MARCH 2013 Newsletter
of controlling or abusive birth-families
A sisterhood for those who seek support in developing self-esteem, setting boundaries and limits, forgiveness, Godly confrontation, recognizing and cutting ties with reprobates, healing, and rejoicing in the peace and love of
take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him……..Luke 17:3
Happy Resurrection Sunday! Glory to God!
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1 MARCH 2013
Luke 17: 3 is the scripture often misquoted, usually by an abuser or his enabler, when he tells you that the Bible says “Forgive and Forget”, or that you must forgive him because you are a Christian. However, Jesus is very specific when he tells us to rebuke the sinner, and if he repents, to forgive him. Have you rebuked your abuser, and has he or she repented?
THE ONLY FORM OF ABUSE STILL CONDONED BY SOCIETY. THE ONLY ABUSE IN WHICH THE VICTIM IS CRITICIZED OR ABANDONED FOR TRYING TO PROTECT HERSELF. CHILD ABUSE THAT DIDN’T END WHEN ADULTHOOD BEGAN…THE CONTINUING ABUSE OF GROWN CHILDREN BY THEIR PARENTS.
If you have ever experienced Adult Child Abuse by a parent, sibling, or other relative, We Welcome You!
Our newsletter is sent to you free-of-charge, as the Lord continually provides. Do you know someone who would like to be on our mailing list?
Rev. Renee Pittelli
Luke 17:3 Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 684
Chestertown, NY 12817
Luke 173@hotmail.com
Please ask about our Luke 17:3 Ministry in Tennessee, founded by Rev. Denise Rossignol.
THE “CHRISTIAN” ABUSER
FOR YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO LIVE IN FREEDOM- NOT FREEDOM TO SATISFY YOUR SINFUL NATURE, BUT FREEDOM TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE. FOR THE WHOLE LAW CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THIS ONE COMMAND: “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF”…Galatians 5:13-14 NLT
I hear from victims of “Christian” abusers on a regular basis, and of course that’s to be expected. But it never ceases to amaze me when I hear from the “Christian” abusers themselves. Their conversations, e-mails, and letters are a great learning tool, and a window into the sinful minds of those who pervert the Word of God for their own selfish and abusive ends. It is a very great sin to use our precious Lord as a cover for wickedness and evil, and such so-called Christians give all the rest of us a bad name. But the Lord turns that which was meant for evil to be used for the good of those who love him (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).
god’s word
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.…1 Samuel 16:6-7.
Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, “The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.” If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. And if I say to the wicked man, “You will surely die,” but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right- if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live…Ezekiel 33:12-16 (NIV).
Praise the Lord! Thank you Father for these teachings about phony and fallen “Christians.”
One conversation I had with just such an abuser, which took place over a period of a few weeks, is a perfect example. In this article, I will use that discussion as a study tool to illustrate several examples of how such so-called “Christians” often twist the Bible to justify damaging other people.
AN OXYMORON- “THE CHRISTIAN ABUSER”
To many of us, the words “Christian” and “abuser” don’t seem to belong together. They are, or should be, a contradiction in terms. And yet how many of us have heard of a minister’s children who were raised with cruelty and abuse? How many of us know of an upstanding, church-going man- or woman- of- God, who turns out to be a criminal or a child molester? Who can forget the huge scandal in the Roman Catholic church, when so many of their so-called “men of God” priests were exposed as pedophiles, child molesters who were using their position in the church as a source of obtaining new victims? Calling oneself “Christian” does not make one exempt from abusive behavior. And calling oneself “Christian” does not make one a REAL Christian, either!
One Scripture which addresses this point is 1 John 3: NO ONE WHO LIVES IN HIM KEEPS ON SINNING. NO ONE WHO CONTINUES TO SIN HAS EITHER SEEN HIM OR KNOWN HIM. DEAR CHILDREN, DO NOT LET ANYONE LEAD YOU ASTRAY. HE WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT IS RIGHTEOUS. HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL IS OF THE DEVIL, BECAUSE THE DEVIL HAS BEEN SINNING FROM THE BEGINNING. THE REASON THE SON OF GOD APPEARED WAS TO DESTROY THE DEVIL’S WORK. NO ONE WHO IS BORN OF GOD WILL CONTINUE TO SIN, BECAUSE GOD’S SEED REMAINS IN HIM; HE CANNOT GO ON SINNING, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD. THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WHO THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE AND WHO THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE: ANYONE WHO DOES NOT DO WHAT IS RIGHT IS NOT A CHILD OF GOD; NOR IS ANYONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER….1 John 3: 6-10 NIV.
For some reason, the one thing I never anticipated when I started a ministry for abuse VICTIMS was that I would be hearing from the ABUSERS themselves. Sometimes I receive e-mails from them. But more frequently, abusers who cross my path as I go about my life, and find out what I do, or who already know about Luke 17:3 Ministries, will look for the opportunity to “discuss” an issue such as forgiveness or repentance with me. Many times this is simply a thinly disguised challenge to what we are teaching. Often they will be quite candid about how they have abused a loved one, and then follow that admission with a long list of excuses and rationalizations.
Once in a blue moon, I’ll be approached by an offender who is truly contrite and looking for guidance in repairing the relationship she had damaged. But most of the time, the abusers who wish to “discuss” their situations with me are simply looking for validation of their unacceptable behavior. They often use typical abuser tactics in their attempts to force me to admit that their wicked behavior was really innocent, unintentional, misunderstood, or even justified. They will defiantly trot out the usual manipulation, deception, belligerence, pouting, pretending to be insulted, and whatever else they have in their narcissistic arsenal. Sometimes it’s as if they’ve read every book ever written about their dysfunctional defenses, and now they’re just sticking to the script and doing everything you’d expect them to do.
Occasionally, abusers will try to trick me into contradicting myself, or the Bible- or better yet, will try to prove that the Bible contradicts ITSELF! The amusing thing is that, in trying to trap me, or even worse, the Lord, in a contradiction, they usually wind up contradicting themselves instead. And most of the time, they don’t even realize it.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING
The most interesting abuser of all to have these discussions with is the one who claims to be a Christian herself. Some of these are influenced by the Spirit of False Religion, and some by the Jezebel Spirit. Some may have been “born again” decades ago, but never grew in the Lord or developed into a mature Christian, instead remaining in bondage to the sins of the flesh such as selfishness, pride, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and unlovingness. Some are a combination of all three of these.
There are others who were believers at one time, but have fallen away. They just won’t admit it to you, or sometimes even to themselves. There is indeed such a thing as an abuser who is technically a“Christian”, but not a Spirit-filled, sanctified Christian. Those who have the most vested in denying this and convincing you that a “Christian” couldn’t possibly be abusive are usually none other than the abusive Christians themselves.
One thing we know for sure that we will never have to worry about is meeting up with our “Christian” abusers in heaven. They’re not going to be there. The Bible says that if they deliberately continue to sin after having been saved by Jesus’ precious blood, they have doomed themselves. There is nothing they can ever do to make up for it. Such “Christian” sinners are an abomination to the Lord and are condemned to destruction: FOR IF WE SIN WILLFULLY AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE NO LONGER REMAINS A SACRIFICE FOR SINS, BUT A CERTAIN FEARFUL EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT, AND FIERY INDIGNATION WHICH WILL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES. ANYONE WHO HAS REJECTED MOSES’ LAW DIES WITHOUT MERCY ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. OF HOW MUCH WORSE PUNISHMENT, DO YOU SUPPOSE, WILL HE BE THOUGHT WORTHY WHO HAS TRAMPLED THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT, COUNTED THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT BY WHICH HE WAS SANCTIFIED A COMMON THING, AND INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE? FOR WE KNOW HIM WHO SAID, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” SAYS THE LORD. AND AGAIN, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD”….Hebrews 10: 26-31 NKJV.
WILL THE REAL CHRISTIAN PLEASE STAND UP?
What is intriguing about having an exchange on evil behavior with a Christian, or ex-Christian, abuser is that she actually has a working knowledge of the Bible, which she will often use to twist or misinterpret Scripture to suit her own purposes. She will pick and choose the Scriptures she thinks she can use to justify her wickedness, and conveniently omit Scripture that would condemn her behavior and show her for what she is. She can use her “insider’s” knowledge about how a Christian is supposed to behave to give the APPEARANCE of being a Godly, righteous person to the uninitiated. But she cannot fool those who know well enough to look at her FRUITS.
