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WHERE DO YOU BELONG

The Easter celebration is here again. The time to remember the greatest gift mankind ever received_ the
redemption of man. The costly sacrifice. This festive season comes with lots of glitz and glamour, people
often get carried away with the celebration ignoring the reason for the season_ Christ.

Even as we celebrate this season as individuals, families and churches, we should ask ourselves this
simple but pertinent question; where do I belong? The death of Christ we celebrate this season was
pioneered by a group of individuals whose actions speaks volume in representing our world today. A
quick look at these Bible characters who contributed so much to the death of Jesus will help us to
evaluate our lives and also answer the question posed above.

Religion is not synonymous to Christianity as many thought; it is a personal set of institutionalized


system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practises rather than the Christ_ like life which Christianity
stands for.

The first group of people are the religious sect/leaders which includes the High Priest(Caiaphas), the
scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were fanatics of the Mosaic law but their heart were far
from God. They seized Jesus and crucified him under the pretence of obeying Mosaic and Jewish
traditions. They had the form of godliness but deny the power thereof(2tim 3:5). They made the word of
God void by their traditions. Do you belong to this group, are you a true Christian or a religious one?

There is no such mixture of love for the world and the love of God. The second group are the
materialistic Christians. Their greed and desperation to acquire worldly possession often lead them to
betray Christ, give up their confession and compromise their faith for worldly gain. They jettison their
salvation. Judas Iscariot is an example of all times. He betrayed Christ for a prize of 30 silver. Have you
ever deny your faith to gain this world? then you belong here. Do not be deceived no one can gain the
world- it is a passing wind. Christ understood this bitter truth while he was been tempted of the devil
Mtt4:8-10

One cannot easily forget the role played by the crowd in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The crowd or
better still put as the multitude was a key component to the death of Jesus. Many in the christiandom
today are lost in the crowd. One attribute of the crowd is their instability (they are not grounded in the
faith) they can easily be tossed to and fro by different doctrines. Today they are for Jesus tomorrow they
are for Barabas.(Hosanah! hosanah!!) they hailed Jesus as he rode into Bethlehem; the same people
shouted nail him! nail him!!. Are you engrafted to the rock (Jesus) or you are guided by man made
principle? If yes you are part of the crowd.

God is a master planner. He has never failed any generation before and he won't. He'd always made a
distinguished man for himself, a man that will refuse to mingle with the crowd. Upright, a man of
integrity and dignity, a man that will not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat. The likes of
Abraham, Noah, Samuel, Deborah the list is endless. People that are willing to carry their cross and
follow after Jesus not minding the shame, Simon of Cyrene carried the cross for Jesus what about you?.
The people in this category put Jesus and the interest of His kingdom first in everything, soul winners,
heaven focused refusing to stain their garment of righteousness with sin. They are rapturable. If Jesus
come calling today are you rapturable?

The man who paid the costly sacrifice as to lay down His life for us is worth celebrating. Insomuch as we
jubilate with friends and love ones let's ponder on the ultimate purpose of this season: to preach Christ
to the unsaved; also to checkmate our lives to see if we are on track

UNDERSTANDING DEATH

We were told that death simply put is when someone stops breathing. It is when the spirit of a man
departs from him. When a man becomes lifeless. When the body gives up the ghost.

Then why do people still die even when Jesus had conquered death and had gain victory over the
grave? Why do we celebrate the resurrection of Christ? Is there a contradiction between our belief as
Christians and the reality of death-No.The beginning holds a clue. God created a beautiful garden
masterfully lawn with the best orchard and placed man in there to keep it but not without an
instruction-you can eat of every fruit of the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of life and
death. The consequence is death. They eventually disobey God and ate from the forbidden fruit- did they
die immediately-No. Is God a liar- No. Again what happened?

It is Worthy of note to say that death is spiritual not physical and as such can only be understood
spiritually. When God first announce death in Genesis 2:17 He wasn't talking about the physical; He
referred to the spiritual.

God and man do not see death from the same perspective. If all there is to death is just the physical
( the spirit of a man leaving the body) then God would not have to go to the length of sacrificing His son
since He has power to raise the dead. So what then is in death that made it an ultimate enemy of God.

DEATH FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

Imagine a tender flourishing plant plucked out of the ground it may still look fresh and greenish in your
hand it's just a matter of time it will wither later on. The moment it lost contact with the soil (it's source)
death occurred. At the instance nothing seems to happen to the plant it's because death transcend the
physical. This explains the scenario of the fig tree Jesus cursed. Obviously nothing happened at the
moment but the root which is connected to the invisible died because it lost contact with it's source. A
fish caught out of water will die.

So also is man when he is disconnected from God his source- death is inevitable. To God death is the
separation of a thing from its source. This is what happened in Eden. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit
mankind was disconnected from God. The first death took place. John15:6 says a branch cut off the vine
is dead consequently rendering the husbandman incapacitated. A man disconnected from God is dead
and God cannot help such a man.

God could do nothing until there was a reunion of mankind back to Himself. Invariably propelling God to
send His son Jesus to destroy death. What we consider death (physical death) is only a transition from
mortality to immortality. It is not the end of life but a transition into an endless life. Jesus didn't come to
stop this transition but to destroy the yoke of death by reuniting man back to God. Jesus came to restore
mankind to his source. This explains the significant tear-down of the temple veil when Jesus gave up the
ghost. Through Christ we have unhindered access to God.

This Easter period is a season of celebration, it also bring us face to face with the death of Jesus. Even as
we enjoy the glitz and glamour that accompany the season we should individually reflect on the essence
of Jesus' death- a reconnection back to God. Every man is appointed for physical death both the
regenerated and the unsaved but the duo ends up in different destinations. If you are still disconnected
from God the death of Jesus has no effect on you. Therefore there is no need to live in the fear of death
you are dead already.

"Arise from the dead and Chrst shall give you light". This is my message to you. But I'm connected to
God you say then that should be your slogan all through this season.This season is not just for merriment
but for soul winning. It is your responsibility to deliver a soul from death this season. You owe God a
soul.

Do not forget the slogan for the unsaved around you" arise from the dead and Christ shall give you light".

HAPPY EASTER

1. *Principle Of Self- Discovery*

In order to exceed limits, you must first discover yourself.

What are your gifts.

What are your talents.

What skills do you possess.

Who am I - Identity

Where am I from - Source

What can I do - Potential


Where am I going - Destination

Why am I here - Purpose

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