Every Sunday is Easter Sunday to a Christian

     We had a great Sunday yesterday, a great crowd and a wonderful time together smiling, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, praying, sharing, and looking into God’s word to see how wonderfully blessed we are.  To the world yesterday was “Easter Sunday.”  To every Christian, yesterday was just as special, no more and no less than every Sunday every week.  If you read your Bible you will find that the church of Christ in the first century celebrated the birth, life, death, burial, and the resurrection of Christ every Sunday, not just one day every year.  I love this fact.  The church that Jesus established and came into reality on the Day of Pentecost continued in the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42) which meant that the church met together every Sunday (the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day) to remember Jesus in the Lord’s Supper or communion, eating unleavened bread representative of Jesus’ body and drinking fruit of the vine representative of Jesus’ saving blood.  The apostle Paul taught about this remembrance in 1 Corinthians 11.  A good example of the church meeting together “to break bread” can be found in Acts 20.  At the Enola Church of Christ we follow the pattern so clearly and simply found in the New Testament.  I’m very happy about that.

     This Sunday we will continue in our series “Foundation Principles – The Christian Graces.”  So far we have added virtue and knowledge to our faith in Christ Jesus.  This week we will look at adding self-control.  Paul told the church of Christ at Corinth to live life on purpose rather than wandering around without direction or discipline.  He told them that he lived his life like an athlete who ran the race to certainly to win.  He said that living the Christian life should be like a boxer or fighter who fights with certainty, not one that simply punches the air hoping to hit something.  He said that every Christian should live life with self-control so as to not be disqualified when Christ comes to judge every person (2 Corinthians 5:10).  I have not always lived a temperate life.  I am doing a little bit better every day.  I hope you will add this Christian grace to your life.

     I took at trip to West Tennessee last week to speak at the 35^th Annual Phillips Street Church of Christ Lectures.  This was my first trip to that part of the country and found Dyersburg, Tennessee to be one of the most beautiful towns in America.  The dogwood trees were in full bloom along with the azaleas and other trees and foliage.  My wife and her family lived in Dyersburg in 1969 when her dad, the late Mitchell Palmer preached for the congregation at Phillips Street.  We saw so many of her parents’ friends from so long ago.  We felt as though those 45 years were just a few days.  What a privilege it is to be a Christian, a part of God’s family, a member of the church of Christ.  We have brothers and sisters all around the world who love us and whom we love.   It was truly a great honor to participate in the lectureship.  The theme was “Becoming More like Jesus.”  My topic was “What Jesus Taught Us About Leadership.”   Cindi, my wife was honored to participate in the ladies’ program on Saturday.  She spoke to a large ladies only crowd on the subject of “The Pathway to Peace.”  I heard that the program was a tremendous success. 

     Before I close let me say CONGRATULATIONS to MACKENZIE LOYD.  MacKenzie is our newest Christian sister at Enola.  She was baptized into Christ last Monday, April 14^th with her parents and other family members present to celebrate her decision to follow Jesus.  The gospel is still God’s power to salvation to everyone who believes.  Maybe you have been thinking of making a change in the direction of your life.  Jesus’ command is simple:  Follow Me.  His invitation is also simple:  Come to Me.  I so wish you would.  I can help you.  May God bless you and yours is my prayer for you.