Sabbath Rest- Believe

SABBATH SCRIPTURE
So they rushed back from the tomb to tell His eleven disciples-and everyone else-what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the Mother of James and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.
But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. Luke 24: 9-11

SABBATH REFLECTION
It sounds like nonsense, it’s absolutely crazy, and it makes no sense. It is just a story created by man because people need something to believe in order to live life. If the disciples who had been with Jesus, actually were eyewitness to healings, changed lives, the transfiguration, Jesus turning water to wine, stilling the waves, giving the dead life and Jesus own testimony He would be raised from death to life after three days didn’t believe such nonsense how in the world am I going to get those who cross my path and a few in my inner circle to believe when I have never even seen this man Jesus, whom I call Savior?

BELIEVE

*BOLD- I must be bold and confident in my belief. I must walk out my belief, bringing honor to God with my life, allowing my life to bring forth good fruit. Living to bring Him glory and to be a witness that all I am and all I do which is good is because Christ lives in me. “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ. Philippians 1:20a My bold confidence is evidence it was not nonsense.

*EVIDENCE- I must have evidence- Peter didn’t believe but something in him made him want to check out the story. "However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings." Luke: 24:12.
Before Christ my life was filled with sin, junk, dirt, wickedness, and all kinds of wrongdoings, I was dead. Jesus poured out His blood on the cross and God took His work and emptied me of my sin and put in me the desire to
live righteously. Now when you look closely at my life you will see the linen wrappings of sinfulness is empty. My life is evidence, the tomb was empty.

*LIGHT-I must have a heart flooded with light. I must continually be the light of Christ, reflecting His light that others will see and know there must be a God in me molding and shaping me. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called-His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.” Ephesians 1:18 My heart reflects an empty tomb.

*IDENTITY- I must have an identity. Christ has identified me as His own. “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.” Ephesians 1:13. The Holy Spirit living in me is additional evidence, it was not nonsense.

*EXPLAINING- I must be ready at all times to explain this Christian life. I must always be ready to explain in a gentle and respectful way why
I choose to live a life which worships Christ as Lord. I must stay focused on living a life in which I will have a clear conscience, and then if others speak against me they will be ashamed when they see what a good life I live because I belong to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15-16 (Paraphrased) I couldn’t belong to Christ if He had not died on the cross.

*VALUE- I must value knowing Christ. When I value knowing Christ and my life reflect intimacy with Him and true knowledge of Him, others must look at me and wonder what is happening. She cares naught about the offerings of the world, only the offerings of Christ. “I once thought these things were valuable, but now consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. “Philippians 3: 7-9a He is the resurrection, He raised me with Him to a new life.

*EARNESTLY- I must earnestly seek after God, that I might find Him. If I am not earnestly seeking God with all my heart and soul, I can not require another to seek Him or even desire to know Him or His beloved Son. “Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. They earnestly sought after God, and they found Him. 2 Chronicles 15:12, 15b. The tomb was empty, He was raised by the power of God on the third day and He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on my behalf. I know this because God has revealed it to me.

SABBATH PRAYER
Father God, Heavenly Father, I believe, help me to plant the seed that those who cross my path and those in my inner circle who have chosen not to believe will come to believe by my life which Christ is living through me. Lord God let me bold in my Christian walk, reflecting the light of Christ daily. Help me to show how much I value Christ Jesus by living as a true daughter always ready and able to explain my belief.
Let my life be evidence to all because I have been seal with the Holy Spirit and given identity in You. Father God may I earnestly seek you with all my heart and soul every day I am gifted. By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the glorious name Of Jesus I pray. Amen

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