| 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. When we learn to deny ourselves for the sake of others, we need to firmly believe that Jesus is the Savior who has resurrected from the dead. Christians often see the difficulty of self-denial, but neglect the joy of resurrection. Paul was able to overcome the pressures of life because he firmly believed that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Savior and that Jesus will give him strength to overcome his difficult situation so he may sit on the throne with the Lord. Hence, Paul was able to look forward to that eternal glory and not focus on the current suffering. When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we have experienced His resurrection power. Because of Jesus' resurrection, we are able to enter the Kingdom of God and be set free from the bondage of sin. However, we cannot merely stay in the moment of salvation, God wants us to experience His resurrection power in our daily lives. There are many places around which seems to be full of death and darkness. There are families that are void of love or trust, many hearts that do not have hope and many church that do not have vision or power. The resurrected life of Christ needs to expel darkness and death, causing what is dead to come alive again. Because of God's faithfulness, we can overcome our disappointments. Because of His forgiveness, we can overcome bitterness. Because of His presence, we no longer feel lonely. Because of His victory over death, we no longer need to be afraid. We can death calmly because when Jesus comes, we will rise with Him. Paul said in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." He was able to experience the resurrection because the Lord first died for us. Are you experiencing the resurrection power of Jesus Christ every day? Are you willing to be united with the death of Christ so that the resurrection power of Christ may be manifested through you? Pray with Pastor Tong Liu 
Lord, we thank you because you not only did you rise from the dead, you want to manifest your resurrection power in every aspect of our lives. Lord, help us to learn from your example, to be able to deny ourselves, so that your resurrected life may be reflected through us. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen! |
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