EASTER SUNDAY

Scripture Reading for Easter Sunday:
Psalm 22:1-31
John 20:1-8
Acts 10:34-43
1 Cor. 15:1-58
Col. 3:1-4

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

I know that my redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living head.

He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my prophet, priest, and king.

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my redeemer lives!

 - Samuel Medley (1775)

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-20

"God of life,
we praise you for the miracle of Easter.
We pray for great joy for ourselves and for all who come
to worship today to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.
We pray especially for those who will join us for worship
and whose lives are filled with pain, loss, or deep sadness.
May they sense how the resurrection is a source of great hope."

Saturday

Scripture Reading for Saturday:
Isaiah 25:1-9
Psalm 49:1-26
John 11:17-32
Romans 6:1-11

The Case for the Resurrection:



Save Jesus? Ignore Easter
A Washington Post article, titled “Save Jesus, Ignore Easter,” says Christians focus too much on the death and resurrection of Jesus and that we need to focus more on his ethical teachings.This couldn't be further from the truth!...[read more]

"Forsaken God, you really did die. The cross was no theater or mere metaphor; you weren't whisked away badly injured yet alive. You set out to save, and you went all the way to death, fulfilling God's justice and truth, fully paying for my sin. And so today, between the cross and the resurrection, I wait for your salvation to dawn again in my life." 

- a prayer from Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

Good Friday

Scripture Reading for Good Friday:
Isa. 52:13-53:12
Psa. 22
Heb. 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42

Love Lustres at Calvary

My Father, 

Enlarge my heart, warm my affections,open my lips,supply words that proclaim ‘Love Lustres at Calvary.’There grace removes my burdensand heaps them on thy Son,made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;There the sword of thy justice smote the man,thy fellow;There thy infinite attributes were magnified,and infinite atonement was made;There infinite punishment was due,and infinite punishment was endured. 

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,cast off that I might be brought in,trodden down as an enemythat I might be welcomed as a friend,surrendered to hell’s worstthat I might attain heaven’s best,stripped that I might be clothed,wounded that I might be healed,athirst that I might drink,tormented that I might be comforted,made a shame that I might inherit glory,entered darkness that I might have eternal light. 

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,groaned that I might have endless song,endured all pain that I might have unfading health,bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,bowed his head that I might uplift mine,experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclothed brightness,expired that I might forever live. 

O Father, who spared not thine own Sonthat thou mightest spare me,All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;Help me to adore thee by lips and life.O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,my every step buoyant with delight,as I see my enemies crushed,Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.Go forth, O conquering God, and show methe cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save. 

~ Love Lustres at Calvary, in The Valley of Vision

Read and pray Psalm 118:
 1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
 2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
 3 Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
 4 Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.
 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
 7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
 12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
 16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
 18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
 23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.
 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
 29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

"Let us remember Jesus,
who, though rich, became poor and dwelt among us;
who was mighty indeed, healing the sick and the troubled;
who, as a teacher to his disciples, was their companion and servant.
May we ever be grateful for Jesus the Christ
and what he has done for us. 

"Let us remember Jesus,
who prayed for the forgiveness of those who rejected him
and for the perfecting of those who received him;
who loved all people and prayed for them,
even if they denied and rejected him;
who hated sin because he knew the cost of pride and selfishness,
of cruelty and hatred, both to people and to God.
May we ever be grateful for Jesus the Christ
and what he has done for us. 

"Let us remember Jesus,
who humbled himself, obedient unto the cross.
God has exalted him who has redeemed us
from the bondage of sin and given us new freedom.
May we ever be grateful for Jesus the Christ
and what he has done for us and continues to do for us."

Thursday

Scripture Reading for Thursday:
Exod. 12:1-14
Psa. 116
1 Cor. 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31-35

On Maundy Thursday the church remembers the last evening Jesus shared with his disciples in the upper room before his arrest and crucifixion. Maundy Thursday marks three key events in Jesus’ last week: his washing of his disciples’ feet, his institution of the Lord’s Supper, and his new commandment to love one another. This service begins the Triduum, the three-day period from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Easter Day. The name “Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin mandatum novum, referring to the “new commandment” Jesus taught his disciples (John 13:34). In other words, this is “new commandment Thursday.” (The Worship Sourcebook)

Read and pray Psalm 116:

1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted";
11 I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars."
12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!


O Lord Jesus Christ,
you are enthroned in the majesty of heaven,
yet you gave up that heavenly perfection to become a servant.
We adore you for laying aside your glory
and clothing yourself in complete humility as one of us.
We praise you for the example of washing your disciples’ feet.
Teach us to do as you have done.
Deliver us from pride, jealousy, and ambition,
and make us ready to serve one another in lowliness for your sake,
O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Wednesday

Scripture Reading for Wednesday:
Isa. 50:4-9a
Psa. 70
Heb. 12:1-3
John 13:21-32

"There stands the mysterious cross - a rock against which the very waves of the curse break. He who so mercifully engaged to direct this judgment against Himself hangs yonder in profound darkness. Still He remains the Morning Star, announcing an eternal Sabbath to the world. Though rejected by heaven and earth, yet He forms the connecting link between them both, and the Mediator of their eternal and renewed amity. Ah see! His bleeding arms are extended wide; He stretches them out to every sinner. His hands point to the east and west; for He shall gather His children from the ends of the earth. The top of the cross is directed toward the sky; far above the world will its effects extend. Its foot is fixed in the earth; the cross becomes a wondrous tree, from which we reap the fruit of an eternal reconciliation. O, nothing more is requisite, than that God should grant us penitential tears, and then, by means of the Holy Spirit, show us the Savior suffering on the cross. We then escape from all earthly care and sorrow, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - F.W. Krummacher, The Suffering Savior: Meditations On the Last Days of Christ, p. 332.

The practice of crucifixion was a brutal reality in the days of Christ. Here is a site which details the practice of crucifixion and provides insight and commentary as to the bodily suffering which Jesus endured. Read and meditate on our Lord's suffering for sin.

Read and pray Psalm 115:

1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great.
14 May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth!
16 The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!


"O Lord, not to us - but to you be endless glory! For you saved us from all our sin and from Your holy wrath which burned against it all by the Redeemer's life and death. He died so that I could live. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby I could be saved. May you be praised! Amen."

Tuesday

Scripture Reading for Tuesday:
Isa. 49:1-7
Psa. 71:1-14
1 Cor. 1:18-31
John 12:20-26

Learn more about how the events of the week unfolded with the "Holy Week Timeline Visualization" provided by the folks at the Bible Gateway. It is a very helpful resource!

"The happiness of Christ’s exalted state consists, in a great degree, in the pleasure of seeing...?" How might you complete this sentence? Read how one preacher/teacher from the 1700's did finish this sentence in Randy Alcorn's post entitled "Christ's Greatest Joy".


Pray Psalm 114 and worship God for His salvation exploits in human history.


Psalm 114

1 When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

"Saving Father, we are thankful for Your rescue work on behalf of a people whom You called and loved for Yourself and Your great purposes. We see in Your salvation that nothing can hinder You from accomplishing Your redemptive work - nothing on heaven or on the earth. You will forever be the God of Israel's Exodus and mine. Amen."

Monday

Scripture Reading for Monday:
Isa. 42:1-9
Ps. 36:5-11
Heb. 9:11-15
John 12:1-11

The following poem is by Kevin Hartnett who works for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, overseeing the science operations activities of the mission. He was selected in 2003 from a thousand candidates as the “Poet of the Year” by the Fellowship of Christian Poets.

How awesome is that day to me-
O day of hallowed history!
Set time in God’s determined plan
To sacrifice the Son of Man.
What famous work that day was done
By Jesus Christ, His Perfect Son!
The Second Adam, sent to save,
Humbly obeying to the grave! 

How savage is that day to me-
O day of pure brutality!
When Christ, the Son of God Most High,
Was fiercely whipped and hung to die.
And O the horror of my sin,
Seen there in His appalling skin!
For God struck down- as meant for me-
The sinless One, at Calvary. 

