BBD 04.13.22 Easter is Coming (Classic plus Update)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Classic from 2005
The Burning Bush Devotional
13 February 2022
Easter is Coming
But what
things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also
count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and
the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to His death. – Philippians 3:7-10 NKJV.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 NKJV.
Where do we find hope when tragedy suddenly comes upon us? Do we
blame God…or do we turn to God? When bad things happen to good people, is God
responsible?
In 2005,
when I originally wrote this devotional it had been a week of sudden tragedy
coming upon unsuspecting and innocent people. There were several people killed
and more injured as a man on trial for rape made his escape in Atlanta. In
Wisconsin, seven people were killed at a church service and others injured with
the shooter then killing himself.
Now here we
are in the year 2022 and we have a war in Ukraine where Russia is committing
genocide and we have had a shooting on a subway in Brooklyn, New York.
In the midst, of tragedy, trials, and the difficulties that
sometimes come upon us in this life there is a Christian holiday that gives
hope. Easter is about the hope that we have
in Jesus Christ. Easter is
about God’s great love for us human beings. Easter is
about the difference between Hell and Heaven. Easter is
about the greatest friend that we will ever have and the worst enemy that we
could possibly have.
(Some
believe that the word Easter comes from a pagan holiday, it doesn’t, but even
if it did God has redeemed the word. God has redeemed the cross from being an
instrument of execution to being a symbol of hope. Christianity Today has an
excellent article about this mistaken idea about the word Easter. Here is the
link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2009/april/was-easter-borrowed-from-pagan-holiday.html)
Jesus came that we might have life and have it more
abundantly (John 10:10b). Our enemy has come to steal, kill, and
destroy (John 10:10a). All of creation was corrupted when Adam and
Eve succumbed to the temptation of the enemy in the Garden of Evil. Since that
time, bad and good things have happened on Planet Earth to all people. Just as,
God sends rain upon all people the corruption of creation has resulted in bad
things being possible for everyone that lives upon this planet.
When bad things happen in our lives, we should always remember
that Jesus came that we might have the abundant life. We should remember that
Jesus suffered and died on the cross so that we might have eternal life. We
should remember that God through Jesus has experienced the very worst that life
can do to anyone. Why was Jesus allowed to suffer such a cruel death on
the cross? Because if you will seriously consider what Jesus went
through for you, you can have no doubt about God’s love for you (Romans 5:8).
When bad things happen to us, we need to remember that it is not
the end of the story if we are children of God. Just as the death of Jesus
on the cross was not the end of the story. No, God had the last word about that
terrible thing that happened on the cross. God turned that terrible thing into
the most wonderful thing that had ever happened when Jesus defeated death by
rising from the dead. When that bad thing happens to you, remember that Easter is
coming, some bright, shining, day you will know the rest of the story. Some day
in eternity you will see how God took that terrible thing that happened to you
and then brought the most beautiful and wonderful things out of the bad things
that happened (Romans 8:28).
While here on this earth we will as with the apostle Paul have the
fellowship of the sufferings of Jesus (Philippians 3:7-10), but
praise God! Easter is
coming!
Copyright © 1998 - 2022. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998, the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
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to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
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Please pray for the
Ukrainians as they bravely face the Russian onslaught.
Please pray for all of the
Ukrainian refugees and those trying to care for them.
Please pray that the hearts of
the American leaders will change and do what is necessary to stop Putin. It can
be done without troops on the ground by simply allowing oil and gas producers
to again give us energy independence stopping our need to buy Russian oil.
Please pray for God to touch and
bring about His will in these lives: Alice Martin; Andrew Cohen Winfield; Martha
and John W.; Alan Medders; Norman Cupp; Georgia Bronnert; Caleb Freeman; Buck
& Barbara Wright; GWEN PRUET; James Perkins and his wife; Vonnie; Evi Porter;
Jennifer Burge; Kinsey W; Addison; JoJo, Bailey and Nicky; Ralph and De
Chapman; Hilary; Cody Stahlman; Patsy M.; Brandy and Jadyn’s Dad; John W.;
Patricia Rohman and Lisa Butler who has had a stroke; Scott J.; Karla W.;
Clayton T. and Sarah; Clark S.; Lana Bass; Matthew Collins; Marjean C.; Bradley
E.; Fern McVey; Nannie R.; Sarah Anderson; Larayne S. and Shonda Hutson.
(Please pray for 10-year-old Jo Jo
Stahlman who was saved recently at our church. Please pray that she will grow
rapidly in the faith and that she will be protected from evil. Please also pray
for Elizabeth Young Anderson a young woman who was also saved recently in our
church.)
Please pray for the coronavirus
COVID19 pandemic to come to an end. Pray for treatments and a cure for the
virus to be rapidly found and deployed. Pray for all those afflicted to be
healed and for our leaders to have supernatural wisdom and ability to lead us
through this pandemic.
Please pray for an end to the
rioting, looting, wanton destruction, and the racial hatred in the USA and that
it will be replaced with peace and love. May God help the USA! Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of
course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview
Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).
You can contact Ed Wrather at theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com
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