Saturday, April 7, 2012

WE WILL RISE AGAIN

Those who die in the LORD will live;
their bodies will rise again!
Those who sleep in the earth
will rise up and sing for joy!

Isaiah 26:19a NLT

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This is my favorite time of the year – what seemed dead - is showing life again. With the mild winter we have had this year the crocuses and daffodils and flowering trees started blooming earlier than usual. Spring is nature's testimony that God's design for His creation is LIFE! Death came into this world as the consequence of disobedience to God, but resurrection from the dead comes to all who believe in the death and resurrection of His sinless Son!

In case you have been wondering, colored eggs and chocolate bunnies really have nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter. Easter pure and simple is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is the central truth of the Christian Faith.  The message of the angel at the empty tomb was - “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”

Later that day Jesus appeared to the apostles – showed them the scars in His hands and feet left by the nails that had held Him to the cross – and the scar on His side from the spear's thrust that proved His death.

During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and  proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. . . . Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.

If Christ had not been raised from the dead, the entire human race would be without hope - eternally separated from God – headed for the unending torments of hell.

But, the glorious truth of Easter is - CHRIST IS RISEN!!  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

What a blessed hope! As we stand at the grave sites of believing family and friends we sorrow not as those who have no hope. When our hour comes and our family and friends say goodbye to us, we know we will rise again - because our Lord lives we to shall live!!

Turn up your sound and listen to Dallas Holm sing RISE AGAIN 

If you would be interested in my life's story - click on THE STORY OF MY LIFE under Pages on the column to the right.