How Christian Is Easter?

Where do you get your religious beliefs? Easter is the most important holiday for hundreds of millions of people. Anyone who claims to be Christian should want God to guide and lead them. But could you be misled?

I’m reminded of counterfeit money. Did you know that you could be carrying a worthless bill and not even know it? Counterfeiters are often successful because they make their fakes look like the real thing. Forgery is one of the oldest crimes in history, but it doesn’t just affect money.

Today a much greater counterfeit is so successful that most people don’t even realize they’re deceived. What counterfeit? The religion known as Christianity, as surprising as that may be! Jesus Himself warned about religious counterfeits, saying, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew:24:24).

Deceptive religion and its wrong traditions have been foisted on the world by the greatest forger in the universe, Satan the devil (1 John:5:19; Revelation:12:9). Could religious celebrations like Easter be part of that? Let’s examine three ways to answer the question posed by the title of this article: How Christian is Easter?

A lesson in Satan’s deceptive techniques

To begin to understand how Satan uses religion to confuse and deceive, we need to go back to the beginning—back to the Garden of Eden. And here’s where we find our first point: Satan leads people to decide good and evil for themselves and fools them by making evil look good.

The Bible is clear that God wanted to guide Adam and Eve. But Satan was in the business of deception right from the very beginning. He knew exactly how to make his counterfeit sense of good and evil pass for the real thing.

So how did he do it? He lied. He told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, “You will not surely die” (Genesis:3:4). In fact, he contradicted God. But it wasn’t all lies. He also said, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis:3:5).

Did you catch the deception? Part of it was true—the knowledge of good and evil part, but it was only in the sense of acting as God in deciding what is right and wrong. God had placed two trees in the garden—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted to lead Adam and Eve, and for them to choose life. But when they chose the wrong tree, they chose to decide for themselves what was good and bad, rejecting the real truth as to what is good and bad as determined by God.

So right at the very start, our ancestors began rejecting God’s guidance—and that tendency has continued down to this day.

This tells us a lot about the state of our world—it’s filled with error that seems to be truth, fable that seems to be fact, bad that seems to be good. At times it’s hard to tell the difference between the real thing and an evil counterpart. Why? Because of relying on faulty human judgment—especially as perpetuated over many generations. As Proverbs states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs:14:12;Proverbs:16:25).

Some things seem good and right, but the devil cleverly makes them appear as though they were not evil. Sometimes he does this by mixing in some elements that truly are good as determined by God—though corrupted in context.

And he is so devious in his deception that it will hurt you. He kept Adam and Eve from God, and he wants to keep you from having a great relationship with God, too. He’s also affected Christianity and its customs and practices and wants to deceive everyone so they won’t understand God’s truth.

Sadly, most can’t discern the real from the replica. God’s true days of worship found in the Bible are priceless, but the devil has crafted multiple forgeries—fraudulent, cheap copies of what God gave us that is valuable and good.

It’s true with money. It’s true in religion as well. Satan uses his advanced counterfeiting techniques. He’s constantly working to get you to trust your own sense of right and wrong, following what looks good to you (as influenced by him), rather than listen to and trust what God has to say. Instead you must “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs:3:5).

As with Adam and Eve, God wants to lead you. He wants to guide you in truth and in love. He wants you to honor Him in the way that He directs. And that includes observing the days and the ways that truly honor Him as revealed in the Bible. That’s where God’s Holy Days come into the picture—as opposed to humanly devised holidays and religious traditions.

That’s why it’s important for us to answer the question, “How Christian is Easter?” We first have to recognize the disguising of error as truth, often by the inclusion of some actual truth out of proper context.

Once you understand Satan’s tactic in this, it’s time to take the next step of recognizing Easter for what it is—a counterfeit.

Easter’s ancient, pre-Christian origins

Do you know where Easter celebrations originated? It may seem hard to believe, but they began hundreds of years before Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection!

Genesis 10 tells how, several thousand years ago, people gathered into cities and opposed God. Remember the story? They began to build a massive skyscraper called the Tower of Babel.

Here again we find the devil at work. This time he inspired and used this kingdom of Babylon to help with his slick counterfeiting job. God finally confused the people’s language, and they were scattered over the earth (Genesis:11:9).

