APPLIED EASTER

Admittedly one of the struggles of being a preacher is to preach on something that is a yearly menu- like Easter. It's not much that we dont believe in the resurrection. Easter is the central message of Chritianity, anybody who can produce the body of the the Jew on that cross can successfully powder Christianity to miserable pieces. My struggle is not about the veracity or theolology of Easter. I seem to lack words or appreciation on seeing it applied to my life and perhaps to many like me.

How does it give hope to the patient I visited in room 221 at the Davao Doctors hospital this morning? Personally, how does the message of easter apply to my bleeding heart for months now? A dark tunnel only the Lord knows if there is really light at the end of it. How can the message of easter rescue cynicism? Sounds like heresy? I think its sounds like honesty to me. i still have couple of hours before sunday, before I stand to a waiting congregation and preach a message of hope. Lord i need Your help!

Paul wrote to the believers in Colosse "Since you have been risen with Christ..." to me this is a dynamic message of easter. The Applied Easter, it's not even about removing our earthly woes. it's about the person of Christ Himself who is alive! it's about the journey of the new life that Jesus gives to those who put their hope in him. it's about knowing the person of easter and the power of His resurrection. Am i raising hope to the point of a fatal dissapointment? No, it's pointing all of us to the Risen Lord who is alive to walk with us. Yes the risen Lord will walk us through. From the patient on room 221 and to my dark tunnel and helpless cynicism, easter brings us to Christ Himself. And I want to believe it's all we need! HAPPY APPLIED EASTER TO ALL!

MOMENTS

Time is a mystery. To others its simply too fast and to some a long dragging wait. We by the moments of time and i am hopeful that each moment is wisely use and meaningfully enjoyed. Once it pass you by its gone! Another fresh moment comes along that is entirely different from the one that is gone. A simple reminder that the Lord is the Author of fresh beginnings. Isn't that we all need a fresh start!

Not needing any permission from kings and tyrants or even from ordinary folks these precious moments goes on unstoppable by anyone. There's no pausing or stilling of frame, it simple moves on to another phase. Attending the graduation of my boys I am in the midst of a insighful moments. A time to see how time flies, a time were i honeslty evaluated what has been done, a time to accept that we are not in charge thought sometimes we feel we are in control. A time to silently pray and submit each moment to the One that holds it intact.

A realization must be madea that these earthly moments must come to an end. what shall my last moment be? what would be my last word? what about the eternal moments that will come after it? I pause and pray trying to still a moment, even prayers cant stop the moving on of time, somehow the option left is to accept it as a gift and surrender each moment to the Giver and live it meaningfully to the fullest by getting to know better and better Jesus the ever present One in every moment of time here or on the other side. As for me moments must be lived side by side enjoying long walk or short walk with the Master.