1. 1 The Announcement Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-14; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6 Lyrics 6:08

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   The Announcement

   Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-14; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6

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   Lyrics

   In the beginning was the Word And the Word was with God And the Word was God And the Word... became flesh In the sixth month God sent the angel Gabriel To a town called Nazareth... the telling Of the most consequential conversation ever held To a teenage girl... the moment the prophecy swelled Into reality... greetings favored one The LORD is with you... she was troubled and stunned Wondering what kind of greeting this could be Gabriel said don't be afraid Mary... see You have found favor with God and you will conceive And give birth to a son... and his name will be Jesus... He will be great called the Son of the Most High And God will give him the throne of David... that's why Mary said how can this be since I'm a virgin still The angel said the Holy Spirit will Come on you and the power of the Most High Will overshadow you... the baby born will be Called holy... the Son of God... and look Even your relative Elizabeth... the book Of the impossible with God... she who was called barren Is six months along... for no word from God is ever Impossible... and Mary said behold The servant of the LORD... let it be... bold In her submission... let it be to me According to your word... a young girl set eternity free Mary went to visit Elizabeth in the hills And when she called her greeting the baby filled With the Holy Spirit and leaped in Elizabeth's womb And Elizabeth cried out... you are blessed... the room Is shaking... blessed is she who believed That the LORD would fulfill what He had said... she received The Spirit and the Word all at once in her house Mary's Magnificat rose like a shout My soul glorifies the LORD my spirit rejoices in God He has been mindful of the humble and awed The Mighty One has done great things... holy is His name From now on all generations will call me... the same The Word took on skin The King came in Wrapped in cloth in a manger Emmanuel begins The Son of the Most High stepped down from the throne To a young girl's yes and a borrowed home In the fullness of time... the fullness of grace The Word became flesh and took our place The Word took on skin The King came in John one... in the beginning was the Word And the Word was with God and the Word was God He was with God in the beginning... every bird Every galaxy every atom every nod Of creation... through Him all things were made Without Him nothing made that has been laid In existence... in Him was life and that life was the light Of all people and the light shines in the dark night And the darkness has not overcome it... the Word Became flesh and made his dwelling... the slurred Translation from Greek is tented... He pitched His tent Among us... the tabernacle God... heaven sent Isaiah said a virgin will conceive and give birth To a son and they will call him Immanuel... the worth Of that prophecy... seven hundred years before the night God spoke the answer to a world that needed light For unto us a child is born... unto us a Son Isaiah chapter nine... the government will run On his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor Mighty God enthralled Everlasting Father Prince of Peace The increase of His government and peace won't cease Upon the throne of David and his kingdom from now And forever... the zeal of the LORD will somehow The Word took on skin The King came in Wrapped in cloth in a manger Emmanuel begins The Son of the Most High stepped down from the throne To a young girl's yes and a borrowed home In the fullness of time... the fullness of grace The Word became flesh and took our place The Word took on skin The King came in We have seen his glory The glory of the One and Only Who came from the Father Full of grace and truth Out of his fullness we have all received Grace in place of grace already given This is the announcement that changed everything Not a strategy Not a religion Not a philosophy But a Person God stepped out of eternity and into time He took on flesh and blood and tears and hunger He knows what it is to be tired He knows what it is to be misunderstood And betrayed He became one of us So He could save all of us The Word took on skin The King came in Wrapped in cloth in a manger Emmanuel begins The Son of the Most High stepped down from the throne To a young girl's yes and a borrowed home In the fullness of time... the fullness of grace The Word became flesh and took our place The Word took on skin The King came in Emmanuel... God with us Emmanuel... God with us Not far away not distant not silent God with us The Word took on skin Emmanuel, Emmanuel
2. 2 Emmanuel Matthew 1-2; Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:2; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:13-18; John 1:14 Lyrics 5:44

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   Emmanuel

   Matthew 1-2; Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:2; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:13-18; John 1:14

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   Lyrics

   In the city of David a Savior was born Who is Christ the Lord And this is the sign You will find a baby Wrapped in cloth And lying in a manger Caesar Augustus decreed a census should be done So Mary and Joseph traveled everyone To their own town... Joseph to Bethlehem The city of David... and when they came to them No room in the inn... the Savior of the world Born in a stable... the greatest story ever told Wrapped in strips of cloth... placed in a manger Emmanuel... God with us... the King as a stranger In his own creation... in the town that Micah named Seven hundred years before... Bethlehem... the same Small and least among the clans of Judah But from you will come the ruler... the producer Of all peace... and the shepherds were out in the fields When the angel lit the sky and the glory was revealed The angel said to the shepherds do not be afraid I bring you good news that will cause great joy... be made For all the people... today in Bethlehem A Savior has been born to you... and then Suddenly the whole sky was a multitude Of the heavenly host praising God in magnitude Glory to God in the highest... peace on earth To those on whom His favor rests... the birth Of the One who would bring that peace... the shepherds ran And found the baby and Mary and Joseph... plan Of the ages in a manger wrapped in cloth And they told everyone... nothing could turn them off The Magi came from the east... they'd seen the star And traveled months to find the King from far Jerusalem first... where is the one born King Of the Jews... Herod pretended to bring Them welcome while his plan went dark inside Go find the child and bring me word... he lied The star led them to Bethlehem and where it stopped They fell to their knees and their hearts dropped In worship... they opened treasure and gave gold Frankincense and myrrh... the story's told In every gift a prophecy... gold for a King Frankincense for a Priest... myrrh for burial... sing But darkness was already moving... Herod knew A king had come who made him less and so he drew His plan... kill every boy in Bethlehem Two years old and under... another Pharaoh... the stem Of the same evil... destroy before he grows An angel warned Joseph in a dream... time to go Egypt... fly tonight before the slaughter comes And the Messiah became a refugee... the drums Of history repeating... Moses and Jesus both Born under a death sentence... both escaped by oath Of divine protection... both eventually called Out of Egypt... my son... the prophecy installed Don't let the manger stay a decoration The baby in the straw is not a celebration Alone... He was born to die and rise again Born to crush the serpent's head... born to end The exile... born to be the Passover lamb The fulfillment of every shadow... I AM Came in a borrowed stable in a occupied land Under the shadow of a murderous tyrant's hand The world He made didn't recognize Him when He came The darkness did not overcome the Light... the same Light that shone on creation's first day Shone in a stable on a pile of hay Emmanuel... God with us... He came down low to lift us up Emmanuel... the Word made flesh filling our cup He came in the poverty of a stable He came in the darkness as the Light Emmanuel... God with us... took on our skin our tears our night He came to the broken He came to the small He came to the shepherds and the wise men and all Emmanuel... God with us... born for the cross Emmanuel... God with us... found what was lost The people living in darkness have seen a great light On those living in the land of the shadow of death A light has dawned Isaiah wrote that seven hundred years before a baby cried In a Bethlehem stable The light had been coming for a long long time And when He finally arrived... the world couldn't hold Him The stable was too small The manger was too temporary The arms of Mary could only hold the body But the universe couldn't contain the God Who was sleeping in it Emmanuel God with us And He is still with us Emmanuel... God with us... He came down low to lift us up Emmanuel... the Word made flesh filling our cup He came in the poverty of a stable He came in the darkness as the Light Emmanuel... God with us... took on our skin our tears our night He came to the broken He came to the small He came to the shepherds and the wise men and all Emmanuel... God with us... born for the cross Emmanuel... God with us... found what was lost Emmanuel... God with us Emmanuel... God with us Glory to God in the highest And peace on earth Emmanuel... God with us Emmanuel God with us
3. 3 Wilderness II Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Romans 5:19; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:45 Lyrics 5:52

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   Wilderness II

   Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Romans 5:19; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:45

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   Lyrics

   The Spirit led Him out Into the desert Forty days No food Then the tempter came The second Adam walked into the wild Where the first Adam failed... now God's own Child Was led by the Spirit... not by pride or plan Into the wilderness on purpose... the God man Forty days of fasting... physically spent But spiritually razor sharp and heaven-sent For this exact confrontation with the ancient liar The one who broke the first man in the garden prior Now came to break the second in the desert But the desert and the garden had a major difference In the garden was abundance... here was nothing Yet Adam failed in fullness... Jesus in the suffering First temptation... you've been fasting forty days If you're really the Son of God why not blaze These stones into bread... you're hungry... use the power Take care of yourself... this is your hour And Jesus said it is written... man does not live By bread alone but by every word that gives Life from the mouth of God... the Word Chose the Word over the bread... the first answer heard Where Israel grumbled for food in the wilderness Jesus stood hungry and chose faithfulness Where Adam reached for fruit in abundance's shade Jesus refused in the desert... the exchange was made Second temptation... the devil took Him high To the pinnacle of the temple against the sky He said if you're the Son of God throw yourself down Angels will catch you... it's written... the crown Of Scripture used as a weapon... Psalm ninety-one He'll command His angels concerning you... the Son Needs to prove himself... needs a sign... needs a show Jesus said it is also written... you should know Do not put the LORD your God to the test Israel tested God in the desert... He addressed Them in the Law... Jesus quoted the Law to the lawless The Word of God used precisely... the flawless Third temptation... all the kingdoms of the world All the glory all the beauty all unfurled Before Him on a mountain... just one thing Bow to me and all of this will bring Itself to you without the cross without the pain Just one act of worship... short the gain And Jesus said away from me Satan... it is written Worship the LORD your God and serve Him only... written In stone... the commandment that every other nation Had broken... Jesus held it at the culmination Of the three-part test... the tempter left until A more opportune time... but the hill Was already decided... not Sinai but Calvary Where the final test would come in Gethsemane Not three questions in a desert with Scripture for a shield But a garden and a cup and everything revealed As the cost... and He said not My will but Yours This is the ultimate answer... the second Adam restores What the first could not... full obedience not just to words But to the cross... the full submission... the birds Of heaven silent the cup not passing by He drank it full... and this is exactly why The first wilderness was about food pride and power The second wilderness... about the final hour He didn't fall... He stood for us He passed the test we couldn't pass Where Adam crumbled... Jesus stood Where we have failed... He held it fast Every temptation every trap... He faced it without sin The second Adam came to fix what the first man broke within He didn't fall... He stood for us He faced the liar face to face and won Hebrews four fifteen says We do not have a high priest who is unable To empathize with our weaknesses But one who has been tempted in every way... just as we are Yet He did not sin He knows what it feels like He knows the weight of the temptation He knows the hunger of forty days He knows the lure of a shortcut to the throne He knows... and He stood Not for Himself but for you So that when you face the same lies You are not alone And His Word is still the answer It is written It is written It is written He didn't fall... He stood for us He passed the test we couldn't pass Where Adam crumbled... Jesus stood Where we have failed... He held it fast Every temptation every trap... He faced it without sin The second Adam came to fix what the first man broke within He didn't fall... He stood for us He faced the liar face to face and won The second Adam has come He didn't fall He stood for us It is written It is written Away from me Satan It is written
4. 4 The Kingdom Is Here Matthew 5-7; Luke 15:11-32; Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 6:27; Matthew 18:3 Lyrics 5:33

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   The Kingdom Is Here

   Matthew 5-7; Luke 15:11-32; Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 6:27; Matthew 18:3

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   Lyrics

   He went up on the mountain And He sat down And His disciples came to Him And He opened His mouth and taught them Blessed are the poor in spirit... that hits different Over a boom bap beat than in a building sitting In a pew half asleep... this is the Sermon On the Mount... the greatest teaching that we're learning Blessed are those who mourn... comfort coming Blessed are the meek... the earth for them is running Into their inheritance... blessed are those who hunger For righteousness... they will be filled... no wonder We keep coming back to these eight lines That flip every earthly value upside like Blessed are the merciful... mercy given back Blessed are the pure in heart... they see God... that's a fact Blessed are the peacemakers... called the children of God Blessed are the persecuted... the Kingdom of God You've heard it said love your neighbor... but I say Love your enemy and pray for those who weigh You down with persecution... pray for them out loud Turn the other cheek... give your cloak... in a crowd You've been told to walk one mile... go two This is not weakness... this is what the Kingdom does When it lives inside a person... it overflows The edges of the world's logic... and it shows A different kind of power... not domination But the slow subversive power of transformation Through loving what is not lovable... forgiving What deserves the worst... this is Kingdom living Our Father in heaven... hallowed be your name Your kingdom come your will be done... the same On earth as it is in heaven... and today Give us daily bread... forgive us when we stray As we forgive those who sin against us too Lead us not into temptation lead us through And deliver us from evil... for the power And the Kingdom and the glory are yours this hour Forever amen... Jesus gave us the words For the prayer before we knew we'd need to be heard This is not a magic formula... it's the shape Of a life oriented toward God... His escape Do not worry about your life... what you'll eat or wear Look at the birds they don't plant or harvest... where Does their food come from... your heavenly Father feeds them And you are worth so much more than the seed-them Lilies of the field don't labor or spin Yet Solomon in all his glory has never been Dressed like one of these... if God clothes the grass Which is here today and gone... He will surpass Your every need... seek first the Kingdom And all these things will be given... not a kingdom Of performance and worry and hustle and burn But a Kingdom where the Father provides while you learn To rest... this is the most countercultural thing Jesus ever said in a world ruled by the anxious king A man had two sons... the younger said to his father Give me my share of the estate... I'd rather Leave and live my way... and the father let him go Because love that cannot be refused is not love... so The younger son took everything and wasted it In reckless living... famine came and faced him with Pig slop and a longing for his father's bread He came to himself and said... I'll go and be dead To sonship... just a hired hand... and he began The long walk home... but while he was still far the man His father... saw him... ran... and threw his arms Around his neck and kissed him... sound the alarms The son began his speech... I'm not worthy to be Called your son... but the father said make me The best robe... put a ring on his finger... shoes On his feet... kill the fattened calf... choose The celebration... my son was dead and is alive He was lost and is found... and the party arrived The older son came in from the field and refused To enter... and the father came out... the bruised Pride of the obedient son exposed ... All these years I never disobeyed and those Years you never threw me a party... the father said Son... you are always with me and all that I've fed Is yours... but we had to celebrate and be glad Your brother was dead and is alive... he was lost and is had Come back There is a robe and a ring The Father is already running He doesn't wait for you to clean yourself up He doesn't require a prepared speech He sees you from a distance From as far away as you are right now He sees you And He is running The party has already been prepared Come home The Kingdom is here And the Father is running toward you The Kingdom is here... the King is speaking To the poorest and the broken and the mourning and the seeking Love your enemies... do good to those who hate Seek first the Kingdom and everything else will wait The Kingdom is here... repent and believe Everything you've been chasing you don't actually need The Father's already running... He sees you from a distance The Kingdom is here... come home... no resistance Come home... come home The Father's running He sees you from a distance The Kingdom is here Come home
5. 5 Signs and Wonders Matthew 8-9; Mark 4-5; John 2; John 11; Luke 8:43-48; John 6:1-14; John 11:25-26 Lyrics 5:21

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   Signs and Wonders

   Matthew 8-9; Mark 4-5; John 2; John 11; Luke 8:43-48; John 6:1-14; John 11:25-26

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   Lyrics

   He walked through towns and villages Teaching healing proclaiming the Good News And everywhere He went The Kingdom of God was colliding with a broken world And nothing stayed the same Cana of Galilee... a wedding running dry The mother of Jesus said they have no wine... why Does she tell Him... because she already knew What nobody else did... and Jesus said to do Whatever He tells you... the servants filled six stone jars With water to the brim... and from those clay memorials The water became wine... the master of the banquet Tasted it and said why'd you save the best... this planet Has never seen a host save the finest for the last This was the first sign... His disciples saw and grasped The glory being shown... and they put their faith in Him The Kingdom coming in through the ordinary brim A storm on the Galilee... the disciples terrified Jesus sleeping in the stern... the wave and tide Are covering the boat... Teacher don't you care We're about to drown... and He got up... where Is your faith... He rebuked the wind and the waves Quiet... be still... and the sea that saves No one was suddenly flat calm and glass And the disciples said who is this... what class Of man is this... that even the wind and waves obey His voice... the same Voice that spoke creation's day Into existence... the same I AM... the storms of life Were made by the same Voice that calms the strife A woman had been bleeding for twelve years She had spent everything on doctors whose fears Couldn't help her... she'd only gotten worse And in the crowd she thought... if I can just touch first The hem of His garment... I will be made well She pushed through the crowd... she couldn't tell Anyone what she was doing... she was unclean And she touched the edge of His cloak... the scene Changed immediately... Jesus felt the power go out And asked who touched me... and the woman without A doubt fell at His feet trembling and told The whole truth... Daughter your faith has made you whole Five loaves and two fish... five thousand people fed With twelve baskets left... this isn't just bread This is the God who rained manna in the wilderness This is the multiplication of His faithfulness They tried to make Him king by force... He slipped away Because this miracle was not the crown... the day He was crowned would look nothing like a festival The feeding was a sign... a referential Pointer to the One who is the bread of life Whoever comes to Him will never taste of strife Or hunger... whoever believes in Him will never thirst This is the sign behind the sign... the first truth first Lazarus was sick... his sisters sent for Jesus Come Lord... the one you love... but the thesis Of the whole episode was not healing but resurrection Jesus waited two days before the direction Toward Bethany... Lazarus has fallen asleep He is dead... and when He arrived the weep Of Martha met Him... Lord if you had been here My brother would not have died... the clear Grief of a woman who loved and believed And Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life Whoever lives and believes in me will not see Death... then He wept... the shortest verse And He was deeply moved... troubled... the rehearse Of His own death in this moment... He knew Where He was going too He cried with a loud voice... Lazarus come out And a dead man walked from the tomb... no doubt Hands and feet wrapped in strips of cloth And a cloth around his face... take it off Jesus said... loose him and let him go... the sign Behind the sign... I am the resurrection and the line Between life and death runs through Me... not nature Not medicine not magic... the Creator Has authority over what He created Including death... and the grave vacated For Lazarus that day was a dress rehearsal for The day the grave emptied one time... what came before Every miracle was a sign Not a magic show... a sign A sign points to something The water into wine said... He has authority over creation The calming of the storm said... He has authority over nature The healing of the bleeding woman said... He touches what is unclean And makes it clean The feeding of the five thousand said... He provides When there is nothing left The raising of Lazarus said... I am the resurrection and the life Every sign pointed the same direction Who is this man That is the question That is always the question Signs and wonders... the Kingdom colliding With the broken and the bleeding and the dying Signs and wonders... the Word walking through Every impossible situation... making all things new He calmed the storm He cast the legion out He raised the dead girl back to life without a doubt Signs and wonders... every miracle a sign Pointing to the One who turns the water into wine I am the resurrection and the life Whoever lives and believes in Me Will never die Do you believe this Signs and wonders
6. 6 Who Do You Say I Am Matthew 16:13-20; John 14:6; C.S. Lewis argument; Mark 8:27-30; Revelation 1:17-18 Lyrics 4:59

