What Does Easter Mean To You?

Last year, I gathered a group of friends to pen their thoughts on what Easter means to them. These thoughts were compiled  in an ebook--What Does Easter Mean To You?-- availabe here http://bit.ly/1F9D02Yfor free download.

Now, the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ which we celebrate in this season as Easter is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith. He died and rose again thus reconciling sinful humanity to the Father through the efficacy of the finished work on Calvary. He died in our place as a ransom for our sins. He appeased God's  wrath for the punishment of our sins. (See Isaiah 53:4-6). His death and resurrection paved the way for anyone who will believe in Him to be reconciled to God from sin.

For the Christian, the resurrection of Christ is not a problem. But to the critic and atheist, Christ and Christianity are a hoax. Is the death and resurrection of Christ an historical event? Or just a hoax? Let's attempt to look into the mind of Saul -- a critic―a vicious enemy of the Christian faith― who later in his life embraced "The Way" and became one of its number one advocate. What happened to Saul who later became Paul? He experienced the resurrected Christ. He became an eye witness of what he was opposing. On a journey to Damascus to apprehend Christians and execute them, he met with the Lord Jesus. (Acts 9) This same enemy of Christ and Christianity, later on wrote to defend the resurrection. If Christ did not resurrect from the grave, then Christians have no hope:

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 1 Corinthians 15:12-15).

Paul's turn around to embrace the gospel can only be based on the fact that he experienced the truth. He also became a witness to the resurrected Christ. This ebook celebrates our redemption by looking at what Easter means from individual perspective.

Blessed Resurrection Sunday.

He is Risen!

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace: A Total Transformation

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him” (Acts 22:20).

This is Paul; recounting his former deeds. You admire Paul right? Before he became Paul, he was Saul: a murderer and hated believers with all zeal. He has blood on his hand. Today, if you are looking for the equivalent of Saul(Paul), look at the most gruesome terrorist group around: Saul(Paul) could could be a leader of any one of them.

Image courtesy gracelandchurch.com

You will understand it better when you consider the believers response when they heard of Saul's conversion. They didn't believe it. They took it to be a scam, another strategy to get believers. Ananias even had guts to question Jesus' instructions: "Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name." (Acts 9:13-14). Hear more: "But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? (vs21). This guy Paul doesn't belong in the fold of God's people humanly speaking. He unleashed terror on God's people  yet he was a chosen vessel of the Lord. In response to Ananias who had questioned the Lord earlier, Jesus said "... he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" (Acts 9:15).

If you still don't get the terror of the guy I am writing about, this would be helpful. I believe Saul's terror rose up to heaven and broke the very heart of Jesus. I am speculating on this one: I believe Jesus stood up and said "I must stop this guys, enough is enough"...so on his way to Damascus to unleash more terror, the Lord brought him low on his feet: "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."(Acts 9:3-6).

Saul the terrorist "trembling and astonished"...the rest of his life he became a disciple of the Lord and what a gift he was to the body of Christ. If you are a believer and you don't admire Paul then you have no good role models. But, before your admiration goes overboard, note that Paul was a work of grace: Total Grace. No wonder he wrote so much about grace than any other. He was a Scholar, he has rights to boasting, but knowing who he was, he said "by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."(1 Corinthians 15:20).

What have you done that you think you are beyond the reach of God's grace? Grace gives a Total Transformation

Eternity Beckons

 

When a soul passes into eternity, those of us still alive, must pause and check our lives. Last night, I heard the news of the passing on into glory of a young Pastor I will describe as a casual friend in ministry. We met at a conference just about a month or two ago and passionately spoke about ministry. Now just a few days down the line, this young university graduate, who chose to go into ministry instead of the corporate world—while some of us play it safe with one leg in—has passed on into glory.
 

I write this with tearful eyes and asking, “What’s going on; God, why didn’t you allow this young man to live long to see the results and fruits of his labour?” I can only conclude and say "in your Sovereignty, you alone knows what you doing"

The more I ponder this, the more it becomes clear to me we are all living on borrowed time. Our days are numbered: Life on earth is just a fraction of eternity. One day we will all depart. Every waking day is a day closer to eternity. My heart is broken, this is a young man who carried such passion for the Lord and desired to see a revival in his days. But just like Paul, I believe he also fought a good fight, finished his course, kept the faith and is going to receive his crown of righteousness (see 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Now, no matter how long we live, one day we will have to depart; it’s inevitable because “…it is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). Even if you live to be 100—which some of you have faith for—you will still have to depart one day into eternity. I wonder what you need all those years for anyway? I plead with you all my friends. In all sincerity of heart and love, be ready, you can be called home anytime. When that call comes—and it will come— will you be ready?

Where will you spend eternity? If you not sure, settle that now. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

Easter Has Pagan Origins: My Thoughts

What do you tell people who make statements like the one above (Easter Has Pagan Origins) in an attempt to water down the significance of Christian festivities like Easter? Do you just ignore them? No, don't! Give them a response! ...Yes, Easter has pagan origins, no disputing of that fact. But it takes nothing away from the significance of the occasion as Jesus‘day of resurrection. Christ died and resurrected. Didn't He? He died as a ransom for the sins of humanity thus granting eternal life to anyone who will believe and accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

Now, as Christians, we have an assignment to engage our communities, friends, families and world and influence them through Christ: We are not to sit unconcerned about what goes on in the world. Remember Jesus described us as the salt and light of the earth. If we are the salt and light of this world, it simply means we have to influence our world positively by ending evil practices. That's exactly what has been done with these pagan festivities that have now become Christian. They have been influenced by Christianity and turned around for a good cause.

