Tag: Easter

God, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

12 Resurrection Quotes for Easter

Happy Easter, or Happy Resurrection Day! I pray that all dead things come back to life for you this year – your relationships, your finances, your health, your life – all is made new because HE IS RISEN!

12 Resurrection Quotes for Easter

  1. “The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence.  Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. -You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!”- Clarence W. Hall
  2. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”” – John 11:25-26 NKJV
  3. “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…He’s risen!’– Charles R. Swindoll
  4. “No matter how devastating our struggles, disappointments, and troubles are, they are only temporary. No matter what happens to you, no matter the depth of tragedy or pain you face, no matter how death stalks you and your loved ones, the Resurrection promises you a future of immeasurable good.”
  5. “Few people seem to realize that the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone to a worldview that provides the perspective to all of life.” – Josh McDowell
  6. ““For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.” – Brennan Manning
  7. “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf of springtime.”– Martin Luther
  8. “There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived or that Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three.” – Billy Graham
  9. “Salvation is the root–the resurrection is the fruit.” – T.D. Jakes
  10. “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
  11. “The difference between knowing Christ and knowing the power of his resurrection, is the difference between knowing a person and resembling a person . . . It is not about relationship but about supernatural character growth. When Paul says, “I want to know him,” it means, “I want to be with him,” but when he says, “I want to know the power of his resurrection,” it means, “I want to be just like him.” Look at the deadness in your life. Look at the anger. How is that going to be turned into forgiveness? Look at the insecurity. How is that going to be turned into confidence? Look at the self-centeredness. How is that going to be turned into compassion and generosity? How? The answer is that the dead stuff gets taken over by the Spirit of God . . . The minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit comes into your life. It’s the power of the resurrection—the same thing that raised Jesus from the dead.” – Tim Keller
  12. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 3: 3-5 NKJV

faith, God, Religion and Spirituality, Uncategorized

So Why Did Jesus Have to Die Anyway?

Its Easter weekend, Passover week, Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday. Quite the celebration in the Christian world, that’s for sure. Easter – it’s way more than peeps and chocolate bunnies!

Those three days – when Jesus was hung on that cross and buried in that tomb, and the Resurrection. Quite the turn of events thats for sure!

I mean no disresect. I wasn’t born in the church. But the question comes to mind, why did Jesus have to die anyway?

Why would God come down here to planet Earth, robe Himself in flesh, and hang on a cross to die for us?

There is this thing called SIN. You don’t hear about it at school, or work, or out and about. These days people don’t like to talk about it. It’s the culture of “do whatever you want with whoever you want and make a public show of it”. Anyway, that’s another topic.

SIN separates us from God. Not good.

KJV Dictionary Definition:sin

sin

SIN, n.

1. The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God’s commands or law. 1 John 3. Matt. 15. James 4. Sinner neither enjoy the pleasures of nor the peace of piety. Among divines, sin is original or actual. Actual sin, above defined, is the act of a moral agent in violating a known rule of duty. Original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature of deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be the effect of Adam’s apostasy; and which manifests itself in moral agents by positive act of disobedience to the divine will, or by the voluntary neglect to comply with the express commands of God, which require that we should love God with all the heart and soul and strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. This native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind or mindedness, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness. Unpardonable sin, or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is supposed to be a malicious and obstinate rejection of Christ and the gospel plan of salvation, or a contemptuous resistance made to the influences and convictions of the Holy Spirit. Matt.12.

2. A sin-offering; an offering made to atone for sin. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. 2 Cor 5.

3. A man enormously wicked.Not in use.

4. Sin differs from crime, not in nature, but in application. That which is a crime against society, is sin against God

So, SIN is when little old me ignores God and His ways. SIN is me thinking I can do whatever I want just because it “feels good” and ignoring the consequences, or pretending there aren’t any. SIN is not loving God or my neighbor.

So why did Jesus have to die?

I don’t think He had to, I think He chose to.

Jesus chose to take all that ugly SIN and carry it to the cross so we could be part of the family again. He chose to BE the SIN sacrifice and fulfilled the law, so we could live under GRACE. He was the Passover Lamb that took away the sins of the world.

Now that’s love…

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. ” – 1 Peter 2:24-25 NKJV

“The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.” – Isaiah 53:5-6 MSG

faith, God, Religion and Spirituality, Uncategorized

Why Would You Want to Buy Something that has Already Been Paid For?

My friend Pastor Bonnie said something this past week that struck a chord in my heart. She asked, “Why would you want to buy something that is already paid for?” Good question girl. You made me think.

How many times have I tried to earn God’s love and approval by doing church stuff? Guilty. Yeah I thought if I did this or that God would love me more. Not true. He already loves us despite what we do or don’t do. It’s radical love, agape love. Love that makes absolutely no logical sense. That’s what is so beautiful about it!

I work in Customer Service and when a shipping company loses a package we send out a free of charge. Isn’t that like salvation? I mean we didn’t earn it. There is nothing we can do to earn it. We just RECEIVE it by faith in what Jesus already did for us. It’s kind of like a free of charge if you dare to believe it. There is nothing we can do to earn it or buy it. It has already been paid for – paid in full, by what Jesus did at the Cross. We are saved by His grace, not by our works.

