Dean Inserra

We are so close to EasterOnTheMoon. We make a HUGE deal about it because…well, we think it is a huge deal. There will be people at the Moon who have never been to a Church gathering their entire lives. Is anything more exciting?

What about LOST, a great bracket, the 2010 elections, spring weather, opening day baseball (sorry, that was for me), or graduation? Nope. Scripture does not mention angels rejoicing for any of those things. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:7). I hope you join me in praying that angels will be rejoicing for all God is doing in Tallahassee this Sunday.

Jesus came back to life to prove himself as God, and to conquer Satan, Sin, and Death once and for all.

His righteousness, saving power, greatness, glory, majesty, love, grace, and mercy must be made known.

He did not die and come back to life so we could take family pictures and buy a new dress! We cannot let our American butchering of the Easter celebration stand in the way of making his name famous for the greatest, most miraculous event in the history of the World.

Please pray for every Pastor in Tallahassee. We all have a huge opportunity to make the name of Christ known in our city this Sunday. Pray that none of us wuss out!

I am praying for you that an obsession to not be awkward and live as comfortable as possible does not stand in the way of inviting a friend to EasterOnTheMoon, or whichever local Church community you consider home.

The cross offers a glimpse into the heart of a God who is willing to be with us in death and suffering. But we need more than a God who knows our pain. We need mercy for our own contributions to the pain in the world. Christ’s death is not merely a picture of God with us. It is also a picture of a God willing to stand in our place.

Jesus Christ dies instead of us. He not only identifies with our suffering caused by our sin; he also enters into our sorrow and makes it his own. He takes our sin and its consequences upon himself so that we can be free. He experiences the full force of God’s wrath toward sin in order that we might be saved. Only the cross satisfies God’s demand for justice and our desire for mercy. ~Trevin Wax

Thom Rainer recently put together what he believes to be the primary characteristics of Churches who are reaching people in their community. This was based on over 20 years of research and a few of the characteristics stuck out to me.

What their theology produces: They have a theology that compels them to evangelize. They believe in the urgency of the gospel message. They believe that Christ is the only way of salvation. They believe that anyone without Christ is doomed for a literal hell.

They are people of prayer. They realize that only God can convict and convert, and they are totally dependent upon Him in prayer. Most of the highly evangelistic Christians spend at least an hour in prayer each day.

What their devotional/study life produces: They are people who spend time in the Word. The more time they spend in the Bible, they more likely they are to see the lostness of humanity and the love of God in Christ to save those who are lost.

What their hearts produce: They love the communities where God has placed them. They are immersed in the culture because they desire for the light of Christ to shine through them in their communities.

What their values produce: They are intentional about evangelism. They pray for opportunities to share the gospel. They look for those opportunities. And they see many so-called casual encounters as appointments set by God.  They are accountable to someone for their evangelistic activities. They know that many good activities can replace Great Commission activities if they are not careful. Good can replace the best. So they make certain that someone holds them accountable each week either formally or informally for their evangelistic efforts.

Today is the last day of the Well’s 30 Day Bible Reading Plan. I have received a good amount of emails, texts, and comments on Sundays about how much people enjoyed the experience.

I hope that being in God’s Word for the past 30 days gives you a strong desire to be in it tomorrow, next Tuesday, and 4 Tuesdays from now.

Carl F. H. Henry once said that the most important question we can ask is not “is there a God?” The better question is “if there is a God, has he spoken?” All you have to do is open your Bible and you will get a loud and clear YES. God has spoken to us through his Word. Theologians call this “special revelation.”

My buddy and I were talking a few weeks ago about the amazing privilege it is for us to have printed, copies of the Bible. He takes this privilege so seriously that he gets upset when believers at the Church were he is one of the Pastors, do not bring their Bibles to the worship gathering. He reminds them that there are people all over the World who have no access to a Bible, and that it is taking for granted the incredible act of grace God has shown us by allowing to have his spoken Word.

I hope we all take that seriously and see the Bible as not the random book we pull off our shelf when we had a bad day, but the actual special revelation of God himself. Read it to meet with God.

I am not one who makes much of Holy Week.

I think the Cross and the empty tomb are the foundations our entire faith is based upon. So, it needs to be more like “holy minute,” of every hour, for the rest of my life in terms of remembrance, reflection, and worship.

What I appreciate about Holy Week is the opportunity it gives for discussion.

This sounds so unchristian, but I do not think Easter is different than any other day if your life is built upon the empty tomb rather than Church History. Why do we go to the Moon and make a big deal about it if that is the case? Easy…many people think it is a day of dressing nicer, showing up to Church for the first time since last Easter, having lunch at Granny’s, and then starting their Monday like Easter really never took place (that includes many believers too).

Why not capitalize on it as an opportunity to point people to a cross and empty tomb rather than their 3 year old daughter’s cute little white shoes?

Holy Week is meaningful to many people. That is awesome. I hope it is so meaningful that they share why it is special with their friends who “observe” Easter every year and have no clue why.