Is My Thanksgiving Focused Inward or Outward?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history. It is the most important truth claim in a biblical worldview. It is the key apologetic for Christianity. Over the next seven weeks, I would like for us to think through forty compelling arguments and implications that are true if Jesus, indeed, “rose from the dead”. This will take us through Ascension Day and Pentecost. Both are important days of remembrance following the Resurrection and we will highlight them. But more importantly, I want for us to see the tremendous significance of the Resurrection by looking at not only the many proofs, but also the many implications. And this, I pray, will lead to deep contemplations in our hearts and minds. Paul states that without the resurrection, our faith would be in vain and we would still be lost.  “… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”      1 Corinthians 15:17 This is not a minor statement, and it should cause us pause, for it puts this unique historical event into sharp perspective. Without the Resurrection, we are hopelessly lost. We are without a true faith and we are unforgiven, still condemned in our sins. We should probably read that verse over several times before plowing forward. It is easy for me, and possibly you, to treat Easter as another Christian holiday marked by multiple, and possibly extensive, preparations. Church choirs rehearse diligently and on overtime, special services are prepared (think Good Friday and sometimes Sunrise Services), thousands of lilies are tended and provoked to bloom at the right time and are purchased to line sanctuary rails, special meals are planned and prepared and joyously consumed, treasure hunts are created, painted eggs are hidden and Easter baskets are filled with chocolate bunnies, peeps, and who knows what else the market has, and will, come up with.  The point here is that just like Christmas and Thanksgiving and every other holiday, including birthdays, anniversaries, and the multitude of “take-your-boss-to-lunch” kind of days, they are preceded with much preparation, happy execution, and then forgotten except to toss the wrappings into the trash and press on with life as usual. When I was at the White House, the annual “Easter Egg Roll” on the south lawn was a big deal with weeks of preparation, followed immediately by a massive clean-up and the Secret Service hustling folks out of the “compound”. For the Resurrection, however, Paul implies that it is something so critical to our faith that it should be an ever-present reality. The astounding cry, “He lives!” should be ongoing, not a one-and-done holiday. I believe it is important for us to frequently ponder and meditate upon the deep implications that the tomb was really, truly empty and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is absolutely true… a historical fact that has everyday implications. So, we will look at not only these implications, but also the apologetic propositions and the incredible truths that logically follow this unmatched historical assertion. We will not go through these in any particular order. We are not going from the least to the greatest or vice versa, although we will generally lay down the apologetic arguments first and then deal with the implications. And hopefully, after seven weeks, we will have imprinted these truths deep in our hearts such that they will help us with our walk into the darkness we call future. Because it is the Resurrection of Christ that stands at the forefront in the apologetic reality of who Jesus is and what God has done for us. As a famous hymn states: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." [Next: The Seal Was Broken]

It is past time for those who call upon the Lord, to call upon the Lord. If God prompts you, let’s take a few minutes to begin to pray together, on Tuesdays at noon, eastern, for repentance and revival in our land. Wouldn't it be something if the totality of God's people were humbling themselves before God together with one voice at the same time all over our land.  It is important, however, to recognize that God is the one who grants repentance: "...in the hope that God will grant them repentance and they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:14-16) So, we must ask Him, yea plead with Him, to grant our culture repentance and that we might "come to our senses". This may mean that He will first need to bring us to our knees through tragedy or dire circumstances, but repentance is what we desperately need. May we be like Ninevah, who, as a nation, repented before God and He relented from the judgment that was due to them. Pray for personal revival and repentance: Confession of our sin of selfishness, all about me, all about my script; pride and control; complaining and whining; faithlessness and hopelessness; sins that entangle my life; sins that build barriers between me and others; apathy; laziness and procrastination; wasting time; busyness and chasing after worthless activities; addictions; lack of joy and love and peace and patience; coolness in my hunger for God. Pray for a revival of my heart and soul and mind; for the Spirit of God to breathe upon me. Pray for national revival and repentance: Confession of our corporate sin of the slaughter of millions of babies and the casual selling of their severed bodies; for the sin of sexual immorality—in our laws, in our arts and media, movies and music; for the sin of theft and murder and lawless crime ravaging our streets and cities; for the sin of lust for drugs, for sex, for money, for power; for the sin of rebellion and tyranny in government; for our nation rejecting God. Pray for revival in our marriages, in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our businesses, in our pulpits and congregations, in our governors, in our state and federal governments. May the Lord be gracious and merciful to us and turn the heart of our nation back to Him. Pray for the unity and revival of the Remnant: Pray that God would breathe on our dry bones; that He would pull us together; that we would stand in the face of persecution; that we would be blameless before God and man; that we would encourage each other, pray for one another, love each other as Jesus prayed we would and that the world would know Him to be the Son of God because of our oneness in Christ; that we would be the light and salt we were meant to be; that God would raise us up for such a time as this. All for His Glory. Soli Deo Gloria!