Two Songs for the Season

Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. -- Luke 14:27

All three Synoptic Gospels mention Simon of Cyrene [the present day Benghazi, Libya]. Simon was just passing through Jerusalem, perhaps for the feast of the Passover. When Jesus collapsed under the heavy weight of the cross He was made to carry on the way to execution at the Place of the Skull at Calvary hill after the brutal scourging He was given by Roman soldiers, Simon was conscripted or compelled by the same soldiers to carry the cross for Him, lest He should die of exhaustion and blood loss before the scheduled crucifixion.

Mark’s Gospel uniquely mentions Simon’s two sons, Alexander and Rufus, who were evidently with Simon: A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. -- Mark 15:21.

We can only speculate why Mark should do so. Most Bible commentators agree that Rufus and Alexander all well known fellow believers to the readers of Mark’s Gospel [This is supposed to be the Christians in Rome.] Clement, circa AD 150-215, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, writes this account in his writing HYPOTYPOSES: … they besought MARK, a follower of Peter, and the one whose Gospel is extant, that he would leave them a written monument of the doctrine which had been orally communicated to them. Nor did they cease until they had prevailed with the man, and had thus become the occasion of the written Gospel which bears the name of MARK. And they say that Peter when he had learned, through a revelation of the Spirit, of that which had been done, was pleased with the zeal of the men, and that the work obtained the sanction of his authority for the purpose of being used in the churches.

The Apostle Peter mentions Mark in his first epistle which is believed Peter wrote in Rome itself, as is indicated by him, when he calls the city, by a code name, Babylon, in the following words: With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. She [the church?] who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.—1 Peter 5:12-13. And they say that this Mark was the first that was sent to Egypt, and that he proclaimed the Gospel which he had written, and first established churches in Alexandria. (Eusebius, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 2.15.1-2, 2.16.1)

In fact, the Apostle Paul greets with tenderness a certain Rufus and his mother in his epistle to the Romans: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. --Romans 16:13.

Richard Bauckham, author of The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, Eerdmans, 2006, conjectures about the mention of Alexander and Rufus as an unusual detail in Mark’s Gospel: “There does not seem to be a good reason available other than that Mark is appealing to Simon’s eyewitness testimony, known in the early Christian movement not from his own firsthand account but through his sons.”

If the Rufus in Mark 15 and Romans 16 are the same individual, this indicates that Simon of Cyrene, Alexander, Rufus and Simon’s wife eventually came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

No one who encounters Him at anytime and by any means can ever remain the same as he or she was before. Here is a beautiful song relating the story of that encounter between Simon and Jesus!

Watch The Lamb
by Ray Boltz
Courtesy of Google Video

Walking on the road to Jerusalem,
The time had come to sacrifice again,
My two small sons,
They walk beside me on the road,
The reason that they came was to watch the lamb.

Daddy, daddy,
What will see there,
There's so much that we don't understand,
So I told them of Moses and father Abraham,
Then I said dear children watch the lamb.

There will be so many in Jerusalem today,
We must be sure the lamb doesn't run away,
And I told them of Moses and father Abraham,
Then I said dear children watch the lamb.

When we reached the city,
I knew something must be wrong,
There were no joyful worshipers,
No joyful worship songs,
I stood there with my children
in the midst of angry men,
Then I heard the crowd cry out
“Let’s Crucify Him!”

We tried to leave the city
but we could not get away,
Forced to play in this drama
a part I did not wish to play,
Why upon this day
were men condemned to die,
Why were we standing here,
Where soon they would pass by.

I looked and said, even now they come,
The first one cried for mercy,
The people gave him none,
The second one was violent,
He was arrogant and loud,
I still here his angry voice
screaming at the crowd.

Then someone said there's Jesus,
I scarce believed my eyes,
A man so badly beaten,
He barely looked alive,
Blood poured from His body,
From the thorns upon His brow,
Running down the cross,
Falling to the ground.

I watched Him as He struggled,
I watched Him as He fell,
The cross came down upon His back,
The crowd began to yell,
In that moment I felt such agony,
In that moment I felt such loss,
Till a Roman soldier grabbed my arm
and screamed, “You, carry His cross!”

At first I tried to resist him,
Then his hand reached for his sword,
So I knelt and took
the cross from the Lord,
I placed it on my shoulder,
And started down the street,
The blood that he'd been shedding
was running down my cheek.

They led us to Golgotha,
They drove nails
deep in His feet and hands,
Yet upon the cross I heard Him pray
Father, forgive them.
Oh, never have I seen such love
in any other eyes,
Into thy hands I commit my spirit
He prayed and the He died.

