The plain and simple Easter story

From the time I was a small child, I knew that Easter was a special day. Our family was not wealthy and there were six children in my family, but each year we would get new church clothes for Easter. I know it cost my father a huge portion of his paycheck to get dresses and shoes for six girls.

The Easter service at church was always special, too. There would be lilies filling the altar and trumpets and kettle drums would join with the pipe organ in the most beautiful music. The choir always sang the Hallejuah chorus and by the time we left church, we knew that we had celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I grew up knowing that we recognized Good Friday as the day that Jesus was crucified and that Easter Sunday was the day we celebrated his resurrection from the dead. It was part of my life and it continues to be a part of my life.

The other day I thought about all the people in this country who don't have that heritage. Those folks who have never set foot inside a church on Easter or any other Sunday. What do they think Easter is all about? What does it mean to them? If they get off work for Good Friday do they understand why?

Some things that we, as Christians, just take for granted may be complete mysteries to those who don't know Jesus.

I'm going to try to explain the mystery. But before I can explain Easter, I have to remind you of Christmas. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He was no ordinary baby. Jesus had an earthly mother, her name was Mary, but his father was God. God sent his Holy Spirit to impregnate Mary and he entrusted her and her husband, Joseph, with the responsibility of raising his son.

Since Jesus was the son of God, he was a very special man, with supernatural powers. The Bible tells some of the miracles that Jesus performed while he lived on earth. God sent him to earth as an example for us. He was like the epitome of what God created each one of us to be.

God had a specific purpose for sending Jesus to live on the earth. A blood sacrifice was needed to make amends for the sins of the world and the only blood that would satisfy a Holy God was sinless blood. Jesus was the only person on earth who had that type of blood and he knew that his mission was to sacrifice his blood for all of mankind.

When he was crucified on the cross on Good Friday, his blood took care of the sin issue in the world once and for all. That is why Christians call it Good Friday. He paid the price for our sins, that should have been us on the cross but because we are all sinful we couldn't pay the price ourselves.

But that isn't the end of the story. Jesus was placed in a borrowed tomb after his death on the cross. The Jewish rulers were concerned that his followers would remove his body so they placed a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and had Roman soldiers stand guard.

On the third day, early in the morning, women who had been followers of Jesus and his disciples went to his tomb to anoint his body with spices. When they arrived at the tomb, the large stone had been rolled away and his body was gone. They met a man nearby and asked him if he knew where the body had been taken. It turned out that the man was the resurrected Jesus, he knew them by name.

God had raised his son from the dead. Jesus was now a resurrected savior. Forty days later, Jesus ascended into heaven to be with his father.

There is even more to the story. Ten days after he ascended into heaven he sent his Holy Spirit to live inside his believers. That is his connection with us today. It is a mystery and it is supernatural, but all of us who believe that Jesus died for our sins, that he is truly the son of God and that he arose from the dead have his spirit living in us.

The Bible tells us that all who believe, will one day be like Jesus. We too will have resurrected bodies and eternal life and that, my friend, is what makes Easter such a special day.

Need some encouragement?

One doesn't have to look too far to find stories of discouragement, hatred and selfishness. Just read a newspaper or watch the evening news and you're sure to be discouraged. 

But where can we look for words of encouragement? We need to hear stories of love and unselfish attitudes - we need to know that there is hope in this seemingly hopeless world. We want to believe that not all people are murderers, rapists and child abusers, but we seldom hear about the good things that people do.

Recently within our city, the mayor held a meeting with church leaders. He wanted to enlist the aid of Christian people to meet the needs in their neighborhoods. There are many homes in need of repair because the residents are too old to climb ladders and fix their gutters, they don't have the finances to pay for their homes to be repainted and many of them physically can't do the yard work necessary for their homes to look nice anymore. These are simple tasks for those who are physically able, but impossible for those who are disabled or elderly. 

You won't find many headlines about people taking a casserole dish to a neighbor and rarely do you read about someone stopping to help a stranded motorist. Yet these are everyday occurrences. When a flood or tornado causes widespread damage we watch a news crew reporting on the devastation, but they seldom go back to report on the people who arrive for the cleanup. It's dirty work cleaning up after a flood, it's back breaking work to rebuild a home after it has been hit by a tornado, but those who respond to those in need don't help because they want notoriety. They do so because they are encouragers.

We often hear that it's the little things that we do that make the biggest difference. Jesus told His disciples the parable of the Good Samaritan for a reason. He expects His disciples to administer mercy to those in need. (read the parable in Luke 10:30-37)

God has been in the encouragement business forever. Psalm 10:17-18 reads: "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Are you afflicted? Are you fatherless? Are you oppressed? Have you be crying out to God for help? Then listen, really listen for His response. He may be asking you to be the encouragement for someone less fortunate than yourself. We never have to look too far to find someone who has more problems than we do. Maybe when we respond to a basic need of one of our neighbors, we can change their life forever.

