T.J.I.F.A.
THANK JESUS IT’S FRIDAY AGAIN!
FRIDAY MAY 27, 2011
MEMORIAL DAY 2011 IS UPON US. LET US FLY OUR FLAGS, AND SING OUR SONGS OF PRAISE
TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST FOR OUR HOME ON HIGH AND OUR HOMELAND AND
FOR THE MANY LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN SACRIFICED FOR OUR FREEDOM.
SUBJECT: ‘IS THERE REST FOR THE WEARY?’
NOTEWORTHY: FAITH OR EMOTION BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
TJIFA’S BOOKSHELF: ARE YOU COMING WITH US?
REVELATION? OUR HEBREW/JEWISH HISTORY
QUICK QUOTES: VARIOUS CONTRIBUTORS
MILLSTONE…FORBID THEM NOT! OH NO! NOT HIM/HER AGAIN!
THINK ON THESE THINGS: HOW MANY DRUGS DO YOU TAKE?
TESTIMONY TIME: L. LEWIS’ HEALING TESTIMONY
FRIDAY’S WORD: RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
IN THE MIRROR: “I HAVE AN IDEA”
O TASTE AND SEE! COCONUT OIL ROASTED SWEET POTATOES – NOW WE’RE
COOKING! A WONDERFUL SIDE DISH WITH PLENTY OF NUTRIENTS CONTRIBUTED BY A LONG
TIME READER OF TJIFA – THANKS V.I.
LOOKING FORWARD…
SEE YA NEXT TIME!
TER and TJIFA STAFF
WILL THE WEARY FIND REST?
ISAIAH 28: 12-28 (KJV)
“12To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary
to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13But the word
of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon
line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go,
and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people
which is in Jerusalem. 15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with
death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall
pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and
under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner
stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17Judgment
also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail
shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding
place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement
with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
then ye shall be trodden down by it.”
There was a lot of conversation in the city, since the Crucifixion of Jesus.
The women rushed to the wash place where they secretly spoke in undertones to
one another. Many rumored that they had seen Jesus since the horrid ordeal;
but typically, they were the kind to spread untruths, so no one believed them.
There was one woman, in fact about six who spoke little, and listened much.
These women were the wives of the Roman Centurions who had the task of crucifixion.
They huddled together, and talked so low that only amongst themselves could
their whispers be deciphered, and did not share one word with the others. They
looked burdened with their thoughts. Only they could remedy the gossip that
now plagued the women of the city; but their mouths were shut. Many conjured
that they were in fear of their fierce husbands, and so they too, only watched
as they huddled together helplessly…or secretively.
One woman, in particular, decided that she would find out from her husband if
the rumors were true or false. That night she interrupted his tossing, turning,
and thrashing in bed and asked him, “Is it true that the Jesus you crucified
is now alive?” Just as she supposed, his anger belched forth before any
comprehensible words. He screamed. “Don’t you ever ask me that again.
A wife’s place is to…” Before he could finish the sentence,
he broke into a treacherous sobbing that shook the very contents of the bed.
“What have I done?” She thought. She had never seen him so angry
or so violent. She could only imagine that this Centurion was about to rid the
city of a bothersome wife. She closed her eyes blotting out the night darkness,
and silently prayed. She wondered about the other wives who also, came together
in this silly scheme plotting to question their Centurion husbands. She thought.
“This was a bad idea.” Trembling, she kept her eyes closed, not
wanting to be confronted by her enraged husband.
As if the stars had ears, he grabbed her, cupped his hand over her ear, and
said, “Only the darkness can find these words to you. He is alive! The
tombstone was rolled away by Angels, accompanied by loud bursts of horns, music,
and unbearable light. Nothing I’ve ever seen before. The console paid
us to keep quiet. I must find Him; because I believe in Him. I must go! If anyone
asks you where I am, tell them that I have gone mad.” He opened a purse,
and gave her living for six months. He then left the house, telling her to secure
the door.
She tried to wake up; but she wasn’t asleep. She tried to get up; but
her body wouldn’t move. She felt for her husband; but the bed was vacant.
