Larry P. Stover

Stover lives in Valley Grande and is pastor at Praise Park Ministries Church of the Nazarene

I’m always amazed at people who attempt to fix things that aren’t broken.

Those “Do It Yourselfers” around the house who love to tinker with stuff. They function with the attitude that, “If I had made this, it would have lasted longer.” By the time they “fix” it, it is often beyond repair. When your wife gets back home and notices a piece of furniture missing, problems mount. Mr. “Do it Yourselfer “ says, “I just tried to fix it dear.” She replies, “I didn’t know it was broken.”

Then we have office procedures. I hear all kinds of stories from people who deal with a fellow office worker who is determined to make their “rules of procedure” better. It doesn’t matter that they have been functioning perfectly for decades, Mr. or Ms. “I Know a Better Way” will not stop pushing the envelope until their “tried and true” system is put into place. After things begin to crumble, nerves are fretted, and friendships are strained, it is decided to stick with the old “tried and true” method that wasn’t broken in the first place.

I feel the same way about Easter. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, died on a cross for our sins. In the two millenniums since, hundreds of millions of people have accepted His offer of grace, mercy and forgiveness as they confessed their sins. It is exhilarating to realize that we can be forgiven of our sins and disobedience. We get a fresh start. It’s like starting all over after we have made a mess of many areas of our lives. The guilt is gone. We begin to realize what real freedom is all about.

The tragedy of the past 2,000 years is how million of people have tried “to fix” Easter. In our pluralistic society, people keep trying to reinvent forgiveness and salvation. I hear it and read about it continually, “There must be another way to heaven without going through Jesus.”

In my lifetime, the number of cults and alternative religions groups have evolved and spread like an unknown virus until multitudes of people have either lost their way or just given up on life. If you add to that number the people who have been hurt by the church or individuals in the church, the numbers are staggering. In reality, Easter is not broken. Jesus Christ is still the same. As Revelation 3:20 tells us, “He stands at the door of our lives knocking with the simple request to let Him in. When we let Him in, we discover real life, life with meaning and purpose, and the joy of being set free from fears of sin.”

Are you tired of “Fixing Easter?” It’s time for a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. After such an encounter, you will agree with me that life is “Simply Beautiful!”