Tag Archives: Easter

by

*Undeniable* On Earth as in Heaven

“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou (Are you) The King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it to thee ? (Are you asking or did someone ask you to) Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Jesus answered, MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD: If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Jews: BUT MY KINGDOM IS NOT FROM HENCE (here).

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou SAYEST (rightly state) THAT I AM A KING. TO THIS END (completely for this purpose) WAS I BORN, AND FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I INTO THE WORLD, that I should bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate sayeth unto him, What IS the truth? And when he had said THIS, he went back out unto the Jews, and SAITH unto them, I FIND IN HIM NO FAULT AT ALL.

But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover, will ye therefore that I release unto you THE KING OF THE JEWS? Then therefore cried they all again, saying, Not this man, But Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” John 18:33-40 

Think about a little something here, the plan becomes so obvious with the fact that the Jews CHOOSE a robber to live rather than Jesus, because Jesus had said, if anyone tried to come to the Father ANY other way than through Him, they WERE a thieves and a robbers! and you can see that crystal in this verse, they WERE attempting to CHOOSE another way into heaven. 

John 19: 1-22: ” Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him (whipped with a Roman scourge) And the soldiers platted (twisted) a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe.

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote (struck) him with their hands. Pilate forth again, and said unto them, BEHOLD, (pay attention) I bring him forth to you, THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM.

Jesus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying Crucify him, crucify him, Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: FOR I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM.

The Jews answered him, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he hath made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard THAT saying, HE WAS MORE AFRAID.

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? ( WHERE ARE YOU FROM?) But Jesus gave him no answer.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power (authority) to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest (would) have NO power AT ALL AGAINST ME, EXCEPT it were GIVEN THEE FROM ABOVE: therefore he that hath delivered me UNTO thee hath the greater sin. {He spoke of Judas’ betrayal of him, being greater sin against Him, than Pilates} And from henceforth (that time on) Pilate SOUGHT TO RELEASE HIM:

But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art NOT Caesar’s friend: whomsoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement seat in a place that is called Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

And it was the preparation for the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he SAITH unto the Jews, BEHOLD YOUR KING! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify YOUR KING?

The chief priests answered, We have NO king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Where they crucified him and two other with him, on either side one, and JESUS IN THE MIDST (center). And Pilate WROTE a TITLE, and put it ON THE CROSS.

And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: And IT WAS WRITTEN IN HEBREW, GREEK, AND LATIN.

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write NOT, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN.”

So much going on there,  the same old routine just as when they REFUSED God as their King and insisted on an earthly king over them and now again they denied and rejected Him, so desperate, that they even used the old scare tactics of “if you were a real friend of Caesar”, but scripture would be fulfilled, even with the Lord hanging in the center.. as known when two agree on anything, HE IS in the middle, agreeing with them and the fulfilling of that in the three-fold cord of the writing itself and the three major languages in order, of which  languages are derived and the languages that OUR Bible would come forth.

Pontius Pilate who is well documented for his cruelty and dolling out crucifixions with the ease of a kid on a bike doling out Sunday morning newspapers, and YET HE WAS AFRAID.. not only because of the warning of his wife having been troubled through dreams, but HE, HIMSELF AFRAID because HE KNEW THIS WAS INDEED THE SON OF GOD.

And as powerful as he was, HE KNEW that he was in the presence of ALL power and as bloody as his hands were, HE DID NOT WANT THIS BLOOD… THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD ON HIS HANDS and he washed them. 

And as he had WRITTEN.. JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS now became FULFILLED ON EARTH AS IT ALREADY WAS PROCLAIMED IN HEAVEN.

Very soon HE WILL RETURN TO THIS EARTH AND SET UP HIS KINGDOM, we’ll look at that in part three of our series. But TODAY, this HOLY DAY, as we think and reflect on what our Saviour did for us, HIS suffering, His humiliation, and pain BEYOND human comprehension, so horrific that angels CAME to strengthen Him in the garden, because it would be humanly unbearable WITHOUT that strength.

I know there is a long-standing disagreement over the number of his stripes, many say because the Jews had a forty-stripe save one rule, but people.. this was NOT just the Jews.. this WAS the force of HELL itself, ON EARTH, coming down on Him.,

There WERE NO laws protecting Him, NO MERCY WAS SHOWN HIM and He was beaten to the point that He was unrecognizable as Himself, it was so much MORE than any thirty-nine stripes.

