Tag Archives: 1Thes4:13

Amazing Grace – Fri – 22-10-21

Daily Spark,

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This week the podcast has focused on the hymn “Amazing Grace.” John Newton wrote the lyrics in 1772. Sixty years later they were joined to the melody we now know. But the title was not set until nearly a hundred years after the lyrics were written. Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey published the song with the title “Amazing Grace.” When John Newton first wrote it, he gave this title, “1 Chronicles 17:16–17, Faith’s Review and Expectation.”*

I bet you didn’t know that. I am so glad Moody and Sankey gave it the current title.

Here’s something else you may not know, the fifth verse of the hymn. Many hymnals leave it out. That’s too bad, because it is part of the natural progression of the verses. The first verse focuses on the experience of salvation by grace. Then they focus on the grace present in our suffering which secures our future. This verse starts with our death and ends with life. It goes like this,

“Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.”

It reminds us of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (NIV)

Go Tell: His Coming – Fri – 21-04-09

Daily Spark,

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Anticipation is a wonderful thing. When my children were growing up, we used to plan big family vacations. Each year we would drive across the United States to our destination. Sometimes these were homes of our extend families. At other times, they were tourist destination such as the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore or Washington, D.C. We always enjoyed the trips. But I enjoyed planning and anticipating the trips as well. It was fun to think about what we could see and pour over the maps to choose the routes and campgrounds we’d use.

I also enjoyed telling friends about our vacation. It was definitely more fun telling them after the vacation. But even before, it was fun to explain where we were going and what we had planned.

This is very similar to our task to “go tell” about Jesus’ resurrection. You see, the story is not just that Jesus lives, but that he is also coming again! I Thessalonians 4:13-18 describe what it will be like. Jesus will appear in the air with a loud trumpet. Then all his followers who had previously died will rise from the dead. Then we will all sail up into the air with Jesus, to be with him forever!

This is planned. It is the promise of God. You can anticipate it!  In fact, the chapter in Thessalonians ends with the command to encourage each other with this message. Today, take time to tell another Christian that Jesus is alive and coming again!

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.