Deity, Death, Resurrection

Disclaimer: I'm not a theologian, I'm a layman. So this is MY OPINION and my researching. You go on and have your own. You can do it! I have faith in you.

FACTS......
Deity, Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Let's do some simple research into the Deity of Jesus, His death and resurrection, 10 facts on each subject and then a little extra-biblical sources that speak on the subject. 

What does the Bible have to say, what did non-Christian writes have to say and where do we stand? My goal is to make this simple and easy to read and follow along. Feel free to share. 

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1. Scriptural claims of Oneness with God: 

In the Gospels, Jesus explicitly claims divine authority and oneness with the Father, notably stating, "I and the Father are one" John 10:30 and applying the divine name "I AM" to himself John 8:58

■Jesus is God, is a Part of God but is Not the Father. He comes from the Father.

2. The Concept of the Incarnation: 

In our Christian theology, we hold that Jesus, (God) took on human flesh --a doctrine known as the Incarnation -- making him FULLY God and FULLY Man simultaneously also know as the Hypostatic Union. (I do love a big word!)

3. Pre-Existence: 

According to the New Testament, Jesus did not come into existence at his birth; rather the WORD -LOGOS - existed eternally before creation. John 1:1-3

4. Exercise of Divine Prerogatives:

Throughout His ministry, Jesus claimed authority reserved strictly for God, including forgiving sins, Mark 2:5-7 and acting as the final judge of humanity. Matt 25: 31-32

5. Reception of Worship: 

While angels and apostles strictly refused worship in biblical texts, Jesus routinely accepted worship from his followers without reprimand. Matt 14:33 and John 20:28-29

6. Creator and Sustainer:

Epistles like Colossians 1:16-17 state that all things were created through Jesus and that in Him all things hold together. 

7. Fulfilment of Old Testament YHWH passages:

Early Christian writes applied Old Testament passages originally written about YHWH directly to Jesus; e.g., comparing Isaiah 40:3 to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus

8. Trinitarian Formula:

Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize "...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matt 28:19, placing himself on an equal plane with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

9. The First Council of Nicaea - 325 AD:

Formally codified the orthodox belief that Jesus is "homoousios" meaning of the same substance/essence with God the father, refuting Arianism. 

(the exact text will be at the end of this blog before the bibliography)

10. The Council of Chalcedon 451AD: 

Established the precise theological phrasing that Jesus possesses two distinct natures - Divine and Human - joined in one person without confusion or division.  

(the exact text will be at the end of this blog under the Nicaea quote)

10 Facts about the Death of Jesus

1. Execution Method:

Jesus died by Roman crucifixion, a form of capital punishment designed to maximize public shame and physical torment, typically reserved for slaves, non-citizens and political insurgents. 

2. Historical Consensus:

Virtually all modern secular and religious historians agree as a matter of historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth was executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate.

3. Timing and Context:

His arrest and execution coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover in Jerusalem, likely in the year 30AD or 33 Ad.

4. Official Charges: 

On the Roman cross, the titulus (inscription of charges) read "King of the Jews." Indicating he was executed under Roman Law for perceived sedition against Caesar.

5. Physiological Cause:

Death by crucifixion usually resulted from a combination of hypovolemic shock, exhaustion, and progressive asphyxiation, as the victim could no longer lift themselves to breathe.

6. Medical Details in the Gospels:

The Gospel of John records that a Roman Soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear, yielding "blood and water," which modern medical literature interprets as pericardial fluid and blood consistent with severe trauma and cardiac failure.

7. Non-Christian Historical Attestation: 

Tacitus a Roman historian, Josephus a Jewish historian, Lucian of Samosata all explicitly confirm in ancient non-Christian writings that Jesus was executed by order of Pontius Pilate.

8. The Burial: 

Following Roman permission granted to Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus was wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a nearby rock-cut tomb before the Sabbath began. 

9. The Scourging: 

Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus underwent Roman flagellation (verberatio), using a whip loaded with metal or bone fragments that stripped the flesh and caused severe internal blood loss.

10. Theological Significance: 

In Christian doctrine, the death of Jesus is viewed as an substitutionary, atoning sacrifice that pays the debt of human sin and reconciles humanity to God. 

10 Facts about the Resurrection of Jesus

1. Central Pillar of Christianity:

The resurrection is the foundational doctrine of the Christian faith, the Apostle Paul noted in 1 Cor 15:14 that if Christ was not raised, Christian preaching and faith are useless.

2. The Empty Tomb:

All Four canonical Gospels record that women - Specifically Mary Magdalene, were the first to discover the empty tomb on the first day of the week (Sunday).

3.Attestation by Female Witnesses:

Historically, because female testimony carried low weight in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish legal courts, the inclusion of women as the primary initial witnesses strongly points to the historical authenticity of the gospels narrative (the criterion of embarrassment).

4. Multiple Post-Resurrection Appearances: 

Early traditions record Jesus appearing after his death to individuals (Peter, James), small groups (the disciples), and large crowds (over 500 people at once, per 1 Cor 15:6

5. Transformation of the Disciples: 

Historical records show the immediate transformation of the apostles from fearful fugitives into bold proclamation-makers who willingly faced martyrdom for their testimony for their testimony that they had seen the risen Jesus.

6. The Creed in 1 Corinthians 15

Scholars generally date the oral creed recorded in 1 Cor.15: 3-8 to within 2 to 5 years of Jesus' death, making it one of the earliest recorded pieces of Christian Tradition 

7. Shift in the Sabbath Worship Day:

Early Jewish Christians shifted their primary day of worship from Saturday (the traditional day Sabbath) to Sunday "the Lord's Day", specifically to commemorate the resurrection.

