When Jesus was led off to be tried by the religious leaders of Israel, it was the day before Passover. The trial ended early in the morning. Jesus was handed over to the Romans for execution. Pilate didn’t want to execute Jesus because he knew that it was only because the religious leaders were afraid of his power over the people. Finally after their insistence, Pilate released Jesus to them for execution. Jesus said it Himself, that this was the reason He was born. It was to die for the sins of man. By noon, Jesus was on the cross. It was recorded that the skies turn black and lightning stuck everywhere. These religious leaders thought that they were doing something good for themselves. But in fact, they were following God’s plan for man. By 3pm, Jesus was dead. They had to hurry and bury Jesus and the 2 thieves because Passover began at sundown. They asked Pilate to place a squad of Roman troops at the tomb of Jesus just so no one would steal His body. They knew that Jesus had said that He would rise from the dead in 3 days. On the morning of the 3rd day at sunrise, something happened. The Roman troops heard the stone that covered the tomb being rolled away. A light brighter than the sun shone out of the tomb. And they saw Jesus walk out from the tomb. They fell to the ground face down in fear. Then they fled in terror and went to the religious leaders to tell them what had happened. The leaders told the Romans to say that Jesus’ follower’s came and took His body. Jesus had led captivity captive. He stormed hell and took the keys of death and hell away the devil. And then on the 3rd day, He rose again to led the rest of us into the kingdom of heaven. And like Jesus said this was the reason that He was born into this world.
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I want to talk about who Jesus is. Not about what religion perceives He is. It took me a long time to figure out that He was more than just an icon. I had to go through trials, some of my own making, before I saw a clear picture of Jesus. When I first met Jesus, all that I knew of Him was taught in religion classes. This is a very narrow view of Him. Jesus came to this earth as man so we could relate to Him. He spent time growing into a man who loved people. Most people don’t understand that when it was time to die for our sins, Jesus didn’t want to die. But He was going to do His Father’s will on this earth. He was a human being as much as we are. Jesus suffered temptations just like we do. When I asked Him into my heart, I began to know Jesus. But like any relationship I had to spend time walking and talking to Him. I had to give my time and effort to develop a relationship. It seemed so foreign to me when I started. It wasn’t what I had been taught. I had to unlearn many concepts of Him. Jesus would talk to me every day. He would spend time with me not only to teach but to be with me. We would go to the store or just for walks. It was always interesting that Christian people would find this odd. They never saw Jesus as personable. He is in every way an approachable human being. Yes, He is my God and we must respect Him as such. But Jesus was a regular guy like you and me. Since the beginning of time, God has wanted to develop a relationship with His children. The bible is full of stories about this very thing. I have been walking with Jesus for some 38 years. And you know what I have found out. That Jesus, who is my God, is also my older brother. And my Father sits on the throne in heaven. And my older brother and my friend loved me so much that He died to pay for my sins.
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I am going to my brother’s house where we will eat boiled seafood. We will probably be there for hours. It is always good to be with my brother and his wife. My family has always gotten together for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Something that my mother and her 2 sisters learn from my grandmother and her family. There are many reasons why this happened. The most likely one is to keep our family connected. Today many families live across the country or the globe. And it isn’t easy to stay in touch. I have cousins that live in the same city I haven’t talk to in a long time. It is my fault for not reaching out to them more. There are no more of my mother’s generation living. Which makes us the older generation. When we get together, I wish that older generation was here enjoying seafood and jokes. I know that they are looking down on us and watching what we do. My younger brother Bill joined them last July. I know he was glad to see mom and dad. Good Friday is all about taking care of family. Until God had a sacrifice to pay for the sins of man, man couldn’t enter into heaven. God needed a perfect sacrifice without spots or blemishes. And the only man found to be perfect for the sacrifice was Jesus. The pain and suffering He did on this day was for one reason only, to allow man to enter into the kingdom of God. When Jesus died and rose from the dead, it is said that He lead captivity captive. He freed all the people waiting for His arrival in hades. He stormed the gate of hell and took the keys of death and hell away from the devil. And led the saints into heaven. We have a lot to be thankful for. Jesus did this over 2000 years ago. And He still reigns and rules from the right hand of God.
