OK, I know that 'Easter' is bogus.  And NO, my kids don’t have a chocolate bunny hangover today.  Not even any side-effects of eating a half dozen dye & peel hard boiled eggs (after too many tots have handled them).  No, we simply had a normal service yesterday, remembering of course, that it is Passover time - the time of year that Jesus rose from the dead.  Actually, EVERY day is Resurrection Day for a Christian, right?.   At the same time - if you had 'Easter' baskets, it's fine with me.  I'm just sayin'...  

   “Christian” leaders in the news, like Obama’s pastor Jeremiah Wright, have brought renewed scrutiny to the Christian faith.  People throw around the title "theologian", and I'm wondering if being a theologian these days has anything to do with the Bible.  Apparently not.  If Rev Wright “led me to Christ”, as Barrack Obama claims, then what is their definition of ‘Christ’?  It certainly seems Obama's Jesus is a very  different Jesus than the one I know.  I think Rev Wright is actually Rev Wrong. 

   On Sunday, I went over the primary areas of the Christian Faith which are currently under such ongoing  onslaught in the Culture War:

The Bible as the Authoritative Word of God.

·         The Death of Jesus Christ as the ONLY Atonement for Mankind.

·         The literal, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as Proof of His Authenticity.

The literal Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the Age.

Just to touch on ONE specific thing from yesterday: #2 The Death of Jesus on the Cross was the ONLY Atoning sacrifice for the sin of Man.  Today we are learning of growing movements within so-called ‘Christian’ churches which de-emphasize the Cross and the atoning blood of Jesus.  They diminish His death by saying it was a certainly noble thing, even something we should see as an example for our lives, but it was not unlike other deaths.  Here’s a quote from a leading author – cut out of the “Emerging Church”, “Seeker Friendly”, “Purpose Driven” mold.  “The Church’s fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end… and the place of the cross must be re-imagined in Christian faith.  Why?  Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it” – Alan Jones from Reimagining Christianity.  This is what’s passing for ‘Christianity’ and ‘Christian Theology’ today.  The gospel of the Wrights, Jones, Rick Warrens, and Joel O’Steens of the world will get you on the news and even make your book a Bestseller, but that doesn’t make their gospel Biblical.

   Don’t be confused.  There’s only ONE way to God.  That is through the Cross of Christ.  His blood bought our salvation.  Some liken the death of Jesus, to the death of our soldiers in Iraq.  That is: “No greater love has a man than this: That he would lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Our soldiers who die in battle are basically following the example of Jesus and giving up their lives for others.  While I certainly honor the work of our military, and I know their sacrifice is inspired by Christ Himself - In reality their deaths are not in the same league as our Lord Jesus Christ at all.  Self-sacrifice – in any fashion -  falls a million miles short of what the Cross is all about.  People are ignorant because the pulpits of America have stopped telling us the truth.  Jesus was the prophetic fulfillment of the Jewish Passover Lamb.  He led a sinless life, and was hung on the Cross to pay for our sins with His innocent blood.  No other figure in history has ever been capable of doing what Jesus did.  The Cross was not merely a noble gesture of self-sacrifice…  Not hardly.  It was a loving God – who came to earth in the flesh - to graciously Redeem hopeless, helpless mankind from a damned eternity in Hell.  Mohamed didn’t do that, nor Buddha, nor _________  (fill in the blank).  And to PROVE the authenticity of His atoning work on the Cross, Jesus rose from the dead as He had said He would.