Posted by
Ikester on Saturday, March 22, 2008 9:22:20 PM
Christians are being robbed more and more of the holidays and symbols that are held dear to all of us. Christmas has pushed Jesus' birth off to the side for years with an omnipotent, omnipresent Santa Claus who can be in all places on just one night and knows the thoughts and deeds of every child in the world, well really only those where toys and goodies are sold. All the gift giving is obscuring the truth that God gave the ultimate gift on Jesus birthday, His Son. He was born to die for the sins of the whole world and did so on what is called Easter.
Easter as also been pushed aside for rabbits and eggs. Easter is not even the name of the holiday, (holy day) but Resurrection Sunday is. This holy day is all about the end of Jesus' walk to the cross. Most folks forget that it was not just a physical death that took place. Jesus actually took the punishment due to all mankind upon Himself by being judged by the Father for our sins. When He cried out, "It is finished," in John 19:30, the sins of the world had been paid for and left mankind only one sin that He did not die for, the sin of unbelief, as found in John 16:8-11. Note that "sin" here is singular and deals with the one sin that mankind has to deal with on his own. God made a way to be forgiven for our sin that separates us from God, His forgiveness and love. It is like having a water faucet that has ample water available to satisfy man's thirst and yet he must turn the knob and let the water flow. The world is full of spiritually thirsty people but they CHOOSE to ignore the fresh water that God offers and substitute man made, dry substitutes that can never satisfy that spiritual craving. Mankind is helplessly religious and will find something to worship. It may be a stone idol, money, sex, power, material stuff or self, as Opra Winfrey is offering to the world. She is teaching that you are already god so why seek another one. The Bible clearly tells us that man will seek as a blind man and hopefully he will put his hand on the one knob that will finally provide the water that satisfies man's cravings at the deepest level.
This Resurrection Sunday holds all the answers to your search for meaning and purpose in life. The book of John's Gospel will give you the answers that you have searched for all your life. The ultimate verse there is John 3:16. You remember it from childhood. "
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
But other verses must follow for those who thumb their noses in God's face and His offer of forgiveness. Can you imagine allowing your son to die for sinners and then they turn on their heel and refuse his ultimate gift? On top of this, using his name as a curse word. Would you get ticked off? This is why God has set a day that He will judge all who did just this to His Son.
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil." John 3:19
God gives man a word of warning about following liars, those who distort the Bible's clear teachings. Note the following.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
In other words, don't swallow everything you hear on TV, radio, in print or from people. Religious cults, false religions and atheistic attackers are everywhere today and it will only worsen as we come to the return of Jesus. Check everything you now believe or what you hear or read by the Bible. This book of sixty-six books has NEVER been proven wrong in any way. It is the only reliable source of truth known to man. That is not hype, this is a settled fact. Countless books have been written listing the HARD EVIDENCE for everything that it teaches. Beware of any religion that says that it has books that replace the Bible or ADD to it. God warns anyone who adds to His word of the horrific consequences of doing such. Go to the source and you will find it totally reliable as I have.
Ikester