Jesus Rising from the Dead (Easter)

Here are some things I was reminded of by the Spirit when it comes to Easter.

·      Jesus saying he had the power to lay down his life and the power to pick it up again.  John 10:18

·      Jesus telling Martha, Lazarus’s sister, “I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

·      And he/she that believes in him and dies in him (they trust in Jesus) shall live- have eternal life in heaven.  John 11:25

·      When Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved.  Matthew 17:23 

·      From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.  Matthew 16:21 

·      When Jesus said tear down this temple (meaning Himself) and I will rebuild it in three days.  John 2:19

·      When Jesus appeared to the Mary and Mary in the Garden after they went to the empty tomb and saw the two angels who told them to tell the disciples what they saw and to remind them to meet Jesus in Galilee.  John 20, Luke 24, Mark 16, Matthew 28

·      There would be no Christianity today if Jesus did not rise from the dead.  Jesus would had just been another good godly man who died on the cross. My life and countless other lives would had not changed and the Holy Spirit would not be ministering to me and to you right now.  God's amazing transforming love would not have been manifested in our life. Because of Christ's resurrection, we have God's Spirit- The Holy Spirit.  We have been given spiritual gifts from the victor over death- Jesus Christ.  We have been given a seal of redemption because of Jesus' death and resurrection. (Who is shouting now!)      

·      AND the disciples... They and others saw Jesus resurrected and spoke to him and touched him, and this propelled them and encouraged them greatly to share and do what Jesus asked them to do which changed their life and other peoples life with the life changing and saving news of Jesus. God's Spirit guided them and they had power to heal, cast out demons, minister in power beyond their understanding, and even suffer and die for this good news. Death was not the end of life but a door to eternity in heaven.  And Jesus now propels us to be salt and light to the world and share what JESUS has personally done in our life.         

JESUS and the Cross

What does Good Friday mean to someone who doesn’t go to church? What does the cross mean to
someone who has never gone to church?

Just recently a sister in Christ shared a story of a friend of hers who didn’t know who Jesus was and she lives right here in America.  Is this shocking to you?  It is somewhat surprising but I understand - considering the state of the America and some of it's churches.

How many you believe sin can be corrected and a person, a family, a nation can be saved if they know Jesus Christ?

Knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior changes your life.

SIN and US 

Everyone has sinned or done wrong.   Do you know sin cuts us off from God?  Our sin not only causes trouble in our lives but the lives of others.  Sin has long lasting effects, and death but without Jesus Christ it leads to hell.   I know the world and Oprah have said there are many ways to heaven but the world and Oprah are not God.  Sounds offensive?  Yes sometimes the truth can sound offensive but it doesn’t mean it isn’t the truth.  I rather be confronted with the truth then live life heading towards destruction.

Jesus is THE ONLY WAY into heaven and if you have read these posts you know I have seen Jesus.  And since I have seen and know Jesus is alive and well and very real, I am honored to tell you about HIM who saves us from our sin.  

GOD and US

So let’s start with God, the GOD who saves our soul and liberates our heart and mind.     

God doesn’t fit into our typical human definition of a god.  God is both single and plural.  He is Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.  Together they are ONE and they work as ONE.   They are like a band making an idea a reality.   We were once an idea and then He made us a reality with an individual purpose in mind.  Sad it to think that people can wander through life not knowing God and not knowing the purpose they were created for.
         

“Genesis 1:26 says “Then God said, ‘Let us make people in our own image, to be like ourselves.  They will be masters over all life- the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and the livestock and wild animals, and small animals.’”

“He (Jesus Christ) was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” John 1:2-4

“Philip (one of Jesus’ disciples) said to Him (Jesus), ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.’” John 14:8-10

GOD who created everything we can see and not see said there is only ONE WAY to heaven and that is through HIS Son, Jesus Christ.   

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

There is NOT a five lane highway into heaven.  Jesus Christ is the narrow opening in which we ALL have to enter Heaven.  There is no way over or around or under the immense barrier from here to heaven but through Jesus Christ.

As Peter said, “ And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 

Before I gave my life to God, I would go to church from time to time but I had this “mental fog” that would block me from the reality of Jesus Christ.  And the bible… well it might as well been a bunch of mumbo jumbo on some white pages stuck in between a piece of black leather bound.  So since I couldn’t really read, see or hear what was being shared, I couldn’t appreciate, taste, be encouraged or feed my restless soul.  But that all changed when God’s Holy Spirit came into my soul when I accepted Jesus Christ as my God, Lord and Savior. 

As the bible says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

I could not only read the bible and understand it but I experienced the life changing and life saving reality of Jesus in my life, something I thought wasn’t even possible.

THE CROSS and US

That is when I began to understand in a deeper personal sense -the cross Jesus took for all our sins or wrongs. 

Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him.  But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.”  John 3:14-18 
    

God so loved you and I that he sent HIS SON to die on the Cross.  Jesus, the Son of God was nailed through his hands and feet to a wooden cross and died like a criminal to die for all of humanity's sins.
  
In the book of Mark, it is written that Jesus said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34. 

