Sid and Vilda Collison
1826 14TH Ave. S.W.
Vero Beach, FL 32962
(772) 569-5791   
 sidcollison@earthlink.net or vilda@mpinet.net 
                                                               
                                                                                                                                                               APRIL, 2004

Dear Family and Friends,

April is an interesting and wonderful month. Because all of us must pay taxes? Well, no, not really. It is an interesting month even in the way it begins---April Fools Day.  We Americans have a great sense of humor, and most of us display it on this day by playing tricks and practical jokes on our families and friends. However, what makes April so wonderful this year is the celebration of three of the most fantastic and miraculous events in all of human history. The events of which I speak are Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, His Crucifixion, and His Resurrection. These are the focus of our Little Words Bible study for this month and are recorded in Luke 19:28-40, Luke 23:33-56 and Luke 24:1-26.

L
ittle Words:  Events That are Life-Changing

	Jesus’ Triumphal Entry began with an almost unnoticed miracle. In Luke 19:30, Jesus instructed his disciples to “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.” Jesus exhibited here that He knew all things---where a certain man would be, what he would be doing, where a little donkey on which no one had ever sat would be tied. This little donkey was to be the one chosen by God to carry Jesus on this very important trip in history.  
	It is significant that no one had ever ridden this little donkey, and yet he did not buck or in any way object or try to throw off the Son of God who rode him that day, which should have been his natural reaction. It would seem likely that he somehow knew who sat upon him that day. Surely this was a miracle.
	It is interesting to note in verse 37 that all of the multitude reacted with great joy “… and as He was now drawing near the decent of the mount of olives the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the works they had seen.” Those who were His disciples believed that Jesus was making this triumphal entry as the long awaited Messiah and King coming to set up His kingdom---“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (v. 38). And they were right! 
	However, they did not yet understand that He must first die as the perfect Lamb of God for their sin. There were also those in the crowd who did not believe,as did the disciples, hat He was the Son of God---“Some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples’” (v. 39) His answer was swift and penetrating: “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (v. 40). The Triumphal Entry was foretold by the prophets and was the gateway to the cross and the shedding of the blood of Christ as the Lamb of God which took away the sin of the world.  Without the work of Jesus on the cross there is no way to obtain eternal life.   
The Crucifixion was unforeseen by His disciples and all of those who expected Jesus to come as the conquering Messiah; yet this event was planned by God from eternity as the only remedy for lost mankind. The Crucifixion was the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Only God’s Holy and Righteous Son could meet the requirements of a Holy and just God to pay the debt in full for a world of lost and sinful people. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all mankind and became our sacrifice.  As we stand before Almighty God, the Righteous Judge, Creator of heaven and earth, we have only to accept the payment already made for us by His Son Jesus Christ. The Crucifixion was the payment in full for your sin and mine. Jesus paid the penalty for all sins of all people, and all we must do is believe in Him as the Son of God who purchased our salvation by His blood and accept this salvation as a free gift from God the Father. (I recommend seeing the film “The Passion of Christ” in order to help understand the full magnitude of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.)
The last event we celebrated this April, popularly called Easter, more correctly known as “Resurrection Day”, is the most important event in all of history.  I say this because if there had been no resurrection, then the events of Christ’s life---His birth, life, the Triumphal Entry, and the Crucifixion---would have been an amazingly wonderful, but sad story of the wasted life and death of just another good man. But this is not the case. Jesus Christ conquered death, a miracle predicted in Psalm 16:9, 10 by David more than a thousand years before Christ’s birth.  It is the resurrection of Christ that sets Him apart from all other religious leaders of all time. He alone not only gave His life for us, but overcame death, left an empty tomb, and appeared to many witnesses after His resurrection satisfying even the most critical of the careful students of history. To me, however, it is the miracle attested to by countless numbers of those who have accepted Him as their Savior and have experienced the miracle of salvation. 
Jesus explained salvation to the learned Nicodemus as being “born again”  in John 3:3,6,7: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of the flesh is flesh,  and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.”  All believers of all time, including Yours Truly, can say with the Apostle Paul: “Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  old things have passed away;  behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17).  We can truly be thankful for the events of this April and say with the Angel at the entrance of His tomb, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:5, 6)!  Hallelujah!

FEEDBACK FROM THE FAMILY

Recently, a friend let us know how much the Forever Family Newsletter means to him and his mother. He said that she begins watching for it around the middle of each month. We are gratified that this means of communication seems to bless a good number of people. Please let us know if there is someone you feel would benefit from hearing from the Forever Family. I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God, aren’t you?

A special e-mail came from our granddaughter, Amy, who teaches at a Christian school in South Korea. We have enclosed a copy of it in the hopes it will bless you to hear what some of our young people are doing with their lives.

Please continue to pray for:
	*	A mother estranged from her children.  (Situation is improving.)
	*    A family separated by employment (a very difficult situation).
*	Vilda and I as we serve the Lord and continue to follow His leading. 
* 	Our daughter, Eve, as she approaches her due date and still has 			several serious problems.
*  Eden as she has torn a ligament in her right ankle and will be in a cast                                  	for 4 weeks. Doctor says surgery is inevitable.
*	Vilda’s sister, Cookie, who is in the hospital undergoing tests for chest pains          as I write.
*	Vilda’s mom who has an outbreak of blisters in her mouth and throat.
*  	The couple we have recently received letters from who is having serious 	marital problems.
*	The entire Forever Family to be constant witnesses to the matchless grace 	of God.

If you have a prayer request or testimony you would like to share with those in the Forever Family receiving this letter, please let us know, as you can be a real encouragement to many by your sharing or they can be a blessing to you by their praying.

PERSONAL   NEWS

On Friday, the 23rd, we will be attending a very special event. Life Exchange Ministries, under the very gifted leadership of Don Burzynski, will be having their first annual fundraising banquet. The guest speaker will be Steve Pettit from “One In Christ, Inc.” Vilda and I have wanted to make a trip to Gainesville one weekend to hear him as we have heard many great comments about him, but now he will be in Vero. We are praying that this will be a very successful event for LEM as the ministry and all the people there are very dear to us. Please keep LEM and its staff in your prayers. This is a much needed ministry, and Satan really fights to destroy it.
	Vilda and I have purchased our tickets for a trip to Denver for our granddaughter Jenny’s graduation (with honors) from Colorado University in Boulder on May 6th. We will visit our daughter, Cindy, and family in Denver for three days, spend three days with our daughter, Laura, and family in Gill, CO; and then fly to California to visit my dad and brother and his family for three days before flying back home.  We are really looking forward to this time with a part of our family that we do not get to see as often as we would like.
	We have not forgotten our desire and plan to contact each of you by phone just to chat with you and learn what God is doing in your life. We are nearing the end (we hope) of all the repairs and replacements needed because of our flooded house in November of last year. Once those are all done, then we can get the painting done, and hopefully, start the calling again. This huge project has really taken a toll on other projects we had planned. But, then, God knows all about this and has allowed these things in our lives. His promise to work all things together for our good is always there to “hang our faith on”, isn’t it? And we do that.
	My commitment to host at least two studies on eLumiNations at Lifetime Guarantee, Inc., is still valid. Their next classes begin May 10th. If any of you are interested in an online, interactive Bible study community, check it out at www.lifetime.org. I will also let you know when I will be leading a study as I would really enjoy having some of you join me in it and for all of you to be praying for the group and me.
	I guess I must bring this to an end at some point, and this is as good as any, I suppose. I cannot do so without letting you know that you are very special to Vilda and I and are in our prayers. Thank you for all your prayers, love and support and may our gracious Father bless each of you above anything you could think or ask.

With our love,