THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt. 4

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity and the Gospel. If this historical event were not true, then all that we proclaim and preach crumbles like a house of cards. Fortunately, there is more than enough evidence historically to sustain this claim. Ron Rhodes, in his book The Complete Book of Bible Answers, says this; “The resurrection of Christ is perhaps the best-attested historical event of ancient times.”

Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, in their book; Beyond Belief to Conviction, has this to say also; “The evidence of the empty tomb following the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ does not itself prove that Jesus rose from the dead. Yet it does require explanation.” One of those explanations is that the disciples stole the body. Almost immediately after the resurrection, steps were taken to disclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead. Matthew 28:11-15 tells us; [Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.] Interestingly enough, this is one of the objections to the resurrection that is common even in our time.

Another explanation is a case of mistaken identity. * Hugh Schonfield argues that Jesus conspired with Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, and an anonymous young man to convince His disciples that He was the Messiah. He allegedly manipulated events to make it appear that He was the fulfillment of numerous prophecies. [* Ron Rhodes – The Complete Book of Bible Answers] Somehow this conspiracy went wrong and the wounds suffered at the crucifixion proved fatal and Jesus died due to all the punishment. His body was then stolen and disposed of and His appearances were simply a case of mistaken identity.

The “swoon theory” is another popular explanation for the resurrection. This particular theory says that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. He simply went into shock from being nailed and that he suffered from loss of blood. Still, he didn’t die. He just fainted (or swooned) from exhaustion. The disciples, poor simple souls, thought him for dead and buried him alive in a tomb. The coldness of the tomb woke Jesus from his state of shock. And when He came out of the tomb, the disciples assumed he had risen from the dead. Then we have the one that claims that the women and the disciples went to the wrong tomb.

It amazes me how many people are so willing to believe in these far-fetched explanations that in most cases they would never believe. Not only did the women and the disciples go to the wrong tomb, but the Roman soldiers and the Jewish Sanhedrin went also. Let’s not forget the owner of the tomb itself, Joseph of Arimathea. He must have forgotten where his own tomb was located. Not only that, but what about the angel? The Celestial GPS must have been off, because he removed the stone from the wrong tomb!!

What about the swoon theory? Certainly that could be possible? Maybe, but this theory has several fatal flaws. Prior to crucifying their victims, the Romans would make sure that they underwent a most vicious beating. They used what was known as a flagrum, which is basically a whip with several tails at the tip of it that were embedded with something sharp. This would rip apart the victim’s back to shreds and many would die even before their execution as a result. On top of this beating, Jesus was then nailed to a cross. Because the next day was the beginning of Passover, Jewish law did not allow for any victim to remain hanging on the cross overnight. What the Romans would then do is break their legs in order to speed up the process of death. The main cause of death in crucifixion was asphyxiation. The victim would be unable to push himself up on his feet in order to breathe and the result would be suffocation. When they came to where Jesus was hanging, he was already dead. To make sure, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. Mark 15:44-45 says; “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.” This was to verify that Jesus was indeed dead when he was laid in the tomb! No Roman soldier would dare lie for penalty of death. These people took killing seriously. They knew when a person was dead.

And finally, the stolen body theory. This theory may seem more believable than the others, but still, it also has its flaws. Let’s see, there was the problem of a stone on a grooved incline and weighing as much as a car that sealed up the entrance. There were also a small detachment of Roman soldiers to deal with. This would not have been easy, even if they were all asleep. If they had somehow been able to move the stone, all the noise would have woken them up. These soldiers were there to make sure no one came near the tomb under penalty of death! Besides, the disciples were all hiding from fear of the Romans and the Jewish leaders. None of them were willing to risk going out into the open and run into a detachment or Roman soldiers to remove a 1 – 2 ton stone and steal a body which they believed was dead.

There are other theories loose out there, but these are the more popular ones. On top of that, “He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6) “He showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts1:3) It would have been a simple matter for the Romans or the Jewish leaders to have produced the body of Jesus and stopped these unfounded rumors among the people, but they didn’t! Why? Because they knew it had happened and they had no proof to refute it! They could not produce a body!