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus records what they took with them. What was it? Their religious beliefs and rituals. He wrote that Babylon was the prime source of evil from which all systems of idolatry and false worship flowed.

Did it affect Christianity? Here’s where the story gets very interesting!

The Babylonian fertility gods were Tammuz and Ishtar. Ancient tribes of Europe worshipped a variation of that goddess of spring named Eostre. Do you realize that the word Easter is a variation of this name?

The notable British historian Sir James Frazer writes:

“Under the names of Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis, and Attis, the peoples of Egypt and Western Asia represented the yearly decay and revival of life . . . which they personified as a god who annually died and rose again from the dead. In name and detail the rites varied from place to place: in substance they were the same” ( The Golden Bough, 1993, p. 325).

Alan Watts, in his book Easter: Its Story and Meaning, further explains:

“It would be tedious to describe in detail all that has been handed down to us about the various rites of Tammuz, Adonis . . . and many others . . . But their universal theme—the drama of death and resurrection—makes them the forerunners of the Christian Easter, and thus the first ‘Easter services.’ As we go on to describe the Christian observance of Easter we shall see how many of its customs and ceremonies resemble these former rites” (1950, p. 58).

Yes, history records that centuries before the death and resurrection of Christ, there were already ancient Easter celebrations—springtime fertility festivals honoring resurrection and worship of the rising sun long before Jesus’ birth! This is where we get such popular Easter symbols as rabbits and eggs, which were popular fertility symbols centuries prior to Christianity.

Long before Jesus Christ gave His life as an offering for our sins and was raised to life again, the world had already accepted Satan’s substitute—a counterfeit of how God intends us to worship!

But does it matter to God? Notice what He inspired the apostle Paul to write:

“What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? How can Christ and Satan agree? . . . How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? . . . ‘So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord’” (2 Corinthians:6:14-17


, New International Reader’s Version).

You see, God wants us to understand the difference, because one thing counterfeiters rely on is ignorance. If you’re unfamiliar with what genuine currency should look like, it’s easier to be fooled. The U.S. Secret Service has 20 Web pages under the title “Know Your Money.” It tells us, “Those who fail to carefully examine the money they receive . . . are potential victims.”

It’s no different when it comes to counterfeit holidays and religion because they also thrive on people’s ignorance—ignorance of the Bible. And that leads us to the third way to answer the question: How Christian is Easter?

How does God want us to worship?

As we have seen, the Easter holiday is unbiblical. It is a counterfeit. But a counterfeit of what? You see, God has other ways He directs us to worship.

Do you know for yourself what the Word of God actually says, or could you be fooled? Several years ago LifeWay Research surveyed American churchgoers and found that 90 percent of them “desire to please and honor Jesus” in all they do. That’s very good! But it also found that more than 80 percent don’t read their Bibles daily!

That’s an amazing disconnect. How can you honor God if you don’t know and haven’t read what actually pleases Him? You can’t honor God with the counterfeit because it’s worthless to Him. So if you’re unaware of what Jesus actually taught, you’re easy prey for an empty imitation!

By not really understanding the Bible, you could be easily distracted. That’s another tactic counterfeiters rely on— diversion. When people pass phony bills, they try to focus the cashiers on other things, hoping they don’t check the money until it’s way too late.

Most Christians aren’t on the lookout for a counterfeiter either. Most just want a church they like, so even a cheap imitation will do. Manmade holidays deflect attention and concentrate on less important issues. You see, if you feel good about what you’re doing, it doesn’t make that much difference what you’re taught. Some churches appeal to that. They appeal to your emotions by talking a lot about love and feelings.

But let me tell you why that’s dangerous: It can cause you to choose what you believe and what you practice based on how you feel rather than on God’s clear teaching in the Bible. As we’ve already seen, God warns us that a way can seem right to people but lead to death. His Word explicitly tells us not to try to honor Him with pagan religious customs (Deuteronomy:12:19-32












). And it’s important that we follow exactly what He says.

That’s the issue! The devil wants you to have religion—but one that only resembles true worship so he can keep you in the dark. God, on the other hand, wants you to become an expert at identifying the counterfeits so you don’t fall for an imitation. Here’s how you can begin: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy:2:15, Revised Standard Version).

