Easter is past, and I'm sure many of us are relieved that the busyness of family and church and candy baskets and Easter fun for the kiddos is finished for another year. Sometimes, it even feels that easy to look beyond the remembrance of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection... as though it's something to focus on for one weekend out of the year, before letting it fall again to the back of our minds. Thankfully, Jesus died so that we could live every day - and this is worth being aware of every day.
His resurrection power through the Holy Spirit is available to us each day, and even each moment. It is so easy in our humanness to let the reality of His presence and Spirit alive in us slip past us - to get caught up in drama or gossip, the daily news or politics, or our own thoughts or emotions. The one who died and raised us from the grave has gifted us life-giving power in order to... you guessed it: live in His power! The whole point of resurrection power is that we would live in victory and freedom, recognizing the authority we have been given to speak against death and sin and see it destroyed. The Kingdom of Heaven is near where the Spirit is able to move - through His obedient followers.
If you are a believer in Jesus, you carry the Spirit of resurrection within you. How are you living in that this week?
-Pastor Emma
"Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved... Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious" - Watchman Nee
"The cross of Christ only triumphs in the breast of believers... when their eyes are directed to the power of His Resurrection" - John Calvin
"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God" - Romans 8:9-14 NIV