The resurrection carries a powerful promise. Because He lives, we also shall live! This promise has become very meaningful to me. The recent death of one of my sisters has reminded me of this once again. The approaching end of my 99 year old grandmother seems even closer. We as Christians have something historically tangible and true to hang on to. That even when we die, life is awaiting us all at the other end! As we close our eyes here, we will open them there in the presence of the one who conquered death, Jesus Christ our Lord!!

3/23/2008
James

[Information for this article provided by:
Beyond Belief to Conviction – Josh McDowell/Bob Hostetler
The Complete Book of Bible Answers – Ron Rhodes]

A TIME TO BE STILL

These last few weeks have been very painful and sad ones for me. I am faced with the death of one of my sisters and with a grandmother whose years are slowly fading away as time goes by. Currently, my grandmother is in the hospital due to some weight loss, of being partially dehydrated, and a low blood count. Of course she is 99 years old and the fact that she has lasted this long has been a true blessing from the Lord! Due to her age, dementia is slowly setting in and her short term memory is waning away. She doesn’t eat very well because she thinks she has already eaten. That is where she’s at right now. Her life on this earth has been a rough and long road, but I know that soon her sorrows will be over and a new life will begin for her in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Death is inevitable in this life, but it doesn’t diminish the sorrow and sadness that follows it due to the separation of our loved ones. Yet in all this and with the approach of Easter Sunday, I am reminded of one of the most powerful demonstrations of Jesus, the defeat of death! The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, ‘When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" We are no longer to live in fear of death because death to the believer is not the end, but the beginning! It is merely a doorway through which we can step into the threshold of eternity!

With the reality of these family situations, I have had to take the stand that the Psalmist took as he was facing his enemies on a constant basis and it seemed like they would be upon him at any moment to end his life. In these despairing moments, he finds peace and security in God. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." He realized that there was nothing he could do to better his situation. All he really needed was to step back and allow God to fight his battles!

Many times we can all become overwhelmed with the stresses of this life and especially when we are faced with the really tough ones, like the passing of a loved one. It doesn’t get any worse than that, but yet, my God is greater than that! His promise to us was that death would no longer be the one to rule in our lives. Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Even in death, good can always come out because God has a way of turning mourning into laughter!

This week has also brought much joy with a visit from my first granddaughter! I have been the recipient of experiencing both, a passing away and a new life just beginning! Already God is turning my mourning into joy and laughter! He has reminded me once again that all I need to do is to be still, step back, and know that He is God!!

To Him be ALL Power, Glory and Honor forever AMEN!!

James
3/20/2008

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt 3

There are two basic parts within the concept of Easter. They are the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Sometimes the ascension will be considered a third part, but for the most part, it is usually included within the resurrection portion of the two.

Crucifixion was an ancient and very horrific method of execution used in Ancient Roman and in neighboring Mediterranean cultures. The Roman Empire used this method until about 337 A.D. It was an extremely slow death, producing an extreme amount of pain, for a prolonged period of time. Although the methods of crucifixion varied with location and time, the main objective remained the same. To provide a humiliating, slow and painful death using whatever means necessary to achieve that goal.

The Greek and Latin words for crucifixion describe many different forms of similar executions, from impaling on a stake to nailing to a tree, to an upright pole or to a combination of an upright and a crossbeam. It was also customary that if a crossbeam was used, the condemned man or woman was forced to carry it on their shoulders to the place of execution. The whole cross would weigh approximately over 300 pounds, but the crossbeam would weigh only 75-125 pounds. In spite of this, it would have still been very painful to carry the crossbeam because the condemned person’s back would have been torn open by the many lacerations produced by severe whipping and beatings.

There are historically detailed accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus contained in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. According to the Gospels, Jesus died before late afternoon, before the Jewish Passover celebration. There was an execution site just outside the city gates of Jerusalem called Golgotha, also known as Calvary. Jesus was crucified using a crossbeam style cross, from the fact that the Gospels give details of having to carry “his cross”. The main beam was waiting at the site of execution awaiting the arrival of the condemned with the top cross beam. The particular cross used for Jesus probably resembled a T shape, which was a combination of an upright beam (in Latin: stipes) and a crossbeam (in Latin: patibulum).