She shook violently, tears ran down her face. She had never been so terrified
in all of her life. She witnessed, in the dark, her husband go mad, and couldn’t
describe it even if she tried. She found herself walking toward the door, being
an obedient wife. She clutched the coins, the only thing that he left with her.
In the dark, alone she wondered if it was true. What good did it do to question
her husband? She still wondered if it was true. Now it was her turn to cry and
to get extremely upset with herself and her friends.
She fell on her knees, crying and begging GOD for the Truth. With her eyes still
closed, she could feel a warmth settle over her. There was Peace in the room,
and a Quiet Presence. Her eyes were still closed; but she could see Light, a
Great Light. Oh no! She had also gone mad. Well, it felt wonderful. Her crying
ceased, and all of a sudden, she knew the Truth. She knew that Jesus was the
Resurrection and the Life. She knew that He did rise on the third day as He
had said that He would. She knew that her husband was not mad, and she knew
that she must tell this Truth to her friends, and to anyone who would listen.
This was the Truth that every Hebrew anxiously awaited. Jesus Christ is the
Messiah. The Only Begotten of GOD, and indeed He did rise from the dead.
Jesus said. Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.”
Is there rest for the weary? Only in Jesus Christ. To those who have no Christ,
there is no rest. This Centurion knew the Truth, he was confronted by Him on
a dark night, when the tomb stone was rolled away. No one could talk him out
of what he saw and knew. There was no amount of money that could buy his testimony
of Truth. He had to know more about this Jesus, Christ, and the only way known
to the Centurion was to go and talk with the Risen Christ. We do not have the
luxury of actually talking to Jesus in that manner; however, we do and can receive
all of His work on Calvary, and make Him our Lord and Savior. Then and only
then he has Dominion and will lead and guide us into all Righteousness. He and
only He will give you rest.
Readers, what keeps you awake at night? Why are you tossing and turning?
Is there rest for the weary? Yes, there is rest for the weary. The last question
is; “Do you have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?”
Readers, a child does not worry about where his meals come from, nor does he
worry about the rent being paid, nor does he worry about what he will wear.
Why? He has learned to depend on his parents for all the essentials in life.
Parents are always with the child, even if it is only with him mentally. He
can play and study, because the essentials are taken care of by the people to
whom his obedience is pledged…his parents. The parents are not imaginary,
nor make believe. They are alive and capable of managing every detail of the
child’s life. Readers, we are children of The Most High GOD. Jesus Christ,
Our Risen Lord, has given us a promise. “I will never leave you nor forsake
you…” (Interpreted – He’s always there.) Jesus Christ
has also said, through Peter . . . 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
(Interpreted – everything that troubles you, I can take care of.)
The engulfing appearance of death had no sting, the grave’s attempt to
capture Him was not successful. They had to slither back into the darkness from
whence they came.
Weary Christians, knowing these few facts, get comfortable, adorn yourself in
pajamas, slip way down under the covers, after you plump your pillow, and REST!
LOOKING FORWARD— TO THAT FINAL REST… (WHERE THERE’S NO MORE
SORROW, NO MORE PAIN, NO MORE CRYING, AND NO MORE DYING.)
SEE YA NEXT TIME!
TER
NOTEWORTHY: FAITH NOT EMOTION
Faith—Not Emotion
“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
For a while, we are fully aware of God’s concern for us. But then, when
God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and talk
only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is trying to make
us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would
be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems
that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated
saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to
have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint
is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely
unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do
the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power
to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.
If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration,
it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments
when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again.
But what God wants us to do is to “walk by faith.” How many of us
have set ourselves aside as if to say, “I cannot do anything else until
God appears to me”? He will never do it. We will have to get up on our
own, without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God. Then comes
our surprise and we find ourselves exclaiming, “Why, He was there all
the time, and I never knew it!” Never live for those exceptional moments—they
are surprises. God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees
that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider
our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life—our work is our
standard.
From: “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers
TJIFA’S BOOK SHELF: ARE YOU WITH US?
THE HOLY BIBLE
Dear Readers, The question has been penned. “Are you with us? Are you
going to once again, climb on board the Bible Bus, or have you had just about
enough of Dr. J. Vernon McGee?
