The Power Of The Cross

I woke up this morning happy and aware of the power Christ has in our lives. It’s Easter morning and I am so grateful. We have been blessed beyond anything we could have ever asked for. We have been given eternal life and a PERFECT home awaits our presence.

That sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Especially after spending our days here on earth. It can be so hard here. Sure there are blessings at every turn but just as many heartaches await our days here on earth. But as believers, we understand the gift of eternal life and a life with Christ that offers SO MUCH MORE.

…OR, DO WE KNOW NOT?

Those three powerful words…’They know not.’ actually, fuel the passion that brews inside me. This is my Easter message, to challenge us to think about what we truly know. What has this awesome act of Jesus, truly done for us? What do we truly LET IT DO? How do we walk in it?

We understand and hopefully, own our position on Easter as our gift of eternal life, God’s power, and Jesus’s grace-filled act of unconditional love.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

But let’s all think about how that works in us.
What it does for us.
And what are we supposed to do with that?

I don’t want John 3:16 to just be a divine sentence that we challenge ourself to believe on one spectacular day or even twice a year on Christmas and Easter. I want Christ and his gift to be ALIVE in me…and in you.

SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

• BE PURIFIED: The blood of Jesus, (God’s) Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7  Do we live weighed down by sin? Or do we rest in Jesus and the work he has done for us? Satan loves to pull us away from God. Satan knows the power of God and he also knows that as we step into Christ and lean on God we can accomplish amazing things for God. We need to live in Christ.
  • ‘PURE’… Today, give great thought to how much we remain indifferent to this great gift of purification. Without Christ, we would wear our sins, they would be a part of us. And keep in mind guilt and shame are two of the most powerful footholds of sin. I know this can be a little bold but it is our choice. Do we live in Christ or in sin?
  • ‘FROM ALL SIN’… Living in Christ means we are FREE. The power that sin wants to have over us no longer wins. Jesus wins. Sweet Jesus. We do not need to be held back or weighed down by our sin. God wants us FREE from sin, walking in His ways not weighed down by Satan. Think about how much faster you can run, dance, and LIVE while you are free! (Life a little closer to heaven on earth)
• WILL WE USE OR ABUSE CHRIST?: Sometimes, without even realizing it, we take advantage of Jesus and what he has done for us. We understand that his resurrection is our gift but ‘we use Jesus’ AS the gift.  I hear us say Christ has it covered when we mess up. Praise Jesus!!!! This is so true. But not if we go into our sinful action with that understanding. That is when this gift goes from use to abuse. When we go at life alone we get into the habit of using God only when ‘we’ are not enough. This habit is a bit abusive in a relationship.
  • WITH JESUS we begin to desire following his ways and then appreciating this amazing gift as we fall short.
  • WITH SELF we live in turmoil because GOD WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR US as we go between ‘world and Word’. We can’t have it both ways. And when we try,  I see it best like a horrible rollercoaster ride that never ends. Sure the world will offer some thrills that seem great at first. We might even think we are handling the ups and some downs on our own just fine, actually enjoying ‘the ride’ so to speak, but it will wear on us. Eventually, we will get tired of the unpredictable twists and turns of life. Eventually, we cry out for this exhilarating and stomach turning ride to S.T.O.P.
• CALLED: Christ came here why? To teach us. To show us the way the truth and light…to Him. Then he died for us. Do we believe God did this for no reason? He wants us with him. He wants every last soul with him. Why do you suppose Jesus was so disheartened when he realized that his time here was ending and WE (the people) still all did not know. Jesus spent his last days trying to teach us and encourage us to keep on his cause. What was that cause?
  • TO BE LEAD PEOPLE TO GOD…BY LOVING AND SERVING.
  • THIS IS YOUR CALL.
  • GOD WILL HELP YOU.
  • DO YOU CALL ON GOD?
  • DO YOU LIVE IN CHRIST?
  • DO YOU LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Easter is an unbelievable holiday that we believe in anyway.
BECAUSE WE KNOW.

Happy Easter friends, my sisters, and brothers! Let’s live in Christ Jesus all year through.
Niccie Kliegl CLC, RN