One Victorious Empty Tomb

The tomb, that tomb, which tomb......aha, you're wondering what am on about.
Get yourself a comfortable stool, and if possible a bible or just a notebook, or just relax and read.

A unique Tomb, One victorious Tomb that is now empty and has been since then.

The book of John 20:1-8

The Empty Tomb

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

What do you think was going through Mary Magdalene's and the other women 's mind when they saw the empty tomb?

Try and take yourself back in time to that era, what do you think will be going through your mind if you had the opportunity to follow the master and listened to his teachings?

He made mention of what to expect, remember where he said..destroy this temple and i will raise it up within 3days? John 3:19....pls study

They made sure that the tomb was secured by a huge stone and set guards over it. It wasn't  a stone that anyone could easily roll away, no man born of a woman would have had the audacity to approach that tomb that was heavily guarded and disarm those roman guards.

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men (Matthew 28:2-4).

It took an angel to even roll away the stone so that when people get there they can see that it's empty.

You might even wonder at how is it's possible for Jesus to unwrap his own body that was heavily bounded/swathed with rolls and rolls of linen. His body must have even fallen apart on the third day, but hey there was no body, just the linen. The tomb didnt even smell of death.

For you to understand the full import of what Jesus did you need to study his word. Take time out to study  and pray for more undertanding.

If he did not die for our sins we would have  been stuck in the the old testament era of offering animal sacrifices for the cleansing of our sin and would have suffered a lot of afflictions.
Jesus gave us victory through his death and resurrection. It wasnt easy and should never be taken for granted.

There are so many gods in the world and none other than Jesus died and rose from the dead hence gave us victory over sin and death.

Are you afflicted spiritually, physically and materially? May the power that raised Jesus from the grave restore you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
I stand in the authority i have in Christ Jesus to confess and declare you free from the spirit of the grave.  no longer shall you worry about all those hinderances again in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you are yet to enter his rest and wondering how to.
Just say this simple pray in Jesus name and be restored....

Father i come to you today just as i am, a sinner. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins, have mercy on me and accept me as one of yours, your child.
 I acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross of calvary for my justification. I accept him as my Lord and Saviour because i believe that he died that i might be saved, he died that i might receive forgiveness and cleansing and be restored.
Have mercy on me to save and restore me and write my name in the Lamb's book of life.

If you said the above prayer, please look for a Bible believing church to fellowship with other believers and grow.
If you dont know where to go, get yourself a Christian bible...King James version for a start and start from the beginning, taking baby steps or at your own pace, dont read it like a literature or magazine but with understanding.

There are daily devotionals online like the followings:

http://www.intouch.org/magazine/current-issue
http://www.studylight.org/

http://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/comprehensive

The Sacrifice Of Glory

Matthew 26:39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

God in Christ came from his Palace in Heaven to a little straw manger to go a little further because of his love for you and me.
Oh the sacrifice of glory, a great sacrifice.

Matthew 27:11-26

¹¹ And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

¹² And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

¹³ Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

¹⁴ And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

¹⁵ Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

¹⁶ And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

¹⁷ Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

¹⁸ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

¹⁹ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

²¹ The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

²² Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

²³ And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

²⁵ Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

²⁶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

end of quote.......

The justice of mankind then is still real today. Pilate found no fault in him, yet scourged him.

^{And from verse 50-51.....}

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

end of quote...


Let us reflect on this great sacrifice everyday and not just today.
I believe in the Jesus Christ who died and rose again. Only him has power over death.

Shalom

Your Eyes Of Understanding ....Ephiphany

I pray that your eyes of understanding be open as you read this. That you have an ephiphany.

Make yourself comfortable on a recliner or sofa, get a good stool, your bible and a drink:

Recipe for a  long drink:

Apricot Tea recipe

1 cup apricot nectar
2 cinnamon sticks
4 small orange peel strips
4 small lemon peel strips
3 cupsapricot flavored tea

Combine the apricot nectar, cinnamon sticks, orange and lemon peels in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 1-2 min, stirring occasionally. Add the tea and stir to mix all the ingredients together.

 Remove the cinnamon sticks and the orange and lemon peels and pour the mixture into a long glass after it has cooled down. Add some brown sugar, if desired. and same with some ice cubes.

Are you comfy now?

