What a great day it was! That third day .....
Easter Sunday…. The grave is empty. The stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty. Women find the empty tomb… during these times women were not trusted, they didn’t vote or even count in a court of law. They spread the news …. Everyone comes running and sure enough – empty. Nobody can find the body.. Rome wants peace and quiet… they want things easy so they can rule and govern the land without the big shots from Rome coming there…. The Jews wanted an end to this Jesus stuff …. They were tired of it all and they wanted to go on in life …as things were…… but that’s not the case. With no body … nobody coming forward to claim they have it …Jesus appears to his followers for 40 days…. He shares the holy spirit with them and they start the church.
They spend the rest of their lives preaching and teaching and also dying for what they know to be true. Jesus was the son of God ..our savior and if they hadn’t believed and had the holy spirit …. The movement would not have pressed on and made it. It would have just been a good story, an awesome man this Jesus…. And one who would be recognized in books.
By Jesus coming, dying for OUR sins, being raised from the dead …. We have eternal life with Him and he has made a place for us to have a heavenly home.
There is not much sadness in all this …. Because He came to accomplish what He set out to do. We have a relationship with God now … not a God who directs us and smashes us when we mess up. But a loving and caring Father who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.
Yesterday at church -I have to say it was the most powerful message I have ever been a part of. About 25 people at both services wrote and shared, on stage, their card board testimonies. If you don't know what that is, let me tell you it is sharing YOUR personal testimony by you writing it on cardboard. I was this ...... and now I am that. We all got together behind the stage and behind the curtains as the band finished up an amazing song. Pastor Jimmy came out and shared his testimony with everyone. How he was once a Notorious Sinner and now he is forgiven. I looked around and read some of what others had wrote... tears were HARD to hold back knowing that folks were stepping out in faith to share some hard things. Folks with drug addictions, jail, abusive relationships .... and now made complete with God because of His saving grace. He is using them ..... in powerful ways to reach others for His glory and His kingdom. It is an amazing experience when we finally come to a place in life and give it all to Him. His will and His ways ..... over our own.
I am especially proud of Kyle and Emilee yesterday being the only kids up there on stage. Their testimony proves that God uses the little ones just as much as us adults. May they shine their light bright for the Lord!!
Let me share Carol, Kyle and my testimony this afternoon. I am not in the picture but Carol is holding up my Cardboard Testimony. 460 people in church yesterday and not many dry eyes could be found. God brought it yesterday ....... so humbled and thankful to be serving our Lord with such awesome people!
Easter Sunday…. The grave is empty. The stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty. Women find the empty tomb… during these times women were not trusted, they didn’t vote or even count in a court of law. They spread the news …. Everyone comes running and sure enough – empty. Nobody can find the body.. Rome wants peace and quiet… they want things easy so they can rule and govern the land without the big shots from Rome coming there…. The Jews wanted an end to this Jesus stuff …. They were tired of it all and they wanted to go on in life …as things were…… but that’s not the case. With no body … nobody coming forward to claim they have it …Jesus appears to his followers for 40 days…. He shares the holy spirit with them and they start the church.
They spend the rest of their lives preaching and teaching and also dying for what they know to be true. Jesus was the son of God ..our savior and if they hadn’t believed and had the holy spirit …. The movement would not have pressed on and made it. It would have just been a good story, an awesome man this Jesus…. And one who would be recognized in books.
By Jesus coming, dying for OUR sins, being raised from the dead …. We have eternal life with Him and he has made a place for us to have a heavenly home.
There is not much sadness in all this …. Because He came to accomplish what He set out to do. We have a relationship with God now … not a God who directs us and smashes us when we mess up. But a loving and caring Father who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.
Yesterday at church -I have to say it was the most powerful message I have ever been a part of. About 25 people at both services wrote and shared, on stage, their card board testimonies. If you don't know what that is, let me tell you it is sharing YOUR personal testimony by you writing it on cardboard. I was this ...... and now I am that. We all got together behind the stage and behind the curtains as the band finished up an amazing song. Pastor Jimmy came out and shared his testimony with everyone. How he was once a Notorious Sinner and now he is forgiven. I looked around and read some of what others had wrote... tears were HARD to hold back knowing that folks were stepping out in faith to share some hard things. Folks with drug addictions, jail, abusive relationships .... and now made complete with God because of His saving grace. He is using them ..... in powerful ways to reach others for His glory and His kingdom. It is an amazing experience when we finally come to a place in life and give it all to Him. His will and His ways ..... over our own.
I am especially proud of Kyle and Emilee yesterday being the only kids up there on stage. Their testimony proves that God uses the little ones just as much as us adults. May they shine their light bright for the Lord!!
Let me share Carol, Kyle and my testimony this afternoon. I am not in the picture but Carol is holding up my Cardboard Testimony. 460 people in church yesterday and not many dry eyes could be found. God brought it yesterday ....... so humbled and thankful to be serving our Lord with such awesome people!
2 comments:
Sunday was awesome. Thanks for sharing our story with others. I feel so incredibly blessed by God's Grace. God is amazing. I am, too, especially proud of Kyle and Emilee....Great kids who REALLY get it...!
And, I love you..! 20 years, baby, on Wednesday..! I never doubted that our love would last, but just can believe how fast 20 has flown by.
Love ya ~~ Carol
Uncle Buster and I went to a friend's church in Winston Salem Sunday night since our church had cancelled night services and they had the Cardboard Testimonies also. It was awesome and I couldn't hold back the tears. I also saw a video on U-Tube a while back of Cardboard Testimonies. It is so real and so annointing to see "real" people share that personal part of their lives with others. We just happened to run into a young lady that at that church that we had taught in Sunday School and Bible School as she grew up. Her and her husband attended that church. Her and her husband had had a little boy and the front of their card said "While I was in Iraq our baby was diagnosed with heart disease". On the back of their card it read "Little Jacob is in the arms of Jesus, God gave us strength to bear the pain" It really got to me to know that we had had a part in her life many years ago and she had come so far. She came and hugged us and thanked us. The Pastor of the church told us that her and her husband were active in the church and held no bitterness toward God like so many others will do after the death of a child. It was awesome!
No time spent for Jesus is wasted, it is all worth it.
love and thanks for sharing your cardboard testimonies,
Aunt Sharon
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