By A.W. Tozer.
Another Latin hymn dating back to the sixth century begins,
"Welcome, happy morning!" age to age shall say; Hell today is vanquished; Heaven is won today.
Lo! The Dead is living, God for evermore! Him, their true Creator, all His works adore.
This sets forth the theological reason behind the joy of Easter. Christ was dead, but His death was not an accident; neither was it the result of sickness or age. He died to vanquish hell and win heaven for men. Christ was dead, but He is not dead now. Lo! the Dead is living! And how can believing men keep silent?
No Bible-taught Christian can allow himself to live in bondage to days and times and seasons (Colossians 2:16–17; Romans 14:4–10; 2 Corinthians 3:5–18). He knows he is free from the Law, and the Judaizing brethren who seek to rivet a yoke on his neck will not have much success. But he nevertheless appreciates the value of one day in seven to devote to prayer and praise. And since Christ arose from the dead on the first day, the Bible-loving man will see the spiritual appropriateness of the first day as the Christian’s voluntary sabbath day.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
BIBLICAL TRUTH MUSICALLY PROCLAIMED
By A.W Tozer
No other event in the history of the world has brought forth such a full chorus of song as the resurrection of Christ from the dead. More music has issued from Joseph's empty tomb than from all the concert halls of the world since the dawn of the first civilization. The resurrection was the fact. Hymnody is the response of faith to that fact.
The story of Easter might be told in some fullness of detail by merely stringing together in their proper order lines and verses from our classic hymns. Take for instance the restrained but intensely joyous Latin hymn,
The strife is o'er, the battle done; Now is the Victor’s triumph won;
Now be the song of praise begun—Hallelujah!
There we have pure theology, with an exhortation and an exclamation added. The rest of the hymn develops the doctrine further:
The powers of death have done their worst, But Christ their legion hath dispersed;
He brake the age-bound chains of hell; The bars from heaven's high portals fell.
To each of these couplets is added a joyous call to praise and the ejaculatory Hallelujah! This is hymnody at its best. It does not seek to reveal anything; it assumes that the facts are already known, and sets them forth in a manner that makes praise and song the natural result.
No other event in the history of the world has brought forth such a full chorus of song as the resurrection of Christ from the dead. More music has issued from Joseph's empty tomb than from all the concert halls of the world since the dawn of the first civilization. The resurrection was the fact. Hymnody is the response of faith to that fact.
The story of Easter might be told in some fullness of detail by merely stringing together in their proper order lines and verses from our classic hymns. Take for instance the restrained but intensely joyous Latin hymn,
The strife is o'er, the battle done; Now is the Victor’s triumph won;
Now be the song of praise begun—Hallelujah!
There we have pure theology, with an exhortation and an exclamation added. The rest of the hymn develops the doctrine further:
The powers of death have done their worst, But Christ their legion hath dispersed;
He brake the age-bound chains of hell; The bars from heaven's high portals fell.
To each of these couplets is added a joyous call to praise and the ejaculatory Hallelujah! This is hymnody at its best. It does not seek to reveal anything; it assumes that the facts are already known, and sets them forth in a manner that makes praise and song the natural result.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
THEOLOGY SET TO MUSIC
By A.W Tozer
Just as the book of Psalms is a lyric commentary on the Old Testament, set to the music of warm personal devotion, so our great Christian hymns form a joyous commentary on the New Testament.
While no instructed Christian would claim for any hymn the same degree of inspiration that belongs to the Psalms, the worshiping singing soul is easily persuaded that many hymns possess an inward radiance that is a little more than human. If not inspired in the full and final sense, they are yet warm with the breath of the Spirit and sweet with the fragrance of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces.
In the hymns all the basic doctrines of the Christian faith are celebrated. Were the Scriptures to be destroyed or made inaccessible to the Church, it would not be too difficult to extract from our hymns a complete body of Bible doctrine. This would, of course, lack the authority of the inspired Word, but it might well serve in a dark hour to keep alive the faith of our fathers. As long as the Church can sing her great hymns she cannot be defeated; for hymns are theology set to music.
