No Longer I but Christ - Results

"I have been crucified with Christ; 

it is no longer I who live, 

but Christ lives in me; 

and the life which I now live in the flesh

 I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me 

and gave Himself for me."

 Gal. 2:20

Paul, by the grace of God, 

discovered the glorious experience awaiting any soul 

that gives itself in faith to Christ. 

That life could be

• the steady radiance of a light rising, filling the commonest ways of earth with a gladness that was new every morning.
• It would make men not less efficient for life, but more so.
• It would vitalize them, not only morally and spiritually, but even physically and mentally.
• It would give them a verve, a creativeness, an exhilaration, which no other experience in the world could impart.
• It would key life up to new pitch of zest and gladness and power.

This article is an excerpt from: A Man in Christ: The Vital Elements of Paul's Religion, 

by James S. Stewart. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. Original edition - 1935. Pgs. 160-163. 

James Stuart Stewart (1896 – 1990) was a minister of the Church of Scotland. 

He taught New Testament Language, Literature and Theology at the University of Edinburgh

A Testimony of Sarah Edwards - the inexpressible happiness and peace of my soul.

Saints in the Hands of a Loving God: A Testimony of Sarah Edwards

I felt a strong desire to be alone with God, to go to Him, without having any one to interrupt the silent and soft communion, which I earnestly desired between God and my own soul; and accordingly withdrew to my chamber. It should have been mentioned that, before I retired, while Mr. Reynolds was praying, these words, in Romans 8:34 came into my mind, "Who is he that condemneth; it is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" as well as the following words, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ," etc.; which occasioned great sweetness and delight in my soul. But when I was alone, the words came to my mind with far greater power and sweetness; upon which I took the Bible, and read the words to the end of the chapter, when they were impressed on my heart with vastly greater power and sweetness still. They appeared to me with undoubted certainty as the words of God, and as words which God did pronounce concerning me. I had no more doubt of it, than I had of my being. I seemed as it were to hear the great God proclaiming thus to the world concerning me; "Who shall lay any thing to thy charge," etc.; and had it strongly impressed on me, how impossible it was for any thing in heaven or earth, in this world or the future, ever to separate me from the love of God which was in Christ Jesus. I cannot find language to express, how certain this appeared; the everlasting mountains and hills were but shadows to it. My safety, and happiness, and eternal enjoyment of God's immutable love, seemed as durable and unchangeable as God himself. Melted and overcome by the sweetness of this assurance, I fell into a great flow of tears, and could not forbear weeping aloud. It appeared certain to me that God was my Father, and Christ my Lord and Saviour, that He was mine and I His. Under a delightful sense of the immediate presence and love of God, these words seemed to come over and over in my mind, "My God, my all; my God, my all." The presence of God was so near, and so real, that I seemed scarcely conscious of any thing else. God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, seemed as distinct persons, both manifesting their inconceivable loveliness, and mildness, and gentleness, and their great and immutable love to me. I seemed to be taken under the care and charge of my God and Saviour, in an inexpressibly endearing manner; and Christ appeared to me as a mighty Saviour, under the character of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, taking my heart, with all its corruptions, under his care, and putting it at his feet. In all things, which concerned me, I felt myself safe under the protection of the Father and the Saviour; who appeared with supreme kindness to keep a record of every thing that I did, and of every thing that was done to me, purely for my good. The peace and happiness, which I hereupon felt, was altogether inexpressible. It seemed to be that which came from heaven; to be eternal and unchangeable. I seemed to be lifted above earth and hell, out of the reach of every thing here below, so that I could look on all the rage and enmity of men or devils, with a kind of holy indifference, and an undisturbed tranquillity. At the same time, I felt compassion and love for all mankind, and a deep abasement of soul, under a sense of my own unworthiness. I thought of the ministers who were in the house, and felt willing to undergo any labour and self-denial, if they would but come to the help of the Lord. I also felt myself more perfectly weaned from all things here below, than ever before. The whole world, with all its enjoyments, and all its troubles, seemed to be nothing. My God was my all, my only portion. No possible suffering appeared to be worth regarding; all persecutions and torments were a mere nothing. I seemed to dwell on high, and the place of defense to be the munition of rocks. After some time, the two evils mentioned above, as those which I should have been least able to bear, came to my mind--the ill treatment of the town [opposition to pastor Edwards requiring a profession of faith for church membership], and the ill will of my husband [infrequent corrections about her manner of relating to parishoners]; but now I was carried exceedingly above even such things as these, and I could feel that, if I were exposed to them both, they would seem comparatively nothing. There was then a deep snow on the ground, and I could think of being driven from my home into the cold and snow, of being chased from the town with the utmost contempt and malice, and of being left to perish with the cold, as cast out by all the world, with perfect calmness and serenity. It appeared to me, that it would not move me, or in the least disturb the inexpressible happiness and peace of my soul. My mind seemed as much above all such things, as the sun is above the earth. Jonathan Edwards' comments on his wife's experience "What shall we find to correspond with these expressions of Scripture,  The peace of God, that passeth all understanding:  Rejoicing with joy unspeakable, and full of glory:  God's shining into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ:  With open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, and being changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord:  Being called out of darkness into marvellous light:  and having the day-star arise in our hearts?  What, let me ask, if these things that have been mentioned do not correspond with these expressions; what else can we find that does correspond with them?" [1]   ____________________ [1] from THE WORKS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS WITH A MEMOIR BY SERENO E. DWIGHT. CHAPTER XI. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.i.html