There is also the standing argument that He was pierced through his wrists NOT his hands because the hands would not hold up, but IT WAS  his palms that were nailed through and I will leave that right there, and instead of all the debate over who thinks what happened we need to bear in mind, ONLY this.. IT DID HAPPEN and as He asked Peter, “Whom do ye say that I am?” I want to echo HIS question today, if I may.. TO YOU.

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT HE IS? Pilate answered it for Himself and answered it to the Jews, even though they did not want that answer, He was NOT making fun of Jesus, when he asked the Jews IF they want him to crucify THEIR King, He was getting that answer confirmed, that THEY did it and he told them THREE TIMES that HE DID NOT FIND FAULT WITH JESUS and never once did he argue WHO Jesus Is, but he confirmed His identity by refusing to change the title.

So if you have never accepted Him, I could truly not think of a better time than right now, right where you are…and please don’t fall to false religions, there is only ONE way, so don’t be like the Jews of that day, who rejected their own King and instead of accepting salvation they CHOSE a robber, because the themselves were robbers in thinking they were coming to God any other way.

Today.. INVITE HIS WILL TO BE DONE IN EARTH… (IN THE EARTH THAT IS YOU).. AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

Blessings and peace to you and may you know the power of His glorious resurrection this Holy season!

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω  NBJ 2017  **REVISTED 02/27/2021** And also 04/16/2022 & 04/06/23

by

“Among the dead”

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre (tomb), bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout (very confused about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments;

And the were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:  remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee? 

Saying,  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  And they remembered his words.” Luke 24:1-8

Can you imagine?

All they had witnessed, all the horror they had just experienced, imagine one you so dearly love, that you have followed and in His case worshiped, watching Him day after day as He healed those who were sick, freed minds and souls from the demonic forces of satan, even witnessing Him command death itself to release those that He had chosen to live to the glory of His Father.

Sitting at His feet as He taught seemingly new and even socially strange thoughts of mercy and compassion. Thoughts so foreign in stark comparison to the laws of harsh retaliation and punishment that had been for so long the law of the day.

He taught the pure and yet simple truths of life and of the love that God has for us and the love that he desires us to have one for another. And giving us all these things with the commandments He had written and sent by Moses, we still, just did not get it.

So He came and lived it for us, teaching us, showing us, and dying for us because no human could ever live up to that level of “perfection”. Only the Son of God, the Holy One, The perfect spotless Lamb, who for us all, and for the love of us all came to this earth and taught us these things, things we could never know in ourselves and love so great and unconditional that we can’t even attain to His level.

And can you imagine, being someone like the man who had been possessed by Legion, can you imagine your mind so disturbed and your soul so taken over that a literal graveyard becomes your home and the demons desiring to destroy the image of God in which He created you, prompts you to constantly cut your flesh with sharp stones and being so fierce, that even those who would want to try to minister help is prevented because the demons are so strong that even the strongest chains cannot hold you and are broken effortlessly.

And can you imagine, the moment when Jesus came and sent those demons out and as the Bible said of this man, you are left, “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.” 

Can you imagine being the blind man whose eyes Jesus anointed with clay He himself had formed and instead of others rejoicing with him that his sight had been restored, he and his parents were met with accusations, inquisitions, and finally expulsion from the temple. That is how the devil works and often what should be cause for rejoicing is instead used to wage war.

But Jesus in His mercy and grace did not leave this man to even be subjected to second guessing the words of the enemies and came to him yet again, John 9:35-36: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out (threw him out of the supposed house of God); and when he found him ,he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.  And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.”

Jesus, as always beautiful and kind beyond comparison, always seeking those that are His and never leaving us when we need him, finding us in those places that the enemy has driven us, comforting us and securing us in the knowledge that were are His and that we are those who will never be plucked form His hands.

Imagine being the one who sins had washed away as her tears washed His feet all the while The voice of Simon screaming through her mind trying to keep her away from the one place she so desperately needed to be.

And imagine the relief of not being reprimanded and ran away but instead being accepted and even defended by the Lord Himself.

