Hallelujah Christ is RISEN! Amen and thank you Jesus, the Christ, Who died so that we could live life and live it more abundantly! Good morning to all on this 8th of April 2012. The Sunday in 2012 that the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. I was watching CBS Sunday morning today and there was a news article concerning the Burial Cloth of Christ, the Shroud of Torin. This atheist scientist was trying to prove the authenticity of the burial shroud and that it indeed was the shroud that covered the body of Jesus some 2000 years ago. I thought it odd that an atheist would be trying to prove the authenticity of the shroud, which in the recent past has been called into question with carbon dating as being a reproduction, until I understood his logic. In his mind, the shroud is authentic and is the image that Mary Magdalene and others saw and mistook for the resurrected body of Christ. You see what distinguishes Christianity for all other religions is that Christ was born, He lived, He died and then, and then and then He was resurrected as prophesied. If Christ was not resurrected then He is just like every other moral, religious teacher. You see when Satan comes at you its like he came at Christ when Christ was fasting. He comes to you with half-truths and logic and interpretations of the Scriptures. Regardless of the false prophets I know the truth that my Redeemer lives and He was resurrected because the Bible tells me so! Hallelujah and amen! That's the whole point of Easter! Not colored eggs or easter bunnies--it is the Good News that Christ lives and is seated at the right hand of God!
I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 23 verses 25 - 40, "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in My Name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their ancestors forgot My Name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has My Word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the LORD. Is not My Word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Therefore,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from Me. Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The LORD declares.’ Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the LORD. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the LORD. When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the LORD?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the LORD. If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ I will punish them and their household. This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ But you must not mention ‘a message from the LORD’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the LORD’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ this is what the LORD says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the LORD,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the LORD.’ Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of My Presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.” Amen and may God ass a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.
In Matthew 24 verses 4-5 "Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." The passage goes on to fore tell the signs of the last days which we have been in for 2000 years. My belief is that the last days are all these days between the resurrection of Christ and the point at which Christ comes again to earth to claim His Church-Bride, us! During these last days, experienced by millions of Christians since AD 1, Christians are always challenged to let go of the teachings of Christ and embrace all kinds of mumble jumble substitutes. Even well meaning Christians have admonished me not to be "too Spiritual" for fear of turning people away from me. I don't care that people turn away from me; my job is for them to turn to Jesus and the Cross. What I have learned is that when I speak the Word of God and not my own words, the Word of God will cut to the core of those hearts that have not turned toward Him and His message of redemption. That is my job and only job--- to spread the Gospel with my mouth and with my life. I have been a CEO, COO and Senior Vice President of major corporations and each time I would want to pray before a meeting or pray to establish order with my staff I would meet with opposition. Now when you think about it who would oppose hearing the Good News--only Satan because Satan knows that when the Word of God through Christ is spoken it never comes back void. Some of those "Seeds" will fall on the "good" soil and it will take hold. I rejoiced always in the opposition because it meant souls were being won for Christ. And just like Elijah after his victory over the prophets of Baal, when I was threatened with being replaced or the loss of my livelihood, I had fear in my heart because I am human. Its during these times of fear, my faith becomes tested and through testing becomes stronger. As Christians we should never judge ourselves especially judge ourselves because we experience fear and through fear doubt. It is during those times we turn our face and heart to God through Christ and then the Miracle of Faith can take place! My life will not be judged by how many titles I had or how much money I made; Christ will judge my life by my commitment to His teaching that I should love God with all my heart and to love my neighbor just as God loved me! God's love for me was manifested some 2000 years ago when He came in the form of man and then died for me while I was yet in sin and then, hallelujah, conquered the grave so that I might have eternal life.
I believe we can all become false prophets when we stray away from the message as delivered in the Bible. It is not just a book written by many authors. I believe that it is the Inspired Words from God! If God can raise Christ from the dead, you actually think He can't inspire His Words to be written on the Hearts of men to be then delivered through centuries of manuscripts. Don't ever limit the Power of God through our feeble understanding and intellect. It is amazing to me that humans have no problem with the cycle of life as exhibited by the blooming of trees every year. Trees all look dead during the winter months and then without a brain in their limbs, they come back to life every spring and bear their fruits every fall. What a miracle of self regeneration! So too Christ tells us to "renew" out minds daily through His Words so that we can shield ourselves from the attack of Satan who bombards us with false words and teachings daily. Guard your minds today from all false teachings that will have you believe that your sustenance comes from something other than God through Christ, who died SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE AND THEN LIVE ABUNDANTLY!!!!
Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Christ the Lord has risen today--hallelujah!
Stephanie
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