I can’t begin to answer that question for you, but I know that this bus
is the most enticing ride that I have ever taken. The prospective of going up
the road, on this Bible Bus again, is glorious. Already, I’ve heard things
that I don’t remember hearing before. May I suggest to you, who are bored
with the trip? Last week I purchased the twenty six MP3 messages of Genesis.
Dr. McGee has left us copies of his lectures on the Book of Genesis, Readers.
It is grand!
My sincere desire is that I, too, will someday have the poignant knowledge that
is exhibited in the discourses of Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
As of the writing of this Newsletter, the Bible Bus has traveled from the Beginning
in Genesis to the Great Flood. (Genesis Chapters 6, 7, &8)There are some
very interesting facts about Noah, the Ark, and the Great Flood:
1.) The entire human family had turned from GOD.
2.) One man walked with GOD and believed GOD…Noah. (By faith Noah…)
3.) There is a striking contrast between the fact that the days of Noah are
to be duplicated before the Lord comes again to the earth, not for the Rapture,
but to establish His Kingdom. 4.) Some remarkable parallels have already taken
place.
5.) Men began to multiply on the earth.
6.) During the Tribulation Period, the Holy Spirit will no longer restrain evil.
7.) GOD’S overtures to men will be despised and rejected, and certainly
they are today.
8.) Noah was an intelligent man; he obeyed GOD.
9.) The ark was not an Ocean going vessel to withstand 50 foot waves, just a
place for life, animal and man to wait out the flood.
10.) Noah did not have to round up the animals; but they came to him.
11.)Noah gathered the food into the ark.
12.) There was enough food for everyone and the animals.
13.) GOD called Noah Righteous (He was Righteous by faith).
14.) When Noah, his family and the animals were securely in the ark, GOD closed
the door. 15.) GOD remembered Noah.
16.) Most Nations and Cultures have their own account of the Great Flood, Creation,
and they are based on the history of Noah, and his account. (Dr. McGee states
that the other accounts are “utterly ridiculous.”)
17.) The clean animals were taken in by seven; because they would be used for
sacrifice.
18.) Noah was 600 years old at the time of the flood.
19.) The waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.
20.) There is an abundance of evidence for the Great Flood both scientific and
historic.
21.) Refer to one of the best books written on this subject: “The Genesis
Flood” by Henry Morris and John C. Whitman.
Readers, if you have lived five years, you have probably been told that the
Great Flood was only in a certain nation, and not worldwide. We must believe
the Word of GOD:
Genesis 6:17-21 (KJV)
17”And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth,
to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and
everything that is in the earth shall die. 18But with thee will I establish
my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife,
and thy sons’ wives with thee. 19And of every living thing of all flesh,
two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee;
they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after
their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every
sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21And take thou unto thee of
all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for
food for thee, and for them.”
GOD said that He would destroy all flesh. A man’s definition of all would
be everyone or everything that he could see or had knowledge of. GOD created
all, and He said that He would destroy all. I am of the mind-set that all means
all. There was only one exception…Noah.
Believe it!
TER
REVELATION? OUR HEBREW/JEWISH HISTORY
John 4:22 (KJV)
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is
of the Jews.”
“There are four major divisions in the human family, and each Gospel is
planted in the direction of one of these segments.
1.) The Gospel of Matthew is written to the Nation Israel, and therefore to
the Religious man. Matthew is like a swinging door swinging back into the Old
Testament gathering up more Old Testament Prophecies than any other Gospel,
and it swings into the New Testament farther than any other one, since only
in the Gospel of Matthew is the Church mentioned.
2.) “Matthew composed this Gospel in the Hebrew tongue for the special
use of those Jews who had believed in Christ, and no longer followed the shadow
of the law after the Revelation of the substance of the Gospel.” Jerome
3.) “Judaism prepared Salvation for mankind; and heathenism prepared mankind
for Salvation.” Dr. Kirt
4.) “The world Religion has been delivered to them. Isn’t it amazing
that though the other Religions of the world are slanted, to a particular group
of people, the Gospel given to a small group, in that day, is the Gospel for
all mankind. They were to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.”
Dr. Gregory
(“That’s something that ought to make the critics think twice.”
