The Alpha and Omega of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 1 Corinthians 15:13-14
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.  Rev 1:8
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the decisive element that distinguishes Christianity from all other faiths! It's the glue that holds the components of our faith together!
It is:
The Affirmation of our acceptance
The Backbone of our belief!
The Cornerstone of our confession!
The Determination of our decision
The Epicenter of our expectation!
The Foundation of our faith!
The Glory of our godliness
The Health of our hope
The Inspiration of our imagination
The Joy of our journey
The Keystone of our knowledge
The Light of our life
The Mainstay of our memory
The Nucleus of our narration
The Obsession of our occupation
The Power of our profession!
The Quickening of our quest
The Rest of our religion
The Strength of our salvation
The Truth of our theology
The Underpin of our Unction
The Voice of our vocation
The Warranty of our work
The X in our Xianity!!!
The Yearning of our yesterdays
The Zenith of our zeal
For He is Risen!
And it's not in vain!

THEN AND NOW! WHAT THE CROSS REPRESENTS!

And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. John 19:14-22 KJV

Crucifixion! Defined by the historian Josephus as the most wretched of deaths, crucifixion was cruel, horrible, barbaric, demeaning and looked on with horror! There was nothing noble about being crucified! There was nothing beautiful about the cross! It was a fiendish device invented by an equally fiendish ingenuity to produce the most excruciating torture and the most exquisite pain in the body and mind of the unfortunate wretch that incurred its wrath!

The world now seeks to glamorize the cross by making it into beautiful pieces of jewelry robbing it completely of its once gruesome reputation. The modern church also seeks to do away with the ugliness of the cross in order not to offend “sensitive” souls and the “finer” sensibilities. There have been so many attempts to exchange all that is gory for just the glory, the horrible for the honorable and the crucifixion for the coronation that in many “Christian” circles the preaching of the cross is literally foolishness.

The words of Christ however, continues to declare very clearly: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  Matthew 16:24 KJV And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  Luke 14:27 KJV

To many in the modern Christian community the offence of the cross has ceased! However the truth of the gospel remains …that 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 15:3-4 KJV

To the believer there is something precious about the cross despite it gory, gruesome nature! More accurately the Presence of the Sinless One, the Holy One of God, the Son of God, crucified, dying, bleeding, suffering on the cross has forever redefined this symbolic instrument.

THE CROSS A SYMBOL OF PUNISHMENT BECAME A SYMBOL OF PARDON

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:13-14 KJV

Every transgression from Adam to Adam’s last son has been nailed to the cross and we can only claim this privilege when we come to the cross! There is no bypassing the cross to pardon from God! There is no shortcut to be free from transgressions. We must kneel at the cross for Christ will meet us there where His Blood is a cleansing healing stream! And sinners plunged beneath that Blood lose ALL their guilty stains!

THE CROSS A SYMBOL OF TORTURE BECAME A SYMBOL OF RELEASE!

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  Colossians 1:20 KJV

Whatever our pain, whatever our problem, whatever we are prisoners to; at the cross we find release, we find freedom, we enjoy liberty; for at the cross we die, and when we die we are no more subjected to a world of pain, sorrow, sickness and suffering! We’re free and if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.  John 8:36 KJV

THE CROSS A SYMBOL OF CRIMINALS BECAME A SYMBOL OF THE CHRIST

Indisputably the crucifixion of Christ on the cross forever changed the way we look at the cross. As criminals running from the consequences of our sins we come face to face with our Christ on the cross taking our place. Instead of us hanging there He takes our place and like the apostle Paul we say But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  Galatians 6:14 KJV

It’s His Cross and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  Colossians 1:20 KJV

In the Cross of Christ there is a change of death to life, hate to love, separation to reconciliation, loss to salvation, despair to hope.

Therefore God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  Galatians 6:14 KJV

In the beautiful words of John Mark Mcmillan:

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way…

that He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,

How He loves us so

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV

AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!

