Jesus Meets the Easter Bunny

“Jesus Meets the Easter Bunny”
(A Very Short Church Play)

The setting: It’s Easter Sunday morning and the Easter Bunny has some tables full of Easter eggs and candy set up on the church lawn.

Jesus is also present. He is walking around the church yard showing people the nail holes in His hands and feet. People are excitedly smiling and hugging Him.

When Jesus sees the Easter Bunny, He breaks some switches off a bush and knits them together into a whip. The He waves it in the air as He walks toward E. Bunny, saying: “You are turning this place called a church into a meaningless spectacle.” He turns over E. Bunny’s tables tells him to leave. (John 2:14-17)

When E. Bunny sees the nail holes in Jesus’ hands, he hops down on his knees and says: “My Lord and my God! (John 20:28) Please forgive me for distracting people’s attention from Your resurrection for more decades than I care to remember. Easter is supposed to be all about You and Your victory over death. I should have never interfered.”

Jesus tells E. Bunny, “Take off the fake rabbit head so I can see your face.”

E. Bunny grabs his ears and pulls off his big rabbit mask. Tears are running down his cheeks. He cries out to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16-18)

Jesus kneels down in front of E. Bunny and embraces him. Jesus says: “Now that you have seen the light, always seek first the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6:33) “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

Jesus stands up continues walking around the church yard showing His wounds to people. E. Bunny gets up and hops along following Jesus, with the biggest smile any bunny (oops I mean any man) ever had.

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Questioning

Daily writing prompt
What is one word that describes you?

“Am I Growing?”

Dare to ask yourself this question: Am I being effective or “ineffective and unproductive in” my “knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”? (2 Peter 1:8)

Faith without ongoing application in daily life is dead. It’s not growing. (James 2:26)

One of the most amazing things that the Bible says is that Christ-followers can partake of and participate in the divine nature and escape “the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:4) That’s why we need to “make every effort to add to” our “faith” by diligently and consistently cultivating and weeding our heart (Mark 4:18-20) so that God can grow the fruit and character traits of His Spirit in us and demonstrate them through our daily lifestyle. (Galatians 5:22-23 and 2 Peter 1:5-8)

One of the things we need to make every effort to add to our faith is knowledge (2 Peter 5:1) but not just information-based head knowledge. We need the experiential knowledge of God that comes from His direct self-disclosure to our heart. (James 4:8) “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

The knowledge of God is infinitely beyond the mere accumulation in a human mind of information about Him. It’s insight and revelation given directly from God to a human heart. Paul describes it this way: ““Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33)

The knowledge of God isn’t just cerebral. It’s supernatural light. It is “the true light that God offers to everyone.” (John 1:9) Human beings are now being invited to behold with an open face the ever-increasing glory of God and to be steadily transformed into His image while we still live here on earth. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Jesus speaks
To human hearts.
Listen with
Your inner ear
And you will hear
His voice appear.
He’ll make it clear.

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“Thank You for Obeying Jesus”

Daily writing prompt
What was the best compliment you’ve received?

Jesus is the question. Is the resurrected Jesus living in you (2 Corinthians 13:5) and directing you through out each day? Are you consistently growing in daily surrender and obedience to the risen Christ? (2 Peter 3:18)

Instead of focusing and relying on daily growing in more and more surrender to the literal presence of the risen Jesus, humanly choreographed Christianity focuses and relies on:

  • Pastors,
  • Church attendance
  • Famous preachers,
  • Sermons,
  • Buildings,
  • Religious programs,
  • Politics,
  • Entertainment,
  • Hyped up events,
  • Human promotion,
  • Conferences and seminars,
  • Rasing money,
  • Financial prosperity,
  • Tithing,
  • Highly talented worship leaders,
  • Looking good,
  • Nice decorations and lighting,
  • Having a great sound system,
  • The size of a congregation,
  • “Christian” TV, movies, music, concerts, radio, blogs, brochures, books, podcasts, streaming, and social media.

Where is the living, resurrected Jesus in the midst of all of that? When He has been set aside, ignored, and replaced by other things, we are left with “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Timothy 3 5) Jesus said: “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” (Mark 7:6-7)

Normalized Christianity abandons discipleship for lukewarm religion. (Revelation 3:15-16) True Christianity is radical discipleship that wholehearted follows and obey the risen Jesus instead of our human desires. (Mark 8:34) It will always be far from normal because it is supernatural. (Zachariah 4:6) Christians who demonstrate and grow in discipleship, will be seen as odd by this world. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12 NIV)

When churches or ministries won’t openly tell you where and how they are spending the money that you give them, they are hiding important things from you that they don’t want you to know. (1 John 1:7) Watch the docuseries: “The Religion Business” on Prime.

