Jesus Is Alive

We've all heard that Jesus is alive, but do we understand what that means to our lives today? Have we truly grasped the meaning of Easter? Some may see Easter as any other day, but it's a day to remember that Jesus is alive.

I went grocery shopping the other day and decided to ask the cashiers in line if they were excited for Easter weekend.

I was expecting an "of course!" but to my surprise, I received the total opposite response.

With an exhausted voice, one lady said, "no, I have to work." Another cashier said, "no it's just going to be another busy weekend taking care of the grandkids."

To these cashiers, Easter Sunday was just like any other Sunday, and maybe it is for you too. But I want to encourage you that this Sunday is not an ordinary Sunday.

This Sunday is a day to remember the greatest miracle that ever happened in history: Jesus is alive.

Jesus died for our sins and rose again after 3 days so that we could have everlasting life with God.

What does this mean to us? It means that we have real hope because Jesus is alive. We serve a powerful God who is alive and active in our lives today.

In Luke 24 we read about the women who went to visit Jesus's tomb in the morning to find it empty without His body. They then encountered two angels who said, "Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death.."(Luke 24:5-6).

While this happened thousands of years ago, we still get to remember and celebrate Christ's victory today. Christ's victory also brings our victory.

Because Jesus overcame death, we too can overcome death through His spirit. Romans 8:11 says, "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are no longer destined to go to hell because of the perfect sacrifice that Jesus offered for us. We have victory over this life and for eternity by proclaiming Christ as our savior and submitting our lives to Him.

The fact that Jesus was able to overcome death also shows that He can also do miracles for our lives today. Nothing can hold Christ down, not even death. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18).

Whatever you may be facing, know that Jesus is alive and is for you. He rose again not only to give you eternal life but to also allow you to experience life to the fullest (John 10:10).

Will you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and submit your ways to Him?

Maybe you have accepted Christ as your savior but haven't completely surrendered everything to Him. Can I encourage you to let go and trust Him?

The best decision you can ever make is to follow Jesus. Jesus didn't die and rise again for you to still be held in bondage. He died and rose again for you to live in complete joy and freedom. Jesus is alive and wants to be real in your life.

Ever since I completely surrendered my life to Christ, I have seen Him use me in supernatural ways. I've seen miraculous healings take place, prophetic words spoken by others and myself, and my life has changed for the better. Jesus has set me free and given me a life of freedom and peace.

Jesus has transformed my life, and I know he wants to transform yours.

A life following Jesus is a life full of adventures. If you want to see the power of Jesus's resurrection over your life, you must surrender your life to Him. Jesus is alive and waiting for you to follow Him.

Jesus has the solution for any difficult situation you may be facing. He's alive and promises to be with you wherever you go. Jesus says in Matthew 28:20, "..And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." You never have to live in fear because Jesus is with you through it all. So remember, Jesus is alive.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you that through you I have victory now and for eternity. 

You Are Valued By God

We tend to find our worth and identity by what others speak of us, but what happens when people speak negatively about us? It's risky to put our value in the hands of another. Your value is not tied to the words spoken of you. You are valued by God.

I get a lot of encouraging messages from people about myself, but one message from someone close ruined it all.

I didn't understand.

How could one negative comment from a loved hurt me despite all the positive messages I was receiving from others?

I went from feeling valued and loved to feeling worthless and not good enough in just seconds.

But it was in my alone time with God that He revealed to me how this what happens when we place our value in the hands of anyone other than God.

Many times we look for validation from those closest to us, but even that is wrong. No one is perfect. We should never place our identity in the hands of imperfect people, including our loved ones.

Our identity becomes shaken when we place it in the hands of imperfect people. But when our identity is in the hands of a loving and perfect God, nothing can move us. 

Ephesians 2:10 says," For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Who can put a value on you when the Most High God made you? God calls you His masterpiece. The God of this universe who made this earth calls you His own. When you place your value on what others say about you, you are like a famous painter asking a person who doesn't even have the skills to paint what his painting is worth.

No one is qualified to put a value on God's creation because no one can compare to His magnificent power. We don't have the power to create the earth and the people in it, so who are we to put a value on others?

No one can place a value on you when God has already placed a value on you. 

You were bought with a high price. God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross so that you could be saved and have a chance to be with Him for eternity. Despite our faults, God still loved us because He made us. Romans 5:8 says, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

Don't let your mistakes define who you are when God himself isn't defining you by your mistakes. While you were a sinner, God still loved you and He still loves you now.

With the understanding of your value in Jesus, live your life to the fullest. Choose to live the life God created you to live. You will find most satisfaction by being the person God created you to be. 

Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Jesus wants you to enjoy life to the fullest. The enemy will try to steal this beautiful life you were made to have by clouding your identity. He will use fear and the things of this world to pull you away from your identity in Christ so that you will never realize what you have been missing this whole time.

Will you choose to live God's version of your life? Have you taken advantage of God's grace and mercy to make your life right before God? Are you living life to the fullest? 

Every day we must make the choice to remember that we are a new creation in Christ and highly valued. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The enemy will try to accuse us that we are just who we were before Christ, but we must have faith that when we accept Jesus, we are a new man.

God has a special purpose for your life. Don't let the enemy take your purpose away from you. God made you because you matter to God. Before you were even born God chose you for a special purpose (Jeremiah 1:5). So remember, you are valued by God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you made me with purpose and I am valued by you. 

Rely on God's Strength

The worries of life can be burdensome when we're relying on our own strength. We will break down at some point. So how do we persevere through hardships without breaking down? The key is to rely on God's strength.

I thought I was doing good until I found myself worn out with tears.

I was facing a situation where I needed someone to change. Everything was looking good and the evidence that the person needed was all there. But despite everything pointing to my favor, this person still wouldn't change.

I did my best to convince this person to change but the outcome stayed the same.

At one point I felt exhausted and told God, "I can't do this anymore."

I then ran into Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

It was in that moment when I realized that I can't do this because I've been doing it in my own strength and not God's strength.

Our greatest strength means nothing without God.

God opened my eyes to show me that it's not by my power, but by his power that my situation can be changed. I could give my all and best, but it would mean nothing without God.

God told me, "This was never your battle to begin with. It was never your task to change this person's heart."

God isn't asking us to fight our battles, He's only asking us to be still and trust that He's got this.

We know we are leaning on our own strength when we find ourselves exhausted and worn out. But God never intended us to live this way. He wants us to enjoy His presence and not live in anxiousness no matter what we face.

What does it mean to rely on God's strength? It means taking our hands off our situation and giving it to God.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God isn't asking us to fix our problems, but in every situation to bring it to Him in prayer and petition with thanksgiving.

When we learn to give our worries to God, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. No situation can cause us to be anxious when we bring our situations to God.

In Judges 6, we see Gideon winning His battles because of God's strength, and not his.

Gideon said to God, "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive." (Judges 6:15-16)

God assured Gideon's victory by His presence. He promised Gideon that He would be with him. Just as God's presence was the assurance that Gideon needed to win the battle, God is also the only assurance you need to fight your battles.

God never asks us to carry our burdens and fight our battles in our own strength. He asks us to give our burdens to him. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

When we give our burdens to God, he will sustain us through any storm. There will be nothing too difficult for us to overcome because we know that God is always in control.

Just because things are out of control does not mean it's out of God's control.

If God is in control, what do we need to be afraid of? God wants us to enjoy the journey. He wants us to go through life with joy and laughter no matter how bad our situation may be. Proverbs 31:25 says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."

We can find joy even in the midst of trials when we recognize that God is with us and is in control. Peace will always follow us when we simply bring our requests to him and trust him to take care of it all.

Do you find yourself exhausted and worn out? Have you been fighting your battles in your own strength or God's strength? Will you surrender your situation to God and trust that He will take care of your needs?

We don’t have to be anxious about anything because no one can ruin God’s plan – He is sovereign above all. The enemy has no power over God's sovereignty. We have the assurance that nothing can harm us because our almighty God is for us and not against us. Romans 8:31 says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Fear flees when we know the kind of God who is with us and for us. So remember, rely on God's strength.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I don't have to live in fear because you are always for me.

Don't Limit God

There are many things in life where we could say, "there's no way that could ever happen", but what if those things could happen? What we can comprehend in our mind is not even close to the extent of what God can do. Don't limit God.

God told me at the beginning of this year that miracles would happen to those willing to believe. When I heard this, I thought to myself, "I'll have no problem with believing in God."

But not too long after that, I found myself saying, "I doubt that could happen."

I was facing a situation where I needed God to move into my parent's heart about a certain matter. But I just couldn't see it happening. As much as God was revealing things to them, it didn't seem to be moving them to take the actions that I knew were of God's will.

Without me realizing, I was at a point where I didn't believe God could change their hearts.
But during my alone time with God,  I was drawn to Isaiah 40:25 which changed my perspective completely: “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One."

The Holy Spirit convicted me that I have been comparing Him to my own capabilities. But who am I to compare God to myself and what I can comprehend?

God cannot be compared to anything or anyone. He created the heavens and the earth, including you and me. Isaiah 40:26 says, "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name."

