GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 10 ~ ~ Romans 10:9 ~ ~ “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

After Jesus rose, and appeared to groups of people and individuals at various times, and after Pentecost, the infant Church was on its way.

What if we were there at that time? What was the atmosphere? The Jewish leaders were upset, to say the least. They figured they squelched any problems concerning the empty tomb, with the ample bribes they paid to the Roman guards in exchange for their lies that the disciples took the body, which is what the Jewish nation as a whole believes to this day. But the leaders still watched the Church grow before their eyes despite their ungodly efforts.

And speaking of those guards, what were they feeling? Some of them, no doubt, were downright giddy with their bulging pockets, thanks to the Jewish leaders. But, there were probably some who were more than a little shook up from the turn of events that morning.

They have their money, but they know the truth. They’ll be called in with the rest, and have to persist in the lie, or be court marshaled or killed for sleeping on the job. That wasn’t an ordinary guard job.

First, they must have thought, why guard a dead man? They KNOW he’s dead. If anyone moves the stone, they’ll hear it, and wake up. Might as well catch a few winks.

But I wonder if they saw Jesus walk right through that tomb wall!!!! They might have slept through that part, and woke up with the bright light of Jesus and/or the angels. The angels didn’t move the stone for Jesus to come out. He could walk through walls, like He did later to see the apostles, a couple times. (and so will we, with our resurrection bodies!) No, they opened it for Mary Magdalene and the other women who were coming.

Sometimes I wonder just how much the soldiers saw before they ran for the hills. I wonder if some of them got saved afterwards, and maybe even returned the money.

I wonder if any of them told Pilot the truth, and if they did, would he have listened? Or would he, in a fit of guilt and aggravation, put them to death? OR—-in his guilt, maybe the news was enough for him to believe!!! After all, indications are that his wife did. We will find out eventually, but not here.

So much we don’t know. But peoples’ lives depend upon little unknowns like these.

How many people now are in the same position concerning Jesus? How many believers, or near-believers are slinking into a corner because they don’t want the static in their lives in mixed company?

How many are too afraid of the “powers that be” in this nation and others, to speak up?

Let the situation after the resurrection speak to us now. If the soldiers would have been courageous enough to tell the truth, how many more would have heard the Truth of Christ’s atoning sacrifice? Again, we can only guess, and apply the question to our own situations.

In every evil civilization where God is at all presented, there are some who will come to know Him, whether it be through the God of Israel or Jesus Christ.

When we read Biblical history, we’re told about the fall of the nations, but almost every nation that falls has some individuals who held onto God.

We’re no different now. Around the world, people look at our nation and see the evil, and the changes that are rapidly happening. But they don’t see the individuals who have not changed, and are not embracing those things.

By the same thought, when we look at other nations, we don’t know how many beautiful believers are there, many of them being persecuted within their own nations.

It’s mind-boggling. It’s tragic. It’s depressing. And it’s imperative, that we make praying for others and witnessing to others a priority in our lives. They’re there. They’re everywhere. Time is short.

Which group are you in? Do you believe in the Resurrection? Physical proofs are there, but if you make the decision it has to be your decision.

He died for you. He died for every person who ever lived since the creation of man. He took the entire punishment of eternal hell for each of us on that cross in the darkness.

He suffered infinite and eternal punishment for billions of people in one body for a finite amount of time!! We, you, couldn’t even begin to imagine the suffering He went through.

But you can make it so He didn’t suffer it in vain. You can accept His substitution and have the joy of living with Him forever, in heaven and on the new and perfect earth. Just tell Him you’re sorry that your sins put him through that, and that you’re thankful to Him for doing it. Acknowledge Him as the God of Heaven and earth, and the Lord of your life. You’ll never be sorry, for all of eternity.

Romans 10:9-10 AMP

“ because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.”

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