Happy Resurrection Day from STIC! Seems strange that it arrived so early in the month of April this year, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a couple of different calendars going on at the same time. Instead of doing a devotional for today, I thought it would be good to talk about Resurrection Day in general, otherwise known as Easter.
Ever since the internet has placed the world’s information at our fingertips, knowledge behind different holidays have increased, to the point of causing some Christians to become concerned about whether or not it’s right to take part and celebrate. I struggled with this in the past, and I believe the Lord cut through the smoke for me.
Happy Easter, or Happy Resurrection Day?
If you’ve subscribed, and have been following along with the “Daily Devotionals,” you’d know that we often come across the Father showing concern over what is going on within our hearts. The exact same thing holds true as it relates to celebrating any holiday.
I mean, I do get it, and have done my share of research behind all of the different occultic meaning behind all of the popular things about Easter and Christmas (the two of which are the ones that people most often feel conflicted about). The yule log and the tree concerning Christmas for example, along with the bunny and egg relating to Easter, on and on.
As I said, I get it. Please don’t send me all kinds of literature about how occultic the origins of these holidays are, because you’d be preaching to the quire. Many people feel convicted by the Holy Ghost not to celebrate these holidays, and as far as I’m concerned, do what the Lord is telling you to do if indeed that’s the situation.
What are we as Christians to do about these “Christian” holidays that have an occultic root to them? Well, where’s our hearts resting? Do we celebrate the worldly side of this holiday which would be Easter, or do we celebrate the day Christ Jesus rose to the Father, after having taken the keys of hell and death, setting the captives free, making a way for our salvation, and changing the eternal outcome for all who call upon his name for salvation?
Do we celebrate the day Santa decides to take off from the North Pole to take a sleigh ride on Christmas Day? Or do we celebrate the day that Christ Jesus was born, launching fulfillment of a host of prophecy, and also representing the first steps of the Father’s personal sacrifice to be made, presenting HIS lamb to atone for sin once and for all on our behalf?
Colossians 2: King James Bible
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
It would be beneficial for us all to take a good long look at the chunk of scripture up above. Maybe read it over slowly a couple of times. We should take care that we are not celebrating things puffed up by man, but are celebrating the things that are important to the Lord.
What’s in your Heart
There are pagan holidays that litter the calendar all year long. Does that mean that if you wind up having a prayer meeting, an outing, a big meal, or anything else, that you must be partaking in the wickedness of that holiday? I don’t believe so.
However, if you are doing something during one of those days, in order to worship a false god, or celebrate a work of a false god, well, that’s a different issue. The main concern to the Father is our heart, and what our intentions are.
Something that should be said… If we are celebrating the resurrection of the Lord while others are celebrating falsehoods, should we remain silent, or celebrate Christ all the more? Why be silent about what the Lord has done? There is nowhere Biblically, that will tell us that to celebrate the works and the grace of the Father is sin. Every Jewish holiday revolves around such things, and most if not all of them in one way or another, point to Christ.
Some would argue that Easter Sunday isn’t even the day the Lord resurrected. I personally agree with that, but who cares? Use the day to amp up thanks to the Father for everything he’s done. If you take a look at the church attendance during holidays such as these, you’ll find that these days are used as an excuse to come to church. Maybe they should be getting a good dose of the Word of God, and a healthy injection of the truth into their lives, rather than a show, or closed doors.
Matthew 5: King James Bible
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Opportunity
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
For some, it’s the only opportunity they allow themselves, to even hear the Word spoken in truth, instead of the world’s idea of what the Lord whom they don’t know has to say. For Christians, this is an opportunity to let our light so shine, and present the truth of the resurrection of the Lord to those who wouldn’t ordinarily be giving it any thought.
Philippians 2: King James Bible
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
I see everyday as an opportunity to try and share things that the Lord places in my heart, right here on this site. But it’s not everyday that most people are stirred into thinking about the Lord. Situations come by way of the Lord during these holidays that wouldn’t come otherwise, so we need to keep our eyes open physically and spiritually speaking.
Even a simple act can make people pause. If someone wishes you to have a happy Easter, and you respond with wishes of a happy Resurrection Day, it forces them to recall that there’s more to this day than an egg laying rabbit and a toothache from those overpriced chocolates.
Maybe for some, something this simple would cause someone to even ask what you mean? The amount of people out there that haven’t got a clue about what the Lord’s done for them is scary in comparison to what we’d think. We assume that people understand Resurrection Day, or Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, but assumptions are usually incorrect.
People who are even willing to entertain the notion that Jesus existed, might acknowledge that he died, but passes off the rest of it, due to lack of understanding or indoctrination to the contrary from the world. We are the ones who need to step up, and speak the truth of the Word of God to those who have been misinformed.
If we as the Body of Christ Jesus don’t do it, who will? I can tell you with certainty, that when we decide to keep our mouths shut about Jesus, the world will tell its own tale without hesitation. And there will be no truth found concerning all that Jesus did leading up to, during, and after his resurrection, when given by the world.
To Conclude
Thank you for reading! I hope that this post has inspired you to take a more indepth look into the opportunities available to us just simply due to what day it is. Every day is fit for thanksgiving unto the Lord, and every day the resurrection of Christ Jesus should be remembered and recognized by Christians. But days like Christmas and Easter are similar to opened doors, where those outside the Kingdom get to peer inside a little.
Why not be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves, and utilize this as an opportunity to share and spread the gospel of the Kingdom of the Lord, better explaining to others, the reasons behind days such as Resurrection Day? The Lord will provide opportunity, and I pray that you take him up on them.
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Have yourselves a happy Resurrection Day everybody!