July, August, September 2002

Dear Partners in Prayer,

"Alleluia, The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia"

Across our globe this phrase has again been joyously exclaimed and repeated many thousands of times as the Great Easter Procession proceeded from East to West, from time zone to time zone. This is our creedal statement. What does it mean? Why do we say this? I heard the Rev. Everett (Terry) Fullam explain it in the following way.

It doesn't really matter if it were Confucius, Mohammad, or Buddha who actually said the things attributed to them, for it is not who said them but rather what was said that is important to their followers. If it were proved that Confucius never lived and that the sayings of Confucius were uttered by someone else it would not matter because the sayings would still be just as valid to those followers. The same can be said about Islam and Buddhism. However, if it were proved tomorrow that Jesus Christ never lived, never died and was never resurrected from the dead, Christianity would fall apart. Easter is our Day! The celebration of our Lord's birth was wonderful, but Easter is the day when it all comes together. I like the way Leslie Weatherhead puts it: "Christianity is not a matter of theological doctrines which must be believed. To me the fundamental and basic truth of the Christian religion is that Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh; that he not only lived a truly human life many years ago and was cruelly put to death, but that he rose again from the dead and is still alive in our midst today… I honestly do not think there is any fact in the world any more important than this."

In a recent Decision magazine article Billy Graham wrote, "No other word in all our vocabulary is more expressive of the message of Christ than the word Resurrection". The apostle Paul wrote that his desire was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Resurrection! That is the key!

"Alleluia, the Lord is risen. The Lord is risen, indeed, Alleluia."

In His Name,
William C. Williams, President

May the Lord Jesus, who loves with a wounded heart,      be your love for evermore. May the Lord Jesus, who serves with wounded hands,      help you serve others. May the Lord Jesus, who walks on wounded feet,      walk with you to the end of the road. Look for the face of the Lord Jesus,      in everyone you meet And may everyone you meet,      see the face of the Lord Jesus in you. And may the Blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and      Holy spirit be with you and remain with you. Amen.      (The Most Rev. Stewart Payne - prayer card of AFP)