Day Seven: Do Something!

Today is Resurrection Sunday! The day we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Aren’t you glad that He rose from the grave to give us new life? The significance and impact of this stupendous event is something we cannot fully fathom, yet God designed it so that anyone who believes can share in its splendor, no matter who we are or what our station or circumstance in life maybe. As you celebrate Easter Sunday with family and friends, or even if you just choose to spend the day quietly by yourself, reflect on the following wonderful blessings of the resurrection of Christ.

1. We too, like Jesus, shall be resurrected to share in the eternal glory of God forever (Romans 6:4-5, Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 4:14, Philippians 3:21).

2. The greatest enemy of mankind—death or separation from God—has been conquered and has no more hold or power over those who believe (1 Corinthians 15:26, 51-55; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:14).

3. We now have eternal life and we will never die (John 11:25-26).

As Holy Week 2010 draws to a close today, keep the meaning of His passion and resurrection fresh in your heart and mind all the year through. Then commit each day to doing something with this knowledge and experience that you have gained. Make up your mind that you’re going to do something for your family…for others…for society…and most definitely for God. And may the celebration of Holy Week become a lifetime experience of loving and serving Jesus more and more.

Day Six: Give It Away!

This is now the first day after the crucifixion. Where is Jesus? Have you ever wondered what happened to Him immediately after His death? When He died on the cross Jesus released His spirit from His body. But where did His spirit go? What happened to His body? The following portions of Scripture are provided for your reflection today.

Matt. 27:50—“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit.”

Eph. 4:9—“Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth.” Matt. 12:40—“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Mark 15:46—“So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body (of Jesus), wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock.” As burial generally occurs after someone dies, this placement of the body in the tomb or grave attests to the truth that He had in fact died. He was not merely in an unconscious state as some critics have claimed.

Acts 2:31—“Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay.” Even in death God’s miraculous power preserved the sinless body of His Son and suspended the natural process of decomposition.

While His body lay in the tomb, Jesus’ disciples may have lost hope and became disillusioned and dejected (Matt. 26:56, Luke 24:21, John 20:19). But even in death, Jesus through the Holy Spirit, was actively working at His Father’s awesome plan of redemption—for them, for us and for all of mankind.

Everything about Jesus’ life and death was remarkable, extraordinary and filled with wonder! Not only can we reflect and meditate on its rich, deep meanings, but we can share it with others. We have the awesome privilege and opportunity to share these living truths about Him with others. Today, why not choose to give somebody the wonderful news of what Jesus has done for you and the new experiences you are enjoying with God during this Holy Week?

Day Five: Staying on the Road of Obedience

Good Friday is here! Historically it is the day in which Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world. This most significant day in the whole drama of human history was indeed a good day for all of mankind in every sense of the word. It is good for the following reasons and more:

1. It forever paid the sin debt we could not pay ourselves.

2. It delivered us from the power of sin and restored us to right standing with God.

3. It brought joy to the Father’s heart and vindicated God’s Holy Name.

4. It underscored what the power of obedience and total devotion to God can do.

Yet the benefits of the events of Good Friday came at a very great cost—the cost of Christ’s obedience. Jesus stayed the course through every stage of His passion—including betrayal, ridicule, beatings and eventual crucifixion—all because of obedience to the Father’s will. As a result, look at what eternal incalculable benefits it produced—the lives of untold millions saved and transformed by the power of God!

Jesus drove home the absolute necessity and cost of complete obedience when He said emphatically in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” In fact this is the only way we can fully demonstrate our appreciation and gratitude to God for the sacrifice of His Son.

This Good Friday, I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on these tremendous truths and making a fresh commitment to stay on the road of obedience to God no matter what it costs or where it takes you. In the long run, you will undoubtedly reap the abundant goodness of God in every area of your life.

Have a Blessed and Joyous Good Friday!

Day Four: Going Deeper!

Hello fellow bloggers! How have your Holy Week journey been so far? I trust that you are drawing closer to Jesus and experiencing more of His incredible presence in your life. Since His invitation is always open, today let’s go even deeper with Him on this spiritual journey.

Someone may ask, “But what does it look like to go deeper? What does it really mean?” Going deeper means you make the commitment to go beyond the initial experience of salvation as represented by the cross and you enter into a lifelong course of spiritual growth in your relationship with the Lord Jesus. God has given us the Holy Spirit to take us step by step along the way in knowing and experiencing Him. The Bible says, “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God...We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:10–12).

Let me offer five great tools that will help you go deeper through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit:

1. Pursuing God in daily prayer
2. Practicing other spiritual disciplines (e.g. fasting, meditation, worship, serving, etc.)
3. Daily reading and studying of the Bible
4. Fellowshipping with other believers regularly
5. Sharing your faith with others who don’t know Christ

Partnering with the Holy Spirit as He takes you into the unfathomable depths of Christ will be the most exciting, unbelievable adventure that you will ever experience! You will discover not only who Jesus is but also who you are called to be in Him. And nothing in the entire world can compare to the grandeur of that!

Specifically, in response to Demetrisha’s questions, I offer this word of encouragement. The fact that you are feeling increasingly infatuated with the idea that God loves you despite who you are is NEVER a sign of wavering of faith. It is exactly the opposite. Because that is exactly how He loves you. He loves you unconditionally and eternally which means His love for you will never change no matter what you or I may have done wrong. Not only did He give His Son on the cross for us (Romans 8:32), He went a step further and gave us His Holy Spirit to teach us how to access all the wonderful things He has provided for us in Jesus (John 14:26).

As far as what to do, I encourage you to begin by simply accepting the fact that He loves you lavishly, exuberantly and unreservedly! Let the awareness of that truth fill your heart daily, and I promise you, it will change you forever in wonderful ways. Then ask the Holy Spirit to help you put into practice the five points I highlighted above and you will begin to see His marvelous plan for your life unfold in even greater ways.
Have a great day!