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Today's post was written by Rusty Wright.
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You've probably seen Santa Claus; but have you ever seen the Easter Bunny?

As a small child, I enjoyed visiting Santa at a local department store at Christmastime. My parents would take me downtown to the jolly bearded man in the red suit. I felt comfortable climbing into his lap, telling him my wish list and receiving a gift along with his encouraging words. He was friendly, predictable and safe.

Imagine my excitement when one Spring I learned that the Easter Bunny would be at the same department store. Neither my family nor I had ever seen the Easter Bunny. I had seen white rabbits. Those cute, cuddly little bunnies seemed so warm and innocent. I looked forward for some time to seeing the real Easter Bunny.

Finally, the big day came. My father took me to the store that afternoon. When we reached the Bunny's floor, I was shocked. Before me was a human-sized hare with big eyes and large, floppy ears. The creature walked on two legs like a human. He talked.

The more clearly I saw him as I approached him, the more slowly I walked. I would not get close to the furry beast. He wanted to give me a gift, but I was not cooperating. "Just throw it to me," I suggested. He tossed his present across the room, Frisbee-style.

Much as I was confused about the Easter Bunny, many folks are confused about the meaning of Easter itself. For some, it means new clothes and a chance to show them off. Others focus on eggs, candy and special meals. Spring Break is a highlight of the season. The beach beckons and relaxing on the sand or reveling at parties defines the holiday.

Easter is also billed as a time of renewal. It may be relatively easy to renew things outwardly -- new clothes, a hairstyle, a fancy party. Renewal on the inside can be more difficult. Problems from the past can haunt one's memory. Broken relationships undermine self-esteem. Guilt over missed opportunities, pain from rejection, loneliness and anger from past hurts can sometimes create a swirling inner vortex, a psychological suction from which escape is difficult.

Where does one find inner renewal? Some look to friends or family. Counselors and self-help books provide coping skills. But maybe a look at the first Easter could also offer some clues.

Nearly two millennia ago, a young Jewish leader fell into disfavor with established authorities. He was executed, declared dead, wrapped up like a mummy and placed in a tomb. A large stone was rolled against the tomb's entrance and an elite unit of Roman soldiers guarded the tomb against grave robbers.

Two days later, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty, but the grave clothes were still in place. The man's closest followers, most of whom had abandoned him during his trials, reported seeing him alive again. Many later died horrible deaths for telling people that their leader had risen from the dead.

They had been transformed from the inside and it affected every facet of their lives, giving them inner strength, freedom from guilt, love for their enemies, and boldness to stand for what they believed was right. "If anyone is in Christ," wrote one early believer, "he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:17)

Sometimes life's challenges can seem as scary as that huge hare seemed to me when I was a child. We don't want to get near them. Yet that first Easter still offers hope. Maybe if Jesus really did come back from the dead, then people today can find inner renewal by knowing him personally.

As we enjoy eggs and rabbits this Spring, might that be a message worth pondering?
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Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

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Today's post was written by Ann Mainse.
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THE MIRACLE OF LIFE

In the decade of the 60's little was known about the secret life of the unborn child. Once conception had occurred, the child lived in its own separate and distinct world – a place where doctors were just as in the dark as the child in the womb. There were the basics, and little more. Gestation takes 40 weeks. The first few weeks are the most critical for the developing baby. And if anything goes wrong in those initial weeks, the life of the baby is in serious jeopardy. This is the place where a young mother named Betty found herself only 18 weeks into her pregnancy.

Premature Rupture of Membranes, or PROM, is the medical term that now describes what she had just suffered. All Betty knew was that one minute she was relishing the slight movement of life inside of her, and the next she was crying at a stab of pain and sitting in a puddle of fluid. “I don’t want to lose the baby!” she cried and prayed, as her husband drove her to the hospital. But the grim looks of the doctors told her otherwise. “Aside from resealing the sac, there’s nothing we can do,” they told her. “If the leaking starts again, we’re at a loss.” Remember, this was the 1960's, long before amniocentesis and ultrasounds. And, unfortunately, the leaking did start again. More severe and, this time, beyond repair.

“If you lie flat on your back without moving a muscle, the baby may live for a while,” the doctors said.

