April 12, 2009

• the best-laid plans ..."To-day the groans of Hades rise"

  
  

  The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry!
  

  The best-laid plans of Satan often always go awry!
  The best-laid plans of God often never go awry!

  The Lord God said to the serpent,
  Because you have done this,
  cursed are you above all livestock
  and above all beasts of the field;
  on your belly you shall go,
  and dust you shall eat
  all the days of your life.
  I will put enmity between you and the woman,
  and between your offspring and her offspring;
  he shall bruise your head,
  and you shall bruise his heel.
  
  Genesis 3:14-15

  

  Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
  
  

  I saw the Lord always before me,
  for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
  26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
  my flesh also will dwell in hope.
  27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
  or let your Holy One see corruption.
  28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
  you will make me full of gladness with your presence.

  
  29 Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
  
  

  The Lord said to my Lord,
  

  
  

  Sit at my right hand,
  

  35 until I make your enemies your footstool.
  

  
  36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.
  

  –Acts 2:22-36

  TO-DAY THE GROANS OF HADES RISE
  (from "Hymns of the Greek Church," tr. by John Brownlie)
  
  To-day the groans of Hades rise,—
  ‘Ah, better far for me
  The Son of Man had never died
  Upon the cursèd tree!
  For by His power the fettered souls
  I held in darkest night,
  Are carried through the sundered gates
  Into the realm of light.’
  
  Let glory now the Cross adorn,
  Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
  
  To-day the groans of Hades rise,—
  ‘My might is overthrown;
  I took One dead, from ’mong the dead,
  And claimed Him for mine own;
  But He hath crushed my ancient power;
  And those I held in thrall
  Have thrown aside the chains they wore,
  And He hath rescued all.’
  
  Let glory now the Cross adorn,
  Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
  
  To-day the groans of Hades rise,—
  ‘My power is gone from me;
  The Shepherd died upon the Cross,
  And Adam’s sons are free;
  The bars are taken from the tomb,
  Death can no more appal;
  For He who gave Himself to death,
  By death hath rescued all.’
  
  Let glory now the Cross adorn,
  Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
  
  
  

  

  For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.
  II Cor. 13:4a

  
  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me...12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. I Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-14.

  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15.
  
  For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:8-11.
  
  

  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
  I John 3:8b
  
  I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
  Job 42:2

  No more let sins and sorrows grow,
  Nor thorns infest the ground;
  He comes to make His blessings flow
  Far as the curse is found,
  Far as the curse is found,
  Far as, far as, the curse is found.

  ---

  Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  • 9:25 AM
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