Brothers and sisters in Christ,
I pray you and yours are well.
Easter Sunday was so uplifting! It was great to worship with 187 people in our sanctuary! Additionally, we had many people worship with us online. Jeremiah Wiederhoeft joined us from the island of Diego Garcia, which is in the Indian Ocean. And there were others. Just a couple of years ago, we could only have hoped to serve our members in this way. I was able to text with Jeremiah on Easter, and he was so glad to be able to see his family sitting in the front of church. How uplifting!
“He is RISEN!!” brings the expected response, “He is risen indeed. ALLELUIA!”
It’s so joyful to remember and rejoice in our Savior’s victory over death. This month we celebrate Jesus bodily ascending into heaven, 40 days after He bodily rose from the dead. Why? Because in Heaven, the human body will never die again.
When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise first and ascend to meet Him in the air, and then the believers who are alive will also rise to meet Him in the air. After Jesus judges the living and the dead, all who believe will enter into the new creation, where there will be no more death or dying, no more crying, and no more sorrow.
May 26 is when we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. I hope you can join us for service at 6:30 PM.
Before ascending into Heaven, Jesus gave the Church a job to do. Disciple all nations, by (1) going, (2) baptizing, and (3) teaching. Jesus expects us to go. Jesus equips us to go. We can’t remain in Jerusalem.
One final thing: the Name we baptize into is singular, not plural. Did you catch that? Jesus doesn’t say, “Baptize in the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Why? Because there is only one God. Singular. Three Persons, One Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
V/r,
Pastor Jim