It was a total of about six hours of torture and pain before Jesus finally died from a fatal stab wound “piercing his side” near the upper chest area closest to the heart. At this point, death was instantaneous. Jesus had already suffered many hours of beatings and torture by strong and powerful, highly trained Roman soldiers well versed in the art of inflicting pain without bringing about immediate death. Physically speaking, he would have been weak from dehydration and from being beaten beyond description, and suffered shock from the huge spikes that were driven through his wrists and feet. His torture began approximately around nine in the morning to about three in the afternoon. Since there were no precise instruments to tell time with, the day began with the rising of the sun, which would make it around six in the morning in our modern day, and the end of the day would be at sundown, which would have been somewhere around six in the evening. The day was generally broken down in quarters of the day. Sunrise would be the first hour; nine in the morning would be the third hour; high noon would be the sixth; three in the afternoon would then be the ninth hour and sundown would be the twelfth. These would be approximate times because there were no watches or clocks to mark the exact time.

With this said, several things happened from the noon hour until three in the afternoon. First, the Gospels tell us that there was darkness from the sixth hour (12 noon), until the ninth (3 PM). It is possible that this rare event might have been brought upon by a solar eclipse. Mark 15:33-37, tells us that the darkness lasted for three hours and that at the ninth hour (3 PM – approx.), Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Shortly after this, Jesus uttered a loud cry, and died. Matthew 27:50-52, also gives us similar details. Immediately upon Jesus giving his last cry and breath, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split”. This seems to describe some kind of earthquake at the time of his death. It also says that “tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” Luke 23:44-46 describes very similar details. John’s Gospel is the only one that does not go into much detail about the final hour of Jesus’ death, but rather gives other details surrounding the moments leading up to his death.

Through the centuries, many have tried to discount the historical evidence of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. No matter how hard they may try, it still stands as an event that was true and real; that Jesus the Christ was crucified and truly did die, no fake death here; and in three days resurrected from the dead! There is no way possible that any one could have survived such a torturous and painful death, and to top it off, be pierced by a spear from a Roman soldier and survive! Christ’s death was a real event and it involved the death of his physical body.

3/20/2008

James

[Information for this article provided by:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia online]

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt. 2

For much of the western, as well as the eastern world, Easter is a very important religious holiday. As mentioned in my previous article, it is the commemoration and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave which happened on the third day after his crucifixion (27 – 33 AD). This event is of great significance because the very foundation of our faith rests upon it! The Apostle Paul tells us, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). If the resurrection did not really happen, then the apostles were liars and false witnesses, our faith is invalid, we are all still lost in our sins, the dead in Christ have perished, and there’s really no hope for any of us beyond the grave! Everything we as Christians hold dear and true is dependant upon the historical accuracy of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Easter is also closely linked to the Jewish Passover celebration not only for much of its symbolism, but also for its position in the calendar. * Easter also refers to the season of the church year called "Eastertide" or the "Easter Season". Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day, but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week.

According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke), the crucifixion is to have been around the time of the Jewish Passover. The Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples just before his death is generally thought of as a Passover meal, based upon the chronology of these three Gospel accounts. The Gospel of John, however, speaks of the Jewish elders not wanting to enter the hall of Pilate in order "that they might eat the Passover", implying that the Passover meal had not yet occurred (John 18:28; John 19:14). So, John places Christ's death at the time of the slaughter of the Passover lamb, which would put the Last Supper slightly before Passover, on 14 of Nisan of the Bible's Hebrew calendar. The Jewish feast was carried over into the Christian Easter celebration as well.

* Easter is one of those holidays that are considered 'moveable' feasts because it is not a fixed date on the calendar. It falls at some point between late March and late April each year following the cycle of the moon. It is for this reason that the date of Easter has been a controversy for many centuries. Some have wanted it to be a fixed holiday based on the Jewish calendar, while others wanted it to be distinguished from the Jewish date. The 14 Nisan date (based on the Jewish calendar), was used in the early church and was strongest in the churches of Asia Minor until the issue was formally settled at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. It was decided that all Christians would celebrate Easter on the same day, which would be Sunday. The council did not set a specific date, but rather gave the Bishop of Alexandria the privilege of announcing the annual date of the Christian Passover. Of course, it did take some time for the Alexandrian rules and methods to be applied and adopted throughout Europe. In the meantime, the Church of Rome continued to use an 84 year lunisolar calendar cycle from the late 3^rd century until about 457 AD. With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar by the Catholic Church in 1582 and the continuing use of the Julian calendar by Eastern Orthodox Churches, the date on which Easter is celebrated is again deviated, and continues to differ to this day.

