Promises

She was inconsolable as she told me her story.

He told her that he loved her.  He was rich, and handsome, and traveled the world. He told her that he loved her and he promised her the world. She had been told that he wanted nothing more than to be with her but his business had run into a little financial hardship and the only way  he could make the trip across the pond would be if she lent him some money.  He would return it.  Promise. With interest.  With the money she would lend, he would get his house in order and then they would be together forever. He promised. She believed him. She had been the victim of a scam.

It was a heart wrenching story to hear.

Professional scammers taking advantage of unsuspecting individuals.  Unfortunately, it happens all the time.

Have you ever been scammed?  Maybe not in the same way as the individual above, but an unfulfilled promise nonetheless. You were promised something good only to have it turn out very bad.  It is a horrible feeling.

James 1:17.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

God promises good and perfect gifts.  And God’s promises never return void. God’s promises never fail.

Honestly, there are some times in my life when I feel very connected to God and I feel like my faith is strong. I feel good and grounded and “I can” is my mantra.  And then there are other times in my life when I don’t feel as connected. I am discouraged and sometimes to the point of losing hope by all that this world is throwing at me. This scripture is a beautiful reminder to dwell on the good things we have and know that they come for our good God and Father.

You know that sensation you get when it is the hottest day of the summer and you finally get to enjoy that thirst quenching glass of cold water. Or, that feeling that rises up inside your heart when you hear a little baby belly laughing. Or when you cross off the last things on your to do list and you still have time leftover to do something fun or relax!  All of those things are gifts from the Father, who loves us, who give us really good and perfect gifts and who never ever changes or fails.

I pray you see more of God’s good gifts today.

Happy Easter!

Have you ever wondered why Easter falls on a different date every year?

Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21).  The date of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that the Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.  Easter can fall as early as March 23 and as late as April 25.

The next time Easter will fall on March 31 is in the year 2086!

I wonder what it would have been like to be there there in Jerusalem all those many years ago.  The Passover was being celebrated – a celebration of thankfulness to God for bringing God’s people out of Egyptian captivity.  So Jerusalem was an incredibly busy place with people filling the streets.  It was also a time, however, when the Israelites were under oppression from the Roman government and they were anxiously waiting for God to send them a deliverer – another Moses or David.

As Jesus enters into the city the people begin to cry “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest”.  They had heard of Jesus’ great wisdom and miracles.  Others were there when He had feed the five thousand with only a few fishes and loaves of bread.  This must be the man who would save them!
The crowds took the cloaks off their backs and spread them on the road.  They waved branches, cheering “Hosanna, in the highest”.  Their shout of “Hosanna” was a shout of “Save us”.

But as we know, Jesus did not come to save them from their political oppression.  He came to rescue them from their sins.

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

On Sunday we waved palm branches to the King of Kings. As we sang “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest” we, like the crowd in Jerusalem all those years ago were singing “Save us”.

However, unlike the crowd that gathered that day, we have the assurance that when we surrender and commit our lives to the king, Jesus will save us!

Plan to join us on Good Friday at 11 am as we gather to remember.

Often people will say that the word “good” does not properly describe the day.  “What’s so “good” about Good Friday?” they ask. Think about it this way:  on that day Jesus paid the penalty for humanity’s sins; because he took upon himself what we deserve, it is a day that delivers good news for those who accept this gift.  Joy is coming.

On Easter Sunday at 11am we celebrate the Risen Christ.

Jesus lived, died, and was raised from the dead on a Sunday morning.  This is likely the most attested event in human history. Through this God showed us his perfection, his love and he showed us he is who he said he was. We, who are Christians, believe that the cross and empty tomb are the decisive moment in history and …death no longer has final say.  Hosanna!

Join us this Holy week as we journey to JOY!

How do we talk to our children about Easter?

So how do we talk to our children about Easter? 

It is so much easier talking to our children about Christmas, isn’t it?  Especially when we rush over the virgin birth part ;)  Talking about a little baby, the joy of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and angels and wise men, is fun.  But when we talk about Easter we can’t speak about it without speaking of death and that can be more nerve wracking.

Probably because of that, Easter, the key experience of the faith which is about new life, an empty tomb, forgiveness and resurrection so often becomes more about pastel coloured eggs, Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny.  Don’t get me wrong, those are all fun, and to be perfectly honest, we still have an Easter egg hunt at our house (and I have adult children!).

Here’s the thing, one of the most important responsibilities we have as Christian parents is to teach our children about Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6: 7-9 says,  “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”.

So after our big Easter egg hunt, when the children were little, we would talk about the eggs representing new life.  Like the new life we have in Jesus.  That talk was never as engaging as when we made Resurrection buns on Easter morning to illustrate the empty tomb.  Check out the easy recipe here.

These yummy buns were a great way to talk about how the empty tomb was the ultimate victory of the good guys (God/Jesus) over the bad guys (Judas, the priests, Pilate, the soldiers). I would tell that kids that on Good Friday the bad guys thought they had won. They killed Jesus and sealed his body into a guarded tomb. On Easter morning God/Jesus blasted right out of that tomb and proved once and for all that God is more powerful than even the worst of the worst. And then we would cheer "Hooray for Jesus!". Easter is about celebrating that we belong to God who is the most powerful power in the universe!

As we talk about Easter with our children (or grandchildren) it’s important to remember that Easter is bigger and more complex than any of us can fully understand. And, we don't have to have all the answers. So pray, and then go ahead and talk about it with your children.

I think we probably do more harm when we don’t talk about it for fear that we’ll not get it right.

Share the Easter story with your children.

Share your faith with your children.

If you are looking for some resource materials to help you, don’t hesitate to contact our Family Ministry Director, Nancy Varga.  She’d be happy to help you!

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

This Palm Sunday, come with an expectation of being blessed and being a blessing!