I stood for what seemed like years,
I'd lost all sense of time
until I felt two tiny hands
holding tight to mine,
The children stood there weeping,
I heard the oldest say,
Father please forgive us,
the lamb ran away.
Daddy, daddy,
What have we seen here,
There's so much
that we don't understand,
So I took them in my arms,
And we turned and faced the cross,
Then I said dear children,
WATCH THE LAMB.

- § -

Forever, Author of Salvation,
JESUS rose and conquered the grave!

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
– John 20:15-16, NIV

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
-- Zephaniah 3:14, 17, NIV

Mighty To Save
by Hillsong United
Songwriters: Fielding, Ben; Morgan, Reuben
courtesy of get2pc.com

Thanks for singing!

Be With ME In Paradise

Michael Franzese, a Heart Changed by God's Grace

After overhearing Jesus’ intercessory prayer for the bloodthirsty mob and brutal soldiers who were crucifying Him and them –- “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”, – one criminal rebuked the other who was mocking Jesus: “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” [Luke 23:34, 40-43. NKJV]

Radical conversions like that of the penitent criminal still occur today. Jesus still gives the same blessed assurance of God’s pardon, salvation and eternal life to whoever believes in Him just as He did two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

This is exactly what happened to Michael Franzese, a.k.a. Prince of the Mafia, Yuppie Don, while serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison in the mid-80’s. Today, he is a much invited evangelical speaker and founder of Breaking Out, a Christian youth educational group. Here is his story, reprinted from http://www.michaelfranzese.com/story.php:

Michael Franzese was once in the top echelon of the Colombo crime family. He left the mob after converting to Christianity, and has since written the autobiography Blood Covenant.

Indeed, he was the son of Sonny Franzese, a kingpin in New York's Colombo crime family. It was when Sonny was sent to prison that Michael left Hofstra University, where he was a student athlete in pre-Med, to try to help win his dad’s freedom, choosing to follow the path that landed his dad in jail. He began working to help Joe Colombo protest the treatment of Italian Americans, handing out fliers at a rally in Columbus Square, and was standing nearby when Colombo was shot. For Michael, this was his beginning in a life that took him from college jock to Mob Capo, and ultimately made him the target of state, local, and federal organized crime task forces.

Becoming a sworn, made member at the age of 24, he avoided the traditional Mafia domains in favor of the enormously lucrative edges of the legitimate business world. The smart, sophisticated Franzese was long considered an heir apparent to the family's vast power. His ability to make money, which according to the fed’s was more than anyone since Al Capone, won his fame, respect, and rock-star status among mob watchers, but the envy of others in that life.

Michael masterminded brilliant scams, from auto dealerships to union kickbacks, from financial services to the worlds of sports and entertainment, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, all with the help of ambitious tycoons and his own remarkable business acumen. His operations in gambling, loan sharking and corporate crime became a target of Manhattan's famed federal prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, who indicted Michael on racketeering charges only to come up empty handed in court after promising him 100 years behind bars if convicted. More indictments would follow, however, and in a dramatic turn of events for the onetime Mob caporegime, Michael decided to plead guilty to yet another racketeering indictment, accept a 10 year prison sentence, and then vowed to do the unthinkable-quit the mob, not enter the witness protection program, and not testify against his mob brethren. The Prince abdicated his throne. It’s why he left that makes this story even more incredible.

Michael Franzese earned millions a week at his apex and used his wits and charm to keep the likes of John Gotti from encroaching on his operations. He escaped 5 major indictments and seemed invincible. That was before he met Cammy.

Among many things he was doing, he made movies – his last – Knights of the City, a break dance movie ala West side Story with Sammy Davis, Jr., Leon Issacs Kennedy, and music by Smokey Robinson, filmed in Florida. The imported 50 dancers from L.A. That was the beginning of the end – and the beginning of the unthinkable.

Michael met Camille Garcia, a beautiful dancer from Anaheim [and a Born-Again Christian] – he saw her getting out of the swimming pool and asked to be introduced. Cammy knew nothing other than he was the producer. He fell in love with her, doggedly pursued her and eventually they married. How she convinced him to take the rap on a racketeering charge and how he managed to become the only high ranking official of the Mafia to ever quit the mob, refuse government protection and live to tell about it makes Michael Franzese a truly motivational, inspiring, and fascinating speaker.

Michael's first book, Quitting The Mob, (Harper/Collins Publishing), was released in 1992, providing a glimpse at the life Michael left behind.

