A Christian author helping people come to Jesus, helping people understand the Bible, ministering to a lost and hurting world, and speaking truth to power.
We made it through our spring storm last night with barely any snow. It’s chilly and the rooftops have snow, but that was no big deal. I have been through much worse winter storms in April and even May. You can see our Serviceberry tree is in full bloom and the grass is really green this year. We had a very long and snowy winter and it keeps trying to hang on. This is spring in Colorado where the reemerging life battles the last winter storms of the Rocky Mountains until the beginning of summer. Thank you all for praying for our son. He is feeling much better and he is back to school today. I am resting and recuperating this week, so this will be another short post. I just wanted to share some photos I took this morning and earlier this month, and post a powerful prayer from Ephesians.
Here are some photos I took this morning. This is looking straight west to the front range of the Rockies:
This is our peach tree, which is starting to bloom nicely:
It is really thick with fog and clouds and we can’t even see Pike’s Peak today. It is so thick right now that I can barely see the front range at all. Good thing I took those photos early this morning.
Here are some photos I took earlier this month of a Colorado Red-tailed hawk in flight:
We see multiple hawks here every day. They love hunting the open space behind our house and sometimes they even land on our back fence. They are beautiful birds of prey.
Here is a photo of our local deer family and a good photo of Pike’s Peak I took a couple weeks ago. The deer are fuzzy from their winter fur and that is what Pike’s looks like on a clear day, which is usually every day here. We get around 330+ days of sunshine per year, so cloudy days like today are rare.
Now for the prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus. I echo this prayer in our time for all of us. May His will be done!
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Good morning everyone! We had to take our son to the doctor last night. We thought maybe he was getting sick because over the weekend he drank water out of the landscaping tap outside (which I told him not to do), but it turned out he has some kind of virus that is going around. We are also getting another cold front coming in from the Rockies and it is supposed to get to near freezing tonight. I have insulated the sprinkler system back flow pipes and I pray they don’t freeze. We are all really looking forward to warmer weather and a healthy summer! Thank you for praying for our son! I need to help my son, so this will be a quick message today regarding God’s grace. God bless you all!
The photo in the Scripture pin above is our favorite local fishing spot. That is what it looks like off the South Platte in the Pike National Forest of the Rocky Mountains in the summer. It is a beautiful display of God’s beauty and grace and I can’t wait to get back out there!
Truly think about 1 Corinthians 16:23 today. The grace of the Lord Jesus! What an abundant and amazing grace it truly is! There is no greater grace than having all of your sins forgiven and remembered by God no more! That is what Jesus did for all of us and that grace is offered freely to the whole world through faith in Him! If you do not know Jesus and have not received His grace, come to Him today! His grace is for you too and He wants to shower you with His grace, mercy, and forgiveness and save your soul!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-24
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
We are saved and justified by grace through faith in Jesus! If you believe in Jesus, then your sins are forgiven forever and you have eternal life! How awesome and powerful it is that the grace of Jesus is with us! May we rest in His grace always!
The grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all!
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Recently, there was a disagreement here on WordPress regarding the time and meaning of end times events as written in the Bible. I am not going to rehash that disagreement here. I got involved in the conversation to help my sister in Christ and to help bring peace and understanding to the situation. Many devout Christians who love Jesus with all of their hearts disagree with each other on the timing and meaning of end times Scripture. This is an unfortunate reality within the church. All of the conversations I have had over the past few days (here on WordPress and by email) with those involved in the disagreement have been constructive and righteous and I appreciate you all. I would like to share a couple of posts that I wrote about the end times back in August of 2018 when I first started blogging. Only a few people had seen my blog back then, so not many people have seen these posts.
Here is one I wrote on 8-25-18 about the Rapture. I actually wrote this post because of a disagreement a brother in Christ and I had about the Rapture.
I was thinking today about the different views of the end times and how many disagreements there are about it. The conversations over the last few days made me think about my old college buddy who became a Pastor in Boulder. We were catching up by phone a couple years back and the Rapture came up. He told me he doesn’t even believe in the Rapture! He is not Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, or Post-Trib; he just doesn’t believe in it at all! That was shocking to me and I disagreed with him, but he wasn’t changing his mind. Is he still my good brother in Christ?! Of course! We shared the Gospel together all over campus at the University of Northern Colorado back in the 90s and we even baptized people together! He loves Jesus with all of his heart and the main thing is he believes a person can only be saved by faith in Jesus and not by works.