Usually, in my defense of these petty reasons for not celebrating Christian festivities because of their Pagan origins, I always throw in Acts 17:28: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offsprings". I bet Acts 17:28 is one of the popular and favourite text of many Christians. But I am sure it will be a surprise to many Christians that that text are borrowed lines from pagan poets.

Let's pause on the text and examine the phrase "as certain also of your own poets have said". That phrase was making reference to pagan poets of Greece who wrote a poem in honour of Zeus, a Greek god considered as the father of all gods. So really, Acts 17:28 is not Christian, it's pagan, but it was used by Paul to preach Christ. He took a pagan poem and pointed the Athenians away from their "UNKNOWN GOD" to the known God: “...For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.“(Acts 17:23).

Who is Zeus? Nothing! In his epistle to the Corinthian church, Paul did justice to gods: “...we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.“ (1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

See below the poems Paul quoted from:

Let us begin with Zeus, whom we mortals never leave unspoken.

For every street, every market-place is full of Zeus.

Even the sea and the harbour are full of this deity

Everywhere everyone is indebted to Zeus.

FOR WE ARE HIS OFFSPRINGS

---Phaenomena by Aratus¹

They fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one,

Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies.

But you are not dead: you live and abide forever,

FOR IN YOU WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.

---Cretica by Epimenides²

The next time you want to speak against Christmas and Easter, be ready also not to quote Acts 17:28 again in your life. Also, if you have a problem with Christmas and Easter, then take your calender and cancel out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These are all names of Roman gods. I am not done yet. Extend the cancellation to January through to December. These are all names of Roman gods...

Notes:

1: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aratus

2: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimenides

Call For Articles

Truth Publications & BLOOM Magazine Presents:

The GOSPEL WRITERS SERIES

This is a group writing project which will bring together different writers to present their views on pertinent Christian Topics. 

We are taking off with the first in the series "WHAT DOES EASTER MEAN TO YOU?" This will be compiled into an ebook and distributed online for free download. This collaboration is aimed at spreading the gospel of Christ through writing. If you want to be part of this project, please send your article on the topic WHAT DOES EASTER MEAN TO YOU?, between 250-500 words to enochanti@gmail.com before 7th April 2014.

"Easter is the celebration of the authenticity of the Christian faith where our Lord Jesus Christ did die and rose again just as He foretold" Josephine Amoako

The Funeral of An Icon---My Thoughts

My country Ghana, today buried one of the great sons of its soil, Komla Dumor; who before the time of his demise, worked with the BBC. While watching his funeral, which was aired live on national television, the lyrics of a local song resonated in my ears. The song directly translates to as “Let me mourn for myself. At another person‘s funeral, you observe your own funeral“  Many tributes were read celebrating the short but well lived life of Komla Dumor. Clearly, what will be said at our own funeral will be determined by how well we lived our life here on earth. Impact truly is not made by how long we live. Impact is made by how well we lived.

Admittedly, there are many profound mysteries of life. Things we just can't understand. Amongst which, two, makes the list: Birth and Death. We participate in the celebration of the birth of others, yet we can't participate in the celebration of our own birth. We participate in the funerals of others, but our own funeral, we can't participate in. Birth and death are two events in life we have no control over. Our birth signifies an entry into a fallen world of pain, hurts, disappointments and failure. The first cry of a newborn baby it's said signifies pain; the pain of separation from its comfort zone---the mother‘s umbilical cord and amniotic fluid--- into an unfriendly world of many uncertainties. “An unfriendly world of many uncertainties": That to me is an apt description of life: “many uncertainties“.

Life in its true sense is not predictable. We can propound philosophical thoughts and stimulating religious theories in an attempt to define life. But life in the short while I have been around I believe can't simply be reduced to theories. We don't know it all! Sadly my friends we don't know it all. That's how the creator has made it: 

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.( Deut. 29:29).

Let us leave the secret things to God, but the things that He has revealed to us---gifts, talents, etc---let us make good use of them while we have time. Don't misunderstand me; the mysteries in no way make life gloomy. The mysteries and uncertainties are planted in our hearts to tease us on to aspire for greatness. That also is how the Creator has made it:

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.“ (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11). 

“He makes all things beautiful in his time“: That presents us with one thoughtful insight that should unsettle our fears and struggles: God does reward hard work, but no matter how hard we try, success will only come to us at God's time. It's a burden. It's a mystery. Yet it's comforting that success will come when we try hard.

Now, in the midst of the mysteries; Life, when looked at from the perspective of the Creator, presents us an opportunity to participate in the divine plan and agenda of God for humanity. We play a part in the grand epic of God---the unfolding story which will be told to many yet unborn. Sometime in the future, it will be the story of your life, my life and the life of many people we have met on the journey of life. What will be said of you by those who will participate in your funeral? And most importantly, what will be said of you by your Creator? 

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Rest In Peace Komla.