At 18 weeks gestation, they knew there was no hope. But as the amniotic fluid drained from her body, Betty connected to the Originator of hope – and His name was Jesus. Lying flat on her back and holding her Bible above her head, she spent hours praying and soaking in God’s Word. And the doctors watched in amazement as their ‘little while’ extended far beyond what any of them expected. For four solid months Betty laid in that hospital bed, flat on her back, changing position only slightly for the benefit of the baby. And at eight months gestation, Betty delivered a normal, healthy six and a half pound baby.

When the doctors had lost all hope, God hand-delivered it in the form of His Word. And no matter what we’re going through, we possess that same hope. Just as Jesus said Himself, in the 18th chapter of the book of Luke:

What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.

Luke 18:27 (NLT)

Do you know the God of the ‘impossible’ – the same God that gave a devastated Mother hope when no one else would? You might say, “Yeah, how do you really know that story is true? How do you know God still does miracles today?” Well, I can tell you for a fact that it’s true ... because I am that baby.

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You can see more blog posts from Ann Mainse at crossroads360.com/blog. Crossroads360.com is a multi-channel service providing entertaining, informative and transformative content. In addition to blogs, there are episodes of past television shows as well as exclusive web content. Their channels include KidsSpace, God Stories, Music, Explore Faith, Nostalgia, Everyday Life and News.

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It’s an old expression that I used to hear quite frequently when I was younger: “The sky’s the limit.” In other words, you can do anything; there is no limit. From our perspective standing on the Earth, the sky seems to be a very long way up, and it seems to go on forever. But Colonel Chris Hadfield has a different perspective.

Chris Hadfield knows what it is like not to limit himself. He decided when he was 9 that he would like to become an astronaut, and since then he has chosen activities and school programs that would help get him there. Now, people all around the world have heard of Colonel Chris Hadfield, many hearing about him for the first time as the astronaut who tweets from space. As a Canadian who has lived in Southwestern Ontario, I have been hearing about him for much longer. He was the first Canadian to walk in space, and the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm. Today, March 13, 2013, Chris Hadfield becomes the first Canadian to command the International Space Station.

This is what Commander Hadfield has to say about limits: “Anybody who thinks the sky’s the limit is not thinking very clearly. The sky is incredibly thin. I’ve been above the sky. The sky is this paper-thin sheath around the world, and almost everything that exists lies beyond the sky. And it’s only our imagination that keeps us from going there.”

Scientists who have studied the universe, and astronauts like Chris Hadfield who have explored it, know that there is so much more to it than we have yet discovered or than we can comprehend. But we do have enough information already to know that it could not have been created by human hands. Lord Kelvin observed that “if you think strongly enough, you will be forced by science to believe in God.” But even the psalmist David could see that. In Psalm 19:1-2, he said that the heavens declare the glory of God and reveal His greatness.

The heavens declare in a language that we all speak. Even the best communicators can't do that. Commander Hadfield speaks several different languages, and he is a natural teacher. He imparts scientific and technical information in a way that is easy to understand, but he does not communicate in all the languages of the world. The heavens themselves declare the glory of God in a way that anyone can understand if they will just open their eyes to see. Day after day, and night after night we can see the vastness of the sky: the sun, the moon, the stars the clouds, thunderstorms and snow. So many different elements can be seen by the human eye and even more with powerful telescopes, but even from the perspective of the International Space Station we can see only a small fraction of what God has created. The next time you doubt that God is all-powerful, look up.

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*The title of this post comes from a documentary about Chris Hadfield that is available for purchase at the Crossroads estore.

You can follow Commander Hadfield on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

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Have you heard of Jack Andraka? Jack is currently doing research that will make testing for certain kinds of cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer, simpler, faster, less expensive, and perhaps most importantly, more accurate. He has sent proposals to hundreds of professors giving them details of his research and asking for permission to use their labs to conduct his experiments. Only one response to him was positive. Realistically, one can’t expect to receive completely positive responses, even if your research, like Jack’s, is ground-breaking. But Jack has received more than his fair share of rejections. Why? Because he is 15 years old. When he arrives at conferences, others assume that he is a speaker’s son who is just tagging along. Then he gets up to speak. Afterwards, the conversations change, because people then judge him for what he knows, not for how long he has lived.

