Community Faith LINK

“EASTER DISCOVERIES”

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!

Luke 24:5-6

By Rev Dan M nor - revdminor1945@gmail com

What fun

we had at the Plainwell Community Easter Egg Hunt!

Plainwell First United Methodist, First Baptist Church of Plainwell, Faithway and Friendship Wesleyan Church would like to thank the following sponsors:

Food Pantry

When I was pastor ing churches, I could not help bu t n o t i c e t h e r e wa s a l way s a n i n c r e a s e d attendance on Easter Sunday In the last church I ser ved, we always had two ser vices of worship (3 c o u n t i n g t h e S u n r i s e s e r v i c e ) , i n o r d e r t o accommodate the large crowds of people I began to wonder why It occurred to me that people wish to live with the hope that there is a life beyond this one They want to believe they will see their depar ted loved ones again They want to live with the hope of a bodily resurrection The Apostle Peter called it “a living hope” (I Peter 1:3) “And if Chr ist has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (I Cor inthians 15:14) In fact, the resurrection of Jesus Chr ist from the dead is our only hope for eter nal life It is the bedrock of the Chr istian faith and the one tr uth that separates Chr istianity from all other religions Scholars may rationalize it; theologians may debate it; unbelievers may scoff at it; skeptics may question it; agnostics may deny it But guess what? No one has been able to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Chr ist! Neither the Roman author ities nor Jewish leaders claimed that the tomb still contained the body of Jesus This led, of course, to many absurd theor ies which have never been proven to be tr ue

Let’s take a closer look at what they discovered on that first Easter

Drivers, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Tips

Drivers should:

• Look out for and always yield the r ight-of-way to people walking, jogging, biking, etc ;

• Pull out slowly from dr iveways and par king areas while watching for vulnerable road users, including children and others on the sidewalk or nearby pathways;

• Stop fully before tur ning at dr iveways and intersections to make sure you do not cut off pedestr ians or approaching bicyclists with r ight of way;

• Never tur n r ight immediately after passing a cyclist - wait until the cyclist has completed the tr ip through the intersection;

• Do not pass vehicles stopped at crosswalks, as they may be allowing a pedestr ian to cross the street;

• Yield to anyone crossing the street when tur ning left on a green light;

• Watch for sur pr ising changes in direction, especially by children or cyclists avoiding road hazards

• When parallel par ked, check for approaching cyclists before opening your door ;

• Leave sufficient space when passing vulnerable road users and take ever y possible precaution to avoid collision

Pedestrians are reminded to:

• Walk on the side of the road as far to the left as possible or on a paved shoulder AGAINST oncoming traffic where there are no sidewalks;

• Cross the street at an intersection or designated crosswalk when possible and always stop, look left, r ight, and left again before crossing Do not rely solely on pedestr ian traffic signals;

• Come to the edge of a par ked vehicle, stop and look both ways if it s blocking the view of the street before enter ing the street This is also recom- mended before crossing in front of a stopped vehicle at an intersection if there are additional lanes traveling in the same direction;

• Tr y to make eye contact with dr ivers before crossing in front of them and do not assume that because you can see the dr iver, the dr iver can see you;

• Watch for cars that are tur ning or backing up;

• Be vigilant in par king lots, especially when accompanying small children;

• Increase visibility at night by carr ying a flashlight when walking and by wear ing light-colored or reflective clothing that highlights body movements

Bicyclists should:

• Always r ide WITH other traffic;

• Obey the r ules of the road as any other vehicle operator, including all traffic signs, lane mar kings and signals and use hand signals to indicate tur ns, slowing or stopping;

• Wear bicycle helmets and reflective clothing;

• Stay as far to the r ight as practical when r iding in traffic lanes;

• Not r ide more than two abreast in a single lane, so long as it does not interfere with the nor mal flow of vehicular traffic;

• Avoid enter ing the roadway without first stopping to look for vehicles;

• Ride predictably and defensively, and do not r ide while dr unk or distracted;

• Always yield to pedestr ians;

• Have a white front headlight and a red rear reflector if r iding after dar k or in low light conditions

- From the State of M chigan website www mich gan gov

1 They discovered an empty tomb

While it is tr ue that an empty tomb alone does not prove a bodily resurrection; there is plenty of evidence for the reality of the resurrection The resurrected Chr ist was seen by many Whether individuals or groups of individuals; people saw Him, talked to Him, worshipped Him, touched Him and ate with Him The best evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Chr ist is changed lives Has your life been changed by the presence of our living Chr ist?

2 They discovered a fulfilled promise

The fr ightened women were sur pr ised not only to find the tomb empty but to meet up with two angels who reminded them of Jesus’ promise while He was still with them (Luke 24:7,8)

The good news is that we are children of the promise Ever y promise of Jesus will be fulfilled One day the veil will be lifted The myster ies of life will be revealed We will “No longer see in a mirror dimly; but will see Him face to face” (I Cor inthians 13:12)

Are we standing on His promises?

3 They discovered their purpose

The first thing they did was to tell others what they had seen (Luke 24:9,10) The pur pose of the infant church (Book of Acts) was to grow the faith And the faith was based on the resurrection of Jesus Chr ist

The pur pose of the church has not changed The mandate is the same as when Jesus gave the Great Commission (Matthew 29:19) The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

Prayer: Help us to discover Your living presence in our lives and then share Your love with others In Your strong name Amen