My prayer is that this Easter you meet Jesus, at the Cross and at the Empty Tomb. He died and rose again to make a way for you to be close to God. He paid the price, you are free and forgiven! Rejoice!

God’s Word for Us:

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” – Ephesians 2:7-10 MSG

“But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus,” – Romans 6:22-23 MSG

My Prayer for You:

Dear Lord,

Thank You for what you did at Calvary. Thank You for the cross. Thank You for the resurrection. Thank You for paying for my sins because you already knew I never could. Thank You Lord for your promises, your goodness, and your mercy. Thank You for the GIFT of salvation. I believe it and receive it now in Jesus Name!

faith, God, Hope, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

14 Quotes on Why Easter Matters

Easter. It’s one of the biggest Holidays if you are a believer. The day of all days! Hallelujah there is life after this one! Jesus came and died and paid the price for our sins – for our trying to live life without God and denying His existence.  I used to live my life without God and without hope. Ended up in a Hospital Ward – more than once.

For me the resurrection of Jesus means I can have a resurrection too. Easter means that my life can change from death to life with Jesus. For me it means that there is hope, I am not alone, and the God of all the Universe is on my side and will help me. Easter means that I have hope and joy and love and grace – all as a gift from God for what Jesus decided to do for us. We didn’t ask Him. While we were still sinners and not even born yet Christ died for us. I didn’t know Him yet – but He knew me and you. Easter means that God will give us a helper – the Holy Spirit to help us through this quagmire called the world. For me Easter means that this world here on planet Earth is only the beginning – there is way more fun stuff to come in Heaven. Streets of gold, pearly gates, constant praise, with no more sorrow, no more tears, no more suffering – sign me up!

God’s Word for You:

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:8-11 NKJV

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”” – John 11:25-27 NKJV

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” – Romans 8:11

14 Quotes on Why Easter Matters

  1. “Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; He came into this world to make dead people live.” – Lee Strobel
  2. ” God undertook the most dramatic rescue operation in cosmic history. He determined to save the human race from self-destruction, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to salvage and redeem them. The work of man’s redemption was accomplished at the cross.” – Billy Graham
  3. “Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.”- Clarence W. Hall
  4. “The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.” — Robert Flatt
  5. “For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.” – ― Brennan Manning
  6. “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” – Pope John Paul II
  7. “Here is the amazing thing about Easter; the Resurrection Sunday for Christians is this, that Christ in the dying moments on the cross gives us the greatest illustration of forgiveness possible.” — T.D. Jakes
  8. “The cross is the lightning rod of grace that short- circuits God’s wrath to Christ so that only the light of his love remains for belivers.” – A.W. Tozer
  9. “Before the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon individuals only on certain occasions for special tasks. But now, after the resurrection, Christ through the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of every believer to give us supernatural power in living our daily lives.” – Billy Graham
  10. “Our old histroy ends with the cross, our new history begins with the resurrection.” – Watchman Nee
  11. “Let every man and woman count himself immortal. Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection. Let him say not merely, “Christ is risen,” but “I shall rise.” — Phillips Brooks
  12. “We are adopted into God’s family through the resurrection of Christ from the dead in which he paid all our obligations to sin, the law, and the devil, in whose family we once lived. Our old status lies in his tomb. A new status is ours through his resurrection.” – Sinclair B. Ferguson
  13. “The resurrection completes the inauguration of God’s kingdom. . . . It is the decisive event demonstrating thet God’s kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven. The message of Easter is that God’s new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you’re now invited to belong to it.” – N.T. Wright
  14. “The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. ” – Robert Flatt

faith, God, Healing, Hope, Music, Psalms, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Videos

What He is Risen Means to Us

We hear it all Easter season. “He is risen.” He is Jesus Christ. But how do you apply that to your ever day, normal life? What does it mean? I am just an ordinary girl. I have lived part of my life with Jesus and part of my life without Him. I knew He was there, but I didn’t always acknowledge His presence. I ignored Him.

Have you ever been in a relationship where someone ignored you? Yeah, it’s annoying. You try and try to talk to them, and they don’t listen. You can jump up and down, scream at the top of your lungs, or even just whisper and they don’t respond. After a while you quit talking. That’s how my life was without Jesus. I was alone, and afraid. I lost hope in myself and others. I gave up. I felt like a ghost walking around in an empty shell wondering what ever happened to my life.

But God never left. He never stopped waiting for me to be ready to sit down and have a talk with Him. His love never failed me. His mercy never ran out. His grace was always there waiting to hold me and show me a new life. He is faithful, and loving, and kind.

Yes, Jesus died on that cross for you and for me. Like a Good Father he did for his kids what we couldn’t do for ourselves. We didn’t know how to live, how to love, or who to follow. When Jesus died, he took on all our sins – those places where we separate ourselves from God. He was the sin offering.He exchanged His life for ours. God already fulfilled all those 10 commandments. He knew we couldn’t do it without Him. He became the sacrifice that was needed to fulfil the law. And do you know what He said?

