Seeking the Living Among the Dead – He Is Risen!...By Jason Soroski

 Seeking the Living Among the Dead – He Is Risen! 

By Jason Soroski

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” - Luke 24:5-7

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?"

Within the wonder, glory and excitement that surrounds the resurrection of Christ, this question is the heart of the Gospel. It is what drives our faith and gives us hope in a dark world.

Resurrection Sunday celebrates the most important moment in all of history - the moment death was defeated and hope became alive. The day that those seeking death found life eternal.

For me, it also holds a personal significance.

I was baptized on an Easter morning at the age of seven. Although many memories from that time are fuzzy, that memory remains vibrant and real.

I remember being enveloped by the water, and experiencing the rush of air as I emerged, raised to new life. I remember knowing full well what it all meant - that just as Jesus rose from the dead, I was now being raised to a new and fulfilling life.

At the age of seven, I understood all that.

What I didn't yet understand was the true fullness of that ancient question, "why do you seek the living among the dead?". I didn't grasp all that it meant to the women who heard it, what it meant to seven-year-old me, and what it means to all of us.

The question occurs in Luke 24, which begins on a down note. At the end of chapter 23, Jesus was dead. Which meant that hope was dead.

A group of women had come to his tomb to anoint the body for a proper burial. Their friend had died an undeserved, agonizing death, and had not even been buried properly.

They were now seeking to give a dead man that one last honor.

They were not seeking a miracle. They were not seeking a fulfillment of prophecy. They were not seeking to hear from angels, or to be the first on earth to proclaim the Gospel of a risen Savior.

They were merely in a cemetery seeking a dead man.

As things turned out, they never anointed the body as there was no body to anoint. Just as angels appeared to proclaim his birth, an angel now appeared to proclaim his resurrection.

Yet this proclamation came in the form of a question, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?". Jesus was alive, and all of Heaven already knew what the earth did not.

While we wept, Heaven rejoiced.

Fully Known.....Denison Ministries

 Fully Known

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart. We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we live honestly. May you experience new levels of peace and joy this week as we discover God’s heart for honesty.

Scripture:

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3

Devotional:    

While we absolutely serve an all-knowing, omnipotent, omnipresent God, there is a stark difference between God’s knowledge of everything and allowing ourselves to be known by him. To be known by God is a two-way street. It’s a conscious decision to open our hearts to this all-knowing God that we might experience him in even the deepest, most secret places of our lives. Galatians 4:8-9 says,

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Being known by God is the birthplace of freedom. When we allow our Creator and Savior to truly know us he brings with him all his power, love, and deliverance. Only when we allow him to know the wounds of our past do we position ourselves to receive his healing. Only when we discover that he cries, mourns, laughs, and celebrates with us will our hearts be founded on the reality of true relationship with him.

Your God doesn’t just want to teach you, lead you, empower you, or use you—he wants to know you. You don’t have to go through this life on your own. You don’t have to process decisions, pains, relationships, or doubts on your own. You can be known by your Creator and know him. Unhindered relationship with your perfect, loving Father can be your source.

It is entirely possible to go through this life as a believer without letting God fully know you. As tragic as it may be, many Christians do it every day. We live as if God is distant from us. We live as if we don’t have full access to his heart, will, love, and presence in the Holy Spirit. We live as if all Christ came to do was give us a “get out of Hell free card” rather than restore us to right relationship with the Father. And when you live fully known by God you will experience a love more sure, more real, and more transcendent than any love you’ve experienced.

Take time as you enter into guided prayer to truly let God know you. Open up the secret places of your heart. Tell him about your insecurities, fears, doubts, and wounds. May you find a deeper level of intimacy with your loving Father than you thought possible.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being known by God. 

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” Galatians 4:8-9

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3

2. Are you living your life known? Or are you hiding pieces of your life from your heavenly Father? 

3. Tell God about anything in your life that’s stayed in the dark. Bring it to the light with him. Allow him to fully know you. And experience powerful freedom as he reveals the depths of his love for you.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” You can live with confidence and joy today. When you are fully known by God and still fully accepted and loved, your heart is unshakable. God will not reject you. He has loved you at your worst. Trust in him today and experience life in the light of his presence. 

Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

Freedom To Feel.....KELLY BURNS

 Freedom To Feel

KELLY BURNS

“… where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)

A large canvas of Monet's Nympheas, also known as Water Lilies, hangs in my living room. The artwork depicts Monet’s flower garden at his home. I love this painting. Its magical quality evokes a sense of wonder and imagining. I love things that make me feel something.

But in recent years, feeling things has often seemed more painful than promising, more like a burden than a blessing … just plain hard.

Broken relationships remain. Deep pain needs to be processed. And boundaries must be kept in place. Confusion, fear and doubt threaten my peace. Shame and regret seek to steal my joy. And moments of despairing are all too familiar. I wonder if I will ever feel the warmth of the light on my face again for more than just a brief moment.

But there is also healing — the deep kind that makes me feel fragile and vulnerable.

In our key verse, we see that we have the freedom to feel without fear: “… where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). And so if the Holy Spirit is in us, we are free to express ourselves honestly without fear of rejection, condemnation or shame. Not to do so is like handcuffing ourselves when we've been let out of a prison cell. Or like deciding not to leave when the cell door is opened wide.

Rejecting freedom seems unimaginable when put in those words. And yet this is what we do. We choose to stay incarcerated for fear of exposure. We believe the lie that, if we just keep it all pushed down and hidden away, no one will ever know these things we're thinking and feeling and judge us by them — or worse, identify us because of them. And we even believe this about God.

But let us pause for a moment and consider the alternative: a relationship so safe we can say anything. We can voice exactly what we are feeling in the moment. We can unleash all the thoughts that torment and suffocate us and lay them out, scattered upon the table.

We can speak into the light the unspeakable things the darkness has been telling us and admit that we are even believing them.

And then, having revealed all this, we can look up, instead of down at our feet, to find Him intent upon loving us anyway.

What if we can be this real and authentic even when it makes us feel afraid? What if we can be this way because we know that, no matter what we have felt or said or believed or even how we’ve behaved, we will be seen, loved and cared for the same?

What if this were true? Not just for someone else. But for you.

Beloved, look up. Because it is true.

It’s true for me. And it’s true for you, too. It is true for all who belong to Him.

Dear Lord, my attempts to make myself vulnerable to You are so often tainted with doubt, fear and questioning. I want to surrender and trust You fully. I want to experience the freedom of being known by You intimately. Thank You that You are trustworthy and patient. Help me to know You more so I can trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Heart for God A Vision for the World.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Heart for God A Vision for the World

Dr. Charles Stanley

Acts 13:16-22

I sometimes like to walk through a cemetery and read the epitaphs on the tombstones. It's interesting to see what words are used to sum up a person's life. This may seem like a morbid pastime, but it's actually a great way to reassess our own lives. We're each going to leave a testimony of some kind when we die. Have you ever wondered what your loved ones will write on your gravestone? What words do you want inscribed there?

In our passage today, the apostle Paul tells us God's evaluation of David: He described him as "a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (v. 22). What an awesome testimony of a life well lived! The Lord wasn't describing a perfect man, but one whose life was centered on God's interests and desires.

David's many psalms attest to the fact that his relationship with the Lord was the most important aspect of his life. His passion was to obey God and carry out His will. However, that doesn't mean he was always obedient. Who can forget his failure with Bathsheba? But even when he sinned by committing adultery and murder, his heart was still bent toward God. The conviction he felt and his humble repentance afterward proved that his relationship with the Lord was still his top priority.

If God was writing a summary of your life, how would He describe you? Does your heart align with His, or have you let it follow the pleasures and pursuits of this world? Unless we diligently pursue our relationship with the Lord, we will drift away from Him. Maybe it's time for a course correction.

Be Yourself..... byStephen Sanders

Be Yourself
by Stephen Sanders

Have you ever had someone tell you to, "Just be yourself and everything will work out"? It sounds so simple, doesn't it? "Be Yourself." What does that even mean? After all, if we could simply "be ourselves," then wouldn't the world that surrounds us be a lot different?

