An Easter Poem

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

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.
Matthew 28:5-6

Jean Esther Jones has written a beautiful Easter poem, which tells what Jesus accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection. Jean is best known to many of us as the co-author of the Bible study "Discovering Hope in the Psalms". Here's one of the paragraphs of her poem - click below to visit her website for the rest of the poem.

He had arisen: him death could not hold;
Came he to Mary, who now was consoled.
Peter then saw him, and five hundred plus;
Said he, “For witnesses you’ve been called thus.” https://www.jeanejones.net/2012/04/an-easter-poem/

 

He is Risen Indeed!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
~ Charles Wesley ~

Happy Resurrection Day to you my friends.

Why Good Friday was Good

But He was wounded for our transgressions, 
He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

GOOD FRIDAY - The Friday before Jesus' resurrection, the day of his crucifixion. A day which was part of a plan to free you and free me from our sins. Jesus' death and resurrection would change eternity by offering each and every one of us a free gift from God, the gift of Salvation. How? God's word tells us:

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus 

and believe in your heart 

that God has raised Him from the dead, 

you will be saved.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

The story does not end with the cross.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
and the HOPE that gives us the promise ~
Because He lives, we can live also.

Hymn ~ AT CALVARY

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

William Newell ~ 1895

Please join me today, reflecting what Jesus did for us, as we prepare our hearts for the joyful celebration of His resurrection. Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday Scripture ~ Matthew 21:1-11 (NKJV)

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 
Hosanna in the highest!”

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

May this upcoming week be a special one for you as we reflect on the real meaning behind Resurrection Day.

Feel free to use these two graphics for personal or ministry use. If you use them on your blogs, a link back is appreciated. Thank you.

Awake and Sing ~ Easter Hymn

Hymn Awake and Sing by Alice Cleator, 1900

Awake, awake, O heart, and sing!
The Lord is ris’n today!
Behold a gleam of angel wings;
The stone is rolled away!
Awake, awake, O heart, and sing!
The gloom of death is o’er;
Bright angels haste the news to bring,
He lives forevermore!

Refrain
Awake from thy slumber,
Morn now is dawning;
Jesus, the victor,
Comes from the conquered tomb.
O sing forth a welcome,
Sing songs the sweetest;
Jesus hath risen!
He lives forevermore!



No longer death has cruel sway;
A light surrounds the grave!
All hail the joy of Easter day;
The Lord is strong to save!
Awake, O heart, the morn is bright,
All doubt and fear is o’er!
The Lord is ris’n in power and might,
He lives forevermore!



Awake and hail with heart and voice
The message of these hours!
With all the wakening earth rejoice;
Be glad with birds and flowers.
Behold the joyous Easter day
That brings the news to earth
Of Easter morning far away,
When life from death had birth.

~~
Mark 16:6
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Resurrection Day

He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed! 

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.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead,  Matthew 28:5-7a 

The hymn Christ the Lord is Risen Today was written around 1739 by Charles Wesley, a famous hymn-writer.  All these years later, it is one of the most popular Easter hymns in the English language.   

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

I trust you will be blessed as you celebrate this Resurrection Day!
Jesus is ALIVE!

~ ABBY ~ 

The Good News of Friday

I had the opportunity to tell a young man I know, the good news of Jesus. As we sat at my kitchen table, I explained why Jesus had to die on the cross. As he listened, I scanned my table for some visual aids. Two pencils became the cross and my friend and I were the salt & pepper shakers, my sugar bowl was at the head of the cross, representing God. 

I explained it again with my visuals, the only way to God is through Jesus. He took the punishment for our sins. By believing Jesus did this, the cross becomes our bridge to God. 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
Romans 10:9

I watched as he had the light bulb expression on his face and exclaimed I totally get it now, it was you and me that put him there!    

YES indeed, I put Him there....my sin was there.  My Lord had heaped on him all the sin of mankind, past, present and future.  HE did this for me, and HE did this for you.

The story doesn't end on the cross. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the HOPE that gives us the promise ~ Because He lives, we can live also. 

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

William Newell ~ 1895

Please join me today, reflecting what Jesus did for us, as we prepare our heart for the joyful celebration of His resurrection. Easter Sunday.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

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.  Matthew 28:5-6

Have a blessed Easter my friends.

Good Friday

Isaiah 53:5

I recently had the opportunity to tell a young man I know, the good news of Jesus. As we sat at my kitchen table, I explained why Jesus had to die on the cross. As he listened, I scanned my table for some visual aids. Two pencils became the cross and my friend and I were the salt & pepper shakers, my sugar bowl was at the head of the cross, representing God. 

