Celebration Resurrection

Greetings Readers,

As we close up Resurrection Sunday's festivities, I am taken over by a thought...How about we don't? Just like Christmas these are days that are set aside to honor the Lord and His sacrifices to save us. So why do we have to close up shop? Why not have a celebration mentality all through the year?

I challenge you as well as myself to keep the birth, death and victorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior in the forefront of your mind daily. The benefits are immediately beneficial! For example

 

• You will walk in peace all the time that your thoughts are focused on the Lord
• that means when someone cuts you off you won't retaliate
• when someone steals your parking space you wont put nails under their tires
• when you are dealing with a difficult person you won't strike back in anger
• this one may require some practice
• You will be nice and people will actually want to be around you
• You will be more opened to your state of vulnerability and the constant need of Lord
• You will want to spend more time with Him
• You will want to know more about Him 
• You will want to spend more time with Him via His written word
• Your energies will be placed in things that help the Kingdom of  God not so much in the temporal (stop acting like an ancient Egyptian, you can't take it with you)
• You will be able to discern the truth as well as the untruth with a clear mind - not of your own but that of the Lords.
• You will want to share about the Love of Christ and His beautiful gift of salvation - with courage and conviction
• Your life will reflect what you believe and that beloved is the best testimony of all
• You will have the strength and courage to acknowledge your wrong - confess it to God and apologize to the one you have offended
• You will remember GOD's promises to you and be strengthen as you go through your challenges, heart-aches and day to days

Trust me on that last one, because as we are speaking I am watching my son (age 9) complete his dialysis treatment. As of late my world has been shaken with illness but I trust GOD! Even though I am pressed right now! I know He will never leave me nor forsake me; I know that He gave His life so that I could have eternal life with Him; I know He came so I could have direct relationship with the Father; I know that GOD knows my faults and shortcomings but He sees the blood of His Son over me and I am declared to be righteous. Hallelujah! Glory to the Lamb of GOD!

Do I cry, yes

Do I despair sometimes, yes

Do I complain to the Lord, yes

Do I feel weak and unable, yes

Do I wonder what my significance is, yes

Do I get angry, yes

Do I mistreat others in the wake of my pain, sometimes yes

Do I know God is with me, yes

Am I strengthen, yes

Do I believe ALL of His promises are true, yes

Can I continue to walk on in victory through Jesus Christ, yes

Being human makes it impossible to not sin..but it isn't an excuse to stop trying to be more like and get closer too The Lord. Being human and a follower doesn't mean suffering is not going to affect me because it does. However, there is an advantage to knowing the end of my story which is victory in Christ and the gift of eternal life. Everything in between is growing pains. So I need the joy of the birth and the cross it keeps me grounded in my storm.

Do you know the end of your story? Take hold of the message from the Cross and be assured of your ending!