Then imagine the sorrow and disbelief when that Protector was beaten, tortured, and died nailed to a cross made from a tree. For all seen purpose and intent now left completely alone, the one whose gentleness and love brought peace and purpose to a delicate state of mind and that purpose for all it seemed had now been lost.

Imagine His mother Mary, who was in effect a jewel in the crown of a King imagine Her sorrow.

For all of these and all the disciples, imagine all the hundreds and I would dare say thousands of thousands He had touched, healed, and blessed.

Imagine how they could not imagine that this one, who had created heaven and earth, could be truly gone.

All the preparation in the world, just like those prepared spices, even our spiritual preparations, could ever prepare for that loss.

Ever feel like that in your life? I know I sure have.

We all at one time or another go through those “blind spots” when it does seem that all we have striven for, worked for, suddenly means nothing.

And seeds we have planted seem to have sprung up only for a second as a tender new plant and then just as quickly droop and wither away and no matter what we do or how hard we try the little plant can not be revived. 

We too, sometimes get so bombarded by the overwhelming feelings of loss and discouragement that we “prepare” those spices, we prepare to accept the “death”, which can translate to defeat, of something that may in fact be quite alive. 

Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what Jesus has taught us and need to remember something else that  He said,  John 12:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” 

Of course He was referring to His own death, and nothing would ever be the same for those who shared His earthly life with Him and in truth, the life that they had known had died with Him, and for the disciples there would be no ever going back to those days of walking dusty roads, singing hymns, and watching the Master work and now they would have to develop that faith He had given them and BELIEVE through His name and His power to do those greater works that He promised they would do.

And that is our thought for this Resurrection season, Jesus was not there and He would never be in that tomb again!

He had risen!

And in our own lives we have to sometimes allow thoughts, hopes, and dreams to “die”, no longer continue to seek those places that no longer exist.

But instead look for new growth, new leaves springing up in places we may have never noticed before because we will never truly see the living as long as our “eyes’ are focused on what is dead.

Blessings to you and your this Resurrection season! And above all, Blessings, and  honor, and praise, and glory to the Lord Jesus! Thank Him for loving us and coming into this world, dying for us and most of all RAISING FROM THE DEAD for us.

Φλογιζω NBJ 2019 Original post 04/2019 REVISTED 03/10/2021

by

*Undeniable* On Earth as in Heaven

“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou (Are you) The King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it to thee ? (Are you asking or did someone ask you to) Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Jesus answered, MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD: If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Jews: BUT MY KINGDOM IS NOT FROM HENCE (here).

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou SAYEST (rightly state) THAT I AM A KING. TO THIS END (completely for this purpose) WAS I BORN, AND FOR THIS CAUSE CAME I INTO THE WORLD, that I should bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate sayeth unto him, What IS the truth? And when he had said THIS, he went back out unto the Jews, and SAITH unto them, I FIND IN HIM NO FAULT AT ALL.

But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover, will ye therefore that I release unto you THE KING OF THE JEWS? Then therefore cried they all again, saying, Not this man, But Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” John 18:33-40 

Think about a little something here, the plan becomes so obvious with the fact that the Jews CHOOSE a robber to live rather than Jesus, because Jesus had said, if anyone tried to come to the Father ANY other way than through Him, they WERE a thieves and a robbers! and you can see that crystal in this verse, they WERE attempting to CHOOSE another way into heaven. 

John 19: 1-22: ” Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him (whipped with a Roman scourge) And the soldiers platted (twisted) a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe.

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote (struck) him with their hands. Pilate forth again, and said unto them, BEHOLD, (pay attention) I bring him forth to you, THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM.

Jesus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying Crucify him, crucify him, Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: FOR I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM.

The Jews answered him, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he hath made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard THAT saying, HE WAS MORE AFRAID.

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? ( WHERE ARE YOU FROM?) But Jesus gave him no answer.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power (authority) to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest (would) have NO power AT ALL AGAINST ME, EXCEPT it were GIVEN THEE FROM ABOVE: therefore he that hath delivered me UNTO thee hath the greater sin. {He spoke of Judas’ betrayal of him, being greater sin against Him, than Pilates} And from henceforth (that time on) Pilate SOUGHT TO RELEASE HIM:

But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art NOT Caesar’s friend: whomsoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement seat in a place that is called Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

And it was the preparation for the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he SAITH unto the Jews, BEHOLD YOUR KING! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify YOUR KING?