Satan is the father of deception, deceit and lies. He is the father of trickery and treachery. He has many disguises and many faces. He is well able to disguise one of his children as a “religious” person in order to fool others. But the Lord has that covered. In the Gospel, Jesus himself teaches us how we can tell the difference:
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES. YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES OF THORNS, OR FIGS OF THISTLES? EVEN SO EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT; BUT A CORRUPT TREE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL FRUIT. A GOOD TREE CANNOT BRING FORTH EVIL FRUIT, NEITHER CAN A CORRUPT TREE BRING FORTH GOOD FRUIT. EVERY TREE THAT BRINGETH NOT FORTH GOOD FRUIT IS HEWN DOWN, AND CAST INTO THE FIRE. WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY….Matthew 7:15-23 KJV.
God never intended his holy Word to be used as a cover for sin. This is an abomination to him. Deliverance ministers know that one of Satan’s favorite tricks is to use Scripture against God and the deliverance team. The devil loves to argue God’s Word. Many deliverance ministers advise against quoting the Bible during a deliverance unless you are reading directly from it or are very sure you are completely accurate, because the devil is just itching for the opportunity to trap you and be able to say “Aha!” if you falter.
During a deliverance, demons will use this tactic to distract the deliverance team from their purpose, which is to bind and cast out the demons. Demons are very clever, and if they can get the team off-track, they will remain in control longer.
Children of the devil use the same ploy when it comes to being held accountable for their actions. If they can somehow manage to get you off the track when you rebuke them, then they will never have to answer for their wrongdoing. If they can confuse the situation enough, they may even be able to get you to just give up, without ever having to commit to repentance or a change in behavior. And what more satisfying way for a child of Satan to confuse a child of God than to use God’s own holy Word against her?
Besides trying to use Scripture to justify their wickedness, some who call themselves “Christian” will engage in other pseudo-religious behaviors. They might attend church on a regular basis, tithe every week, speak in tongues, be “slain in the spirit”, raise their hands to God, tell people they will “pray for them”, shout “Hallelujah!”, and use all the right words and phrases. How could anyone possibly believe that such a person is really malicious, and that this is all a facade?
Such people are modern-day Pharisees, deceptive and untruthful, full of the “appearance” of holiness without the substance. ….BUT DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DO, FOR THEY DO NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH….EVERYTHING THEY DO IS DONE FOR MEN TO SEE….Matthew 23: 3,5 NIV. Jesus reserved his harshest rebuke for the Pharisees and his very strong reprimands are recorded in the Seven Woes of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He refers to the phony Pharisees as hypocrites, sons of hell, snakes, and a brood of vipers, among other choice words. He chastises them for tithing and yet lacking the “more important matters” of justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23).
Some so-called “Christians” are anything but humble servants. They are filled with pride, even about their faith, and try very hard to impress others with their righteousness, claiming that they are “growing every day in their walk with the Lord”, that the Lord is doing, or has done “a great work in them”, that they are “falling more in love with Jesus every day”, that the Lord has healed them, blessed them, and given them all the wonderful gifts that he reserves for his children. An abuser will tell you all these things because she is trying very hard to convince you that SHE is counted in that number- she is one of God’s children.
For a sincere Christian, such incredible blessings from God fill us with humble gratitude. But for an “unrighteous Christian”, such statements are a very calculated attempt to seem “holier than thou”, a clever smokescreen to hide their true nature, and spoken of with great pride instead of humility. Such people know the right words to say, but they are just empty words, and their purpose is to deceive. Who would dare to challenge the sinful words or actions of one who obviously walks so closely with the Lord and is so filled with the Holy Spirit? But although they know enough to talk the talk, they are not really walking the walk. They are not dwelling with God, and they are not Spirit-filled. Again, we cannot judge a book by its cover. Remember the Lord Jesus’ words- to know them by their fruits.