How precious is that day to me-
O day of purchased liberty!
In Him, a freeman now I live;
My sins, through death, did God forgive.
No wrath at length looms o’er my head,
But lovingkindness there instead.
His righteousness, my guilt replaced,
And Love, this ransomed soul embraced! 

O awesome, savage, precious day- ‘Tis God the Savior on display!
What peerless, holy, gracious Mind
Would fashion such a Grand Design? 

Pray with Psalm113 to conclude your time of meditation:

1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!

2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 

5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? 

7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. 

Praise the LORD!

Parenting God's Way

By Rene Llusco

"Therefore, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." 1 Peter 5:6

The most recent lesson I learned about parenting was that is never too late to learn to parent God’s way.  As I wished I had learned these principles years ago, when I started parenting, I was corrected that God is never too late and that He can use our “detours” to glorify Himself and at the same time to prepare us to help others.

In the past couple of months my wife and I started an intensive study about parenting.  This included a 6-lesson recorded seminar and two parenting books.  We want to honor God in the way we raise our children and to help them grow stronger in the Lord so that no “wind of doctrine” can tossed them away from the path of the Gospel. 

Before we became parents we thought ourselves to know pretty much what was needed to raise a child in the ways of the Lord, however, it is a different story once you have them.  We had to humbly admit we did not know as much as we thought and that we needed help.  That was our first step.  After talking to Pastor Josh he handed us the book entitled Gospel-Powered Parenting, How the Gospel Shapes and Transform Parenting by William P. Farley.  Pastor Josh wanted us to study it and talk to him about it.  My wife started the book but realized that it was directed to fathers and pass it on to me.  The Lord used this book to open my eyes to the proper way to “disciple” and instruct my children.  God used this reading to bring me back to the basic:  His Word!  This book is full of principles that have been taken from the Word of God.  It is such a blessing to be able to rediscover that all our answers can be found in the Word of God and that it is full of instructions for every situation we may encounter.  

The first principle I was tested on was:  Whatever we, as parents, give priorities to in our lives, our children will do also.  The same day I read this chapter about priorities my wife and I received two tickets valued $150 to attend a Hockey Game… on the night of a prayer Conference.  I happen to love Hockey, however, that same date the Lord had brought the principle to me, and although it was a tough decision, I was able to lay my priorities down at the Lord’s feet. 

Below I will list down a few of the most important points I was able to withdraw as I studied Gospel-Powered Parenting (taken directly from the book):

Understanding New Birth
“Most Christian parents assume their child’s new birth:  this could be your biggest parenting mistake.  Conversion is outside of our control.  God is sovereign over the process, “The Son gives life to whom HE will” (John 5:21)
The first sign of new birth is the growing hunger for God, hunger for holiness, growing in obedience to parents and the desire for secret prayer and Bible reading time.

Are we Child-centered or God- centered families?In a God-centered family, everyone serves God by submitting to the authority over them.  This depends a lot on where the family’s head centers himself:   Is he seeking to please God or his children?
Wikipedia defines:   Parenting is the process of raising and educating a child from birth to adulthood.
For Christians, however, this definition is inadequate since it ignores the Ultimate Goal of parenting: ETERNITY.

To close this review of the book, I will highlight other important ideas I was able to withdraw from it:

“We as parents have one Job:  Faithfulness!  It is God job to bring the results; we are absolutely dependent on God’s Spirit to complete the parenting process.

“Parenting is not easy… It will be difficult, but the end result will be: -the delightful Christ-centered young adults who are married to someone you actually like, and this will make it all worth the effort.

…Effective parenting equips their children to overcome the world, not by changing and controlling their environment, but by going after their children’s hearts.

…”The best way, is not with morality or self-discipline, Christians overcome the world by Seeing the Beauty and Excellence of Christ.” (Thomas Chalmers)

“In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3)

I praise the Lord for He is good and His mercies are new every morning.  He continues to help our families to grow in the love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him is the honor and glory forever!

Rene Llusco

Recommended readings:

Gospel-Powered Parenting, by William P. Farley

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Ted Tripp