The chief priests answered, We have NO king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Where they crucified him and two other with him, on either side one, and JESUS IN THE MIDST (center). And Pilate WROTE a TITLE, and put it ON THE CROSS.

And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: And IT WAS WRITTEN IN HEBREW, GREEK, AND LATIN.

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write NOT, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN.”

So much going on there,  the same old routine just as when they REFUSED God as their King and insisted on an earthly king over them and now again they denied and rejected Him, so desperate, that they even used the old scare tactics of “if you were a real friend of Caesar”, but scripture would be fulfilled, even with the Lord hanging in the center.. as known when two agree on anything, HE IS in the middle, agreeing with them and the fulfilling of that in the three-fold cord of the writing itself and the three major languages in order, of which  languages are derived and the languages that OUR Bible would come forth.

Pontius Pilate who is well documented for his cruelty and dolling out crucifixions with the ease of a kid on a bike doling out Sunday morning newspapers, and YET HE WAS AFRAID.. not only because of the warning of his wife having been troubled through dreams, but HE, HIMSELF AFRAID because HE KNEW THIS WAS INDEED THE SON OF GOD.

And as powerful as he was, HE KNEW that he was in the presence of ALL power and as bloody as his hands were, HE DID NOT WANT THIS BLOOD… THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD ON HIS HANDS and he washed them. 

And as he had WRITTEN.. JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS now became FULFILLED ON EARTH AS IT ALREADY WAS PROCLAIMED IN HEAVEN.

Very soon HE WILL RETURN TO THIS EARTH AND SET UP HIS KINGDOM, we’ll look at that in part three of our series. But TODAY, this HOLY DAY, as we think and reflect on what our Saviour did for us, HIS suffering, His humiliation, and pain BEYOND human comprehension, so horrific that angels CAME to strengthen Him in the garden, because it would be humanly unbearable WITHOUT that strength.

I know there is a long-standing disagreement over the number of his stripes, many say because the Jews had a forty-stripe save one rule, but people.. this was NOT just the Jews.. this WAS the force of HELL itself, ON EARTH, coming down on Him.,

There WERE NO laws protecting Him, NO MERCY WAS SHOWN HIM and He was beaten to the point that He was unrecognizable as Himself, it was so much MORE than any thirty-nine stripes.

There is also the standing argument that He was pierced through his wrists NOT his hands because the hands would not hold up, but IT WAS  his palms that were nailed through and I will leave that right there, and instead of all the debate over who thinks what happened we need to bear in mind, ONLY this.. IT DID HAPPEN and as He asked Peter, “Whom do ye say that I am?” I want to echo HIS question today, if I may.. TO YOU.

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT HE IS? Pilate answered it for Himself and answered it to the Jews, even though they did not want that answer, He was NOT making fun of Jesus, when he asked the Jews IF they want him to crucify THEIR King, He was getting that answer confirmed, that THEY did it and he told them THREE TIMES that HE DID NOT FIND FAULT WITH JESUS and never once did he argue WHO Jesus Is, but he confirmed His identity by refusing to change the title.

So if you have never accepted Him, I could truly not think of a better time than right now, right where you are…and please don’t fall to false religions, there is only ONE way, so don’t be like the Jews of that day, who rejected their own King and instead of accepting salvation they CHOSE a robber, because the themselves were robbers in thinking they were coming to God any other way.

Today.. INVITE HIS WILL TO BE DONE IN EARTH… (IN THE EARTH THAT IS YOU).. AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

Blessings and peace to you and may you know the power of His glorious resurrection this Holy season!

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω  NBJ 2017  **REVISTED 02/27/2021** And also 04/16/2022

by

“Among the dead”

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre (tomb), bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout (very confused about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments;

And the were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:  remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee? 

Saying,  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  And they remembered his words.” Luke 24:1-8

Can you imagine?

All they had witnessed, all the horror they had just experienced, imagine one you so dearly love, that you have followed and in His case worshiped, watching Him day after day as He healed those who were sick, freed minds and souls from the demonic forces of satan, even witnessing Him command death itself to release those that He had chosen to live to the glory of His Father.

Sitting at His feet as He taught seemingly new and even socially strange thoughts of mercy and compassion. Thoughts so foreign in stark comparison to the laws of harsh retaliation and punishment that had been for so long the law of the day.

