Easter

Over 2000 years ago a man hung on a cross. Many had been crucified before him and there would be many more after him, but there something drastically different about this crucifixion. My Lord, my God, my Savior, the Messiah was crucified that day. As He hung on the cross He bore the full wrath God for every single sin and failure in my life. Then three days later He rose again because He had conquered death. Now one day I will be with Him for all of eternity because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. 

This is the story of Easter and it is one that I have heard hundreds of times in my life, but as I sit here this morning I am still amazed.  "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.  The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Celebrating Easter reminds us of who we were, what Christ did on the cross, and who we are now because of it. Through faith in Him and His grace poured out on us we are:

Redeemed

Declared righteous

Holy before Him

Made new

Forgiven

Loved

And the list goes on and on. 

I hope you have heard these truths many times in your life as I have, but I always need to be reminded of them. As we celebrate Easter tomorrow I pray that we would overflow with thankfulness because our debt has been paid. Let us be people who are always reminding each other of the gospel and live lives that are glorifying and pleasing to God. Happy Easter.

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross

The emblem of suff'ring and shame

And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross

Till my trophies at last I lay down

I will cling to the old rugged Cross

And exchange it some day for a crown

Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world

Has a wondrous attraction for me

For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine

A wondrous beauty I see

For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above

To pardon and sanctify me

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true

Its shame and reproach gladly bear

Then He'll call me some day to my home far away

Where his glory forever I'll share

Tune My Heart to Sing Thy Grace

I wish I blogged more. Blogging is a way of focusing my thoughts and really trying to put down in words what God has been teaching me in the last few weeks or months. In the end it doesn't matter if anyone reads my posts because it is still a helpful thing for me to do. I also really enjoy reading other blogs and seeing how God is working in other's lives. As I read I see other's struggles and hardships as wells as times of joy and rejoicing. I am encouraged by seeing their walk and it gives an opportunity to pray for them in specific ways that I wouldn't know otherwise. The other day I was going through the various blogs that I read and I came across a link to a prayer from "The Valley of Vision." I have not read the book to know if I would recommend it or not, but this one prayer in the book fit perfectly with various things I have been dealing with the last few months. Day after day I have been going back and praying through this prayer because it focuses my mind on Christ's finished work and gives me the larger perspective on the trials I face. Every stanza is rich and full of truth. I hope you have the time to go through it and refocus on who you are in Christ. I pray you have a great week that is centered on bringing glory and praise to our King. 

Holy Lord,

I have sinned times without number,

and been guilty of pride and unbelief,

of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word,

of neglect to seek Thee in my daily life.

My transgressions and short-comings

present me with a list of accusations,

but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me,

for all have been laid on Christ.

Go on to subdue my corruptions,

and grant me grace to live above them.

Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings

of the mind bring my spirit into subjection,

but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power.

I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused.

I have asked amiss and do not have,

I have prayed from lusts and been rejected,

I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness.

Go on with Thy patient work,

answering ‘no’ to my wrongful prayers,

and fitting me to accept it.

Purge me from every false desire,

every base aspiration,

everything contrary to Thy rule.

I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love,

for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject,

for sometimes putting me into the furnace

to refine my gold and remove my dross.

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.

If Thou shouldst give me choice

to live in pleasure and keep my sins,

or to have them burnt away with trial,

give me sanctified affliction.

Deliver me from every evil habit,

every accretion of former sins,

everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me,

everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee.

Then I shall bless Thee, God of Jeshurun,

for helping me to be upright.

– The Valley of Vision