Website Design, Hosting, Maintenance and SEO Provided By
Sparks Fly Internet Services
Sparks Fly Internet Services
Here's our text for Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008:
(Easter Dawn Service - 7am at the Prayer Cross)
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
(Easter Celebration Services - 9am and 10:45am in the Worship Center)
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
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 has 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.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them,"Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
While both texts seem quite similar they are decidedly giving us two different and critically important instructions.
In the first Jesus is telling us to look for Him...to expect to see Him, especially in the midst of our hurt, pain and loss.
In the second reading Jesus is telling us through the command given for the women to PREACH to the male disciples still cowering in the city to GO...to TELL...and to tell what? That Jesus Christ is RISEN and will meet them at home!
How do I know He is speaking to us and not just historically, in the Bible, to those long dead women?
In 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, we are told that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Nothing we read in God's Holy Word is history or poetry or song or parable or metaphor ONLY. All is God's daily instruction for us to live by DAILY.
So here is my Easter challenge for you: Not to eat less candy but MORE. Not to indulge less of the sweetest that life has to offer but to wallow in the wonderful pure chocolate of God's Holy Bible!
None of us know how many days we have left in this universe but we all know, in our heart of hearts, that if we devote more time each day to reading, discussing, growing in God's Word we will live out the rest of our life, even if it be only a SECOND more to that seconds utmost potential as a human being created by our loving God to be loving Children of our God.
Celebrate wildly this Easter! Gorge yourself on the sweetness of His love, and come away only desiring the Water of Life to wash it down with.
May the Joy, the Peace, the Thrill of Easter be yours TODAY!
Pastor Ken
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, all Bible verses quoted in this website are from the New International Version (NIV). Any words from those verses that are in "red" are words spoken by Jesus.
Pastor Ken sends a Weekly Newsletter that includes his devotional message for the week and an update of the current happenings at Hope Church. If you would like to receive his newsletter, just click below and he'll add your email address to his list of subscribers.