Resurrection (please take the time to read this)
Which would you think is harder to do: create the Universe from scratch, or to resurrect yourself from the dead?
There is a bit of woods that surround our yard that had not been managed in many years before Joyce and I were married… one side of the property would have been best described as a thicket, next to impossible to walk through. There were what seemed to be hundreds of spindly young pines and sweet gum stretching upwards, competing for the sun. Armed with shovels, rakes, an axe, and chainsaw, I thinned out that undergrowth to leave a healthy forest behind… and was surprised by a few things I found in the process.
A couple of those things were wild dogwoods, though they were in such poor condition that it was difficult to tell for sure they were dogwoods… I left them standing in the hope that they were. This year, I was rewarded, having spared them from the axe… from the healing touch of the Sun, they have been resurrected, and are in glorious bloom this Easter morning, as evidenced here.
Despite such glory, however, the beauty of these dogwoods cannot draw anywhere close to the beauty that is Easter. You may not understand this from your perspective, but as a Christian who is constantly delving into the depths of exactly what that means, especially while firmly ensconced within a post-Christian society, Easter isn’t so much a particular day as it is a reason for life itself… and thus a lifestyle. Jesus stated, “I am the resurrection and life” (John 11:25)… my experience in the Christian life leaves no doubt in that.
In many ways, this world is quite unrecognizable anymore to me, with many determining their own aspect of righteousness, goodness, and morality. Yet, if everyone were left to their own devises with that concern, the remnant of humanity would be left to tribalism, sectarianism, and feudalism. Too late, it’s already that way throughout much of world, with many others thinking that doing “good”, being benevolent, and “coexisting in peace” (whatever that means) is the way life should be. While any of that may be wonderful in some way, there is always a sense of something missing… and that is found only by turning to the source of all beauty, all goodness, all mercy, all justice, all morality, and all wonder… God Himself. If you don’t think so, try defining any of those things outside of a transcendent source… you will find it’s nearly impossible. It is only when we come to terms with forgiveness that we seek His redemption… and in that, joy, as we come face-to-face with our righteousness… which leads to worship, the ultimate safe harbor to place our love. In the midst of that, as the Book of James states, we cannot say we Love God, and not love others… that leaves me no choice but to come to others in the manner of forgiveness, as well as being forgiven… if only all the world would do that.
Is what you “worship” making a difference in your life? The fingerprints of God are seemingly more evident each passing day in the sciences, as it appears some intelligence has tweaked aspects of biology and physics, the very road that Nature leads us to. One of the most astounding verses throughout all of scripture to me is John 20:16, where Jesus called Mary by her name. She had come to anoint his body, but found His tomb empty… That's what makes this verse so powerful; Jesus is the Word that was there from the beginning (John 1:1). His earthly life had been one of power restrained, but now the gloves were off… He had just proved Himself through the resurrection. He was victorious over death and sin… in that moment, there was nothing in Nature over which He didn't prevail. The very Universe would snap at His command, yet He cared enough for Mary, not even a mere speck in that Universe, to reach out to her with heartfelt compassion. She had gone in search of Him, but He found her. In this, Jesus set a precedent that differentiates Christianity from all other religions… because He cares for us all no less than He did Mary. That’s why He went to the cross! God wants us to know Him. God not only allows, but also encourages such a relationship. That’s because Christianity in its truest sense isn’t a religion; it’s a relationship, plain and simple… and it's a relationship that's available to us all. Perhaps it’s time to re-think Easter. For all your “goodness”, your “doing” is of little consequences because what was necessary has already been done. It was finished at the Cross, and it is there that you should leave your burdens.
Here's a wonderful resource to look further into Easter from Greg Laurie... with a humor much like mine and an ability to talk to anyone, you will no doubt find joy in this message... try it and see: www.harvest.org/radio/listen/2016-03-25.html
Resurrection (please take the time to read this)
Which would you think is harder to do: create the Universe from scratch, or to resurrect yourself from the dead?
There is a bit of woods that surround our yard that had not been managed in many years before Joyce and I were married… one side of the property would have been best described as a thicket, next to impossible to walk through. There were what seemed to be hundreds of spindly young pines and sweet gum stretching upwards, competing for the sun. Armed with shovels, rakes, an axe, and chainsaw, I thinned out that undergrowth to leave a healthy forest behind… and was surprised by a few things I found in the process.
A couple of those things were wild dogwoods, though they were in such poor condition that it was difficult to tell for sure they were dogwoods… I left them standing in the hope that they were. This year, I was rewarded, having spared them from the axe… from the healing touch of the Sun, they have been resurrected, and are in glorious bloom this Easter morning, as evidenced here.
Despite such glory, however, the beauty of these dogwoods cannot draw anywhere close to the beauty that is Easter. You may not understand this from your perspective, but as a Christian who is constantly delving into the depths of exactly what that means, especially while firmly ensconced within a post-Christian society, Easter isn’t so much a particular day as it is a reason for life itself… and thus a lifestyle. Jesus stated, “I am the resurrection and life” (John 11:25)… my experience in the Christian life leaves no doubt in that.
In many ways, this world is quite unrecognizable anymore to me, with many determining their own aspect of righteousness, goodness, and morality. Yet, if everyone were left to their own devises with that concern, the remnant of humanity would be left to tribalism, sectarianism, and feudalism. Too late, it’s already that way throughout much of world, with many others thinking that doing “good”, being benevolent, and “coexisting in peace” (whatever that means) is the way life should be. While any of that may be wonderful in some way, there is always a sense of something missing… and that is found only by turning to the source of all beauty, all goodness, all mercy, all justice, all morality, and all wonder… God Himself. If you don’t think so, try defining any of those things outside of a transcendent source… you will find it’s nearly impossible. It is only when we come to terms with forgiveness that we seek His redemption… and in that, joy, as we come face-to-face with our righteousness… which leads to worship, the ultimate safe harbor to place our love. In the midst of that, as the Book of James states, we cannot say we Love God, and not love others… that leaves me no choice but to come to others in the manner of forgiveness, as well as being forgiven… if only all the world would do that.
Is what you “worship” making a difference in your life? The fingerprints of God are seemingly more evident each passing day in the sciences, as it appears some intelligence has tweaked aspects of biology and physics, the very road that Nature leads us to. One of the most astounding verses throughout all of scripture to me is John 20:16, where Jesus called Mary by her name. She had come to anoint his body, but found His tomb empty… That's what makes this verse so powerful; Jesus is the Word that was there from the beginning (John 1:1). His earthly life had been one of power restrained, but now the gloves were off… He had just proved Himself through the resurrection. He was victorious over death and sin… in that moment, there was nothing in Nature over which He didn't prevail. The very Universe would snap at His command, yet He cared enough for Mary, not even a mere speck in that Universe, to reach out to her with heartfelt compassion. She had gone in search of Him, but He found her. In this, Jesus set a precedent that differentiates Christianity from all other religions… because He cares for us all no less than He did Mary. That’s why He went to the cross! God wants us to know Him. God not only allows, but also encourages such a relationship. That’s because Christianity in its truest sense isn’t a religion; it’s a relationship, plain and simple… and it's a relationship that's available to us all. Perhaps it’s time to re-think Easter. For all your “goodness”, your “doing” is of little consequences because what was necessary has already been done. It was finished at the Cross, and it is there that you should leave your burdens.
Here's a wonderful resource to look further into Easter from Greg Laurie... with a humor much like mine and an ability to talk to anyone, you will no doubt find joy in this message... try it and see: www.harvest.org/radio/listen/2016-03-25.html