Hymns do not create truth, nor even reveal it; they celebrate it. They are the response of the trusting heart to a truth revealed or a fact accomplished. God does it and man sings it. God speaks and a hymn is the musical echo of His voice.
Just as the book of Psalms is a lyric commentary on the Old Testament, set to the music of warm personal devotion, so our great Christian hymns form a joyous commentary on the New Testament.
While no instructed Christian would claim for any hymn the same degree of inspiration that belongs to the Psalms, the worshiping singing soul is easily persuaded that many hymns possess an inward radiance that is a little more than human. If not inspired in the full and final sense, they are yet warm with the breath of the Spirit and sweet with the fragrance of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces.
In the hymns all the basic doctrines of the Christian faith are celebrated. Were the Scriptures to be destroyed or made inaccessible to the Church, it would not be too difficult to extract from our hymns a complete body of Bible doctrine. This would, of course, lack the authority of the inspired Word, but it might well serve in a dark hour to keep alive the faith of our fathers. As long as the Church can sing her great hymns she cannot be defeated; for hymns are theology set to music.
Hymns do not create truth, nor even reveal it; they celebrate it. They are the response of the trusting heart to a truth revealed or a fact accomplished. God does it and man sings it. God speaks and a hymn is the musical echo of His voice.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
THE BUCK STOPS HERE MR. OBAMA
It is time we as Christians take a stand.
The time to back down when our leaders and governments tell us to do something that is against God's word - is over.
We are to turn the other cheek when we are persecuted, tried for our faith, when witnessing to a lost and backslidden world. But when Presidents and Congressmen and even Church leaders tell us to sin, to break God's rules, turning the other cheek is not an option.
Or would you rather sin against God because President Obama says it's ok.
The time is coming - VERY SOON - when our government and leaders are going to pass laws that will destroy Christian freedoms in this country.
You will be forced to accept or stand against ------
Homosexuality
Sex outside of Marriage
Other cults and religions as other ways to get to Heaven
And many more issues that the Bible clearly says is wrong. Beloved, if God says these and other things are SIN and not to even fellowship with people who do them, do you honestly think he is going to "wink" at your lack of backbone when you can't tell your leaders and others, "NO, I pray for the people caught in those sins, but they are wrong, they will send you to Hell, and I can't accept these things as okay"!
You must prepare to take a stand. I am not talking about joining a picket line or signing your name to a petition. I am talking about standing like Daniel in the lion's den, like the 3 Hebrew boys at the furnace, and Joshua infront of a wicked people. Take a stand, and I promise their will be the God of Heaven standing beside you.
It is most important that you stand, your very walk with God to Heaven depends on it.
The time to back down when our leaders and governments tell us to do something that is against God's word - is over.
We are to turn the other cheek when we are persecuted, tried for our faith, when witnessing to a lost and backslidden world. But when Presidents and Congressmen and even Church leaders tell us to sin, to break God's rules, turning the other cheek is not an option.
Or would you rather sin against God because President Obama says it's ok.
The time is coming - VERY SOON - when our government and leaders are going to pass laws that will destroy Christian freedoms in this country.
You will be forced to accept or stand against ------
Homosexuality
Sex outside of Marriage
Other cults and religions as other ways to get to Heaven
And many more issues that the Bible clearly says is wrong. Beloved, if God says these and other things are SIN and not to even fellowship with people who do them, do you honestly think he is going to "wink" at your lack of backbone when you can't tell your leaders and others, "NO, I pray for the people caught in those sins, but they are wrong, they will send you to Hell, and I can't accept these things as okay"!
You must prepare to take a stand. I am not talking about joining a picket line or signing your name to a petition. I am talking about standing like Daniel in the lion's den, like the 3 Hebrew boys at the furnace, and Joshua infront of a wicked people. Take a stand, and I promise their will be the God of Heaven standing beside you.
