Is The Shroud of Turin Jesus' Burial Cloth?

The Shroud of Turin is a burial cloth containing an image of a scourged and crucified man, which many believe could be the burial cloth of Jesus. No one can explain how the image got onto the cloth, but some have speculated that when Jesus was resurrected, the burse of power transferred the image from His body to the cloth.

In 1988, carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin by three separate laboratories indicated the relic should only be about 700 years old, meaning it couldn’t be the burial cloth of Christ. However, some scholars suggested textiles can easily become contaminated by bacteria and carbon-containing minerals, which would skew the results and show a younger date.

In 2022, a new scientific method known as “Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering,” or WAXS, was used to examine the relic. WAXS is said to be more accurate than C-14 because it measures the actual aging of flax cellulose and converts it to time since manufacture. The new method dated the Shroud at approximately 2,000 years old.

The Italian scientist Dr. Liberato de Caro of Italy’s Institute of Crystallography compared the Shroud with other historical fabrics and it closely matched with a fabric from the siege of Masada in Israel, in 55-74 AD. The findings suggest the shroud originated around the time of Christ, which means it could possibly be the burial cloth of Jesus.

Computer enhanced images reveal that coins were placed over the man’s eyes and the coins were stuck by Pontius Pilate in AD 29-31! For a detailed report CLICK HERE. It was a Jewish custom to close the eyes of their deceased and the placement of coins over their eyelids was a practical way of keeping them shut. These coins prove the Shroud could not be a forgery created by someone centuries later.

Our faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and not the Shroud of Turin. But wouldn’t it be interesting if God decided to leave ANOTHER piece of evidence that Jesus rose from the dead? Click Here to watch PROOF THE SHROUD OF TURIN IS REAL

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The Patient Needed the Surgeon's Blood

 Dr. Samuel Weinstein is the chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for the Children’s Hospital in New York. In 2006, he traveled to El Salvador to provide life-saving operations for children.

Weinstein was operating on 8-year-old Francisco Fernandez when the procedure called for more blood for the child. Francisco’s blood type was B-negative, which is present in only 2% of the population. The only person in the room with B-negative blood was Dr. Weinstein.

Dr. Weinstein set aside his scalpel, washed his hands, and sat down to donate his own blood. Twenty minutes later, he rejoined the operating team and watched his own blood circulating into the boy’s veins. He was able to save the boy’s life because he was the only person available with the correct blood type. (“Doc Stops Surgery to Give Own Blood to Patient” May 26, 2006)

Jesus has the only type of blood that can redeem you (1 Pet. 1:18-19) and He donated it to save your soul. Babies in the womb can have a different blood type in their bodies than their mothers. My daughter Hannah has A-positive blood, but my wife Cindy has A-negative.

When Jesus came into the world, His Father prepared a body for Him (Heb. 10:5). That’s why He was conceived by a virgin, so He could have a different kind of blood (Luke 1:30-35). He didn’t receive His blood from His mother, and didn’t have an earthly father. Jesus’ blood was God’s blood. Jesus purchased the church of God “with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

He donated His blood to redeem you, but you must receive Him. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net 

Barabbas and the Scapegoat

On the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen by lot. One lot determined which goat would be “the Lord’s goat” to be sacrificed. The high priest killed the Lord’s goat, caught its blood in a bowl, and took the blood into the Holy Place in the temple where he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat, which was the lid of the ark of the covenant. Then the high priest laid his bloody hands on the other goat, which was “the scapegoat,” and set it free. (Lev. 16:7-10).

This choosing of two goats on the Day of Atonement was a prophetic foreshadowing of Pontius Pilate bringing two men before the multitude. One was Jesus, the Son of God. The other was Barabbas, which means “son of the father.” Some Syriac manuscripts of Matthew 27:17 record his name as “Jesus bar Abbas” or “Jesus, son of the father.”

