“...knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.” 2 Corinthians 4:14
The Reverend Billy Graham writes, “As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today hopelessness and despair are everywhere…[But]...there is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture ‘the blessed hope.’ There is hope that will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ.”
Without oxygen, we cannot live. Paul tells us that without God and without the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we would have no hope! But, because Christ has been raised from the dead by the power of God, the Bible says God’s resurrection power is displayed in the life of the believer today and one day, that same believer will receive a new body in order to live with God forever and ever in the new heavens and the new earth!
(See 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 and Romans 15:13).
Praise be to God for His resurrection hope!
Pastor Louie
BROKEN, OPEN, AND SET TO BLAZE
Luke 24:13-35
And it came about that when he had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us? Luke 24:30-32
I invite you to sit down with the Holy Spirit today and read of the time Jesus came alongside two pilgrims as they walked with heavy hearts, the seven mile stretch of road from Jerusalem to their hometown of Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35. It is a wonderful and life-changing event, not only for our lives as Christians, but in the way we look at celebrating Holy Communion. After having read Luke’s narrative, consider for your own life, the following three truths when Jesus was invited to their home as evening approached on that Resurrection Sunday.
First, Jesus took the initiative of breaking the bread and serving them in their own home. Secondly, it was not until the bread was broken, that their eyes were opened and they recognized and understood that the Jesus they thought still dead, was alive and speaking to them! Thirdly, after Jesus vanished from their sight, they talked of how their hearts were set ablaze by Jesus who had been sharing the Living Word regarding Himself, as they walked along together on the road.
Hear the Good News! Jesus loves you, yes you! He took the initiative as demonstrated on the Cross. Paul speaks of having the eyes of our hearts opened to God’s marvelous grace and our wonderful inheritance in Him in Ephesians, Chapter One. And, when we come to Christ in our brokenness, surrendered unto Him in faith to the promises of His teachings, His Word, our hearts will burn and we will not be able to do anything less, than to tell others about Him! Luke 24:33-35. The Body and the Blood of the New Covenant, Our Savior!
Pastor Louie
Inspirational Message
1 John 5:14
PRAYER:
Heavenly father, we pray for you to intervene to stop the spread of the coronavirus. We pray in Jesus name that the virus would recede and diminish from this day forward, and that the numbers of those infected would decline rapidly. We trust you, Lord, to intervene today with Your loving care.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He will hear us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5: 14
Inspirational Message
Psalm 46:1
Prayer 2:
We pray for those who are sick that they will have access to the care and treatment they need. We pray peace and perseverance for them amidst suffering. We pray for those in isolation who are cut off from their normal routines and support systems, that they would seek their strength from you, Lord. We pray encouragement over the thousands in quarantine, waiting to find out if they have the virus or not.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46: 1