Franklin Graham’s Easter Message from Ukraine

GRAHAM As the church ░░░░░░░░ celebrates Easter our world ░░░░░░░░ becoming more violent it ░░░░░░░░ becoming more secular and ░░░░░░░░ politicians and educators scoff ░░░░░░░░ those that worship the ░░░░░░░░ Jesus Christ They make ░░░░░░░░ They don t believe ░░░░░░░░ many Easter has become ░░░░░░░░ egg hunts and bunny ░░░░░░░░ and candy but may ░░░░░░░░ never forget the true ░░░░░░░░ of Easter and that ░░░░░░░░ the price that was ░░░░░░░░ for the redemption of ░░░░░░░░ soul and this price ░░░░░░░░ paid by God God ░░░░░░░░ us and Easter is ░░░░░░░░ God s love for ░░░░░░░░ God created the world ░░░░░░░░ everything in it He ░░░░░░░░ us man and woman ░░░░░░░░ and female and he ░░░░░░░░ the first man and ░░░░░░░░ in a perfect world ░░░░░░░░ was no sin in ░░░░░░░░ world that God created ░░░░░░░░ intended for man to ░░░░░░░░ but God has laws ░░░░░░░░ has rules And we ░░░░░░░░ from the Scripture that ░░░░░░░░ first man and woman ░░░░░░░░ to disobey God and ░░░░░░░░ a result of choosing ░░░░░░░░ disobey God sin came ░░░░░░░░ the world and sin ░░░░░░░░ infected the entire human ░░░░░░░░ and the Bible says ░░░░░░░░ we have all sinned ░░░░░░░░ ve all come short ░░░░░░░░ God s standards or ░░░░░░░░ glory and there s ░░░░░░░░ penalty for sin and ░░░░░░░░ s death and the ░░░░░░░░ human race is under ░░░░░░░░ death sentence from God ░░░░░░░░ of our sins But ░░░░░░░░ God had a plan ░░░░░░░░ save us from our ░░░░░░░░ And you say But ░░░░░░░░ what do you mean ░░░░░░░░ sin What is that ░░░░░░░░ concept We don t ░░░░░░░░ about that Well the ░░░░░░░░ says telling a lie ░░░░░░░░ a sin Have you ░░░░░░░░ lied Of course you ░░░░░░░░ All of us have ░░░░░░░░ The Bible says all ░░░░░░░░ are liars It s ░░░░░░░░ Stealing is a sin ░░░░░░░░ you say But Franklin ░░░░░░░░ mean if I took ░░░░░░░░ quarter out of my ░░░░░░░░ s purse many years ░░░░░░░░ does that count Sure ░░░░░░░░ does We re all ░░░░░░░░ We have broken God ░░░░░░░░ laws Adultery any type ░░░░░░░░ sexual relationship out of ░░░░░░░░ marriage relationship is a ░░░░░░░░ against God And Jesus ░░░░░░░░ it even further he ░░░░░░░░ if you looked upon ░░░░░░░░ woman and you had ░░░░░░░░ in your heart it ░░░░░░░░ the same as committing ░░░░░░░░ Murder is a sin ░░░░░░░░ Jesus again took it ░░░░░░░░ further If you had ░░░░░░░░ in your heart towards ░░░░░░░░ brother this is same ░░░░░░░░ committing murder All of ░░░░░░░░ are guilty Bearing a ░░░░░░░░ witness is a sin ░░░░░░░░ honoring your parents is ░░░░░░░░ sin Pride is a ░░░░░░░░ and the list goes ░░░░░░░░ It only takes one ░░░░░░░░ of course as far ░░░░░░░░ God is concerned we ░░░░░░░░ guilty of all of ░░░░░░░░ because we are a ░░░░░░░░ and we come under ░░░░░░░░ judgment There is a ░░░░░░░░ to be paid for ░░░░░░░░ God s law and ░░░░░░░░ is death and we ░░░░░░░░ under this death sentence ░░░░░░░░ God God is holy ░░░░░░░░ just Sin separates us ░░░░░░░░ God It breaks fellowship ░░░░░░░░ God All of us ░░░░░░░░ All of us fall ░░░░░░░░ of God s standards ░░░░░░░░ the