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   Who Do You Say I Am

   Matthew 16:13-20; John 14:6; C.S. Lewis argument; Mark 8:27-30; Revelation 1:17-18

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   Lyrics

   He asked His disciples Who do people say the Son of Man is Some say John the Baptist Some say Elijah Some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets But what about you Who do you say I am Caesarea Philippi... Philip's city named for Caesar The empire's reach on full display... He couldn't be clearer With the setting... He chose the place where the empire Declared itself king and then asked the question higher Than any political question... who do people say The Son of Man is... in the streets today The answers still come back the same variety John the Baptist or a prophet of propriety A good teacher a good man a moral example A revolutionary figure in a historical sample Of important humans who said important things But none of those answers change anything C.S. Lewis laid it out in Mere Christianity's page A man who says the things that Jesus said at this stage Of history is not leaving us a middle option I am the Way the Truth the Life... adoption By the Father only comes through Me... before Abraham was... I AM... you can't ignore The weight of these claims... they are the claims of God Not the claims of a good man... they are the odd Claims of either a liar who knew the whole thing was false Or a lunatic who believed what was delusional at most Or the Lord... the actual Son of God made flesh And the evidence across the Gospels puts it to the test Peter said You are the Christ... the Son of the Living God And Jesus said flesh and blood did not give you this nod Of revelation... My Father in heaven revealed this to you And on this rock I'll build My church... your confession true Is the foundation... not Peter's personality But Peter's declaration... that's the reality The gates of hell will not overcome it... the Church Built on the truth that Jesus is the Christ... the search Ends here... He gave the keys of the Kingdom And said whatever you bind on earth the kingdom Of heaven will confirm... the authority of the declaration That Jesus is Lord... the foundation of the nation He said to His disciples don't tell anyone yet Because the story wasn't finished... the net Was still being cast... He told them what would happen The Son of Man must suffer... the gap in Their understanding was enormous... Peter rebuked Him Never Lord... and Jesus said get behind Me Satan... you're a stumbling block... you're not Thinking of God's things but human things... the plot Thickens... even those closest couldn't grasp Why the Messiah had to die... the clasp Of human logic couldn't hold divine necessity The cross was not plan B... it was the strategy So the question hangs in every generation's room Every campus every street corner every tomb Of doubt and skepticism... every algorithm That promotes whoever Jesus wasn't... the rhythm Of the question beats the same today as then Who do you say I am... say it again and when You've exhausted every comfortable neutral option You're left with what Peter found... adoption By the Father comes through only One The Christ the Son the Living God... the Son Who rose from the dead... and death has no more power And He holds the keys of death and Hades from that hour Revelation one says When John saw Him he fell at his feet as though dead And Jesus placed His right hand on John and said Do not be afraid I am the First and the Last I am the Living One I was dead and now look... I am alive forever and ever And I hold the keys of death and Hades This is who He says He is Not a good teacher Not a helpful prophet Not a moral example The First and the Last The Living One Who was dead and is now alive forever Who do you say I am... who do you say I am This is not a history question it's a personal exam Lord liar or lunatic... the options on the table You can't call Him just a teacher when His claims say otherwise Who do you say I am... who do you say I am The answer to this question is the most important you'll land Peter said You are the Christ the Son of the Living God The rock on which the Church was built... who do you say I am Who do you say I am Who do you say I am The question is still open The answer still matters Who do you say I am
7. 7 The Upper Room John 13-17; Luke 22:14-23; John 14:1-3; John 17:20-21; Isaiah 53:12 Lyrics 5:27

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   The Upper Room

   John 13-17; Luke 22:14-23; John 14:1-3; John 17:20-21; Isaiah 53:12

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   Lyrics

   It was just before the Passover Festival Jesus knew that the hour had come For Him to leave this world and go to the Father Having loved His own who were in the world He loved them to the end They reclined at the table... the twelve and their Teacher On the last night before everything... the bleacher Of heaven watching this moment most carefully Judas already decided... Satan had entered quietly And Jesus knowing that the Father had placed all things Under His authority... not despair but the wings Of sovereignty... rose from the table and took A towel wrapped it around His waist and look At what the King of kings does with a basin of water He washed the feet of His disciples... the Father's Son on His knees with the dust of Jerusalem Drying what His hands had washed... the referendum Peter said Lord... You will never wash my feet And Jesus said unless I wash you... you have no part with Me Then Lord... not just my feet... my hands and head too Jesus said the one who has bathed only needs Their feet washed... now you are clean... but not every one And He knew who would betray Him... Judas was done But Jesus washed his feet too... this is not Performance love... this is love that cannot be stopped By betrayal or denial or the running away Of every disciple before the end of the day He loved them to the end... the end... not just to The point where it was comfortable to continue He took the bread... gave thanks and broke it... this is My body Given for you... do this in remembrance of Me... embody The memory of what I'm giving... then the cup After supper... this cup is the new covenant... sup In My blood which is poured out for you... the cup Of the Passover transformed... the lamb cups No longer pointing to a lamb that was slain But to the Lamb who is being slain... contain All of redemptive history in this cup... every Passover Ever celebrated was pointing here... game over For the shadow... the substance has arrived The bread and cup of the New Covenant alive Do not let your hearts be troubled... trust in God Trust also in me... the way is not that hard To find... I am the Way... I am going to prepare A place for you... and if I go I will be there To receive you... that where I am you may be also Thomas said Lord we don't know where you go... so How can we know the way... I am the Way The Truth and the Life... no one comes to the Father Any other way... not through a good idea Not through sincere devotion... not through the fear Of God in a general religious sense... through Me The door is narrow and His name is Jesus... see Then He lifted His eyes to heaven and prayed Father the hour has come... I have displayed Your glory... now glorify Your Son... I have given Your word to those You gave Me... they are living In the world... I pray for them... holy Father Protect them by the power of Your name... rather Keep them together as We are one... not a metaphor But a prayer for unity that cuts to the core Of what the Church is meant to be... not my will But Yours... and then He prayed for those who will Believe through their message... He was praying for you Two thousand years before you would be sitting through He prayed... that all of them may be one Father just as You are in Me and I am in You May they also be in Us So that the world may believe that You have sent Me He was praying for unity Not uniformity But the deep unity of people who have been loved By the same God He was praying for you... tonight... in this room In this moment... the prayer of John seventeen Is still active Jesus is still interceding For the church He bought with His blood The new covenant is in effect Every time you take the bread and the cup You are remembering this night And proclaiming His death until He comes He took the bread and said this is My body He took the cup and said this is My blood... get ready The new covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness He knelt with the basin and gave us the true witness Of a Kingdom where the greatest one serves Whoever wants to be great must serve... this is what He deserves To show us... the last night was a lesson In love that goes all the way... no second-guessing Something irreversible is about to happen He picked up the basin He broke the bread He lifted the cup And He loved them to the end
8. 8 Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-56; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-12; Hebrews 5:7-8; Isaiah 53:7 Lyrics 5:59

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   Gethsemane

   Matthew 26:36-56; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-12; Hebrews 5:7-8; Isaiah 53:7

