Theme

Jesus is Risen!

Good morning beloved of God,

Happy Easter...

By the grace of God-

Today is our First Term TLF General Meeting (April, August and December are months when we meet)

Also today is to be our excursion and hospital visit but we still have not gotten enough in cash donations, and none in kind (items we can give to the hospital staff and patients). The children are very understanding and they are the true treasures of TLF (though one didn't flush the toilet very well yesterday, only for me to discover it this morning!)

However I must thank you all for your love, prayers, kindness and good wishes.

By 12 noon today we'd conclude on whether or not we will/can go

Gleanings from Our Daily Bread "Washed Clean" by Lisa M. Samra,

 By rejecting God and turning to idols (Jeremiah 2:13), Jeremiah declared that the people of Israel had caused a permanent stain in their relationship with God: “‘Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me,’ declares the Sovereign Lord” (v. 22). They were powerless to undo the damage they’d done.

 On our own, it is impossible to remove the stain of our sin. But Jesus has done what we could not. Through the power of His death and resurrection, He “purifies [believers] from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

 Even when it’s hard to believe, cling to this beautiful truth: there’s no damage from sin that Jesus can’t totally remove. God is willing and ready to wash away the effects of sin for anyone willing to return to Him (v. 9). Through Christ, we can live each day in freedom and hope.

 Where do you go with your guilt? How might you live differently today knowing that Jesus’s death has the power to completely remove the guilt and “stain” of your sin?

In April of 2009 I spent my Easter in Kaduna, Sabo Tasha to be precise. 

The very church I attended was in 2011 or thereabouts destroyed by a bomb, Boko Haram bombers!

Yes, they claimed responsibility and that beautiful place of worship that I spent my Thursday to Sunday was gone.

At church yesterday I didn't hear any mention of the bombings that took place in Sri Lanka but getting home it was all over the news.

It was a full house even with the torrential rain yesterday at the TLF centre and I could imagine that with the rice, thunder, generator and roof over our heads, we were still safe and fed. But many in Sri Lanka were either dead, injured or bereaved. 

What if it was the time I was in Kaduna for Easter that the Boko Haram people struck?

What if the thunder we heard yesterday at the TLF centre during the rain were bombs?

What if we had no food, roof, toilet, generator or even life?

As I prayed this morning I acknowledged God's love for me and the love He has for all even those who are today suffering and experiencing persecution, threat to their faith, life and health.

But what is the difference? Why do you and I have data and Internet access and some others are waking up this Easter Monday in IDP camps both in Nigeria and now Sri Lanka (or maybe in hospitals and not IDP camps)?

God is a God of mercy and judgment. Precious in His sight is the death of His faithful and He wishes that none should die in sin. Inasmuch as death is inevitable, murder, assassination, arson and terrorism are, they are preventable. There's actually a lot we can do concerning the killings going on. One thing is that we can stand up for our faith, stand up for our brethren, be God's voice to those who would want to scorn and blame God for those who died in 'the churches' in Sri Lanka, more so on the resurrection morning. Those who assume that we are powerless and Satan has triumphed in Kaduna, Benue, Borno or Zamfara or many other places! Those who say in disdain that God has forsaken us. Those who ridicule victims saying to them that 'they taught they had the power of Jesus'.

Wow! Aren't all these what Jesus experienced on the cross, the questioning, taunting and all?

But He rose again.

I pray the day God calls us we will like Stephen in the Bible see Jesus and know we are on our way to Him, even before our eyes close to this life.

Irrespective of the wickedness and differences in our lots and conditions in life, we must praise God and know that we will die one day and it will not reduce His love for us. Whatever way any would die, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead would do same for us, and the power of death, sting of grave or bomb shall never be able to claim victory or triumph. Jesus Christ is *the* triumphant victorious Saviour!

Continue to have a happy Easter.

We at TLF are grateful to God and we appreciate you all and wish you and your loved ones well all the time.

TLF 💚