You know why the Father turned His back when Jesus was on the cross? Because the Father could not look upon the sin Jesus was taking upon Himself for us.  Jesus, innocent of all sin, was being judged for our sin.

   

Jesus took that cross that we may trust in Him and be saved, that we may taste and see God is merciful and good.  That we may experience God’s perfect will in our life and have a relationship with HIM/GOD. 
     

1 Peter says “He (Jesus) personally carried away our sins in his body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.  You have been healed by his wounds!  Once you were wandering like lost sheep.  But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24-25

Jesus going to the cross for us was like Jesus creating a bridge over an abyss that separated us from God.   By giving our life to Jesus we not only get to go to heaven but we can have a relationship with God, which liberates our soul from the daily tolls.

When I think of Jesus going to the cross I think of the garbage man picking up the trash.  Jesus going to the cross for us... and we giving our life to Him is like Jesus stuffing all our sins into an enormous garbage truck and Jesus driving our sin to a dump of forgetfulness never to be remembered by God again. 
 

Jesus paid for our sins but we must give our life to Jesus to receive this life saving and changing forgiveness.  

So are you going to believe in Jesus?  Are you going to trust in Jesus? Are going to accept his gift of going to cross for you and I? 
 

If so ask Jesus to come into your life now.  Jesus come.  

Let me pray with you:

Jesus I choose to believe and trust in you as my God.  I choose to surrender my life to you that you may liberate my life by having a daily relationship with you.  Jesus forgive me!  Forgive me for my sins.  I accept your free gift of forgiveness.  Pour out your Spirit upon my life that I may experience your wondrous light and transforming goodness in my life.  Thank you Jesus.  THANK You JESUS!

May God bless you my friend.  May God lead you to a bible believing church with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that will help and encourage you.   That God make you like a sponge to His wondrous marvelous word- The Bible.  And may God continue bless you with is presence and love as you continually seek Him in all of life’s experiences and challenges.

Thank you for letting me share with you.     

Attitude of a Soldier: What's Inside?

-->

Are you bored? Have you become indifferent? Have you been lulled into a false sense of security? Does your life mirror more the world then Christ?  Has your soil turned hard and/or dry?  Has your life been crowded by the affairs of this life and have you let the birds of the air steal was is rightful yours from God?  Have you settled for moldy bread? Who has become GREATER in your life?         

Recently I had a dream where I graduated as a Marine.  When I awoke, I pondered, “Me a Marine?”  I might as well been Gideon at the wine press threshing some wheat when he heard the angle of the LORD say,

“The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12

This dream urged me to see how the code of a U.S. Marine mirrors the characteristics of a soldier in Christ.  There are three characteristics a Marine is to possess.   These three attributes are also to be possessed by the soldier of Christ Jesus.

Marines are to have Honor…

“'Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.” 1 Samuel 2:30

We are to revere, honor and abide in God who empowers us to exemplify good ethical and moral behavior. We love, respect, and have concern for our fellow believers and others.  In God we are to mature, trust and depend.  We are accountable for our actions and hold others accountable for their actions. 

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.  Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty.”  Malachi 4:2-3

I think part of the trouble with the church in America today is not fearing or reverencing the LORD as they should and above all things.  We look at the world as being this monstrous machine cutting down anyone who doesn’t conform to its erroneous opinion but who is the source of this erroneous thinking to start with? Satan.  Yes the people of this world act just like Satan.  They want to kill, steal, belittle, bully, and destroy anything that goes against their erroneous thinking.  BUT hasn’t Satan been defeated? So WHO should we rightfully fear then? Who’s TRUTH will stand forever?

 “Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

How true it is about JOY being a byproduct of reverencing the LORD and JOY bolstering COURAGE.   

Marines are to have Courage…

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

We are to have courage in God who is to be continually our mental, spiritual, moral and physical strength that sees us through the spiritual warfare and daily challenges of this life.  He gives us mastery of fear, to do what his right, lead by example, and make tough decisions under stressful situations.   We take courage in God who gives us a higher standard of conduct.  

As the United States and the world progresses down this downward slippery slope as it has, many churches will be pressured and start to compromise to appease the immoral appetites of the world but their appetites will never be appeased.  As you see churches fall and marry into the culture rather then stay faithful to God, God wants us to take courage in Him and obey Him rather than human authority. (Acts 5:29).   

Marines are to have Commitment...

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:5-6

We are to willfully, daily commit, surrender, and humble ourselves before God knowing God’s commitment to us.  He is for us not against us.  For in His continual faithfulness- he promotes excellence in every endeavor and to endure.   In His commitment He promotes in us self-discipline.  He prompts concern and love for others.  We see the horrors of the spiritual warfare but we look to His unrelenting faithfulness... He makes certain we finish this race and helps use emulate Christ in this increasing darkening world.  The darker the world becomes the more we will illuminate Christ. It’s His all-empowering grace that does this in us.

God wants to feed and "really" nourish our soul so it can rise above our understanding and soar like He intends.  

 

So in Short, a soldier in Christ is to:

Honor God…

Take Courage in God…

and Commit to God…

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said.  In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.  ‘They will be my people,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure.  I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.’”  Malachi 3:16-17

Amen.