HAPPY EASTER  --- part Two           Part One  hopetotheend.com/Easter.html

These last days are perilous times.
Can we face stock market losses, [ "IF"]
financial hardships, loss of jobs, homes and things dear to us ?
Can we go on in the power of His resurrection ?

When deprivations and trials come, can we go without ? Can we make-do ? Can we find alternatives? Can we begin again and start over ? We must....
"that we may know Him and the power of His resurrection."

"We are more than conquerors (overcomers) through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 37-39

We must know Him and apply the power of His Resurrection. That power to
not even let ourselves get in the way of moving forward...ever upwards with Him.

What hinders us from living in Resurrection-Joy each day? Past sins ?
If the offended one can forgive you ( we know they forgive us even in heaven, as is sometimes the case );
And if God forgives our sincerely repentant heart, which we are assured of in 1 John 1:9;
then we need to forgive ourselves and repeat Psalm 32, since we have allowed ourselves to become  a stumbling block to our Joy in the Lord.

Satan will use guilt as a strategy against us to have us focus in on ourselves and live in depression. ( a sin )
Too many times we let failures, omissions, sins and the past etc. diminish our spiritual life.
If Peter had let his denial of Our Lord have power over him, he would have ended up like Judas, dead from self-incrimination.

But Peter repented and overcame even himself and his darkest failure.
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered "
("kippur "...covered over by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ).
Psalm 32:1
Peter would go on with Jesus no matter what...no matter how bleak it all seemed at the time.

PRESSING ON

When I was a young child I went to camp and for the first time I rode a horse.
Animals were so far removed from my city-life that I was apprehensive and fearful. No one had told me that you never let a horse know you are afraid.
As our camp counselor took us on a ride with the horses, mine sensed my inadequacy and fear. And of course he threw me. Boy, now I really was afraid. The counselor had me get right back up immediately and get on that horse and take control--- assert myself...show a little chutzpah. "Chutzpah", to me, is to apply our confidence in Christ when we have no self-confidence.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me"
Philippians 4:13 (His enabling grace).

Well I did get back up on the horse as one in charge. When we returned from the ride, the counselor insisted I go one more round with the horse (aarrgghh!!). I knew deep down that that was right. I had to face my fears and take charge. I could not let my "failure" determine that I would no longer ride horses. I could not stay in the grave of self. I had to rise above by the grace of God.

I never forgot that lesson and it helped to mature me down through the years.
It came back to me as : "Don't quit ".
" Get back up and get going...and the sooner the better."
That's resurrection power through the victory we have in Jesus.
"The joy of the Lord is my strength" Nehemiah 8:10

It's a humble example for such an august theme as the Resurrection, but the point is clear. Neither death nor the devil, nor even ourselves can hold us down when we look to our Risen Lord and live in the overcoming power of His resurrection.

" Ride on, ride on! Rough-shod if need be;
Smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on!
Ride on over all obstacles, and Win The Race! " --- Charles Dickens

STAYING POWER

Soon the Great Tribulation will be upon us. If one is left behind, after the Midnight Rapture, does one give up ? No, we go on with God, just like the example Peter gave us. God is still our Friend as we come to understand His Lordship more and more. He is still in the helping and overcoming business.
Our God is the Helper of the helpless. Psalm 72:12.

When the day comes that we can no longer buy groceries without the 666 mark, will we still trust in God to provide for our daily needs ?
We are to hope to the end, (1 Peter 1:13 and Hebrews 6:11 ).
Chip Index hopetotheend.com/chipindex.html

We can overcome ALL the hardships of even the Great Tribulation with His overcoming grace....the power of His resurrection.
He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5, 6
" I AM with you always, even unto the end of the world " Matthew 28:20.
That includes the end of this age.

And He will be right there if one has to undergo martyrdom.
"Underneath are the everlasting arms.....unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills"........
Deuteronomy 33:27 and Genesis 49:26.
Just remember, Christian, we never really die..... and may we hold in mind how Stephen saw heaven, BEFORE he left this tattered world. Acts Chapter 7

All true martyrs "die "overcoming. Rev. 12:11. Overcoming-power is mentioned in the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, ten different times. All martyrs are carried on the wings of resurrection-grace, the power to rise above the adversary and all that he throws at us, and we go forward in the mighty power of God. All true martyrs are granted to sit with Him in His throne. Rev. 3:21
" To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
1 Peter 1:3

ALLELUIA !!