If a church or ministry isn’t doing anything inappropriate or unethical with the money that they are being given, why would they refuse to make a full financial disclosure to their members and contributors? If you are giving or tithing to a church or ministry, ask the leader or leaders to show you exactly where the money is going. If they refuse to tell you, beware! Especially ask for the top leader’s salary and benefits. Jesus calls His followers to walk in the light. Churches and ministries have no right to hide their finances.

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Question Your Thoughts — Choose the Best!

Daily writing prompt
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

Sort Your Thoughts

Notice your thoughts today.
Listen to what they say.
Sort them along your way.
Some of them are from you.
Some are from God’s Spirit
Leading you what to do.
Some are from the devil
To get you off level.
If you don’t know their source,
Your life will be off course.
Don’t let temptation force
You to ride a dark horse.
The Bible teaches us to
Not simply be passive.
Instead we are told to
Bring all our thoughts captive
And make them obey Christ.
There’s no true victory
Until our thinking’s free
To be led by Jesus.
(2 Corinthians 10:5)

Whose thoughts are you thinking? Look closer and you may make a shocking discovery.

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Where Does Confidence Come From?

Daily writing prompt
Who is the most confident person you know?

True confidence — not just puffed-up human pride pretending to be confidence — comes from somewhere far beyond self-effort and self-righteousness. It comes from a heart that knows by direct revelation, the internal objectivity of eternal love.

Do you “know this love that surpasses knowledge”? Are you “filled with the fullness of God”? (Ephesians 3:19) It’s good to be informed about God. It’s much better to “surpass” knowledge and be directly, deeply, and continually impacted by Him. The inner flow of God the Holy Spirit from a persons innermost being isn’t subjectivity. It’s internal objectivity. It’s supernatural reality. Do you “know this love that surpasses knowledge”?

My Body, God’s Choice!

When you want to do
What you want to do
Instead of what God
Wants you to do,
You need to redo
Your to-do list.

To do what God desires
Let your body be the
Temple of God’s Spirit.
Be led by “Christ in you”
Not by your own desires.
(Galatians 5:13-25)

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The Strategy of Divine Impact

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

I woke up with the words “divine impact” on my mind. You can experience ongoing divine impact and inner transformation in your life “if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Colossians 1:23)

Hearing someone teach about God’s thunder and lightning is religion. Without inward transformation it’s merely more Bible information that is easily and quickly forgotten. However, personally hearing God thunder in your heart and feeling His lightning striking in your soul is divine impact.

To sit through outward religion without life changing inner transformation is to be in a dangerous situation. Faith without the divine impact of God, actively working in and through you, is dead.

It’s good to be informed about God. It’s much better to be impacted by Him. 21st century Christianity needs divine impact, not just another religious act.

Bible information
Without transformation
Is empty religion.
Another Bible fact
Without letting God act
Deep down in your soul
Won’t bring divine impact.
Is your life too jam-packed
To have constant contact
With the risen Jesus?
Avoid everything that distracts
You from divine impact.

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I Stay Lost in Learning by Revelation

Aha! — Start Learning by Revelation

True Christianity
Is the realization
Of Christ-In-You-Mighty!
(2 Corinthians 13:5)

Christ-In-You-Mighty
Is supposed to be
A reality,
Not just a theory
Or theology.
(Colossians 1:27)

Make the decision
To leave religion
And live your life by
Christ-In-You-Mighty.
(2 Timothy 3:5)

It’s time to realize
That beyond your eyes
There’s an inner flow
Of Christ inside you
That you need to know
As an experience–
A deep sensation
And realization–
Of revelation
That is unending!
Indescribable!
Don’t settle for less.
(John 14:19-21)

It’s time to realize that the risen Jesus Christ wants to live in and through you. True Christianity isn’t a polished performance. It’s the persistent personal pursuit of the presence of Christ-In-You-Mighty. (Philippians 3:14)

I am watching the documentary series, “The Religion Business,” and it is absolutely shocking. I’ve been deeply concerned for decades how churches quench the Holy Spirit and promote themselves and their preachers instead of pointing people to the risen Jesus who wants to personally lead them by His Spirit living inside of them.

“The Religion Business” shows how churches and “ministries” in the USA have no outside financial accountability and can easily abuse their givers and tithers by misusing much of the money that comes to them. It’s on Amazon Prime. Watch it if you want to know more.

