Marsha West
The true meaning of the day in which chocolate was invented
By Marsha West
Not surprisingly, the principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the use of 'Easter Bunny' in the school in the name of religious diversity. Why? She claims it infringes on the rights of students "because people relate the Easter bunny to religion."
Upon hearing the news, Steve Doocy of Fox and Friends quipped, "I feel sorry for those kids though because they can't say the E-word. Well, what if the teacher wants to talk about that big storm that's moving up? You know ... the Nor' – –?"
What happened at Heritage Elementary School is political correctness run amok.
In our increasingly secular nation, a growing number of Americans are completely clueless as to the reason for the Easter celebration. More on this topic after I fill you in on what's going on across the pond. The Christian Institute reports that "Almost 80 per cent of children do not know the true meaning of Easter, with a quarter thinking it is to celebrate the Easter bunny's birthday."
Another United Kingdom site reports:
27 per cent think Easter Sunday is the day on which chocolate was invented.
Just 21 per cent of parents said their children knew the religious meaning of Easter. One in 20 children know there is a religious link but believe it marks the birthday of Jesus. (Source)
Meanwhile, back in America this year's White House Easter Egg Roll has become a fitness camp for kids. "We're excited to announce that our next White House Social will be a Let's Move! Social here, at the White House. On Monday, April 1st, 2013, the First Family will host the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll with the theme 'Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!'"
Over the years the far-left, politically correct, anti-God crowd has gone to great length to secularize the Christian faith. They've used every angle known to man to remove any sort religious message from Christmas and Easter. As a result, we now revere Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. And if secularists have their way, we'll soon have the Spring Bunny, spring baskets, spring egg hunts, etcetera. Although secularists have strived to take Christ out of Easter they have failed miserably. Good Friday and Easter Sunday continue to remind millions around the world that Christ died and rose again for them!
A few years ago I wrote an article examining the true meaning of Easter. In this piece entitled "I'd Rather Have Jesus than a Chocolate Easter Bunny" I discussed the principal reason we celebrate Easter. Following is an updated version of this column:
Easter conjures images of Easter egg hunts, decorative baskets filled with all sorts of goodies, cool new clothes, church services, families and friends gathering together for a feast. It's all about....what? Is the reason we observe Easter Sunday to celebrate the coming of the Easter Bunny? To usher in springtime? Or is it an excuse for a parade?
None of the above. The significance of Easter is to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For many Christians, Easter isn't about Jesus – it's about binging on sweets! There's nothing wrong with Easter festivities per se; but the reason we celebrate is Christ's triumph over death. Two thousand years ago the Son of God went to a bloody death to atone for the sins of humankind. "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" (John 3:16).
The Son of God condescended to take on human flesh and come to Earth to die, not because He had some sort of social or political agenda that weighed heavy on His heart. Jesus was not concerned with "social justice." He came to Earth to die for our sins, one and all.
Admit it. We are all sinners – and many of us sin like there's no tomorrow. No matter, Jesus died for all sinners.
The Bible is clear that God's hates sin – yet He went to great lengths to save us! Pastor and author John MacArthur explains it thusly:
"When we say God hates sin and doesn't hate the sinner, you're really drawing a fine line. God looked on all His creation and said that it was good, so that basically what God created He adores, He considers the work of His hand, and man, though the image of God is marred is none the less made in the image of God. So, the New Testament says God loves the world, God loves all men. It even says that we are to do good unto all men especially of the household of faith, so we are to do good to all men for they are made in the image of God. There is a sense in which no matter what we do in our lives, God still loves what we are as the expression of His creation. But He hates the sin."
What most people fail to grasp is that God is holy. And because God is holy He's repelled by evil. All sin is evil – even a "white lie." Washing away our sins (cleaning us up) is the sole purpose that Jesus died on the cross. As I said, He died for one and all, and that includes those we think aren't worth a plug nickel.
My point is that anybody who truly BELIEVES that Jesus shed His blood for their sins and repents will be saved from eternal damnation. Yes, Jesus died for the worst of the worst, the scum of the earth, the reprobate, the smelly homeless guy, the ugly girl in your math class, Bashful, Dopey, Doc and, yes, even Grumpy. Let's say an outlaw like Billy the Kid repents of his sins and accepts Christ, that outlaw is heaven bound! The blood of Christ has washed away all his sins. From the moment he accepts Christ, he's no longer an outlaw, he has become a child of God.
