...for those who asked (and even for those who didn't)

Hiya! It was suggested that I post the text of the message that I had the enormous privilege of bringing today (Easter Sunday) at the biggest church in Cap Haitien (I'm still kickin' myself for not bringing my camera cable for the computer...but, honestly, I never dream I would have this kind of tech access!). Anyway, here goes:


Resurrection Sunday – Cap Haitien
Today is my “spiritual birthday.” Resurrection Sunday, 22 years ago, God brought me to a place where I confessed how desperately I needed Jesus Christ as my Saviour.

Being here, with you, to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is far beyond anything I could dream!

I don’t know about churches here…but in many churches where I come from, two statements are repeated many times on this morning.
The leader says: “The Lord is risen!”
Then everyone responds: “He is risen indeed!”
I am sad to say that in most churches where I come from, we really only say that one day a year!

I am sad to say that where I come from, most people do not live as though they believe that is true.
Even though my life is built around teaching the Truth of Jesus Christ, I am often tempted to forget that Jesus is alive.

When Jesus’ first followers got to the tomb where He had been buried, an angel said, “You are looking where Jesus was!”
Do not worry about where He was; learn to live with Him where He is!

We do not need Jesus where He was.

We need Jesus where He is…where He is alive!

I have had the privilege of seeing that Jesus is very alive in Haiti!

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Just hours before Jesus was killed, His disciples had surrounded Him for some of His most passionate teaching – and for them, the most disturbing.
We look at the story knowing what is going to happen. They did not have any idea what was coming, no matter how many times Jesus told them He was leaving.
He even told them that He was going to be killed.
There were many things the Disciples could not understand about Jesus until after the resurrection.
They did not understand what Jesus meant when He said:
“I will pray to the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (Jn 14:15-18, NKJV)
Jesus spoke those words to His closest followers…but they did not understand.
After His resurrection, they learned what He had meant…and gave their lives telling anyone and everyone about it.

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The Apostle John did not write his book until decades after Jesus promised that He would not leave them; all John knew as it was happening was that Jesus was talking about leaving.
I cannot imagine what John and the other Disciples felt as they tried to imagine their lives without Jesus.
The thought must have torn their hearts apart.
Yet Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (Jn 14:1, 27, NKJV)
I wonder what the Disciples thought and felt when Jesus said, “I am leaving. Actually, someone is going to kill me. But don’t let your heart be troubled.”
Don’t let your heart be troubled? Was Jesus kidding? Was He being cruel?
This week, I have seen what Jesus was saying in a way I never had before…and I have learned it through the lives and stories of many people in this country!
I have seen many people who hold very tightly to Jesus’ promise: I will not leave you…

Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans.”
The word “orphan” was as heart-breaking in Jesus’ day as it is today, here, all across this country.
Jesus said, “I will not leave you like that!”

People where I am from often think we have so much to teach you. I think we have much more to learn from you!

Jesus Christ is alive and the faith that many of you have in that is what allows you to live in a world that can be as troubled as ours!

Jesus knows that we are living between Eden and Heaven.
He knows things will come along that will shake our world and break our hearts.
For 33 years, Jesus was a human.
He knows how much it can hurt to be human; He saw and felt things that broke His heart.
Once He cried out to God, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.” (Mat 26:38).
A few hours later as He hung on the cross, Jesus cried, “God, how could you have left me like this, all alone?”

When Jesus said, “Don’t let your heart be troubled,” He was not saying, “Don’t ever be bothered or hurt.” He was saying, “Don’t try to face those things alone.”

There will be things that will bother and hurt you!
Jesus was saying, “When those things come along, turn to Me! I will be with you in them and that is how you will make it through them…even if I have to carry you every step here on earth until I bring you into Heaven!”

That is what Jesus meant when He promised: “God will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (Jn 14:15-18, NKJV)

The resurrection of Jesus made that possible!

As one who did not grow up in the church, I have always had a lot of questions and I have never been afraid to ask them.
I understand why churches where I am from celebrate Christmas and Easter…but even at Easter, I have always wondered why more churches don’t get more excited about the Resurrection.

I do not understand how silent many churches are about what happened on “The Day of Pentecost.”

They don’t seem to be very interested in “The Ascension” – when Jesus was raised into Heaven and the Holy Spirit started a whole new ministry in followers of Jesus.

I wonder why we don’t celebrate what happened the moment the human part of Jesus experienced physical death: “At that moment the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mt 27:51, NLT)

The curtain in the Temple covered the entrance to what God had taught the Jews to honor as the “Holy of Holies” – the one place on earth where God’s full Presence could be found.
One person, the High Priest, had the opportunity to enter into that presence…just one day out of every year.
I could spend hours describing everything the priest had to do to get ready for that moment.
It was awesome and terrifying.
Once a year, one man had a direct encounter with the Living God.

When Jesus died “the curtain in the Temple was torn in two...” (Mt. 27:51)
The barrier to the Living God was removed, once and for all.
That is how the writer of the book of Hebrews was able to make this invitation for any authentic follower of Jesus:
“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Heb. 4:16, NLT)

We don’t have to look very far to find the Living God, because Jesus said He would “abide with you forever…you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (Jn 14:16-18, NKJV)

Not an orphan. Not alone. No longer helpless or hopeless. Able to face life because the Living God is right here; not just with us but in us!

“The Lord is risen!”
“He is risen indeed!”

I want to leave you with two prayers that the Apostle Paul left for us.
It does not matter how old or young you are or where you are in your journey with God.
If you would like that prayer for yourself, I invite you to stand as a gesture of your willingness to receive the prayer.
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
(Eph 1:15-21, NIV)

Then Paul picked up his prayer for you in chapter 3:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Eph. 3: 16-20, NIV)