I have read many books on prayer including all E M Bounds books on the topic. Recently I read a book called “Unrelenting Prayer” by a man called Bob Sorge. Bob Sorge was a pastor and worship leader, who several years ago, suffered an accident to his throat. Can you think of anything more horrible happening to a preacher...and a worship leader?

However in the book "Unrelenting Prayer" Bob Sorge has given one of the best expositions of Luke 18:1-8:

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8 KJV

Below is how it spoke to me!

Here was a woman of Israel, a widow with no male to represent her so you can imagine her lot when she was faced with an adversary (probably a man) who wanted to take advantage of her now that she was a widow. In the Israel of that time she has no representative (we thank God for all our family and relatives who can rally by us with their faith and assistance) and so has to take matters into her own hands. To add insult to injury she has to approach an unjust judge as Jesus said, a judge who feared not God nor regarded man.

As far as we can see this widow’s case is doomed huh? But the widow refused to see it that way! She had only one recourse, and no other support or assistance was in her sight, so she took the only route open to her. She approached the unjust judge…who of course did not listen to her! So what does she do? Does she turn away defeated and throw up her hands in despair? Does she turn over lie down and die because no one cared?

NO absolutely NOT!

That judge simply did not know what he had just let himself in for! She camped on his doorstep, and cried every time she saw him “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

He would not listen!

She waylaid him in the streets “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

He would not listen!

She waited when he came out of his office “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

He studiously ignored her!

Next day she repeated the process all over “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

... and the next day…and the next…“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

She just did not know how to give up or when to give up!

NO! She simply could NOT afford to give up!

Her attitude spoke loudly: If I die then I die but I will die trying for this is the ONLY venue open to me and I will work it for all it is worth… “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

I will knock on your door, I will rap at your window, I will cry after you in the street, I will follow you to the market place and back home.

I will continue to call on you to...

“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Can you see her peering in at the restaurant window where the judge is sitting down to dinner with his wife?

“Yoo! Hoo! AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”  Can you hear the judge’s wife asking, “Who is that woman? Get rid of her!" All the unceasing cry is finally getting to the judge and he decides to do as the woman wanted “lest by her continual coming she weary me”!!!

 Now comes the sweet part! Jesus said “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” See the paradox? Though HE bear LONG with them yet HE will avenge them SPEEDILY!!! How can you bear LONG and yet do it SPEEDILY?

Then you picture the LORD on His throne hearing the cry from out of your heart, pouring from your lips, as in all your afflicted, storm tossed, pain filled being you are tearfully crying,  “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

… and He does not seem to hear! The heavens seem like brass and your voice rebounds back to you increasing your despair, discouragement, disappointment, disillusion, doubts, depression, as Satan mocks you and pours on the pressure.

What do you do then?

Do you give up?

Do you throw down weapons, lay down your tools, fold into yourself and roll over and die.

NO! NO! NO!

We do not! What do we do then?

We eyeball Satan with our fiercest look and turn right back to Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s door!

“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Let Satan laugh

“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Let the demons mock

“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Let the world smirk in skepticism

“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

There is no other way, no other source, no other person but my Father in Heaven.

I will continue to ask “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

I will continue to seek “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

I will continue to knock “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

LORD I am still here! I am not leaving! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Hellooooo God! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Now I believe that if we are in God’s will and doing it His way He will continue to work on our behalf despite our condition.

I have mentioned many times, that regardless of what we are going through, the very fact that we are still alive means that God wills it to be so, and it means that He still has something for us to do, even if it is to learn something that can be passed on to our posterity!

He will only call you home when your task for Him is completed. So in the meantime LIVE! Fulfill HIS purpose!

While we have life and breathe within us, we continue to live for Him and breathe for Him, but we will also continue to cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

And what is God doing all this time?

He hears you and can you see Him ordering the angels to catch every tear that you shed as you cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

All your prayers are placed like precious incense into heavenly containers as you CEASELESSLY cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Your cry is music to His ears for He loves you so MUCH!

… and then suddenly the cry strikes a responding chord and harmonizes with Heaven’s song!

…and the LORD who has borne long, so long with you rises from His throne with fire in His eyes, thunder in His Voice and wrath against your adversary radiating from His face, as he bends the firmament and steps out onto the clouds to fight on your behalf, for your cries have resounded and echoed through heaven as you unceasingly called “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

David says: In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.  Psalms 18:6-21 KJV

He has borne long with you, but now that He is moving on your behalf it happens SPEEDILY.

The enemy will not only be made to restore to you but also to make restitution.

So while it may seem as though there is no answer we have no other recourse but to keep crying “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

We will continue to cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!” until the Lord moves on our behalf, or until He calls us home.

But we will not cease crying! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

Like the president in the Independence Day movie said: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on, we're going to survive!!!

We will not go quietly out into the night but will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

We will not vanish without a fight but will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

We're going to live on, we're going to survive and will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

We will not give up without a tooth and nails, lick down, dragged out, punch out, kicking and screaming fight “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

We will fight like Billy Sunday said of sin "I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!"

For we have within us, in this frail physical body eternity itself and we will not allow the frailty to control us, but will behave like the spirit creations in Christ that we are and we will cry continuously to our God “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”

 And He will!

THE LORD WILL AVENGE US...SPEEDILY!!!

The Facebook Profile of Jesus!

If Jesus was on Facebook is a question often seen or heard.
But how many know that Jesus HAS His own Facebook profile?
It's a very active profile with constant variety. There are tons of pictures, videos and notes, lots of notes! He also has a very unique way of updating His Profile!
Even though He has a huge, publicly accessible profile, the majority of His postings are for private viewing only.
The private viewings are uniquely password protected and can only be accessed by individual, personal passwords which are released to specific persons by the Holy Ghost. It is the Holy Ghost Who actually manages the profile of Jesus very efficiently.

He has a public profile and He has also a private profile. You can probably refer to His profile as a layered profile. There is the first layer which is for general public viewing and interacting. Then there is the next level of privacy where only believers enter.
His private profile becomes progressively more and more private, especially prepared for the intimate ones.

All the world is able to access His public profile where all see His love, mercy and judgement.
He has released many pictures of His love, grace and sacrifice to the general public. Through these He invites the public to draw into a closer friendship with Him! Here is a curious phenomenon! The whole profile is seen by the public but for some reason, the general public is unable to access the layered levels of the postings!
However those who accept His friend request are given a unique individual password to allow them access to more intimate postings. These friends suddenly find that the same postings they once viewed publicly has suddenly opened up to their view that which was not previously seen. Many times they will exclaim in delight and joy at what they now see!
You hear cries like , "Wow! I never saw that before!" ...or "this is so beautiful, powerful, glorious!" ..."Thank you Lord!" ..."more of You Lord!"
And with these new revelations they become eager to see more, for each revelation leaves them in anticipation of more, and even more glorious posts!  Those with their unique password will find that the more they make use of it to access the special layers in the postings they more they become excited for more of Him!

As we become more intimate with God we enter into progressively closer and intimate relationship. We are able to access many more things.
It's like Peter James and John and the other disciples. They all experienced Jesus' friendship in a unique way different from the general public. However some get even closer and like Peter, James and John are allowed to see the transfigured Christ!  And sometimes like John some of us behold so much of His awesome beauty and glory that it is overpowering and we fall on our faces in awe, worship, and total devotion.
Just like one of His post says:"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."  John 15:13-15

Let's all strive to become so close friends of Jesus that He will release all His Divine postings to us! Let's look constantly into His Profile with earnestness so that He will open unto us those precious photo albums which portray the glorious beauty of His Divinity! Let's check for His updates constantly and seek after his special private postings!
"Now the Lord is that Spirit:and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18