Do you know my Jesus? Do you know my Friend? Have you heard He loves you and that He will abide til the end?

     We’re having a great week in beautiful Central Arkansas with blue skies, a gentle spring breeze, and plenty of ideas for what we want to do now that we can get out of our winter blues.  God is blesses us.

     I’m sorry to say that one of our dear faithful sisters in Christ Edna Jean Smith is now resting in Paradise after a long difficult illness.  We’ll be celebrating her life tomorrow (Friday, April 11^th) at the Enola Church of Christ visiting with family and friends at 1:00 p.m. and then holding funeral services at 12:00.  I’ll miss her smile, her quick sense of humor, and her way of making others feel most important.  As long as she was physically able, she was in her place when the church met.  I’m so very proud of her example of faith, hope, and love.   May she rest in peace until the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is my prayer.

     Our Sunday morning sermon series “Foundation Principles – The Christian Graces” will continue this coming Lord’s Day as we consider added to our faith KNOWLEDGE.  Jesus said that eternal life was this:  knowing the true and living God and Jesus whom He sent.  Peter said that there was no one else to go to but Jesus because he had the words of eternal life.  Peter had come to believe and KNOW that Jesus was exactly who He said He was.  Paul said that he counted all things loss that he might gain the knowledge of Christ.  What about you?  Do you know my Jesus?  Do you know my friend?  Have you heard He loves you and that He will abide til the end?  Sound familiar?  We sing that song quite often at Enola and probably elsewhere too.  Well, do you?  Do you know Him?  I hope so.  If not, let me tell you about the One who came to seek and save the lost, the One who gave Himself for you and for me, the One who lived His life for others, the One who died for the world and lives again to give life to everyone who trusts and obeys.  What does He ask?  Trust Him.  Repent of any sin.  This means to understand that sin separates us from God.  Repentance means turning away from sin.  Confess Jesus.  He is the Son of God.  Be baptized by His authority so that your sins will be washed away, forgiven and forgotten forever.  Then continue in the Light of His word.  Every time the church of Christ at Enola meets, right before I close out the lesson, I ask those present to consider their lives and accept Jesus’ invitation to “Come…”  You can read about His invitation in Matthew 11:28-30.  I do pray that if you haven’t accepted His invitation, that you will asap. 

     This Sunday evening at 5:00 we’ll take a look at Jesus’ life, specifically one occasion (John 8) and see how He was able to remain so calm, so cool, and so collected under tremendous pressure to be otherwise.  Are you under any pressure or stress at home, at work, at school, with your family, or in the world?  Just remember these three words:  Identification, Dedication, and Organization.  Know who you are.  Jesus did.  Know who to please.  Jesus did.  Know what you’re doing.  Jesus did.  Do you?  If not, maybe one or two or all three of these points could be the problem.

     May God bless you and keep  you in His care is my prayer for you and yours.  Pray for me and for every gospel preacher who tries to keep the light of the gospel shining bright in a world of darkness.  Thank you.