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Continuation and Redirection

His Glories Now

Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

Crown Him with Many Crowns (1852)

By: Matthew Bridges, v. 3 by Godfrey Thring, pub.1874

Listen to this modern arrangement as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library? Click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through the Easter season crowning Jesus the Lord of life. In the first half of this stanza, we considered how Jesus showed us how to deal with strife.  In this second half, we ponder how we can add our praise to those who have gone before and are in His presence even now.

He Rose Again, then Rose on High: A Continuation

His glories now we sing, Who died, and rose on high,

We have already considered how Jesus overcame sin, death, and the grave with His resurrection.  Now we turn our sights on the hope we can draw from His ascension. He not only rose again, but then He rose on high.

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:9 ESV

Here is another instance where those who were present have such an advantage over us.  They had seen Him since His resurrection some 40 days before and were standing there with Him on the mountain.  After giving them some last instructions, “these things,” Jesus was lifted up and out of sight in the clouds.

Died, and Rose on High
Died, and Rose On High

Imagine what that must have been like to see the Lord of life ascend into the clouds. He shares with them what ends up being His last words to them, “Go and make disciples”. Looking back, we knew these were His last words to them, but did they know it?  Could they feel it?

What must those moments have felt like? There He is right in front of us.  Wind rustling through His hair.  He is smiling at us, as He speaks with an unusual weight and authority, even for Him.  He promises that He will be with us, even to the end of the age, then He begins to levitate.

Did they want to protest and ask Him not to go?  Did they know He would be leaving them soon? Very soon.  They were probably not ready to say goodbye, but they suddenly had no choice.

What were they to do?  The same thing we are to do.  Sing of His glories. Tell the world all that they had seen and heard.  Again, like Thomas in the upper room, we were not there, but we are invited to believe and also declare His ascension with our praise. Imagine what that must have been like to see the Lord of Life ascend to His heavenly throne.  One day, He will return to take us home. Are you ready?

We crown Him the Lord of Life with our praise.  We sing the glories of our Resurrected King, who is resurrecting us.  He died, but then He rose again, and rose on high. He is seated at the right hand of the Father.  Give Him praise! Lift your voice and sing!

RESONATE!
Jesus will return the same way that He came, in glory and at an unexpected time. If He were to return today, would He find you giving Him glory, or would it have been a few days since you last did? It has been weeks since we have been at church and possibly weeks since you have lifted your voice to praise Him.  Don’t wait any longer! Give glory to your ascended Lord today.  Find some way to sing His glories with your lips and your life.

Death and Life: A Redirection

Opposites

Who died eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.

Read that again, and think about it. That has to be one of the best lines in all our hymnody.  It captures in just a few words what Jesus did and offers us an incredible contexts of opposites.

He lives that death may die.  What a powerful line! He died to bring eternal life, and He lives to defeat death.  This is Jesus. Our King and the Lord of life. He became the Lord of life, or at least demonstrated that He was, by dying.  It may seem counterintuitive on the surface, but it actually makes perfect sense.

What better way could He show His authority over death, than to die, and then come back to life? He lives so that death may die, and indeed, it will.  How do we know? Because it is our blessed hope. 

This brings us to another opposite. He left so He could come back.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.  Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

Here is the fulfillment of His finished work on the cross and the fruit of the empty tomb.  He will transform these lowly bodies to be like Him, and when He does, the last vestiges of death will be gone forever.  Then we will really know life. Hallelujah!

 

RESONATE!
Again this brings us back to praise. Anticipate your heavenly celebration, and crown Jesus the Lord of life today! How are you going to do it? Play a recording of your favorite song and sing along? Sit down with an instrument and accompany yourself? Call up an uninhibited friend and just burst out in song with them? Some other creative way. It does not really what it is, just do it!

Jesus, thank You for giving us something to sing about today and every day.  You live that death may die. May my life reflect the stunning wonder of that. Help me fill my life with praise and crown You the Lord of life!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Praise-filled Thinking!

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Podcast 16.2 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Crown Him the Lord of life! Who triumphed o’er the grave,

…I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  Revelation 1:17b-18 ESV

He died but is alive forevermore. He holds the keys to Death and Hades! He is the Lord of life, and He earned that title by dying, then defeating death.  He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. Give praise to our King, the Lord of life! Hallelujah!

Who rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57ESV

Jesus rose victorious over death, the grave, and sin.  Because He is victorious, we, too, can be. God gives us victory through the sacrifice of His Son.  Victory over death and the grave, at the end of this life, and victory over sin until then. Give thanks to God who gives us the victory!

