By Scena Ann Petrey

“It’s Friday – Peter is asleep. Judas has betrayed Him. Mary is crying. Hope is lost. Death has won. Satan is laughing. Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard. A rock is rolled into place – But Sunday is coming!”

Good Friday?? – Jesus went on trial, was mocked, flayed until His skin was almost stripped from His body, spit upon, forced to carry His heavy cross to Calvary, a crown of thick stiff, pointed thorns placed and driven into His head. This was thrust upon Jesus before He was nailed to the cross. There, on the cross, He hung suspended between heaven and earth – held there by three nails and His love for mankind. Before dying He asked God to forgive us for “we knew not what we were doing.” He was taken down from this cross and buried in a borrowed tomb. That was Friday!

But on Sunday, all the visitors to His burial place found an EMPTY tomb. He was not there! He had risen from the dead just as He said He would. Today, He is in heaven sitting on His Father’s right hand. He intercedes for us every day because of the love He has for us! That is my Savior!!

On Sunday, April 21, the choir sang of this amazing feat. “Amazing Love” was the cantata led by Jerry Hampton. They sang a medley of songs proclaiming first the horror of the cross and the grave. They next told the miraculous story of Jesus as He arose from the grave.

Bro. Kyle’s message “What Is Most Important!” was taken from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. In this passage, Paul gave three reasons to prove the resurrection really happened. He told of the gospel (good news) that the resurrection is absolutely true. Because all of us have sinned, we had to have a pure sacrifice to redeem us with God. That pure sacrifice was Jesus. The gospel starts and ends with Jesus and history actually proves He really was God’s only Son.

The second point was if the resurrection were fabricated, why would Paul bring up eye witnesses. Jesus was on earth 40 days and appeared to over 500 people.

The third point is the proof of changed lives. Paul tells how he changed after he met Jesus. Before Jesus, Paul hated, persecuted, and killed Christians. After Jesus, Paul became a church leader and authored 13 letters (books in the New Testament).

Jesus is who He says He is – Lord and Son of God!

A dessert auction will be held Sunday, May 5 following the 11 a.m. service. A hamburger meal with the fixings and ice cream will be provided. All the desserts will be auctioned off to go toward the Youth Camp and KY Changers.

DATES TO REMEMBER: May 18 at 11:30 a.m. the annual Ladies’ Tea – Cost is $7.; May 19 – Senior Adult Day; June 6 – Sr. Adults trip to Monticello.

Thought for the week: He is alive. He conquered death and the grave!