8. Nature of the Resurrection Body:

New Testament theology distinguishes the resurrection of Jesus who was raised with a glorified, immortal body that was no longer subject to physical decay or death, unlike Lazarus who would have died again. 

9. Alternative Historical Hypotheses:

Secular historians and skeptics over the centuries have proposed alternative explanations for the resurrection accounts-such as the stolen body hypothesis, swoon theory, or mass hallucination theory -- though each faces significant historical objections. 

10. The Jewish context: 

Prior to Jesus, Jewish apocalyptic tradition expected a general resurrection of all people at the end of human history; the early Christin claim that a single individual was resurrected in the middle of history was an unprecedented theological shift. 

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Historians rely on secular Roman, Jewish and Greek writers from the 1st and 2nd centuries to cross-reference New Testament details regarding the existence and execution of Jesus.

Key Roman Historical Accounts

1. Tacitus - Annals, c. 116AD

The Roman historian Cornelius 

Tacitus discussed Nero's scapegoating of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. He explicitly wrote:

"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus..." 

Historical Significance: 

This Confirms historically the execution of Jesus under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius's reign and notes that the movement originated in Judea before spreading to Rome. 

2. Suetonius - Lives of the 12 Caesars, c. 121AD

Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian, noted in his biography of Emperor Claudius (Life of Claudius 25.4) that Claudius: "Expelled the Jews from Rome since they rioted constantly at the instigation of Chrestus."

Historical Significance: 

"Chrestus" is widely understood by scholars as a common misspelling of Christus. This documents early Jewish-Christina unrest in Rome around 49AD, matching the account in Acts 18:2

3. Pliny the Younger - Letters to Trajan, c. 112AD

As governor of Bithynia-Pontus, modern day Turkey, Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan asking how to handle the growing legal proceedings against Christians. He described their practices: 

"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternated verse a hymn to Christ, as to a god..."

Historical Significance:

 Documents the early 2nd-century belief in Christ's divinity and the rapid spread of Christian liturgical practices among Roman Citizens

Jewish Historical Accounts

4. Flavius Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews, c. 93-94AD

The Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus in two distinct passages:

-the James passage: Antiquities 20.9.1: Describing the execution of James in 62AD, Josephus refers to him as "the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ." Scholars view this passage as authentic and virtually uncorrupted.

-The Testimonium Flavianum:  Antiquities 18.3.3: A longer passage mentioning Jesus as a wise man and teacher who was crucified under Pilate. While medieval Christian copyists added theological interpolations (e.g., calling him the Messiah), most modern scholars agree an original core text regarding Jesus exists beneath the edits. 

Greek and Syrian Satirists and Philosophers

5. Lucian of Samosata - The passing of Peregrinus, c.165AD

A Greek satirist who mocked Christians for worshipping a crucified teacher:

"The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account..."

Historical Significance: 

Provides hostile attestation confirming that early Christians worshipped Jesus as a founder who had been executed on a cross. 

6. Mara Bar-Serapion - Letter, post-73 AD

A Stoic philosopher from Syria wrote a letter to his son from prison, comparing the execution of wise leaders:

"What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished..."

Historical Significance: 

Refers to Jesus as the "wise King" of the Jews, linking his execution to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD

Source	Date Range	Background	Key Detail Confirmed
Josephus	93–94 AD	Jewish Historian	Existence, execution under Pilate, relationship to James
Pliny the Younger	112 AD	Roman Governor	Early Christian worship of Jesus as divine
Tacitus	116 AD	Roman Historian	Crucifixion under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius's reign
Suetonius	121 AD	Roman Biographer	Early presence of Christian movement in Rome by 49 AD
Lucian	~165 AD	Greek Satirist	Crucifixion of Jesus and his role as founder of the movement

MY OWN OPINION.....

Through my own study of Jesus over the many years I have studied my faith, I can only come to the conclusion that Jesus is indeed who He claimed He was. He is the Son of God. Isaiah declared His coming so completely that it baffles the mind as to why there are any Jewish people who can not see the clear connections between Jesus and the suffering Messiah. 

While my mind can not fully comprehend the Oneness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, I do not feel that it is a stumbling block to our beliefs. Because what we do not understand now, we will most assuredly grasp on that great day when we all eventually go home.

I believe Jesus is Fully God and was Fully Man. I believe that the Father sent Jesus to us to seek and to save, and when Jesus mission was complete, the Holy Spirit was given to everyone to be with us while we wait for Jesus to return. 

I've never need for Jesus to "prove" Himself to me, but I see an ever growing online trend of people demanding proof. I have present my research here, and I am but one of thousands of writers who wish to share the truth of Jesus to the masses. Whether you believe or not, the spark is lit for you to do your own journey and search the scriptures for the Truth, and you will find it. 

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I did a little looking into archaeological evidences.....

While there are no direct archaeological artifacts inscribed with Jesus’s name made during his lifetime, extensive 1st-century archaeological finds in the Levant provide strong contextual, physical, and textual evidence corroborating key people, places, and events recorded in the gospel accounts.

Key Epigraphic & Artifact Evidence

• The Pontius Pilate Stone (1961): Discovered during excavations at the ancient Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima, this limestone block features a 1st-century Latin inscription naming Pontius Pilatus, Prefect of Judea. It confirms the historical existence and exact official Roman title of the magistrate who ordered Jesus’s execution.
  
  
• The Caiaphas Ossuary (1990): Uncovered in a tomb in Jerusalem's Peace Forest, this ornate 1st-century limestone bone box bears the Aramaic inscription "Joseph, son of Caiaphas" (Yehosef bar Qayafa). Joseph Caiaphas was the Jewish High Priest who presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.
  
  
• Crucifixion Artifact — Jehohanan’s Heel Bone (1968): Discovered in a 1st-century tomb at Giv'at HaMavtar in northern Jerusalem, the skeletal remains of a man named Jehohanan were found with an 11.5 cm iron nail still embedded in his right heel bone, accompanied by traces of olive wood. This find provides direct physical proof of Roman crucifixion techniques in 1st-century Judea as described in the New Testament.
  
  
• The Erastus Inscription (1929): Found paved into a plaza near the theater in Corinth, a Latin inscription mentions Erastus, a city treasurer who paid for the paving at his own expense—matching the civic title and location of the Erastus mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:23.
  
  

Geographic & Structural Sites

• The Pool of Siloam (2004): Uncovered during sewer line repairs in Jerusalem, archaeologists excavated the lower freshwater reservoir built during the reign of Herod the Great. This matches the specific location and architectural description of the pool mentioned in John 9.
  
  
• The Pool of Bethesda: Located in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, excavations revealed a 1st-century double-pool complex with five porticoes (colonnades), validating the exact architectural detail recorded in John 5:2, which had long been questioned by critical scholars.
  
  
• 1st-Century Nazareth Inhabitance: Excavations in Nazareth (notably by the Israel Antiquities Authority and archaeologist Ken Dark) uncovered 1st-century stone structures, agricultural terraces, and rock-cut tombs, proving Nazareth was an active, humble Jewish village during Jesus’s upbringing.
  
  
• The Capernaum Synagogue Base & House of Peter: In Capernaum, excavations beneath a 4th-century white limestone synagogue revealed the basalt foundations of a 1st-century synagogue where Jesus taught. Adjacent to it, archaeologists found a 1st-century domestic structure with early Christian graffiti (domus-ecclesia), traditionally identified as the house of Simon Peter.
  
  

Textual & Manuscript Archaeology

• The Rylands Library Papyrus P52 (c. 125 AD): Discovered in Egypt, this fragment of the Gospel of John (John 18:31–33, 37–38) is the earliest known physical manuscript fragment of any New Testament text, proving that gospel texts had already been written, copied, and geographically distributed across the Mediterranean by the early 2nd century.
• 
  

Historical Summary Matrix

Artifact / Site	Date Found	Historical Significance
Pilate Stone	1961	Confirms existence and title of the Roman governor who condemned Jesus
Caiaphas Ossuary	1990	Physical evidence for the High Priest mentioned in the Sanhedrin trial
Giv'at HaMavtar Heel Bone	1968	Physical archaeological proof of Roman nail-crucifixion practices in Jerusalem
Pool of Siloam	2004	Confirms exact 1st-century location of gospel miraculous events
Papyrus P52	1920s	Physical manuscript proof of early gospel text transmission by c. 125 AD

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Birth/deaths of the Scholars mention and sources used:

Flavius Josephus: 37 AD (died c. 100 AD)

Pliny the Younger: 61 AD or 62 AD (died c. 113 AD)

Tacitus: c. 56 AD (died c. 120 AD)

Suetonius: c. 69 AD (died c. 122 AD or later)

Lucian of Samosata: c. 125 AD (died c. 180 AD)

Origen: c. 185 AD (died c. 253 AD)

Eusebius of Caesarea: c. 260 AD (died 339 AD)

Mara Bar-Serapion: Late 1st century BC to 1st century AD (exact birth year unknown; his famous letter was written post-73 AD)

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First Council of Nicaea:

The Exact Greek Text and Translation

The central section of the original 325 AD Creed of Nicaea reads:

Greek Text:

...καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μονογενῆ, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός· Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, Φῶς ἐκ Φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί...

English Translation:

"...And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten; that is, from the substance of the Father; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance [homoousios] with the Father..."

The Anathemas (Explicit Condemnations)

To ensure no ambiguity remained regarding the homoousios, the Council attached an explicit series of condemnations (anathemas) at the end of the 325 AD text, explicitly naming and rejecting alternative views on Christ's substance:

"And those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or who maintain that the Son of God is of another hypostasis or essence [ousia], or that he is created, or mutable, or alterable—the catholic and apostolic church anathematizes."

Key Distinctions Settled at Nicaea

• Begotten, Not Made (Gennethenta, ou Poiethenta): The council affirmed that Jesus derives his being eternally from the Father rather than being part of the created universe.

• Homoousios vs. Homoiousios: The council chose homoousios ("same substance") over homoiousios ("similar substance"), establishing that the divine nature of the Son is identical in essence to that of the Father, not merely a close reflection or secondary deity.

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The Council of Chalcedon on the Two Natures of Christ

At the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, the bishops produced the Chalcedonian Definition (or Symbol of Chalcedon). This decree formally established the doctrine that Jesus Christ possesses two complete natures—fully divine and fully human—united in one person (hypostasis).

The Exact Greek Text and Translation

The key passage detailing the two natures states:

Greek Text:

...ἑπόμενοι τοίνυν τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσιν, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν Υἱὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν συμφώνως ἅπαντες ἐκδιδάσκομεν, τὸν αὐτὸν τέλειον ἐν θεότητι καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τέλειον ἐν ἀνθρωπότητι, Θεὸν ἀληθῶς καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἀληθῶς τὸν αὐτόν... ἐν δύο φύσεσιν ἀσυγχύτως, ἀτρέπτως, ἀδιαιρέτως, ἀχωρίστως γνωριζόμενον...

English Translation:

"...Following the holy Fathers, we all with one consent teach people to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body... acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably..."

The "Four Adverbs" of Chalcedon

The council used four famous negative adverbs to define precisely how Christ's two natures relate to each other without compromising either his humanity or his divinity:

• Inconfusedly (asynchytōs): The two natures do not mix or blend together to create a third, hybrid nature.
  
  
• Unchangeably (atreptōs): The divine nature did not change into a human nature, nor did the human nature transform into a divine nature.
  
  
• Indivisibly (adiairetōs): The two natures are not divided into two separate beings or entities.
  
  
• Inseparably (achōristōs): The two natures are permanently united in the one person of Christ and can never be detached from one another.
  
  

Distinction of Natures and Unity of Person

To prevent any misunderstanding regarding how the two natures coexist, the Definition further specifies:

"The distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person [prosopon] and one subsistence [hypostasis], not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ..."

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Bibliography

Primary Inscriptions & Artifact Publications

• The Pilate Stone: Frova, Antonio. (1961). "L'iscrizione di Ponzio Pilato a Cesarea." Rendiconti dell'Istituto Lombardo, Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, 95, pp. 419–434.

• The Caiaphas Ossuary: Reich, Ronny. (1992). "Caiaphas Name Inscribed on Bone Boxes Found in Jerusalem Cave." Biblical Archaeology Review, 18(5), pp. 38–44, 76.

• Crucifixion Heel Bone (Jehohanan): Haas, Nicu. (1970). "Anthropological Observations on the Skeletal Remains from Giv'at ha-Mavtar." Israel Exploration Journal, 20(1/2), pp. 38–59.

• The Erastus Inscription: Kent, John Harvey. (1966). Corinth: Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Volume VIII, Part III: The Inscriptions 1926–1950. Princeton: ASCSA.

• Papyrus P52 (Rylands Library Papyrus P52): Roberts, Colin H. (1935). An Unpublished Fragment of the Fourth Gospel in the John Rylands Library. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Archaeological Excavations & Academic Syntheses

• Pool of Siloam: Reich, Ronny, Shukron, Eli, & Ehrlich, Hadar. (2007). "The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem of the Second Temple Period." Revue Biblique, 114(1), pp. 30–54.

• Pool of Bethesda: Gibson, Shimon. (2005). "The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem and its Context." Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 137(1), pp. 17–34.

• Nazareth Structures: Dark, Ken. (2020). The Sisters of Nazareth Convent: A Roman-period, Byzantine, and Crusader site in central Nazareth. London: Routledge.

• Capernaum Synagogue & House of Peter: Corbo, Virgilio C. (1975). Cafarnao I: Gli edifici della città. Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press.

• General Archaeological Overview: Evans, Craig A. (2006). Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence. Westminster John Knox Press.

Death

My blog, my thoughts, go write your own....

Songs for you

Petra: Grave robber

Petra: Hello Again

               🌹🖤🩶DEATH....🌹🩶🖤          

Recently, my family lost a unique soul. He was 28. It was a senseless death, and we all are trying to wrap our minds around the whole business of it. 

It's hard because he was so young, even harder that he chose to estrange himself from many members. Now I'm not going to say he lived a perfect life or sing his praises, what I will say is his family loved him through his difficult choices.

In the end his death closed a gap in the family.  The only good to come out of this.

The grief however, is strong. Almost unbearable to some. It's in these times that we as Christians must pull together to bind our families to the Lord. 

Now, I speak only for myself and not my family when I write this blog. I speak of my hurt and my grief.

I have lost many family members, a brother, both parents and the only grandparent I knew. All my aunts snd uncles too... goid friends etc., and each death hit differently.

I was very young, about 4 when my brother passed away. So I was unaware of grief and never understood loss. His passing really did not have the effect on me that it did my oldest brother who remembers him.

When my grandma passed atv86 yrs, it was like losing a parent, she was a foundation stone in our family. I saw her from the moment death struck its fatal blow to her final breath.

Next was my mom. Her unexpected death literally put me face to face with my greatest fear, losing her. It's been 20 years as I write, and I still have moments of emotional pain.

Dad passed on during Covid. What hurt the most was being told I was not allowed to see him because my job was a cross border job. So I lost the last year of his life thanks to government bull.

When my first cat died, I cried for days! I could not believe it! Then I lost a cat who was severely injured, after months of trying to rehabilitate him, I'm still devastated!  Death is horrible!

Now this death, my Nephew, it hurts on a whole different level. He was young, like my brother, and his unexpected end came swiftly and raw. The worse is seeing his family suffer as they are.

Grief, like death is a spirit, and if allowed, it will consume you. This is why the Bible acknowledges grief, but tells us to seek our comfort in Christ. 

Allowing grief to take over darkens everything around you. It cause unprovoked anger, withdrawal, and a broken loneliness among many other depressions.

Often times during these circumstances, we are prone to asking "why them, God?". But that's not the question we need to be asking. We all have an appointed time to die, so our questions should be, how to give glory to the Father in this time and how we can serve the members who are broken. It's extremely hard because we are focused on our loss and at that moment, it's all we can see. 

My suggestion is always as follows:

1. Thank God for the life of that person. Focus on the good, and how they touched your life. Press into Christ!

2. Check in with each other often, make sure everyone is managing as best they can.

3. Don't rush grief, but don't allow it to consume you.

4. Take some "me" time, look after yourself, eat right, take care of your hygiene. Make sure you keep your strength.

5. How can you serve one another? Are you able to do something practical for each other if distance isn't an issue?

6. Get into your Bible daily if your not already, start your morning off and a positive note as you navigate through this season. Find scriptures to stand on.

All seasons come to an end. It takes time as it does in the natural, so does grieving. Like I said, I still have emotional pain years after my mom passed away and I have lived every single day in between. Acknowledge each other's grief, it's normal and natural to feel deeply at these times. Don't rush anyone and give people plenty of time to talk and mourn with them.

Death and life seem to push us forward whether we are ready or not. We have no choice to go day by day. I hate it as much as anyone!

To me living is like a parade: at the very beginning, there's a lot of commotion and noise. Laughter and children crying, emotions fill the air. Then the parade starts, and as each float passes, it takes away a person one by one. The noise begins to wane, and the crowd begins to thin. Suddenly, a familiar voice goes silent and then another. Till at the end your waiting for your own float. Often times you are alone and sometimes, you are the voice that goes silent to those around you. But where do these floats go? For us as believers, we have a hope that is found in Jesus Christ. He promised that one day, we will all be with Him and there will be no more sorrow, no more crying and death would be gone forever. It is that hope that we press towards the mark of the high calling. 

DEATH! WHERE IS THY STING? GRAVE! WHERE IS THY VICTORY!

But what lies ahead for those who do not believe?  The Bible says there is a seperation from them and God, We call it hell. 

Now, this is my own thought, I could be wrong, the Bible says: 

2 Peter 3:9. ESV The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Does that mean that there will be a chance for the unsaved even agter death? I think so. But that's just my opinion. It's the same as my hope that my cats will be there in heaven, waiting for me too!

Regardless, during your time of sorrow, don't go through it alone! Reach out to people and ask them to help you. You will be surprised at how many people want to be there for you.

If you are going through a death, please take care of yourself. Press into the Father and get into the Word. That life was precious to you, a diamond in your family, remember them, the person they were, good, bad or indifferent. They touched your life, remember them and give the Lord your hand to walk with you.

Lastly, In these times, my only thoughts are on the Word of the Lord, and I pass them on to you now: 

Psalm 31:9–10

Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;

my eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.

Psalms 34:18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 119:28

My soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Revelation 21:4

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

When...

Usual disclaimer, my thoughts, not yours, you can disagree - on your own blog!

Is 43:1b-3a

b]...Fear not: for I have redeemed thee: I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.

2 When thou passest through the [c]waters, I will be with thee, and through the floods, that they do not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Savior...

•••°°°○○○●●●□□□♡■■■●●●○○○°°°•••

Alright! Let's jump in to this one! There's going to be some TMI and personal stuff in this blog. Some may know, others, well, not so much.

So, funny little word we got ourselves,  "WHEN".... it's nearly as bad as "maybe" and "if". 

Definitions from Oxford Languages · 

adverb

at what time.

"when did you last see him?"

adverb

at or on which (referring to a time or circumstance).

"Saturday is the day when I get my hair done"

conjunction

1.

at or during the time that.

"I loved math when I was in school"

2.

after which; and just then (implying suddenness).

"he had just drifted off to sleep when the phone rang"

"When" is a time, future or sudden, a circumstance that will happen.

So let's talk about it. I know everyone on the planet has a delusion that the moment you are saved, you live a life of utter joy and peace. In fact angels come down from heaven and park your silly butt on a fluffy cloud and share bagels with Philadelphia Cream Cheese spread across them... oh what a joy!

News flash, let me throw this at ya:

James 1:2-42 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, WHENever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

It's just a matter of time before you walk into a trial designed to pull you away from your walk with God.

These circumstances are cleverly designed by our most faithful enemy to destroy not only our walk but our witness.

It could be anything! From a rumor that's spread about you by a family member or someone you thought you could trust, to a health scare to financial woes, you name, the devil knows how to hit you where it hurts and trust me, he will. He'll even use your kids or spouse! His goal, your destruction, by any means Necessary.

So along my journey, I personally have faced the death of siblings at an early age, the deaths of loved ones, like literally standing beside them as they passed into eternity. 

I left a "crappy" marriage and I tell you what, "crappy" is the most PG word I could think of, but it doesn't scratch the surface of what I really want to say, but I'm trying real hard to not use bad language! 

I made horrible decisions! Because I could! Some dumb, others are more of "what in the world was I thinking"... 

I've also faced several serious health conditions too. Not to mention getting old and cranky.

All these circumstances happened in my life for one reason, to make me turn my back on the Lord.

How many times has something awful happen and your first thought was "why me Lord?"

As if God is purposely trying to hurt you! Like going from bad luck to being a case study for Murphy's law! 

Or have you thought, God is punishing me!

I want to assure you dear reader, He isn't like that.  Yes, there are natural consequences for our actions, but it isn't God doing it to punish you. 

Example, unprotected sex usually leads to babies.

Grabbing a tiger by the tail will result in you getting hurt by said tiger.

Did God make you do it or did you, as an act of your own free will do something you ought not to have? Even if your consequences don't happen immediately, they may catch up with you eventually... "When", you know. Are you in right standing with the Lord today?

God never promised us a free ride after salvation, He told us that we belonged to Him now and that He is with us through the trials!

Dr. Helen Roseveare is someone I stumbled upon by accident, and her story is completely amazing to me. 

See, a couple years ago I was diagnosed with cancer in my bone marrow and blood, and then a couple years after that, doctors discovered I had a brain tumor! 

I tell you what, I wasn't expecting it, and I did my best to hold it together. As I walked through the empty parking lot to my car, I can recall looking at the beautiful blue sky, and I spoke to God, 

If you are with me, I will not be afraid, I will go through this with you! 

Those were the hardest words I have ever spoken and every time the enemy throws a negative thought about my health at me I answer back I AM NOT AFRAID, I HAVE JESUS. 

FYI, neither the cancer or tumor are active in my body! They are present but they have zero power to hurt me! 

Anyways, shortly after I came across Dr. HELEN ROSEVEARE video on a YouTube channel 100 Huntley Street...

Nutshell: she became a doctor and she went to the Congo - Africa to help the people, well at one point rebels attacked the village she was at, and of course she was personally attacked, beaten and bloodied! During her horrible ordeal She looked to God and asked God basically "WHERE ARE YOU". The Lord replied to her "Can you thank me for trusting you with this experience even though you don't understand why? 

Even though she knew what was going to happen, she put her trust in the Lord and Jesus was with her. 

(27 missionaries murdered

1/4 million Africans murdered)

We must submit ourselves, our bodies, our dire circumstances to Jesus. Even though we don't understand. We know we belonged to God, our names are written in the Lambs book of life and no force in the universe can tear us from His hand!

When we do enter these terrible circumstances, horrible things,  we must know in our hearts that according to the Word of God, that He is for us! Rom 8:31 God has plans for us, plans to prosper and not to harm and to give us a hope and a future! Jer 33:3

Will you thank God? Even if you never know the why?

When you face your next trial, will you :

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Knowing that God is not the author of The sickness, the financial woes, the hurt, the death etc.. 

JAMES 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

The devil is the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy, not God. 

We must be firmly rooted in His Holy Word:

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph 6:13

Being prepared for the battle is up to us. We are in a war and we are fighting for our very lives. 

Have faith in God, He will see you through even if it's a mess you made all on your own!  He is faithful and just and will see us through to the end! 

Thank Him that He trusts you to be faithful to Him WHEN circumstances arise, to pull you away from your walk. Don't trip at the finish line, push on! He trust us, He picked us, He sent His own son to die for us! The very least we can do is find ways to praise Him in our darkest circumstances. It's not easy by any means, but it is doable!

So today, start pre-planning and preparing yourself for your next battle. You never know WHEN it will occur but you do know it will. Get in a routine with the Lord, pray and seek Him daily, as much as you can and remember all that He has promised! He is with you, even till the end of the age! Matthew 28:20

Video Dr. Helen Roseveare 

https://youtu.be/9VHjLgMJ_xU?si=d2nOOCAPvXxcZB0V

God is Good...but not safe

Happy New Year! 2025

New Year, same rules, my blog, my thoughts. You don't like it, move on. 

GOD IS GOOD BUT NOT SAFE

This has taken a long time to write! So let's have a  little bit of hell fire and brimstone to start off the Year! 

My go-to line for the past few years, God is calling His people to Holiness and separation from the world.

I recently heard a really good turn of phrase to go arm and arm with that go-to line, 

"Do you belong to God?" Are you known by His Son Jesus?

 It honestly doesn't mean much if you only just claim a knowledge of Jesus, even the demons believe Jesus they knew who He was, but that really doesn't matter to them right. They were there in the beginning, saw with their own eyes Jesus in all His Glory and still rebelled.

Just because you spoke a couple of biblical phrases once upon a time, it does not mean your safe from God's judgment. 

The truth is found at the end of the Sermon on the mount:

Matt 5:21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

That, to me, says a lot. It says to me that there are millions of people out there who think that they are "Christians" but they are far from! The fruit of their lives clearly show where their heart posture towards God is.

Let's continue where we left off in Matthew 24, 

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The key is putting the Words of Christ Jesus into tangible practice in your life, thought, words and deeds!

Now for the record, Jesus is the only perfect person to ever live, we faulty humans, with wickedness literally running through our veins are to *become* perfect like our Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. More on this shortly.) 

That is no easy feat, and is not over night either! It is a daily change that one must make, Decision by Decision. 

As we struggle with our dead flesh vs our regenerated Spirit, we must, daily conqure little battles as we develop our heart posture before the Lord. Out of a true and sincere heart, our decisions to choose rightly will increase BUT it all starts with putting the Words of the Lord first and foremost. 

Again, just saying the "sinners prayer" is not a magic incantation to heaven, how do you practice what Jesus spoke? How do you make your heart centered on the things of God vs the world? How are you living? By His ways or yours?

I tell you the truth, the moment you decide to live 100% for God is the exact moment you put a bullseye on you for  attack. You are now a threat to the demonic forces of Hell and as Murphy says in his law, if it can go wrong, it will.

One of the scariest problems is being ostracized from your groupings. I guarantee you that you will be ridicule by family, friends and strangers. You may lose life long friendships,  you may end up losing your family,  but in the end,  you gain all through God!

Choosing to walk 100% for God means stepping out of your old life and into a new one without reserve. Remember that many of those who came before us, lead solitary lives and even suffer martyredom for the Cross of Christ!  All but one Apostle was murdered for their faith! You are in good company! Am I saying your life will end like theirs? Perhaps.

Temptations to run back to your old ways will be very hard to over come! Luckily for us,  when Jesus went to heaven,  He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter! If we actually put our phones down and picked up our physical bibles, maybe He will direct our paths! God knows we need a leader and that leader resides in every born again believer, all we have to do is listen! Ask, seek, knock! 

Matthew 7:17

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Ask for help, wisdom, direction. Ask how you go about practicing what Jesus spoke. Ask how you can walk this path in strength!

Seek wisdom, understanding and true Christian love. 

You will be surprised at the answers!

 

It's going to be unbelievable hard, but through it all, we will not be alone and we can preserve!

WHY GOD IS NOT SAFE?

While God is inherently good, there are things we HATE about Him!

1. God is too Holy

2. God omniscient- we can't hide in darkness

3. Omnipotent- we can't beat Him

4. His immutablity - We hope that He has a fatal blemish but He never does, He is eternally, forever, Holy

5. God is Just

What a combination! It's more than moral, it's a complete Justice, and justice like Gods, never turns a blind eye to what is true. It would be great if God was only "fair", then we could all get a gate pass, but fair, as my mom would say, is at Disneyland. God doesn't just want a simple fairness, He is Just Perfection. We all get our comeuppance and we all deserve 100% what we get.

Consider the following two scriptures:

I reiterate: Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  

and the most damning for us all...

Titus 1:16 GW

[16] They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good.

We are no more than wicked at heart. 

The following is from AiG and hit me hard, how does it resound with you?

"You may have heard that “God hates sin but loves the sinner.” People who use this phrase generally mean well, but it is an oversimplification of the truth and leads to misunderstanding. God does love sinners, as numerous passages clearly state (e.g., John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10). Yet we also read verses like Psalm 5:5, which state that God hates not only wicked deeds, but also the people who do them. 

John 3:17 tells us that anyone who has not repented and received Christ stands condemned already under the holy anger of God against sin. 

Although He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:10), the Lord must and will judge sinners, which includes everyone since all have sinned (Romans 3:23)."

https://answersingenesis.org/answers/biblical-authority-devotional/does-god-hate-anyone/

I WAS THAT SINNER!!!  It was all about me, all I wanted, my desires, "I did it my way"! 🎵

Unfortunately for us, we are to walk a walk that sets us apart from the world. Understanding that it is a process and we don't always do that which is right instinctively, so we must train ourselves. 

Like an athlete who trains their body, we need to train our minds and ways of thinking and acting. 

THOUGHT WORD DEED

Can you imagine if everyone had a true fear of God! There would be no more murder, rape, injustice because we would use our freewill to fear God and worship Him. 

Are you in right standing with the Lord today? Have you confessed your sins and turned completely from them? Are you trying to be Holy? Walking the walk?

Get right with God Now, tomorrow is not promised and you need to start making things right.

Train yourself mind, body and soul! 

That None Should Perish

As ususal, my blog, my thoughts. You don't have to agree.

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That none should perish... a question of predestination

I would love to hear what others think on this topic. Yesterday, my husband and I got into quite a heavy discussion. We wondered together about how unsaved people today, how they recieve the Gospel, knowing the "Predestination" claus, if you will. 

So, I believe that the Holy Spirit revealed a little something to me as we discussed this topic.

Key Scriptures we will be discussing:

2 Peter 3:9 

[9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Romans 8:28-30: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified."

Ephesians 1:4-5: "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. He predestined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will."

1 Peter 1:1-2: "To those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you."

Galatians 6:7-10 

[7] Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

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Now, I'm not specifically speaking about anyone, just generally. Some people have heard that Christians are choosen long before we even had a choice and others are destined to go to hell, regardless of anything because of this little word "Predestination". It is my thinking that we kind of have this a little wrong, because it goes against God giving his creatures freewill. 

I think we need to reexamine what FREEWILL actually is and what Freewill is not.

Freewill is NOT your right to do whatever you want whenever you choose. That goes against order and the laws we live by. 

God is Orderly and nothing He does is ever chaotic or immoral. So freewill is not absolute and does have boundaries. In fact, I am of the opinion and don't believe that freewill extends too everything, I believe that it only applies in situations that are in the moral absolutes. Example, while it is obviously done, I do not believe that your supposed freewill should trump mine in regards to anything that could potentially harm me. We live by laws, not freewill, let me clarify:

As with everything that God does, the devil distorts. And I firmly believe that he distorted our perception of what freewill was meant to actually be. 

Freewill is about our acceptance of Jesus Christ for our salvation, freely accepting of Him or denying Him.

When Jesus makes the offer of conditional salvation- because there are conditions- do we accept or deny Him? 

If we do accept Him, are we legit living for Him? Or are we giving Him lip-service? 

There are those whose acceptance of Jesus is only surface level, like in the parable of sower. They stay for a time, then when things don't go their way, or they get in offense, they fall away and so forth as the parable explains as the sower plants the seeds on various grounds. 

That is freewill, do you focus your whole heart, mind and soul on Jesus or not.

See, predestined isn't a surety unless you freely accept Christ in totality. How many times have you heard of someone "losing" their faith? Well, it's because they weren't all in to begin with. They were never part of the vine, and were pruned off, cast into the fire.

Now, those of us who are in it for the long haul, we now are tasked with going into the World so that NONE SHOULD PERISH BUT ALL COME TO REPENTANCE. Every soul on earth has the opportunity to either accept or reject the offer from Jesus, THE ONLY WAY, and in so doing will either be with God or against Him, I reiterate, either using their freewill to accept or deny the gift of Salvation. 

I firmly believe that we, all of us, would never choose God on our own. We would never seek Him out, we would rather continue to do what we want if there were no consequences. In every instance of salvation, it is Jesus who comes to us, to bring us to Himself and out of the world and out of our old selves.

Ever noticed that Jesus is the only God, in any religion to willingly condescend Himself into mortality to experience life as a total mortal man; distractions and temptations, pain and heart ache, joy and laughter etc. And to die the most humiliating death? There isn't another god in all the millions of false gods out there that ever step into our shoes except Christ.

He lived, died and rose so that we could freely come to the cross and choose to live and die, (in some cases) for Him. 

So, what are we then? Creatures of the living God with no brains who blindly follow Him or did God love us so much that the only one who was truly predestined, Jesus, would come to each and everyone of us, individually, with the offer of Salvation and Grace! Because He is the first born of many according to our scripture in Romans. As 2 Peter states, That None should perish because we all have that choice to make, of our own freewill!

