MY GOD'S NOT DEAD - SORRY ABOUT YOURS No. 64

On Easter Friday we remembered the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
Death is something that man has feared since the fall and no one has ever been able to conquer it, no matter how hard he's tried. Leonardo de Caprio and Kate Winslet thought their lives would go on and on together after the Titanic but their hopes were sunk. Pop Singer Cher and Actress Joan Collins have had so many face lifts to keep looking young that they can hardly talk proper anymore, but they will both have to face "The inevitable" - Mr Anderson.
Nature has also been affected by the fall. I find it sad in autumn when everything dies and I also don't like it when the moon wanes and the tide goes out. It's also sad when you haven't seen someone for a long time when they are over the age of 40. One realises then that we are all growing older and will eventually die.
Man has been looking for ways to escape death since the year dot. He has searched for the Fountain of Youth, the Holy Grail, Utopia, and how to discover Time Travel, all to cheat old age and death.

This Easter Sunday we celebrate Christ's Resurrection, the day that He cheated death and offered to share this Victory with all His friends.
John 10:10 (Message Bible) "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

He has come to give us an abundant life, but what does this really mean? Does it mean a life with lots of money, successful high-powered jobs and holidays twice a year? Does it mean to be young and as fit as a fiddle all the time, with no problems in life? If this is what you are expecting from God then you're going to be disappointed.

The life Jesus is primarily talking about is firstly ETERNAL. This life comes with the ultimate package - JESUS. This life makes you into an 'Overcomer' and gives you hope for the future. This life causes you to reign in life and gives you the ability to never give up. It also enables you to resist temptation and sin.

This life is a single mother bringing up her children in the ways of the Lord and remaining faithful to Jesus.
It's a sick person on the bed of affliction yet trusting and praising God anyhow.
It's a person in a wheelchair using what little they have to serve God.
We have two people even in this church who are crippled yet have overcome and got a driver's licence and one is using his computer know-how to translate the Bible.
Joni Erickison had an accident when she was young that crippled her from the neck down, yet she overcame and sang songs, wrote books and even painted pictures with her mouth. She's painted more pictures than I have and I have 2 good hands.
Many people suffer from depression yet they overcome their condition and write, sing and create. I personally suffer from depression and it was this that led me to salvation. God has never fully healed me of it, but taught me how to draw on His strength and joy instead of on my own. Some mornings I get up and feel terrible. I don't feel like bouncing out of bed like Benny Hinn saying, "Good morning Holy Spirit." I feel like death warmed up and have to draw upon the promises of God and exchange my strength for His.

Christ never promised us Christians an easy road in life, in fact the bible says that "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers us from them all." Psalm 34:19 (KJV)

In all of this we need to remember that Jesus says that He hasn't come to destroy life but to save it. We mustn't forget that Jesus loves life for the here and now and not just in the here after.
Romans 8:32 (KJV) "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
1 Tim. 6:17 (KJV) "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;"

He wants us to enjoy life, as He created it to be enjoyed. In Western countries where the foundation has been grounded in Christianity, generally their society loves life and promotes creativity. On the other hand in countries where they hate Christians, life isn't valued at all and nothing creative is produced.

Something really struck me after the recent Madrid train bombings. A letter was found in a rubbish bin that was left by the Bombers. In this letter there was a statement by these evil men that said. " You love life, but we love death."
What a statement. These men had been brainwashed into something that is completely unnatural to man and the Spirit of Death controls them. This Spirit is becoming stronger and stronger in our day. We are seeing and hearing things today that were unheard of 30 years ago. The trouble with the people we are dealing with today is that they have nothing to lose. They don't love life and are prepared to lose theirs for the cause and take many others with them. They think there is a better place waiting for them on the other side. There is another side, which is better, but only for those who have had their sins forgiven and Jesus in their hearts. So many songs today speak of the best option being to die. The hit song over Christmas was called "Mad World" and one of the lyrics was "The best thoughts I have are when I'm dying." Another song that is out now says, "I'll shoot myself if they try to change me." Suicide is not God's way.

Jesus doesn't encourage death He encourages life. If there were no point in being here then it would be best to shoot all converts before they fell into sin, so that they'd all go to heaven. He wants us to stay here and make this life a better place for others.
In the beginning God made Adam and they had a wonderful time together, but He also made Eve so that Adam might have human fellowship as well and multiply. Everyone else makes our lives richer. I love it here in Wood Green because of all the diverse cultures, all of its colour and richness of people, especially here in the Gospel Centre.

When someone leaves or dies in our lives, it makes you realise how much input they'd put into our lives. Christians should be lovers of life. When others look at us they should say, "I want to be like them." So many Christians look like they have been baptised in Lemon Juice and wonder why people leave them in crowds. "I'm miserable, come and join me, so that I'm not alone."
The bible says that unless you are as a little child you shall not enter into the Kingdom of God. This can also mean that unless you have a child like attitude you can't enjoy real life. Children enjoy life as it's all a wonder to them and they leave all the worrying to their parents. The trouble is as we get older, the joy of life disappears as cares and worries crowd in, but we should hand this all over to our Heavenly Father.

Christians should be lovers of God first then lovers of humanity, and in doing this be lovers of Christ's Church first - 1st the household of faith and especially your own family.

I knew a minister once who told me that he doesn't go on holidays to have fun, as there are souls out there to be saved and the Lord's work is far more important. I felt bad as I was looking forward to having a break and didn't want to spend it witnessing. That minister ended up with his wife divorcing him and losing his kids and is now he is out of the ministry.
God does want us to be His witnesses but He also wants us to enjoy Him and the life He has created for us.

The highlight of my day is meeting with God. The next thing is talking to someone about Jesus and doing something for someone else that makes his or her life richer. It's great to be a giver. In Israel there are 2 seas. There is the Sea of Galilee, which is full of life, and the Dead Sea, which is 'as dead as.' They are both fed by the same river, but one has the Jordan coming in and going out, and the other only has water going in. We need to be givers, as the more we give out the more comes in. If we just receive then we die.

The name for this abundant life is "Zoë" and it's the God kind of life. Our God is alive and well and wants to come and give us His life. Jesus rose from the dead to make it possible. He began a brand new day and this is the Day, which the Lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24. It's a gift from God and we need to squeeze every ounce of blessing out of each day.

When the Spirit of Death passed over Egypt, all those who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and lintels were spared. This was over the entrance to their homes. As this Spirit of death pervades our society in these days we too need to protect ourselves by putting the blood of Jesus (The Lamb of God) over the doors to our minds, which are our eyes and ears. As we do we will become Overcomers and reign in Life by the one Christ Jesus. The promise to those in this Laodicean age is that to those who overcome God will grant to sit with Him in His throne and you can't get much closer than that. Revelation 3:21