He Rose!

Yesterday, Christians around the world celebrated the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Yes, Jesus endured great suffering. He was whipped, He was mocked, He had a crown of thorns jammed into His skull... He was forced to carry His own cross, He was then nailed to it, He was pierced in His side...

Yet, the story does not end there.

Jesus rose from the dead!

And the angel answered and said unto the women,

Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;

 and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee;

there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Matthew 28:5-7

He's not in the grave anymore. He rose with all power in His hands! Jesus is victorious over death, hell, and the grave.

And because He lives, we have the opportunity to have eternal life with Him. We don't have to suffer. We don't have to go to hell. When we lay our physical bodies down, our spirits can enter into heaven's paradise forever. We can spend life in the presence of our King.

Have you embraced Jesus' gift of eternal life? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior?

He died and rose so that you can be free!

Why stay in bondage any longer?

Verse of the Day: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:17-20

Thank You, Jesus!

I can't keep going forward without acknowledging one of the biggest events in the Christian experience. This past weekend people around the globe stopped to remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made when He died on the cross for our sins. Reflecting on Jesus' great sacrifice, agony on the cross, and glorious resurrection helps all believers to cherish our salvation even more.

What I enjoy about this time is knowing that Jesus did all of this for us. He could easily have had angels rescue him the first moment the soldiers placed Him under arrest. Jesus could have called forth angels to stop the whip that tore into His flesh. Jesus could have stopped the hands of those that place the crown of thorns on His head.

But, He allowed it all to happen... just for us.

Jesus said Himself that no one could take His life. (John 10:17, 18) He had to literally lay His own life down in order to die. And He chose to lay it down for us.

Jesus knew sickness, He knew pain, He knew abandonment and betrayal, and He knew what it was to be apart from God in those moments when the Father turned away. Jesus subjected Himself to these things to free us from their grasp. Because He suffered, we don't have to. Because He was sick, we can be healed. Since the Father turned His back while Jesus languished on the cross, we can go boldly to the throne of grace.

And because Jesus rose up from the grave... we can experience eternal life!

Thank you, Jesus, for the sacrifice you made for us! Let our lives be pleasing in Your sight as we live in gratefulness for Your great work.

Verse of the Day: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24

You Have His Power!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone! I am back from my vacation, and I feel so refreshed! I pray all of you had a wonderful Easter Resurrection Day celebration.

It's because of Christ's resurrection that we can have eternal life. If Jesus had merely died, it would have all been for nothing. His conquering death means that we can live eternally with Him.

Since Jesus holds all power over death, He holds power over those areas in our lives that seem to be dying, are dead, or died a long time ago. (Matthew 28:18) He can resurrect those things and bring them back to life. And we have been blessed to be given that same power by Jesus Himself. We just have to take our rightful place and exert that authority.

Jesus said that we would be able to do greater works than He did. What greater works have occurred because of you? Have you even stepped out in faith in that regard? Don't miss out on one of your privileges as a believer!

Speak to those things that seem dead in your life that you know need to be breathing. Call them back to life with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Don't let the devil have the last say. Stand up in the power of Jesus' name and raise that thing back up! You have the authority!

Verse of the Day: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12