You Can Be Risen, Too
I wrote this week’s newsletter on Easter Sunday. It is likely that all of you reading this spent the morning at church hearing messages that proclaimed that Jesis is risen.
This was a momentous day in the history of mankind. Satan thought that he had won, that we would all be dead in our transgressions, never to be freed. However, Jesus not only paid our debt, but defeated the grave, rising on the third day.
It was not a surprise that He did this. Jesus had been saying that He would die and rise from the grave almost from the start of His ministry. They all knew what He had said, they simply found it implausible. After all, they had all seen Him brutally tortured and die on a cross. It was not surprising that they had doubts.
He Did Rise
However, His ability to rise from the dead did not have anything to do with their belief. God did not need them to believe that Jesus would defeat the grave. It was a promise He had made since the fall of Adam, promising that Satan would be under His heal (Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20).
What an amazing day that must have been. The followers of Jesus were crushed two days earlier when they saw Him die. They saw Him put in a grave and thought that all their aspirations and hopes were gone. Yet, a very brief time later, they were eating and talking with the resurrected Jesus. Everything they believed was renewed and they now had a deeper faith than ever before.
It was truly amazing. It was also exactly what Jesus said He would do.
Where Is My Promise?
The hopes of the disciples were raised that day. As Jesus rose from the dead, His resurrection raised His disciples’ faith and belief that He was everything He claimed to be. There was no ambiguity; He was and is God!
We can have that same kind of hope and confidence. We did not see Jesus after He rose from the dead, but there are many accounts of this truth. It happened just as God promised.
However, many are looking for a “resurrection” in other ways. They are floundering in the throes of depression, anxiety, pain, and addiction. It is overwhelming, even crippling, and the hope in eternal life with Jesus seems unattainable. After all, there must be some reason why they are not able to get out from under all this sorrow and pain.
It is at this point that many ask themselves, “Where is God? Where is my promise that God is there to help me? Why isn’t God resurrecting my soul?”
Ready to Rise!
Most of you have faith that God will raise you “in the last days,” so that you can join Him. That eternal life is guaranteed because God saved you. We take hold of the promise in John 3:16 that we will not perish but have eternal life. The challenge is not in believing in our eternal resting place, but it is in our faith in what God is doing right now.
We read verses and pray that they were true. Psalm 30:5 tells us that weeping may endure through the night, but joy comes in the morning. You may have risen many mornings and still not seen joy. So, you become discouraged. “Is God really listening to me?”
God knows you will struggle. How do you know that is treu? Did you know that there are over 400 passages in the Bible that are meant to encourage you during your hard times. Psalm 34:18 tells us that the Lord is near the brokenhearted. 1 Peter 5:10 tells us that He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. Romans 8:28 tells us that God is working things out for our good. God continuously assures us that He is there, because Jesus knows every bit of our sorrow and pain. He endured the same things as us, so He knows what it is like to feel depressed, saddened, anxious, burdened, sore, pain, agony, betrayal, fear, and everything else. We have a God who knows and understands everything we endure (Hebrews 4:14).
We also have a God who says “Rise!” Easter isn’t just a time of remembering that Jesus rose from the dead. It is a reminder that God is continuously raising you up. When you are surrounded by your enemies, God is there to protect you, to be a shield. When you are ready to quit, thinking you have nothing else to give, God is saying to you to “Come!”
Brothers and sisters, you have a hope in your eternal resting place. You also have a hope in the struggles you are facing right now. God is there with you and is ready to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. You can rise right now and know that God is here to pull you from the ground, dust you off and say, “I have your back, so rise!”
We Celebrate the Rise of Cody and Eric
A year ago, two men came to Hope CDA who had fallen and were afraid they would never get up again. They were fearful that they would never rise again.
Cody Eickhoff had lost his wife a year earlier and had made a terrible mistake that led to his son being taken away from him. Eric Wilson had let life overwhelm him, so much so that he was living on the street, only worried about where he would find his next drink.
