MISCONCEPTION!

I am actually ashamed to say that I have never wondered why a bunny and eggs have become synonymous with Easter. Ergo, I decided at the nudging of God to do a little research into the subject. I went to seeker.com, Bunnies, Eggs, Easter gifts and fluffy, yellow chicks in gardening hats all stem from pagan roots. These tropes were incorporated into the celebration of Easter separately from the Christian tradition of honoring the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The Teutonic deity Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility, and feasts were held in her honor on the Vernal Equinox. Her symbol was the rabbit because of the animal's high reproduction rate. According to history.com, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S., and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Man didn’t create Easter; God is Easter!

To quote Paul Harvey, “and the rest of the story” reveals how easy it is to accept, adopt and incorporate things into our daily lives. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not completely against the Easter Bunny or egg hunts as long as they are not used to distract from the spiritual truth of Jesus’ resurrection from death. However, it is plain to see that Satan installed it as spiritual opposition to our celebrating the deliverance of Jesus. Truth is these counter devices are Satan’s greatest tool toward clouding our minds with mixed messages. Our children are most influenced by what they observe from their parents/families doing. How many of us tell the stories of Jesus during a holy celebration? We gather we eat, we fellowship, and we depart. While our children hunt eggs, play games, and get entertained for a couple of hours. Most only remember that long-drawn-out prayer from uncle ___ before the meal. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV), reads Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Another question I ask myself is, how does my Easter compare with the Easter’s I experienced growing up? To where I find a total correlation in my ceremonies?

Here is the real deal as explained in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (ESV), 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. It’s time to end the disorientation we offer to our children through our delusion and dilution of our faith in God! We’ve diluted God’s word (bible) to a book of suggestions and now live in the delusion that God’s pleased with us! All the while feeding this lifestyle of weak faith to our children, family, and neighbors under the pretense that God is our all. I have suggested to some pastors that the congregation will only be as excited about something as they are. Now hear this, the same holds true for parents and all adults.

A word to the church which has seemingly lost its way over time, Frank Turek, a Christian author on apologetics, addresses the problem of youth falling away from the faith this way: “What we win them with we win them to. If we win them with entertainment and low commitment, we win them to entertainment and low commitment. Seriously think on that deeply for a while and then know that it also applies to each of us! Remember, As it is written in Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV), “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children. Sadly; we adults are the carriers of spiritual confusion and doubt through the mixed messages we live out before our children.

My prayer this week comes from Psalm 127:3 (ESV), Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. I pray Lord that we stop squandering our opportunities to better ourselves by witnessing life to the children. Have us realize that we are here not only for your great pleasure but to feed You to our children (your fruit) so they’ll wither and rot from lack of spiritual guidance through our life’s examples. Lord I’m convinced, if we live according to your will, we will impact many young lives for you. Lord help us, to help those, who have no clue, that you will help. Amen

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS! For email version send request to…pal249@hotmail.com…04/04/2021