PAGE 30
MARCH 2013
The Resurrection Early on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. ~Matt. 28:-12
THE GOOD NEWS Resurrection Life
By Pastor Allen Diaz Why did Jesus have to die? Why is His resurrec-
tion so important? What significance, if any, does this have on the world today? What’s the point? These are some of the frequently asked questions by both reli- gious and non-religious alike. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the full significance of this supernatural event called Easter or Passover. While people are purchasing chocolate bunnies, eggs for hunting and decorations for the celebration, they miss out on the value, meaning, and life transforming power of the Resurrection of Christ.
The Apostle Paul said, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even
Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, NIV)
Wow, what a bold statement. So if Christ did not rise from the dead then
our faith is “useless.” There can be no doubt that the Bible teaches us of the importance of this monumental event. What has amazed scholars throughout the centuries is the fact that all of the Apostles, except John, were martyred be- lieving and preaching that Jesus rose from the dead. Why would anybody give up their life for a cause or a belief they knew was a lie. Because they knew it was not a lie. They had seen, heard, and touched the resurrected Christ. But it was more than that; it represented freedom for all mankind. We no longer have to feel separated from God, abandoned from His presence or burdened by the guilt, fear, hopelessness and slavery that sin brings upon a person. The punish- ment that we deserved because of our sin was unleashed upon Jesus while on the cross. He suffered in our place so we don’t have to go through that pain.
It
meant that the life-breathing relationship between God and the human race could be redeemed. A couple years ago a young lady came to our church and gave her life to
the Lord. She wanted to leave her old lifestyle of drugs and lawlessness. Several days later her drug ridden boyfriend and father of three of her children left. Aban- doned, lost and hopeless, she came in for prayer. She had no job or money. To make matters worse her car broke down. That was the bad news. The good news came after we prayed. Two years later she cleaned up her life, started her own business, was faithful to her discipleship program, and got a car.
It was not
easy but with God’s help her mess was turned into a message. The biggest hur- dle came when she tried to get her driver’s license. Due to unpaid tickets and fines she had a burden of debt into the thousands. What seemed to be an in- surmountable problem looming over her head, like a tornado wreaking havoc on her life, became an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love. There she stood before the judge, ready to be sentenced to jail and pay her debt to society. At that moment thoughts of her children flooded her mind, “What will happen to my children?” “Who will take care of them?” “Will they get lost in the system?” “When will I see them again?” It was then that the miracle came. Just before the passing of the sentence,
someone stepped in and paid her fine. The joy that filled her heart was like living water poured out on a half dead plant trying to survive in a scorched land. She thanked God and walked out of that courtroom full of life. In like manner that is what God did for us. Because of our sin, rebellion and
disobedience to God and his word we have been separated, deserving punish- ment, from a Holy God. The Bible says, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV). And that the “…wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23). “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died
By Allen Diaz, Senior Pastor,
InTheLightChurch.com (951)551-5969
for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV). Like the young lady in our story we stand before the perfect judge and although we deserve death for violating God’s commands, Jesus stepped into the courtroom and paid the penalty. Wow! Now that our fines are forgiven we can walk in life, peace and joy, knowing that our sins have been forgiven. But it does not end there. We can live our life in hope because God proved that He has the power to life and death by raising Jesus from the dead. Today if you place your trust in the work of Christ on the cross you can have this joy. Please pray and invite Christ into your life today. Don’t wait a sec- ond longer. He is waiting.
Suddenly there was a great
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48