God provided an empty tomb for every empty space in our lives.

Does it ever seem like you took a crash course on how to manage current life that you never signed up for? The sinking feeling of emptiness that seems to linger on and on.

I experienced emptiness from an empty womb after I lost a baby to miscarriage, an emptiness from a broken heart when my father died, and plenty of other empty spaces throughout the years. 

Whether it was the loss we experienced during the pandemic, a natural disaster, a family trauma or inner turmoil, you and I know how much empty wreaks havoc on our minds and hearts. 

Still, empty doesn’t define who we are, we were misinformed by the enemy of our souls.

Jesus Steps Into Our Empty

Those daydreams of shining knights coming to save the day and us. The people we hope will swoop in as a hero over our difficult circumstances and life’s unexpected curve balls. The ones we want to fill in our empty. 

They all have cracks in their armor or holes in their capes. 

But Jesus steps in and rescues us from areas in our life marked: Empty found, Rescue needed.

These are our real needs. These are the areas where a true rescue needs to take place. Like how Jesus offers to fill our emptiness with living water and soul refreshing. Such as forgiveness, mercy, and grace for sin. And unconditional love and real peace only found in our Savior.

Jesus offers to fill our emptiness with living water and soul refreshing. Such as forgiveness, mercy, and grace for sin. And unconditional love and real peace only found in our Savior. #Easter #blog
Click To Tweet

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)

An Empty Tomb for Every Empty Place

Christ willingly emptied Himself on a cross to pay for our sins and fill the emptiness of our souls.

Jesus suffered to comfort us in suffering, beaten and broken to put us back together. Separated from His Father so He connected us in relationship with God—never distant, but always near.

Maybe our life feels empty from a world turned topsy-turvy. Perhaps our soul displays the barrenness of our current situation. 

When everything familiar seems stripped away, remember the stone supernaturally rolled away. 

Jesus Christ rose from the dead, leaving behind an empty tomb, so we are able to leave behind empty from our past or present, and even into our future. 

Christ willingly emptied Himself on a cross to pay for our sins and fill the emptiness of our souls. #Easter23
Click To Tweet

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”  Matthew 28:6 (NIV)

Empty Tomb: Jesus Gave His Life Away to Give Us Life

Made for more, we realize there’s more to this life. Christ came to give us more…to give us what is

and to fill our emptiness.

Jesus came not only to give us an eternal future, but to also gift us with a better present—to redeem our story and redeem our empty. 

Yet, we must keep our eyes on the Savior who is the culmination of the “more” we need. If we immerse ourselves in godly things, in spiritual things, and even in ministry, but miss Jesus, we miss it. We miss our reason for rescue. 

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’” John 11:25 (ESV)

As we celebrate the Resurrection, @FridayKaren discusses how Jesus Christ rose from the dead, leaving behind an empty tomb, so we are able to leave behind past, present and future emptiness. Share your blog! #blog #Easter
Click To Tweet

Also see, Do People See Jesus in Me?

LINKUP PARTY opens on April 5 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

The post An Empty Tomb for Our Empty Places {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

This article was published on Patricia’s column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – April 15, 2017.

The small family of Jewish slaves sat on the floor of their small hut, eating the lamb that was slain.

Their sandals were on their feet and they were dressed for the journey. Their sparse belongings were tied inside small sacks that each family member would carry when their leader, Moses, sent word that it was time to go.

Screams could be heard throughout the land. Mothers sobbed uncontrollably. Fathers howled as wild animals. The young boy knew what was happening and was afraid.

He lifted his head and stared at his father for a while.

“Am I going to die tonight, Father?”

“No, Son. You’re not.”

“Why not, Father?”

The father gently pulled his son up by the hand, and took him to the hut’s door.

“You see this, son? The lamb that you eat tonight was sacrificed for you. The blood of the lamb on our door posts is your protection. The Angel of Death shall not get to you. You are safe.”

April 4, 2017, marked the fifth anniversary of the day doctors removed one of the most aggressive types of cancer from my body. It was a small shadow of death that was growing, ready to possibly claim my life at a fairly young age.

As I get ready to visit my doctor this week for my fifth annual checkup, I still feel overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s grace toward me five years ago. The type of cancer I had is a silent killer and it would not have been caught were it not for an ovarian cyst that burst, sending me to the ER in excruciating pain.

I was spared, and trust that tomorrow I will receive the news that I am still in remission.

As much as that chapter of my life fills me with joy and gratitude, it pales in contrast to a different time, many years ago.

