Hi everyone,

enjoying your Easter so far? I hope you are. Today, want to talk about the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Unlike the portrayal of Easter through the use of images such as the Easter bunny, chocolate eggs and hot cross buns given by the media, Easter is actually all about the Lord Jesus Christ.

But aside from that, I believe that these images can serve as symbols used to illustrate the true meaning of Easter.

1. the hot crossed bun- Easter is the shape of a cross. Every time we look at a hot crossed bun we should remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and suffered greatly in order to bring us salvation.
2. the chocolate egg- an egg is symbolic of new life. When Jesus rose again from the dead He assured our eternal security. Our sins are forgiven when we accept His sacrifice and we can live in newness of life.

Lights in the sky

While watching the movie Tangled I was thinking about a scene I saw in the movie. To me it had God written all over it. The scene shows Rapunzel in a boat with Flynn Rider and she finally gets to see the lanterns. Its shows all the people of the kingdom releasing their lanterns into the air and they light up the night sky. Rapunzel at this point doesn't even know that she is the lost princess and that all of this is done on behalf of her. Her parents loved her so much that they consistently every year without fail release those 'lights' into the sky in the hope that some day they would be reunited with her.

I believe that this is representatives of what God does in this world today. He send out His light so that people can see and come to Him. But, sadly many people want to remain in darkness. Christ said that we are "the light of the world" and that we should shine our lights "so that men may see our good works and glorify" our Father is Heaven. Notice He didn't say "shine so that men can look at you and say how good you are", but He expressed that the intended purpose for shining your light is to draw men to God.

So as God sends you out into the world today, be a light and shine brightly. You never know who may notice.

Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. - Mark 10:50

(Read Mark 10:46-52)

In this passage of Scripture we see that a blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. He heard that Jesus was passing by that way and he began to call out to Jesus. As he was shouting "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" many people rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but nothing would stop him from getting his healing. Regardless of what the people were saying, he continued to shout even more "Son of David, have mercy on me." vs 48. He was persistent. Many people give up half way when they are praying for something important.. something that could change their life. It could be a new job, a breakthrough, a boyfriend, a family member or whatever else weighs heavy on your heart that you are praying and believing God for. Trust that He hears you and don't give up. If you want it that much, then it is worth pestering God for. After all, He does say in His Word, "pray without ceasing." and "ask and you will receive", and "ask and receive that your joy may be full". So many Scriptures speak about the power of prayer. It says in James 5:17-18 that Eljiah prayed that it would not rain for three and a half years and that is exactly what happened. Put your trust in the One who is faithful to answer all your prayers. He may not always give you the answer you want but He will never ignore your prayer. Trust me. Better still, trust the Word of God. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."-James 5:16

Ask yourself this question. What if he kept silent? Would he still have received his healing or would Jesus have just walked by? I believe that the answer to this question is that Jesus passed by that way because He wanted to give Bartimaeus a chance to get healed but with that opportunity Jesus granted him, it also required for him to step out in faith. For all he knew, he faced possible rejection, but he took a chance and went out on a limb, risking embarrassment and being turned down. Likewise Jesus wants you to call out to Him, so have faith and do it. Have confidence when you pray and expect an answer.

Bartimaeus threw aside anything that would impede him. There's a lesson in that for us to learn. What's stopping you from coming to Jesus? Is it too much pride? Or maybe jealousy. Throw it aside (jump to your feet) and come to Jesus. Cast aside selfish living and immoral lifestyle. One man can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). It is either God or the devil.
I can only imagine that his life was never the same after his encounter with Jesus. Verse 52 says "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." Will you allow Jesus to work powerfully in your life? A miracle awaits you if you say "Yes". Fling off your coat and come to Him.