Your eyes of understanding. I am not talking about your physical eyes as that is blind. Yes blind as in it see things the way the world sees only  hence does not see far....

Ephesians 1:15-23

15Why I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints, 16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 
20Which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 
23Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.

What is your quiet time like? Distracted? Do you understand the bible that you open everyday?
It is so easy to become blind to the word of God.
Why not bow your head in prayer this minute to receive understanding, pray for understanding before reading your bible so you dont end up just reading it like a novel.

Blind Bartimaeus realized he was blind and called out to the master: That was physical blindess but immediately he heard Jesus was around what did he do? He shouted because he perceived and received in his heart an understanding a real understanding and he didnt allow that moment to pass him by.

Mark 10: 46-52

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus⁴⁶ Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David,^[a] have pity on me!” ⁴⁸ Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” ⁵⁰ The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.⁵¹ Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”The blind man answered, “Master,^[b] I want to see!”⁵² Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

How about the woman with the issue of blood in the bible. Had she not understood her healing would have passed her by. 

Most of us this days wait for our Pastors or Bishops to urge us on before we see..why is that so?

Mark 5:25-34:

²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. ³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”³¹ But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”³² And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.³³ But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

 I pray that you have an ephiphany of what your calling is and your hope in Christ Jesus.

I pray that you come to a realization of what gifts lies in the inside of you.

I pray you experience the presence of God from now on.

I pray that above all  only Christ will be your source and you will stop depending on man that is falliable.

Shalom

The Ultimate Test

I got this story am about to share through email more than 3years ago and is still very relevant today:

Boiled Seeds Does Not Sprout..Never

An aging king woke up one day to the realization that should he drop dead, 
there would be no male in the royal family to take his place. 

He was the last male in the royal family in a culture where only a male 
could succeed to the throne - and he was aging. 

He decided that if he could not give birth to a male, he would adopt a son 
who then could take his place but he insisted that such an adopted son must 
be extraordinary in every sense of the word. 

So he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys, no matter 
what their background. Ten boys made it to the very top. 

There was little to separate these boys in terms of intelligence and 
physical attributes and capabilities. 

The king said to them, "I have one last test and whoever comes top will 
become my adopted son and heir to my throne." Then he said, "This kingdom 
depends solely on agriculture. 

So the king must know how to cultivate plants. So here is a seed of corn 
for each of you. 

Take it home and plant and nurture it for three weeks. At the end of three 
weeks, we shall see who has done the best job of cultivating the seed. 

That person will be my heir-apparent." 

The boys took their seeds and hurried home. They each got a flower pot and 
planted the seed as soon as they got home. 

There was much excitement in the kingdom as the people waited with bated 
breath to see who was destined to be their next king. 

In one home, the boy and his parents were almost heartbroken when after 
days of intense care, the seed failed to sprout. 

He did not know what had gone wrong with his. He had selected the soil 
carefully, he had applied the right quantity and type of fertilizer, he had 
been very dutiful in watering it at the right intervals, he had even prayed 
over it day and night and yet his seed had turned out to be unproductive. 

Some of his friends advised him to go and buy a seed from the market and 
plant that. 

"After all," they said, "how can anyone tell one seed of corn from 
another?" But his parents who had always taught him the value of integrity 
reminded him that if the king wanted them to plant any corn, he would have 
asked them to go for their own seed. "If you take 
anything different from what the king gave you that would be dishonesty. 

Maybe we are not destined for the throne. 

If so, let it be but don't be found to have deceived the king," they told 
him. 

The d-day came and the boys returned to the palace each of them proudly 
exhibiting a very fine corn seedling. 

It was obvious that the other nine boys had had great success with their 
seeds. 

The king began making his way down the line of eager boys and asked each of 
them, "Is this what came out of the seed I gave you?" And each boy 
responded, "Yes, your majesty." And the king would nod and move down the 
line. 

The king finally got to the last boy in the line-up. 

The boy was shaking with fear. He knew that the king was going to have him 
thrown into prison for wasting his seed. 

"What did you do with the seed I gave you?" the king asked. 

"I planted it and cared for it diligently, your majesty, but alas it failed 
to sprout." the boy said tearfully as the crowd booed him. 

But the king raised his hands and signaled for silence. Then he said, "My 
people, behold your next king." The people were confused. "Why that one?" 
many asked. 