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   Lyrics

   He came to a place called Gethsemane He said sit here while I go over there and pray He took Peter and James and John with Him And He began to be deeply distressed and troubled My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death He said to Peter James and John... each breath Labored under something they couldn't understand Stay here and keep watch... the weight of the hand Of God's plan pressing into the olive grove While the city slept and the disciples wove In and out of sleep... He fell face down On the ground and prayed... Father if it's found Possible let this cup pass from Me Yet not as I will but as You will... the plea Of the One who had never known separation From the Father... now facing full obliteration He came back and found them sleeping... could you not Keep watch for one hour... watch and pray that you not Fall into temptation... the spirit is willing But the flesh is weak... a second time fulfilling His prayer... Father if this cup cannot pass Unless I drink it... may Your will at last Be done... a third time praying the same words The disciples sleeping... something in the blurred Space between heaven and earth was being decided The most consequential yes ever provided Was given in a garden by a man in anguish Who had every power to escape... choose anguish An angel appeared to Him from heaven strengthening Him... and His sweat was like great drops reddening Falling to the ground... hematidrosis... the stress Of what was coming... the body bearing the press Of what the soul already knew... the disciples woke To the sound of torches and swords... the crowd spoke With Judas at the front... the kiss of betrayal The signal arranged... the ultimate portrayal Of friendship weaponized... Judas said Rabbi And kissed Him... Jesus said friend... why Have you come... do what you came to do... the arrest Was always coming... this moment was the test Peter drew his sword and cut off Malchus's ear The servant of the high priest... and Jesus made it clear No more of this... He touched the ear and healed him Even in His arrest His mercy revealed Him Do you think I cannot call on My Father Who would send twelve legions... why bother Resisting... but how would the Scriptures be fulfilled That say it must happen this way... the bill Was already written and He was paying it Now... He wouldn't escape this... He was saying it With every step from the garden to the trial With every choice from the gate to every mile They all left Him and fled... the disciples scattered Like every prophecy said they would... it mattered That they ran because it showed the weight of this moment Wasn't carried by them... they weren't the component Of salvation... they were the witnesses left To tell what happened when the Savior was bereft Of every human support in the garden and after Left alone to face the night... no chapter In the story equals this... the loneliness Of the only One who could carry this... the fortress Of divine will holding what human will could never Bear... not my will... but Yours... not ever Has love sounded more like courage than this night In a garden full of darkness and a prayer full of light Yet not my will but Yours be done The anguish of the garden... the obedience of the Son He could have called the angels... twelve legions ready and able But He chose the cup... He chose the table Of suffering... not because He had no choice But because love chose it... the Father's voice Said this is the way... and the Son said yes Not my will but Yours... this is the test Hebrews five says During the days of Jesus's life on earth He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears To the One who could save Him from death And He was heard because of His reverent submission Although He was a Son He learned obedience From what He suffered And once made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation For all who obey Him He learned obedience Not because He didn't know it But because He lived it... embodied it All the way to the cross This is your High Priest He knows the weight of the cup He knows the sound of your prayer when the night is too long He is not far from your Gethsemane He has been there And He said... not my will but Yours Yet not my will but Yours be done The anguish of the garden... the obedience of the Son He could have called the angels... twelve legions ready and able But He chose the cup... He chose the table Of suffering... not because He had no choice But because love chose it... the Father's voice Said this is the way... and the Son said yes Not my will but Yours... this is the test Not my will But Yours Not my will But Yours He chose the cup He chose the cup For you
9. 9 The Cross Matthew 27; John 19; Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25; 1 Peter 2:24 Lyrics 5:36

   Rhapsody, Volume 2

   The Cross

   Matthew 27; John 19; Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25; 1 Peter 2:24

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   Lyrics

   A crowd A gavel A sentence A man marched through streets Carrying the instrument of His own execution Pilate washed his hands... found no fault in Him But the crowd kept crying... he handed Him over They stripped Him... scarlet robe... crown of thorns pressed down Hail king of the Jews... they spit... they struck Every cruelty the empire had was poured on Him And He didn't open His mouth Isaiah fifty-three folding into itself He carried His own cross toward the place of the skull Golgotha... Simon of Cyrene pulled from the crowd to carry it Women wailing... daughters of Jerusalem don't weep for me Weep for yourselves and for your children The coming judgment would fall on this city Two criminals beside Him... the afternoon Of history's central moment... the crucifixion of the Son of God Father forgive them... they don't know what they do The first word from the cross... forgiveness For the soldiers casting lots for His clothing For Pilate who washed his hands Nothing like this had ever been said from an execution device The dying man praying for the people killing Him This was not reluctant... this was love The criminal beside Him... remember me When you come into your Kingdom... and He Said today you will be with me in paradise The second word... believe while you are dying if that's all you have And it is enough... the thief got paradise Not by works not by church not by sacrifice But by a deathbed confession... grace to the end Behold your son... behold your mother... the third word John at the foot of the cross... for Mary Even dying He thought of His mother And from that day John took her into his home The Son of God making sure she wasn't alone Then darkness came over all the land From noon until three... the sun abandoned My God my God why have you forsaken me The fourth word... Psalm twenty-two... the Father withdrew His presence as the sin of all humanity was laid on Him Not the crowd or the nails or the thorns but the separation The Son born from eternity in the fellowship of the Trinity Now bearing the weight of every sin The infinity of God's wrath pressed into one human body I am thirsty... the fifth word... the Son of God Who created water was dying of thirst A sponge of vinegar offered to the One who said Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again Then the sixth word... It is finished... tetelestai Stamped on paid-in-full receipts... the debt is cleared Every shadow every sacrifice of the Old Testament... paid in full Father into your hands I commit my spirit The seventh word... He breathed His last The curtain of the temple tore from top to bottom God's hand reached down and ripped the sixty-foot curtain... access given The earth shook... tombs opened... the risen were seen in the city The centurion watching said surely this was the Son of God The cross is the proof He was pierced for our transgressions He was crushed for our iniquities The punishment that brought us peace was on Him And by His wounds... we are healed We all like sheep have gone astray Each of us has turned to our own way And the LORD has laid on Him The iniquity of us all Do you understand what that means Every sin... every lie... every private darkness All of it placed on the Son of God on the cross And He bore it... every bit of it So that you would not have to This is the cross... the center of everything This is what love actually looks like They took His body down and wrapped it in linen Joseph of Arimathea... a new tomb cut in the rock A large stone rolled against the entrance The Pharisees said seal it... guard it Lest the disciples steal the body and claim resurrection They sealed the stone... and the Son of God Lay in the dark of a borrowed tomb Saturday arrived... the longest Saturday in all of history The stone is sealed The guards are posted The disciples are scattered And the story seems... over
10. 10 Three Days Matthew 27:62-66; Jonah 1:17; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:9-10; Acts 2:27; Matthew 12:40 Lyrics 5:48

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Three Days

    Matthew 27:62-66; Jonah 1:17; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:9-10; Acts 2:27; Matthew 12:40

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    Lyrics

    Saturday The Sabbath The most silent day in all of history The guards are at the tomb The stone is sealed The disciples are behind locked doors Trembling Mary Magdalene is weeping somewhere in Jerusalem John is wondering if everything was a lie Peter is reliving a courtyard and a fire And a denial... three times... and a rooster And the body of Jesus of Nazareth Is lying in a borrowed tomb In a garden outside the city This is the longest Saturday anyone has ever lived For three days in the belly of the whale Jonah was as good as dead... the detail Was written seven hundred years before the tomb And Jesus said... as Jonah was three days in the room Of the great fish so the Son of Man will be Three days in the heart of the earth... the key Was always Jonah... the sign He gave the Pharisees When they asked for proof... the prophecy Was hidden in plain sight in a sea creature's stomach And no one fully understood it... cosmic Psalm sixteen was written by David A thousand years before the cross And he wrote these words You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead You will not let your faithful one see decay Peter would quote this on the day of Pentecost And say... David was not writing about himself David died and was buried and his tomb is here to this day He was a prophet And he saw what was coming He wrote the words of a man whom God Would not let death hold Isaiah fifty-three says He was assigned A grave with the wicked and with the rich... combined In His death... Joseph's tomb a wealthy man's The text matches the facts... these are not plans Made up after... these are prophecies fulfilled Down to the burial detail... the scaffold built Across centuries of Scripture pointing to one day One borrowed tomb one sealed stone one Saturday The disciples didn't know this They were grieving But the prophets had already written The whole chapter In the upper room... behind locked doors ... The disciples sat in the ruins of their hope They had left everything They had believed He was the one To redeem Israel And now He was dead And their hope was a sealed tomb in a garden But across the city The Pharisees were uneasy They remembered He said after three days I will rise again They were more afraid of a risen Jesus Than the disciples were hopeful Fear is sometimes closer to faith than comfort is Three days is not incidental... it is the sign Of death being held past all natural line Of recovery... one day you might faint Two days the hope is thin... the complaint By Lazarus's sisters was four days too long But three days is the threshold where the song Of hope would have to be supernatural To make any sense... the rational Mind surrenders here... three days in And there is no human explanation beginning To account for what is about to happen Before the sunrise... in the dark... the captain The Roman soldiers are at the tomb Pilate's seal on the stone Everything in place to keep what is dead Dead But you cannot keep the Author of Life in a tomb Any more than you can keep the sun from rising Three days Three days Three days And then The stone rolls
11. 11 He's Alive Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Romans 6:9 Lyrics 5:29