His most recent book, Blood Covenant (Whitaker House, Mar. 2003-now in the third printing), looks at that story from 10 years of changed life, providing insight only time allows. It captures Michael's life from beginning through today, offering a powerful look at the why and how he left his past, and how he is still alive today. As Paul Harvey would say, it is "the rest of the story."

- § -

Here is part of a reader’s review of the book, quoted from amazon.com:

By telling you how he came to completely trust in God, Franzese does a good job of creating the message that God forgives EVERYTHING that you do that is not pleasing to him.

Because many people do not accept the simple concept of God's grace, so many find this book to be a blow off towards the end. It is the exact opposite. Franzese's book explains God's grace and what it did for him in ways that most pastors and other religious leaders cannot explain. That does not make him a fanatic; it means he is telling the truth...a truth many do not understand and therefore refuse to accept. Here is my message: if you are looking for an ending that tells how he paid everyone back or how he fell back into the life, then this book is not for you. However, if you are someone who wants to see a true example of God's grace and the way he can use one person to change someone's life while getting the bonus of knowing the insides of the mafia life, I highly recommend this book to you. - by forevercrane.

- § -

Here is part of a video of the Born-Agin Don testifying about his conversion.

Michael Franzese recently spoke at Shadow Mountain Community Church, San Diego County, California. A DVD video of his talk available at http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/.

SOUNDING THE ALARM

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand- a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. – Joel 1:1-3, NIV

Here are two articles about these dangerous times we are living in [2009-????]. To introduce them, I've included the cover letter from Toni DePaoli [author of Reclaiming Victory in Jesus Christ, wife of Pastor Peter DePaoli of Rushing Wind Fellowship, Tigard, Oregon] which referred me to the websites.

Toni's letter:

Hi,
Some of you got this information through our ministry, so if you got a repeat, I apologize. It's the same info in Peter's urgent prayer request.

Some of you know that we've been following prophecies for years regarding judgment falling upon this country. We felt that something big would start rolling in the fall of 2008 and, sure enough, the first week of fall is when the economy went in the tank. At this time, there is lots coming down the pike, but, for the moment, we felt that we needed to share the following information with you, ask you to prayerfully consider what is written and go from there. If you'd like more information, let me know and I'll update you to the best of my ability. If you don't want to hear anymore, don't worry, I won't be sending things like this to you on a regular basis. This is a one-shot deal.

Just to pre-empt this, to my knowledge, David Wilkerson has not sent out an urgent message since right before 9/11. At that time, about three months before the event, he sent a separate mailing from his regular news letter (which is the most bible based, rock solid study in the Word each month). In this extra letter back then, he wrote asking us to pray. I may not have the details right, but what I remember is that David and his leadership believed that God told them to store up water and medical supplies. They did. God said, "More!" So they did. He kept saying, "More!" and they kept obeying. If I remember correctly, at the time of the writing, they had classrooms filled and they felt that the Lord told them that there was going to be a castrophe in NY and that it was not going to be avoided and to pray for them and whom ever would be effected. The reason that I remember this is that as some of you know, I was raised in outside of NY city and had lots of family and friends who were still there. When the towers fell, David Wilkerson's church was just blocks from the fall out zone. They were some of the first on the scene with... water and medical supplies.

That's why we trust this man. He doesn't send out "words" flippantly and his bible studies are always balanced, solid and centered on the Word of God. For those of you outside of the U.S. please pray for us. For those inside the U.S. please pray for discernment and ears to hear whatever the Lord may be speaking to you.

So, today, this was on his web site.
http://www.davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/2009/03/urgent-message.html

Another report that just came out is regarding Billy Grahams ministry.
http://www.christianpost.com/Ministries/Outreach/2009/02/ministry-leaders-world-s-bad-news-and-good-reveal-end-is-near-12/page1.html

The Two Messages. Websites' URLs above.

AN URGENT MESSAGE

I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run...no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON

- § -

Ministry Leaders: World's Bad News and Good Reveal End is Near
By Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Feb. 12 2009 05:57 PM EST

The end is near.

“We’re looking at the end of human history,” said Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of renowned evangelist Billy Graham and president of AnGeL Ministries, at the recent convention of the National Religious Broadcasters. “That our generation is the generation that precedes the return of Christ, what a privilege, what a responsibility to share the gospel with the world in this generation.”

Though it’s been said many times before in the past that the end is near, the signs of “the end” are notably clearer for many in this generation than in past ones, whether they’re found in the record number of wars, the world’s environmental calamities, or the increasing number of scandals that lace today’s news – from celebrity assaults and athlete drug use to political corruption and decline in moral values.

