He Is Risen!

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

⁵⁷ Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. ⁵⁹ When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹ And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Pilate Sets a Guard

⁶² On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³ saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night^m]">[m] and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So th ey went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Matthew 28

He Is Risen

¹ Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,^a]">[a] and sat on it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
⁸ So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

The Women Worship the Risen Lord

⁹ And as they went to tell His disciples,^b]">[b] behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

God Can Use Anyone

Get to Know Rahab of Jericho


God can use anyone. When you start to think that you are nothing and have no special talents and skills take the time to remember Rahab of Jericho. This was a woman who was a prostitute. Everyone looked down on her and she had no power, money or fame before her path crossed the spies of Israel who came to Jericho to check it out! God wants you to be ready to make the choice when the time comes. You do not know when God may call your name and ask for your help. Will you be ready when the time comes? Learn more about Rahab of Jericho. Her name is still remembered today because of her heroic actions.

Joshua 1-6

Spiritual Insights From a Layman's Point of View

Prayer

Prayer is a great gift. Through prayer we are lifted up above our problems, distractions, and wounds. Life has a way of wounding the soul and spirit. Having the ability to touch God in prayer gives us hope, comfort, and a sense of our place in the universe. Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Take a moment today to indulge yourself with the gift of prayer. You will be blessed and in so doing bless others.





Christianity and Faith

Spiritual Insights From A Layman's Point of View

So You Tapped Into Power Yesterday?

God moved into The Church of Humble in a deep and powerful move that took our people to a new level in prayer. Our people are united in seeking spiritual renewal first within ourselves and then within others who are in need.

To everyone who experienced this outpouring I would remind you that your Adversary is watching and is not pleased. Today if you have not already faced unexplained tensions or problems, be prepared; they are coming. This is not something to fear. Remember that God is on your side and is standing with you every moment of every day. Recognize the source of your problems and immediately cast them upon the Lord! Find a private place and talk to God and bind the strongman that is trying to steal your joy. In the Name of Jesus cast these spirits into outer darkness. God has given you the power to do this!

Romans 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Trust God. Take authority over the spirits. Do not let your Adversary push you around this week.

Blessings!

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Lent...A Season of Reflection

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday which is the first day of the forty day fast called LENT. Because I am a member of a church that does not observe Lent I decided to do a bit of research on the topic. What I found surprised me. According to the church fathers the traditin of observing a period of reflection, and mourning the death of Jesus Christ began in the first century in Jerusalem. This period of reflection and mourning took many forms and was celebrated on different days. Eventually the fast days were observed in the spring, hence the term Lent.


In the early days of the Apostolic period there was a great deal of controversy about how many fast days should be observed, and when these fast days should take place. Some people thought that only one full day was sufficient. Some called for two or more days, and in time the fast became a forty day fast. However, the terms of the fast have changed many times throughout the ages until today the approved fast is very different from the original manner of fasting. Today most Catholics choose something very important to them and resolve not to do, eat, drink, or take part in whatever they have chosen to sacrifice. LENT is not only a Catholic religious observance. Many protestant denominations such as Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Eastern Orthodox Christians observe Lent.

I freely admit that I have not done an in-depth study of the reasons behind observing Lent but one thing is very clear to me. The purpose of the observance is extremely important to every born again believer. If it is not, it should be. This holy season is a time to reflect and meditate upon the great sacrifice and suffering of our Lord and Savior when he died on the cross for our sins. The Season of LENT is an extended period when people mourn and reflect on the sacrifice of the Savior. As the season draws to an end and Holy Week approaches on Palm Sunday a feeling of exultation enters the heart as the meditation moves to the approaching miracle of the RESURRECTION!

Maundy Thursday, the last Thursday before Easter is the day to commemorate the day when The Lord's Supper was placed into practice by Jesus Christ. The term Maundy Thursday is one that has developed through lingual shifts in the English language. The word commemorate is used as a commandment. The name Maundy is derived from mandatum (Latin, "commandment"). From ancient times until the present it is usual to receive communion on Maundy Thursday and many churches previously instituted foot washing on this day. It seems appropriate to mark the day by taking the Lord's supper and celebrating with foot washing although foot washing is not commonly practiced in many churches today.

GOOD FRIDAY is the traditional day designated for observing the death of Jesus Christ. Many churches have a solemn service where the message is about the death of Jesus Christ. Again the purpose of this type of observance is to build to a glorious understanding of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning. I believe that with preparation and proper teaching this could become a wonderful, meaningful observance that could bring our people to a sense of the great love that God had for us and what the death of Jesus Christ really means in our Salvation!

EASTER Sunday! Glorious celebration of the resurrection. Singing Up From the Grave He Arose....with a mighty triumph o'er His foes... The very thought makes me want to shout with a voice of triumph! He arose from the dead! He overcame the grave. This is the keystone and core of everything we believe. We should commemorate it! We should shout it from the roof tops! He arose. He lives and is alive forever more!

Easter is a wonderful time in the lives of our families and our children. We love the Easter bunny, Easter egg hunts, and the food...dinner on the ground like we used to do. But let us not forget the reason we celebrate. Perhaps we should take more time to get to Easter by way of the cross of Jesus Christ. All of us...the people of the name of Jesus should be ahead of the crowd in making this a most serious time of our lives to be taught to our children and grandchildren.

Blessings!

(Maundy Thursday). (2007). In BELIEVE Religious Information
Source web-site. Retrieved, (insert today's date) from
A Christ Walk Church Public Service:
http://mb-soft.com/believe/txw/maundy.htm

Leclercq, H. (1911). Maundy Thursday. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 26, 2009 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10068a.htm

Are You a Seeker?

Are you a seeker of truth? Do you want to experience it now, or get your self realization from seeking truth? What truth are you seeking? Many people view truth as an abstract concept that even apart from the human experience has nothing to do with the divine. In worldly terms truth may be relative to the perceived reality of an individual.

As Christians our point of reference always goes back to Jesus Christ, " Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. " John 14:6

There is a great revelation for those who seek this truth. Prayer is the way to greater understanding. There is a relationship with God for those willing to seek after it. This is not a shallow relationship, and the means to achieving this relationship is not easy. Prayer and fasting brings the body into subjection, humbles the spirit, and opens the mind to great possibilities for the believer and seeker.

When I was young many people would seek for the Holy Ghost. At the end of the sermon the seekers would come to the altars (in those days we had real altar benches where people actually prayed and travailed before the Lord in tears with moaning and groaning). You don't see many seekers these days...

I don't believe we have to go back to brush arbor days for people to be saved, but the same fire, determination, and sorrow for sin must be the catalyst to inspire people to seek the Lord. I am not speaking of a dreadful fire and brimstone pounding of fear into people that brings them to the Lord in fear for their very life. We know hell is there for the lost, but Jesus offers so much more than a bare minimum experience to experience hell fire. If that is what you think salvation is about then you have barely scratched the surface in your seeking for God.

It is still possible to have a fire in your soul to learn more about God. You can still have as much of God as you want to have. Many are satisfied to know that God is love and that he loves everybody. I am happy that God loves everybody, but I do not see why I have to limit myself to the shallow waters of knowledge when God is deep, powerful, and willing to share himself with every one who seeks Him.

I am a seeker of truth. I want to get it now! My self realization comes from the experience and knowledge God gives me every day as I walk with him.

Blessings!

Perception is Reality

When I was young I heard my elders say, "You know, that just does not look right." In business we say, "That does not pass the smell test." Both of these statements mean the same thing. Something is not right about the situation. Many times we listen to the words of those around us and somehow manage to get the message confused. We do not hear what the person is trying to say, but hear what we think they said.

Sadly enough, this happens more often than not. The truth about reality is that it changes from person to person depending on the personal experiences and lifestyle events of each individual in the mix. Keeping the story straight can be a problem if two people whose point of reference is so different that they talk but do not understand each other.

As Christians, it is our responsibility to look beyond appearances to find the real person beneath the layers of defensiveness and pain that passes for self-assurance. It is easy to believe the worst about a person because of the way they look. We forget that appearances are deceiving and everything about a person may not be revealed the first time we meet.

We as Christians have a wonderful opportunity to change ourselves first, and then show the love of God to the world around us. We have an obligation to allow the reflection of the Grace of God to show through us to the world and everyone with whom we come in contact. It will be difficult sometimes because of the perception that some people have about Christians and who Christians really are.

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

The Great Commission that Jesus gave to his followers in Mark did not mean that we should take a sledge hammer or a sword to everyone who refused to believe in Him. That is not the way of Jesus Christ. Jesus offered a better way.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Try to show forth the love of God in your life and allow the perception you want people to have of who you are become a reality. The more you try to live like Jesus Christ, the more people will see Jesus in you. It is not necessary to proclaim to the world that you are a Christian. If you are a Christian they will know it soon enough.