His glories now we sing, Who died, and rose on high,

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:9 ESV

Again, like Thomas, we were not there, but we are invited to believe and also declare His ascension with our praise. Imagine what that must have been like to see the Lord of Life ascend to His heavenly throne.  One day, He will return to take us home. Are you ready?

Who died eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.  Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

Here is the fulfillment of His finished work on the cross and the fruit of the empty tomb.  He will transform these lowly bodies to be like Him, and when He does, the last vestiges of death will be gone forever.  Anticipate your heavenly celebration, and crown Jesus the Lord of life today!

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Continuation and Redirection appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
His Glories Now – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/lent-easter-cruz-calvary-a-man-4893715/
Died, and Rose on High – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/illustration-easter-resurrection-4779064/
Opposites – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/arrows-plus-minus-opposites-staff-1668911

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Crown Him IN the Crisis

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we reviewed being True to the Cross. This week we will consider a Praise Pause. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Psalm 57:9 Amplified Bible:

I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing praises to You among the nations.

 

PSALM: Crown Him with Many Crowns
by Matthew Bridges (1851)

 Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die

Bridges proclaims he will crown Christ as Lord of life. Why? Because He triumphed over death, rose victoriously IN the strife, saved him, and lives so death may die.  How? With an attitude of gratitude reflective in his singing.

PARABLE: During Easter we remember the crown of thorns that was placed upon the head of Jesus that represented His victorious resurrection power and his honor and glory. There is a way we can rightly crown Jesus. We can crown Jesus as Lord of our Life by adorning Him with praise. Even in a crisis!

I admit that my praise was held captive by the catastrophic 12:00 noonday update, 2:00 Governor update, and the 6:30 World news. As the media counted the number infected and the death toll, I forgot to count my blessings.

On Good Friday, as the dots popped up on the map showing the number infected, my spiritual sight was refocused. All of a sudden, I could see dots of blessings. When I zoomed in, the dots represented the people all over the world who are taking an opportunity to  praise and pray through our panic. Facebook Live and Youtube has become a place to share God’s word. Church People are church hopping without the judgement and watching multiple services daily in cities they could never physically visit on the same day. Non-churched people are listening to “Real Talks” and contemplating Christ. Those whose gifts and talents have been dormant are taking to the streets singing, dancing, miming, and teaching. Even the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, a state employee, read Galations 6:9  and encouraged us to not grow weary. All over the world people are uniting to crown Christ with praise IN the Crisis.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the questions: What crown of praise can I give Christ during this crisis?

When I pondered this question, God brought back to my remembrance my encounter with Him in Haiti where there is the plague of malnutrition. His mesmerizing presence at The Sea of Galilee and the burial slab of Christ in Israel even while two rockets were fired at Tel Aviv from the Gaza strip. His protection from COVID 19 as borders closed and we were evacuated from Rwanda and shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people. Our God of the Nations has always blessed in the midst of suffering.

Easter is the perfect time to crown Christ with praise for the victory of His suffering. We can offer praise and thanksgiving and count my blessings in the crisis because our faithful God WILL turn this around just like he has always done. Thank God that the blood will always win every battle.  Yes, if I choose to offer thanksgiving for my blessings in spite of the dreariness of the circumstantial rain.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise and consider taking time to let the R.A.I.N. clear the path to help you crown Christ with praise in the crisis.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to Recognize what is distracting you from praising God and offering Him thanks.
  • Next, Allow the Holy Spirit to help you to remember specific blessings.
  • Then, begin to pray with the grace of Christ. Investigate and implement a time each day to dedicate to contemplating thanksgiving and how you can share your attitude of gratitude (text a friend, Facebook, call a friend, tell a family member, or journal your blessings).
  • Lastly, Nurture your praise (read a praise scripture, listen to a praise song, or look at a movie that reminds you of your blessings).

PRAYER: Daddy Jesus, I adorn your head with my crown of gratitude. I thank you for the crisis you endured on the cross so that I could have victory in my crisis. Corona is not a surprise to you. You arose with all power in your hand to conquer COVID 19 and any other crisis. RAIN on me on the dry days and keep my eyes on all the blessings that are being bestowed upon us during this time of pause. In the victorious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to crown Jesus with your praise. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Crown Christ in the Crisis  appeared first on Resonant 7.

