Easter - It Is Finished

The two most important holidays in our world are, Christmas and Easter. We all know how wonderful Christmas is. God sent His Son and we greet Him on Christmas morning. His coming was predicted and in the planning stages for millenniums. The gift of God was and is reflected in how we give gifts to our children and grandchildren. It was and is a reflection of what God did but in our own tangible way.  Sometimes we have to admit that we have not earned or deserve a gift at all. But we still get them and give others. Mind you, I can say the same thing for myself when I know my parents at times had good reason to take all the gifts back to the store.

As good as Christmas is, it is not the best gift or best holiday. The reason that I say that is because, we have done nothing to earn or deserved the gift of God. Be reminded, we don’t have to do earn or deserved God’s gift, but the key here is, Jesus at Christmas came to be with us. The whole world practises gift giving. And if you really think about it, that’s all it really is to the people of the world.

Now Easter is different. Jesus came not just to be here. He didn’t show up just to experience what a human experiences. He didn’t even come just to show us perfect living, even though He also did that. The two demonstrations to the world for Jesus, were; 1. To die & 2. To be raised from the dead. The dying was how He took on the sins of the world and paid the price. The coming back to life was to let us know He is alive and He has conquered sin.  His most important final words echo on Good Friday, ‘It is finished’. Three days later, the whole church shouted; ‘He Is Risen’ 

To accept the gift of eternal life we ask Christ into your hearts and ask God in Christ to forgive our sins. Have you done that? Then do it now.

Something to think about

Robin

Kids Carrying Palms

I always like Palm Sunday and by the way, that’s a hint about what’s happening at church this coming Sunday.  You see, when our family was young it was customary to be there on this Sunday because it was a big day for all the kids, and the parents as well. We two boys would show up in our black slacks and white shirt. On our feet were our go to church shoes and always wore a tie.

The children’s story always revolved around the palm branches. The minister told the story or Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He told us that Jesus came riding on a donkey that had never been ever ridden. Didn’t think much of that until I was older and learned about having to train it to carry someone. He then told us about how people cut off palm branches as a form or respect of a conquering King. Most of us listened while holding onto one palm branch not really understanding it all. Then we all marched around and around the church waving the branches.

Now after all these years, as I have learned so much about it I realize a number of things. He didn’t come in on a horse because that would mean a war victory.  The other thing that sits in my mind as I muse over this is, as children we never put the branches down. We were to keep them and make wonderful palm crosses.  I still wonder about that.

Maybe it’s not that Christ doesn’t really want us to replicate His entry into Jerusalem but He wishes that we put ourselves down before Him. That in life we let Him ride into our hearts and change the whole conversation because, isn’t it supposed to be about giving our life to Him because He gave His life for us.

Something to think about

Rob

Will You Be There?

For those who know me, you know I sometimes have an unusual sense of humour. Don’t really know where I got it but it’s part of who I am. Every once and a while, I think I come up with some interesting things that make me smile every time I remember them. At the same time, some of you humour me and go along with it, you might even groan.

A good number of years ago, one group I was leading decided to make up invitation card for our small home church. On the front of the card we did the usual; name (we chose, River Rock), address, email & phone. All the normal stuff, right? But tag line was what caught everyone’s attention.

I saw it somewhere and so I decided we could use these words; "Get Into Heaven Free Card". We passed them out to lots of people.  The interesting part of these cards was the small print on the back.  Placed strategically right in the middle of the card it read; "Must be validated by Jesus". 

At times Jesus Himself used humour. Go ahead and look for it, because you will find it. Here is the truth found in the humour, we can still get into Heaven free. The bible tells us, ‘believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. That is our validation. We can't buy or earn our way to Heaven, it's a gift. Save from the guilt and punishment for our sins, but also saved for an eternity in Heaven. It comes when we accepting Christ into our hearts. This is how Christ's death and resurrection saves us for our sin. That is what we celebrate at Easter, and it is the only validation needed to get to heaven.

Something to think about.

Rob

Take Time...

When I was young, we kids knew when it was spring. We thought it always came at Easter. We had calendars back then just like now, but because of the era we lived in, we were more apt to associate life to the Christian Calendar. Church was important, not just for Easter for spring and Christmas for winter, but for all the days of the year that related to something we found in our bibles.

Did you know that according to the Jewish calendar we are in the year 5778 and that the Messiah is expected to come before the year 6000? I used to remember all the special Sundays at church and even knew the rhyme we used to recite so we knew which came where and before and after the others. Not anymore, (but if you remember that rhyme, send it to me).

Today I’m not one for remembering special date and even have to look them up so I don’t miss any. Nice to have a calendar on the computer that informs me of all the special dates so I don’t forget them.

Another thing, I know the most important day to me. And if you guessed Halloween, sorry. It’s every Sunday. I get to go and worship God with so many others who come and worship together. It’s important for each of us to go to church, to take an hour out of our hectic schedules and spend time with the only one who has time for us all the time.

I know our world is changing and people fit God into their schedule when they have time. That just how this new paradigm works. Sorry I’m old. You see, being old has made me very aware that I need church. Not just to worship Him but also to be refreshed so I can get through the next week. Almost like coming for a fill up. But ask yourself, did Jesus take time to pay for your sins?  Or did He say, “I’ll get to it when I get time.” Now ask yourself, ‘Am I taking time for Him?’

Something to think about 

Rob