Timothy was in a similar situation when Paul gave him this advice: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. (I Timothy 4:12) Now, Timothy was certainly not a teenager. All of the experts estimate that he was somewhere in his thirties, but in that society anyone under the age of 40 was considered young. And Timothy was certainly young compared to Paul and to the other Christians that he would be leading. The advice Paul gave, however, would apply to anyone of any age. Essentially Paul told Timothy not to let others judge him based on his age, but based on his words and actions. Paul instructed Timothy to set an example for other believers by living a life in which his speech, conduct, love, faithfulness and purity could not be criticized.

This is advice that we should all take. Live your life such that no one can find anything bad to say about you, and so that the message of God will not be discredited. (Titus 2:4-8) Spend time studying God’s word so that you know what that message truly is. Let everyone around you see the progress you are making. (I Timothy 4:15) Let your good character shine through. Let the life you live through your words and actions be a good representation of God’s love and grace.

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Today's post was written by Rusty Wright.
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Think of it as Survivor: Earth

As reality TV host Jeff Probst might say (cue theme music; roll panoramic video), "This … is the planet Earth. A spectacular paradise that can become a perilous jungle. Two people – a man and a woman – are about to begin the adventure of the ages."

"Their progeny will encompass vastly different walks of life, from kings to fishermen, saints to scoundrels. They'll display nobility and treachery, altruism and secret alliances. But they'll have one thing in common. They'll all participate in an epic struggle between good and evil."

"What will happen when explosive personalities collide? And in the end, who will find redemption and survive the ultimate tribal council?"

Dramatic Miniseries

That's the drama the upcoming ten-hour miniseries, The Bible, seeks to portray when it airs on History Channel every Sunday evening this March.

Prolific television producer Mark Burnett ("Survivor," "The Voice," "Celebrity Apprentice," "Shark Tank") and his wife, actress/producer Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel"), spent two years creating what they hope will become a legacy. They consider this "by far the most important project we've ever undertaken" and sought to paint "the grand narrative of God's love for all of us," from Genesis to Revelation.

Curiosity and Inspiration

"The Bible is a sacred text that continues to challenge and inspire," notes Burnett. "We … are deeply humbled to be given this once in a generation opportunity to breathe new visual life into the Bible's profound stories. The Bible gives meaning and purpose to billions of people around the world, and sparks the curiosity of millions more."

Spoiler alert: Eve eats the fruit (as does Adam); Noah, family, and animals endure the Ark; God parts the Red Sea for Moses and company; Delilah cuts Samson's hair; David slays Goliath; Daniel survives the lions' den; Jesus does good, is executed, but rises from the dead.

"Don't make it lame"

But perhaps you already knew those stories. Either way, there's plenty of adventure and drama in this series. At a recent Washington, DC, dinner, Burnett described his kids' advice about the impending production: "Don't make it lame." He didn't.

This quality portrayal has loads of action and state-of-the-art special effects to grab channel surfers' attention. I'm no action-flick aficionado, but scenes like Ninja angels slicing their way through Sodom, the Red Sea crossing, and Goliath's slaying made my spine tingle. Abraham's sacrifice of his son, Isaac, had me right there, wanting divine intervention to stop that knife from hitting its target.

Faith and Trust

The depictions were exciting, gripping, genuine. I could identify with the characters' human struggles, emotions and faith lessons, especially the oft-repeated "Trust in God." Fallible people like Abraham, Moses, and Peter seek to discover what God wants of them, and then trust him to provide and protect.

It’s chock full of timeless truths, and true to Jesus' teachings. As he said, "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

Producers sought to be faithful to the spirit of the book in adapting selected Bible stories for the screen. They take typical movie-making liberties – combining events and condensing timelines – to represent the gist of the book in limited hours. Compressed narrative and dialogue skip some details and occasionally blur nuances. But, sit back, relax, and take in the big picture: God loves us; he is faithful; he is merciful.

The overall presentation (of the six hours available for advance press screening) gets an "A" from me. By all means, see the miniseries. Read the original, too. It is, after all, a very Good Book.

History Channel – Sunday (March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31)
History.ca (Canada)
www.BibleSeries.tv
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Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

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Published on 1 Comment on Luke 1:5-20 Surprise! Surprise!

Some people like surprises; I’m not one of them. I prefer to know, or at least have a good idea, how things are going to work out, and when. Perhaps that is what makes me a planner and a list maker—a person who likes to be prepared. Of course, knowing what’s going to happen, or at least thinking I do, doesn’t happen very often, because none of us can truly know the future. But it doesn’t make me want to know any less. Unfortunately, because of our limited perspective on things, we often limit our faith too. Because we don’t know how a particular thing can be accomplished, we doubt God’s ability to do it.

Zechariah was a perfect example of this. (Luke 1:5-20) He and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous in the sight of God (Luke 1:6), but they were also childless, and getting on in years. To be more precise, Luke 1:7 tells us that they were both very old. Since children were seen as a blessing from the Lord, and it was a disgrace to be barren, there is little doubt that they would have been praying fervently for a child. Why then should Zechariah be surprised when an angel of the Lord appeared and told him that his prayers had been heard and his wife would bear a son?

In Zechariah’s defense, he did have reason to be surprised. First of all, it was a once in a lifetime event for Zechariah to be chosen to burn incense in the holy place. (Luke 1:9) It’s like winning a door prize when hundreds of people are at an event; you don’t really expect to. Secondly, the privilege of burning incense didn’t mean that you would have an angel appear to chat with you. Yes, angels had appeared to others before, but even these devoted priests had not heard from God in 400 years. We now call this the intertestamental period—the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament—but Zechariah didn’t have our hindsight. And then, thirdly, this angel tells Zechariah that his wife will have a son. Zechariah could not, from his limited perspective, understand how this could be possible. Given some time, and a calmer situation, he might have thought back to the birth of Isaac, (Genesis 17:15-19) but he didn’t. So he questioned the angel, (Luke 1:18) and doubted God. As a result, Zechariah was unable to speak until after his son was born. (Luke 1:20)

You can be sure that God’s plans are not thwarted by our doubt or inability, even unwillingness, to participate. But think about what Zechariah missed out on because he doubted God. For at least nine months (we’re not sure how long--Luke 1:24) Zechariah was unable to clearly articulate this great event that he had experienced. In his day, oral communication was the primary means of sharing information. Yes, he could make signs, (Luke 1:22) but he didn’t have a blog or Facebook to share his thoughts in writing. He was effectively stopped from sharing in God’s miracle until after it had taken place. Let’s not suffer the same fate. Let’s trust God to do more than we could ever ask or imagine, (Ephesians 3:20) and share the joy when He does the impossible.

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I love to go to Christian conferences, partly because I love to learn and to see things from fresh perspectives, but I also love to meet new people who are already sisters and brothers in Christ. Even if our opinions on some matters differ, we are all on pretty much the same wavelength. Our beliefs are similar enough that even though we may have never met before, we are like family. Being with them gives me encouragement in my faith, knowing I am not alone. That is not true for us in every environment we enter, and it was not at all the reality for Jesus’ disciples. There were such a small number of people who were followers of Christ while He walked the earth, and so many more who followed the religious leaders of the day or who were heathens, that the disciples faced a lot of doubt, criticism and persecution.

Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He prayed for His disciples. Jesus knew that because His disciples had believed in Him, the world would hate them. So Jesus prayed that the Heavenly Father would protect them. John 17:15 tells us that Jesus did not ask God to protect them by taking them out of the world, but that He would protect them while they stayed in the world. That did not mean that the disciples would not face physical harm or discomfort. We know that they did, but Jesus' prayer was that their souls would be protected from Satan for eternity. Jesus had a purpose for His disciples to be in the world and not isolated from it. He wanted them to represent Him and His Word to those around them. He wanted them to spread His love, joy, grace and truth to others. That purpose and Jesus’ prayer still apply to us today. John 17:20 includes us if we believe in Him.

I think sometimes we expect that if we follow Christ our lives should be comfortable and full of blessings, and so we are always disappointed or frustrated when the opposite happens. We should not expect life to be easy, but we can expect God to give us the strength we need to face it. Are you being criticized by others for your beliefs? Do those people represent Jesus or the world? If they represent the world, do not try to win their approval. Instead, represent Jesus in a way that will glorify God, and trust Him to protect you from the evil one.

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At this time of year, many people, like me, find it hard to stay active. If you're not particularly fond of the winter weather, you might prefer to stay indoors. Others, who love winter sports, enjoy getting out in the snow to ski, snowshoe or make snow angels. Personally, I'm a little bit afraid of falling. Since I was hurt in a car accident, my balance isn't as good as it used to be, and because I live near one of the great lakes, we often have blustery and icy conditions. I find it much more difficult to get motivated to go out for a walk on days like that than I do in the summertime. But physical exercise is only one of the ways that we need to stay active.