 

 

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The Lord of Life Showed Us How to Face Strife

Triumphed Over the Grave

Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

Crown Him with Many Crowns (1852)

By: Matthew Bridges, v. 3 by Godfrey Thring, pub.1874

Listen to this modern arrangement as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey of resonance on this side of Easter considering this week His wounds.  Though we will be spotless eternally, He will bear the scars that will serve to remind us of the price He paid.  May those remembrances inform our praise now and eternally.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Lord of Life

Crown Him the Lord of life! Who triumphed o’er the grave,

Jesus earned the right to be crowned the Lord of life, because He overcame death by laying down His life and then taking it up again.  The stone was rolled away, and the tomb is empty.  Turns out He only needed to borrow it!  Who borrows a tomb? The Lord of life.

My father died on March 23 of 2019.  Recently, I visited his gravesite with my mom where his tombstone had been placed not long before.  It was a sobering reminder of the reality of death, as I reflected on the last time I had stood in that place during his committal service.

My father’s remains are still in the ground there, waiting to rise at Jesus command as clearly stated in I Thessalonians 4:16. Jesus has the authority to call my father and all the others who are dead in Christ out from their graves.  He has that authority because He is the Lord of life, and can extend life as He wishes.  He is the Lord of life because He died, but is alive forevermore!

…I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  Revelation 1:17b-18 ESV

Have you placed your faith in the Lord of life? There is no need to fear death if you have, because He holds those keys in His powerful hands. Affirm your trust in Him today and His authority over death.

RESONATE!
Tell Jesus you are resting in Him, and that He is Lord of your life. Maybe someone has come to mind who does not yet know Him in this way.  Pray for them that they may come to see Jesus as the Lord of life, and surrender theirs to Him, then purpose to walk before them and everyone else in a way that reveals the authority of Jesus in your life.

Victorious in Strife

I would definitely call death strife.  All of us face some strife from time to time, but few of us to the extent Jesus did, and even fewer find it costing us our lives.  To be clear, strife is angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues.

When it came to the religious leaders, strife describes perfectly what Jesus was facing.  It was those religious leaders who plotted and carried out Jesus being handed over to the Romans, and ultimately made certain He was crucified.  Strife, indeed.

Rose Victorious

But He rose victorious.  Not only over the interpersonal strife, but also that which He faced concerning Death.  You see Death does not normally release its captives, but it had no choice with Jesus.

Who rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.

He walked out of the tomb on His own, even though He had been carried in. Why? Because He had come to save us, and He could not do that if He were still lying on His back.  So He got up and walked out.

Because He did, we can have confidence we will do the same.  Like my father, it may be some time before He calls us out, but that should not stop us from giving thanks to God for the victory He has given us in Christ. So whatever strife you may face, be it interpersonal or ultimately death, know you can face it victoriously with Jesus.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV

RESONATE!
So how will you give thanks to God today.  Will you pray? Will you sing? What other creative forms might that take? Whatever you do, make certain that today, and everyday, you walk in this victory because of His victory. The resurrected Christ is resurrecting you, and it is only a matter of time before that work is complete!

Jesus, thank You for Your triumph over the grave.  Thank You for facing the strife and rising above it.  Your victory clears the path for me to be able to walk in triumph every day.  Forgive me for the days I do not, and give me strength today to make it one where my life is filled with thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Thankful Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Video 16.2 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

This is the crown upon which all our hopes hang.  If it were not for the resurrection, we are to be pitied, for our hope is in vain.  But thanks be to God, it is not. He only borrowed that tomb. Jesus is the Lord of life!  The grave could not keep Him from rising again. Hallelujah!

His victory over sin, death, and the grave makes Him the firstborn from among the dead, and we, too, like Him shall rise.  He came to seek and save the lost, and He did just that. Thank Jesus that you are among those who have accepted the gift of life He freely offers to all!

We crown Him the Lord of Life with our praise.  We sing the glories of our Resurrected King, who is resurrecting us.  He died, but then He rose again, and rose on high. He is seated at the right hand of the Father.  Give Him praise! Lift your voice and sing!

Wow!  He lives that death may die.  What a powerful line! He died to bring eternal life, and He lives to defeat death.  This is Jesus. Our King and the Lord of life. Crown Him with your worship, with your living, now and forevermore.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

The post The Lord of Life Showed Us How to Face Strife appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Triumphed Over the Grave – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-god-bible-gospel-3279901/
Rose Victorious – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-4779543/

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Is Your Soul Awake?

Awake My Soul and Sing

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Crown Him with Many Crowns (1852)

By: Matthew Bridges, v. 3 by Godfrey Thring, pub.1874

Listen to this modern arrangement as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library? Click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We conclude our journey toward Easter transitioning from the cross to giving glory to the One who died there for us. In the first half of this stanza, we pondered the heavenly refrained and our ability to hear it.  In this second half, we ponder who we can join it, even in this season of isolation.  Let’s think about this.

