It is Still Easter!

There is a drawback to annual celebrations and events in our lives. That drawback is when we allow those events to develop into a mindset that they only occur “that one time” in the year. Not so!

For example, Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday, but we should be thankful every day and be mindful of the poor and hungry every day. The same is true with Easter. Yes, the literal resurrection of Jesus happened “once,” but the significance of that event should be recognized and lived out every single day. We are a “resurrection people” and should live out and express our beliefs joyfully each day.

One of the ways to “live out” our joy of Easter is to remember that the risen Christ is always with us, not just on Easter and not just when we’re in church on Sunday. He died and rose so that he could live within us and be close to us at all times. But just as Mary had difficulty recognizing Jesus in the garden (John 20:11-18), we often fail to notice that the Lord is with us in concrete, real-life ways.

Now that we understand that Easter isn’t “just once a year” in the Spring, we need to ask ourselves “what would happen if we expected and anticipated “seeing” the Lord on a regular basis? Where might you recognize his presence and how he is working in your life?

Perhaps:

• When you have been praying for something for a long time, and your prayer is answered in a way you didn’t expect.

• When a Scripture verse or a particular verse in a Hymn strikes you in a totally new way and helps you get through a difficult circumstance.

• When you are able to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply.

• When you realize you need to correct a bad habit, and you are able to do so.

• When you and your spouse are finally able to see eye to eye on a touchy issue that has caused conflict in the past.

• When you see someone who is hurting or needy and are able to help that person.

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. God is infinitely creative in the times and ways he reveals himself. So, as you go through your day, begin to anticipate and even expect him to “show up” each day.

Then try to keep your eyes open for his presence. You may just be surprised at how often he is part of every detail and concern of your life. May we just quickly pray, like Mary, “Jesus, open my eyes so that I can tell others, ‘I have seen the Lord.’”

Learn from Lydia

There are a lot of interesting mentions of women in the Bible. Whether it is the Old Testament or New Testament, there are many strong, yet oddly missed, lessons from women that we can familiarize ourselves with to strengthen our faith. One such woman is named Lydia. She provides a very powerful lesson for us. We find one particular mention of her in the book of Acts. Acts 16:14 , says that Lydia “reverenced God, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.” Lydia is actually a significant person in the New Testament. She is described as “a dealer in purple goods” (Acts 16:14). Pointing that out is quite a clue. Dealing in “purple goods” was considered a luxury in the ancient world. It is probably safe to say that she was both a woman of great financial means and able to deal successfully with the influential people of her time. She was also noted as having a great gift of persuasion. I think she might have been the only perso...

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Did you know that the word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

Accepting Martyrdom

We are still in the season of Easter as we await its culmination in what is known as Pentecost . There is another event in the Church which we commemorate at the forty-day mark of the Easter season where many denominations recall the “ Ascension ” of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:19-20 , “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” This event marked by the Church is also stated in the Apostles’ Creed: “…He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” When Jesus ascended to Heaven after rising from the dead, He promised us that we would never be left all alone here on earth to “fend for ourselves.” We have the Holy Spirit of God always with us. John 14:16 , “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever….” We w...

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