Epaggelia

Jesus was definitely dead! Pilate had professional soldiers confirm the death of Jesus. Buried in a Tomb! From the event to present day, no one is on record historically to deny the tomb is empty, neither does anyone produce a body. Jesus was placed in an identifiable tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea with burial preparations and women watched as the body was placed in the tomb, when they returned with more preparations, they found it empty. The heavy stone covering was very large, and had been officially sealed by enemies of Jesus, providing an unanswerable witness to the fact that the disciples could not have stolen the body. The official guards of the tomb, faced the possibility of execution upon failure to carry out their duties. The only thing found in the tomb were grave clothes, tidily unmoved, yet stained with the precious blood, the redeeming price for the sin-filled souls of guilty humanity. Jn. 19:38-20:10. It is more than interesting and notable that a certain rich man named Joseph of Arimethea (who seem to want to keep his faith in Christ hidden or out of the public’s eye) was actually the man God used to make a public venue that would prove to the entire world, Jesus died & is now risen.

The Disciples of Jesus, before his death, they proved to be cowards, but after the resurrection, James his own physical brother had a change of heart, Peter’s past denial turned into a proclamation, Thomas’s skepticism turned into confession and in all of them, the message of the resurrection brought upon them brave sacrifice and sometimes even martyrdom. They did not expect Jesus to rise! So why would they plan to steal the body, as falsely reported? If the resurrected body of Jesus was a hallucination, they would need to have had an expectation to have seen it. They were brought to belief after the resurrection against their own will by Jesus himself, who forced them to face the truth, because of his undying love for them and you. Jn. 20:19-29. The change in Saul and the Apostles is proof that the burial & resurrection are key to making our salvation. Without those events, there could be no life changing event in any of us. 1st Corinthians 15:1-17 & 2nd Corinthians 11:22-28.

The Appearances of Jesus, are noted in over 15 occasions in varying times, places and by different people. Sometimes being in small groups or in a large crowd. People saw him, touched him and even ate with him. Eye-witnesses are the best proof for undeniable truth which can never be proven false in the future. In order to logically disprove the bodily resurrection of Jesus, the unbeliever must produce some evidence contrary to these reports. Evidence which could out-weigh eye-witness records in the most authenticated historical document the world has ever known, the New Testament.

The Establishment of the Church verified by the New Testament was completed and recorded within the lifetimes of people who could argue against it’s claims and provide the body of Jesus as evidence against their teachings, but it never happened, and yet the resurrected body of Jesus was central to the church’s message. The new religion was so different, they forever revoked their holy day as the Saturday Sabbath to the Sunday “Lord’s Day” because of the resurrection. The church’s most public displays of faith are the Communion and Baptism, both of which focus their purpose on the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus. Whenever the day arrives for the unbeliever to present evidence against the resurrection, the Church will dissolve. Until then, the burden of evidence rests on the unbeliever, not Christians. On which side is faith better evidenced?

God was gracious to Moses, after he shattered the original 10 commandments in anger. But the majority of God’s law and activity through Israel was harsh legalities and stringent holiness. However, God, even in the Old Testament was seen as gracious; read Exodus 34:1-9.

God is not going to leave people constantly seeking. Since the beginning He had a plan to let us know Him better than just the creation around us reveals.

You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. (Psalm 9:10)
Jesus said … “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10) But sadly, there are people who God does forsake! (Romans 1:20-28)

However, God still offers people that he has given up on, forgiveness and eternal life with Him. He presents His Son as a gift to account for our sin so that we may know Him. But it is up to us personally to accept His gift. God does not promise an easier life, but He does promise a more fulfilling life. That is why He gave the world, more than His Son and more than His Word; The church is a gift that exists to bridge the gap between Him and those who have forsaken Him. Jesus said, “In Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Recognize we are sinners. We are separated from God because of our sin. We cannot know God until our sin is taken away. It is because of this, that God sent Christ as a sacrifice. He died so our sins could be forgiven, and so our relationship with God can become a reality. Admit that we cannot rescue our self from the consequences of our own sin. Only God can decide the WAY of forgiveness and salvation, and He declared that people can be forgiven only through Jesus’ obedient sacrifice, (Acts 4:12)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8)