That means you should carefully examine what you believe and what you practice and make sure it agrees with the Bible. Just claiming something is Christian, or just saying it honors God, doesn’t make it acceptable to Him. Did you know that the Bible doesn’t mention the early Christians celebrating Easter? They had nothing to do with this holiday. Instead, they kept the Passover and the other festivals of the Bible (Luke:22:8, Luke:22:11, Luke:22:13,Luke:22:15; 1 Corinthians:5:7-8
; Acts:18:20-21
; Acts:20:16).

Passover, along with the other true biblical festivals—that’s the real thing. Easter is just a cheap imitation. Jesus Himself gave Passover even deeper meaning under the New Covenant.

And He expected His followers to continue observing the New Testament Passover. As Paul explained, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians:11:26). The Bible nowhere tells us to have a special celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection—much less with a recycled pre-Christian observance. But Jesus explicitly tells us to have a specific memorial of His true Passover sacrifice—His death for our sins (1 Corinthians:11:23-28




).

The big switch

So, you may ask, with such clear instruction, how did Easter replace the Passover?

Notice carefully what noted historian Will Durant wrote: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it” ( The Story of Civilization, Caesar and Christ, Part 3, 1944, p. 595, emphasis added throughout). That’s amazing! And yes, after the original apostles passed from the scene, Christianity underwent an astounding transformation.

Sir James Frazer, quoted earlier, noted that Easter followed the pattern of Christmas (another festival of pre-Christian origin) in being accepted and promoted as the Roman church—now the center of the religion—compromised with paganism:

“Motives of the same sort may have led the ecclesiastical authorities to assimilate the Easter festival of the death and resurrection of their Lord to the festival of the death and resurrection of another Asiatic god which fell at the same season. Now the Easter rites still observed in Greece, Sicily and southern Italy bear in some respects a striking resemblance to the rites of Adonis . . . The Church may have consciously adapted the new festival to its heathen predecessor for the sake of winning souls to Christ” (Frazer, p. 359).

If you look into history, about 300 years after Christ the Roman Emperor Constantine became the greatest promoter of non-biblical Christianity. Expanding his empire and uniting the Roman church included the three things we’ve been talking about: disguising evil as good, accepting a substitute, and a true lack of biblical understanding.

Those early church leaders believed they could choose their own times and ways to worship. New converts from paganism didn’t need to throw away their religious traditions and rituals. Those counterfeit sacraments and artificial practices were absorbed right into this very different version of Christianity.

But God doesn’t mince words. The Bible tells us, “If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life” (Revelation:22:18).

Is Easter Christian?

The bottom line is that Easter does not and cannot represent a resurrected Jesus. Like any counterfeit, it’s hollow. It’s empty because God didn’t design it. Instead, it perpetuates the ungodly practice of honoring false gods.

Notice what Paul writes about mixing idolatrous pagan practices with true Christianity:

“What I am saying is that these sacrifices which people make are made to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot participate at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons” (1 Corinthians:10:20-21
, God’s Word Translation).

So remember: Easter is a product of people determining for themselves good and evil under Satan’s influence. Easter is a counterfeit of how God intends us to worship Him. And Easter is not biblical. God has other ways He directs us to worship.

So isn’t it time to take a more meaningful approach to religion than such holidays? God gives us a much more important alternative—the genuine article, which is authentic Christianity. And it’s not found in Easter or any manmade holiday, but instead by worshipping God in spirit and in truth—on the days He commands!

The Selfless Mind of Christ

Scripture: "...he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:7-8)

Soon, Christians worldwide will celebrate Jesus' resurrection. There will be decorations, special events and fasting. This helps us remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus wanted us to remember His death and think about what it means. What was on His mind before it happened? Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us a lot, but one of the most important passages isn't even in the Gospels. Let's see what Philippians 2:1-11 tells us about the mind of Christ.

1. He Wasn’t Thinking About Himself

Jesus always existed as God. This was His very nature. No one could take His life from Him, (John 10:18), but He willingly gave it up because He loves you. People were allowed to think he was just another man. He was even a"man of sorrows," (Isaiah 53:3) and there were times He had "no place to lay His head" (Luke 9:58). His trial was unfair, but "He did not open His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7) to stop it. He sacrificed his life because he was thinking about you.

2. He Submitted Entirely to the Father’s Plan

In Matthew 26:36-45, Jesus prays in the garden. It shows us His dread of the cross, especially the moment God's wrath fell on Him. He "despised" this time of shame (Hebrews 12:2). Yet above all, He wanted the Father's will to be done (Matthew 26:39,42), and He "loved His own...to the very end" (John 13:1).

3. He Stepped Down But Was Lifted Up

Before Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of the Father. He was also thinking of you. It was because of the "joy" coming afterward that He put up with it (Hebrews 12:2). What is that joy? In a beautiful prayer before His arrest, Jesus thanks God none of his would be lost. He asks that we join Him and see His glory. He says, "I pray not only for them, [His disciples], but also for those who believe in me because of their message". If Jesus is your Savior today, it is because you heard the message of the disciples. That means Jesus was praying for you too!(John 17)

Jesus taught His followers that if they wanted to be great, they should serve everyone. (Mark 9:35, 10:44) His prayers and actions show He did this. He held nothing back, enduring the punishment we deserve, though He was completely pure. He said, "Forget yourself, carry your cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). When we submit to God's plan He empowers us to serve others just like Jesus did. We should make the mind of Christ our own.(Philippians 2:5) When we do, we will better reflect His image.

The One Which Is Lost

The parable of the lost sheep holds important lessons in true compassion, mercy and love. It can also serve as a reminder to each of us not to become wayward, and if we have, to turn back. All of us have strayed at times and are in constant danger of straying. We can often be tempted to rationalize sin ourselves yet turn our backs on a brother who struggles with certain sins that offend us. But we must ask sincerely and prayerfully: What does God expect from me? Are there parts of my life that I’m keeping separate from God’s perfecting influence? Can a brother or sister who struggles with sins that hurt others still be precious to God? Could God have placed him or her in my life so that I could help and encourage them to overcome?

A Little Sin

How do we recognize if we are becoming lost, lukewarm or callous to sin? Often we have a false sense of security, when things look okay and feel okay in our lives (1 Corinthians:10:12). We get comfortable with our so-called “little sins,” maybe even ignoring them or purposefully not thinking too much about them. But there is no “little sin.” “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James:2:10).

All of us at times refuse to follow His will in certain areas of our lives. We can put off the work of overcoming a weakness because it seems like a little sin that we can afford to live with. There is no more dangerous an attitude for a Christian to have. It is at once a willful turning from God and a turning to Satan’s ever present invitation to instant gratification. Any who believe themselves strong enough to indulge in a little sin without being in real danger should understand that this is a very arrogant attitude that can lead to disaster. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians:6:3).

Separation From Our Shepherd

All of us are at risk, and the more deeply we understand this, the more focused we should become on obedience and honoring God above all else. But some will resist: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy:4:1-2
).

When we sin (no matter how seemingly small or justified), we distance ourselves from the safety and protection of our Shepherd—the One who loves us so deeply that He gave up His glory and place of honor to be humiliated, tortured and put to death for us. He did not endure such agony so we could live a comfortable and satisfying physical life, doing as we please with our lives while awaiting His return. No, He risked everything and suffered unimaginably for the hope that we who have been chosen since the foundation of the world would respond to Him in kind, willing to give up everything for Him as He did for us (Romans:12:1).

In return, He is offering the most incredible opportunity to become children of God. He is offering us the opportunity to join Him and the Father in bringing about salvation, peace and healing for all mankind. Can we respectfully give anything less than everything we’ve got? We cannot. We give all, or we give nothing. Revelation:3:16 reminds us that there is a terrible consequence for not giving our all: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

We must work hard at submitting to God’s will every day of our lives. Satan our adversary, tempter, accuser and stumbling block is keenly aware and focused on our every move. We dare not underestimate his wit and determination.

Seeking Whom He May Devour

This roaring lion—our adversary who waits just outside the fold—watches for opportunities to draw away the weak, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter:5:8). Satan wants nothing more than to destroy the future family of God. Not only can we resist him with God’s help, we can have a serious impact on the eternal life of another individual: “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James:5:19-20
).

