“…I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NKJV)

Standing at a distance, she gazed at the man’s crucified body, dying on a cross, as her heart pounded in agony. Deep sobs heaved her chest. Her knees began to buckle.

What brought her to the cross? A mother’s love. For this was Mary’s son, dying for the world.

John the disciple, who had leaned upon this Divine Man so many times, stood with Mary, in utter dismay.

What brought him to the cross? Genuine love and deep gratitude.

With John and Mary stood Mary Magdalene, trembling. Tears of grief streamed down her cheeks.

What brought her to the cross? Love, for the forgiveness of the sins in her life, for scripture says, “…Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” (Luke 7:47a, NKJV)

Kneeling on the ground at the foot of this Man’s cross, the soldiers cast lots for His tunic.

What brought them to the cross? Their duty and their greed.

Two thieves hung on either side of this cross.

What brought them to the cross? Violation of the law.

Simon the Cyrenian was there.

What brought him to the cross? He bore the burden of the cross to the hill of sacrifice.

The multitude gathered, murmuring to each other.

What brought them to the cross? Anger. Belittlement. Wonderment. Doubting.

The chief priests stood with the scribes, poised in pride and defiance.

What brought them to the cross? They came to mock Him, thinking it all utter foolishness.

What did all these people have in common? They all needed the very thing for which this Man Jesus was dying on the cross: salvation and the forgiveness of their sins.

Some accepted it; some rejected it. Paul later wrote to the Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18)

What brings you to the cross? Love? Gratitude? Grief? Duty? Have you violated God’s Law? Are you bearing a burden? Do you come weeping in pain, sorrow, or loss? Are you emptied of hopes and dreams or feeling lost in your circumstances?

Without the cross, there would be no garden of Easter gladness…to lift you up, to wipe away your tears, to remove your grave clothes of fear and depression. Walk that trail from the cross to Easter’s garden of resurrection. See your Saviour Jesus standing there, waiting for you.

He compassionately whispers your name and says, “Do not wear the grave-clothes stained with the tears of grief. Come into My garden of beauty and I will give you the robe of Easter’s resurrection gladness. Take My Hand and let Me lead you along the path to life everlasting. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I gave My life that you might live eternally with Me.”

Jesus always brings us hope of resurrection as on that first Easter morn. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NKJV)

Do you believe this? If so, weep no more. May you experience the salvation and forgiveness of the cross, the power of the resurrection, and embrace the risen life in a new way this Easter season.

Question: What brings you to the cross?

It’s almost time to celebrate Easter, which is great news, because Easter changes everything.

“The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world.  Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice.  But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.”

In years past many of us would have spent the last few weeks under the discipline of Lent, actively preparing our hearts for the Easter season.  But these days Easter can sneak up on us leaving us more concerned about filling baskets than taking the time to revisit the story of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Like me, I’m sure you know the story very well, but don’t miss out on the chance to spend a time with it again this year.  God will meet you in your study and show you fresh insights.Our life lesson series Journey Toward the Cross is an easy way to go through the story.  Each lesson has a text to read along with several questions.  Fill in your answers and a study coach will respond and pray for you.

Take the whole series or choose a single lesson from the list below:

A Week of Contrasts
Conversations Among Friends
Conversations with God
A Garden, a Courtyard and a Hill
Alive Forevermore: Beyond the Cross

May your heart and home be filled with joy as you contemplate the cross and celebrate the incredible gift of Easter. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Take the next step:

We know the Gospel, so why is it so hard to share the Gospel?
Thank you for Easter: An Easter prayer
Easter ideas for kids

If you’ve always wanted to share your faith but don’t know where to begin, come join the 35 Day Challenge.  Together we’ll learn why evangelism is so important, practice telling our own faith stories and pray for each other as we intentionally take the time to tell three people about God in the next 35 days.  You can start anytime, why not start today?

Further steps:
Read the Easter story
Watch the Easter story

Do you feel you can’t be real with anyone?  Take this free online lesson on the topic of secrets

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30 (NKJV)

Salvation was completely accomplished on the cross that day.

According to Strong’s concordance, the word “salvation” includes the concepts of “rescue, safety, deliverance, health, victory, help, success in everything, welfare, save, and liberty.” That is a very exciting and comprehensive package, and it belongs to each one of us who have received Christ. Not that we experience all of these things from the moment we are saved, but they are available to us and by faith we can trust God to work each one of these things into our lives.

The Word tells us that we are to “work out our own salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Our salvation package is akin to Israel being given the Promised Land. Though they had not even entered into it yet, they had God’s assurance that it belonged to them, but they would have to go in and take it one piece at a time. All that salvation offers is our Promised Land, and it is already ours even though we may not be experiencing it yet. It is up to each one of us to understand what God’s sacrifice has provided for us, to believe by faith that we can have it, and then “work it out” by coming into alignment with God’s principals, and see the promises become a reality in our own lives. This is what it is to “take back what the enemy has stolen from us.”

“I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:13).

