Happy Easter!

What are you celebrating today? The quick answer is: “Easter.” But really, what is your day filled with? What message are the children receiving about Easter? Does the Easter Bunny play a larger role in today's celebrations than Jesus? Are there more Easter egg hunts and chocolate bunnies than time spent remembering what Easter is really about?

Our culture has made Easter a celebration of spring. There is nothing wrong with celebrating spring. I live in Canada where winter can seem far too long at times. Yesterday most of the snow melted. That is worth celebrating! The problem occurs when the celebration of spring becomes more important, or more the focus, than the celebration of the risen Christ.

As the Apostle Paul reminds us, the cornerstone of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Christ.

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. or if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 (Co 15:12-22)

Without the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, there is no hope of heaven, there is no forgiveness of sins, there is no intimate relationship with God. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, then His word cannot be trusted, because He claimed He would rise. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, then He is no different than any other world leader who died for his/her people.

There are those who claim the name “Christian” that do not believe in the resurrection. Paul tells them in the above passage that “your faith is futile; you are still dead in your sins.” In humanistic terms, the resurrection doesn't make sense, and those who deny the resurrection while still calling themselves Christians are really humanists.

I come from a scientific background. Logic and facts are very important to me. I must confess, I would be somewhat like Thomas who wanted to see the nail scars in Jesus' hands and the hole in His side. Of course, I don't have that opportunity, but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence, and logic, that supports the resurrection.

I don't have time here to go into the evidence, but I will briefly mention a bit of the logic. Of the 12 Apostles, eleven were martyred for their belief in the resurrection of Jesus. John was imprisoned for that same belief. All of them could have been spared if they would simply deny that profession. They each claimed to see the risen Christ on more than one occasion. They died for that claim. All of us have lied at one time or another. It is usually to make us look better, to get something we shouldn't, or to avoid getting into trouble. If these men were lying, they were not personally benefiting from the lie – rather they died for their lie. That doesn't make any sense to me. These men firmly believed that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead, and they died horrible deaths because of that belief.

That probably isn't quite enough evidence for some of us, but in my own life, I have experienced a personal relationship with the risen Christ. Too many things in my life have been beyond coincidence. I have known “peace that passes understanding” through terrible trials. Once I heard His voice as plain as day. I have prayed for wisdom and received it. I have prayed for relief from depression and have received it. It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't know Jesus intimately what that is like. It has nothing to do with ceremonies, church attendance, or rituals. It is a relationship with someone who is very definitely alive and involved in my life.

I pray that today you may experience the risen Christ in your life.

Rom 15:13

I have shared about a rough few weeks.  This is a verse that helps me get through the hard times.  God is a God of HOPE.  When we trust Him to get us through the tough things in our lives, He fills us with a joy and a peace that is unexplainable to those who don't have a deep relationship with this loving and faithful God.

The Sufferings of Jesus

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Be careful what you pray for – you might get what you asked for.”

Over the past few weeks, that has been my experience.

A few weeks ago I was convicted by our pastor's sermon. In our journey through The Story, a novelized and chronological version of The Bible, we had reached the book of Daniel. In light of the boldness of the men who's lives are recorded in that book, our pastor challenged us, “Are you a Christian of convenience, or a Christian of conviction?” I was particularly challenged about how shallow my times with God had become because of my busy schedule.

So, I prayed two days later to experience more of Him, to know Him better, and to experience His resurrection power. The Apostle Paul prayed a similar prayer in Php 3:10. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death...”

God answered Paul's prayer for me, because my prayer could not be answered without the part I left out. In order to know the power of His resurrection, I had to participate in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.

Well, that evening Jesus started to answer my prayer. I can't go into the details, but I made a very innocent mistake (perhaps it could have been avoided if I had sought counsel) that was totally misunderstood. I was so misunderstood that I was informed that my membership in a particular organization was in jeopardy. I was stunned, shocked, devastated, hurt beyond description.

As the tears flowed, I prayed “God, it hurts so much!” Then it struck me – Jesus was misunderstood more than any person who has ever lived! He came to show God's love, to bring salvation and hope. He was God incarnate, and was condemned to die on a cross as a criminal. Jesus was misunderstood!

My emotional pain was minuscule compared to what Jesus faced. I would have done anything to avoid that pain, yet Jesus came to earth knowing He would face the pain of being misunderstood!

