Quote from Forum Archives on April 7, 2012, 1:09 pm

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
There are 17,000 Subscribers to the Email Devotional
Classic from 2005

04.07.12

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.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8.

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? This has been a week of sudden tragedy (In 2005) 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.

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.
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 a child 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!

I hope that you have a most blessed and wonderful Easter!!

Copyright © 2005 - 2012. 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
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