But what do you all think? Is predestined for sure? Or is it based on our acceptance of the offer of Salvation? Can we change the course of another's life? Someone who was predestined to hell? I think so. 

In the end, we won't know till we get to the other side, but until then, we have a duty to try. 

What does Good Friday mean to me

My blog, my thoughts,until they make it illegal.

Trigger warning: attempted suicide discussion

🎵Oh!!! What a day that will be

When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day!!! Glorious day!!! that will be!!!🎵

Some 2000 years ago, Jesus gave His all so that I would live!

Let me tell you, you don't get it till you walk a day in the shoes of this body. I'm telling you,  I put some miles on her.  

Did you know, I have set foot in nearly every US State and Canadian Province and 1 Territory. I have been living in less than 8 years!

My girls, I keep telling all of you my story in the hopes that one day,  maybe it will click for someone and be a help to someone going through what I have been through. 

You are not alone. 

 It's not a road that I would want anyone else to travel, it wasn't easy,  often times very lonely, and painful. Emotionally, physically and mentally. But, I know looking back, God,  my Jesus, was with me every step,  and misstep I took. 

When I ended up trying to hang myself, The Lord was with me. 

When I took an over dose and was rushed to the hospital, Jesus held me in His arms. 

When I was alone in the Psych Ward under suicide watch, He never left my side. 

In the following years when my life was all but a living nightmare, He was with me And when the time was right,  He pulled me safely out. 

I trust God that I don't know why I had to walk that walk,  but I know that there is a bigger picture and All things work together for good for those who love God! 

Psalms 23 Ye though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death I will not fear! For you are with me!!!

PTSD, Oh, I understand. Fear, it had a grip on me, hate, I spewed venom. ...But you know what, in 2017, Good Friday to be exact, I went to Church for the first time since I left my situation.

The Church had a huge cross at the front, a beautiful purple fabric was draped across it, representing the robe of Jesus's Kingship, His Victory over death, hell and the grave.

I could barley look at it.  After all,  I was a ruined woman.  I had left my abusive relationship,  I had run away as far away from it as I could, made a series of really bad decisions, did the unthinkable and royally messed up. If there was a Commandment left unbroken, I don't know which! I honestly thought maybe it was time to trust my hand one more time at exiting this life.  Maybe I would be successful this time. I felt like I had made a mess of my life that even God couldn't fix. 

So,  as I sat in the Shadow of that cross, throughly ashamed, belittling myself, because honestly,  I don't need help doing that.  I felt Jesus nudging at me.

The Pastor had given everyone slips of paper with the instructions of writing down your sins and then we were to nail them to the cross. 

Girls! I needed a book for the royal mess I had made of my life! I cried silently to Jesus! But to draw attention to myself. 

I AM A WORM! I AM RUINED! HOW CAN I COME TO THE CROSS!  How can you love me, when I willfully fell.

I am far worse than Bathsheba, than the woman at the well, then the woman "caught" in adultery! 

I knew Jesus, I had been a professing Christian since I was 4! I did street ministry all through out my high school years, my mother was  Reverend!

But Jesus said, I FORGIVE YOU! Nail that paper with your sins on it and leave them with me. So I did. 

My heart broke! I have never felt this kind of repentance ever. It was like nothing I have ever experienced.

My life changed that day. 

I wasn't afraid anymore.  My heart didn't hurt,  and best of all,  I didn't hate! In fact,  I felt a whole new peace. As an act of free will,  I left my sins on that cross because that is why Jesus died, to give me freedom.  Total freedom!

Yes,  I have to make right choices,  but I couldn't make them holding onto the wrong things! I had to move forward free.  It's through the cleansing blood of Christ that I am free!

🎵What can wash away my sins? nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! 🎵

So what does Good Friday mean to me? It is the foundation of my faith,  the reason I believe, the hope within me. Because Jesus died for me, He gave me freedom  and a life worth living,  a life worth living in Him. 

So today my friends, it's time.  Get a piece of paper and write your sins down,  then give them to God! He tells us to leave them with Him,  so leabe them there and repent and let God clean you up! 

Baruch haba b'shem Adonai!

My blog, my views. My disclaimer.

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Baruch haba b'shem Adonai! 

Blessed & Happy Palm Sunday!

Today is the start of the most Holy week in all of Christianity, and I feel I like to give a little sermon.

First, Blessed is He, Jesus, who comes in the Name of the Lord!

I love the name "Adonai" most of all, of all of God's personals names.  It means "My Lord". It's beautiful. I love how it sounds. 

That's the thing about our Adonai, He is beautiful,  and all His works are to be admired and He should be admired. He is a King after all. 

Some 2000 years ago, today, a beautiful spring day on a very crowed street in Jerusalem the people gathered, laying palm leaves on the ground, chanting "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai!" Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! 

The people watch as Jesus fulfilled yet another prophecy in their view, yet they didn't understand what they were seeing. 

They were hoping against hope that Jesus would crush the Romans right then and there but it wasn't time. No,  not yet.  But soon. 

While we wait,  we are to wait expectantly. We are to wait with anticipation of His return. Not be caught unaware. In my mind I picture it that we are to be party planning. We need to be inviting (witnesses) as many people to the party as we can.  Because when the time comes,  you don't want to be left out! 

You know,  I actually just read something on idiotbook I want to share...

Folks, don't let this be you're Christian walk! 

Don't give your friends or family the opportunity to stand before God and point their fingers at you as they are turned away from the party because you FAILED TO INVITE THEM!!!!

No way! I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I will share it so I am not the reason!

Live intentionally, Live purposely for the Cross of Christ, it was intentional and purposed for us!