I posted the front cover of Mark Hitchcock’s book because that is an awesome book to use as a Bible study guide to the end times. Pastor Mark is a humble guy. I chatted with him by email a couple years ago and it really helped me during my time of suffering. I love his books. His book “The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days” is my favorite so far.
Here is what I wrote about his book on the “Great Books” page on my blog:
“This is an incredible resource for studying the end times and Bible prophecy. If you want help understanding Revelation and Daniel, or you have ever wanted to dive deeper into understanding prophecy, then this is your definitive book on the subject! Mark Hitchcock has written over 20 books on end times Bible Prophecy, he is the senior Pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, and he serves as an adjunct faculty member of Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a humble servant of God who I have enjoyed speaking with over email on several occasions. Powerful book!”
-Ryan Callahan
If you are looking for a great resource to study the end times, then Pastor Mark’s book is what I recommend. I believe he has a correct and clear understanding of the end times and I agree with his beliefs regarding the Rapture and all other end times events.
It is important to remember that our beliefs in the Rapture are not a salvation issue. My old college friend who is now a Pastor is not a deceiver because of his views on the Rapture. I wouldn’t point people to him for understanding of the end times, but he sure knows how to preach the Gospel. I am not saying the Rapture is not an important issue because it is and it should be taught correctly. However, there are many disagreements regarding the Rapture and the timing and meaning of other end times events and we should be careful in how we judge each other regarding those disagreements. There will be people that disagree with my views of the end times. That’s okay. I might disagree with yours. I am not here to argue with anybody about the end times. My focus is on helping the lost get saved. Not arguing with those who are already saved.
All we can do is speak the truth in love on our blogs and let the chips fall where they may. If you have a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ, please contact them privately first. Please be very careful about publicly calling somebody out on your blogs. You might not have all the facts and you need to give the person a fair chance at responding to your disagreement. It is always best to seek understanding through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and talk with the brother or sister directly first.
I posted those links about the Rapture and the mark of the beast, so that people know clearly what I believe. I believe the overview of upcoming end times events is:
WW3
The Rapture (Pre-Trib)
7 year Tribulation
Armageddon
The 2nd Coming of Jesus
The Millennial Kingdom
Satan’s final revolt and defeat
Eternity
There are a lot of things that take place within all that, but that is the general overview.
I hope I was able to help those involved in the disagreement. You all love Jesus with all of your hearts and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We may not agree on everything, but we agree that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and a person can only be saved by God’s grace through faith in Him! Amen to John 3:16, John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Romans 10:9!
I pray we all keep focused on Jesus as we fulfill the Great Commission He gave us in Matthew 28:18-20! May we love each other as He loves us!
Grace and peace to you all!
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Hello everyone! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, then you know I really like Christian hip-hop. I love this song called “Fuego” (which is Spanish for “fire”) by Wande! It is a call to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning and never put it out! It is God’s truth to a poetic rhyme and a really nice beat! I hope you all enjoy it on this beautiful day the Lord has made!
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…”
2 Timothy 1:6
“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire…”
1 Thessalonians 5:19
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus speaking in Acts 1:8
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Believers in Jesus, “keep it lit” in the Holy Spirit! This world can’t beat us! We have overcome the world in Him! Keep planting the righteous seed of the Gospel and may the Lord spread revival throughout the whole world! Thank you Jesus, Amen!
“I was sowin’ seeds, now it’s lookin’ like I need a plow.”
-Wande, Fuego
The seed:
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
I wanted to let everyone know that my Grandma (my Mom’s Mom) went to be with the Lord early Saturday morning. Thank you to all of you who were praying for her. She passed peacefully in her home in her sleep. She was surrounded by family and a lot of love. In her final days, she spoke of how thankful she was for her family and how good her kids turned out. She also talked with my Mom about Jesus and she was able to read my blog post regarding the prayer request for her. My Aunts and Uncles and my Mom had been helping her and it was a blessing that they were able to spend that time together.
Although we will miss her, we are rejoicing and glad that she is no longer in any pain. We know that she is with Jesus now and she is in perfect peace. We have a great hope in Jesus that can never be taken away and we know we will see her again someday.
I will do a memorial post for my Grandma soon, but for now I just wanted to share the news and ask for prayer for my family. It gives me great joy to think of the glory that my Grandma is witnessing right now. My Mom said it was amazing that she passed the day before Resurrection Sunday. My Mom said, “She will be with Jesus on Easter.” Amen, Mom, she is with Jesus and she is wrapped in His love forever.
Grace and peace to you all!
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Okay, I’m taking a moment to catch my breath and I’m finally able to write something. Yesterday I had so many errands to run that I couldn’t even do a post. It has been a weird week and today has been a really weird day. Let me explain.
I mowed the lawn today for the first time this season. I also turned on our sprinkler system. Everything went great, praise God! The mower started up on the second pull and the sprinklers worked perfectly.
As I was checking the sprinkler heads in the back yard, I was startled when I stepped right next to a young bull snake. It was only about a foot and a half long. I have had much bigger and nastier bull snakes in the yard, so this one wasn’t that bad. Still a good size snake though. Bull snakes look a lot like rattle snakes and since baby rattle snakes don’t have their rattle yet, you can’t tell the difference between a young bull and a young rattle snake. Even baby rattle snakes can kill you, so I treat them all like rattle snakes and just chop their heads off.
That’s how we deal with snakes here in Colorado. We back up to open space and we have had some real big ones in our backyard and even in our garage. A real big one struck at my wife in the garage once. It missed her, but it was hissing and striking…until I chopped its head off. The bulls coil up just like a rattle snake and they strike. Sometimes they even shake their tail to mimic a rattler.
So, even though it is pretty common to see snakes in the spring, that was the first weird thing today. Then it got weirder. We actually had an altercation with our neighbor across the street. This is not a normal thing for us and it was pretty shocking. We get along with all of our neighbors and we live in a real nice neighborhood. In almost 13 years of living here we have never had something like this happen.
I was inside the house cooking dinner (like I do every night) waiting for my wife and kids to come home. When my wife and kids got home, they were upset when they came inside. We have had trouble for a long time with our neighbor’s cat pooping in our yard. Well, that same cat was in our front yard as my wife and kids pulled up in our driveway. My son got out of the car first and he scared the cat out of our yard by clapping and telling it to leave. The owner of the cat across the street was sitting on her front porch and she started yelling at my son. Screaming actually. My wife said it was pretty shocking because she was standing right there and this lady is yelling at the top of her lungs telling my son to leave her cat alone. My wife didn’t say anything to her and they all just came inside.
My son said the lady sounded like she was shouting at a Rockies game (that’s our baseball team here in Colorado) and my wife confirmed that she was screaming at our son and totally out of line. She said our neighbor had a lot of anger in her voice and my son said it startled him and scared him a bit. Just to be clear, this lady’s cat is in my yard yet again and she is yelling at my son because my son made the cat leave our yard which shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Yeah, that’s not going to fly with me. Folks, people are so sinful and crazy it’s sad.
Upon learning of the woman’s angry outburst against my son and after serving dinner, I walked outside to have a word with her. It did not go well. I was very angry. I told her to never yell or say anything to my son or my daughter ever again. I told her to keep her cat out of my yard and I wasn’t nice about it. I ended up calling the police afterwards and a cop came and talked with me and then he walked across the street and talked with her. She was crying as he talked with her and she won’t ever be messing with my kids ever again.
I had to repent for some of the words I said and I was honest with the cop about what I said. He told me I shouldn’t have said some of those words, but he understood because he would have been angry too if someone had yelled at his kids. He was a nice guy and he did a good job bringing finality to the situation by letting my neighbor know that she was wrong on all counts, especially yelling at our son, and she needs to stop letting her cat poop in my yard too.
After that, I let my kids ride their bikes out front to show our neighbors that we won’t be bullied or intimidated and to let them know that this is our neighborhood. I grew up near Denver in-between Littleton Blvd. and Federal and I learned at a young age to stand up for myself and my family. I prayed forgiveness and blessing over our neighbors and I pray they find peace in Jesus.
My daughter said it was like the snake was a symbol of the coming trouble with our neighbor. I told my daughter what happened with our neighbor was definitely a spiritual attack. I probably won’t ever get the chance to share Christ with them, especially now, but all we can do is pray for some people. I prayed that the Lord would bring peace and healing to the situation and I know He can do all things.
I could have acted more righteously (please Lord help me not sin in my anger) and I’m really not sure why I’m writing this. I definitely want to ask for prayer for our family. Nobody is going to scare or intimidate my kids and I let that lady know that real loud and clear. She knows I’m not messing around now that she has had a visit from the police. Just pray for her and her husband and their two kids. Just a real weird day.
