It’s Friday-but Sunday is coming

First there is Friday’s crucifixion – followed by Sunday’s resurrection.  Jesus dies on Friday – Jesus is raised on Sunday.  Unless Jesus dies he cannot be raised to life again. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead then his death serves no lasting purpose and death is the end for each of us. However, the truth is that Christ has died and Christ has been raised to life again by the power of God, and because Christ lives we who believe him will also live, life with Christ now and through the experience of our own death, to be with him forever.

Four thousand years ago a man called Job, who suffered the death of his children and suffered his own painful disease, raised the question, “If a person dies, will they live again?” Job 14:14

Five hundred years before Christ was born, Socrates, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, said “To philosophise about life is nothing more than to search for the meaning of death – I have been preparing to die all my life.”

According to a survey conducted by Harper Research in 1995, 52% of non-Christian Americans say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible proclaims and Christians believe, that Christ died for our sins and for our forgiveness, and God raised Jesus from the dead so that all who receive Christ, who believe Christ , will be raised to new life now and live with God forever.

The package deal of the Easter Weekend – Friday death, Sunday new life is the greatest proof and greatest promise of life now and beyond physical death.

Happy Easter                                                                                                                   Robert

Life is filled with patterns of crucifixion and resurrection; of dying and rising; of exhaustion and exhilaration.

So often in life we see the rejected rise to recognition again; the battler is born again into bountiful hope; those who have lost everything are lifted to a new level of life; those struck with sadness are again stirred to singing; those who are crushed come up to be champions.

When did you last stagger through a valley of dry bones? Where dreams dry up and die; where hope hastens to hide from the heat of hassles; where satisfaction slouches off across desert sands; where you feel like Ezekiel in his valley of dry bones. Ezekiel followed a process that helped him and can help us to rise from Dry Bones to High Tones.

Ezekiel 37:1
Grace Power: He perceived the powerful presence of God. God is with you to strengthen you.

Ezekiel 37:2
Face Power: God led Ezekiel to face his problem. Face up to your reality with the help of God.

Ezekiel 37:3
Base Power: “Can these bones live again?” Believe that God can bring new life.

Ezekiel 37:4
Brace Power: Brace yourself for what God and you together can accomplish. Talk to your dry bones with the authority of God.

Ezekiel 37:7+8
Pace Power: “Bit by bit bones connected” Be prepared to move at God’s pace towards a solution.

Ezekiel 37:9+10
Ace Power: God’s Spirit came with new life. Request the Spirit to raise Jesus Christ to live in you.

God can raise us from Dry Bones to High Tones

Blessings
Robert