There are “three that bear witness in heaven” (1 John 5:7) of our salvation. But it is not just there. There are “three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (v. 8. The Spirit who was sent as our “helper” bears witness not only to our salvation but also to His enduring love for us. The waters of baptism bear witness to the death of our selves and to the new life we have been given in Christ. The blood on the ark bears witness to Jesus’s suffering and sacrificial perfection, and the blood on the shroud bears witness to His triumph over the grave! On a face cloth in Oviedo, Spain, and on a shroud in Turin, Italy, there is blood evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord of Hosts!

Can anyone really “close the case” on the missing centuries of the Shroud of Turin? ‍ In this third episode on the Shroud of Turin, cold case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace follows the trail of competing relics—sudariums, veils, and other claimed “shrouds of Jesus”—to see whether any of them can actually bridge the gap and give the Turin cloth a credible chain of custody back to the first century.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAVgd6epnNM

How do you investigate the “missing centuries” of the Shroud of Turin like a real cold-case detective? In this third episode on the Shroud of Turin, J. Warner Wallace walks through the most popular claims about pre‑Turin relics—sudariums, veils, and rival “shrouds”—and explains why none of them close the chain‑of‑custody gap needed to treat the Turin cloth as first‑century evidence for Jesus.

https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-christianity/can-anyone-close-the-missing-centuries-of-the-shroud-of-turin-podcast/

#EvidentialFaith #ChristianApologetics #ReasonableFaith #ColdCaseChristianity #JWarnerWallace #ForensicFaith #ChristianWorldview #InvestigateChristianity #EvidenceForGod #FaithAndReason

THERE IS A BURIAL SHROUD OVER THE EARTH

"On this mountain, He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations." (Isaiah 25:7–8)

There is something covering the nations. It has been there since Adam sinned. Some translations call it a burial shroud.

Think about Lazarus. When he came out of the tomb, Jesus said, "Loose him." He still had burial clothes wrapped around him. (John 11:43–44)

When God warned Adam, "In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die," death entered humanity. (Genesis 2:17)

Romans explains that through one man's sin, death entered the world, and death reigned. (Romans 5:12, 17)

The whole earth has lived under that burial shroud ever since. Isaiah prophesied that God would destroy it.

But notice where: "On this mountain." Where is that mountain? Mount Zion. The Church. (Hebrews 12:22–24)

The tearing of the burial shroud begins in God's house.

That is why Obadiah says, "Upon Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions." (Obadiah 1:17)

Deliverance begins there. The destruction of death begins there. The glory of God begins there before it fills the whole earth just as God promised.

The Church is not merely a gathering place. It is where God's work of reversing Adam's curse begins to manifest.

May every mist, shroud or covering that is hindering the full manifestation of God's presence in your life, your family and your destiny be removed so you can be able to access the things that has been freely given to you in Jesus' Mighty Name!

Good morning.

Is the Shroud of Turin a sacred relic, a clever medieval fake, or just misunderstood evidence? In this second episode on the Shroud of Turin, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace puts the Shroud under cross examination, using the same investigative techniques he’s used on real cases—chain of custody, historical records, and the silence of the earliest Christians.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsTzGOPstEA&list=PLe2_-rdg84am5OuuHCKgiiwJn4g38lcY1

Good Morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

It is simply amazing to me, the way the Holy Spirit brings messages to me. If you have been with me for very long, you have seen some very wild comparisons and examples of our walks. This morning, well, it is no different. He showed me this morning as I was making my coffee.

Scented Trash Bags.

Personally, I have the Glad Fabulosa. They are pretty pink and smell wonderful … when I put them in the can. They come in different colors and scents. A pretty nifty design if you think about it. At the end of the week, you have the potential to have the most colorful trash can in the neighborhood.

The idea of creating such a vessel for our garbage was quite ingenious; it will mask all those ugly smells from cleaning out the fridge, uneaten dinner from two nights ago, and any little friends that ate from the snappy hotels you left for them. If you have pets who are struggling to go outside on time, it will help conceal that smell as well when you clean it up. What a wonderful way to keep life’s odors to a minimum in your home.

Something that we need to remember, though, is that no matter how pretty my trash bag is, or how wonderful it smells, the contents of the bag are still garbage. Trash. Rotting food. Decomposing guests from the snap hotels. The container, the vessel, can be as beautiful and magnificent as possible, but the contents are still trash. I can make my trash can smell like a rainbow candy, but the contents are still stinky garbage.

This is probably one of the best analogies He has given me. In my opinion. It does not matter how fancy our clothes are, how well-kept our hair is, how much perfume or cologne we use, or even how eloquent our vocabulary is … if our heart is not in alignment with God the Father, then we are no better than a scented trash bag.

In Matthew, chapter 23, starting with verse 25 through 28, Jesus speaks of this very problem. Where the religious leaders worried about what they looked like in appearance to the people, instead of what their hearts were full of. They were in essence, the epitome of a scented trash bag.

