Easter and the Cross - Verified and Proven Accurate

Why are Christians so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and why is it deemed to be so important? It's an excellent question!

Christian belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First, we believe God has revealed information to the prophets who wrote the Bible to point us in the right direction. Our beliefs are not just based on human research or discovery. In other areas of life, when we want to learn about something outside our sphere of experience, we seek information from a trustworthy source. If you are researching space travel for the first time, you should go to NASA or some other space agency to ask them questions. It is wise practice to go to a reliable source.

Easter in uncertain times

Easter in Uncertain Times

This wasn’t how they thought their Sunday evening would be! They’d had plans for today, and for the future for that matter. Plans that were now dashed with no hope of being achieved. Instead, they were stuck inside, fearful of the hidden danger that sought their lives if they were to venture onto the streets. Not only that, they were grieving. The one who’d brought so much joy to their lives had died on Friday. They hadn’t been there then; they couldn’t be with Him now. What was the future going to hold for them when their whole world was crumbling around them?

Resurrection Day

Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is foundational for Christianity. If He had not risen from the dead then we could not be saved. What great hope we have knowing that Jesus Christ is alive today. A man in heaven who one day we will see!

Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15 that if Christ is not risen then our faith is in vain. He goes on to say that we would be of all men most miserable. The resurrection is at the root of all that we believe. Christianity is unique in this. Religion boasts in its dead leaders. They cannot take you to an empty tomb and say He is not here but is risen.

Belief in the resurrection is vital for salvation. Rom 10:9 tells us ‘that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Great efforts were made to ensure that the body of Jesus could not be taken away by his disciples. A large stone with a seal and Roman guard however could not keep the Lord in the tomb. The stone was rolled away and the guards became as dead men at the sight of the angel. Of course it was only rolled away to show that the tomb was empty. No doubt rumours of the resurrection spread and the soldiers were paid to lie. Those rumours could have easily been stopped. All the authorities needed to do was to show the His body. But they did not because they could not because He had risen.

 No one has ever been able to disprove the resurrection. The evidence to support it far outweighs the contrary. What hope and joy we have because HE IS ALIVE!

Last Day in Ukraine - Kiev

This is our last day in Ukraine: for this trip! We travelled to Kiev on Monday leaving Lutsk at 0521 and arrived at around 1200. The journey was uneventful mainly because I slept for ma lot of it. 

We went out to McD’s for a bite of lunch and then booked into our rooms at 1400. The room was lovely but we had to request a change of room as workmen were drilling through the wall next door and we were told they wouldn’t be finished until 1700. We couldn’t doze or work with the racket so we moved. 

Ukraine Trip Day 3

Today was a busy one. We had a good breakfast of omelettes at 0745 and then some of the group headed off to assist in the ‘sandwich making factory’! Feeding 112 people twice is quite a task. It was all done very well and to a high standard. 

The conference meetings started at 1030 with two Bible Teaching slots. I read and spoke on Psalm 37 about the seeming unfairness of life when bad people prosper and good people get it tough. Steve Buckeridge followed by speaking about the present work of the Lord Jesus on the believer’s behalf in heaven. It is so encouraging to know that we have a Saviour who is looking after us from heaven. He watches over us, acts on our behalf if and when we sin and draws along side us in the difficulties of life.

Ukraine Visit Day 2

The main reason that I am in Ukraine is to preach at Easter meetings. The first meeting for adults was on Friday evening. This was preceded by two events run for children under the banner of Ukraine Children’s Care. The children were learning about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Thomas (the children’s speaker) started by emphasising that humans were not created bad. When God made Adam he was innocent of any sin. Eve (Adam’s wife) disobeyed God’s instruction not to eat if the tree of good and evil and Adam followed her lead and did the same. Later in the Bible the situation is summarised in these words ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,’ Romans 5:12. 

Jesus Christ - Risen from the dead!

Matthew 27:57 - 28:20

Jesus Is Buried

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

Fearing tomorrow - Acts 12

Suggested Scripture Reading

Acts chapter 12

Verse for the Day

Acts 12.17 ‘He declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison’

Imagine that it’s time to go to bed and you are feeling really tired. You want to sleep but you can’t. Lots of things keep popping into your head. Maybe you are a bit worried about something! A new job, project or someone who is threatening you! Or maybe you are excited and can’t wait for the next day to come!

Jesus’ disciple, Peter, was fast asleep one night when an angel came to visit him. He was in such a deep sleep that the angel had had to hit him on his side to wake him up.

"Where am I?", Peter must have thought? "I remember now. I’m in prison. Herod, that wicked King, locked me up and says he is going to kill me! I was a bit scared until I remembered what Jesus had told me before He went back to heaven. He said I wouldn’t die until I was old. Wow, that helped me get to sleep last night. Jesus is in control and I trust Him".  

The angel was really in a hurry. “Quick” he said, “get up”. Suddenly Peter’s chains fell off. He had been handcuffed between two soldiers but all of a sudden he was free. When Peter looked one way, the soldier was asleep, and then the other way, he was asleep as well. Amazing!

While all this has been going on Peter’s friends has been praying for him. They prayed at breakfast, in the morning, at lunch, in the afternoon, in the evening and at supper. They even stayed up all night to pray as well. It seemed like Peter was never going to be freed! He had been in prison right over the Easter holidays (the Jews call it Passover). But God heard their prayers and Peter got home safe and sound.

God can answer your prayers and will help you sleep when you are scared as well.

Suggested Prayer

Dear Father, sometimes I am scared and I want to thank you for looking after me when this happens.