Here are three powerful insights for Easter Sunday:
1. Isaac Watts on the Cross.
“When I survey the wondrous Cross,
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count, but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.” – Isaac Watts
2. C.S. Lewis on the Son of God:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” – C. S. Lewis.
3. Ronald Reagan on the Miracle of the Cross.
“I still can’t help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived, and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where … is the miracle I spoke of? Well, consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time—possibly to your own hometown.
A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father’s shop. One day, he puts down his tools and walks out of his father’s shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He never gets farther than an area, perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He has done this for three years. Then, he is arrested, tried, and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33, along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing—the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him, so he is interred in a borrowed tomb.
End of story? No, this uneducated, property-less young man has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors, conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists, and philosophers who have ever lived—all of them put together. How do we explain that—unless He really was who He said He was?” – Ronald Reagan
To all of you, a very Happy Easter – He is risen! And all God’s people say…
But really, let's get this Coronavirus crisis in perspective.
Here are some crucial data to help us see this viral spread in light of other health plagues:
Intelligence Report, University of Hamburg
The number of deaths in the world in the first two months of 2020
2360 : Corona virus
69602 : Common cold
140 584 : Malaria
153,696 : suicide
193,479 : road accidents
240,950 : HIV loss
358,471 : alcohol
716,498 : smoking
1,177,141 : Cancer
Then do you think Corona is
dangerous?
Or is the purpose of the media campaign to settle the trade war between
China and America
Or to reduce financial markets to prepare the stage of financial markets
for mergers and acquisitions
Or to sell US Treasury bonds to cover the fiscal deficit in them
Or is it a Panic created by Pharma companies to sell their products like
sanitizer, masks, medicine etc.
If you look, more peopledie
from the common cold, cancer, HIV than the coronavirus!
So, what is going on?
People are more afraid of what they cannot control, what they cannot understand. The Coronavirus can catch anyone unawares, and it's not detectable with our eyes.
The Coronavirus undermines people's sense of self-control and mastery.
When it comes to cancer, alcohol abuse, or even HIV, there are best practices and behaviors which are easy to abide by, which enable individuals to avoid contracting these illnessess or falling victim to these diseases.
But let's take this analysis one step further.
This Coronavirus crisis truly is a great deal of hype, and nothing more. This virus will not kill you, necessarily, if you catch the virus. It's important and necessary to stay at home, rest, and recover. It's worthwhile to stay put and stay in peace.
And that is the larger problem in this world. People are running around, scurrying, refusing to rest, refusing to let God lead, let God reign. Well, point of fact God is going to reign, whether we respect Him or not.
But it works so much better for all of us if we just sit down and let Him make all our enemies our footstool. This was a big problem for me. Over the last two years, more or less, I have needed to learn to walk more and more by faith. I don't necessarily understand everything that is happening, but it does not mean that nothing is happening. It was essential for me to stop listening to the upsetting voices inside of me that were telling me to worry, wonder, and get worked up about what could be happening--or whether something was happening or not.
The people in this world think that the world cannot operate without their efforts, without their scheming.
Well, God has something to say about that:
"The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his
teeth.
"The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." (Psalm 37:12-13)
People have laid out their best plots and plans, to do the best they can, or rather the worst, for their benefit and at the price of everyone else.
James writes:
"13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a
city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye
know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that
ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15)
People around the world think that they have everything mapped out. They know where they are going, and they know how they are going to get there. They have mapped out their lives five years in advance, and they never once considered what God wanted, or what God could do, if He so chose.
As for the world:
"He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth
upon nothing." (Job 26:7)
The world hangs on nothing. The world does not need our help to keep turning, either.
The fallen people of this world are falling victim to their own self-loving pre-eminence. They are not victims of the worlds that they mapped out in their own minds, and it all comes to naught.
As for me and my house, we are resting in the LORD, believing that He is taking care of all things for us. The hype will affect this fallen world, as it should. For too long, they have treated God with such arrogant disdain, assuming that they are gods unto themselves. Now they face their grave mortality, and the greatest fear has come upon them:
"14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he
also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14-15)
For those who walk by faith, not by sight, there is nothing to fear. For those who trust in Christ Jesus, there is no reason for the hype. For those who do not believe, hype and the hurts and harms which follow are inevitable--and they are indeed necessary to teach these fallen, rebellious creatures on two legs to honor their Creator and believe on their Redeemer.
When I first burst onto the scene with the Trump
Administration, I protested at LAX airport in support of his travel ban. 14
other people joined us, including Robin Hvidston of We the People Rising and
Harim Uzziel with LA County for Trump. I did not want to go alone because I
wanted to celebrate with others and I refused to allow the hateful leftists set
the narrative that this travel ban was unconstitutional.
When swarms of these crazy leftists were surrounding us, one
verse from the Bible came into my minds and I continued meditating on it: “No
weapon formed against me prospers, and every tongue that rises in judgment I
condemn. This is my heritage as a servant of the lord, and my righteousness is
from Him.” (Isaiah 54:17)
The most vile of protesters in front of my backed off, and
the police then separated them away from us.
What I wanted to share today is what gives me the courage to
do what I do. It’s not something special that I have. It’s a gift which
everyone can receive, and keep receiving.
It’s called the gift of righteousness.
Someone paid the heaviest price for me, for all of us, to
have life and that more abundantly, to be set free from the bondage and penalty
of sin.
Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross ensures for man
redemption from his fallen state in this fallen world. His resurrection from
the Dead and his reign at God’s right hand affirms that promise for me.
And many Christians don’t know that, but Jesus rose from the
dead, we who believe on Him rose with him. When he was seated at His Father’s
right hand, we are seated with him.
We receive His righteousness and His grace, His favor, and
through Him we reign in life.
There is so much that Jesus accomplished at the Cross.
For me, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, and I am not ashamed
to share the great things that He has done for me—and continues to do through
me.
Our nation was founded on Christian principles. We are a
Judeo-Christian culture, and I do not apologize for that. We need to restore a
clear and convincing awareness of this truth.
Now, what does all of this have to do with being fearless
and taking on all the challenges, the hate, and the threats to our way of life.
Man’s greatest needs is not food and drink, shelter or
clothing.
Any psychologist will tell you that man’s greatest needs is
acceptance.
The more accurate word is righteousness.
What does that mean? It means that you are cleared from all
guilt, from all wrongdoing. That in God’s eyes you are viewed as in full
accordance with His standards. Anything you owe has been paid; any wrongdoing
you have committed has been paid for.
Jesus accomplished that at the Cross. He died for my
sins—all of them—and accorded me everlasting righteousness. I am justified from
all things that I could not be justified by through the law of Moses.
Now, what does this have to do with courage? What does this
have to do with standing up to authorities, with taking on the most menacing
and fearful enemies in our midst?
I had said man’s greatest need is righteousness. Man’s
greatest fear is shame, humiliation. Think about it. There’s a well-known joke
that goes that at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than
give the final eulogy. Why? People are more afraid of public speaking than they
are of death.
Why? Because shame is more painful. No one wants to look
bad. No one wants to see something shameful or incriminating shared about
themselves. And in today’s age, anything bad about us can be taken or written
down and shred to the four corners of the world in in an instant?
Why do you think Saul Alinksy put so much emphasis on making
people feel shame? It shuts them down for more effectively than being angry at
them or shouting at them, or even threatening them physically. Because of this
fear of shame or wrongdoing, most people don’t speak out. They don’t want to
look bad, or they fear being rejected by others.
But when you have the gift of righteousness, these fears
disappear:
“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou
confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame
of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.”
(Isaiah 54:4)
We spend so much telling people not to be afraid. What we
really need to show people is that they will never have to worry about being
shamed, or making themselves look bad, or worry about the shame of their past
or the reproach of their current status as married, single, divorced.
The more you understand that you have been made the
righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), then all the fears fall
away, and you can take on anyone and anything.
You can stand up to city councils. You can stand up to
Antifa. You can stand up to anyone.
There are three things that a church has to talk about to be
a church:
1. Jesus as our High Priest Forever
2. His blood, which cleanses us forevermore from unrighteousness
3. And the New Covenant, in which God promises everything to
us, if we just believe that He did a perfect work through His Son at the Cross.
