The Power of the Resurrection: Recent Episodes
Obadiah Swen
Bethel World Outreach Church-City of Glory is a multicultural, missions-oriented and disciple making church. We feel God has called us to make a difference where we are and are committed to helping people use the spiritual and physical resources the Lord has provided them to obey Him, and fulfill the destiny he has designed for them.
Our goal is to win the lost at all costs. If you are looking for a church, where the word of God is taught in integrity and the members are focused on serving God and his people as well as making a difference in their communities then, please accept our personal invitation to make Bethel-City of Glory your home. We can grow and serve the Lord together.
At Bethel-City of Glory, we have endeavored to focus on the holistic approach to ministry. We have tailored our ministry to meet the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, financial and physical need of the family.
When a person is saved from drowning three aspects of rescue must be observed. First, the person is taken out of the water; second, the rescuer removes the water from the person’s lungs. If this is successful, the third stage is making sure that the rescued person is properly cared for until he is whole. In a real sense, this is a picture of the scope of God's salvation for us. When God saves a person He delivers him or her from: 1. Past Sins—"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephes. 2:8). Here is salvation from the penalty of sin. All men and women outside of Christ are under God's condemnation (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). In view of this, man has no hope apart from God's salvation, which reaches into his past and delivers him from the penalty of all that he has incurred. Do you know what it is to be saved from your past, with all its guilt, fear and shame?
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Present Sins—" … the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). God saves a man not only from his past, but also in the present. Paul puts this beautifully in Romans 5:10—" … if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." The glorious experience of the believer is that he is being saved moment by moment, by the power of an indwelling Christ. This constitutes salvation from the power and dominion of sin.
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Future Sins—" … Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28). This looks on to the final redemption of the believer when he shall be saved from the presence of sin, admitted to heaven and glorified in the presence of his Lord. This is "the blessed hope" of every genuine Christian (Titus 2:13).
Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
When a person is saved from drowning three aspects of rescue must be observed. First, the person is taken out of the water; second, the rescuer removes the water from the person’s lungs. If this is successful, the third stage is making sure that the rescued person is properly cared for until he is whole. In a real sense, this is a picture of the scope of God's salvation for us. When God saves a person He delivers him or her from: 1. Past Sins—"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephes. 2:8). Here is salvation from the penalty of sin. All men and women outside of Christ are under God's condemnation (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). In view of this, man has no hope apart from God's salvation, which reaches into his past and delivers him from the penalty of all that he has incurred. Do you know what it is to be saved from your past, with all its guilt, fear and shame?
-
Present Sins—" … the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). God saves a man not only from his past, but also in the present. Paul puts this beautifully in Romans 5:10—" … if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." The glorious experience of the believer is that he is being saved moment by moment, by the power of an indwelling Christ. This constitutes salvation from the power and dominion of sin.
-
Future Sins—" … Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28). This looks on to the final redemption of the believer when he shall be saved from the presence of sin, admitted to heaven and glorified in the presence of his Lord. This is "the blessed hope" of every genuine Christian (Titus 2:13).
Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
Salvation is one of the key words of the Bible. Its meaning is rich, and includes the whole idea of deliverance from sin and its blessings: redemption, healing, soundness, prosperity, protection, deliverance, abundant and eternal life, etc. The word encompasses God's saving work in Jesus Christ. Salvation is all of God in its conception, initiation, operation and implementation, (Romans 10:6-10). It was always in His heart to save men from their sins and " … to present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). If we know about the greatness of God's salvation then it is because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to appreciate this divine conception. "How shall we escape if we neglect SO great salvation … " (Hebrews 2:3). The writer of Hebrews use the word SO to convey the unspeakable sacrifice of God's love in providing an eternal salvation for undeserving men and women (John 3:16). He describes the cost of salvation when he says, " … we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9). That tells the story of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony of soul, " … Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as My will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). There He accepted the dreaded cup of God's judgment upon sin. The very horror of drinking that cup caused Him to sweat great drops of blood; and yet He did not turn back, but went all the way to Calvary. As He hung on the cross, He did not swallow the contents of that awful cup in one act. Indeed, He sipped every drop, so that the ingredients of that cup of sin and judgment might be tasted to the very last ounce. His was a prolonged, agonizing, fearful but atoning death. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
Salvation is one of the key words of the Bible. Its meaning is rich, and includes the whole idea of deliverance from sin and its blessings: redemption, healing, soundness, prosperity, protection, deliverance, abundant and eternal life, etc. The word encompasses God's saving work in Jesus Christ. Salvation is all of God in its conception, initiation, operation and implementation, (Romans 10:6-10). It was always in His heart to save men from their sins and " … to present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). If we know about the greatness of God's salvation then it is because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to appreciate this divine conception. "How shall we escape if we neglect SO great salvation … " (Hebrews 2:3). The writer of Hebrews use the word SO to convey the unspeakable sacrifice of God's love in providing an eternal salvation for undeserving men and women (John 3:16). He describes the cost of salvation when he says, " … we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9). That tells the story of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony of soul, " … Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as My will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). There He accepted the dreaded cup of God's judgment upon sin. The very horror of drinking that cup caused Him to sweat great drops of blood; and yet He did not turn back, but went all the way to Calvary. As He hung on the cross, He did not swallow the contents of that awful cup in one act. Indeed, He sipped every drop, so that the ingredients of that cup of sin and judgment might be tasted to the very last ounce. His was a prolonged, agonizing, fearful but atoning death. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:1-10) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:1-10) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Result of the Resurrection - Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
"The Poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, met General William Booth of the Salvation Army, while both were out walking. 'General,' said Tennyson, 'what is the news this morning?' 'The news, sir,' replied Booth 'is that Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification!' 'Ah,' replied the poet, 'that is old news, and new news, and good news.'" Paul said: "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). In these words Paul emphasized the significance and value of the resurrection. Everything depends upon this central fact—a risen Christ. If Christ was not raised, then our preaching is empty, our faith is false, and we are in a state of abject misery. But since the resurrection of Christ is an indisputable fact, then it follows that the resurrection of Christ is an indispensable faith. Preaching represents the word of Christ. Everything that Jesus ever said during His earthly ministry must be judged in the light of the resurrection, for if He did not rise from the dead, how can we trust the words He spoke? How can we believe the claims He made? How can we aspire to the standards He set? In other words, if Christ was not raised, then both our preaching and our faith are vain. But Christ is risen, and as a result, every single word Jesus spoke rings with authority and vibrates with life; we can trust Him implicitly. If Jesus Christ never rose from the dead, then Calvary means nothing at all; other men have been crucified, and Jesus must be numbered among them. On the other hand, if He truly rose from the dead, then Calvary represents the unique redemptive act of God, providing forgiveness and salvation for men and women like you and me. Because He rose we can say that Christ "was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). There is forgiveness and redemption through the blood of Jesus because the resurrection elevates His death on the cross with great significance. Peter knew this from personal experience. That is why he could write that we are "begotten ... again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Message of the Resurrection – Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