I often wonder what friendships would be like if we could simply be who we are inside; to not feel so much pressure to be less or more of an individual than we think we are supposed to be. One thing I've begun to focus on in recent months is being the same person everywhere I am no matter who I'm around, but that's a lot easier said than done.

Don't get me wrong. I realize that none of us are exempt from sin. 1 John 1:8-10 says this: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Can you see how not dealing with sin appropriately keeps us from being ourselves? Behavior like this causes us to trick ourselves into thinking we are someone who we really aren't. When we ignore or hide sin, it breeds all kinds of issues, not only in us, but also in the body of Christ.

So how should sin be handled? How can you "be yourself?" Well, here are 3 things that will certainly get us going in the right direction: Confession, confrontation, and forgiveness. 

We all know that we are supposed to confess our sins to God, but what about confessing our sins to one another? Where does that fit into the picture? The answer lies within James 5:16, which instructs us to, "...confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Why isn't the confession of sins more of a focus in the church today? Shouldn't we be doing this every chance we get if it results in "healing and righteousness?"

Secondly, there is confrontation. Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-17 that, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church..." Notice that this scenario starts with someone taking the initiative to point out the sin. Also notice that this person risks not only putting his friend in an uncomfortable situation but also being humiliated in front of others if he is wrong about his assessment. It's easy to see why the church struggles with this; it's not a simple solution.

Lastly, we have forgiveness. After discussing confrontation and confession, doesn't forgiveness make a lot more sense now? There is a very good reason why Jesus instructed us to forgive, "seventy times seven times " in Matthew 18:22. Jesus knew we were going to be surrounded by sinful people because we live in a sinful world. Rather than avoiding it, we need to be brave enough to be the one who chooses to forgive sin unconditionally and infinitely. Our reaction to sin determines the impact it is able to have on us. Who knows? Our reaction may even be so powerful that it may stop that sin in its tracks before it affects others too!

Intersecting Faith and Life: 

I'm totally convinced that this is how we should be handling sin. And since sin is "at enmity with God" then shouldn't we be doing everything we can to remove it from the bride of Christ? Shouldn't this be a primary focus in our lives rather than striving for what we can gain in life? Jesus is waiting for a bride with no blemishes.

Today, just take about 15 minutes and ask God this simple question: "God, how is the sin in my life keeping me from being who you have created me to be?"

Further Reading
1 John 1
Matthew 18
James 5

A Prayer to Seek the Lord During Distractions.....By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer to Seek the Lord During Distractions

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. - Nehemiah 6:8-9

Distractions are inevitable. Throughout Scripture, we are told that not only will distractions come, but they will be used by the enemy to knock us off course. Thankfully, God has shown us how to battle these distractions.

Nehemiah was a man in the Bible who dealt with persistent distractions from his enemies, who attempted to stop the work God had called Him to do.

Satan’s distractions are the same today as they were back then. He doesn't have creativity. But he is cunning and cutting. He seeks to unearth old pain. He targets the same insecurity, the same lie that was once told, or the same mistakes of our past. Satan will use whatever causes us to pause, drop, or stop the work of our hands for the Kingdom of God.

When we look at Nehemiah’s story, we see these same tactics. Persistent distractions orchestrated the same way each time. Five times to be exact, that his enemies sent for him. Each time desiring to stop the work that God has commanded him to do in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah, through his strength in the Lord, called them out for being the lying, fear enticers that they were, and asked the Lord to strengthen his hands.

You see, Nehemiah was able to discern his enemy’s schemes because of his deep relationship with the Lord. He knew what God had called Him to and he was not going to stop the work of his hands until God said so. These persistent distractions didn’t line up with the characteristics of God’s heart. Nehemiah only knew that because, he knew His father and trusted His heart.

This goes for you and me too. We get an amazing example from Nehemiah’s life. Once we begin to study the heart of God and grow in our relationship with Him, we begin to see more clearly what is not from Him. From there we not only grow in discernment, but we mature in our desire to take everything and hold it up to God’s Word. As we grow in knowledge of God’s truth we want to know more of it.

As distractions come, begin taking note of them. Write down what the topic is, how it makes you feel, and when it seems to happen most often. In my experience, it shows so clearly the tactics the enemy is deploying. Just like Nehemiah, I then turn them over to the Lord and ask Him to strengthen my hands and my obedience to Him.

