Happy Easter, everyone! We hope you have a glorious Resurrection Day celebration.
This painting depicts Jesus, Lord of Heaven and Earth, from the perspective of the cross. In the center of the clouds covering the earth, you can make out the face of a sacrificial lamb looking back at Jesus. The painting was given to us several years ago by a Christian artist in the Republic of Georgia who attended one of the churches Neil taught in. The Republic of Georgia was the state in the Soviet Union where Stalin grew up. If Stalin had asked Jesus to forgive him of his sin, even Stalin would have been forgiven. We are to forgive our enemies and pray for them. The sin of the whole world is on the cross Jesus carried. When we give our lives to Jesus, he leaves our sins on that cross. Jesus made the way to the Father easy for us by paying the total penalty for our sins. We don't need to carry our sins around with us anymore.
Jesus signed the Father's promise of forgiveness with his own blood. Our names were etched into his hands by the nails on the cross. He triumphed over the power of sin, death, and the grave on Resurrection Day (Easter). Our part is accepting the gift of eternal life that he purchased for us on the cross. Jesus said his followers will do even more amazing things than he has done. You may be thinking Jesus is a hard act to follow, but he didn't abandon us. He sent his Holy Spirit to fill us with the same power that raised him from the dead so we can be his witnesses, doing the things he did -- not to earn salvation, but to participate in his work out of our love and thankfulness for what he has done. When we dedicate our lives to him, we do the things he did for others: share the good news of salvation, heal the sick, cast out demons, feed the hungry, speak the truth, clothe the naked, practice hospitality, etc.
Neil texted that there is no electricity in the village today -- cold showers, no sound system, etc. He was reminded of a question the Lord asked him recently, "How flexible are you?" But they are not without Holy Spirit power. He asked us to agree in prayer for the following:
- Lord, we agree with Neil's prayer that the tennis ball-sized rupture on a little girl's tummy will be healed.
- We also agree in prayer for Candy's epilepsy to be gone.
Love,
Ruth
