| Parousia Patris Perspectives
�Life Giving Resurrection Power� Vol 3 No 3 Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:19, 20 March 2008 Tommy fidgeted with his baseball cap as he watched Maggie. His friends had dared him to ask if he could walk Maggie home from school. He was enchanted with the sparkle in her sapphire blue eyes and the glint of the sun on her light auburn hair. She had a quiet peace, no matter what happened, even after her brother was killed. She�d been depressed and the sparkle had gone out for a time, but there it was again. He wanted to know her secret. Maggie held a special attraction, like a magnet to his heart, since their childhood. Tommy didn�t waste any time when she accepted. He bought her an ice cream cone from the corner drugstore and they began their walk home. Maggie was at ease with Tommy, until Lane�s death. She didn�t even know why she accepted his offer. She hadn�t been able to be near him since Lane�s accident. Something was missing in Tommy. Today she felt drawn to his sorrow. She knew he grieved over his friend�s death as well. �Maggie, can I ask you something?� Tommy ventured as they rounded the corner walking toward the park. �Let�s sit here on this bench and finish our ice cream.� Tommy twiddled his fingers and shuffled his feet. Well I might as well just out n� ask, he thought. �I know you are a Christian, like Lane. How � how did you bounce back from his death? I know you two were close. I watched you kid around and do things together over the years.� Maggie knew Tommy had lost a sister very young and his mother was committed to an institution for a time. She had to tread softly. Lord, what do you want me to tell Tommy? How can I lead him to forgiveness, hope and a future with you? �God has put a yearning for eternity in our hearts. We were not meant to be mortal beings. He created us to live in relationship to Him forever. I believe Christianity is unique among all religions, because we have a Lord and Savior who died for us and rose from the grave. Jesus is in heaven beside His Father interceding for us and preparing a place for us, so we can come and be with Him forever because He loves us that much.� Tommy interjected, �Why did Jesus have to die? Why is His Resurrection such a big deal? Is that why you aren�t angry over the senseless accident that caused Lane�s death?� Tommy didn�t believe in beating around the bush. He needed answers. He wanted that sparkle in his heart. Maggie struggled for a moment, then she knew the Lord wanted to use Lane to show Tommy. �Lane�s death was caused by evil in this world, not by God. Lane was rescued from the shadow of death, when Jesus took him safely Home. He is enjoying a magnificent life beyond anything I can imagine, not available on this earth. That�s my living HOPE. Christ defeated death to give us Hope and new life. Tommy responded. �I�ve sinned before God and Lane and your family? Can He really forgive me of that? How can you forgive me? I can�t live anymore with this burden.� Tommy�s shoulders shook against hers, as his eyes blurred. �Yes, Tommy we have a Mighty Gracious God willing to forgive and save us all thru His Son. �Lane knew Jesus died for his sins, and he knew Christ rose for his future hope of an ongoing eternal life. God loves us so much that He wants us to be with Him for all eternity. Because He is a Holy God in a sinless heaven, we can�t go there in our sinful state. God had a plan from the beginning of time. After Adam and Eve sinned, He put it into operation. The penalty of sin is death. �All of us have sinned Tommy. I have sinned, we are all sinners. Someone pure and holy had to take our place and die for us, then rise in God�s power to give us power over sin, and death. Jesus took our place and paid the price with His blood at Calvary on the Cross. He rose the third day to give us Resurrection power in this life and for eternity. �Here,� Maggie pulled her new testament from her purse. She turned to I Corinthians 15:22 �For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.�And, �He, Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.� Maggie pointed to the budding roses beside them coming to life after winter. �Christ�s resurrection is the bud of promise of eternal life for us who believe. I will see Lane again.� �How can I live the Christian life? How can I be different like you? How can I really change?� Tommy sincerely anticipated her response. �We can�t live the Christian life ourselves. We doubt, we get pulled into sins of selfishness, greed and more when we look to ourselves for strength, and things for our fulfillment. �All we really need is Jesus Resurrection Power in His Abiding Presence. That�s His Holy Spirit who comes to live in us (that�s actually Christ�s Spirit living in us) when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. We must say as the Apostle Paul did, �I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.� Galatians 2:20 �We actually die to self so Christ can live in and through us. It�s His Resurrection Power that gives us what we need. We don�t have to live in our own strength. We are transformed by His power in us. Ephesians 1:19 �what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places..