Sunday Was Easter

I am still basking in the glow of the Resurrection celebration. We had two dozen people at my house, eight of them college students who came home from college with my granddaughter. We ate, played outdoor games, had good discussions about living the Christian life. Yesterday, I left the house at 3:15 AM to take them to the Denver airport. When I got home, I began reading 1 Peter. I couldn’t get past the first five verses without stopping to give thanks. I want to share some of that with you.

Let your mind dwell on these words for a few minutes: great mercy, living hope, resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, imperishable, undefiled, will not fade, reserved in heaven for you. The source? God’s great mercy. The substance? Living hope. The vehicle? The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The timing? Doesn’t matter, we’ve got a reservation.

If we ever needed any hope,

let alone living hope, it’s now, in the shadow of the worst political climate I’ve seen in my lifetime. The church is under attack. Christians are being discriminated against by power-hungry politicians allowing themselves to be influenced and controlled by the evil puppet master, Satan. The Bible is so clear as to the consequences of a nation turning from God. You see it time and time again with reference to Israel, both to them and to their enemies.

God is a God of patience, but it has an expiration date. In my last post, I asked where you are on your spiritual journey. I think a broader discussion is called for. The Bible tells us we are spiritual people (1 Thess. 5:23; James 2:26, Rom. 8:10). As such, our spirits will live forever. 1 John 2:17 says, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” We know our bodies can’t live forever, so there must be a part of us that does. We’re told in Galatians 6:8, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Many are on their spiritual journey

and don’t realize there are only two destinations, heaven or hell. Think again about the words in paragraph two. Then think about these words: mourning, crying, pain, death…forever. Do I even need to ask which environment you would rather be in? That’s the message of Easter—of the Resurrection—LIFE. And joy, and peace, and unity, and…and…and…in the presence of Jesus.

Here’s the truth. If you’re not interested in Jesus or the things of God now, then continue to shun them and you won’t be bothered by Him ever, throughout eternity. Additionally, if you aren’t interested in the people of God on earth, then your companions in hell will be the “cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, immoral persons, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, whose part is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8). Are these your circle of friends now? Do you want them to be for eternity? While you breathe, God is calling you, offering you a living hope through His Son, Jesus. Personalize the message of Easter, that Jesus rose from the dead FOR YOU. As our current president would say, “c’mon, man.”

Heaven will be amazingly amazing

(hard to put it into words grand enough). YOU can be there. God promised that, “…whoever believes in Him [Jesus] will not perish [in hell] but have everlasting LIFE” (John 3:16). C’mon, man. Make the right decision. If you need more detail about what God thinks about you and how you can be restored to a Father-son relationship with Him, check out our “Steps To Salvation” page on this site. Thanks for your time. Hope to see you there.