When you celebrate Easter, do you celebrate your own resurrection?

Your resurrection is not something you are waiting to experience on some distant day. The resurrection power of Christ is all of your story, child of God–your story past, present, and future.

Each child of God is given a new life.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn–not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
John 1:12-13

Jesus told Nicodemus (and us) that “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” John 3:5-6

This new birth, Jesus says, is the only way to be part of the Kingdom of God. The new life comes from the Holy Spirit. God gives us the Spirit and new life when we believe.

Jesus rescued us from death. Every one of us was dead to God before we believed. Nothing we could do would put us in good standing with the Almighty. We were doomed.

But the Almighty’s mercy provided a way for us to come to Him. Christ’s sacrifice paid what we could not. We were given new life. I’d say that’s resurrection.

Romans 5:18
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

2 Cor 3:6
The old written covenant ends in death, but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Romans 6:13
… for you were dead, but now you have life. 

This passage is longer, but tells our whole story. Take the time to read it and savor its richness.

Titus 3:3-7
Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 

But–“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace, he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Celebrate your resurrection, child of God.

I wonder if we have any idea what we’re saying …

To the religious leaders who were criticizing him, Jesus said something that makes me shiver today. These were religious leaders, mind you, who knew it all. He told them, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.”

He is talking to them about the resurrection, but I think we all need to sit up and take notice. Friend, what do you know about the Scriptures and the power of God?

We rattle off verses about God’s power within us. Scripture rolls off our tongues smoothly at just the right times. Verses we’ve known for decades float by us without piercing our souls. We patch hurts and problems with Band-Aids of church-y phrases. But do we know the power?

Paul, in a letter to his protégé Timothy, writes about difficult times in the last days, talking about people who act religious, but reject the power that could make them godly.

I suspect we are only skimming the surface of something so deep and so powerful that … How can we describe it? How can we possibly know the power of God?

Of course we can’t grasp something so far beyond us. But the Spirit can open our eyes, can begin to teach us. Are we paying attention?

When you read Peter’s statement that God’s power gives us everything we need to live godly lives, do you believe it? Or is your unconscious retort “yes, except for …” ?

When you quote Ephesians 3:20, do you hear only the promise that God can do fantastic things, or do you notice that the Scripture says God’s power is at work in us?

When you read Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil, do you believe that the power of the Spirit will equip you so that after the battle you will still be standing firm? Or have you just given up, conceded defeat in some battles, with the excuse, That’s just the way I am, or That’s the way things are…

In the midst of my study about the power of God within us, I had a bad day. I don’t remember what did or didn’t happen, I just remember that the next morning I berated myself in my journal, lamenting my foolishness and failure. In my self-scolding, I used the word “pathetic.”

Instantly, the Spirit checked my vocabulary. Is the word “pathetic” one that can ever describe us, children of God? If God’s power is at work in us, His Spirit living within, how dare we ever call ourselves pathetic?

And take that one step further, one step beyond myself. If the Spirit’s power is working in my brothers and sisters in Christ, how dare I look on them with critical and judgmental eyes? They are in the Spirit’s hands. He is doing His work in them.

I’m wandering, just a little, so back to my question:

Does talk of the power of God roll glibly off our tongues, while our lives deny that we believe? Did you notice that the Ephesians passage says this incomparably great power is for those of us who believe?

Do we believe?

Just askin’.

Scripture: Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 3:5, Ephesians 6:10,11,13b (all NLT), Ephesians 1:19 (NIV)

Simon Peter could tell you all about regrets and failure. He betrayed his friend and teacher.

Peter had walked away from his fisherman’s life to follow this man. And he had vowed that he would never turn his back on Jesus. “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will. Even if I have to die with you, I’m with you,” says Peter.

But now Jesus has been arrested. The plots against him are beginning to play out, and things aren’t looking good. Most of the disciples slip away into the night. We can understand that; they fear for their own safety. But Peter follows the crowd, wanting to know what is happening, wanting to stay close to his friend.

Then he is accused of being “one of them.” Someone notices Peter and asks if he was a friend of Jesus. Peter lies. He denies even knowing Jesus; he backs down and deserts the one he had so recently recognized as the Son of God.

And not only once, but three times! Three times he repeats the lie, the betrayal. Three times he fails the one to whom he’d pledged his life.

Then the rooster crows. Jesus turns, and looks at Peter. Their eyes meet.

And Peter remembers. Jesus had told him this would happen. And he probably remembers, too, how vehemently he promised that he would never betray his friend. Can you imagine his shame, his distress, knowing how he had failed?

The account in Luke is particularly sad: And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

So I think Peter could tell you all about failed intentions, regret, and shame.

But something happened to that man.

Once Jesus has left this earth, we hear Peter boldly saying to the Jews, in the synagogue, and to religious leaders, “You killed the Messiah! You killed the one who could give you life!” And even when religious leaders threatened to kill him if he didn’t stop preaching, he said, “Sorry, I obey God, not men.”

Something happened to that man.

Rewind to Jesus’ last days on earth. The disciples are finally convinced he has indeed come back to life. He’s been with them, eaten with them, talked with them. He is truly alive.

