Monday, March 18, 2024

WHAT - EASTER IS DYING?

 

She was alone shopping in the same supermarket isle. I felt inclined to start a conversation and asked if I could be the first to wish her Happy Easter. She seemed both shocked and delighted. She beamed with her expression of “Thank You and Amen”! Although strange in America, she talked about how Easter is celebrated in her homeland, South Africa. For about five minutes my wife and I chatted with her, reflecting on Easter.

We concur with this South African woman, Easter is not a big deal in our secular world. Last month, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced that the 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll would take place on the South Lawn on Easter Monday. Some 30,000 persons are expected to participate in what has become one of the oldest traditions in White House history.

This year, the White House practice of using eggs to roll is being challenged. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is calling on First Lady Biden to ditch the eggs this Easter. They want her to replace eggs with potatoes. PETA believes that eggs come from chickens who are “sensitive, feeling beings who deserve respect”. “Chickens,” they contend, “come from complex social hierarchies and can feel pain and fear, just as humans do.”

I am sickened with this crap. The most important event in the Christian Calendar has become an occasion to remember Bunny, Eggs and now Potatoes. Enough is enough! Easter is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is a term used intending to remind us of a series of events. Because of its importance to the Gospel writers, they devoted more than 30% of their writings to Easter related events.

The New Testament church remembered the Easter story in believers’ baptism and the ordinance of communion. Even the first day of the week was celebrated as the Lord’s Day, in keeping with the day Jesus arose from the dead. Many of us raised in less secular societies have fond memories of Easter celebrations. Like secularists, non-Christian religions ignore and overlook the significance of Easter.

In Judaism, the cross, symbolic of Easter, holds no religious significance and is not considered a sacred symbol. Easter celebrations may evoke historical associations with the crucifixion of Jesus, which is viewed as a tragedy, rather than a salvific event. Some would contend that the event had political and social implications in ancient Judea.

In Islam, although Jesus (known as Isa in Arabic) is regarded as a revered prophet, they reject the historicity of the crucifixion. Instead, Islam teaches that Jesus was not crucified, but ascended to God before his arrest and trial. Some interpretations suggest that someone else was crucified in his place. Other Islamic scholars even view the entire crucifixion event as a deception.

Many Muslim scholars cite the Gospel of Barnabas to support the Qur’anic teaching that Jesus did not die as told in the New Testament. Ironically, those who cite this sixteenth-century source, think they are quoting from the Letter of Barnabas, written in the first half of the second century. Whereas the Letter of Barnabas affirmed the death of Jesus and was considered to be among the most important post-New Testament writings, the same cannot be said of the Gospel of Barnabas.

 

Instead, the Gospel of Barnabas contends that Judas Iscariot was substituted for Jesus (Section 217). This view has been adopted by many Muslims, since so many of them believe that someone else was substituted on the cross for Jesus. According to one scholar, “scholarly research has proved absolutely that this ‘gospel’ is a fake.”

Other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism accept the historical crucifixion of Jesus but reject the religious significance and do not recognize the cross as a sacred symbol. Some Hindus may view Jesus as a spiritual teacher or avatar (incarnation) of a divine principle. HIS death is understood within the broader context of divine incarnations and the cycle of birth and rebirth.

In essence, Easter is not viewed with reverence or respect by non-Christian faiths and secularists. Rather, it is viewed with indifference, scepticism or even hostility. In some contexts, the cross, symbolic of Easter, may be interpreted in cultural or artistic terms rather than religious ones. For instance, the cross may be seen as a fashion statement or a design element. The message of Easter has become a cultural practice.

Folklorists believe that after a long, cold northern winter in Europe, it seemed natural for people to celebrate themes of resurrection and rebirth. The flowers are blooming, birds are laying eggs and baby bunnies are hopping about. As new life emerges in Spring, the Easter bunny provides a longstanding cultural symbol to remind us of the cycles and stages of our own lives. In the United States, Easter is one of the largest retail buying holidays. There is a sense of spring freshness, and customers want the latest looks.

