Because He Lives - The Easter Anthem!

Christian believers have HOPE.  What does that mean?  To non-believers, to "hope" means to wish for something, such as saying, "I sure hope I win the lottery!"   That kind of hope is merely "wishing" for some worldly desire to be fulfilled - knowing that, most likely, it will not.

However, the Christian believers' HOPE is not just a wish.  Instead, it is a rock solid, confirmed promise of eternal life.  How do we know that to be true?  Because that promise comes directly from God's Written Word, the Bible.  The Bible is His full revelation to us - and it tells us that we, all believers, have HOPE.

According to Strong's Concordance, the English word "hope" is the Greek word elpis, meaning:  Expectation of good, hope - and, in the Christian sense, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.

Most of us have a favorite song.  For believers, that is most often a Christian contemporary song or hymn.  One of my favorite songs is the Christian song, "Because He Lives," written by Bill & Gloria Gaither.  I loved the song long before I really knew the full meaning of the words.  We know that the song is assuring us that because Jesus Christ lives, we can face tomorrow with assurance.

But, in the second verse, which was the first one written, who is the newborn baby?  Most would just assume, as I did for years, that it was referring to the baby Jesus.  It is not.  But, I will let the song writers, Bill & Gloria Gaither, tell us about that baby in their song:

We wrote “Because He Lives” after a period of time when we had a kind of dry spell and hadn’t written any songs for a while…  Also at the end of the 1960’s when our country was going through some great turmoil with the height of the drug culture, and the whole “God Is Dead” theory which was running wild in our country, and also at the peak of the Vietnam War - our little son was born - Benjy (Benjamin).   At least Gloria was expecting him.

And I can remember at the time we thought, “Brother, this is really a poor time to bring a child into the world.”   At times we were even quite discouraged by the whole thing.  And then Benjy did come.  We had two little girls whom we love very much, but this was our first son.  So that lyric came to us, “How sweet to hold our new-born baby and feel the pride and joy he gives, but better still the calm assurance that this child can face uncertain days because Christ lives.”

And it gave us the courage to say “Because Christ lives we can face tomorrow” and keep our heads high and hopefully that could be of meaning to other people.

 
This song speaks of HOPE, the Hope we have in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The HOPE based upon His promises that we are His church, His family, and no one, on earth or in heaven, can take away our eternal life in Christ. 

Bill & Gloria Gaither's song speaks of facing a chaotic world, of facing trails and tribulation in this world, of bringing children into this broken world - but with the firm HOPE, the firm promise that: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow - "Because He lives, all fear is gone - Because I know He holds the future - And life is worth the living - Just because He lives!" 

My Friends, that is not a worldly "hope, wish."   That is the HOPE we have in His unbreakable promise of eternal life for all Christian believers.

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Now that I have briefly told you about this beautiful Gospel Christian song, I want you to open this URL link and hear Bill Gaither and his friends put feeling and love into the words of Because He Lives.

Bill & Gloria Gaither - Because He Lives - Gaither Vocal Band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spa7WkwjwGw

If possible, we at the New Beginning Christian Fellowship of Norco, California, would love to have YOU and your family join us to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016.   But, if you cannot make it to our celebration - I pray that you are joining with other believers in your area to sing for joy that Jesus Christ Lives!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill