🤔Questionable At Best🙆🏻‍♂️

Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity.

Two men die but this man Jesus we are told says “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” then we are not told that He dies but instead we are told that He “gave up the ghost.”

Luke 23:46 (KJV) And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

He is taken from the cross and buried. It’s done, the man Jesus is now gone. No more crowds, no more miracles where the blind receive their sight, the lame leave walking, the hurt leave forgiven, the hunger leaved filled yes He is now gone. Wait, is that really true? I heard that the tomb was open! The body is gone! The news is that women went to the grave early this morning and the stone was rolled away. I heard that Peter ran in and found, well they said he said there was no body to be found. Can this be true? What happened to His body? Then this woman, you know that woman, I think her name was Mary. The one; you know that woman, who used to make money, you know that house where men would stop by a lot. You mean Mary Magdalene? Yeah her! She kept hanging around over there at the tomb and Jesus showed up. That’s hard to believe that Jesus would first show Himself to an ex prostitute. I would have to see that in writing to believe that. 

 John 20:15 (KJV) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

John 20:16 (KJV) Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

So you are asking me to believe that because one person saw this man Jesus alive after they buried Him? Don't you think that this woman might be a little questionable. Oh no there’s more Jesus disciples say the same thing. Ok, are you serious? This woman is questionable at best. Now these men have run off and hid. Do you think that is enough for me to believe that this man Jesus just got up from the tomb and walked out? What, there’s more? Did you say more than 500 people saw this man Jesus alive? They sure did. 

1 Corinthians 15:6 (KJV) After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

There’s more. 1 Corinthians 15:7 (KJV) After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

How can we not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. After all these witnesses to the fact that they themselves saw Him? That would be like you or I being on trial and over 500 witnesses said we didn’t do what we were being tried for and then found guilty. 

🛣️The Journey begins 🎬

 Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. 

If you were to read John chapters 13-17 you would read about the last time Jesus would spend with His disciples before His death on the cross. Judas makes up his mind to betray Jesus and leaves before chapter 13 ends. Chapter 14 Jesus tells about the place He is going to prepare. He tells about the Holy Spirit that will come and live inside of each believer.  He teaches about who He is and about this world's hatred and then Jesus says “I have overcome the world.” In chapter 17 Jesus prays. John chapter 18 they leave where they were and go to the brook of Cedron. Judas, knowing about this place, gathers up a band of men and off they go. When they leave they have their man and He is bound. In a little while He will be slapped in the face. Then to Pilate to be questioned, then He is beaten. Then He is led to the place where He will be nailed to the cross He is struggling to  carry. He falls and another is grabbed to finish the journey to Calvary’s hill. People yelling crucify Him, more slaps, more spitting, more yelling.

There He will be nailed to the cross but the yelling does stop. There are 2 other men being crucified beside Him. One sides with the yelling crowd and asks Jesus a question. If you are who you say you are, come off the cross and save us. The other man understands what is about to happen. Did this man who is described as a thief ever go to the Temple? Did this thief ever pray? Did this thief ever read the scriptures? I don’t know, we are not told and at this time it’s not important. What is of much importance is the request he asks, “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus not only heard with all that yelling going on around them. He responded by saying “today you will be with me in paradise.” The way Jesus responded to those yelling, spitting and having hit Him showed His love for them once again. On the cross moments before He gave up the ghost He said “ Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Would you, could you have said those words to angry hateful people yelling harsh words to you? Would you have asked Jesus to remember you? Have you asked Jesus to remember you? Which one of those two men would you have been? Which person are you today at this very moment? Do you know why? 

🧐The Hunt😎

The Bible contains the Mind of God, the State of mankind, the way of Salvation, the Doom of sinners, and the Happiness of Believers. 

No mistake is to be made, we must know for sure that we have the right man. The only way to know for sure was to have someone who knows Him. They knew nothing about finger prints nor DNA. Someone had to know Him personally, spent time with Him, know where He could be found. Then it happened, that person came unto them his name Judas Iscatlot.  

Matthew 26:14 (KJV) Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

What was Judas doing? What was his purpose for going there?  Matthew 26:15 (KJV) And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

Can you believe what you are reading? Judas, a man who is in the inner circle; “What will ye give me?”   The decision was made, 30 pieces of silver. Judas excepted, maybe a handshake sealed the deal I don't know. What I do know is that from that time forward Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. Oh how awful some would say, but Peter did it for nothing. 

