Promise for Today - There is Hope

He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus ...
2 Corinthians 4:14

The resurrection of Christ brings hope. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today, hopelessness and despair are everywhere. Peter, who himself was given to despair during the episode of Calvary, writes in a triumphant note, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture “the blessed hope.” There is hope that there will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the Kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ.

(Rev. Billy Graham devotional)

Prayer:

Father,
           Our hope is in You, our resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May we never despair, as we remember Your triumph and love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day 33 - True Hope

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025

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And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” 

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. 

The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. 

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:1-46

As Christians, where is our hope? In the face of hardship, does knowing that God is with us always give us hope? In the face of death, does it give us hope to know that we will be with God in heaven? The answer is, of course, yes. But greater than all of this our hope is in the resurrection. Ultimately what we look to, above all things, is knowing that Christ will come again, and just as He rose from the dead we can be assured that we too will all be raised from the dead. We will be body and soul, complete once again, and this time, in all perfection before the living God. This is the hope that we cling to. 

This is the hope that has been spoken by God from the beginning. Jesus points out we know this to be true because God is not a God of the dead, but is the God of the living, and in His perfection, He intends us to be living, not just metaphorically but literally in His presence.

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus Christ. we know our hope is in You not only because of the forgiveness we receive through the shedding of Your blood, but because of the confidence we have in our resurrection because of Your resurrection. Amen.

Reminder - Guaranteed Life

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

It seems we spend most of our lives trying to prove who we are or who we want people to believe we are. And yet, Paul told the Corinthians, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 

We all want to be a new creation. We all want to have a new life, but we don't always want to do what it takes to have that. As Christians, we are supposed to die to self.  When it comes to the reality of that, we don't like the sound of it or even the thought of it. However, to have new, there must be an end to the old. And we're so worried about that! We don't want to "lose ourselves."  And we sure don't want to die. One of my favorite Alan Neel quotes is, "The only way to have resurrection life is to actually die [to self]."  

The writer of Hebrews says it best, Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT

There's nothing to fear. We're talking resurrection... a guaranteed life in Christ.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the Truth of Your Word - the comfort and peace in Your promises. It is good to know there is something solid to stand on - something that does not change or waiver. There's no chance of losing our balance when we're standing on Your Word. Help us to understand it better - to rightly divide between soul and spirit so that we truly understand what it means when we read ...in Him we live and move and have our being... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day Forty-Five - All that He has Said

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

John 20:17-18

During this Holy Week, we recall the events of Maundy Thursday, when Jesus met in the upper room with his disciples before being arrested in the garden. We recall Good Friday, when our Lord was crucified and buried. However, we do so knowing that when Easter morning comes we will celebrate our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. Not having our benefit of hindsight, Mary must have experienced those days in a sorrowful state. That is, until our Lord speaks into her mourning and distress, giving peace and assurance that despite what she had seen and experienced, he was victorious… just as he had said.

In those difficult moments, it may have been tough for Mary and the disciples to think that resurrection was possible. But Jesus had said that all these things would take place, including his resurrection.

We have the benefit of living after Easter, but as we await Jesus’ return and the final resurrection, we may find ourselves overwhelmed with distress or sorrows which make Jesus’ words of promise seem impossible. Our resurrected Lord speaks through his word and is present when we gather as the body of Christ. He speaks so that he may give us peace and assurance that, despite what we experience, he is victorious… and he will do everything he has promised.

Prayer: 

My risen Savior, 

                       Comfort me, and all Christians, in times of sorrow with the assurance of Your resurrection. Restore to us each day, especially in times of distress, the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

Reading Further - John 20:1-18

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Lent - Day Twenty-Nine - What Did We Do?

 Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024 

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

John 12:9-11

Lazarus appears several times in our reading [see 'Reading Further' below]. He reclines at the table with our Lord. Crowds see Lazarus, hear about his resurrection and follow Jesus because of it. The chief priests want to kill Lazarus because of it. Even some in the Palm Sunday crowd seem to be there because they heard about Lazarus’ resurrection. But all of this was Jesus’ work. Lazarus was simply the recipient of Jesus’ gracious intervention.

We are like Lazarus. In baptism, God raised us from death to life (Romans 6:3-4). What part did we really have to play in that? God performed the miracle and did the work. As we live in that reality, in relationship with the Son, we are invited to recline with him. Some will hear about the miracle that God has worked in us and, because of that, [they will] follow Christ as well. Others may reject Jesus and, because of the life Christ has given us, may reject us, too. Jesus warns us, “The world will hate you, because they hate me and you are my disciples.”

