Resurrection Lessons

Do you realize We ALL have to experience a death and resurrection of our own life through the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 
  
Maybe you have "said THAT prayer." Maybe you attended an Easter service a few  weekends ago as Christian churches all across America celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ! This is our favorite holiday. Our favorite celebration. This is more special than Christmas! This celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is every single thing the Christian walk is all about. One of the main things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions - we don't serve a dead God! No other religion claims to have a resurrected God. Our Lord is Risen! He conquered sin and death for us!

For we know know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. Romans 6:9
When you say THAT prayer - that sinners prayer, that prayer of salvation, you are saved!
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

So, what is this resurrection experience I am talking about? Jesus died, Jesus rose. I don't have to do anything other than say that prayer, the Bible tells me so. Yes, while this is true, I would ask you to consider a few more things. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came to give us an abundant life. According to dictionary.com, abundant means:

1. present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient 2. well supplied; abounding 3. richly supplied
Consider the synonyms for abundant - abounding, ample, bountiful, brimming, copious, exuberant, fertile, fruitful, galore, generous, lavish, lush. Of these synonyms, my favorite is exuberant. Let's take a look at the meaning of exuberant so that I can get us where we are going here...

1. effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant 2. abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous 3. extremely good; overflowing 4. profuse in growth or production; luxuriant; superabundant

Let's laser focus on that word, and more importantly on the meaning of that word. Remember this word, exuberant, is a synonym of abundant. Remember, Jesus came to give us an abundant life. He said so Himself in John 10:10. The Amplified Bible says, "...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." For you Old Schoolers - the King James reads, "..."I came that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." More abundantly than what? More abundantly than anyone has life without Christ! That is the what! But, back to the laser focus of exuberant, forgive my ADHD - it is difficult to have laser focus even when I am the one writing. If we take what Jesus said to us literally, that He came to give us life more abundantly, then that means he came to give us a life of exuberance! I challenge anyone reading this to find a negative connotation to the word exuberant! You can't! There is nothing negative about the word exuberant.

Living an exuberant life means to live an extremely good life overflowing in effusive and almost uninhibited enthusiasm, abounding in vitality, extremely joyful and vigorous and lavishly abundant, superabundant, luxuriant, profuse in growth and production! Does this describe your life? If it does not, then something is wrong. You said THAT prayer. Did you mean it? Okay, yes, you meant it. So, what is the problem? Why is your life no different than it was? Why is your life no different than those who haven't said THAT prayer? May I suggest that it might just be because you haven't died yet? Died? Does that mean we don't get this abundant life until heaven? No!! It means maybe you haven't died to some things here on earth yet. AND, if you haven't died to those things then you haven't had a resurrection experience.

What do you need to die to? Well, we all need to "die to ourselves." But that sounds like one of those church phrases you have no idea of what it is talking about. You figure you must have had to grow up in church to get that one. Well, it isn't that difficult. Let's take it down a bit and see if we can throw out some ideas that grab your attention, better yet, let's see if we can throw out some ideas that grab your conviction! What do you really need to die to?

Your career?
Your addictions?

That forbidden relationship?
 
Sex outside of marriage?

Your goals?  Your dreams?

Your foul language?

The

thing

you

allow

your eyes

to look

upon? 

Your friends who continue to pull

you away from your relationship

with your Lord and Savior?

 

Your hobbies?  Your pride?

Yes! You need to die to anything on the above list that might be a part of your profile. Anything that is hindering you from living this abundant life Jesus told you He came to give you. The beginning of that verse, John 10:10, Jesus tells us our enemy, that Devil of old, comes only as a thief to steal and kill and destroy. The enemy is using all of the things on that list as well as many other temptations to do just that in your life. He is out to steal your abundant life! He is out to kill your exuberance, your overflowing life of joy! He is out to destroy your witness! If you said THAT prayer, he can't take your soul, he no longer has claim to it and there is no access for him to get to it, BUT he wants to keep you from taking anyone to heaven with you. Your job is to take as many people as are placed in your path to heaven with you! The war is on!

Jesus didn't come to give us an abundant life so we could just live one big party on earth. And, by the way, there is nowhere in scripture claiming that Jesus came so we could be happy all the time! Happiness and joy are two different things. Living a "happy-go-lucky" life is not the same as living an abundant life. Jesus came to give us this abundant life because He knew it was the most effective tool we could place in our ministry bags! He knows that if we walk out our relationship with Him in total abundant living then the people placed in our paths will want to know who this Jesus is. What is it that makes us so joyful all the time. What is it that makes us so exuberant, so vigorous, so enthusiastic? Our goal is to create a desire in others to want what we have.