God's power is greater than our greatest strength. Who are we to limit what God can do?

1 Corinthians 1:25 says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."

Are you lacking faith in God's power to move in your situation? Have you limited your expectations of God based on what you can comprehend? 

We can't grasp God's ways because His ways are always outside our ways. God has immense power, so why would he limit his ways to the mere power of humanity? God loves taking us through impossible situations so that His power can be seen. We should praise God when we find ourselves in a situation where there seems to be no hope because it's in those moments when God wants to show off in our lives.

Isaiah 55:9 reminds us, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

In John 11 we see Jesus doing the impossible. He raises a man by the name of Lazarus who has been dead for 4 days. Everyone around Jesus saw no hope for Lazarus. Their minds couldn't even fathom Jesus raising a dead man.

Martha says to Jesus, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days" (John 11:38). Jesus replies, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:39).  Jesus then calls Lazarus to come out, and Lazarus who was once dead came out.

Just as God was able to do the miraculous in Lazarus's life, He is able to do the same with your life. The only thing we need to do to see God's glory in our lives is to believe and take the step of faith.

It never came to the minds of Martha and the others that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead - but He did.

What situation in your life are you saying, "that can't happen"? Will you believe that God is able to do the impossible?

God's job is to do the impossible and our job is to believe. 

Don't box God up by what your mind can understand. Isaiah 40:28 says, "..The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."

Believe that God will do the impossible no matter how impossible your situation may be. So remember, don't limit God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to not limit your ways. There's truly none like you. 

Are You Moved By Love Or Performance?

Society measures our success based on our performance. While our performance does matter, being moved by love will take us to greater heights, leaving no room for anxiousness. Are you moved by love or performance?

Being the ambitious person that I am, I always look for results. 

I thought this was a good thing until I found myself constantly feeling anxious and easily discouraged when I didn't see the results I had planned on achieving. 

God had given me great visions for this year, so I started planning what needed to happen to turn those visions into reality. I planned how many conferences and speaking events I had to be a part of, what projects had to be completed, and the list could go on and on. 

But the moment I didn't get accepted to speak at a conference that I was so longing to be a part of, I felt discouraged. 

I started having thoughts that I wasn't good enough to God because I didn't see the results that I desired to see. I became anxious about my future and the plans that God had for me. 

I didn't know how to shake this anxiousness off of me.

But then during my alone time with God, he revealed to me the root of my anxiousness: I was acting out of performance mode and not His love for me. 

God reminded me that I am loved, chosen, and highly favored just as I am. There is nothing that I can do to make him love me more or less. My performance was never the determination of His love for me in the first place. God loves me simply because I am his beloved child. 

You are loved and highly favored by God just as you are. 

We don't have to earn the status of being highly favored by the Lord. God loved us even while we were sinners. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

With God, it's never about our performance. God loves us because he sees us as His child. 2 Corinthians 6:18 says, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.." Our identity is found in being a child of God. 

When we act out in performance mode, we are coming from a place of need. But when we are moved by God's love for us, we are acting from a place of rest and fullness. 

When we do things out of love, it leaves no room for anxiousness to enter into our hearts. We no longer do things because we want to see results, but because we love God. Performance demands results, but love doesn't. Love doesn't expect anything back because it is never self-seeking (1 Corinthians 13:5). 

Our love for God should always be the driving force of everything we do. 

We can reach our goals, get millions of followers, or get the promotion we always wanted, but if we do not have love, our accomplishments mean nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 says,  "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Our accomplishments mean nothing without love. When we seek God's love and walk out His love, the fruit of our works will follow. We no longer have to live under the pressure of seeing results because we are already satisfied with the love we receive from our heavenly father. 

When Jesus got baptized, God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). God spoke this unto Jesus before Jesus started his ministry and did the miracles that we see later. 

Know that God loves you and is well pleased with you because He made you. God isn't inviting you to start ministries or accomplish great things - He's inviting you to be His child and know Him more. Ministries and great works will flow out of our love and devotion to Jesus. 

Although God has opened doors for me to launch Living Revelations ministries, I never want my life to be about having a ministry, but simply to know Jesus more and to share His love with others. 

Are you acting out of a need to prove yourself or out of God's love for you? Have you accepted the reality that God loves you just as you are? 

We will find true freedom and joy when we live each day filled with God's love. As you spend more time with Jesus, His love for you will become more real. The enemy's goal is to make you think God's love isn't enough, but God's love is the only thing you need in life. So remember, be moved by love and not performance.

Prayer: Lord, I want to live each day with the fullness of your love.