Easter/Resurrection Day

EASTER/ RESURRECTION DAY

Easter or Ishtar?

The word Easter appears once in the King James version of the Bible. Herod has put Peter in prison,  "intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" (Acts 12:4). Yet in the original Greek text the word is not Easter, but Pesach, that is Passover. So why was the name changed? 

"Asherah" the Greek form of this word from the Septuagint is "Astarte", who is the Babylonian goddess of the sea, sea being symbolic of people, and consort of the god El. She was the mother of several gods, including Baal, the Babylonian god of the sun. These deities were soon adopted by the Canaanites when they named these female deities the Ashereh or Asherim. During a celebration of this god, the children of the Canaanite parents would often go and hunt for eggs, which were symbolic of sex, fertility and new life. It was believed that these eggs came from rabbits, which in the pagan world were symbolic of lust, sexual prowess and reproduction. The Canaanites, however, were not the only ones who worshipped rabbits as deities. Decorating eggs came about to honor their pagan gods and were often presented as gifts to other families to bring them fertility and sexual success during the coming year.

Out of this practice came many other variations of these pagan festivals until the Roman Catholic Church adopted the Asherah worship and named it EASTER around 155 A.D. According to the CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, Easter was named after a pagan goddess of the Anglo-Saxons named Eostre, the goddess of the dawn.  A great controversy arose between the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church in 325 A.D. on whether to celebrate Easter on Sundays or on whatever day the Jewish Passover fell upon. Unfortunately, the Greeks lost a lot of followers and the Catholics contended that keeping Easter on Sundays would stimulate the practices of both the Christian world and the pagan worshippers.  Hence, since the original practice of Asherah worship we now have in our time the celebration of Easter, a world system holiday to the true festival of the Passover which was instituted in the Bible and completed in the New Testament when Christ died on the cross as our Passover Lamb. The true celebration should be the Resurrection and the Life John 3:36.

...For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. (I Cor 5:7)

*  WHY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON A CROSS? 

 A CROSS MEANS Death to self, self-denial 

KEY SCRIPTURES: Deut. 21:22-23; Matt. 16:24; 27:22-26; Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; 3:13-14; 5:24; 6:14. 
FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION: Jesus was crucified on a tree- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (self) He carried the cross piece through the streets. A cross was an upright wooden stake or post on which Jesus was executed, displayed as a criminal and enemy of the state. "Cross" is from the Greek "stauros" (Strong's #4716) which means "a stake or post (as set upright), (specifically) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively, exposure to death, self-denial; by implication, the atonement of Christ." The verb "stauroo" means "to impale on the cross; figuratively, to extinguish (subdue) passion or selfishness; metaphorically, the putting off of the flesh with its passions and lusts."

FULFILLED IN CHRIST: Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross at Calvary for the sins of the world (Matt. 27:22-26; Jn. 1:29). He died not for us, but AS US. His cross was carried by Simon of Cyrene (Matt. 27:32; Mk. 15:21; Lk. 23:26). Jesus said to his disciples, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Lk. 14:27). Jesus, making peace by His blood, reconciled both Jew and Greek unto God in one Body by the cross (Eph. 2:11-16; Col. 1:20). There were three men crucified: the Man on the middle cross was God in the flesh; the thief on the right who repented and was remembered (put back together) was Adam in the flesh (Lk. 23:42); the thief on the right who returned to be crucified was satan in the flesh (see Lk. 4:3, 9, 13; 23:39; Col. 2:15). Satan is not the thief of John 10:10 anymore. Jesus' death on the cross overcame the old man and the devil (Eph. 4:22-27; Heb. 2;14-18; 1 Jn. 3:8). Jesus the Savior who was crucified has become both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). APPLIED TO THE CHRISTIAN: Paul declared, "I am (have been) crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:17-18). The apostle wrote to the Galatians, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). Our old man has been crucified with Him; we have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 5:24). 

Good Friday should actually be "Good Wednesday". Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, which was Nisan 14 (Jewish Calendar). The day after Jesus died was a High Sabbath (not a weekly Saturday Sabbath). He died at 3:00Pm in the afternoon, the same time as the temple sacrifice. They took him from the cross and put him in the tomb. Christian calendars differ from Jewish calendars. Jewish days begin at sunset at 6pm. "DAWN" is considered sunset. Nisan 14 (Wednesday) at 6pm begins the next day - that's when they put Him in the tomb. This day is the High Sabbath/Unleavened Bread Feast. 72 hours later as they made the First Fruit harvest offering, waving sheaves, Jesus comes forth fulfilling the sign of Jonah (3 days in the belly of the whale). At Firstfruits (dusk) at the close of the Sabbath(Saturday) is when he arose. When he appeared to Mary it was actually evening, not morning. When Jesus arose, people were then at the Temple Mount singing songs of David offering wave offerings - barley sheaves. Jesus fulfilled the Firstfruits Celebration and became the first for us coming forth from the dead (through Christ) and walking in newness of life. Jesus fulfilled Passover (New Birth of Believer), Unleavened Bread (Put off old), and First Fruits (Put on the New). 