Ever since I started blogging I have had some weird spiritual attacks thrown at me. I had the guy at the gas station threatening me (while my kids were in the truck), I had somebody drive by our house cussing at me twice, and now this neighbor yelling at my son. Please pray protection over our family. I am out here sharing the Gospel every day and it makes the evil one real mad, but that’s just too bad. Jesus said “Go” so I’m going hard for Jesus! Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 are no joke! I’m going to keep on going in the power, grace, and strength of Jesus inside of me! We are in a spiritual war and I am one of God’s warriors. May His will be done!
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:20
Grace and peace to you all…even to our angry neighbors who yell at our son and let their cat poop all over our yard. I forgive them as Christ has forgiven me. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Hello everyone and God bless you all! Back on April 11th, our sister in Christ Caralyn from Beauty Beyond Bones wrote a post where she introduced her new B³ apparel line. I was so encouraged by her beautiful message of healing in “Come to life” that I ordered a hoodie right after reading her post! I promised Caralyn I would do a post about it as soon as it arrived. This one is for you sister! Thanks for making such a cool Christ centered clothing line!
Let me just say that this hoodie is super comfortable and high quality! It is warm and cozy and it’s perfect for the cold rainy weather we are having today. I am 6 foot 1, so I bought a 2XL and it fits perfectly, in case you are wondering.
Here is what Caralyn said about why she created B3 Apparel and what the “Come to life” phrase means:
“One of the first things that people ask me, when they hear the name of my blog, is What does BeautyBeyondBones mean?
I think that since this has its origins as an anorexia recovery blog, most people assume that the “Bones” in the title correlates to that. But actually, that’s not the case.
One of the most meaningful stories in the Bible – at least to me – is from Ezekiel 37: The Valley of the Dry Bones.
There are all these, dead, dry bones shriveled up in the desert. And Jesus breathes life into the bones, and they come together and form a strong army.
“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5
And you will come to life.
Come to life.
That’s been the cornerstone of my recovery from anorexia: embracing the life that Jesus died to save. To fully come to life, and embrace the freedom of a life in Him. A life deemed worthy by His blood. To embrace it and live it to the full.
Every single day, He invites us to come to life. He invites us to lay down at His feet, all those things we’re hanging onto, and that prevent us from living in the freedom that He purchased.
So…with that, I’m excited to announce that today, I’m launching a B³ apparel line!
My B³ line emphasizes that invitation to “Come to life” – in however that applies to your life: be it recovery, your relationship with Christ, your relationship with yourself, or simply embracing a life of abundance. Come to life.”
-Caralyn, BeautyBeyondBones
Amen Caralyn! That is so beautiful and powerful! Thank You Jesus for setting us free!
Wearing this has deep meaning for me and I wear it as a representation of the victory I have in Jesus Christ! Victory over sin, victory, over death, and victory over the Celiac Disease that almost killed me! I have come to life again because of Jesus and I am forever grateful!
You know what else is really cool?! Yesterday at church, our new Pastor talked about what the Rabbis in Jerusalem were reading on the Sabbath day that Jesus was in the tomb before Resurrection Sunday. Guess what they were reading? They were reading Ezekiel 37:1-6! I knew I was going to be writing this post today and when I heard the Pastor say that, I just smiled and praised God in my heart. It’s also really cool that the Rabbis read that passage of Scripture and then the next day Jesus rose back to life! Praise God!
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'”
Ezekiel 37:1-6
I know what it’s like to be laid out in the dust of the earth on the verge of death. When I weighed 128 pounds clinging to life in excruciating pain from a body devastated by disease, I could feel that I am dust. Back in 2012 I was preparing myself to die and I thought my time was up, but the Lord lifted me out of that pit of suffering and death and He breathed new life into me yet again! I feel like Hezekiah when he was given a second chance and I have truly come to life! I know that Jesus is Lord and nothing is impossible for Him!
“Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such
anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of
destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.”
Isaiah 38:17
Yesterday we celebrated Jesus coming back to life! Jesus is the resurrection and the life and He can and will breathe new life into you too! I stand with Caralyn and encourage you all to come to life today! Today is the day of salvation! Today is the day of your deliverance and freedom! May we all take hold of the abundant life that Jesus wants for us and be at peace in His love and forgiveness!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus in John 10:10
I praise God for the message of hope and freedom the Lord is sharing through you Caralyn! Keep going strong for Jesus!
Hello everyone! Happy Resurrection Sunday! I am a little late posting this today. I’ve been spending the day with my wife and kids and we went to the last afternoon service at church, which was awesome. We have a new Pastor and his first time preaching at the church was at the four Easter services today. The Lord spoke a powerful message through him and the worship was beautiful. I loved singing “He silenced the boast of sin and grave!” I couldn’t hold back the tears of joy. We celebrate Jesus today and every day because He silenced sin and death and gave us eternal life! Jesus has risen and He is alive! Hallelujah!
That photo above is the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel. It is the most probable archeological site for the tomb that Jesus was laid to rest in. It is located in a beautiful garden right next to where Jesus was crucified at Golgotha (The Place of the Skull) just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem. The tomb is actually only a few hundred feet to the west of Golgotha and its location matches what John wrote about the burial of Jesus. Let’s take a look at that Scripture.
“Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
John 19:38-42
You can see Golgotha from the garden and vice versa. They are right next to each other just as John said. It is important to note that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man. He owned the land where the garden was located and he cut the new tomb out of the rock. It is quite possible Joseph had a vineyard because there is also an old wine press on the property and a cistern. It is a beautiful piece of land and it was a beautiful brand new tomb for Jesus to rest in.
View of Golgotha from the eastern side of the garden.
Here is how Matthew records the burial of Jesus:
“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.”
Matthew 27:57-61
“That tomb (and presumably also the garden) belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, who was given special permission to bury the body of Jesus in his nearby tomb before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. The discovery of both an ancient tomb and the remains of an ancient agricultural garden very close to Skull Hill conforms well with that description.”
-GardenTomb.com
Although the curators make no claims that they know for certain that the tomb and the garden belonged to Joseph, the location of the area lines up with Scripture perfectly.
“The traditional site where the crucifixion and resurrection are remembered is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which was established in the early 4th century by Emperor Constantine. However, for at least several centuries some have questioned whether that ancient church is the actual site of the gospel events. This alternative location, today known as Skull Hill, was first suggested to be the site of Christ’s crucifixion in 1842 by a German scholar named Otto Thenius. The tomb itself was unearthed in 1867 and first proposed by General Charles Gordon to be the tomb of Jesus in 1883. Unfortunately, its entrance had been damaged and later repaired with stone blocks.
This garden has been carefully maintained as a place of Christian worship, witness, and reflection on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. Many believe this to be the garden in which Jesus of Nazareth was buried and where he rose from the dead. The Garden Tomb has been owned by a nondenominational Christian trust since 1894. We make no dogmatic claims about the historical authenticity of this site but desire to preserve it as a place of worship and as a visual reminder of the Messiah’s sacrifice and victory. ”
-GardenTomb.com
Garden Tomb Ancient CisternGarden Tomb Ancient Wine Press
You can see it is a very beautiful garden that most definitely would have been owned by a rich man.
Here is what the tomb would have looked like with the stone rolled in front of it:
“The exact dating of the tomb is disputed, however it is at least as old as the days of Christ and it otherwise fits the descriptions in the gospels. In later years the tomb area was used by Christians in both the Byzantine and Crusader periods. There is a Byzantine cross painted inside the tomb and a Crusader cross carved outside on the front wall. The channel outside the front wall of the tomb, though extensively modified in later centuries, may have originally been used as a track for a large rolling stone.”
-GardenTomb.com
After Joseph rolled the big stone in front of the tomb, the chief priests put the official government seal on it and had it guarded:
“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
Matthew 27:62-66
This is the place where our Lord and Savior may have been buried and where He rose back to life! Let’s take a look at what happened on the day Jesus resurrected from the dead!
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:1-10
That is just awesome! There had just been a massive earthquake when Jesus died and there was another one when the angel came down to move the stone! I love how the angel just sits on top of the stone. It is such an amazing sight that it completely defeats the Roman guards leaving them speechless and motionless on the ground. I also love how the angel is so straight forward and matter of fact when he tells the women Jesus had risen just like He said. Most of all, I love that Jesus greets them and comforts them!
As the angel said, “Come and see the place where he lay.”
Burial chamber inside the Garden Tomb
Death could not hold Jesus and because of Jesus we no longer have to be afraid! Jesus is the resurrection and the life and all who believe in Him will live for eternity with Him in Heaven!
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to his disciples for forty days before He ascended into Heaven. He hung out with them, He ate with them, and He taught them about the Kingdom of God.