But now he’s talking about leaving again. What a roller coaster those disciples must have been on during those weeks. First, they watch as the one they hoped would set up a new kingdom is executed in a most horrible way. All their hopes die on Golgotha. Then, as they grieve and wonder, What do we do now?, the rumor starts that Jesus is not dead, but alive. Eventually, they see him with their own eyes. They finally believe. Then he talks of leaving them.

But just before he disappears again, Jesus has some curious last instructions for them. “Stay in the city,” he says, “until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Can you imagine? Can you put yourself among the circle of Jesus’ close disciples on that day? He says He’s leaving us, but tells us to wait … wait … and we will be filled with a new power. The NLT translation says, “But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Imagine you were standing there that day, listening to Jesus telling you that power from heaven will settle in you, will clothe you … Wow!

Listen to what God tells you today. He says He has put His Spirit within you, His power clothes you. Wow!

Listen to what God tells you through Peter: By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.

Yes. Something happened to that man.

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Scriptures: Luke 22:62 (NLT), Luke 24:49 (NIV, NLT), 2 Peter 1:3

I walked in the fog this morning. Most of the time, I could see no more than fifty yards in front of me. The water collected on my glasses and dripped from my hair. Through our little village, down the hill, around the retirement community. Not the bright, clear morning I expected. I enjoyed none of the usual views of hills and valleys, creeks and woods.

But I heard the world. The traffic on the highway down in the valley. Voices through an open door. The clip-clop and rattle of a horse and buggy on a gravel road. Music. Above all, the bird song. I tried counting the different calls, but there was such a chorus that it was difficult to sort out individual songs.

I smelled bacon, freshly mown grass, and horses. Admired the rich green silhouettes of pine trees in the mist. Saw things close to my path that I have missed before, like the even work of the mason who laid a stone wall, the droplets of water hanging on every twig of the still-bare redbud, the tiny blue stars of spring flowers on one grassy bank.

And, yes, because I wasn’t always looking at the long views, this morning I was more aware of the trash along the highway.

I saw only one other person in the early morning fog. She greeted me by name.

Sometimes, it is good for us to walk in the fog.

Maybe…when we cannot see what is ahead, we listen more closely for the Spirit’s voice.

Maybe…when we aren’t so preoccupied with the view far beyond today, we hear the songs of this moment.

Maybe…when we know nothing but pain, we learn to seek refuge in the only One who can truly comfort.

Maybe…when we walk with limited sight we grow in our trust of the Way we have chosen.

Maybe…when we ease our pursuit of far-off goals, we make better connections to fellow travelers.

Maybe…when we are forced to pay more attention to where we are right now, we are more aware of the trash in our lives, litter that mars the beauty.

Maybe…when we walk in the fog, God will extinguish our foolish notions that we can know or plan the future, will remind us that we know nothing about the path ahead.

We walk only by faith.

I cannot procrastinate any longer. The Easter season is here, and of course the central events of our celebrations are Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

These days, just say the word “resurrection,” and my mind jumps to “power.” So I guess it’s time to tackle this subject. I’ve just been putting it off because it’s so big and … well, so powerful.

Part of your inheritance as a child of God is power. There. I’ve said it. Now what thoughts are zipping through your mind?

Read the Scripture on the right hand panel of this screen. For those of us who believe, there is an incomparably great power. You’ve probably read that verse dozens of times. Have you ever tried to plumb the depth of what this means for you?

Before we go any further, ask the Spirit to open the eyes of your heart, so that you can catch a glimpse of what the Father has for you and begin to know what power there is for the children of God.

Note that the verses printed here from Ephesians end with the first part of verse 19. The second part of verse 19 is the reason “resurrection” and “power” are linked so closely in my mind. I’m going to backtrack a bit and give you the full verse from the New Living Translation:

The gospels tell us Jesus had the power to bring people back to life after they had died. The story of Lazarus is the most familiar; there were others. We say we believe those miracles. We believe that Jesus himself died, but is now alive again.

But it’s pretty hard to believe that such a thing could happen today. Am I right? Most of us have buried someone dear to us. To think of that person suddenly being restored to life … well, that’s pretty fantastic.

Yet we believe Jesus had the power to do that. And we believe that Jesus actually did come back to life after being executed. Our whole faith is based on that belief. Even the apostle Paul says that if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then our faith is foolishness and we are to be pitied for following Jesus. But we believe Christ is alive. Everybody with me so far?

Now make the huge leap to this idea: The same power that can bring someone back from death, the power that brought Christ out of a tomb — that power is working in your life, is part of your inheritance as a child of God.

This is so huge, so mind-boggling, I can’t even pinpoint the right word to use. Astonishing. Incredible. Amazing. Staggering. Unbelievable. Oops. No, I don’t want that last word in the list.

I think that last word has been the problem. This has been “unbelievable” for most of us. Somehow, we’ve been taught to think more about how weak and helpless we are, how needy, how pathetic, how human, how sinful, how feeble and puny. All of that is easy to believe and understand. And I get it, I do. All of those words describe exactly what we are, apart from the power of the Almighty God.

But Scriptures say that the Spirit of God and the power of God live within us. And we have failed to recognize that, failed to ask for and use our inheritance. We have failed to think and live as children of God.

This is big stuff. So big, I have to stop here. Now that I’ve got your wheels turning, just continue to think about this as we move toward celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

And though the idea of such power being available to us might boggle our human minds, ask the Spirit to give you spiritual eyes to see how such power could transform your life.

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Scripture: Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)