With that glimmer of understanding the sufferings of Christ, I was also able to pray resurrection power over my depression, over Satan’s desire to cause division, and Satan’s desire to ruin the great blessings God has been bringing in my life. I haven’t been so deep with Jesus in a long time. I’m not sure that I have ever prayed with such power against Satan.

I wish the story ended there. Not many days later, the resurrection power was gone and the depression was exerting itself. Praise God for the support, encouragement and prayers of my small group. I got through that challenge and things were sorted out.

However, I still didn't feel as close to Jesus as I wanted to be. I had let the depression get in the way. I again prayed to be closer to Him and to know Him at a deeper level. (I should have learned the first time that that was a dangerous prayer!)

I had always thought of the suffering mentioned in Php 3:10 in terms of His physical sufferings and in terms of persecution – boy did I miss something major! God gave me the opportunity to experience another aspect of Jesus' sufferings. This time I learned what betrayal feels like.

I have had a homemaker coming to my home for 8 years to help with housework. I was given this blessing shortly after my husband left and my life fell apart completely. I was in tremendous need of all kinds of help, and God provided in many ways. I have had the same women coming to help for eight yeas. We have developed a friendship that goes beyond her work hours at my home. I am now certain that over the past 2 years she has stolen at least $250 from me. Losing the money is painful enough when you have so little income. However the greater pain was the pain of being betrayed by a friend.

I have known my entire Christian life that Jesus was betrayed by a friend. This is the first time I have had any understanding of what that FEELS like. The emotional anguish was so deep I felt like throwing up for the next few days. Again, what I faced was nothing compared to the emotional pain Jesus went through as not only one friend betrayed Him (for a mere 30 pieces of silver), but all of the disciples fled when He was arrested. Peter denied that he ever even knew Jesus!

My prayer life has deepened incredibly. I am getting deeper into God's Word again. I have an appreciation for what Jesus did for me that I pray I will never lose. Jesus came to die for us, knowing full well what He would face. He knew He would face misunderstanding, betrayal and abandonment. He knew He would face the worst torture mankind has ever come up with. He knew He would carry the weight of all our sin. He KNEW what He would face, and He still came to die for you and me, and those around us!

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!!!

What gets God upset?

What gets you upset?

You drive an old rust-bucket and your neighbour gets a brand new car every couple of years.

You can't afford all the latest high-tech gadgets

You have to wait two months to see a doctor.

Your child has a disability and has been “labeled.”

These things probably upset God, but not because we are so hard done by, but because our hearts are not breaking for what breaks His.

I have been spending a lot of time with my grandmother lately, and she frequently listens to a radio program that has news news stories and interviews. I have heard a lot of things that I know breaks God's heart.

In many places in Africa there is a belief that if you have sex with a young girl you will be cured of AIDS – the younger the girl, the stronger the cure. The consequence of that belief is obvious and heart- wrenching. You may be upset that your little girl came home from school where someone called her a mean name. How would you feel if she came home and told you she had been raped on the way home from school because some man who had AIDS thought it would cure him?

I heard an interview from a young man who was born in a North Korean prison camp and manged to escape. 200,000 people still live in that one camp. The prisoners were considered to be not-human, and were treated as such. They were fed food not suitable for human consumption, and not enough. They would eat mice or insects or anything else that they could scavenge because they were always hungry. The interviewer recalled hearing a conversation between this young man and another person about women. His response really bothered me. He said he sees all the tampons in the stores and he wishes he could buy them and send them to the women in the camp. They have nothing and the blood would just be soaked up by their clothing. I have always hated the smell and mess of menstruation. I can not imagine having no way to get rid of the mess. The condition of these prisoners breaks God's heart!

There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in history. Most of those slaves are in the sex trade. The internet and the proliferation of pornography feeds the lust that provides clients for these women, young girls, and boys. These people have absolutely no hope. These children had dreams for what they would do or be when they grew up. I am certain that they never dreamed of being prostitutes! God hates prostitution, He does not hate the prostitutes.

Many of us may be familiar with the encouraging words of Isaiah 1:18.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”

says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

Let us read it in context. God considers our religious activities meaningless – He even hates them –
when our lives are full of sin and lack of compassion.

Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.”
Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?

Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
Wash yourselves and be clean!
Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways.
Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.

“Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.

(Isaiah 1:10-18 NLT)

Many people are currently fasting for Lent, as we approach the celebration of Easter. Is the fast just a religious observance because that is what you are supposed to do? If so, Isaiah, speaking the words of God Almighty, says the days of fasting are sinful and false. God will not listen to our prayers if our lives are full of sin and self. It is also not enough to get rid of sin, but we must replace the sin with doing good. God's beautiful promise to cleanse us from our sins must be taken in context. We must first give up our evil ways AND replace the evil with DOING GOOD.

Oh Lord Almighty, It is so easy to become religious! Please help me and those who read this blog to have eyes to see the plank of sin in our own lives! You hate religious self-righteousness more than the sins we love to condemn. You hate it when my eyes are focused on myself and not on the needs of others. Father, please fill my heart with compassion. I know there is a song that has the words “break my heart for what breaks yours.” That is my prayer today for myself and for those reading this blog. I have problems and pains in my life, but they are nothing compared to what the oppressed of this world face. Most of these oppressed peoples do not know you. Many of them have no hope of ever knowing you without a miracle. I have Your love and guidance to help me through hard times. These people have no one. Father, show us how to pray and what to DO for these lost and hurting souls. May our religion be true and pleasing to you. In the precious name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen

Strength comes from Hoping in the Lord

Almost a month has gone by since my last post! I am not doing well balancing the responsibilities in my life.  My brother and I just started a business, which God is blessing abundantly.  I have been spending 10 hours a week sitting with my grandmother, as I watch her health deteriorate.  I still have the responsibilities of home, parenting, and co-leading two Bible study groups. And, I still face chronic fatigue. Although God keeps prompting me to continue this blog, I have given in to tiredness or distraction.  Please forgive me.

Isaiah 40:25-31
 “To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

 Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”? 

 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Lord Almighty, forgive me for forgetting Whom it is who calls me to do certain tasks! You are the Everlasting God! You are the King of Heaven! You are my Saviour! You are the God of miracles! You never call anyone to do something without providing them what they need to accomplish it!  I have been tired and weary, but if I put my hope in YOU, my strength will be renewed! Father, I pray for those who feel weary today.  This fallen and broken world brings many things our way that weary us! Remind those who are weary and worn out that You love them; that You are fighting for them; that You will renew them and refresh them, that You will make theirs sins as white as snow if they belong to You! Help us to live in Your strength. It is when when obey You beyond our own abilities and strength that You can work miracles!  Gives us hearts to obey no matter how hard that task may seem. Let us give You all the glory and praise and honour! Amen

Modern-day Pharisees

I am sitting in my grandmother’s room at the retirement home where she has been living for several years now.  Next month she will turn 95.  She has had good health all her life. She came to the retirement home when she lost most of her sight to glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Now, her physical health is declining and her once sharp mind is slipping away rapidly.  I am here because she needs someone with her around the clock.  She has become unsteady on her feet – even with a walker.  She fell a couple of weeks ago and injured her chin.  She was very fortunate that was the extent of her injuries.

I have tried to talk to her about spiritual things, but she is not interested. Her brother-in-law was extremely zealous in his faith.  His zeal destroyed any interest my grandmother may ever have had in God.  This man was a preacher in his denomination.  He was very zealous for the rules of his faith:

In order to protect people from gambling, it was determined that playing cards was evil-- even card games that did not involve money.

In order to protect people from the lewdness of some dancing, all dancing was forbidden – even square dancing or other dancing that has nothing remotely sexual.

In order to make sure that women did not dress like men, they were forbidden to wear slacks – even very feminine ones.

In order to prevent anyone from becoming drunk, it was considered sin to go near alcohol – even though Jesus Christ Himself turned water into wine.

My grandmother and her side of the family were condemned to hell for practising things in the list above.  Not one of the things on that list is specifically forbidden in Scripture.  As I mentioned, Jesus turned water into wine.  And know what? He didn’t just make a little. It was nearing the end of the celebrations and there were probably some who had already had too much to drink.  Yet Jesus had three large cisterns filled with water, and he converted all of that water to the best wine the Master of Ceremonies had ever tasted.  He didn’t give a lecture on wise drinking either!

This great uncle of mine was a modern day Pharisee.  He was more concerned about his rules than the message of grace and mercy that Jesus came to bring.  His condemnation and judgement has left my family very bitter to the name of Christ.

Some people err on the side of abusing grace.  They live like pagans (or worse) and thus defame God’s name.  This is a terrible sin.  This is why the Israelites were taken into captivity.  Their morals and idolatry had become worse than the pagans around them.  I have address this in some previous posts.

However, some of us become super religious.  The outside of our “cup” is clean and polished and we make sure we let everyone know how righteous we are – how good we are at “keeping the rules.” Those who don’t keep those rules (or worse don’t care about those rules) are obvious sinners that need to know about the judgement of hell.

