THIS EASTER ~ Precious Victor Akah

Easter is a time of celebration in the world of Christians globally, as we commemorate the crucifixion (death) and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus said, "For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends." Jesus did what He said in this verse of scripture (John 15:13) on Good Friday.

Well, it is a known fact that Jesus died and rose on the third day, but it is also a known fact that a lot of people still hasn't come to a true understanding of what Jesus did on the cross: its significance and benefits. This is why a lot of people celebrate Easter every year: they cook special meals, drink special drinks, wear special clothes, fast and have sober sessions of pray, go to church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but go back home to continue living the life they deeply loathe, a life that does not reflect what Jesus actually died for, a life that does not radiate the glory of Jesus' resurrection, and a life limited, suppressed and oppressed by the devil.

Dear reader, sit tight, you'll be exposed to many truths you may not have known before now, in this article. I would please beg you to not just read for reading sake, but read to gain knowledge and access valuable truths to live a transformed life. Jesus did so much on the cross of Calvary that we should not continue to suffer ignorantly.

If you're presently living a life you never dreamt of living, a life you never planned to live, a life you wake up each day to criticize and weep over, a life you know deep down that you're just enduring, not enjoying, though you appear to be happy to everyone around you; a life you consider miserable or terrible; you know what? Jesus actually died and rose on the third day to put an end to such depressing life.

No matter what you're going through right now: financial difficulties, problems related to marriage, educational challenge, career challenge, business challenge, health challenge, mental challenge, spiritual challenge..., whatever it is, Jesus rose from the dead so you don't have to repeatedly go through such.

What is the way out? Understanding the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection and what it brought to you and I. I might not be able to share all of this in one article, but one thing I want to leave you with here is a hunger and a thirst to open your Bible (for study) and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a personal revelation of what the death of Jesus and His resurrection brought to you and how it relates to you living a fulfilling and glorious life on earth. (If you search, you'll find).

Primarily, the death of Jesus signifies the end of a life of enslavement to the devil; the end of a powerless life and of bondage to sin and its consequences; the end of a limited life of slavery to life's circumstances, the flesh and the fear of death; the recovery of the keys of death and hell from the devil, and the grant of access to everyone into the throne room of the Most High God.

And His resurrection signifies the recovery of your dominion mandate on earth from the devil - to rule and reign in life; the gain of victory and power over sin and all consequences of sin (death, sickness, failure, lack, poverty, shame, etc), the right to a limitless life where all things are possible, achievable, doable, and realizable, the gift of eternal life and a victorious life where you prevail over life's circumstances by the power in the Blood of Jesus.

A good understanding of this will empower you to live and INSIST on living a great life on earth where you rule, reign and prevail over all circumstances on earth. Remember the original mandate from God: "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:28

Jesus' death and resurrection restored that mandate in full. Stop enduring and pampering that shameful, ugly situation you're meant to dominate, stop letting it dominate you, rise to reclaim and exercise your dominion mandate. INSIST that this must be a different Easter for you - where you start living the life Jesus actually died and rose for you to live on earth.

Note however, you can only successfully do this if you've become a child of God. If you would love to join God's family by being reconciled back to God your Father, please accept Jesus into your heart, repent of a life of sin and embrace the truth of God's Word, committing to live by it. Then and only then can Satan and life's challenges bow to you when you roar at them.

I implore you to listen to these phenomenal women as they bring to light some truths about Easter, it's a journey of truth discovery. This is a special Easter to remember for life.

MARV THRIVER writes:

THE LORD NEEDS IT

Come with me on a journey that lead to it all. I want to tell you a story that brought about so much hope and salvation for me and I believe it will for you as well. But do one thing for me, read to the end to grasp the full picture.

As I flipped the pages of my Bible, I came across an interaction between a King and His followers. The King was about to make His grand entrance into the city, it was the week before the entire world would see Him die for a purpose. So, during the planning stage, He gave His followers an instruction on the type of carriage that would commute Him for His moment of appraisal. Take note, He hadn't physically seen the carriage which in this case was a donkey, but as the King He knew what the donkey looked like and where it was. So, He sent for the donkey with this instruction: "Go into that village over there,” He told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here."