“The world is crumbling, isn’t it? And it’s unraveling. And I don’t think it’s going to get better,” Graham Lotz told thousands of Christian media professionals during a general session at the recently concluded NRB Convention. “I think superficially, maybe, but it’s not really going to get better, not if what we’re experiencing is the judgment of God, which I believe it is.”
Of course, amid the chaos and crises in the world, there have also been advances and developments, many of which have been increasingly utilized by believers for the proclamation of the gospel. However, even in the positive developments, ministry leaders see an end approaching.

“We see that maybe for the first time, because of the technology available to us today, we can say, ‘This may be the generation in which we reach the entire world for Christ,’” says NRB president and CEO Dr. Frank Wright, whose association comprises over 1,400 Christian media organizations.

Whether it is social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, more tools are being created and utilized to reach out to people and spread the message of Christ. Last year, over 3 million decisions for Christ were reportedly made through the internet alone, and some 5 million more are projected for 2009. According to the Internet Evangelism Coalition, an umbrella group of online ministries, 1.5 billion people now access the Web for a wide range of activities.

“I’ve watched God operate through the years and I’ve seen Him do incredible things and much more incredible things in the last 5-10 years,” says Campus Crusade for Christ International president Steve Douglass, who spent all of his adult career in ministry and personally believes the Great Commission will be fulfilled in the next decade.

Aside from the internet, very fruitful ministry methods have been and are being continually developed, scripture translation is expanding rapidly, and believers are praying, planning, and more at one now than they have been in the past centuries, says Douglass.

“It’s not going to be ‘business as usual’ for the church anymore,” he told some 300 attendees of the North American Call2All Congress in Dayton, Ohio, last month. “We are experiencing increasing shakings all around the world; this is a prelude to the greatest ingathering into God’s Kingdom we have ever seen.

“The time is now,” Douglass exclaimed. “It is imperative we plan and work together to see the Great Commission completed.”

In her message this week during the NRB Convention in Nashville, Graham Lotz also emphasized the importance of unity among believers as “the time clock of human history is winding down.”

“Let’s bring integrity back, and unity ... at least let’s bring it back in the Church,” she said after having acknowledged division in the Church as a spiritual sign of the End Times.

“God’s people need to be people of integrity and humility and purity and unity,” she said. “We need to do all we can to set wrongs right and to reach out to other people so that we’re united with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ because ... in these last days, we need each other."

“We need to encourage each other and strengthen each other and pray for each other,” Graham Lotz exhorted. “It’s going to take us together to withstand the onslaught of the enemy in order to lift up Jesus in these last days. “

From Saturday to Tuesday, over six thousand Christian ministry and media representatives gathered in Nashville for this year’s NRB Convention, looking for new tools, services, and relationships to expand their ministries and to get up to speed on the latest advances in Christian radio, television and internet media.

Keynote speakers included Graham Lotz, John McArthur, and Charles Stanley, among others.

END OF MESSAGES

Walk With Me
sung by Ernie Haas & The Signature Sound
Courtesy of YouTube

DUNAMIN TES ANASTASEOS

The Power of His Resurrection

The Resurrection of Jesus is a unique event in all of human history. It is of paramount significance to all believers.

Caravaggio, Jesus and Thomas

Both before and after Jesus, there were various people who were restored to life again that are cited in the scriptures: the son of the widow of Zerephath, the son of the Shunammite woman, the recently-dead Israelite who was thrown into Elisha’s tomb and touched his bones, the son of the widow of Nain, Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter at Capernaum, Lazarus of Bethany, Dorcas of Joppa, the sleepy boy Eutychus at Troas [1 Kings 17:8-27, 2 Kings 4:8-37, 2 Kings 13:20-22, Luke 7:11-16. Matthew 9:18-26. Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56. John 11, Acts 9:36-42, Acts 20:7-12].

Another possible instance of resuscitation to life from death was Jonah, the reluctant prophet sent to Nineveh, after being swallowed by a great fish prepared by the Lord; depending on how one interprets his prayer from the ‘belly of hell [Sheol]’ –whether it was poetic hyperbole or truthfully literal. “From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry… The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God" [Jonah 2:1. 5-6]. In either case, Jesus referred to the sign of Jonah to foretell His impending death, burial and resurrection [Matthew 12:38-40, 16:1-4, Luke 11:29-30].

