Easter- Killing Jesus! and the Resurrection

     Easter weekend is here, so I am taking a moment in "A Friendly Shade" to think about the anguish my Lord suffered for my sake. 

Killing Jesus

 “Let Him die,” was the decree,

    yet killing Jesus was not to be.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!” followed the cry,
    but no reason why.

The mob moved within the crowd

    shouting in voices angry and loud.

“He’s spreading rumors all abroad,
    a common man, liar, and fraud.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!”
Oh! So much mayhem!

Soldiers took the whip to thresh,

    bringing blood and tearing flesh.
A vine of thorns became His crown;
To a splintered cross His hands were bound;
Nails pierced His hands and feet.
The crowd came alive and began to repeat,
    “Kill Him! Kill Him!”
People watched with faces grim.
Mockers spit in His face-
    beneath them, was His place.
The cross, slammed into the ground,
    anguish was profound;
Agony and pain
    doubled from bodily strain.
Blood covered barren skin,
    or what had been.

“Father, forgive them,” was heard by those standing there,

    just before the heavens opened, a Son to declare.
Rejected, mocked, battered, and shamed;
    a King, unnamed-
In death, the temple rent in twain.
The earth did quake the valley and plain.
Over it all, light turned to darkness,
    shouts ended in quietness.
Fear appeared on the witness face
    in that very place.
All was silence

     after the violence.

Kill Him! Kill Him,” had been the cry.
They did not know He would not die-
    nor why.
"Arise! Arise!" was God's own cry.
Salvation was the reason why.
A resurrection was God's decree;
    a plan foretold to set the sinner free.
The Son of God, a Savior, missing from the grave.
He arose to live! Souls to save.
A coming day for all to see-
Killing Jesus was not to be.
                              Mary Crisp Jameson

Easter- Jesus Is Not Dead!

     He Lives! is a great song.  Jesus is truly a risen Saviour and He lives!  It would be good to remember this Easter Sunday that Jesus lives, but a person has to know Jesus to give Him the praise and the glory He so deserves.  I watched Watters' World last night on Fox News and was so saddened when Watters asked the people on the streets questions about Easter. 
  Watters asked, "What Holiday is this?"  One answer was, "Memorial Day." Another was "Father's Day."
  Watters asked, "What are you doing this Easter?"  Answer was, "Do laundry, maybe."
  Watters asked, "What does Easter involve?"  There was no answer. She had no idea.
  Watters asked, "What happened on Easter?"  Answer was, "Not sure what happened."
  Watters asked, "What do we celebrate on Easter?"  Answer was, "Jesus was born."
  Watters asked several questions about the Easter bunny, and finally, "Was the Easter bunny found in the New or Old Testament?"  The answer was, "The Old Testament, I guess."
   Watters asked one person  a question about the crucifixion, and his answer was.  "He was crucified as the story goes, but I don't do that scene."

It would be good to remember the Cross, Death, and Resurrection. As the song goes:
"He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!"
"I serve a risen Saviour,
He's in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He's always near."
     Jesus paid a great price when He came to earth to walk among men and then to allow himself to be beaten and nailed to a cross, and then to take on our sins so we also could live.   

Jesus Is Not Dead

His wounds ran blood red!

Skin torn and pierced-

Body whipped-

Friends stood and wept in dread!

Darkness fell-

The ground shook-

Hanging on the cross, Jesus bled!

Hope sprang forth-

Promises fulfilled-

 Lying upon His death bed!

Angels stood nearby-

The stone rolled away-

Word spread!

“The tomb is empty!”

Hearts lifted-

 He arose the Living Bread!

Lives changed-

Brokenness healed-

In resurrection, Jesus became the Thread!

The Way-

The Deliverer-

He is not dead!

Souls are saved-

Eternal life proclaimed!