"The Poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, met General William Booth of the Salvation Army, while both were out walking. 'General,' said Tennyson, 'what is the news this morning?' 'The news, sir,' replied Booth 'is that Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification!' 'Ah,' replied the poet, 'that is old news, and new news, and good news.'" Paul said: "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). In these words Paul emphasized the significance and value of the resurrection. Everything depends upon this central fact—a risen Christ. If Christ was not raised, then our preaching is empty, our faith is false, and we are in a state of abject misery. But since the resurrection of Christ is an indisputable fact, then it follows that the resurrection of Christ is an indispensable faith. Preaching represents the word of Christ. Everything that Jesus ever said during His earthly ministry must be judged in the light of the resurrection, for if He did not rise from the dead, how can we trust the words He spoke? How can we believe the claims He made? How can we aspire to the standards He set? In other words, if Christ was not raised, then both our preaching and our faith are vain. But Christ is risen, and as a result, every single word Jesus spoke rings with authority and vibrates with life; we can trust Him implicitly. If Jesus Christ never rose from the dead, then Calvary means nothing at all; other men have been crucified, and Jesus must be numbered among them. On the other hand, if He truly rose from the dead, then Calvary represents the unique redemptive act of God, providing forgiveness and salvation for men and women like you and me. Because He rose we can say that Christ "was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). There is forgiveness and redemption through the blood of Jesus because the resurrection elevates His death on the cross with great significance. Peter knew this from personal experience. That is why he could write that we are "begotten ... again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Message of the Resurrection – Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
In John Masefield's drama, "The Trial of Jesus", there is a striking passage in which the Roman centurion in command of the soldiers at the cross comes back to Pilate to hand in his report of the day's work. After the report is given, Pilate's wife beckons to the centurion and begs him to tell how Jesus died. When the story has been told, she suddenly asks, "Do you think He is dead?" "No, lady," answers the centurion, "I don't." "Then where is He?" to which the Roman replies, "Let loose in the world, lady, where ... no one can stop His truth." And so it proved, for as soon as Jesus was risen and ascended, He empowered His disciples to make known the gospel of the resurrection throughout the whole of the world. The gospel of the resurrection is an indisputable fact, an indispensable faith, and an irresistible force. Nobody sets this out as clearly as the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Message of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
In John Masefield's drama, "The Trial of Jesus", there is a striking passage in which the Roman centurion in command of the soldiers at the cross comes back to Pilate to hand in his report of the day's work. After the report is given, Pilate's wife beckons to the centurion and begs him to tell how Jesus died. When the story has been told, she suddenly asks, "Do you think He is dead?" "No, lady," answers the centurion, "I don't." "Then where is He?" to which the Roman replies, "Let loose in the world, lady, where ... no one can stop His truth." And so it proved, for as soon as Jesus was risen and ascended, He empowered His disciples to make known the gospel of the resurrection throughout the whole of the world. The gospel of the resurrection is an indisputable fact, an indispensable faith, and an irresistible force. Nobody sets this out as clearly as the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Message of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
" … two of them were traveling that … day to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem … while they conversed and reasoned, ... Jesus Himself drew near and went with them" (Luke 24:13, 15). The Holy Spirit recorded this story in order to teach us the importance of a transformed life. Transformation takes place when our hearts are exposed by the revelation of the truth of God’s word. The two disciples had turned their backs on Jerusalem, with its tragedy of the cross, and were facing the sinking sun as they walked westward to Emmaus, about seven miles away. In this passage, we see the whole purpose of God to lovingly, truthfully, and purposefully transformed lives: " … He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25). The reason the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world was to expose the condition of our sadness and unbelieving hearts. The reason why you cannot penetrate the deep things of God; why the whole of Scripture seems inexplicable; why prayer is a farce, and the church a puzzle; why God seems so unreal and far away is the condition of your heart. Remember, you are a religious being and you carry the similitude of God in your personality, even though you have been cursed by sin. These disciples did not understand what transpired on that rugged cross. They did not understand the meaning of that outpoured blood. They did not understand that the stone rolled away from the tomb was one of the greatest miracles the world had ever seen. Jesus Christ never meets anyone along life's journey without exposing the condition of their hearts. He has to expose the sadness and unbelief of the heart. He has also come to renew us with His resurrection life. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Transformation of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
