Easter Text Twist

If you have ever played the online game, text twist, then you will know that the objective of that game is to make as many words as you can from the letters provided. In this variation as an Easter game, the letters used are the letters in the word “Easter.” It’s great for those events when you need a “paper and pencil” activity or a game that requires minimal physical activity. Participants can be divided into groups for more fun.

Here are the words that can be made from the letters in the word “Easter”:
are, art, ate, ear, eat, era, ere, rat, ret, sat, sea, see, ser, set, tae, tar, tea, tee, arte, arts, ears, ease, east, eats, eras, etas, rate, rats, rest, sate, sear, seat, seer, sera, sere, seta, star, tare, tars, tear, teas, tees, tree, tsar, aster, easer, eater, erase, ester, rates, reset, setae, stare, steer, tares, tears, tease, terse, trees, eaters, reseat, teaser

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Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

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Easter: God doing the Impossible

The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities:
a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb.

Jesus entered our world through a door marked “No Entrance”
and left through a door marked “No Exit.”

And for all who feel it is impossible to overcome the situations facing them
—sickness, death, divorce, persecution, loneliness, despair, addictions—
Jesus stands at the human door marked “No Way” and knocks.

-Peter Larson

I wonder what impossible situations you are facing this season? Relationship issues? Ministry Issues? Parenting Issues? Job? Finances? Spiritual burnout? Or any of those seemingly impossible situations mentioned by Peter Larson in the above quote?

Whether they are minor or major, Jesus has an answer!
Even for those that seem impossible, God has an answer!
Isn’t that the real story of Easter? God did the impossible, to reconcile us with him!
And he promises that he will do impossible things in us and through us?

Only a few years back I was in one of those impossible situations, like the stone rolled in front of the tomb, a door was closed in my life that I thought would never be reopened. It was one of the darkest moments of my life!
It was a time when I was confronted with some harsh realities of my life, a time of personal despair and for a while I lost all hope.

Many of those, treasured as close friends – deserted me. But by God’s grace a few very special saints persevered with me and saw me through until the grace of God could bring a ray of hope to a new day, to a new chapter in my life.

Easter morning came to my life, and every day I am more amazed with the grace, the love, and the sacrifice Christ made to bring about Resurrection and Reconciliation, not only in my life, but in the life of every single sinner who will trust Him!

And just when I find myself back in a locked room, like the disciples after the crucifixion, focused within instead of the world outside, he suddenly appears and reminds me of the holes in his hands and feet and side – of the sacrifice he made for me. And he reminds me HE IS ALIVE.

Not only is he alive, but he wants to live through me to bring his love to a world outside that desperately needs it. He asks me to put aside my doubts and simply trust and obey!
He’ll take care of everything else!

I wonder what it is that you consider impossible in your life?
Easter reminds us that God makes a habit of doing the impossible!
Will you trust him with the impossible in your life this Easter?

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The 7 Last Words of Jesus Christ from the Cross

The 7 last words of Jesus Christ from the cross are actually 7 short phrases that Jesus spoke while hanging on the cross. None of the writers of the four gospels record all 7 of these phrases, so you have to piece them together from the gospel accounts.

  1. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23: 34)
  2. “This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 43)
  3. “Woman, behold thy son.” (John 19:25-27)
  4. “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
  5. “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
  6. “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
  7. “Into thine hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Teaching Ideas using these 7 phrases of Christ

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Christ’s Death on the Cross – Trusting in the Catcher

One day, I was sitting with Rodleigh, the leader of the troupe, in his caravan, talking about flying. He said, “As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher, The public might think that I am the greatest star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.”

“How does it work?” I asked.

“The secret,” Rodleigh said, “is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything: when I fly to Joe, I have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely over the apron behind the catchbar.”

“You do nothing!” I said, surprised.

“Nothing,” Rodleigh repeated. “A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”

When Rodleigh said this with so much conviction, the words of Jesus flashed through my mind: “Father into your hands I commend my Spirit.” Dying is trusting in the catcher. To care for the dying is to say, “Don’t be afraid. Remember that you are the beloved child of God. He will be there when you make your long jump. Don’t try to grab him; he will grab you. Just stretch out your arms and hands and trust, trust, trust.”

Source: Henri J. M. Nouwen
“Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation On Dying And Caring” (Harper, 1994)

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A Song of Love

In his allegory “The Singer”, Calvin Miller gives insight into the supernatural war that was waged in those days from the cross to the empty tomb. The Troubadour (Christ) brings a song of love to the world ruled by World Hater (Satan).

