Thought for Wednesday 23 April

 1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

At this time of year, many of us will have received Easter Cards.  Unfortunately, the one received in my household this year did not represent the true meaning of Easter.  The front of the card said ‘sending you warm Easter wishes’, the verse inside the card said ‘hope your Easter is happy and bright’.  There was even a mention of the ‘bunny’ but not a mention of Calvary!!! 

So, as well as Christ gradually and progressively being removed from Christmas, and the Easter message being changed to the extent that Calvary doesn’t even get a mention, doesn’t it make you wonder what is causing the world and society in general to allow less and less of the Christian message to be heard and shared.  It’s happening in schools, it can be seen when you try to buy a greetings card with a Christian message.  It can be seen on Sunday mornings where children and adults are engaged in leisure activities where that time used to be taken up by attending Sunday School, Bible Class and Morning worship.  Is all this a natural progression or is it being driven by someone or something or some other force? 

A popular Scottish preacher who is based in America made the following observation primarily about the Old Testament, but really about the bible in its entirety.  He writes; ‘The overall testimony of the Old Testament is that the dead live. In death they have experienced a change of place, they have experienced an altered state, but their individuality has been retained’.  He is not just referring to Christians, he is referring to everyone.  Death in this life is not the end. 

The predictions in the bible continue to be realised.  Today’s reading tells us we have a choice.  We have a choice of being saved or of perishing.  Those who make a fool of Christians and their beliefs will perish.  Those who believe in Jesus will be saved.  The bible tells us a little about what it means to perish and what it means to be saved.  Without going into detail, perishing doesn’t sound like an attractive option. 

I attended Holy Week services in four different Churches last week and observed a couple of things.

·       There were very few folks there under the age of sixty.

·       The split between male and female was around 15% Male and 85% female 

We should pray that Holy Week services will still be happening in ten, twenty, thirty years time.  People need to get the chance to hear and believe the message of the Cross in this life so as not to perish in the next. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise you, Lord, that you loved the world so much that you gave your only begotten Son to be our Saviour, to die on the Cross so that we might live with Him forever.  We thank you that Jesus became a man, experienced the challenges of this life and more.  He died on that Cross because he was the only one who could bear the sins of the world so that those who loved and followed him could be with him in the life that is to follow.  Amen.