Hi out there - all you KCDI people. Beth and I wish you a Happy Easter for 2017! We will start with the recognized sin problem in the Old Testament and then move to the answer in the NEW. God Bless you all!

Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Isa. 64: 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Job 25: 4 How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?

Examine the life of Martin Luther, the protestant reformer. He was haunted and tormented by the sin nature of his life until he found God’s mercy and grace in Romans 1:17 that changed him.

Mankind has a big problem that seems insurmountable. What can he do to make himself right before a HOLY, REIGHTEOUS, and POWERFUL GOD? This God created man, time, the heavens, and everything in our Universe. He is outside the box of our comprehension and intellect. He made this Universe and established His rules. What remedy does He give for our sin problems?

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Isa. 59:1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Heb. 7:25 Therefore He (Jesus) is able to save completely (to the uttermost) those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Romans 5: 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

Romans 5: 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Remembering Jesus’ crucifixion and burial in Matt: 27:27 through the end of the chapter, we read Matt: 28: 1-15 of His resurrection.

28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 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.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

7 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."

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,

13 telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'

14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."

15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Do you believe this? Jesus said in Matt. 9: 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";

On Resurrection Sunday, Christians celebrate Jesus’ victory over death. The reasons we celebrate become clearer the longer we walk with Christ. His resurrection serves as the center piece of our relationship with Him. He’s alive, and He lives in us the moment we welcome Him into our lives.