The most important season of the year is when Christian's gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb. It is the hallmark of the Christian faith when God gave His Son to die on the Cross bearing our sins, forgiving our sins, and saving us from our sin nature.
God sent His only begotten Son to die on The Cross to fulfill the promise of eternal life with Christ. It also symbolizes God's supreme value God places on life itself. To have His Son die on the Cross for our sins demonstrates the Offering of His Son as one of the most significant events in Christian history. Jesus Christ dying on the Cross and His Resurrection from a cold dark tomb, assures us of eternal life.
The death and resurrection is one covenant that many old time prophets spoke of God's Only Son throughout the Old Testament. It is the central truth of the Gospel.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, that unless we believe in the resurrection, our faith is in vain.
"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain". 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 ESV
The central purpose of giving His only Son was to cleanse our sinful hearts and assure each of us of eternal life, by accepting Christ as our now risen Saviour.
When God created the heavens and the earth, God was very clear He created man and woman in the image of God. God did this so He could be assured of oversight over all of His creation.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26.
When Adam and Eve broke the one law God set in the Garden, they broke their relationship with God's promise of eternal life. That is the reason Christ had to die on the Cross and resurrect three days later to redeem our lives from eternal damnation and to eternal life. Being cast out of the Garden to a sinful and corrupt world was punishment for their idolatry and disobedience .
The Spring season is often viewed as a time of renewal, a time when that which was in death is given new life. We see new life growing by watching the gray cold winter give way to a flourishing green warm Springtime.
Likewise, the Message of the Cross renews the Gospel message shared by many old time prophets and Apostles. A Gospel message that never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Hebrews 13:8 ESV
In today's society, the Message of the Cross is often rejected as a myth or some ancient Bible fable. It is not a myth or some fairy tale. It is the ultimate principle and most important belief in the Bible for anyone who wants to accept Jesus as Saviour. "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood". Hebrews 12:4 ESV. Christ was serious in His commitment to fulfill the call of the Cross.
We have devalued life to the point that nothing seems to frighten or shake us. Shootings and other violence kills and maims many every day. Domestic violence can often end in death or other long term physical force intended on causing injuries, or mental illness in continuing family disputes. Death by vehicles kills hundreds every year and life seems to just go on. Just another news story affecting someone else.
How can we not mention the hundreds of thousand of babies murdered every year. Past off as a health issue, and I agree that may be the case in some situations, unfortunately it is not the primary reason.
An important issue often ignored or overlooked is the responsibility of the man who was a full partner in the creation of every baby. How often do they abduct from responsibility leaving the young lady broken, confused, and susceptible to offers of "free medical health"?
While often referred to as a women's choice, the man must also accept his responsibilities to provide a life that addresses the needs of every child. The man who walks away is a coward who just may have looked at the relationship as a "one night stand," or was just irresponsible in his actions.
Since the Roe vs Wade decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, "there's been well over" 54 million abortions. The Guttmacher Institute has tracked roughly 49.3 million abortions through 2008". "Well over 54 million abortions."
God cherished life and in many instances in the Old Testament, God harshly punished Israel for turning to heathen worship, to the point of allowing the armies of the enemy to destroy God's most Holy dwelling place on earth...the grand Temple constructed by King Solomon, along with the City of king David, Jerusalem. It was destroyed under very heinous and harsh conditions that befell on the nation of Israel.
In the old days, sacrifices to Molech were made by sacrificing crying babies as they were offered in a fiery sacrifice. "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem". 1 Kings 11:7 ESV
"They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin". Jeremiah 32:35 ESV
As we may know, The Prophet witnessed the disobedience, the corrupt idolatry of sin to pagan Gods, and the ultimate judgment of God.
Some may question what does abortion have to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Cross, to the Tomb, to Resurrection?
It is because the Resurrection is about LIFE, not DEATH. It is about the renewal of life, and a new season...a time for a new life ordained by God. We have rejected His dying on the Cross for our sins, turning our back to the Risen Christ. We are living in idolatry and disobedience no different than by God's people in the Old Testament.
We too have the opportunity to accept a RISEN LIVING JESUS CHRIST as Saviour.
We too have the free will to reject the offer of a precious life given to us by God, by living in disobedience by choice.
"But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die". Ezekiel 18:24 ESV
We too can continue to live in idolatry and civil disobedience to the laws of God and face the penalty of death in eternal hell, the only penalty ordained by God.
Or would you whether accept the truth of The Resurrection and let The Holy Spirit help you live a life free from the temptation of sin and despair?
Free from a life of death to one of resurrected Hope and Faith?
Remember as we look to the Cross, Christ died there to bring us the Hope of the Resurrection.
(LFI) ~ Latino Faith Initiative
Rev Fidel "Butch" Montoya
Remember: "GOD LISTENS"!
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