I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.- Romans 8:18

Easter isn't about pastel bunnies, ducks, and eggs...

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” -Isaiah 53:3-4

Christians have suffered from Holiday Hijackers. Don't get me wrong, we do the egg hunts and the easter bunny things. I wouldn't want to mess with traditions and all. But we still emphasize Jesus as the reason we are celebrating. Like Christmas and Santa Claus, is to the birth of Christ so is the hopping rodent...uh...er...I mean the Easter bunny is to the Resurrection of Christ. The jolly fat man and the bunny seem to offer a distraction, or a way to "hide their faces"(see verse above). People to this day really don't want to talk about the man of sorrows, the real Jesus Christ.

Christ is still being despised and rejected by mankind to this day. When non-Christians do give lip service to him it usually not the Jesus of the Bible. It's a Christmas/Easter type Jesus lite that's easier to take in and look upon.

Let's look on the real Jesus this Easter. The Jesus who bore our pain and suffering and was stricken by God because of our sin. Because if you look at the real Jesus now and believe in that Jesus now, you will be able to look at him throughout eternity. Don't settle for anything less than the real Jesus.

I'm a horrible multi-tasker

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” - 1 Timothy 2:5-6

If I had to rely on multiple ways to God I don't think I could get there. That's why one of my life sayings is "Love All, Worship One." I love the fact that there is one way, one truth, one place where salvation can be found.

I love this word picture of Christ talking to God for us. The one who sacrificed all for our sins, standing before his father on our behalf.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12

"All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”Acts 10:43

“[The Armor of God] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” - Ephesians 6:10-11

To many of us go through the day, the week, month after month, even a lifetime dependent on our own power. This verse reminded me of what Jesus said, ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30.

God has always called us to be strong in HIS power, not our own. He calls us to protect ourselves with that which he provides not what we provide. All of this so that we can stand and grow while this world continually tries to weigh us down. All of his power is made available to us to overcome any and all of the schemes that come against us.

If you're feeling weak and run down try relying on the Lord more...pray, read, live.

Pray to the Lord

Read the Word of the Lord

Live like the Lord.

Have blessed day...

By the stream...

““But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”” - Jeremiah 17:7-8

I am blessed. We had a great weekend. I was able to perform the wedding of my brother and new sister-in-law, attend a great Sunday service, and found out our middle child got into our dream school. But can we count ourselves "blessed" when things only go our way. Shouldn't we count ourselves blessed when things don't go our way. Believe me that I have a few things that aren't going my way or not turning out the way I would want them to. But I find it hard to complain.

I think when we trust and rely on the Lord we have that feeling of confidence. That feeling that everything will be o.k. is always with us. When our trust is in him we are like that tree that never has to worry about hard times. We will always bear fruit for the glory of God and always feel at peace about the future.

Lord help us all trust in you when things go our way and do not go our way. Let us see that to be truly blessed is to find that we trust in you fully.

“[Praise to the God of All Comfort] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Which way you going?

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.” - Job 23:10-11

He really knows the way that I take. When God has allowed trials and trouble to come our way, he knows the way we will take. He does this to refine us, like gold is refined. Nothing is purified without heat or a act of destroying the current environment. So how do we follow God during the testing times like Job.

Here's the hard part. Job said he followed HIS steps and that he kept HIS way without turning aside. Most of the time the first sign of trouble we revert to the sins that comfort us or the character flaws start floating to the surface. We turn to our reasoning and our ways. This is a part of the refining though. God is seeking to get us out of our own way so we can follow his.

I've got connections

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:25-26

I'm loving today! Just had to say it.

Is it mind blowing to anyone else that the one "person" we have a connection to, an inside track with in heaven is none other than the King of all, Jesus Christ?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. - Hebrews 4:15-16

He is truly for us! Our flesh is going to fail us - (as it did when I tried to do P90X last night) and eventually our heart is going to stop. But he will never stop. He is the strength of our heart. In the Hebrew language this means He is the "rock" of our very being. When all else fails you, he will always be there as a steady foundation.