"The Last Enemy"

"We shouldn't be surprised that history's most important event is also its most spectacular," contends N.T. Wright, a conservative theologian.

And what might that be, you ask? The Resurrection, of course. And yet, a Psephizo poll found that barely 60% of those who identify as Christian (but do not attend church) believe in it.

In his book, The Last Enemy, Michael E. Whittmer boldly insists The Resurrection is the single most profound fact of Christianity.

"The Resurrection is more than the defining miracle that proves Jesus is God and the Gospel is true. Paul declares that The Resurrection is a vital piece of the Gospel in 1st Corinthians:

"And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world" (1 Corinthians 15:17-19).

So is The Resurrection of Jesus Christ a real, historical event?

"Archaeological discoveries continue to support the Bible's historical accuracy," writes Jack Zavada in his article, 7 Proofs of the Resurrection. "We tend to forget that the Gospels and the book of Acts are eyewitness accounts of the life and death of Jesus. And that includes the crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses who saw the risen Lord all at the same time, most of whom were still alive when these accounts were written."

Zavada details the many non-biblical historical 1st Century writers that testify to the events surrounding The Resurrection, as well: Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata and even the Jewish Sanhedrin, to name a few.

The bottom line? If The Resurrection didn't happen, neither did our salvation.

"But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again" (1 Corinthians 15:20).

A wise man once said: "The Last Enemy is death. You can't beat death, but you know someone who has. Rest in Jesus, the God who shared your humanity so He might destroy death from the inside out." -- Michael E. Whittmer

How To Go To Heaven---click here

News;

• Bloomberg: Amazon workers are listening to what you tell Alexa; hears woman singing in shower
• Business Recorder: Scientists put human gene in monkeys to make them smarter, human-like
• DEBKAfile: Russia selling Saudis heavy, multi-barrel rocket launchers, Russian military sources report; Russian S-400 air defense systems coming too

"What If You Could Live Forever?"

Sorry gang. We can't live forever...at least not in these bodies. But what if you could be resurrected--raised from the dead--in a new and improved body?

Sounds like a trick question, doesn’t it? What if…me?! Raised from the dead—yeah, right—and while we’re at it, can I be taller, too?

But Jesus told His disciples in John 14:19, “Because I live, you will live, too.” Seven simple words with the power to change the world.

There are many religions, but only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation on which Christianity is built. If it isn’t true, we are (as the apostle Paul said), “dead in our sins. We might as well eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

But what if it is true? Consider the following excerpt from Lee Strobel’s The Case for Easter:

“When Jesus was crucified, His followers were discouraged and depressed. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks. Then, after a short period of time, we see them abandoning their occupations, regathering, and committing themselves to spreading a very specific message—that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God who died on a cross, returned to life, and was seen alive by them.

“And they were willing to spend the rest of their lives proclaiming this, without any payoff from a human point of view. They faced a life of hardship. They often went without food, slept exposed to the elements, were ridiculed, beaten, imprisoned. And finally, most of them were executed in torturous ways. For what? For good intentions? No, because they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had seen Jesus Christ alive from the dead.

“Yes, people will die for their religious convictions if they sincerely believe they are true. Religious fanatics have done that throughout history. While they may strongly believe in the tenets of their religion, however, they don’t know for a fact whether their faith is based on truth. They simply cannot know for sure. They can only believe. In stark contrast, the disciples were in the unique position to know for a fact whether Jesus had returned from the dead. They saw Him, they touched Him, they ate with Him. They knew He wasn’t a hallucination or a legend. And knowing the truth, they were willing to die for Him.

“The disciples didn’t merely believe in the resurrection; they knew whether it was fact or fiction. Had they known it was a lie, they would never have been willing to sacrifice their lives for it. Nobody willingly dies for something that they know is false. They proclaimed the resurrection to their deaths for one reason alone: they knew it was true.”

The good news is that Jesus is still alive today. And…if He lives, we can live too. Seven simple words with the power to change your world.

Video: The Case For Easter

A wise man once said: "We live and die; Christ died and lived! And because He lives we will live too." -- John Scott

" I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live." John 11:25

News:

• BBC News: British PM Theresa May to warn EU leaders over Russia threat to democracy
• YNET News.com: Institute for Science and International Security: Syria may have underground nuclear facility, based on satellite imagery.
• Jews News: Pentagon Admits Missile Defenses Powerless Against Russian Hypersonic Weapons

"Even Demons Believe In God"

The percentage of U.S. adults who say they are "absolutely certain" God exists has slipped, according to the  Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study.

No surprise there--anyone with half a functioning brain cell can see God is no longer at the top of our national priority list.

And for the college student, the downward trend has accelerated even more. Christians are being mocked and ridiculed by a university system that insists science and God are mutually exclusive.

Physicist Frank J. Tipler, an expert in the field of quantum cosmology, begs to differ.

In his book, "The Physics of Christianity", the scientist "demonstrates that the essential beliefs of Christianity are wholly consistent with the laws of physics."

Tipler even illustrates a scientific foundation for the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, and the Incarnation of Christ.

While interesting, scientific proof doesn't always result in saving faith.

Why? Because faith in Christ as Savior is not a head issue--it's a heart problem.

Generic belief in God will not get you into heaven. James 2:19 says: 

"You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror."

Saving faith takes God at His word. The Bible is His Word and it says every one of us is a sinner separated from God.

The Good News? "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried. He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1Corinthians 15:3-4

The Gospel is centered on the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who became human yet never sinned (see Galatians 1:6-10).

Christ died for our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us, according to the Scriptures.

What does according to the Scriptures mean? Jesus Christ lived and died in accordance with the prophecies about Him in the Old Testament (see Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53:8-10). Thus, authenticating the Bible as God's inspired (read: God breathed) Word.

The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ's death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated "rose" emphasizes the ongoing effects of this historical event.

In other words: Jesus Christ is alive and well today.

But only those who really believe this will turn away from their sin and be saved.

A wise man once said: "You can live with the full assurance of your salvation by surrendering your life to Christ--repenting of your sins and believing in His sacrifice on your behalf. Don't live another day unsure."  -- John MacArthur, pastor and author

"Don't be afraid, just believe" Matthew 5:36.

"Bad News & Good News" - a message by Pastor J.D. Faraq

News:

• The Sun: U.S. nuke-ready jets drop bombs near N Korean border as Kim Jong-Un blasts "wild military acts of the enemies" in joint military operation.
• CBN News.com: Iranian Threat Moving Closer To Israel; U.S. 2015 Iran Nuke Deal provided funds to terrorists in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.
• The Washington Post: Harvey is a 1,000 year flood event unprecedented in scale; intensity and scope of the disaster so enormous forecasters "couldn't believe their eyes". Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma likely to grow into Cat 4 that could threaten New England.