Rising with the Son

A Witness Testimony

When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39 NLT) After witnessing the way Jesus died, it didn't take long for the Roman officer, a pagan, to realize that Jesus is truly the Son of God. He had neverContinue reading "A Witness Testimony"

Not Ready

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chiefContinue reading "Not Ready"

Hope for the Grieving Heart

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (1Continue reading "Hope for the Grieving Heart"

Where Are You Going?

But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. (Psalm 49:15) It was the day of the funeral and as usual, I got up early in the morning to read the Word. As heartbroken and grief-stricken as we all were, I tried to keep my quiet time withContinue reading "Where Are You Going?"

The Hope of the Resurrection

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are ofContinue reading "The Hope of the Resurrection"

First Comes Death

“Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive.” (Matthew 16:21 MSG) Jesus taught an important message that greatly dismayedContinue reading "First Comes Death"

The 40-Day Journey

Whether it's 40 days or 40 years, we can all agree that it's a long time, and a lot can happen during that time. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness and Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert, both places of desolation and isolation where they were tested to the extreme. ButContinue reading "The 40-Day Journey"

Shalom

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV) There's a word I heard a lot when I was in Israel. In my coming and going, when meeting someone,Continue reading "Shalom"

Offline for Five Months

When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn’t long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. “So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!” she said. (Luke 1:24-25 MSG) In our social media driven world, we'reContinue reading "Offline for Five Months"

The Hope of Heaven

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. (John 3:13 NIV) Heaven. It seems to be a topic reserved mostly for funerals. Those who grieve are told to rejoice because their believing loved one is in Heaven. While that is good news, why is it that weContinue reading "The Hope of Heaven"