The Story Behind Easter

Have you ever wondered what the atmosphere was like in heaven when God disclosed that He was sending Jesus His only-begotten Son into the world to die for us? How did the heavenly host react to such news? And how did Satan react when He came face-to-face with the "Bright And Morning Star?" And later, after Jesus hung on the cross, and Satan and his imps returned to hell, expecting to celebrate their victory, they met Jesus, alive, holding the keys of death, hell and the grave. Would you have wished to be present?

As believers, I think Lenten Season is the perfect time to reflect on all these spectacular happenings. Why did God send His Son to die such a cruel death for us? And why did Jesus submit so willingly?

I have tried to capture, in a short story, what I think the scene must have looked like in heaven and on earth on that Good Friday morning. How it must have pierced God's heart having to turn His back on His Son as He hung on the cross. And the pain of this terrible, unprecedented desertion by His Father must have been more horrible than the wounds inflicted on him.

 I believe you will feel as if you were a silent witness to all of this as you read For God So Loved which won an  honorable mention in a Writer's Digest competition. One reviewer stated, "This story is the perfect gift for Easter." So, as my Easter gift for you, from now until Good Friday, April 14th, you can download a free copy. Just click on the image below.



And if you enjoyed the story, kindly leave a review so others can be encouraged to read the book. I would also invite you to sign up for my mailing list below so you can get updates on other great offers.

 

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Satan Just Fired An Imp

As I looked at the extensive coverage of the massacre at the AME church in Charleston, SC a few days

ago, I couldn't help thinking that Satan must be furious. Not that the gunman was so easily caught - Satan couldn't care less - but about what ensued after the killing.


The Bible tells us that Satan uses people to carry out his plans, so the way I see it, he assigned an imp to influence the twenty-one-year-old white man to carry out the massacre. He did it, but failed miserably in what he hoped to achieve. According to Dylann Roof, his goal was to see the races separated. He wanted us to return to the days of segregation. And that's Satan's goal. He is all for division. He hates to see people, especially Christians, united. He divides families, friends, relatives, even nations. But instead of division, we saw on television people of all races and backgrounds hugging each other and mourning the senseless murder of the saints. This tragedy has brought unity in a way that has even crossed political lines.


But unity is not all that has been achieved. Every television reporter commented on the incredible display of Christian love and forgiveness expressed by the victims' families. One lady said, "Jesus forgives you, and I forgive you." Another one held up a sign that read, "Your evil doing did not break our community. You made us stronger,"  and one pastor said that this tragedy should strengthen our faith and bring us closer to God. Even businesses are showing their solidarity and pouring money into the city of Charleston. 

People are asking the question, "Why didn't someone take the gunman down?" Why was he given time to reload and kill nine people? One day we may know the answer, but I believe those people were martyred, not just because they were black, but also for their faith. They have joined the distinguished ranks of  early Christians who willingly surrendered their lives for their love of Jesus.

So now Satan is scratching his head, wondering how he could have underestimated the strength and resilience of God's people. I believe that scoffers and mockers will see Christians in a different light after this, and even though they may not know the words, they will realize that "the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (the church) (Matthew 16: 18).

Related articles

• EVIL: man sits in church Bible study for hour before shooting and killing 9 churchgoers
• HOW THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST DIED - May God give us the GRACE to run this RACE OF FAITH in JESUS NAME

Beware Of The Worm

I almost didn't get this week's post in because a worm infected my computer. I remember the first time I heard the term 'computer virus' I thought, would it make my computer sneeze? And I was serious. Because if I sneeze, it doesn't bother me that much. I actually enjoy sneezing sometimes, as a matter of fact. It seems to clear my nasal passages and relieves me of any stuffiness. So I thought if my computer sneezed, then it would be no big deal.

During my journey in cyberspace, I have experienced a few sneezes. Nothing major. But yesterday I foolishly opened an email and received a worm. I pictured it just as the dictionary described it: any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones ... creeping, crawling or advancing slowly or stealthily. Sounds pretty yucky, doesn't it? I could not access anything, and the worm kept urging me to purchase a certain software and warning me of the dire consequences that would follow if I didn't. No matter what I tried, it kept attacking my computer. 

No legs ... advancing slowly, stealthily, when you least expect it.

The Bible speaks of one other creature who fits this picture. He belongs to the same family, only bigger. He is called a serpent, Satan, the devil, Lucifer. One day you are functioning as a happy Christian, the next, the serpent has infiltrated himself into your system and crashed it. You become a pawn in his hands as he urges you to do this and do that, go here and go there, say this or say that. You want to get out from under his influence, but you are powerless to do so.

What can you do? Like me, you may have unwittingly invited the serpent into your system. But you can do what I did. I wasted no time calling the maker of my computer. We have a Maker too and His name is God. He made you. 

 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1 : 27.