Why a donkey though, and could He just take anything He wanted without being stopped? I couldn't help but notice that this King saw something that everyone there did not see. He saw the purity of the donkey, or probably a donkey that was unseen and felt useless. I also noticed that He saw the purpose of this donkey and for some reasons, that donkey would have stayed tied and wasted till the day it died, or on the flip side, the donkey was born for a time like this. 

Oh, but as I continued reading, He told them, "‭‭If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ The disciples of this King knew that this journey of getting the donkey to the King was of faith or for lack of better words, 'trial and error', because you can't just go into someone's village and take whatever you wanted. What if someone decided to use that donkey at that time? What if there was no donkey at all to begin with?

But just like good disciples, they went and sure enough, everything was exactly as their king said it would be, even the questions asked. "So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.”

Now, let's pause for a minute and digest. The story is not about the donkey, but the King who was going to die for His people. Before His death, the city needed to realize that He was that King of kings they have been waiting for. The One that was to save them and bring them salvation. The King chose an unconventional route for His identity and purpose reveal, yet a surreal one because the donkey found its purpose. Go back to the previous lines in this story. The donkey was tied, unused and was better off useless till the King called for it. 

Doesn't it sound like some of us? Most of the times, humanly speaking, we feel inadequate, unworthy or wasting. We know we have something in us but can God use someone like me? You ask. I feel stuck in this place: it could be your place of service or in that place you don't want anyone to touch. You might be falling deep into depression or apathy just because life hasn't given you so much to do. Well, I have a good news! The Lord needs it! The Lord needs that thing you are hoarding or holding unto. The Lord needs you to give Him that your fear, that abandonment issues, that lack, that stagnation and above all, your heart.

But you might say, "I'm trying. I have done all I can to give it up." Well, do you know what the King was up to? He was going to die for everyone, even those that hated Him. He came to save and deliver, so that we could have eternal life. Look at what the disciples did: "So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for Him to ride on". Take your colt, that thing you've got, and bring it to King Jesus, throw in your garment. Quit living for things that has no price value or eternal worth, throw all of them in and let Jesus ride on them because He alone can turn an ugly, stinky situation into one that is beautiful and holy. 

Here's the thing: the Bible said that there is only one way that we can be saved, and that's through Jesus Christ. Easter simply reminds us of what Jesus did for us. He came for us, to commune with us, understand how and what we feel, and connect us with our Father. I love this Bible passage that I'm about to share with you. Read it intentionally: "On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” John 7:37-38 NLT‬‬.

That's it guys, Jesus wants you and I, so let's take this invitation He gave. The Lord needs that thing you think He doesn't need. If this applies to you, just open your heart and mouth and say Jesus, I am tired of trying. Take this, take me and make me a new for you. Use me for your purpose. I want to be yours and yours forever, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Look at how the life of the donkey turned out. As He rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of Him. When He reached the place where the road leads down to the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” Luke 19:36-40 NLT‬‬

God makes something out of nothing because everything is precious to Him. So give it to the King because the Lord needs it!

BRITTNEY OPUTA writes:

When I remember the works, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I’m filled with massive feelings of gratefulness, humbleness, and awareness. The work commissioned to Jesus by the Father on earth was to bring the good news of the Gospel - saving all who would come to receive Him. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross, as the propitiation for our sins, was payment. Our debts of sin were paid so that we may be able to live a life of freedom, of service to God, and one day dwell with Him for all eternity. This Easter, which I faithfully call “Resurrection Sunday,” is conducive to His resurrecting, restoring, and redeeming power to bring life to what was dead! Hallelujah!

The works of Christ, everlastingly & supernaturally minister to all aspects of our lives, be it physically, spiritually, mentally, financially, or emotionally. The poor comforted with the gospel, the brokenhearted healed, the captives delivered, the blind given sight, and the oppressed set free, are the works of Christ, even of which, I’ve benefited. (See Luke 4:18). 

The Spirit of the Lord anointed Jesus to bring us out of the darkness into light. Truly, He is the Light of man! I went from Sinful Addiction to Holy Ghost Conviction! Bound to Found! Washed up to Walking in Authority & Power! John 1:12 says, “But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name.” This power/authority cannot be bought with money, for it is given to those who receive Christ. (See Luke 10:19). The works of Christ came to empower us to become the best version of ourselves in Christ, justified, glorified, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and peculiar people! (1 Peter 2:9). Glory To His Name!

