Do you remember your birthday?

How many of you actually remember what day your birthday is on? I’m going to guess everyone does. Mine happens to fall on March the 8th and for that reason March 8 is always significant in my life. Now as I’m sure you are aware March 8th doesn’t fall on the same day every year. Sometimes it’s a Monday, as it was this year, or sometimes it’s a Thursday, or a Saturday, or it could fall on another day of the week. Oh, and just in case you have begun planning ahead next year March 8th falls on a Tuesday; mark your calendars!

Similarly this Monday, March 29th at sundown marks the historical significance of a time that I would imagine might also be quite meaningful to most of us that have chosen to call themselves Christian, provided we know about it. For you see, just like your birthday the date itself never changes, yet your birthday may fall on a different day from year to year so to then the time of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior occurs during a specific time period, yet never actually falls on the same day from year to year.

If you aren’t aware Passover begins this coming Monday at sundown which, according to Hebrew reckoning, is really the 14th day of the month of Nisan. If you’ll recall, from the instructions given to the Hebrew people by God in the book of Exodus chapter 12 the Hebrew people where to set aside a one year-old male lamb, without spot or blemish, on the 10th day of the first month (Ex 12:3-5). On the 14th day of the month that lamb was to be slain and its blood placed upon both the upper and side door posts of the house (Ex. 12:6-7). This was to be done as an act of faith to remind the Hebrews of the protection that the blood of the slain lamb would offer from the visitation of the angel of death.

The symbolism of Exodus chapter 12 is still very much with us to this day and that is why Monday, March 29th at sundown should actually be quite significant for you, the Christian. For just like your birthday, it marks the time when Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; the Lamb of God slain before the world was first created, was crushed by the tremendous weight of sin in the Garden of Gethsemane, so much so that He actually began to sweat drops of blood. He was then arrested, tried in a sham trial, and shamefully handled mistreated, beaten, bruised and subsequently crucified - all to bring mankind into full reconciliation with God the Father.

Thus just before sundown on March 30th which would mark the beginning of the 15th day of Nisan we are privy to remembering our Savior’s on the cross and His last plea to His Father when He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” We can remember His last gasping breath, “It is finished.” We can remember this was the eve of the Sabbath where pious and holy men were able to kill the Son of God (this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook) and rush home in time to honor the Sabbath day.

This means then that the actual anniversary date that Jesus Christ rose from the tomb, thus holding captivity captive; so that we too could have that blessed hope and faith of being resurrected from the dead and into a new life with Christ will fall on Thursday, April 1st, for He rested in the tomb on what would have been Nisan 16 or this year the 31st of March. So when you awake next Thursday morning remember the truly awesome significance of the day. For it is the anniversary when Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James came to the tomb of Christ to finish anointing Him with the spices they had prepared only to find that the stone covering the sepulcher had been rolled away and two men in shining garments asking the women, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again”

Let us prayerfully remember the events of that Passover so long ago when our Lord and Savior, through His death on the cross, sought to bring mankind into greater understanding of the love of our Heavenly Father and the great expense He chose to pay.

If you would like a deeper, fascinating description of, and look into the events surrounding the crucifixion of our Lord I invite you to read chapters 74 to 83 in the book, The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.

God Bless.

Happy Passover!

That's right, at sundown tonight April 8, 2009 the Passover of the Lord officially began.

Today is when He ate the last supper: Matthew 26:20-30; Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:14-30

He was betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12

Tried by Annas and Caiaphas: Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-65: John 18:13-27

The next day, which would be this Thursday Jesus was:

Tried by Sanhedrin: Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66

Tried by Pilate, Herod: Matthew 27:2-30; Mark 15:2-19; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16

Crucified and Buried: Matthew 27:31-60; Mark 15:20-46; Luke 23:26-54; John 19:16-42

This coming Friday would be the day He spent in the tomb.

And this Saturday, the Seventh-day Sabbath will mark the day He arose from the tomb: Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-35

Happy Easter?

I like to visit various Christian forums to discuss and debate different aspects of Christianity and especially the doctrine and beliefs of Seventh-day Adventistism. Just a few days ago I logged on to one particular Christian web forum where I saw a banner ad for Easter costumes. Having my curiosity pricked I clicked on the banner to see just exactly what an "Easter" costume was all about.

The picture you see here is a product of what I found from searching the site. This picture has also left me scratching my head quite frankly.

Now, the picture here is not a picture of an aged or maturing Sasquatch although it could certainly pass for one! According to the web site it's a costume for those that want to "dress up" as Moses (Rav Mo'she)! Gee, ain't that just a hoot!

Now I'm sorry to be so sarcastic regarding this but I find this absolutely fascinating and just a wee bit troubling, and here's why.

We all know, for the most part that Easter has its origins in paganism and the adoption of pagan practices. In fact the name "Easter" has at it's core the name of several different pagan gods - Eostre of the Saxons, Ishtar of the Assyrians, Ashtoreth of the ancient Canaanites, derived from the ancient word for spring! Just another pagan god. Spring! Is Easter just becoming a new Halloween for Christians? It was pointed out to me, if you think about it, that Sunday is really just a "mini-Easter" celebration! In that sense celebrating Easter would almost appear to be redundant!

Of course, this Easter is (by far) much, much different from what the Passover of the Lord in the book of Exodus was to not only represent, but to become in our lives. Our Passover Lamb - Jesus Christ, was sacrificed at a different time, in a different place, in a completely different manner and, above all, for a completely different reason than what is represented in the Easter "holiday." His shed blood was meant to cover our sins that are found on the door posts of our earthly tents (justification) and, as that Lamb is ingested into our bodies, we are to become more like Him by taking our His nature and His character (sanctification).

This distinction should never, ever be lost on Seventh-day Adventists or for that matter any Christian.

I remember that very first Christmas I experienced in an Adventist church like it was yesterday. Of course, in that was just a little over three years ago, it really was just like yesterday! I remember thinking to myself that considering all the truth Adventists have in the Word of God and explained through the Spirit of Prophecy regarding that which will soon come to pass that embracing something born from paganism seemed odd. You know it's taken a few years since I became an Adventist to kind of get used to the whole Christmas thing.....honestly. But it still surprises me somewhat to this day that Adventists (not all) celebrate Christmas to some extent. And yes, I've read Mrs. White on Christmas.....so I see the point, at least a little anyway. In considering that so many Adventists are converts from other denominations Christmas almost becomes somewhat understandable frankly.

But not Easter - I'll never get used to seeing Easter celebrated in an Adventist church. Why? Because of all Christian denominations Seventh-day Adeventism seems to come closer to any other in understanding the sanctuary, the services of the sanctuary, the feasts and festivals centered around the sanctuary and above all the rich and deep meaning behind all the things that are represented by and through the sanctuary. Personally, I almost find it difficult to understand the true nature and character of God that Satan has constantly and regularly assailed without understanding these things.

In fact, I would love to see Seventh-day Adventists, as well as all Christendom for that matter, begin to embrace all of the feasts and festivals of the Torah and the Prophets, and learn and investigate the meaning behind the Bible feasts and festivals. These feasts and festivals, unlike some will say, have not been "nailed to the cross" but still provide a valuable window for us all to understand the second coming of Jesus Christ.