For I know that my Redeemer Lives

Hello Friends. I have chosen the following verse in Job 19:25 as our promise for today, April 29, 2019.

For I know that my redeemeth liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

If anyone had the right to be angry with God, perhaps it was Job.  Satan had bartered for his life. And God had given him permission to do what he would with Job, except take his life. And so it began. He had lost just about everything. His children,  many of his servants, his animals, his property And his wealth. Satan was even allowed to strike him with boils all over his body. That would be enough to make him angry. Right?

Why did God allow it? In verse one of Job 1, it says that he was a perfect man, an upright man and that he stayed away from what was evil.

Didn't he have a right to be angry with God? After all, his wife and some of his friends thought that he should turn away from God and curse him. For sure Satan thought he would curse God.

But he didn't curse God. He said that he came into the world naked, and he would leave it that way. He knew that what he had came from his God. In verse 22, it says that "in all this, he sinned not." And he did not charge God with wrongdoing.

And so what happened when he refused to curse God? When he didn't sin or blame God for his troubles? God gave him back much more then he had in the first place. And that included children.

Wow. How many people can say that they don't get angry about their situations? So many have bad things happen to them and they throw the fist up at God in anger.

There are always reasons why he does what he does. Why he allows the things he does in our lives. Always. Never anywhere in the bible does he promise us a rose garden....as the old song goes. He doesn't owe us one. He doesn't even owe us an explanation. And that is why we need to learn to trust him and his judgment. Because he does know best, and someday he will reveal it to us. When he allows us to know.

Do you get angry at God because things are not going your way? Or because something bad has happened to you or your family members? I know I have. God isn't surprised when we do it. But he wants to forgive us for not trusting him. And really, as I heard someone say the other day; Given a choice to trust in God and have the peace that he is doing what is best for us, or being angry and living in bitterness, what would you choose? I choose peace because all too many people live in anger and hate and believe me, that is no way to live. How about you? Which way would you choose?

Have a blessed day, Friends!

Special People/Amazing Women/Rehab the Prostitute

The Bible is full of people that you would never have thought would make it into a Holy Book of God. Take Rehab the Prostitute. Who would have thought someone like this woman would have been given an important mission?

But think again. Really. What kind of people did or does God have to work with except sinners from the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden.

So why not include Rehab if he needed her? And obviously, he did.

So this is how it went. Joshua 2 tells us that Joshua secretly sent two spies to check out the land in Shittim and Jericho because God was going to give it to the Israelites. The two spies went to the house of Rehab and stayed there. Someone gave the king of Jericho a heads up that the spies were there checking things out and were at Rehabs home. The king sent her a message telling her to give them up. But Rehab had hidden the two men on her roof under stalks of flax. And she told the king that yes they had been there but they had left as it was getting dusk and if they hurried, they might catch up with them.

The men trying to catch the spies left in hopes of getting them.

Rehab told the spies that she knew that their God had given them the land, and because Joshua had done some things prior to then, the people of that country had become very much afraid. And she asked them to be kind to herself and her family since she had not handed them over to the king. And so the deal was struck up. and a scarlet cord was hung in her window. A sign that she and her family would be saved.

Rehab had believed God. And even though she was risking her own life, she trusted him to protect her and her family in the impending attack on her country.

And God forgave her of her sins.

All of humanity's sins are as scarlet as the cord that hung in her window. But because of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, they become as white as snow when we ask him into our lives and trust him.
It does not matter the sin. Sin is sin and her sin was no greater than anyone else's just because of her trade. Just as sin today in one person is no greater than another. Sin will lead us to hell no matter how it is branded. That is unless and until we let God wash us white as snow.


April 28, 2019 Promise:  For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord. Romans 3:23

Thanks for stopping by today Friends. Have a peaceful and blessed afternoon and evening. God bless

Christian Humor

Hello Friends. Just a little humor in today's blog as we are about to get outside in the sun, albeit is a bit chilly. But the sun is so bright that it makes us want to be out there in it.Anyway, here are a few things I have picked up for today"

Church Sign

   

Boy, isn't this the truth.

Frankly, living in the midwest, I am thankful the snow is over. (Hopefully?)

April 27, 2019 Promise: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

So that is it for today Friends. Tomorrow's blog should have a little more substance. I hope you will be back then. God bless.

Special People/ The Baby in the Basket

Moses became Pharaoh's daughter's son by coincidence. Right? No. The fact is, if it hadn't been for his mother disobeying the Pharaoh's order to throw all baby boys into the Nile River, he would have not grown up in Pharaoh's palace.

Pharaoh's daughter had been instrumental in saving his life as was his mother. And consequently, she had adopted him as her o own. (It makes me wonder how she pulled that one off as her father was trying to keep the Jewish population from growing?)

The fact remains that....somehow she did.

And more fact than that, God had a divine plan for Moses even then.

Because she had adopted him, Moses was raised with the best of what any prince would have whose father was a Pharoah. He had been instructed in the ways of the Egyptian people, but there came a time when he became concerned about his own people as he watched them as being treated as the slaves they had become.

God called Moses to free them from the grip of slavery because he had seen their suffering.  He told Moses, "I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Moses wasn't too sure about this mission but God had also told him that he would be with him. Still, Moses was not convinced and he seems to argue with God even though God keeps trying to reassure him and shows him different signs that should get his message across to Moses.

