Easter: It’s All About Jesus

What do you think about when you hear the word Easter? Does your mind entertain thoughts of springtime, bunny rabbits, and colored eggs? When I was a little girl, Easter was an opportunity to get a new dress and new shoes, maybe even a new hat and pretty white gloves. I always looked forward to getting my Easter Sunday outfit. And Mom would color eggs for our Easter egg hunt.

But I also remember hearing the story of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those of us who grew up in the church have heard the account many times. Don’t let the familiarity of the story cause you to lose sight of the wonderful salvation provided for us. Let’s review what happened:

· Mankind was lost, separated from God with no hope of redemption.

· Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, God’s only begotten Son, was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life.

· Jesus willingly offered Himself to die by crucifixion, taking our sins to the cross with Him.

· After three days in a borrowed tomb, Jesus arose from the dead.

· Because Jesus lives, we can accept His gift of salvation and live eternally with Him.

No matter what kind of life you have lived, Christ died for you. You are not beyond redemption. You are not beyond the reach of His love. Accepting Christ does not mean that everything in your life will suddenly become perfect. But it does mean that you will have a peace inside that you have never known before and the assurance that you can look forward to eternity with Christ. 

The Bible says that for the joy that was set before Him Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 2:2). I believe Jesus looked into the future and saw the results of His death and resurrection; He saw those who would accept His gift and come into His family. And because of that He was able to endure the cross.

Jesus is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). I am so thankful He is in my life. I am thankful that God desired relationship with us so much that He was willing to send His Son. And I am thankful to Jesus that He was willing to die a cruel death to buy our redemption and that He arose from the dead so that we can live also!

_______________

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:7-9)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Love With His Love

Last Sunday, my husband preached a message about love. We as Christians are familiar with the fact that we serve a God of love, and that He expects us to love. The message inspired me to search my heart and review my own actions in light of what the Word of God says on the subject.

During his sermon, my husband told the story of a minister who stood in his pulpit one Sunday, looked very slowly and deliberately over the congregation, and delivered a powerful, one-word sermon: "Love!" So much is contained in that one word. If we do what it says—if we love—then our actions will prove to others that they are loved. The Word of God tells us "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . ." (John 3:16). God showed His love to us by His action: He gave His Son; then Jesus showed His love by His action: He gave His life on the cross. 

The Word not only says that God loves us; it says that He is Love (1 John 4:8). And that we are to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1). As we follow Him and imitate Him, love is to flow from us. Our human love is imperfect and could never live up to what God wants from us. So how do we love the way He commanded? We love with His love. The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). If you are a child of God, then you have His love. The Word says so. It's just a matter of getting the love to others. 

Our own love is imperfect. It is selfish and self-serving. Our human love is often an "arms-length" love. We say we love, but we don't want to get too close. We don't want to get our hands "dirty." It is easy to look at someone and say, "I love you." Harder to get down in the grime of their lives and really love them. In I Corinthians Chapter 13, the love chapter of the Bible, the King James Version uses the word "charity." Charity is really love in action. If you say you love, but there is no action, have you really loved? The love I'm writing about today is a verb. A verb is an action word. Many of us have an impersonal kind of love that really isn't love at all. It looks good on the surface, but it doesn't go very deep and doesn't cause us to do anything.

As I contemplated this, I came up with my own definition of love: Compassion that causes action. Jesus looked upon the people to whom He ministered and had compassion on them, and out of His compassion, miracles occurred. Only God can give that kind of love. It is shed abroad or poured out in our hearts. He has given us plenty of it, but often the flow of that love is impeded by our bitterness over past experiences, our fear of rejection, our fear of being hurt. More than anything, it is selfishness that keeps us from giving away love. We want to protect ourselves. Jesus gave away His love and died in the process. It wasn't easy. He poured His whole life into loving humanity. And He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to tap into that love that has been poured into our hearts and then pour it out to others.

Father, help us to love with Your love!

_______________

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. (Ephesians 5:1, NIV)

. . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)

So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. (Matthew 20:34)

No Pain, No Gain

My family has begun a journey that I am sure is familiar to many of you. We are now making regular visits to the orthodontist because my daughter has recently been fitted with braces. 

The first evening after having the braces put on, she brushed and flossed her teeth. This is important for all of us, but it is especially important for a person wearing braces, and it takes diligence and meticulous attention to make sure the teeth are kept clean.

Although she had seemed somewhat excited earlier in the day, after her first experience with the tedious process of brushing and flossing around the braces, she came to me and said that she had already decided she does not like braces.

I smiled and told her, “Honey, you will have to look at the goal. What you have to go through for the next two years will be worth it when you see the end result.”

Almost immediately, I thought how true that is in every aspect of life. A person who wants straight teeth has to endure the discomfort of foreign objects in the mouth and the pain involved when the doctor adjusts the braces every six weeks. In the same way, to obtain the desired end result in many areas of life, we must submit ourselves to the discomfort of the Holy Spirit convicting us of the need to make changes, and we have to endure the pain of making those adjustments.

My daughter’s mouth would be more comfortable if the orthodontist was not attempting to make changes. But in two years, she would have the same crooked teeth she has now. In our spiritual lives, we can sometimes see how good things could be down the road, but we are unwilling to make the changes necessary to get there.

I want to submit myself to the One who can make the changes in my life. I want to endure the discomfort—even the pain, so that I can become everything He wants me to be.

_______________

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Cor. 4:17)

Looking for Love

The world is filled with people who are searching for love. Many are trying to find that special someone with whom they want to spend their life. Then there are others who are with that person who at one time they thought was the fulfillment of all their dreams, and they have become disillusioned and wish for the “greener grass on the other side.” The sad thing is that many people believe the lie that another person is going to make them happy, when in reality happiness comes from within. 

