EASTER MESSAGE 2008

"Oh Lord, how manifold are Your Works! In Wisdom, You have made them all." Psalm 104:24

Wisdom is a feature in creation often effaced to the mind of rebellious man
by the inclusion of the devastating antics of various follies,
and the effecting of the divine curse (Romans 8, Genesis 3),
itself resulting from the inane self-elevation, that man sought,
as still in much of his society he seeks, even to become AS GOD.

However foolish man becomes, as in the design fiasco where he designs to delete it,
where the greatest visible exemplar of the definition of the term is in fact man,
engaged here in the wrong sort of self-denial, still unyielding,
nevertheless, the wisdom in his design remains, a silent but evocative testimonial to truth.

The wit and wisdom of God is surpassing, and of course infinitely surpasses that of man,
as in fact the work invested in  man attests,  compared with the work of man. 
It is only when man appreciating this, takes the course the Almighty requires,
that of repentance and faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour, His word inscribed in the Bible, that the wisdom which is from above, pure and peaceable flows to man (James 1).

HENCE there is peace in the heart and mind, the soul and life of the Christian,
for his aims are then overflowing as loving gratitude in action, dwelling in the power of God, who is love, and Almighty, so that he/she cannot fail once saved, to have His savour.

Yet the results accrue no less where God being mocked, Christ being derided, abased, trifled with, contained in revised versions made in the mint of the mind of man,
peace is excluded and at best, superficial substitutes are in vogue.
Yet these are dross.
Man at war with God is unsightly, like a parade of concentration camp guards, in uniform, while those whom they tortured and killed walk beside them,
in silent mockery of their strutting. Strutting in faith in your own works is like that,
a drab delusion of pride. By God's standards, our best scarcely reaches the horizon,
and His grace does not elevate our pretension, but shows His humility.

The latter, the negative response is vast.

HENCE war in this globe is endemic, horror is most natural and child-slaughter or abuse,
in body or mind or spirit or any combination, becomes more like fatness,
just 'one of those things'.

All means to alter this fail, whether by force, compulsion or myths of the mind of man.
NOTHING satisfies - though much ministers false hope -
nothing fills the heart of man but truth.
This is nothing less than God, manifest in incarnation as Christ (John 14:6).
When man, diverted,  ceases seeking truth, his manhood becomes a lagoon,
where poisonous snakes idle between strikes.

Even when more compulsion is used to harass, contain and arrest the race,
it merely defaces man,
as in any other prison system, visible or invisible, be it Tibetan by invasion,
or this or that land, by threat of it..
This power path leads to further human political abuse, which is to come
(Revelation 13,17),
and in large parts of the world has come, or is coming.

Hitler and Stalin were European and Russian prototypes. New models pine to arrive.
If you don't want God, power with parade, panache and self-will lusts to replace Him.
Man dissatisfied with the curse on nature (Romans 5:1-12, 8:18ff., Genesis 3:15ff.)
which causes travail in labour and mocks man's preoccupation with power,
provides whips, the one nation, section or person, for the other, and in part in this way disciplines himself: but it is evil on evil, folly added to folly, distemper dynamising yet more. Nor is this all. The physical is but a structural base for space and time; the spiritual supervenes: WHY you use the physical, for what and how! Ignoring the deliverance presented with the curse (Galatians 3), man finds in revolt there is more to inherit than physical trouble; and if man has not seen that in Hitler and Stalin, blindness is total.

If the Good Shepherd is not to your taste, the Evil Shepherd trembles to arrive
(cf. Zechariah 11:16-17).

It is but a step from this back to God, the Creator, Designer and only Saviour for the man He made.

Easter is simply the name for a season taken from the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ: it is the honour Him, but is it preoccupied with other things ?

Even in this, some would make a convenience of Him; but as a mere convenience, He is not interested. Thus He avoided those who wanted to make Him king after the feeding of the 5000, even those who were willing to rest on miracles without saving faith,
to which the miracles were to minister (John 6:29). What then is the work of God ? they wanted to know how THEY could do such things.

THIS, said Christ, is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.

That is a delightful play: the work of God, to do it ? they pantingly ask, impressed by His power.

BELIEVE in Me, is the answer, this is the work of God. How could they set about things themselves ? by resting through faith in Him, IN HIM! Whose work is this ?
It is the work of God who alone can open the festering heart of man
and bring it rest (John 6:62,65).
Yet it is no mere operation in a mist: God KNOWS who are His, but SEEKS ALL,
in love (Colossians 1:19ff.), categorically! Such a work must be wrought
and it must be wrought by God; yet for all that, it is the work to which man must look.
It must be DONE, just as the miracle was done.

How simple is Easter's message then: Who died ? Christ did. Who was resurrected ? Christ was. Whose is the power and who used it on earth ? Christ did. Then rest your trust in Him, and this is the work of God.

Whose was the flesh given ? His, and whose the blood ? His. What is the result of receiving this in spirit (John 6:63), taking Him inwardly as the Lamb slain for the sins
of the world, offered to all (John 1:29, 6:47-55) ? It is this: it must be received as food is, and taken to heart, not to stomach in this case!

Sacrifice for sin is His, once only (Hebrews 9), and SO to receive Him,
not in figure but in fact, so once to ingest His work and His offering
of His very self into your being and spirit (John 6:51), this brings eternal life,
so that you are raised up on the last day. John 6:54 assures you of that.
 

Whoever by faith receives this work of God, this saving work in Christ,
this sacrifice for sin, this true Life, resurrected and realising itself in His children:
this is the one who lives for ever, just as He loves forever.
He is not another christ or bread or social systems: HE IS HIMSELF,
from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90-91, John 8:58). HE ONLY is Master
(Matthew 23:8-10), and all we are brethren. So to receive Him brings a change of STATE, for we are transformed into the children of God (John 5:24).

This is great! It is not however, any more than is a plan for a house,
something done in a sketch, the house itself. So life itself must be received,
not merely nominated, outlined.

It is wrought in life by the power of God, precipitated in repentance, consummated in faith, constrained in life, fashioned in grace. Small wonder John was so overwhelmed
(I John 4:1-4). Knowing Christ (John 17:1-3) IS an overwhelming thing!
It is like a giant wave, soaring above you. It is good to move with it,
and to know the life that is His.

Without it, life is an abortion, an absurdity,
a squandering of restoration, a dim-witted meander in sin.
In Him there is grace and nobility and faithfulness and knowledgeability and reliability
and power and wonder. He who made the earth (Colossians 1:15)
CANNOT lack the joy of discovery and the uttermost wisdom for faith!
He who died, cannot lack the love that is unbuyable, indelible.

He who rose from the corpse condition of the dead to the resurrection reality,
to whom some clung, with whom others ate, who Himself ate:
He is the live source of liveliness. Praise the Lord. God knows bodies,
minds and spirits and is the sole source of salvation for the same!
Have then your Easter season's fill! or that for any other season!
His word and will and salvation is here through any season, until He comes!