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EASTER: Is it a Christian Holiday?

By Jonno

“Happy Easter,” the Pastor joyfully exclaims to the congregation prior his message.  The congregants with equal enthusiasm reply, “Happy Easter,” as undistinguished chattering and smiles ensues throughout the sanctuary.  Across the country and all over the world this scene unfolds, throughout the Christian body.  At the end of the service, the Easter Egg Hunt is held in great anticipation.  There’s a happiness that springs from the sharing of Easter baskets complete with chocolate bunnies and colorful chewy chicks of marshmallowy goodness. 

Wait a minute.  What does all this have to do with commemorating the death and burial, and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ?  Isn’t that the true meaning of Easter? 

There are roots of “Easter” in the Old Testament, however they were not of God. 

Asherah (Deuteronomy 16:21-22)

²¹ Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, ²² and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.

Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11:1-6)

¹ King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. ² They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. ³ He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. ⁴ As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. ⁵ He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

There are several references in the Bible specifically to this one goddess, the object of Jezebel’s worship (1 Kings 18:19).  There are other names for this mythological goddess whom the Caananites considered to be the consort of Ba’al, and the mother of all other gods.  Other names would include Aphrodite in Cyprus, Astarte in Greece, Hathor from ancient Egypt, Ishtar from Assyria, Kali from India, Ostara the Norse goddess of fertility, and Eostre from the Saxons in Northern Europe. 

The ancient word for spring is “eastre”.  This Eostre is said to be the mother goddess of spring, newness, and fertility; hence the egg representing new life, and the hare representing fertility. 

The Bible is explicitly clear about the practice of allowing foreign gods.  The fact remains that the practices when left unquestioned or unchallenged become part of tradition.  Jehovah’s Witnesses would have Christ crucified on a pole rather than the Cross.  The maypole that is erected traditionally has roots in paganism.  These are symbols of the type of worship that God has deemed detestable. 

I believe that where there is understanding, wisdom may follow.  I am not advising to not enjoy the eggs, candies, the colors, and fragrances that culturally we have adopted.  What I am cautioning is going overboard to the point where the celebration turns to a focus of worship away from what is godly.   Similarly, don’t throw away the heirloom Santa figurine that has been passed down from generation to generation.  What I am suggesting is to be careful, watchful, and mindful of the subtle ways that the enemy would choose to mingle what is godly with what is not. 

I am recommending searching the Bible for further truth regarding what I have presented.  I am also recommending a deeper understanding of what Christians truly commemorate as the greatest gift of the Father: His Son.  The truth remains that Jesus Christ came, died, and resurrected by God, and now lives today.  The truth remains that the Holy Spirit prompts people to live in holiness as unto God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is the greatest truth. 

Happy Resurrection Day

References:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

Strong's H842 - 'asherah

http://www.watchtower.org

http://www.englatheod.org/eostre.htm

http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm

            The immanence of God can be seen in scaled down versions of His attributes.  God allows mankind to possess a certain amount of wisdom, and a certain amount of strength.  Apostle Paul wrote, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25NIV).  The immanence means, "to exist or remain within" (WordIQ.com - Latin in manere).  When God created mankind, He breathed attributes that were distinctly His into us, and they remained within us, such as the capacity to love.  Because of sin, this capacity to love has been distorted and diluted to the point where we can no longer truly love as God has created us to.  We can assuredly seek to love what God loves, and hate what He hates despite of our sinful nature. 

            The transcendence of God is represented by those qualities that are all His in limitlessness.  The ability for God to “so love the world” is above the human capacity.  Only God, who is not bound by time, matter, space, or distance, is able to unconditionally love all of mankind from the beginning through the end, and beyond.  Man is incapable of this.  Only God has all power, all knowledge, all wisdom, all glory, and is always present.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  This is best illustrated in the beginning of the Bible: Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God….”  

The bottom line is that He is God all by Himself, and we are not, yet He loves us.

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January 5, 2011

My wife and I begin today our FACELESS FAST.  

THE FACELESS FAST - The focus of this fast is to turn our selfishness over to selflessness for the sake of your spouse, loved one, and others that you are in relationship with. I need it. Do you?

Symbolically, we are abstaining from food with a face (meat) for 40-days.  You are welcome to join us. 

While on the fast, we will focus on our relationship by employing the book “The Love Dare” by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. www.thelovedarebook.com

There are 40 challenges that the book will emphasize that run the course of the 40 days. 

We honor God through our marriage, and we want to grow closer to Him as well as with each other. 

(By the way: The day after the fast is Valentines Day.)