Dr. McGee)
NOTE: This subject matter was taken from the Sunday May 1, 2011 Question and
Answer Program with Through the Bible Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
Readers,
“To delete the Hebraic history from our knowledge is tantamount to getting
the best foundational materials, the stones and the mortar, and then attempting
to erect the building in the middle of one of the Great Lakes…take your
pick.” Our desire should be a sincere seeking for our Hebrew, genealogical
roots. Remember that Jesus was Jewish so were His Disciples. How much do we
know about our Jewish history? We probably need to research that, wouldn’t
you think?
TER
QUICK QUOTES:
“Religion has been a curse to mankind. Religion always deals with externality,
rituals, liturgy, forms, rules, with regulations, with ceremonies; with laws;
with ordinances; with rites; with orgies and incantations. GOD gave one religion,
that’s the Mosaic system. Christianity is a Person, and either you have
that Person or you don’t have Him. To have Christ is Salvation, not Religion.”
Dr. J. Vernon McGee
Genesis 5:3-4 (KJV)
”3And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own
likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and
he begat sons and daughters:”
“When Adam was 130 years old, how old was he? Did GOD create Adam 30 years
old, or 14, or 45? I don’t know everything is speculation. If He created
him that old, was he that old? GOD could create him that old. That answers a
lot of the questions about the age of the earth. Did GOD create the earth billions
of years old? I don’t know.”
Dr. J. Vernon McGee
“There is beauty in obedience.” TER
REVELATION 1:3-4; (KJV)
“3Blessed is he that breadth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,
and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace,
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits
which are before his throne;”
The above scripture was referred to when Dr. McGee said that Satan wants to
keep us from reading the Book of Revelation because he knows that there is a
blessing for anyone who reads it, and he also knows that in this Book more than
any other, the fate of Satan is revealed. Also the future of the Believer is
unveiled through the Person of Jesus Christ. Is it no wonder that ignorance
loudly proclaims the incoherent worthless symbolism of this Great Book? READ
IT and BE BLESSED!
MILLSTONE…FORBID THEM NOT! OH NO, NOT HIM/HER, AGAIN!
COLOSIANS 1:14-17 (KJV)
“14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all
things, and by him all things consist.”
Many children have an invisible playmate. This playmate accompanies the child
in times of loneliness, joy, sadness, etc. The invisible playmate keeps the
child and can sometimes do all the things that the child would like to do. The
invisible playmate can be angelic or sinister. It can be truly invisible to
others or make itself know as a bad entity, getting the creator into all kinds
of mischief. Here is a definition of an invisible playmate by Wickopedia:
“Imaginary friends and imaginary companions are a psychological and social
phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place
in the imagination rather than external physical reality. Imaginary friends
are fictional characters created for improvisational role-playing. They often
have elaborate personalities and behaviors. They may seem real to their creators,
though they are ultimately unreal, as shown by studies.”
From: Wickopedia
The more of life that falls behind me, the more that I have been convinced about
THE REALITY OF THE ‘INVISIBLE PLAYMATE OR FRIEND.’ GOD has given
the human b`eing the capacity to create. The child, without tools, or materials
can only pull and use from his immediate surroundings…atmosphere. After
all he, the child exists, so why not create another person or child to keep
him company. This is a GOD given potential and reality.
Genesis 1:25, 26 (KJV)
“25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth.”
With out any rules, blueprints, regulations, or specifications the child creates
this invisible playmate, and is exceptionally happy with its companionship…
until… The parent or guardian just happens to hear or see the unusual
play. Then, the child is instructed NOT to play with ‘Nobody.’
The child is confused. This isn’t “Nobody.” This is…
and you now know the name of this Playmate that has taken up so much of your
child’s time, his energy, and has either kept your child out of trouble,
or constantly kept him, Heaven forbid, in trouble.
Parents have tried, unsuccessfully, to eliminate these playmates. The problem
is if you use too much force against the invisible playmate, the child might
be bruised the rest of his/her life, so what is the answer?
Personally, I don’t know.
The reason that the invisible playmate is so hard to get rid of is that only
the Creator can see him/her, and know whether you have been successful in deleting
it. The Creator can usually tell you where the invisible playmate isn’t;
but not precisely where he is. This makes it difficult to catch it and do drastic
damage to it. (Some of you are laughing…NOT funny!) An invisible playmate
can send a parent to the ‘Looney Farm.’ How? Let us count the ways:
.By eating all of the child’s food, and leaving your child crying and
hungry for something that is gone.
