He is Risen!

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you."

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.

And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed.

And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
(Mat 28:1-20)

The Necessity of Christ’s Blood

by Dr. Charles Stanley
The Necessity of Christ’s Blood – Romans 5:8-11

For someone unfamiliar with the Church, all of our talk about the blood of Christ might seem disturbing. But, apart from His blood, there is no Christianity. As Hebrews 9:22 says, “…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

God mandated that redemption was available only if our sin was transferred to a perfect substitute. In the Old Testament, an Israelite would lay hands on the head of an unblemished lamb and confess. Then, he presented the animal to a priest for sacrifice. Today, believers are redeemed through forgiveness. But our sacrifice is a sinless Savior who willingly took our guilt and penalty upon Himself.

Every person who accepts Jesus’ death as substitutionary and receives Him as Savior is declared no longer guilty of sin. God condemned the sinful soul to death. But, when He looks upon Jesus’ sacrifice and sees the paid penalty, He declares us righteous. Christ’s shed blood lets us enter God’s presence. We experience unity with Him in prayer, knowing He listens when we speak. The harmony between God and mankind was interrupted in Eden. But it is restored in each new believer.

Through Christ’s blood, believers are forgiven, justified, and reconciled. These words actually describe a simple process. When we accept that a blameless Jesus died to pay our sin penalty, we enter an eternal relationship with God. John 3:16 says Jesus’ sacrifice applies to “whoever believes.” This includes you, if you will just believe.

Dobra Nowina (Gospel in Polish)

This is my Easter message in Polish. (The translation is underneath)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)


Kilka waznych pytan, troche zaniepokojenia, mnostwo tradycji i najmniej w tym wszystkim tresci prawdziwej.
Stroimy nasze domy, sprzatamy obejscia, malujemy jajka, moze nawet idziemy do kosciola, tylko czy na pewno wiemy, dlaczego to wszystko robimy?
A moze traktujemy te dni jako jeszcze jedne wolne dni od pracy, kiedy troszke lepiej zjemy i spotkamy znajomych i rodzine?
Moze jedziemy wtedy na dzialke, by posprzatac zimowy balagan?

Jakbysmy na to nie patrzyli, to istnieja tylko dwa mozliwe rozwiazania - albo nie wierzymy w nic, i wowczas mamy wiosenne wakacje, albo...

Albo musimy to wziac na powaznie, i do glebi zrozumiec. Powierzchowne potraktowanie tego swieta to policzek dla Stworcy.

Dla chrzescijanina centralnym punktem historii jest krzyz. Cala historia przed nim prowadzila do niego, a cala historia po nim jest jego konsekwencja - dla wszystkich, wierzacych i niewierzacych jednakowo.
Grzech Adama, jego upadek, stal sie poczatkiem panowania grzechu w calej historii ludzkiej. Bog zazadal sprawiedliwosci, a kara za grzech jest smierc. Bog dal czlowiekowi doskonale prawo, ktorego grzeszny czlowiek nie byl w stanie wykonac. Czy Bog byl sadysta? Nie, Bog jest doskonaly i takie tez sa jego standardy. Skoro jednak do nich nie dorastamy, to co nam pozostaje? Stwierdzenie, ze jestesmy bez nadziei na osiagniecie boskiej doskonalosci - z powodu grzechu. A nikt niedoskonaly do Boga dojsc nie moze - tak mowi Jego Slowo. Coz nam zatem dano jako nadzieje? Czy mamy w ogole cokolwiek jako nadzieje?

Bog czyni wszystko dla wlasnej chwaly, zatem i zbawia czlowieka tak, by nikt co do Jego Chwaly nie mial watpliwosci. Zanim jeszcze cokolwiek stworzyl, wiedzial, jak to bedzie. Zaplanowal, ze Jego Syn stanie sie ta niezbedna ofiara za nasze winy, ze to na Niego zrzuci nasze przeklenstwo, wypelniajac w ten sposob swoje doskonale prawo i nie lamiac zasad swojej sprawiedliwosci.
Czy moze byc wieksza ofiara, niz poswiecenie swego doskonalego Syna za grzesznych ludzi?
Doskonala ofiara - dla tych, ktorzy uwierza i pojda za Nim. Ale kto uwierzy, skoro wszyscy sa martwi w grzechu? Otoz Bog inicjuje wiare, Jana 6:44, i umacnia ja, Rzymian 8:28-30. Szykujac Oblubienice dla Swego Syna Bog nie popelnia bledu.
Chrystus umarl smiercia potworna, okrutna, umarl z dekretu swego Ojca, umarl, bo ja i ty go zabilismy. Gdyby nie umarl wtedy na krzyzu, nikt z nas nie mialby zadnej nadziei. Zycie, smierc i sad, a skoro nikt nie moze doskonale wypelnic przykazan prawa, wszyscy byliby osadzeni jedna sprawiedliwa kara.
A moze ty wolalbys zawisnac na tym krzyzu? Zapewniam cie, ze bedzie to twoj los, jesli nie uwierzysz w Tego, kto tam wisial 2000 lat temu. Bez Niego nie masz nadziei, bo tylko On jest droga, prawda i zyciem, jak sam o tym powiedzial. Nie istnieje zadna alternatywna droga, cokolwiek by mowili madrzy tego swiata. A Jego droga jest waska, brama mala, a jarzmo lekkie dla tych, ktorzy Go miluja.

Czym jest ta Ofiara? Jest DOSKONALYM zadoscuczynieniem, usprawiedliwiajacym wierzacego przed Bogiem w Dniu Sadu, jest obmyciem wierzacego z jego grzechow przeszlych i przyszlych w sensie odpowiedzialnosci za nie, jest darmowym darem, ktory jednak bedzie wierzacego kosztowal wszystko. Przyjmujac ten dar rodzimy sie na nowo, grzebiac stara nature ciala i wchodzac w nowa nature Ducha, jestesmy zbawieni do dobrych uczynkow i do zycia w swietosci (a swietosc oznacza odrebnosc i separacje od grzesznego swiata), zapewnieni o niezmiennej pomocy Boga w tej drodze do Niego, zapewnieni o tym, ze nigdy nas nie opusci i ze wszystko uczyni dla naszego dobra, dla dobra tych, ktorzy Go kochaja. Nie oczekujmy jednak bogactwa, slawy i poklasku - bo to nie o takie dobro Bog dla nas zabiega, a o swietosc i doskonalosc w Jego oczach.

Przeslanie Dobrej Nowiny, to nie jest sielankowa historia szopki, siana i gwiazdy. Przeslanie Dobrej Nowiny to krzyz, jego znaczenie, jego doskonalosc i jednorazowosc. Nigdy przedtem, ani nigdy potem - tylko ten jeden raz, tylko ten jeden Bog-Czlowiek, jedyny bezgrzeszny, jedyny mogacy zadoscuczynic, jedyny, ktory stal sie pierwszym Nowym Stworzeniem, czyli zmartwychwstal do nowego zycia i otworzyl nam te sama droge.
Czy zatem prawo nie ma juz znaczenia? Ma, ale nie ma mocy nad nami, bo nasza sprawiedliwoscia jest On, ten na krzyzu i ten w Wieczerniku, ktory wzial na siebie nasze grzechy.
On zna nasze serca, znal je juz wowczas, gdy niczego jeszcze nie bylo poza Bogiem, i on nas podniesie ku sobie, by Jego chwala stala sie jawna dla wszystkich.
Czy to sprawiedliwe? Czy to sprawiedliwe, ze wielu nie uwierzy? A moze jednak chcesz sprawiedliwosci po ludzku? Bo wowczas nikt zbawiony byc nie moze...
Laska to dar, odnowa to dar, wiara to dar... A dar nie jest naszym uczynkiem...

Krzyz jest Wielkanocna Dobra Nowina. Pomysl o tym, gdy bedziesz swietowac. Zarowno ukrzyzowanie, jak i zmartwychwstanie. Pomysl o przyczynach, pomysl o skutkach, pomysl o tych gwozdziach, ktorymi i ty Go przybiles do krzyza.

********

Some vital questions, a bit of anxiety, lots of tradition and least of all - the real contents.

We decorate our homes, we tidy up thiongs around the houses, we paint eggs, maybe even we go to church, but do we know for sure why we are doing all this? Can it be that we treat these days as some more work-free time, time to grab some fancy food, time to meet family and friends? Maybe we use this time to simply go and see to our summer cabin?

In however way we should look at it, there are only two possible solutions - we either do not believe in anything, and then we are having the spring break, or... Or we have to take it seriously and understand deeply. The sirface treatment of this holiday is like a slap in the face of our Creator.

The sin of Adam, his fall, became the beginning of the dominion of sin in the entire human history. God claimed justice, and the wages of sin is death. God gave men a perfect law, but a sinful man was not able to fulfill it. Was God a sadist? No, God is perfect and such are His standards. But since we do not live up to them, what are we left with? With an understanding that there is no hope for us to become as perfect as God is perfect - because of the sin. And nobody imperfect can come to God - as we read in His Word. What is then given to us in form of hope? Do we even have anything to hope for?

God works all for His Glory,so He also saves man in such a manner so that nobody may have any doubt about His Glory. Before He even created anything, He foreknew everything. He planned His Son to become this essential sacrifice for our sins, He planned to make Him our curse, thus fulfilling his perfect law and holding to the principles of His justice. Can there be a greater sacrifice than this one, giving His perfect Son for sinful people?
Perfect sacrifice - for those who would believe and follow Him. But who would believe, when all are dead in sin? Well, God initiates Faith, John 6:44, and strengthens it, Romans 8:28-30. While He prepares the bride for His Son, He does not make mistakes. Christ died a terrible death, a cruel death, He died according to the decree of His Father, He died because you and I killed Him. But had He not died then, on that cross, noone of us would have any hope. Life, death and judgement, and since nobody is able to fulfill the commandments of the law, all would be judged according to one just punishment.
Oh, but maybe it's you who would prefer to hang on that cross? I assure you that it will be your fate, unless you believe on Him who was hanging there 2000 years ago. You have no hope without Him, only He is the way, the truth and the life, as He said so Himself. There is no other way, no matter what the wisdom of this world might tell you. But His way is narrow, the gate small, and His yoke is light for those who love Him.

What is this sacrifice? It is a PERFECT atonement, justifying a believer before God on the Judgement Day, it washes the believer from his sins past and future in the sense of responsibility, is a free gift that will cost the believer everything. By accepting this gift we are born again, we bury our nature of flesh and enter our new nature of Spirit, we are saved to good works and to life in holiness (which means separation from the sinful world), assured of the unfailing help of God on our walk to him, assured that He will never leave us or forsake us, and that He will work all things for good for those who love Him. But do not expect riches, fame and applause - this is not the good that God works in us and for us, but holiness and perfection in His eyes.

The Good News, the Gospel, is not the fairy tale of the barn, hay and star. The Gospel is the Cross, its meaning, its perfection and uniqness. Never before and never after - just this one time, this one GOD-MAN, the only sinless, the only one able to atone, the only one who become the firsborn of creation, that is, He rose from the dead to the new life and opened this way for us, too.
Does the law not matter, then? Oh yes, it does, but it does not have the power over us, because He is our justification, the One on the cross, the One in the upper room, the One who took our sins upon Himself.
He knows our hearts, He knew them already when there was nothing else but Him, the God, and it is He who will lift us up to Himself, so that His Glory would become apparent to everyone.
Is this fair? Well, is it fair that there are many who will not believe? Or maybe you would like a justice the human way?

Because then nobody can be saved...
Grace is a gift, regeneration is a gift, faith is a gift... And a gift is not our works...

The cross is the Gospel of Easter. Think about it when you celebrate. Both the crucifiction, and the resurrection. Think about the reasons, think about the consequences, think about those nails, with which also YOU nailed Him to the cross.

Community of Love Crucified

Emerging Church? Heresies? Well, it is everywhere. The Roman Catholic Church enjoys the privilege of being so versatile and multifaceted, that it really does not take much effort for her to come with something "new" and attractive. In fact, this is old, but in a new package, extremely hip for young people seeking some solid food and purpose. I think Rick Warren would have much to find over there in terms of methods and means. Who knows, maybe they even use his ideas?

To Mary - Mother of Church
Today we bring to you the fruit of our hearts - the fruit we call Community of Love Crucified. We beseech you, Humble Servant, for the strength to be able to respond to our Lord for the gift He has offered us. Pray for us, help us become humble pilgrims spreading the Word of the Lord; help us bring Christ to this world, just like you; help us to offer Him in the temple just like you and to find him in the temple, just like you. Pray for us, so we can bare the Love Crucified - the same Love which lives in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Pray for us in the hour of our dying. Amen.

Easy! I have not lost my mind. I have only come across some recent developments within the Roman Catholic plethora of Poland. Click on the title to find out what I mean. You won't believe till you see it with your own eyes.
Neocatechumenal Way - if somebody is intrigued.

I find it repulsive, to say the least. It may be very convincing to a lukewarm Catholic seeking a revival within his religion, but from a Reformed perspective it is an abomination.
Pray, please, for my country. This is a country desperately needing God's mercy.

Daily Light on the Daily Path

Morning

“Fear not, I am the first and the last.”

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest. . . . But you have come to Mount Zion . . . and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.—Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.—For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”—Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One?—“For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?”

Rev. 1:17; Heb. 12:18, 22-24; Heb. 12:2; Heb. 4:15, 16; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 9:6; Hab. 1:12; 2 Sam. 22:32 (Read full verses...)

Evening

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!—“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”—Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.—For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

And who is a rock, except our God?—“They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”—Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!—We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

Ps. 61:2; Phil. 4:6, 7; Ps. 142:3; Job 23:10; Ps. 90:1; Isa. 25:4; Ps. 18:31; John 10:28; Ps. 119:116; Heb. 6:19 (Read full verses...)

Excerpted from Daily Light on the Daily Path ©2002 Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.