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We have free will. We can make choices in our lives. As much as we would like to blame other people for our bad choices, we really can’t. Today we celebrate Jesus making a choices to help us. This is the day before His death. Jesus had to make a choice of living or dying. He assembled His disciple for the Passover meal. They broke bread and drank wine together. They also ate a meal. All the disciples were happy and full when Jesus asked them to come with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus had to make a choice. Whether He was going to die for our sins or not. He told them to wait while He went a little further to pray for guidance. Jesus prayed hard because He didn’t want to die, but He knew that God’s will was more important than His. He went back to the disciples and they had fallen asleep. Jesus woke them up and asked them to pray with Him about this most important decision. Again Jesus went by Himself to pray about this decision. The bible said Jesus sweat blood over this decision. But He knew that God’s will was more important than His. He went back to the disciples and they had fallen asleep again. He woke them up and asked them to pray some more. Jesus went back to pray for a 3rd time to ask God not to die. But Jesus knew that God’s will was more important than His. So Jesus made a choice. There in the Garden of Gethsemane He chose to die on the cross for our sins. It was not long after that the chief priest’s guards came to take Him to the trial for His life. Making a choice sometimes isn’t as easy as it seems. When choosing the right way, you sometimes have to think about what you are doing and then choose. Because making a choice can sometimes it will be the hardest thing you ever did.
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It is so easy as a child because our parents saw to it that we had what we needed. In the beginning we couldn’t do for ourselves if we had to. So our parents had seen about our needs. But as we got older more was required from us. We were required to pick our clothes or toys. But in each stage of our lives responsibility for of wellbeing was transferred to us. Until the day we were required to take care of ourselves. When I was walking out of my high school graduation ceremony, I had a frown on my face. My mother tried to get me to smile, but I realized everything had changed in my world. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. I was going to be responsible for myself and had to make decisions for my life. I had been on the receiving end of everything for a long time. Now I had to move into the giving end and I didn’t know how I would fare. Now I had to give of my time, energy and effort to make my way in life. No longer was life going to be easily given to me. So I charged right ahead. Lowered my head and press in to acquire what I needed in life. I didn’t make all the right decisions at first. I made some bad ones and paid for it too. I wanted to be different from my parents. The university I attended was 5 blocks from my home. I lived 2 blocks from my parent’s house. A mistake I still regret. I began to learn what giving and receiving is all about. If you want to receive you have to give first. I didn’t always want to do that. I wanted what I wanted. But I had to learn. I was responsible for myself. I became selfish to a fault. But I had my eyes and my heart opened the day I met God. He showed me that the only way to really receive was to give first. When we see about other people first, then I needs are met. This is how God setup the world to be able to work. My life and this world was always about giving and receiving.
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Last night was the full moon. As I was driving home I could see the man in the moon. It was close enough to the earth see features on the surface. Although the moon is 93,000,000 miles away from earth. The moon has a direct influence on earth. It directly effects the tides of the oceans and the weather. It’s funny how it affects us so far away. The atmospheric pressure builds until the full moon and then is released. It causes more things than the tides and weather. Crazy things happens during the full moon. More robberies happen, more killings happens, more strange behaviors happens around the full moon than not. More people fall in love during the full moon. It’s like the world goes crazy for one night. This is no excuse for anything, but it’s interesting. Each day is a new day for man. God gives us now to live in. He wants us to be aware of what is going on today. For us to be the people we are supposed to be. We can plan for the future, but we have to take care of now to get to the future. Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was clear and cold not a cloud in the sky. And today promises to be just the same. But that is no excuse for not preparing and executing our plan for today. God gives us the tools to do our job each day. We are to take what we are given and use it the best result we can. That means studying and preparing for our future. It doesn’t matter what we do in life as long as it is honorable. Living up to who and what we are in this life. It is always up to us what we will become. So choice wisely what you do with your life. Go after it with passion and heart and you will succeed. Because remember that God gives us now to live and have our being. It is also called by another name. It is also called the present.
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Today more people talk about love than ever before. There are commercials and any kind of advertisement that proclaims love. I saw stories on national news about love. And the local newspapers spotlight the oldest married couples they can find. It is very prevalent in our society. I am afraid most people are not talking about the real love, but what they mean is sex. Several years ago I was the night manager in a big box store. I was talking to one employee about marriage, when I realized that the all the overnight workers had gather to me. I told them that having sex with a person and then leaving to go to another is a divorce. You see the marriage contract is not the ceremony or signing the paperwork. The marriage contract is the act of sex. Once a couple has participated they are married. And when they go on to someone else, they are divorced. There are consequences because of this. Most people don’t even want to hear about this. But this isn’t what I am talking about. I am talking about the commitment to another person with you heart and feelings. That bond is as strong as anything in this world. And even if the people have separated the bond is still there. It is a strange thing how our hearts never let go. They will hold on forever. But still that isn’t what I am talking about. The bond of love we have for one another can be so strong that we would be willing to do anything to protect the person. Even die for them. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that we should have eternal life. For no greater love has any man than that he would lay down his life for another. So the true test of love is if we are willing to sacrifice for another. So sacrifice is the sign of true love.
