This past Holy Week emphasis and Easter Celebration leaves us with exciting reflections. Our church family held services every day during Holy Week with taking only Thursday off to rest and reflect. Look at the attendance report from the week’s activities:
 

• Monday – Wednesday Holy Week Prayer Services – 60 attending/ averaged 20 per night praying together.
• Good Friday Service – 61 attending to focus attention on the Cross
• Children’s Easter Egg Hunt – 64 total with at least 35 children
• Sunrise Service and Breakfast – 71 attending and fellowship around the table
• Celebration Easter Worship – 83 attending in Praise and Thanksgiving
• Total for the week – 339 to the Glory of God

 
This is our first full week of ministry together since the pandemic began over 2 years ago. When COVID struck our services, we were averaging around 130 per Sunday morning service. Since then, families have moved away. Some have relocated to other churches. Our church, like all others during these circumstances, has been impacted by the interruption of protocols like mask wearing, social distancing, virtual worship services, as well as disruption in fellowship and outreach. 
 
Churches are not meant to be limited to online contact. Churches depend on fellowship and close communion to build relationships grounded in faith and trust in Jesus who is our Savior and Lord. For this Easter week to be our first full week of ministry since COVID began, I believe God gave us an outpouring of His grace and joy as we were free to come together again. Over 300 souls sharing the Glory of Easter together is a true picture of God’s presence among us, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all thing in common” (Acts 2:42-44). Easter week was a New Testament, early church fellowship moment. We shared a glimpse of what it must have been like when the early church came together following the ascension of Jesus back into heaven.
 
I also saw God work in a powerful way during our Children’s Ministry outreach and egg hunt at Flowery Branch Park. There were at least 20 out of the 64 attending who were new families with their children. The event was publicized on Facebook and as a result 3 new mothers and children came to share in the activities. Our leaders welcomed them, loved on them, and helped them to feel at home. A birthday group was there and were welcomed to participate. Our members invited their family members with children to come and join in. It was a great in-gathering of people, which reminding me that God is about to rebuild our ministry to children in coming days. I could see Jesus among us loving on children welcoming them into His arms, “Suffer the children to come unto me and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for such is the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:14). When you have children at church, you have the heart of God.
 
In all, God was among us all week long during Holy Week. I praise God for the evidence of His grace and glory among my dear church and its people at Grace.

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said…” (Matthew 27:6)

When the angel of the Lord said those three words to Mary Magdalene and to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to the other Mary, everything changed. Jesus had preached the gospel to the multitudes healing their sick and performing signs and wonders among them, but their lives were still encumbered by their normal worries and cares of life. Jesus had walked on water, but He could not keep Peter from doubting and sinking into a sea of fear and trepidation. He fed the five thousand, but the people were soon hungry again. Jesus told the truth to the Jews about His identity and His mission, but they still passed judgement to crucify Him. Pilate found no fault in Him because Jesus was perfect, yet he washed his hands and allowed the Jews to free Barabbas instead. Without those three words, life would be hopeless. We would be left to deal with all the problems and pain of daily living without the Good News that Jesus is alive.

 
He is Risen!

Those three words changed my life on January 6, 1956. When I trusted Jesus as my Savior as an 8-year-old boy, the risen Christ came to live within my heart. He changed everything. Because Jesus is alive, I have a living Savior “…who walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own.”  The Bible says, ​“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Because He is Risen, Jesus is at home in my heart.

 
He is Risen!
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He lives inside me and all those who call Him Lord and Savior.

 
He is Risen!
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Because Jesus is alive, He changes dark days into bright days. Remember what He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). This world and all those who do not believe live everyday incumbered by darkness and all the stumbling blocks that litter their path. Unbelievers live with stumped toes and bruised shin bones. Things get very painful when you don’t have Jesus to light up your way.

 
He is Risen!
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We walk in His light, like the Bible says, “…He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

He helps me carry my burdens and gives me strength to overcome every problem I face. When Jesus walked away from death and the grave, any problem coming my way pales in significance.
 
     How can paying my bills compare with the freedom He achieved when He broke loose from a cold dark tomb?
    How can my burdens be heavy when He carried His own cross and watched an angel roll that 5,000 lb. stone away from the doorway of His burial place?
 
Jesus walked away from death so that every burden and care we have can be overcome in victory. The Bible says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-56)

I was really worried about preaching on the doctrine of God. After all, my mind is finite and God is infinite.
 
     What can I say or think that God has not already said about Himself?
 
Then it dawned on me that I do not have to say anything that God has not already said. As a matter of fact, I better not say anything that God has not already said. All I have to do is repeat and amplify what God has said through the pages of His word. Man, that takes a load off.
 
Let me tell you something that I have learned about God. God is an encourager.
 
     Did you know that about God?
 
Look at Moses. God first appeared to Moses through a burning bush that was not consumed by the holy fire. Picture that! I think I would be encouraged if I saw something like that. Like Moses, I would be encouraged to look closer, “…he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:3). When Moses looked more closely at this phenomenon, God encouraged Moses again by calling out to him from inside the burning bush, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (verse 4). Of course, Moses did as the Lord commanded. When he obeyed God, Moses heard something from God that caused him to humble himself and hide his face, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (verse 6). You don’t get any closer to God than that. God personally identified Himself and disclosed his true presence to Moses.
 
It is so encouraging to hear God speak. It is humbling and truly amazing when God causes you to stop what you are doing so you can hear what He has to say. Sometimes God has to break through the clutter of a busy day to interrupt us and get us to listen to Him. God encouraged Moses to stop, look, and listen. When Moses did, God encouraged him beyond his wildest expectations, “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharoah, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). Notice that Moses was encouraged to look, then he was encouraged to hear, then he was encouraged to go and do. That is how God works. Seeing, leads to hearing, then doing. But God was not finished encouraging Moses.
 
Moses asked God a good question, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…?” Moses was aware of his limitations. He knew all too well about his quick temper and stammering tongue. Listen to God’s encouragement, “And God said, ‘Certainly I will be with you…” (Exodus 3:11). Moses would not be speaking for God. He would be speaking with God right alongside him. Moses would become God’s mouthpiece. What a great encouragement to have God with you giving you the words to say.
 
That’s what God always does. He encourages. He shows you something that grabs your attention in His word. When you look a little closer, He speaks to you the truth. When you hear Him speak, He humbles you and tells you what to say. Being encouraged by God is better than ice cream. Hearing Him speak from His word and then turning around and telling others what He has said, is the icing on the cake.
 
Let God encourage you through His holy word. He will show you wonders and marvels you cannot imagine on your own. Then He will give you something to say that will be a great encouragement to someone else.