" … two of them were traveling that … day to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem … while they conversed and reasoned, ... Jesus Himself drew near and went with them" (Luke 24:13, 15). The Holy Spirit recorded this story in order to teach us the importance of a transformed life. Transformation takes place when our hearts are exposed by the revelation of the truth of God’s word. The two disciples had turned their backs on Jerusalem, with its tragedy of the cross, and were facing the sinking sun as they walked westward to Emmaus, about seven miles away. In this passage, we see the whole purpose of God to lovingly, truthfully, and purposefully transformed lives: " … He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25). The reason the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world was to expose the condition of our sadness and unbelieving hearts. The reason why you cannot penetrate the deep things of God; why the whole of Scripture seems inexplicable; why prayer is a farce, and the church a puzzle; why God seems so unreal and far away is the condition of your heart. Remember, you are a religious being and you carry the similitude of God in your personality, even though you have been cursed by sin. These disciples did not understand what transpired on that rugged cross. They did not understand the meaning of that outpoured blood. They did not understand that the stone rolled away from the tomb was one of the greatest miracles the world had ever seen. Jesus Christ never meets anyone along life's journey without exposing the condition of their hearts. He has to expose the sadness and unbelief of the heart. He has also come to renew us with His resurrection life. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Transformation of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:13-35) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Transformation of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:13-35) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Transformation of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Mary Magdalene loved the Lord. Jesus had transformed her life. At one time she was possessed of seven demons that manifested themselves in all manner of wickedness and sinfulness ways, but the Lord delivered and set her free. The death of Christ was very devastating to His disciples. It broke their hearts and seems hopeless. Mary was one of those who experienced great anguish and pain. But when she saw the risen Lord, her anguish and pain were changed to joy. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Joy of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Mary Magdalene loved the Lord. Jesus had transformed her life. At one time she was possessed of seven demons that manifested themselves in all manner of wickedness and sinfulness ways, but the Lord delivered and set her free. The death of Christ was very devastating to His disciples. It broke their hearts and seems hopeless. Mary was one of those who experienced great anguish and pain. But when she saw the risen Lord, her anguish and pain were changed to joy. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Joy of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:1-18) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Joy of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:1-18) Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Joy of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:6). From start to finish, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest miracles of all times. It is the greatest displayed of God’s power (Eph. 1:19). In the Old Testament, when Israel wanted to highlight God’s power, they talked about their deliverance from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. In the New Testament, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:19-23). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Proof of the Resurrection – Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:6). From start to finish, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest miracles of all times. It is the greatest displayed of God’s power (Eph. 1:19). In the Old Testament, when Israel wanted to highlight God’s power, they talked about their deliverance from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. In the New Testament, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:19-23). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Proof of the Resurrection – Part 2" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA, #PastorObe.
A few days after Easter in 1977, a reader wrote The Philadelphia Inquirer, to ask whether "Jesus of Nazareth," the two-part TV program that was shown by NBC on Palm Sunday and Easter, was available in book form. The newspaper's answer was priceless: "It has been available for nearly 2,000 years, but if you want the NBC version, you can get it from Ballantine Books for $1.95."
Two-thirds of the gospel story in the New Testament is devoted to the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each writer of the gospel had carefully and meticulously recorded these historical facts. The Bible says when the women reached the sepulcher, the tomb was empty and the stone was rolled away. At the heart of the gospel is the fact of the empty tomb. Without hesitation we can declare that the tomb is empty, the throne is filled, and Jesus is alive! Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Proof of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
A few days after Easter in 1977, a reader wrote The Philadelphia Inquirer, to ask whether "Jesus of Nazareth," the two-part TV program that was shown by NBC on Palm Sunday and Easter, was available in book form. The newspaper's answer was priceless: "It has been available for nearly 2,000 years, but if you want the NBC version, you can get it from Ballantine Books for $1.95."
Two-thirds of the gospel story in the New Testament is devoted to the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each writer of the gospel had carefully and meticulously recorded these historical facts. The Bible says when the women reached the sepulcher, the tomb was empty and the stone was rolled away. At the heart of the gospel is the fact of the empty tomb. Without hesitation we can declare that the tomb is empty, the throne is filled, and Jesus is alive! Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Proof of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound" (2 Tim. 2:9). Paul takes pains to tell Timothy—and his readers throughout the centuries—that the communication of the gospel involves real effort and personal sacrifice. He points out that in the course of preaching the gospel he was accused of being an evildoer and was punished accordingly. The word "evildoer" really means "a criminal." It is the same term used for the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus (Luke 23:32, 39). There is a searching suggestion here that to be involved in making known the message of the risen Christ is to suffer persecution with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are not prepared to share his shame then we are not worthy to sit with Him on the throne (2 Tim. 2:11-12).
