April, 2014
Dear Friends in Christ:
This is my first Easter season with you. I love this wonderful season as it reminds me that Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the foundation of our Christian faith. On Easter Sunday, the women visited the tomb (Luke 24:1-8), and the disciples gathered (John 20:2-10), and the resurrected Lord appeared (Matthew 28:5-10). He is risen! Amen! April 20 is Easter. Resurrection Day! We have the silence of a Saturday to contemplate its meaning, and then, like a sunrise or the beauty of a freshly blooming garden, it is Easter! Truthfully, there is a time for everything. Solomon’s words ring loudly to all of us this Easter season: “a time to be born and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). That one phrase sums up the human predicament. We will all, in His time, move forward into eternity. Yet, what about the afterlife? Is that not one of the major messages of Easter? What if we gain the whole world in life, but lose our souls in death? To the believer in Christ, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (I Corinthians 15:54). The Apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied…but Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (I Corinthians 15:17, 29-20).
Easter day brings us the message of life in the face of death. Jesus said in John’s Gospel, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though He dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). What a privilege we have as the body of Christ to show lost souls the way to eternal life . Your neighbors, your friends all need to know that Easter was and is for them.
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him” (Matt. 28:5-7).
May the message of Easter inspire your hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen your faith. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in the hearts of His followers. We have His resurrection power within us to live godly, holy and abundant lives before Him. Life is uncertain, but we can face those days of uncertainty, because Jesus Christ is risen! Amen! God bless you this Easter season. Please call upon me at any time if I can be of any spiritual help to you.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Rob