Soul, Wake Up!

The heavens are declaring the glory of God.  And I do not mean the clouds and stars, I mean those around the the Lamb and His throne right now.  I hope you have taken some time already this week and quite your heart and soul to listen.  If not, check out the Tuesday Tunings with video that creates some space or the Wednesday Wanderings with the soul care exercise and do that. I would contend that before you can really join it, you have to hear it.

Either way, you may still be asleep.  I do not mean physical sleep, but spiritual.  The heavenly anthem may seem like something from a dream, and in a sense it is.  But it can be a daydream you engage with vocally.  The hymn writer is doing what the Psalmists often do when he speaks to his soul to wake up, but then he is speaking about joining the song with his voice, and I believe his life.

Of Him Who Died for Thee

Awake, my soul and sing Of Him Who died for thee,

We can join that song with this life, as certainly as we will with the one to come.  Because of what Jesus accomplished that week in Jerusalem we will enjoy an eternal city where among among other things we will sing to the One who died for us…and rose again!  Because He rose, so shall we if we die before His return.  That is the promise of the Old and New Testaments alike.

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! Isaiah 26:19a ESV

So don’t wait until you rise form the dead to join the praise of the firstborn from among them.  Join it now! Find some expression of worship and send it up.

RESONATE!
As Easter approaches, it is obvious our worship will be different than usual.  The big pageants and presentations are not possible so you can not just get in your car and drive to one.  But there are many very accessible opportunities to join others online if you do not possess the ability to accompany your praise.  Even if you are alone, determine now you will awaken your soul on Easter, and even before, and join the eternal refrain.  Take a few moments now and make your plan.

And Sing!

And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

Hail means to cheer, salute, or greet; welcome, acclaim; approve enthusiactically.  That creates a very clear framework for what our writer is encouraging us to do as we lift our songs to the One who died for us.  Would your songs be characterized this way?  Sure, when we are together it might be a little easier, but do not let our separation hinder you from offering your praise with some energy.

Hail Him as Thy Matchless King

That speaks of the passion of our praise, but let us look for just a moment once again at the focus of it, Jesus.  Having a clear mental image of Who He is instructs our praise.  I would dare say even inspires it.

And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood Revelation 1:5 ESV

John’s description of Jesus is well, inspiring!  Jesus faithfully bore witness to the reality of God.  He was the first one to rise from the dead victorious over sin, and we shall be like Him in that. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth, over all of them, having authority not one of them, or even all of them combined possess.  King of Kings!  AND He loves us, demonstrating that by freeing us from our sins by His blood!  Hallelujah! and Amen!!

There is no one like Jesus, worthy of our praise.  Never has been.  Never will be.  And never is a very long time. But it is very safe to say His praise will NEVER end. Will you be a part of it?  Today and every day for the rest of eternity? I certainly hope so. I know I will be. Praise His name!

RESONATE!
So I challenged you to prepare for this very unusual Easter celebration, but I encourage you to get started before that. How will you praise Him today? Sing along with your favorite worship song? Sing down with some instrument and accompany your praise?  Gather with your family and sing? Find one of the many streams online and join in? Whatever tool you use, pick it up today and get your eternal song going.  He is worthy.

Jesus, thank You for giving us something to sing about today and every day.  Thanks You for the challenge to wake up from our worship slumber and give You glory.  Help me today to discover some tool that will encourage me, and empower me to us it and others regularly.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Eternal Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Podcast 16.1 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne;

His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. Revelation 19:12 ESV

This describes Jesus, riding His white Horse, and called Faithful and True and The Word of God. Before we admonish others to crown Him, we must be willing to do it ourselves.  Tell Him that He is worthy of all the crowns we could ever bring, Jesus the Lamb upon His throne.

Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns All music but its own!

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12 ESV

How I look forward to lifting my voice in that eternal song!  They are singing even now. Join them and tell Him He is worthy!

Awake, my soul and sing Of Him Who died for thee,

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! Isaiah 26:19a ESV

Because of what Jesus accomplished that week in Jerusalem we will enjoy an eternal city where we will sing to the One who died for us and rose again.  Awaken your soul to give praise to Jesus for this promise of life beyond the grave even in the Old Testament! 

And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood Revelation 1:5 ESV

This is the One we hail as the matchless King. May our souls never grow weary in this lifetime of declaring the fullness of Who He is.  Glory hallelujah! Crown Him with many crowns, Jesus, the ruler of kings on earth!

