Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen!

It's Easter! What a wonderful day. Our Lord is risen! So many people think that this is about eggs, chocolate, and bunnies. But that isn't it at all. That's what the world wants you think - take Jesus out and insert chocolate. I have nothing against chocolate, but I don't put my faith in it.

Easter is about relationship. Our relationship with God. He gave His Son to us so that we could have relationship with Him all over again. God loves us so much that He gave a part of Himself to bring us back to Him! How can we not love Him back at least a fraction of the love He has for us? There are four words that came to mind when I was praying about what to write this morning. I'm just going to put the words and the verses for your reading and thought. Enjoy your families today, and reach out to those who don't yet know the true meaning of Easter. Happy Easter!

Hope:

Romans 15:11-13 (New International Version)
11And again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12And again, Isaiah says,
"The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will hope in him."

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Faith

Romans 1:16-18 (New International Version)

16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written:
"The righteous will live by faith."

Praise

Psalm 117:1-2 (New International Version)

1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.

Sacrifice

Hebrews 10:1-10 (New International Version)

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "
8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

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