.By cutting off pigtails.
.How about swallowing strings to see if you can, and then scaring the life out
of your Mom when it finally appears in the stool, after defecation.
.What about sticking peanuts into your nose, just like an elephant?
.Taking your ice cream sandwich home in your pocket.
.Throwing your bottle down the stairs, and then throwing yourself down behind
it (learning to walk down the steps).
.Eating all of the butterscotch candy in the candy dish, and placing the orange
wrappers back, so that it resembled a full candy dish.
.Rubbing ‘Vicks’ salve on the cat.
.Eating dog biscuits.
.Licking plates so you don’t have to wash them, ‘just for –
Mom.’
.Putting a whole slice of bread into the gold fish tank… he looked hungry.
.Saving your bubble gum – chewed – in your trouser pocket, and then
came wash day.
Is there any wonder that the parent of these ‘Charmers’ love to
see their beautiful little eyes…closed in sleep?
The invisible playmate is not always a menace, in fact, it seems that it can
also be a blessing rather than a curse. We must remember that the child is exploring
a very large world, and nothing teaches better than experience. They retain,
and grow by the experiences that they encounter either through the invisible
playmate or through the visible, tired mother and/or father.
NOTE: I believe that there is a place in a life for the invisible playmate.
It teaches the child to depend on Someone who will never be seen by others.
To listen to the Good Instructor, and learn to decipher His Voice. I’m
not sure; but it would make quite a study to find out if children who had invisible
playmates became outstanding citizens, moral beings, or continued closed circuit
conversations with absent, abstract, adults, who were once young invisible playmates.
Invisible playmates are usually the same age as the Creator, so, if you, Mommy
have been unsuccessful in ridding the earth of this invisible entity, he/she
will grow up, and even go to College, or even get married , or become the senator,
or Chief or Police…That’s scary, isn’t it? It will keep you
praying, and one day, your child will wake up and find out that Mr. or Miss
Invisible is gone. (They just walk away, to every Mother’s relief.)
I know that you are:
Looking Forward!
TER
THINK ON THESE THINGS:
HOW MANY DRUGS DO YOU TAKE IN 24 HOURS?
“According to the CDC, half of all Americans are on prescription medication,
regularly. In that half, you have children, teenagers, and healthy people. One
in ten take five or more medications per day. Some people boast that they are
only on one medication. It is now a commonality to think that getting older
naturally yields being on some kind of medication. One in ten people take five
or more drugs per day.
In the year 1997, the Pharmaceuticals were allowed to advertise to the general
public via television. Prior to that year, the advertisement of prescription
medication WAS only aimed at the physicians. Since that year, however, the public
has become drug friendly, and at the same time we’re saying to our children
‘Just say no to drugs.’”
Dr. Jan McBarren
“Remember that drugs are a double edged sword. While they do make people
more comfortable, and alleviate certain conditions that are associated with
diseases, let’s face it, they’re toxic, they’re actually poison.
Our body can’t wait to get rid of them.
The big but is; it just doesn’t have to be that way. If we will just take
care of ourselves; and the time to take care of ourselves is while we have our
health. Start living right, get your proper rest, get your exercise, eat properly,
and you won’t have to face a life of drugs as you age.”
FACT: “I came across a statistic the other day that said that there are
nine drugs, now I’m sure that these are not very commonly used drugs,
that costs more than two hundred thousand dollars per year to take.
I’d like to drive around in something that costs two hundred thousand
dollars instead of swallowing it.”
Duke and the Doctor Radio program. Aired – April 27, 2011 at 9:00am.
This program is rewarding and helps many people to get back on the road of well-ness.
You may find this program on the WEB at: duke and the doctor .com
TER
TESTIMONY TIME:
Hi, my name is L. Lewis, I am delighted to share my story. My testimony of how
GOD healed me of two blood clots in my chest.
