COMMENTS
In America today, the minority still tries to drive home the false narrative of a complete separation of church and state. The First Amendment directs that the Federal Government shall not establish a religion nor interfere with the free exercise of one’s religion, with few exceptions (Constitution Annotated. Free Exercise Clause – Overview)
America was founded upon deeply religious (Christian) principles by deeply principled men. Most of whom were deeply committed to their Christian faith.
Yesterday, we celebrated the fulfillment of the Gospel, or Good News. The news that the path for man’s redemption had been paved by the Birth of our Savior, His death, Burial, and Resurrection. I chose to post this today as a reminder that we need to celebrate the fulfillment of the Gospel, or Good News, every day.
At the end of the Book of Revelation, God provides us a small glimpse of what that resurrection means to you and me when, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, John writes:
The New Heaven and Earth
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any [a]sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [b][as their God,] 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the [c]former order of things has passed away.”
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lamp and light. 24 The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory. 25 By day (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed [in fear of evil]; 26 and they will bring the glory (splendor, majesty) and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations [detestable, morally repugnant things] and lying, but only those [will be admitted] whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The Perfect Life
22:1 Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]; 4 they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.
The Final Invitation
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.”
17 The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.
18 I testify and warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from or distorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.
20 He who testifies and affirms these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus (the Christ, the Messiah) be with all [the saints—all believers, those set apart for God]. Amen.
Every true believer should be shouting GLORY at this testimony of what John has seen. Special note to the final invitation. We are to share this “Good News” far and wide at every opportunity.
One final comment, Bill & Gloria Gaither wrote a song many years ago that is very popular in many circles. I have the first verse and choruses below as they are applicable to today’s topic. The first verse is a synopsis of the Gospel, and the Chorus is like a list of benefits Christians receive by faith because of the Good News.
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
STUDIES
The Day Death Lost Its Hold
There is a moment in history that most people move past too quickly. It is early morning. The sky is still dim. A group of grieving followers walk toward a tomb, carrying spices, expecting death to smell like death. They are not looking for hope. They are looking for closure. But when they arrive, everything is wrong in the best possible way. The stone is already moved. The grave is empty. And heaven speaks into their confusion with a sentence that has never stopped echoing through the world: He is not here. He is risen. That is not a surprising ending to a sad story. That is the moment reality itself is rewritten.
What happened that morning means that sin has truly been dealt with. Not covered, not postponed, not ignored. Paid in full. Finished. Accepted. The resurrection is God’s declaration that the work of Jesus was enough. Every failure you carry, every hidden guilt you hope no one sees, every quiet question about whether you are really forgiven meets its answer there. If Christ is alive, then your forgiveness is not fragile. It does not depend on how you feel this week. It does not rise and fall with your performance. It rests on a living Savior who walked out of the grave, proving that nothing remains unpaid. This is why the gospel is not advice. It is an announcement. Something has already been accomplished outside of you that changes everything inside of you.
And here is the part we often forget. The empty tomb is not only about what happened to Him. It is about what will happen to you. Every fear of death, every quiet anxiety about the future, every moment where life feels like it is slipping through your hands is answered by that same truth. Jesus did not rise as a private miracle but as the first of many. His resurrection is the beginning of a new creation, and all who belong to Him are carried into that same victory. So when you face your week, you are not standing on wishful thinking or vague optimism. You are standing on a stone that has already been rolled away. And that means the worst thing that could ever happen to you has already been defeated.
Our King Has Risen ~ Poetry By – Deborah Ann Belka
Risen Indeed! – Michael S Horton
The Resurrection Gospel – John MacArthur
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus – C.H. Spurgeon
How the Resurrection of Christ Shapes Our Hope – Joel R. Beeke
Benefits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – Perry A. Hess
From space, Artemis II astronauts remember their Creator as they orbit on Easter
Thinking of Christians under siege around the world, remember how lucky we are to practice our faith.
He is Risen! “I know my Redeemer liveth” – American Minute with Bill Federer
April 05, 2026 • He is Risen! “I know my Redeemer liveth”
Lamb of God sacrificed on Passover; In tomb on Feast of Unleavened Bread; Resurrected on Feast of First Fruits – American Minute with Bill Federer
April 03, 2026 • Lamb of God sacrificed on Passover; Resurrected on Feast of First Fruits – “I know that my Redeemer liveth”
DEVOTION
April 4, 2026/Daniel Rowlands/Faith
The resurrection of Jesus was a very public miracle. Skeptics of Christianity often challenge the truth about the resurrection, but they do so without evidence. Why?
“Fact-Checking” the Resurrection
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