Video Below
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Happy Good Friday brothers and sisters!
If you are new to Christianity—calling the day we remember that Jesus willingly chose to be tortured, insulted, abused, and nailed to a cross where He died—might seem odd.
But this day is also a celebration because through His act of obedience—Jesus fulfilled His purpose in coming to the earth in human form—to offer us the gift of His Grace and Forgiveness through His sinless life, and sacrificial death and resurrection.
As Jesus exclaimed, just before dying—"It is finished"—signifying that His death had forever removed the barrier of sin between those who believe in Him through faith—and our heavenly Father.
So while we might marvel at Jesus' willingness to die in such a horrible way—knowing the terrible suffering that He endured—we are filled with gratitude for the Blessing of His Gift to us—as we celebrate His Goodness and Mercy to us—our risen King and Savior.
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| Luke 23:33-29 - Painting: Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900) |
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If you're like me—and have attended more casual western protestant churches—the pageantry of the Eastern Orthodox Holy Friday Service in the video below might seem very unusual.
But I found the absolutely beautiful vocal only music—along with the ornate robes and setting—very moving and an inspiring tribute to Jesus and His wonderful Gift to us.
The video's description on YouTube adds:
“We remember because we love Jesus and hate what happened to him,” he said. “We love him for his words, we love him for his miracles, and we even love him for his suffering and his death.”
Much of the scripture and prayer during the service was sung rather than spoken, another tradition that dates back to ancient times, when there was no way to amplify a speaker’s voice, Nasser said. “You can hear somebody singing better than you can hear somebody speaking,” he said.
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I pray you will be Blessed by this video—and that God will fill your heart with His wonderful Love—and bring you Comfort, Healing—as you accept His Grace and follow after Him.
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If you don't already know Jesus as Lord—you can learn more about how to start your new life with Him below. ✝
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Lyrics are embedded in the video
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Thanks so much for stopping by—
May God Richly Bless you!
Jesus is LORD!
Time is growing short!
Seek Him!
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✝ Romans 10:9-10
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
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If you've made this decision—believed it in your heart and confessed it with your mouth—let God speak to you by reading the Bible—and seek out fellowship with others who also believe.
Pour out your heart to God in Prayer (simply speaking to Him in reverence)—asking Him to reveal Himself to you and to provide for your needs.
Life in Jesus is the best decision you will ever make.
God Bless You!
Hi Jephyr,
ReplyDeletedoesn't the story of the thieves on the cross just prove the difference between the carnal mind and the mind of Christ. One wanted Jesus to stop the crucifixion in order to save the flesh, and the other wanted the crucifixion to go ahead in order to have access to eternal life.
Happy Passover by the way.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Happy Passover to you too, Brenda! The thieves certainly do provide an example for us: One rejecting Christ—one accepting Him and immediately being given eternal life! God Bless you too, Brenda!
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