Category: Easter

11.9.22: Heaven on earth #2

Ruth Kirk

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; RSV). 

During an on-line conversation yesterday morning, a friend and I were discussing free will. I was praying in between reading and responding to their messages, and suddenly saw that when everyone freely chooses to do God’s will out of love, we will all live in heaven on earth.

Until that blessed day arrives, each of us can help the world to move towards it, by treating everyone with love, no matter how they behave towards us.

All this became much clearer in my mind when I was praying at bedtime: we can live in heaven on earth individually, and we can also live this way collectively. Free will means that the choice is ours.

When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will (Leviticus 22:29; NKJV).

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ (Ephesians 5:2; NLT).

References

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind (Luke 10:27; NLT).

Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27; NLT).


Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:28; NLT).

Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing (Luke 23:34; NLT).

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them (Romans 12:9; NLT). 

Do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:14; NLT).

Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17; NLT).

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us (Luke 11:4; NLT).

We have all sinned against you (Jeremiah 14:20; NLT).

Christ waits

Ruth Kirk

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us
(Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Every day is Christmas Day,
And every day is Easter.
Every day, within us all,
Christ waits to be our Teacher.

Every day he’s born again,
And every day, tormented.
Every day, within us all,
Christ waits to be befriended.

Every day he lives for us,
And every day he’s dying.
Every day, within us all,
Christ waits, with tears, and sighing.

Every day he shares our joy,
And every day, our sorrow.
Every day, within us all,
Christ waits, until tomorrow.

The Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion
(Isaiah 30:18; NLT).  

It’s Advent!

Ruth Kirk


Image: Dorothée Quennesson, Pixabay

🧡

1. It’s Advent, Lord:
I wait anew,
To hear your cry,
And welcome you.

2. It’s Christmas:
And you’re born afresh
In my poor mind, heart,
Soul, and flesh.

3. It’s Easter, Lord:
You rise again,
To free me from
All sin and pain.

4. It’s Pentecost:
Each day you burn
Within me,
Till your great return.

🧡

References

1. Wait expectantly for him (Psalm 37:7; CSB).

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3; NKJV).

2. She gave birth to her first-born son (Luke 2:6; RSV).

I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

3. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman Soldiers to be crucified (Mark 15:15; NLT).

You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! (Mark 16:6; NLT).

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

4. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3-4; NLT).

Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32; NLT).

His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:28; NLT).

In the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64; NLT).

It’s always the Beginning

Ruth Kirk

Image: WikiImages, Pixabay

His mercies begin afresh each morning
(Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

1. It’s always the Beginning, Lord:
Each day you make me new.

2. It’s always Advent,
While you wait for me to turn to you.

3. It’s always Christmas, Lord:
You’re born again in my poor soul.

4. It’s always Holy Week,
When you face death to make me whole.

5. It’s always Easter, Lord:
You rise again to give me faith.

6. It’s always Pentecost,
When your great Spirit gives me grace.

7. It’s always Harvest, Lord:
Each night we probe the day that’s past –

8. So it’s always Judgement Day,
Lord, may I see your face, at last?

 

References

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; NLT).

He who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5; RSV).

2. The Lord must wait for you to come to him (Isaiah 30:18; NLT).

3. She gave birth to her first-born son (Luke 2:6; RSV).

I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3; NLT).

4. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

5. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! (Mark 16:6; NLT).

I pray [that] Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:16-17; NET).

6. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you (Acts 1:8; NLT).

God saved you by his grace when you believed (Ephesians 2:8; NLT).

7. You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest (Exodus 34:22; NLT).

The harvest is the end of the world (Matthew 13:39; NLT).

8. As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement (1 John 4:17; NLT).

Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; NRSV).

You are the earth

Ruth Kirk

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).

You are the solid earth we stand on;
You are the blazing sun above.
You are the sea that rolls forever;
You are the wellspring of all love.

You are the friend we can rely on;
You are the one who shares our dread.
You are the teacher, and the shepherd;
You are the consecrated bread.

You are the source of living water;
You are the gardener, and the vine.
You are the the way, the truth, the life;
You are the eucharistic wine.

You are the Christ, the true Messiah;
You are the sacrificial Lamb.
You are the Son of Man, our Saviour;
You are our God, the great I AM.

References

God created everything through him (John 1:3; NLT).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

You are my friends (John 15:15; NLT).

Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).

I am the good shepherd (John 10:14; NLT).

I am the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51; NLT).

Rivers of living water will flow from his heart (John 7:38; NLT).

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener (John 15:1; NLT).

I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6; NLT).

He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood” (Matthew 26:27-8; NLT).

Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah! (John 4:26; NLT).

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7; NLT).

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20; NLT).

The Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world (1John 4:4; NLT).

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9; NLT).

“I AM he, Jesus said (John 18:8; NLT).

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14; NLT).

How did you hold back?

Ruth Kirk

 

Father,

How did you hold back
As Christ was whipped and mocked?
How did you contain your wrath
Towards the crowds who flocked?

How did you prepare to watch
Your Son’s last sacrifice?
How did you stay silent
When the soldiers threw their dice?

How did you endure it
When they nailed him to the cross?
How did you bear up, Lord,
As you shared his pain and loss?

How did you contain your grief
As he paid for our sin?
How did you forgive all those
Who scoffed, and taunted him?

How did you respond
When Jesus took his final breath?
You opened wide your arms, Lord,
And received his soul, in death.

 

References

He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman Soldiers to be crucified (Mark 15:15; NLT).

The mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:23; NLT).

The solderers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice (Matthew 27:35; NLT).

Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).

In all their suffering he also suffered (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; RSV).

“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! (Matthew 27:42; NLT).

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NLT).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Spring flowers

Ruth Kirk

 

Golden gorse, you gladly sing
To greet the birth of Christ our King.

Drifts of bluebells softly say:
Remember Mary every day.

Snow-white hawthorn tells us of
Transfiguration by God’s love.

Blackthorn gives a warning cry:
Jesus lives, yet he must die.

Swaying palms, you shout with loud
Hosannas, like the joyful crowd.

A tree is felled, to make the cross
On which Christ’s life-blood will be lost.

Fragile primrose whispers: pain
And death; but he will rise again.

Easter lily, awed and hushed:
He lives in me. It is enough.

 

References

The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20; NLT).

Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38; KJV).

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2; NIV).

This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him! (Mark 9:7; NLT).

The Son of Man must die, as the scriptures declared long ago (Matthew 26:24; NLT).

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna!” (John 12:12-13; RSV).

Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).

Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day (Luke 24:7; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Easter Day

Ruth Kirk

Happy Easter to you all xxxxxxx

 

 

Lord,

Helping those who suffer
Is the same as helping you –
This is what you taught your friends, 
And I believe it’s true.

Lifting those who stumble
Is the same as lifting you –
Thus, Simon had to lend his strength,
So you could stand anew. 

Serving those who perish
Is the same as serving you –
Like Mary, and her sister,
And their friend, the Magdalen. 

Loving other people
Is the same as loving you –
As God loved you on Easter Day, 
So you could rise again. 

 

References 

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus (Luke 23:26; NLT).

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25; NLT).

God raised him to life on the third day (Acts 10:40; NLT).