                                                    Mary Crisp Jameson-    3/30/2014

 

Easter and The Comforter

     Easter is a remembrance time of the Savior who died on the cross and rose to live the third day. However, Easter is celebrated different ways depending on the culture.  In America, we celebrate Easter with our children by Easter baskets, colorful Easter eggs, new frocks, and sometimes sunrise services.  The Easter baskets often include an Easter bunny or baby chick and chocolate coated candy. 
     I was interested in how Easter eggs and baskets came to be, so I looked up Wikipedia which stated that the Easter egg was the symbol of the empty tomb, and the Easter lily was the symbol of the Resurrection.
     Then I was interested in baby bunnies and chicks.  I didn't actually research how that tradition started, but I did see a sign posted at Atwood's which stated it was unlawful to sell baby chicks in quantities of less than six.  "Why?" I wondered.  So, I looked up Arkansas state law and found that baby chicks are a flock bird.  Within a flock there is comfort, companionship and contentment for each member of the flock.  Since baby chicks have a natural instinct to flock together, a single baby chick could possibly die from loneliness.
     Now that I have given the trivia for the day, let's consider what is said in the Scripture about what happened just before Jesus was betrayed and later denied.
     Jesus called his twelve disciples together for a final breaking of bread.  This Last Supper was to give instruction to His disciples.  Jesus took the bread, blessed it, brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."  Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood which is shed for many for the remission of sin."  Although this was final instruction for remembrance of what Jesus was to do for us all, I believe it was also a time of great fellowship together.
     Afterwards, all but one disciple journeyed with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was in great agony, and He needed to pray alone, but He also needed the companionship of His disciples. He wanted them to watch and wait with Him.  Matthew 26:38, "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
     I find that I often need human contact, much like the baby chicks who have a natural instinct to flock together.  Yet, Jesus gave me more than this when He died on the Cross for me.  As a Christian, I have a natural tendency to flock to Him, especially in my times of trouble.  There is no other One who can truly fulfill or comfort me like Jesus can.  
     John 14:16-17, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

FOLLOW ME!

From the beginning of time God has called, “Follow Me.” 

     When Adam and Eve did not follow the instructions of God, sorrow was the result.  God stated, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, …cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;”

     When the Israelites were discouraged and feared entering the promise land the Lord’s anger was kindled, “Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob..”  This resulted in the wandering in the wilderness forty years.

     Most all of us remember the story of Jonah and the whale.  God called Jonah to go forth to Nineveh and cry out against their wickedness.  However, Jonah didn’t “follow.”  Instead he tried to flee from God and ended up in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights until he prayed unto the Lord and agreed to follow Him.

     In His great love for mankind, God sent his Son to die on the cross in order to save us from our sinful ways.  In return, we are to “Follow Him”.  In verse after verse, especially in the New Testament we find the words, “Follow me.” 

  Matthew 8:22  But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead buy their own dead.”

  Matthew 10:38  Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

  Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

  Matthew 19:28  Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

  Mark 1:17  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

  Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him.  “One thing you lack,” he said.  “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”

  John 1:43  The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.  Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

  John 8:12  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

  John 10:27  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

  John 12:26  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.

  John 21:19  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.  Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

     As I think on these words, “Follow me,” it is really very simple.  Believe in Jesus, read His Word, love His ways, and be willing to carry the Cross to others.  Above, in John 8:12, Jesus tells us what a wonderful blessing he has in store for us if we truly follow Him.

    

   

 

    

    

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Morgue

Below is just one of the many humorous true stories from the book, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Morgue, written by myself and co-author, Charles Jones. This book is on Amazon as an ebook and can be accessed by clicking on the cover page on the right side of my blog.  

From ashes to dirt….

     Humor is where you find it, and sometimes it shows up at odd times and in strange places.

Working under houses, normally, is not a place where you find anything humorous.  You often find dampness, dirt, spiders, snakes or perhaps even a skunk.  However, in their own right, none of those are funny.  Usually, if you are under a house, you are either a repairman, plumber, or in a service- related occupation.  You have a job to do, and once done, get out as quickly as you can.

     At this particular location a man, whom we shall call David, was crawling around treating the house for termites.  As he was moving around under the house he discovered a brass box that attracted his attention.  He opened the box to discover the only contents inside was dust and dirt.  He dumped the contents with the intention of taking the box with him when he left.

     David came out from under the house about lunch time, and the lady of the house asked if he had seen a brass box under the house.  David said, “Yes, it is setting on one of the sills under the house.”

The lady of the house then informed him that the contents of the box were the remains of her deceased husband.

