Easter/Resurrection Sunday was so awesome! I helped set up the sun rise service at the old airport where the community was also invited to come celebrate. I was also a greeter and surprise surprise LOVED it! And if that wasn’t exciting enough, it became even more worth it to get up at 4am to help when the extraordinary sun rise beamed up over the mountain at 6:30 am shining down on the praise and worship that was going on in celebration of the day that Jesus rose from the grave. He is alive. Jesus was beaten and crucified, wrapped in pounds of linen per the customs of Hebrew burial and then placed in a tomb. Jesus was the messiah, the son of God, that the people had been in high anticipation for, waiting for thousands of years, their redeemer, their help, and their savior. Not only did Jesus state this when he was alive but in the Old Testament it was prophesized that when the messiah came he would be beaten and sentenced to death for our sin and then rise on the third day. With the Jewish religious leaders (those who most opposed Jesus and wanted him dead) being well seasoned in the Torah, which is the Old Testament of the bible, they set an extremely heavy rock over the entrance of the tomb. There were guards constantly at watch to ensure Jesus would not rise. Jesus first appeared to Mary, a woman, in which in those days the word of a woman was not valued even over a slave’s word. If a woman wanted to speak truth to a court she would need three men to agree with her for validity. The tomb was empty when the disciples got there, the linens left behind. He then came to His disciples and they believed. All 9 prophecies were filled by Jesus' life in a matter of 24 hours, no other death was like His.
Jesus is alive.
Colossians 1:13-15
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.
I have seen this redemption power, the resurrection power of the cross. We can attain it. God is freely giving it to us and just wants us to say yes to His offer. Say yes to our almighty father, accept His sacrifice for us and the Holy Spirit of God is given to you - the power that raised Jesus from the dead. The stories and testimonies of this campus are completely astounding. I see God’s glory in every single one of these students of all ages as they have chosen to walk with God and accept His healing power and love. A beautiful girl, on meth and heroin for 12 years, from age 11 to 23. During the last year of her addiction she was going to a friends funeral each month and she knew she was on the same path but couldn’t seem to stop, too addicting, to hard to change now. Once she heard the gospel of Jesus and chose to give Him her life, she was completely delivered from her addiction, without withdrawals or rebound episodes. Instantly healed. Instantly felt love and forgiveness once she chose Him. An amazing young man with 9 brothers and sisters whose parents were married due to getting pregnant before marriage. He had a life of an alcoholic father, depressed mother (who did believe in Jesus), being beaten and told he was worthless his entire life, no relationship with his father although he slept in the next room, never spoke with him. After 15 years of this his mother one day said I give your father one week, if nothing changes we are leaving, we have to get out, we have endured enough pain and suffering. A week passed. The mother had everything in the car, all their belongings and the kids were ready to leave the home where they had spent their whole life. It was just like any other night, their father drunk at the bar, so they thought. They were gathering the last of their items in the house. This was it. All of a sudden their father busted through the door, bible in hand, fell on his knees weeping and cried out “Don’t leave, I chose Jesus.” Although this didn’t completely change how the family was in one day, it was the beginning of a road of healing.
The power that raised Jesus from the dead, we have that instilled in us if we just believe. When you hear of miracles, healings, restoration, being delivered of meaninglessness - that is the power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us. He is always with us. He loves you so much and all He asks of you is to choose Him and believe.
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