In all aforementioned precursors, the people raised from death lived mundane lives, aged, weakened and eventually died a second time: happy exceptions to the general norm in Hebrews 9, ‘man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…’ But when Jesus rose again bodily, -- leaving an empty tomb behind, appearing to more than 500 eyewitnesses for a period of 40 days, inspiring most of them to courageously die in martyrdom for preaching the gospel, -- He was resurrected to live forever, to intercede to the Father for us, to await His appointed time to reclaim the earth. [Hebrews 7:24-25, Revelation 11:15-16]. His glorified body is forever immune to pain, disease or decay, prevailing over the very laws and forces of nature.

The gospel preached by Paul and the Apostles focuses on three essential points: that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose again on the third day. [1 Corinthians 15:3, Acts 2:23-24]. Without Jesus’ Resurrection, our faith is worthless, futile. The weary, stale, flat and unprofitable condition of life in this world would be left utterly with neither hope nor meaning. Righteousness that is imputed to us by faith comes with this declaration and confident belief: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved [Romans 10:6, 9]. So what is it about the resurrection of Jesus that makes so profoundly significant for those who believe?

Firstly, the resurrection proves the Jesus is the Son of God. John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and simultaneously heard the Father name Jesus as His Beloved Son; Peter, John and James heard the same words when they witnessed His Transfiguration. Various prophecies from Adam and Eve to Joseph and Mary declare the same affirmation. Conclusively, the resurrection is visible and irrefutable evidence to many that Jesus is who He claimed to be: the great I AM, as He declared under oath to Caiphas and the Sanhedrin [Matthew 26:63-64, Mark 14:61-62]. “Through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” [Romans 1:4].

The resurrection completes Jesus’ mission to accomplish the salvation and regeneration of all repentant believers. God declared that the condemnation Jesus suffered for our sin was annulled and cancelled. Jesus fully paid the price, the penalty for our sins. He was made sin for us though He Himself was without sin. “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” He challenged unbelieving Pharisees [John 9:46]. Being sinless, therefore undeserving of the wages of sin -death, - “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” [Acts 2:24]. For us, Jesus’ rising bodily from the dead is a sign that God approvingly accepted the payment Jesus made, writing ‘Tetelestai’ on our statements of account. Those accounts are settled. Forever!

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” [Romans 4:25]

Thirdly, His resurrection confirms Jesus’ sovereignty over life and death, thereby assuring us of our own future resurrection and glorification. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living [Romans 14:9].

After healing the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, on a Sabbath day, Jesus had an argument with several outraged Jews. Here, He said: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation [John 5:24-29] Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is [1 John 3:2].

For diligent students of the Scripture, there are many more reasons to be found, other than these three mentioned here, on the significance of the resurrection. For now, these three are more than sufficient for us to rejoice in Jesus Christ, who promised:

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. [John 14:19].

- End-

Astronomical anomaly sows tumult, mass hysteria

A strange, radiant light has been recently reported to be hovering above Bethlehem’s night sky in Judea, prompting the Babylon-based Mysterious Astronomical, and Geophysical Incidents (MAGI) bureau to dispatch a team of astronomers to investigate the incident.

“It may be a planetary conjunction, a comet, or a nova. No one really knows for sure,” according to MAGI’s press statement circulating in newsrooms yesterday. “Weird events are reportedly happening out there; it may be a Divine sign that the political turmoil in Judea is coming to a head.”

Bethlehem, a nondescript locale 6 miles south of the Judean capital city of Jerusalem, is the scene of a spate of bizarre events which has spurred the Royal House of Herod in Jerusalem to impose stringent security measures in the area. A group of shepherds were reportedly rounded up for rumor-mongering. One of them allegedly confessed that an intergalactic visitor named Angel Gabriel urged them to visit a newly-born baby who is reportedly the true heir to the throne of David.

Similar “angel” tales abound in the area and may have links to the appearance of this strange light. Some locals have attributed it to references of a heavenly vision in the Jewish Scriptures. “It’s the Shekinah Glory, the dwelling presence of God on earth! That’s why it is so bright!” exclaimed an innkeeper who refused to be identified for fear of possible arrest.

Authorities have dismissed these reports as a product of “mass hallucination” and “hyperactive imaginations” brought about by “bouts of melancholia” that often afflicted randy shepherds long accustomed to chasing loose women. “How can they claim that it was an angel? Angels are supposed to have wings, eh? Besides, how could a baby mount a revolt?” asked Herod Antipas, son and likely heir of Herod the Great, in an ambush interview two days ago as he was leaving the Temple’s entrance.

