Easter Story

 

 

Twelve men left all and followed Him

Miracles they had seen

They watched Him heal all who were sick

Those with unclean spirits were made clean

But one follower named Judas Iscariot

Betrayed Him with a kiss

Handed Him over to the chief priests

To be scourged and put to death

He was mocked by those that held Him

Asking Him, “So, are You the Christ?”

“You wouldn’t believe Me if I told you,” He said

For they accused Him of speaking lies

“Are you the Son of God?” they stammered

He responded, “Yes, I am He”

Accusations of blasphemy filled the land

An act deserving the death penalty

They all condemned Him to be put to death

As they struck Him and spit in His face

Even one of His disciples whom He loved very much

Denied ever seeing His face

Carrying Him away; they delivered Him to Pilate

“Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate sneered

“You say rightly that I am a King,” Jesus said

“But My kingdom is not from here.”

Jesus, the Christ, and Barabbas, a murderer

Stood before the multitude

By custom one prisoner could be released

The one whom the people choose

“Away with this Man; release to us Barabbas,”

Insistently the people cried

“Then what shall I do with Jesus, the Christ?”

They shouted, “Let Him be crucified.”

A purple robe they placed on His body

A crown of thorns twisted on His head

“Hail, King of the Jews,” they mocked

As blood streamed from His head

His back took brutal beatings

His head they struck with a rod

Spitting into His face they scorned

“Save Yourself if You’re the Son of God!”

He didn’t fight back to prove who He was

For He knew His hour had arrived

To fulfill the very purpose for why He had come

For a lost people He would have to die

As they drove the cold nails in His hands and feet

His body exposed for all to view

Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them”

“For they know not what they do.”

Blasphemous words echoed throughout

Gross darkness encamped the land

And with His last breath He shouted aloud

“Father, I commit My spirit into Your hands.”

On the third day since His burial

An angel descended from Heaven

The earth quaked; the stone rolled away

The tomb was empty, for Jesus had risen

Two women mourned nearby the tomb

For they thought His body had been stole

The angel approached them and declared

“Rejoice, for He has arose!”

Quickly they fled to tell the disciples

Their hearts filled with great joy and fear

Some of them rejoiced while others doubted

And then in their midst Jesus appeared

They fell at His feet and worshipped

As He blessed them with His hands

“Go into all the world and tell them of Me,

I won’t be back ‘til it’s reached every land.”

“Remember you're not of this world

If you've received Me as your Lord

Be not like the world; keep from all evil

So that you may receive the final reward.”

“It’s time for Me to leave now,

You must carry out My ministry

I give you the authority to be My hands and feet

With My name you’ll set many free.”

“For it won’t be long before I return

For those who live for Me

They are who I will take as My bride

To Heaven for eternity.”

“Keep watch for the hour is so near

Be prepared to meet Me again

For in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye

As I am now, I will appear again.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y

"But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

 Romans 5:8

 

I AM

I sense Your presence in the breeze

I know You're breathing life in me

A shattered heart

Placed in Your hands

Putting my trust

in the Great I AM

 

Your loving voice

Calls out to me

"You shall know the Truth

and it will set you free."

 

You reveal to me

All who You are

"I AM your All in all

The Bright Morning Star"

  

I AM Agape Love

My anger is slow

I AM the God of Compassion

Lover of your soul

I AM the Whisperer

That gently speaks to You

I AM Alpha and Omega

I came to make things new

 

I AM Mercy and Grace

Forgiver of your sins

I AM the Most High

I will stand in your defense

I AM your Comfort

Your Provider, Your Friend

A Faithful Father

My love never ends

 

I AM Wisdom

Your Shepherd, your Guide

I AM the God who sees

Every tear you've cried

 

I AM your Hiding Place

Your Rest, your Calm

I AM your Safe Shelter

From every storm

 

I AM your Hope

I AM Faithful and True
The Author of your life

Who came to deliver you

 

I AM the Bread of Life

The filler of your heart

The God of new beginnings

Who gives you a fresh start

 

I AM the Light of the world

The One to be revealed

I AM the Prince of Peace

I AM the God who heals

 

I AM your Redeemer

The only One who saves

The perfect Lamb of God

For you, is why  I came

 

I AM the Resurrection

I AM Absolute Truth

The Anointed and Chosen One

Who has chosen you

 

I AM the Vine

Living Water for your soul

Refreshing comes from Me

I AM the God who makes you whole."

 

Such depth to who You truly are

In awe – I humbly stand

My everything, my every need

Found in You, the great I AM!

 

 

No Condemnation

 

"They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court. When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?  She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more." John 8:9-11

The accusers' consciences were convicted when they came face to face with Jesus. Stones of condemnation dropped when the Man of Grace came on the scene.  When we begin living a life conscious of God's very real, abiding presence, operating in condemnation will no longer be possible and the stones will fall from our hands.

Fulfilling Your Spouse

 

 

We all have our ideals of what we want to GET out of our marriages, but what are we willing to GIVE?  Laying aside our desires for just a moment, let’s think about our spouses. What could we do to assure them they are loved? What would make them feel safe, secure, and truly cared about?  We all have an innate need for these things. What are we doing to daily fulfill it for our partner? 

