EASTER FAITH ~ WHAT IS IT?

As I sit down to write this article I am amazed at all the wonderful things that are going on around us. We have some pretty amazing people in our families, our Church, Our Community, and our nation. Yes the virus has changed our routine, but it has also brought out some really genius community connectedness. God is alive and he is working in and around us. My beautiful wife Lisa gave me a text that said –

The devil is speaking to God and he said that he was going to send a virus that was going to change everything about daily life and it would wreak havoc on all aspects of  life. It would shut down things and would disrupt even church services. God said “that is ok I will use it to rebuild the family, make people talk to one another and reconnect in ways that they never thought possible. I will show them my love in new ways and will allow my church to worship and serve in new and exciting ways. My love will grow and continue to unite people together. You will see the gates of hell will not prevail– My Love is stronger.”

What an awesome God we have. He will take whatever we have and use it for good. We will get through this. It will not be easy, and it will definitely change us, but it will change us for the better. God always works good out of any situation. He is alive and with us every day of our lives and he is always watching over us. God promises to be with us and give us strength, peace and guidance but he never promised to make it easy or quick. The Israelites went on a forty day Journey to find the promised land and it took them 40 years to find it. (they should of stopped and asked for directions).

Or when Jesus let us think that sin had won and He died on the cross only to be raised from the dead and show us that nothing is stronger than his love. That he will and does bring good out of the things that we have messed up. That he is with us every moment of every day of every year.  That he is always protecting us like a loving shepherd who protects his sheep.

As we read the Bible stories and we know “the rest of the story “ as Paul Harvey use to say, it is easy to see what God was doing and how God was leading his people through tough situations. We think that they should have seen God and realized what he was doing, Well as we continue to deal with the virus we need to remind ourselves that God’s got this, he will work good out of  it and he is with us.   He asks that we pray, share his Love and look out for one another.

Don’t ever doubt God’s love for you, his presence in your daily life, and his gift of  the Holy Spirit which is inside of you, calling forth your best and your trust in his goodness. Watch what he will do—He always amazes us. God is so abundantly generous with his Love and Grace.

May God be blessed….always and forevermore.
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Rev. Stephen W. Barch