God Is Not Dead

No this is not another movie review or critique. One is enough for a while, although the movie “God Is Not Dead” was a good one. I even have the hat to prove it. Or is it a T-shirt that proves things? Oh well, God is not Dead.

That is the message of Easter. God came to earth, in the body of Jesus. That body walked and talked and humanly lived on this planet for roughly 33 years. While here, He did nothing wrong. Read the Old Testament rules for behavior and bringing a sacrifice. Then add to that the rules about the preparation and presentation of the sacrifice by the priests. That cumulative load of detail was completely and fully satisfied by this one Man.

And, for His trouble, He was crucified on a hill. I heard a comment that said the hill named Golgotha, just outside the city of Jerusalem, was transformed into Calvary by what happened there. It is interpreted by the evangelists as meaning "the place of a skull" ( Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17) In Hebrew, “Gulgoleth” ( Numbers 1:2; 1 Chronicles 23:3, 24; 2 Kings 9:35), means "a skull."

The name Calvary is used only in Luke 23:33. That is the Latin name “Calvaria,” which was used as a translation of the Greek word “Kranion,” by which the Hebrew word “Gulgoleth” was interpreted. It also means "the place of a skull." The important thing, regardless of what it is called, is that it was the place where the eternal sacrifice for sins, my sins and your sins, was consumated.

Some atheists have claimed that the supposed death of Jesus, God, proves that there is actually no God at all. “If God died, then why didn’t everything cease to exist or at least fly apart?”

I think the more pertinent question is, “Why did not the entire universe implode on this minuscule, insignificant planet that had the temerity to crucify the Creator of the cosmos?” But it didn’t.

And three days later, Three Days Later, THREE DAYS LATER, He rose! As Aslan in the “Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” explained, death was reversed and made to work backwards.

The last time we were together we looked at a couple of hymns that celebrate this glorious fact. (Link below: “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” and “I’m Saved by the Blood of the Crucified One”) An appropriate song for today is “Up from the Grave He Arose.” The next phrase is, “...with a mighty triumph o’er His foes.”

Focus on the Family spent two days with Lee Strobel considering his quest to disprove the Resurrection. Instead, it verified it. (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/media/daily-broadcast/understanding-the-importance-of-easter-in-new-ways-pt1
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/media/daily-broadcast/understanding-the-importance-of-easter-in-new-ways-pt2)

I love the words of the first hymn, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” They go, “Death cannot keep its prey....” All hell was unleashed in an attempt to thwart the Resurrection and keep Him dead. But all the power of heaven crushed that opposition and THREE DAYS LATER, He rose! He is alive! Mind if I get a little excited? I am. God is not dead! What a story to tell. And the significance is not just that He either never existed, or has been banished from reality, but that He really was dead–for three days. Then He took His life back and rose from that grave, never to die again.

The Good News? I have that same testimony. I may die once, but I cannot and will not die again. God is alive, and so am I! GOD IS NOT DEAD! Glory! Hallelujah!

Have a Blessed Easter–Resurrection Sunday. God is not dead.


Friday, April 19, 2019 Everything Is Coming Up Easter https://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2019/04/everything-is-coming-up-easter.html

Collusion

The multiyear Muller investigation which has spent, according to different reports, $25 million dollars or more, has declared that there was no collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign. Nothing happened. And the Democrats seem to be attempting to reprise the Nixon events. Nixon was not involved with the original Watergate break-in, but was actively and vigorously active in attempting to cover up the crime. That was a crime and he resigned.

Well, this is completely different. Nothing happened, so how can a cover up or suppression of the investigation apply? (Just a thought from a non-legal observer: How can the indictments that arose out of the investigation be upheld since the original premise was flawed. If there is no reasonable cause to believe a crime has occurred, a “stop and frisk” is illegal, and any evidence is excluded as “fruit of a poisoned tree?” But I digress.)

And the mega-million dollar investigation concluded that there was no collusion and, incidentally,  no proof that interference occurred either. Instead of accepting the result, a 400 page document, they are instigating an investigation into the investigation. Just musing, one wonders how many have actually read the entire 400 pages. I didn’t.  I am satisfied with the review done by Attorney General Barr.

