Sunday, June 14, 2009, 4:16 a.m. – The Lord woke me up. When I inquired as to whether or not he was waking me and if he wanted me to get up, I heard the song “Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee…” So, I got up. When I sat down to write, this song immediately came into my mind:
NEW DAY / Artist: Avalon
It's a new day
Oh, it's a new time
And there's a new way
I'm gonna live my life
All the old has, passed away
And the new has come
Thank God, It's a brand new day
Lookin' back on yesterday
There are things that I regret
But I put the past behind me
And I never will forget
You have covered my mistakes
And my broken dreams
Now over the horizon
I see the dawn is drawing near
And I realize the sun did rise
Tomorrow's finally here
Now when I wake up thinkin'
'Bout the things I've done before
Memories I could not escape
Well they can't haunt me anymore
Now I can hold my head up high
'Cause I am not the same
You've changed my whole perspective
And with new eyes I see
I've become a new creation
'Cause of what You've done for me
'Cause of what You've done for me
No, I am not ashamed
This heart of mine is finally free
I'll never be the same"
I read chapters 7-9 of Isaiah, then stopped at chapter 9, vv 1-7, because I saw a parallel between the words to this song and this passage of scripture. This song is about a new day that has come, the old has gone, the past is behind you, and the Lord Jesus has provided salvation as a covering over sin, which then allows us to forget the memories of past sins – they don’t have to haunt us anymore. This is speaking about those in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ who have appropriated to their lives what Jesus did for them on the cross when he died for our sins, was buried, rose again, ascended to the Father and sent His Holy Spirit to indwell the life of each individual believer in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 9:1-7:
My Understanding: In Isaiah, chapter 6, we learned that God’s people will be ever hearing but never understanding, ever seeing but never perceiving. So, God will have to bring judgment upon them to bring them to a place of repentance; to where they will turn their hearts back to Almighty God. This lesson from Isaiah 9:1-7 teaches us what it is like and/or will be like, then, when the people walking in darkness see the light of the gospel and they are delivered from their yoke of slavery to sin, as well as ultimately from their physical enemies.
This song expresses what it is like when we turn our hearts over to God - to Jesus Christ - and we make Him Lord and Master of our lives. We no longer walk in darkness and live lives according to the flesh and to the pattern of this world. When the light dawns on our sin and shows us the way to salvation in Jesus Christ, and we appropriate that salvation to our lives through faith in Jesus, then the old is passed away and the new has come, and that is reflected (should be) in how we live our lives. The song writer reflects this when he states that “There’s a new way I’m gonna live my life. All the old has passed away and the new has come.”
So many professing Christians think this only applies to what Jesus did/does for us in removing the penalty of our sin, but he did not die just to have the penalty of our sin removed. He died so that we could be free from the power of, the control of, and the bondage to sin in our daily lives. When we make Jesus our Savior and Lord, we should make an “about face,” turn from our sin and toward God, and we should walk away from the pattern of our flesh-driven lives and should live lives pleasing unto God, not in absolute perfection, but this should be the direction we head from that point on. The old should be gone and the new should be our way of life.
'Cause of what You've done for me
No, I am not ashamed
This heart of mine is finally free
I'll never be the same
In Isaiah 6 we learned that God’s people were dull of hearing and had rejected God’s Word, but here in Isaiah 9, we learn that God had planned to give his people light again. He did give them that light in Jesus Christ, but many of God’s people rejected that light, yet one day a remnant will believe and God will become their God once more and they will be His people. Even many professing Christians reject the light of the gospel by how they live their lives every day, just like was true of Israel. Many give lip service only but their hearts are far from God. So, that is why judgment must come. God is going to refine us and test us and prepare us as His bride for the Lord’s soon return.
Yet, we can be encouraged because God is still promising that people walking in darkness can and/or will see the light – Jesus is the Light – and there will be a harvest of souls yet to come, I believe. Those who once walked in spiritual darkness, who have seen the light of the message of the gospel with spiritual eyes; who have seen Jesus for who He is – God; God’s Son; the promised Messiah – have the yokes that once burdened them shattered, and the bar across their shoulders, which is the rod of their oppressor, Satan, also shattered. Jesus defeated this foe on the cross when he died for our sins and when he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death. And, Jesus also wants to set us free of the guilt of, addictions to, bondage to, control of and the burden of the yoke of slavery to sin in our lives if we will let Him.
One day Jesus is coming back for his bride, the church, and he will reign on the earth for a thousand years. “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” Amen! I so look forward to the day when Jesus reigns on the earth and he is truly in control of the government and there is absolute peace on the earth. But, that will not come until first we have the period of time called the tribulation where Satan will be given full reign for a short period of time and he will be allowed to persecute the saints of God, but when that time is over, Jesus will return and will reign and we will be with Him forever and ever, amen! Are you ready to meet Him? If not, I hope and pray that you will make your heart right with God today while there is still time.