What did we do that we get to recline with our Lord? What did we do that others would hear our testimony and follow Christ? What did we do to cause others to reject us as they reject Christ? This is simply the description of life for those who have been raised [to new life] by Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus has been at work in us to bring us to faith and sustain us in that faith, he is also at work through us because of this new life we have been given.

Prayer: 

Lord, 

        May I [always] follow You as a humble servant who bears witness about the life You have given me. Amen.

Reading Further - John 12:1-19

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Lent - Day Twenty-Seven - He Weeps

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024 

Jesus wept.

John 11:35

Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and yet, he weeps. He knew he was going to raise Lazarus back to life, and yet, he weeps. He delayed in his coming, glad to do so because it meant others would believe, and yet he weeps.

We might think that this was easy for Jesus because of his knowledge. Since he knows the outcome, we might think that he cannot truly experience these emotions. And yet he weeps. He is deeply moved in his spirit, and is greatly troubled. (John 11:33, 35) Our Lord “gets it” far better than we think.

God grieves over sin which pollutes our relationships, tears at our souls, and even rejects his gracious mercy. He is greatly troubled by the works of Satan, the carnage that resulted from the Fall, and the bitter hold death has on his creation. The same compassion seen in the tears of the Son runs so deep that the Father had already been moved to spare no cost, even allowing brutal torment and death to be carried out upon his beloved Son.

Prayer: 

Father, 

           Keep me with Jesus in true faith. Pour out Your Spirit that I may be moved with compassion to be reconciled in my relationships and to share with others the Resurrection and Life, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reading Further - John 11:17-44

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

From Now Until Easter - The Three Rs of Easter

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts gathered and written by Danielle Ayers Jones, who has been a contributing writer for the online magazine, Ungrind, and has written for Thriving Family, Clubhouse, Jr., Radiant, and Relevant.
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As a family, we’ve looked for ways to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection in tangible, hands-on ways. To prepare our hearts during the busy organizing of Easter baskets and planning of a Sunday dinner. Ways that build up to Easter morning, so that we have a clear idea as to why we celebrate. And it all starts with remembering.

Remembrance
In the week or two leading up to Easter, we trace the story from Genesis to the New Testament by reading portions of scripture and hanging ornaments on the dogwood branches... With each ornament, we remember our need to be rescued and that Jesus was the one who came to save us.

Like Communion, Easter is a time of remembrance. It instigates reflection. “Do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus said in 1 Corinthians 11:24. Just like pausing in a service to drink the cup and eat the bread, I’m pausing during my year to focus specifically on Jesus and His sacrifice.

Repentance
One of the things we remember is our need for repentance. Even though I’ve placed my trust in Christ’s work and am secure in His grasp, it is good for me to remember the why behind the whole narrative arc of scripture. I needed forgiveness and there was nothing I could do to accomplish it. The Bible uses the metaphor of “dead in sin” to describe my condition. And so, Jesus was sent on a rescue mission. A mission to bring me back to life.

Resurrection
As Easter nears, the dogwood branches are no longer bare. They are filled with ornaments. Resurrection morning will soon dawn and there will be a time of celebration. For Easter represents the reality that though “in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” 1 Corinthians 15:22. The last enemy to be destroyed is death and Jesus has done just that.

“Jesus came and departed. But his resurrection means that everything in God’s kingdom is alive; in every moment something is happening,” writes Christopher Friedrich Blumhardt in Watch for the Light.

God is still working. He is resurrecting hearts that were once dead to Him. He is bringing them back to life, both for today and the eternal life to come.

Prayer:

Jesus, 

         Thank You for going on a rescue mission to save me. Thank You for bringing me back to life so sin and death are not the end of my story. In this season, I am so reminded of my need for You. Thank You, Jesus. Amen

Holy Week favorites - Cause for Celebration

Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it.
Galatians 3:13-14 The Message

This weekend, we celebrate the Death and Resurrection of Christ. 

Have you ever set out to actually celebrate the Crucifixion? The Cross? We don't like to think about the suffering of Christ during Passion Week. We definitely don't like to watch the event either, now that "The Passion of the Christ" has brought it to life in all its horrible detail.