30 A.D. Possible Date of the Cruxifiction - Passover dates include Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday

Here is an AI summary:

The exact day of the week for Passover in 30 A.D. is a subject of scholarly debate due to different historical calendar reconstruction methods, 

but the most common conclusion among researchers is that it fell on either a Wednesday or a Friday. [1, 2]

Primary Calculated Dates for 30 A.D. [1]

Scholars and astronomical models provide different dates based on whether they prioritize the calculated Jewish calendar or the first visibility of the new moon crescent: [1, 2]

• Friday, April 7: Many scholarly sources and the U.S. Naval Observatory identify Nisan 14 (Passover) as Friday, April 7, 30 A.D.
• Wednesday, April 5: Some reconstructions using the calculated Jewish calendar place Passover on Wednesday, April 5.
• Thursday, April 6: Other astronomical calculations suggest the first visibility of the new moon would have occurred on Thursday evening, 
  making Thursday the day of Passover. [1, 2, 3]

Context of the Observation

In the Hebrew calendar, days begin at sunset. Therefore, an "observation" on a specific Julian date (like Friday, April 7) actually begins on the prior evening (Thursday evening). [1, 2, 3, 4]

• The "Crucifixion Year" Debate: Because 30 A.D. is one of the most likely years for the crucifixion of Jesus,
  many researchers argue for a specific day that fits the biblical narrative of being "three days and three nights" in the tomb.

*** Looking at 33 A.D. we find ,

In 33 A.D., Passover (14 Nisan) began on the evening of Wednesday, April 1 and continued into the daylight hours of Thursday, April 2. [1, 2]

However, the specific day of observation often depends on which historical or biblical interpretation is used:

• Wednesday Observation: Astronomical reconstructions based on the Jewish lunar calendar place 14 Nisan (the Day of Preparation) on Wednesday, April 1. In this model, the Passover lambs would have been slaughtered on Wednesday afternoon before the festival officially began at sunset.

--

Saved by Grace,

Andrew Cross

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, 

but exhorting one another, 

and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

YouTube channel = We belong to the Day

Do not fear nor be dismayed

And the Lord, 

He is the One who goes before you. 

He will be with you, 

He will not leave you nor forsake you; 

do not fear nor be dismayed. 

- Deuteronomy 31:8

Quoted to us "New Testament" Saints

in Hebrews 13:5-6

Let your conduct be without covetousness; 

be content with such things as you have. 

For He Himself has said, 

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." 

So we may boldly say:

"The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"

--

Saved by Grace,

Andrew Cross

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, 

but exhorting one another, 

and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

YouTube channel = We belong to the Day

3 Sabbath Days in a Row? Before the First Easter Sunday?

Passover ( April 1st/2nd ) and Easter ( April 5th ) and my Birthday ( the 2nd ) are all aligned this year ( 2026 ).

And it made me wonder if it was possible to have 3 Sabbath Days in a Row.

The first day of Passover ( a Sabbath day observance) starts at sundown on Wednesday, April 1st ( through Thursday the 2nd).

And then

At sundown, on Thursday, the first day of Unleavened Bread (which is also an observed Sabbath day) 

begins at sunset and continues through Friday the 3rd.

Now 2 days of "Sabbaths" have occurred,

And we come to Sundown on Friday, the 3rd of April, as the weekly Sabbath,

that lasts through Saturday the 4th at sundown.

And it officially ends when 3 stars are "visible" after the sunset that evening.

( or so I've read ).

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

3 sabbath days in a row?

That is why I've "considered" that Wednesday was a "possible" day for the Crucifixion.

I welcome any feedback you have to offer.

I know I may be overlooking some key facts,

or lack a full understanding.

