Eternal life

The Cross is Enough

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 4:25 ESV

When Jesus rose from the dead, things were confusing, and the world seemed to turn upside down, but everybody knew one thing for sure – The tomb was empty! When the men guarding the tomb saw an angel, they passed out cold! Later, that morning when the women came, they saw that the was stone rolled away and they ran as fast as they could to tell the disciples! By the time Peter and John arrived, all they could find was the empty burial cloths. Can you imagine what kind of questions filled their minds? Finally, the answer came as Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb, Jesus came close to talk with her, and He wants to talk with you and me today.

Just as all of these people found something far better than what they were looking for: God wants you to find that same something today. He knew that we needed hard evidence because the grip of past failures in our lives could only be broken by a victory stronger than any failure or sin. That something is our resurrected Lord! His life is proof positive that God forgives our guilt, and His resurrection tells us that the cross was enough to wash away our sins. No matter who we are, there is good news, because all the selfish choices of our past have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, not just for us to celebrate on Easter, but so that every day, when we face our failures, we can remember that the cross was enough. The empty tomb is proof positive God has forgiven and set us free to serve Him forever!

See You Later Banjo

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1-2 KJV

Last Sunday was a sad day here, when the Vet told us that our little friend Banjo had to be put down. Though Banjo had only been with us for the last three and a half months, he had become a part of my daily routine. God gave a calling to each of us and Banjo’s was to teach people (especially me!) to slow down, cuddle up with friends and trust. Almost every morning since he arrived after his home was flooded in the hurricane, Banjo and I had gone for a walk. Now, I have always been an avid walker, but my walks were much changed since my little buddy came along. With Banjo’s pace somewhere between a meander and a browse, I didn’t get much of a cardio workout anymore, but I met more of our neighbors, and on our nighttime walks I began to pause long enough to notice the stars and feel the bite of the breeze.

I was also reminded to be thankful for both the people and the puppy dogs around me, because we never know how long they will be with us, and we rarely understand how precious they are until they are gone. It is often said that Jesus never hurried. He took time to consider sparrows and slowed his pace for a blind man begging by the roadside. He marveled at wildflowers, and He sat by a well waiting for a woman who no one else would speak with. Today, Jesus is in Heaven ruling the universe by His Father’s side. His suffering is over, and He is in a place of perfect peace and unspeakable joy. Yet, He still takes time for sinners like you and me. His calls us to follow Him at a pace slow enough to learn to love our neighbors and notice the glory of God in the world that He has made. But Jesus also tells us to pack our bags, because this world is not our home. He has prepared a place for us in our Father’s house, and I can’t but believe that Banjo is outside mine romping through the front yard there and waiting for me to go with Him on some amazing walks around the block!

Good-bye Melinda

/ pastorpete51 / 9 Comments

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

Melinda loved puppies and horses, goats and bunnies. Her favorite trips were to the Amish farm in Strassburg where she could hold, feed and pet them all, and how we treasured our family visits with her there. How fragile all of our lives are will be told to us again today at her memorial service. Yet, while we are weeping and wondering all the why’s of her suffering and why she left so soon, I know she is now rejoicing in the presence of Jesus. For those of us who know Christ, the treasure we carry inside will never be lost, grow old or be destroyed. In the shortness of her time here, Melinda left her smile and special joy in seeing a reflexion of God in even His tiniest creatures. And we who are left behind for just a few more years must remember that our weeping today will only last for a short night, but real joy will come in God’s eternal morning. Good-bye sweet Melinda. See you again in God’s own time.