Sabbath Keeping

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

~ Isaiah 53:3-7 ~ 

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair.

We are the Easter people 

and hallelujah is our song."

~ Pope John Paul II ~ 

"And now brothers, I will ask you a terrible question, and God knows I ask it also of myself. Is the truth beyond all truths, beyond the stars, just this: that to live without Him is the real death, that to die with Him the only life?" ~ Frederick Buechner ~

"The message of Easter is not that Jesus is alive,

it is so much more.

The message of Easter is that Jesus has risen."

~ Colin Smith ~ 

"If man had his way, the plan of redemption would be an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by love; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord surrendered in order that he might win; He destroyed His enemies by dying for them and conquered death by allowing death to conquer Him." ~ A. W. Tozer ~

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection,

not in books alone,

but in every leaf in springtime."

~ Martin Luther ~

"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." ~ Clarence W. Hall ~

"I no longer have to be afraid of looking foolish, or wonder what people might think about me, as long as I please the One who conquered death." ~ Sarah Holman ~

"We live and die;

Christ died and lived!"

~ John Stott ~ 

"Our old history ends with the cross;

our new history begins with the resurrection."

~ Watchman Nee ~ 

"He was delivered over to death for our sins 

and was raised to life for our justification."

~ Romans 4:25 ~ 

Remember in prayer ~ Jim ~ Anita ~ Bonnie and family ~ Patty and family ~ Gina ~ Sandra ~ 

Sabbath Keeping

"Nevertheless, though I am sometimes afraid:

yet put I my trust in thee."

~ Psalms 56:3 ~

"Now it is you alone that I love,

you alone that I follow,

you alone that I seek,

you alone that I feel ready to serve,

because you alone rule justly.

It is to your authority alone that I want to submit.

Command me, I pray, to do whatever you will,

but heal and open my ears

that I may hear your voice.

Heal and open my eyes 

that I may see your will.

Drive out from me

all fickleness,

That I may acknowledge you alone.

Tell me where to look

that I may see you,

and I will place my hope in doing your will.

Amen."

~ Saint Augustine of Hippo ~

"Bring out that creature," said Aslan. One of the Elephants lifted Uncle Andrew in its trunk and laid him at the Lion's feet. He was too frightened to move.

"Please, Aslan," said Polly, "could you say something to-to unfrighten him? And then could you say something to prevent him from ever coming back here again?"

"do you think he wants to?" said Aslan.

"Well, Aslan," said Polly, "he might send someone else. He's so excited about the bar off the lamp-post growing into a lamp-post tree and he thinks-"

"He thinks great folly, child," said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh, Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! But I will give him the only gift he is still able to receive."

He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself." Uncle Andrew immediately rolled over with closed eyes and began breathing peacefully."

~ C. S. Lewis, The Magicians Nephew ~

"Brothers {and sisters}, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, 
or to grieve like those who have no hope.
We believe Jesus died and rose again
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in Him."
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ~

Happy Resurrection Day! 

Prayer Keeping ~ Whitney and family ~ Gretchen and family ~ Rainey ~ Mr. Claud ~ Roy ~ Peggy ~ Alan ~  Mags ~ Terry ~ Sandra ~