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I was at a wedding reception where the couple were renewing their vows after about 40 years of marriage. Their children all had children and many of them were babies. In turn each baby was finding their voice. They would screech or yelling to listen to the sound of it. As the child heard their voice, they would listen and then call again. They were acquiring their voice. And it fascinated them to hear the sounds that came out of their mouths. So much so that they made more sounds just to hear themselves. As in life they will continue to make sounds until they hear sounds that mimic their parents. And once they find their voice, they will not stop. They become a chatterbox. As they get older their voice is use to reach other children. And in turn the other children respond to those voices. Soon a lot of children playing together become a loud noise in which they understand each other. This is communication on its most basic level, but it is understood. When children first go to school, they have to reacquire their voice to be understood by others. So it is as that child moves through life into each stage of it, reacquiring their voice so that they can be understood by others. When I arrive at college, I took a speech class to be able to communicate with the other students. I felt that no one heard my voice or understood what I was saying. Out of 12,000 students I found one person who actually heard me and understood. Come to find out that everyone was in the predicament. They were trying to get people to understand what they were saying. They did it by doing outrageous things. And it still continues today. People want to be heard and understood. It is a normal response to everyday events. God is the one who put this in us to be able to express ourselves, not only to people but to God Himself. Express yourself to God and watch what happens. You will be surprised as He responds to you.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is as individual as we are. It has always been up to our perception of things. Yet there are things that are universally beautiful. For instances, a rose is a rose, is a rose, by any other name. The shape, the fragrance is unmistakable, a perfect symbol of love and beauty. And then who would call an aardvark beautiful, except for a few naturalists. Yet it is beautiful. Or what would you say to a jackass or a hairless Chihuahua? They are perfect in their own way. When God made people and things on the earth, He made them individual and beautiful. Even a wild rose in the middle of a trash pile is beautiful. So why can’t we see the beauty in people who are different? People or things that are different are usually shunned. If it is terrible different, we turn our backs to it and don’t even recognize it exists. I have said before that I like to open doors or smile at people. I look for the heart of a person, not the outward exterior. You would be surprised at the tenderness of people’s heart when you express yourself. I have had very few people not respond to my acts of kindness. God said we are like a fountain of water. As it pours out of us, how can sweet and sour water flow out of our hearts? Bitter water spoils the sweet water. Yet if you listen to people you can hear the bitter. That is why an act of kindness is always appreciated by most people. And even the hardest of hearts will crack with a kind word. So look for the beauty in this world and you will be surprised at what you will find. I wish for all of you a good day, especially if it is storming outside. For this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.
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What is the most ideal person, place or thing? Everybody has one. The most perfect person, place or thing they could acquire in their lifetime. I guess it all depends on what you dreamed of as a child. Child want to be so many things. They dream of being a hero as an adult. They hope that everything will turn out all right. Children play at being a fireman, policeman or doctor to act out their dreams. This is a process of chosen a goal in life. The field narrows down as the child get older. By the time they reach college age, the choice is 1 or 2 professions. If their life has been successful, there is a real possibility of becoming that ideal person. Not everyone reaches that goal in life, but they hope they can eventually. People will work for years until they can finally do what they wanted in first place. This ideal drives people on wanting and wishing that the dream of an ideal life will come true. Some people never make. They die before reaching that goal. Some people make that goal early in life. Not knowing how blessed they really are. I have had an ideal life. A dream that I have always wanted. I have pulled and pushed my life in so many directions just to get to the spot where I can have my ideal. I have reevaluated my ideal so many times just to be able to at least get some of it in this life. My life has turned out different than I expected. But I have attained my dream so many years ago because of one reason. That reason is God Himself. He is the only one who have brought me to that place. I am thankful that God has blessed me so. Now I will tell you my ideal or dream life. All my life I dreamed of being a teacher. It was the only thing I have ever wanted in life. And I thank God that He loves me and brought me here.
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