They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)
April 18, 2023
Dear friends,
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
This is just the beginning.
Try to wrap your head around that. Our world is full of things that draw to a close. Our lives are full of conclusions. Whether happy or sad, the end of a story is still an ending.
Not so for you – for you who have heard the testimony of the apostles, for you who have not seen but have believed. Christ has been raised from the dead, and that means that this is just the beginning.
By believing you have life in his name, and it is not ordinary life, which comes to an end. It is abundant life, the life of the Son of God. It is a life of more and better and upward.
We know nothing like it in this world, and so it’s no wonder that people imagine heaven all wrong. If eternity is just more of the same – more of this life with all its sin and weakness and drawing to a close – then it’s not much to look forward to.
We know nothing like it in this world, but perhaps you can imagine just a glimpse, just a corner, of what it would be like – always more love, always better joys, always upward and never downward.
You do get a glimpse when you receive the peace of Jesus. The devil is quick to try to take it from you. Your flesh is quick to disbelieve. The world is ready to contradict that peace. But when your sins are forgiven, and you are reconciled with your heavenly Father, you have eternal peace. If God is for you, who can be against you? If your shepherd, who laid down his life for you, is leading you to green pastures and still waters, what is there that can disturb your soul?
If he has already suffered all loss, all punishment, all grief, and every sad conclusion for you – then this is just the beginning. You don’t have to imagine it. You get to live it.
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Women’s/Men’s Bible Study – Wednesday, April 19 @ 6 & 8pm
Christian Doctrine – Wednesday, April 26 @ 6pm
Quarterly Voter’s Meeting – Sunday, April 30 @ 11:30am