Easter: it's not about the bunny

It's not about the eggs, it's not about the candy, and it's not about the Easter Bunny. (Or the Easter Beagle, if you're a Charlie Brown fan.).  It's also not about new clothes and presents.  The word "Easter" derives from the old English word Eastre, which refers to Eostur-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar named after the goddess Eostre of Anglo-Saxon mythology.   The correct name of Easter, in my mind, should be Resurrection Day.

What Easter is really all about is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave three days after he died on the cross.   There are those who think that Easter is to celebrate spring's arrival.  Why should we celebrate something that happens every year?  Jesus was resurrected once and for all time.  That's worth celebrating every year (and every day, for that matter)!

Jesus triumphed over death and the grave.  Because He rose from the dead, sin and death have been defeated forever. The victory was His on that Resurrection Day.  The victory is now ours as well, for Jesus' death on the cross saved us from our sins and His resurrection redeems us and justifies us.

Matthew 27:52-53 records that when Jesus rose from the grave, many of the saints rose from their graves and appeared to those in the city.  We who believe in Christ will have our own Resurrection Day since believers will be raised from the dead at the Rapture.  Unbelievers will have a Resurrection Day at the second coming of Christ, and they will face God's judgment at the Bema Seat.  Examine your heart right now and determine on which Resurrection Day you will be raised - the first or the second?  If you determine that you'll be raised on the second Resurrection Day, and that concerns you, I urge you to pray for forgiveness from your sins and accept the sacrifice made on the cross for you.  If you are unsure as to how to pray for forgiveness, click here for some assistance.  And please comment below if you prayed for forgiveness and received Jesus as your Savior.  I want to rejoice with you!

So today on this Resurrection Day, set your hearts and minds on the real reason to celebrate - the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Have a blessed day!

Your sister in Christ,

Diane

Seasons change

Last Friday, I heard the news of a birth (the grandchild of a friend) and a death (the husband of one of my cousins). Life began for one soul and eternal life began for another soul, both on the same day.

Birth and death are just two of the chronological seasons we go through on our life's journey. There are also seasons of trials and tribulations - financial difficulties, health problems, relationship problems, job problems.  Yet no matter what season we are in our lives, there is one constant - God.  Jesus never changes - He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  (Hebrews 16:8) Those of us who have put our trust in Jesus as our Savior know that He is always with us, no matter what happens.

Knowing that God doesn't change and that He's always with us is a comfort. He's only a prayer away.  When you look back at the trials and tribulations you've been through, you will realize that you've been the closest to God.  Take a moment just now to thank God for being with you with through everything you've faced in your life, that He's with you right now and that He'll help you with what's yet to come. 

That's all for now!  See you again soon!

Diane

The only book you'll ever need

I'm sure you've seen those "man on the street" interviews where the people are asked what book they would want with them if they were stranded on a deserted island.  Some people would select Les Miserables, Gone with the Wind or War and Peace, since those are long novels and they would keep you occupied for awhile.  Other people would select a book that would help them survive on the island, such as the Boy Scout handbook. Still others would select books such as romance novels or adventure novels that would help them take their minds off the fact that they are on a deserted island.

There is only one book that I would take on a deserted island.  It has a little of everything.  It has romance, adventure, wisdom and epic battles.  It tells how things began and how it all will end.  It even tells what will happen in the future.  It has poetry and stories.  It was written by several different authors, but they were inspired in their writing by one person.

Yes, you guessed it - the book I would want on a deserted island is the Bible.  I'll break out the paragraph above and show you where you can find these various things in the Bible:

Romance - Song of Solomon, Ruth and Boaz
Adventure - Exodus (Israel leaving Egypt on a 40 year journey through the wilderness); Jonah in the belly of the whale
Wisdom - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
Epic battles - Joshua and the battle of Jericho; the Egyptians at the Red Sea; David and his mighty men battling King Saul
How things began - Genesis
How things will end - Revelation
Things in the future - Daniel, the prophets, 2 Peter 2, 3
Poetry - Psalms, Moses and Miriam's song of triumph, Mary's song of praise (the Magnificat)
Stories - Jesus' parables
This is just a short list; I'm sure there is much more in the Bible in these categories than I have listed here.

For the last several years, I have read the Bible all the way through from beginning to end.  I am now a member of two Bible study groups: a ladies' Bible study group and an inductive Bible study group. I am learning so much more about the Bible and what is in it than I ever saw before.  There is so much in the Bible to be mined that one could never find everything that God has hidden in it. 

The greatest romance of all is the one between God and His chosen people Israel, and Jesus and the Church, His Bride.  These love stories will never end. 

Well, that's all for now - it's time for my evening Bible study.  The ladies' Bible study is in Exodus right now.  See you again soon!

Diane

P.S.:  I welcome comments - just keep them clean, or I won't publish them.  Thanks!

Light bright

My husband wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready for work. He turns on the lamp on the dresser so he can see to get dressed. I instinctively roll over away from the light so that it doesn't wake me up, because I'm not due to get up for another hour.

Light illuminates. Light helps us to see in the dark - a flashlight, a candle or a streetlight.  Light attracts us to things - like a neon sign on a building, or like the mosquito to the bug light. Light is also used for medicinal purposes, like for the baby with jaundice or for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

In John 8:12, Jesus proclaims that He is the light of the world.  And just like I roll over away from the lamp at 4:30 a.m., people turn away from Jesus' light.  The light of Jesus exposes them for what they really are - sinners.  Jesus' light floods the darkness in their souls. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:19-20:  "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."

Jesus' light is the only light that can cleanse the soul of its darkness.  But Jesus' light is not scary; it's warm and loving.  Jesus' blood covers all sins, and His light transforms us and makes us new creations.  Oh friend, do not be frightened of Jesus' light.  It may shine into the dark corners of your soul and expose your deepest sins and dark desires, but Jesus longs to shine the light of His salvation into you and save you.  He longs to use His light to remove the darkness from your soul.  If you haven't put your trust in Jesus for the salvation of your soul, you can do that right now.  All you have to do is tell Jesus that you're sorry for all the sins you've committed, ask Him to flood your dark soul with His light, and tell Him that you're going to live for Him for the rest of your life.  Then He will come and live in your soul, and make you a new creation in Him. 


That's all for tonight.  See you again soon!

Diane

Help wanted

Job requirements:

• Born again believer in Jesus
• A heart for the lost
• Knowledge that God is with you no matter what
• Knowledge of the Gospel
• Boldness

Compensation:  None on Earth, but a "well done, faithful servant" from the Savior in Heaven.

Did you know that Jesus has a job for us to do?  That is, in addition to reading our Bibles, living by His laws, worshiping Him and serving others?  Our job is to go out and spread the Gospel to the world.  It's more commonly known as the Great Commission.  It can be found in Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV translation throughout):

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." 

Now some would argue that the Great Commission was only for the disciples, but if that were the case, the Christian faith would have died out after the disciples' converts died.  Paul said in Romans 10:14-15, 17:  "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'. . . So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

In order for the lost to hear about Jesus, someone has to tell them.  Jesus has commanded it.  Paul reiterates it.  It's up to us to do it.  So how do we tell the lost about Jesus? Some people use tracts.  Other people use the Way of the Master method and are street evangelists.  Some people strike up conversations with co-workers or strangers on the bus.

"But Diane," you say (maybe even whining), "I don't want to go to the jungle to evangelize the natives."  Not all of us are called to do that.  There are other mission fields, and lots of them are close to home.  Your own family can be your mission field.  My own husband is not yet saved.  My teenage son is saved, but he's a backslider.  None of my in-laws are born-again Christians.  You may live in a neighborhood where you are the only Christian.  Befriend your neighbors and share the Gospel with them.  Invite them to church on Sunday morning or to a special event at your church. 

So pray to the Lord to show you what you can do to spread the Gospel.  It's our job to do it.  Pray for courage and boldness to spread the Gospel.  And after you've spread the Good News, post your results in a comment so everyone can see it and rejoice. 

Thanks for reading!  See you again soon!

Diane

Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?

That's Charlie Brown's question to the cast of the Christmas play he's directing.  Linus Van Pelt is the only one who gives the answer to Charlie Brown's question, which you will see later.  Let's start by taking a look at what Christmas is not.

Christmas is not about Christmas trees covered in ornaments and lights.  Christmas is not about expensive presents and gifts.  Christmas is not about Santa Claus and all his reindeer.  Christmas is not about eating lots of food and drinking oneself silly.  Christmas is not about lights and decorations.

So what is Christmas about, you ask?  Christmas is about the greatest miracle of all - God Himself coming to Earth in human form, to live among the humans He created.  The greatest gift of all is God giving Jesus to us.  Jesus came to Earth as a baby - the tiniest, most fragile type of human.  He was born in the humblest of circumstances, sharing living quarters with common animals.  His bed was a feeding trough lined with hay.  He was not born in the big city of Jerusalem, but in the small town of Bethlehem, as was prophesied.  There was no big announcement celebrating His birth, just a visitation by the angels to some shepherds keeping watch over their sheep at night.  One of the many names of Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and how appropriate that the first people to visit Him in the manger were shepherds themselves.

Speaking of the angels and the shepherds, let's watch Linus's answer to Charlie Brown:



Friend, if you are reading this and you have not yet repented of your sins and turned your heart and your life over to Jesus Christ, I implore you to do so as soon as possible.  Tomorrow is not promised to us; indeed, your next breath may very well be your last.  I pray you make the most important decision of your life for Jesus Christ.  If you do, this may be the most happy Christmas you ever have!

Thanks for reading!  Have a blessed Christmas!

Diane

Window dressing

Do you attend one of those churches where the women wear designer clothes and carry designer purses?  Do you feel uncomfortable with it, like I do?  Does it make you feel like you're inferior since you don't have designer clothes and/or an expensive purse?

If you wear designer clothes and carry an expensive purse to church, think about what kind of message you're sending to someone who is visiting your church for the first time.  Are you implying that if they don't dress like you do that they won't be welcome in your church?

God looks at the interior, not the exterior.  What's in your heart is more important than what you wear or the purse you carry. In 1 Samuel 16:7(b), the Lord says to Samuel, "For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

A humble, God-fearing spirit is more attractive and more important than fancy clothes, fancy hairdos and jewelry or an expensive purse.  In 1 Peter 3:3-4, Peter says:  "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."  In 1 Timothy 2:9, Paul also speaks to this issue.  He says: ". . .in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing. . ." For those who think they need to dress better than they normally do as a sign of respect to God, that's fine too, but you can pull it off without the designer clothes and the expensive purse.  Jesus didn't wear Birkenstocks, just regular sandals, and He didn't have a place to lay His head.

There is a difference between dressing modestly and nicely and dressing ostentatiously.  The former is pleasing to God, while the latter is showing off.  God is not impressed by fancy clothing.  It reminds me of the Laodiceans in the book of Revelations.  They acted and dressed like they were better than everyone else too.  But hear what Jesus says to the Laodiceans:  "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see."

If God has blessed you with wealth, you should share it with others in need.  Instead of paying $200.00 for a Coach purse, perhaps you could spend $20.00 for a Kmart purse and donate the rest to your church or to a charity.  Purses break and wear out, but good deeds performed for others in need will buy you rewards in Heaven, which is much more important.  In 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Paul says, "Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

That's all for now.  See you soon!

Diane