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Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday March 31ST 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Today I observe and celebrate my 18TH Easter Sunday with my brothers and sisters of my church family. Before salvation – Easter was just another day of the year. Now it’s the most important day of the year – and the reason why I live today.

As the Bible says in the Gospel According to Mark – Chapter 16 (1-7):

Saturday evening – when the Sabbath ended – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning – just at sunrise – they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb ?” But as they arrived – they looked up and saw that the stone – which was very large – had already been rolled aside.

When they entered the tomb – they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said – “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth – who was crucified. He isn’t here !  He is risen from the dead !  Look – this is where they laid His body. Now go and tell His disciples – including Peter – that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there – just as He told you before He died.”

HE IS RISEN !  HE IS RISEN – INDEED !  The Lord has really risen !  He appeared to Peter. (Luke 24:34). He was seen by the Twelve, and the more than 500 of His followers at the time, and by James (the half-brother of Jesus), and by all the apostles, and by Paul. (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)

On this day we join our brothers and sisters in Christ – God’s children – all across this great nation of ours – and all around the world – as we observe and celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ – our Lord + Savior.

We join our brothers and sisters of this global church family on this Resurrection Sunday, but we know that every waking moment of every new day is a renewed celebration of Christ conquering the grave, and rising from the dead, and giving us life.

HE IS RISEN !  HE IS RISEN – INDEED !  And since He is risen – we have risen from where we once were.

Jesus keeps His promises – then and now. He does what He says He is going to do. He is who He says He is. He is risen. He is risen – indeed. He is alive. He sits on the throne of Heaven. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He gives us life. He breathes life onto our dry bones. Breath of God – breathe on us !  He makes all things new. He gives us hope. He gives us purpose. He makes us vessels of vibrant living waters.

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture  whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture

Good Friday

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Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said – “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it He said – “It is finished !” Then He bowed His head and released His Spirit.
(John 19:28-30 NLT)

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
(John 3:16-17 NLT)

It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming !

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday January 14TH 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

This past Friday night I attended my first Bible Study with a small group of my new church family. I had the date circled on my calendar for a few months as the date to begin weekly attendance every Friday night.

It was a good hour-and-a half of fellowship, Scripture, and prayer – led by our Lead Pastor Tim. We read most of Genesis 46 and 47. (It sounds like the group started Genesis about 22 or so weeks ago, so they cover about 2 chapters per week.)

Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph – to guide him to Goshen. And they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared to him – Joseph threw himself on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. (Genesis 46:28-29 NASB)

A few points here:

My Pastor appears to be a mostly North American Standard Bible Pastor, so I’ll be utilizing that translation more often here on #SundayScripture and in my own personal Bible study.

Jacob (Israel) finally saw his eldest (and favorite) son Joseph again, and they were full of joy for each other. It had been 22 years since they last saw each other. Jacob thought that Joseph was dead for all of those years (eaten alive by a wild animal), and he mourned during that time. He thought that he would mourn until his own death.

I made bold Goshen in the Scripture above. Geographically it was a region in the far northeast corner of Lower Egypt – between the Nile River and the Red Sea – far away from the rest of Egypt. (Lower Egypt was the fertile delta region right up against the Mediterranean Sea.) It’s where the Israelites settled during that time-period (around 1700 B.C.). It’s the best land of Egypt. It’s mentioned in both Genesis and a couple of times in Exodus.

I’m looking forward to this upcoming Friday night when we read and study Genesis 48 and 49, and maybe 50.

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday January 07TH 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

It’s my first #SundayScripture of this great new year – a year that I pray will be greater for you than the old.

I’ll be with my longtime church family in Homestead this morning, and I’ll be leading Communion. After service and fellowship at a local area restaurant – I’ll be on my way back home to Sebring for the next 2 weeks.

Later this week I’ll immerse myself further into my new church family in Sebring by adding Bible Study to my Friday evening schedule each week. I’m looking forward to spending more time getting to know my new brothers and sisters in Christ as we get closer to Him together.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works – not neglecting to meet together – as is the habit of some – but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)

Being an active part of a church family is integral to getting closer to Christ with each new day. This month marks 17 years of being an active part of a church family – from my first church of 8 years – to my longtime Homestead church of almost 9 years – to my new Sebring church of now 4 months.

A little over a month ago I preached a 2-sermon message series based on Jude’s letter near the end of the New Testament. Later this month I’ll begin transcribing that message series – a little at a time – over the course of about 12 to 16 weeks. (I’ll maintain my pledge to keep all of my blog posts to an under 4-minute read.)

My testimony is featured here each week on #SundayScripture whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp