[Educational Links] Easter

I have decided to add a new feature to this blog. Instead of writing a full post, I will simply share some links on a certain topic. Enjoy.

Wikipedia has a surprisingly thorough history of Easter and the many ways in which it is observed.

The Wilstar website has more information regarding the various egg-related traditions.

The History Channel website also has a good overview of Easter, and a fun video that among other things explores how rabbits became associated with the holiday.

Finally, the allrecipes website has a collection of Easter-related recipes of varying levels of healthiness.

Do you have any other Easter-related information that you would like to share? Go ahead and share it in the comments section.

Looking for You

"Seeking the Lost Sheep in the Mountains"
courtesy La Vista Church of Christ

God is looking for you, even if we don't think we are worth the effort.

There is one fact that I want you to be perfectly clear about, and that is that God loves you.  We have heard people say a lot about God loving the world (if we hear even that much), and often lose sight of the fact that He loves us as  individuals.  It doesn't matter what we have done, or even what we are doing right now, He still loves us; loves me; loves you.

Many stories exist that, in one way or another, try to illustrate that love.  The one I read most recently involves a man who owned some sheep, a hundred of them to be exact.  Now at the end of the day when he brought all the sheep in from grazing, it seems as though one was missing.  He counts again, and sure enough, only ninety-nine sheep.  He could have thought that it was too much trouble to go out into the darkness to find this one sheep.  He could have thought that the lost sheep will get what it deserves for wandering away.  He could have thought up so many excuses not to go out, but instead he chose to look for that one lost sheep.

A storm started to brew, but that did not deter him.  It only served to increase the earnestness of his search.  Despite the darkness of the night and the danger of the path, he searches until at long last he hears the faint sound of his lost sheep.  He can tell that if he doesn't get to it soon it will be too late, and with great joy he at last finds it.  He doesn't scold or punish the sheep, but rather takes it in his arms and brings it to the place of safety.  It didn't matter what the sheep had done, he was simply glad to bring it home.

One writer put it this way

"Desponding soul, take courage, even though you have done wickedly. Do not think that perhaps God will pardon your transgressions and permit you to come into His presence. God has made the first advance. While you were in rebellion against Him, He went forth to seek you. With the tender heart of the shepherd He left the ninety and nine and went out into the wilderness to find that which was lost."  Christ's Object Lessons pgs. 188-189

One of the greatest lies going around is the one that states that we have gone too far, committed too many sins to be loved by a holy God, but that could not be further from the truth.  However far we have gone, He will go even farther to bring us to Him.  Don't worry about trying to fix yourself ahead of time, simply allow yourself to be found, and He will find you because He is looking for you.

A Greater Cause for Celebration

Psalm 111:9  He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name.

God gave us a greater reason to celebration than simply freedom from political oppression.

The verse I chose today comes near the end of a relatively short praise psalm. In it the author (who is anonymous) lists reasons to praise the LORD. I chose to focus on this verse because it mentions the most important item in the list, redemption. A major part of redemption is grace. I read recently that God's grace is twofold. It is both forgiveness for who I am and what I do, but also power for me to keep me from sinning.

We often think of redemption in light of the cross of Calvary, but it's important to note that this psalm was written thousands of years before Jesus even came to earth as a man. God provided redemption and grace before the cross. Even in the sinful pre-advent world God tilted things in our favor.

So today, as we ponder the freedoms we have here as a nation take the time to ponder the true and complete freedom we can have through His redemption. Now that's something we can really get excited about.