He taught the pure and yet simple truths of life and of the love that God has for us and the love that he desires us to have one for another. And giving us all these things with the commandments He had written and sent by Moses, we still, just did not get it.

So He came and lived it for us, teaching us, showing us, and dying for us because no human could ever live up to that level of “perfection”. Only the Son of God, the Holy One, The perfect spotless Lamb, who for us all, and for the love of us all came to this earth and taught us these things, things we could never know in ourselves and love so great and unconditional that we can’t even attain to His level.

And can you imagine, being someone like the man who had been possessed by Legion, can you imagine your mind so disturbed and your soul so taken over that a literal graveyard becomes your home and the demons desiring to destroy the image of God in which He created you, prompts you to constantly cut your flesh with sharp stones and being so fierce, that even those who would want to try to minister help is prevented because the demons are so strong that even the strongest chains cannot hold you and are broken effortlessly.

And can you imagine, the moment when Jesus came and sent those demons out and as the Bible said of this man, you are left, “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.” 

Can you imagine being the blind man whose eyes Jesus anointed with clay He himself had formed and instead of others rejoicing with him that his sight had been restored, he and his parents were met with accusations, inquisitions, and finally expulsion from the temple. That is how the devil works and often what should be cause for rejoicing is instead used to wage war.

But Jesus in His mercy and grace did not leave this man to even be subjected to second guessing the words of the enemies and came to him yet again, John 9:35-36: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out (threw him out of the supposed house of God); and when he found him ,he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.  And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.”

Jesus, as always beautiful and kind beyond comparison, always seeking those that are His and never leaving us when we need him, finding us in those places that the enemy has driven us, comforting us and securing us in the knowledge that were are His and that we are those who will never be plucked form His hands.

Imagine being the one who sins had washed away as her tears washed His feet all the while The voice of Simon screaming through her mind trying to keep her away from the one place she so desperately needed to be.

And imagine the relief of not being reprimanded and ran away but instead being accepted and even defended by the Lord Himself.

Then imagine the sorrow and disbelief when that Protector was beaten, tortured, and died nailed to a cross made from a tree. For all seen purpose and intent now left completely alone, the one whose gentleness and love brought peace and purpose to a delicate state of mind and that purpose for all it seemed had now been lost.

Imagine His mother Mary, who was in effect a jewel in the crown of a King imagine Her sorrow.

For all of these and all the disciples, imagine all the hundreds and I would dare say thousands of thousands He had touched, healed, and blessed.

Imagine how they could not imagine that this one, who had created heaven and earth, could be truly gone.

All the preparation in the world, just like those prepared spices, even our spiritual preparations, could ever prepare for that loss.

Ever feel like that in your life? I know I sure have.

We all at one time or another go through those “blind spots” when it does seem that all we have striven for, worked for, suddenly means nothing.

And seeds we have planted seem to have sprung up only for a second as a tender new plant and then just as quickly droop and wither away and no matter what we do or how hard we try the little plant can not be revived. 

We too, sometimes get so bombarded by the overwhelming feelings of loss and discouragement that we “prepare” those spices, we prepare to accept the “death”, which can translate to defeat, of something that may in fact be quite alive. 

Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what Jesus has taught us and need to remember something else that  He said,  John 12:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” 

Of course He was referring to His own death, and nothing would ever be the same for those who shared His earthly life with Him and in truth, the life that they had known had died with Him, and for the disciples there would be no ever going back to those days of walking dusty roads, singing hymns, and watching the Master work and now they would have to develop that faith He had given them and BELIEVE through His name and His power to do those greater works that He promised they would do.

And that is our thought for this Resurrection season, Jesus was not there and He would never be in that tomb again!

He had risen!

And in our own lives we have to sometimes allow thoughts, hopes, and dreams to “die”, no longer continue to seek those places that no longer exist.

But instead look for new growth, new leaves springing up in places we may have never noticed before because we will never truly see the living as long as our “eyes’ are focused on what is dead.

Blessings to you and your this Resurrection season! And above all, Blessings, and  honor, and praise, and glory to the Lord Jesus! Thank Him for loving us and coming into this world, dying for us and most of all RAISING FROM THE DEAD for us.

Φλογιζω NBJ 2019 Original post 04/2019 REVISTED 03/10/2021