Beyond Easter

Easter means springtime is here, looking for bunnies, hunting Easter eggs, and eating lots and lots of candy, or is it?


Being a Christian and attending a local church was never intended to be merely a religious and special celebrations a few times a year, aka: Christmas and Easter. The true Christian has a personal and daily walk with the Master. Those who follow Christ do so everyday. Just like when He walked on this earth, Jesus continues pressing forward today. You can keep up with Him as he leads and guides you, or choose to fall far behind or totally reject him and walk away.


A relationship with Jesus is very close to being married to my wife Penny. A healthy marriage requires constant communication, of which I struggle with daily, sharing good times and bad, loving each other, giving our attention away, even when we don't feel like it. Forgiving, encouraging each other, being honesty, and just spending time together. What if we only celebrated our anniversary, but didn't do much else together during the rest of the year? Then my marriage would be what I call PLASTIC. The same thing applies to being a Christian.


The question for us as an individual this Easter season was not whether or not the Lord wanted me to attend a church service even if I rarely attend church the rest of the year. His arms are always open. The question is this: Do I want a "relationship with Him that is like a "marriage" where the couple only celebrates on their anniversary? Or do I want to live an authentic Christian life with Jesus everyday so that He will know that I really do love Him and trust Him? His action on the cross revealed His love for me. My actions reveal whether or not I love Him. I have seen so many over the years walk down an aisle, sign a card, maybe get baptized and NEVER see change. They are in for a rude awakening one day.


Jesus definitely rose from the grave, but has my spirit been raised to new life....or do I remain dead inside regardless of my attending a religious holiday observance? Am I a born again believer through faith in Christ? If I am born again, I will be pulled like a giant magnet to Him daily, which includes Wednesday and Sunday at worship and to have fellowship there with others who believe in Him. If I have little or no interest in growing in my faith every week with other Christians, that is a strong indicator that I may very well not be born again. The Bible says ,“ Examine yourself”. When Jesus truly comes to live within a person, it changes everything. My thinking. My motives. My decisions. My priorities. My relationships. No change equals no new birth.


The fact is that some marriages are on life support. Likewise, some professing Christians are only kidding themselves. It could happen to any of us if we just went through the motions. The minute I begin to neglect my marriage or my relationship with Christ is the minute I begin to drift into "cyberspace”. Minutes of neglect turn into hours and eventually weeks and months of neglect. By the time you wake up to what is going on, the relationship is already nonexistent. We leave Christ, because He NEVER leaves us.


That doesn't have to happen to you or to me. After all, Easter is a GIANT reminder to us all of what happened 2,000+ years ago..., but it should always be in our daily thoughts, actions and lives. What a perfect time RIGHT NOW to give your life to Christ for the first time, or to rededicate your life to Him and seek to restore my first love with Him....and if you are married, do it with your spouse.


So are Good Friday and Easter just dates on your calendar?


Do they thrill your soul everyday and each week as I worship with my Faith Family?
Those are questions for anyone who checks the "Christian" box on those salvation cards you may be signed.
I ask you today, “ Is your soul secure or have you been led stray but wrong thinking or something else along the way”?
Today is YOUR DAY for Salvation. Jesus is waiting and in return, I expect a phone call, text, email or Facebook message, DEAL ?


Till next time,

tc
Romans 5:1
peace out