Last week, we looked at Hebrews 4:12, and I told you that the Bible is "living and active" because it is the representation of the power of God. God still works through the words that He spoke to Bible authors centuries ago, but He also works through us. He has given us the opportunity to share his love and grace by living it for others and by sharing Him and His Word. That is what Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are doing through their dramatic production of The Bible, a series that will be shown on the History Channel for five Sundays starting on March 3, 2013. As I mentioned last week, you can find out more about The Bible Series at the official website, their Facebook page or on Twitter. But I also thought you might like to see a preview, so I have included an extended trailer for you below. After that is part of an interview that Roma and Mark did on 100 Huntley Street. (You can see any interview done on that show at 100huntley.com.)

Here is one way you can stay active: share the news about The Bible television series with friends who might feel hesitant or uncomfortable about reading the Bible, and ask them to watch it instead.

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Published on 3 Comments on Hebrews 4:12 The Bible

The reason I started this blog just over two years ago, was to share what I learned through studying the Bible, and to encourage you to study with me. I know that there are some of you (and I have done it too) who start a reading plan in January with the intent to read through the Bible in one year. Genesis and Exodus are interesting, filled with stories of drama and suspense, but once you get to Leviticus, does your mind start to wander? Do you start to drift off? When you read through Numbers are you actually planning your summer vacation? How many of you have made it to Revelation? I know that before I changed my strategy two years ago, I had read Genesis more often than any other book. But when I started studying--not just reading--one or two verses at a time, without neglecting the larger context of course, I found myself more engaged and more interested.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s word is “living and active”. The New Living Translation says “alive and powerful”. Do you believe that? Or do you think that it is just a historical religious book that people keep printing and re-translating because there are still people who want to buy it? And why do they want to buy it? Why do you want to read it enough to start a reading plan every year? I believe that the same thing that draws many of us to The Bible, repels many as well. It is a representation of the power of God. It is God extending Himself to us through His written word.

The word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) God has provided it for us, to teach us, to correct us and to prepare us for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16-17) It is there for us to be able to know God’s heart, and to determine if ours are right with His. The word of God is available to us for our benefit, so that we can know God, so that through faith in Him and obedience to Him we can be recipients of His grace, love, peace and mercy. What a gift!

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Some of you prefer watching the movie to reading the book. Here is your chance! Though I recommend it as a supplement rather than a substitution, The Bible is coming to The History Channel as a mini-series beginning on Sunday, March 3, 2013 and continuing each Sunday evening until Easter Sunday. You can be sure that this will be a great production because it is being produced by Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Voice…) and Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel). Accuracy has been insured by Bible scholars, including Dr. Craig Evans of Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find out more about The Bible Series at the official website, their Facebook page or on Twitter.

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What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? This is a question that I happened to see on a Facebook page recently. The three most popular answers seemed to be:
1. Make coffee
2. Check my phone
3. Pray
Your need for coffee aside, which would you do? Are you more likely to check your phone for messages from friends, colleagues, clients and possibly strangers? Or do you take a few minutes to go to God first? A healthy relationship requires regular and honest communication; without it, the relationship suffers. We spend our time on the relationships that mean the most to us.

David, the psalmist, didn’t have the benefit (distraction?) of a smartphone, so perhaps his choice was easier: he went to God first. David made a habit of going to God regularly, not just when he wanted to extend a desperate plea for help. And although he often asked for help and protection from his enemies, he also praised God for His goodness and faithfulness. The pattern of his psalms often goes from complaint to praise.

Psalm 5 is one of David’s morning prayers. In this Psalm, he starts by asking God to hear and consider his prayer. He doesn’t tell God what to do, but presents his case and waits expectantly for God to answer. (Psalm 5:3) We can see that David is confident that God will not only hear his prayer, but also answer it according to His character. David knows that God is a God of love and mercy, but He is also a God of justice, and David appeals to God to protect him from his enemies. (Psalm 5:4-6, Psalm 5:10) David asks for God’s guidance through whatever obstacles he must face, (Psalm 5:8) and he also asks for God’s blessing. (Psalm 5:11-12) Even though David is asking for God’s favour toward him, so that his life will be safer and better, David approaches God with reverence and praise—honest, but respectful communication.

When you get up tomorrow morning, who will you go to first? How do you suppose your choice will affect the remainder of your day?