MESSAGE FROM PASTOR GARY

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied”

1 Cor. 15:19

We just celebrated Easter, the holiday that marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In Bible studies, sermons and songs the message was clear; having died for the sins of mankind on the cross, Jesus rose again promising eternal life for all those who believe in Him. 

An important question to ask is, “What if Jesus did not rise from the grave?”  What if He died and returned to the dust of the ground never to be heard from again?  I know His disciples would have remembered Him as long as they lived.  After all how do you forget someone who turned water into wine, fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish and walked on water?  I guarantee that all those who were healed would have told their stories of His miraculous power as long as they had breath.  If someone restored your sight, cured you of deafness, healed you of leprosy or enabled you to walk after you had been paralyzed all your life, wouldn’t you tell the story over and over?  Jesus would have been lovingly remembered for a generation or two, but probably not much longer.  These stories of miracles would have inspired many, but without the resurrection there could be no healing of the soul, no promise of Heaven. 

I saw a movie recently about a quadriplegic man who had been bedfast for 28 years.  Once a handsome and active young man,  a diving accident left him totally dependent on the help of others.  Tired of living this way he chose to end his life, and just before he did so by drinking poison, he assured friends that he was confident that there was no Heaven or Hell and that he would simply cease to exist.  The movie disturbed me.  I wanted to jump through the screen and tell this man all about Jesus, His life, His death and most of all His resurrection.  I wanted to tell him all about Heaven and the free gift of eternal life, but of course I couldn’t.

Going back to Paul’s statement, if we had hope in this life only, the story of Caring Hearts, the Orphanage, the Boys Home, the Feeding Station and the Blind Center would be heartwarming because a lot of people have been cared for and loved.  But it would not be a story of triumph.  I want to remind all of you that the greatest work we do in San Luis is telling people the Good News of salvation and life through Jesus Christ.  Yes, we feed hungry people, but we also feed hungry souls.  We minister to the blind, but only Jesus can open the eyes of the soul.  Thank God that Jesus did rise from the grave. Because He did, we have hope in Christ in this life and hope for all eternity when this life is over.  They call that victory!