One thought profoundly arises in me considering the death of Jesus Christ, that is, “He died, so I can live”; live in freedom, abundance, servitude to Christ, authority, peace, and dominion. The Father wants us reconciled unto Him, so Jesus “Atoned” and made us “At-One” with God. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord (Romans 6:23). So Jesus, who knew no sin became sin, so we would become the righteousness of Christ in God. 

For His Resurrection, Jesus’s death took place while simultaneously taking our sin (self-inflicted nonsense) which legally stood against us & nailed it to the cross at Calvary. Understand this, Calvary is a finished work! The sin of Adultery is nailed at the cross! The sin of Fornication is nailed at the cross! The sin of Abortion is nailed at the cross! The sin of Uncleanness is nailed at the cross! The sin of Idolatry is nailed at the cross! The sin of Witchcraft is nailed at the cross! The sin of Hatred is nailed at the cross! 

The sins of wrath, strife, envy, murder, drunkenness, and more are nailed on the cross! When it was nailed to the Cross, it died on the cross! Hallelujah! For me, that’s where my (former) addictions, stinking thinking, old mindset, and works of the flesh died and were atoned for. AT THE CROSS! I’m free from it all because of Christ's sacrifice and mercy! He died so we can live. He died once for ALL and all for One - THE FATHER! For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Come to Christ today.

In order for a resurrection to happen in our lives, there must be death. However, just because there was death doesn’t signify an end, but the beginning of something beautiful, or something new! 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things (the previous moral & spiritual condition) have passed away, behold all things have become new." Our past stays in the past, and can’t do anything with our future in Christ. The Father has a plan for all of us and when we give our life to Jesus, we experience our resurrection, through The Resurrection and Life: The Lord Jesus Christ. (See John 11:25). 

The Hebrew definition of resurrection means, a standing up, raising up, rising, and a rising again. Listen, beloved, God has given me beauty for ashes. That means that He has taken the ashes and filth of my life and made my life beautiful. I did not say easy, I said beautiful. There will be challenging battles along the way in this life, but through Jesus Christ, we have the victory, for the war is already won at the cross. That’s why when Jesus hung His head, He said, “It is finished.” “And in Him, you have been made complete…” Colossians 2:10. 

This Easter, this Resurrection Sunday, know this, because He got up, you got up! Beloved, receive Him as your Lord and Saviour if you haven’t already. The same resurrection power in Him works in the children of God. You have the authority to stand up in your rightful place! You have the power to walk in your God-ordained purpose! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Yes, it is so! Be resurrected in your mind and be resurrected in your soul, be resurrected in the talent and gifts that God has given you! Resurrect, Arise, Shine! Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven! Jesus, our Redeemer, Lives!

PRISCA ADAKA writes:

THE GREATEST LOVER OF OUR SOUL 

Just yesterday I was thinking about how awesome it is to know you are never out of God's sight or His love.

Scripture rightly states that nothing can separate us from the love of our Heavenly Father, no wonder God gave up His only begotten Son to die the most shameful death on the cross to redeem us.

Oh, such an amazing Heavenly Father. Have you taken time out to mediate on how much value God placed on us? That is evident in His sacrifices and promises to us.

This holy week, as we celebrate the resurrection of the greatest lover of our soul, open your heart to embrace His love, accept His promises with the understanding that Jesus loves you and wants to have an intimate relationship with you.

Come, sit at His feet and still your heart in the presence of your lover. He will make beauty out of you. Happy Joyous Easter!

ELIZABETH YEMISI AJIBOLA writes:

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2 vs 8). 

In this season, let's humble ourselves in gratitude for His innocent blood shed on our behalf. 

Our debts are paid, and our tarnished records are wiped clean before a just, Holy God.

And it's a wrap.

The knowledge, truth and understanding you've gained from this article, please don't lose sight of it. Don't postpone applying it to your life this Easter. It is in application that transformation is born. If you read but don't apply (like some people do with the Bible) there will be no positive change, and this will be like every other Easter. But if you immediately get to work with the truths you've received, 2024 Easter will be a different one for you.

Shalom.

We love you.

Jesus loves you more.

Joyous Easter Celebration to you and your family.

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