Palace insiders disclose, however, that the king’s orders for vigilance in the town of David betray a growing concern over a perceived political threat. Chief priests and teachers of the law were allegedly executed after linking the purported birth of the Messiah-king in Bethlehem to a prophecy.

In a related development, the Judean health ministry is currently validating reports of unsanitary birthing practices in Bethlehem. Rumors of a young girl’s birth to a baby boy in an animal stable have prompted local health authorities to evaluate child-delivery services and facilities. In recent months, the influx of census registrants and taxpayers has put a strain to the fragile infrastructure in Bethlehem, resulting in overcrowded houses and inns.

Bloggers’ note: We have just presented a likely news story that could have headlined a newspaper at the time of Jesus’ birth, if newspapers were already in existence back then. We find little difference in the worldview described in the gospels and the one we see today: any good news, especially of the miraculous kind, is met with sensationalism at best and skepticism at worst. All too often, we simply find it hard to understand, much less believe, that a Very Important Person was born 2,000 years ago in the most humble of circumstances only to die for inconsequential mortals like you and me. Perhaps we are too caught up with sentimental scenes of shepherds and kings hovering over a new-born baby in a manger. Or maybe too engrossed with our gift lists to bother seeing beyond Santa Claus and puto bumbong. Yet the message remains the same despite the passing of time: the Messiah came to this world to die…so that we may live and be reconciled with God. The Christmas crib leads us all the way to the cross at Calvary. On Christmas day, instead of being swept off by the revelries, why not take the journey back to understanding what Jesus’ coming means to humanity? Take the Bible as your navigator and discover what your Savior has done for you. We invite you to join us in the succeeding pages and find out why we rejoice in Jesus Christ.

AN EVANGEL OF L♥VE

I had first met Toni in an Internet prayer website; later on I learned that due to a previous severe injury to her vertebra there is no medical reason why she should be walking around and actively serving the Lord in counseling ministry, not to mention her loving husband, Peter, as well as raising their four godly children. After ten years she has just finished writing Reclaiming Victory In Jesus Christ, a bible-study book for pastors and anyone who wants to fulfill the Great Commission. Their website is http://reclaimingvictory.org/.

The church they pastor is Rushing Wind Fellowship in Tigard, Oregon.

Here is her true story that she shared with me last Christmas; with her permission, it is my joy to share this with others.

THE HUMMELS
by Toni DePaoli

My father’s parents lived very simply in a small, run-down duplex on the old side of New Rochelle, New York. Come Christmas time, that little apartment became the Mecca of delicious old-world cookies and pastries. Besides the Christmas tree that Grandpa would string with Grandma’s cookies, their only other decoration was the nativity set.

Grandma’s nativity was a limited edition set of fine porcelain made by Hummel. There were three wise men, Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus in his manger, a cow and donkey, a couple of shepherds and an angel. Most of the pieces stood about eight inches high and were painted in muted earth tones. Each Christmas Grandma would make a grand production of displaying the Hummels in her place of honor for all to see…on top of their portable television set.

Grandma would always take the time to walk me up to the nativity and lovingly point out one piece or another. Each visit, I was promised that someday this wonderful nativity set would be passed on to me. I would just sit and stare at them with little-girl wonder year after year. For twenty five years I would watch those pieces with the same awe. My sentiment for them would deepen with each holiday. As I grew and left home, memories of Grandma and Grandpa would always be of big Italian meals, Christmas cookies and the Hummels.

My family had many changes as I grew. My parents divorced and remarried. I moved to Oregon when I married in 1980. Grandpa passed away in 1984. Finally, in 1990 Grandma passed away on the day she finished knitting a baby sweater for my fourth child, my first daughter who would be born a month later.

Soon after, my father called me and asked me for a favor. “You were always promised the Hummels. I know that. But I would like to hang on to them for now. I want to put them out each Christmas just like mom did, but you will get them…I promise.” It truly never occurred to me that the Hummels meant as much to others as they did to me. How could I deny him this tradition?

Understanding his attachment, I voiced a concern. If Dad were to display the Hummels every Christmas, it would establish a tradition with his new family. I pictured them growing as attached to the nativity as he and I were. I couldn’t even imagine giving up this wonderfully tender part of my history with my grandparents; it was all I had left of them.

My dad promised that, no matter what, one day he would see that the Hummels would be in my possession. He had even come up with a plan to mail them. He would put each figure in a small box filled with foam and then put each small box in a huge box and surround it with packing “popcorn”. Each box would be mailed separately. He was certain that this would insure the safe arrival of each valuable piece on the long trip from New York to Oregon.