Matthew 26:69 (KJV) Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

Matthew 26:70 (KJV) But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

Both men followed through, Judas betrayed by his unfaithfulness. Peter denies by associating with the unfaithful. Peter first denies with a lie. Peter then denies with an oath, lastly Peter denies by swearing. The longer one stays around with the unfaithful the more they become like the unfaithful. 

How would you act if you knew for sure your close friend was about to turn you over to those who want you dead? Read what Jesus did. John 13:5 (KJV) After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

Jesus washed Judas feet knowing what Judas was going to do. Jesus also washed Peter’s feet knowing what He was about to do also. What do I see when I read these words? A love that is greater than what you and I can offer. A forgiveness that many would refuse to give. I see Jesus who teaches by His actions what real love is. In just a little while Jesus will step out into the dark night. His journey to the cross will begin. 

➕Once a Year Event or is it?😎👍

 Don’t miss that which is incredible waiting to be known.

Once a year 1000’s gather at Gobbler’s knob waiting and watching to hear about the weather. Yes I’m talking about Punxsutawney Phil and a day called Ground Hog day, a tradition that started back in 1886 a 140 years ago. Phil comes out of his hole when the sun comes up. If Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, tradition says 6 more weeks of bad weather. If he doesn’t see his shadow then it’s a sign of spring and he stays above ground. Legend has it that Phil is 150 years old and stays immortal by drinking the elixir of life.

Can Phil tell and does he really know the weather?  Has this same groundhog somehow found some type of elixir that has given him life for the last 150 years? Do all those 1000’s of people who attend and the many that will watch the event really believe that? If we really knew the truth it would surprise us. After February 2 Punxsutawney will return back to normal and all the groundhog watchers will return to their homes with the feeling that I was there.

A lot of those same people will attend another event in a few weeks. This time the travel will not be as far; but once again many will return home just as empty. This time it will not be 6 more weeks of bad weather or expect an early spring. No, not at all the Churches will see many they haven’t seen in a year and even a few new faces will be there. They will hear about a man who died on a cross, Jesus Christ. They will hear how awful man can be as they drove spikes into hands and feet and pierced his side with a spear. How unloving man can be as they spit in Jesus’s face and the crowd with their unbelief as they yelled words of hate and disbelief. Then the words from the cross.

Luke 23:34 (KJV) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Then Jesus dies like all humans will. He is taken to a grave just like we all will be taken to our final resting place. Man has done his awful deed never seeing what he has really done. There is no need for you and I to sit back and say we have never done an awful deed. Oh we have not done anything of this nature. Rest assured we have all done some type of awful deed against another person. 

When it was done to us did we have the attitude of forgiveness? Then it happened, it was early and still dark. A woman named Mary Magdalene headed to where Jesus had been laid to rest. When she arrived the stone that had the grave sealed was now rolled away. What had happened? She runs and tells Peter and John. Peter and John take off running when they arrive it looks like someone had taken the body of Jesus; who would do such? 

Peter and John return but Mary stays and weeps then she looks into the grave and sees something that the other two didn’t. There were two angels sitting in there. Then the angels speak to her and she speaks back to the angels. Then she looks back and sees someone standing there who wasn’t there a minute ago. Then the man speaks and Mary thinking it was the gardener and maybe he had removed Jesus. Then she asked if he had please tell me where and I will take Him away. The man called her by name Mary! When she heard her name she knew it was Jesus. Jesus had resurrected from the grave. Jesus showed himself to the disciples. Then Jesus was seen above 500. Every Easter many will gather, they will hear and maybe somewhat believe. Then back home and wait for next year when they will return. This day Easter is not 6 more weeks of bad weather or not. It’s about the Elixir of eternal life Jesus Christ He forgave us our debt (our sins). If you have ever been forgiven from the giver of Life you know it. Six more weeks, six more years or six more days. It’s external life, a wonderful place we call Heaven. To be honest I want to be like Mary, keep hanging around the last place Jesus was. I want to see and feel things others don’t. It is important to me that I attend Church more than once a year. Why? I just wrote why; I don’t want to at home like Peter and John. I think I just keep hanging around the Church House. I know all services are not as exciting as others. The only way I know is not to miss those that are. I think I’ll do like Mary, just keep hanging around. 