Let’s be honest about Abraham…the man had issues. Failing to trust God for his protection, he told his wife Sarah to pretend to be his sister. His fear was that the local king would kill him if he learned that Sarah was his wife. They didn’t have buses back then, so you might say that Abraham threw Sarah under the chariot. The plan backfired when the king, Abimelech, realized he had been deceived, and a curse fell upon the royal family. But Abraham, sinful as he was, turned everything around through prayer. Despite his fear and failure, he was a man of God who faithfully interceded for strangers! He asked the Lord to heal Abimelech’s family, who had been stricken with barrenness. Abraham’s prayer did more than just get him out of a pickle; but also had an impact on future generations. Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife (Genesis 20:7). They had children, whose existence God used, and was real because of Abraham’s prayer. Who knows how far your prayers will reach? Your prayers are not just for today. Do you understand what God wants, so well, that you are able to have faith in what you pray about? Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him’. (Mark 11:23) So the question Jesus has for me & you is this: Do we say what God wants in our prayers? Are we praying about what God has at heart? Do we want what God wants and talk about it in prayer? The New Testament teaches us what we should pray about, here are just a few items on God’s agenda:
1. God’s Strength & Wisdom, Ephesians 3:14-16, James 1:5.
2. The Father’s name is sanctified, “hallowed” or glorified, John 12:27-28, 1st Ths. 3:11-13, Jn. 17:22-26, Mt. 6:9.
3. Our thankfulness to grow, 1st Thes. 5:18-19.
4. Laborers, sowers & reapers, to perform God’s work, His kingdom’s will be done, so that God may grant repentance, Eph. 6:19, Col. 4:3. Rom. 15:30 & 2nd Cor. 1:10-11, 2nd Tim. 2:25, Mat. 6:10,13, 9:36-38 & Jn. 4:33-35.
5. People in Government to use authority for the promotion of peace, godliness & dignity, 1st Tim. 2:1-2, Rom. 13:4, Psa. 46:9.
6. Persecuted Saints, Hebrews 13:3 & Acts 12:5.
7. Enemies of The Church, Mat. 5:44.
8. Forgiveness for our self the sinner, and the salvation of your neighbor, Rom. 10:1, Heb. 7:24-25 and also the sinning saint, Mt. 6:12, Ac.10:4, 8:21-24, Luke 23:34 & 17:1-5.
9. Personal daily necessities, Casting your care upon Him, Mt. 6:11. Matthew 27:46 & 1st Peter 5:7.
10. Physical healing, 3rd John v2, Php. 2:26-27.
Pray Hard, Life is short!

The effect Jesus Christ has had throughout the centuries and all over the globe has been amazing. Why? Because He was born intrinsically royal and divine, yet into a peasant family with all the odds stacked against him. Yet he still is the greatest kind of King, we have ever known.
One of the world’s greatest Kings was Solomon. When he prayed, God listened. Not because he was great, but because Solomon was humble when he prayed in this way,.. “have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God” (1st Kings 8:28) you see, Solomon understood who God was…and he understood who he was himself. Solomon had riches, wisdom and power, but he knew he was nothing compared to the Almighty God. In this knowledge Solomon, in all his prestige, was a humble man. He knelt before the altar and prayed to God on behalf of all Israel. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that when Solomon prayed and glory filled the Temple that God was The God and Solomon was just Solomon.
Listen, Christian and consider, “Your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit” (1st Corinthians 6:19) and, “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” (2nd Corinthians 4:7) On this Christmas Day do not forget who the treasure is and who the pottery is. When Jesus was born, He was born as the greatest King that ever lived on earth, yet He was born in extreme poverty. Why? To prove to us that greatness is not in riches and the prestigious influence of powerful positions. No, but real everlasting greatness is in the mere presence of God, be it in a barn, or in a mansion. In Jesus Christ is where we want to be, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
1st John 4:4.

Immanuel – God with us! You can hear that word in Christmas carols and read of it in the Bible. In ancient days God was with His people. When He sent Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses feared, but the Lord assured him, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) Today, the Lord lives IN His people. Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He promised His disciples He would send a counselor, the Holy Spirit. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23) The words “we” and “our” tell of God’s presence as Father, Son & Spirit in Christ. “For in [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, ….” (Colossians 2:9-10) What a privilege to be called a Christian! The Lord also craves your obedience and attention, for “He yearns jealously over the Spirit that he has made to dwell in us.” (James 4:5) During this Christmas season, tell people of His presence in your heart, not just on a hay filled feeding trough wrapped in swaddling clothes at Bethlehem. Is He in your heart?

George Washington said in the first Presidential Proclamation of Thanksgiving (1789) “…that we may all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country…; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpretations of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;…and in general for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.” It was shortly after the Thanksgiving Proclamation was written, that it was lost for 130 years. The original document was written in long hand by William Jackson, secretary to the President, and was then signed by George Washington. It was probably misplaced in with some private papers when the U.S. capitol moved from New York to Washington, D.C. The original manuscript was not placed in the National Archives until 1921 when Dr. J.C. Fitzpatrick, assistant chief of the manuscripts division of the Library of Congress, found the proclamation at an auction sale being held at an art gallery in New York. He purchased the document for $300 for the Library of Congress, in which it now resides. Today many of our citizens will not celebrate Thanksgiving because they choose not to be thankful. They don’t even know who to be thankful towards! But there will be people who will serve The Occupy Wall Street protestors with food and supplies. They are thankful because they serve. My question is: Are the Protestors thankful? They claim they are the “99 percent,” but they have a very narrow vision of the world in which they live. The truth is: they are the “wealthy one percent!”. According to the World Monetary Fund, the average yearly income per person in the USA is $46,860. There are at least 100 Nations in this same world in which we live, where the average person earns less than $10,000. The Congo averages just $329 per year. Surely the Occupy protestors are in the one percent of which they object in this world! I once had a missionary friend from India mistakenly believe I was a millionaire because I have a three-bedroom home in the suburbs. And he couldn’t comprehend that I have two vehicles. I try to explain that they’re both over 7 years old, but that’s “new” there! For those of you who say “well that is India, if it wasn’t for the spirit of protest, we wouldn’t be where we are today in the USA”. My question for you is this: Are you really thankful? If so, how much? Enough to serve Him, from whom all blessings flow?

73 years ago, Mr. Orson Welles sent thousands of Americans on a panic attack with a story on the radio. “War of the Worlds” was narrated by Orson from a book written by H.G. Wells. The story is still popular, a movie was made with Tom Cruise in it a few years ago and I enjoy the DVD. Stories have a lot of power on us. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, stories can teach & influence us for a lifetime. The re-telling of a story, like Orson did, had a big impact on the public. He became famous for the national incident, scaring people into thinking we were being attacked by aliens from outer space. Have you ever told a story? The truth is this. Your life is telling a story to someone right now, maybe many people, or just one person is listening. Even if you feel lonely and like no one is paying any attention, God knows your story. He loves you and will never ignore you, prayer is important. Orson was once asked about his faith, and he said, “I try to be a Christian, but I don’t pray because I don’t want to bore God”. That is an amazing quote from such a good story teller. Sadly, Orson never learned how much God wanted to listen to him, the devil tricked Orson into thinking his life story was only interesting to humans. Don’t let the devil trick you, God says, “Never Stop Praying…for this is God’s will for you”. God says that your angel can see His face. Do you believe His story? Read Matthew 18:10 & 1st Thessalonians 5:17-18.