Satan places temptations and distractions all along our path to draw us along like a little child catching fireflies, thinking “just one more, just one more; I’m okay, I can still get back.” All the while we are being enticed further and further from home into the darkness where the evil one lies in wait. James warned us that “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James:1:14).

Four Biblical Thoughts on Riches

Scripture: “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Are some preachers right when they say God wants us to be rich? They tell us we can get anything just by praying for it. Their lavish lifestyles seem to be an example of how God wants to “bless” us. Paul wrote a letter to Timothy and gave a strong NO to this idea. Here are 4 biblical thoughts on riches:

1. Be Content With God

“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth” (1 Timothy 6:6). This verse tells us that if we are believers in Christ and have a good relationship with God, we should be satisfied. We are already wealthy. On the other hand, when we place anything, including material things, above God, we make idols out of them. How terrible it would be if following Jesus helped us only in this life! (1 Corinthians 15:19)God may use the resources of wealthy people. But James 1:9-11 reminds us that material wealth adds nothing to our value. (Luke 12:15)

2. Eternity is What Matters

Whether we are rich or poor, none of our earthly goods will go with us to Heaven. “After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it” (1 Timothy 6:7). The more we understand that Heaven is our true home, the less we will care about getting more stuff, and the more we will use our possessions for God’s glory. Then, we can be like the widow inLuke 21:1-4 who gave all she had and did not worry about what she kept for herself.

3. The Basics are Enough

The Bible talks about those whose "...thinking has been confused. They have lost their understanding of the truth. They think that devotion to God is a way to get rich.” (1 Timothy 6:5) However, Jesus warns how hard it is for rich people to follow Him (Matthew 19:16-26). But poverty does not measure godliness either. A great biblical model is the Apostle Paul, who said “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). We don’t need a lot of nice clothes, or to eat at fancy restaurants every day. We just need to work hard to provide for our families, and trust the Lord to meet our needs.

4. Riches Can Ruin Us

The Apostle Paul tells us the 10th Commandment, (“you shall not covet”), was the way God showed him the sin in his heart. (Romans 7:7) When we desire riches, it may lead us to lie, cheat or, in extreme cases, steal and murder! “People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil . . .” (1 Timothy 6:9-10). But if we submit our lives to God and His Holy Spirit, He leads us to live in a way that helps and blesses others, and brings glory to Him.

Distraction

The controversy over Hilary Clinton’s e-mail arrangement while Secretary of State points out how easy it is for us to be distracted from bigger events in the world. There are two items in the news that we should note.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for the U.S. to play a greater role in helping Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations fight terrorism. He has urged the creation of an "Arab ready force" to confront the Islamic State and similar groups. Ever since the Egyptian military ousted the elected President Mohamed Morsi from office, and installed el-Sisi, the U.S has delayed shipment of critical weapons to the country. Relations between the two allies have also cooled. The rise of ISIS in the region has highlighted the need to maintain good relations with the governments in the region to prevent further regional instability.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, el-Sisi said the need for weapons and equipment remains "dire," and Egyptians "would like to feel that the United States is standing by them.” America under President Obama has chosen to “lead from behind” in this conflict. The speed with which ISIS has come on the scene has stirred fears and reactions from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt to push back at this terrorist state. El-Sisi emphasized the critical need for a "big response from capable countries”—an obvious reference to America. Leading from behind is causing America to look like a reluctant dwarf.

European Commission President Jean Clause Juncker has called for the creation of an EU army in order to show Russia “that we are serious about defending European values”. Mr Juncker said an EU army would “help us to develop a common foreign and security policy, and to fulfil Europe’s responsibilities in the world.” A standing army without a common foreign policy is impossible. Europe is still grappling with the reality of a common currency, the euro, without having a common economic policy guiding the union. The idea to develop a European army is beyond credible thinking at the moment.

