Tag Archives: Easter

RESURRECTION DAY comes after GOOD FRIDAY

There can be no Resurrection Day without Good Friday, no resurrection for Jesus without his death. While is this a point about how services should be run, it is a more important point for encouraging the hurting. Jesus knows your pain. Jesus suffered. Jesus died. Jesus cares. But Jesus also triumphs and invites you into the triumph — through faith.

Many faith teachers, precisely because they seem to live in triumph all the time, may not get the message over to some. One teacher, rather new on the scene said “I’ve been healed of 4 incurable things and there are a few other things I am working on.” Bravo! That is exactly right. We have victory in some areas and we walk toward victory in other areas. I hope we find others who are strong to walk with. Each has a strength and each a weakness and when we walk together, each can be held up by others when necessary.

Today I speak right at the bullseye of this ministry, to moms of hurting children. I tell you about some victory I received. I tell you about the Christian story, the Easter story. It is a story about suffering, death and resurrection and newness of life. It is more than a good myth to live by; it is the TRUTH of all the ages, the outbursting of the life of creation in a fallen world, and our great end.

I hope you go to Good Friday services. I hope in that you see not an incomprehensible pageant, but a holy God reaching out to you and to us in this broken world. Then I hope you find hope, faith, strength and victory in the Resurrection that we will celebrate Sunday.

God bless you and yours.

What Story Will You Believe… and Teach?

In a little series, running up to our celebration of Resurrection Day, let’s consider what we chose to believe …. and teach. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are making choices. But choices we do make. Choices do have consequences. And we are teaching our children more loudly by what we do than by what we say.

Blessed Resurrection Sunday

I hope you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday. Make it a wonderful time of worship and a wonderful time with your family. Think, this might be the last “Easter” we get to celebrate before Jesus comes back. Consider the amazing fulfillment of prophecy that happened when Jesus was here. Imagine what it will be like when we see him as he is! Thank Him for the wonderful salvation he created for us. Be sure your children know!

Our foundational scripture is Isaiah 54?13: All your offspring shall me taught of the Lord and great shall be their shalom, their total well-being. We focus on success in learning, but we assume that your children are indeed taught of and by the Lord. This comes first, before good grades or any other success in life.

Blessed Resurrection Day

May you have a blessed Resurrection Day. That is more precise than “Happy Easter.” Today I am talking about how to tell which story to believe. And how the Resurrection story connects with your child’s story. It is good. Power that can raise someone from the dead can heal us, raise us up, and give us joy & peace. Believe it!

Check out Isaiah 53, depicting Jesus on the cross. He was one big wound. That was for us. Evil really beat up on him. The Messiah was “cut off from the land of the living.” Ah, but he will see his seed, he will justify many, and he is dividing the spoils with the strong — the strong in faith. Read onto Isiah 54: SING all you who have not borne fruit, who are discouraged, downtrodden, down & out, hopeless, because you are now rescued, healed, and have a covenant that is stronger than the mountains.

And your children too! WOW! That is what it is all about.