I have come to understand that a person must decide to be happy regardless of the circumstances of his or her life. I have a good life, but I don’t have a perfect one, as is the case with all of us. And on the days when life is not so good, I have to make the decision to have a positive attitude, to trust God, and to allow the joy of the Lord to dominate in my life, rather than the negative feelings that threaten to overtake me.

And regarding the wonderful, fulfilling love that we all long to receive, many of us fail to realize that there is only One who can love us perfectly and fulfill us completely. He loves us with a greater love than we could ever imagine. That love was expressed to us when Jesus gave His life on the cross. Jesus was willing to lay down His life so that we could be set free from our sins and live an abundant life here and now, and we have the promise that if we make Him our Lord, when we leave this world we will live eternally with Him. When we accept Christ into our hearts, we have the assurance that He loves us, that He will guide us, and that we are never alone.

While the love of those in our lives is imperfect, and life can sometimes be disappointing, I am thankful for the One who loves us completely with an everlasting love. He has promised to always be there for us!

_______________

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3)

That Wasn’t In My Plan

We all have plans for the future. For some, they are no more than vague notions; for others the plans are more elaborate and detailed. Whatever plans we have, there are many times that life just doesn’t work out the way we had it all mapped out. I didn’t plan for the first month of this year to be the way it has been for me. If I had been given a choice, I would have asked for smooth sailing. Instead, I have been very busy and at times felt overwhelmed. 

We plan our lives from a human perspective, and we can only see today. We have a picture in our minds of what we want tomorrow to be, but there is only One who knows what tomorrow holds. I am so glad my life is in His hands. His Word tells me He has a plan for me and that it is a good one. Sometimes life is scary. I think fear is one of the biggest hurdles that I have to overcome. I have to remind myself that the all-powerful One whom I serve really does have everything under control. I am thankful His plans for me are good. I love Jeremiah 29:11, ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Things often seem to be chaotic around us, and the future may look bleak, but we have to remember that God’s economy is different from the economy of the world. He can take care of us no matter the situations we face. I am reminded of how the Lord met the needs of the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. He guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He provided food from heaven. He gave them water from a rock. And remember the story of Elijah, and the widow and her son recorded in I Kings Chapter 17? God caused the flour and the oil to be replenished throughout the famine to keep them alive. And I serve the same God! He loves me and will provide for my needs as well!

I am thankful that God has good plans for those who trust in Him. We do not know everything about His future plans for us, but as long as we depend on Him, we have no need to fear what tomorrow may bring!

_______________

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Is It Morning Again?

This morning, I opened first one eye and then the other and groaned as I realized it really was time to get up. I am not a “morning person.” Probably the hardest thing I do each day is just get myself out of the bed. That may seem strange to some of you. I know there are people who pop up each morning like toast out of a toaster, but I have never been one of them. Somehow I don’t think there are many people like that. I believe a lot of us struggle. We live busy lives, often don’t get enough sleep, and face discouragement—all of which leads us to want “just a few more minutes of shut-eye.”

Today was particularly hard because I seemed to have an extra weight pressing me down, and I quickly recognized it as depression. Not that I have any real reason to be depressed. I believe this is just one more scheme of the enemy to bring God’s children down. I had a decision to make. Would I stay down or would I fight?

After I dragged myself into the shower, I chose to sing a song of praise to the Lord:  I worship You, Almighty God, there is none like You; I worship You, O Prince of Peace; that is what I want to do; I give You praise, for You are my righteousness; I worship You, Almighty God, there is none like You.*  It was not because I really felt it to begin with, but because I knew it was what I needed to do. Gradually, as I repeated the song again and again, I could feel my spirits lift. I sensed the presence of the Lord. I was reassured that I am not alone, that the One who created me still cares.

God has promised He will never leave us; He will not forsake us. As we reach out to Him and acknowledge His presence, God will dwell in the praises of His people. I want His presence to dwell with me, so I choose today to praise and worship Him!

Father, You are worthy to be praised. No matter the circumstances of my life, You deserve my praise. I worship You. I adore You. I acknowledge my need of You. Thank You for Your presence in my life!

_______________

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

*I Worship You, Almighty God, Don Moen

Begin at the Beginning

The beginning of a new year seems to be a great time to “start over,” to forsake old habits that are getting us nowhere and to embrace new ways of living that we believe will be more beneficial to us. Many people take this opportunity to review their life and readjust priorities. Some make what they call “new year’s resolutions,” vowing they are going to change their lives by adhering to a list of proposed changes. Sadly, these lists seem to keep people on track for not much longer than it takes the ink to dry on the paper. We are creatures of habit, and too easily fall back into old ways of doing things.

In the first verse of the Bible, we find the words: In the beginning God . . .  As His child, I believe that any change we desire in our life requires us to begin at the beginning. We need to go back to the One who began it all in the first place and ask for His guidance. Proverbs 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom . . .  If we desire guidance—wisdom for how to live our lives—we need only to look to the One who is all wisdom. As we live in the reverential fear of the Lord, acknowledging that He is the One who knows all things, as we submit ourselves to His divine direction and immerse ourselves in His Word, we will obtain His help in taking our life in the direction He desires for us.

So, this year I am going to make one resolution that I believe will cover everything: I resolve to put God first in my life and to obey Him in all things.

Father, help me to lay aside anything that hinders my relationship with You. Help me to begin at the beginning and follow You all the way.

_______________

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)