VICTORY OVER DEATH, HELL, AND THE GRAVE

Easter Sunday, 2005. We send out to our friends all over the world, from my friends in Korea, to my friends in the United Kingdom, aux mes amis en la belle France, to my friends in the US military stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and throughout the world, greetings! Most especially to those military folks who must spend this holy season away from home, God's peace be upon you, God's protection over you, and His comfort to your families until you return safely home!

Easter is the day of ultimate victory for Christians. We may celebrate other joyful, happy, and moving holidays; we may enjoy getting together with families and friends on other occasions, but no holy day like Easter exists either in or out of the Christian faith. And even in Christendom, no other day can come even close to equalling the holiness of this tremendous day of joy, that we experience because of just what the day is all about!

You can go to a place in the world, that is said to be the tomb of Buddha. You can go to Confuscius' tomb. There are the pyramids of Egypt, where kings who were supposed to be living gods, were buried. You can go to Mecca, and there you will find Mohammed's tomb. Why, you can go to Paris, and find the tomb of - - - - , who with his book, - - - - -, brought about the "age of reason, and along with Charles Darwin, a failed divinity student turned athiest, caused many thousands to turn their backs on God. But no matter how hard you look, regardless of how many shovels of dirt you turn over, you will not find the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. Why? Because it isn't there. There ain't one. He only borrowed one, for a short-term burial; he only needed it for two days, and he gave it right back! And I am so glad of that, because it means that I won't have to purchase that piece of real estate either!

All of us, no matter who we are, regardless of where we were born or our station in life, were born in sin, out of favor with God, and in desperate need of a saviour.
The Bible, which is God's word and the ultimate source of all information, says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible further states that there is only one name, only one man, under heaven, in whose name we can be saved. Now that certainly simplifies things, doesn't it? Well, one would think so, but enter the devil, satan; and his minions, and confusion reigns loud and clamorously!

If there were ever anything satan is good at, it is confusion, and about the subjects of life, death, sin, heaven and hell, he is the resident - (on earth, anyway) - expert. Or so he says. It was satan, the fallen angel, who first turned man against God, caused Adam and Eve to sin in the garden of paradise, and it is he who has millstones of sin about our necks to this very day. It is satan, my friend, who will cause you to trip up and miss your place in heaven, if you let him do so! Don't let him do that to you!

Throughout the Bible, one thread of truth is woven to perfection. It is the story of mankind's fall and our redemption in Jesus Christ. From the opening chapter in Genesis through the ending recorded in Revelation, God works His will to defeat satan, redeem man, and provide for us a place of love, comfort, peace, and eternal happiness at His side in Heaven. And what a wonderful and captivating story it is! Anyone who has read the Book through, from one cover to the other, has been blessed, and will continue to be blessed, by the presence of God working through His word. If you haven't done so yet, I encourage you to start today, read it completely, with an eye to faith in the Author, seeking His personal message to you, and you will be totally shocked and blessed by His revelations!

The thread of truth in the Word, redemption, is so very simple that a young child can understand it, and yet, it is based on the entirely complex questions of life that many of the "intelligentsia," the so-called highest-educated among us, have missed it! Why? How? What is it about this simple truth that clicks for a six-year-old, and yet is missed by a PhD? I understood the message of salvation at around the age of seven. Didn't get it earlier, because I hadn't been to church before then, had not been exposed to the Gospel. And my eldest grandson professed his faith in Christ, and was saved, around the age of 3 or 4. I had the great pleasure of baptizing my oldest granddaughter when she was six. And I have witnessed men and women in the twilight of life, one of them my own grandfather, receiving Christ with great joy. The great thing about each of these situations is that it did happen! And I will be joyous to see each of them in Glory one day! And now, how will that come about?

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. Again, JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY! That simple fact, the very basis of Easter, the very foundation of Christianity, is why we will spend eternity with God in joy and fellowship! Had Jesus not risen from the dead, the Bible tells us, we woulod yet be in our sins, we would be lost, and there would be no sacrifice for our sins. Had Jesus not lived a sinless life, had He not given His life on calvary for our redemption, had He not lain in that tomb, had He not RISEN ON THAT THIRD DAY, WE WOULD YET BE LOST! You ask me why? Because the penalty for sin is death, and we, my friends, have sinned. We would owe the penalty, and had Jesus not paid it, we would pay it ourselves by being cast into hell. End of story.

But, Thank God, it is NOT the end of the story yet! God has given us this day. His Son, Jesus, arose from the dead as surely as you're reading this, and you can join me in rejoicing because of that! Today, death is conquered by life, sin is conquered by holiness, and Jesus reigns in Heaven! And, friends, the great joy is that we can all reign with Him one day. Remember the Christmas story, where the angel says, "I bring you good tidings of great joy?" Today, let's turn that around, replay the words for Easter, and shout from the housetops, "I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, FOR JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, IS ALIVE! HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY AND HE WAITS TO GIVE YOU ETERNAL LIFE!"

God bless everyone reading this is my sincere prayer. I love you in the name of Jesus, and I just pray for you to have the peace of God in your heart. May you have the most blessed and wonderful Easter ever! If you have prayer requests, please call or contact us, and we will do what we can for you! Leave your comments at the bottom of this post, and come to see us here often!

In Christ,

Rev. Joe Comer


(Cross-posted on www.sgtstryker.com, and on http://www.legendgames.net/showstory.asp?page=blognews/stories/RE0000021.txt,)