Hi Friends!
And taking the twelve, He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18:31-34)
These words are profoundly timely for us this week! Jesus told His disciples (again) precisely what was going to happen to Him, and they were still not able to understand. Their eyes and minds had not yet been opened. That didn’t happen until after the Resurrection (Luke 24). We have been praying and inviting people in our lives to come to FBC and hear the truth of the gospel and the power of the resurrection. I have specifically prayed that people who do not yet know the Lord personally will be able to understand, that they will have their eyes opened, and have their minds opened. Please continue to pray for that too.
I will be speaking on Luke 24, and we will see not only the marvelous scene of the empty tomb, but also incredible post-resurrection appearances of Christ to His followers. Please read that before Sunday to prepare your heart.
Remember that we are having two services this Sunday – 9am and 11am. We are anticipating a GREAT Sunday! There has been A LOT of prayer this week, and I believe the Lord wants to draw many to Himself this weekend! You still have a few days to continue inviting, or to remind people you’ve already invited. Remember that Children’s Church and Junior Church will only happen for the 11am service (and just for this Sunday the kids will be out for the entire service). Thank you for being on the lookout for guests, and helping them feel welcome! Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. Smile. Offer your seat if necessary. Ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit so we can be His representatives to those who need to meet Him!
THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our 4 DAYS OF PRAYER! We had 28 hours from Monday through today set aside for praying together. My goal was that we would have 150 total hours of prayer this week (1 person praying for 1 hour = 1, etc.). We exceeded the goal with 168 hours! Much prayer = much blessing! Thank you for participating, and if you missed it, make sure you join us next time! Please keep praying through the rest of this week leading up to Easter Sunday. Pray for me, that I might preach His Word with power, faithfulness, and clarity. Pray that people will understand the message and respond. Pray for our musicians and singers. Pray for our drama team. Pray for our sound and powerpoint people. Pray for our ushers. Pray for our parking attendants. If I’ve missed anything or anyone, pray for that too as the Lord brings it to your mind!
Don’t forget about the 6:30am Sunrise Service on Buttercup Hill also! This has been such an encouraging time for people from all over our valley. For directions contact Roger at 541-740-7821.
May God continue His good work in us and through us this week!
Praying for many opened eyes, minds, and hearts!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael