Easter Resurrection Power

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all.  Acts 4:33

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life...

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
King James Version (KJV)

John 11:25

Public Domain

Welcome 2016

Giving Thanks

He took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.—Matthew 15:36

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A Skeptic Investigates Easter

CONCLUSION

I started my original investigation as a spiritual skeptic, but after having thoroughly investigated the evidence for the resurrection, I was coming to a startlingly unexpected verdict. One final philosopher named J. P. Moreland—clinched the case for me.  "When Jesus was crucified," Moreland told me, "his followers were discouraged and depressed.  So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks. Then, after a short period of time, we see them abandoning their occupations, Re-gathering, and committing themselves to spreading a very specific message—that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God who died on a cross, returned to life, and was seen alive by them.

"And they were willing to spend the rest of their lives proclaiming this, without any payoff from a human point of view. They faced a life of hardship. They often went without food, slept exposed to the elements, and were ridiculed, beaten, imprisoned. And finally, most of them were executed in torturous ways…For what? For good intentions? No, because they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had seen Jesus Christ alive from the dead." Yes, people will die for their religious convictions if they sincerely believe they are true. Religious fanatics have done that throughout history. While they may strongly believe in the tenets of their religion, however, they don't know for a fact whether their faith is based on the truth. They simply cannot know for sure. They can only believe.In stark contrast, the disciples were in the unique position to know for a fact whether Jesus had returned from the dead. They saw him, they touched him, they ate with him. They knew he wasn't a hallucination or a legend. And knowing the truth, they were willing to die for him.

That insight stunned me. The disciples didn't merely believe in the resurrection; they knew whether it was fact or fiction. Had they known it was a lie, they would never have been willing to sacrifice their lives for it. Nobody willingly dies for something that they know is false. They
proclaimed the resurrection to their deaths for one reason alone: they knew it was true.
 
And based on the historical data I had examined, I became convinced they were right. Combined with the other evidence for Jesus that I describe in my book

The Case for Christ, I concluded that he really is the one and only Son of God, who proved it by rising from the dead.

Hosanna - Please Deliver Us!

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9).

Hosanna is often thought of as a declaration of praise, similar to hallelujah, but it is actually a plea for salvation. The Hebrew root words are found in Psalm 118:25, which says, “Save us, we pray, O LORD!” (ESV). The Hebrew words yasha (“deliver, save”) and anna (“beg, beseech”) combine to form the word that, in English, is “hosanna.” Literally, hosanna means “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!”

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/hosanna.html#ixzz3Vom0uPeP

And After Eight Days..."be not faithless, but believing."

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
(John 20:26-28)

I am the Resurrection and the Life

Forgiving

Power of Encouragement

Encourage someone today....

Agree With God...

God is Able

GOD IS ABLE"

The reason we don't turn to God more often is because at some basic and unconscious level we are not "fully convinced" He is able and willing to move on our behalf.

Being able to admit that to yourself is humbling; it's also the point at which you begin to deal with your lack of faith in God.

Nothing in your life will change until you pray, "Lord, help me. I say things with my lips that I don't follow through in my behavior." Once you begin to pray that way you can start walking through your Bible, rediscovering that "God is able." He's able to provide for you when you're in a wilderness. He's able to defeat the giants that stand in your way. He's able to go through fiery trials with you and bring you out un-harmed. He's able to promote you when you've been overlooked or opposed.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Eph 3:20 NKJV).

Whatever it takes to own the words, "God is able," do it; otherwise you won't be able to pray with confidence. You'll make a few wishes on your knees, but you won't be able to persevere in prayer until you know in your heart of hearts that God is able-and that He's willing! Nothing is too difficult for Him. He's just waiting for you to recognize that, and come to Him in faith asking for help.

Source: The Word for Today - 6 April 2013

Secret to Long Life

Oldest person dies before 114 Birthday on March 21 in Clearwater, Florida.

What was her secret to long life?

 "loving people and greeting each day with a smile."

Full story ...

Resurrection Day

You are Blessed...

photo by pierrepaul43 on Flickr

Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them “Humankind” when they were created.—Genesis 5:2

The Light Shines in the Darkness

The first colored electric Christmas lights on outdoor evergreen trees appeared in Denver in 1914. The tradition began thanks to a sick boy bedridden in the top floor of his home. Ten-year-old David Sturgeon couldn't see his family's Christmas tree downstairs, so his grandfather, a pioneering electrician, painted some light bulbs red and green and strung them on a tree outside David's window.

Not only did the lights brighten what would be David's last holiday, but residents throughout the city came by to admire the display. Just as David's innovative grandfather brought light into the boy's dark times and joy to the whole community, God revealed the true light by sending Jesus into our dark world. For "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5, NRSV).
-The Newsletter

Merry Christmas!!!

Source: http://extras.denverpost.com/rec/travel46.htm

Praying Your Priorities

Motivated today by the thoughts of David Jeremiah on Praying Your Priorities each morning.  Mr. Jeremiah combines the Lord's Prayer instructions given by Christ to his disciples when they asked, "how to pray", and our daily priorities.

For example, how do you get your priorities straight? How to pray for your children?  Your Job?

You can listen to this sermon here....


Recommend:  Prayer, the Great Adventure

Have a blessed day...

No Condemnation!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”

(Romans 8:1, NKJV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Jesus came to break the curse of sin, shame and condemnation in our lives. He came so that we could see things the way God sees them. Do you know how God sees you? He sees you as valuable. He sees you as strong. He sees you as capable, talented and trustworthy. The voice of condemnation says exactly the opposite. Condemnation is a loss of value. It’s the accusing voice of the enemy that says, “You’re not good enough...you’ll never be good enough...you’re a failure.”

Condemnation is never from God. The Bible tells us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When you embrace and declare God’s truth in your life, you activate His power to overcome the voice of condemnation. No matter how you may be feeling, wake up every morning and declare that the Greater One lives in you. Declare that you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Declare that He loves you and has called you according to His purpose. Choose to see yourself as valuable, the way God sees you. Embrace His truth so that you can overcome condemnation and live in victory all the days of your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, thank You for setting me free from condemnation. Thank You for believing in me and filling me with Your vision for my life. Help me to see my life the way You see it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Source:JoelOsteen.com

Are You A Fish?