How many of us truly realize that it was because of the beatings, the whipped stripes on His back, the crown of thorns, the nails that pierced His flesh, the spear that ripped open His side that we even have a cause for celebration?!? It is His SHED blood that pays the debt of our sins. It was the stripes that bought and paid for our healing. Isaiah 53:5-6 NLT reads, ...he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

The work that was accomplished and finished on the Cross - Christ's blood spilled out - was the only power to wash away our sin stains. Without His death on the Cross, there would be no Resurrection. The Cross and the love that held Jesus on it are the true causes for celebration. Hallelujah!

Prayer:

Father,
           In and of ourselves, we haven't the words to express our gratitude. Reveal Your Word to us and give us grateful hearts to celebrate what Your Son has done for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

To Live or Not to Live

For to me, to live is Christ...
Philippians 1:21a NKJV

Some people define living by how much money they earn, what possessions they have or have accumulated; what they're able to provide for their loved ones. Others define living by what they're able to do, where they're able to go. Still others define living by what they are able to offer. Have you ever thought about it? Scripture tells us in 1st Peter 3:15 to be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you...

There are those who would want to argue about Easter vs. Ishtar, but I don't want to get into a history discussion of all that, because in spite of "all that" - let's not lose sight of the Truth. Whether historically Christ's death, burial and resurrection took place around the Spring solstice or not is irrelevant to me. The Truth remains that there WAS a crucifixion; Christ's body was entombed, and most importantly, there was a Resurrection!! And that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of every born-again follower of Christ (Romans 8:11).

Christ's Resurrection is about life and living it! Raymond Lindquist tells it this way - Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is 'Life, more life, always more and more life.' Reverend Lindquist goes on to write that Resurrection Sunday [Easter] is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life.

That victory - the victory Jesus won over death, hell and the grave - provides our definition of what it means to live...truly live.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for all You have provided in Your Son that we may live. Help us to remember with grateful hearts ALL that was done to provide it. Help us to walk in the newness of life You have given us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Not Surprised

I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 1:18 NLT

Not much is written about what Jesus did during the time between the crucifixion and His resurrection. There is plenty of conjecture and even some men's point of view being taught as though it were Scripture, but it's not my job to point fingers or argue with points of view. It is my job to search the Scriptures and point a lost and dying world to our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The day before, Christ suffered unbearable pain and suffering to take away our sins. He paid the highest price to redeem our sin-sick souls unto salvation. When they laid Him in the tomb and rolled the stone to seal it, He was dead to the world (so to speak). Now, I realize I may mess with your theology on this, but whether or not He went to Hell or Hades, whether or not He fought satan for the keys or actually always held the keys is not my primary focus. According to John 19:30, while He was still on the cross, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished."

Colossians 2:13-15 NLT declares, You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Here's the only thing I know for certain about that Saturday. Jesus knew going into the weekend what the Father had told Him. He knew it was going to be unbearable, but knowing certainly did NOT make it any easier. His flesh did not want to go through it. But He went in fully trusting the Father's Word. He went in knowing He would rise again. He knew He would be victorious. He was not surprised by what was coming the day after...

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You that Your Word assures us in Romans 8:11, The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us. And just as You raised Christ Jesus from the dead, You will give life to our mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within us. Your Spirit living in us. Help us to come to the knowing that we will rise again, that we will be victorious in and through You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Guaranteed Life

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

It seems we spend most of our lives trying to prove who we are or who we want people to believe we are. And yet, Paul told the Corinthians, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 

We all want to be a new creation. We all want to have a new life, but we don't always want to do what it takes to have that. As Christians, we are supposed to die to self.  When it comes to the reality of that, we don't like the sound of it or even the thought of it. However, to have new, there must be an end to the old. And we're so worried about that! We don't want to "lose ourselves."  And we sure don't want to die. One of my favorite Alan Neel quotes is, "The only way to have resurrection life is to actually die [to self]."  

The writer of Hebrews says it best, Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT

There's nothing to fear. We're talking resurrection... a guaranteed life in Christ.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the Truth of Your Word - the comfort and peace in Your promises. It is good to know there is something solid to stand on - something that does not change or waiver. There's no chance of losing our balance when we're standing on Your Word. Help us to understand it better - to rightly divide between soul and spirit so that we truly understand what it means when we read ...in Him we live and move and have our being... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen