Posts Tagged ‘Pope John Paul II’

The Crux of Our Faith

The resurrection is the very crux of our faith. In the resurrection, death is swallowed up in victory!

I love this bright day on the church’s calendar!

In Corinthians Paul reminds the church if there is no resurrection, then our faith if futile and we are to be pitied.

Dave preaching at Ministerios Transformation in La Morita Tijuana

We proclaim Christ crucified and our resurrected Lord – Dave preaching at Ministerios Transformation in La Morita Tijuana

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV (emphasis mine)

There are still many doubters. Still many who scoff at the cross, but the good news is that Christ was raised up from the grave on the third day, just as the scriptures said he would! Hallelujah!

Our sorrow and our despair is turned to joy in the cross. Christ lifts us up out the pit of despair, and gives us hope.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

John 16:20 ESV (emphasis mine)

Those who know rejoice! Our task is to take this good news to the world.

We are the Easter People

My friend and colleague, Danny Kim has reminded me that we are the Easter people. Danny recently shared a wonderful quote.

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”

― Pope John Paul II

Sharing the love of Christ through prayer and medical care

Sharing the love of Christ in Ensenada through prayer and medical care

We are not a hopeless people, and although we are a people of faith it is a grounded faith. Faith based on the reliability of the very Word of God. There’s so much historical evidence, so many miraculous works throughout history that we need not doubt.

I give thanks and praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that he was willing to die a terrible death in our place so that our sins might be forgiven. I praise the Father for loving us so much that He gave us His only Son!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

Dave & Dawn

Happy Easter from Dave & Dawn

Hebrews 12:1-4 ESV (emphasis mine)

Life is not easy, but let us not grow weary or fainthearted. Look to Jesus and don’t ever take your eyes off of him!

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song —Pope John Paul II

Harbor Mid-City Easter Sunday! Worship

Harbor Mid-City Easter Sunday!

The message of Easter is one of hope. Light breaks through the darkness. We live in a world that seems hopeless and in despair. The resurrection is the game changer. That’s why hallelujah is our song!

When God enters in it is reminder that there is hope. When the gospel truly does break forth it gives us reason to rejoice. Often we are not singing hallelujah, because our spiritual eyes and ears are not open to what the Lord is doing all around us. Maybe we’ve forgotten what our savior did for us on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

One of the ways we learn of how God is working in a community is listening to the testimony of his people. On Easter Sunday, Danny Kim put together a marvelous video that tells the story of three changed lives.

Moses and Oliva both came to know the resurrected savior in a very personal way this last year. God worked in Timonthy’s heart and gave him the strength to forgive someone who had abused him years ago.

It brought tears to my eyes to observe how the Lord had redeemed the lives of these friends. I know that the Lord used the testimonies of these transformed lives to touch the hearts of many who were there to worship the risen savior.

Resurrection: Finding New Life in Jesus Christ!

Give thanks with us for the Lord’s marvelous work, and for these transformed lives!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org