CPA – 4

We went to church. We prayed. We sang. Then we were invited to give testimonies of “last night’s experience”. Some people said that they felt as if the church “died”. Another person said that it “seemed as if we were at a funeral”. Some one said that they were thinking of going to another church. Others said that they didn’t have true peace until they fully repented and “vomited” up all the negative, evil thoughts and sins that were hiding in their hearts. Some couldn’t sleep all night long until they worked things out with God.
The talk was different. The tension was gone. People were praising God and talking about freedom. What happened? Everyone was asking each other for forgiveness. We kept praying and singing and the whole evening turned into a night of celebration. The strangeness of the night before was completely covered up by a mysterious joy and peace.
The night went on and all of a sudden we realized that it was 11:00 pm. One of the last songs we sang was…Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…Little kids, only five years old, were singing at the top of their lungs along with all the rest of us. We were all in tears with our hands held high. God gave us our first miracle; forgiveness and unity.
The congregation was asked once again if we would support a Private Christian School in our church premises and the vote was a unanimous…YES!
Back home (relieved, overjoyed, forgiven and at peace) we got online to share the GOOD NEWS with family members who were already praying for this project, but God had more miracles waiting! We received an email from my sister that said “our Sunday school class raised $2000 for desks or what ever you need for the school. It’ll be in the mail soon.”
I always wonder…why didn’t that email come on Tuesday night? Why Wednesday? No, it couldn’t have come on Tuesday night, we were still arguing, unforgiving, and we had to “die” before God could bless us with true life in HIM! We spent another night crying…but this time joyful tears of victory!

Because He Lives – Music: Bill Gaither, Words: Bill & Gloria Gaither

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Chorus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.