* The rule, since the Middle Ages, has been for Easter to be observed on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox. Vernal equinox refers to the Sun positioned directly over the Earth’s equator, which happens around March 20^th and September 23^rd each year.

I believe that while it is a good idea to try and celebrate an important occasion as close to the true date as possible, it is more important to celebrate the event and not put too much emphasis on the date. In doing so, we can assure ourselves not to lose site of the real issue, in this case, the miracle of the resurrection of Christ!

3/17/2008

James

[* Information for this article provided by:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia online]

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt 1

Just this past week one of my coworkers asked the students in my classroom if they knew why Easter was celebrated. As expected, most of the student in my class did not know much about it. Of course, these are mostly 9 and 10 year olds, but still, one would hope that some would know since most of them come from a Catholic background. Easter is one of the major religious holidays for Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Greek Orthodox and other similar religions. It is also one of the most controversial holidays for many people, especially in the work place.

In my case, the Chicago Board of Education has had many problems with this holiday because it coincides with our Spring Break. It used to be that we were given Good Friday off, but now things have changed because of the controversy that was raised of the issue of church and state. Since the Chicago Public Schools are run by the city and state, this becomes a problem. They came up with a compromise a few years ago in order to try and "solve" this "problem". Spring Break would now coincide so that Good Friday and Easter are during the week that we are off from work. So each year it changes. When Easter falls in March, our Spring Break is also in March. When it falls in April, then we are off in April as well. So much fuss over so little, one would think!

Getting back to my story. Finally, one of the boys raised his hand and said he knew what Ester was about. We all listened in anticipation of finally getting an answer! He then proceeded to say that "Easter is when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and Halloween was when he died."
My coworker and I looked at each other in amazement! Definitely not an answer we expected! It was funny in a way! I had to laugh to myself and so did my coworker! At least he had it half right! LOL! Needless to say, we had to leave it at that and shortly after, I came over to him and in a few words explained why he had only gotten it 50% right. I'm not sure if he was trying to be funny or if he REALLY thought that's how it was! It seemed like he was being honest.

Anyway, it made me start to think of how much this world is in dire need of a savior and how the many different traditions and customs have come to overshadow the true meaning of something so deep and real! It's like the dilemma of Christmas all over again! How sad!!

As we all know, one of those customs and traditions has been the Easter Bunny along with the colored Easter eggs during the time of Easter. * The tradition of the Easter Bunny and the eggs came from the German immigrants in the 18th century. The word Easter relates to and comes from an ancient pagan goddess of the spring named Eostre. The story goes, according to a popular piece of folklore, Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen during the winter by turning it into a rabbit. Because the rabbit had once been a bird, it could still lay eggs, and that rabbit became the modern Easter Bunny. Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of extreme antiquity; since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth (to large litters) in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

* Rabbits and hares are both lagomorphs; they are prolific breeders. The females can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first (the two are born separately); this phenomenon is known as 'superfetation'. Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the sayings, "to breed like bunnies" or "multiply like rabbits"). It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore; however, the notion of a rabbit that lays eggs has an uncertain past. It may have simply arisen from a confusion of symbolism but, like much of the holiday of Easter itself, it could be a direct heritage from older traditions.

* The precise origin of the custom of coloring eggs is not known, although it too is ancient; Greeks to this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the renewal of life in springtime (and, later, the blood of the sacrificed Christ). [By the way, my coworker is Greek and she mentioned and shared this particular bit of information about this tradition with us.] Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long "dead" time of winter. Other colors, including the pastels popular in the United States and
elsewhere (possibly symbolizing the rainbow), seem to have come along later.

