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 Don’t Hide Jesus at Easter !I am a believer. If you put me in a pew, take me out for tea, or spend Sunday mornings putting the cows back in their corrals, I’d join you. Easter is my all-time favourite celebration of the year, because for me it’s a matter of life or death. Jesus said “ I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25 NIV) He’s not kidding. There is lots of historical evidence for the resurrection. After Jesus rose from the dead he showed himself to many people. His followers were willing to die for their faith, it was real to them, not a fantasy . When you really love someone, you are willing to die for them. In India, the Gospel for Asia missionaries form “Believers Churches”. We might have believers who have had their “church” at the hockey rink most of the winter, but Easter is in April this year, so get to church and celebrate ! Do you believe ? What difference does that belief make in your life ? My belief in a risen Saviour gives me great freedom. I am free in Christ to live a righteous and holy life before God, without any condemnation. I am deeply and unconditionally loved. This love of God flows to me through His Spirit, His Son, and His people, other believers. I have buried a sister who was only 23, and a mom who was only 65. They were believers, and I am thrilled that when I die I will see them again. I have the hope of heaven, not fear of death. That’s why Easter is a matter of life or death for me. Believers have eternal life as promised by Jesus, and they don’t hide their love for Jesus at Easter. My life is not my own, it belongs to Christ. I am His follower, and I am blessed. I am thankful for a loving church family who celebrate with me. I am blessed with all of my needs being met, and then some. I have been given a gift of eternal life that I cannot work for, a gift that I accept by God’s grace to me. Does this God talk turn you off ? How are you feeling ? Is life really working for you without a deep relationship with your creator ? We are in the season of Lent, the 40 days before Easter where Christ followers are called to focus on deepening their relationship with God. We are called to be loving and not judging. We are called to please God with our relationship to Him and give Him pleasure. We are called to serve one another. My life is not my own. What difference does it make when you don’t hide Jesus ? A big difference. I smile a lot because I am deeply filled with joy, not just happy. I cry when I see the pain of the world around me, and lonely people who refuse to look for the love of Jesus. I mourn when a believer dies, yet I celebrate that they are in a glorious place of healing and rest with God. I have the hope of eternal life with me now on earth, and that perspective is the greatest gift anyone could ever hold on to…in good times and in sad, bad times. Ask someone to show you all the places in the Bible where God proclaims His love for you. Start by reading the entire gospel of John. Hear the birds sing and wonder how so many different creatures know when it is time to show up for their spring flings ! Count the number of times you see a cross in your community. It’s a universal symbol of the ultimate sacrifice made for all of us, even the crosses in our highway ditches, reminders that life is fleeting and precious. Embrace Jesus and His love for you this Easter. Don’t hide Him away! People’s lives have been transformed with His love and acceptance. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it promises us that “ if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, behold the old has gone, the new has come !” Believers enjoy a personal relationship with a loving heavenly Father. They have freedom in Christ and newness of life and joy. They are bathed in the counsel and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the small still voice inside them that guides their actions. Believers are blessed by the many promises in God’s word, the Bible. People who embrace Jesus have a wonderful church family who cares for them in many practical ways. When I wrote last year about the reasons why I love my church family, I had a reader call to say that she couldn’t believe my words. Her experience with “religion” has not been a good one. I am not religious, I have a relationship with a living God, who conquered death, and rolled the tombstone away on Easter morning. He has given me deep healing, abundant living, and the hope of heaven. I don’t need any chocolate eggs or store-bought gifts in my basket at Easter. My cup is full to overflowing, because Jesus and I know how to find each other, every day of the year. Come to a believer’s church this Easter, we’ll be happy to share Him with you ! Elaine Froese encourages people of faith at weekend retreats. She farms near Boissevain, Manitoba with her husband. “Planting the Seed of Hope” is her award-winning book which encourage families to celebrate prairie life. See www.elainefroese.com or call 1-866-848-8311. |
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