HE IS RISEN!

EASTER! It is truly my favorite Christian holiday. Oh! the pain of what it must have been like to mourn the death of the One you loved so much, knowing he was buried and you would no longer be able to see him. You may even have cried, “It isn’t fair! This should never have happened!” No, it should not have happened, but it did. Because we are sinners, it had to happen. Someone had to pay the price for sin – that Someone was Jesus.

Picture with me the despair in the hearts of the women as they approached the tomb. They were coming to do a good thing, anoint the body of Jesus, yet I’m sure they were thinking, “Where is all the good in this?”

Imagine their joy and delight; amazement and wonder when they arrived at the tomb and found the stone rolled away. Not only was it rolled away; an angel sat upon it. Dazzling in white! Waiting in anticipation of their coming so he could announce to them, “He is not here, He is risen!”

At that moment, did they grasp what the angel was really saying? I’m not sure I would have. I am a visual learner, and, like Thomas, I would have had to see to believe. One day very soon, they would see their risen Savior. They could believe again that all was well. What joy!!

Life – eternal life – is wrapped up in those three words, He Is Risen! He Is Risen, Indeed!

He Lives

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.

In all the world around me I see His loving care, And tho’ my heart grows weary, I never will despair.
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast, The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing. Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, None other is so loving, so good and kind.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives! He lives within my heart.

“Don’t be alarmed,” the angel said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” - Mark 16:6

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

1 -16-oz. dried green split peas, rinsed
2 C. cubed fully cooked ham
1 large onion, chopped
1 C. chopped carrots
½ tsp. crushed dried rosemary,
½ tsp. dried thyme
1- 32-oz. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 C. water

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

New Life

(Recipe: Egg Drop Soup)

I was asked to share the “Gospel” in our MOPS group this week, and the only way I know how to best explain what this word means is to share my own personal testimony with them. I love being able to do this because there isn't a week that goes by in which I do not think about the events that led to my salvation, and praise God for allowing me the privilege to become his child.

Briefly, I was raised in a non-Christian home, but a home in which we faithfully attended church. In fact, church was a big part of my life. God placed a love for the church and God in my heart while I was young. I may not have completely understood who God was, but I knew I loved him.

I always thought I was going to heaven because I was a “good” girl. I didn’t practice any horrible sins. In fact, I wasn’t even certain that I sinned! I'm not sure I understood what that word meant.

In my teens, someone asked me, “Marilyn, do you know for certain you will go to heaven when you die?” I was horrified by this question, and thought to myself, “Of course I’ll go to heaven. I’m a very good girl”.

But the truth of the matter was, I wasn’t so certain. The question haunted me. I tried looking for answers, but didn’t know where to look. After all, wasn't heaven decided by God on how good you were, how much you loved him? Truly, I did all of this.

A young man came into my life who ultimately shared the Gospel with me. The Good News about Jesus. I came to realize that, yes, I was a sinner and that sin would keep me out of heaven. But the Good News was that Jesus came to pay the penalty for my sin and give me a new life. In August of 1959 I gave my heart to Christ. The old life I had been living, a life full of sin and uncertainty, was replaced by a New Life – one that only Jesus could give me through his grace. A life of confident hope that I would live forever with God in heaven.

New Life. Something all of us need. Something all of us should want. What exactly does the Bible tell us about “new life?”

Romans 6:4 reminds us of this: “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (NLT) Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can experience a brand new life. Jesus paid the penalty for my sin when he died at Calvary. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 5:14ff.... “Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.....This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” (NLT) How thankful I am that I was given a brand new life that keeps on getting better and better with each year I live. I don't ever want to go back to my old way of living. This new life is rewarding, exciting, and full of joy and peace.

Titus 3:4-5 – “But, When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” New life! Not because of anything I have done (I am so glad of this because when is enough good enough for God?) but because of a merciful God.

If you have already been given this new life, then rejoice and praise God again for it. If you are still searching, remember, you can do nothing to earn your salvation. Jesus paid it all. Come to the foot of the cross, lay your burden and your sin down, ask for his forgiveness and invite Jesus into your life to be your Savior.

G - God's
O - Only
S - Son
P - Provides
E - Eternal
L - Life ........ amen!

Egg Drop Soup

1 cup chicken broth
¼ tsp. soy sauce
¼ tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. water
1 egg, beaten
1 drop yellow food coloring
1 tsp. chopped fresh chives
1/8 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground white pepper

In a small pan, combine the broth, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil. Stir together the cornstarch and water to dissolve cornstarch; pour into the boiling broth. Stir gently while you pour in the egg and yellow food coloring. Season with chives, salt and pepper before serving.