The Meaning of Easter

Easter is celebrated the world over to commemorate the resurrection of our Lord. Some religious groups prefer not to call it Easter for reasons that I completely understand.

You see, the most widely accepted origin of Easter is taken from a 6^th and 7^th century scholar known as the father of English History. Whether the origin that he suggested was made up or true is not certain.

In one of his books he says that Easter was actually a month named after a goddess, a month which is our April equivalent. The feasts celebrated in the goddess’s honor in that month were forgotten with the passage of time and replaced with the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection as we know it today and this two or so centuries after Christ’s ascension.

This explains the apprehension that some have today with calling it 'Easter'.

Galatians 3 offers at least three things that Easter means to a Christian. It shows us that Jesus’ died to redeem us from a curse. That he did this to fulfill a promise He made to Father Abraham. And that He did all this out of no duty but rather by His grace.

Easter means that we are children of Abraham. God promised Abraham several things. The promise to Abraham that he would have as many children or offspring as the stars in the sky is particularly significant. That promise was God's way of opening the door for non-Jews like me and you. Paul tells us in Galatians that that promise facilitated Abraham’s spiritual children, children who did not fall in his genealogical line but children that live like Abraham-those who live by faith. Hence the song:

Father Abraham had many sons,
Many sons had father Abraham
I am one of them, and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord!

Let me put it this way, when Abraham looks down on this earth and sees Jews who are his natural descendants and sees you who is not, he feels a much stronger attachment and connection, a stronger affinity and bond to you. And even though, you do not share blood, you do not fall in his ancestry, even though you look nothing like him, he recognizes you as his very own because you live like him, you live by faith!

And that was Jesus' point in John 8 when He told the Jews that if they held on to His teaching they would know the truth and be set free. "Free?" They asked, "We have never been slaves. We are children of Abraham." They treasured their ancestry you see. Verse 39 says,

"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did." ~John 8:39.

You can almost picture Abraham watching down from heaven, jaw dropped, seeing the descendants of his beloved son Isaac reject the Son of God and turn his face away in disgust. Then he sees you and I accept Jesus, coming to Him empty handed, just as we are. We can almost hear Him echo Jesus' words, "My real children are those who live as I lived."


Those who have faith like Abraham are his real children and they are blessed along with Abraham. The opposite of a blessing is a curse. Easter means we are blessed. We are given salvation freely and escape the curse that anyone else that refuses this free gift are under, that of earning salvation by living a perfect life. It is a curse because no one can live a perfect life. Paul calls this redemption from the curse of the law saying that Jesus redeemed us from this curse by being cursed Himself.

Finally Easter means God’s grace. This comes out clearly in verse 18 of Galatians 3. God did not have to promise Abraham anything. He did it by his grace. He extended the blessing of redemption to you and I who are unnatural children of Abraham not because He had to but because of His grace. He chose that the way through which this promise would be extended to us be by Christ redeeming us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us not because He had to but because of His grace.

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Courtship No. 1 -Finding A Mate

The 5 P's of Finding a Mate.

1. Parental Guidance: Parents are a blessing from God although half the time, one is inclined to think they are quite the opposite. A parent is the best person to ask whether or not you are ready to get into a relationship. Parents are the best source of advice for determining whether or not the person you are eyeing is worthwhile. However, no 'P' is as neglected in the process of finding a mate more than parents. This is unfortunate. Parents are a resource whose wisdom and wealth of knowledge can be unnecessarily costly if not utilized. Granted, not everyone has biological parents who can give them good spiritual guidance in this process but spiritual parents are always available. One simply needs to look for a couple, or older man or woman, in the local church, who they trust and respect and build a relationship with them and ask them for counsel when the time to choose a mate comes along.

~Proverbs 13:10, By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.


