Is Easter “over”?
Well… the eggs have been decorated, placed in baskets, found, and even eaten.
The church service is over and the songs have been sung.
The new dresses and suits have been neatly hung back in the closet.
And, at our house, all the chocolate has been eaten, leaving only jelly beans for a sweet tooth.
But…..is Easter “over”?
Maybe at Target, where aisles of baskets and candy have been replaced with gifts for mothers.
But, for us…..followers of Jesus Christ…..is Easter “finished” for another year….
Or, has it just begun?
Jesus is the Risen Lord.
He has conquered death.
He has overcome the grave.
Do you know what that means for you?
It means, if you choose Him, you, too have conquered death.
If He is your Lord, you, too, have overcome the grave.
You are seated with Christ in the Heavenlies.
Death has no power of you.
Addiction has no power of you.
Fear has no power of you.
He has given YOU new life.
YOU are a New Creation in Christ.
The OLD has gone.
The NEW has come.
You are clean.
You are forgiven.
You are FREE.
Hallelujah!
There is reason to sing!
There is reason to celebrate!
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” says the Lord God. “I am
the One who is, and who was, and who is to come. I am the Mighty One.” Revelation 1:8
We have HOPE. We have an inheritance. We have a future.
No, Easter is NOT over- it continues in us daily throughout eternity. And as we gather together and celebrate each year, we are reminded that we have a glorious inheritance- a “living hope”. Praise God!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you..” -1Peter 1:3-4
Celebrating with you,
Tracy
Read MoreA Miracle Of God
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.” Job 5:9,10 (NIV)
On Easter Sunday my mother had shared that when my niece Laura, (who along with her husband are missionaries with The Masters Mission serving in Masai Mara,Kenya), was talking with the Masai women about her grandmother who is 88 years old; the women started saying that her grandmother is a “miracle of God”. My mother thought it was funny, but I told mom that she is a “miracle of God”!
Mom is not just a miracle of God because she is 88 years old (and yes, those are weights mom is lifting!); or because she has NEVER been in the hospital except to have her children; or because she is healthier than her younger siblings and even her own children. Although those reasons in themselves are miracles! No, my mother is a miracle of God because she is a child of God.
There is a beautiful song written by Carlton Buck and John Peterson called, “I Believe In Miracles.”
Creation shows the power of God
There’s glory all around
And those who see Him stand in awe
For miracles abound
Oh I cannot doubt the work of God
It’s plain for all to see
The miracles that He has wrought
Should lead to Calvary
Chorus:
Oh I believe in miracles
I’ve seen a soul set free
Miraculous the change in one
Redeemed through Calvary
I’ve seen the lily push its way
Up through the stubborn sod
Oh I believe in miracles
‘Cause I believe in love
The love of God, oh power divine
‘Tis wonderful to see
The miracle of grace performed
Within the heart of me
So many times when we think of “miracles” we think of Jesus turning the water into wine; or when He fed the 5,000 with 5 little loaves of bread and 2 fishes; or when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Yes, those are wondrous miracles - but, each time someone trusts the Lord as their precious Savior - a miracle transpires! The miracle that a soul bond for hell because of the bondage of sin is miraculously set free by the love of God and His grace performed within the heart of the sinner. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8,9)
Sometimes I find myself overlooking the miracles that God performs on a daily basis. As the song says, “seeing the lily push its way up through the stubborn sod”; or each time I look at a sunset; the birth of a precious baby; the robin making a nest for her little ones; or even His protection every time we go to the store.
God’s glorious miracles abound if we just open our eyes and allow ourselves to see His miraculous works that point us to His greatest miracle of all that was accomplished on Calvary for you and me!
Dear heavenly Father, help me to see Your glorious miracles every day of my life. May I always be appreciative of the greatest miracle of all – the precious gift of Your Son on Calvary so that I may have life. In Jesus name, amen.
Sarah’s Gift
This Easter weekend I’ve been dramatically reminded of the extreme sacrifice of some gifts.
There are gifts that are special because the giver spent countless hours hand crafting the gift or perhaps gave a unique, one of a kind gift. I call gifts like that legacy or keepsake gifts. The grateful recipient treasures the gift and loves to tell the story about the giver.
Other gifts are special because they are sacrificial and a high price was paid for it. The humble recipient acknowledges they could never pay the price for such a generous gift and they’re forever grateful to the gift giver.
This week, a precious little three year old girl named Sarah became a part of my world. I knew of her, she’s my son-in-law’s great niece, but I’d never met her. Having a sweet three year old granddaughter myself, the story of Sarah’s Gift has pierced my soul.
Friday night, Sarah started having seizures. A trip to the local emergency room revealed a possible burst aneurism in her brain. She was transferred to a specialty hospital where she was placed on life support. As the weekend progressed, tests confirmed a parent’s worse nightmare - no brain wave activity. After much excruciating deliberation among all the family members present, the decision was made to discontinue the life support. Her parents, grandparents and other family members said their emotional goodbyes.
Blood and tissue samples were then taken and the search begin. Who would receive Sarah’s Gift?
Monday, my daughter and son-in-law represented the family and watched as Sarah’s tiny body was transferred to a gurney with a transportable life support system attached. They walked with Sarah towards the operating room where medical teams from 4 states would make all the necessary preparations to give Sarah’s Gift.
Into the night Monday night and early Tuesday, 6 children, 6 families received the miracle they had been praying for.
Sarah’s Gift was unique and came at great cost. In her death, 6 little children have a new chance at life.