So the opposition, disloyal opposition it seems, is attempting to produce a crime from supposed  “attempts to suppress the investigation” of something that did not happen. That is as dopey as Burger King selling a CBD infused hamburger.

Happy Birthday

There is a story going around that was featured on “Good Morning America” and the internet. What a great story. It is about Bella, a school girl in London, KY. Here is the link.

This student gathers party supplies, including a cake mix and frosting (can’t forget that!) and provides them to the family resource center at her school for distribution to children whose parents are not able to provide them a birthday party. This is for classmates and other students who might not otherwise have a birthday celebration.

“I thank God for the opportunity for letting me be able to shine my light and show that I love my neighbors,” Bella said.  That is a great story for the Easter week.

She was in the first grade when she conceived this idea two years ago. She may be in the third grade in school, but she is a senior in the school of life. Thank you, Bella, for making my day.

Unplanned

If you have not yet seen the movie, “Unplanned” by all means go see it. The “R” label is for bloody and disturbing scenes. And they are bloody disturbing. That may be an obscenity in England, and surely, abortion is an obscenity.

Go see it.

But, we cannot leave it there. At one point, Abby Johnson, the former director of an abortion clinic cried, “How can God forgive me?” She had “presided” over about 22,000 abortions.

I wanted to stand in the theater and shout, “Because of Easter!” The Old Testament carefully and and in elaborate detail outlines the procedure for sacrifice and worship. It is difficult and demanding. We are talking about approaching the perfectly holy God. A slip-shod, careless approach is neither fitting nor efficacious. And as Aaron’s two oldest sons discovered, it can be fatal. (Leviticus 10) And if I recognize my abject failure to be holy and pure, I will cry out with Abby, “How can God forgive ME?”

He sent His perfect Son, the Holy Son, to be the sacrifice described and prescribed in the Old Testament to pay for my failures. We celebrate that every year at Easter. And how can we be sure that it was enough? Are my sins forgiven and, as the old song goes, “buried in the depths of the deepest sea?”

Romans 4:25 eliminates that doubt. Hallelujah! Speaking of Christ Jesus,
He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. (Another translation says, “on account of our justification.”)

“Delivered” means that He was brought as the lamb in the sacrifice, and died. And when God evaluated the offering, He declared it “satisfactory.” In fact it was perfect. And to demonstrate that for Abby, and me, and all the world to see that He was pleased and accepted the sacrifice, He raised Jesus from the dead. Another Easter hymn goes, “Death cannot hold its prey, Jesus my Saviour!” Shout it out!

We are forgiven, freed from guilt. And the book of James instructs us in our behavior. James 2:18b
“I will show you my faith by my works.”

True faith results in works and as we sare assured that we are forgiven by Jesus’ resurrection. People see our faith by our works. James 2:24
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
We cannot see “faith,” but the results are visible in our works, actions. We see God's work in justification by the Resurrection. And my "works" include the fact that I oppose abortion.

[Note: Three states have approved, and eight others have pending, bills to prohibit abortion after a heart beat is detected. It is a baby. Our Planned Parenthood friends, according to Abby, used to have a room labeled P. O. C. The official name was Products of Conception, but the workers called it “Parts of Children.” Medically it is imperative that the abortionist ensure that everything is “out” for any part left behind can fester and infect the mother. They have to verify that the whole baby is in the petri dish. Yes, “obscene” is not appropriate. We need something more intense. Stop it! End of note.]

I had not planned to write on abortion or movies this Easter season. The final credits of the movie had UNPLANNED in all caps. The UN was crossed out with a horizontal line through the letters and a vertical line between the U and the N. A cross changed everything. It was God’s plan from the foundation of the world.

Hallelujah, what a Savior. He planned it all.

Terrible News

I just read this article about 66 tons of human feces on Mt. Denali, which was Mt. McKinley when we were in school. What an environmental disaster about to be unleashed on the unsuspecting State of Alaska. “Move away from the mountain!” That was the first thought I had concerning my family in Alaska.

Waaaiiitttt a minute. What day is this? Oh yes. The day after the last day of March. You almost got me there. This is the first one I have seen in a while.

Happy April Day. Or is it April’s Fool Day? April Fools for a big bunch, maybe. How fun.