Five years later, my father, who was rarely sick and even more infrequently went to the doctors, called to tell me that his concerned wife had coerced him to get a checkup because of the flu like symptoms he had experienced for quite some time.

After telling me about his appointment, Dad told me to keep a look-out for a box he had sent. He would often send little gifts for the kids or me. His boxes had a reputation all their own and always brought a laugh. No matter how inexpensive the contents, sometimes he just sent a pencil, Dad would send everything receipt requested, unrealistically insured and packed in enough popcorn to feed a herd of elephants. The popcorn was his own twist because he loved to think of my four little ones gleefully spreading it all over the house…which they did with gusto. It would always give him a big belly laugh when I’d recount how I’d find packing popcorn under someone’s pillow or in their shoes.

Dad called a few days later to tell me that he had advanced liver cancer. He was given a prognosis of six months to live. I was devastated. How could this be? The man was never sick! That night and many others to come I cried myself sick.

A few days after Dad’s call the postman came to the door and handed me a large box. As I took it from him I could hear “clink, clink, and clink!” Whatever was inside was broken. The package wasn’t insured, which was very unusual for my dad, so I figured it wasn’t anything important, just some funny little joke of his.

My children crowded around as I opened the box to see what used to be inside. I had been squatting next to the box as I opened it. When I saw its contents I fell flat back with a thump and just stared openmouthed. To my absolute horror I saw what was left of the Hummels. It was obvious from the first glance that the pieces were shattered.

For whatever reason, Dad had simply wrapped each figure in a paper towel, put them all together in the box, one on top of the other with just a couple handfuls of “popcorn” thrown in for good measure. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Like a widow piecing through the ravages of an earthquake looking for her loved ones I pulled each piece out of the box. I cried as I lifted Mary with her shattered dress and arm, her head hanging down being held on by the inner material used to support the fine porcelain. As I lifted every paper towel the pieces disintegrated in my hands. The cow was in at least twenty pieces. It sounds silly, I know, but I sat on my floor and cried over that old cow.

My children looked on with wide eyes while I choked back sobs. Joseph, like Mary, had his head broken off and was hanging by a string. My four-year-old daughter thought Joseph looked like our friend and commented sadly, “Look, Mommy. Mike Banke’s head falled off!” It made me laugh and then cry all the harder.

I was sick with grief. All the years of hoping and waiting for this wonderful set, and now look at it! It was like losing Grandma all over again and now, if possible, it made my father’s coming death all the more devastating. I couldn’t look any more. I closed the box and set it in my room.

When my husband came home that night he knew something was wrong as soon as he opened the door. My four little heralds ran to meet him with the news. He thought they were just rambling until he looked at my face. I couldn’t even talk to him. I just choke up and turned away. The kids led him to the bedroom and pointed to the box as I numbly followed behind. Peter knew how much the Hummels meant to me. When he looked inside at the shattered contents he got choked up and said, “Oh, Honey. I’m so sorry. Oh, Honey, Honey, look at this. Oh, no! What happened? “

Later that evening, when I could talk without crying, I told my husband that even though the Hummels were destroyed I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the shattered bits. I wanted to keep them in the box for now until I could figure out what to do.

A few days later I spoke with my father. He asked if the Hummels had arrived. I simply told him that they had gotten there, but never told him HOW they arrived. I just thanked him and said I hoped it didn’t cause any problems between him and his wife. He assured me it didn’t and then said, “Well, honey, now you can keep the tradition going and pass them on to your children. Grandma would be so happy.”

I hung up the phone and the tears flowed again. In fact, every time I would look at the box in my closet or tell one of my friends about it, I would get all choked up. The box stayed in my closet, filled with broken pieces, stashed away under important papers and old clothes.

Two years passed and one day my husband arranged for a babysitter for the kids and said he was taking me for a ride with him to Dundee, Oregon, a one-traffic-light town stuck between other little towns. We didn’t know anyone there and the town wasn’t known for any particular place of interest. Why on earth were we going to Dundee? Peter just smiled and led the way.

We pulled up to a simple house and a young woman met us at the door beaming. Peter introduced her as Kelly and she greeted me with familiar warmth, even though I didn’t know her from Adam. I looked confused at Peter and he just smiled. Then Kelly said excitedly, “They’re in the dining room. Go on in.” Peter bowed as if he were the headwaiter of a great restaurant and gestured for me to go ahead.

There on the table was a Hummel nativity identical to mine. I wistfully looked at it and said, “Oh, look! It’s just like Grandma’s.” Peter, who got all choked up, said in a husky voice, “It is Grandma’s.”

