Easter Meeting

Easter time is the most significant time of the year in the Christian calendar and Moldova is no exception. All citizens greet one another for a period of 40 days with "Christ is Risen" and a reply of "He's risen indeed" - Tremendous testimony to the truth.

Here our kids are doing a sketch with 6 coloured flags as a means of presenting the gospel ( it's like the coloured beads of the wrist band ministry ). Black is sin, yellow is the grace of God ( the undeserved kindness of God that gave Jesus to die in our place to pay for and remove our sin which is a barrier to God so we can come into personal relationship with Him). Red is for His blood which he shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins etc

Unintentional comedy was provided as Jesus sitting on a donkey that was a little too big for his hooves almost fell off.

A goodly number of people came to honour God including the mayor of the village who brought an encouraging and interesting word - this reminds me to ask for prayer for the upcoming local elections June 5 for which the mayor is restanding along with several other candidates. Pray that honesty prevails.

I brought a message about Pilate. A man who had the authority to release Jesus and whose conscience clearly witnessed to him that Jesus was guiltless "I find no fault in this Man" and to whom God spoke - when his wife sent a message that she had a dream to have nothing to do with this righteous man. Pilate tried evey method to avoid having to make a decision about Jesus - trying to get the Jews to judge him and then Herod to judge him; trying to release Barabbas in His place. But in the end Pilate had to make a decision to stand with Jesus or against Him ( Jesus said in the Bible "If you are not for Me you are against me") Finally the people cried out to Pilate if you don't condemn Him you are "no friend of Caesar's" and when Pilate realised that to stand with Jesus would mean loosing his position, friends, influence, wealth etc he chose to stand against Him. At that moment Pilate lost his life for eternity. ( Math 25 tells us that Jesus is the judge on the final day and Jesus has already said he who is ashamed of me I also will be ashamed of him in the final day.) What a tragedy that a man that was not so blind that he did not see the truth still lost his life by the decision he made to choose position over Jesus. I tried to encourage all present not to make the same mistake.

We had some friends staying with us over the Easter period Neil and Joan Robinson. Neil gave his testimony during the meeting which helped many, I believe, to see the Father heart of God

May the risen Jesus reveal himself to you over this Easter period

Pastor Mark