NCF Update 04/19/25

Good morning church family,

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I will never forget that day, nor the sadness and confusion which followed for all Oklahomans. The 168 people who were killed by the blast as well as the 684 injured (many permanently maimed) were wonderfully made in God’s image and therefore each life has infinite value. The evil that Timothy McVeigh and his cohorts committed that day was not merely a crime against humanity, but an affront against God. It was a demonic attack against God’s image. Sadly, evil continues to rage in this world of darkness but we know by faith that in Christ light has come into the world and his light will one day burn out all darkness for good. We look forward to that day when we will stand in his presence and all will be right! May we remember those who are still dealing with pain and difficulty from the effects of April 19th, 1995. Many still mourn. Some still live with the effects of their injuries. Hearts still ache. May the Lord grant them grace, peace, and mercy in himself.

Tomorrow is The Lord’s Day! Every Sunday is a special day for us as followers of Christ. Every Sunday we gather to commemorate his resurrection. Yet tomorrow is a special Lord’s Day celebration as it is Easter! May we come together with excitement and anticipation as we remember Christ’s work on our behalf, and especially his resurrection which means eternal and renewed life for all who trust in his name!

We will gather in the morning at 9:30am for prayer and at 10:45am for worship service. Our focus passage for tomorrow is Revelation 19:6-10 as we explore the topic, “Christ’s Triumph, Our Joy.” This passage tells us that the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The truth is and always has been, that everything God has ever said in Scripture hinges on Christ; his life, death, burial, and resurrection. The fact that he is risen is everything to us!

I am so looking forward to being with you tomorrow. I encourage you to invite your friends, family members, and neighbors who don’t have a church to come and be with us tomorrow. I have no doubt that the Lord will be ready to meet them and minister to them through the hands and feet of our church, his body on earth.

May the grace and peace of Christ rest on you today. The first Saturday after Christ was crucified was a day of tears and anxiety for his disciples. Sometimes our days may feel like that too. We certainly felt that way on April 19th of 1995, but we know that on the other side of death there is resurrection for all who are in Christ. Sunday is coming!

In His steps,

Pastor Nick

John 19:38-42 CSB — “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus — but secretly because of his fear of the Jews — asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and took his body away. Nicodemus (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.”