Seek The Lord? A Choice.

(Cross-Posted at Moms In The Right)

Happy Easter Everyone!

In my opinion, Easter is the most important Christian holiday celebrated.  If Jesus hadn't risen from the grave, his coming to earth in the first place would have been nothing more than a nice story of a good guy who taught some important lessons about life and faith.  And if he hadn't risen, he wouldn't have a whole lot of power to save, would he?  A dead savior doesn't do anyone much good.

Has it really sunk in for you?  I mean REALLY sunk in that Jesus is alive?  

I was raised in a Christian home, and I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't know the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  But it wasn't until I was, oh about 28 or so, that I realized...."Dear God, he's actually ALIVE.  Right NOW.  He's alive!"

Close your eyes and think about that for a minute or two.  Imagine those women going to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body and finding him gone and the guards who were there to make sure the body wasn't stolen shaken to their core...pale faced and wide eyed.  Imagine seeing Jesus.  Imagine how they must have felt to see him standing before them in the flesh (he even ate a meal with them) after they saw him so brutally tortured and murdered.  

Some of the disciples were so flabbergasted by the sight of Jesus standing in front of them, that they didn't even believe it.  They must have thought, "This can't be happening.  I saw him die.  He was dead as could be.  He's dead.  How can he be standing here?"

It's their initial doubt, in fact, that makes the story of his rising so compelling to me.  They were so convinced that he was dead, that they struggled to believe that he was alive.  And then, once they game to grips with the fact that he was alive, what happened?  They became consumed with drive and passion to tell everyone they could about Jesus.  Big deal, you say?  These people were so convinced that Jesus was Lord and that God rose him from the dead that they DIED for it.  That kind of passion doesn't happen for a good story or a rumor or even serious peer pressure.  It only happens for the truth.

I appreciate knowing that there was some skepticism that Jesus so thoroughly did away with - it makes the voices of those witnesses that much more credible.  

(In fact, we named one of our sons Thomas.  We didn't name him specifically after the disciple Thomas....we just liked the name.  I can't tell you how many times that people respond with "Doubting Thomas, eh?"  And I say, "No, I prefer to think of him as 'critical thinker' Thomas")  :)

But even given the compelling story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection....even given the incredible testimony of those first disciples...and even given the fact that so many early Christians went to horrible torturous deaths in the name of Jesus...

...their faith can not be ours.  We must make our own choice about Jesus.

Did he live?  Did he perform miracles?  Was he crucified?  Did he rise?  Is he Lord?  What do YOU believe?

The choice for faith can be difficult.  I did lots of study and praying (and frankly, trying to prove to myself that the stories in the Bible are NOT true) before I came to a place where I could place full faith in Jesus.  And still, it was FAITH.  I didn't have all the answers before I believed (still don't)...I just had enough information to know that I believed that Jesus is who he claimed to be all those years ago.

I want to encourage you today.  If you don't know what to make of Jesus Christ, I'd like to add my testimony to the testimonies of those early Christians.

I have seen many amazing things happen since becoming a Christian - personal and miraculous things.  Though my initial belief was based on a hopeful faith, my belief today is based on solid proof... the proof of what he's done in my life since that day that I let him be my Lord.  I wish you could take my word for it and have it be good enough.  

Make your choice today.  Make a choice to be either all for him or not at all.  Because he's either dead or alive...no where in between.  I pray you'll choose life.  I pray you'll step out in faith to accept him as your savior and Lord.  I pray you'll get to know him as the lover of your soul...the one who created you and knows the number of hairs on your head...the one who wants nothing more than your faith and love.

Peace, my brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Be filled with great joy today as we remember what our Lord did for us!

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Jesus, Matthew 28:20)

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Seek The Lord Sunday Participants

1. Nickers and Ink

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