Bible says in ░░░░░░░░ All of us have ░░░░░░░░ like one who is ░░░░░░░░ and all our righteous ░░░░░░░░ are as filthy rags ░░░░░░░░ Bible says The Bible ░░░░░░░░ There is no one ░░░░░░░░ No not even one ░░░░░░░░ what can man do ░░░░░░░░ can we be saved ░░░░░░░░ think that we can ░░░░░░░░ for our salvation we ░░░░░░░░ do something good and ░░░░░░░░ will credit that to ░░░░░░░░ to our account And ░░░░░░░░ we can give money ░░░░░░░░ build a building or ░░░░░░░░ kind to someone go ░░░░░░░░ church a few times ░░░░░░░░ year that that adds ░░░░░░░░ our account and God ░░░░░░░░ forgive us of our ░░░░░░░░ and that it ll ░░░░░░░░ us righteousness No There ░░░░░░░░ nothing that you can ░░░░░░░░ You see it s ░░░░░░░░ through Jesus Christ and ░░░░░░░░ alone The Bible says ░░░░░░░░ s by grace that ░░░░░░░░ have been saved through ░░░░░░░░ it s not of ░░░░░░░░ It s a gift ░░░░░░░░ God not of works ░░░░░░░░ any man should boast ░░░░░░░░ works cannot save your ░░░░░░░░ It just can t ░░░░░░░░ it But God had ░░░░░░░░ plan to redeem us ░░░░░░░░ buy us back He ░░░░░░░░ his son from Heaven ░░░░░░░░ this earth to take ░░░░░░░░ sins to die on ░░░░░░░░ cross for our sins ░░░░░░░░ by Jesus Christ shedding ░░░░░░░░ blood for us he ░░░░░░░░ redeeming our souls to ░░░░░░░░ But we have to ░░░░░░░░ willing to accept it ░░░░░░░░ faith The Bible says ░░░░░░░░ John 3 16 For ░░░░░░░░ so loved the world ░░░░░░░░ he gave his only ░░░░░░░░ son that whosoever believeth ░░░░░░░░ him should not perish ░░░░░░░░ should have everlasting life ░░░░░░░░ sent his son Jesus ░░░░░░░░ from Heaven to this ░░░░░░░░ to this world as ░░░░░░░░ man born of a ░░░░░░░░ for the purpose of ░░░░░░░░ our sins and dying ░░░░░░░░ shedding his blood on ░░░░░░░░ cross for each and ░░░░░░░░ one of us Jesus ░░░░░░░░ falsely accused He was ░░░░░░░░ beyond recognition Religious leaders ░░░░░░░░ testified against him The ░░░░░░░░ government wanted to appease ░░░░░░░░ crowd They knew he ░░░░░░░░ innocent They knew it ░░░░░░░░ the religious leaders that ░░░░░░░░ jealous of him So ░░░░░░░░ do they do They ░░░░░░░░ gave in to the ░░░░░░░░ gave in to the ░░░░░░░░ to let Jesus be ░░░░░░░░ But Jesus went willingly ░░░░░░░░ the cross He went ░░░░░░░░ for you and for ░░░░░░░░ He was mocked when ░░░░░░░░ hung on that cross ░░░░░░░░ said Oh he could ░░░░░░░░ others Let s see ░░░░░░░░ save himself They taunted ░░░░░░░░ Come on down from ░░░░░░░░ cross if you re ░░░░░░░░ the son of God ░░░░░░░░ down from the cross ░░░░░░░░ Jesus stayed on the ░░░░░░░░ He was nailed to ░░░░░░░░ cross and while he ░░░░░░░░ on the cross God ░░░░░░░░ upon his son your ░░░░░░░░ and my sins the ░░░░░░░░ of mankind sins past ░░░░░░░░ present sins future That ░░░░░░░░ us today God laid ░░░░░░░░ his son the sins ░░░░░░░░ mankind and Jesus died ░░░░░░░░ the cross shedding his ░░░░░░░░ paying the penalty for ░░░░░░░░ and for me We ░░░░░░░░ the ones that deserve ░░░░░░░░ go to the cross ░░░░░░░░ re the ones who ░░░░░░░░ death Jesus never sinned ░░░░░░░░ not one time And ░░░░░░░░ a sinless person he ░░░░░░░░ able to take our ░░░░░░░░ and God accepted his ░░░░░░░░ on the cross His ░░░░░░░░ thought it was finished ░░░░░░░░ was buried in a ░░░░░░░░ And maybe you have ░░░░░░░░ hope this Easter and ░░░░░░░░ in Lviv in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ m sure there are ░░░░░░░░ people who have very ░░░░░░░░ hope for the future ░░░░░░░░ to know what to ░░░░░░░░ where to go Well ░░░░░░░░ want to look at ░░░░░░░░ first Easter and I ░░░░░░░░ like to read out ░░░░░░░░ Matthew Chapter 28 and ░░░░░░░░ says Now after the ░░░░░░░░ as it began to ░░░░░░░░ toward the first day ░░░░░░░░ the week Mary Magdalene ░░░░░░░░ the other Mary came ░░░░░░░░ look at the grave ░░░░░░░░ came to the tomb ░░░░░░░░ behold a severe earthquake ░░░░░░░░ occurred for an angel ░░░░░░░░ the Lord descended from ░░░░░░░░ and came and rolled ░░░░░░░░ the stone and sat ░░░░░░░░ it And his appearance ░░░░░░░░ like lightning and his ░░░░░░░░ as white as snow ░░░░░░░░ guards shook for fear ░░░░░░░░ him and became like ░░░░░░░░ men The angel said ░░░░░░░░ the women Don t ░░░░░░░░ afraid These two women ░░░░░░░░ came to see the ░░░░░░░░ There were Roman soldiers ░░░░░░░░ the tomb Were these ░░░░░░░░ soldiers going to abuse ░░░░░░░░ Were they going to ░░░░░░░░ these women early in ░░░░░░░░ morning They didn t ░░░░░░░░ but they wanted to ░░░░░░░░ see the tomb And ░░░░░░░░ think they were coming ░░░░░░░░ to worship Maybe they ░░░░░░░░ hoping they could put ░░░░░░░░ spices on the body ░░░░░░░░ so they come to ░░░░░░░░ tomb And a big ░░░░░░░░ along the way An ░░░░░░░░ had descended from Heaven ░░░░░░░░ the entire ground shook ░░░░░░░░ the angel looked like ░░░░░░░░ His clothes were as ░░░░░░░░ as snow and he ░░░░░░░░ this stone away The ░░░░░░░░ these Roman soldiers they ░░░░░░░░ over like dead men ░░░░░░░░ were so afraid they ░░░░░░░░ they were out of ░░░░░░░░ They fainted And the ░░░░░░░░ sat on the stone ░░░░░░░░ when the woman came ░░░░░░░░ angel said Don t ░░░░░░░░ afraid for I know ░░░░░░░░ you are looking for ░░░░░░░░ who has been crucified ░░░░░░░░ is not here He ░░░░░░░░ risen just as He ░░░░░░░░ He is not here ░░░░░░░░ has risen This is ░░░░░░░░ greatest news that has ░░░░░░░░ been proclaimed that Jesus ░░░░░░░░ is alive The tomb ░░░░░░░░ empty He s not ░░░░░░░░ He s alive He ░░░░░░░░ risen as he said ░░░░░░░░ would If we repent ░░░░░░░░ turn from our sins ░░░░░░░░ put our faith and ░░░░░░░░ in Jesus Christ God ░░░░░░░░ forgive our sins and ░░░░░░░░ can have that hope ░░░░░░░░ we will be saved ░░░░░░░░ forgiven and be with ░░░░░░░░ for eternity in Heaven ░░░░░░░░ said I m the ░░░░░░░░ the truth and the ░░░░░░░░ No man comes to ░░░░░░░░ Father but by me ░░░░░░░░ do we have eternal ░░░░░░░░ It s not by ░░░░░░░░ but it s by ░░░░░░░░ s grace and it ░░░░░░░░ through faith in his ░░░░░░░░ Jesus Christ Jesus said ░░░░░░░░ am the resurrection and ░░░░░░░░ life Whoever believes in ░░░░░░░░ though he is dead ░░░░░░░░ shall he live This ░░░░░░░░ Easter It s about ░░░░░░░░ risen savior It s ░░░░░░░░ an empty tomb.”