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨We Know💯

 Love is not what you say; love is what you’d do.

We know, it is an interesting statement. The first thing I know is that I don’t know everything. One of my professors made this statement “you don’t have to know everything, all you have to know is to know where to find what you need to know.” There is the problem of knowing. Where to find what you need to know. Plainly stated we don’t know everything. Now you can know how to do something but are not able to do it. The older you get the more you know how but the less you can physically do what you know how to do. I took the time to look how many times the phrase “we know” was in the Bible. In the Old Testament 8 times in the New Testament 44 times. My question is what do we want to know? Now that will be a different range for all of us. Sit with an auto mechanic and talk about cars and your knowledge might be limited. The same will be true with everyone you sit with that doesn’t have your occupation. Now what about our Biblical knowledge? That doesn’t have to be that way. God wants us to all know some things. God wants us to know why He sent a baby into this world. God gave the answer before it ever happened. 

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Why was a baby born? “For unto us” 

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

A baby comes into this world for us; everyone (whosoever) I like what a man said one night. He said “For God so loved the world” then he said this “who is in the world?” People! You and I. Why did God do that? “For God so loved.” I hear people all the time saying that they love the Lord. Now that may be so but before they loved the Lord the Lord loved them. 

1 John 4:19 (KJV) We love him, because he first loved us.

I try to be transparent when I write, I  love the Lord but He has always loved me. When my children were born I loved them but they didn’t know what love was. In time they loved me because of my love for them. I know there are those who were not brought up in a loving home and many aren’t sure what real love is. They were beaten physically, mentally abused by harsh and awful words and some sexually abused and suffered from things that are unspeakable. So when they hear the Lord loves them they aren’t sure what that means. Love is more than words. I quit using the word “love” loosely. Like not saying things like I love cherry pie, I love pizza, I love chócate ice cream. I don’t love those things, that is just an expression we use which means we like. Love is a much stronger word. Many may not have ever experienced real love. Love is not made because love can’t be made. How do you know what real love is? The Bible tells us we can know. Love is giving without expecting anything in return. “For God so loved the world, that he gave.” Me and my wife got married and we hardly knew each other so how could we have loved each other? We didn’t. Why did we get married? Great question. My reason was selfish. I was home on leave and she blew me away with her looks and her smile and I knew if I went back she wouldn’t be available when I got out of the Military. I had 3 years left and it looked like a tour to Vietnam might be at hand. I also knew long term relationships don’t work. I talked her into marrying me and we ran off and got married. The next 3 years would be very hard for us. Four months after our marriage Uncle Sam sent me away and I was gone. We made it through that. With only 9 months left we headed to Altus Oklahoma me and her and our 9 month old son. What about love? I can’t say that I loved her because I didn’t really know what love was. Fast forward I got saved and then I began to understand what love was. I remember clearly the moment I knew I loved her. No it wasn’t in some big romantic moment. I was walking toward her and my eyes met her eyes and I knew without doubt I loved her. Today I love her more than I can write and words can tell. The first thing I say to her in the mornings is “I love you” the last words I say to her at night are “I love you.” I tell her many times during the day that I love her. Way more than I love her, our Heavenly Father loves us and when I say us I’m talking about this world. So if you are in this world know that you are loved by God and the proof is that He gave us a baby. 

😡Who Was It?👀

 Nothing is impossible. Even the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.

The fewer there are the easier it is to tell. I was 2 years old when my brother was born and it would be 5 years before our baby brother would be born. When my mother or dad would say “who did this?” Well there were 4 living in the house and our mother didn’t do it nor did our dad so that only left 2. See how easy it is to get caught doing wrong. The same was true on the day that Cain killed his brother Abel. We are not deep into Genesis Chapter 4 when we read about Cain and his baby brother Abel. We know Cain had an anger issue. 

 Genesis 4:6 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Uncontrolled anger will always lead to disgrace. What I mean by that is we will always do things in anger that we wouldn’t do at all had we just waited and cooled off. Cain was angry but not with Abel. Cain was angry with God, and took it out on his brother Abel. In verse 6 Cain is “wroth” very angry . In verse 7 God is wanting Cain to cool off and tells if he doesn’t then sin is knocking at his door. 

Genesis 4:7 (KJV) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Cain didn’t cool down, he let his anger get the best of him and the next thing he knew he had killed his only brother.

Genesis 4:8 (KJV) And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Do you know what else anger does? It causes one to lie. After Cain killed his brother he had to do something with him. I think he buried him. Wait, I'm getting ahead. Cain had let his anger get so bad that he killed his brother. Next, God asked Cain where his brother was. Cain said that he didn’t know. Now Cain is trying to cover up his wrong doing by lying, but he lied to God! Oh we must not lie to the one who knows all. I mean there are only 3 possible choices who could have done it. 

Genesis 4:9 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

God says I know what you have done!

Genesis 4:10 (KJV) And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Cain I know what you have done because your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. Wonder what Abel was saying? Was it words of forgiveness? Words of unbelief? Words that it was an accident? We are not told. We must never forget that our actions have consequences. Cain said that his punishment was greater that he could bear.  Genesis 4:13 (KJV) And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

I’m not completely sure how Cain handled his punishment but I know it never left him. Why would I say that? Well there was a time in my life on a night long ago, in a far away place, that I did a foolish thing that has never left my mind. The deed done, the courtroom, the lawyers, the Judge, the jury and the verdict. The punishment for the deed was completed many, many years ago. Oh but my mind keeps saying what were you thinking, why did you even get involved? The cost was greater than I wanted to pay. It would be another 2 years or so before I asked the Lord to save me and He did. He didn’t say well I will as soon as you and I take care of some of these wrongs you have here on record. Oh no the Lord forgave me completely for all of my transgressions. 

1 John 3:4 (KJV) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 2:12 (KJV) I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his (Jesus) name's sake.

Cain had the same opportunity but he chose to be angry. I choose Christ Jesus. What did you choose? 

🫡Duty🥱

 Sometimes the duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious. George Orwell 

Have you ever heard someone say “now this is the bottom line?”  Which means the final results or ultimate outcome. In Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

The first thing I noticed about this conclusion was the word “hear.” My first thought was this  

Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Want more faith? Then you are going to be where you can hear. I remember hearing others talking about how they trusted God not knowing what would happen. I remember when I was young in my faith. We lived in Lithonia. The weather had turned really bad and a tornado was on the ground. I ran to our bedroom and prayed to God to protect us. The report came that the tornado had lifted and was no longer on the ground. When I told what God had done many shunned it off and told me that was just a coincidence. It may have been but no one will ever convict me it was just a coincidence. There was another time when I picked up a man that was hitchhiking. I wrote about that some time ago. Anyways hearing is important; think not? Just lose your hearing. Now the bottom line or conclusion of the whole matter needs to be heard so let’s get to it. What is this “conclusion of the whole matter?” I want to know. Solomon says the conclusion comes down to this “Fear God” Over the years this important fact has been ignored. Most do what they want to do and God, well He is not ever thought of let alone feared. Sounds like Judges 17:6 (KJV) In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

There was no law being enforced, oh my 🥳😱

Notice next we are to do “keep his commandments.” Well are we doing that? A man was having an affair with a woman who was about to get a divorce. That’s bad enough but another person said “I don’t see anything wrong with that, she’s getting a divorce. What! We live in a society where there is no fear of God and His commandment, are not even allowed out where we can see them, let alone know them. Well what do you expect? Solomon said the conclusion of the whole matter is “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” Why should we do that? Good question and Solomon answers that too “for this is the whole duty of man.”  Not part of the duty of man but the whole duty of man. Stop and ask someone to give you 2 of the 10 commandments and see what they say. We don’t know the law of God. How in the world can we keep it? Oh listen to what people are saying; I need some me time. Do what you want to do, it's your life. If it feels good how can it be wrong? Have it your way. You deserve this. Are we racing to the top of the ladder to be first and forgetting who is already first. I don’t think God cares about the football championship game but he does care about both teams and all who are sitting in the stadium. He also cares about all those watching and those who aren’t. Fear God, Keep His Commandments that is the lease we can do.