Alleluia! He Is Risen! He Is Risen, Indeed!

Happy Easter, everyone!  I am thankful for the opportunity to lead in song and worship to the Lord this morning as each at Zion Bible Church.  I am thankful we will be spending a lot of time visiting with both Nikki's family and my family.  And I am thankful that both our families, for the most part, celebrate Easter as a day to be thankful for our Lord Jesus rising from the grave to conquer death and save us from our sins.

This morning, I was going to lead in several classic hymns, including Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Christ is Alive, Lead Me to Calvary, and Because He Lives.  We will also be singing Victor's Crown, by Darlene Zschech, for the first time as a congregation. It is based on the following scripture, from the International Standard Version (ISV):

1Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and whipped. 2The soldiers twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, put it on his head, and threw a purple robe on him. 3They kept coming up to him and saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” Then they began to slap him on the face.

4Pilate went outside again and told the Jews,a “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5Then Jesus came outside, wearing the victor’s crown of thorns and the purple robe.

Pilate told them, “Here is the man!”

John 19:1-5

and, taken from the NIV:

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:55-57

Jesus is indeed the Victor over death.  And because of this, we can sing Alleluia.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior,
He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior, He's my Savior.
He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy,
He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him, I will praise Him

Words by Jerry Sinclair, copyright 1972 Manna Music

Now, I love the tune to Alleluia.  I really like the opportunity to focus on such simple words to praise our Lord.  But, the repetition is a bit much sometimes.  Therefore, take a look at the following, a post by Wayne S. Walker, putting new words to the tune, and renaming it Jesus Is Lord, My Redeemer:

This song offers praise to Jesus Christ as Lord, Redeemer, Savior,
Master, and King.

I. Stanza 1 identifies Jesus as Lord
"Jesus is Lord, my Redeemer; How He loves me, how I love Him;
He is risen, He is coming, O come quickly, Alleluia!"
A. Jesus is the Lord who came to be our Redeemer: Acts 2.36, Eph. 1.7
B. Because He died for us, we know that He loves us, and we should love
Him: 1 Jn. 3.16, 4.19
C. Also, as the one who has risen, we look for His coming: Mk. 16.9,
Acts 1.9-11

II. Stanza 2 identifies Jesus as Redeemer
"He was born to die on Calvary, To redeem the lost and sinful:
Conquering death He rose triumphant, And is reigning, Alleluia!"
A. He came to die on Calvary to save sinners: Rom. 5.8, 1 Tim. 1.15
B. But He conquered death by rising triumphantly from the grave: Rom.
1.3-4, 1 Cor. 15.4
C. And now He is reigning at the right hand of God: Acts 2.32-33, Heb.
8.1

III. Stanza 3 identifies Jesus as Savior
"He is worthy, He is precious, He is loving, He is saving,
He is glorious, He is coming, Lord, come quickly, Alleluia!"
A. Jesus is both worthy or deserving of honor, and precious or valuable:
Rev. 5.9, 1 Pet. 2.6
B. Furthermore, He is both loving and saving: Eph. 5.2, Matt. 1.21
C.In addition, He is both glorious, or full of glory, and coming: Jn.
17.5, 1 Cor. 1.7

IV. Stanza 4 identifies Jesus as Master
"He's my Savior, I will praise Him; He's my Master, I will serve Him;
He's my Shepherd, I will love Him; He's my Jesus, Alleluia!"
A. He is our Savior, and we should praise Him: Lk. 2.11, Heb. 13.15
B. He is our Master, and we should serve Him: Jn. 13.13, Heb. 12.28
C. He is our Shepherd, and we should love Him: Jn. 10.11, 15.14

V. Stanza 5 identifies Jesus as the King who should dwell in our hearts
"Every day, Lord, how I need You, In my heart, Lord, in my spirit;
Every day, Lord, yes I need You; I am Yours, Lord, Alleluia!"
A. Certainly, we need the Lord to direct our lives: Gal. 2.20, Col.
3.3-4
B. And He has promised that He will dwell in our hearts by faith: Eph.
3.17, Col. 1.23
C. But for Him to do so, we must always remember that we are to belong
to Him: 2 Cor. 6.16, 1 Pet. 2.9-10

