It's Easter! And ...

It’s Easter! What does that mean to you?

Today was NOT a normal Easter for us. There are things that happened today that were NOT good, but I have CHOSEN to look ONLY at JESUS. Nothing in our circumstances has changed from our previous blog. My stomach is a mess and spring allergies are now on the move, but my heart is focused on JESUS. I purposefully open the Gospels and see the miracle of my redemption. I find the Psalms pulsating with songs of rejoicing. I want to sing praise and shout, “GOD is so Awesome!” Jesus lifted the “poor me” centered burden I was carrying! Look at all He’s done!

It’s Easter today! I remember all God has done for me and for all His children in the past and what He is still doing in this world. It is a choice I need to make EVERY day to REMEMBER and CELEBRATE God’s saving work. The message of the CROSS IS TRUE and POWERFUL.

As I attempted to write of our journey, I realized how little of the truth of the gospel is really shared in our world today. I thought about all the people we met on planes, in Uganda, here at home, in churches and out, and how little everyone seems to know of the real message of Jesus. I continually hear people say a variety of, “As long as we are nice, do good works, and help folks have an easier life God is pleased. All religions are the same if we just accept one another. Live like Jesus, he was good.” These are good people doing good for others. Yet, few share the gospel in day-to-day conversations or even in churches.

I had to ask myself, “Do I just try to make it easy for people and easy for myself telling them, ‘God loves you and wants to help you with your problems.’ Do I minister to help carry their burden and do my good deed for God, but neglect their real need?

What is anyone’s real need? Do we know anymore in America? What is Easter about? Where is the cross? Can we share the gospel because we have lived it and experienced Jesus?

When was the last time I shared the true full gospel with anyone? Am I afraid they can’t handle it or don’t want to hear it? God’s message to the world is not just “I love you, I have a plan for good for your life and I want to make it all better for you.” Can I tell anyone in America that they’ve sinned against a holy God and will face judgment and hell if they don’t repent of sin and turn to Jesus? Can I tell them that Jesus took their punishment for sin? He was on that cross because that is where we deserve to be. Our sin has separated us from a holy God. Our problems in this world are the result of sin and our separation from God.  Will we bend our knees before Him in humble repentance? Will we thank Him and give our love only to Him because of what He endured for us? Fellowship and forgiveness with God can be restored. Do we realize that Easter is a celebration of our resurrection from death forever? Do we live with thankful hearts that share the joy of a redeemed life and the victory over this world and all its shallow imitations of true life?

People need the truth. Most people know deep down there is a problem. We have an answer. The answer is JESUS. Where will they hear it if not from us?

We were called recently to go to Uganda to see the heart God has for the people there and to know how we can share the gospel in that place. It is not an easy place to live. Hearts there are no different from hearts here. But, there are so many who have never heard the name of Jesus. They have never seen a Bible or never had the opportunity to learn to read. We desire to go and give them that opportunity. We want to teach them to read. We want to give them Bibles. We want to disciple them and let them know the truth. They will go to hell and die in their sins if they never know that Jesus came and paid their penalty for sin.

It is tough to open our mouths and tell people that they are sinners, guilty before God, and they will be punished. It is tough to say that they must repent; tough to say they are truly guilty and can’t pay the penalty themselves. No one is good enough before a righteous God.

But Praise, Hallelujah, let’s get excited, raise our hands, and shout for victory and dance! Jesus paid for our sin when he suffered it all for us on the cross! Easter is the victory shout! Jesus’ offering of His own body for us was accepted by God and IT IS GOOD! Because He lives, I live! PAID! DONE! WE ARE FORGIVEN! We can live forever with the one who bought us and set us free from Satan’s chains and hell.

Does that mean anything to us? Can we share it so others can be free of sin’s grip? Our souls are sick. Our lives don’t just need a bit of cleaning up. We don’t just need help walking though this life. We need to be reborn, changed on the inside and ONLY JESUS and HIS Cross and Resurrection can meet our real need. Do we believe it? Have we humbled ourselves and said “I am a sinner. I am trusting you Jesus to cleanse me from my sin and do with my life as you will. My life is Yours.” ?

If we have trusted Jesus and thanked Him for His sacrifice as payment for our sin, can we boldly, excitedly, tell others here today, right next to us now, that they need Him too?

God demonstrates His own love for us in this. that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Rom 5:8

GOD help ME and all of us respond to His gift of love through Christ and share the Truth with others.