Later, as the Troubadour is being tortured, World Hater cries out to God, ” ‘Look how he dies. Cry, Creator, Cry! This is my day to stand upon the breast of God and claim my victory over love. You lost the gamble.

In but an hour your lover will be pulp upon the gallows. Did you tell him when his fingers formed the world, that he would die on Terra, groaning with his hands crushed in my great machine?’

“He laughed and turned to look again upon the Troubadour. ‘Now, who will sing the Father’s Song?’ he asked the dying man.”

Later in the story, Miller paints this scene:
“World Hater reached the threshold of eternity and found the doorway of the worlds, not only open, but clearly ripped away. He strained to hear the everlasting wail, the eternal dying which he loved. All was silent. Then he heard the Song.

“‘ No!’ he cried. ‘Give me back the door and key for this is my domain.’ He felt again and found the great key at his waist had disappeared.

“He steeled himself for the battle out ahead. He would have to fight the Song. He would fight with every weapon in his arsenal of hate.

“But he knew that he would lose. And he knew that when the course of time was done, the door would be put back upon the Canyon of the Damned, and he would be locked in with all the discord of the universe. . . .”

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The Crucifixion of Christ

crucifixion.jpgI posted this last year, but it is worth the reminder. This article was originally printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is a medically and historically accurate account of the physical death of Jesus Christ. It contains illustrations and walks through the events of the crucifixion from a medical perspective. Its very enlightening especially this time of the year when we contemplate the events around the easter celebration. This is a scan of the images and reformat of the original article. Only the formatting has been changed.

Click here to download the adobe acrobat PDF file [1.25 megabytes in size] from the website

Source:
“On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ”
William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv; Floyd E Hosmer, MS, AMI
Reprinted from JAMA – The Journal of the American Medical Association
March 21, 1986, Volume 256
Copyright 1986, American Medical Association

If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can get it for free from here:
Download Acrobat reader

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Dice throwing at the Cross?

There was some dice-throwing that went on at the foot of the cross…I’ve wondered what the scene must have looked like to Jesus…

‘All right, all right–this throw is for the sandals.’

Casting lots for the possessions of Christ. Heads ducked. Eyes downward. Cross forgotten…

It makes me think of us. The religious. Those who claim heritage at the cross. I’m thinking of all of us. Every believer in the land. The stuffy. The loose. The strict. The simple. Upper church. Lower church. ‘Spirit-filled.’ Millenialists. Evangelical. Political. Mystical. Literal. Cynical. Robes. Collars. Three-piece suits. Born-againers. Ameners.

I’m thinking of us.

I’m thinking that we aren’t so unlike those soldiers. (I’m sorry to say)

We, too, play games at the foot of the cross. We compete for members. We scramble for status. We deal our judgments and condemnations. Competition. Selfishness. Personal gain. It’s all there. We don’t like what the other did so we take the sandal we won and walk away in a huff.

So close to the timbers yet so far from the blood.

We are so close to the world’s most uncommon event, but we act like common crapshooters huddled in bickering groups and fighting over silly opinions.

How many pulpit hours have been wasted on preaching the trivial? How many churches have tumbled at the throes of miniscuity? How many leaders have saddled their pet peeves, drawn their swords of bitterness and launched into battle against brethren over issues that are not worth discussing?

So close to the cross but so far from the Christ…

Are our differences that divisive? Are our opinions that obtrusive? Are our walls that wide? Is it that impossible to find a common cause?

‘May they all be one,’ Jesus prayed.

One. Not one in groups of two thousand. But one in One. One church. One faith. One Lord. Not Baptist, not Methodist, not Adventist. Just Christian. No denominations. No hierarchies. No traditions. Just Christ.

Too idealistic? Impossible to achieve? I don’t think so. Harder things have been done, you know. For example, once upon a tree, a Creator gave his life for his creation. Maybe all we need are a few hearts that are willing to follow suit.”

Max Lucado – “No Wonder They Call Him Savior”

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Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

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In the Service

One day a pastor noticed seven-year-old Alex staring at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. It was covered with names, and small US flags were mounted on either side. Alex had been staring for a long time, so the pastor walked up beside him and said, “Good morning, Alex.”

“Good morning, Pastor,” replied the youngster, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor, what’s this for?”

“Well, son, it is for all the young men and women who have died in the service.”

Soberly, they stood together staring at the plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible as he asked, “Which service, the 9 o’clock or the 11 o’clock?”

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No Way?

The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked “No Entrance” and left through a door marked “No Exit.” And for all who feel it is impossible to overcome the situations facing them—sickness, death, divorce, persecution, loneliness, despair, addictions—Jesus stands at the human door marked “No Way” and knocks.

Peter Larson