This is not the end. We have so much in store for us. The best is yet to come, a truth that we can always claim. 

We are, however, being tested. After this test, the true character of the church will be revealed. Will this just be the beginning of the church manifesting God's power or will this be the final push to silence the church for good?

History is filled with important days but only one day can hold the title of the most important day in history. What could be more important than the Resurrection. The Resurrection is the pin that hinges and the conclusion to the best news ever. It was an event that had to happen. An event that proved that Jesus' payment for sin was accepted. An event that showed our debt was paid in full. An event that sealed our place in eternity with the Father. The fact is, without the Resurrection, there is no hope. This is why Resurrection Sunday is and always will be the Greatest Day in History.

While Jesus was here fulfilling His mission, much of the world, including "religious leaders" were not able to pick up on His identity or the signs that were meant to direct them to Him. Because of this, much of the world went on living their lives without change.

If history books are ever written about us, will people be able to say the same thing or will our story look different. Will they say that we missed the things He used to try and get our attention and draw us back to Him? Or will they say we "were a generation that heeded the signs of their time, got their hearts right, and lived like no generation before them?"

Seasons come and seasons go. Seasons like the one we are in now remind us that there is so much in this world that we don't have control over. That realization can be disconcerting. We can take comfort in remembering that God is and always will be on His throne.

Instead of worrying about what we can't control, we should use this time to draw close to Him. At times like this, we are faced with a choice. We can either focus on the things we can't control and let our emotions take over; or we can focus on, press in to, and anchor on the Constant One and be pulled through the challenges we face.

To deny that we are in challenging times would be foolish. The world is currently being shaken to see what will endure. We are founded on the Rock and we WILL endure. No matter how bad things get, there is always hope for those who are founded on and abide in Him.

During this and any challenging time, it is important to exercise our faith. If we don't, our emotions, mainly fear, will take over. It is also important that we don't view this time as a time of retreat or surrender. The church is only as strong as its individual members and we can each use this time to strengthen ourselves and the church.

Once planted, a seed will never die. Though conditions may not be able to support the life that it is to bring forth, the seed will survive until those conditions are right. 

Like a seed, the promises of God may tarry but they will never die. It may take months, it may take years, it may take decades; but the promise will endure and once the conditions are right, it will spring forth life. It may take faith to receive the promise and it may take a little more faith to wait for the promise, but the promise will come to pass.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9 NIV). Although we may not always know and understand His ways, we can know and understand His heart. We can know and understand His heart by looking back on what He's done. When you find yourself in a place not understanding why or able to see where, meditate on what has been.

Meditate on the word. Meditate on the promises. Meditate on His faithfulness. Meditate on who He is. Do this and you'll realize He always has been, always is, and always will be with you.

It's safe to say that we all desire to have a closer relationship with Christ and/or attain new levels of faith. However, it's not safe to say that we all desire the warfare that comes with it. If we truly want to see growth and development in our lives we must realize that we will experience increased resistance and challenge. Once we realize that truth, we can take an honest assessment of our lives and ensure that we are taking the necessary steps to prepare accordingly. When we are properly prepared, we are no longer on defense but on offense. We can move from a counter-strike lifestyle to a preemptive strike one.

So much of what is going on and what we go through can cause us to lose faith and let fear take over. Fear causes us to try and take the situation into our own hands while faith allows us to let God take control. As the Christianese saying goes "let go and let God." The fact is until we let go, we aren't letting God. To be clear though, letting go does excuse us to be ignorant of the things going on around us and have a "God's got it" mentality. We are called to know the times and the seasons. We are called to watch and to pray.

Don't look back, God's promises are in front of you.

The enemy seeks to distract us, to discourage us, and to dissuade us so we loose focus and miss out on the promises and begin to doubt our faith, doubt our favor, and doubt our Father.

If we keep our focus on the promises that are on our lives, we'll see them manifest. If we don't, we'll get stuck.