In July of 2010, I went in for a follow up visit. My Doctor told me that I had
two blood clots in my chest. Words cannot explain how I felt. I began to think
how GOD had healed me of breast cancer in September 2005. I began to pray to
GOD, I know He can heal me from the blood clots. Every time I would go in for
a checkup the doctor would say the blood clots were still there. This went on
for about seven or eight months; but I did not give up. I kept the faith, because
I know GOD could and would heal me.
Praise GOD! On April 9, 2011 when I went to the doctor, they found no blood
clots. I Praise GOD for my healing. FRIDAY’S WORD:
RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST The bodily, living appearance of Jesus of Nazareth
after He died and was buried, providing certain hope for resurrection of believers.
The Greek term for resurrection, anastasis, literally means, “to stand
again.” In the pagan world it was associated with the cycle of nature
and the nature gods, or the survival of a “spiritual part” of a
person after death. Because of Jesus Christ and His standing up again from the
dead, resurrection has come to mean the restoration of the whole self by God
who gave life and creates it anew in the heavenly kingdom. New Testament accounts
of the resurrection fall into three categories: the empty tomb, appearances
of Jesus before His ascension, and appearances of Jesus after His ascension.
The earliest written account of the resurrection of Jesus is 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
Paul emphasized the appearances of the resurrected Christ to His followers.
Paul mentioned an appearance to Cephas (compare Luke 24:34). Then Jesus appeared
to the twelve (compare Luke 24:36-43). The appearance to the five hundred, some
of whom had died by the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, is supposed by some to
refer to the ascension (Acts 1:9-11). The appearance of James is nowhere else
recorded. Tradition asserts that this was James the brother of Jesus, the author
of the Book of James (see Acts 15:13). The second appearance to the disciples
may be equated with Jesus’ presentation of Himself to Thomas a week after
the first appearance to the apostles (John 20:24-29). Paul mentioned last the
appearance of the ascended Christ to Paul himself, an obvious reference to Saul’s
conversion experience (Acts 9:1-9).
Matthew reported that two Marys, Magdalene and the mother of James and Joses
(Matt. 28:1-2; see 27:56, 61) came to the tomb and witnessed a violent earthquake.
The angel who rolled away the stone covering the tomb entrance told the women
that Jesus was risen.
They were invited to view the empty tomb, then to go and tell the disciples
that Jesus was risen and was going to Galilee. Immediately, the resurrected
Christ greeted them, urged them not to be afraid, to go and tell the “brothers”
that He would meet them in Galilee. The soldiers posted at the tomb reported
to their employers, the chief priests, “everything that happened”;
and the entire guard was bribed to keep silent. It is not clear whether the
soldiers actually saw the resurrected Christ Himself. It is assumed because
of the other New Testament accounts that the resurrected Christ appeared only
to believers. Matthew’s final report of Jesus’ resurrection is on
a mountain in Galilee to His eleven disciples where He gave them the Great Commission
(Matt. 28:16-20).
Mark’s account of the resurrection (ch. 16) reports that three women came
to the tomb wondering how they would have access to the body in order to use
the spices applied to the dead. They discovered the stone rolled away and a
young man in white in the tomb. He calmed their fears, told them that Jesus
was risen, and that Jesus would meet the disciples in Galilee. The women left
bewildered and frightened. The most ancient and reliable manuscripts of Mark
end with 16:8. The long ending of Mark records several other appearances of
Jesus: to Mary Magdalene (see John 20:11-18); to two walking in the country
(see Luke 24:13-32); to the eleven as they were eating (see Luke 24:36-43).
Luke 24 records the visit of three women to the tomb where two angels said that
He was risen. The angels reminded the women of Jesus’ teachings about
His death and resurrection. The women told the unbelieving disciples about the
empty tomb, and Peter investigated the empty tomb. Jesus appeared to Cleopas
and another disciple on the way to Emmaus and gave them a prophetic overview
concerning the Messiah. At supper He was revealed as the risen Christ and disappeared.
