Category Archives: Resurrection Sunday

The God Who Watches Over You

We have celebrated Resurrection Sunday. We have worshiped the risen Savior. For us at Heights Church, it was a great day. We sang with our hearts. We worshiped the mighty King.

These are great days of celebration. It doesn’t take away from the battles we face in our lives. Christ triumphs… and we have to know that triumph even in the midst of intense battles.

Reflecting on Exodus 12 I am reviewing the story of the Passover. One particular sentence jumped out at me:

He won’t let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you down. (Ex. 12:23b, CEB)

All that Israel had to go through to plan for Passover, and to prepare for that night of judgment as the angel of the Lord would pass over Egypt, God promises that in the midst of terror the destroyer would not harm them. The blood was applied.

Resurrection is exciting. The battles are tough. But the reality of the Resurrection and the work of the Lord needs to be deeply instilled in us. The Lord has covered us with his blood. The destroyer cannot strike us down. The battle is intense. The victory is the Lord’s.

Live in this resurrection power.

Sweeping Victory

What is the power of the resurrection?

It is “sweeping victory.” This is where I like how the Common English Bible puts some phrases. They take some very familiar passages and bring a fresh perspective.

The resurrection is power.

11If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you. (Rom. 8:11, CEB)

This is one of my favorite verses. I need this reminder all the time. The Spirit that blasted Jesus out of the grave dwells in me. I carry resurrection power.

The resurrection is sweeping victory.

37 But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. (Rom. 8:37, CEB)

Romans 8 is a place I like to camp from time to time. Reflecting on the resurrection of Christ, I can find no better place to dwell. I need this truth DEEP in my spirit. We all need this truth deep in us.

The resurrection of Christ is not just victory. It is sweeping victory. Nothing can stand in the way. All the junk has to go. Why would I want to deal with the crud in my life when I have this radical love in my life? Yet, I deal with crud because I don’t always dwell in the radical truth of God’s deep love for me.

We are walking in resurrection power. We may have hardship. We may have suffering. But in the middle of it all we have Christ. He is there with us. His presence is victory. The victory is sweeping and complete.

Resurrection!

This year’s journey through Lent has been amazing. Personally, I have worked harder than any other year to purposefully observe this season. It’s been uneven at times, but I have worked to observe the readings, pause in prayer, and reflect.

On Saturday I went through some Easter Vigil readings that really heightened my anticipation of Resurrection Sunday. Then, I began to read Easter greetings from friends in Australia. Resurrection Sunday had dawned for them. They were rejoicing! I was still pausing, anticipating… longing.

HE IS RISEN.

He is mighty to save! He has delivered on his promise.

There is no resurrection without Golgotha. There is no true celebration of life without the smell of death. This journey has been good. He has called us to anticipation of what he will do in resurrection power. Let us hear the call of the Spirit! Let us SEE his glory!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Saturday — In the Tomb

I am trying to imagine the level of hopelessness in the disciples on this particular day. One of the Psalms for today’s reading is Psalm 88:

1 LORD, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

3 I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help, LORD;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, LORD, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.

(NIV)

That last line is powerful: “Darkness is my closest friend.”


Resurrection Sunday


One of the events I enjoy the most over the Passion season is Good Friday. For our community it’s a time of reflecting on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. A different church will take 20 minutes to reflect on a word. It’s a three hour service that is really one of my personal highlights for the year.

This year was even more special because I was able to see my colleagues in ministry for the first time in months, since I now work another job and can’t meet with them on a monthly basis.

That being said, I truly enjoy Good Friday and reflecting on the cross. Too many times I think we rush to the resurrection. Paul knew the power of the cross and the resurrection. BOTH had to work in him.

As I’ve reflected on this day for my message, I think there are three things that work together to FULLY bring the power of Christ into our lives.

1. The Cross. We must come to the cross. The old self must die. We simply cannot keep obeying that old self! It wrecks us! It wrecks me! I can be cruising along and think I’m pretty successful, but somewhere along the way that old self rises up and does something to screw up my perfect plans. I just keep falling in the same ditch. That old self needs to die! The cross brings victory.

2. The empty tomb. When we are buried with Christ we are RAISED with him. We are brought to new life and it is possible to look at what is RIGHT…and now do it! My mind can be set on what is life now!

3. The power of the Spirit. Rom. 8:11. That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me! DWELLS IN ME! That power comes to us. Jesus told his disciples to wait until they received that power.

Here is my issue: That work must be done in me. I cannot simply read it and hope it applies by osmosis. I must allow the WORK to be done. Just like the disciples waited in the upper room. Just like Paul went to the desert. Just like other great people of the Spirit have done…I must ALLOW THIS WORK to be effected in me.

There must be a place of the altar in my life. I must allow the cross, the resurrection, and the Spirit place to fulfill that complete work of Christ in me.