Greetings from India! I am writing this brief message as I travel through India and Sri Lanka visiting some of our members and Good News subscribers. I arrived in Mumbai last night (March 21st) and will return home on April 13th. I am looking forward to meeting some of our subscribers and even counseling a few for baptism.

Last year I had the pleasure of observing the Passover in northern Mindanao and this year I will be observing the Passover with the brethren in New York. Each year at Passover we are reminded that the body of Christ, the church, is composed of many members scattered around the world. The apostle Paul wrote, “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17 NKJV). It is a real honor and privilege to have the opportunity to travel and meet some of the members of that body living in Asia.

At Passover we are also reminded of the incredible love of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The apostle John wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17 NKJV). Through the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed from death—the penalty of sin. What a wonderful blessing God has given unto us! We have earned the wages of sin which is death, but through His grace we have been redeemed from that death penalty through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. How should we respond to this awesome gift? We realize that we cannot earn our salvation but how should we respond to it? The apostle John gives us the answer, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:9-11 NKJV). We respond to God’s love by extending that love to others.

During the final discourse with His disciples Jesus commands them, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12-13 NKJV). Jesus tells us that we should respond to His love by extending that love to others—willingly “laying down our life for others.” Our life consists of our time, our thoughts and our energy. We can lay down our life for others by serving them when we are given the opportunity to do so. We can extend a helping hand, we can visit and pray for someone as they are experiencing a trial, and we can call them or send an encouraging card or letter. The possibilities of extending love to others are endless. As we extend that love to fellow members of God’s church, the body of Christ, we will grow in unity. Though we are many members scattered around the world, we will truly become one in the body of Christ.

I hope you have a very meaningful and inspiring Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. My thoughts and prayers are with you!