Dear
Friends and Church Family Members.
As we work on the May Newsletter, the
joy and peace of our Lord’s Easter Resurrection still “courses” through my
veins! O, the Peace & Joy; I and we
experienced in our beautiful and well attended Easter morning Service last
Sunday. Thank you all, along with visitors and former members who attended.
Now, as we move into the month of
May, the work of believing in and embracing the post resurrection life and
ministry of Lord Jesus, is our new calling and commitment as we “postmodern”
believers ever seek to walk in the foot steps of our risen Savior. The past
Sunday April 27, our Gospel lesson tells the epic story of Jesus appearing in a
closed and shuttered room full of his disciples. There on Easter evening. Jesus appears to his men, and shows them his
nail scarred hands and spear pierced side!
Shortly
afterward, he breathes upon them and “bestows” the Holy Spirit on his post
resurrection disciples! He even states in John 20:22-23.
John
20:22-23 NIV22 And with that he breathed on them
and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s
sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.”
The
lesson concludes by stating that one week later, Jesus appears again to his
disciples, when Thomas is present.
Thomas missed the Easter evening encounter, with the risen Christ.
Christ confronts him and compels Thomas, to place his fingers into Christ’s
nail scarred hands and even compels Thomas to put his hand into Jesus’ spear
wounded side. Jesus then states to
brother Thomas. “Stop doubting and
believe! Vs 27b. This powerful line, ever reminds us in these troubling times.,
that “Faith” in our risen Lord, is the key to our understanding Jesus, and our
walk with our Risen Savior.
As you good believers” go forward
in our lives of faith, please in the name of Jesus, K.T.F. “Keep the Faith”.
For you see, with faith we never walk alone.
Without faith, we walk in lonely faithlessness! The challenge lives on
for us all.
In Jesus’s Name, I pray you will
continue to live lives of “our” ever-increasing faith and belief in our Risen
Lord.
Amen,
Amen, Amen. Pastor Jeff
P.S. Please read, and reflect from
the Gospel reading of April 27the John
20:19-31