2. Prayer: One of my recently favourite songs goes:

Here I am, calling out Father
Can you hear me? I want to hear you
I don't want go without you
Here I am can you speak a little louder
So I can hear you, I want to hear you
I don't want to move without you

This must be the attitude of one finding a mate. "I will not make a move until I hear you, so speak to me." One of the major differences between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the Christian puts the Lord's will above his/her own. Life is no longer about me and what I want but the Lord and what He wants. Prayer must not only be for guidance in choosing a mate but may also be for grace to handle the pressure and anxiety that may be building. For grace to keep feelings for someone at bay until God's leading is clear. For grace to handle the lingering emotions and fears from a previous unsuccessful courtship. And for grace to wait upon the Lord.

~Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

3. Patience: I haven't lived on earth very long, but I have lived long enough to have seen the damaging effects a lack of patience in this area can bring. Impatience causes us to move before the time is right, to ignore or neglect to seek counsel and settle for someone God has not intended to be our life long mate resulting in painful breakups and the like. Many ladies make the mistake of accepting a proposal because it's from the last available decent fellow. Many men rush for ladies because if they don't, the other guys will rush in and "shes bound to end up with one of them". Which God do you serve? It must be one with a small 'g'. For as long as Yahweh is on the throne, you needn't worry. All will be well if you trust and obey. It isn't easy but it is essential to wait. After all, those who wait upon the Lord...

~Psalm 37:7-9, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.


4. Purity: Another neglected area is that of purity. In our world, you are backward if you are in your late teens or older and still a virgin. In the church, that matter is settled and clear. However, the problem is often in the mind. It is important to treat young men as brothers and young ladies as sisters, the bible says. This is easier said than done, especially inwardly. Be on your guard and fight any impurity of thought and deed. Relationships bring people of the opposite sex closer together and an unbridled mind will struggle. It is better to enter into the relationship with the battle of the mind already won. We tend to think this applies only to men, but even women can be prone to unwholesome fantasies.

~Colossians 3:5, Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.


5. Priorities: Keep the main thing, the main thing. All too often one can find himself/herself consumed and preoccupied by their desire to find a mate. They find themselves always thinking about it, always looking around, always abreast of news pertaining to the latest singles around or the latest relationships to spring up etc. The main thing is the Lord. Glorifying Him. That must be priority number one. Would it be too much to ask of the Lord, that singles out there would be busy in His church, serving Him? That they would be the ones in the forefront of the ministries and meetings and events working tirelessly for the Lord? I don't think so. After all it is in His service that they find the most compatible mates, those who like them are working hard for the Lord.

~Matthew 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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Courtship Series

I have decided to embark on a series of 10 articles on courtship- one every fortnight. After a year of being in courtship myself, I feel that I am now an authority on the matter. No, I'm kidding. My year with my one and only, has been a learning experience and the learning continues. The articles on the subject are my own thoughts and various things I have gleaned from our courtship counseling sessions and our relationship. Hopefully, it will not only be a set of penned thoughts on the matter but may be useful to some, some day.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the readers of my blog. My mother has become my most publicly ardent reader, thanks Mom. Thanks to my dad for putting me up on his blog and increasing my readership by at least 90%! Thank you to those who from time to time, send me a note of encouragement, share what I write and put up links to my blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you, it means a lot. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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Facebook Makes People Sad

In my post entitled facebook, I discussed the advantages and disadvantages of being on facebook. One that I came across and mentioned didn't really qualify as a 'con' to me, mostly because I couldn't identify but over the last few months it has began to make sense. Facebook makes people sad.

This phenomenon that seems to be so imposing that it cannot be ignored goes as follows:

One of the most unavoidable deceptions of social networking sites is that people put their best foot forward and conceal their worst foot. No one wants other people to know when they are struggling or depressed or abused.

Those who are either married or in relationships put up pictures that communicate that they are hopelessly in love, athletes put up pictures of them being awarded for their successes. Graduates put up their graduation portrait. People always mention how much fun their having, at the best place, with the best people.

Consequently on lookers, who by the way are probably guilty of the same, develop a lopsided view of their others. It begins to occur to them that their friends are living lives which are more fun and enjoyable than theirs, and are invariably happier than they are. Sadness then sets in.