If we are living out our relationship with Jesus Christ in constant negativity - grumbling, complaining, fear, anxiety, aimlessness, envy, strife, anger, bitterness then what kind of witness is that? Who wants that? You don't have to say any special prayer to live like that . What good is this Jesus and His abundant life offering if that is the end result? I can live like that all on my own, thank you very much.

If we are living out our relationship with Jesus Christ in a morose, sullen, down-trodden, gloomy manner then again, who does that attract? Where is the joy in that? Where is the abundant living?

The most important definition of exuberant is profuse in growth or production. As a Christ follower, we are to produce fruit. That is the evidence of our faith. That is the evidence of having said THAT prayer. The fruit we are to profuse in growth, to produce is the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) If we are allowing the enemy to steal our abundant life then we are producing fruit that is rotten to the core,

fruit of his hellish orchard. Those specific fruits can be found in a few earlier verses, Galatians 5:19-21. I'll let you go look those up for yourself, but they range from sexual immorality to selfish ambition and discord.

So, you said THAT prayer and you certainly aren't producing some of those hellish fruits mentioned, but you are producing a few - anger, jealousy, dissensions, then still a death needs to happen in your life.



You still need to

die to yourself.

You are still the center of your world.

================================================
While the death is painful, the thought of it, the anticipation of it frightening and anxiety filling, the next step is the most beautiful thing you will ever experience!

 

The death and burial of YOU, followed by your own resurrection through Jesus!  

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The Resurrection!

 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

In this eternal life in Christ Jesus - He is Risen!

We are risen! We can be made alive in Him to live life abundantly!! When you allow yourself to die to your way of living, to your own vain, ambitious plans, God will raise you to a life abundant, a life of joy and peace like you have never lived! People will want to know what is going on in your life! They will want what you have! Jesus died to set you free! He will set you free of sin, free of guilt and condemnation, free to live abundantly! He has a purpose and a plan for you in this new freedom, and He will restore things in your life in a way you never could. He will restore your hopes and dreams, but He will restore them for His purpose, the ultimate purpose, the perfect purpose. And those dreams will be wilder and more abundant than you could have ever accomplished on your own! Jesus came to give you abundant life! Take it!!

Freedom + Purpose + Restoration = Abundant Life!

Sources cited:
"abundant." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 Apr. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abundant>.
"exuberant." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 Apr. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exuberant>.

New Beginnings

I have been following Christ for fourteen years.

I have tripped, stumbled, bumbled, fumbled, fallen, moved backward, forward, sideways, derailed, jumped the tracks, and crash landed time and time again.

I have also moved forward, danced, laughed, loved, floated, slid into home plate just before the out, leapt over the wall, and most importantly I have learned and grown. Mercy doesn't stop at the moment of salvation, thank God! His mercies are new every single day! In the midst of Jeremiah's lamenting of God's chosen people and their sufferings, he still praises God for this continually renewing mercy. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV) This is such a comfort for me. I am one of those people who really lives life out loud and many times in doing so..... I run ahead of where the Lord and I are walking together. Each time, because I am running on my own terms and in my own energy, I don't have the necessary fuel to carry me that far. I stop, in the middle of where I am, too tired to move another step.

I awake to feel more tired still, not refreshed and I am faced with the reality that I am once again at the end of myself.

I collapse in a heap, frozen in exhaustion and fear of my own failures repeating themselves over and over. I spend time in non-productive paralysis. Guilt moves over me like an electric blanket on a freezing cold morning and I cannot get up and get on with the business of life.

Time after time though, the Lord patiently walks back and extends His hand to help me up; reminding me that God's mercies are new every day. I don't need to wallow about the past mistakes, not even yesterday's mistakes! I need to just get up and move along on my journey.