It was a custom to release one prisoner at the Passover. Barabbas was guilty of murder and sentenced to die for his crimes (Mark 15:7). Jesus was accused of being the King of the Jews. Pontius Pilate brought them before the crowd and asked which one they wanted set free. They chose Barabbas.

Pilate asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?” They cried, “Crucify Him!” (Matt. 27:22). They wanted Jesus to be sacrificed, like the Lord’s goat. They wanted Barabbas to be set free, like the scapegoat.

The high priest sprinkled the blood of the Lord’s goat in the Holy Place on earth. Jesus, our High Priest, sprinkled His own blood in the Holy Place in Heaven (Heb. 9:11-12, 12:24)

After the high priest released the scapegoat, he washed his hands (Ex. 30:19). After Pontius Pilate released Barabbas, he washed his hands. (Matt. 27:24)

The sins of Israel were forgiven for one year. (Leviticus 16:34). Through Jesus, our sins are forgiven forever. (Heb. 8:12)

Innocent Jesus took the blame. And we, like guilty Barabbas, walk away free. And now you know why two goats were chosen on the Day of Atonement.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

Tha Antivenom of the Lamb

When Israel was in the wilderness, they complained against God and Moses. In response, God sent poisonous serpents to them, which killed many people. But He also gave them a remedy. The Lord told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. When he lifted up the serpent on the pole, whoever looked at it would live (Numbers 21:5-9).

Fast forward about 1,500 years. Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). Moses lifted up the bronze serpent on the pole as the remedy for their poisonous snake bites, and Jesus was lifted up on the cross as the remedy for the poison of sin.

Why did God tell Moses to make a snake? The serpents were what they wanted to get rid of! The reason was because a snake represents evil. “Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we would become right with God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was made to be what He wasn’t (sin), so we can become something that we aren’t (righteous). Jesus became the antivenom for sin.

Antivenom was first introduced 100 years ago. Scientists took venom from snakes and injected it into horses. The horses developed antibodies, which they removed and used as serum to those who had been bitten. They tested many other animals and discovered the blood of a lamb produced the most effective antivenom. (ZNE Science, Feb. 1, 2021)

God created an antivenom through the blood of the Lamb of God. John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “Behold” means “take a closer look.” Now, instead of looking by faith to a serpent on a pole, we look by faith at Jesus on the cross. The antivenom of the Lamb is more powerful than the serpent’s poison of sin.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

Fishing for a Coin

The tax collectors came to Capernaum and asked Peter if he and Jesus were going to pay the temple tax (Ex. 30:13). When Peter went into the house to inform Him, Jesus spoke about the tax before Peter could say anything. He told Peter to throw a hook into the Sea of Galilee and the first fish he caught would have a coin in its mouth, which was the amount to pay the temple tax (Matt. 17:24-27).

 

If you’re single and wonder how you’ll find the right person to marry, or if you’re unemployed and need a job, Matthew 17 shows how God can make a divine appointment to meet your need. If God can lead a fish to a man, He can lead a woman to a man, or a man to a woman, or a jobless person to a job.

 

Jesus knew about the need before Peter told Him. Matthew 17:25 says Jesus spoke to Him first about the tax. Even though Jesus wasn't outside to hear the conversation, He wanted Peter to know He knew of the need before he asked. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8).

 

Jesus told him to throw out a hook, not a net. Jesus didn’t tell him to throw out a net and sort through all the fish one by one. He told Peter to throw out a line. Many times when God wants to provide, He asks us to throw out a line. He may ask you to fill out a job application, make a phone call, or move to a new location.

 

Peter had no control over which fish would bite on his hook. All he could do was throw out a line, hold the pole, and trust God to put the right fish on the hook. After you obey what God says, you may need to patiently wait for Him to make the divine connection. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Ps. 37:7)

 

Out of the thousands of fish in the sea, only one had a coin in its mouth. Peter cast out his line and waited for a nibble. His cork began to bob and then disappeared under water. He pulled back on his pole, lifting the fish out of the sea. When he opened its mouth he found a stater inside, the exact amount to pay the tax for Jesus and Peter.