I guess I can understand this. Its easy to read of someone preparing for their wedding and thinking, "I don't even have a boyfriend or girlfriend" or "I am so far from being ready to marry my mate". One who is jobless reading of someone who got promoted would obviously feel quite sad about their situation. Someone not progressing in life may find it depressing to read, everyday, of all their friend's advances in society. A couple with no children will see all the baby pictures their fellow couples are putting up and find it rather depressing. Those who haven't done well in their exams will inevitably be bombarded by updates from friends who have. Yes, facebook does have a saddening effect on us.

I guess the second most important thing to remember is that the grass is always greener on the other side. They say, and it's true, that many would refuse to switch lives, after they walk, just for a day, in the shoes of those whose lives they admire. Seeing the often concealed, downside of other's lives might leave you thankful for the downside of yours.

The most important thing to remember is that the Lord is sovereign. Whatever the other person has that you don't is no accident or mistake. God planned for things to be the way they are, and he has a plan that if you trust and obey, will leave you happy and Him glorified. Do the right and trust Him.

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The Image of Christian Rap

This week, I saw this on a friend's facebook wall:

The caption read, "Mighty men of God right here".

I commented and said, "They look like thugs."

The response was, "Thugs for Jesus bro!"

Thugs for Jesus. They can dress, gesture, wear tattoos and walk like the worldly rappers, but as long as they say 'Jesus' and 'the cross' and 'grace' in their lyrics, its OK, after all they're doing it for Jesus. I wrote that my primary problem with Christian rap is not the rap itself but rather my own connotations and associations to rap in my mind that make me uncomfortable with it. My secondary problem with it, that would help my primary problem greatly, is its image.

Observe the following...

 

 

Shall I rest my case? I apologize if I threw in any worldly rapper in the set of pictures. The truth is I just couldn't tell the difference.

I repeat, the mannerisms, the gestures, the dressing, the chains, the hand signals, the tattoos etc, are all reminiscent of what is happening in the worldly rapper's world. These men may have their hearts in the right place. They may truly be Christians but they must realize that it is not just about the message. The way the message is given is also important. God must be glorified by both the message and how its delivered. How can you bring what is seen in the world into church? Yes, they have taken the art from its worldly use but surely can the addition of Christ to the art bring out what is pictured above? I don't think so.

I do not see God glorified. I see God honored with lips but not with actions. I see a genre that puts me off but the striking resemblance it has with the way it's used in the world. Unless this changes many like me I believe will only find it all the more difficult to be open to Christian rap. Christian rappers out there, what you are doing could save a generation but how you do it could just as easily ruin it.

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Our Empathetic Captain

Everyone has one of those moments every once in a while when something is said that challenges, rebukes, stirs or encourages you in a very unique way. Sometimes its something that is well known that you didn't know, something people would be surprised to find out had a special impression upon you because its so common. Sometimes its something you already knew that comes to you afresh. But that's how God's word works.

The last time this happened to me was when I came across Ezekiel 33. Every Christian should know Ezekiel 33. Verses 1 through 9 struck me like a blow between the eyes. I wrote something about it, click here to read it.

Well, it happened again. This time during tonight's sermon on Hebrews 2:9-13. The preacher, James Williamson, spoke of why Jesus needed to be an empathetic Saviour. He couldn't save us from heaven, He had to come down. He had to walk in our shoes and experience what we experience and so become our 'perfected' Captain of our salvation.

"I can't imagine what you must be going through," is a statement we often hear being said or say ourselves. And when someone says it to us, we often think, "No you can not." But that statement can never escape the lips of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Have you been sick or taken care of a loved one who was? Jesus knows what that is like. Whether or not He ever fell sick, I don't know and doubt, but how many came to Him bringing the sick? Even His disciple's mother (Peter's mother) was once sick. He knew what it meant.

Have you lost a loved one? Jesus knows the most painful, yet physically painless, feeling that death brings, the pain of losing a loved one. Jesus knows what that is like. He lost a beloved friend and even though He knew He would raise him from the dead, He wept.

Have you suffered for following Christ? Jesus knows what that is like. No one can dispute that.

Are you living in poverty? Jesus said, "Foxes have holes, birds have nests but [I] don't even have a place to lay My head." Abject poverty.

Have you been rejected by a young lady or ignored by a young man? Jesus was never rejected or ignored in that particular way, but He understands. He too face rejection and He too was ignored.

Do you feel like no one understands? If anyone felt that way, it was Jesus. He was on a divine mission on earth and even His closest friends could not comprehend what lay ahead of Him. There was no one He could sit down with face to face and have them sympathize with Him.

Are you homeless, broke, lacking food or clothes, a victim of theft, jobless, friendless, betrayed, forsaken, feeling inadequate, poor, sad, lonely or distressed? Jesus knows what that is like. He understands. No wonder He intercedes for us night and day. No wonder no one was better placed to die for us, because He wore human flesh and felt what we feel.

What a blessed thought to think that my Saviour knows. No matter what I go through, He knows. It has been a blessing to me. I hope it blesses you too!

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Christian Rap

Downloading some books on Writing from "free-ebooks.net", I saw a book entitled "1 God". The description of the book was: "522 pages of poems depicting the Omniscient Creator, irrefutably proving that there is only one Creator who created this whole universe...". Needless to say, I was hooked! Like a car flying to the finish line in the last stretch of road I was headed for the download button with my mouse. And then I saw the name of the author -Nikhil Parekh.

Oops!

Well, that 'car' headed for the download button came to a screeching halt for the author was Indian. This brought questions in my mind as to which deity this book spoke of considering that India is a deeply religious nation with at least 8 major religions and a million 'Gods'. The comments on the book confirmed my hesitation with comments such as "The writer really needs to sit and think about everything that is right and not mix up faiths, as was done in the front pages."

I know of at least two powerful Indian Christian-make that three-Yahweh serving preachers and so it wouldn't have been so fat fetched that Nikhil Parekh would happen to be of a Christian persuasion and that his book would be about Yahweh, however in my mind Indians are synonymous with the worship of thousands of deities other than Yahweh and so I hesitated.

I have a similar problem with Christian Rap.

I think rap has established itself in our day as musical art, a force to be reckoned with. Whether you accept it or not, or like it or not, rap is a musical genre. One of my most favorite preachers bashed it as a none creative form of music but I disagree. Rap music can be very well crafted and presented. I have heard and enjoyed a few rap songs which have appealed greatly to me, even non-Christian in fact although I do not particularly enjoy the genre.

However, I cannot accept Christian Rap in a church I attend. I can accept it at a concert (in extremely limited measure -I cannot bring my self to attend a rap concert) or in my mp3 player (a song or two) but not in the Sunday church service. This is not because of Christian rap itself but because of the things rap is associated to in my head. My mind associates rap with certain things. I associate it with Tupac, Jay-Z, Eminem and so on. I cannot worship aright in a church service with such connotations and associations going on in my head. And so for the weaker brother, in this case me, I will be a member of a church where fellow weaker brethren are.

Some churches do not suffer from such associations and connotations and so accept rap in their meetings. I have no problem with that, but I cannot manage to be a member with them, I can probable attend one or two services and survive but that's it. Indians are to idolatry as rap is to Tupac -its a connotation, an association, a perception in my head and as wrong as they may be, they do exist.

Having said that I do feel that rap can be used to the glory of God. I feel it would be an invaluable tool in winning the unregenerate of my generation (I am one of them but I am not of them, I'm old school :-) ). It would be meeting them where they are and at their level. It would be speaking to them in a language they understand. However, the Christian rappers have a lot of work to do, in redefining the image of rap. And I do not see enough effort on this issue from the Christian rap society.

The only thing that seems to have changed are the lyrics. The mannerisms, gestures, dressing, body art, chains etc, are all the same. Surely, it must be different. No wonder I struggle still. Someone at a concert comes up to rap and other than the lyrics everything else is the same. The so-called Christian rap concerts have the same aura and wildness of worldly rap concerts. No wonder the unregenerate feel right at home at those concerts rather than challenged and convicted. That is the challenge that Christian rappers face today. God help them.

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