third day, His promise to His followers is that they will also!

Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Born-again Christians will go to Heaven in one of two ways: when they die, or when the Rapture occurs. In the meantime, we were given a new life after our salvation. At the moment one is born again, the Holy Spirit come to live within. This same Spirit gives us the ability to say no to sin, which we could not do before. He gives us the ability to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:5-7)

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

At the end of our pilgrim journey, we will be taken to our exalted Head and be like Him. We will have eternal bodies, just as Jesus did. We will be able to enjoy eternity in a place that will be beyond anything we can imagine. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

1 John 3:2 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.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – First Fruits

By Kate Plourde

On December 7, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:9-14 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (10) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: (11) And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. (12) And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. (13) And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. (14) And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Good morning, reader! Have you been blessed by this series so far? I love finding the Lord Jesus Christ throughout each book in the Bible. Even in Genesis 3:15, we see the “Scarlet Thread of Redemption” given to us! God created a perfect man and gave him a perfect place to live. But man chose to sin, despite the God’s perfect creation. It’s not God’s fault that man had the free will to sin and chose to do so! It is our nature to sin by choice. Praise the Lord for our Saviour, the perfect Lamb of God, who gave Himself for us.

(Galatians 1:4) Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

(Galatians 2:20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

(Ephesians 5:25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

(1 Timothy 2:6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

(Titus 2:14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Now on to today’s feast: The Feast of First Fruits! This feast was to be celebrated the day after the Sabbath (which is the first day of the week), once they arrived in the Promised Land! (Leviticus 23:10) They were to give to the priest a sheaf from their harvest and the priest would wave it (Leviticus 23:11) before the Lord. They would also offer a year-old male lamb without blemish. The food and drink offering was also given as a sign of fellowship with God (Leviticus 23:13-14). This was all to be done so Israel would know that God should receive their very best. It also helped Israel to remember who provided their food! The mere fact that they gave God of their First Fruits would teach them to trust in His provision; who could know if it would be a sparse harvest. When we give God the very best and of our own first fruits of our labor, He will take care of the rest! This Feast reminds Israel of their fellowship and dedication

What is the principle behind the Feast of Firstfruits? The people of God were to know that they owe their best to God. Nothing they have did not come from Him. It was definitely risky for them to offer the first of their harvest to God. Who knew if there would be more harvest? But in doing so, they were to learn faith and trust in the God who has proven His faithfulness over and over again. For us too, this reminds us that we don’t just give God the best, we are also to give God first. This is His due and our priority. This Feast was also to mark their dedication and fellowship with Jehova-Jireh, the God who provides.

The Feast of First Fruits was also used as a provision for the priests. Numbers 18:2-13 gives us that account. So we see Israel giving of their first fruits to God; then God provided for the priests using these first fruits. We use this same method today – we pay our tithes and offerings to God, Who in turn provides for the man of God and the running of His church house.

So how does this feast reveal Christ? We know that the Lord arose on the first day of the week. (Matthew 28:1-10) Jesus was also the first fruit of those who had been dead and having the resurrection of life! (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23) Christ received His new glorified body and when He comes in the clouds to rapture His church, the dead first and after them, we will receive our new glorified bodies!!! Jesus Christ is the first fruit of rising above death’s sting. Without His resurrection, we are most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19)! But because we know that Jesus arose, it encourages us that we will follow!

Do you see the Lord in this particular Feast? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the First Fruit through His resurrection, which gives every man an opportunity to participate in the Rapture!! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!