InTouch April 2023

Dear Friends,

A well-known preacher of the last century named William Sangster came down with a
disease that caused his vocal chords to be paralysed. On his last Easter on earth his
daughter came to visit him on Easter Sunday. Unable to speak, he scribbled on a piece of paper, "How terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice to shout 'He is
risen!' But it would be even worse to have a voice and not want to shout 'He is risen!'"

As Christians, it means everything to us to declare Christ is risen! Romans 10:9 tells us, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The resurrection of Christ is the key to our
salvation. But to be resurrected one has to first die. Jesus did not pretend to die so that he could reappear 3 days later, pretending to have risen. Everyone present knew for certain that he had died. He died as God's sacrificial lamb, to pay the redemptive price of our sins. He died to cancel sin's penalty. Yet to be raised from the dead was proof of God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice.

I love the story of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. The main character. Pilgrim, sets off on his journey towards the Celestial City bearing a heavy burden upon his back. It was the burden of his guilt and sin and it weighed him down. Pilgrim met Evangelist, who pointed him in the right direction, and, arriving at the hill of Calvary, Pilgrim knelt at the cross. The burden fell from his back and rolled down the hill, disappearing forever into the empty tomb.

All of us carry a heavy load of sin, until we give it to Christ when we receive Him as our
Saviour. If you have not done so already, what better time could there be to turn to Jesus as Saviour than at Easter?

Easter gives us everything our hearts need: confirmation of Christ's identity, cancellation of sin's penalty and celebration of life eternally.

Wishing you a truly happy and blessed Easter.

Pastor