NOT a blind faith

So, we've just enjoyed a long weekend for easter – isn’t it great to have that time off to celebrate. For there is plenty for us to celebrate at this time as we focus on remembering just what Jesus has done for us in obeying His Father. And I could write a lot on the topic but instead I'm going to look at just two verses, as I'm sure the actual story is covered by many other people at this time as well.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. - John 20:30-31

As a Christian, I find that we as a collective are often accused by others of 'shoving our beliefs down others throats'. While this is sometimes the case it is not the majority and it is not what we do. All we do is simply share what we believe and leave you to make up your own mind.

Something else which is often said also is that we are stupid in believing in something with no proof, without knowing anything or looking at anything, but believing anyway - having a blind faith. But this is not what we are to do - as you can see from the verses in John, we are to read, to investigate the words for ourselves and check it all out. This is not a blind faith in that we have no idea about anything and just believe anyway – it is only blind in that Jesus is no longer with us, but with His Father – and that is what it is all about!

What I don't understand is those who believe in something but don't really know what. Is not this more blind than those who know what they believe? The problem is they claim to be too busy to bother in really investigating things for themselves. My question is – if you believe in ‘something’ doesn’t that put a big question mark over eternal life, that is life after death – and if so, isn’t it too important (your eternal life at stake) to not make time to work these things out? Even more important than things of this world which so fill our lives.

To have a blind faith is to not know what it is you believe – and to believe without questioning. John tells us here that he has written all of these things that you might believe. We don’t tell you to give up everything you know and follow Christ without knowing even who He is. What we say is, why not have a read for yourself and make your own conclusions as we have also.

I, having read and been taught the gospels, have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and now my life is in Him, both now and forever.

What conclusion have you come to, having read the first hand accounts and investigated their validity and other evidence?

God Bless

The Real Story

Easter is in just a couple of days, so I thought that I would share what I, and many others, consider to be the real story, the true story, the First Easter. Accounts of this can be found in the Bible.

So there's this guy whose name is Jesus. He has done many miraculous things in his life like making the blind see, healing diseases, and casting out demons. He also teaches all whom he meets with words of hope and authority. He claims to be the Christ, the Son of God. Many follow him but there are also many who are against him.

Thursday

The Jewish Festival called Passover was here! Everybody from surrounding towns had all traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate this Feast of Unleavened Bread together, in the holy city. Multitudes of people could be seen everywhere. Jesus celebrated this festival with twelve of those whom followed him and were good friends of his. He said some strange things at their supper. After taking the cup and giving thanks he said 'Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes' And again with the bread after giving thanks he said 'this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' And then again with the cup after supper, 'this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table.'

Like I said, he says some strange things. But there are many against him and some so much, the chief priests in fact, that they wished to kill him. The betrayer which Jesus spoke of was Judas, one of those who was indeed sitting at the table. And that night, as Jesus was at the Mount of Olives with those same twelve, Judas came up and gave him a kiss, betraying him to the chief priests who had come there also to arrest him. He was praying 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.'

And so Jesus was arrested and taken away. That night the men who were to hold and guard Him mocked and beat him severely, blindfolding him and striking his face.

Friday

Well, if the day before isn't enough, now He is taken out and led into the council of the scribes, and chief priests. Here he does not deny that He is the Son of God, but affirms this and so they take him and present him to Pilate, then the head of the Roman empire in that part, and accuse him of claiming to be the King of the Jews. Again, Jesus affirms this. Pilate couldn't see that Jesus had done anything wrong but on that day as a show of goodness for the people he would release one prisoner. Pilate said he would release Jesus, but the people, the crowds, the multitudes all cried out that they wanted another man released, Barabas, and that they wanted Jesus crucified. Pilate tried to lesser this to just having him further beaten but still they called out and so he gave in and Jesus was to be crucified.

And so Jesus was lead out with two others to be crucified, taking their crosses with them. And there they were all put up on their cross'. Some mocked him, saying if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself, but others saw what was true and said 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom'. Now before Jesus died there was unnatural darkness for three hours, and when he did, there was something like an earthquake at the same time and the temple curtain was ripped in two. This is a big deal for the Jews, it is the barrier between them and God, and now it is broken. A man came and claimed Jesus' body and laid it in a tomb once it was all over, some women who had also come observing where the tomb is and how his body is laid that they might come back and prepare his body properly for burial.

Saturday

Well, the day before was certainly a big day. This day is known as the sabbath. It is Jewish custom and law to rest on the sabbath and do no work. And so, everyone rested. The women prepared spices for Jesus' body just before the sabbath day began that they might complete this duty as soon as the sabbath is over.

Sunday

The day is here, the day to go the tomb and finish of what is to be done to lay Jesus to rest. Why has such an end come to such a great man? The women arrived at the tomb and found that the boulder which had been blocking the entrance had been rolled away. They hadn't thought how they were going to do it, being so overcome with grief, but it is huge, who could have rolled it away? They went inside and found no body but there were two men in shining garments who said to them 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be cruicified, and the third day rise again.'' The women remembered what Jesus had said and taught them many days ago they ran to tell Jesus' good friends the wonderful news.

Finally, the were starting to understand what Jesus had been trying to tell them. Jesus appeared to them, to the women, his friends, and many others including crowds of people over quite a few days to follow. He had his wounds from when he was crucified but he was healed. He had a new body, was different in some way, but the same man.

Later

At the end of these days Jesus said to them, a crowd of people, of friends and others, 'Thus it is written, and this it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you' but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.' And then after saying this he blessed the people and as he blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

Now isn't that an amazing story! And better yet, it is all true.

My question to you is does this story change anything in your life?

God Bless.

Are Traditions Real?

It's coming up to Easter again, gee time does pass quickly sometimes. Anyway, it has got me thinking about what I do, how I spend my time and celebrate this momentous occasion. What did I do as a kid? What's changed?

Family traditions are funny things. If you join a family at such an occasion and they're trying something different that year it is quite often taken as something which they will do every year. What do we do when we find out that this is not right or when a tradition is changed. Do we buck up and want to stick with what we had or do we embrace the new ideas, the idea of new traditions?

 

When I was a kid I remember going to a Tenebrae Service on the Thursday night. Everybody would come and it was a great time. When it stopped, I didn't know what to do. Is it still Easter if we don't have the Tenebrae Service? Another thing we would do is get up at the crack of dawn to drive the 50 minutes to the nearest Dawn Service on the Sunday morning in the next town over. When I left home for the first time I remember coming back to go to that Dawn Service, as I didn't want to let it go.

Later I remember spending some of Easter time with friends instead of just family. Of going to a different dawn service where I was able to invite others along. Now, we have a new thing we do every Easter. We go camping, well in a caravan park around the place somewhere. We meet new people every year, we celebrate and remember with different people every year, but no matter where we are, we are with family. Our family in Christ.

Recently I've been thinking about what kind of new traditions I might like to start up. I don't have a family of my own or anything like that but what's to say that we cannot start up a new tradition anyway? Of maybe putting something on to invite others along to. The thing is, it doesn't really matter what we do at Easter as long as we remember what it's really about, and celebrate that, not losing it amongst everythings else.

Why do we cling to those things which we know, the false security we find in order and traditions? I would like to suggest that we remember the times which we have had with such things, the fun, the laughter, or the solemnity, that the occasion just doesn't seem quite right unless you do it that way. That is until you actually try something new! I challenge you to actually think about what you do, who you spend your time with, and where you go. Would you like to change anything?

So, anyway, amongst all that is above my question to you is what are your traditions, and why do you keep them?

God Bless.