Tag Archives: Easter

Pause for Poetry–An Eternal Legacy

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meadow lakeAn Eternal Legacy

Frances Gregory Pasch

You could have come down from the cross

And spared Yourself great pain

For there was nothing stopping You…

Yet You chose to remain.

You knew that someone had to pay

The price for mankind’s sin.

You knew that if You turned Your back

The Enemy would win.

Despite the people’s jeering

And defaming of Your name,

You walked the road to Calvary

Enduring unjust shame.

You let them nail You to the cross

Without a word or sigh

So we could have eternal life…

In our place You would die.

The priceless legacy You left

Is filled with love and grace…

You promise that if we believe

We’ll see You face to face.

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You can find my April Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please sign up to receive posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks.

Frances Gregory Pasch’s devotions and poems have been published hundreds of times in devotional booklets, magazines, and Sunday school papers since 1985. Her writing has also appeared in several dozen compilations. Frances’ latest book, Greater Than Gold is available on Amazon. Her first book, Double Vision: Seeing God in Everyday Life Through Devotions and Poetry, which was published when she was eighty years old, is also available on Amazon. Frances has been leading a women’s Christian writers group since 1991 and makes her own holiday greeting cards incorporating her poetry. She and her husband, Jim, have been married since 1958. They have five sons and nine grandchildren. Contact her at http://www.francesgregorypasch.com.

Christ is Risen

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Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash
 

 

Christ Is Risen

by Frances Gregory Pasch

Let’s look beyond the Easter scene
Of colored eggs and jelly beans.
Let’s set our eyes upon the Lord
And feast instead upon His Word.

Let’s not forget that we’d be lost
Had Jesus not died on the cross.
He nailed our sins upon the tree
And rose again so we’d be free.

So let’s sing out in jubilation!
Christ, alone, is our salvation.
Lord and Savior…Counselor, King,
Great Provider…Our Everything.

Frances Gregory Pasch’s devotions and poems have been published hundreds of times in devotional booklets, magazines, and Sunday school papers since 1985. Her writing has also appeared in several dozen compilations. Frances’ latest book, Greater Than Gold is available on Amazon. Her first book, Double Vision: Seeing God in Everyday Life Through Devotions and Poetry, which was published when she was eighty years old, is also available on Amazon. Frances has been leading a women’s Christian writers group since 1991 and makes her own holiday greeting cards incorporating her poetry. She and her husband, Jim, have been married since 1958. They have five sons and nine grandchildren. Contact her at http://www.francesgregorypasch.com.

Very early that Sunday morning, the women made their way to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared.  Arriving at the tomb they discovered that the huge stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside,  so they went in to look. But the tomb was empty. The body of Jesus was gone!

 They stood there, stunned and perplexed. Suddenly two men in dazzling white robes shining like lightning appeared above them. Terrified, the women fell to the ground on their faces.

The men in white said to them, “Why would you look for the living On in a tomb? He is not here, for he has risen! Have you forgotten what he said to you while he was still in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man is destined to be handed over to sinful men to be nailed to a cross, and on the third day he will rise again’?”

 All at once they remembered his words. Luke 24:1-8 (TPT)

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

You can find my April Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Jesus is Our Living Hope

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Hallelujah, Jesus Christ is our Living Hope.

The Lion of Judah roared mightily that Resurrection Day so long ago, and his victorious voice continues to speak to all with ears to hear.

He set us free. He broke every chain that bound us to the evil one.

Jesus is the Victor. The Mighty Warrior. The Conqueror. He defeated Satan, hell, sin, and death.

Jesus Christ is the One in whom our hope is found.

He sits at the right hand of his Father in heaven, waiting for the day he returns for his Bride, the Church. On that day, Christ will take those who confess their hope, trust, and allegiance to the King of kings and LORD of Lords with him to their eternal home in heaven.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

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Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Sunday Scriptures – Jesus Won the Victory

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

On this blessed Resurrection Sunday of Easter we proclaim with the angels in heaven, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Jesus won the victory over hell, sin, Satan, and death. He sits at the Father’s right hand as our Advocate, Intercessor, Mediator, and High Priest.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus’ favorite disciple and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him.”

Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They ran side by side, until the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got there first. He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in.

When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus’ face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself. The disciple who got there first then went into the tomb, and when he saw it, he believed.  At that time Peter and the other disciple did not know that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise to life.  So the two of them went back to the other disciples.

Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot. The angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?”

She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body! I don’t know where they have put him.”

As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him, “Rabboni.” The Aramaic word “Rabboni” means “Teacher.”

Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But tell my disciples that I am going to the one who is my Father and my God, as well as your Father and your God.” Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what he had said to her.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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[bctt tweet=”On this blessed Easter Sunday we proclaim with the angels, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Jesus won the victory over hell, sin, Satan, and death. ” username=”SandyKQuandt”]

Hallelujah

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Easter Sunday as Pilot and I listened to the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah, my mind began to contemplate different aspects of the song. You might say my mind wandered … as it is prone to do. When I shared my thoughts with Pilot on the matter, he said it sounded like a blog post, so here it is. 🙂

At first as I sang along with the song, I marveled at how glorious it might be in heaven every Resurrection Sunday as the angelic beings sing their version of the Hallelujah Chorus to Jesus Christ the Resurrected Lord and King, who reigns forever and ever and ever. It gave me goosebumps to imagine it.

Then, I thought about the verses in Revelation that speak of the multitudes who sing their praises to Jesus day and night, without ceasing.

After I cogitated on that awhile, a different thought came to me.

Yes. Easter is the day on our calendar we celebrate Jesus’ victory over hell, sin, Satan, and death. Glory hallelujah. The Resurrected Savior reigns now and forever.

But. Celebrating Jesus’ victory is not just a one day a year event. It is for every day of every year from now through eternity.

Jesus is King of kings. LORD of lords. His reign shall never end.

I believe it is a glorious thing to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection during the Easter season, but I also believe it is a glorious thing to remember Christ’s sacrifice, death, burial, resurrection, and return every other day, as well.May we join our voices with those in the heavens who raise their praises to our Lord day after day and night after night. It will be wonderful practice for the day we see Jesus face to face. Don’t you think?

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Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8 (NLT)

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders…He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words:  “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:4-9 (NLT)

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:11-12 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

Sunday Scriptures – Where Have You Put Him?

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Where have you put him?

That’s the question Mary Magdalene asked when she saw the empty tomb where the body of her Lord was placed three short days earlier.

We can ask ourselves the same question Mary asked. Where have we put him?

Is Christ at the center of our life, or have we shuffled him off to a corner somewhere and forgotten him, until we need something?

Do we seek out Jesus first thing in the morning the way Mary did? Or do days, weeks, months pass before we even give him a second thought?

Do we long to see our Savior’s face and glorify him? Does he fill our days with the joy only he can give? Do we live to serve him and him alone?

When people look at us and ask, “Where have you put him?” can they see Jesus living in and through us?

Are our lives a testimony to the truth our Redeemer forever lives? And because our Redeemer lives, we can too.

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Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in. Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.)

John 20:1-9 (NCV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Because Jesus Lives

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Easter is over for one more year.

We’ve sung “He Lives” and rejoiced.

We’ve wept at the thought of spikes piercing Christ’s flesh when it should have been our hands and feet that were pierced.

Our hearts broke at the thought of God turning his back on his son because Jesus carried our sins upon his perfect sinless self.

We contemplated what it meant that Jesus paid the debt we owed, but could never pay.

Jesus came to earth, lived as a human, felt everything we feel, was tempted in every way we are tempted, yet never sinned. He offered his perfect sinless self as a sacrifice for our sins so that everyone who believes in him would have eternal life with him in heaven.

Because Jesus conquered death and rose to life, we can too.

He broke death’s chains that bind us. He broke sins shackles that enslave us. He broke Satan’s hold over us.

Because he lives we can overcome the trials of this life through his power in us.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. No one can come to God except through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is the conqueror who reigns forever and will return.

We need not fear, for in Christ, we are more than conquerors.

Easter is over for one more year.

Will it make any difference in how we live our lives today?

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Jesus told her, “I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Sunday Scriptures – Jesus is The Victor!

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Isaiahby Sandy Kirby Quandt

It is finished!

Jesus has done it!