* I can "see" the Thursday crucifixion working,

If the tradition that "a part of a day" is counted ( or could be counted ) as "a day" applies to the Hebrew's understanding of the word "day."

The only day we are SURE of is Sunday, 

the first day of the week (which technically started Saturday night by our reckoning).

The tomb was empty and Jesus had risen from the dead as promised / foretold.

And this year it would be April 4th ( sundown ) through April 5th, 

With the Feast of First Fruits,

and 

The traditional Easter Sunday 

( Feast / Sabbaths all align with Resurrection Day ).

Jewish calendar reference for this week in 2026,

From:

https://www.theancientway.org/articles/2026-messianic-jewish-holidays#:~:text=(Source:%20Hebcal),23%2C%202026%20(9%20Av)

--

Saved by Grace,

Andrew Cross

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, 

but exhorting one another, 

and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

YouTube channel = We belong to the Day

Asteriod Deflection - Practicing Planetary Defense

NASA reported yesterday that it deliberately changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun for the first time —a feat that could one day divert a space rock from slamming into Earth. Scientists launched a spacecraft in 2021 toward two asteroids that orbit the sun together: Didymos and its smaller counterpart, Dimorphos (see spacecraft footage).  Observations from around the world now confirm that the spacecraft's impact —combined with aftershocks from roughly 35 million pounds of ejected rock and dust —cut the duo's time travel around the sun by 0.15 seconds. While the change seems small, experts say a tiny defection adds up over decades, potentially making the difference between an interplanetary object hitting or missing Earth. (Neither Didymos nor Dimorphos has ever posed a risk to Earth.) The largest asteroid impact recorded in modern history exploded over Siberia in 1908 with the power of roughly 185 Hiroshima bombs. Learn more about what's known as the Tunguska event here.

By  MARCIA DUNN

Updated 2:01 PM EST, March 6, 2026

 5

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —
An asteroid that NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun,
findings that could help divert a future incoming killer space rock, scientists reported Friday.

It's the first time that a celestial body's orbit around the sun was deliberately changed.
The asteroid that NASA's Dart spacecraft slammed into was never a threat to Earth.

"This study marks a notable step forward in our ability to prevent future asteroid impacts on Earth,"
the international research team wrote in Science Advances.

The changes were slight
— reductions of just one-tenth of a second and one-half of a mile (720 meters) to a solar lap
spanning two years and hundreds of millions of miles (kilometers), according to the scientists.

"Even though this seems small, a tiny deflection ... can add up over decades and make the difference
between a potentially hazardous asteroid hitting or missing the Earth in the future,"
lead author Rahil Makadia, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in an email.

For any save-the-planet tests, "the key isn't delivering a huge shove at the last minute.
The key is delivering a tiny shove many years in advance," he added.

Launched in 2021 on the world's first planetary defense exercise, the Dart spacecraft deliberately plowed into Dimorphos,
which orbits a bigger asteroid, Didymos, as they circle the sun together.
The space agency quickly determined that the 2022 strike trimmed the smaller asteroid's orbit around its bigger companion.

But it took until now for scientists to confirm, based on observations from around the world,
that the impact cut the duo's travel time around the sun by 0.15 seconds.
With each solar orbit lasting 769 days, that's a real-time slowdown of just over 10 micrometers per second,
shrinking the asteroids' 300-million-mile (480-million-kilometer) orbit by 2,360 feet (720 meters).

The researchers said all the boulders and other debris flung off Dimorphos in the crash provided as much push to Dimorphos as the spacecraft itself
— a doubling of momentum. Last summer, a U.S.-Italian team estimated that 35 million pounds (16 million kilograms) of rock and dust were ejected.

The good news is that even with the change in the asteroids' course, Earth remains safely out of their way for the foreseeable future.
That's why this rubble-packed system was picked for the mission, said Steven Chesley of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who took part in the study.

"While it is just a single experiment, it is nonetheless an important data point that will be relevant to any future asteroid deflection missions,"
Chesley said in an email.

Scientists expect to learn even more about the impact's aftermath
when the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft reaches the asteroids in November.
Dimorphos is 525 feet (160 meters) in diameter.
Fast-spinning Didymos is 2,560 feet (780 meters) across with, according to the latest study, 200 times more mass than its sidekick.

Unlike Dart, Hera will not strike but will tag along for months of surveying.
A pair of small experimental probes will peel away and attempt to land.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support
from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The AP is solely responsible for all content.

https://apnews.com/article/asteroid-nasa-draft-dimorphos-9abccd32d4cb532a66249dd6145685cb

--

Saved by Grace,

Andrew Cross

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, 

but exhorting one another, 

and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

YouTube channel = We belong to the Day

RAMSES reaches Apophis around March 1, 2029, when the asteroid is still 14.9 million miles from Earth.

