Greetings from Dar,
As we begin Holy Week leading up to the most important celebration of the year, I am reminded of an old hymn that I can hear my mother singing. She has been home with Jesus since 1986. She was always singing or playing our piano and gave me a great love for hymns. I loved singing them in the car when we went to visit family members who all lived quite a way from our home. She thought I had a great voice so that encouraged me. Of course she was quite partial. But I was happy to make her proud by giving it my best. As I grew a little older and realized I wasn’t going to be a soloist in church, and didn’t make as many trips with her, my singing was not as often. But I always loved those old hymns and can hear her singing them.
Memories….do you have them, too? What a blessing they can be. Maybe because we celebrated my 73rd birthday last week I think about them more and want to look at the old photos from those many years ago. I sincerely hope that you have good memories to hold onto.
The people we minister to in nursing homes have memories, as well. Some can’t remember much about yesterday but they can sure talk about their parents and their experiences when they were younger. And nearly all of them remember the old hymns when we start singing. Sometimes, they even sing along. Sometimes, we can see light in their faces where there was none. Their spirits are alive and God’s Holy Spirit in them awakens it as He connects the dots of their memories and they begin to praise Him. Yes, as the title of this hymn says, Christ Arose! The words are powerful and encouraging to them as well as they are to us. He arose a Victor! Death CANNOT keep it’s prey! HALLELUJAH!!
This is why we minister in nursing homes and provide free materials for others to use. The residents are waiting. God wants to bless them and once again proclaim how He loves us, and that Jesus Christ arose to save all who receive Him as their Savior! It’s His ministry. We have the privilege of joining Him in it.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We could not continue without you. We pray you have a blessed Resurrection Day!
CHRIST AROSE!
by Robert Lowry
Stanza 1:
Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!
Chorus:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Stanza 2:
Vainly they watch His bed,
Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!
Stanza 3:
Death cannot keep its prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!
Sincerely,
Jerry and Dar Johnson