you can control the music by clicking on the above console OR click on the following link to learn more about controlling music/sound <sound> Do you recognized the song? It is identified at the end of the Easter articles. by telling a friend about this web site April 2 - His Final Prayer Was about You . . . (back) HIS FINAL PRAYER WAS ABOUT YOU by Max Lucado As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his prayers. As Jesus looked into heaven, you were in his vision. As Jesus dreamed of the day when we will be where he is, he saw you there. His final prayer was about you. His final pain was for you. His final passion was you. He steps into the garden, and invites Peter, James, and John to come. He tells them his soul is “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” and begins to pray. Never has he felt so alone. What must be done, only he can do. An angel can’t do it. No angel has the power to break open hell’s gates. A man can’t do it. No man has the purity to destroy sin’s claim. No force on earth can face the force of evil and win—except God. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Jesus confesses. His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see. Jesus, the carpenter, implores. Jesus, the man, peers into the dark pit and begs, “Can’t there be another way?” Did he know the answer before he asked the question? Did his human heart hope his heavenly father had found another way? We don’t know. But we do know he asked to get out. We do know he begged for an exit. We do know there was a time when if he could have, he would have turned his back on the whole mess and gone away. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t because he saw you. Right there in the middle of a world which isn’t fair. He saw you cast into a river of life you didn’t request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body which gets sick and a heart which grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of your own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemane—and he didn’t want you to be alone. He wanted you to know that he has been there, too. He knows what its like to be plotted against. He knows what it’s like to be confused. He knows what it’s like to be torn between two desires. He knows what it’s like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it’s like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, “No.” For that is what God says to Jesus. And Jesus accepts the answer. At some moment during that midnight hour an angel of mercy comes over the weary body of the man in the garden. As he stands, the anguish is gone from his eyes. His fist will clench no more. His heart will fight no more. The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn’t. You may have thought the sign of victory is the empty tomb. It isn’t. The final battle was won in Gethsemane. And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the olive trees. For it was in the garden that he made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you. __________________________________ from And the Angels Were Silent Copyright 1992, Max Lucado April 9 - It's Friday, but Sunday is Coming . . . (back) IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY IS COMING! Friday is the day on which for thirty pieces of silver Judas sold his master; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day on which Peter denied Christ three times, swore he never knew Him; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day soldiers made a crown of thorns for Jesus, mocked him, spit on Him and humiliated Him; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day the mob preferred armed robber Barabbas to the Son of God Jesus; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day, the Roman Governor, tried to wash away his guilt in the travesty of Justice; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day Jesus prayed in agony, "my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me"; but Sunday is coming. Friday is the day that same voice cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" but Sunday is coming. It's Friday. Christ is dead. The disciples are scattered. The devil is triumphant. Darkness is everywhere. but Sunday is coming! Sunday has come! And we celebrate life and not death; we celebrate the victory of good over evil. Sunday is glorious. The condemned is now the Lord of lords. God, who seemed to abandon Jesus on Friday, raised Him up by His power. He gave Him a name above every other name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow. In your Fridays, remember God has not forgotten you. He would not turn His back on you in the dark nights of your soul. Do not fear. As it was with Jesus, so is it true for you. Sunday is coming! Author Unknown April 16 - The Veil of the Temple Was Torn . . . (back) The Veil of the Temple was Torn "And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Mark 15:37-38 There is a difference between being alone and being separated. Jesus had been separated from His Father, but He was on a mission. He was doing His part in God's great plan to redeem mankind from his sinful ways. That was fine. Every day He could communicate with the Father. He did what His Father asked. He was separated from the Father but He was not alone. That all changed on a Friday afternoon. Jesus was hanging on a cross, the result of a set of rigged trials. He was unjustly accused, convicted with false testimony, beaten unmercifully by the Romans and finally hanged on that cross. It was there that He became truly separated from His Father. All of a sudden, He looked heavenward through pain filled eyes, and Daddy wasn't there. Why? It wasn't the suffering or the injustice. It was the sin. No, not Jesus' sin for He was sinless. It was deeper. Just as the priest would lay his hands