* German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhas" , sometimes spelled out as "Oschter Haws". "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. This legend is most likely rooted in the European folklore about Hares eggs which seems to have been a confusion between hares raising their young at ground level and the finding of Plovers nests nearby, abandoned by the adults to distract predators.

With all this mixing of folklore and traditions, it is no wonder that things are the way they are today. Rabbits and hares, hares and rabbits! Tearing out our 'hair' over all the confusion! :) The one event is therefore not exactly related to the other, as we have learned. The only connection between the true celebration of Easter and the customs and traditions handed down through generations is the time of the season in which each is celebrated. Because of the celebrations of the spring season, the holiday of Easter has been lost among all the rabbits, the eggs, and traditions based on folklore!

In Part 2 I will talk about the similarities and differences of this holiday between the various major religions today. I hope you will come back and stick around for the ride!

Chances are I will not be asking my students questions about the holidays for a while! This one was enough!! :)


3/14/2008
James

[* information provided by: Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia online]

THE BLESSING OF THORNS - Inspirational Story # 4

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door.

Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come for the holiday.

Then Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She has no idea what I'm feeling, thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Just then the shop door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh....she just left with no flowers!

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and never questioned the good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special....12 thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said. "It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~

Salvation Pt 4 – Saved Forever?

Romans 8:1 is one of my favorite Bible verses, among many! This one is particularly special because Paul touches on something very important, yet basic. It is a fact that many Christians unfortunately miss, and that is the security of our salvation. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The word condemnation used here in the Greek is ‘katakrima’, which comes from the word ‘katakrino’. It was a term used in a court of law to refer to someone receiving an adverse sentence or guilty verdict. What Paul is then saying in Romans 8:1 is simply this; there is no longer a “guilty verdict” upon those who are in Christ Jesus! Even the word “in” is indicating something stable and fixed. The word ‘en’, which is translated ‘in’, is a primary preposition denoting a fixed position in place, time or state. Now let’s look at this verse again. There is therefore now no “guilty verdict” for those who are "fixed and/or stable along with" Christ Jesus. This is awesome!

When we accept the gift of salvation, it is a one time deal (as pointed in the previous posting – Salvation Pt 3). God is not an “Indian giver”, like many believers tend to portray Him as such. Once we accept salvation, He will not take it away from us! If we are “in Christ Jesus”, meaning we are joined together with Him, and since Jesus cannot be condemned, then neither can we! “But wait”, you might say, “What happens when we sin? Won’t sinning cancel our salvation and make it invalid?” Good question. And the answer is a resounding “No”! You see we are the true guilty ones. Justice demanded that payment be made for the sins of mankind. What happened at the cross was that Jesus came and paid the penalty of sin, which was death, for all of us! The guilty verdict or condemnation that was supposed to be our sentence was placed upon Jesus and He became the “guilty” one even though He was innocent! He then took that sin and went to the cross with all of our sins and paid the penalty in order for all those sins to be erased and cleared for us! Jesus was the condemned one that died, but then became the one that overcame death and sin for all of us! Upon Christ rising from the dead, salvation became permanent and the condemnation that was once upon us no longer had any validity!

We can look at it this way, suppose you were caught committing a crime. You were given a court date and you stood before a judge. The evidence is presented and you are found guilty, based on the witnesses and evidence presented before the court. You are then sentenced to serve time in prison for a determined amount of time. Before you are taken away to be confined to a cell, the judge being moved to compassion, asks his son, who happens to be sitting in the courtroom, if he would take your place and carry out your sentence instead. The son stands up and agrees to do just that. He will take your place and carry out the punishment that rightfully belonged to you. You are set free and the crime is no longer accredited to you. You still did the crime, but the son did the time. Once the son carries out the sentence, he will be released and the crime will have been paid. We can take it a step further. Since the father is a judge, he can then have the whole thing expunged from his son’s record as if the crime was never committed, both for him and you!

My question to you is for which sins did Christ die for? If you answered all, then you are correct. And all includes past, present, and future sins! If this is true, then there is not a sin that you have committed in the past, are committing in the present, or will commit in the future, that He hasn’t already paid for. And if He’s paid for it, then it will be forgiven…forever!!

3/2/2008

James