Welcome to Day 23 of our 40-day countdown to Easter! The Stinger's Gone! One spring country evening a man and his son were riding into town when a bumblebee flew into the car window. Since the boy was allergic to bees he became terrified. Seeing this, his father stretched out his hand, caught the bee and squeezed. Then he opened his hand and releases the bee. His son immediately tensed again in fear as the bee buzzed near him again. But this time, his father showed him his hand and said, "See that right there?" There stuck in his hand was the stinger from the bee. His father told him, "You no longer have to be afraid of the bee because the stinger's gone!"
Jesus did the same thing for us! He stretched out his hands and took the sting of death for us. That's what He did when He died on the cross for all of mankind.
I Corinthians 15:55-57 says, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
THE MEANING OF EASTER
As we get closer to Easter, consider it's meaning. Its more than eggs, dressing up and fancy dinners. The underlying meaning is to celebrate the victory we have over death through Jesus Christ. In other words ~ the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's what makes Christianity different from all other religions in the world.
Consider the words of Henry Morris, one of the founders of the Institute for Creation Research, who said, “The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity is a false religion. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth.”
ABSOLUTE TRUTH?
Wow! That means if Christianity is wrong, you have lost nothing by not making Jesus Christ your personal Savior and Lord. But if Christianity is true, that means you're wrong and are on track to lose everything. When you choose to live a Christian life, right or wrong, the only thing you have to lose is an ungodly lifestyle. Is a life without Christ really worth taking a chance on missing the abundant and eternal life that God promises us?
Evidently, anyone who has not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, has not fully understood the absolute truth of the Christian faith. As we fast and pray this Easter season, let's be more intentional about changing that. And being intentional is not being rude or disrespectful to an unbeliever, or to someone who is not truly living a pure life. Just let your light shine and don't be ashamed to tell others about the joy of serving the Lord in Spirit and in truth.
Our Prayer...
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray for anyone who has not come to a personal understanding of life in Christ. Let the eyes of their understanding be opened. Remove the blindfold of worldly thought. Take away the world's inability to grasp the reality of our risen savior. Birth in them, a desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Wash me and cleanse me so that I can be a good witness for You! Your word says, in John 1:12, to as many as received Him, He gave power to become the sons of God, especially those who believe on his name. This Easter season, we pray for the souls of family, friends, neighbors and strangers to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In His marvelous name, Amen!
~Inspiring Hope and Seasoning Faith, Pastor Sean