Friday, July 29, 2011

God Will Take Care of You (from the archives)

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

In our lives, it is easy to get caught up in worry – about big things and small, about circumstances in and out of our control. God has promised to take care of us, and to provide for us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we need not spend time and energy worrying!

"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34

Remember the deep, broad, high love of Christ? We can abide in that love and know that we are well cared for through every day, over all the way. There is not anywhere we can go that we will be out of His sight or His hearing – so cast your burdens on Him and He will give you rest.

Even in days of toil we can be assured that God will take care of us. Scripture exhorts us to be steadfast and immovable in our faith and encourages us that our toil is not in vain.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58

The hymnwriter reminds us that if we face fierce dangers, God will still take care of us – this reminds me of the apostle Paul. Most of us will be fortunate not to have to endure what he did for the gospel:

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. II Corinthians 11:26-27

Although we may not face those dangers, there will be hard times in our life and we will have to make a choice – trust God, or trust ourselves. Will we be secure in knowing that the Lord will provide, or lean on ourselves and our fleshly desires and impulses to do what we think is best?

Verse three reminds us that all we have to do is ask. So often, I catch myself in this “trap.” Worrying about something and hoping for a particular outcome, and having not prayed about it! When I catch myself and then turn to God in prayer, it is such a relief to cast my burden upon Him and know that my Heavenly Father listens, and cares, about what I’ve brought to Him.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
I John 3:21-23

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. I John 5:14-15

It doesn’t matter what may come up, or what we will face. God will take care of us. There is nothing that we can face that isn’t common to everyone else, and best of all, there is nothing we could face that Jesus doesn’t understand – we can run to Him for comfort, assurance and strength.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. I Corinthians 10:13

Take some time today and think back over the instances in your life when you have seen God’s hand and His care for you personally. Then thank Him and praise Him for His faithfulness and provision.

God Will Take Care of You
Words by Civilla D. Martin

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when your heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Standing on the Promises (from the archives)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful… Hebrews 10:23

So often in our lives we stand on our own – instead of confidently standing on the promises of God! There is so much in His word that He has promised – and we can be assured that He makes good on His promises. As Paul says in II Cor. 1:20

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

All God’s promises are true, and as this hymnwriter so aptly says, they are promises that cannot fail; by the living Word of God we shall prevail! There is certainly not enough room in this post to go back through the scriptures and point out all the promises that God made and kept for His people. I would encourage you to read through Genesis, just the beginning of the story! – and see for yourself – promises such as providing a child for Sarah in her old age, a nation for Abraham, Canaan (the promised land) for Israel, etc.

Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass. Joshua 21:45

Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.
I Kings 8:56

Of course, the greatest promise of all was realized when God sent Jesus to earth to become sin on our behalf, to redeem our fallen race and secure our home in heaven. God gives us a glimpse of this promise in Genesis 3:15 when He tells Satan the consequences of His deception:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.

In many different passages in the Old Testament we see the promise of a Redeemer. Isaiah 9 foretells the birth and reign of our Prince of Peace and Isaiah 53 fortells His death for our transgressions. In Acts 13, Paul preaches a sermon demonstrating how God kept His promises to the Israelites in leading them to Canaan, and ultimately providing Jesus, the Savior.

From the descendants of this man [David], according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus (v. 23)… Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. (v 38-39)

This is what the hymnwriter is echoing in his words: perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me; standing in the liberty where Christ makes free. Christ has set us free from sin, free from the law which could never make us perfect. Hallelujah! We can stand on that promise! And when we do, we cannot fall. As children of God, we are forever His. As Peter and John remind us, He has gone before us to prepare an eternal home for us – what a promise!

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
I John 2:25

What promises are you standing on today? I hope you will choose to stand on God’s promises – promises that cannot fail, that stand the test of time, that will hold you up and bring you into fellowship with God.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Corinthians 7:1

Standing on the Promises
Words and Music by R. Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

One Day, verse 5

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:23

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine

Here we are at the end of the story, the part we're all looking forward to. One day Jesus will come back to take those who have professed faith in Him to heaven. He promised us this when He was here on Earth.

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 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. John 14:2-3

After Jesus ascended into heaven, while the disciples gazed longingly into the sky, two angels appeared and reminded them that Jesus would be back!

They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

He will be back! In that day, in a twinkling of an eye, the trumpet will sound!

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. I Corinthians 15:51-52

The skies will shine with His glory!

But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:29-31

His angels will gather His elect, first those who have already died, then the rest who are still alive.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 14:16-17

And so we shall always be with the Lord. Hallelujah!

Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine! Is He yours? If not, trust in Jesus. And let your faith find a resting place.

One Day
Words by J. Wilbur Chapman

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!


Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!


One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!


One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!


One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!


One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

One Day, verse 4

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. I Corinthians 15:20-22

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when they went to Jesus' grave, expecting to anoint His body with spices, and instead finding that He wasn't there?

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:1-7

Really, they shouldn't have been surprised. He was risen, JUST AS HE SAID. He had foretold this but they didn't believe Him.

The grave could not conceal our Lord! It was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." Acts 2:22-24

Through His resurrection, He conquered death, once and for all; death is no longer master over Him, and best of all, when we follow Him by faith, it's not master over us!

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Romans 6:8-10

Now, since He conquered death and rose from the grave, He has ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of our Father.

So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:19

He is my Lord evermore!

