Easterhouse has nothing to do with Easter. Hopefully this will all soon change! Like Westerhouse Easterhouse was the name of a farm – some six miles east of Glasgow’s city centre. However, rather than have cattle, sheep and chickens spring to mind, the mere mention of the word “Easterhouse” has razor-slashing gangs from social-housing slums gate-crash one’s thoughts. Easterhouse has such a bad name. Rough. Tough. Enough!
Has God forsaken Easterhouse? One resident reportedly said, “God hasn’t been here once in the 60 years since we were built. We have suffered from deprivation, neglect, violence and lack of facilities since day one. Does Easterhouse really need God when He hasn’t ever been here? People from as far away as Canada, Australia and America have heard of Easterhouse, due to the problems we still have. Was God there when the latest person was stabbed? What would it take for Him to listen?” See:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-weapon-in-bid-to-beat-easterhouse-gangs-the-bible-1.1066458
Yes, what would it take for God to listen? What would it take for God to do what most of us would avoid like the plague, ie, pay Easterhouse a visit? Would prayer help? Would community repentance? Would belief in His Gospel? Anyway, the good news is that God is listening! He isn’t done with Easterhouse!
Bibleworld has been invited into the house of Easter by some of the local churches. Bibleworld is a mobile church mission invented by the Scottish Bible Society. The idea is to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bear on the Eaterhousians.
Nineveh repented in dust and ashes at Jonah’s preaching. May God move Easterhouse to do the likewise!
Countless millions of people living today can testify to having had their lives changed by God working with the Easter message. May Easterhouse move out of its slums and into God’s house of many mansions!
Christian bookstores are filled with books with stories about people Christ has set free from lives in bondage to drink, drugs, and wanton crime.
Read, for example, the story of a Christian theological professor who led his father’s murderer to Christ while the murderer was in prison for the crime! See: “Brothers Because of Bloodshed”
http://www.dr-fnlee.org/jailjoy.html
Speaking of the Bibleworld people, one seventeen year old resident of Easterhouse said, “I doubt they can handle the problems around here, which are much bigger than Jesus.”
An aspect of the Good News is that there is no problem bigger than Jesus! “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.
How does God save the world? By having His Son live the perfect and sinless life that none of us can live and by having Him nailed to a tree to pay the price our imperfect and sinful lives deserve from God. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is God’s testimony that Jesus has paid our debt to God in full. This is the message of Easter. This is the Good News!
May the whole Easterhouse community repent and believe in the Easter message and be saved!
Please join with me in praying that God will be pleased to spare Easterhouse.
