Speaking in the Light – 3-31

As we approach Easter this weekend, I want to retell a story that was first told by “Dear Abby” in a response to someone’s question.
She shared about a young man from a wealthy family that was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate an automobile. “Bill’ and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation, they found the perfect car.
On the eve of his graduation, Bill expected keys and what he got was the unexpected. His father handed Bill a gift wrapped Bible. Bill was so angry at this disappointing token; he literally threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He never gave his Dad a chance to explain.
He let his imagination run wild and it eventually became a heart filled with bitterness.
Bill and his father would never speak to one another again. Bill never even gave the relationship another chance. It wasn’t until the news of his father’s death that Bill finally came back home again. Bill knew that he had waited too late. As he sat one night going through his father’s possessions that he was still about to inherit, he came across that dreaded Bible that his father had given him.
Bill brushed away the dust from the holy book and reluctantly opened it only to discover that to his shock, there was a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together.
Bringing this story into the light of all that this week stands for, I can’t help but wonder how many people in this world are presently doing the very same thing to their Heavenly Father. Way too many individuals literally toss aside God’s wonderful heavenly promises, because they either presently don’t understand them, or they just don’t believe that they could possible be true for them.
In our world, we are taught that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” We are leery because we all have been victims of “empty promises.” We just can’t fathom that anybody would give anything of real value away for free. But, do you know what? God does. God never made a promise that he intended to keep to be too good to be true.
We are bombarded daily by a barrage of meaningless words. We watch TV, and the advertisements tell us that we can be happier, sexier, richer, or more famous, if we only purchase a certain product. It doesn’t take long before we realize that we have been fooled again by what we thought would fill us up- only to leave the heart tank running on empty. But, God is different. Instead of promises full of emptiness, on Easter, the Lord gave us emptiness that is full of promise.
This Easter week I want you to think about the excitement of something being empty that can lead to something being filled in an area where it matters most. Because of an empty tomb, if we only believe and trust, we no longer have to bear an empty heart.
Because death couldn’t hold Jesus, because he couldn’t be contained by the cross, or by the tomb, or even by his burial clothes, we can be sure of the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives. Jesus came out of an empty tomb to fill our aching hearts and bring them the hopes of promises being kept God’s way and in God’s time and if we would only just receive the gift that He longs to be giving to us to come into our lives, we may then discover a whole lot more than a cashier’s check for a car that will eventually rust and rot into ruins. We may be the recipients of a relationship that will never let us go or let us down or let us finish the race a few feet short of the finish line.
Because of Easter, because of the empty tomb, death doesn’t have to be our final destination. Because of Easter and because of Jesus, every tale of every one who would only surrender to a Father that knows best can experience a cup that is running over and filled to be spilled again and again and again.
Do you want to hear an Easter story that will fill your basket to the brim of your rim? Do you want to learn the truth of how to dance in the rain and sing in the storm and not have to be tied down to your circumstances any more? Do you want to know why empty was the best thing that God could have given us when we might have asked for something different? Do you want to take a chance and open up a Bible and discover that the Father might have a wonderful surprise tucked inside just for you?
I invite you to come on out to the brand new home of The Lighthouse Church this weekend.
You just may like what you see and hear. You can find us at 1248 Route 9 and I promise you that you won’t leave empty hearted. You can leave your anxiety and worries and broken hearts at the door and never have to pick them up again any more.
On Good Friday Night, we will meet at 7 p.m. for a one-hour service that reminds us to reflect upon what Jesus did when he died for us on the cross. We will then have an Easter Saturday Night at 6 p.m. Celebration for those who wouldn’t be able to worship with us on Sunday. We will then have a Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday early morning outside at 7 a.m. for those who can’t wait to get out of bed and sing and shout about the empty tomb. And then finally we will have two more “raise the roof” Easter celebration services at 9 and 10:45 a.m. with interpretation for the deaf and hearing impaired at the latter opportunity.
This Easter, death means life and laying it down means picking it up. This Easter means learning a new way of living that begins not with taking but giving. This Easter means a time to stop running from God and a time to finally come back home and see what you might just be missing.
This Easter, empty means full and the time is now. And before I close, I just want to take this opportunity to wish all of my faithful Herald readers a Happy and Healthy Easter! Please don’t put off showing and sharing the love that you have for one another while you can- just because you can!Write Pastor Rudy pastorrudytlc@comcast.net