The Easter Effect
I Thessalonians 5:23-24 NKJV
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
Starting on Ash Wednesday the time of the Lenten Season begins. This season was put into place by the early church to prepare us for the coming Easter season. Easter being of course the day we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. No other person in human history has had a greater effect on all of humanity than Jesus. His resurrection set Him apart from all of the other deities known to mankind. Death has always been the insurmountable problem that no other human recognized gods had an answer for. So, the early church fathers said we need to commemorate this historical event by setting aside a season of forty days (time of preparation) for self-examination & repentance.
The purpose of this season of examination & repentance was to develop a much deeper relationship with God Himself. The effect of this is when we draw closer to God, it changes us. God's Holy Spirit changes our hearts and minds to desire and seek after Godly things instead of worldly things. The practice was to pray and ask God "what in our lives could we let go of" so we may replace it with Him. God may lead us to spending more time with Him, serving in a greater capacity at church or in our community, or increasing our monetary support for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. We have to be open to however the Holy Spirit may lead us. This is only a few examples. The greater purpose was the change of heart & mind to be more Christ like. Our lives as Christians is a continuous work of sanctification & holiness.
When we pray and read the Bible it has a profound effect on us. I call this the Easter Effect. It is impossible to draw close to God and it not affect you in some way. It is hard to pray and spend time with God without being humbled by His presence. Jesus said to pray for your enemies, Jesus knew it was impossible to pray and stay mad someone. We are led by the Holy Spirit to forgive and reconcile. God has called us to be Holy as he is Holy. That seems like an impossible task, and it is if we try to do it without Him.
As we journey through this Lenten season, I want to encourage you to be intentional and find ways to draw closer to God. pray and ask the Lord if there are things in your life that is an obstacle or a hindrance to your faith. When things are identified, sacrifice and fast from those things and find a way to incorporate acts of faith in their place instead. I promise you, as your relationship with Jesus grows so will effects, he will have on your life. This can only be a good thing!
Pastor Tommy Messer
The purpose of this season of examination & repentance was to develop a much deeper relationship with God Himself. The effect of this is when we draw closer to God, it changes us. God's Holy Spirit changes our hearts and minds to desire and seek after Godly things instead of worldly things. The practice was to pray and ask God "what in our lives could we let go of" so we may replace it with Him. God may lead us to spending more time with Him, serving in a greater capacity at church or in our community, or increasing our monetary support for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. We have to be open to however the Holy Spirit may lead us. This is only a few examples. The greater purpose was the change of heart & mind to be more Christ like. Our lives as Christians is a continuous work of sanctification & holiness.
When we pray and read the Bible it has a profound effect on us. I call this the Easter Effect. It is impossible to draw close to God and it not affect you in some way. It is hard to pray and spend time with God without being humbled by His presence. Jesus said to pray for your enemies, Jesus knew it was impossible to pray and stay mad someone. We are led by the Holy Spirit to forgive and reconcile. God has called us to be Holy as he is Holy. That seems like an impossible task, and it is if we try to do it without Him.
As we journey through this Lenten season, I want to encourage you to be intentional and find ways to draw closer to God. pray and ask the Lord if there are things in your life that is an obstacle or a hindrance to your faith. When things are identified, sacrifice and fast from those things and find a way to incorporate acts of faith in their place instead. I promise you, as your relationship with Jesus grows so will effects, he will have on your life. This can only be a good thing!
Pastor Tommy Messer
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