However, Jesus hung out with the common “sinners” of His day.  One of the cut-downs the religious leaders had for Jesus was “friend of sinners.”  I am sure He would not have been welcomed for very long by those “sinners” if he constantly told them they were going to Hell.  He did teach on Hell, frequently.  However, Jesus’ harshest condemnation was directed at the religious leaders who were busy condemning everyone else. The everyday sinner felt loved and accepted.  Because of that love and acceptance of where they were at, they were motivated to change.

I so want my grandmother to listen to the true Gospel of salvation.  I know Hell is real.  Every single one of us is destined for Hell without Jesus.  It doesn’t matter how many rules I keep, I still fall far short of the glory and holiness of God Almighty. My good works and my rule keeping will not save me from the fires of Hell.  Only the mercy of God, through the sacrifice of His son on the cross, will permit anyone into Heaven. 

It isn’t because my grandmother loved to play bridge and enjoyed a glass of wine from time to time that she is destined for Hell.  It is because, like me and like you, she has not lived a perfect life. Her brother-in-law taught about her about hell and judgement, but with the traditions of men thrown in.  She knew there was something wrong with the message, so she threw out everything in the message along with Christ Himself.  She was judged and condemned by someone who thought getting to heaven was about following rules, and was prideful in his ability to keep those rules.

I pray that God will soften my grandmother’s heart. I pray that she will not go to hell because someone claiming the name of Christ preached a false gospel to her. I pray that I will preach the true Biblical gospel of Christ my in words and in my life. I pray that I can teach accurately about heaven and hell without throwing in traditions of men.  Jesus said that traditions that we put before God’s Word are worthless worship.  I do not want my worship to be worthless.  I do not want to push people away from Jesus because I am judgemental.  I am just as much of a sinner as anyone I speak with.  It is not my religiosity, my works, or my list keeping that keeps me from the fires of Hell.  It is the grace of God which is offered freely to every sinner who is willing to repent and turn to Him for salvation.

Fasting Releases Special Power

There is a story in the book of Judges that I find intriguing. One village in Benjamin had committed grievous sin. The rest of the Benjamites refused to hand over those who were guilty. The rest of Israel gathered together to wipe out this grievous sin from Israel. I'll let the Scriptures tell the rest of the story.

      (Judges 20:18 -35) Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!”
      So the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Gibeah. Then the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.
      And the people, that is, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and again formed the battle line at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day. Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, “Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”
      So the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day.
And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Israel; all these drew the sword.
      Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
      Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah. And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times. So the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
     And the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, as at first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
So all the men of Israel rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Baal Tamar. Then Israel’s men in ambush burst forth from their position in the plain of Geba. And ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them. The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword.

Why do I find this story intriguing? Because the Israelites inquired of God for direction in a battle. In today's terminology they prayed about it. God gave them direction, and they still lost the battle! They again asked God's direction and the same thing happened! They obeyed God's direction and they again lost. These losses translated to 40,000 Israelites being killed on the battlefield!

But they were following God's direction!

The next day the Isrealites fasted and offered sacrifices. This time when they asked for God's counsel, the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.” And that is what God did. The Israelites won the battle.

This passage reveals a truth that many people in the church today are completely unaware of. They sought God's direction, and followed it – yet victory eluded them until they fasted and sacrificed before the Lord. I believe this is the same type of situation that Jesus described when the disciples could not cast out a demon. “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Mt 17:21 NKJ)

There is a power released in the spiritual ream when we fast. This power goes beyond prayer and even beyond obedience. I don't claim to understand it. However, the Scriptures and Jesus' own words declare this truth.

Father, thank you so much for Your precious Word. Thank you for the privilege of being able to read it. Many people have not been blessed with even the most basic education Others who know how to read do not have a translation of Your Word in their native tongue Others cannot read Your Word because it is banned where they live. Father thank you for absolute truth. Post modernism proclaims that there is no absolute truth -- but there is no truth in that! Jesus tells us that Your Word is truth. We may not always understand it, but we do not have to understand it for it to be true. The Scriptures in this post describe a power available to us only when we fast. There are other Scriptures that describe a proper fast before You. Those must also be considered, but the truth remains that there are strongholds and demons that our prayers and obedience alone cannot defeat. Help me to be willing to fast as a way of presenting my body “as a living sacrifice,” that Your kingdom may advance. In the powerful and precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.