Easter

Life From the Dead

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 ESV

(I have probably posted this in the past, but since it is one of my favorite personal stories that link with Easter, I am republishing for some of you to reread and for my newer followers to discover for the first time. )

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As I was driving home from work one day, I saw a turtle crawling across the road. “What a great thing to show our boys!” I thought. So, I pulled over, scooped Him up and gently placed him on the passenger seat and drove home. As I walked in the door that afternoon, cradling the little turtle in my hands, our two young sons rushed over to see what I was holding. They were out of their minds with excitement as we made up a box for him, complete with water and grass. But our turtle wasn’t happy. He wouldn’t eat or drink anything and as the days passed we realized that Mr. Turtle needed to be set free. The next day we drove to the outskirts of town, where I had found him. I found a good spot and pulled over. Then I gently took the turtle out of his box and put him on the ground. At first he remained motionless, and I began to wonder if he had died. But as we walked away, he slowly eased one foot, out of his shell and then another. Then, he poked out his head, took one look back and raced away as fast as his stubby legs could carry him! Mr. Turtle’s surprising revival reminded me of Jesus. His friends wept and walked away without hope on Good Friday. But that was not the end of His story. Very early, on Easter Sunday morning, Jesus sat up, placed first one foot and then the other on the ground, and then walked out of that grave to give us life from the dead with Him!

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A Little Talk With Jesus

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
John 13:37-38 ESV

While the other gospels just tell us that Jesus went from the Last Supper table to the Garden of Gethsemane; John allows us to listen in to His conversation. Jesus had just finished telling the disciples that He was going to be betrayed and that He was leaving them, and they were shocked. Peter then volunteered to die before he would let that happen. But, instead of saying, “Wow that’s great. I know I can always count on you! Jesus turned and told Peter that he was about to deny even knowing him! Try to imagine Peter’s thoughts. “What could possibly happen to make me deny knowing Jesus? Where in the world is He going? Why is He telling us this?” Just as most of us would be pretty discouraged if our best friend told us this, the disciples were both astonished and dismayed to hear Jesus’ words. But Jesus wasn’t telling them this to discourage them. Instead, in order to tell them the wonderful news of God’s plans, Jesus needed to begin by showing them that nothing would depend on them. And just like with those disciples, God knows about our personal failures, lack of faith and sins, and yet, He still loves us. His plan is in no way dependent on our success, ability, or reputation. Jesus specializes in saving lost people, and even those who sometimes deny faith. He not only loves us, but He has come to give us strength, and forgiveness, so that we can be saved, and that God will get all the glory!

An Unforgettable Gift – Part Two

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There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 
Mark 14: 4-5 ESV

When people saw Mary pouring the oil on Jesus’ head, they hushed and waited to see how He would respond. Then, without a word, Mary fell to her knees and poured out the remaining perfumed oil on the feet of Jesus, and then she wiped them dry with her hair! There was a shocked silence, but it lasted only a moment. Then Judas, began to criticize. For him, Mary’s act of love was more than unexpected, it was unwelcome. Sadly, his complaining drew in the other disciples who were caught up in his reasoning, “Why this waste?” they said. “This perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor!” But Judas didn’t really care about the poor. He really only cared about the money that he skimmed from every offering. For Judas, and those like him, religion is all a business, meant to be smoothly run, so they can reap the side benefits of a prosperous life. Mary’s heart told her that she had met someone who was greater than religious traditions, and Jesus came to her defense. “Leave her alone! She has done a beautiful thing!” No one there realized that in just a few days, Jesus would be arrested, falsely accused, and nailed to a cross. But Jesus knew and said that her gift had prepared Him for all of what was to come. If we want to be like Mary this Easter, then we must give our all for Jesus, even if no one understands. Then just as He did for Mary, Jesus will defend us and pour out His love on us in a way we will never forget!

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Reading Selection from day 26 of One Unexpected Morning