True Christians are not selfish narcissists, who behave as if others exist only for their use and exploitation. True Christians SERVE. The Bible teaches us that people of faith are expected to do good works: DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHAT’S THE USE OF SAYING YOU HAVE FAITH IF YOU DON’T PROVE IT BY YOUR ACTIONS? THAT KIND OF FAITH CAN’T SAVE ANYONE….SO YOU SEE, IT ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH JUST TO HAVE FAITH. FAITH THAT DOESN’T SHOW ITSELF BY GOOD DEEDS IS NO FAITH AT ALL- IT IS DEAD AND USELESS. NOW SOMEONE MAY ARGUE, “SOME PEOPLE HAVE FAITH; OTHERS HAVE GOOD DEEDS.” I SAY, “I CAN’T SEE YOUR FAITH IF YOU DON’T HAVE GOOD DEEDS, BUT I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH THROUGH MY GOOD DEEDS.” DO YOU STILL THINK IT’S ENOUGH JUST TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONE GOD? WELL, EVEN THE DEMONS BELIEVE THIS, AND THEY TREMBLE IN TERROR! FOOL! WHEN WILL YOU EVER LEARN THAT FAITH THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN GOOD DEEDS IS USELESS?….SO YOU SEE, WE ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD BY WHAT WE DO, NOT BY FAITH ALONE….JUST AS THE BODY IS DEAD WITHOUT A SPIRIT, SO ALSO FAITH IS DEAD WITHOUT GOOD DEEDS…..James 2:14, 17-20, 24, 26 NLT.
THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE:
CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL DO THE DEVIL’S WORK
My birth-father was just about the farthest thing you could get from a Christian, but when I was little, every now and then, I’d learn something valuable from him. He always loved goading people into an argument. It was like a hobby to him, or maybe more like a calling. He got a power high from getting someone all riled up. He often reminded us that he was “on the debate team in high school” and he loved the “intellectual” sport of debate. But for an “intellectual”, he had no hesitation in making himself look like a complete fool. He would make the most absurd, ridiculous, outrageous statements just to get someone to respond to him. He would contradict himself, or argue forcefully about something, and then, as soon as you agreed with him, change his opinion and argue just as forcefully for exactly the opposite view.
When challenged on this, he would smile slyly and say, “I was just playing Devil’s Advocate!” In other words, he didn’t really believe any of the nonsense he spouted. He was just baiting the other person and trying to get a rise out of them. He was also trying to be the center of attention. Winning the “debate”, or “argument”, as everyone else called it, wasn’t the point. Controlling his “opponent”, tricking him into falling for his little “deception”, and keeping him enmeshed, was.
It is no coincidence that one who is trying to “use” being a Christian to justify their wrongdoing often makes absurd or nonsensical statements, tries to confuse you, especially on issues of faith, or even totally contradicts herself. Satan is the father of chaos and confusion. All lies, deception, deceit and trickery originate with him. Such people are choosing the devil’s way over the Lord’s way. They are in every sense of the word, the “devil’s advocate”, and they are doing his work for him.
From the time he was thrown out of heaven, Satan has not learned his lesson about challenging God. The Book of Job tells just one story of the lengths Satan will go to in order to “win” by making a child of God doubt his faith or question the Lord and his Word. The temptation of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 is another example of the devil challenging God. But Jesus did not take the bait. He did not have to prove himself to the devil. And we, also, don’t have to prove anything to those who try to use the Word of God, or our faith, against us.
A “CHRISTIAN” ABUSER IN ACTION
Previously, I made reference to an ongoing discussion I had with a totally unrepentant “born-again” abuser, which took place over the course of several weeks. It concerned her absolutely abominable behavior toward her oldest, and pretty much only, friend, a good-hearted woman whom I also happened to know very well. I had a long-standing familiarity with both women, and an intimate knowledge of their characters and personalities, as well as of what had transpired between them. This afforded me a rare chance to observe the deterioration of a relationship in which one person’s love, caring, and generosity was repaid with ongoing and continual selfishness, envy, ungratefulness, neglect, and pride. I was a first-hand witness to this decades-old friendship ending for no other reason than the offender’s stubborn refusal, despite being given many chances by the victim, to act like a REAL Christian (or at least like a mature adult), be accountable and accept responsibility for her own behavior, apologize sincerely and humbly, change her wicked ways, and do whatever she could to make amends.