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Tim. 2:10). God is calling out a people for His name. He has made provision through His Son so that all may come to the saving knowledge of Christ. He talks about the most powerful incentives to fulfill the mandate of the Master, to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). We cannot afford to choose our own mission field; we must go wherever God sends us. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Power of the Resurrection – Part 3" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound" (2 Tim. 2:9). Paul takes pains to tell Timothy—and his readers throughout the centuries—that the communication of the gospel involves real effort and personal sacrifice. He points out that in the course of preaching the gospel he was accused of being an evildoer and was punished accordingly. The word "evildoer" really means "a criminal." It is the same term used for the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus (Luke 23:32, 39). There is a searching suggestion here that to be involved in making known the message of the risen Christ is to suffer persecution with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are not prepared to share his shame then we are not worthy to sit with Him on the throne (2 Tim. 2:11-12).
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Tim. 2:10). God is calling out a people for His name. He has made provision through His Son so that all may come to the saving knowledge of Christ. He talks about the most powerful incentives to fulfill the mandate of the Master, to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). We cannot afford to choose our own mission field; we must go wherever God sends us. Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Power of the Resurrection – Part 3" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
"You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wars, entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3, 4). As Christians, we are engaged in a battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. So Paul says, "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, or more literally, "Take your share of suffering." No matter how tough the battle is, we are to withstand the enemy, "and having done all, to stand." The armor and weapons which God supplies make no provision for retreat or defeat. We must remember that "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Power of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
"You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wars, entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3, 4). As Christians, we are engaged in a battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. So Paul says, "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, or more literally, "Take your share of suffering." No matter how tough the battle is, we are to withstand the enemy, "and having done all, to stand." The armor and weapons which God supplies make no provision for retreat or defeat. We must remember that "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Click the link to listen to this inspiring message "The Power of the Resurrection – Part 1" on Bethel TV or iTunes Podcast. #TransformingLives, # TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA.
The death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ are the most important doctrines of our Christian faith. In the Gospels we have the events of the resurrected Christ; in the book of Acts we have the experience of the resurrected Christ; and in the Epistles we have the explanation of the resurrected Christ. The Apostle Paul, in particular, majors on this theme in all of his writings, and insists that it is the ground of salvation and the goal of our sanctification and service.
Paul is writing his final letter before he faces martyrdom addresses Timothy, his son in the faith, he is determined that Timothy shall not falter or fail under the pressures of preaching or of persecution; so he exhorts him to "remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to his gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8). In other words, come what may, Jesus is alive! That fact alone guarantees endurance now and final conquest in the hour of death.
What Paul says to Timothy is the ultimate message for you and me. For us to know that Jesus is alive is all that really matters, for in our risen Lord we find the courage to live and the victory to die. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA
The death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ are the most important doctrines of our Christian faith. In the Gospels we have the events of the resurrected Christ; in the book of Acts we have the experience of the resurrected Christ; and in the Epistles we have the explanation of the resurrected Christ. The Apostle Paul, in particular, majors on this theme in all of his writings, and insists that it is the ground of salvation and the goal of our sanctification and service.
Paul is writing his final letter before he faces martyrdom addresses Timothy, his son in the faith, he is determined that Timothy shall not falter or fail under the pressures of preaching or of persecution; so he exhorts him to "remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to his gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8). In other words, come what may, Jesus is alive! That fact alone guarantees endurance now and final conquest in the hour of death.
What Paul says to Timothy is the ultimate message for you and me. For us to know that Jesus is alive is all that really matters, for in our risen Lord we find the courage to live and the victory to die. #TransformingLives, #TransformingLivesWithPastorObe, #BethelCityOfGlory, #ObadiahSwen, #Obelizswen, #BethelVA