Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Don't Be A "Doubting Thomas"
Do you know the story behind this commonly used phrase?
Jesus came back after rising from the grave to visit his disciples, and they were excited of course, and Thomas was not with them. When Thomas had returned again to the house where they were meeting, they told Thomas of the Lord visiting them. Even though there were ten witnesses that walked with Jesus while he was alive, giving their testimony to Thomas, he said he would not believe, until he saw the scars in his palms, and the hole in his side, where Christ was speared.
When Jesus returned a few days later, he made his presence known and called Thomas to see the scars and to thrust his hand inside the hole in his side.
Here is the passage in the NIV...
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
GOD works in our lives today. Believe, and you will be saved. So please, never be a "doubting Thomas".
Jesus came back after rising from the grave to visit his disciples, and they were excited of course, and Thomas was not with them. When Thomas had returned again to the house where they were meeting, they told Thomas of the Lord visiting them. Even though there were ten witnesses that walked with Jesus while he was alive, giving their testimony to Thomas, he said he would not believe, until he saw the scars in his palms, and the hole in his side, where Christ was speared.
When Jesus returned a few days later, he made his presence known and called Thomas to see the scars and to thrust his hand inside the hole in his side.
Here is the passage in the NIV...
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
GOD works in our lives today. Believe, and you will be saved. So please, never be a "doubting Thomas".
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.
At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.
At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.
Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.
The nails were driven into His wrist. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.
Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.
Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from his wounds.
From common images, we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side... But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.
He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.
Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.
All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).
Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.
So that your sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!
Don't ignore this situation.
JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
Accept the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.
God has plans for you, show all your friends what He experienced to save you. Now think about this! May God bless your life!
He said (Matthew 10:32 & 33): "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven; but whosoever denies Me before others, I also will deny before My Father in heaven."
Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.
Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.
Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from his wounds.
From common images, we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side... But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.
He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.
Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.
All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).
Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.
So that your sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!
Don't ignore this situation.
JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
Accept the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.
God has plans for you, show all your friends what He experienced to save you. Now think about this! May God bless your life!
He said (Matthew 10:32 & 33): "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven; but whosoever denies Me before others, I also will deny before My Father in heaven."
Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Spring Break
That magical time of the year for high school students, it's also that time of year when parents fret and worry about their children. Most high school kids are heading off to spring break for the first time of their young lives without parental control for an extended period of time.
Even the best taught children make mistakes. Parents know this better than anyone. Exercise a little patience on the highways and in the tourists towns, as our future stretches it's wings a little. It's bound to lead to accidents, and unfortunately, some will end tragically. Drive defensively, and with extra caution. It could save a life.
God Bless.
Even the best taught children make mistakes. Parents know this better than anyone. Exercise a little patience on the highways and in the tourists towns, as our future stretches it's wings a little. It's bound to lead to accidents, and unfortunately, some will end tragically. Drive defensively, and with extra caution. It could save a life.
God Bless.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Now Is The Time
Now is the time to show compassion
Now is the time to show love
Now is the time to show your anger - restraint
It is the time of the lord, our gift from above..
In Japan there is a crisis unlike any we have ever seen. Natural disasters, that exposed the the real life vulnerability, and man made disasters are about to take their toll on a nation.
The Japanese people are a strong and proud people. We must pray for their safety, their recovery, and indeed their very souls. God warned us of impending disasters to come, he has also warned us of the wars that shall be, and for us not to be troubled by them all. Remain strong in your faith, remain resolute in your Christian beliefs, and trust and believe in God, and you will be saved.
Now is the time to show love
Now is the time to show your anger - restraint
It is the time of the lord, our gift from above..
In Japan there is a crisis unlike any we have ever seen. Natural disasters, that exposed the the real life vulnerability, and man made disasters are about to take their toll on a nation.
The Japanese people are a strong and proud people. We must pray for their safety, their recovery, and indeed their very souls. God warned us of impending disasters to come, he has also warned us of the wars that shall be, and for us not to be troubled by them all. Remain strong in your faith, remain resolute in your Christian beliefs, and trust and believe in God, and you will be saved.
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