RESURRECTION: HE IS RISEN, INDEED! [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013 TO SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2013]

NOTICE: The following article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to violate their copyright. I will give some information on them. As it is Easter 2013, I will post two devotion of the week articles.

PAGE TITLE: CBN Easter Devotion

ARTICLE TITLE: Resurrection: He is Risen, Indeed!

DATE: N.A

AUTHOR: Laura J. Bagby

AUTHOR INFORMATION: A Tennessee native, Laura first came to sunny Virginia Beach to attend graduate school at Regent University after a brief and exciting summer working in Yosemite National Park in California (whoo-hoo!).

After graduating from Regent with a master's degree in communication (emphasis on film studies) and a master's degree in journalism (emphasis on photojournalism), Laura came to work for CBN as an Internet Producer. That is when she discovered she had a God-given talent for writing.

Laura hopes to see the Body of Christ healed, whole, and actively pursuing a godly life full of wisdom, joy, and freedom in the Lord. As part of this mission, Laura hopes that her writings encourage and exhort others to continue in their Christian walk with renewed passion and victory, no matter what walk of life others find themselves in. She writes inspirational, humor, singles, and health articles.

Laura is currently the producer for the Health and Finance sections of CBN.com.

In her free time, Laura loves to laugh, sing, travel abroad, ballroom dance, act in plays, paint ceramics, bake, visit pet stores, take long walks in the great outdoors, snap photos, and talk about the latest nutrition information.

http://www.cbn.com/about/bios/laurabagby.aspx

URL: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/resurrection_he_is_risen_indeed.aspx

Easter Sunday. To many it means the Easter bunny, a day of food and celebration. For some it is an obligatory church-attending holiday, after which life goes on as usual. 

How sad that we have so quickly forgotten the true meaning of Easter. Our God reigns! Jesus Christ died, yes. But even more importantly, He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, as we say in the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus Christ literally defied death. But He did more than just a Houdini move. We "ooo" and "ahhh" over the narrow escapes by magicians like David Copperfield and others, but eventually even those daredevils will face death. Their power is limited.

But Jesus Christ was greater -- He defied death FOREVER. Jesus Christ lives and reigns for eternity, whether you or I believe that fact or not.

And He has reclaimed life for all those who believe in Him. This is the second miracle of Easter. Through God's work on the cross, we have access to eternal life as well:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ' The righteous will live by faith' (Romans 1:16-17).

If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

Whosoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven (Matt. 10:32-33).

Please consider today the wonder of God's power and His love for you. He knows you. He knows what you have done. He knows what you are going to do. But He is waiting for your response, my friend. God doesn't need your praise or your service to Him; He desires it. It is not what we do for God that gets us into heaven and gives us a right relationship with God. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ. Look at these Scriptures:

Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified (Galatians 2:16).

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Biblical Accounts of the Resurrection And Ascension

Read Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; John 20, 21 for the details about these amazing events in the life of Christ.

The Garden Tomb

Jesus was buried in the Garden Tomb as seen in this photo. It was a new tomb provided by the converted Jew of Arimathea called Joseph (no relation to Joseph the father of Jesus). See Matthew 27:57, 59 and Luke 1:43, 23:50.

Along the entrance to the tomb is a narrow track on which a thin round stone resembling a silver dollar was placed. This stone could be rolled open and closed along this track.

Inside the tomb was a flat slab where Jesus Christ was buried.

Many tombs in the day of Christ had two chambers. The first chamber had a ledge around it as a seat. The second chamber was a niche cut into the wall for the body. If extra room was needed for additional bodies, the bones of the first body were buried in a hole in the floor of the tomb and the new body was placed in the niche.

The Bible distinctly mentions that Christ's tomb was new. In other words, no bodies had to be removed and no bones had to be buried to make way for the Savior.

THE REAL MEANING OF EASTER [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013 TO SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2013]

NOTICE: The following article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to violate their copyright. I will give some information on them. As it is Easter 2013, I will post two devotion of the week articles.

PAGE TITLE: CBN Easter Devotion

ARTICLE TITLE: The Real Meaning of Easter

DATE: N.A

AUTHOR: Beth Patch

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Beth Patch is a CBN.com Internet Producer and Editor of the Spiritual Life Daily Devotionals. She holds a MA in Journalism from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia and a BA in Mass Communications from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. She encourages writers and leads workshops at various Christian Writers Conferences, such as The Christian Writers Guild's "Writing for the Soul," CLASSeminars' "Writing at the Ranch," and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers' "Write His Answer" Conferences.

In Charlottesville, Beth reported news for the local radio station, WCHV-WWWV, and for University of Virginia’s WTJU radio station. Her communication skills eventually led her out of journalism and into Real Estate as a licensed agent in Maryland and Virginia, where she managed and sold residential and commercial property.

Some may call it a mid-life crisis, but Beth calls it a mid-life calling: 25 years after earning her BA, she felt the Holy Spirit urging her to leave real estate and earn her MA in Journalism at Regent University. She had a simple promise from God: “You will get paid for working with words.” She’s doing that now.

http://www.cbn.com/about/bios/bethpatch.aspx

URL: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/patch_easter.aspx

The best way to understand the real meaning of Easter would be from Jesus. As is recorded in the 12th chapter of John, Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem by a large crowd singing praises to Him, carrying palm branches and hailing Him as the King of Israel - the Messiah. They were gathering to celebrate Passover and such an outpouring of adoration made the Pharisees seeth with anger and disgust. They did not believe Jesus was their long-awaited King. 

Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me." John 12:23-26, NLT

Probably a puzzling speech at the time, but clearly another moment when Jesus used a timeless parable to tell His message. Grains of wheat haven't changed and never will - a kernel must be planted in the soil and die to produce a harvest of wheat. Jesus had to die and be "planted" in a tomb to rise up and produce a harvest of life everlasting to those who believed in Him. (After His resurrection, the parable's meaning could be fully understood.)

Jesus knew that He was going to be killed and how He was going to be killed; and He knew the time was approaching. He told his disciples how he'd like his death on the cross to be remembered. His request is found in Luke 22:

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, "I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come." He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." After supper he took another cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. (Luke 22:14-20, NLT) 

Without a doubt, Jesus wants us to remember his great love and sacrifice for us by taking communion. He was getting ready to be betrayed by one of the disciples, publicly humiliated and mocked, beaten beyond recognition, and hung on a cross to die, when he made his special request for us to remember that He gave his body for us and poured out his blood as a sacrifice for us. The heart of Easter lies in his words, "the new covenant between God and his people." 

What is the real meaning of Easter? Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have been given victory over death and eternal separation from God, a covenant promise of forgiveness and grace:

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3b-4, KJV) 

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NLT)

When we eat the bread and drink the wine of communion, we need to search our hearts. Are we remembering the suffering that Jesus’ body went through for us? Are we remembering how His blood was shed so our souls could be spared? Let’s thank Jesus this Easter for giving us life and for giving us the Holy Spirit as our comforter before He ascended back to Heaven.

HAPPY EASTER 2013 [QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT ~ SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013 TO SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2013]

Other refuge have I none;

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;

Leave, ah, leave me not alone,

Still support and comfort me!

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.

- Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895)

Quotes reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895).

AUTHOR: Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley (the Younger), and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Despite their closeness, Charles and his brother John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with the Church of England into which they had been ordained. Charles Wesley is chiefly remembered for the many hymns he wrote. He ministered for part of his life in The New Room Chapel in Bristol. His house, located nearby, can still be visited today.

BIBLE VERSE OF THE WEEK [SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013 TO SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2013]

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. – Galatians 2 verse 16 (NKJV)