CONC.: This is one of those "praise songs" which seemed to have
arisen out of nowhere and caught on like wildfire. The tune is simple,
eminently singable, and easy to memorize. The words can be quite
repetitive, but this arrangement seeks to use lyrics that would say
something beyond mere repetition. The term "alleluia" means "Praise the
Lord." It is the Latin form of the Hebrew "Hallelujah" which was made by
joining "Hallelu" meaning "praise" and "Jah" which is the first syllable
in the Hebrew name for God. Since it is found in the sacred scriptures,
there is certainly nothing wrong with my saying, "Alleluia," to the
divine Son of God because "Jesus Is Lord, My Redeemer."

Taken from https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hymnoftheday/conversations/topics/488

Either way, whether by a simple Alleluia or whether by more meaningful words, please accept and worship our Savior today!  No one other than Jesus can save us by conquering death and presenting himself to the Father as our substitute Shepherd!

Same tune, different number

I love when a traditional hymn tune is reused with new words, or vice versa.  Many times in the past, hymns and hymn tunes were specific projects commissioned by someone of authority, for instance by an individual in authority, like a king or duke, or a particular institution, like a university or cathedral.  King David himself was such a king, penning the book of Psalms.  Many of the traditional tunes and lyrics we still use today came from particular times in the history of the church, such as the Reformation period.

In honor of the place music now has within our faith, here are some familiar names in the world of traditional hymns:
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)  - When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Joy to the World, O God Our Help in Ages Past, Alas and Did My Savior Bleed, I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) - Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Love Divine All Loves Excelling, Rejoice the Lord Is King, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) - He Hideth My Soul, Near the Cross, Rescue the Perishing, Praise Him Praise Him Jesus Our Blessed Redeemer, To God Be the Glory, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, Blessed Assurance, I Am Thine O Lord (Draw Me Nearer), My Savior First of All

Here are two examples of hymn tunes being reused:
Come Ye Thankful People Come
& Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

I Sing the Mighty Power of God
& Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

New Inspiring Song - Victor's Crown

"At the cross, Your work was finished
You were buried in the ground
But the grave could not contain You
For You wear the victor's crown."
- Darlene Zschech, "Victor's Crown"

I recently purchased two new CD's I've been listening to - Jesus Firm Foundation: Hymns of Worship and Revealing Jesus by Darlene Zschech.  I have had these replaying for quite some time, and they are some of the best inspirational music I've listened to recently.  I have always been a fan of Darlene's "Worthy Is the Lamb" song.  But her "Victor's Crown" is not only lyricly powerful, but instrumentally inspiring.  It just brings chills every time I hear it on the radio.

It is even more powerful, in that this song has a strong scriptural background, but also a story of overcoming in Darlene's life.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2013.  And to me, having my own grandmother go through this trial, it is of no greater strength than to know that in Christ we can have that same "Victor's Crown" and overcome through his strength.

Victor's Crown (with lyrics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3UQ42qmiI8

Here is Darlene's story behind the music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObCCMb9mHr4

Darlene's blog:
http://www.darlenezschech.com/blog/2013/12/29/important-update-from-darlene-and-mark/

Sunday, October 27th Order of Worship at Zion Bible Church

Opening Hymns:
Like a River Glorious # 371
It Is Well with My Soul # 381

Worship Set:
10,000 Reasons
Knowing You
O Lord, You're Beautiful

Closing Hymn:
Take My Life and Let It Be # 152

The story behind the song "It Is Well with My Soul" (http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/it-is-well-with-my-soul-the-song-and-the-story.html) reminds me of Job's life.  Job could look beyond his troubles, and see God for who He really was - his friend.

Job 16:20 reads, "My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend."

Earlier, in Job 1:21, it reads, "Naked I cam from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

I find it difficult to understand why Job did not curse God.  In our own lives, we always ask "why God?"  May God give us the strength to know that whenever we are going through what seems an impossible situation, we must continue to bless Him for His faithfulness, even when it does not seem evident.

