DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT TUESDAY - THE RESURRECTION BRINGS RECONCILIATION. Part 2.

He came to pay a debt He didn't owe because we owed a debt we couldn't pay. - Anonymous.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, - Rom 1:1-4.

The home of Paul Laurence Dunbar, noted poet, is open to the public in Dayton, Ohio. When Dunbar died, his mother left his room exactly as it was on the day of his death. At the desk of this brilliant man was his final poem, handwritten on a pad.

After his mother died, her friends discovered that Paul Laurence Dunbar's last poem had been lost forever. Because his mother had made his room into a shrine and not moved anything, the sun had bleached the ink in which the poem was written until it was invisible. The poem was gone. If we stay in mourning, we lose so much of life. - Henry Simon.

I believe in the power of the Cross! Many Christians think that you only preach the Cross at Easter, not so! The Cross is a message that needs to be preached every day, every week, every month, and every year! But we cannot preach the Cross without preaching the resurrection! This week we will look at the resurrection and how it brings reconciliation with the Father! Yesterday in Part 1, we looked at why the resurrection is a DECLARATION, today we look at…

THE POWER

The Life Of Jesus Was A Life Of Power
And was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, - Rom 1:4.

He was miraculously born of a virgin, His name was Emmanuel, meaning - God with us! He grew in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and men, and when he was about 30 years old he was baptised in the River Jordan, by John the Baptist, where the Holy Spirit descended upon him. He went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil, and that was the start of three and a half years that shook the world, three and a half years of startling miracles, and three and a half years of awesome, Godly power!

He ministered in mercy to the suffering, ministered healing to the incurable, ministered deliverance to those in bondage, ministered forgiveness to the fallen! Wherever He went, He met death and left life, and He met darkness and left light... Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12.

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death. - Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381.


Specific Examples Of His Power
When a woman was caught in adultery He forgave her... they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." - John 8:4; 10-11.

When a woman had a problem of blood for 12 years He healed her... And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. - Luke 8:43; 47.

When a man had leprosy he healed him and made him clean... And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. - Mar 1:40-42.

An anonymous author made this striking comparison: "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.

Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in His praise.

Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth. "His unique contribution to the race of men is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not accomplish that, nor art, nor literature, nor music. Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin and Satan. He alone can speak peace to the human heart, strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead." – Source unknown.

His life was a life of power, why should his death be any different? They nailed him to a cross until he bled to death. It would seem that there was nothing supernatural about that, but, it was the most spiritually powerful event in the history of the world. His blood sacrifice cleansed millions from their sins, and it allowed us to be reconciled to God the father! The resurrection opened the way for a great reconciliation, for those who live in this world.

Loving Father, I thank you for the power of Jesus, and I thank you that Jesus died for me, so that I may be reconciled to you! I thank you Lord that it did not stop there, but that He rose again from the dead, that I might have a new life, a life of power! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to take the principles contained in your word, and apply them to my life, that I might be a better child for you, in Jesus wonderful name I pray. Amen!
GBYAY