The Morning Breaks a Christian Hymn. Isaiah 60:1-3

The Morning Breaks
The morning breaks, the shadows flee;
Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day,
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world.

The clouds of error disappear
Before the rays of truth divine;
The glory bursting from afar,
The glory bursting from afar
Wide o’er the nations soon will shine.

The Gentile fulness now comes in,
And Israel’s blessings are at hand.
Lo, Judah’s remnant, cleansed from sin,
Lo, Judah’s remnant, cleansed from sin,
Shall in their promised Canaan stand.

Jehovah speaks! Let earth give ear,
And Gentile nations turn and live.
His mighty arm is making bare,
His mighty arm is making bare
His cov’nant people to receive.

Angels from heav’n and truth from earth
Have met, and both have record borne;
Thus Zion’s light is bursting forth,
Thus Zion’s light is bursting forth
To bring her ransomed children home.
by Parley P. Pratt

Related Scripture Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends John 15:12-13

John 15:12-13
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Commentary:
According to this passage of scripture “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. We are also instruct that we love one another  as Christ loved us. He loved us to the extent that he layed done His life for His friends (us). But He also lived for His friends through his ministry and resurrection.

A great thinker of the past (I don’t remember who) said it takes as much courage to live for your friends as it does to die for them. We’re talking about love but it would require courage to die for friends even though that courage was motivated by love.

I, in no way wish to disrespect this passage of scripture, but I want to make the point that living for a friend is just as important.

By dying for a friend we prove our love with the ultimate sacrifice, we’ve sealed that testimony with our blood.

With living for a friend requires us to be committed to that friend. We can look to the Saviors life for examples of true friendship: Perfect love, teacher, service, example, comitted, mournful, and support.

The love attrubute is self evident from the first page of the New Testament to the last. He taught everyone. he counted his twelve apostles among His dearest friends. He taught them often, they came back after being sent out and they complained that they couldn’t cast out all evil spirits. Christ was both a support to them and taught them how to cast that certain type of evil spirit out.

Jesus was comitted to his disciples and to those He was trying to save. He served throughout His ministry. One great example is the washing of the Apostles feet. He cared for His friends personally and mourned for them as well. When Christ heard that John The Baptist was jailed He sent Angles to bear him up. When he heard that John The Baptist was dead He mourned for him. Then in the middle of His mourning and desire to be alone he preached to a multitude that followed him. Love and service.

If we could be that type of friend to our friends then we could have a serious impact on them for good. Isn’t that what Christianity all about?

Whether we die or live for our friends it is a testimony to our love for them. If they can feel that love then we have succeeded.