� � Maggie bowed her head and said a silent prayer the Holy Spirit would give Tommy understanding. �Resurrection power simply is Almighty God in Christ taking us from the grave of our sin, to Resurrect us to life through the power of His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 �He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies thru His Spirit Who dwells in you.� �Tommy, it�s all about Jesus. It�s really not about us. When we learn to abide in Christ living in us, He gives us all we need for now and into eternity. You know if Christ died for us, why would He not give us freely all things? It�s an exciting life adventure, if we have Jesus walking beside us. I guess I should say, if I walk alongside Him. �It�s not like God just sat there in heaven, condemning Adam. In His great love to have fellowship with His creation, Adam and Eve, God projected Himself into the human race in Jesus. Jesus was born of a woman and grew to manhood in our world. He suffered rejection, scorn and heartache just like we do. He experienced His friend Lazarus death and the sorrow of Mary and Martha, as well as the widow who lost her son. He knows our grief and our pain. �God�s wise loving plan gave us a way, Jesus the way, truth and life. We can live this life in His Resurrection Power, and although we must die to this life, we who believe in Him as our Lord and Savior will go on to a new life in heaven where Jesus has prepared a place for us. It can�t get much better than that can it? �I can live with Lane�s death, because I know he is more alive on the other side with Jesus than he ever was on this earth. He�s enjoying a life beyond my biggest imagination. Lane always said I had a big one.� She gave a quivering smile. �It�s not about just taking Jesus as your Savior so you can go to heaven through His Resurrection power. Jesus came to give us an abundant life through His Resurrection. We can know Jesus and experience the most beautiful relationship this side of heaven and know the power of His resurrection. The Christian life is not easy, even with the power of His resurrection. We may suffer persecution and rejection. But we shall attain the Resurrection. Until that time we can live a life of power by the Holy Spirit as we truly live for Christ and bear fruit abiding in Him. We must press on and we shall lay hold of the prize of heaven as Jesus did. His life is our example. His relationship with us is our abundant life of Joy until we reach heaven�s shores as Lane has done. �So you are telling me that Jesus really died for me, for my sins? You mean He actually forgave me of my sins of being drunk driving and causing Lane�s death? The Resurrection of Jesus guarantees my resurrection even after what I�ve done? I guess I can believe it because you have forgiven me. I can�t believe you would even speak to me after what I did. If your Jesus can do that for you, then I want Him too. Would you help me pray to ask Jesus into my heart, Maggie?� Tommy saw the tears welling up in Maggie�s eyes, reflecting his own. Her Jesus had to be something else, for her to have that kind of faith in Him. Tommy got down on his knees with his head bowed into his hands on the bench. Maggie placed her hands on his as she knelt beside him. �Thank you Lord Lane�s death has come around to bring you glory through Tommy�s deliverance. Now he comes to ask for forgiveness for his sins and new life in You. Lift his burdens of grief and guilt, Lord and save him. I praise You, Lord Jesus. Now Tommy can tell you from his own heart as Your Spirit leads him. Thank you for giving me the privilege to experience another soul coming to You.� Are you suffering from guilt and grief of a life lived in sin, away from God? Do you want a life of hope and meaning? Believe in Jesus as your Resurrected Lord and Savior and you can face tomorrow without fear of life or death. Receive that �incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him. This same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.� Jesus arose victoriously over satan, hell and the grave. His Victory is our Victory as we live �in Christ�. We have a Living Hope and it�s the Son of the Living God. Jesus Resurrection Power is yours through a personal relationship with the One Who gave Himself for you. �Jesus said to her, �I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me, shall never die. Do you believe this?� (Jn 11:25-26). No matter what you are going through, what you�ve been through, what you�ve done, He will forgive and cleanse you. He will give you Resurrection power over sin and death. Jesus will give you an abundant full eternal life and you can face whatever tomorrow brings along your road to heaven, in that place He has prepared for you to live in His love forever. Would you like to experience new life in Jesus? An abundant and eternal life filled with His Resurrection power? You can, if you just pray as Tommy did. �Lord Jesus forgive me a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose again to give me eternal life. I want to die to this old life and be raised to a new life in You. I want YOUR LIFE GIVING RESURRECTION POWER. I take you now as my personal RISEN Lord and Savior. In Your Blessed Name. Amen� �Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know Who holds the future, my life is worth the living, just because He lives." William & Gloria Gaither, "Because He Lives" 1971 William J. Gaither. [email protected] BHG---�2008 Pamela Gray Karges |
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