 

Some of us the yearning and need is even greater because of things we have gone through in life; possibly rejection and abandonment wounds that yes, only the love of the Father can heal, but what if we could play a part in binding up those wounds in our mate as the Father lavishes His love upon them through us?  What if? 

Our relationship with our spouse is to be the most intimate of all relationships we have.  We are neglecting the responsibility given to us when we fail to invest in learning how and applying a level of love to our spouse that is to trump all other earthly relationships they have.  Easier said than done?  Yes.  A lot of denying our own selfish desires and attitudes for the sake of them?  Yes.  Choosing to love them in word and action even when we feel justified in not doing so?  Yes.  We are the closest “skin” God can use to love His child and demonstrate His unconditional love for them.  

It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. To have the privilege to make someone feel special, and to make their life a little easier is priceless.  Wives, wouldn't it bring you unspeakable joy to know that when your husband leaves the house each day, he longs to get home to YOU?  Husbands, can you imagine the “spring” you’d have in your step in knowing your wife excitedly anticipates your return home? 

 
When we just take life as it comes, all too often we set ourselves up for failure. This is true in our homes as well.  We can say we want to have a healthy and happy home, but wanting and doing are two different things.  Good relationships don’t just happen.  To get good at anything there is practice, repetition, and dedication. 

 

Have you ever thought about writing down your goal as a spouse?   When you are making plans for the day with things you wish to accomplish, once you make a checklist of those things, you feel obligated or accountable to do that which you have set in your heart to do.  Likewise, when you get specific as to the spouse you want to be, you are more apt to take the steps to becoming just that.  Then share it with your spouse.  What a beautiful moment you will bring to them when they see your heart’s desire is to bring them joy!

 

How does this sound?        

 

As your lifetime best friend, I want to bring you joy
A place of safety where you can be vulnerable
I want to hold your hand as an encourager, your biggest fan
As your faithful lover, I want to make you feel like the man (woman) you are

I commit to talking things through, never allowing walls to be built up
I will protect your feelings even if I do not agree or understand
I will always do my best to show you how much you’re loved
I want you to never doubt how proud I am that you are mine

I want our home to be a peaceful haven
A place you can retreat to - to be refreshed from each day’s challenges
I want to make you feel alive; adding smiles to your life
Whatever it is I can do, I want to make life easier for you

This is possible, but we have to throw out the 50/50, self seeking mindset “I’ll do for you if you do for me.”  Marriage is teamwork. What team ever succeeded with players only giving 50 percent?  Marriage takes commitment and it is a commitment far beyond staying faithful. 
 

100/100 carries a whole different perspective: to solely seek to satisfy your partner’s needs.   If we want a truly fulfilling marriage, both sides have to give their all. As I tell my children, you are responsible for YOUR actions.  You can’t use someone else’s “shortcuts” as an excuse to not do your best.  I find the things I teach the kids to be sound truth and healthy relationship advice. Ha.  It’s time we as adults start living by the same rule.  If our spouse is having a less than 100% kind of day, guess what?  We aim our own behavior on God’s standards not on the weakness our spouse is having at the moment. J

Let’s make the decision today to be passionate about fulfilling our spouse.  Ask the Lord to put that desire in you if it is currently clouded by negative emotions.  Begin seeing your spouse as a gift of great worth laid in your hands from the Father Himself.  What will you do with this treasure?  Will you protect it from the danger of outside elements?  Will you carefully handle and nurture it in such a way that you yourself do not cause it damage?  This gift given to you will one day be given back to the Giver Himself.  Will your spouse be returned in greater spiritual and emotional condition than upon the day you received them?  I believe that is our mandate as husband, as wife.  May each of us bring glory to God as we purposefully take care of this "gift" of great value!

 

Draw Me Away

 

Let me hear Your voice

Your words are so sweet

I’m yearning inside, Lord

To hear You speak

 

I won’t give up this chase

The yearning is too great

Your face I will pursue

 

I long for Your embrace

 

I know it brings you pleasure

When I’m seeking after You

Lord, draw me away

 I’ll keep running after You

 

Life is challenging.  Circumstances leave us feeling drained.  Emotions we wrestle with are exhausting.  The voices all around us drown out the one Voice we need to hear.

There just comes a time when we just have to retreat to our secret place; our safe place; the place where we can lay all of our burdens on the One who cares, who understands, who has firsthand felt and bore our pains. 

 

"It is good for me to draw near to God..."  Psalm 73:28

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."  James 4:8

Oftentimes when I am feeling the weight of life, I feel Him drawing me away with a silent, yet very real tug on my heart.  Other times I experience an empty, hollow feeling; an ache that can only be fulfilled as I pursue Him, the true Lover of my soul.  It brings Him pleasure to be desired, to be sought after, to hear our heart's cry in desperate need for His touch.  He is simply waiting on us.  In that passionate pursuit, rest for our soul is found.

 

"As the deer pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, where is your God? My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be:  I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? And why are you so sad, oh my inner self? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God." Psalm 42:1-5

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOtRV5RxiTk&list=RDMOtRV5RxiTk