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Streaming Series & Movies Can Be Dangerous

Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

Don’t Be a Dope, Feed Your Mind Hope

Wicked ways
Weigh too much
To carry.
Set them down,
Turn around,
And trust Christ.
(Matthew 11:28)

Our wicked ways
Will make us strays
Who will always
Hide from the gaze
Of Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 15:8)

Wicked ways are
Such sneaky things.
They like to hide
Deep down inside
Of us humans.
(Romans 7:18)

Wicked ways lead
To guilt and shame.
They are the deed
To destruction.
Delete their feed.
(Psalm 1:6)

King David prayed:
“Search me and see
If there might be
Some wicked ways
Hidden in me.”
(Psalm 139:23-24)

Pride, pushiness,
Self-righteousness,
Unforgiveness,
And greediness
Are wicked ways
Disguised as good.
(James 4:6)

God Himself said,
“If My people
Will humbly pray
And turn away
From wicked ways
I’ll heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

Walking along
With wicked ways
Will steal your song.
Repent from wrong.
Let Christ live strong
Inside of you
And be your hope!
(Colossians 1:27)

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Beyond Superstition and Tradition

Superstition
Or tradition
Can’t change your heart
For a fresh start!

There’s just one way
To righteousness:
Christ within me,
Hope of glory!
(Colossians 1:27)

Can’t follow rules
In what you do?
Make a fresh start.
Let the Ruler
Rule inside you.
Be transformed by
A renewed mind
And a new heart.
(Ezekiel 36:26)

An inner friend,
How can it be?
Jesus the Christ
Lives inside me!
Jesus is my
Interior
Decorator,
And risen Lord.
He arranges
My feelings
And my desires–
Even my thoughts.
Jesus inspires
Me from within
Empowering
Me to resist
Life’s temptations
And to turn
Away from sin.
Christ produces
His inner fruit
Deep down within.
And makes it flow
Like rivers of
Living water
And grow and grow.
Thank You, my Friend,
My Lord, my God!
(Galatians 5:13-25)

Prosperity
Is Christ in me,
Not more money
In my account.
(3 John 1:2)

Jesus wants you to be more than His servant, (Romans 1:1) His sheep, (John 10:27) and His student. (Matthew 11:29) He wants you to be His friend. (John 15:15). Come closer to Christ throughout each day. (Matthew 11:28)

True discipleship begins with friendship with Jesus. The more you get to know Him and surrender your heart to Him, the more you will become like Him. (Luke 6:40) The more you will keep His commandments. (John 14:14)

Without heart-to-heart friendship with the risen Jesus, there’s no discipleship. Let Christ continually train and empower you to obey Him.

If you are a Christian think about and say the name of Jesus Christ much more than you think about and say any other name. (Philippians 2:9) Focus on the risen Jesus much more than on any other person, place, or thing. (Hebrews 12:2)

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I Want to Mount Up with Eagles’ Wings

I want to mount up and soar above every circumstance and situation with the wings of Eagles. The tempter came to Jesus Christ, and he comes to you and me too. (Matthew 4:1-3) He wants to steal, kill, and destroy our hope. (John 10:10) But if we trust in the Lord we can rise above temptation with eagles’ wings. (Isaiah 40:31)

No matter what is
Your situation
Work hard to reject
Every temptation.
Listen to the word
Of God in your heart.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

To rise above your temptations continually receive and absorb the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Train and discipline yourself to continually hope in God by learning to see things from His perspective instead of from your own.

How you behave in any temptation is like being in a canoe. You can paddle your life toward hope or let it drift into despair.

Saturate your thinking with hope in God. He will strengthen and sustain you in every situation.

Tough situations try to trounce on your thinking and turn it away from trust and hope in God. Don’t let them do that!

Every situation in your life has a positive purpose. (Romans 8:28) Ask God what that purpose is and how He is using it for your good. The life of Joseph in the Bible who was sold into slavery by his brothers illustrates that. (Genesis chapters 37-50) Before you react to a situation seek God’s perspective. Refuse to allow any situation to steal your hope.

You can’t always control your situation, but you can control the way you think about it. Look for a little bit of light in the darkness. (2 Corinthians 4:6) Learn how to find something good–even if it is tiny–in every situation.

When you can’t change a situation, change how you perceive it. Ask God to let you see things from His point of view instead of from yours. Ask Him how He sees. “People look the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:17) Listen humbly and attentively and He will show you. Make up your mind to persistently rely hopefully on the Lord in whatever situation you are in. (Philippians 4:11)

Situations come and go but the most important situation of all is how your heart is situated with God. Don’t just assume all is well. Your self-perception might be a great deception. Always pay close attention to God’s still small voice that speaks inside of you.

The best way to hear God’s voice is to listen inside your heart and then check what you hear with the Bible. The Holy Spirit won’t contradict the Scriptures.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
(Psalm 139:23-24 NKJ)

Humanity seems to be in transition from superficial intelligence that ignores the deeper meaning of life to artificial intelligence that lets machines define the meaning of life. Instead of either, listen to God’s inner voice and His supernatural intelligence. Sermon-hearing is easily left behind, but God’s voice will follow you everywhere.

It’s not a man’s strong voice from a pulpit that you need to hear. It’s the still small voice of God speaking in your heart. (1 Kings 19:12-13) The sound of a sermon is soon forgotten but when God sounds His voice in your soul it’s something you can’t forget!

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