"How can he be the right choice?" The king took his place on his throne 
with the boy by his side and said, "I gave these boys boiled seeds. This 
test was not for cultivating corn. 

It was the test of character; a test of integrity. It was the ultimate 
test. 

If a king must have one quality, it must be that he should be above 
dishonesty. 

Only this boy passed the test. A boiled seed cannot sprout." Never!! 

We live in a society that has become obsessed with success and many show 
success at any cost. We say the end justifies the means. It is the tragedy 
of life. 

You see, failure often is an invitation to God to show that he is all 
powerful and does not need help to make us great or to bless us. 

You know, sometimes God looks for people who will trust him completely no 
matter what so he could show the world that it is not by might or by power 
but by his spirit. 

God sometimes ordains failure?. 

But many seek to circumvent divinely ordained failure by resorting to 
dubious means. 

When a civil servant builds a big house and sends his five children to 
expensive schools when he does not have a second source of income, is that 
not a case of a boiled seed sprouting? 

When a minister of state is able to sustain a lavish mistress and at the 
same time put up houses from his income as minister, is that not a case of 
a boiled seed coming to life? 

Or a Former President of millions of poverty stricken people can build up world class private secondary school and university, within a short time, able to sustain numerous wives/concubines and fathered and educated about 45 children, own vast farm lands all over the country, travel round the world at an average of one trip per month, while the people of his country remain the poorest in the world! That is a case of boiled seed yielding hundred folds 
We should stop cheering rogues in WORLD!. 

I believe that we have all been given lives to lead according to God's plan 
and if we are living faithfully, we should all have different results. 

The Bible says the race is not for the swift and the battle is not for the 
strong. So how come, that in the WORLD the swift wins the race and the strong 
the battle? 

It is because we are refusing to remain faithful to God and refusing to 
allow God to be God in all things and in our affairs. 

Boiled seed does not sprout. Never!!! 

Next time you see a successful person, find out what kind of seed he was 
given and ask him, "how come your boiled seed has sprouted?" 

The Touch Of The Master

I reproduce  today a tract i came across a while back and blogged about 3yrs ago:

'Twas battered and scarred, and the Auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old Violin, but he held it up with a smile.
What am i bidden, good folk? He cried, Who'll start the bidding for me? 
A dollar-a dollar-then two, only two--two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Going for three-but no-
From the room far back, a gray-haired man came forward and picked up the Bow, Then wiping the dust from the old Violin, And tightening the loosened Strings, he played a Melody pure and sweet...as a Caroling angel Sings.

The Music ceased, and the Auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low, said, 'Now what am i bid for the Old Violin?'
And he held it up with the Bow.
A thousand Dollars- and who'll make it two? 
Two thousand- and who'll make it three?
Three thousand once-three thousand twice- and going- and gone, cried he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried.
We do not understand. What changed its worth?
Quick came the reply, "The touch of the Master's Hand"
And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin, Is auctioned cheap, to a thoughtless crowd.
Much like the old Violin.
A mess of Pottage..a glass of wine.
A game-and he travels on:
He is going once- and going twice-he's going- and almost gone!
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd.
Never can quite understand the worth of a Soul and the change that's wrought..By the touch of the Master's Hand
.......................MYRA BROOKS




The Master's hand is the only hand that can Transform the Soul. 
This very moment the Lord Jesus Christ is waiting to turn your darkness into day, your sorrow into joy.
Hear His Call: 'Come now, and let us reason together..though your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be as white as snow'..Isaiah 1:18.

Have more wonderful words ever been spoken? God wants to cleanse your life from sin and give you a new life of hope and joy. He does not ask you to change your life yourself. He asks you to come to him just as you are. His word promises: 'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son Cleanse us from all sin..1John 1 :7.
But first you must trust totally upon God's mercy. You cannot depend on your 'good works' to gain entrance into Heaven. For before God we are all sinners. "Therefore is none righteous, no, not one..For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"..Romans 3:10, 23.

There is only one way, one door through which we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
 Jesus said: 'I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved"...John 10:9.

Jesus made the way for you and me by dying on the cross for our sins: 'He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with His Stripes we are Healed'...Isaiah 53:5.

You can receive the risen, victorious Lord Jesus Christ by Faith Now.
Why hold back any longer? Come to the Master Today.