The Devotional

Papa “J” says

Good News – Today is Friday! So, His appearance was marred more than any man! A few words from Isaiah 52:14 – Good News

Years ago two Russian soldiers broke into an underground house church somewhere in Russia. A little less than one hundred people were there celebrating an Easter morning sunrise service. One of the soldiers in a loud and angry voice said, deny God and leave now and you will not be killed. About two thirds of the people left. Again, the order came. Deny this Jesus, leave and live. Several more left, about twenty people remained. When the soldiers were confident that all that were left were true followers of Jesus, they threw down their weapons and said to the remaining people. We are new followers of Jesus and we want to worship with you, but we wanted to make sure that the others would not report us. With that the facilitator began talking again about the death of Jesus. One of the soldiers became emotional and cried out. “I should have known, they killed my Savior, my LORD is dead.” The soldier fell on his knees remorseful and said, “all is lost, my Savior is dead”. The preacher ran to the soldiers side and lifted him up. “My son, my son, do not weep, for your Savior is Risen, He is Risen from the death that He died, His death was for you, rejoice and be glad, Jesus Lives!” Tears of sorrow faded into tears of JOY. This is a true story, but some of the detail is left out. He is Risen and He Lives!

The Second Epistle of John

2 John 10-13 What can be said any better, if someone comes to you and does not bring this message of the death and resurrection of Jesus and that He Lives, do not receive them into your house. The message they bring is a lie from the deceiver, or as the apostle would say from the antichrists in the world today. Do not share in this deception and place yourself in evil jeopardy.

The apostle John records in his gospel eleven or more miracles that is positive proof of Jesus being both God and man. He changed water to wine. He witnessed the re-birth of Nicodemus, converted the entire town in Samara, He healed the Nobleman's son and the man at the Pool of Bethesda. He fed five thousand men plus, with five loaves of bread and two fish. He walked on water. The man born blind received sight from Him. He called dead Lazarus from the grave. He predicted Peters denial. He was crucified as the Lamb of God and He arose from the tomb alive.

Then in closing his gospel, John says: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. So in closing his second epistle John is well aware of the power of the pen, but he also knows that face to face communication about Jesus will turn the tears of sorrow over His death, to tears of joy over His Resurrection – Happy Resurrection day folks!