He Is Risen!

I realize, based on various communications, that many of you (for a variety of reasons) cannot make it to church, so the messages below can fill that void today. Below are parts one and two of an excellent Easter message as delivered by David Jeremiah:

He Is Risen I

He Is Risen II

Additionally, below is a link to a brief, written message from Billy Graham which is definitely worth reading:

He Is Not Here: He Is Risen

This article really should be read in its entirety. Below are just a few sample quotes:

The greatest news that has ever flashed from heaven to earth is that Christ the Lord is risen. The angel at the tomb delivered the most important message ever to fall on the ears of mankind: "He is not here: for he is risen" (Matthew 28:6, KJV). The power of those words changed the course of history, brought hope to a hopeless world, and gave believers a purpose and a power that they had never known before.

Third, the power of the Resurrection gives us hope. Many years ago, a submarine sank off the coast of Massachusetts. As soon as possible, divers descended to the disabled ship, endeavoring to find signs of life. One diver heard a gentle tapping. Listening intently, he recognized the dots and dashes of the Morse code. This was the message: "Is there hope?"

Is there hope? That is the constant cry of humanity, and Easter is the answer to that cry. The New Testament is the textbook of hope. That word occurs again and again after Christ was risen from the dead. It was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that set off a chain reaction of hope around the world. And Christian hope is the one lone ray of light on the foreboding clouds of despair that canopy our world.

On the purely human level, there is little hope in the world. International tensions become more complex and increasingly insoluble with each passing day. Crime, immorality and lawlessness seem to be worsening daily. In the battle for the minds and hearts of the world's peoples, wrong seems to be winning, and right seems to be losing. But the Scripture says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3, KJV).

We have misplaced our faith. We have put our faith in weapons, machines, stocks and bonds, pleasures and thrills. Our intellectual life and our educational system are in trouble because we have left God out; we have left the Ten Commandments out; we have left the Sermon on the Mount out. And now we are reaping the tragic results.

But there is hope in the Easter message today. There is hope for all in Christ today. There is hope beyond the grave, because the same power that raised Christ from the dead will also raise those who confess Him. Death becomes only a veil, only a river to cross. On the other side is heaven, home and Christ.

I do not know what people without Christ do. They must have utter hopelessness. There just is no hope without Christ.

Today humanity is facing a decision. Each person individually is faced with a decision. Easter, with its message of Resurrection power, brings you face to face with the living Christ. You have to make a choice. Will you choose to accept Christ and the life that He alone can give you? Or will you choose to reject Him and be lost for all eternity?

Amen.

And

Maranatha!