“It is finished!”

God is not mad at us. He loves us. We have been redeemed – to a new life. A life with Him today and forever in Eternity. God is not done writing His Story yet. The best part is still to come!  “He is Risen” means that there is more to be written yet in the story of our lives. We do not have to live alone and afraid anymore. God is with us. He will come and live with us. He will comfort us and counsel us. He will bring us peace in the storms of this life. He will give us hope and a future. He will show us beautiful and amazing new things. He will bring us a new life. Because He lives – we can face tomorrow!

 

PSALM 103

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

 

Poetry, Spirituality

Salvation is Here – NaPoWriMo

Salvation is Here

~Copyright 2015 Diana Rasmussen~

He is not here

He is Risen

The tomb is empty

No longer bound to this world

He lives again in you and me

Resurrection Sunday

New life and new hope

Salvation is here!

Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2 NIV)

(Image source – worshiphousemedia.com, thriveyouth.org)

Poetry, Spirituality, The Blood of Jesus

Unequal ~ Bittersweet – NaPoWriMo Day 19

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (The Message)

 But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

 

UNEQUAL ~ BITTERSWEET

©2014 Diana Rasmussen

 

You died on Calvary

a cross of agony

†

The price we could not pay

Redeemer made a way

†

Paid for our sin and guilt

New Testament was built

†

Resurrection complete

Unequal ~ Bittersweet

NaPoWriMo – Day 19

 

And now for today’s (optional) prmpt. This is a bit silly, but it’s Saturday. I recently got a large illustrated guide to sea shells. There are some pretty wild names for sea shells. Today I challenge you to take a look at the list of actual sea shell names below, and to use one or more of them to write a poem. You poem doesn’t have to be about sea shells at all — just inspired by one or more of the names.

Peruvian Hat
Snout Otter Clam
Strawberry Top
Incised Moon
Sparse Dove
False Cup-and-Saucer
Leather Donax
Shuttlecock Volva
Striped Engina
Tricolor Niso
Triangular Nutmeg
Shoulderblade Sea Cat
Woody Canoebubble
Ghastly Miter
Heavy Bonnet
Tuberculate Emarginula
Lazarus Jewel Box
Unequal Bittersweet
Atlantic Turkey Wing

Happy writing!

 

Image Credits: PINTEREST

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Spirituality

Under My Branches

I recently joined a Song Writing Forum online to help me learn new things.  It’s a sort of online workshop. It is called CCCMNI, for Christian Songwriters, bands, artists, worship leaders, etc.  And the best part – free to join!  So yes, all you poets, come on over!

The first writing exercise was this:

“take some time and consider the Garden of Gethsemane; really immerse yourself in the scriptures account,  the emotional state Christ was in, asking His Father that if there was ANY other way, yet knowing He had to drink the cup, finally finding resolve.”

So, the first song I wrote was my post yesterday, Agony in the Garden.  I still have to put chords to this one.  Then the leader of the SongWriting Cafe, Robert Wagener, asked me an interesting question. He asked me to rewrite the song and make the inamimate animate, and BE the olive tree Jesus kneeled under as he prayed.

I had never thought of writing a song from the Olive Tree’s point of view!  And God makes new things happen all the time!  He can make trees talk, donkeys talk, burning bushes talk, whatever – He’s God!

This was fun, as there were two other co-writers that helped.  The bridge Laurayne Hall wrote – it is brilliant! And of course, Roger helped too. It is awesome to be led by people who have done this before.  I am grateful God sends people our way to help us become who God wants us to be.  Thank you Lord, for brothers and sisters that help us!

Under My Branches

© 2013 Diana Rasmussen, Robert Wagener, Laurayne Hall

 V1

In the corner of the Garden

He falls under the shining stars.

Letting go of tears and fears.

Under my branches

 V2

He falls under my canopy.

Watching Him is pure agony.

Crushed by sorrow, suffering,

Under my branches

 CHORUS

“Father let this cup, pass from me.

Yet not my will, but Yours be done.

I’ll finish what You have begun.”

Jesus prays, under my branches.

 V3

He asks his friends to stay awake

Spirit’s willing, the flesh is weak.

Nevertheless He still prays,

Under my branches

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE

My branches were not meant to hold Him,

He would hang on another tree.

From my garden I could see Him

As He died on Calvary.

REPEAT CHORUS

My Prayer for You:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the prayer in the Garden, that gave You courage and strength to accomplish what you were born to do.  Thank you for completing the task that You came to Earth to do.  You came to seek and save the lost. You did, You have bought us back from the enemy and adopted us as Your children. Thank you for becoming the perfect sacrifice for men and their sins – past, present, and future. And for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. You are such an awesome Daddy!
It’s not that we love You (even though you know we do), but You loved us first, even when we were in the darkness.  Shine Your Light in our darkness and help us accomplish what you have given us to do while we are here on planet Earth, in Jesus Name.