South Dakota Higher Things

04/20/2025

St. Paul writes, And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[b] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
There are always question and doubts about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. People always want to disprove it, reason it away or lessen any power that a resurrected Christ might bring. The people who do that are confident they can do everything on their own. Please God on their own, find hope on their own and beat death on their own. They cannot. The last great enemy to be destroyed is death and you and I cannot do that. We cannot please God on our own. We cannot find hope on our own.........but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Christ is risen! He is risen in deed from death and our enemies temporary grasp on Him. Jesus is risen and living and has pleased God on your behalf with His sinless sacrifice for you. Jesus has beaten death on His own and His resurrection this day is absolute that all who die in faith will rise just as Jesus rose. The hope we have for today and tomorrow and when the bottom falls out of our lives in not in us. It is in what Jesus did this day. He rose for you and gifted you out of love, all you need that you can never accomplish for yourself. We have hope. We have peace with God. We have the promise of eternal life with Jesus because of what He did this day. Christ is risen for you dear saints! Rejoice and let your Halleluiahs ring!

04/19/2025

Holy Saturday. Does it have a purpose other than move us to the resurrection day? Absolutely it does. Everything Jesus does has a purpose, for you. Jesus always leads us and lights our way. He went first into death to fulfill the law perfectly for you and to forgive every sin of yours and all people. He went first into the grave to make your grave a place of peace and rest. By Jesus rest in the grave, He sanctified every grave where believers in Him rest. We pray this at the committal service. "Almighty God, by the death of Your Son Jesus Christ You destroyed death, by His rest in the tomb You sanctified the graves of Your saints, and by His bodily resurrection You brought life and immortality to light so that all who die in Him abide in peace and hope. Receive our thanks for the victory over death and the grave that He won for us. Keep us in everlasting communion with all who wait for Him on earth and with all in heaven who are with Him, for He is the resurrection and the life, even Jesus Christ, our Lord". What a powerful statement, "Receive our thanks for the victory over death and the grave"! Death cannot keep us and the grave cannot hold us because Jesus went there first. The other great event that happened sometime after He was put in the grave and before He rose on resurrection morning was His decent into Hell. This was not part of Jesus humiliation. It was victory. Jesus' descent into Hell was the first step in His exaltation. Our risen from deaths cold grasp, Jesus descended into the depts of Hell to declare total and eternal victory over the devil and death and sin. They could not hold the perfect sinless sacrifice. And because of that they cannot hold you dear baptized one! Even in death and before His resurrection our Lord continues to give us peace from the fear of the grave. He gives us victory over the evil one that continues to accuse. Jesus rest in the tomb, and our waiting for His third day resurrection is just hours away! Joy and peace and promise come to us in the morning!!

04/18/2025

It is finished! Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Amen.

04/18/2025

A blessed Good Friday to you dear Saints!

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03/18/2025