The Effect of Easter

According to a recent Gallup poll, trust levels of various institutions of our country are at an all-time low. We need a God we can trust – one who has come forth from the tomb, as he promised, to guide and direct us along the way. This week we will look at two men who were deeply affected by the Resurrection, and evaluate the effect this event has had on us.

Scripture: Acts 4:8-10
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone’. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “But Christ Has Been Raised” delivered on Christian Crusaders April 16, 2006, by Rev. Larsen:

Think of the millions of people who live without the blessings of the resurrection. Think of those who believe something good is going to happen to them after they die, but they have no basis for these eternal thoughts, only what they feel – that God is loving and will reward their good lives. This is not adequate. It took a cross and an empty tomb to give us a basis for our salvation. It takes a divinely inspired word that says, Because He lives, I too shall live.

Message on DVD
What does it mean to be born again? Find out in the first volume of Basic Biblical Truths, the DVD video set of sermons by the Rev. Dr. Homer Larsen. In this video, Rev. Larsen discusses John 3:3: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” These words Jesus spoke have puzzled many—from Nicodemus, who first heard them, to many of us today. Hear Rev. Larsen talk about what it means to be born again, and how lives are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. Call our office at 1-888-693-2484 1-888-693-2484 to order “Born Again,” available for a suggested donation of ten dollars, or order online at www.christiancrusaders.org.

On the Light Side
One Sunday during the closing prayers, a loud whistle rang out from one of the back pews. Tommy’s mother was horrified. She hushed him into silence and, after church, asked, “Tommy, whatever made you do such a thing?”

Tommy answered soberly, “I asked God to teach me to whistle, and just then he did.”

We Want to Hear From You!
How do you wrestle with giving up control and putting your trust in God? Share your story by posting in the "comments" section of this blog.

The program "The Effect of Easter" will air Sunday, April 11, 2010. Visit www.christiancrusaders.org for radio stations and times, or to listen online.