Visiting soloist inspires
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Music was the highlight again this week as Kim Ouderkirk of Chambers, NY visited our church and sang, “In the Presence of Jehovah” in her rich alto voice. God’s Spirit ministered to the congregation as she sang. Pastor Kelvin followed with an Eastertide message on the importance of the eye-witness accounts of Scripture and how they strengthen our faith. Since the Bible contains several accounts from different witnesses and since those accounts have been carefully preserved, our belief in the real resurrection of Jesus has a strong foundation in recorded history. Yet there have always been those who would deny the resurrection of Jesus or seek to spiritualize it while denying the event itself. But the apostles testify to the reality of the resurrection, pastor said.
For the apostles, being an eye-witness to the resurrection and telling about what they had seen was part of their essential responsibilities. Repeatedly in the book of Acts, we see Peter’s emphasis upon the eye-witness nature of the testimony they gave. When called before the rulers, Peter spoke out.
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Acts 3:15
Pastor Kelvin also taught why the real resurrection of Jesus was so important to us. He reminded us that Jesus resurrected is part of the foundation of so much of what we believe. In 1 Cor. 15:13-19, Paul speaks of the disastrous consequences of trying to have a Christian religion without a resurrection. He tells us:
- Without resurrection, there is no forgiveness and no rescue from the power of sin.
- Without resurrection there is no hope for life after death.
- Without resurrection, the witnesses are shown to be liars.
“But,” Paul exclaims, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead (v. 20).”
Rev. Jones also reminded us that Jesus made many claims that require his resurrection for them to be fulfilled. For examples,
- Jesus predicted he would rise from the dead after three days (Matt. 12:40).
- He also said he would raise his followers from the dead (John 6:38,39).
- He said he had the power of life and that he would one day judge the world (John 5:25-27).
Such claims are preposterous unless the one who makes them rises from the dead as Jesus did! The real resurrection of Jesus also assures us of the reality of the present ministries of Jesus. Think about how the Bible pictures the living Christ.
- The Bible says that Jesus “always lives to intercede” for us” (Heb. 7:25).
- The Apostle John writes that Jesus is today our advocate at the Father’s right hand (1 John 2:1).
- Paul describes Him as now exalted and given a name above every name (Phil 2:9-11, Eph. 1:19-22)
- In Revelation Jesus is the mighty living figure moving among the churches (Rev. 1:12-20)
- John saw Jesus as the living Lamb of God by the throne of God (Rev. 5:6-10)
- In his visions of the future, John described Jesus as a coming mighty warrior on a white horse (Rev. 19:11-21)
All these pictures demand a living, resurrected, and ascended Christ!
Pastor Kelvin concluded with a startling thought. He suggested that sometimes we need to ask ourselves, “Am I living like my Savior is dead? Do I have an expectation in my life that the living Christ is at work in my life?”
Pastor mused that all of us go through disappointments, discouragements, and failures, and it’s very easy for us to let those things overcome us; it’s only human. But when we continue like that, we have to confess that right then, we’re not living like children of the resurrection. Instead, we need to ask God to help give us new perspective, new beginnings, and new hope!
“When we trust God’s goodness, our disappointments are never dead-ends.”
Susan Narjala in YouVersion Devotional “Tackling Disappointment”
Because of the real resurrection of Jesus, he can always be to us, as the book of Romans says, the God of hope and encouragement (Rom. 15:5,13)! He can always be for us the God of new horizons and new possibilities! Because Jesus is alive, he can walk on the waters of our storm-tossed existence and calm the storm or calm our fears or both. Because he is alive, miracles still happen! Because he is alive, we can draw near to the throne of God with confidence!