Happy Resurrection Week! Celebrate everyday for: “the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you.” Rom. 8:11

YOUR TRUE CALLING

Your True Calling

Have you ever considered why the Lord called you to be a child of God? Was it to become a powerful preacher of the gospel, to be a missionary in a far-off country or to be a good husband and father or wife and mother? Is your calling to be a successful business person or an efficient administrator? While these may be valid pursuits in life in obedience to the calling of God, we need to look more closely into the Scriptures to identify our true calling.

In my study of the Scriptures, I have discovered at least 41 calls that apply to the lives of believers.

Consider, for example, that we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light (see 1 Pet. 2:9) or that we are called to be saints (see Rom. 1:7).

But not one of these 41 calls is our primary call. When God created Adam there were no churches to pastor, no heathen to preach the gospel to and no businesses or offices to manage. The primary reason God created Adam was to fulfill His desire for a family with whom He could enjoy sweet communion. His first priority is the same today as then: to enjoy His children in a love relationship.

Jesus declared, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23, NKJV).

Our primary calling is our destiny to enjoy relationship with God, not to work for Him. The work God gave Adam to do was to have dominion over the earth. He was in charge of taking care of the place where he would live with his descendants and where God would come to walk with him and commune with him.

God's desire for believers is to cultivate a love relationship with each of us. In the context of that relationship He will then give us specific tasks to do. Yet the tasks should never diminish the priority of relationship with Him.

Of course, God has ordained that the church, the body of Christ in the earth, serve one another as we serve God. But we must be careful to prioritize our calling the way God does and not according to man's perspective. God intends that our service to the body of Christ and to lost humanity proceed out of relationship with Himself. That relationship of worship - the creature to the Creator, the redeemed to the Redeemer - will motivate us to serve out of a heart of love for God.

I am convinced that whatever God does to advance His purpose on the earth is born out of a worshiping people. When the woman at the well asked Jesus questions about worship, He responded, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

It was the woman's question and Jesus' answer that led me to seek God and search the Scriptures in order to understand what Jesus meant by worship in "spirit and truth." God seeks worshipers who will cultivate a love relationship with Him. He values our relationship with Him more than anything we can or will ever do for Him. We can show Him that we value it as well by laying hold of our primary calling to enjoy and worship Him.

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. WESTMINSTER CATHECHISM

Walking Worthy of the Lord

Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col.1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Walk worthy of the Lord describes a radical commitment of will, affection, and disposition to pleasing Christ. Fruitfulness, growth in godly knowledge, divine empowerment, and thankfulness characterize such a walk. Strengthened is the Greek word, dunamoo (doo-nam-ah-oh); Strong’s #1412: To make strong, confirm, enable. There is a family of duna-power words: dunamai (to be able), dunamis (power, usually supernatural), dunamoo (to strengthen), dunastes (sovereign or ruler), dunateo (to be mighty), and dunatos (powerful). (The derivative of the words “dynasty,” “dynamic,” “dynamite.”)

A Definition of Godliness
This passage defines NT godliness concisely and completely. Believe that a “walk worthy of the Lord,” 1) pleases the Lord, 2) is fruitful in good works, 3) grows in knowing God, and 4) is strengthened by God’s power.

The good news is now you can conduct yourselves appropriately towards Him; pleasing Him in every harvest of good works that you bear. Meanwhile you continue to increase in your intimate acquaintance with God; this results in the most attractive and fulfilled life possible. You are empowered in the dynamic of God's strength; His mind is made up about you! He enables you to be strong in endurance and steadfastness with joy.

The gospel, too good to be true news, is not a set of rules and regulations on how to walk worthy of the Lord. It's not a bunch of  " gotta dos". You've already been made worthy and as you acknowledge that,  salvation works out in your soulish realm.

All according to His glorious power, grace, His freely given power that works in you!!

Decree For Your City

Isaiah 62:9-12

Go through the gates! ( the doors to the city)
Prepare the way for the people; (through a course of action)(face the way of the people)
Build up, Build up the highway! (raise up a path)
Take out the stones, (remove the weights)
Lift up a banner for the peoples! (lift up a standard and ensign of righteousness)
11 Indeed the LORD has proclaimed (decreed)
To the end of the world: (to this country)
“Say to the daughter of Zion, (spiritual Jerusalem)( a people of praise)
‘Surely your salvation (liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety) is coming; 
Behold, His reward (benefits, inheritance) is with Him, 
And His work before Him.’ ”(His deeds at His face)
12 And they shall call them (people of this city) The Holy People, (righteous tribe)
The Redeemed of the LORD; (His next of kin)
And you shall be called Sought Out, (searched out as a place of worship)
A City Not Forsaken.( a place guarded by a watch of the Lord) (a city loosened)