I explained it again with my visuals, the only way to God is through Jesus. He took the punishment for our sins. By believing Jesus did this, the cross becomes our bridge to God. 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9

I watched as he had the light bulb expression on his face and exclaimed I totally get it now, it was you and me that put him there!    
YES indeed, I put Him there....my sin was there.  My Lord had heaped on him all the sin of mankind, past, present and future.  HE did this for me, and HE did this for you.  

The story doesn't end on the cross. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the HOPE that gives us the promise ~ Because He lives, we can live also. 

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

William Newell ~ 1895

Please join me today, reflecting what Jesus did for us, as we prepare our heart for the joyful celebration of His resurrection. Easter Sunday.

My post Eternal Destination has been viewed more times than any other post I've written. You can find it **here**

Spring is in the Air

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
Psalm 24:1

Easter Morning at a local lighthouse

I came across this poem below by Helen Steiner Rice, titled "Spring Song" and thought it would go well with some pictures I've taken recently.  

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
It speaks of His greatness and it sings of His love,
And the wonder and glory of the first Easter morn,
Like the first Christmas night when the Saviour was born,
Are blended together in symphonic splendor
and God with a voice that is gentle and tender

Speaks to all hearts attuned to His voice,
Bidding His listeners to gladly rejoice...
For He who was born to be crucified
Arose from the grave to be glorified...
And the birds of the trees and the flowers of Spring
All join in proclaiming this heavenly King.

Each Easter, the local churches in our community combine efforts and have a Sunrise Service at the local lighthouse, followed by a breakfast usually held at our church.  Here are a few pictures from that. 

5 of our local pastors, and the song leaders at the Sunrise Service

Some of the early crowd at the Easter Sunrise Service

Easter breakfast at our church

I can't close without showing you the colorful cupcakes my daughter-in-law made for the kids on Easter.  They were a big hit as you can imagine.

Easter Cupcakes

Last but not least, I'll leave you with a lovely spring magazine cover from long ago.  Have a delightful weekend my friends.  Thanks for visiting.

free for you

Good Friday ~ Were You There?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

As I thought about the words to this hymn Were You There when they crucified my Lord?   It took on new meaning for me.   YES, I was there....my sin was there.  My Lord had heaped on him all the sin of mankind, past, present and future.  HE did this for me, and HE did this for you. 

In my dear husband's words:

At the ninth hour Jesus cries from the cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”  Which is to say: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  A cry that echoed throughout endless space and down the corridors of time.  A Son’s cry that went unanswered by his Heavenly Father, a Father who had become mysteriously silent. 

The Son knew the answer to his question and the reason for his Father’s silence.  However in his agony and sense of abandonment, Jesus looked for reassurance from the one whose presence he had shared from eternity past. 

No human can ever comprehend the spiritual suffering, which caused such unfathomable anguish when all of humanity’s sins were placed on Jesus, leaving him with a feeling of total abandonment and dread.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” was a cry that had only once ever to be heard in the course of human history.  Thankfully God has spared those who love him and accepted his plan of salvation from ever having to experience the reality of those anguishing words. 

The video above is a very moving rendition of
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
If you are unable to view it, you can find the link
**here**

click for larger size

The story doesn't end on the cross.  On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the HOPE that gives us. 

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.
William Newell ~ 1895
At Calvary

Please join me in reflecting today on what Jesus did for us, as we prepare our hearts for the joyful celebration of His resurrection.  Easter Sunday. 

A Touch of Spring & Freebies for You

The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:12

Okay... so the flowers haven't actually appeared in my corner of the world yet, but I  have the promise that they will.  This is a picture I took last year from my friend Diane's daisy patch.

Here are some spring freebies for you from my collection.  Among the graphics below is the hymn "Sunshine in My Soul" written by ELiza Hewitt.  I have dispersed the lyrics between the graphics.  This song was written during a time of despair.  You can read more about her **here** from a previous post I wrote.   

There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

O there’s sunshine, blessèd sunshine,
When the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my king,
And Jesus, listening, can hear
The songs I cannot sing.

There is springtime in my soul today,
For, when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flowers of grace appear.

There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which He gives me now,
For joys laid up above.

O there’s sunshine, blessèd sunshine,
When the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

I hope you have a blessed day.

This & That and some Freebies

The voice of God is always speaking to us,
and always trying to get our attention.
But His voice is a still, small voice,
and we must at least slow down in order to listen.
~ Eugenia Price ~

Source

I'm happy to report that I'm a guest blogger today at THE ENCHANTING ROSE.  Stephanie has the most delightful blog and shares my love for God and vintage images.   You can click on the link above to view her blog and my guest post, or click on the image below. 

Below are some vintage Easter images free for you.  I hope you enjoy them.  Click on each image to access the largest size, right click and save to your computer. 

Blessings to you this day my friends.  Thanks for stopping to visit.  If you are receiving this in an email and would like to view it on my blog, you can click **here**.