I will put my trust in the living God!

According to Paul in Rom 4: 17 our God is “the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not, as though they were.”

I believe in God the Father, almighty Creator of heaven and earth. Everything good that we see and experience, he called out of nothing and they are witnesses of his glorious power and love. He sustains his creation and keeps all of us through his love.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord!
God gave Jesus life and victory and our Lord has all authority in heaven and earth.

I believe in the Holy Spirit who teaches me how great my God is and that the salvation through the Son makes me a child of God.

Therefore I will not be troubled.  I will trust in in the living God. And I will trust in Jesus Christ my Saviour, my King and my Lord.
Because he is alive, I will live through him. And because I love Jesus, God will love me too!

Resurrection is both good, and terrifying news!

Resurrections are great news because they happen so rarely. But because it is so unexpected, the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest and most significant event in the history of mankind.

The Bible records only a mere 10 separate resurrection miracles. It is something rare, something unusual, something marvelous, something exciting and something wonderful.

The resurrection of Jesus was entirely unexpected. It was also entirely different from the other 10 resurrections, because later on all the others died again, but Jesus lives forever. His ascension to heaven testifies that he lives at the Father’s right hand and rules and reigns over everything and that he is the Head of the Church, forever.

The resurrection is great news, because death no longer rules and loss is no longer irreversible.  The sting of death was removed. Death was reversed.  Jesus was crucified. But now "He has risen!" Disciples who were scattered and confused and without hope because of the crucifixion, became enthused and excited about Messiah Jesus again.

But the resurrection is not only good news.  It is also terrifying news.

When our culture thinks of Easter it thinks of Easter candy, bunnies and colorful eggs. Easter is for many a time for new clothes and holidays and celebrations.

But when we think of the resurrection of Jesus we should be filled with a sense of awe, fear, terror, astonishment, amazement, and reverence. We know we are in the presence of an unexpected event that removes death's sting and takes away death's loss.

So what is so terrifying about the resurrection? Someone said that the only two certain things in life are death and taxes. But now death does not look so certain anymore.  Jesus rose from death and promised us that we too will be raised.

So, to be true to the Gospel means that after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church has to speak out with a frightening message and a terrifying call: Your life does not end in death! You now have to consider the eternal consequences and purposes of your life.  

The resurrection story ends only on the day of our own resurrection! The resurrection story will only end when those who died with Christ at the cross are raised to a new life with him and in him.  It ends when we put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature and instead put on the new self of love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  

The story of the resurrection of Christ is completed in the lives of those who know that the resurrection is more than rare and unexpected:

It removes death's sting and takes away death's loss.

And it urgently calls us to be ready to live the resurrection life of Jesus, here and now, and for all eternity!

Eastertide - from Easter Sunday till Ascension Day!

Eastertide lasts from Easter Sunday which we celebrated on 5 April till Ascension Day that we will celebrate 40 days later, on Thursday 14 May at 19:00. All Christian worship testifies to the resurrection of Christ and we meet every week on the on the first day of the week to express our devotion and awe because we serve a risen Saviour whom was raised on the first day of the week. We worship every Sunday to say testify to the world that we serve a risen Saviour.  Our Sunday worship always speaks of the critical importance of the Resurrection to every Christian and all of humanity.

But as the resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of our faith, we also have a Season until Ascension Day that we call Eastertide – a Season of focused learning about the impact on our lives when we say that "Jesus Christ is risen indeed."

Celebrating Eastertide is not duplicating Easter Sunday forty times over. No, it is allocating enough time to reflect upon the impact, the meaning and delight of the truth of serving a living Lord.

Two angels appeared to the women who visited the tomb on that first Easter Sunday. The angels reminded them of Christ's predictions about the cross and the grave, the crucifixion and the resurrection. "Remember?" they asked. Then they remembered the words of Jesus and understood what he had said to them: that he must die and must be raised. Then they believed that Jesus truly is alive. (Luke 24:8)

Only then did they believe and their sorrows were changed into joy.

On Resurrection Sunday the veil was lifted.

Finally people saw the risen Christ and believed his message that (Lk 24:7) the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

The message that Christ is risen indeed turns sorrow into joy, death into life and defeat into victory. For the disciples of Jesus, the resurrection was a wonderful, beautiful, exciting surprise.

Surprise, death! Surprise, sin! Surprise, mourning disciples!

Surprise, post-modern humanity!

Surprise! He's alive! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

(Rom 4:25) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Easter Sunday! Resurrection power displayed!

Resurrection Sunday as the crown of all Christian worship, inspires every Sunday worship service of the year. The Resurrection power of Jesus Christ is displayed. We are equipped to live for the glory of God every day of our lives, until the end and at the end! 

It is the most inspirational Sunday Worship one can celebrate!  Resurrection Sunday, and therefore every Sunday, is a feast of worship and praise, because Jesus triumphed over death and over all our enemies.

The basic truth of Resurrection Sunday summarises the Gospel: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

During Eastertide reflect deeply on the many-sided meaning of our Lord’s resurrection:

•You can meditate on what his resurrection says about who Jesus Christ really is – the all powerful and righteous Son of God - (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:25-28) and then, in his power,  seek his life and his justice for all.

• Ask what it means that the power and might of the risen Jesus is available to Christians today (Ephesians 1:15-23).

• Try to find the meaning of the truth that “our death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54-56).

• Think of how the resurrection of Jesus assures of our redemption, victory and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).

Eastertide allows us to think deeply about what the resurrection of Jesus means to me personally, to the Church of Christ, to our nation and to the whole world.

Let’s continue to keep watch with Jesus while the world rages against him and his body on earth!

Let’s learn to live the resurrection life.

Good Friday

Good Friday is a solemn day of remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, because both the sins of the world and our personal sin caused the punishment, death and suffering of our Lord. 

Yet, although Good Friday is a somber commemoration, it is not without its own joy, for while we want to contrast the joy of Resurrection to the solemn sadness of Good Friday, the gravity of Good Friday is a prophecy of the hope of Resurrection Sunday.

We always observe Good Friday, well knowing that Resurrection Sunday is coming soon!

Traditionally we remember the words of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday...

May our Lord richly bless us as we remember, as we believe and as we commit anew to serve him, when we see, hear and experience God’s divine love this holy week.
Let’s keep watch with Jesus....