Whoever Believes...

"Since no man is excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief."  - John Calvin

Why are there so many unbelievers among the knowledgeable and well-educated? Certainly, their level of intelligence doesn't have much to do with it, instead it is a denial of the truth. They're prepared to accept almost any idea that disagrees with religion, yet they defy the Gospel. Why?

Perhaps the fault lies within their own sinful heart, which cannot own up to the truth. Ever since sin came into the world man is prone to place himself over his Creator. So, again, "Why are there so many who don't believe in Jesus?" (James 4:17)

Isn't it because they are so self-righteous that they expect to get to heaven by their own good works and righteousness? Or they detest the Lord's grace? Why don't they believe in the Lord Jesus? Is it  their integrity and uprightness, or their own thinking that doesn't allow them to believe in Him? (Romans 10:3)

No. His sinlessness, divine works, and precious Gospel is staring them in the face. They can't contradict it because it is affirmed by evidence more overwhelming than any historical facts they do believe in. In all honesty, they don't want to believe; they're too proud of themselves and filled much arrogance, and smugness (John 12:48). 

Why are there so many that don't believe in the Bible? Why are they close-minded to this divine guidebook of men? Is it because they know better? Is it because their intelligence surpasses that of God? No. Our meager human minds cannot in any way supply the answers we need to secure our salvation (Acts 1:7).

Through the ages the greatest intellects of this world have tried to find the answers to the soul's welfare. How have they done so far? Have they been successful in finding any real solutions? Not even close! 

When it comes to things of heavenly origin, one must take a reasonable pause and sincerely listen to what God has to say in His Word (Job 33:14). Only then can the Word of God be accepted with an open and believing heart.

"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."  (1 John 3:23-24)

Scripture: John 14:6; Mark 9:23; Hebrews 11:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Peter 3:18

Prayer: Dear God, strengthen me that I may be firm and unwavering in my faith to the end. Amen.

May God always bless you!

Judith

His Resurrection is the "Firstfruits" of Ours

"Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ."  - Watchman Nee

Much has been mentioned about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ these past few weeks. Still, I would like to briefly mention one more thing about it; and that, being the importance of His resurrection.

And although the importance of the Resurrection of Christ cannot be overstated, it still is, from all points of view, of vital interest to us all.

His resurrection was the crowning achievement; establishing beyond debate, His deity. After this earth-shaking occurrence, sufficiently convincing any sincere investigators, to contradict or doubt the declarations of Christ is foolishness.

Jesus spoke about His own body, and His resurrection, saying: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19).

He was put to death, and did raise His body on the third day. Few would argue that nothing less than divine foresight, and the retaining of divine power can justify such a claim, and achieve such results.

On different occasions He foretold his resurrection, such as in Matthew 16:21; 20: 18-19; Mark 9:31; 14:27-28; John 10:17. Obviously, His resurrection produced the ultimate validation of His statements. It proved without question that He came from God.

Jesus' Resurrection firmly establishes Christianity, and the inspiration and validity of the Bible as the word of God. It brings integrity and a strong foundation to biblical doctrine.

By the inspiration of God in the Bible, we can rest assured of their truth, and live in full hope of the fulfillment of: its prophecies, promises, and extraordinary depiction of creation, the fall and corruption of the human race, the salvation made possible through Jesus Christ, the life to come, and the home that lies beyond.

Scripture: Mark 16:6; Romans 6:5; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 6:9; 1 John 3:2 

Prayer: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Amen  - 1 Peter 1:3

Love and blessings,

Melanie

The Proof is In His Resurrection!

"It takes more information to make you believe something you don't want to believe than something you do."  - Peter Ditto

There are certain agents whose sole purpose is to sow seeds of distrust and skepticism in order to mislead and manipulate others from authenticating their claims.

Certainly this is nothing exclusive to our time and place, but it can and does cause confusion and mistrust in our ability to discern what is truthful, or not.

During the time of Jesus' burial and Resurrection this same type of deceptive behavior was used by Pontius Pilate, the chief priests, and the Pharisees.

The Crucifixion of Jesus took place on the Day of Preparation (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42). 

On this day, preparations had to be made for the Sabbath; food had to be made ready ahead of time because the next day was the Sabbath, which began after sundown.

Due to this, Jesus' body was laid to rest in the personal tomb of Joseph of Arimathea until His body could be properly prepared for burial after the Sabbath,.

Joseph then had the tomb's entrance blocked with a large stone, sealing it from any unwelcome visitors until then (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47).

Later, Pontius Pilate assigned guards to "seal" the tomb (with a public seal) and stand watch over it (Matthew 27:62-66).

"Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead" (Matthew 27:54).

Their greatest fear was the wider influence Jesus would have if it was presumed that He had actually risen from the dead by His missing body. They could not afford that kind of publicity!

It didn't matter how hard they tried to suppress it, not even death itself had the power to keep Him from His triumphant and glorious victory for all believers.

Christians today know how this story turned out. According to the Scriptures, Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Jesus Christ’s resurrection, as substantiated by a good number of eyewitnesses, provides undeniable evidence that He is indeed the Savior of the world (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)!

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3; Hebrews 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 5:1; Romans 8:11

Prayer: Dear LORD, help me to remember that a little thoughtful prayer every day, nourishes and protects the soul. Amen.

Love and blessings,

Cynthia

Therefore, I Have Hope!

"When we have struggles in this life, just knowing that God has a plan that is for our good can give us hope for the future."  - Crystal McDowell

The world is struggling through a grave crisis at this moment. The loss of human life, livelihood, security, and to some extent, freedom, has shaken the core of everything we had known only a short time ago.

Uncertainty lies heavily on every mind, and rightly so. There is, however, one thing we can count on with reasonable certainty: when all of this is over, the world will be changed. How different will it be, no one can say for sure. But change is coming.

You could compare this to how it must have felt for the followers of Christ who had watched Him tried, beaten, then die on the Cross. To put this into modern terms, they must have felt like it was time to "turn out the lights because the party's over."

Due to the horrific and lightning fast chain of events, Jesus' disciples had little time to think (Matthew 25:56; Mark 14:50). Keeping low profiles, they hunkered down until they could figure out their next move.

In all honesty, the disciples were just plain scared. A large part of this was because they didn't understand when Jesus was telling them what would happen to Him (Mark 9:31). And they were probably too embarrassed to ask (Mark 9:32).

In addition, maybe they felt somewhat disappointed because Jesus' arrest meant that their hopes of overcoming the Roman government and installing a new kingdom were now dashed, along with their own futures.

It's not too difficult to see that we are in a similar situation today. Our planet is reeling from a pandemic and no one is totally certain about how it will all turn out. We're all feeling the same sense of loss, fear, and anxiety about what lies ahead.

Most of us live in the present, giving little thought about tomorrow. Think about how strange it must have felt for the disciples to hear Jesus talk about dying and then coming back to life (Luke 13:33; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22; Mark 8:31).

But as Proverbs 23:18 (ESV) tells us, "...there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off." It is important that we try to "be strong and courageous" (Deuteronomy 31:6) even though every fiber of our being is strained to do so.

Many are wondering how they will pay bills, keep their homes, and feed their families. But we must remember that our lives here are not guaranteed, even in the best of times. We must also consider that for millions around the world this is their normal.

I do not know how dire your personal situation is, or how great your need. What I can tell you is that God will supply what He thinks we need. He is a glorious giver. And there is nothing too big to ask of Him (Philippians 4:19).

By His mercy and grace the world and life will continue on. If Jesus' resurrection has taught us anything at all, it proves that He will not forsake or desert us, especially when we need Him most (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7; Psalm 33:22; Titus 2:13; Mark 9:23; Micah 7:7

Prayer: Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Amen.  - Psalm 119:116

May God bless you,

Lainey

Video - Billy Graham: He Is Risen (Easter Message)

In this 1960 video clip filmed in Jerusalem, Billy Graham shares the triumphant message of the Resurrection (taken from John 19-20 and 1 Corinthians 15). From all of us here at the Coffeehouse Bible Ministry, we wish you and your family a safe and blessed Easter!  ~Eve

Passion Week - Holy Saturday

Following Jesus' crucifixion, He was laid in a tomb belonging to Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, and a member of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem (the supreme council of the Jewish people),

Joseph of Arimathea was also a secret disciple of Christ, who did not go along with the decision to crucify Him. (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42).

At that point, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary wanted to embalm Jesus' body with fragrant oils and spices, but they ran out of time before the Sabbath arrived (Luke 23:54-56).

According to the custom of their nation, Saturday is the Sabbath, or holy day of rest. Thus, the women would have broken the law had they prepared Jesus' body on that day (Luke 23:55-56).

They then waited, or rested until the following morning (Sunday) when Sabbath ended at dawn. In Luke 24:1-10 we see the glorious miracle made manifest on that morning, confirming His promise of rising again (John 2:19-21).

Joyfully in Christ!

~Eve

Video - When He Died

Pastor John Lindell shares a powerful Good Friday sermon titled, "When He Died."  This sermon calls on us to reflect on Jesus' death, and discusses three aspects of every Christian's life that died with Christ.  ~Eve