Celebrating Easter

I’m writing this on Thursday, April 1, and tomorrow is Friday – Good Friday as we refer to it. Tomorrow, 2000 years ago, Jesus was crucified for our sins, died a horrible death on the cross, just so that we can all spend eternity in heaven.

As I’ve said before, I can tell you many things about recovery, but the one truth I’ve found is that I can’t do it without God.

So, as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, it is a reminder this holiday is about so much more than a bunny or even time with family. It is about the blood shed on a cross and then Jesus being raised from the dead.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.” John 24:5-8

God loves you so incredibly much! Imagine a Father sacrificing His son to die for YOU. If you aren’t sure God is real, or that He loves you and cares about you, I challenge you to ask Him to show you and show Himself to you. I promise you He will.

The Bible says, we are all sinners. (“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23) No matter how “good” of a life you try to lead none of those good things will affect your eternal destiny. The grace and mercy Jesus offers to everyone by dying on the cross for the sins we all commit, is free. You can’t do anything to earn it or gain it. Only in accepting it can you come into a relationship with Him.

The payment for our sins is death, or death apart from God in hell.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

That is why God offers us the gift of eternal life through His son Jesus. Once Adam and Eve sinned the barrier was made and the only way was for God to bridge the gap by sending Jesus, so we could be in a right relationship with Him again.

By accepting Jesus, and the fact He died a criminal’s death on the cross (when He lived a perfect life and did nothing wrong) for you and you alone, you can come to know Him. He had you in mind when he was dying.

Don’t think you have to understand it all right now, because I guarantee you won’t. Coming to know God is a lifelong process – it’s a relationship. So, like any relationship you come to know God more as you spend time with Him and in the Bible.

To come into a relationship with God all you need to do is what Romans 10:9-10 tells us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” NKJV

Confessing to God that you understand you are a sinner (not perfect) and that you believe Jesus came to die for you, rose from the dead on the third day, is all that is involved. It is quite simple for being the most amazing prayer to change your life!

I’m going to walk you through it in case you are unsure, but you can pray your own prayer and I know He’ll hear you. Just pray this prayer to God and He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you, and one day when your time on earth is done, as it will be for all of us, you will enter your eternal home in heaven with God. That will be a glorious day!

Father God,

I know that I am not perfect. I have sinned in this life. I ask you to forgive me of these sins. I know you sent Jesus to die for me and be resurrected. Thank you for loving me enough to do this for me. I want to spend my eternity with You. Fill me now with Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

If you prayed that for the first time, Congratulations! You are a brand-new creation in God! He has amazing things in store for you. I encourage you to reach out to a local Christian church and share your decision to follow Jesus with them.

If you would like to connect to an online church you can go to livingproof.co. That is Abundant Life, my church here in Lee’s Summit. They are setting up an online congregation. Share your decision with me too! susan.m.clabaugh@gmail.com.

I also encourage you to get a Bible if you don’t have one and begin to read it. Start in the book of John to learn about Jesus’ life. I hope and pray you are on this amazing journey with God! Remember He doesn’t promise an easy life, but to be with us through all of it!

Happy Easter my friends! Halleluiah! Jesus is alive!

Susan

© 2021 Susan M. Clabaugh. All Rights Reserved.