 

The only way it could have been more miraculous was if he took the coin out of its mouth and the fish said, "TA-DA!" The right fish was at the right place at the right time with the right amount. God's divine appointments never disappoint.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

6 Things Most People Don't Know About Heaven

 God could give us many exciting details about eternity, but we couldn’t understand them at our current intelligence level. Most people know God will wipe away all tears, there will no longer be any death, or mourning or crying or pain (Rev. 21:4). Heaven will be a place of eternal joy and perfection. Here are 6 things most people don’t know about heaven.

1.    We will not sleep for all eternity.  We sleep because our bodies grow weary and tired. We will never be tired throughout eternity, so there will be no need to sleep. God never sleeps: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).

2.    God will increase our knowledge so that we will “know fully.” When we stand face-to-face with Jesus “then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). We will need this knowledge for the assignments we will carry out.

3.    Our bodies will shine throughout eternity. “When He appears, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In heaven our bodies will become like the body of Jesus after He was resurrected and glorified. “His face was like the shining of the sun in its strength” (Rev. 1:16). Our resurrection bodies will literally shine with brightness, just like Jesus’. “The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt.13:43). Daniel wrote: “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)

4.    We will meet every redeemed person who ever lived.  You will sit down and dine with those whom you have read about in the Bible. “And I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11). If you are a Christian, you are reading about yourself in this passage. We will literally meet all the people who have been redeemed throughout the history of the earth and since we will “know fully,” we will know them by name

5.    We will have job assignments throughout eternity. We would be bored if we had nothing to do throughout eternity. The kingdom of God will be composed of different ranks and positions (Luke 7:28, Rev. 19:16). We will be rewarded for every good thing we did on earth after being saved (Matt. 10:42). “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:23). Our rewards will be our assignments in heaven. Positions throughout the kingdom, from least to greatest, will be assigned according to how faithfully we lived on earth.

6.    Our eternal dwellings will not be like our earthly houses. Jesus compared our temporary houses on earth with eternal dwellings in heaven. He said, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).  Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). In heaven we won’t need houses with roofs to protect us from weather. We won’t need bathrooms or bedrooms. We won’t need a garage (no cars in heaven). We won’t cook so no need for a kitchen, refrigerator, or stove. These are literal structures for each believer, but as to what their function will be, we will find out when we get there. Earthly homes serve an earthly purpose, and our eternal dwellings will serve a heavenly purpose. www.makinglifecount.net 

For more information about life in heaven, read my book Making Today Count for Eternity.

How Long Do We Carry Guilt Before God Forgives?

  After a person sins, how long does it take for God to forgive someone? A week? A year? Fifteen years? We’ll carry guilt until we know we’re forgiven. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then had her husband Uriah murdered. 1^st degree adultery and 1^st degree murder. He thought he had gotten away with it, until the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to him.

Nathan told David a story about a rich man, who had many flocks and herds, and a poor man who only had one lamb. When a traveler came to visit the rich man, he was unwilling to take an animal from his own flock. Instead, the wealthy man killed the poor man’s lamb and served it to the man who was visiting him. (2 Sam. 12:1-5)

David blurted out in anger, “The man who did this deserves to die!” Nathan told David, “You are the man!” (v.7) Then the prophet reminded David how much God had blessed him, and anointed him king, and kept Saul from killing him, but David killed Uriah and stole his wife.

Immediately David was convicted of his sin. He said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Sam. 12:13). Notice how quickly David was forgiven. It took one second. When David confessed his sin with a repentant heart, God instantly forgave him!

John Vianney said, “God will pardon a repentant sinner more quickly than a mother would snatch her child out of a burning building.” Yet many people carry their guilt for years because they don’t believe God is merciful and quick to forgive.

Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” If you believe the Lord is merciful, repent of your sins and receive your forgiveness by faith. Guilt instantly leaves when it meets God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Let today be the day the Lord set you free from guilt!   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net