Good Friday: A Letter from Pastor Chris
Take a moment to read through this Good Friday letter from Pastor Chris Pletcher. Don’t miss the links and resources provided at the bottom!
Men of Antioch,
Happy Good Friday! What an absolute joy and privilege to live in the New Covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ. As the people of Israel applied the blood of the spotless lamb to their doorposts in Egypt, so we have put our hope of deliverance and redemption in the blood of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age. He became the final sacrifice for sin and the ONCE FOR ALL atonement for mankind! How great the love of God that we should be called His children, and so we are.
This past Sunday, I gave a sobering and firm charge to our men to “reign in life” by leading ourselves and our households into a life of “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). This is indeed the blueprint of the Kingdom of God, which we are called to establish “on earth as it is in heaven.” As men, husbands, and fathers, we will give an account to the Lord for what life was like for the people who lived under our authority. What a sobering thought! Thankfully, “His divine power has granted to us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3-5). Through His Spirit, we can partake of the divine nature and rule with Christ as those seated in heavenly places.
I wanted to provide a few very simple and practical ways that you can establish God’s Kingdom in the areas where you have been given authority: your heart and mind, your household, and any other stewardship entrusted to you (marriage, family, workplace, calling, gifting, finances, etc.)
Plead the blood of Christ over your “kingdom” by taking communion daily. The breakthrough is in the blood! Then and now, the blood is a shield and covering for our homes. Apply it to your doorposts daily!
Pray “Head of Household” prayers. By using your authority to declare life over your home, family, or workplace, you establish His kingdom blessing in every realm entrusted to you. See below for a powerful sample of this type of prayer.
Establish peace and joy in your home by enforcing judgement where needed! Don’t let passivity trick you into allowing unrighteousness in your Kingdom. You are in charge! Listen to this Palm Sunday sermon about rejecting a victim mindset and living above the struggle in the heavenly places in Christ.
As we look ahead to the resurrection, let us rejoice in this beautiful Gospel truth - His resurrection was our resurrection as well! We have been RAISED UP to reign in life WITH HIM! Let’s be the church that He paid for with His blood, a church of victory, power, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Richest blessings,
Pastor Chris
Resources:
Tending Your Heart bookmark printable PDF