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Post by Redeemed on Jun 2, 2023 13:16:32 GMT -8
Women were the first witnesses.
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. Mark 16:9
2000 years ago, Jewish religious leaders had a low opinion of women. Their testimony wasn't even accepted in a court of law; only male witnesses were believed. Yet all four Gospels report that women were the first to see Jesus alive again... and a formerly disreputable Lady was first of all!
If the apostles had invented reports of seeing Jesus, they'd have surely claimed that one of them had seen him. but the truth was what it was, so they told it like it happened.
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Post by Theophilus on Jun 4, 2023 5:26:18 GMT -8
There's infallible proof that Jesus Lives!After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 When Jesus appeared to His disciples after raising from the dead, they recognized Him all right, but thought they were seeing His ghost. So Jesus offered his disciples proof that it was really Him. He ate food and told them,"Touch Me." That convince them! For the next 40 days, before he ascended to heaven, Jesus appeared to over 500 people and offered many infallible proofs that He had indeed been resurrected from the dead. He wanted us to know that fact beyond all doubt
Because He Lives Guy Penrod, Bill Gaither |
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 4, 2023 5:38:59 GMT -8
Gospels were written to inspire faith.
These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John 20:31
Many people think that the purpose of the Gospels is to inform us that an enlightened teacher named Jesus once walked the earth and advised us to love one another and do good... or that His miracles proved that He was some kind of holy man.
That's missing the main point by a country mile. John puts it succinctly: The main reason the gospels were written was to cause us to believe that Jesus is God's Son...The only one who can give us eternal life.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 5, 2023 6:08:26 GMT -8
God loved us at our worst
God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Many of us secretly suspect that God only loves "good people" who've already got something going and are already doing their best to love and obey Him. That's an easy mistake to slip into, but it is a mistake. God loves people who are still wallowing in sin, hurting themselves and others and insisting that they don't even need God.
God sent his son Jesus, To make the ultimate sacrifice when we were totally undeserving and unappreciative of His immense love.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 10, 2023 14:54:40 GMT -8
Our sin is utterly gone.
You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19
Once you're forgiven, God doesn't hang on to a ledger listing your sins, pull it out every time you trip up, tap his finger and say, "Just to let you know. I haven't forgotten these things."
No. he says he has cast your sins.... all your sins.. into the abyss, the deepest trench in the profoundest depths of the ocean, sunk to the other bottom, never to be remembered.
Once your sins are forgiven, they are gone indeed, and you are forgiven indeed.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 11, 2023 6:24:39 GMT -8
God has adopted us.
For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!
Romans 8:15
We weren't God's Sons and daughters to start with. We were like street urchins, grimy with sin, all of our righteousness like filthy rags draped around us, Homeless destitute... but then.
God adopted us as his own children, washed us clean, dressed Us in robes of righteousness, and gave us the immense privilege of calling him father. We have been adopted into his family and warmly invited to sit at the Royal table.
Oh, there are a few house rules.. but stick around we'll get to those.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 12, 2023 10:39:13 GMT -8
Jesus literally lives in your heart.
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Galatians 4:6
When you put your faith in Jesus Christ and ask him to save you, his spirit enters your heart...literally. This isn't just a figure of speech. God sends the spirit of Jesus into your very being and he takes up residence there. He says, "I will dwell in them." 2 Corinthians 6:16
You may argue that you're not "Holy" enough for God to live in, That you're too much of a mess. But that's precisely why Jesus enters your life.. to make you holy.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 13, 2023 7:00:55 GMT -8
Only Jesus can save us.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
We should respect other people's beliefs, but let's be very clear: Jesus stated, that he is the truth, the life, And the only way to God. He is not one path among many. He is no optional side dish in the cafeteria of world beliefs.
Other religions teach some truth and many even lead pathways to God, But Jesus is the only one who can save us, the only one who can get us completely across the yawning Chasm of sin to the father's arms.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 14, 2023 8:26:24 GMT -8
We can now live Moses' law.
Galatians 5:14
For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18.]
It was a small command tucked away in a dry book of ceremonial laws. It wasn't even listed among the Ten Commandments. Yet those Seven simple words in Leviticus 19:18 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" Are the heart of the law. The law of Moses was strict and complicated. Jesus' message was merciful and simple: Love God and love the person next to you. do that and you just fulfilled all the requirements of the law. Talk about keeping things simple!
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 15, 2023 9:21:36 GMT -8
We Must Love and Obey God.
That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey his voice, And that you may cling to him, For he is your life. Deuteronomy 30:20
Imagine that you must cross a swollen river. God can easily withstand, the Raging current but all around you, You see Debris being Swept Away. "Hold tightly to me,, my child" He says, though you are afraid, You do. You obey his voice and cling to him for your very life.
You must not only believe that he is strong enough to save you, but you must know that he loves you enough to actually do so. When you really "Get" that, you will trust in love him in return.
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Post by Parker on Jun 16, 2023 8:36:16 GMT -8
We must love one another.
You loved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and loves God. 1 John 4:7
Jesus said to love one another... even our enemies. That surely includes family and friends at their crankiest.
But why must we love them? Really, aren't we doing enough already if we manage to ignore them or to tolerate them?
We must love others because love comes from God and God now lives in our hearts. we love others because we are God's children. Loving other shows that we truly know God, and know who he is: God is love!
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 17, 2023 8:18:54 GMT -8
We love Jesus when we love others.
In so much as you did it to one of the least of these my brother, You did it to me. Matthew 25:40
We are to show love to others by doing tangible acts of kindness, doing what we can to meet their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. But Jesus knew that some people weren't easy or convenient to love., so he emphasized that showing kindness to even the lowest person was showing it to him personally.
Jesus loves every man, woman and child on earth. He strongly identifies, with their pain, they're sorrows and their need for love. He wants us to feel that way too.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 22, 2023 10:02:25 GMT -8
We must put ourselves in other shoes.
"Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them." Matthew 7:12
Moses's law commanded us to love our neighbors, but that raised the question, "Um... what am I supposed to do to show them love?" So, Jesus turned it around, and basically said "well think about it: how would you like others to treat you?'
The answer is: I'd like to be treated with respect, to be given the benefit of the doubt, to be helped when I need help, to be forgiven my mistakes etc.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 23, 2023 5:12:33 GMT -8
We must forgive others.
"If you have anything against anyone, Forgive him, that your father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
We often think that if someone offends us, we can either choose to nobly forgive him or we can elect not to... that God will understand, because, after all that person really was in the wrong.
Now, it often takes time to work through deep pain before we can forgive a serious offense. God knows that. he's helping us through that process. What God doesn't have time for, however is us stubbornly hanging on to every trivial offense.
We ourselves need to be forgiven. let's forgive others.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 24, 2023 8:37:50 GMT -8
We need to stretch our love.
Above All Things have fervent love for one another, for "Love will cover a multitude of sins."
1st Peter 4:8
Some people mentally assent to Jesus' command to love one another. Their love, however, has its definite limits. It generally holds up as long as the other person doesn't become too aggravating or across them one too many times.
Peter claimed this, "have fervent love for one another." The Greek word for fervent means "stretched out." This kind of long suffering, "go the extra mile" love is the only kind that keeps on forgiving when the other person bugs you repeatedly.
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