That's what my wifey just called me. And she is right. She is a woman. You see, women have two rules. Well one actually.
Rule number 1: Woman is always right.
Rule number 2: If woman is ever found to be wrong, see rule number 1.
And that is enough of that.
Today is Easter Sunday. Three days after Jesus was buried, He rose. Some time on Sunday morning. In the wee small hours. You see Mary went to the tomb in the early morn, but the tomb was empty, the stone rolled away and no Jesus in there. Ain't that something else. It is that very fact that gives me such great hope. The life that he lived qualified Him for the death He died. You see, His death is only part of the picture. If He had just died that would have paid the penalty for my sin, it would have covered that sin, but that is all. You see a lamb did the same. It was a sacrifice, a payment if you will, for a sin committed. But it didn't guarantee resurrection from physical death. It didn't prove that we would have a place in eternity. Jesus resurrection did that. It qualified us for new life. The death He died qualified us for the life we live.
He was seen so many times, and the apostles also saw Him ascend into heaven. If He hadn't resin, what prove would we have that there is life after death, and what guarantee would we have that we would be a part of it?
What is the next big event in the Christian calendar? Pentecost Sunday, which should happen 31st May 2009.
What's it all about? The birth of the church is what it is all about. This is interesting.
"When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force-no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck.] They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans?] How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; Even Cretans and Arabs! "They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!" Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?" Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine." That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk-it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen: "In the Last Days," God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams. When the time comes, I'll pour out my Spirit On those who serve me, men and women both, and they'll prophesy. I'll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvellous; And whoever calls out for help to me, God, will be saved." That is from Acts 2:1-21.
I think that is fantastic. What about you? Can you imagine this. The One you love more that life itself dies. A couple of days later He rises again. He stops by for a week or two and then you watch Him rise, literally into the sky. A bit like a rocket heading into space. That's enough to make any one sit up and take notice.
He leaves, your down in the dumps, not too happy about things at all. You and a bunch of people are sitting in a room praying one day and all of a sudden a jet aircraft sounds as though it is about to land. But it doesn't. You are sort of off with the pixies about now, thinking about how wonderful He is and how much you gonna miss Him and well, love sort of wells up and you open your mouth and start babbling like a fool only it's not babble, it's all about Jesus and even more amazingly, people who speak a different language to you, that you don't know and cant normally speak, can clearly understand every single word you are talking in their own tongue.
Yep, that's guaranteed to get any one's attention.
When is Pentecost Sunday? 31st May 2009, or so it seems. More details when it gets closer.
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