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    He's Alive

    Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Romans 6:9

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    Lyrics

    The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out It was rolled away to let the witnesses in And what they found Changed everything forever At dawn on the first day... the ground shook... an angel came down His appearance like lightning... his clothes white as snow The guards shook with fear and became like dead men The women arrived with spices... the stone was already gone I know you're looking for Jesus who was crucified He is not here... He has risen... just as He said Come see the place where He lay Then go quickly and tell His disciples Mary stood outside the tomb weeping... she looked inside Two angels in white where the body had been Woman why are you crying... they have taken my Lord and I don't know where She turned and saw Jesus standing there... thought He was the gardener Woman why are you crying... who are you looking for Sir if you've moved Him tell me where... then Jesus said... Mary And that was it... Rabboni... Teacher Go and tell my brothers Two disciples on the road to Emmaus... discussing everything through the grief A stranger walked beside them... what things are you discussing They stopped with sad faces... are you the only one in Jerusalem Who doesn't know what's been done They told Him about Jesus of Nazareth... a prophet... His death We had hoped He was the one to redeem Israel But that was three days ago... the tomb is empty but Him we haven't seen And He said O foolish ones... how slow to believe all the prophets have spoken Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer into His glory Beginning with Moses and all the prophets He opened every Scripture Every line and image concerning Himself They approached the village... stay with us Recognition came when He broke the bread... their eyes opened... and He vanished Weren't our hearts burning when He talked with us on the road He was walking them through the whole Bible And they didn't even know it was Him Thomas was not there when Jesus first appeared I will not believe unless I see the nail marks and put my hand in His side Eight days later... there He was again Put your finger here... see my hands... reach out your hand Put it in my side... stop doubting and believe Thomas said my Lord and my God Because you have seen me you believe Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe That's you... receiving this through a speaker or a screen or a song You have not seen Him... but the testimony is strong Five hundred people saw Him at one time... most are still alive The evidence is not religious sentiment It is eyewitness testimony of people who gave their lives for what they saw Mary didn't die for a hallucination The resurrection is real... historical... physical The tomb is empty... categorical First Corinthians fifteen... if Christ has not been raised Your faith is useless and you are still in your sins He was raised on the third day as the Scripture goes He appeared to Cephas... then the twelve... then five hundred... then James Last of all to Paul... who persecuted the church Until the encounter on the Damascus road A voice and a light and a life transformed The risen Jesus... not a memory but a reality All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Go therefore... make disciples of all the nations Baptize them... teach them to obey everything I have commanded And I am with you always... to the end of the age The Great Commission from the lips of a man who was dead and risen This is not a religion... it is a resurrection The most audacious claim in human expression A dead man walked out of a tomb on Sunday morning and validated everything Where O death is your victory Where O death is your sting The sting of death is sin... and the power of sin is the law But thanks be to God who gives us the victory Through our Lord Jesus Christ He is not here... He is risen... He is alive He is alive forever and ever He holds the keys of death and Hades And no one... no one... can take them from His hand Death could not hold Him... the grave could not keep What was buried on Friday walked out Sunday complete He's alive... He's alive... the resurrection is real He took the nails the cross the tomb and He broke the seal He's alive... He's alive... every prophecy fulfilled The first and the last the Living One... death is killed He's alive... He's alive... no more mourning no more night What the enemy meant to bury walked back into the light He's alive He's alive... He's alive He's alive... He's alive Jesus is alive... He is risen He is risen... He is alive Death could not hold Him The grave could not keep Him He's alive He's alive He's alive
12. 12 Fire Acts 1-2; Joel 2:28-29; John 20:22; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 8:11 Lyrics 5:16

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Fire

    Acts 1-2; Joel 2:28-29; John 20:22; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 8:11

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    Lyrics

    They were gathered in the upper room One hundred and twenty Waiting Like He said Wait And then Ten days after the ascension they were all together One hundred and twenty in one place... whether They fully understood what was coming nobody knew But they had the promise... He said wait for what the Father's true And coming gift would be... you will receive power When the Holy Spirit comes on you... the hour Is coming when you will be my witnesses here In Jerusalem Judea Samaria... hear The ends of the earth... the mission defined In one sentence... now wait for the sign And then a sound like the blowing of a violent wind Came from heaven and filled the whole building What looked like tongues of fire separated And came to rest on each of them ... erated With the Holy Spirit and began to speak In other tongues as the Spirit gave the technique And the word... Jews from every nation under the sun Were staying in Jerusalem... every one Heard their own language being spoken... what is this Each one hearing their native tongue... the bliss Of heaven reaching every tribe at once A reversal of Babel... God undoes The division of languages with the fire of His presence Every tongue declaring the wonders of God... the lesson A crowd gathered and some mocked... new wine at nine In the morning... but Peter stood up... the design Of God was coming through the man who denied Three times in a courtyard... now amplified By the Spirit... listen carefully everyone This is what was spoken through Joel... begun In your sight... in the last days God says I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh... His ways Are not a trickle through the right religious line But a flood... on sons and daughters... a sign And wonders and miracles and on servants both Male and female... the Spirit's oath... growth Peter the denier... now Peter the preacher Standing in the public square... the teacher Of three thousand souls on the first sermon ever After the resurrection... God has raised this Jesus To life... we are all witnesses... clever Is not the word... this man who ran from a fire Is standing in the open proclaiming... the entire Story of Israel culminating in this declaration God has made Him both Lord and Christ... the foundation Is settled... let all the house of Israel know The man you crucified is Lord... and the blow Landed on three thousand hearts at once... they asked What shall we do... the answer unmasked Repent and be baptized every one of you In the name of Jesus Christ... the breakthrough For the forgiveness of your sins... and you will receive The gift of the Holy Spirit... believe The promise is for you and your children and all Who are far off... everyone whom the Lord will call To Himself... and three thousand were added That day... the Church of the risen Jesus was started Not in a building not with a committee Not with a budget or a five-year plan for the city But with fire and wind and one hundred and twenty people Who waited and received and couldn't keep it He breathed on us again like the garden at the start Fire on our tongues and the Spirit in our hearts Not a feeling not a program not a Sunday show The Spirit of the Living God filling from below And above and within... He baptized them in fire They spoke in every language... Heaven's desire Was poured out on all flesh on this day Sons and daughters prophesying... this is the way Fire... Fire... the Church was born in fire Fire... Fire... He still sets hearts on higher Peter was standing in the same city Where he denied Jesus three times Three times by a fire... and now The fire had come to him The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead Was living in Peter Romans eight eleven says If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead Lives in you He who raised Christ from the dead Will also give life to your mortal bodies Through His Spirit who lives in you The same Spirit That same fire Is available to you Right now It is not just for the first century It is for everyone Whom the Lord our God will call That includes you Receive the fire He breathed on us again like the garden at the start Fire on our tongues and the Spirit in our hearts Not a feeling not a program not a Sunday show The Spirit of the Living God filling from below And above and within... He baptized them in fire They spoke in every language... Heaven's desire Was poured out on all flesh on this day Sons and daughters prophesying... this is the way Fire... Fire... the Church was born in fire Fire... Fire... He still sets hearts on higher Fire... Fire The Spirit and the fire Sons and daughters All flesh Fire... Fire The Church is still burning The promise is still good Fire
13. 13 Nothing Can Separate Romans 3:23; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:28-39 Lyrics 5:53

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Nothing Can Separate

    Romans 3:23; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:28-39

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    Lyrics

    All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God The wages of sin is death But the free gift of God is eternal life Through Christ Jesus our Lord Let me walk you through the greatest legal argument Ever written... Paul to the Romans... elegant and permanent Chapter one... God's wrath is revealed Against all ungodliness... nobody is shielded Chapter two... if you think your morality Lets you off... look at your own totality Chapter three... there is no one righteous... not one None who understands... none who seeks God... the sum Of human religion is the reach of broken hands Toward a holy God who will not bend His standards But then... verse twenty-one... the turn But now apart from the law... the lesson to learn The righteousness of God has been made known Apart from the law... the prophets testified... full grown Coming through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe There is no difference... all have sinned... receive The free gift... justified freely by His grace Through the redemption that came in Christ's face God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement Through the shedding of His blood... the anointed moment In all of human history... received through faith He did it to demonstrate His justice... the space Between the holiness of God and the mercy of God Is filled by the cross... not our effort... not odd Therefore since we have been justified through faith We have peace with God through Jesus... place This down as the foundation... peace with God Not peace as the world gives... not the facade Of feeling okay... but the objective standing Of a person declared righteous by the commanding God of the universe... through faith in His Son The access... the hope... the race is run And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God Not only so... we also rejoice in the odd Places... we rejoice in our sufferings because Suffering produces perseverance... pause But God demonstrates His own love for us in this While we were still sinners Christ died... the bliss Of that sentence... not while we were trying harder Not while we were religious enough... the further Point is that He died for us when we were enemies Of God... the reconciliation was achieved by His Death... and since we have been reconciled How much more shall we be saved through His life... styled By grace from beginning to end... the logic Of grace is overwhelming and non-negotiable You didn't earn it... you can't lose it by failing The God who justified the ungodly keeps sailing Therefore there is now no condemnation For those who are in Christ Jesus... the foundation Settled... chapter eight verse one... print it Frame it put it on your wall... no condemnation... get it In your heart... the law of the Spirit who gives life Has set you free from the law of sin and strife And death... because what the law was powerless to do God did... by sending His own Son... right through The judgment line and bearing it Himself The Spirit of God testifies from that shelf That we are God's children... and if children then heirs Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ... who cares And we know that in all things God works for good For those who love Him who are called... understood Before time... foreknown and predestined Conformed to the image of His Son... no second-guessing The plan... called... justified... glorified The chain of grace from eternity identified What then shall we say in response to these things If God is for us... who can bring A charge against those God has chosen... God Who justifies... who is He who condemns... odd Question... Christ Jesus who died... more than that Who was raised to life... is at the right side flat Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine Or nakedness or danger or sword No... in all these things We are more than conquerors Through Him who loved us For I am convinced That neither death nor life Neither angels nor demons Neither the present nor the future Nor any powers Neither height nor depth Nor anything else in all creation Will be able to separate us From the love of God That is in Christ Jesus our Lord This is not poetry This is a promise Let it land If God is for us who can be against us He did not spare His own Son but gave Him for all of us How will He not with Him graciously give us everything Nothing can separate us from the love of the King Neither death nor life neither angels nor powers Neither things present nor future... nothing in these hours Nor height nor depth nor anything in all creation Can separate us from the love of God... that's the foundation Nothing... nothing... nothing can separate Nothing... nothing... the love is too great Nothing can separate you From the love of God That is in Christ Jesus our Lord Not your worst day Not your worst sin Not your worst fear Nothing
14. 14 The Armor Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:11; Romans 13:12 Lyrics 5:14

