April 18, 2021
Greetings and blessings to all of you. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central pillar of Christianity and the evidence for its historicity is conclusive. We know this. How? Well, Jesus appeared so many times that there wasn’t a shadow of a doubt among His followers that Jesus was a resurrected breathing, very alive Messiah. They had seen Him, spoken to Him, touched Him and even eaten with Him. The resurrection was no secret it was very public. We also have the empty tomb (despite the Roman guards and strict precautions), and the transformation of the apostles. Why do you think Paul said in Phil. 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him in his death and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead. He also said in Eph. 1:17-20 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better…and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly realms far above rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given not only in this present age but also in the one to come.” It’s that power that liberated the Hebrews from the Egyptians, it’s that same power that gave life to Lazarus, it’s that same power the brought life to the son of the widow at Zarephath. That power is now living in us because of what Christ did on the cross. Are we using that power? Are we using that power to live a transformed life? Are we increasingly reflecting the likeness and glory of Christ (2Cor. 3:18) Do we now stand for Christ to declare like Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 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) Through this power we learn “to put off your old self” which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. And the sweetest part of all of this is God left us the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. Saints plug in to that power that is within you and begin living the Resurrected Life.
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC