Resurrection

From Wednesday to Friday this last week I attended ACC at Box Hill, Melbourne. ACC is Aggressive Christianity Conference based on Catherine Booths book.

The last night, Friday night, Russell Rook talked to us and gave us a powerful message from Luke 24 on learning to raise the dead - a title that captured me from the start.

When we meet the disciples after the Crucifixion, we find them hiding in fear and without hope since Jesus, who they had been following and learning everything from for the past 3 years is now gone. They felt they were under threat from the rest of the Jews and were living in fear of their lives.

Then Jesus comes on the scene, just appears from no where and says 'Peace'. That's nice! This means everything to these guys, from living in fear of their lives to knowing they're standing in the presence of the One who gives life!! No need to fear anymore, if the Jews or anyone else does kill them for preaching the good news - IT'S NOT THE END - the resurrection is the final word - Jesus is the Alpha and OMEGA - the beginning and the END - He has the final say!

From here on, the disciples took the gospel FEARLESSLY to the ends of the earth. No need to fear death or what any man could do to them, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

We don't believe the story ends with death - it ends with resurrection!

Hallelujah

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"

Philippians 3:10