How sad, whereas for Christians, Easter is a celebration of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ, now it represents the resurrection of Spring. Could we recapture the meaning of Easter? Let’s begin with a personal commitment to reread the events in the Gospels. What about reviewing The Passion of the Christ, now available on YouTube? For the first time I just viewed the beautiful story of the girl Rebecca finding Jesus in He Knows My Name, also available on YouTube. Be determined to make a difference this Easter!

 

Sunday, March 10, 2024

ASHAMED OF THE CROSS?

 

In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala tells the story of a soloist at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York. She was invited to sing at a church and was told in advance, “We want to ask you not to sing any song that mentions the blood of Christ. People feel uncomfortable with that, and our goal here is to be user-friendly.”


Uncomfortable about the blood of Christ? Today, many churches even find the frequent observance of the ordinance of remembering the death of Christ in communion to be a distraction in their up-beat worship services. Some even contend that the ordinance of communion is boring or monotonous.


To be honest, we want a happy Christianity, without symbolic reminders of the consequences of sin. A Christianity with minimal need of reflection. The cross invites us to reflect on the heinousness of sin and the heavy price Jesus paid for it. Forgiveness is only possible because Someone paid the price for sin - death on a cross.


As an atheist, the late Christopher Hitchens could not accept this Christian doctrine. On one occasion he said, “I find something repulsive about the idea of vicarious redemption – you can throw your sins onto somebody else, vulgarly known as scapegoating.” Hitchens understood the message of the cross, but he was not prepared to embrace it.

The cross of Jesus Christ differentiates Christian faith from religion in general. Religion tells us what we must do in order to achieve forgiveness. Christianity insists that forgiveness has already been paid for on the cross. Paul contended, whereas Jews demanded miraculous signs and non-Jews (Greeks) looked for wisdom, he preached Christ crucified – a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to non-Jews.

As a matter of fact, Paul argued that God’s power was evident in the cross of Christ. Whereas others depended on oratorical skills and philosophy to make an intellectual impact; for him, it was the cross of Christ that possessed the power to make a life-changing impact. To the Corinthians Paul said, “When I came to you...I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He was convinced that what others considered foolishness, was God’s demonstration of power.

In addition, whereas we view death as coming to the end of the road, God viewed the death of Jesus as the beginning. But why would God use the horrific death of Jesus on a cross to bring new life? Paul provides two answers. The first, no one other than God could get the credit. Absolutely no one could bring new life from death – that is a demonstration of divine power. Paul’s second reason is that no one can boast about what he or she accomplished. The truth is new life in Christ cannot be acquired by any human effort.

The Bible calls this grace – undeserved favor. In one of his letters, Paul said, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8).

But couldn’t God have accomplished grace by some other means, probably, not as severe as the cross? The logic is simple – punishment must be commensurate with the crime. Because of the severity of sin, severe punishment was inevitable. Hence, the worst sinner could find God’s grace, because of the cross.

Furthermore, if we could have paid for our sin, then what would happen to those who could not afford to pay? Also, if we could have paid for our sin, we could boast about our ability to help ourselves. Because of the cross, such boasting is not possible, in that new life in Christ is a gift. Since it is free, one may ask, wouldn’t it then cheapen the gift? The question implies that my contribution increases the value of God’s gift – ludicrous thinking.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul argued that any attempt to add to what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, nullifies the value of the gift – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8)!

The 17th century hymn-writer Isaac Watts got it when he wrote: “Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.” This Easter season might be a good time to return to the words of Fanny Crosby’s hymn, “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross”, or Elizabeth Clephane, who in 1872 wrote “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”.

There is no user-friendly version of the Gospel. Without the cross, we are presenting another gospel, not the one God offers to anyone who seeks Him. Like Paul, I contend, “I am not ashamed of the gospel...” I further contend that the cross is still the best antidote to the narcissism and violence in our culture today.

 

Monday, March 4, 2024

THE ASBURY REVIVAL - ONE YEAR LATER

 

I just finished viewing the recently released documentary, Asbury Revival: Desperate for More. The YouTube video documents the events of the Asbury University 16-day revival from Thursday, February 08, 2023.