This New Covenant is crucial for us to understand, so that
we know that no matter what fearful or dangerous challenges we may face, that
they have no power.
Here’s what God promises to us because of His Son:
10For this is the covenant that I will make with them, saith
the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:
and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the
least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:10-12)
That last part is fulfilled because Jesus has made us
righteousness. We are as righteous before God as His own Son!
One of my favorite verses:
“Herein is lover perfected among us, that we have boldness
in the day of judgement, because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John
4:17)
We take a new life, a new identity, a new standing. We
are no longer dead in Adam, but alive in
Christ.
That is love perfected!
And what does perfect love do? It casts out all fear!
And we have the boldness to stand up to people’s hatred,
lies, shame, and evil.
Remember, God’s righteousness is a gift. We do not earn. And
we do not lose it even we sin, even when we fail. When you understand how deep
and massive is the grace of God, then you reign in life, and you can stand up
to anyone and to anything.
Pastor Joseph Prince of Singapore (my pastor by proxy, if I
may add), has noticed that with the preaching of the Gospel has followed
immense health, wealth, and prosperity. Historians secular and sacred have
noticed the strong correlation, too. With the preaching of the Good News, from
the Roman Empire to the Reformation to the Charismatic rivals of the 1970's to the
Present Day, our world has become richer and finer with the Word.
Indeed.
The message of the Gospel comforts all who are lost that in Christ they are found again. Despite the alienation of sin, set in motion by our forefather Adam, the Second Adam, we can be granted life and truth through His Son Jesus.
The Gospel takes us from death to life; from poverty to prosperity; from depression to celebration.
It is indeed Good News, especially to a sighing, crying, dying world.
Here is the Gospel made simple out of the mouth of the Apostle Paul:
38Be it known unto you therefore, men andbrethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Here are the guarantees that come with the Gospel, for those who believe on Jesus as Savior: here, now and forevermore!
"In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." (Proverbs 12:28)
And
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalm 37:25) Let us never forget the promises outlined to us in the New Covenant which God the Father has cut for us through His Son Jesus Christ! "10For thisisthe covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:10-12)
Jesus did not die on the Cross only for us to avoid death and hell.
He wants us to reign in life: His Life!
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5:17)
What about John's most important words to his friend Gaius?
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2) How do we prosper our souls? 3For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (3 John 3-4) The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, brings health, wealth, and prosperity to the world, to all who believe on the name of Jesus!
Golden State Warrior and Olympian Kevin Durant preaches the WORD!
He knows the New Covenant!
Kevin Durant, Basketball
Not just playing for the NBA—on the Golden State Warriors—Durant is an
Olympian and a Christian!
He was baptized at Hillsong New York City by Pastor Carl Lentz:
“When I came out of the water, I was just different. After that, I was
just so positive. Showing God and His grace! I felt like I had to follow the
Ten Commandments. But we don’t live by that no more. We live by the blood of
Jesus. That’s how I feel.”
We don't live by the 10 Commandments.
None of us can.
It's a ministry of death, not life:
"And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our
sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new
testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but
the spirit giveth life." (2 Corinthians 3: 4-6)
We do not, cannot live according the 10 Commandments,
We need a new life:
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if
through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the
gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by
one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life
by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5: 15-17)
We have this new life when we recognize that all our sins have been forgiven, that there is no condemnation in Christ:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death." (Romans 8: 1-2)
and
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 13-15)
Notice that "dead in trespasses" portion.
Man was dead, but now in Christ he as life!
And the life we receive because of the Blood of Jesus, which cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1: 9)
We are called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Jesus came to give us life, not teach us how to live (John 10: 10)
In fact, He is our life:
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on
things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall
ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3: 1-4)
He is our life!
And we reign in His Life, and we enjoy His blessings under the New Covenant:
"10For this
is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
"11And they
shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
"12For I will
be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will
I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)
Kevin Durant should be applauded for preaching the fullness of the Gospel, sent free from sin, and sin condemned in the flesh, and given a new spirit, a new life, guided by the grace of God! (Titus 2: 11-14)