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    The Armor

    Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:11; Romans 13:12

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    Finally... be strong in the Lord And in His mighty power Put on the full armor of God So that you can take your stand Against the devil's schemes For our struggle is not against flesh and blood Not flesh and blood... let me say it again Your enemy is not the person... where and when You started fighting people you lost the plot The real war is not the battle you thought You were fighting... principalities and powers Spiritual forces of darkness in these hours Of human history... rulers of the darkness Of this world... this is the sharpest Reality check in the entire letter Paul is not writing metaphor... get better Put on the full armor of God Belt of truth... it holds everything together Every piece of armor requires whether The belt is buckled... the belt is the truth The character of who you are... the proof That you live without the double life... what you say And what you do matching every day In public and in private... truth is the first Defense against the enemy... the worst Lies target your identity your worth The belt of truth says who you are from birth Is settled by the One who made you... not the voice Of the culture the screen or the noise Breastplate of righteousness... protects your heart The enemy targets your emotions... the start Of most spiritual defeat is the feeling That you are too broken for God's healing The breastplate is not your own righteousness But Christ's... imputed credited... the excess Of His perfect record given to you The breastplate says your standing before God is true Not based on your performance on a given day But on the finished work of Jesus... put it on and stay Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel Peace... you are not fighting for peace... the vessel You fight from IS peace... you stand on the ground Of the Gospel that has already resolved the sound Of condemnation... you are reconciled You are a child of God... not a rejected child Banging on a door... you stand IN the peace Of the Gospel... and from that place release The Good News... you are ready to move And from that place you fight and forgive Shield of faith... the Roman soldier's shield Was four feet tall... full body concealed When the shield wall locked together... nothing Got through... faith is your protection Against the fiery arrows... the accusations The doubts the fears the dark imaginations The whispers that say God has forgotten you The faith shield says He has not... you know it's true Take up the shield... hold the line... the arrows May come in volleys but faith holds its ground Helmet of salvation... protects the mind The battlefield is the thought life... you'll find Every major spiritual struggle starts between the ears The enemy targets the mind with lies and fears The helmet of salvation covers it... the assurance Of your redemption is the endurance Of the mind... the settled knowledge that you are saved Is not arrogance... it is armor... be engraved With the truth of your position... sealed By the Spirit... the helmet of salvation revealed Sword of the Spirit... the Word of God... the only Offensive weapon in the list... the lonely Piece of armor that cuts rather than deflects The Word of God is living and active... connects To the division of soul and spirit... sharper Than any double-edged sword... it silences every lie Every temptation Jesus answered... and why Did He quote Scripture three times in the desert Because the sword works... the assertive Word of God does not return empty... speak it In the darkness in the struggle... you need it Pray in the Spirit on all occasions With all kinds of prayers and requests With this in mind be alert And always keep on praying for all the Lord's people Prayer is not the last resort Prayer is the armor being activated Every piece connects through prayer You do not wrestle against flesh and blood But you are not wrestling alone The God who put the armor on you Fights alongside you Stand firm The devil prowls like a roaring lion But he is a defeated enemy With a cross standing between him and you Stand firm Stand firm... belt of truth around your waist Breastplate of righteousness locked into place Feet fitted with the Gospel ready to move Shield of faith... every fiery arrow you can choose To quench it... helmet of salvation on your head Sword of the Spirit... the Word of God... be fed Praying in the Spirit always... never sleep This is the full armor... this is how you keep The ground that God has given... stand firm and fight Not against people but against the powers of the night Put on the full armor of God Stand firm Put on the full armor of God Stand firm The battle belongs to the LORD Stand firm
15. 15 Letters Galatians 5:1; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 1 Timothy 4:12; Hebrews 11:1; James 2:17; 1 Peter 1:8 Lyrics 5:01

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Letters

    Galatians 5:1; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 1 Timothy 4:12; Hebrews 11:1; James 2:17; 1 Peter 1:8

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    Letters written from prison cells From shipwrecks and from beatings From a man who met the risen Christ On a road to Damascus And spent the rest of his life Giving the reason for the hope he had It is for freedom that Christ has set us free Stand firm then and don't submit again to slavery Galatians five one... there are people who got saved By grace and turned it into a rule... enslaved Themselves to religious performance... added to the cross A list of requirements... Paul said the cost Of that confusion is losing the Gospel entirely Either grace is free or it's not... inquire Of the Galatians... foolish Galatians who bewitched you Did you receive the Spirit by works or were you Given it by faith... you started in the Spirit Don't try to finish by the flesh... hear it I have learned in whatever state I am to be content Philippians four eleven... every cent Of comfort stripped away... and still content He writes from a Roman prison cell and sends A letter full of joy... rejoice in the Lord always I will say it again... rejoice... the phrase Of a man in chains... not toxic positivity But settled confidence in the One whose activity Is bringing good out of every difficult moment Do not be anxious about anything... the opponent Of anxiety is not distraction... it is prayer Present your requests to God... He's there In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives In bodily form... Colossians two nine gives The clearest statement of the full divinity And humanity of Jesus... the Trinity Made visible... He is the image of the invisible God... the firstborn over all creation... divisible Is not the right word... everything was created In Him through Him and for Him... weighted Claim... He holds all things together... not just A spiritual figure not just a moral trust But the One by whom and through whom everything exists The Lord of creation... the letters insist Now faith is confidence in what we hope for Assurance about what we cannot see before Our eyes... Hebrews eleven one... the definition That redefined every subsequent mission Statement of trust in God... then the hall of fame Follows... Abel Enoch Noah Abraham the same And Sarah... Isaac Jacob Joseph Moses... Rahab Gideon Barak Samson Jephthah David... the tab Goes on... all commended for their faith And what is faith... James says give us the taste Of what it looks like... faith without deeds is dead Show me your faith without deeds... I'll show instead By what I do... the two agree... Paul and James Justified before God by faith... James explains Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young First Timothy four twelve... spoken for every tongue Of every young person who felt dismissed Because of their age... be an example... the list Is practical... in speech conduct love faith purity Be an example... your youth is not the obscurity You think it is... it is a platform... Peter says Set apart Christ as Lord in all your days Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone Who asks you for the reason for the hope you've won With gentleness and respect... keep your conscience clear So those who speak against your good behavior here Second Timothy chapter three Paul writing from death row... his last letter All Scripture is God-breathed And is useful for teaching Rebuking correcting and training in righteousness So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped For every good work He was about to be executed And his last words were about the Word The letters he wrote The book you hold These are not historical artifacts These are living documents Addressed to you Still arriving every time you open the page The letters never stopped being sent The early church dealt with what we deal with today Legalism division pride getting in the way Paul wrote the letters we still need to read The same warnings the same grace the same seed I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength Faith without works is dead... go to any length To contend for the faith once delivered to the saints These letters were written under pressure not complaints They are the bones of Christian doctrine alive on the page Written in prison written in exile written in an age When the same Jesus who rose was still transforming lives These letters are still arriving... open and survive The letters are still arriving Rejoice in the Lord always I will say it again Rejoice
16. 16 Grace Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:4-7; Romans 5:8; Titus 2:11; 1 John 4:10 Lyrics 5:40

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Grace

    Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:4-7; Romans 5:8; Titus 2:11; 1 John 4:10

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    Lyrics

    You were dead in your transgressions and sins That's where the story starts Not struggling... not trying hard Dead But God As for you... you were dead in your transgressions And sins in which you used to walk... the lessons Of the flesh and the world... the prince of the air Working in the disobedient... and we were there All of us... we lived among them at one time Gratifying the cravings of our sinful mind And following its desires and thoughts... by nature Objects of wrath... there is no stature In your starting position... no merit No advantage no moral credit... hear it Clearly because the next two words change everything But God... the most important pivot in the offering But God... who is rich in mercy... made us alive With Christ even when we were dead... the drive Of grace is not the worthiness of the receiver But the wealth of the giver... the believer Doesn't bring anything to the transaction But the need... and God brings satisfaction And more... He raised us up with Christ and seated us With Him in the heavenly places... He treated us Like royalty before we deserved a breath Of kindness... in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches Of His grace expressed in kindness... the stages Of eternity are a classroom where God Displays the wealth of His grace... how odd This generation has heard conditional love From every direction... performance above All else... from social media from the constant grind Culture... from broken homes... the mind Has been formed by a world that only loves What succeeds... and Grace says from above I loved you before you succeeded I loved you before you were needed I loved you before you cleaned yourself up I loved you in the mess before you filled your cup With whatever you were using to feel worth The grace of God is the most subversive thing on earth The kindness and love of God our Savior appeared Not because of righteous things we had... the veered Path of works-based thinking... He saved us Not because of anything we did... He gave us His mercy... through the washing of rebirth And renewing of the Holy Spirit... the worth Is in the giver... poured out on us generously Through Jesus Christ our Savior... the immensity Of the gift cannot be measured... justified By His grace... we became heirs... no pride In the inheritance... an heir doesn't earn the estate They receive it... that's grace... that's the estate This is not a license for whatever you want Grace doesn't become cheap because you flaunt The freedom... Paul said shall we sin that grace May increase... by no means... the place Grace puts you is not a starting line for doing Wrong... it is a foundation for pursuing Holiness out of love not fear... it is the child Who wants to please the parent... the reconciled Heart that doesn't perform for approval Because approval has been given... the removal Of condemnation frees you to obey Not to earn anything... you already have the day You didn't earn it... you couldn't buy it You can't undo it... you can't deny it It's grace For it is by grace you have been saved through faith Not from yourselves... it's the gift... not at a rate Of your performance or your record or your name Not by works so no one can boast the same Claim to the throne... it is the gift of God That's grace... that's grace... it's grace First John four ten says This is love... not that we loved God But that He loved us And sent His Son As an atoning sacrifice for our sins You did not initiate this You did not earn it You did not deserve it And you cannot lose it by your failure Because you did not obtain it by your performance The same grace that saved you the first time Is the grace that holds you every day after This is not a system This is a Father Who gave everything For children who gave Him nothing And called it love And called it grace You didn't earn it... you couldn't buy it You can't undo it... you can't deny it It's grace For it is by grace you have been saved through faith Not from yourselves... it's the gift... not at a rate Of your performance or your record or your name Not by works so no one can boast the same Claim to the throne... it is the gift of God That's grace... that's grace... it's grace Not by works So that no one can boast It is the gift of God It is the gift Grace Grace Grace
17. 17 The Invitation John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; Revelation 3:20; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 6:2 Lyrics 5:22

