Easter

     Happy "Late" Easter, everybody! Twelve years ago, when mom was planting rose bushes, I was asking her way too many questions after coming home from church. So we sat on the porch steps drinking juice boxes, while she took the time to answer my questions and tell me about Jesus, the Son of God. I am so thankful that my mom took the time to share with me the good news of Christ and that this could be said of her:

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised (from the dead) on the third day according to the Scriptures, (I Cor. 3b-4)"

     That afternoon, I put my trust in Jesus to save me from my sins, and I encourage you to do the same. Our Savior is the One who created us, and He gave His very life to save us from our sins (breaking His law). God is Loving, but also Just. Because every one of us has broken his law (found in Ex. 20:1-17), if he threw us all in Hell for are crimes he would still be Just. However, he is also loving and merciful. On the Cross he chose to take our place. If we put our trust in His blood on the cross, we will be forgiven ALL our sins. Because of that, Jesus is our Ultimate Example. He is our Ultimate Leader. He's the perfect Sacrifice. He's the Lamb of God. He's the Son of God, and He's the Rose of Sharon.

The Sacrifice

Blooming rose that’s highly favored,

And by Jehovah dearly loved,

Sanctioned by the Holy Father,

Perfect and unblemished flower;

Innocent, pure, and untarnished,

Fresh, delicate, gentle hearted,

Healing all my broken wounds,

You suffered much more than a swoon.

Marred beyond all recognition,

Murdered by your own creation,

Bruised and beaten, mocked and spat on,

Why did you suffer on so long?

Father and son, in unity

Together spent eternity,

Forging a plan ‘fore time began,

They did determine to save man.

Though tight the everlasting bond,

This was not time at all for song,

Covered by our horrendous sin,

The Father could not look at him.

As ‘round they riled, beat and shove

Your name O LORD above is love.

“Father, forgive them”, was your cry,

While on the cross you hung to die.

Quite willingly, you took my place,

To hide me from God’s holy face,

For wrath of God you suffered more,

Than all the blood, and hid’ous gore.

At the last cry, Tetelestai,

You yielded life with a great sigh

That it is finished, paid in full,

And no one ever can annul.

In the dark tomb, you gently laid,

Your life was gone and my sins paid

Some mourned you dead in that dark cave,

But you are great, mighty to save.

On the third day you then arose,

Conquering death and all your foes.

Your life’s eternal, said and done;

Victory’s sure, the battle’s won.

And then to me you truly swore,

I’ll love you ever ever more.

And this to you I will now swear,

To put my trust in Love so fair.

For if we truly do believe,

Salvation freely we’ll receive,

Putting our trust in Christ alone,

And that he did our sins atone.

Alive and risen, that from thence,

You might have the preeminence,

Seated at the right hand of God,

You doth rule that heavenly sod.

For all you’ve bought and left and gave,

That you may the souls ever save,

For all the love that I have known,

What love to others have I shown?

-          By Jennifer, 3/18/2013

  For Mom’s Birthday 
  Happy Birthday, Mom!

Standing up for Feedom: A German Pastor

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German man who lived through both world wars and was full of radical ideas, radical teaching styles, and radical actions. Simply put, he was a pastor who desired to see this world change. He believed that the Sermon on the Mount was not just full of nice teaching, but was actually meant to be lived out. Not only that but he believed that God’s Word was the primary judge of all human behavior, and the things written in God’s Word need to be taken to heart because it’s directed toward the individual person. During WWII, Bonhoeffer preached salvation through Christ whereas the German First United Reich Church preached your soul’s salvation through Hitler. At age twenty seven he did a radio speech entitled The Younger Generations of Changed View, which defied Nazi rule. It was soon cut off the air. Hatred of the Israelite people was growing strong in Germany and Bonhoeffer challenged the church to stand up for the Jews. He taught for a while at a German Seminary which got no government support, and even when teaching at the Finkenwalde Seminary, he was different. Contrary to the professors of his time, Bonhoeffer was informal about his teaching. He got to know his students and would hang out with them after class hours. In fact, he was so young it was hard to distinguish him from the rest of the seminary students.

A part of the German intelligence, Dietrich’s brother-in-law had access to much concealed information. After returning from a short trip to New York, Bonhoeffer was asked by his brother-in-law to join the Resistance, a small group dedicated to the killing of Hitler. He accepted Working undercover as a double agent now, Bonhoeffer passed on information of the conspiracy to American churches. One day documents were discovered by a Hitler loyalist. They led to Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was thrown into the Pagel Prision. His fiancée, Maria Von Wedemayer was only allowed to see him once. When a plot of the conspiracy to murder Hitler failed, killing many of his officers but not him, Hitler vowed to kill every last member of the Resistance. Bonhoeffer was taken to Flosenberg Concentration camp and marched naked to the gallows. His dying words: “This is the end, for me the beginning of life.”

A Cloud of Witnesses

   

       So, why am I writing this blog? I am writing this because I believe that there is so much to gain from those who are dead, other than a physical inheritance. There are things to be learned from those who are living, too, but as Robert E. Lee once wrote, "It is history that teaches us to hope[1]". So how does history help us?

       First, I read in Hebrews 12:1-2, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (KJV)" When we know of the people who have gone before us it encourages us to lay aside our sin and anything else that keeps us from obeying Jesus. It also reminds us, and even inspires us, to look to and follow after our Savior.

    Which leads me to my second point, they are examples for us to follow. As Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.[2]" Paul was leading the way to Christ. Many others have done the same, and still are today.

     One such person was Abel. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.[3]" By what he being dead yet speaketh? By faith. Through his faith and actions he showed that the most important thing to him was his God, the Creator of the universe. Abel has a message even for us today. Notice he still speaks. All of those who are followers of Christ, have a message for us, whether they are alive or not. However the question is, "Will we learn from them?"

     Today, I choose to do that. "Seeing also we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness", this will be a lifetime endeavor. We are compassed about, we are surrounded. We have so much to learn. Will you join me?

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[1] In a letter he wrote to Col. Charles Marshall

[2] 1 Corinthians 11:1, KJV

[3] Hebrews 11:4, KJV