NEW DAY / Artist: Avalon
It's a new day
Oh, it's a new time
And there's a new way
I'm gonna live my life
All the old has, passed away
And the new has come
Thank God, It's a brand new day
Lookin' back on yesterday
There are things that I regret
But I put the past behind me
And I never will forget
You have covered my mistakes
And my broken dreams
Now over the horizon
I see the dawn is drawing near
And I realize the sun did rise
Tomorrow's finally here
Now when I wake up thinkin'
'Bout the things I've done before
Memories I could not escape
Well they can't haunt me anymore
Now I can hold my head up high
'Cause I am not the same
You've changed my whole perspective
And with new eyes I see
I've become a new creation
'Cause of what You've done for me
'Cause of what You've done for me
No, I am not ashamed
This heart of mine is finally free
I'll never be the same"
I read chapters 7-9 of Isaiah, then stopped at chapter 9, vv 1-7, because I saw a parallel between the words to this song and this passage of scripture. This song is about a new day that has come, the old has gone, the past is behind you, and the Lord Jesus has provided salvation as a covering over sin, which then allows us to forget the memories of past sins – they don’t have to haunt us anymore. This is speaking about those in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ who have appropriated to their lives what Jesus did for them on the cross when he died for our sins, was buried, rose again, ascended to the Father and sent His Holy Spirit to indwell the life of each individual believer in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 9:1-7:
My Understanding: In Isaiah, chapter 6, we learned that God’s people will be ever hearing but never understanding, ever seeing but never perceiving. So, God will have to bring judgment upon them to bring them to a place of repentance; to where they will turn their hearts back to Almighty God. This lesson from Isaiah 9:1-7 teaches us what it is like and/or will be like, then, when the people walking in darkness see the light of the gospel and they are delivered from their yoke of slavery to sin, as well as ultimately from their physical enemies.
This song expresses what it is like when we turn our hearts over to God - to Jesus Christ - and we make Him Lord and Master of our lives. We no longer walk in darkness and live lives according to the flesh and to the pattern of this world. When the light dawns on our sin and shows us the way to salvation in Jesus Christ, and we appropriate that salvation to our lives through faith in Jesus, then the old is passed away and the new has come, and that is reflected (should be) in how we live our lives. The song writer reflects this when he states that “There’s a new way I’m gonna live my life. All the old has passed away and the new has come.”
So many professing Christians think this only applies to what Jesus did/does for us in removing the penalty of our sin, but he did not die just to have the penalty of our sin removed. He died so that we could be free from the power of, the control of, and the bondage to sin in our daily lives. When we make Jesus our Savior and Lord, we should make an “about face,” turn from our sin and toward God, and we should walk away from the pattern of our flesh-driven lives and should live lives pleasing unto God, not in absolute perfection, but this should be the direction we head from that point on. The old should be gone and the new should be our way of life.
'Cause of what You've done for me
No, I am not ashamed
This heart of mine is finally free
I'll never be the same
In Isaiah 6 we learned that God’s people were dull of hearing and had rejected God’s Word, but here in Isaiah 9, we learn that God had planned to give his people light again. He did give them that light in Jesus Christ, but many of God’s people rejected that light, yet one day a remnant will believe and God will become their God once more and they will be His people. Even many professing Christians reject the light of the gospel by how they live their lives every day, just like was true of Israel. Many give lip service only but their hearts are far from God. So, that is why judgment must come. God is going to refine us and test us and prepare us as His bride for the Lord’s soon return.
Yet, we can be encouraged because God is still promising that people walking in darkness can and/or will see the light – Jesus is the Light – and there will be a harvest of souls yet to come, I believe. Those who once walked in spiritual darkness, who have seen the light of the message of the gospel with spiritual eyes; who have seen Jesus for who He is – God; God’s Son; the promised Messiah – have the yokes that once burdened them shattered, and the bar across their shoulders, which is the rod of their oppressor, Satan, also shattered. Jesus defeated this foe on the cross when he died for our sins and when he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death. And, Jesus also wants to set us free of the guilt of, addictions to, bondage to, control of and the burden of the yoke of slavery to sin in our lives if we will let Him.
One day Jesus is coming back for his bride, the church, and he will reign on the earth for a thousand years. “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” Amen! I so look forward to the day when Jesus reigns on the earth and he is truly in control of the government and there is absolute peace on the earth. But, that will not come until first we have the period of time called the tribulation where Satan will be given full reign for a short period of time and he will be allowed to persecute the saints of God, but when that time is over, Jesus will return and will reign and we will be with Him forever and ever, amen! Are you ready to meet Him? If not, I hope and pray that you will make your heart right with God today while there is still time.