He has the software to clean out all of your infected files and restore you to your proper working condition. He can make you whole again. You do not have to be under the influence of the worm anymore. The representative who cleaned up my computer recommended that I purchase a warranty so if I ever have similar problems in the future, all I have to do is call for help. God purchased our warranty through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for us. When we have a problem, all we have to do is call. Call on your Maker right now.

What Do You Pray For?

Prayer is the Christian's most lethal weapon, I'm sure all Christians will agree, but when you get down on your knees or lie between the covers what do you ask God for? Do you ask Him to help you find a better job, heal your sick grandmother, help you buy a house, car, pay your bills? God is our provider, isn't He? And He does care about our basic needs, so praying for all these things is all well and good.

However, as I lay in bed meditating on God and prayer, the Holy Spirit gave me a brand new revelation. He said that all my prayer should be encapsulated in one word: contentment. Then He reminded me of this scripture by the apostle Paul, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry , both to abound and to suffer need" (Philippians 4: 11-12) .

In this passage, Paul commended the church at Phillipi that they were once more able to continue caring for his needs, which they had ceased to do because they lacked opportunity. He was saying to them that he had learned to be content whether he was full or whether he was hungry. This was exactly what I needed, for lately I've been giving in to bouts of anxiety. When will I be able to retire? How long can I continue working the way I do? Will I ever fulfill my dream of being able to retire from my job and work from home? These thoughts and others like them do not make for a contented state of mind.

The Holy Spirit showed me that if I couldn't be content now, working at a time when a lot of people wish they were, I would not be content when I stopped working. If I couldn't be content here, I wouldn't be content there. It sobered me up and made me realize that by being discontented I was playing right into Satan's hands. I was allowing him to use me to grieve the Holy Spirit. In effect, I was saying to God, I'm   dissatisfied with you, I don't trust You to give me what I want, so I have to worry and fret and try to figure it out myself. That's a dangerous path to be on. It led the children of Israel to wander in the wilderness for forty years!

So, should we pray for the job, the house, the car, the healing? Absolutely, but when we pray for these things, let us ask God to give us contentment to wait on Him. Because when we are contented we are saying, God I trust You in this season of my life. I don't know how long it's going to last, but while I'm in it, I'm going to put on my hat, button up my coat and go out there and give it the best I have to give, because You are with me. You have promised "never to leave me or forsake me" (Hebrews 13:5) and I stand on your promises. God bless

Related articles

• Prayer Requests (mauldinfamily.wordpress.com)
• Prayer (lovemeanyway.wordpress.com)

Do You Have A Sword?

A sword is a weapon dating back to the time before Christ, but there is no documented evidence of exactly how or when it came about. However, the sword is highly respected as a lethal weapon, and is mentioned many times in the Old as well as the New Testament. But why would a holy book such as the Bible make mention of a weapon?


Ephesians 6: 17 refers to the "sword of the spirit" as the word of God.
How can the word of God be the "sword of the spirit?" When Satan went to tempt Jesus while he fasted in the wilderness, Jesus didn't have a physical sword. What he had was the word of God, and He used it with precision. His first response was, "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4).

On Satan's second temptation, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (v 8). And the third time, "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" ( v 12). In these three examples, Jesus is referring to the logos, which, according to the Scofield Bible, is a Greek term meaning (1) a thought or concept; (2) the expression or utterance of that thought.

John 1: 1 states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And in verse 14, Jesus is spoken of as the Word which "was made flesh and dwelt among us ..." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

John, describing Jesus in the book of Revelations says, "In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance" (1:16).

So, friends, when we use the word of God in our spiritual warfare against the devil, we are employing the logos, the Being, Person and work of Christ himself. The devil can never stand up to that. Christ defeated him on the cross over two thousand years ago, and His Word is powerful still. When Jesus comes back to earth He will come with that double-edged sword in His mouth with which He will defeat the armies of the anti-christ.

Today, the sword as a weapon has grown obsolete, but it is still used in a sport called fencing. Fencers take great pride in their sport and in their swords, practicing religiously and keeping their swords in good working condition. As Christians we need to do the same. There is no point in keeping our Bibles locked away, only taking them out once a week when we go to church. We are in a constant battle, and we must know how to use our sword.

Is the enemy coming against you with sickness? Break out your sword. "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5); Are you suffering lack of some kind? "My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phillipians 4:19). Are you suffering from anxiety? "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (v 7).

We have a very powerful weapon. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10: 4). NIV We must use our sword. That means getting into the word daily. Not once a week when the pastor reads it to us in church, but every day. Nowadays we have CDs that we can lisen to in our cars and we have the Bible on the internet. We can look up a verse during our lunch break. We need to become familiar with our sword, so when the enemy comes against us we won't retreat in fear. No, we'll take up our sword and run him through. Don't you feel powerful?