Your character is holy, your truth absolute, your strength unending, and your discipline fair.
Your provisions are abundant for our needs; your light is adequate for our path.
Your grace is sufficient for our sins...
Your are never early, never late...
You sent your Son in the fullness of time and He will return at the consummation of time.
Your plan is perfect! Bewildering. Puzzling. Troubling. But perfect!
(From Safe in the Shepherd's Arms by Mac Lucado)
THINKING ABOUT EASTER : John 19:23,24 A quaternion of 4 soldiers escorted Jesus to the place of execution. Their reward: the criminal’s clothes. Every Jew wore 5 articles of apparel - his shoes, his turban, his girdle, his tunic, and his outer robe. There were 4 soldiers and 5 articles. They diced for them, each had their pick. Only the inner tunic was left. It was seamless, woven all in one piece. Choosing not to cut it apart, they diced (cast lots) for it to see who would possess it. A thousand years before Christ was born David prophesied about this event. “They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my raiment.” (Psalm 22:18)
The soldiers were gamblers; and so in a sense was Jesus. He staked everything on his utter fidelity to God; he staked everything on the Cross. this was his last and greatest appeal to men, his last and greatest act of obedience towards God.
An Easter Poem
“And, sitting down, they watched him there,
The soldiers did;
There, while they played at dice,
He made his sacrifice,
And died upon his Cross to rid
God’s world of sin.
He was a gambler, too, my Christ.
He took his life and threw
It for a world redeemed.
And ere the agony was done,
Before the westering sun went down,
Crowning that day with its crimson crown,
He knew that he had won.
(by Studdert Kennedy)
Acts 17:24-28
THE TRAGEDY OF THE TUNIC
There is a legend that Mary herself had woven the seamless tunic and given it as a last gift to her son when he went out into the world. If that be true - and it may well be, for it was a custom of Jewish mothers to do just that - there is a double poignancy in the picture of these insensitive soldiers gambling for the tunic of Jesus.
The tragedy in this is not the hostility of the world to Christ; the tragedy is THE WORLD'S INDIFFERENCE which treats the love of God as if it did not matter.
Click on the RED (arrow, that is) to move AHEAD!
A CHALLENGE - A CHOICE
Behind the scenes where we cannot see,
A hand divine works the things that be,
And brings to my path the scheme devised By the Maker of earth who built the skies,
But He leaves me to choose the life He plans,
Or to walk the way of self’s demands,
To build on the rock or the sinking sands.
GOOD NEWS: SALVATION IS A GIFT FOR THE GUILTY, NOT A REWARD FOR THE RIGHTEOUS
Christianity does not mean knowing about Jesus; it means knowing him. It does not mean arguing about him; it means meeting him. It means the certainty of experience that JESUS IS ALIVE!
HAPPY EASTER TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Click on GREEN ARROW to go back to Page 1
He cannot have taught us To trust in his name, And thus far have brought us To put us to shame.
For each Ebenezer We hold in review Confirms his sure purpose To bring us safe through.
(written by John Newton )
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know, Though my hair is white as snow. Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME... YES, JESUS LOVES ME... YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His I'll go. On through life, let come what may, He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
Though I am no longer young, I have much which He's begun. Let me serve Christ with a smile, Go with others the extra mile.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long, In my heart He puts a song. Telling me in words so clear, "Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done, And life's victories have been won. He will take me home above, Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does he know? Have I ever told Him so? Jesus loves to hear me say, That I love Him every day.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm119:105)
