Easter is a celebration with a powerful message that all people need to hear. I doubt that there is even a message more powerful than the Easter message, and it has nothing to do with barbecues and egg hunts. The message of Easter is that of hope and life. It is the message that our God came down as man to die for our sins. Although he died a death of earthly nature, death could not hold Him, so on the third day He rose again, establishing His authority over all the earth. That man was Jesus. This is the message that we need to hear, not only on Easter but every day of our lives. It’s also a message that all mankind needs to hear. This is the message that we should be giving on Easter. Without the power of Christ’s resurrection, we would still be slaves to our own sin. But because of His death, burial and resurrection, we are now given life and power to overcome death. Our salvation comes because God came down to rescue us, not because we have the capacity to save ourselves. Here are some verses that share the message of God’s power, as displayed through His resurrection. Romans 4:25 “He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day.” Romans 6:5 “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” John 11:25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces.” Job 19:25 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” 1 Corinthians 6:14 “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” Romans 8:34 “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life– is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Originally posted 2016-03-09 09:14:36.

We’ve heard it all before: “Why can’t you just quit your bad habits?” Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? So why is it that many believers struggle with habitual sin and cannot seem to be set free? Are we really to just accept that maybe we should just rely on repentance and live with our bad habits? Whether it’s a bad habit of drinking, smoking, watching pornography, or working too much, we’ve all had a bad habit that we found hard to break. One thing that is for sure is that if we are all to expect it to go away overnight, then we’re probably dreaming a tall tale. Some people get released from their sinful habits right away while others go through a long process of pruning in their lives, but one thing for sure is that God is working to set us free from habitual sins. Here are three points to remember when battling habitual sins. Acknowledge that there is a flesh that battles your spirit The reality is that we live in two realms all throughout our life here on earth — that is the flesh and the spirit. Many times our spirit will go against the flesh, and we must make a choice which realm we will fall under. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Realize that we cannot help ourselves Here’s some really bad news that you have to understand: Your sin is much bigger than you. Anyone who believes that sin is harmless does not understand the weight and power there is behind sin. It’s so powerful that just one sin can sentence us to death and separation from God for all eternity. Our sins are extremely big problems and we cannot solve these problems by ourselves. On our own, we can never completely break free from our sinful habits. Rely on God’s power and grace Thank God that Christianity is not just about the bad news, but about the good news of what hope we have. Sure we cannot save ourselves, but there is one person who can and has already saved us from sin — that’s Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Because of God’s grace, we are not only freed from the consequence of sin but are also given the ability to say no to sin. When we start pursuing God more and continue to be filled by His presence, we are slowly relieved of our desire to sin over and over again. It is God’s in-filling that pushes out the desire of sin, not our willpower. Spiritual discipline does not come by pruning the flesh out of us, but by growing the spirit by experiencing the Spirit more and more. Originally posted 2016-03-09 09:11:27.