Christ's death on the cross is God's way of saving humans from being sent to hell for all eternity. Every person who has drawn a breath on this planet is destined for hell – and hell is a real place! What makes me so sure about this? Because Jesus gave us fair warning when He said this: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29). He also spoke of hell to the Pharisees: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). Christ's words were not just hyperbole! If hell is nonexistent, the Lord Jesus wouldn't have threatened anyone with going there.
But never fear! There's a way to avoid going to the lake of fire. The Apostle Paul tells us how to avoid it: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus , and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (from hell)" (Romans 10:9).
Now, those who think they know better than God who should enter the Highway to Heaven or be thrown into the Pit of Hell will no doubt reject what Paul said. But they cannot ignore the fact that the scriptures teach that God, no one else, will decide who ultimately goes up...and who goes down.
There are those who believe that "good people" go to heaven. Au contraire! By God's standard of "good" the Bible says a person's good deeds are like "filthy rags." No Good person, no good Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Mormon will see the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? For the simple reason that "good people" don't enter Heaven. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). So no matter how good someone appears to be, he or she will never be "good enough" to stand in the presence of Holiness unless he or she is cleansed of his or her sins by the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
For the "me" generation, finding themselves in hell will probably come as a huge shock. After all, they think God created the sun just to light up their lives. Hell isn't a real place anyway, they say, so why should anyone have to worry about going there? And if there is a hell, only murders, rapists, pedophiles and Adam Lanza will go there. It's indeed true that unrepentant murders and so forth will go to hell, likewise anyone else that rejects Christ will spend eternity "where the worm never turns..." This includes so-called "good people."
Warning to the unbeliever! Jesus Christ is the CEO (Chief Executive Over-all) of Heaven. So – if you have little or no interest in getting to know the Son of God while you reside on this planet, why would you want to go to live in His kingdom when you die? Moreover, if you have no use for biblical Christianity and what you deem its outdated creeds and dogmas, then it would be out of the question for you to worship Jesus Christ for all eternity...wouldn't it?
And for all you professing Christians that say you love Jesus but you're too embarrassed – or proud – to bend a knee to Him; that relish having a Savior yet balk at having a Lord and Master; that choose to disobey Christ's commands and live by your own rules – do you seriously believe you're regenerate? Really?
Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:14)
Not judging, just saying.
© Marsha West
March 30, 2013
Not surprisingly, the principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the use of 'Easter Bunny' in the school in the name of religious diversity. Why? She claims it infringes on the rights of students "because people relate the Easter bunny to religion."
Upon hearing the news, Steve Doocy of Fox and Friends quipped, "I feel sorry for those kids though because they can't say the E-word. Well, what if the teacher wants to talk about that big storm that's moving up? You know ... the Nor' – –?"
What happened at Heritage Elementary School is political correctness run amok.
In our increasingly secular nation, a growing number of Americans are completely clueless as to the reason for the Easter celebration. More on this topic after I fill you in on what's going on across the pond. The Christian Institute reports that "Almost 80 per cent of children do not know the true meaning of Easter, with a quarter thinking it is to celebrate the Easter bunny's birthday."
Another United Kingdom site reports:
27 per cent think Easter Sunday is the day on which chocolate was invented.
Just 21 per cent of parents said their children knew the religious meaning of Easter. One in 20 children know there is a religious link but believe it marks the birthday of Jesus. (Source)
Meanwhile, back in America this year's White House Easter Egg Roll has become a fitness camp for kids. "We're excited to announce that our next White House Social will be a Let's Move! Social here, at the White House. On Monday, April 1st, 2013, the First Family will host the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll with the theme 'Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!'"
Over the years the far-left, politically correct, anti-God crowd has gone to great length to secularize the Christian faith. They've used every angle known to man to remove any sort religious message from Christmas and Easter. As a result, we now revere Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. And if secularists have their way, we'll soon have the Spring Bunny, spring baskets, spring egg hunts, etcetera. Although secularists have strived to take Christ out of Easter they have failed miserably. Good Friday and Easter Sunday continue to remind millions around the world that Christ died and rose again for them!
A few years ago I wrote an article examining the true meaning of Easter. In this piece entitled "I'd Rather Have Jesus than a Chocolate Easter Bunny" I discussed the principal reason we celebrate Easter. Following is an updated version of this column:
Easter conjures images of Easter egg hunts, decorative baskets filled with all sorts of goodies, cool new clothes, church services, families and friends gathering together for a feast. It's all about....what? Is the reason we observe Easter Sunday to celebrate the coming of the Easter Bunny? To usher in springtime? Or is it an excuse for a parade?
