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Look at the following quotes from the gospel messages in Acts… 

Acts 2:29-33 – Peter preaching on the day when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost…

“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. ³²God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. ³³Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Acts 3:13-15 – Peter and John in the temple after they healed the beggar…

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Acts 4:8b-10 – Peter’s defense before the Jewish court…

“Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, ¹⁰then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

Acts 5:29-32 – Peter’s defense before the Sanhedrin…

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 10:37-41 – Peter’s conversation with Corneilus… 

You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. ³⁹“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

And then, the Apostle Paul outlined his standard gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4ff…

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. ³For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

And in later 1 Corinthians 15 Paul explains why the resurrection is central to the full gospel message…

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men…

And he goes on from there explaining in more detail why the resurrection is central. If Jesus had died on the cross and remained in the grave, we would not be saved. We are saved by his death … and his resurrection!

Praise God!

Resting in Him,
Steve

“He is risen! Just as he said.” – Matthew 28:6

Dave Stebbings shared some good thoughts during the Breaking of Bread service at 9am on Resurrection Sunday (April 4, 2010). He took us back a few pages in Matthew’s gospel and showed us how Jesus was very aware of his mission and his destiny.

Here are the progressive announcements by Jesus that Dave showed us. Look first at Matthew 16:21…

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Again at Matthew 17:22, 23…

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

And again at Matthew 20: 17-19…

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

The cross wasn’t a tragic mistake. It was the plan from the beginning. The empty grave wasn’t an unexpected surprise. It was all part of the big plan, God’s great plan for our salvation outlined from before the foundations of the earth (See the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1)!

Praise God!

Resting in Him,
Steve

The nine claim to be Christ-followers. According to their web site they are “preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive.”

As a Christian, I reject and condem this hijacking of Jesus’ name for foolish and violent purposes. Jesus reserved his anger and “violence” for religous hypocrits and those using religion to oppress others. Never did he advocate the overthrow of the political powers of the day — not even the pagan, violent, oppressive and frequently blasphemous Roman empire.

Instead, Christ-followers are clearly and repeatedly told to submit to the ruling authorities as God’s appointed agents…

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” – Romans 13:1-7

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Right-thinking, bible-believing, Jesus-following Christians of every flavor and stripe will stand up and condemn this sort of “Christian militia” stuff. We have much more important business to be about than attempts at political reform. Something about “Pick up your cross and follow Me.”

Resting in Him,
Steve

Our God is worthy of our praise. And in particular, I love to hear people lifting Jesus high in praise and worship.

In a loud voice they sang:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,  to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (The Revlation of Jesus Christ to John, chapter 5, verses 12 and 13)

I’m looking forward to doing that again. Soon.

Resting in Him,
Steve