“Let your mercies come also to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your Word” (Psalm 119:41).

“Lord I hope for your salvation and I do your commandments” (Psalm 119: 166).

“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

Questions: What does the word “salvation” mean to you?

Are you hiding behind secrets?

“God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2. Peter 3:9)

During my visit in Senegal, West Africa, my daughter and I went to see a dear Senegalese friend. Fatima had just returned from a trip to Mecca and was she ever excited! Her eyes glowed as she said, “I was in the procession of millions of other believers; I performed all the ceremonies; I circled the Ka’aba (the cube shaped stone building); I said all the prayers. I did it all.” Then her eyes clouded as she lowered her voice, “Still, if Allah should call me tonight, I don’t know if he would receive me into his heaven,” she said. “That’s really his choice, isn’t it?”

“Fatima, we can know for sure,” my daughter replied. “Should God call me tonight, I know I’d go to heaven, not because of all the things I’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for me.” She took Fatima’s hand and said softly, “And also for you – Jesus died for your sins also.”

An impersonal God requires ritual, rote prayers, sacrifices... and we can never be sure if we’ve done enough.

The Bible teaches that we have a personal God who wants a love relationship with us. He wants it so badly that He gave His only Son to die for our sins on the Cross.

Do you know of one person who doesn’t know Jesus personally? Perhaps she’s struggling with addictions, depression, loneliness or pride. What can you do to help her find Jesus?

1. Pray for her by name every day. Prayer breaks down spiritual barriers.

2. Spend time with her: Go for walks together, go out for coffee with her, help her with a project

3. Listen to her without giving advice. Listening affirms a person as a valued human being.

4. When you’ve gained her trust, share the good news of a personal, risen Savior who wants to set her free.

5. Continue to be her friend even if she doesn’t respond. Coming to Jesus is like being born again – there’s a gestation period. We need to continue to water the seed even though we don’t see a harvest.

Lord Jesus, you are still the good Shepherd who came to seek and to save the lost. I commit my friend to you right now…………(name her). I pray that your Holy Spirit will soften her heart and open her eyes to your salvation. Amen

Questions: Do you know someone who is struggling with life? How can you help her?  What can you do to help her find Jesus?

Have you been neglected your heart? Take our study to get the weeds out.

“Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

We have a small garden in our yard. In the busyness of life, our garden is often neglected. When it really starts to look bad, I am motivated to do some weeding. Some weeds are easy to pull, but others resist because their roots are strong and deep into the soil. The longer the time between weeding the more difficult the task will be.

My heart is like our garden, sometimes neglected for long periods of time. Weeds of anger, disappointment, fear, frustration, critical attitudes, worry and guilt are allowed to grow to the point that the garden of my heart is in bad shape! The solution? God’s Spirit, as the Divine Gardener of my heart has to deal with my neglect.

Today, allow God to do the needed weeding in your heart.  Ask Him to reveal the weeds that are growing by confessing sin and being honest with Him about the state of your heart.  Thank Him for his forgiveness through Christ’s death on the cross. He already knows how rooted some sin has become. Ask God to direct and empower you for a fruitful life through His Spirit. Some weeds will be uprooted easily; others will require daily attention in order to make the deep roots are removed and ensure they don’t grow back.

Solomon in all his wisdom said, “Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Questions: As we are negligent in caring for our heart, what weeds begin to grow there? How can those weeds be removed from our heart?

“And the children of Israel said to them, ‘Oh that we had died by the

hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat

and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’” (Exodus 16:3, NKJV)

The people of Israel had been delivered from the slavery of Egypt. They were on their way to the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey, where they would inherit beautiful cities, houses full of good things, wells, vineyards, and olive trees (Deuteronomy 6:10-11).

At this point in their history this journey was only going to take them eleven days, but here they are, looking back with longing at the pitiful existence they had in Egypt instead of looking ahead to the amazing land that God had prepared for them. Even when the spies came back and confirmed the beauty and fruitfulness of the land, fear kept them from entering in.  Again they cried “oh if only we could have just died in Egypt!” (Numbers 14:1-2)

I am reminded of the promised land that we have received through the cross of Christ, and the salvation that He won for us there. The cross was his perfect provision for all that we would ever need. Starting with the amazing opportunity to have a personal relationship with our

Creator, it includes eternal life, freedom, peace, joy, success in all that we set our hand to do, ability to truly love God and others, as well as spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

Too often we receive our salvation through Christ’s death, but we do not go on to walk in all that the resurrection means for us, as it translates into a victorious new life. Like Israel, instead of looking to the future and what is promised to us, we keep looking back at our past and allowing it to hold us back and rob us of the bright future that God has for us (Proverbs 4:18).

We need to make a decision to leave our baggage at the cross and start taking hold of our future in Christ. His plans for us are good, but we have to choose to walk forward into them in order to experience the fullness of our “promised land!”

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, NKJV)

Question: What “baggage” do you need to leave at the cross today?

Do you need a breakthrough today? We would love to pray for you.