It started on the same month of April, 22 years ago, when a confused and depressed young adult started searching for answers inside the walls of Central Presbyterian church in one of Brazil’s capital cities.

My world was falling apart.

A long-term relationship had ended in betrayal. A close friend had deserted me. My business was failing.

Lost in the middle of my crisis, I remembered a friend from college who had once invited me to attend her church. At the time, I dismissed her. I was on top of the world! I didn’t need God!

But as my world started to crumble down, her quiet demeanor and caring attitude seemed to call me out from the pages of my college graduation’s photo album: “Would you like to join me for church this Sunday?

I attended the services for five months before I surrendered my life to Christ. It was Sept. 7, 1995, Brazil’s Independence Day, when my heart was set free. The blood of the Lamb was put on the door posts of my heart that day, and I was never the same.

Easter is my favorite holiday and the most anticipated celebration for Christians all around the world.

We dress on our Sunday best and head to church, where we sing our song of redemption, deliverance and victory. Our Hallelujah song.

The song that proclaims that we may certainly go through the same trials as everyone else – cancer, divorce, financial loss, death – but our hope is steady, unwavering and alive.

That same song which, I pray, will remain in my heart, even when doctors shake their head and my end on this earth draws near. It’s the song that warms the heart of all believers who have received the Savior’s blood on the door posts of their hearts.

It’s the song that proclaims: “Even when you die, you will certainly live.”

Easter proclaims the Believers' victory song that declares: 'Even when we die, we'll live!'
Click To Tweet

The post Easter – Celebration of Hope for All Christians {Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Author’s post publication note: I had to correct one mistake that was published on the paper. I had been researching details on the veil, and most of my information was detailing King Solomon’s temple. When I wrote the column, I ended up calling the temple on Jesus’ day “King Solomon’s Temple”, but that temple was destroyed around 586 BC, when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.  The Temple of Jesus’s day was known as  Herod’s temple. 

Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life at the time of Jesus’ death. An architectural wonder, the temple of King Herod stood mightily as the place where the presence of almighty God dwelled. Jews journeyed from all over the land to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem each year. The temple received the faithful, in a procession of worship and sacrifice. Scriptures tell us that inside the temple, a large veil separated the Holy of Holies – the place where God’s presence remained, unapproached by anyone, except for the High Priest, who would go into the Holy of Holies once a year to sacrifice for the people’s sins. According to Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, Herod’s temple was 40 cubits high. The exact measure of one cubit at that time is uncertain, however, according to scholars, it is safe to say that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. Josephus also wrote that the veil was four inches thick and that horses tied to each side could not pull the veil apart. According to the records in the book of Exodus, this impressive veil was made from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

An imposing structure by all measures, impossibly heavy and thick, separated common men from the presence of Holy God. According to the records of the eye witnesses present during Jesus Christ’s death, the skies turned black. An earthquake assailed the earth. When Jesus breathed His last, the massive veil was torn, and the presence of God moved out of that place, never again to dwell in a temple made by human hands. Three days later, the tomb were Jesus’ body laid was empty, and Messiah appeared in His resurrected body to his disciples first, and then to many witnesses. It is said that over 500 people saw the resurrected Christ at one time. He is alive, and that is what Christians celebrate on Easter each year.

To some, just another story. A fairytale even. To me and many others around the world who celebrate Resurrection Day this weekend, His resurrection is our hope, and the very reason of our joy and peace. The veil was torn. The ultimate and perfect sacrifice was paid. The final prophecy of the first coming of Messiah was fulfilled at the cross. And humanity would not need to measure up anymore. His death set us free. If only we believe.
Easter stirs up an indescribable joy in me. You see, religion is a wonderful thing. Faith, hope and prayer are sure antidotes to depression and fear. But there is always that one thing that happens to every human being that’s ever lived: we all die. It doesn’t matter how happy of a life we have or how much money we have in the bank. Everything under the sun is for a season… and everything will die one day. We will all one day with be plagued by this question: Where will I go after I die?

I don’t know about you, but at the end of my journey on earth, if I were to depend on all the good things I did, I would be doomed. We all would! After all, how can anyone measure up to complete holiness? But because the veil was torn 2015 years ago, and because I have given my life to the resurrected Christ, I know I’ll live forever with Him. Why? Because He said so. And since everything He said He would do came to pass, I have no reason to doubt. I’m never alone and heaven-bound. Now, that’s a wonderful Easter song!

The post A Christian’s Easter Celebration – My weekend Column for the AJC appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.