Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- March 30, 2013
“Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen” (Mark 16:14).
Jesus Christ is alive and well. His earlier followers, taken aback by His death, initially denied His resurrection. They rejected reliable testimonies and refused to receive the truth of Christ rising from the dead. However, when they encountered the risen Lord, He rebuked them and then loved them. Unbelievers can loathe the Lord. Deists can deny Christ’s deity. Agnostics can be apathetic over His resurrection, but He is alive and well.
Contemporary Christ-less cultures could care less about Christ’s resurrection, but it does not lessen His lordship over them. Everyone will one day confront Christ. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10–11). Easter is an excuse for Jesus followers to celebrate His resurrection and His relevance.
The Lord is alive and well in your heart. His resurrection resulted in Christ taking residence in your soul and transforming your life. By faith you believed, and God gave you grace upon grace. Because He has risen from the grave, He has given all who confess Him as Lord abundant grace on earth and the promise of heaven with Him.
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). He is all you need.
Lastly, you can live large for the Lord because He has triumphed over sin, sorrow, death, and hell. Easter is your eternal encouragement that He is alive and well. There will always be doubters, but do not dwell there. Focus on the undeniable force of faith that has captured you and millions before you. Because He has risen, you can rise above your circumstances, your hurt, and your fears.
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
Prayer: Am I a disciple who ignores His power or one who proclaims His power?
Related Readings: Numbers 14:11; Matthew 28:17; Acts 10:41; 1 Corinthians 15:1–58
Taken from the April 10th reading in the new 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God” vol. 2… … http://bit.ly/Tv6y9a
Post/Tweet: Because Christ has risen, we can rise above our circumstances, our hurt, and our fears. #resurrectionpower
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Amen!!! Thank you God !!!!!
Easter is not an “excuse” to worship and proclaim the glory of the risen Lord! Christians do not need an excuse, we simply need to be confident and reflect His love.
I would like to know why the vast majority of Christians & Christian leaders continue to celebrate Jesus resurrection on Easter which is an ancient pagan holiday tied to fertility & Baal /Ishtar worship in Babylonian times. Why not remember Jesus death as he called the disciples to do at Passover which this year was 3/25/13. The bunnies, eggs, and eating of hams all goes back to Nimrods & his son’s death & the pagan mystery religion set up by his surviving wife (& also his mother). Why let Satan deceive Christians to this day out of ignorance & pagan tradition. It is not right or true & teaching children these things is sinful. Christmas is similarly a pagan holiday set up by Rome to coincide with Saturnalia winter solstice festival & early Christians & the disciples did not celebrate either holiday as they are celebrated now. Why is there no discussion of this?
Wow! I don’t know if it can be conveyed “Any Sweeter” and “Any Plainer” than that! Than You Jesus!
I love receiving this devotional everyday and have passed it on to my friends, but after one month I stop getting it and I don’t know why this keeps happening. Could you please let me know what I need to do so I continue receiving the emails. Thank you so much for your time and effort.