Walking in the newness of life, part I

This is the first part of my speech at women's Easter celebration in Suzhou on March 25. 

Our theme for event today is walking in the newness of life. I believe that is something we all want, and the spring revives this desire in our hearts, as we look at blossoms, put on new seasonal clothes and put away the thick winter wardrobe. Some of us have been struggling with colds and viruses in our families and we are looking forward to warmer, more cheerful season. And not only in outwardly things, we  want to be refreshed in our souls and spirits also. Do you associate Christian meaning of Easter with newness of life? We have a beautiful backdrop here where we see a view looking out of a dark cave towards the crosses and rising sun. Let’s talk about how the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ relates to our walking in the newness of life today.

The death of Jesus Christ is not merely a historical event to Christians - rather, it is an act of God, done for us, to bring us closer to Him. In a story retold by Max Lucado, a new Chinese believer was asked by pastor before baptism: “Did Jesus have sin?” - “Yes”, she answered, to the surprise of the pastor, and then added, “He had sin, He had mine.”Forgiveness and newness of life is available, but we need to apply it, as evangelist Reinhold Bonnke says, all over us like a soap, and then it will make us clean. The sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for everyone and anything: “Jesus brought the sacrifice for the sins of the people once and for all when He sacrificed Himself.” (Hebrews 7, 27) “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9,12) So it is sufficient for you, too, and whatever you need forgiveness for. Not many of us ladies use soap anymore; we have creamy shower  gels and scrubs nowadays. But no matter what you use, think about it next time you take a shower - Jesus can make you clean, He can give you a clean slate with God. There is nothing more powerful than praying in the name and with the authority of Jesus Christ, with an understanding that you have been forgiven, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and therefore your prayer is heard by God. There is nothing more powerful than calling on the name and blood of Jesus when you face fires of temptations, when terrors of the night come, or when you feel broken hearted and frozen by rejection. In Romans 3, 22-24, it is stated that God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: all have sinned, and all are not good enough for God’s glory, and all need to be made right with God by His grace, which is a free gift.

Have you accepted His sacrifice personally? I did it 20 years ago, when I was 16. I experienced that the grip of fears in my life was loosened. I gained strength to start to associate with believers and come in the open more with my faith. However, growing in more personal experience of the love of Jesus has happened over the years. Today, I have been a married woman for over 10 years and have three children. But in my early twenties I was still single and worked for local government of my hometown. Once we had a workplace party with dancing. I was invited and got to dance that evening, but interestingly, God touched my heart powerfully that night and reminded my early teens. At a time in my school there were disco evenings organized quite often in a special function hall. There were some fun times of dancing with classmates or in a circle, but later, more often than not, I went home disappointed. Boys changed and often hanged out in corridors, there were times when nobody came to invite for a dance, or not someone I hoped for. I remembered that longing in my young heart to feel and be special, and to be noticed. But while in my twenties, I had a throwback to feeling this way, I suddenly saw a following vision in my spirit. I am in a dance hall, dark room, with flickering colorful disco lights somewhere near the stage. I am there alone. I am sitting and waiting with longing to be invited for a dance, and there comes …Jesus. He seems familiar, He is safe, and He is like no one else. He notices me and invites me for … a dance of a lifetime. As we dance, he holds me in arms that are bleeding – bleeding… for me. I went home that night by foot through the whole town, overwhelmed, mesmerized, stunned by what God had shown me. Jesus had visited me in a personal way. And while I did not know it yet in my heart of hearts as deeply when I first accepted Christ, I have learned over the years that He is the One I have been waiting for, deeply in my heart. He was there always, and will be. He was there when nobody else was. He has proved His love, He has extended His invitation gently but strongly, and He has chosen – me! And He reveals Himself to me in personal ways like that. That is why I have a blog Experiencing Jesus personally. That is why I am leading a study for women called Experiencing the heart of Jesus.
Along the same lines, when I was an exchange student in Sweden, I had a friend at the university who was a Christian single woman in her early 30s. She once told me: "I think I have been waiting for a prince on a white horse, and thought it will be a man. Later on, I realized it’s Jesus." Have you heard a saying along the lines – don’t wait for a prince on a white horse, be strong yourself? In part it is true – you may get disappointed by a man. Or, you may have a good man, but still, he cannot save you, he cannot always be there for you the way you need. We still need to be saved, we need to be loved. There is One extending His invitation to you too today. Jesus is coming on a white horse... for you. This is literally true in the book of Revelation 19, 11: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.”