RED. It’s a color more beautiful than any other! It may not be my favorite choice for all my clothing or even for decorating purposes, unless it’s for a special “red” holiday like Valentine’s Day or Christmas. But I truly believe that in my heart, I can think of no color that speaks to me like “red” does! It’s the color of ink that Jesus wrote His love letter to me with … well, actually, that ink was His blood that spilled from His brow and His body as He hung there on Calvary. That “red” stained the wooden cross and drops fell to the ground below, but the real beauty of Jesus’ blood is that it literally wrote the “check” that paid for the debt that my sins incurred. That check written in red was worth far more than the recent “Mega-Millions Lottery Check” that will be divided amongst only a few winners. Jesus’ blood that washed away my sins and gave me the promise of a forever life in heaven … is the most beautiful hue in the whole wide world! And it wrote a mega-check large enough to include everyone who chooses to receive a part of it. My part - your part is actually the whole of it – everyone gets it all! It’s power is so totally transforming that it not only washed away my sins of the past – but it will continue to wash me clean until that incredible moment when I walk into heaven and I get that first glance of Jesus’ face – and those nail-scarred hands and feet. I am sure I will fall to my knees in sheer wonder and pure gratitude. He’ll have to read my heart, because my lips will speak no words. None will be adequate, no matter how lofty they might have sounded on earth. But the “red” would have been worthless had there not been a “light” early that Sunday morning when Jesus was raised from the dead. LIGHT. There has never been as intense or electrifying a light as when Jesus’ body was resurrected from death to life. It flowed from heaven to earth. It pierced that darkness of the grave. It shouted victory over death. The Light that was Life infused breath into Jesus’ very being, and He sat up, His grave cloths falling off. One final act before He walked out into the light of day: standing, He folded neatly the cloths that had just covered His lifeless body. He placed them there in the tomb on the stone where He had laid. The folded strips of linen meant one thing: “It is finished!” It was … and with that, He turned and walked out of the tomb and back into the lives of His disciples and others. There was work to be done, and the Light needed to be shared with the world. God’s plan was that the Light in the tomb that Resurrection Sunday morning would spread beams of light all around the world … through you and through me. JESUS IN US. His blood cleanses and erases every dirty sin from us. FROM us. The Light of the world lives in us. IN us. He holds out His nail-scarred hands and speaks Peace to us. TO us. The resurrected Jesus empowers us to live as joyful overcomers in a world filled with alarm and fear. And because Jesus lives … we have every reason to CELEBRATE!!! He LIVES. HE lives. HE LIVES!!! Let’s shout to our world that CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen, indeed! (Luke 24:6)
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES to Darrius on April 2nd and to Jimmy on April 5th; may God bless you both!
SUN, APR 08: 10:00 A.M. – RESURRECTION SUNDAY WORSHIP CELEBRATION! Join us in praises!!!
WED, APR 11: 6:30 P.M. - STUDYING THE WORD together; bring your Bibles and expect a great time!
SUN, APR 15: 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE, beginning a new series of exciting messages from God’s Word!
SUN, APR 15: 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION CLASSES & Puppet Ministry!
SAT, MAY 05: 2:00 P.M. – MOTHER/DAUGHTER COUNTRY GARDEN GETAWAY – who can you invite?!
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Chuck, Julia, Tina, Cherry & Johnny, Lafawn’s cousin, Gerard’s family, and Justin
REMEMBER . . . “God will never let you be shaken or moved from your place near His heart.” ~ Joni Eareckson Tada
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
