Good Words from God’s Word
 
RESURRECTION! It’s one of the best and most powerful words in the entire Bible. Take the three words that Bible says remain forever: “Faith, Hope, and Love,” wrap them up and you get the wonderful truth of the Resurrection. The apostle Peter wrote of this profound word, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved for you in heaven” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Resurrection Sunday is a day filled with Joy and anticipation that as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, so we will be raised to new life in Him.  John Piper wrote, “The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty.” I pray that you will see Jesus today as you worship in all of his resurrection beauty and joy.
 
This past week was one of the most blessed and encouraging displays of God’s resurrection glory that I can remember. Our revival demonstrated clearly that Jesus Christ is alive and at work in our church. The DNOW weekend experience with our Students showed me how truly awesome our youth are when they worship the true and living Savior. Through our revival and DNOW weekend, God led 11 of our adults and students to make public Professions of Faith. Two more were added to the church by transfer of membership. Many of our people made re-commitments to Christ, and I will never forget last Monday night when the entire congregation stood with me to say we will give our lives to regularly share Jesus with those who need to know Him. I cannot remember in my entire ministry a more powerful week in which the evidence of resurrection power was more clearly displayed.
 
Today, we celebrate all that God has done through His resurrection glory and power among us. We will baptize those who made Professions of Faith last week as a testimony and expression of gratitude for what God did.

Baptism itself is a living display of the resurrection. Those who have been saved demonstrate their decision to put away the sins of the past and the old life without Christ. They do it by submerging themselves in the baptism water. They are buried. Then they rise up; they show the world that they have been changed. They are raised to live a new life with Him as their Savior. Paul said, “Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
 
JESUS IS ALIVE! He is alive in us and He is alive in our church. Let’s rejoice in the truth of the resurrection. Give thanks for the resurrection and the hope that you have because of the empty tomb. Remember today the words of the apostle Paul, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). 

Thanks be unto God!

Good Words from God’s Word
 
There is so much to be thankful for following the wonderful revival here at Grace. We saw increasing attendance throughout the week, with 74 participating on the last night of the meeting. It looks like in all we saw 267 people take part from Sunday night to Wednesday. I thank God for the faithfulness of our membership.
 
There were 200 Eternal Life tracts which were placed in the seats of the Worship Center last Sunday morning. All during the week, these tracts were given to people by our members as a means to share the Good News about Jesus. Each night during the revival, people shared how God gave them an opportunity to give the tract and to tell someone about the Lord. Each person relayed an amazing testimony of the way God used them to do His work throughout the week. I want to praise God and thank Him for everyone who shared a good word about Jesus, invited someone to attend or prayed for people to be saved during the week. God answered our prayers. There were 4 who professed faith in Christ. Numerous people came forward to make commitments for a closer walk with the Lord. At this time, we are planning to baptize 5 people on Easter Sunday as a result of our revival emphasis.
 
I also want to thank God for our Praise Team who served every night preparing our hearts for worship. The team was fantastic in leading praise songs which glorified the Lord, encouraged us all to sing and prepared our hearts for the preaching of God’s word. God is doing a great work through those He has called and placed among us to lead our worship. We thank God for you.
 
We are now headed toward the celebration of RESURRECTION SUNDAY. In preparation, we will worship together on Good Friday with music, worship through God’s word and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Make your plans to start the Easter weekend with the people of God here at Grace for our praise and worship service at 6:30 pm.
 
Young people will gather at our home following the service for snacks, fun and stuffing Easter Eggs. Our Children’s Easter Celebration will be Saturday morning, March 26th at 10:00 am. Bring your children and grandchildren, invite friends and neighbors. EVERYONE WILL ENJOY THE FUN!
 
Can God give us 200 people Easter Sunday morning in Bible Study and Worship? I believe He can and will according to our faith. Let’s BELIEVE BIG—PRAY BIG—ANTICIPATE BIG as we look forward to RESURRECTION SUNDAY. God is “…able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Do you know that God is ready to do amazing things in your life this week during our church’s SHARE OUR SAVIOR revival? The Bible tells us that God is, “…able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). When the Bible says that God is able, it is saying that God not only has the desire to do for us what we cannot do, but He also possesses the power to do it. The actual word used here means that God is SUPER-ABLE, to do what He intends to do.
 
Our week of Revival with Victor Benivetes promises to be a super week of spiritual blessing. We are praying that God will work through us to win people to faith in Christ. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO RECEIVE JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR? There will be cards placed in the bulletins this morning on which you can write the name of a person who needs Jesus along with their address and phone number. You should consider people you know who need to be saved or walk closer to the Lord. If you will share the name and address information, we will call, email and/or visit that person this week and tell them how much Jesus loves them. We will reach out to them to share God’s plan of salvation. Each card we receive from our congregation today will be personally followed-up on before the end of our revival. We are asking God to make this week’s SHARE OUR SAVIOR revival a SUPER-WEEK by leading many people to make Jesus their Lord and Savior.
 
Vance Havner said, “Revival is when the church falls in love with Jesus all over again.” Revival can happen when God’s people renew their love for the Lord. Maybe that is what you need to do today. It could be that your renewal would be the launching pad for God to make this week a SUPER-REVIVAL. Billy Sunday was asked by a lady once why he kept preaching revivals when everybody knows they don’t work. He responded, “Why do you keep taking baths?” Revival can be like taking a bath—a GOOD CLEANSING. Maybe that would make this week a SUPER-REVIVAL. When we repent of our sins and our self-centeredness, God will wash us and “…cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What will it take for this SHARE OUR SAVIOR revival to be SUPER.
 
Bottom line, it will take YOU. God will not revive an empty seat. Wood, metal and upholstery do not have souls and cannot make spiritual decisions. Chairs can make you comfortable or uncomfortable, but they cannot be revived. You, someone you invite and bring with you will need to be sitting in a chair here at the church during the revival meeting to be revived. So, commit yourself now to be present and accounted for every night this week. This REVIVAL cannot be a SUPER REVIVAL WITHOUT YOU. Here is how it works, “…they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-1). When the people are together and God shows up, SUPER REVIVAL fills us the whole house. Pray and be Present this week. God wants to send a SUPER-REVIVAL to Grace.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
I will be preaching again today from one of John’s letters, 3rd John. A couple of Sundays ago I preached a message on the Truth of Jesus. When John uses the word “TRUTH,” he is always talking about Jesus. Truth is not necessarily about ideas, facts or events that really happen. Truth to John is a person who God sent to this world to redeem mankind from sin, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). There is only one truth that will insure your place in heaven and His name is Jesus.
 
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Pretty much all of the honest truth-telling in the world is done by children.” While sitting in the doctor’s office, a lady rolled an elderly man in a wheel-chair into the room. She stepped up to the receptionist desk leaving the man sitting alone. A little boy slipped off his mother’s lap and approached the man. Placing his hand on that of the old man, he said, “It’s OK mister, my mom makes me ride in the stroller too.”
 
Jesus is the one who takes hold of your hand and always tells you the honest truth. John said, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). You get no clearer message of truth than what God did when He sent us His Son. Jesus pulls no punches. He never masks or exaggerates truth. Jesus always tells you exactly the way it is. Jesus is the truth.
 
Today we will be looking at the “Compelling Power of Truth,” 3rd John 1-8. John says that truth fills you with joy. It always promotes Christian hospitality. Truth produces the rich fruit which is ours when we share the gospel. You will be encouraged by the effective work of truth in your life as Jesus makes it a living reality every day. Truth will not fail you. The truth of Jesus will accomplish what God’s purpose as it works through you. Our job is to learn the blessing of walking in the joy, hospitality and fruit of Truth day-by-day.