Prepare For Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15: 12-13 “But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.” NLT
Our 2022 has started off strong, and we are more focused than ever on the mission that Jesus has left for the church and each of us as individuals. Our way of knowing if we are reaching this mission is to see where we stand with our Worship, Reflection, Prayer, Study, and Service. Are we being all that Jesus has called us to be and gifted us to be?
In the month of February I feel as though God is calling us to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Lenten season which will start at the beginning of March. The lectionary (planned text usage each week) is laid out in such a way that we are being brought into the presence of God by acknowledging, remembering, and experiencing the resurrection of Jesus. He was the once for all sacrifice for the many transgressions that each of us as believers have and will commit. His resurrection was witnessed by many, proof that we have a new life and a new body to look forward to after this one.
Our focus in February will be to understand what resurrection is and allow ourselves to come to grips with what it might look like for us. Knowing that several times the resurrected Jesus was not identified gives us some indication that our newly resurrected body will not look like it does now. However, we know that those who could not initially identify Jesus, eventually did, making it almost certain that we will still know each other and still have a relationship with each other within our new bodies.
It is important for us to believe in the resurrection. Jesus was speaking with Martha after the death of Lazarus and Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” This is a difficult, yet important subject to begin working through as believers.
Timothy Keller once said, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” I pray you join us in finding our hope in resurrection!
– Pastor Mike
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