Life conquered death, he has won the battle for us!

Satan is defeated and Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords Lives and Reigns forever!

He is the Victor who was and is and is to come!

Praise God!

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 But at the first signs of dawn on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb, taking with them the aromatic spices they had prepared. They discovered that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on going inside, the body of the Lord Jesus was not to be found. While they were still puzzling over this, two men suddenly stood at their elbow, dressed in dazzling light. The women were terribly frightened, and turned their eyes away and looked at the ground. But the two men spoke to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here: he has risen! Remember what he said to you, while he was still in Galilee—that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and must be crucified, and must rise again on the third day.” Luke 24:1-7 (Phillips)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

Pause for Poetry – Christ is Risen

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Welcome to Pause for Poetry featuring a poem written by my writer-friend, Frances Gregory Pasch.

Christ Is Risen

by Frances Gregory Pasch

Let’s look beyond the Easter scene
Of colored eggs and jelly beans.
Let’s set our eyes upon the Lord
And feast instead upon His Word.

Let’s not forget that we’d be lost
Had Jesus not died on the cross.
He nailed our sins upon the tree
And rose again so we’d be free.

So let’s sing out in jubilation!
Christ, alone, is our salvation.
Lord and Savior…Counselor, King,
Great Provider…Our Everything.

© Frances Gregory Pasch

Frances Gregory Pasch’s devotions and poems have been published hundreds of times in devotional booklets, magazines, and Sunday school papers since 1985. Her writing has also appeared in several dozen compilations. Her book, Double Vision: Seeing God in Everyday Life Through Devotions and Poetry is available on Amazon. Frances has been leading a women’s Christian writers group since 1991 and makes her own holiday greeting cards incorporating her poetry. She and her husband, Jim, have been married since 1958. They have five sons and nine grandchildren. Contact her at http://www.francesgregorypasch.com.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave a comment below. If you think others would appreciate reading this please share it through the social media buttons.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

God’s Perfect Plan

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

While meditating on the Easter message of how God gave his son, Jesus, up on the cross of Calvary to save mankind from our sins, I thought about multiple things. One I’ll share here.

Sometimes we are called to surrender our loved ones to God’s plan, when that plan may not seem like the best plan to us.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “There will be hell to pay…” I never quite understood that phrase but knew it sounded dreadful, so I looked it up. It means “great trouble”. As in, Jesus’ great love for us and his obedience to the will of his Father caused great trouble, or hell to pay, when he bore God’s cup of wrath on his perfect sinless body so we, in all our sinfulness, wouldn’t have to.

In Andrew Peterson’s “The Chasing Song” one line is seared into my brain. He chased my sin to Calvary and he caught it on that hill.

Jesus paid hell to release us from Satan’s clutches.

God allowed his blessed son to endure the unimaginable. He gave Jesus up to the cross when that probably did not seem like the best plan to his disciples.

But thanks be to God for the sacrifice and resurrection! Major fist pump, here.

Often times as parents we might be hesitant to release our children to God’s perfect plan for their lives. Although we love them deeply, we need to realize God loves them more.

In thinking of Jesus, our Sacrificial Lamb who saves those covered by his blood, I thought of the Israelites in Egypt. I thought about the passover lamb whose blood spared those under it when the Death Angel passed over.

As is my way, I followed those thoughts and they led me to Jocebed, Moses’ mother. She knew God had a plan for his people, but didn’t know what that plan was.

When her son, Moses, was born I am positive it caused her great trouble to put her 3-month-old baby in a papyrus basket and place him along the reeds in the crocodile infested waters of the Nile River.

Jocebed’s love for her son left him in God’s loving hands. Not an easy task at times.

Has God called you to release someone precious to you so he can work in that person’s life to complete his perfect plan in and through them? Has God asked you to give them up to his loving heart? Is the releasing process causing you great trouble?

When asked to place our child in a papyrus basket, set it in a crocodile infested river, and leave him or her to the Father’s care, we can take heart and rest confidently in the fact God loves our children more than we ever could.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave a comment below. If you think others would appreciate reading this please share it through the social media buttons.

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. Exodus 2:1-3 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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One of my posts will appear on Inspire a Fire today. Please stop by and check it out.