Later this week Sarah will be buried, and the family will continue to grieve and mourn her loss. But is she really lost when we know she’s with Jesus? Yes, those who know her and love her are broken hearted and will think of her every day of their lives. A void will be present that no one or nothing else can ever fill, but praise God for the resurrection! Because of Christ’s sacrificial death, His burial and His resurrection, we can know with full assurance that Sarah is safely home in the arms of God-the ultimate Gift Giver.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
The social worker explained that in a few short weeks the family will hear from the gift recipient families and learn a little more about the children that received Sarah’s Gift. May her family find comfort in knowing that Sarah lives on not only in the lives of these 6 children, but she lives on in the presence of God Himself, the Giver of All Life.
Life is precious. Give those you love an extra hug tonight and thank God for the gift of life.
A new look at Easter!
This was the first Easter since the children were small that we have not had a huge Easter egg hunt in our yard. The kids are grown now and live in different states. We traded hiding eggs and filling baskets for a packed suitcase and traveled 6 hours to visit with our son and daughter in law.
Even though I missed our past Easter traditions this year, God showed me something new about Easter. I have always known the real reason for Easter, it isn’t the candy or the eggs or even buying a new dress. Easter is about death, burial and resurrection. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Not only did He die, but He arose again 3 days later. Jesus was laid in that tomb as a crucified Man but He came out in a whole different way.
It is almost unfathomable for me to comprehend such great love, but the Bible says that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) That in itself is amazing but what is even more amazing is that He made such a great sacrifice while we were yet sinners.
ROMANS 8:28 “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.”
This past Easter Sunday I was reminded once again of the great sacrifice given so I could have life, a life that is so abundant. But my heart was also touched as I saw firsthand the difference that just one Man made in so many lives.
I went to church with my son and daughter in law, and their church did not do the usual Passion play like so many churches do. Instead they did a Easter baptismal service. It was one of the most incredible things to witness. I had goose bumps as I saw 100’s of people come forward to be baptized in water. Literally 100’s, all in all, there were 850 people baptized during the Easter services. I have never seen anything like it. The line to the baptismal tank was like the energizer bunny … it went on and on and on. One after another, men, women and children stepped into the tank one way but after being dunked they came out totally different.
What a beautiful way to celebrate and honor the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Changed lives. Hearts renewed. The old washed away. Truly, Easter is about death, burial and resurrection!
May we never lose sight of the importance of the Cross and also the importance of the empty tomb!
Tethered with Christ
In Connie Cavanaugh’s new book, “Following God One Yes at a Time”, she shares an e-mail from a woman who had recently moved past her fears while going through an exercise in faith at a women’s retreat. Her story reminded me of an event from my own life. Several years ago, during a weekend conference in the beautiful Sierra Mountains outside of Yosemite National Park, I surprised myself by signing up for the high ropes course. I had never done anything remotely like that since the tree climbing days of my childhood. But, I figured that being secured in the safety harness would remove my fear once I was above the ground. So, I boldly joined the other women already on their way to test their courage.
There were several different segments of the course beginning with a climbing wall. I made it to the top and back down without incident. My confidence grew as I traversed the ropes without faltering. But then…I got to the “Poles”. At first glance, they seemed innocent enough – three straight, telephone-like poles standing side by side reaching 35 feet up into the air. The guide strapped me in the harness, gave me instructions and up I went, hand over hand until I reached the top. The idea was that once the climber reached the top of the pole, she was to somehow maneuver herself so she was standing on top of it. Well, that is easier said than done! However, after some creative stretching, twisting and reaching, I managed to hoist myself to the “summit”.
Standing tall, I proudly surveyed the surrounding area. The trees looked beautiful from this vantage point and the cloudless sky seemed almost close enough to touch. I was pleased with my accomplishment. But then, after hearing the cheers from my friends on the ground, I made a mistake and looked down. Anxiety immediately hit me as the realization of my situation grew…My next step was to jump off! The guide encouraged me to simply take a breath, leap out into the air and grab a trapeze that was there for just that purpose. Fear gripped me in a way I had never experienced and I froze. My stomach churned and my arms hung heavily and motionless at my sides. My head told me that it was safe to jump, but my body wouldn’t obey. I knew that the harness and its tether would keep me from crashing to the ground 35 feet below, but in my fear, I couldn’t move.
How often do we experience similar situations in our walk with Christ? As we come to know Him, our excitement and enthusiasm grows. The newness of our understanding of His love for us fills us with joy and our thankfulness for His gift of salvation makes our hearts long to serve Him. But, often, there are barriers that hold us back. We may think we aren’t talented enough, smart enough or young enough. We may compare ourselves to others we see already serving Him and think, “What do I have to offer when that person is so much more equipped than I am?” Sometimes the memory of our life before we were Christians or our failures since hinders us. What is the common thread? Fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, and fear of man. But, we need to remember that when God is with us, we can put aside our fears. “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). God is faithful and we can trust Him to help us as we seek to follow Him.
God created us to serve Him. We may not even be aware of how or where He wants to use us, but when we step out in faith, offering ourselves to Him, He will hold us up. When we look to Christ for our strength, He is our harness, keeping us securely in His grip. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
And what happened regarding my predicament on top of the 30 foot pole? Rather than staying where I was, frozen in my fear and embarrassment, I took that leap of faith! Instead of depending on my own strength and my own abilities, I relied on the tether which was holding me fast. As I leapt out into the air, the wind rushing past my face, exhilaration hit me as the meaning behind that exercise was made clear. I discovered in that moment, that freedom from fear comes when we place our trust in the Lord.
You can read more of Joan’s writing on her devotional blog by clicking on the following link: The Beauty In His Grip.
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