David LaDuke

New Blog

David LaDuke — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:09:41 +0000

I have begun a second blog called An Interview With the Author. The purpose of this new blog is to concentrate on writing more personal essays. After spending a long time trying to figure out what I would like to write, I came to the conclusion that I should try the personal essay to see if I can express my faith in a way that less is theoretical and more practical.

As for this blog, it has become more of a place to write book reviews which is not really what I want to do. I find myself gorging on books that are good for some people but not really for me. For the time being this site will go dormant. Perhaps in the future I will relaunch it with a different purpose. Thanks for all of you who stopped by. Please come visit me at An Interview With the Author

The Red Letters Project

David LaDuke — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:24:04 +0000

I don’t normally do music reviews. But I couldn’t resist checking out this unique project. Simply put, it is the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Tyndale’s New Living Translation) put to rock music. Thus, the Red Letters Project, produced by Tyndale Publishing. As I made my way through the music, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the group the Alan Parsons Project. A group of studio musicians get together to produce concept albums. Over the years the lead singers changed, the muscians changed and the sound changed. That’s the feel I get from this 3cd set.

The cds feature a variety of rock genres, some I liked others I didn’t. But I’m sure most people would have the same response. Lyrically I felt about the same, some worked and others didn’t. But I think it’s strength is the ability to communicate the words of Christ in a way in which certain important phrases are emphasized and repeated. Much like any song on the radio with a catchy phrase that you wind up singing along in your head, the songs in these cds often have that same affect. It’s not quite memorization, but it might be the next best thing. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it and can recommend it to any fan of rock music.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing for providing a review copy.

He is Risen!

David LaDuke — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:00:13 +0000

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28, ESV

The day before the resurrection

David LaDuke — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:03:34 +0000

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” I Corinthians 15:50-58, ESV

Recently I held separate funerals for a man and his wife who died within two days of each other. At the grave side of the wife I told the family; “I know I used this verse at George’s graveside. But this is my standard scripture for a graveside service. I can think of no better passage of scripture to send a Christian off with.” This passage best expresses the triumph of the resurrection. The victory over sin and death and the fact that the perishable and mortality comes to an end gives us hope and comfort.

One day we will a be changed because of what God did through his son. We will inherit the Kingdom of God. Think about that for a moment and let those words sink in; “we will inherit the Kingdom of God.” Nothing in this world is more valuable to us than this.

2 days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:31:57 +0000

“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. “1 Corinthians 15:35-41, ESV

Today is Good Friday. If it wasn’t for resurrection Sunday, today would be anything but good. We often want things without paying the price for them. I’m not necessarily talking money here. I’m talking about patience, sacrifice, pain, sweat, toil. We live in a society where people shun anything that prevents them from getting what they want instantly. We don’t have time for sacrifice, there must be another way without the pain. If we had designed the way for us to reconnect with God, we would have created an app for our iphones.

God chose another way. Unfortunately that way included death. The death of an innocent man. The death of his only son. It doesn’t seem to be the best way, but in the end it was the only way. That’s the mystery of Good Friday. Someone had to die, but the only one who could do it was Jesus. Yes, this day is good, but only because Sunday is good too.

3 days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:33:57 +0000

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” I Corinthians 15:20-22, ESV

Everyone is eligible for the resurrection. This is amazing news. Christianity is often accused of being an exclusive religion. Not so! This passage clearly makes not distinctions. All have sinned, all can be raised from the dead. No one is too rich or too poor, no one is too good or too bad. All of us have sinned so all of us need a saviour. The resurrection is for everyone!

4 days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:17:41 +0000

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what i also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. The he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” I Corinthians 15:3-8, ESV

So much can be said about this particular passage of scripture. It serves as possibly the earliest creed or confession about the saving work of Christ. But of most importance is the historicity of the resurrection. It is not a leap of faith to believe in the resurrection. Many eyewitness accounts are recorded of his appearing alive after his death. The quickest way to put an end to all this resurrection talk was to produce a body. The political and religious leaders knew this, but could not find a body. There was none to be found. The body was up and walking around appearing to those who believed in him. The grave was empty.

Jewish law required only two eyewitnesses in a court of law. Paul says over five hundred people witnessed the risen Christ. Five hundred is more than enough for me. Many of these died defending the belief in a risen Lord. That is more than enough for me. All of them will experience this same resurrection when Christ comes again. And that is more than enough for me.

5 days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:35:18 +0000

“He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friend or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’” Luke 14:12-14, ESV

On the surface this is akin to “you should tithe so that you can have a tax write off.”But Jesus is encouraging people to do just that. How will we be repaid? Jesus doesn’t say but being resurrected seems to be a reward in itself. Certainly in the life to come we will be far richer than we are now and in many different ways, not just materially. Jesus is encouraging us to invest in that future, because the returns will exceed what we gain by investing in things that are not eternal.

But you can’t invest in the afterlife if there is no afterlife to invest in. That’s the hope we have in the resurrection. The good we do now has its reward in the life to come. God blesses those who make such investments because in the end it is his resources we are using. But you resurrection is the assurance that a life lived for others will not go unrewarded.

6 days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:40:25 +0000

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21, ESV

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is working in me. Imagine that, a power so awesome that it literally raised a three-day dead man from the grave. That’s the power I have in me. Now this power is not being used by me like some sort of super hero. It is being used in me by God to change me. He is changing me from a self-centered, egotistical, angry, lustful, lazy, glutton; to a God-honoring, selfless, loving, gentle, considerate, servant who is working for God’s kingdom. All in all it’s not a bad gig.

Most importantly is the fact that this change (it’s still a work in progress) is not by my own might, but by God’s power. It pleases him to do this because he loves me and the end result is that he is the one who is glorified.

7 Days until the resurrection

David LaDuke — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:47:30 +0000

Many Christians still call Sunday the sabbath. It is not. Sabbath is Saturday, the last day of the week. It is the day God instructed the Israelites to rest from their work as he did on the seventh day of creation. Christians do not celebrate sabbath. We celebrate the resurrection. The resurrection occurred on a Sunday, the first day of the week. On that day we remember an act even greater than creation. We remember the day God raised his dead son from the grave. Which is an act of redeeming creation.

We are told each week (or as often as your church does it) as we gather around the table to remember the broken body and shed blood of Christ. This is what Christ asked his disciples to do when they shared the last supper with him. But while we are doing that, we should also remember that he rose from the dead. The broken body and shed blood was part of the process, but it also includes his bodily resurrection.

Each Sunday is resurrection Sunday. In fact I would go so far as to say everyday is resurrection day. Because everyday I live, I live for Jesus because he has risen.