He Has Risen!!!

     Easter's coming up on Sunday; also known as Resurrection Sunday. Some people celebrate by going easter egg hunting, painting eggs, and petting the easter bunny. Other's celebrate it by singing songs and reading in the Bible about the story of Jesus' resurrection.

      What is Easter Sunday, and why do we celebrate it?
   
     Easter Sunday (AKA Resurrection Sunday) Most people understand that Easter Sunday has something to do with the resurrection of Jesus, but are confused as to how the resurrection is related to the Easter eggs and the Easter bunny.

     Biblically speaking, there is absolutely no connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the common modern traditions related to Easter Sunday. Essentially, what occurred is that in order to make Christianity more attractive to non-Christians, the ancient Roman Catholic Church mixed the celebration of Jesus' resurrection with celebrations that involved spring fertility rituals. These spring fertility rituals are the source of the egg and bunny traditions.

     The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19). Jesus' resurrection is most worthy of being celebrated (see 1 Corinthians 15). While it is appropriate for Jesus' resurrection to be celebrated on a Sunday, the day on which Jesus' resurrection is celebrated should not be referred to as Easter. Easter has nothing to do with Jesus' resurrection on a Sunday.

     As a result, many Christians feel strongly that the day on which we celebrate Jesus' resurrection should not be referred to as "Easter Sunday." Rather, something like "Resurrection Sunday" would be far more appropriate and biblical. For the Christian, it is unthinkable that we would allow the silliness of Easter eggs and the Easter bunny to be the focus of the day instead of Jesus' resurrection.

     By all means, celebrate Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. Christ's resurrection is something that should be celebrated every day, not just once a year. At the same time, if we choose to celebrate Easter Sunday, we should not allow the fun and games to distract our attention from what the day should truly be all about—the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and that His resurrection demonstrates that we can indeed be promised an eternal home in Heaven by receiving Jesus as our Savior. (http://www.gotquestions.org/)

     "...But the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay...'"

Have a great week celebrating our Savior's resurrection!

Lay Down Your Burdens

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you  rest." - Matthew 11:28

     It seems like we all fight the same battles, day in, and day out, only to fall short each time. In Romans 7:15 we read, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." Isn't this so true? 

     According to Isaiah 59:1-2, we have all done wrong and gone astray, and the things we do wrong cause a separation between us and God. No one can bridge that gap by their own efforts. Jesus is the only way. On the Cross He took all our wrongdoing upon Himself (Isiah 53:6) and paid the price for our sins.

     Victory comes when we stop trying to gain it in our own strength. It comes when we lay our heavy burden at the foot of the Cross, turn our lives over to the Lord, and are willing to let the Holy Spirit take the lead. Only then can the process of transformation begin, for it is God "who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). All good things we have or become, whatever the world's explanation may be, are a result of His grace, and His grace alone.
      This past week, my husband and I were talking about burdens. How, sometimes, we carry burdens for so long, and they start to build up. What we fail to realize often times, is that God is there, to take our burdens. In Matthew 11:28-30, it says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
     We need to all remember this. We need to all come to the cross of Christ, give him our worries, pain, strife, needs, wants, concerns, and love. We need to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength... in doing this, we please the Father in Heaven. So, go to the Cross of Christ, lay down your burdens, and give your all in all to Him!

 Come As You Are:

Come out of sadness

From wherever you've been

Come broken hearted

Let rescue begin

Come find your mercy

Oh sinner come kneel

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless

And all those who've strayed

Come sit at the table

Come taste the grace

There's rest for the weary

Rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't cure

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You're not too far

Lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Come as you are

Fall in his arms

Come as you are

There's joy for the morning

Oh sinner be still

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, so I thought I'd keep it simple, and post a couple poems about Good Friday and Jesus's Resurrection.  I'll post some pictures hopefully on Monday about how our weekend went. Have a wonderful weekend celebrating God's goodness to us! :)

THE NAIL

The nail is used for many things,
A useful securing tool;
A hammer is taken by the hand
And drives it, that's the rule.

A nail is needed when you build,

It's a necessary thing.

It was also used over two thousand years ago

To hang upon a tree, the King.

He took the pain and suffering

For all mankind, you see.

Yet He took the torture just for you,

And He took it just for me.

You cannot keep a good man down,

Through the years many have said.

He went down a man, and rose a King

To deliver the spiritually dead.

He is on the throne

At God's right hand.

The First, the Last,

The Great I Am.

No nail, no hammer can touch Him now--

The mighty King on high.

What He built is forevermore,

Salvation for you and I.

So when you see a simple nail with it's sharpened end,

And need to build or repair,

Lift up your eyes, your heart and mind

And thank Him with a prayer.

                                                          -- Laurene H. Bell

Defeated:

Satan's waged a war for thousands of years,

and brought forth millions of tears.

infiltrating our inner lines, Putting evil thoughts into our minds.

He's destroyed our trust in one another,

and turned sister against brother.

He attacks the mind that's his playground,

and he really knows his way around.

He perfected his schemes, and filled our minds with doubt.

which makes us think there's no way out.

Attacking unrelentlessly , he slaughtered God's Holy Lamb.

Desecrating the words of the one who says I AM.

But in Satan's ignorance, what he didn't see,

Is the Lamb that he slaughtered, is our eternal victory!

Now he struts up and down this land,

thinking everything is in his hand.

Satan is known as the angel of light,

disobedient deceiver, he continues to fight.

He roams the earth seeking whom he may devour,

but soon he will see God's final hour.

Satan fills our heart with jealousy and with pride,

making it hard to stand side by side.

Always attacking in such a way

that even God's best Lambs are led astray.

He'll make you believe things that are not true,

try to make you do things you don't want to do.

putting temptations before your eyes

and covering them up in disguise.

The battle cry is getting louder.

the countdown is close to the finals hour.

Satan's attacking from every side.

but he's STILL no match for The Crucified!

~ By Tim Baughman '88