None of the above. The significance of Easter is to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For many Christians, Easter isn't about Jesus – it's about binging on sweets! There's nothing wrong with Easter festivities per se; but the reason we celebrate is Christ's triumph over death. Two thousand years ago the Son of God went to a bloody death to atone for the sins of humankind. "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" (John 3:16).
The Son of God condescended to take on human flesh and come to Earth to die, not because He had some sort of social or political agenda that weighed heavy on His heart. Jesus was not concerned with "social justice." He came to Earth to die for our sins, one and all.
Admit it. We are all sinners – and many of us sin like there's no tomorrow. No matter, Jesus died for all sinners.
The Bible is clear that God's hates sin – yet He went to great lengths to save us! Pastor and author John MacArthur explains it thusly:
"When we say God hates sin and doesn't hate the sinner, you're really drawing a fine line. God looked on all His creation and said that it was good, so that basically what God created He adores, He considers the work of His hand, and man, though the image of God is marred is none the less made in the image of God. So, the New Testament says God loves the world, God loves all men. It even says that we are to do good unto all men especially of the household of faith, so we are to do good to all men for they are made in the image of God. There is a sense in which no matter what we do in our lives, God still loves what we are as the expression of His creation. But He hates the sin."
What most people fail to grasp is that God is holy. And because God is holy He's repelled by evil. All sin is evil – even a "white lie." Washing away our sins (cleaning us up) is the sole purpose that Jesus died on the cross. As I said, He died for one and all, and that includes those we think aren't worth a plug nickel.
My point is that anybody who truly BELIEVES that Jesus shed His blood for their sins and repents will be saved from eternal damnation. Yes, Jesus died for the worst of the worst, the scum of the earth, the reprobate, the smelly homeless guy, the ugly girl in your math class, Bashful, Dopey, Doc and, yes, even Grumpy. Let's say an outlaw like Billy the Kid repents of his sins and accepts Christ, that outlaw is heaven bound! The blood of Christ has washed away all his sins. From the moment he accepts Christ, he's no longer an outlaw, he has become a child of God.
Christ's death on the cross is God's way of saving humans from being sent to hell for all eternity. Every person who has drawn a breath on this planet is destined for hell – and hell is a real place! What makes me so sure about this? Because Jesus gave us fair warning when He said this: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29). He also spoke of hell to the Pharisees: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). Christ's words were not just hyperbole! If hell is nonexistent, the Lord Jesus wouldn't have threatened anyone with going there.
But never fear! There's a way to avoid going to the lake of fire. The Apostle Paul tells us how to avoid it: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus , and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (from hell)" (Romans 10:9).
Now, those who think they know better than God who should enter the Highway to Heaven or be thrown into the Pit of Hell will no doubt reject what Paul said. But they cannot ignore the fact that the scriptures teach that God, no one else, will decide who ultimately goes up...and who goes down.
There are those who believe that "good people" go to heaven. Au contraire! By God's standard of "good" the Bible says a person's good deeds are like "filthy rags." No Good person, no good Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Mormon will see the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? For the simple reason that "good people" don't enter Heaven. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). So no matter how good someone appears to be, he or she will never be "good enough" to stand in the presence of Holiness unless he or she is cleansed of his or her sins by the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
For the "me" generation, finding themselves in hell will probably come as a huge shock. After all, they think God created the sun just to light up their lives. Hell isn't a real place anyway, they say, so why should anyone have to worry about going there? And if there is a hell, only murders, rapists, pedophiles and Adam Lanza will go there. It's indeed true that unrepentant murders and so forth will go to hell, likewise anyone else that rejects Christ will spend eternity "where the worm never turns..." This includes so-called "good people."
Warning to the unbeliever! Jesus Christ is the CEO (Chief Executive Over-all) of Heaven. So – if you have little or no interest in getting to know the Son of God while you reside on this planet, why would you want to go to live in His kingdom when you die? Moreover, if you have no use for biblical Christianity and what you deem its outdated creeds and dogmas, then it would be out of the question for you to worship Jesus Christ for all eternity...wouldn't it?
And for all you professing Christians that say you love Jesus but you're too embarrassed – or proud – to bend a knee to Him; that relish having a Savior yet balk at having a Lord and Master; that choose to disobey Christ's commands and live by your own rules – do you seriously believe you're regenerate? Really?
Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:14)
Not judging, just saying.
© Marsha West
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(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
