Jailed for Easter Sunday worship?

What if they said you couldn't worship on Easter Sunday? Would you go to jail to do it?

While there are 1.2 billion Christians in the world who are celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Easter, there are millions who do so at the risk of their lives.

In Beijing China the Shouwang Church is growing, but those who worship do so at the risk of their lives. Religious freedom is nonexistent there. They bought a church and the government shut it down.They rented sites, the government shut that down, too. They tried to meet outside and the government arrested them all. The Chinese government won't allow it and has cracked down during this Holy Easter week.

Of course our government won't say anything because the Chinese own our debt and most of our major factories use the country's cheap labor to build everything from automobiles to cell phones.

Those who want to worship Christ must do so under threat of jail or possibly death, not just in China but all over the Middle East. Christians are being jailed and murdered in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and many other places in the world.

Yet, they continue to meet and worship, not with the hope of prosperity like many in America. They worship Christ for who He is, the risen savior. They pledge themselves to serve Him, even if it means death.

A bible passage says in Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

The irony is that many in the free world, who do not face the threat of death or persecution, won't celebrate Easter in worship today, but will wash their cars instead.

I said my Easter Speech, 55 years later

I said my Easter speech Sunday, 55 years later.

Yesterday, the children of New Tabernacle continued a long standing tradition of reciting Easter speeches. They ranged from two word speeches, ("Easter Easter") to elaborate poems all presented to a receptive audience. To just about every one's surprise, I gave the last Easter speech.

When I was about six years old I somehow remember attending a small church in Atlanta, Georgia in which I was given an Easter speech to recite. I had a small bunny rabbit that I carried with me as I stood on a box and recited my Easter speech, loudly and with confidence. Afterwards there were plenty of adults who praised me and said, "That boy is going to be a preacher one day."

Four years later, in Monroe I stood on a box to say an Easter speech at Tabernacle. Eight years after that the box changed; I stood behind the pulpit at Tabernacle to preach my first sermon. Two years later I was named the church youth minister. Six years after that I was installed as pastor in the same church. I've been standing behind that same pulpit for 34 years.

Sunday, to every one's surprise I stood on a box at Tabernacle and recited my Easter speech from 55 years ago. (without the bunny rabbit).

"Easter after Easter the message is the same
Easter after Easter God's word to proclaim!
Happy Easter Everybody!

The surprised congregation applauded and the children rolled with laughter

A bible verse in Proverbs 22:6 that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

That definitely proved true for me. I've been one soapbox or another most of my life.

I wonder what happened to that bunny rabbit?