Not Just Another Good Friday!

As we look at Good Friday, please take a look at the bottom line of this day.

So I’d like for you to think about Jesus REALLY dying on the cross for your sins.

The Bible is full of symbols which are not literal but have a spiritual meaning to apply to our lives.  One such time, is the communion bread and cup, is a symbol of Jesus giving his body and blood for our sins.  We read about so many parables which are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.  Therefore many of us think that this same symbolism applies to Jesus dying for our sins.   But let’s look at what happened.

As Jesus hung on the cross we know that at the moments before his death he cried out “My God!  My God! Why have you forsaken me?”  Now Jesus, being part of the Trinity had always been in God’s presence before the beginning of time.  We also know that throughout the Bible in the Old Testament, God could not be anywhere near sin.

Realize that it was at this moment that Jesus cried out, He literally had the sins of the world, past, present, and future placed upon himself.  At that moment God had to turn away from His son which is the reason for Jesus screaming in anguish. 

Image for just a moment that if God, law and order, compassion, and everything that comes from scripture was removed.  I fear for what the world would be like as murder, common sense, and everything that makes us human is gone.

 I ask that you meditate for a moment after reading this and know that His death was more than a symbol, that was not real, as you realize that Jesus literally died for your sins.   He loved you THAT much that His grace still abounds today for you in that He died JUST for you.   

God's law is still here and His Grace is waiting for each one of us!  I am thankful, how about you?

I'm Confused!

Here we are, approaching another Easter, and my mind is getting confused.  Now my wife says that happens often of being confused.

Yet it does not take a lot for me to think back to days gone by when Easter was a day when people paused to remember the foundations of Christianity and why it was the core of our beliefs.  We would go to a sunrise service and recall what it might have been like on that morning when death was defeated.  That was big stuff for young people but our minds were really on the breakfast afterwards with home baked goods waiting for us.  Then we would sit through (or sleep through) the Easter service and become excited about having a big Easter lunch and looking for the Easter eggs/candy.

Now eveyr aspect of the thought or message of Easter is being diluted to the point that one elementary school in Alabama has required that there will be NO mention of Easter, Easter eggs, and even the Easter bunny because of its "religious" meanings which "might" offend someone.  We never tied eggs and a bunny to the resurrection of Jesus.

The fact is that both the Easter bunny and Easter eggs is derived from legends of a reconstructed German goddess Ostara which made its way to the us in 1852 and had more to do about celebrating "Spring" and nothing to do with Easter.  

Therefore our educators should become educated to realities and not to just attacking one religion called "Christianity".

For years I have stopped calling myself a Christian as so many have a bad taste in their mouths for the religion called, "Christianity".

I am a Christ Follower who loves spending time chasing after the Lord and having a personal relationship with the one who gave his life for me.  Many people who are tired of religion (which I have been told that religion is the foundation of our country) but our society has turned the Christian religion into a big target that is damaging to our country.  To the people who are tired of religion, I'd love for you to learn about being a Christ Follower who makes mistakes daily but looks to the Lord for direction and inspiration each day.

Enjoy being real and not something religions want you to be.