“And the children of Israel said to them, ‘Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger’” (Exodus 16:3, NKJV).

The people of Israel had been delivered from the slavery of Egypt. They were on their way to the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey, where they would inherit beautiful cities, houses full of good things, wells, vineyards, and olive trees. (Deuteronomy 6:10-11)

At this point in their history this journey was only going to take them eleven days, but here they are, looking back with longing at the pitiful existence they had in Egypt instead of looking ahead to the amazing land that God had prepared for them. Even when the spies came back and confirmed the beauty and fruitfulness of the land, fear kept them from entering in.  Again they cried “oh if only we could have just died in Egypt!” (Numbers 14:1-2)

I am reminded of the Promised Land that we have received through the cross of Christ, and the salvation that He won for us there. The cross was his perfect provision for all that we would ever need. Starting with the amazing opportunity to have a personal relationship with our Creator, it includes eternal life, freedom, peace, joy, success in all that we set our hand to do, ability to truly love God and others, as well as spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

Too often we receive our salvation through Christ’s death, but we do not go on to walk in all that the resurrection means for us, as it translates into a victorious new life. Like Israel, instead of looking to the future and what is promised to us, we keep looking back at our past and allowing it to hold us back and rob us of the bright future that God has for us. (Proverbs 4:18)

We need to make a decision to leave our baggage at the cross and start taking hold of our future in Christ. His plans for us are good, but we have to choose to walk forward into them in order to experience the fullness of our “promised land!”

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” ((Philippians 3: 13-14).

Questions: Do you find yourself looking back more frequently than looking forward to what God has in store for you? Why?  Are you allowing the past to keep you from living the victorious life that Christ has planned for you?

Are you ready to explore who you are as a child of God? Try our life lesson “Becoming a Woman of Purpose”

“But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

But the new Pharaoh said to his people: “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we” (Exodus 1:7 & 9, NKJV).

How interesting, Pharaoh noticed that the Israelites were MORE and MIGHTIER than the Egyptians. He recognized that they were a threat and in the event of war they could join with the enemy and fight against Egypt. Even worse, they might leave! So Pharaoh decided the way to deal with them was to put them to work, keep them so busy that they don’t realize the potential that they have to overtake. The Egyptians were even in “dread” of the children of Israel! However as long as they could keep the Israelites intimidated and distracted, they could continue to control them.

In Canada, Christians make up about 9% of the population. As “special interest groups” go, that is a high percentage. When you consider that just 2% of a population has the ability to change a nation in the course of about twenty years, if our 9% mobilized for the cause of Jesus, we would have a significant impact. Couple that with the fact that we have the Spirit of God in us, and you have to admit that we are a formidable force, bound for victory against the attempts of the enemy to keep us down.

The devil has noticed that we are “more and mightier” than him too, and he and his troops are in dread of us. However he too has recognized that if he can just lay heavy burdens on us, keep us distracted and very busy, we will not notice, that we in fact, do have the upper hand and the ability to dominate and overtake. As long as we allow the cares of this world and the burdens of everyday life to keep us distracted from the reality of who we are and what we have in Christ, Satan can continue to keep us and those around us in slavery and captivity.

It is time for us to lift up our heads and recognize the deception that keeps us from being all that we are meant to be. We need to begin to fully engage as a mighty people, exercising the authority we have over the enemy that was won for us at the cross. It is time to stand together in this great Kingdom work of taking back all that the enemy has stolen and see the people of this and other nations come to know the one who loves them.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, NKJV).

“But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57, NKJV).

Questions: What is keeping you from being all that you are meant to be? How does the enemy keep us from doing Kingdom work?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for April 11th, AM.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.

“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.” Psalm 22:14

Did heaven or Earth ever witness a sadder spectacle? In soul and body, our Lord felt Himself to be weak as water poured out on the ground. Placing of the cross in its socket shook Him with great violence, strained all His ligaments, pained every nerve, and more or less dislocated His bones. Burdened with His own weight, the glorious sufferer felt the strain increasing every moment of those six long hours. His sense of faintness and general weakness were overpowering. As He began to lose consciousness, His physical body became a mass of misery and swooning sickness.

The prophet Daniel once saw a great vision, prophesying Jesus’ suffering hundreds of years later, which he describes like this: “So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.” (Daniel 10:8) The pain our greater Prophet Jesus felt must have been incomprehensibly more dire as He felt it throughout His own soul. To us, sensations such as our Lord endured would have been unbearable. In His case, though already wounded, and still felt the sword. He drained the cup and tasted every drop.

As we kneel before our now ascended Savior’s throne, let us remember the way He prepared it as a throne of grace for us. Let us in spirit drink of His cup, that we will be strengthened for our hour of distress whenever it comes. In His natural body every part suffered, and so must it be in the spiritual body of which we are all now a part. But just like how out of all His grief and suffering His body came through uninjured to glory and power, so too will His spiritual body of the church here on Earth come through all its hardships and pain without so much as a blemish.

Question: What was the result of Jesus’ pain and sacrifice?