EASTER REMEMBERED

THIS WEEK WE WANT TO SHARE HOW EASTER WITH IN

Testimony Faith Homes will be spent.

We want to give your this preview because we shall not send out 

a Blog - just a Greeting 

EASTER has taken on greater importance, and is noticed here among us more and more as the years go by.    It starts in a very real sense on the THURSDAY, on what is in the English Tradition  called Maundy Thursday - a day when the King or Queen remembers the poor, distributing money to them.  But this is not why WE remember Thursday before Easter.   NO!   We remember the Passover, or Last Supper, celebrated in the Upper Room that night BEFORE Jesus was Crucified at Golgotha in Jerusalem, from where - in Zion - the perfection of beauty, God has shined'. Psalm 50v2

THUS ON NEXT THURSDAY, 17th April, at our usual Supper Time we shall remember the Lord's Supper.     Each of our four Homes for Children will sit down together in their respective dining rooms (Esther and myself, Daryl and his family, and a few friends or other family relatives) doing the same in Green Cottage) and have a Special meal of -

Roast Lamb

Unleavened Bread 

& Bitter Herbs

(also on the table will be water or fruit juice and Bread)

The Unleavened Bread will be in the form of Chapati, and there will be perhaps also a little potato and extra vegetable available since for us this will be our main meal of the day, and the children at least need to be satisfied even as they hear of the significance of this time together.     And of course there IS significance in it all.

IN EXODUS 12 we are told how God delivered and set His people, Israel, FREE from slavery; a slavery they had endured for 400 years.   They were oppressed, abused, and shackled to the evil will of Pharaoh King of Egypt.      Them Moses arose to lead them out and away from that slavery and distress.     God told him to warn and tell the people - each family of them - to take and kill a LAMB, and to smear its blood over the doors of their homes..  THEN to roast its meat and eat it in hast with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, before leaving Egypt in a hurry.  

 In doing this they would be set free to begin a NEW and BETTER life.

1. The roasted Lamb

This speaks of a substitute dying for the rest.

Providing them with Strength to go on to a New Life and Existence.

2. The unleavened Bread

Bread made in the most quick and sparing manner, unmixed and simple,

to quicken the preparation and eating of the meal because of the need to HURRY.

3. The bitter herbs

To remind them all of the suffering and misery as slaves,

and to encourage them in their determination to leave that slavery behind them for ever.

All this is explained by Father of each family as the meal is served and eaten     It is also explained that it was the Memory of leaving Egypt and of having been set free by the power of God that Jesus and His friends were celebrating that evening.      BUT there was also something else - something very special for Jesus.     Something NEW was now to be bound up with this Memory - a New Deliverance and Salvation.       JESUS Himself was to be God's Lamb of Sacrifice for all our sins.      

The Bible says that SIN, the ungodly things we think, say and do against God's Will and Plan, can only be forgiven by the shedding of blood.     The death of a creature purer than we are, sinless.

GENESIS 3v21 - Adam and Eve's sins were covered up only the shedding of blood - the covering THEY made for themselves could never be enough.     God had to kill some creature - perhaps a lamb.

GENESIS 4v4 - Abel's sins were blotted out by the blood of the lamb that he took and slew instead of himself.

EXODUS 12 - All the people of Israel were hidden and protected from the Angel of Death when they put the blood of the lamb over their own dwelling where they lived.   God said to THEM - when I see the blood over you I will pass over you and let you go free.

And John the Baptist in the Gospel of John 1v29  'BEHOLD (look and see) The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!)    He pointed to JESUS.      Yes Jesus IS the lamb of God.   The One God Himself chose to redeem US and to purchase our life out of the hand of the Devil, that we might LIVE a NEW life; that we might be BORN anew!      Jesus knew that night as He ate supper with His friends that HE was to become OUR 'Passover Lamb'  and that if we let Him into our lives His power would for ever strengthen us to GROW and LIVE a life freed from the domination of sin.   Ever since the day after that Passover it is understood to be that 

Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for US.  - 1.Corinthians 5v7

Therefore let us keep the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth

and not with the unleavened bread of a life mixed with sin.

AND SO by the end of our meal we have come to recognise God's deliberate intention in His Love for us, to SAVE us to the uttermost.    The blood of animals could never completely cleanse or save us from the AWFUL consequences of our godless lives, the Blood of Jesus will and can.     Let us take Him into our lives as our meat and drink - the means to live a NEW and BETTER life for EVER!

AND  so the meal over and the explanations made the Bread and the Water is handed round, just as it was done by Jesus that amazing night.     We all examine our heart and mind as to what we believe.

One of you will betray - one of you will give up for something else, and refuse me.

Is it ME Lord?

The table cleared the dishes washed we join together in a hymn or two and perhaps a prayer.  THIS year the TV, the computers, the i-pods and even telephones will be turned off, shut down for rest of Thursday evening - except for a showing of the Life and Crucifixion of Jesus on Saturday, until Monday morning.        This is a TIME to shut out EVERYTHING that might take our mind and thought away from the only Way any of us may have to realise true Salvation, Eternal Security, and Peace with God.    Miss this and we miss everything.      Only Hell and Death remain.

FRIDAY THE 18TH April is GOOD FRIDAY.      GOOD because Jesus Christ DIED for our sins, for our FORGIVENESS and to provide us with a NEW life.       We remember what it cost HIM, our own part in making His Suffering necessary.       Yes truly a GOOD day but not without a great sombreness and sorrow.       Not a happy day to confront of own imperfection.

WE come together as a community of four families of children, parents, staff and friends to Remember Him, and what happened on that Day.      We all gather in the Testimony School Hall to pray and consider

.....There is usually no Message given on this day, and no Breaking of Bread.  It is a plain Meeting of 8 Bible Readings, two or three hymns and choir pieces, and usually a short dramatic presentation referring to the events of Christs Death.      About an hour and a half, and then as we leave there is cup of tea and a Hot Cross Bun.

The rest of the day is quietly spent.

SATURDAY is still our weekly cleaning day in all the Homes and compound.    But as I mentioned there will be showing of the Life and Death of Jesus during the afternoon or evening.

We have the Jesus Film so well used the world over.     We have the Crucifixion - a recent production which is very fine but at times over violent preventing us allowing the youngest to see it.    And there is also Franco Zeffirelli's fine four part production.      Quite a selection.

On SUNDAY WE WAKE UP TO JOY!     why?   BECAUSE HE HAS RISEN!    We remember that although Crucified, Dead and Buried Christ DID Rise Again to live forever with us.   He is ALIVE!

Oh what JOY,  What consolation, What Confident Happiness.    He is ALIVE      A DAY of true happiness.     We all gather again at 10a.m. in the morning and REJOICE in a two hour service before giving the rest of the day to family joys and rejoicings.

THIS is the general pattern for the moment of how we celebrate our Easters here in TFH.    It has become much more than Christmas or any other Festival of the Church.      

The week ahead will be busy preparing ourselves, and to welcome family guests.     our prayers will be with all of you, dear friends, brothers and sisters.    May YOUR Easter grow on you, drawing closer to and deeper in the apprehension of Christ and all that He is and has DONE for us.    WE shall not forget you.

Lovingly always in Him, and in the Mercy and Faithfulness of our Father in Heaven

John and Esther, Daryl and all at Testimony.