I know that JESUS IS ALIVE! |
by Rob Caudillo
At the recent National Pastors’ Conference that Pastor Lynell and I attended, one of the speakers, Rev. Efram Smith shared the following personal story:
A few years ago, I attended my father-in-law’s family reunion in Arkansas. With most African-American family reunions, on Sunday, everyone goes to church. So we all arrive for Sunday service and I’m standing at the back of the church. The pastor got up and said, “I want all the guest preachers to come on down.” I said to myself, “I’m not going down, no sir, no I am not going.” The pastor then said, “I heard there is a preacher named Smith from Minnesota.” I said, “Oh, man!” and then got up and joined the group of about 5 or 6 other men. Then the pastor said, “We will be right back” –kind of like a commercial or something. We go into his study and he asks, “Which one of you all is going to preach for me this morning?” He looked at me and I just stammered and said, “No…I’ll…I mean…I’ll…who me PREACH?…hmmm.” The pastor said, “You are not ready to preach! Is there anyone here that’s ready to preach?” So then this little old man said, “I’ll preach for you”. The pastor turned and looked at him and asked, “Are you serious?” “Yes, sir”, he replied, “I’m serious, I’ll preach this morning”. The pastor said, “OK, you are on – Are you sure you are ready?” This fellow looked at the pastor and said, “I’m oh so ready. I have a sermon in my wallet, in my Bible and even in the glove compartment of my car.” “Alright then, you are it”.
So we all went back into the church and the time came for the morning message and this fellow got up and said, “Turn your Bible to the Book of Acts. Never mind, I want you all to know this morning that JESUS IS ALIVE! That’s right, he ain’t dead, he is alive! Jesus is alive. That’s right, that’s right. You know what? Moses… Moses, he is dead, but not Jesus, HE IS ALIVE! That’s right! And Abraham… he’s dead, but not Jesus – he is alive! Yes sir he is alive. You know that Muhammad fellow, well sir, I can smell his stinkin’ bones from here! Cuz he is dead, dead, DEAD, but not Jesus, he’s alive. Now I know I’m goin’ to hurt some feelings on this – yes indeed am surely goin’ to hurt some feeling, but Elvis is dead! WHOA! Yes indeed, Elvis is dead, but not Jesus. I’ve got a cousin named Earl who owes me $50.00 I’m never goin’ to get back, cuz old Earl is dead, but not Jesus.
He then began to start hollerin’, saying “Jesus is Alive! – J-E-S-U-S, Son of God, Prince of peace, the Alpha and the Omega, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS is ALIVE!” Then he sat down. Efram goes on and shares with us that he thought to himself, “That’s the silliest, little sermon I had every heard. But you know what? We need to hear just that in the times and days in which we are living. If you and I don’t know nothin’ else to preach, proclaim, share or say, then we can say, holler, share, ‘I know a God who brings life out of the grave, who brings life to the full – and no matter what else there is, I know that JESUS IS ALIVE!’
That, my friends, is the Easter message! And Easter asks of you and me, “Do you believe that Jesus is Alive?” Do you and I believe in new life? And in doing so, find and live new lives – transformed lives in and through the living Christ? Happy Easter, cuz’ JESUS IS ALIVE!
Peace,
Pastor Rob