The two returned to Jerusalem to tell the disciples and heard that Simon had
seen the risen Lord. After the report of the two, Jesus appeared to the apostles
and assured them He was not a ghost. He showed His hands and feet, and in the
most physical act of the resurrection He ate a piece of fish (v. 43). He then
reminded them of prophecies of the Messiah and commissioned them on the mission
task. Luke’s closing paragraph is the account of the ascension. The Luke
narrative is taken up in Acts (1:6-11). Jesus taught for forty days. He told
the disciples to await the Spirit in Jerusalem. When the disciples asked questions
about the kingdom, He said it was a question beyond their comprehension, repeated
His missionary commission, and ascended as they watched and were assured by
angels of His return.
John’s Gospel adds remarkable details to the other three. In the fourth
Gospel another disciple (John?) accompanied Peter to the tomb. Jesus appeared
to Mary Magdalene and told her not to detain him—a better translation
than “do not touch me.” Jesus appeared twice to the disciples in
the upper room, the second time a week after the first for the sake of the unbelieving
Thomas. His classic confession “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28)
became the appropriate response of all believing hearts. In John 21 Jesus appeared
to seven disciples in Galilee and prepared their breakfast.
The occasion was the commissioning of Peter to his special ministry after Peter’s
three-time confession of his love for Christ, paralleling his earlier three-time
denial of Christ.
The risen Christ appeared to Stephen (Acts 7:55-56), to Saul/Paul (Acts 9:1-6),
and to John the Seer (Rev. 1). All of these accounts are not easy to correlate,
but a composite picture reveals the following facts. The tomb was empty. Jesus
appeared to many believing disciples, women and men, on numerous occasions.
Jesus instructed the earliest believers about the prophetic and theological
meaning of His death and resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus involved His
physical body; but His resurrected life was a new kind of life called into being
by God, the Effector of the resurrection (Acts 2:24). Paul, who gave the first
account of the resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15:3-8), provided the full meaning
and importance of the resurrection of Christ. Because of the resurrection of
Christ, we have assurance of the resurrection of all persons—some to salvation;
some to perdition—vouchsafed in the resurrection of Christ. That is God’s
ultimate answer to the problem of death (1 Cor. 15:12-58). See Ascension; Christ;
Jesus; Resurrection.
William L. Hendricks
From: Holman’s Bible Dictionary
IN THE MIRROR: “I HAVE AN IDEA”Romans 8:28 (KJV) 28And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.
Matthew 11:28 - 29 (KJV) 28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Psalms 46:1 (KJV) 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Isaiah 26:3 - 4 (KJV) 3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in
the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
Psalms 25:12 (KJV) 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach
in the way that he shall choose.
John 15:7 (KJV) 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Romans 8:18 (KJV) 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Psalms 38:21 (KJV) 21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
Deuteronomy 4:5 - 6 (KJV) 5Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments,
even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither
ye go to possess it. 6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and
your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes,
and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Mark 8:35; “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV) 13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search
for me with all your heart.
Matthew 5:8 (KJV) 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Psalms 30:5 (KJV) 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
John 14:27 (KJV) 27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
it be afraid.
2 Corinthians 4:8 - 9 (KJV) 8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down,
but not destroyed;
Psalms 119:161 (KJV) 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my
heart standeth in awe of thy word.
Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV) 14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and
I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) 5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content
with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.
So what’s the big idea? — I thought you’d never ask!
The more I get a chance to meet or talk with a TJIFA reader, the more challenging
I find it to stimulate you spiritually, and see if you and I together can continue
discovering all that God has to offer in and throughout His Word.
The ‘idea’ comes in the form of a BIG question. . . How many of
you intentionally skipped over these jewels of scripture just to so you could
hurriedly get to this part of your famous newsletter? (TJIFA), — raise
your hands!
I’m hoping I had some fun with you, while causing you to engage upon some
serious thought at the same time. We see “Bible Verses” and that’s
all they are in our mental processes, “Bible Verses.” . . . But
they really are so much more. They are ‘promises.’ ‘Precious
promises.’ They are words given to us from Almighty God, and they are
designed to accomplish supernatural feats of strength, courage, tenacity, hope,
love, faith, endurance, and so much more.
May I share a personal testimony with you, without going into too much detail,
but just to add some perspective to your own Christian life.
First of all, – Father in the name of Jesus, I pray for all the recent
victims of the latest disasters across the world. I pray where there are needs
for food, water, clothing, health, lodging, relational needs, financial, and
also where there is spiritual depression and anxiety. Please meet every need
in all places, we ask all things by faith in your Son Jesus name, Amen.
