It had been given me that I live in the moment, with an awareness heightened by every impression of the senses…. Most people exist in an emptiness between memory anticipation, but never live in the moment.”
–Louis L’Amour (Kiowa Trail)

“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
–Ephesians 5:16-17 (NLT)
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I wonder how many will take time this week, not just to follow ritual, but in doing so take time to reverently think of the last days of Jesus, the man. One of the things that the deconstructions/postmodernists have succeeded in doing is the tearing down of reverence. I have mentioned it from time-to-time on the Echo, but this Sunday it really hit me.
There was a time when special clothes were kept to be worn only on Sunday or other special occasions. We have now come to the time when you can wear to church what you wore on Saturday’s fishing trip. Sure, God looks at the heart, but man looks on the outward. Also it is important to remember that the outward appearance very often reflects the heart.
I am not speaking of a clothesline, legalistic aspect. I am speaking of revering God as the great Almighty God of the universe. We wear to church what could never be worn in a courtroom without being found in contempt of court. I recall the last time I was called for jury duty. A “kid” showed up in shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops. He was found in contempt, sent home, warned that if he showed up like that when recalled that he would be arrested.
I might ask, what is man’s purpose? What is his ultimate duty? Scripture declares that it is to “Fear God, and obey His commandments.” The Shorter Westminster Catechism states, “To glorify God, and enjoy Him forever.” Worship Him wherever you are, in whatever you are wearing, but there is a time to dress properly before meeting before the Judge of the earth.
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What about these teenagers (and I use that guarded, because many of their speeches have been written by adults) proclaiming their 1st Amendment rights in marching for gun-control? Hmmm, protesting against the 2nd Amendment which protects their rights in the 1st Amendment. Somehow, that just doesn’t make sense.
They are wanting “gun-control.” There are many, many gun control laws. However, it is the person holding the gun that controls it. Most of those whining-babies don’t even know the laws. Try to purchase a gun and see what it is like.
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What do you think of ‘possums? It is the only marsupial in North America, but for most people they have a creepy look. If you watched the “Beverly Hillbillies” you may recall Granny saying she was fixin’ up some possum belly. I’ve eaten it, and don’t care for it myself. But I came across a few little facts I thought I’d pass on about ‘possums.
–It is a hero against ticks. It can eat up to 4,000 ticks in a week.
–They are immune to the venom of poisonous snakes.
–Their body temperature is so low that it is very rare for them to get rabies.
Know what, after giving you this information? I still don’t like the way they look, and you can eat all the ‘possum belly you want, I’ll pass.
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Ponder This: “As I look back upon the work of Jesus, I find there untiring labor joined with unruffled calm.” –George H. Morrison

Don’t hang on to your fear. Let yourself hope. It is only brave people who find life beautiful.”
–William MacLeod Raine (Challenge to Danger)

“I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.”
–Leviticus 26:6 (NLT)
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If you ever get the chance, read some of the sermons by William E. Sangster, do so. He was an amazing preacher during the 20th-century. Ponder these thoughts from his pen.

“Sin is deadly. It is the one thing God won’t tolerate. The war between good and evil is to the death. And you lend yourself to sin without knowing what a dirty enterprise you have sold yourself…until you see that cross…. So it is with sin. You can discuss it academically. You can even argue whether there is such a thing or not, or whether it is all the imagination of moralists. But then go and look at the cross. It does that. It is the most deadly thing known to God and man. It would slay the body and damn the soul. It is hell’s worst. You can see it when you gaze upon the cross.”

Remember the old saying, “You play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.” The same thing is true of sin. It is nothing to play with. In fact we are told to flee, to run, to avoid, to stay away from all aspects of sin. Why play with sin, when God won’t tolerate it?
There was a student a few years ago that wanted to discuss the issue of gays. I said, no. He then said that I was “homophobic” to which I replied, that I wasn’t afraid of them, it wasn’t a fear that I had. Then I answered him, why should I talk of, dwell upon something that God calls an abomination? Sin is deadly and not to be played with.
Smart people have developed all kinds of programs to deal with the failure of man; they will not call it sin. However, these programs all fail. They do not take into account the only thing that will change sin, that can deal with it effectively and that is the Cross.
If we could really see sin the way God does. If we could really see what took place upon the Cross where the Son of God hung, died, and bore the sins of mankind. If we could just…then we would see the deadliness of sin.
This Easter season, take PLENTY of time to gaze upon the Cross.

Important things aren’t bothers.”
–Luke Short (The Primrose Try)

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
–Luke 6:31 (NLT)
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Here’s a little history lesson I picked up from Robert J. Morgan’s book.

“Easter is the greatest of Christian holidays. But what does the word ‘Easter’ mean? Where and when was it first celebrated?
The origin of the word ‘Easter’ is uncertain, but the Venerable Bede claimed that the Christian resurrection festival displaced ancient pagan celebrations involving the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess ‘Eostre.’ That, he said, occasioned the term. Others believe the word derives from an old German terms meaning ‘sunrise.’
Whatever its meaning, it is the oldest celebration of Christianity. The earliest written reference to Easter comes from the mid-second century. A controversy arose about the dating of Easter, causing Polycarp to visit Rome’s bishop Anicetus. The two were unable to settle the controversy, and it became a hotly debated issue threatening to split the church. Believers in Asia celebrated one day, Christians in Europe another. Books, tracts, sermons, and harangues were devoted to the topic. Synods and councils were called. Tempers flared. Clergy excommunicated one another. Irenaeus wrote, ‘The apostles ordered that we should judge no one in respect to a feast day or a hold day. Whence then these wars? Whence these schims?’
The issue came to a vote at the famous council of Nicaea in 325. Easter, declared the council, should be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21, the vernal equinox. Easter then is a ‘movable feast’ that may occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. The matter wasn’t entirely settled, but believers seemed to realize that it wasn’t the date, but the significance, that gave Easter its magnificence.
A custom arose among early worshipers to keep watch the Saturday night preceding Easter morning, and many believed that Christ would return at the breaking of this day. New converts kept watch and prayed throughout the night, then were baptized at sunrise. Another custom, still widely practiced, finds the pastor addressing the congregation with the glorious words: ‘He is risen!’ The assembled worshipers shout in return: ‘He is risen indeed!’ For 2,000 years the foundation of Christianity has rested securely on this simple yet unfathomable truth.
‘The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would.”‘ Matthew 28:5-6a” (One This Day, Robert J. Morgan)

In one sense, every day should be an Easter, for He lives and the resurrection is celebrated in our lives every day if we truly believe.
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Ponder This: “We put our groping fingers toward the Cross; if our heart’s love may but touch it, death will flee away.”
–Joseph Parker