“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:1-3
At the end of those forty days, Jesus gave his disciples one last command. It is known as the Great Commission and it is every Christian’s high honor to fulfill it!
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
It is because Jesus has risen that we have hope! There would be no hope without the resurrection! Jesus silenced the boast of sin and the grave! How beautiful it is to have your sins forgiven and have the great peace of knowing that death no longer has any hold on you! Jesus died for our sins, Jesus rose from the grave, Jesus ascended into Heaven, and Jesus will be coming back someday!”
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11
May we eagerly await His return every day and may we serve Him and do His will by making disciples of all nations just as He commanded! Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life and that is the greatest truth a human soul could ever hear! Amen, come Lord Jesus! May Your holy will be done!
Grace and peace to you all!
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
That is a big title for a big day! Today is the day we honor and remember Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins to set us free from sin and death and give us eternal life! Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God and His blood is the only blood that is all sufficient to cover and forgive all of our sins and justify us before God! Jesus was the final sacrifice once and for all and He is the fulfillment of Scripture! We give Jesus praise, honor, and glory because He is worthy and Jesus is Lord!
Golgotha, The Place of the Skull (see the skull face to the right)
“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Matthew 27:33-37
Art by Jon McNaughton
The title for this post is in reference to four miraculous events that occurred that day on Golgotha hill in Jerusalem as Jesus died for us on that Roman cross. These events are not just recorded in the Bible, but in the historical record as well. Let’s first take a look at what is recorded in the Book of Matthew regarding the death of Jesus and the events that followed.
“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.”
Matthew 27:45-56
The darkness, the torn curtain, the earthquake, and the empty tombs were all supernatural miracles of God! Jesus is the resurrection and the life and those tombs broke open the very moment He died! Can you imagine being in Jerusalem seeing people who had once been dead just walking around the city interacting with everyone?! What a powerful and terrifying day! So powerful and terrifying that it moved one of the Roman soldiers who had crucified Jesus to proclaim out loud that he believed Jesus was the Son of God!
There is even historical evidence that backs up the three hours of darkness, the great earthquake, and the dead people coming back to life that all happened on the day Jesus was crucified! Ancient historians Africanus, Thallus, Phlegon, and Tertullian wrote about these amazing events and it is recorded history that backs up the Bible! Let’s take a look at what they had to say about the day Jesus died for us.
Africanus wrote a five volume History of the World around A.D. 221.
“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Savior falls on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun. And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun?
Let opinion pass however; let it carry the majority with it; and let this portent of the world be deemed an eclipse of the sun, like others a portent only to the eye. Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth—manifestly that one of which we speak. But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? Surely no such event as this is recorded for a long period.”
-Julius Africanus, Extant Writings, XVIII
“Thallus wrote a history of the eastern Mediterranean world since the Trojan War. He wrote his regional history in about AD 52.6. Unfortunately his original writings have been lost, however he is specifically quoted by Julius Africanus as in the quote above, and Africanus was a renowned third century historian. Africanus stated, ‘Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away the darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably as it seems to me.’ Thallus attempted to give a naturalistic explanation to the darkness during the crucifixion.”
-ChristianEvidence.net
“Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around A.D. 137. Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day. In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthew 27:51:
“In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e. AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day (i.e. noon) so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.’”
-Phlegon, ChristianEvidence.net
“St. Tertullian (160-220), in his Apology addressed to the “rulers of the Roman Empire” also writes of the Darkness at Christ’s Crucifixion:
“And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others. At His own free-will, He with a word dismissed from Him His spirit, anticipating the executioner’s work. In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives.”
-Tertullian, ChristianEvidence.net
The Bible is recorded history of events that actually happened, and even ancient historians back that truth up! Pretty cool if you ask me! There is plenty of evidence that God’s Word is true. The world just doesn’t want you to know that! I love how Africanus wrote: “But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? Surely no such event as this is recorded for a long period.” That is right my ancient friend! No such event has ever been recorded before or since! All those things only happened at the same time when Jesus died on that cross!
Now that we know about the darkness, the earthquake, and the empty tombs, let us turn our attention to the torn curtain. I cannot stress enough the importance of the curtain of the temple tearing in two from top to bottom! The temple was the holiest site in Jerusalem. God’s Spirit was inside the temple and only the high priest could enter the inner room called the Most Holy Place. There was a separation between God and man and the high priest had to make sacrifices for the sins of the people and himself.