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Is Your Soul Awake? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Awake My Soul and Sing – https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-praying-believing-god-person-571715/
Of Him Who Died for Thee – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/art-artistic-painting-digital-1703880/
Hail Him as Thy Matchless King – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-christ-statue-sea-pigeons-2744230/

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Why Should We Sing Heartily?

Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered the Old Rugged Cross and the the meaning of  being True to the Cross. This week we begin our journey through another hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns and another set of powerful truths. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

Conquering King

PROMISE: Revelation 6:2 ESV  And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

As we prepare to look into the words of this great hymn, we set the context by considering the words of Scripture that describe this One who is worthy to be crowned.  Even as we do, invite the Holy Spirit to come and reveal Him to you for we simply lack the capacity to fathom the riches and wonder of all that He is.  Look at this image and read those words again as you prepare to instruct your soul to crown Jesus with many crowns today.

PSALM: Crown Him with Many Crowns was written by 1852 by Matthew Bridges.

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Matthews Bridges, author of Crown Him with Many Crowns having listened for the heavenly anthems heralding the honors of Christ endeavored to awaken his soul to join in the eternal refrain. Jesus is indeed worthy of of the crowns and the praise we could ever bring, but there is another reason we should offer it to Him. It changes us. Giving praise to our matchless King reorients our life to Him, His ways, and His purposes, as it revolutionizes our perspective on the every aspect of our lives, including even the pandemic we find ourselves in today.

PARABLE: Why should I awaken my soul to sing? As a worship leader I have often looked out at a group of people and spotted those who were reluctant or struggling to sing.  I realized that part of my responsibility to them and our Lord was to help them sing, and to do so without admonishing or exhorting them in a heavy-handed, guilt inducing way.  Instead, I always tried to offer encouragement to the weary traveler and modeled hearty singing as I offered my own worship to Jesus.

Singing

Often I would think of the singing instructions that John Wesley wrote to encourage those who were finding his teachings to stir their souls.  His brother Charles wrote some great hymns to give them fresh expressions of the ancient faith they were experiencing.  We even examined one of his best known following last Easter here at Resonant 7, Christ the Lord is Risen Today.   Here is the first of those blogs.

Though I appreciate all of John’s words in his Directions for Singing which you can find here, This is probably my favorite, at least today.

IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

So does that describe your singing?  I certainly want it to describe mine!  Why?  Because Jesus is worthy of that praise, and offering it changes me and my perspective.  When was the last time you sang lustily and with good courage?  Maybe cooped up at home makes it harder for you, but I want to encourage you, put on a song and join in today, and certainly Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the questions: Might there be another aspect of lifting my soul to sing I am truly missing these days?  

I would say yes.  We are missing the communal aspect of our singing.  It is something we do together infrequently in society outside of church and the Star-Spangled Banner, but it was encouraging to see Italians singing from their apartments a few weeks ago.  Singing is a powerful medium for our souls, but singing together is even more so.

You probably already now that is true but check out this short video for some of the why…

Soul care training exercise: We find safety and comfort when we sing together.  We need singing together now more than ever, but we are isolated.  I think those first church services when we can come back together are going to be filled with some incredible singing by God’s people.

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise and consider taking time to be transparent with Christ. 

  • Singing Together

    When you are ready, clear your mind and focus on being authentic with Christ.

  • Next, allow the Holy Spirit to stir your soul to give Him praise for He is worthy.  Pray something like “Help me find my voice in this time of isolation Lord.  Help me discover new ways to lift my soul to praise Your name.”
  • Then, begin to pray with the confidence of Christ. Acknowledge the longing, even God develops it in You, to offer your courageous praise among His gathered people. Say, “Give me a newfound courage to offer praise to You when I can be among Your people again.”
  • Lastly, ask for patience. Say, “Even as I long for that to come when I can offer praise to You with Your people, give me the patience to wait for it and until then welcome Your work in me.”

PRAYER: Father, thank You for giving me a reason to sing. Help me find my voice in these quiet days, and anticipate offering my praise with your people once again. May I develop in this unusual season and even greater courage and desire to sing lustily for the glory of Your name, and may it continue to transform me from the inside out. In Jesus worthy name I pray.  Amen.

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank our loving God for the many crowns that Jesus is worthy to wear. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Why Should We Sing Heartily? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Conquering King – https://henrytrocino.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/jesus-is-called-faithful-and-true/
Singing – https://pixabay.com/vectors/singing-kids-child-group-children-304617/
Singing Together – https://pixabay.com/vectors/singing-kids-child-group-children-304617/

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