Today, my prayer is that we all examine our hearts and our appearance. If they are not in alignment with God’s Word, that is something we can correct. We all have the choice to put on a shroud for show or a sackcloth for humility. John the Baptist was not a well-dressed preacher with fancy words, he was a bare bones tell it like it is man of God. Today, I pray my sackcloth shows and my words are full of Love. How about you?

**The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! – Matthew 5:22-23

Is the Shroud of Turin a genuine relic of Jesus, a medieval hoax, or something else entirely? In this second episode on the Shroud of Turin, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace examines the shroud the way he would any piece of evidence in a homicide trial, focusing on chain of custody, historical silence, and what the earliest Christians actually relied on to make the case for the resurrection.

https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-christianity/what-1300-years-of-silence-says-about-the-shroud-of-turin-podcast/

#EvidentialFaith #ChristianApologetics #ReasonableFaith #ColdCaseChristianity #JWarnerWallace #ForensicFaith #ChristianWorldview #InvestigateChristianity #EvidenceForGod #FaithAndReason

The First 15
“That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:5

As believers living our lives founded on the hope given to us by God, faith is our lifeblood. Without faith we have nothing. Without faith, all sense of purpose, value, and joy in present trials and circumstances scatters as dust in the wind. But with faith we discover a wellspring of life with its origins found in the faithfulness of our Creator God. With faith we experience the effects of promises made to us by our living, loving, active, and trustworthy heavenly Father. With faith the abundant life God desires for us is removed from a shroud of doubt, fear, and hopelessness and becomes our reality. So what’s at the heart of this incredible gift of faith? How do we as children of God access the life-giving fruits of faith?

The Bible defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Hebrews 11 continues in verses 2-7 saying,

For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is simply this: trusting in our God who is completely and altogether faithful. Faith is the natural response to a revelation of God’s faithfulness.

We are to live entirely by faith, or entirely in response to God’s faithfulness. Every action, thought, emotion, word, and perspective is meant to be founded on the faithfulness of our heavenly Father. Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice because he had a greater revelation and trust of God’s faithfulness. Enoch was saved from earthly death because he pleased God with his faith. Hebrews 11:6 makes it abundantly clear: “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” We are to believe in the reality of God and to trust that he will reward us when we seek him. In other words, we are to live our lives entirely out of the revelation of God’s faithfulness. And Romans 4:20-21 says in reference to Abraham, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” We are to be children convinced of the overwhelming ability of God to move and work in our lives.

Where do you lack faith today? What areas of your life have you taken into your own hands? Where are you full of fear, anxiety, depression, or hopelessness today? Know that the path to faith in those areas is paved with fresh revelation of God’s faithfulness. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” Your God will always be faithful to you. You can trust him with any problem you are going through. He longs to work in your favor.

Seek out a greater understanding of your God’s faithfulness and allow your heart to be transformed. Spend time in prayer meditating on the character of your heavenly Father and allowing the Holy Spirit to do a work in your heart on a level that would fill you with the ability and desire to live entirely in faith.

1. Begin by meditating on how Scripture defines faith.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

2. Reflect on any areas in your own life where you struggle with faith. What areas do you seem to live out in your own strength? What anxiety or fear consistently comes against you?

3. Meditate on the faithfulness of your heavenly Father. Allow God’s faithfulness to wash away any fear or anxiety you struggle with. Allow his amazing character to fill you with hope, joy, and peace.

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5

The Scriptures declaring the faithfulness of God go on and on. All of the earth finds its life as the result of God’s faithfulness to his promises. We live and breathe by the goodness and love of our God. God longs to give you a tangible story of his faithfulness. He longs to work in your life specifically and uniquely. Open up your life to him, ask him for his help, and watch as he works faithfully in your midst. Your God loves you, cares about you, and is for you. May you experience the abundant life only faith can bring you today.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

From; Brenda Walsh Ministries.
Cloud of Pain.

There are times when life can be so painful that it may feel as if the burden is just too heavy to bear. The shroud of darkness is so thick that it’s hard to see through the cloud of pain. Everything seems dark, and even if your head knows better, your heart tells you that no one cares. Maybe you’ve been struggling with a longtime illness that doctors can’t seem to find the cure for, and you are just plain tired from the sheer fight to stay alive. Perhaps you are in a loveless marriage that your friends think is perfect, but you alone know what goes on behind closed doors, and you are so emotionally drained from living the lie that you don’t know how to do it anymore. There are countless reasons why someone is smothered with the burdens of life, but it’s during your darkest hour that God is even closer to you. It may feel like you are alone and no one loves you, but God is there, and HE loves you! You may even feel that you are not worthy of anyone's love... but God makes you worthy! The Bible says in Psalm 34:17-19, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” So when life seems too heavy to bear, and you have no strength to go on, lean on Jesus, and He will give you strength and courage to escape the cloud of pain. Text: Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 41:101, Psalm 55:22, Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzTOxMh-Ado
My Most Requested Case Ever: Investigating the Shroud of Turin
( Cold-Case Christianity - J. Warner & Jimmy Wallace )