He Is Risen!

Today’s song: The Victor by Jamie Owens-Collins, from her 1973 album, Laughter In Your Soul, re-released on Legacy in 2008.

On this Easter Sunday 2011, we again remember and celebrate the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the promise of a new life. All of this accomplished by the sacrifice and death of Jesus on that cross, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day.

He is risen indeed!

Swallowed into earth’s dark womb
Death has triumphed
That’s what they say
But try to hold him in the tomb
The Son of Life
Rose on the third day

Look! The gates of hell are falling
Crumbling from the inside out
He’s bursting through the walls with laughter
Listen to the angels shout

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus Christ
Has won it!

His plan of battle fooled them all
They led him off to prison to die
But as he entered Hades hall
He broke those hellish chains with a cry

Listen to the demons screaming
See him bruise the serpent’s head
The prisoners of hell redeeming
All the power of death is dead

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus Christ
Has won it!

Look! The gates of hell are falling
Crumbling from the inside out
He’s bursting through the walls with laughter
Listen to the angels shout

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus Christ
Has won it!

Tags: 2nd Chapter of Acts

Today’s featured song: Single-Minded Love by Kenny Marks, from his 1983 album, Absolutely Positively.

Starting in high school, I began to long for close friendship with a woman. Being somewhat shy and introverted, I had acquaintances with girls, but few situations came up where a real “date” occurred, even into the college years. At college, the topic of one Bible study I attended happened to be about waiting for a mate. A written essay about this was passed out as a hand-out for that study, and for years I kept it in a file amongst my papers. Today I cannot locate my copy, but with a little effort I was able to find it on the Net. Apparently, it was used far beyond that small Bible study I attended, and was widely copied long before there was such a thing as the Internet to aid in its dissemination. Here is the text of that hand-out:

On His Plan For Your Mate

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God says to a Christian, “No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by Me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

“I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can’t imagine. I want you to have the best! Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

“Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry. Don’t look around at the things others have received. Don’t look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you’ll miss what I want to show you.

“And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me … and this is perfect love.

“Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied.”

–Author Unknown

I found these words to be incredibly comforting back in the days when I was wishing for, longing for a relationship that would lead to marriage. I wanted that special friendship. And at one time I thought I had found that relationship, but it didn’t work out as I had though it would. Instead, as this anonymous writing points out, God had something better in mind for me, specifically the wonderful woman I eventually married. That “something better” did not happen for many years. Every so often I would pull out this “letter from God”, and reassure myself that He had it all under control. And eventually he did bring me to that “love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine”. The point of that essay was to remind me to focus my eyes on Jesus and on my relationship with Him, and to leave the rest of my life up to Him.

Clearly, it is possible to run ahead of God, and to dive into a relationship and a marriage without waiting for Him to give the green light. It is possible to frantically seek out that mate, to be “looking for love in all the wrong places”. But that can lead to heartache and pain, when you find yourself mis-matched with someone who, in the long run, is really incompatible with you (and possibly with your beliefs). I have always maintained that for a couple, if they both work at staying close to God, they will stay close to each other.

This concept was also expressed in song by Kenny Marks in today’s song. It’s a reminder to learn to be single-minded in my love for Jesus, regardless of my marital status.

All my friends are getting married
Still I go to hear them say,
“I will cherish you forever,
For today’s our wedding day”

Then I see them walk the aisle
They walk right out of my life
Being single has those moments
That can cut just like a knife

Being single has those times when
Independence needs a friend
Times when loneliness takes over
Times of doubt that never end

There’s a tension deep inside of me
And the struggle won’t relent
Thoughts of singleness forever
Doesn’t make my heart content

Give me single-minded love
That will make my life complete
‘Cause I don’t wanna worry any more
About the one the I might meet

Oh, Lord, I know You have a plan
Though at times it’s hard to see
Just give me single-minded love
Lord, I give you all of me

Being single is exciting
At least that’s what it’s supposed to be
And being married seems so stable
It’s a balance of extremes

What I really want is both of these
The fulfillment and the fun
So for now I place my trust in You
You complete what You’ve begun

Give me single-minded love
That will make my life complete
‘Cause I don’t wanna worry any more
About the one the I might meet

Oh, Lord, I know You have a plan
And I’m beginning now to see
Just give me single-minded love
Oh, Lord, I give you all of me

All of me (single-minded)
I give you me (single-minded)
All of me (single-minded)

Featured song: Can You Reach My Friend? from Debby Boone’s 1983 album Surrender.

Have you ever had that feeling that something was just not right, but you could not really specify just what it was that was wrong? Maybe it was just a vague unease with life; maybe it was a culmination of many different things that were not in tune in life. You feel wrong, maybe even feel an ache or pain in your heart and you can’t make it better.

The pain is no less when the person who is hurting is not you yourself, but is a friend or someone in your family who has this problem. They are moping around; maybe that person looks sad, or maybe he is trying to cover up his feelings with activities other things to hide it. You plainly see what the problem is, but he does not seem to have a clue.

I am in the business of trying to help people. And it is hard when there is no solution to the problem that is brought before me. But it seems even harder when I have an answer, and the person in pain decides that answer is not for them.

At those times, all one can do is to put that person into the hands of Jesus, knowing that He loves him or her more than anyone, and that He knows how to penetrate their shell. Today’s song shows that, and also shows Him beginning to make a breakthrough. If you as the reader of this find yourself in the position of being in need and don’t know what to do, seek out what the Lord can do for you!

I got a call from an old friend
We laughed about how we had changed
But I could tell
Things weren’t going as well
As he claimed

He tried to hide his feelings
But they only gave him away
The longer I listened,
The more I kept wishing
That I knew the right words to say

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know you love him
Make him understand
Can You reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart to You

We talked for more than an hour
And I smiled when he mentioned Your name
I said that I knew You
And told him the difference You’ve made

He never thought he would need You
But maybe he’s changing his mind
As we said goodbye, Lord
He told me that I had found
Something that he’d like to find

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know You love him
Make him understand
Can you reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart,

‘Cause

Maybe he’s ready tonight
Lord, he said that he might
Need to call on You

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know You love him
Make him understand
Can you reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart to You

Help him give his heart to You

Tags: Debby Boone

Featured song: Free The Fire In Me by The Imperials, from the 1988 album Free The Fire.

A couple of posts before this, I talked about holy fire, that passion for God. It has the unique properties of being ignited and sustained by God Himself, and yet its flames spread out to give glory back to God as well as giving warmth to others around me.

It takes passion to make it through life. You need it to help give you the desire to get out if bed in the morning and go to work or school or whatever it is that is your function in life. The passion can be for something that you love to do (and you are indeed blessed if you are one of those who get paid to do what you love to do). It could be a passion about caring for your family.

But even your passion can burn you out unless something is continually stoking the fire. That “something” is a relationship with God through Jesus. Daily making the connection with God renews your mind, restores your energy, reinvigorates your your passion. And making the Lord of Heaven your passion is a double blessing!

As in the message in today’s song, that desire for the fire of God in your life is what I wish for you!

Free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity

So free the fire in me
Let it show
Like glowing devotion
Let it go
Like flames hot in motion
For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire in me

A man’s true temperature is tested by his wealth
Love only flickers if it’s just to warm himself
My treasure lies in You and fans the zeal of all I do
It’s rising and growing
It can’t be shared with just a few

Everybody needs the light
In my heart it’s always burning bright
So let the heat climb ever higher
And free the fire in me

Free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity

So free the fire in me
Let it show
Like glowing devotion
Let it go
Like flames hot in motion
For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire in me

All by myself I don’t know where I could begin
I’m just a spark the quenches
Like a candle kindles in the wind

Not by my ability
Only by His Spirit can it be
I’ll do all that you require
And free the fire in me

Oh, free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity
Free the fire

For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire
I said, free the fire (free the fire)
I said, free the fire (free the fire)
I said, free the fire,
Free the fire in me
Yeah, let it be, Ignited in power
Let me be ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity
Free the fire

Yeah, I wanna let it show
Oh, I wanna let it go
Just let it go
For the world set free is burning desire
So free the fire,
Free the fire in me
Free the fire
Free the fire
Free the fire in me

Tags: Imperials