;One Day
Words by J. Wilbur Chapman

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!


Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!


One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!


One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!


One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

One Day, verse 3

I really appreciate the different styles and approaches of the four gospel writers. As we look from their vantage point into the crucifixion and the days following, we get a slightly different "take" from each of them, and we learn something new by reading the others' versions.

I believe that this really lends authenticity to the story. If I, along with 3 friends, each witnessed an event, and we all wrote our stories down, each of us would remember different things and focus on different elements.

What is clear from all the stories is that Jesus died. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea who wrapped Jesus in cloths and placed Him in a tomb. There was an urgency to this: they had to get that part done, because the Sabbath was coming.

John provides us this important detail for the story: Jesus was laid in a NEW tomb, one that hadn't been used before.

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42

Luke provides us with more color commentary: the women went with to the tomb and saw how His body was laid in it. (They were eyewitnesses that He was dead and buried.) Luke also tells us that they rested on the Sabbath, which was their custom.

And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man(he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. Luke 23:50-56

I think the resting on the Sabbath is an interesting part of this story because if it were me, I wouldn't have wanted to rest. If my King had just been killed, I would want to call a meeting and figure out what we were going to do about this! If I, like the disciples and women, did not realize that Jesus was going to rise again (even though He foretold it!), I would want to get on with the business of "electing" a new leader! Resting would be about the last thing on my mind. But, they rested, according to the commandment. These were religious people who followed the law.

Mark gives us an important detail about another player in the story, Pilate. When Joseph asked for the body of Jesus, Pilate first wanted to make sure He was dead! Mark also tells us that Joseph made the tomb secure by rolling a stone in front of it.

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid. Mark 15:42-47

Matthew has some more important information about the sealing of the grave. It seems that the Pharisees implored Pilate to make the grave secure. They knew that Jesus had foretold His own resurrection. Although they didn't believe His words, they thought the disciples would pull a few tricks and steal the body, claiming that He was alive. I find it interesting that just like before Jesus was crucified (Matt. 27:24), Pilate sort of washes his hands of the whole affair. The Pharisees asked Pilate to give orders for the grave to be made secure, but instead, Pilate says, "Do it yourselves."

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.' Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. Matthew 27:57-66

Jesus died and was buried. He rested from the suffering He endured on the cross. He fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” Matthew 12:18-21

In His name, we do have hope! He is the hope of the hopeless, my Savior!

One Day
Words by J. Wilbur Chapman

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!


Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!


One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!


One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Monday, July 4, 2011

One Day, verse 2

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. I Peter 2:23

As I was meditating on this Independence Day and thanking God for the freedoms we have in this nation, I was also reminded of the freedom that we have in Christ. Jesus bore my sin on the cross so that I would be FREE from a life of sin resulting in death, and instead, I would be FREE to live a life of righteousness. It was Jesus, in His humble obedience to the Father, that made this possible. As we look at the second verse of this hymn, we see the price He paid to make our freedom available - it was His life.

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

You probably know this part of the story well, but I think it is valuable to stop and reflect on what it meant for Jesus to go to the cross, and what He suffered on our behalf.

Pilate gave the people several opportunities to change their mind about putting Jesus to death, but they never did. He was led up Calvary's mountain and put on a cross and crucified.

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Luke 23:32

So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. John 19:16-18

Jesus suffered - bearing the sin of the world was not the only anguish - it was that His own friends, family and people rejected Him. The prophet Isaiah foretold this long before Jesus was even born.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:3-4

Jesus Himself knew that this would happen and told the disciples so.

But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” Luke 9:21-22

"Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?” Mark 12:10 (A prophecy from Psalm 118)

He was rejected. The man who God had sent to fulfill His plan for the redemption of His people was rejected by the very people He came to save! Have you been hurt by colleagues, friends or family? Do you know the sting of rejection? Be encouraged that Jesus felt this too, and because of that you can run to Him to receive comfort and strength. He can sympathize, because He's experienced the same pain.

He bore our sins on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Celebrate that freedom today!


One Day
Words by J. Wilbur Chapman

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!


Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!


One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Friday, July 1, 2011

One Day (refrain)

It's hard for me to write about the verses of this hymn without launching right into the refrain - in my head they just go together! And after every verse we have this wonderful reminder:

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!

So today we'll look at the refrain and the encouraging message of Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection and return.

Jesus came to earth as a man to live among men. He was the human manifestation of God's love and showed His love for us by being obedient to His Father.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood — and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6

Jesus was sent to earth to save us from our sins.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:17

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. I Timothy 1:15

His death on the cross paid the price for our sin, and saves us from the wrath of God.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:8-10

Just like other men, Jesus died and then was buried.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried... I Corinthians 15:3

But unlike other men, Jesus rose again! God, satisfied with Jesus' work on the cross, raised Him from the dead!

When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. Acts 13:29-31

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. I Corinthians 15:20

Jesus took on my sin and died the death that I deserved. He took my place. And because of His humble obedience in becoming the Lamb of God, I have been justified through God's grace. This means that when God looks at me, He doesn't see my sinful nature, instead He sees Jesus' righteousness!

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

That's an amazing truth - and in response I give all the praise and glory to God for His redemptive plan that has saved me and justified me. But wait, there's more! One day He's coming!

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 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. John 14:2-3

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

O Glorious Day!

One Day
Words by J. Wilbur Chapman

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He's coming, O glorious day!

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!