When we were under the tornado watch the other week (here in GA), I had what
I want to call an unusual experience because the warning was certainly close
enough, and after you have had to watch so much on the news following every
catastrophe conceivable, you must wonder in your mind (my mind), “Is this
our time to go through; and what feelings am I required to have prior to this
uncertainty of God’s law in nature.?”
Putting it as simply as I can, I strangely found myself praying not much different
than usual. That is, praying for “everybody,” and otherwise pretty
much asking the Lord how to protect my wife, and my books, and hope there’s
enough of me left over of me when the winds get finish with their possible damage,
to save our little bird John Two, in the process.
The second odd thing as I prayed, and eventually laid back down, I still found
myself thinking about tomorrow. (How do you think about tomorrow when you are
not even sure of the conditions you will face before daybreak?) Two scriptures
came to me that Wednesday night. I won’t try and interpret them for you,
because I have no problem trusting the work of the Holy Spirit in your life
for the message you need to receive from His Word:
Psalms 90:12 (KJV) 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom.
Revelation 3:20 (KJV) 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me.
Something I realize more and more as I follow Jesus Christ, is that my Salvation
in my relationship with Him takes well-placed priority over anything I could
ever be hopeful for in this life.
“God is greater than anything life can give me now, and anything death
can take from me later,” is something I learned a little while back, and
it seems to still resonate in my spirit as I grow deeper in my Christian walk.
If you were to allow me to encourage you today; first I would ask you to find
your way back up to the beginning of this article, and read a scripture or two
you might have missed, and second, make a decision in your life today that you
won’t let God’s Word be something you just read to obtain a little
more knowledge about the Bible, but begin to look at Him through His Word, and
His promises; and don’t stop until you have such an intimate relationship
with Him that when the storms in your life do come, you’ll just find yourself
on your knees in your own prayer closet, praying, “Lord, I pray for everybody.”
I would like to make mention of something about this Memorial Day. A public
holiday to commemorate soldiers who died in war. I pray for all the families
out there who may have had to experience this type of loss, or even if it was
a matter of a close friend of the family. How often have you took notice along
so many roadsides across America, a death is remembered by the sign of a Cross?
It’s my prayer that as you view this Memorial Day in regard to that special
person, you will consider why the “Cross” is a symbol of a precious
love worthy, oh so worthy of our deep-seated remembrance and affection.
If you’re a Christian, you have a testimony you can use that will enhance
someone else’s relationship with Jesus Christ. And the beauty of it is
that in response to our witness that we give to the Lord there is always an
overflow into a much needed area of someone’s heart.
Just one more thing in the form of another scripture I would like to add that
will be a ‘good idea’ for serious thought and meditation;
John 17:24 (KJV) 24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be
with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me:
for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
If God’s love is on the basis that Jesus says it is; then we have every
reason to love, trust, and willfully obey His every promise. Is that a “good
idea” or what? God Bless, SLC
O TASTE& SEE!
COCONUT OIL ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ TBLSP. VIRGIN COCONUT OIL
1 ¾ LBS. SWEET POTATOES PEELED and CUT INTO ½ INCH CHUNKS
2 TSP. LIGHT BROWN SUGAR PACKED
¾ TSP. KOSHER SALT
¼ TSP. GROUND BLACK PEPPER
¼ TSP. NUTMEG OR CINNAMON
DIRECTIONS:
PREHEAT OVEN 350 DEGREES F.
MELT COCONUT OIL IN SMALL SAUCE PAN OVER LOW HEAT.
IN A LARGE BOWL TOSS TOGETHER POTATOES, COCONUT OIL, BROWN SUGAR, SALT, PEPPER,
AND NUTMEG OR CINNAMON.
SPREAD POTATOES IN EVEN LAYER ON A LARGE BAKING SHEET.
ROAST, TOSSING OCCASIONALLY UNTIL SOFT AND CARAMELIZED ABOUT 1 HOUR.
THIS RECIPE IS A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY MEAL . . .
TRY IT, AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT.
SUBMITTED BY: V.I. ( A DEDICATED LONG TIME READER OF TJIFA.)