Years ago my husband and I went to church with a young couple who had six children. They struggled financially and although we didn't have much ourselves, we were able to help with small things like a meal now and then, giving them used clothing and buying little gifts at Christmas. We loved them and wanted them to know that we cared for them. 

Fast forward about 10 years and my husband and I were in a financial bind of our own. That young couple provided us with the money for a house payment at Christmas as a way of encouraging us. 

We just never know when we may be the recipient of God's grace and mercy. In Hebrews 10:23-25 the author tells us, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Yes, the world is in sad shape, entire countries are going bankrupt; major companies are closing their doors; people are out of work, homeless, hungry and destitute. We can't change the direction the world is heading, but we can make a difference in our own family, in our own neighborhood and in our own congregation. Who do you know who needs some encouragement? Offer whatever you can because it is the little things that matter to God and He sees whatever you do for others as doing it for Him.

Overcoming the world

Do you feel trapped? Does it seem that the life you are living leaves something to be desired as if something is missing? Are you in a rut, doing the same things day-in and day-out? Where can you go to experience freedom? Where can you hide from the people who just want to take from you and never give back?

I think most people have felt this way at some point in their life. The feeling of utter helplessness and hopelessness caused by the circumstances that surround us can bring us to a point of despair.  We often don't have a choice about the situations we are in, but we do have a choice about how we live through those situations. 

When Jesus Christ entered into the world, He was sent for a particular reason. He was sent here on a mission. God, the Father, sent His son, Jesus Christ, into the world not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." John 3:16

What does it mean to believe in Christ and how do we go about it when the world around us shouts that Christians are weak and misguided? 

If you believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, who willingly died for the sins of world and you put your faith in His precious blood as the atoning sacrifice for your own sins, you are forgiven and have become a Christian. You have been born again, not in the physical sense, but in a Spiritual sense. The Spirit of God has taken up residence in you, making you a new creature in Christ. You are now adopted into the family of God the Father and you begin to view the world around you through Spiritual eyes. 

The teachings of Jesus are contrary to the ways of the world because He came into this world to overcome the world. If we live according to Jesus' teachings, we will desire to love God and be obedient to Him. "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:3-5

Christians aren't weak and misguided - we are over comers. It's not easy to be an over comer, but Jesus assures us with these words; "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

We can expect trouble, we can expect adverse conditions, we can expect sickness, pain, heartache and financial set backs, because the ruler of this world is Satan and we are told that he is a liar and the father of all lies. Satan is roaming about the earth seeking to steal, kill and destroy - that is his mission. 

But when Jesus arose from the dead, He overcame death itself and because He did, we, as believers, will have eternal life with Him. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21

Jesus is coming back for all who believe in Him. We don't know when, but we know that He said it and we can believe Him because He is trustworthy. 

When the world seems to be getting the best of you, when you experience despair and depression, remember these words: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35, 37-39

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Christmas is one of the most exciting times for Christians. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, on Dec. 25th each year.

It has always amazed me that the God of the universe would choose to come to earth in the form of a little baby and entrust His care to humans. He stepped down from His throne in heaven to become one of us for the sole purpose of saving us for eternal life and offering us a relationship with a holy, righteous God. 

As you celebrate the birth of Christ this year, let the words of this song ring in your heart. Jesus has asked us, as His disciples, to go into all the world and share the good news. This song is one way we can do that...

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,

Behold thro’out the heavens there shone a holy light.

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo! Above the earth

Rang out the angle chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born

And brought us God’s salvation that blessed Christmas morn. 

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

Praying like Jesus

I lead a small prayer group from our church. Each week we focus on different aspects of prayer. This week we searched scripture to discover what Jesus had to say about prayer. 

Since He was in complete agreement with God's will, Jesus knew exactly what to pray and He left us some examples of perfect prayers.

As born-again believers, we have God's Holy Spirit to guide us and we need to invite His Spirit to lead us in our prayers. 

We also need to be in right standing with God, so before we begin to pray, we need to ask God to forgive us for any sins we may have committed and also that we forgive anyone who may have wronged us. This will clear our minds from wrong thoughts and help us focus on God, who knows our every thought.

Jesus instructs His disciples to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us. We need to be very specific about who our enemies are and ask God to soften their hearts so they can discover who Jesus is and that He died for their sins. He offers eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

Jesus said that whatever we asked for in His name, we should believe that we have received it. He will not deny any of our requests when they are asked unselfishly. 

Jesus set aside time each day to spend with His Father - He was intentional in His prayer life and we should be also. Whether we choose to spend time each morning or evening isn't important, what's important is setting aside time to spend alone with God. 

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:6-8

Someone told me one time that God has given us 24 hours in each day and that we should all spend a portion of each day in devotion to God. 

Jesus also taught that we should not give up, but keep praying. The enemy will try to discourage us in our prayers for others. Many of us have been praying for salvation for loved ones for years and it is easy to get discouraged and quit praying, but Jesus told us not to give up. He also told His disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation. 

If there is one thing that I've discovered during my years as a prayer warrior, it's that Satan wants to keep me from praying - he puts up roadblocks and obstacles during the day to keep my focus on myself and off my God. Not only do I need to pray that I won't fall into temptation, but I also need to pray for my praying brothers and sisters. Keeping prayer warriors in prayer daily is important because their prayers are vital for so many. 

We are also instructed by Christ to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest field, because the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. There are millions of people around the world who don't know about God's amazing love for them. Ask God to send workers into those lands to share the good news.

Jesus also prayed for us - "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you loved me. 

"Father, I want those who you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26

All believers are expected to have a prayer life - it goes with the territory. Jesus never said "if you pray" but He did say, "when you pray." 

He has given us a beautiful example of a life of prayer - He has made a way for us to communicate with the God of the universe and He wants us to present our requests to our Father God. 

Jesus offers eternal life

We hear a lot of talk about different "avenues" to reach God, but the Bible teaches that there is just one way to be saved - that way is Jesus. If you accept Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for your sins, you will be saved. Jesus' blood was shed for everyone in world, but not everyone in the world believes they need a savior; not everyone in the world is willing to repent of their sins and become a follower of Christ. Not everyone in the world will accept God's gift of salvation.

Jesus described himself as the gate, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to  steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:7-10

To become a follower of Christ, we must first acknowledge the fact that we are sinners. The Apostle Paul said that we have all sinned and fallen short. He said that the wages of sin is death. He was saying that since we are born sinners, we are doomed to destruction - we can't earn our way out of separation from God by trying to be good people. As hard as we try to "be nice", it's just impossible to "be nice enough" to enter God's presence. 

When we realize that we are powerless to save ourselves, we are finally on our way to accepting Christ as our King.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." John 10:11-13

One of the most amazing things about God is His love for us. He created us, He wants a relationship with us and since He is a righteous, holy God, He can't have that relationship until we are made right in His eyes. Rather than give up on us, God provided a way for us to come into His presence. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to become one of us and Jesus willingly shed His blood for us so that we could have a relationship with God, the Father.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just at the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." John 10:14-18

No other religion in the world follows a leader who willingly died for their sins; no other religion in the world has a leader who was resurrected from the dead; no other religion in the world offers believers eternal life with God the Father. 

Jesus told his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

Not only do followers of Christ have a shepherd who died for our sins, but we have the promise from Him that one day He will come back to take us to the place He is preparing for us. Even as I write this, Jesus is preparing for me to join Him for eternity.

It sounds impossible, it seems incredible, but the God who created the universe and everything in it is still creating. There is no end to what He is doing and He wants us to be with Him throughout eternity. God wants to show us His glory. 

The earth is just the beginning for us – it's a stepping stone into eternity and Jesus is offering the people of the world His hand to help us into eternal life. Accept the gift God is offering – repent of your sins, give your heart to Jesus and let His Spirit lead you heavenward.

When the ordinary becomes extraordinary

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

As I was making my bed one morning I thought about what a routine it is. It's mundane work that must be done each morning. I guess the same could be said for washing the same dishes day after day or doing the same laundry week after week. Most of those daily chores can be done without much thought. But that particular morning I heard God's Spirit speak to my heart. With the sun rising each morning and setting each evening, God has been doing the same routine within the universe for eons. The sun comes up each morning and the moon goes through its phases each month. The seasons change each year and the cycle has continued since the beginning of time. 

What does that tell me about God? He is faithful and He expects His children to be faithful also. Psalm 136 reminds us over and over that "His love endures forever." 

Years ago God's Spirit prompted me to begin praying for the lost people in the world. I initially started with a map from an old atlas. I marked off each country as I prayed for the people who lived there. In time, I found the Every Home for Christ World Prayer Map and began praying around the world each month. I don't know how many editions of the map I have used, but I can honestly say that I have prayed around the world for at least 10 years. 

I suppose you could say that I have been faithful in prayer for the lost people of the world, but the trouble with that kind of prayer life is that you have no way of gauging answered prayer. It hasn't stopped me though, I continue to pray month after month, year after year.

While reading a devotion in The Upper Room one morning I had the distinct impression that God was showing me an answer to prayer. The devotional was written by a person living in Estonia who came to a belief in Jesus Christ only recently. As I read the devotional, I sensed that maybe this was one of those people I had been praying for faithfully for so many years. 

My ordinary prayers have been heard and God is constantly answering those requests without my being aware of the answers. The ordinary has become extraordinary. I think sometimes our Heavenly Father gives us a glimpse into the kingdom as a reminder of His faithfulness and encouragement for us to remain faithful. 

Some day I'll walk through the gates of heaven and be greeted by those who entered the kingdom because I prayed for God to reach them. I pray for Him to reveal Himself to those who are seeking Him. I know that His will is that none would perish and so I continue, in faith, to ask that He rescue the perishing and give hope to the hopeless. 

God is faithful in keeping the universe in motion, He is faithful in providing for all my needs and the very least I can do is remain faithful in prayer.