Let’s pray for that now.

Lord, this season has felt like a never-ending scheme of distractions. Father, stir up in me the reminder to write down the topics, feelings, and seasons these come to me most. I pray that as I grow in my awareness of these distractions in my life, that I will more quickly hand them over to you and seek your truth.

Thank you for being a good Father who desires nothing more than for His children to turn to Him in all moments of our days. Help me to do that this very day.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

The Tomb Was Empty.....Mary Southerland

 The Tomb Was Empty

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

He is not here; He has risen! (Luke 24:6, NIV).

Friend to Friend

The boys and girls in Mrs. Stephens’ fourth grade Sunday school class entered the room and quickly found their seats. The girls were dressed in frills and lace and chatting excitedly about the candy-filled baskets they had received that morning. The boys pulled at the unfamiliar ties around their necks and quickly discarded the sports coats they had obviously been forced to wear. The room was filled with excitement – for good reason. It was Easter Sunday.

Mrs. Stephens wanted to help her students understand that there is so much more to the Easter holiday than new clothes, chocolate bunnies, and egg hunts. Easter is more than family gatherings and tables filled with luscious food. Easter is about life. Easter celebrates the certainty of Jesus’ death on the cross, the fact that He was buried, and that He came out of a burial tomb to conquer death so that we can live now and eternally.

Mrs. Stephens came up with a plan. After sharing the Bible story of Jesus’ resurrection, she gave each one of her students an empty plastic egg and said, “We are going to take a walk outside, and I want each one of you to find one sign of life and put it in your plastic egg.”

As the children filed out of the room, Mrs. Stephens noticed Danny, a little boy with Down syndrome who had been coming to her class for some time. His bright smile and sunny disposition had immediately won her heart. In fact, when it came to Danny, she often thought he had taught her so much more about the unconditional love of God and the joy of simply being a child of God than she could ever teach him. When she heard the other children make fun of him, it broke her heart. She always corrected the children and tried to help them see just how special Danny was, but Danny seemed oblivious to their hurtful words, and thought of each child as his “buddy.”

The children soon returned from their walk, depositing their eggs on the teacher’s desk as they made their way to their seats. Inside one student's egg was a lady bug. In another was an ant. Others had collected flowers, twigs, blades of grass and leaves to fill their eggs. But one egg had nothing in it. Everyone knew whose egg it was. Mrs. Stephens silenced the giggles with a look of warning. When she asked Danny why he had not put anything inside his egg to show signs of life, his face broke into a huge grin as he responded, "Because the tomb was empty."

Danny got it. He truly understood the profound truth of Easter. The empty tomb is the ultimate sign of life and a miracle like none other.

Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. The women knew Jesus was dead. Some of them had seen Him die. And they were sure His body was in the tomb; it had been there since Friday. But when they went to anoint the body on that Sunday morning, the tomb was empty! The body could not have been stolen. Nobody was playing tricks on them. They were not merely fooling themselves. The miracle was real. They could see the empty tomb with their own eyes. Jesus Christ really had risen from the dead!

I would love to have been there that morning when the women went to the tomb – expecting to deal with death and instead found life, wouldn’t you? You may be dealing with death in your own life – the loss of a loved one – the death of a dream – the pain of a broken body. Just as Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He can breathe new life into your heart and mind. Right now, quietly turn to Jesus. He is waiting for you – healing and restoration and new life are in His hands.

Let’s Pray

Father, Thank You for the miracle of life – abundant life here, and eternal life with You in Heaven. Help me celebrate that life every day as I seek You and follow Your plan for my life. Today, I say with the Apostle Paul, “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?”
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Consider this truth: Satan has no answer for the empty tomb. What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ really mean to you?

Set aside time today to remember what Christ has done for you through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Read Luke 24 and celebrate the life only He can give.

More from the Girlfriends

Set aside time today to remember what Christ has done for you through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Read Luke 24 and celebrate the life only He can give. You can make Mary’s MP3, Celebrate Life, part of your Easter celebration as she delivers this powerful message that not only offers hope, but explains how you can learn to truly live and celebrate life.