This woman used many of the tactics so typical of abusers when someone rebukes or challenges them. At a certain point the tone of our discussions changed and deteriorated. I realized that, although she pretended to want my help in mending fences with her ex-friend, she really never gave any thought to anything I said. I realized that what she really wanted to do was to put ME in the position of defending myself, so that I would keep talking to her, keep giving her attention, and keep up this ongoing “discussion”. She was using ME to get the Narcissistic Supply she was no longer getting from our mutual friend, who was no longer speaking to her.
This “born-again” abuser often claimed she “forgot” or “didn’t mean” what she had plainly said or e-mailed to me, contradicted herself outright a number of times, twisted my words or what the Bible says, whined about being “misunderstood”, and at times became angry, nasty, and abusive towards me. Abusers usually drop all pretense of niceness and let their true colors show when you fail to go along with their program.
A couple of times, after she denied saying something that she had said, I sent her own e-mail back to her to prove my point, only to have her backtrack and claim that I had “misunderstood”, even though her own words were right in front of her in black and white. Then she would pretend to become insulted. In very sly, devious, “innocent” ways, she tried to test me and my knowledge of Scripture, and to challenge MY walk with the Lord. All this because I rebuked her, instead of agreeing with her and supporting her abuse. I didn’t take her side, so that gave her license to start abusing ME, too. I can only imagine what she must have put her ex-friend through. As far as I’m concerned, if she didn’t want my honest opinion, then she should not have started the discussion with me in the first place.
Like many abusers, this woman didn’t even mind it if the things she said made her sound like she had mental problems and I wound up thinking she was just nuts, as long as she could still delude herself into believing that she “won” the argument. These strategies are referred to as “crazy-making” because they are used to make you think YOU’RE the crazy one. But they usually have exactly the opposite effect as you start to think the abuser would have to be mentally ill to come up with the wacky, outlandish, completely ridiculous things she says, and to say them with all seriousness. It is at this point that many victims and bystanders decide that they’re not running a mental institution for abusers, and it’s time cut bait and to run for the hills.
Although she was attempting to get me to “see things her way”, absolve herself of any wrongdoing, and have me validate and agree with her, what this abuser actually did was to make herself look far worse. Once the phony mask of righteousness dropped off, no preconceived notion that I may have held about her was anything close to as bad as she really was. While trying to justify her point of view, she gave away many clues as to her true nature, inadvertently revealing an unloving heart controlled by envy, pride, resentment, bitterness, competitiveness, jealousy, and hostility- and all masquerading in the disguise of a “ good Christian woman”.
During our exchanges, it was ironic that this woman habitually and repeatedly stated, “I will own what is mine, but…..”, the implication being that the problem was also someone else’s fault besides hers. However, she NEVER ACTUALLY DID “own what was hers”. Repentance is not a negotiation, and neither are apologies. Incredibly, from our discussions, I was actually able to compile a list of 36 excuses given by this abuser to justify her repeated, continuing and persistently inexcusable behavior toward her friend, one more lame than the next. She may have had her faults, but a lack of creativity wasn’t one of them!
In this article, we will discuss four of these excuses in particular, since they serve as excellent illustrations of a Christian offender who tries to use her knowledge of God’s Word to get away with ungodly behavior. In this woman’s case, her two main tactics consisted of either misquoting or misinterpreting Scripture to her own advantage, or trying to make herself appear too “Godly” and too “righteous” to have really done what she did with any ill will or malicious intent. Her defense basically amounted to all of the selfish, uncaring, unloving things that she had done being merely “misunderstood”, because she was MUCH too good a Christian to have ever really done those things deliberately.
(To be continued in Part 2 in our next newsletter….)
He who plots evil will be known as a schemer. The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker!…Proverbs 24:8-9 (NIV)
Now that same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they were approaching the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Then they got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you”…Luke 24: 13-36 (NIV).
Wonderful words courtesy of Bill and Gloria Gaither~
Because He lives, we can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone! He holds the future, and life is worth living because He lives! Praise you Jesus!