     David lightly began to dust imagined ashes from his clothes, then crawled back under the house and refilled the brass box with dirt which he scooped up from beneath the house.

So? Whatever!

     I have a 365 day devotional Book on Amazon as an ebook.  It contains humor for the day along with a brief devotional thought and scripture verse.  Below is the March 18th devotional thought from the book.  If you like it, please take a moment to clip on the Book, So? Whatever! on the left side.  It will link you to the Amazon site for a review.

March 18

A couple had been married for 45 years and had been blessed with 11 children and 22 grandchildren.  When asked to what they contributed the length of their marriage, he said, “We made a pact that whichever one left had to take the kids.”

Attitude – a good one is what it takes to make a relationship. It is never good to become angry and hold grudges.  Those kinds of grudges only end up hurting ourselves.  We cannot change another’s attitude, but we can be responsible for our own.  If you cannot find it in your heart to go the person you have a grudge against, at least ask God to remove it from your heart and forgive it anyway.  The Bible says, “Be kind to each other and forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Psalm 4:4   In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.        

Impatient

        There are times, I believe, when we all need patience.  We want what we want, and we want it now or at least I do.  I've heard it said, "Don't pray for patience, because you might get it!"  And some say God does not have a sense of humor!  

        When it comes to being impatient, we often create a lot of problems for ourselves.  Our impatience often causes us not to have faith in God who, by the way, is in control of all things and who knows what is best for us.  So, when a door closes maybe, we should "nail a board over it"  so we can see the one that is opening for our best interest. 

       What else can I say about being impatient and what it could cause?

 

 I-rritability could result

M-oods could be altered negatively

P-ity parties could make us depressed

A-ttitudes could change to the worse

T-empers could flair

I-llness from stress could get us down

E-xperience jealously  

N-arrow-out better opportuinties

T-ake temporary gratification  

     Look at the example given in Numbers when the Israelites complained about their impatience to get into the promise land.  They were rebellious, so God sent snakes among the people.  They doubted God and His Word.

     Look at another example given in Genesis of a man who was patient.  Jacob fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work seven years for her hand in marriage.  On the day of the wedding, Jacob was deceived and given the hand of Leah, the older sister.  In order to marry Rachel, Jacob agreed to work seven more years.  That is, indeed, patience.   Jacob was finally rewarded, not only with having Rachel for his wife, but doors of opportunity were given enabling him to acquire much wealth. 

     Regardless of our situations, we must remember that God is in control, and we need to continually maintain our faith in the working power of our Creator, Lord, and Master.   

Daily Quiet

     I believe there is a natural determination within all of you to get ahead.  We want to stay on the fast track of achievement, not letting anyone catch up or get ahead, must like a race.  Yet there is a time in each day when we need to slow down, at least long enough to listen diligently to the voice of God.

 Deuteronomy 28: 1-2  
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God."

The One True Book

    The Bible is an engaging book which reveals the nature of God and the teachings of Jesus.  Each time I read it or do a biblical study I learn more about God's love.  Of all the books I have read or own, my Bible is the most prized of them all.  It is my Daily Bread!  In fact, if I go many days here in "A Friendly Shade" without reading, talking to God, or listening to a gospel message I actually began to feel lonely.  My joy begins to slip away.  Only God and His Word can give me true peace and comfort.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The One True Book

I've traveled the world, but not been everywhere;

tossed aside, yet fragile from wear.

Often laid abandoned, covered in dust;

freely chosen by those who trust.

Past, present, and future, I can explain;

Peace and comfort I give to ease your pain.

The young and the old find joy in me-

I share life across the land, across the sea.

Direction, guidance, truth-

I'm here to tudor the elderly and youth.

From cover to cover there are stories galore,

with the faithful seeking more.

Rejected, abandoned, scorned

by those forewarned.

Loved, cherished, sought

by those who find wonder my pages hath brought.

I am life

to children, husband, and wife.

I am alive!

With me, ye shall thrive.

I share the way to mansions bright,

the Cross, and pathway to the Light.

Read me, share, me- I am the Bread!

A must to the family and its head.

I am the Old and the New,

the gospel that is true.

I am the Bible, God's Holy Word,

spreading across the world until all have heard.

                                                               Mary Crisp Jameson