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    The Invitation

    John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; Revelation 3:20; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 6:2

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    Lyrics

    I'm going to stop telling other people's stories For a minute And talk to you directly Just you Right now You've heard the story now from beginning to end From the garden to the garden... from the first Word spoken into nothing to the last amen Of the last book... you've walked through Creation and the Fall and the flood and the promise Abraham Moses David and the prophets You've watched the Word become flesh in Bethlehem Walked through the miracles the upper room Gethsemane the cross... the tomb And then the stone rolled away and the empty room And the risen Jesus commissioning His church Now you're here... at the end of the search Here is your sin... let's be honest about it Not the list of bad things you've done... the root Of it goes deeper than behavior... you were born Into a world that chose itself... torn From the presence of God since the garden... and you've lived For yourself... you know this... every guilt... you've given The evidence in your own memory... the things You've done in secret... the broken strings Of relationships... the way you've used people The pride the envy the lust... the steeple Of your own self at the center of your world This is sin... not just bad behavior... the unfurled Truth is that you have separated yourself from God And you cannot fix it on your own... that's the prod Here is what Jesus did about it... He came He lived the life you couldn't live... His name Was Jesus and He was fully God and fully man And He went to the cross... not as part of a plan You made... but as part of a plan God made Before the foundation of the world... the trade That took place on the cross was this Your sin was placed on Him... so that you don't miss The righteousness of God... He took the punishment For every sin you've ever committed... the atonement Was complete... it is finished... and three days later He walked out of the grave... He is greater Romans ten nine says if you confess with your mouth That Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart... the south Star of salvation... that God raised Him from the dead You will be saved... the simplest thing ever said In the most important moment of your life Believe with your heart... that's trust... not just the knife Of mental agreement... the turning of your whole life Direction toward God... confess with your mouth The acknowledgment before God... the south Wind of the Spirit blowing... who calls on the name Of the Lord will be saved... that's the claim The same claim that has been made for two thousand years And millions have found it true... in spite of fears Maybe you're thinking I've gone too far Too much water under the bridge too many scars Too many things I've done that can't be undone Too many times I tried and then I run Back to the same cycle... let me tell you about The thief on the cross... no time to shout Any religious commitment... just a dying Man looking at a dying man and trying One last thing... remember me when you come Into your Kingdom... and the Son Said today you will be with me in paradise The door is open until the final dice I want to give you a prayer Not a magic formula... just words to start A conversation with a God who already knows you If you want to receive what Jesus did for you You can say something like this Jesus... I know I need You I know I have lived for myself and not for You I believe You died for my sins I believe God raised You from the dead I turn from living my own way And I place my trust in You as Lord Come into my life I receive Your forgiveness Make me new If you just said that Or anything like it... from a real heart The promise of Scripture is clear Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Will be saved Welcome home He's standing at the door and He's knocking The question isn't what He did... it's are you answering He already paid the price... He already opened the way The only question left is what you're going to say For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son... so that whoever believes is saved From perishing... whoever believes has eternal life This is the invitation... step out of the night He's standing at the door... He's knocking Are you answering? Are you answering The door is open He is knocking Now is the time Now is the day of salvation The door is open
18. 18 Letters to the Seven Revelation 2-3; Revelation 2:4; Revelation 3:15-16; Revelation 3:20; Hebrews 4:13 Lyrics 5:17

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Letters to the Seven

    Revelation 2-3; Revelation 2:4; Revelation 3:15-16; Revelation 3:20; Hebrews 4:13

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    Lyrics

    To the angel of the church Write These are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars In His right hand Who walks among the seven golden lampstands I know your deeds To Ephesus... I know your deeds your hard work Your perseverance... you can't tolerate the lurk Of wicked people... you've tested false apostles And found them frauds... you've endured the hostiles And not grown weary... good work... but here is What I hold against you... and it appears You have forsaken the love you had at first Remember the height from which you've fallen... you must Return to the first love... come back and do The things you did at first... I am calling you To Smyrna... I know your afflictions and your poverty But you are rich... I know the slander and hostility Of those who say they're God's people and they're not Do not be afraid of what you're about to get Thrown into prison... tested... ten days of trial Be faithful even to the point of death... the file Of your reward is the crown of life... the one Who overcomes will not be hurt... the second one The second death... will never touch your name To Pergamum... you live where Satan's throne is And you held fast to My name... the notice Goes to the faithful who stayed loyal in the worst Zip code spiritually speaking... but first There are some things I have against you... some Who hold to teaching that should not have come Into the church... the compromise... the subtle Infiltration of things that will dismantle What is holy... repent... or I will come And fight against them with the sword... overcome And I will give the hidden manna... a white stone A new name... known only to the One who's shown To Thyatira... your love faith service perseverance Are greater now than at first... the appearance Of growth... but I have this against you... you tolerate The false prophetess who teaches and creates The stumbling of my servants... repent... the time I gave for repentance is ending... I will bring Judgment... hold on to what you have until I come... to the one who overcomes... I will fill Their hands with authority over the nations ... The morning star... given to those who run with patience To Sardis... you have the reputation of life But you are dead... wake up and strengthen strife What little remains... your deeds have not been found Complete before my God... go back... the ground Of your beginning... what you received and heard Hold it fast and repent... the Word And yet there are still a few Names who have not soiled their clothes... a crew Who will walk with Me in white... the one who overcomes Will be dressed in white... their name in the columns To Philadelphia... I know you have little strength But you have kept My word at every length And not denied My name... I've placed before you An open door that no one can close... I adore you I will make those who oppose you come and bow I am coming soon... hold on to what you have now Let no one take your crown... the one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple... here comes My name, new Jerusalem, a new name... inscribed On those who persevered... sealed, written, described To Laodicea... I know your deeds... neither Cold nor hot... lukewarm... and neither Can I keep you... I will spit you from my mouth Because you say I am rich and wealthy... no drought In my experience... I do not need a thing And you don't know that you are wretched... the sting Pitiful poor blind naked... buy from Me Gold refined in fire... white clothes... the key Of sight is eye salve... those I love I rebuke And discipline... be earnest and repent Here I am... I stand at the door and knock Here I am I stand at the door and knock If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with that person And they with Me Seven letters Seven churches Seven mirrors But really just one question Wrapped in seven different forms Where are you with Jesus Not where are you with church attendance Not where are you with your religious reputation Not where are you with what people can see Where are you... really... with Jesus He sees behind the performance He loves you too much to let you stay comfortable In the distance He is knocking I know your deeds... I know what you do in secret I know the love that's grown cold and the fire that's still lit I know your poverty that is actually wealth I know your wealth that is actually poverty and spiritual health That is gone... these are letters from the One who sees Everything behind the performance... on your knees Is where you find the love you lost The risen Jesus writing letters at a cost Of honesty... He loves the church too much To leave it comfortable... this is His touch He who has an ear Let him hear What the Spirit says to the churches He who has an ear Let him hear
19. 19 Worthy Is the Lamb Revelation 4-5; Revelation 5:12; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 5:9-10 Lyrics 5:24

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    Worthy Is the Lamb

    Revelation 4-5; Revelation 5:12; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 5:9-10

