The True Mark of a Believer
"This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." -Acts 2
I believe the truest mark of a believer is knowing that Jesus is alive! Believing in the resurrection. Can you really be a true believer if you don't? What a phenomenal event! One that has never happened before or since Jesus. That is a true power of God. To the person to who belongs to Christ when they die, because of Jesus' resurrection are also found alive at death. Paul says that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.
There is no other religion in the entire World that serves a resurrected Savior! No other god ever died for his/her people, or for the whole world at that. No other god healed or performed the kind of miracles. No other god fed, and passionatly loved his/her people. No other god after death fully resurrected body and all. But Jesus did do all these things.
I tuned in to see our President, Barak Obama, speak to Israel this morning. I noticed something interesting. There is so much belief that he is a fellow Christian. He is not.
Here is an excerpt from his address to Israel:
"Tomorrow, I will pay tribute to that history – at the grave of Herzl, a man who had the foresight to see that the future of the Jewish people had to be reconnected to their past; at the grave of Rabin, who understood that Israel’s victories in war had to be followed by battles for peace; and at Yad Vashem, where the world is reminded of the cloud of evil that can descend on the Jewish people and all of humanity if we fail to remain ever vigilant." -President Barak Hussain Obama, United States of America.
Huuummmm.....is he missing a grave? Oh! How about go and visit Jesus' grave?! You will find it is empty. The greatest man in history. A man who was fully God, came to walk among His chosen people. He changed the course of history forever. He is history. He was the one who was in the beginning and Created. He is the one who is at the right hand of the Father. He is the one whose hand in on Israel. Not some dome. His name is Jesus. He was crucified by the government, He took the wrath of His Father, He was placed in a tomb, only to be that on the 3rd day HE was found to be ALIVE! Resurrected! Not there, at all! Oh, if you knew Him, like I know Him, you would know that HE IS alive! Why? Because He lives in my heart. The day I received Him as Savior, I died, and Jesus became alive in me. He is the mark of a believer.
Consider this song:
I walked by the tomb of Buddha
Looked inside, and saw his bones.
Traveled on to see Mohammed,
Still wrapped up in his grave clothes.
Then I journeyed to a garden
Where old Joseph left Him lay.
The precious Lamb, God's own begotten,
Was no longer in that grave.
If you knew Him like I know Him
You would know that He's alive.
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
If you're wandering in the darkness
Come and step into the light.
Nail scarred hands reach out to help you,
To pull you safe from death to life.
Friend, I, too, have stood where you stand.
Couldn't trust in things unseen,
Just one step in His direction,
Then in Love, He ran to me!
If you knew Him like I know Him
You would know that He's alive.
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
You ask me how I know He lives,
He lives within my heart!
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
Death has died!
I believe the truest mark of a believer is knowing that Jesus is alive! Believing in the resurrection. Can you really be a true believer if you don't? What a phenomenal event! One that has never happened before or since Jesus. That is a true power of God. To the person to who belongs to Christ when they die, because of Jesus' resurrection are also found alive at death. Paul says that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.
There is no other religion in the entire World that serves a resurrected Savior! No other god ever died for his/her people, or for the whole world at that. No other god healed or performed the kind of miracles. No other god fed, and passionatly loved his/her people. No other god after death fully resurrected body and all. But Jesus did do all these things.
I tuned in to see our President, Barak Obama, speak to Israel this morning. I noticed something interesting. There is so much belief that he is a fellow Christian. He is not.
Here is an excerpt from his address to Israel:
"Tomorrow, I will pay tribute to that history – at the grave of Herzl, a man who had the foresight to see that the future of the Jewish people had to be reconnected to their past; at the grave of Rabin, who understood that Israel’s victories in war had to be followed by battles for peace; and at Yad Vashem, where the world is reminded of the cloud of evil that can descend on the Jewish people and all of humanity if we fail to remain ever vigilant." -President Barak Hussain Obama, United States of America.
Huuummmm.....is he missing a grave? Oh! How about go and visit Jesus' grave?! You will find it is empty. The greatest man in history. A man who was fully God, came to walk among His chosen people. He changed the course of history forever. He is history. He was the one who was in the beginning and Created. He is the one who is at the right hand of the Father. He is the one whose hand in on Israel. Not some dome. His name is Jesus. He was crucified by the government, He took the wrath of His Father, He was placed in a tomb, only to be that on the 3rd day HE was found to be ALIVE! Resurrected! Not there, at all! Oh, if you knew Him, like I know Him, you would know that HE IS alive! Why? Because He lives in my heart. The day I received Him as Savior, I died, and Jesus became alive in me. He is the mark of a believer.
Consider this song:
I walked by the tomb of Buddha
Looked inside, and saw his bones.
Traveled on to see Mohammed,
Still wrapped up in his grave clothes.
Then I journeyed to a garden
Where old Joseph left Him lay.
The precious Lamb, God's own begotten,
Was no longer in that grave.
If you knew Him like I know Him
You would know that He's alive.
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
If you're wandering in the darkness
Come and step into the light.
Nail scarred hands reach out to help you,
To pull you safe from death to life.
Friend, I, too, have stood where you stand.
Couldn't trust in things unseen,
Just one step in His direction,
Then in Love, He ran to me!
If you knew Him like I know Him
You would know that He's alive.
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
You ask me how I know He lives,
He lives within my heart!
If you felt Him like I feel Him
Resurrection, deep inside!
You'd know He's living,
And death has died.
Death has died!
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