What Should I Focus On Now That Easter is Over?

Well Happy Easter!  Today is the day after Easter, and your bellies are probably full of jelly beans, ham, and mashed potatoes. I know mine is!  Hope you got some exercise today! Often after Easter and all of the celebration of Jesus' most defining moment, being raised from the dead, we might wonder, "What is next?"

 Over the next couple of weeks I am going to focus on how we can live in the power of the resurrection.  Easter resurrection power is available to all of us as believers in Christ, and through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Listen to what Paul says to the Philippians,

 "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11

 Paul equates knowing Christ with knowing the power of His resurrection.  If you look at Paul's life you can see he did many of the things Jesus did. How? In the power of the resurrection?  Paul is not our Savior, but he lived a life full of "resurrection power".  Sometimes I think we see what happened on Easter and forget that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us. 

 In Romans, Paul says that if we believe in Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.  And if the Spirit is in us he will give life to our mortal bodies. What does this mean?  You have power to live a new life in the power of the resurrection through the Spirit who lives in you. This is the Spirit of Christ! If you believe in Jesus ultimately you will also rise from the dead. But for now you have a power in you that is greater than the power in the world. 

 So What?  As you continue to live "post-Easter" live in His power.  May the resurrection flow through you as Jesus uses you like he did his apostle Paul!  Where do you need power today? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more