THIS WEEK’S THEME: He has been raised
DEVOTIONAL: “He has risen, he has risen indeed!”
Ever since I can remember, my pastors have begun the Easter Sunday sermon with these words. Nonetheless, I remained relatively ignorant of the profound ramifications of Christ’s resurrection until last year. At the beginning of the summer of 2008, God met me at a conference in South Carolina. Amidst an overwhelming series of encounters, God showed me that Jesus’ resurrection was the restoration of a place of fellowship. Thus, we can now abide within and be inhabited by the intimacy of God’s presence.
As part of my involvement in Goshen’s traveling ministry group, Parables, I share of the way God touched me at the conference. I’ve notice an overwhelming amount of skeptical looks when I express that Jesus’ resurrection has made us holy. God is holy and to abide within God’s presence requires our faith in the power of God’s love for us.
I do acknowledge my shortcomings. They are the result of a misconception that says I — by my power — must work as hard as I can to model the life of Christ. Jesus died and rose so that by the power of God we might realize that in Christ we too have risen, we have risen indeed!