He's Alive! Now what?

BATHOS

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Cor. 15:14,17)

Praise God that Jesus is alive, therefore our faith is not futile, we don't have to be dead in our sins, our preaching is not useless. Jesus is alive! 

Now what? Make sure you're dead and that what is alive in you is Jesus! Don't miss that last statement. Paul famously stated, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." (Gal. 2:20

For Christians there is no doubt (or there shouldn't be) that Jesus is alive and working through the Holy Spirit to increase His kingdom for He is soon to return. One question that we should ask ourselves is: Is Jesus alive in our heart?

Paul continues, "...The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) 

Paul lived a life of faith in Jesus knowing He lived in Him and Jesus manifested Himself through Paul. So friends, family, lets do this! Lets allow Jesus to be alive in us, and work through us.

Jesus is alive! Now what? Stop gazing at the sky, stop the distractions in your life, die to self and allow Jesus to be alive in you!

Javi

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Sunday's coming!

BATHOS

Though we as Christians should daily remember what Jesus did for us, it's wonderful that much of the Christian world takes this time to remember what Jesus did for us in a special way. Just as we should thank God for life everyday but we obviously do it in a special way on our birthdays.

Yet lets be honest we know Sunday's coming. We know what happens to Jesus on Sunday. We know that well He's alive, at least we claim too. 

I guess my question might be if we know that Sunday came and Jesus IS alive today. Why is the Christian church acting if it's Saturday and Jesus is dead in the tomb? Why does it seem at times that we are more in mourning than in victory? 

Javi

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Pilate's great question & your answer is?

BATHOS

He was choosing who he would release. His wife had told him, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."(Matt. 27:19). The leaders were persuading the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barabbas and execute Jesus. So when Pilate asked who he should release the crowd said, "Barabbas." Then Pilate asked a question that should resonate down the corridor of time.

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" 

 What a question for you and me today. Not just because it's good Friday, but simply because it's one that we answer everyday of our lives either consciously our subconsciously. We tend to do many things with Jesus in our lives. We ignore Him, miss-represent Him,  disobey Him, we call ourselves His followers yet it seems that where just going through the motions instead of doing things, "with Jesus who is called Christ."

What shall I do with Jesus? What shall you do with Jesus? Maybe it's time that we release Him. Let me explain. Pilate  released Barabbas, interestingly enough his name in Aramaic means "son of the father" Jesus who was crucified often referred to His Father and in Mark 14:36 Jesus said, "Abba, Father... everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."


Pilate had before him, Jesus THE son of the Father, and Barabbas "son of the father." It seemed like an easy choice, listen to your wife Pilate not the crowd, listen to your conscious Pilate not the crowd. Pilate if your asking, "what crime has he committed?" and no good answer is given then Pilate, it should be easy to make the right choice. But obviously it wasn't for Pilate for he had THE son of the Father executed and a son of the father released. 


So maybe could it be that we haven't released the right "son of the father" in our lives either. It seems like it's an easy decision release Jesus He hasn't done anything, but instead we release "son of the father." In other words we "crucify Him" by our actions everyday yet we release our natural sinful ways.


So on this good Friday I ask: "What are you doing with Jesus who is called Christ?" Hopefully you're releasing Him and allowing Him to shine through you!


Javi


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