Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Monday, April 21, 2014

"I [Jesus] am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades [hell]."¹

I recall reading about a father who was caught with his two young daughters in a snow storm and lost his way. When night fell he wrapped his jacket around his two girls and lay on top of them to stop them from freezing to death. The next day they were found by a search party. The two girls were alive and well, but the father had frozen to death. He gave his life to save the ones he loved.

That's exactly what Jesus did for you and me. He gave his life to pay for the consequences of our sinâ€"death. And on Easter Sunday 2,000 years ago he arose from the grave proving that he had forever overcome the power of death and sin, and to guarantee resurrection for all who put their trust in him.

Ravi Zacharias talks about how Christ encounters us today as he did the disciples on the morning of his resurrection from the dead. "The disciples were the ones marked out for death. Those who survived Jesus were really the dead. And he, Jesus, the dead one, was really the living one."

And because he is the Living One, the day he rose from the grave was the day that changed the world forever. And the day that you and I commit our life to him and receive his free pardon is the day that changes our lifeâ€"forever!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that after paying the penalty for all my sins, You arose from the grave giving me the assurance that I, too, will also arise from death because my trust, and my salvation, is in You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Revelation 1:18 (NIV).

Note: If you have never accepted God’s forgiveness and are assured of life after death in Heaven, please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian� at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

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