Good afternoon! I hope you had a good week last week. It was the first week after Easter and I'm guessing if you were like me, it took a little bit of time to get back in the swing of things! But it's all back to normal now, whatever normal is!
So to start the week last week, on Bank Holiday Monday, Eston Salvation Army held a community event called "Easter Cracked". It is similar format to the Christmas community event "Carols in the Car Park" (see the Christmas vlog to get an idea) and the idea was to get people from the community into the Salvation Army so they can learn about the true meaning of Easter. I thought it was a great success, we had around 60 people come in from outside the church and do some Easter themed crafts, play games and learn about Jesus. We had some great conversations with some people and there was one person I had a conversation with who was doing a quiz and one of the questions was; "Does Jesus live today?" Her answer was, "Yeah, He lives in our hearts". Now, I don't know if this individual had a Church background or not but she was prompted to make that statement of faith because of the Salvation Army holding a community event. Whether she said that statement to answer the question or whether she believes it, I pray that that truth of Jesus living in our hearts will stick with that person and she will not only know it as truth but be witness to it as well!
So I bet you're wondering what on earth "Tomado De La Mano" means? Well if you play in a Salvation Army brass band you may know what it means, it means "Holding Hands". This piece of music is called Tomado De La Mano and it has the song "I'll hold my hands with Jesus and walk with Him." and this thought has stuck in my head of walking with Jesus. This Tuesday I am leading the House Group at Eston and we shall be looking at the passage of Scripture in Luke Chapter 24, The Road to Emmaus. So to set the scene; Jesus has been crucified and so the disciples run and go into hiding, however on the third day people have said Jesus has risen and is alive. Now, we have the privilege of knowing the whole story, but put yourself in the shoes of the disciples would you want to get your hopes up thinking that the man who you have given up your life for and followed for 3 years, and who you have just seen humiliated and killed in the most painful fashion, may have risen from the dead? Honestly, I don't think I would have had the faith to believe that either. So two followers left Jerusalem and headed on the road to Emmaus. On this road to Emmaus, these two followers were joined by a mysterious man, the man asked them what has happened in Jerusalem and so they told him. This mysterious man went on to the two travellers ask why don't they believe that the Son of God could rise again and went on to teach them what the scriptures say about the Messiah. When this man finished teaching them about the scriptures, he went into the house of the travellers and he broke bread with them. The two men looked at this mysterious man and realised who they have been walking with; This Man was Jesus.
This story is so fascinating. The most fascinating part was that when the men realised it was Jesus, He just vanished! But the part that got me thinking was that these men were walking away from Jesus. When Jesus rose from the dead the angel said "He (as in Jesus) has gone before you into Galilee" but these men were going the opposite direction! They were not going the way Jesus wanted them to go, literally! So Jesus comes alongside them, reveals Himself to them and they believe once more. I think this story is common in many people's lives. We like to go off on our own way and ignore the path God has paved before us, but God doesn't curse and punish us for that. Instead He sends Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit to come alongside, show us who He is and guide us back home. If there is someone reading this that feels they are going off in the wrong direction then I want to comfort you and say that you can always turn back round again and walk with Jesus. I pray that for myself, that every day of my life, I will hold my hands with Jesus and walk with Him.
If you need to get in contact with me about anything to do with this blog then please feel free. I hope you have a good rest of the week.
God bless you all.
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pegg.j@hotmail.co.uk - Email
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