upon a sacrificial lamb and transfer the guilt of a person or the nation from them to that lamb, on the cross all the sins of all mankind -- past, present, and future -- were placed upon Jesus. In effect, Jesus became sin -- and that is what the Father could not tolerate or look upon! That is when Jesus was alone and lonely. That is why He cried "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But note what happened when Jesus died -- literally when He took His last breath! The veil of the Temple was torn in half. That may not seem significant at first, but follow these questions. "What was the purpose of the veil?" It separated the people from the Holy of Holies. "What was the Holy of Holies? " It symbolized the dwelling place of God. "So when the veil was torn, what happened to the Holy of Holies?" It was exposed to every man -- there was no longer a partition that separated man from God. EXACTLY! Jesus' sacrificial death was what was needed to break down the barrier between God and YOU! You and I no longer need to be lonely. We have direct access to the Father. We do not have to approach Him through a priest or pastor or intermediary of any type. We can approach Him directly--if we approach Him through the blood, the sacrifice of Jesus. To that I say "Hallelujah!" I will never again be lonely. I always have the Father with me. He no longer resides in a Temple made with hands. He resides in my heart where there is no separation but what I put up--and I willingly, openly tear them down so that I can rest in the Father’s arms. And YOU can do the very same thing! Hallelujah, Amen <><><><><> from AAmazing Grace <><><><><> http://aamazinggrace.org/sys-tmpl/homepage/ WHY DO WE CRUCIFY HIM AGAIN? I say something rude to someone who's lost, And I've ruined my witness, But they will pay the cost. So I nail in the nails. Can anyone see the Lord through me, Or do they simply see my sins? Am I living the life Christ wants me to, Or am I living the sinful life of man? So I plunge in the spear. And when I fail to pray, and my conversations with Him fade, Does He patiently wait for my call, Though it causes Him pain? And I place the thorns upon His brow. I lead a life of double standards, One day good, the next one bad. Can He quietly stand by When He sees all I could have had? And I ridicule my Lord once again. For you see, Each time we turn our backs, and return to the world of sin, It is then that you and I, We crucify Him again. Brandy Cambell (12th grade) The song is "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today." (back) (home)
you can control the music by clicking on the above console OR click on the following link to learn more about controlling music/sound <sound>
Do you recognized the song? It is identified at the end of the Easter articles.
by telling a friend about this web site
April 2 - His Final Prayer Was about You . . . (back)
HIS FINAL PRAYER WAS ABOUT YOU by Max Lucado
As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his prayers. As Jesus looked into heaven, you were in his vision. As Jesus dreamed of the day when we will be where he is, he saw you there. His final prayer was about you. His final pain was for you. His final passion was you. He steps into the garden, and invites Peter, James, and John to come. He tells them his soul is “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” and begins to pray. Never has he felt so alone. What must be done, only he can do. An angel can’t do it. No angel has the power to break open hell’s gates. A man can’t do it. No man has the purity to destroy sin’s claim. No force on earth can face the force of evil and win—except God. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Jesus confesses. His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see. Jesus, the carpenter, implores. Jesus, the man, peers into the dark pit and begs, “Can’t there be another way?” Did he know the answer before he asked the question? Did his human heart hope his heavenly father had found another way? We don’t know. But we do know he asked to get out. We do know he begged for an exit. We do know there was a time when if he could have, he would have turned his back on the whole mess and gone away. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t because he saw you. Right there in the middle of a world which isn’t fair. He saw you cast into a river of life you didn’t request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body which gets sick and a heart which grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of your own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemane—and he didn’t want you to be alone. He wanted you to know that he has been there, too. He knows what its like to be plotted against. He knows what it’s like to be confused. He knows what it’s like to be torn between two desires. He knows what it’s like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it’s like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, “No.” For that is what God says to Jesus. And Jesus accepts the answer. At some moment during that midnight hour an angel of mercy comes over the weary body of the man in the garden. As he stands, the anguish is gone from his eyes. His fist will clench no more. His heart will fight no more. The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn’t. You may have thought the sign of victory is the empty tomb. It isn’t. The final battle was won in Gethsemane. And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the olive trees. For it was in the garden that he made his decision.
He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.
__________________________________ from And the Angels Were Silent Copyright 1992, Max Lucado
April 9 - It's Friday, but Sunday is Coming . . . (back)
IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY IS COMING!
Friday is the day on which for thirty pieces of silver
Judas sold his master; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day on which Peter denied Christ three times,
swore he never knew Him; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day soldiers made a crown of thorns for Jesus,
mocked him, spit on Him and humiliated Him; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day the mob preferred armed robber Barabbas
to the Son of God Jesus; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day, the Roman Governor,
tried to wash away his guilt in the travesty of Justice; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day Jesus prayed in agony,
"my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me"; but Sunday is coming.
Friday is the day that same voice cried out,
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" but Sunday is coming.
It's Friday. Christ is dead. The disciples are scattered.
The devil is triumphant. Darkness is everywhere. but Sunday is coming!
Sunday has come!
And we celebrate life and not death;
we celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Sunday is glorious.
The condemned is now the Lord of lords.
God, who seemed to abandon Jesus on Friday,
raised Him up by His power.
He gave Him a name above every other name,
that at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow.
In your Fridays, remember God has not forgotten you.
He would not turn His back on you in the dark nights of your soul.
Do not fear. As it was with Jesus, so is it true for you. Sunday is coming!
Author Unknown
April 16 - The Veil of the Temple Was Torn . . . (back)
The Veil of the Temple was Torn
"And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Mark 15:37-38
There is a difference between being alone and being separated. Jesus had been separated from His Father, but He was on a mission. He was doing His part in God's great plan to redeem mankind from his sinful ways. That was fine. Every day He could communicate with the Father. He did what His Father asked. He was separated from the Father but He was not alone.
That all changed on a Friday afternoon. Jesus was hanging on a cross, the result of a set of rigged trials. He was unjustly accused, convicted with false testimony, beaten unmercifully by the Romans and finally hanged on that cross. It was there that He became truly separated from His Father.
All of a sudden, He looked heavenward through pain filled eyes, and Daddy wasn't there. Why? It wasn't the suffering or the injustice. It was the sin. No, not Jesus' sin for He was sinless. It was deeper. Just as the priest would lay his hands upon a sacrificial lamb and transfer the guilt of a person or the nation from them to that lamb, on the cross all the sins of all mankind -- past, present, and future -- were placed upon Jesus.
In effect, Jesus became sin -- and that is what the Father could not tolerate or look upon! That is when Jesus was alone and lonely. That is why He cried "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But note what happened when Jesus died -- literally when He took His last breath! The veil of the Temple was torn in half. That may not seem significant at first, but follow these questions.
"What was the purpose of the veil?" It separated the people from the Holy of Holies. "What was the Holy of Holies? " It symbolized the dwelling place of God. "So when the veil was torn, what happened to the Holy of Holies?" It was exposed to every man -- there was no longer a partition that separated man from God. EXACTLY! Jesus' sacrificial death was what was needed to break down the barrier between God and YOU! You and I no longer need to be lonely. We have direct access to the Father. We do not have to approach Him through a priest or pastor or intermediary of any type. We can approach Him directly--if we approach Him through the blood, the sacrifice of Jesus. To that I say "Hallelujah!" I will never again be lonely. I always have the Father with me. He no longer resides in a Temple made with hands. He resides in my heart where there is no separation but what I put up--and I willingly, openly tear them down so that I can rest in the Father’s arms. And YOU can do the very same thing!
Hallelujah, Amen
<><><><><> from AAmazing Grace <><><><><>
http://aamazinggrace.org/sys-tmpl/homepage/
WHY DO WE CRUCIFY HIM AGAIN? I say something rude to someone who's lost, And I've ruined my witness, But they will pay the cost. So I nail in the nails. Can anyone see the Lord through me, Or do they simply see my sins? Am I living the life Christ wants me to, Or am I living the sinful life of man? So I plunge in the spear. And when I fail to pray, and my conversations with Him fade, Does He patiently wait for my call, Though it causes Him pain? And I place the thorns upon His brow. I lead a life of double standards, One day good, the next one bad. Can He quietly stand by When He sees all I could have had? And I ridicule my Lord once again. For you see, Each time we turn our backs, and return to the world of sin, It is then that you and I, We crucify Him again. Brandy Cambell (12th grade)
The song is "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today."
(back) (home)