They were down and did not see that there was a light for them. Then, God said “Rise!”
God brought both these men to Hope CDA. One came from Horizons in Waterloo and the other from the Mental Health Access Center. Both thought that they were beyond redemption and that God was not there for them. In fact, both (Cody in particular) believed that God had totally abandoned them. They were wondering, “Where is my promise?”
A year later, the two are set to graduate. Cody officially graduates on April 22 and Eric on May 7. However, the ceremony for both will be on April 28. These two men once thought that they had nothing. They were beaten and no one cared. They did not even care.
Look at them now. Cody just got full custody of his son and will be a new foreman at Hope CDA starting on April 22. He is connected into his church and has become a great leader and model for the guys in the program.
Eric is the very epitome of what Hope CDA is all about. He came from absolutely no faith to being a guy involved in two Bible studies each week. He is active in his church and is attending a Christian university (Liberty University) where he is also working on his Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. He has also been active in helping youth addicted to alcohol, and has a new job at State Farm.
Eric and Cody are such amazing examples of rising without assurance. Cody did not know if he would get his son back. With the DHS, you are never sure, but his son is living with him now. Eric has still not been able to see his daughter. He has turned his life around but is denied the one thing he wants the most. He has risen and continues to rise despite not knowing when her mother will let him see her. Eric is not drowning in anger, frustration, and sorrow. He is risen!
Come to the “Tomb!”
Mary, Mary, John, and Peter all came to the tomb to see that Jesus was not there. He had risen!
We ask you to come and join in the ceremony honoring the raising of Cody and Eric. Their graduation will be at Mission of Hope on Monday, April 28, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Please come and join in the celebration.
Hope and Prayer
On Friday, April 18, Hope CDA participants, graduates, and staff joined people from across the greater Cedar Rapids area at the Good Friday Prayer breakfast that was held at the DoubleTree. Chris Norton gave an amazing testimony of encouragement and faith. It was deeply moving. Hope CDA Executive Director Dr. Robert Pannier led the prayer for our local communities and families.
Hope Good News
Alexis Santiago Rios began the Life Transformation Program on Friday. Kaleb Duerre will start on Tuesday. Please pray for both of these men as they begin their journey to rise… Cody Eickhoff was hired as a new Team Lead at Hope CDA. This is the first step in being named a foreman. We are honored to have our brother serve with us… Troy Lloyd and Anthony McCombs will be going to a pilgrimage in Michigan next week. See the article on this below.
Growing Closer to God
On April 30, Troy Lloyd and Anthony McCombs will be going with Roger Grandia to a pilgrimage retreat in Michigan. It is an amazing opportunity for both to grow in their faith and to serve others. Troy attended this last year and was deeply blessed by the experience. Our hope is that Anthony will get the same kind of blessing this year. To help them grow, we are asking that you would write letters of encouragement to each of the men that will be shared with them during the retreat. Please have the letters to Dr. Pannier by Saturday, April 26 so Roger can take them with him when they leave next week Wednesday.
Volunteer Opportunity
We are looking for volunteers to help continue the work at new stability house located at 1700 4th Avenue, SE. This will be an ongoing opportunity each Wednesday from 1:00-5:30 for anyone who has the time to help. Please contact Ron Ziegler (319) 560-1196 for more details.
Prayers for the Week
We ask you to join in prayer for these things:
- We pray for Kaleb and Alexis as they begin their life transformation journey.
- We pray for the car detailing business that we would find the perfect location for this enterprise.
- We pray for those no longer at Hope. Let them find peace and confidence in God no matter where they are.
Tuesday Night Encouragement at Hope CDA
This Tuesday, Hope CDA is honored to welcome Dr. Jay Haugh from New Covenant Bible Church. Jay is an amazing speaker, and we know that he will have a spectacular message to deliver. Please join us at 6:00 p.m. for his talk.
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