* Assuming Apophis will NOT hit Earth on April 13th, 2029,

Then this information may be relevant.

***

WRITER = David Dickinson

Source = https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/europes-ramses-mission-to-asteroid-apophis-moves-ahead/

Visibility prospects for Apophis during its flyby may be worthy of a road trip:
Apophis will appear as a 3rd-magnitude star moving across the sky from Europe, Africa, and western Asia.

I remember going to an astronomy club meeting way in 2004, back when the asteroid later named 99942 Apophis was discovered.
We all had a good laugh at the irony that a potential city-killer asteroid would visit Earth on the far-off date of April 2029 — on Friday the 13th.

Fast forward, and that date is now mere years away. Fortunately, we now know Apophis poses no risk to Earth.
The space rock, which measures 450 by 170 meters (1,500 by 560 feet) only briefly rose to first rank on the Torino Scale, which measures objects' potential for hazardous impact.
Further observations refining its orbit later ruled out any chance for Earth impact.
But it'll still be a super-close pass, coming within 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) of Earth's surface, and several missions are being planned to take advantage of that close approach.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has just green-lighted its Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES),
which will rendezvous with and explore asteroid Apophis just before its close encounter with Earth.
The mission is part of ESA's planetary defense initiative, which seeks to study and characterize near-Earth asteroids.

ESA is working with OHB Italia, a space company that contracts with the Italian Space Agency.
ESA has awarded OHB Italia a total of $177 million for the design and construction of the mission.

The mission just concluded its critical design review earlier this month on February 6th.
"Passing the Critical Design Review in record time gives us full confidence that RAMSES' design is mature, robust and ready to be built,"
says Paolo Martino (ESA-Ramses Mission Manger) in a recent press release.
Successfully maintaining the mission's accelerated pace
is an endorsement of the team's commitment and engineering vision under a very demanding schedule."

RAMSES will launch aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.
Japan is also contributing a thermal imaging instrument and solar arrays to power RAMSES.

The mission will rideshare with DESTINY+, Japan's mission to the "rock-comet" 3200 Phaethon, the source of the Geminid meteor shower.
Before heading to its ultimate destination, DESTINY+ will fly by and image Apophis.
It may well return the first images of Apophis up close, prior to RAMSES' arrival.

NASA also has an Apophis-bound mission:
Following a successful mission to the asteroid 101955 Bennu,
OSIRIS-REX was repurposed and renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer).
APEX will catch up to Apophis just after its brush with Earth,
and it will even land on the asteroid to better understand its surface.

Timeline to Launch and Intercept

The journey RAMSES takes to Apophis will begin with its launch in April 2028, about a year prior to Apophis's closest approach. 

A direct transfer trajectory will see RAMSES reach Apophis around March 1, 2029, when the asteroid is still 14.9 million miles from Earth.
As the spacecraft flies around the asteroid, the mission team aims to image selected areas down to about 1.5 centimeter in resolution.

RAMSES will carry eight science instruments, several of which are similar to instruments aboard
ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) as well as aboard Hera, now en route to the asteroid 65803 Didymos.

Timeline to Launch and Intercept

The journey RAMSES takes to Apophis will begin with its launch in April 2028, about a year prior to Apophis's closest approach.
A direct transfer trajectory will see RAMSES reach Apophis around March 1, 2029, when the asteroid is still 14.9 million miles from Earth.
As the spacecraft flies around the asteroid, the mission team aims to image selected areas down to about 1.5 centimeter in resolution.

RAMSES will carry eight science instruments, several of which are similar to instruments aboard ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)
as well as aboard Hera, now en route to the asteroid 65803 Didymos.

There are no current plans for the RAMSES mission after its Apophis flyby, though the possibility of sending it on to another target exists if the mission and spacecraft are in good health.

As RAMSES and its rideshares show the surface of Apophis, perhaps we'll see in the background our Earth, as it slides safely by. 

RAMSES will be a fascinating mission to watch and will provide a vital look at a near-Earth asteroid close up,
should we ever have to move one out of the way.

* WRITER = David Dickinson is a freelance science writer, high school science teacher, retired enlisted U.S. Air Force veteran and avid stargazer.
He currently resides with his wife Myscha in Bristol, Tennessee.
David also writes science fiction in his spare time.
He posts as @AstroDave on BlueSky about space news and sky-watching worldwide.