God was manifest in the flesh – Immanuel, being interpreted – God with us!!!!! Easter and Christmas seasons are religious traditions followed by man. It is my belief that we need to celebrate God coming to earth as Jesus Christ, His life, His death and His resurrection on a daily basis. In God’s sight, this week called Holy Week should be celebrated in our hearts everyday.
When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “IT IS FINISHED!” At that moment, the veil in the Temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place or “Holies of Holies” was rent (torn) into from the top to the bottom by God. In that instant, God was revealing that His death on the cross was creating the opportunity for man to have a personal intimate relationship with God. We do not have to go through priests for our sins to be forgiven. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. When He rose from the dead, He gave instructions to go to Jerusalem and wait for the power from on high.
The Day of Pentecost in Act 1 & 2 was the fulfillment of His purpose in coming to earth as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God sent His Spirit on the Day of Pentecost – God in us the hope of glory! If we allow it, the Holy Ghost will change our character to become the character of God. He said, “Be ye holy as I am holy!” It’s a matter of our choosing to follow Him.
Ephesians 5:1 implores us to be followers or imitators of Christ. The Holy Ghost does not force us to become holy. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins through obedience of repenting and being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we have to choose to allow His Spirit to reign in our hearts.
A true celebration of Jesus being alive and living in us is our willingness to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God that is our reasonable worship. This is allowing God to transform us through the obedience of His Word – renewing our mind with His truth. This transformation through His Spirit and obedience to His Word should be manifest in our daily lives. This seems to be a missing link for so many who have received the Holy Ghost, but do not allow the Holy Ghost to control their thoughts, feelings and actions.
The letters written to the church give us instructions how we ought to behave ourselves. We are to put off sinful actions and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:31-32 New Living Translation (NLT) 31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” We are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection when we allow His Spirit to control our attitudes and words!
Hebrews 12:1-2 New Living Translation – 1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside (seated in the power of) God’s throne.” Notice, the command here is ‘strip off’ the sin that weighs us down. We have to do it – not God!! When we strip off our sinful selfish desires, we are worshipping God through obedience and celebrating the power of His resurrection.
Holidays are tough times for those who are alone without immediate family or those who are grieving because of death, divorce or other types of losses. We as individuals need to reach out and encourage others around us. God is love. And He said the world will know us by our love one toward another. Remember, our hope is in God, not man. Man can fail, but God never fails. He said, “Draw close to me and I will draw close to you.” Celebrate the power of His resurrection daily. We are His Bride looking for Jesus’ (our Bridegroom) soon appearing in the clouds with the voice of a trumpet.
The God of the resurrection lives in us through the power of His Spirit. Focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Worship Him daily allowing His character and love to be manifest in you – be a reflection of the Love of God. We are to glorify God in our body and spirit! Celebrate Jesus daily!
© Carol Clemans – April 2015
Note: Go to website: www.carolclemans.org – bio, 140+ articles, teaching CD’s & DVD’s, book: God’s Design for Marriage. As a Certified Pastoral Counselor, I provide nationwide confidential God-based counseling by phone/Skype. As a Bible teacher for 50 years, I speak for churches/conferences nationwide and through Skype. To schedule speaking or counseling call: (636) 448-0121 – carol@carolclemans.org.