 

Last year we reviewed that outpouring which spread without advertising throughout the world. Enquirers included people from Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore. The outpouring spread from its Wilmore, Kentucky base to more that thirty other college campuses.

 

One year after movement of the Holy Spirit, Asbury President, Dr Kevin Brown said, “there’s still a feeling of expectancy in the air. Our students continue to be hungry. They continue to lead. They’ve gone and they’ve shared. We’ve had more than 50 groups go to different ministries and churches, both in the United States and overseas.”

 

Upon reflection, another administrator said, “the temperature on campus is unbelievable. Students are longing for authentic long-term steps, not just 16 days of power and encounter. They’re wanting to pursue holiness. They want to be done with porn. They want to be done with addiction to their phones. They want to really have an authentic walk with the Lord.”

 

The revival appears to have benefitted the Kentucky college in other ways. At the start of this school year, there was a 25% increase in enrolment, the largest incoming freshman class in more than 25 years. President Brown spoke highly of the “radical humility” demonstrated by his students as they hosted other students from some 200 schools. He contended that the revival was a totally spontaneous event – “there was no program, no titles, no celebrities, except Jesus, who was honored as Lord”!

 

After one year, it appears as though the Asbury Spirit-led movement is continuing on college campuses. A few days ago, thousands of college students at Florida State University in Tallahassee, also had an encounter with the Lord. Some 4,500 students responded to an invitation to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Hundreds of these respondents requested and were baptized in the university’s Westcott Fountain that same day. Thankfully, local churches were positioned to receive the newly baptized converts to enlist them in their discipleship programs.  

 

Agreed, the outpouring at Florida State University was a move of the Holy Spirit. It was a tremendous evangelistic outreach. However, I do not believe it qualifies to be deemed a revival. A revival is a revitalizing of Christians. Evangelism is offering life to persons who do not as yet have the life Jesus gives. Here are at least six ingredients that are characteristic of revivals or spiritual awakenings.

 

Firstly, there is earnest prayer. Church history confirms that all revivals begin with  consistent prayer. Prayer that empties the prayer warrior of selfishness and demonstrates a total reliance on God. A study of revivals indicate that the number of persons praying for revival varies. And so does the period of time in prayer. A revival is totally a display of God’s willingness to visit His people. Whereas we must display our readiness, only God decides when to visit.  

 

Secondly, there are authentic expressions of confession and genuine repentance. This is not provoked by public pressure, rather by personal conviction of the Holy Spirit. This season of awareness of sin is not necessarily publicized. However, there is a sense of vulnerability and desire to abandon hypocrisy and deceitfulness. Please note, this is not gloating about sin. This is brokenness, remorse and repentance.

 

Genuine repentance brings about changes in behavior. Authentic confession is more than admitting wrong – it is a passionate desire to renounce wrong and pursue right. One Congregationalist minister summarized the practical results of the 1860 Jamaican revival as follows: “It closed the rum shops and gambling houses, reconciled long-separated husbands and wives, restored prodigal children, produced scores of bans to be read for marriage, crowded every place of worship, quickened the zeal of ministers, purified the churches, and brought many sinners to repentance. It also excited the rage of those ungodly people whom it had not humbled.”

 

A fourth characteristic of revivals is the visible emotions that are on display. Regardless of social status, participants are often in tears, lifting hands, kneeling and displaying joy. Interestingly, although there is much confession, people do not display shame and embarrassment. Rather, people display freedom and relief from the burden of carrying unconfessed sin.

 

In religious studies, scholars use the term numinous to describe “a quality of mystery and fascination, often ascribed to the sacred”. That sense of sacredness permeates revivals. What one experiences at revivals is not frivolity and hilarity. There is also the absence of routine religious regulations. Instead, there is a sense of holy awe. There is a desire and display of simple worship. There is an adoration of Jesus Christ.

 

Finally, there is spontaneity. There is no appointed leader. There is no choreographed program of events. There are no celebrity performances. People lead as they are led by the Holy Spirit. Without human structures of order, there is decency and order. There is respect for crowd control and law enforcement.

 

We should all long for this kind of divine visitation in our faith communities. Borrowing the language of Psalm 80, we should be crying out, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.