I once heard our old Pastor give a sermon about how dangerous it was to go inside the temple. He said the other priests would actually tie a rope around the ankle of the high priest before he entered the inner room. They did this because if the high priest had any hidden sins that he had not confessed, then he would die upon being in the presence of God! The other priests could not enter the temple to get the body or else they would die too, so they would just pull the body out with the rope. That was what it was like under the first covenant of the law trying to gain righteousness by works. Jesus gave us the new covenant of grace, which is eternal life through faith in Him!
Artistic representation of the first century Jewish Temple.Holyland Model of Jerusalem (1:50 scale) at the Israel Museum.
“Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly tabernacle. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things now.
When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings–external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
Hebrews 9:1-10
When Jesus died for us and the curtain was torn in two, the separation between God and man was destroyed and through faith in Jesus we can now approach God with freedom and confidence! Jesus is the final high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7 and 8) and He entered the most Holy Place by His own blood! His sacrifice covers the sins of the whole world and He is the final sacrifice for sins once and for all!
“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Hebrews 9:11-12
“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:19-23
Praise God the curtain is torn and now we can all have access to God through faith in Jesus and receive His Holy Spirit inside of us! No longer does God keep His Spirit separate from us. Now He graciously pours out His Spirit on anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ! We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit!
“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:19-22
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
God no longer resides in a temple built by man. He freely gives His Spirit to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and He resides inside of us! Believers in Jesus Christ are His Holy temple! Now you know why Christians get so excited about the curtain being torn!
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 1:13-14
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
God came to earth as the man Christ Jesus to set us free and give us eternal life, and He accomplished that when He willingly died on the cross for all of us! Darkness covered the land, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, the earth shook and rocks split, the tombs broke open, and our Savior defeated sin and death once and for all! Thank you Jesus! You are worthy to be praised!
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Ephesians 3:12
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Jesus speaking in John 6:40
Jesus is offering this freedom to you right now! The salvation of your soul! Nothing in this world can ever compare with that! I pray you consider the darkened sky, the earthquake, and the people who were raised to life, and you walk right through that torn curtain into the arms of Jesus who loves you more than you could ever imagine!
After the anointing at Bethany and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, there was an amazing miracle of God that happened as Jesus was predicting His death. It was also witnessed by the same crowd of people who had witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and who were with Him when He entered Jerusalem. Although the miracle happened as Jesus was speaking, He made it clear that the benefit of the miracle was for the people. May this miracle encourage your heart and benefit your soul with faith in Jesus!
Let’s take a look at what happened after Jesus entered Jerusalem in chapter 12 of the Book of John:
“Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
John 12:17-33
It is a miracle in itself that Jesus predicted His death and then on top of that God spoke to Him from heaven and the whole crowd heard it! Praise God! Just imagine that scene in your mind for a moment–it is incredible! What would you have done if you had been there and you heard God’s voice from Heaven?! An actual audible voice! Again, praise God!
This miracle happened two other times to Jesus. The first time was when He was being baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17) and the second time was during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13).
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Matthew 17:5
It is beautiful that Jesus and the crowd of people heard God’s voice just days before Jesus was crucified. I love how Jesus doesn’t ask to be saved from His coming suffering, but instead cries out for God to be glorified! And just at that moment, God spoke from Heaven!
Jesus knew why He had come to earth, He knew His mission, and He was fully prepared to finish it! Three times Jesus heard God’s voice from Heaven and three times there were witnesses present to hear it! Many times people overlook the miracles of the Bible. Please don’t! These are historical accounts that were written for the benefit of those who read them! These true stories lead to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and they are available to read worldwide! No matter where you live in this world, truly think upon these things. Consider the historical record of Jesus and come to Him! Even now He is drawing everyone to Himself and that includes you!
Jesus has defeated the prince of this world, that is the evil one. Jesus has your freedom from sin and death! Jesus is the key to unlock the chains of the devil’s work on this earth! Do you want to be free? Do you want eternal life? Maybe this Easter, its time to look past the bunnies and chocolate eggs and consider what Jesus truly did for you when He died on that cross.
Jesus proved He was the Son of God many times while He was on earth. There are many more miracles to read about and I hope the fact that God spoke to Jesus audibly from Heaven three different times sparks an interest in you to learn more. Jesus loves you, He died for you to forgive all your sins, and through faith in Him you will be saved from death and have eternal life!
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-24
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
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