I need to walk in my freedom, purpose, and new restoration all bought with His blood. I need to get back to the business of the Abundant Living He came to give to me. I continually reevaluate my life. Many times I am fearful I am not living in God's will for my life. I am reminded again that today is a New Beginning! As I seek to live in Purposed Freedom, today I have the grace sufficient for me in my journey. A rare and precious gift in my world of chaos! Thank you Abba, Father!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Overwhelmed with Chaos and a Marble on my Stairs

Chaos marble Originally uploaded by [Topguy]

(A Monologue from The ButterFlyMasKarade dedicated to all my SHE {FlyLady's Sidetracked Home Executives} sisters who live in CHAOS {Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome, per FLyLady}. If you are one of us, you will love this and you will laugh. If you are not one of us, you will feel exhausted just reading it. If you are a B.O. {Born Organized} then please exit this post and read my others. You won't even understand this scenario!) I have so much to do tonight and I know there is no way I can get it all done, it's 5:15 already. This place is such a mess. I definitely need to get those stairs vacuumed, they look terrible! I hate vacuuming the stairs. I am so pathetically out of shape that just a stair vacuuming winds me to no end. But, I will start at the stairs even if that is all I accomplish tonight.

Okay, there. I have vacuumed the first three steps. They are spotless! This is good. Wait. What is this on step four? Another loose marble! Good grief, how many scattered marbles are in this house?

Let me put this in the "marble box" then I will get back to these stairs. I am going to get these stairs vacuumed if that is all I get done tonight!

Wait a minute... what in the world is that streak on the staircase wall here?

That looks terrible!! What is that??

Okay, I'll get a bowl of soapy water and wash this wall real quick. Uuuuuggghhhh, this soapy water isn't cutting it. This is going to take some cleanser, let me get that. I think I have some Mr. Clean under the kitchen sink.

Oh my gosh!

What a mess under here? Could a cabinet be any more unorganized? How can I find anything under this sink? Let me clean this cabinet out and get it organized real quick. That way next time I'm ready to clean up around here, I can find what I need to do the job!

Oh man, what was spilled under here? Gross! Let me get the 409, a scrub brush and the vacuum.

What's this in my pocket? Oh yeah, the marble!

Where is that marble box? Oh yes! It is in the corner of the living room with Kaity's toys... Oh good grief! What a mess that is!

Alright, first I'll clean up these piles of toys and throw away all those little broken toys and I'll donate the ones she never plays with to Mission Arlington. I'll need an empty box to pack up the donation items. I'm pretty sure there is an empty box downstairs in the garage.

Oh darn it! The garage light bulb is burned out again. I think the light bulbs are under the kitchen sink. Okay, let me run upstairs and grab a light bulb.

Oh yeah, I was going to vacuum under the kitchen sink.

...Okay, now I have this cabinet all vacuumed out. That looks nice and clean.

Now I need a big brown trash bag to throw away all the empty cleaning product bottles.

I believe those trash bags are downstairs

in the garage on the shelf above the dryer. The Dryer! Oh shoot! I forgot I have to wash at least one dark load and one white load of laundry tonight

so Jordan will have a clean school uniform tomorrow. Uuuuggghhhh! I'm out of laundry soap! A trip to the store! Where is my purse? Oh yes, on the bed..... with the laundry I washed this morning before work and haven't put away!

Well, I'll have to wash that load again, no way am I ironing all these clothes!

Okay, laundry soap, store, keys..... keys?

Oh yes,on the dresser. Boy, my jewelry box looks like it threw up on my dresser! How did my jewelry get so messy? My necklaces are so tangled; unless I want to wear them all at once I better untangle and separate these. I'll just sort out all of my jewelry again real quick so I can get dressed faster in the mornings. The FlyLady says to pick out everything you're going to wear the night before. I need to start doing that. It is high time I get myself organized, this is ridiculous!

Okay, I'll sort out all my jewelry by colors.

Why is there a marble in my jewelry box?

Let me just run this upstairs

and put it in the "marble box."

Unbelievable!

Where did this pan of soapy water come from? Oh yeah! I was gonna clean the streak off this wall. Shoot! Now my jeans are soaking wet! The carpet is soaking wet, the stairs are all wet. Oh good grief!! I need my wet hose attachment so I can vacuum up all this water off my top stairs and my carpet. Oh yeah, that vacuum attachment is in the garage.

Man, I can't find anything in this garage.

It is pitch black in here without the light bulb.

The light bulb? Oh shoot! I still have to go the store! What time is it? Aaahhh!

It's 6:58pm!

American Idol starts in 2 minutes!!

Off to the couch!!

Ow, what did I just lay on? It's in my pocket? What is that? Oh yeah, that marble...

Organization and Ordering Our Days: According to Scripture, the concept of organization relates far more to people (our relationship with) than tohandling things. It allows us to move through life with purpose and order. I am not organized, but God delights in helping turn my weaknesses to strengths and He desires to bring order from chaos in my life. 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.