Acts 1: 4- 5. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence… KJV

Easter has now come and gone, and we find ourselves on the other side. As we reflect on the preparation that was made leading up to Easter, it’s amazing all the things that many of us were engaged.

There was the journey of penitence during the Lenten season, special worship services, and the journey of Holy Week whereby the footsteps of Jesus were traced during the last days of his earthly abode. Coupled with all of that was the search for special outfits and the gathering of Easter treats for the children. Then, finally the blessed day of Easter arrived. Many celebrated the age-old tradition of sunrise service. However, no matter what time you worshipped, there was great joy.

The joyous moments of praise; shouts of “He is Risen” and maybe the singing of the heart-warming hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross,” then the blessed moments of divine worship. As the evolution of time moved swiftly, we now find ourselves on the other side of Easter. Was the Easter celebration just for the day and then we wait to do it all over again if we are on this side next year? I suggest not.

I submit we are privileged to bring all the meaning with us to the other side, which helps us navigate the struggles and challenges of the journey ahead. The book of Acts 1: 4-8 contains the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus left for his disciples and for all his believers. It was given to guide and sustain us in our everyday living. And here on the other side of Easter the Holy Spirit is ever present within us as our Savior has promised.

The Holy Spirit awaits to enlighten our minds to the memories of Christ’s love for us and his miracle working power. It is also, ever present to energize us when we are down and going through the storms of life, which are sure to come. Moreover, there will be days when we will need encouragement and the Holy Spirit will be there to do just that, when we need it the most.

Lastly, the Holy Spirit dwells within us to equip us to rise and speak boldly of the Christ in whom we put our trust and compel us to spread the good news of our Savior. And before you know it, we will be preparing to celebrate Easter again. And it will be because we made it through the other side.

REV. DR. JAMES TAYLOR is pastor of Jericho Baptist Church in Farmville, He can be reached at jht3@verizon.net.