This would be an quantum leap beyond the current mindset of Europe. Some say it could take 5-10 years to form. But unexpected events can dictate otherwise. Europe, taken together, accounts for 1/3 of total world defense spending. Should this happen, Europe, Inc. would be an overnight superpower. This suggestion begs the obvious question: What has happened to American-led NATO? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrates that President Vladimir Putin understands the application of hard power, something his European counterparts do not.

These two developments illustrate that America matters in today’s world. Its absence of firm leadership is creating concern among its allies. Events of the past 12 years, since America’s invasion of Iraq, have revealed deep problems in America’s ability to shape the world in its image. While the U.S has the power—both hard military and firm economic—it has squandered good will and opportunity. That is why the distraction over a potential president’s e-mail is a major problem.

We thought the 2012 election was ground shaking. We are watching a 2016 election develop that will highlight the bankruptcy of American politics and leadership. It's going to be a long 20 months.

Breathe

In a world filled with the daily hustle and bustle of life with barely a moment to time to breathe deeply, do we take the time to listen to the still small voice of our Creator? Do we hear His voice amid the noise and chaos surrounding us?

Breathing deeply sounds like such a simple task. The saying goes, "It's as easy as breathing," but we no longer think about taking our breath deep down into our diaphragm. Instead we often automatically quickly breathe short and shallow breaths in keeping with our fast paced lives. God commands us in Psalm:46:10 to be still. There are times when we need to consider the meaning of that verse. Throughout our Bible we are told that our Father has given us the very breath of life. So stop for a moment. Be still. Breathe. Really breathe deeply and then consider why we need to stop, be still and allow God to lead our hearts. Passover is one of those times of the year when we definitely need to be still and seek to know God.

Each year as we approach the Passover we examine our ongoing walk and ourselves with our Father to reach His Kingdom. It's a time to be still, to assess ourselves. It's a time of renewal and change. We need to listen carefully and see and absorb His will and direction for our lives.

The second command in Psalm:46:10 is "know that I am God."

Be assured of your calling and know that every living thing is the design of the most amazing Creator, Our Father who pieces together everything in perfect harmony.Psalm:62:1 says, "I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from Him" (New Living Translation).

We all need purposeful change through God inspired training

God can provide timely, purposeful change that leads to perseverance, gratitude, faith, kindness and enduring love for one another.

God is bigger than anything. His plans are bigger. So let's train ourselves to stop, be still and truly know that our Almighty Father is the Founder and Creator of the one connection we truly fervently desire to never allow to be broken.

Let's take the time as Passover approaches to renew our covenant connection with God and look to a bright, loving future.

Paul tells us, "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from the very defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God" ( 2 Corinthians:7:1, English Standard Version).

We're assured that it was "God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, since He gives to all, life, breath and all things" ( Acts:17:24-25
).

Finally, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord" (Psalm:150:6).

Do you worry about money?

Scripture: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” Proverbs 3:9

The Bible is full of stories showing God working in the lives of wealthy people. Abraham, Israel’s King David, and Lydia (a woman who sold purple dye) are just a few. But when Jesus also said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” it was a warning that money can hurt more than it helps. (Matthew 19:24). How can you follow Jesus and His Word rather than letting money keep you from following God? Here are 3 truths to help.

Money Will Never Satisfy

Although money is not a bad thing, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Christians should not let anything--including money--interfere with their relationship with God. God is a great provider. Even among the wealthy, “those who love money will never have enough” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The “happiness” found in things money can buy will not last, for “moths eat them and rust destroys them and thieves break through and steal.” (Matthew 6:19) Remember that Jesus gives His joy as a gift--and doesn’t take it back! (John 15:11)

God Gives What We Need

As Christians, we should strive to take good care of anything God blesses us with--including money. Our goal is to use money in a wise way. This includes providing for ourselves, our families and giving to support the local church. But how can you avoid worrying about money? God tells us to focus on Him. Jesus taught, “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). As you deal with and work for your money, “seek God’s will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6).

If You Are Walking With God, Be Content As He Provides

The Apostle Paul famously wrote, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have” (Philippians 4:11). God promised to provide for those who put Him first. So you do not have to “worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6). Be faithful with your money, but when you feel worried,“give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you” (Psalm 55:22). Christians can learn to “be satisfied with what you have, for God has said, ‘I will never fail you’” (Hebrews 13:5).