No.29
From Wendy Howard [Editor of Despatch magazine], Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia.
Access Online  http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Main/tabco_main

( We are having a short break over Easter.
Your devotions will be back again in FOUR DAYS.
You could catch up on some you have not seen yet!

We pray that God will bless you all
at this time when we remember
the death and rising again of our Lord ).

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Jesus was killed, and we remember that terrible event especially at Easter time.
But the wonder of it all is that He came alive again!
Death could not hold Him.
Jesus died on the Cross for us all.
He died so that we could have everlasting life .
He died so that we would not have to be punished by God for our wrong doing.

On the first day of the week, after Jesus was killed,
some of the women followers went to his tomb.
It was the place where he was buried, in a special cave.
One of the women was Mary, not Jesus’ mother, but Mary Magdalene.
They were very sad, of course.
They expected to find His body, but it wasn’t there!

Now John’s book tells us of the most wonderful experience
that could ever happen to anyone.
It happened to Mary, and later to the other disciples, Christ’s followers.

They saw Christ Jesus ALIVE again!
But He was dead!
Those wicked men killed Him !
Everything was over, their lives were shattered.
The One they had loved above all else had been taken from them forever.
It was ALL OVER! And then, they couldn’t even find His body to cry over.
BUT in God there was more, much more!
Jesus was alive again. He had been re-sur-rec-ted. (John 20 11-23).

Because Jesus Christ came alive again, we can share that re-sur-rec-tion.
All those who have faith in Him as Saviour and Lord will one day be re-sur-rec-ted.
WHAT! Is that true?
Yes, our bodies too will rise from the dead.
God has said so, and it is true.
That is IF you and I die one day.
There is a thrilling truth in our Bibles.
God could take us  from  the earth to heaven without us dying at all!
He might take us in our live bodies to Heaven.
This is being "caught up" to be with Jesus. (I Thessalonians  4:17).
Those who are dead in their graves when Jesus Christ comes back,
will be raised from the dead - they will have new, wonderful bodies.
Just like Jesus!  (I Thessalonians 4:16)
 

A PRAYER “Thank You Lord Jesus for dying for us. We are so glad that death could not hold you. I worship you, Lord. I give You my love and praise. Amen.”
 
 

“First-fruits” is an interesting word.
Christ was the first one to defeat death.
But we will be the next ones,
because we believe in Him, and trust in Him alone to be saved.
Adam in the Garden of Eden had “first” position too.
After he sinned, he died.
And after that everyone on earth died.
In Jesus we who trust Him will all rise again and LIVE!
When we die in Christ our spirits go straight to God.
But our bodies stay in the grave.
When Jesus comes back, those bodies will be made gloriously alive too.
They will put on immortality, that is they will never die again. Praise God!
 

SEE YOU  AGAIN SOON!