My Thoughts on Hymns

Peridically, I try to do a hymn sing at Zion.  This week, with our fall outing and prophecy conference behind us, is one of those weeks.  I know that many in my generation do not have the same appreciation for the old hymns as I, but I know that the carefully chosen words can help teach us sometimes moreso than the more self-centric words in more recent "worship" songs.  It is important to note that while it is a personal choice how we choose to honor God through our time of worship, the most important thing is that we keep our minds on Him, and not ourselves.  As John 3:30 states, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (KJV)  Only when we see take the focus off of ourselves and see God for who He is, can we come to the realization of how much we need Him.  He is perfect, and we are far from.

I do, however, especially enjoy hearing the old hymns put to new music, such as these from Chris Tomlin:

Amazing Grace (Our Chains are Gone)
Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King
Crown Him (Majesty)
Fairest Lord Jesus

Recently, Steven Curtis Chapman recorded his version of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" on his album Deep Roots, released in March of this year.  I love hearing this song on the radio.

Last year, I purchased the compilation entitled "Positively Hymns", recorded with various Christian singers.  This is by far one of my favorite compilations.  I highly recommend this CD for your meditation.
http://www.amazon.com/Positively-Hymns-Jeremy-Camp/dp/B008XRSQ94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383361073&sr=8-1&keywords=positively+hymns.

Sunday, October 13th Order of Worship at Zion Bible Church

Opening Hymn:
Faith Is the Victory # 216
My Savior First of All # 480

Worship Set:
Days of Elijah
Revelation Song
Open Our Eyes, Lord

Closing Song:
Ancient Words

During this past week, we had Micah Winefeld as a guest speaker at Zion.  He is the founder of Prophecy Today Ministries, a ministry that looks to connect recent events in history and God's prophecy of the end times.  This is the third time Micah has come to speak at Zion, and each time it is a blessing.  His message this morning was entitled "The Eyes of Faith" and had to do with learning to connect our faith to the importance of prophecy.

Life, he stated, was just like driving a car - we constantly have to not only know what is in our rear-view mirror, and be aware of our surroundings, but most importantly we have to have our eyes looking down the road.  Living faith day-to-day without knowing where we are headed is a dangerous idea.  In the Bible, 1/3 of scripture deals with prophecy, and he is alarmed at how little the average Christian knows concerning where we are headed.  His message was geared towards the importance of prophecy and how it should affect our daily lives.  For instance, we can look across the isle and see another for who they are today.  Or we can see them as God sees them, as immortal beings - headed either for an eternity in heaven or hell.

My song selection this morning focuses on prophecy, and how God's Word can help us "open our eyes".  This is the first time we have sung "Ancient Words".  Normally, I try to introduce a song slowly, but the chorus of this song touched me insomuch as to hope that God will allow it to inspire us this morning especially.

The opening lines of the chorus goes as follows:
Ancient words, ever true
Changing me and changing you.

Hear and follow along with the entire song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsz9NRclKa4

Sunday, October 6th Service at Zion Bible Church (@ Shady Grove Park)

On October 6th, we enjoyed our fall outing at Shady Grove Park, located in Windsor, PA.  The building was beautiful, and we had a good turnout for the service.  Our special guests for the service were Jim and Wendy Allshouse, good friends of Nikki's family in years past from Lancaster, PA.  The shared some of their new music from their new album, Absolute Peace, as well as some older gospel medleys as well.  http://www.jimanwendy.com/

Our congregational singing included hymns focusing on praising God for His beautiful creation.  Among the hymns sung were: Blessed Assurance, Praise Him! Praise Him!, and For the Beauty of the Earth (and a few others I unfortunately did not have backup tracks for...I am thankful for a congregation that can carry a tune and keep a beat, even a capella when needed!

Hope, Nikki and my daughter, actually made it until around 1:45 without a nap, amazingly.  She followed all the other kids and played on the playground after enjoying some hot dog wraps Nikki had made for the soup and sandwich dinner.  I particularly loved the soups, which were plentiful!  They included (all home-made) - chili, vegetable, cream of crab, cheesy broccoli (yum!), chicken corn, chicken noodle, and chicken pot pie.  I do love a good potluck dinner!

We all enjoyed a good time of food and fellowship.  It is great when we can glorify God for His blessings to us, and our closeness as a church family.  He is faithful!

"Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.  For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD."
Psalm 117:1-2