Easter
Free Family Easter materials
The Good Book Company have made their Easter Unscrambled family devotional material available for free online, with the aim of providing 5-10min Bible times to help families celebrate the crucified, risen King, during the week running up to Easter Sunday.
To make use of the material all you need to do is register here
1 Thessalonians 4:1-17 – Christ Will Return
Colossians 3:1-17 – Putting on the new life
Colossians 3:1-11 – Living the New Life
Romans 6:1-14 – Alive to God
Luke 24:1-25 – Life with the Risen Jesus
The LORD is risen – a new world dawns
The LORD is risen. He is risen indeed!
This great quote from Chesterton on the immensity of the ressurection.
On the third day the friends of Christ coming at daybreak to the place found the grave empty and the stone rolled away. In varying ways they realized the new wonder; but even they hardly realized that the world had died in the night. What they were looking at was the first day of a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth; and in a semblance of the gardener God walked again in the garden, in the cool not of the evening but the dawn.
G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
Christ’s loss for my gain
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst that 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 Saviour 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 unclouded brightness,
expired that I might forever live.
From “Love Lustres at Calvary,” The Valley of Vision, p.76-77
Great High Priest we view Thee stooping
Great High Priest we view Thee stooping
With our names upon Thy breast;
In the garden groaning, drooping,
To the ground, with horrors pressed;
Holy angels stood confounded,
To behold their Maker thus:
And can we remain unmoved,
When we know ’twas all for us?
On the cross Thy body broken,
Cancels every penal tie,
Tempted souls, produce this token,
All demands to satisfy.
All is finished, do not doubt it,
But believe your dying Lord,
Never reason more about it,
Only take him at His Word.
Lord we fain would trust Thee solely,
‘Twas for us Thy blood was spilt;
Bruised Bridegroom, take us wholly,
Take and make us what Thou wilt.
Thou hast borne the bitter sentence
Past on man’s accursed race;
True belief and true repentance,
Are Thy gifts, Thou God of grace.
Joseph Hart, 1712-68
WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE 