On this Easter Sunday my heart still grieves the loss of our dear, sweet Mom who died on Easter Sunday of 2018, as well as the loss of our dear sister (Jan.25th 2021), brother (April 2022), and dear, wonderful Father (Oct. 31, 1999).
However, my heart is filled with JOY today knowing that all of my sins, guilt, and shame have been fully paid for when Jesus willingly died in my place on the cross, was buried, and gloriously arose from the dead in bodily form three days later to show that God, His Father, accepted His death in our place as FULL payment for my/our sins, guilt, and shame!! Therefore, since I have fully placed all of my trust only in all that Jesus Christ already accomplished for me and no longer trust in my own good works and effort (which are as filthy rags in the sight of a fully Holy God, Isaiah 64:6), my heart rejoices on this Easter Sunday in spite of the sorrow that I will continue to feel without my dear family members whom we have lost.
I also rejoice because I still have two dear sisters and one brother, four nieces, three nephews, as well as my sweet daughter and son and dear friends to share life with!! Because He lives, therefore I have hope –no matter what life throws at me!!
3 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance a : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-22)
9 “We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:9-13)
Dear reader, if you do not have this living hope in Jesus Christ, I pray that you will begin to read His Word (may I suggest that you start by reading through the Gospel of John so that you might come to understand God’s deep love for you first), acknowledge that you are a sinner as we all are, believe in this good news of the Biblical gospel, and receive it by fully placing your complete trust in all that Jesus Christ has already done for you! You too can be filled with this living hope because Jesus Christ will fill you with His Spirit and He will never leave you or forsake you!!
God Bless You
Mary – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Fine Arts
https://www.instagram.com/reflectinghisgloryfinearts/
Dear reader, although I am very busy with my childcare job and my art and photography, I wanted to take a few minutes to put this post together so that you might be encouraged and have hope in spite of what you may be dealing with in life.
Mary Dalke - Living4HisGlory
Living4HisGlory 