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    Lyrics

    After this I looked and there before me was a door Standing open in heaven And the voice said come up here And I will show you what must take place After this A throne in heaven... and someone sitting on it The appearance like jasper and carnelian... upon it A rainbow like an emerald encircled the throne Twenty-four elders surrounding... on their own Thrones dressed in white with crowns of gold From the throne came lightning rumblings untold Thunderings and seven lamps blazing... the Spirit Before the throne... a sea of glass... come near it In the center four living creatures covered in eyes Day and night without ceasing... the rise And fall of one eternal song that fills The throne room... every angel every hill Then I saw in the right hand of the One on the throne A scroll... with writing on both sides... a zone Sealed with seven seals... and a mighty angel Proclaimed in a loud voice... who is able To break the seals and open the scroll... and no one In heaven or on earth or under... no one Was found who was worthy to open it or look inside And I wept and wept because no one qualified Then one of the elders said do not weep Look... the Lion of the tribe of Judah the deep Root of David has triumphed... He can open it Then I saw a Lamb looking as if slain... fit Standing at the center of the throne encircled by The four creatures and the elders... the highest high The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes Which are the seven spirits of God... the ties Of the Spirit to the Lamb... full power and full sight He went and took the scroll from the right Hand of the One seated on the throne... and when He took it the four living creatures and then The twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb Each one had a harp... and golden bowls... I AM Is in that room... the golden bowls full of incense Which are the prayers of the saints... immense They sang a new song... You are worthy to take the scroll And to open its seals because you were slain... the role Of Your blood was to purchase for God People from every tribe language people... God Has made them to be a kingdom and priests To serve our God and they will reign... release Of this song went from four creatures to elders To ten thousand times ten thousand... the holders Of harps and golden bowls... then I heard Every creature in heaven on earth... the word Under the earth and on the sea... every last thing In creation singing... praise be to Him... sing To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb Be praise and honor and glory and power... I AM For ever and ever... the four creatures said amen And the elders fell down and worshiped... and when I try to imagine standing in that place The crystal sea and the fire and the face Of the Living God... and the Lamb who was slain Standing in the center... still bearing the same Wounds that purchased the people singing around Him The scars of the cross in the throne room... astounding He kept them... the wounds that bought our freedom Are on display in the throne room... you need them Do you know why heaven worships without ceasing Because they can see Him They see what we believe by faith And the sight of Him Compels worship The way looking into the sun compels you to close your eyes And the way standing at the edge of the ocean Makes you feel small in the best possible way They see the Lamb who was slain They see the wounds They see the One who purchased them And they cannot stop One day... you will see And you will understand why they never stop Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty Who was and is and is to come... the nightly And daily worship of heaven never stops The twenty-four elders fall down when the drop Of their crowns hits the floor before the One Who lives forever... Worthy... You are worthy Our Lord and God to receive glory honor power For You created all things... this is the hour Of eternal worship... Holy holy holy Worthy is the Lamb who was slain wholly To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength And honor and glory and praise... at every length Of eternity... worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Power and wealth and wisdom and strength Honor and glory and praise To the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb
20. 20 The Battle Revelation 12-19; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 19:11-16; Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 20:10 Lyrics 5:12

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    The Battle

    Revelation 12-19; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 19:11-16; Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 20:10

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    Lyrics

    A great sign appeared in heaven A woman clothed with the sun And an ancient dragon With seven heads and ten horns And the war that began in the garden Was coming to its conclusion The dragon stood before the woman... the ancient Serpent of Genesis three... patient For six thousand years but his time is growing thin He knows it and he's desperate... begin The final campaign... but the child is caught up To God and to His throne... the dragon cut From heaven... Michael and his angels drove him Down... no place found in heaven for him He is filled with fury knowing his time is short This is not a new enemy... this is the report From the garden where he whispered to Eve The same liar with the same trick... but believe The beast from the sea... the dragon's instrument A parody of Christ... seven heads prominent With blasphemous names... he was given authority To wage war against God's people... the majority Of the earth worshiped him... who is like the beast Who can make war against him... but at least In every chapter God has a sealed people A number known to Him... the steeple Of the world may bow but not the remnant sealed On their foreheads by the living God... revealed Already... these are the ones who follow the Lamb Wherever He goes... purchased... they understand Babylon the great... the great prostitute The city that represents every pursuit Of human empire apart from God... drunk On the blood of the saints... every corrupt junk Culture and anti-God system throughout history Wrapped in one image... the mystery Of Babylon... political and economic power The system that makes itself God in the hour Of its strength... but in one hour she falls The merchants and kings mourning at the walls Of the empire they built... fallen fallen Is Babylon the great... every idol calling You to build your life on shifting ground Will fall... only one Kingdom is found Then I saw heaven opened... a white horse And its rider called Faithful and True... the force Of heaven in His eyes like blazing fire Many crowns on His head... His desire Is justice... robes dipped in blood... His name Is the Word of God... the armies of heaven came Following Him on white horses dressed in white Clean linen... out of His mouth the sharp bright Sword... He will strike down the nations Rule them with an iron scepter... the stations Of judgment rendered... King of kings And Lord of lords on His robe... He brings The beast and the false prophet captured... thrown Into the fiery lake... the dragon alone Seized... the ancient serpent... the devil Bound for a thousand years... level By level the power structures of evil Come down... then at the end... the sequel Of the dragon's final rebellion... crushed... thrown Into the lake of fire... he is gone And death and Hades thrown in after them Death itself destroyed... the anthem Of eternity begins without an enemy Without a serpent without a whisper... free First John three eight says The reason the Son of God appeared Was to destroy the devil's work He came into enemy territory He lived and died and rose Not as a victim but as a warrior Every exorcism was a battle won Every healing was a declaration of war Every time He forgave sins He was tearing down The stronghold of the enemy And on the cross... when it looked like evil had won When the darkness covered the land And the Son of God breathed His last The serpent's head was being crushed Under His heel The cross was not a defeat It was the decisive victory Evil lost at Calvary The rest of Revelation is just The public announcement of what was already finished They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb And by the word of their testimony... the plan That defeated the dragon in every generation Is the blood of Jesus and the proclamation The serpent's head is crushed... the cross secured it Every power and authority... Jesus endured it Stripped and made a public spectacle... disarmed The enemy on the cross... the God alarmed No one... He walked to Calvary knowing The cross was the weapon... the enemy not knowing He was digging his own grave... the battle's won By the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of the Son The battle belongs to the LORD The battle belongs to the LORD Evil loses God wins The battle belongs to the LORD Faithful and True King of kings Lord of lords The battle belongs to the LORD The battle belongs to the LORD
21. 21 All Things New Revelation 21-22; Revelation 21:3-5; Revelation 22:20; Isaiah 25:8; Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 2:9 Lyrics 6:29

    Rhapsody, Volume 2

    All Things New

    Revelation 21-22; Revelation 21:3-5; Revelation 22:20; Isaiah 25:8; Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 2:9

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    Lyrics

    Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away And there was no longer any sea And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Look... God's dwelling place is now among the people And He will dwell with them... every steeple That ever tried to reach up to heaven Now heaven is here... the permanent eleven Dimensions of God's presence... fully with us No barrier no curtain no discussion About whether He is near... He is here Among the people... and they will be His And God Himself will be with them and be their God He will wipe every tear from every eye... no prod Of grief no record of the wound that bled No more death or mourning or crying or dread The New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven From God prepared like a bride... the leaven Of holiness filling every street... pure gold Like transparent glass... the story told In stone and jasper and the gates of pearl Twelve gates twelve tribes twelve foundations curl With the names of the apostles... the whole Story of redemption built into the soul Of the city... and there is no temple there Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb... the pair Are its temple... no sun no moon needed Because the glory of God illuminates... heeded Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life Clear as crystal... flowing from the throne... the strife Of every desert is answered here... the tree Of life bearing twelve crops... the canopy Of leaves for the healing of the nations... the first tree In the garden that led to the fall... now free And fruit-bearing in the city of God forever No more curse... the throne of God and the Lamb... wherever His servants are they will see His face His name on their foreheads... in this place There will be no more night... they will reign For ever and ever... this is the refrain Think about what you have lost... the weight of grief The names that aren't there at the table... the relief That heaven offers is not the blurry vague Concept of floating on clouds... the league Of the restored creation is specific The relationships and the bodies and the terrific Physicality of a world remade without sin You will recognize the faces... begin To understand that what God makes He keeps He doesn't discard what He loves... He reaps Every soul He's purchased and brings them home No one bought by the blood of the Lamb is alone Paul writes in Romans eight the sufferings Of this present time are not worth the butterings Of the glory to come... first Corinthians two No eye has seen no ear has heard... it's true No human mind has conceived what God Has prepared for those who love Him... the broad Imagination of the most creative mind You've ever encountered... multiply combined By infinity and still fall short of the place Where God makes His home with the human race This is not the consolation prize This is the destination... open your eyes The tree of life that was blocked in Genesis three Is bearing twelve crops in Revelation twenty-two... free For the nations... the river of life flows clear From the throne... what was closed in the garden here Is open in the city... the whole Bible Is a story of a door that was once pliable And then shut and then slowly slowly slowly Reopened through covenant and blood and holy Sacrifice and finally flung wide open By the resurrection and spoken Into full reality in the new creation Where God and humanity... no separation Every tear He wipes away Every night becomes the day What was lost will be restored Come Lord Jesus... come Lord No more death no more pain The old order... it has changed What was broken will be whole Come Lord Jesus... come Lord He is making everything new He is making everything new Every tear and every scar and every grave Everything is made new Come Lord Jesus... come Behold... I am making all things new Write this down... for these words are trustworthy and true These words are trustworthy and true You can put your grief in them You can put your worst loss in them You can put the names of the people you've buried in them You can put the diagnosis and the broken marriage And the addiction and the abuse and the shame in them He is making all things new Not some things... all things Every tear He will wipe it with His own hand Not because suffering was not real But because it will be swallowed by a glory So overwhelming That the weight of what we suffered here Will feel... as Paul says ... Light and momentary Compared to what He is preparing Come Lord Jesus Come Lord Jesus Come Lord Jesus He who testifies to these things says Surely I am coming soon Amen Come Lord Jesus

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