My heart skipped and my eyes watered and I whispered, “What do you mean ‘it is Grandmas’?” Peter explained it grieved him to see me all broken up about the Hummels. Because he knew how much they meant to me he had searched and searched to find someone to restore the broken pieces. Kelly’s talent was her ability to repair broken porcelain and glass. She smiled and said it was her therapy.

I could not believe it. This truly was Grandma’s Hummels, those shattered splinters, completely restored.

From a distance, you would never be able to tell there was a break or a crack. I walked slowly toward them as if in a dream. I absolutely could not believe what I was seeing. Upon very close examination I could only see a slight line around some of the necks, otherwise the paint was the same and each figure was whole.

I didn’t want to touch them in case they would shatter. Kelly assured me they were as good as new and safe to handle. She went on to tell us the painstaking process she had gone through. Her greatest triumph was when she had one little piece to find, a pinky finger, which was stuck inside one of the pieces of popcorn. She explained that the only true difference was that the pieces, which before were possibly worth thousands, now had no value.

Grandma’s set. I almost couldn’t breathe as I looked through tear-filled eyes. There it was. Grandma’s Hummels. Kelly charged us less than $80 for the priceless gift my husband had just given to me.

Through the years, God has woven a story in my heart created by the Hummels. Only one of the twelve pieces wasn’t broken; the baby Jesus. God is always there, whole, when everything else seems to be falling apart. When my life seems shattered, totally in splinters and looks beyond repair, He is the one who can put all of the pieces together to make something even more precious than it was before.

Each Christmas, just like my father and his parents before him, we lovingly set out the Nativity set in a special place. Each year I turn the cow upside down. Underneath you can see the many cracks where the pieces were fit together. Those cracks bring a flow of liquid love to my eyes for a husband who shared my grief and brought such joy, for the love of generations that were and the generations to come that will love the Hummels.

-The End-

We Need a Little Christmas from the movie Auntie Mame
Sung by The Lettermen
Courtesy of YouTube

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD…”
- Isaiah 61:1-2

My Search for the Messiah

I searched for the Messiah in churches and cathedrals with their stained-glass windows, high-ceiling domes and jutting spires as though reaching out to heavens in supplication…

But I realized that the Messiah could not be confined on cold marble, pale ceramic, twisted metal, and other handiworks of men because the earth is God’s footstool.

I searched in vain for the Messiah on the pollution-smeared skies above, the denuded mountaintops, the garbage-filled beaches, the sadness mirrored in eyes of animals doomed to die…

But I could only see the shallow traces of His creative powers in the natural world that continues to groan from its bondage of decay.

I searched for the Messiah in other people’s company, hoping that they have innate goodness in their nature that would lead me closer to my quest…

But I found out that humankind is inherently evil and humanity has been mired in sin since Adam’s fall and there is madness in the hearts of men.

I searched for the Messiah in the pleasures of this world and the path that I hoped would lead me to success, glory, and fulfillment in life…

But I realized that the search for worldly pleasures and wisdom was just the “vanity of all vanities”; that there’s nothing new under the sun; that everything is meaningless; and the same destiny overtakes all: death.

I thought I could find Him by capturing the essence of Christmas festivity which commemorates His advent…

But I got lost amid the swirl of shopping frenzies of the crowd, images of Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman in a winter wonderland, and the gross materialism that have obscured the significance of His incarnation.

I looked deep inside of me, trying to discover or awaken the so-called miracle in me, as what the New Agers and “feel-good” preachers foist on the unsuspecting crowd…

But I only became too acutely aware of my own sins and shortcomings and the great chasm between me and God.

I searched for the Messiah on the pages of the Scripture without the guidance of the Holy Spirit…

But I could not understand why He has not returned after leaving this planet 2,000 years ago.
I did not find the Messiah.

In fact, He was the one who found me. I was in His heart and mind before the foundation of this world. He has always loved me before the advent of time. “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons …” (Ephesians 1: 4-5).

He was thinking of me -an inconsequential sinner, when He left His glorious place in heaven to be born in a lowly manger.

His thoughts were with sinners like me headed for eternal damnation when He endured the pain, the shame, and the humiliation while hanging at the cross.

And all I ever needed was to respond to His love and grace by asking Jesus to enter my life and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Now, I know that the Messiah lives in me as He walks with me through the snares and vicissitudes of life. I have finally realized that He has not really left this world but the Holy Spirit continues to live in the hearts of millions of believers as His kingdom advances to the end of this age.