Hope: The Message of Easter

When I looked out at our congregation during this morning's church service as I prepared to read one of the scripture passages, I knew there were some people sitting there who desperately needed to hear the message of Easter--the message of hope.

I worship a God who came to earth in human form, allowed Himself to die a brutal death, then arose from the dead all to be the beacon of hope toward eternal life and eternal peace with Him once our time in the flesh was done.

He permitted His earthly body to be killed to show us what He was willing to endure for us, to show us how much He loved us. He then conquered death by rolling back the stone from his burial tomb and raising from the dead to show us how powerful faith in Him truly was.

I write this tonight, as I do most of my work here, to the GLBT community, especially those of you who have little or no hope of a better life awaiting you, either here on earth or in heaven. Part of that is probably because you've had it hammered in your head to where it saturates your psyche that you don't deserve God's love because you are a homosexual. You've probably been lectured to, possibly by your own family, how God hates gays and lesbians and the only path to heaven is to pray to Him to change your very nature.

That's God filtered through what they've been taught and/or their own prejudices. Unfortunately, that really tells you more about the person delivering that message than it does about God.

Apostle Dale, as he so often does, nailed it during his message this morning. He knows that people run across the Believers Covenant Fellowship website and see his smiling face on the home page. They know nothing about him, but sometimes they try to learn by asking others without making direct contact with him. It's tough to get a clear understanding of who someone is if you don't establish direct contact with them.

You see, that's what those who spread the message of hate toward homosexuals don't want GLBT people to do. They want gay and lesbian people to accept that God is as THEY say He is. Regardless of how authoratative they sound, how many years they may have spent in seminary, and how many verses of the Bible they quote to make their point, it is still THEIR point.

We all need to understand God by asking God who He is. We need to get into his word, the Bible, for ourselves. I regard the Bible as the roadmap to God, the pathway to understanding and receiving salvation and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don't shake you head and say that He won't listen to you. Don't assume he won't communicate with you in some way. I know I don't hear his voice but I reach points of clarity and understanding when I seek him out. He will do the same for you. He wants to reach out and love you just as you are. I've seen first hand at my church when God has taken GLBT people from the depths of despair and given them love and hope.

Don't take my word for it. Seek God for yourself. If you don't know where to start, e-mail me at straight_notnarrow@yahoo.com or seek out Apostle Dale as bcfemail@aol.com. We can point you in the right direction, regardless of if you are straight, gay, lesbian, and no matter what type of sins you may have committed, so you can join us in walking with God.

Your peace and eternal happiness is not determined by any preacher, parent, spouse, family member, or friend. It's solely between you and God. He's reaching out for you right now. All you need to do is reach back.

God bless you on this Easter Sunday.