Proclaiming a Message of Good News and Hope to our generation!
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We are excited to present to our friends a Christmas song recently produced in Higher Ground Studio in Columbus, Ohio. It is entitled, “Night to Day.” The words were written by Dana Berry, music and arrangement by Larry Hakala. Lead vocal is by Dana Berry, backup by Larry Berry, with Larry Hakala on vocals, guitars, and keyboards, Dan Beaty on bass and drums. Mixed and mastered by Dan Beaty.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Anyone who listens to the news these days has reason to wonder about the state of the world and perhaps our own personal safety. For over a century now, many groups of Bible-believing Christians have interpreted the many tragic events as signs that the end of the world is very near. But it might surprise many to know that this belief has not always been the dominant view among Christian scholars. In fact, from the colonial days in North America up until the mid to late nineteenth century a more optimistic view prevailed.
Many of the hymns from that time reflect the expectation that the Church of Jesus Christ would triumph in this world, and that Christ would come to claim that victory in person, not to destroy the world, but to solidify His righteousness, peace and joy forever in His Creation.
This is not heresy. It is based on serious, sound Biblical interpretation and reflection on the nature, power and love of our wonderful God and Savior. While no reasonable person would deny that the nations of the world are in great jeopardy, we know from scripture and history how things can turn around when people seek the Lord.
Could I pose this question? How much faith would it take to accept the fatalistic view that mankind will eventually be destroyed? Even many secular people embrace that idea. No effort would be required either. Just let things continue to go as they have been.
The Lord has not given His people that option. They are called to light up the world with the Good News of Jesus, the Good News of His righteous reign over the earth! Our hope is in Him, and He takes no pleasure in the death of unbelievers. His joy and that of all heaven is when they repent and turn to Him! What can you or I do about the state of the world? We can look unto Jesus for hope and guidance, and serve in what ever capacity He has prepared for you. What ever part He has for you, what ever gift he has given to you, that is the area of your greatest power and effectiveness in Jesus name!
2 Tim 3:14-17:
“14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”
NIV
Like Timothy, I was blessed to have been taught the Holy Scriptures, the Bible from childhood. It is interesting that when Paul wrote this, he was referring to the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, which Christians call the Old Testament. The latter part of our Bible which begins with the title, “The New Testament” had not yet been completed at the time.
Here is the apostle Paul, who wrote more and more emphatic about the grace of God in Christ, and our freedom from the letter of the law, than any other.
It might surprise some today, who mock others who still read and value the Old Testament, that their hero Paul would endorse it so heartily. He would even find it useful for rebuking and correcting believers, which practice many of the same folks find to be unnecessary. In fact they teach that repentance and confession of sin is not a part of the New Covenant in Christ. They say we are only to confess our righteousness in Christ.
As for me, I will take Jesus, Peter, Paul, and James over many popular modern teachers any day!
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