GOD’S FAITHFUL MOON

 

GOD’S FAITHFUL MOON God has wonderful things to say about the moon! In Psalm 104:19 it says that God “made the moon to mark the seasons.” How interesting! The sun marks our days, but the moon keeps track of seasons and holidays for us. 1 Corinthians 15:41 says, “The sun has one degree of glory, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in glory.” Some people want to say that the moon belongs to the devil, but how is that possible? When God made the sun, moon and stars on the 4th day of creation, God declared that they were good. Furthermore, God says that the moon is His faithful witness: Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness— I will not lie to David— his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun, like the moon, established forever, my faithful witness in the sky. Psalm 89:35-37 Why is the moon a faithful witness? Because it reflects the glory of the sun, during the darkness of the night. The moon assures us that the Sun is surely going to return, and we don’t need to be afraid. When you look up at the moon tonight, look for the glory of God shining there. Look for the splendor of the stars also! These things assure us of God’s power, as well as His love for all of us. He made all these, for us.

 

NAPOLEON & JESUS CHRIST

 

NAPOLEON & JESUS CHRIST During his final years of exile on the island of St. Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte spoke and wrote extensively about Jesus Christ. Here is his astonishing summary: I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Shallow minds see a resemblance between Jesus Christ and the founders of empires and the gods of other religions. That resemblance just isn’t there. There is an infinite distance between Christianity and whatever-other religion. Everything about Christ astonishes me. His spirit awes me and his willpower makes me marvel. Between him and anyone else in the world there is no possible point of comparison. He is truly unique. His ideas and emotions, the truth which he announces, his way of convincing, are not explained either by human organization or by the nature of things. His birth, and the history of his life; the depth of his teaching which grapples with the most difficult questions and is the most admirable solution to those questions; his gospel, his appearance, his empire, his march across the ages and the realms,—everything is for me a marvel, an insoluble mystery, plunging me into dreams that I cannot escape; a mystery that is there before my eyes; a mystery that I can neither deny nor explain. Here I see nothing human. The closer I get to him, the more carefully I examine him, I see that everything is beyond me; everything is immense with an overpowering grandeur. His religion is a revelation from a mind that is certainly not human. There lies a deep originality that has created a series of words and sayings hitherto unknown. Jesus borrowed nothing from our knowledge. One cannot find such a life absolutely anywhere except in him. I search vainly through history to find someone like Jesus Christ or anything resembling the gospel. Neither history, nor humanity, nor the ages, nor nature offer me anything with which to compare or explain it. Here, everything is extraordinary. The more I consider the gospel, the more I am certain that everything there is beyond the march of human events and above the human mind. You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm that they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers. But can you conceive of any dead man making conquests with an army that remains faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while I am living, just as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power. A single lost battle crushes us, and adversity scatters our friends. Can you imagine Caesar as the eternal emperor of the Roman senate, and, from the depth of his mausoleum governing the empire, watching over the destinies of Rome? Yet that precisely is the history of the invasion and conquest of the world by Christianity; that is the power of the God of the Christians; that is the perpetual miracle of the progress of the Faith, and of the government of his Church. Nations pass away, thrones crumble – but the Church remains. What then is the power that has protected this Church thus assailed by the furious billows of rage and the hostility of ages? Whose is the arm that for eighteen hundred years has protected the Church from so many storms that have threatened to engulf it? Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and, at this hour, millions of men would die for him. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal reign of Christ who is proclaimed, loved, adored, and whose reign is extending over all the earth.

 

RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

 

RESURRECTION SUNDAY! Easter is the most important holiday for Christians, because we worship a Savior who lives and continues to make Himself known to those who believe in Him.

 

WAS JESUS IN THE TOMB?

 

PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT The story of Holy Week is far more rich and complex than this Easter series can tell, because each and every event that happened was a fulfillment of specific prophecies. These events were predicted in astonishing detail hundreds of years earlier, and each prophecy was fulfilled with precision. Not one messianic prophecy was left unfulfilled, except for those that predict end times and the triumphant return of Christ. WAS JESUS IN THE TOMB?  The body of Jesus lay in the tomb, but scripture tells us that the spirit of Christ was busy during that time. LUKE 23:43 Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” The Bible refers to places such as Hell, Sheol, Hades, the Grave, the Lake of Fire, as well as Paradise and Heaven. The reason why there's confusion in understanding all this, is because the Greek and Hebrew words were not translated consistently. In addition, they were translated differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. So, the short version is this: • Hell, Hades, and Sheol are all the same place, and it is a temporary place of punishment and torment. • Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire, is a permanent place of punishment. • Paradise was a temporary place of blessing, and scholars think it was located in a special section of Sheol. In the New Testament it was also referred to in one of Jesus’s parables as “the bosom of Abraham.” When Jesus died on the cross, he went down to Paradise to be with the blessed souls who were sort of stuck there, and then he took all those faithful, God-fearing people to Heaven with him! The ancient, traditional term for this event was "the Harrowing of Hell" when Christ broke the chains of death itself, bound Satan and set the prisoners free. Ephesians 4:8-10 When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” So, what does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fulfill all things. Thus, Jesus took “captivity captive” and Paradise was emptied when Jesus died for us. Paradise is no longer needed. When we die, we will go directly to Heaven to be with Jesus.   SUNDAY’S A COMIN’! It’s Friday... Jesus is praying, Peter is asleep. Judas is betraying... but Sunday’s a Comin’. It’s Friday... Pilate is struggling, the Sanhedrin is conspiring, the crowd is vilified... they don’t even know that... Sunday’s a Comin’. It’s Friday... The disciples are running in every direction like sheep without a shepherd, Mary’s crying, Peter’s denying but they don’t know... that Sunday’s a Comin’. It’s Friday... the Romans beat my Jesus, they robe him in scarlet, they crown him with thorns, but they don’t know, Sunday’s a Comin’! See Jesus walking to Calvary, his blood dripping, his body’s stumbling, and his spirit’s burdened, but see it’s only Friday; Sunday’s a Comin! It’s Friday... The world’s winning, people are sinning and evil’s grinning... it’s Friday The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands to the cross... They nail my Savior’s feet to the cross... Then they raise him up next to criminals... it’s Friday, but let me tell you something... Sunday’s a Comin’! It’s Friday... The disciples are questioning, “What has happened to our King?” and the Pharisees are celebrating that their scheming has been achieved... but they don’t know...it’s only Friday. Sunday’s a Comin’! It’s Friday... He’s hanging on the cross, feeling forsaken by his Father, left alone and doubting, can nobody save him? Oh... it’s Friday... but... Sunday’s a Comin’! It’s Friday... The temple veil ripped from top to bottom – the earth shook – the rocks split and tombs opened. The centurion screamed in fear ‘Truly He was the Son of God!’ Sunday’s a Coming! It’s Friday... the Earth Trembles, the sky grows dark, my King yields his spirit... it’s Friday... hope is lost... death has won, sin has conquered... and Satan’s just a laughin’ It’s Friday... Jesus is buried, a soldier stands guard, and a rock is rolled into place... but it’s Friday...it is only Friday... Sunday is a Comin! People are saying ‘As things have been, so they shall always be. You can’t change anything in this world’ ... but Sunday’s a Comin’! It’s Friday... Satan’s doing a little jig saying ‘I control the whole world’ ... but Sunday’s a Comin’! By Pastor S. M. Lockridge, 1913-2000

 

JESUS IS PLACED IN A TOMB

 

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA The Story of Easter, Continued. MATTHEW 27:57 When evening had come, the disciples watched over the body of Jesus while a rich man from Arimathaea, named Joseph, went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up for burial. PLACED IN A NEW TOMB As the sun set on Friday, the disciples laid the body of Jesus in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. THE PIETA The prophet Simeon had predicted to the young mother Mary with her infant son 33 years earlier: LUKE 2:34-35 “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed— and a sword will pierce your soul as well.” I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR MY SHEEP JOHN 10:14 Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again." THE CITY IS DISTURBED As the sun set, the Passover Sabbath had begun, and all was quiet. But the city of Jerusalem was disturbed by the things that had happened this day. SOLDIERS GUARD THE TOMB  The Jewish leaders demanded that Pilate set a guard around the tomb, because Jesus had predicted he would rise from the dead, and they didn't want the disciples of Jesus to stage a fake resurrection. So the tomb was sealed and Roman guards stood around it. The Story of Easter Continues Tomorrow.

 

IT IS FINISHED

 

IT IS FINISHED Easter Story continued Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:50 Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. 51 At that moment, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. There was a very great earthquake, and the rocks were split. ROMAN CENTURIAN Matthew 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God." VEIL IN THE TEMPLE TORN Matthew 27: 51 Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. Jesus was the final blood offering: never again would an animal sacrifice be needed or required. This is why the veil in the Jewish Temple was torn in two: there would be no more separation between God and mankind. Those who want the salvation that Jesus offers are welcome to approach the throne of Grace, and receive Mercy. SPIRITS IN THE CITY Matthew 27:52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. THE WOUND IN HIS SIDE JOHN 19:31-34 In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. PEOPLE LEAVE GOLGOTHA IN DISTRESS LUKE 23:48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. Easter Story continues tomorrow.