It is most important that you stand, your very walk with God to Heaven depends on it.
Monday, November 16, 2009
WE SAY NO TO YOU -- MR. OBAMA!
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)
There are precedents all over scripture where when the laws of the land conflict with the law of God, the people chose the law of God. Joshua, in our reference, made a stand with the people that no matter what happened, and who came in his path, he would follow what God has told him to do.
Daniel, the beloved prophet, made a stand when the king asked him to eat unclean food God said not to touch. He told the jailers to just feed him beans and water and watch us grow stronger and fatter than those eating the king’s meat. By doing this, God blessed Daniel and his friends beyond measure. My statement to you today is this; when the government, kings and leaders ask you to break a law and sin against God with their laws and decree, you are commanded to follow God first, no one else.
I must tell you, we have in leadership today people who do not care about keeping the laws of God. President Obama has already stated in many speeches he does not agree with the God of the Christian Bible, nor will he let it govern his actions. President Obama’s policies and laws have an agenda behind them that are going to make you, Christian, choose who you will serve, because his socialistic policies will go directly against what God has said to do and not to do. Mark my words, he is not your Christian friend.
We are to obey the laws of the land as good Christians, UNTIL they go against the word of God, then we have no obligation. The election is over. It is too late now to “cry over split milk” and try to do something against this socialistic, unchristian government. The people made their choice, just like they did with Saul in the Bible (read the book of Samuel). But you Christian, you have a duty to say to Mr. Obama, and his government, NO! I will not stand with you on these issues God said is wrong and sin! I will not say yes because you, Mr. Obama say it is okay. God will be my final judge!
Pray for your leaders, but you must take a stand against them when they are asking you to sin. Remember, there is a God above who is watching which side you take. If you don’t believe this to be true, I suggest you read “FOXE’S BOOK OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS” and find out for yourself, many people have had to take a stand against corrupt and evil governments and leaders, at the price of their lives. Let us be like Joshua, and make a stand that we and our house are going to serve the Lord.
There are precedents all over scripture where when the laws of the land conflict with the law of God, the people chose the law of God. Joshua, in our reference, made a stand with the people that no matter what happened, and who came in his path, he would follow what God has told him to do.
Daniel, the beloved prophet, made a stand when the king asked him to eat unclean food God said not to touch. He told the jailers to just feed him beans and water and watch us grow stronger and fatter than those eating the king’s meat. By doing this, God blessed Daniel and his friends beyond measure. My statement to you today is this; when the government, kings and leaders ask you to break a law and sin against God with their laws and decree, you are commanded to follow God first, no one else.
I must tell you, we have in leadership today people who do not care about keeping the laws of God. President Obama has already stated in many speeches he does not agree with the God of the Christian Bible, nor will he let it govern his actions. President Obama’s policies and laws have an agenda behind them that are going to make you, Christian, choose who you will serve, because his socialistic policies will go directly against what God has said to do and not to do. Mark my words, he is not your Christian friend.
We are to obey the laws of the land as good Christians, UNTIL they go against the word of God, then we have no obligation. The election is over. It is too late now to “cry over split milk” and try to do something against this socialistic, unchristian government. The people made their choice, just like they did with Saul in the Bible (read the book of Samuel). But you Christian, you have a duty to say to Mr. Obama, and his government, NO! I will not stand with you on these issues God said is wrong and sin! I will not say yes because you, Mr. Obama say it is okay. God will be my final judge!
Pray for your leaders, but you must take a stand against them when they are asking you to sin. Remember, there is a God above who is watching which side you take. If you don’t believe this to be true, I suggest you read “FOXE’S BOOK OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS” and find out for yourself, many people have had to take a stand against corrupt and evil governments and leaders, at the price of their lives. Let us be like Joshua, and make a stand that we and our house are going to serve the Lord.
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