Finally, he does what God asks and goes to the Pharoah to tell him to "Let my people go."

It took a total of God sending ten plagues on Pharoah to convince him that he must let the Israelite people go before they were indeed freed. Only after the last one, which took the life of Pharaoh's firstborn son, did it occur. God was not putting up with anymore. He had had enough.

God had chosen Moses to do his bidding, even though Moses was sometimes angry and unsure of himself and had excuses for why he could not do as God had been asking. And yet, he was human too and of course, God knew that. This is just a small part of his life as it was. ( His life began in Exodus 2) As he grew from a baby into a man, he had to learn as we all do in life.

Sometimes just like Moses, God asks us to do something and we start making excuses why we can't. We don't have what it takes to accomplish it is what we sometimes tell him and ourselves. But if God is asking something of us, he will provide whatever is needed to accomplish it. It is just like that saying we hear sometimes,

"If God brings me to it, he will bring me through it."  He will never ask something of us that we cannot do. But he will help us do whatever it is he knows we can do. What is it he is asking you and me today? What excuses are we giving him? Can we just say to him, "Yes Lord."

April 26, 2019 Promise: I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace is a gift that the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

Hello Friends. Thanks so much for coming by. I want to let you know that as warm weather and then summer comes on us, I may be posting my blog each day by 6 pm. (EST) We will be doing some things within our family and it will be harder to get it done each day. However, don't let that discourage from still coming by. I will post. It may be a later time and it might be different than normal. But I promise to post something each day. Thanks for your support in coming here and may God so richly bless you.

Special People/ Shiphrah, Puah, Moses' Mother, Pharaoh's Daughter

A new king  (Pharaoh) had taken power in Egypt and he saw that the Israelites population was looking a little too numerous for his comfort. And so he put slave masters over them to control them and as such, they were not treated well at all. They worked the Israelites harshly to keep them from multiplying and yet it did not stop them. The Israelite population continued to grow. The king came up with another plan to stop their growth.

He told the Egyptian midwives that when they were aiding the Hebrew women giving birth if they saw that the babies were male, they were to kill them. If they were female they were allowed to live. 

There were two midwives whose names were Shiphrah and Puah. And these women feared God and did not do what the king had told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live. When the king found this out, he called them to him and asked them why they had not obeyed him. The midwives told him that the Hebrew women had been strong and given birth before they could arrive. 

Because they had feared God over the king and had let the boy babies live, God was kind to them, it tells us in verse 20 and the Israelite populations grew in more numerous. And God gave the midwives families of their own. (verse 21)

And so what did the king do?  He ordered that every boy that was born was to be thrown into the Nile River but every girl could live. 

Perhaps the two midwives had lied about their actions to the king, or perhaps it was partly true. Whatever it was, God did bless them in that they had not obeyed the evil order of the king who had wanted to destroy the babies that were born to the Hebrew women. The act of their fear of God had been greater than their fear of the king.

That, however, did not stop the king. He had then gave the order to "all" people that all baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile River, while baby girls could live. 

And that is where the birth of Moses had come into play. 

Most of us know that story from Sunday School. His parents were from the tribe of Levi. And when his mother gave him birth, she hid him until he was three months old. Then, she put him in a basket that she had prepared for him and set it along the banks of the Nile among the reeds that were there. 

The Pharaoh's daughter had gone down to the river one day to bath and she saw the basket. She had her female slave to get it and when she opened it, she knew this was a Hebrew baby. He was crying and she felt sorry for him. The baby's mother was summoned to come and nurse him and eventually, he became the son of Pharoh's daughter. She named him Moses. 

Source: Should the Hebrew midwives be commended for lying?

Whatever the deal was when the midwives were not quite truthful to the king, had they not been more fearful of God, the life of Moses, who years later would himself become a great leader, perhaps would have never begun. God had used the women, despite the circumstances. 

And it goes to show, that even when we aren't always obedient to him, he can use us and our circumstances for his glory. Even in the face of evil. 

We should always strive to be obedient, yes. It is for our benefit when we do. It is always the better way. But when we do fail, it does not mean that God is helpless to turn around a bad situation. He will always work things to the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

April 25, 2019 Promise: For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29

Thanks for coming by today Friends. May you have a blessed day

God's Special People / Daniel

Daniel had acquired the respect of some of the Babylonian kings although he was Hebrew. He had been able to correctly interpret dreams and visions. His prophecies and more can be found in the book of Daniel as well as in some of Ezekial.

After the king Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, he chose men in Israel's royalty to be trained in the Babylonian ways. This training took three years and upon completion, they were put in the service of the king.

Daniel was one of those that had been trained. In fact, he was placed in authority over all the wise men of Babylon. He was honest and highly regarded by those he served, but never did he comprise his faith. He always obeyed God first and foremost.

One of the stories I remember so well from my youth is found in Daniel 6. Daniel had won the kings favor and in return, the king was thinking about putting him as head over all the kingdom. There were those that did not like this at all. And so they began to look for a way to bring him down. Being righteous, they could find nothing wrong in Daniel and so they began to pick on his faith. (Ummm, how much of that is done today?)   They were able to get King Darius to degree that for the following thirty days, there was to be no praying to any god except the king. Of course, this did not fly with Daniel. He was not going to stop praying to his God, nor was he going to pray to any other god, including the king.

And he did not hide his prayers to God. Thus leading to his arrest. And the punishment for such a thing? He was thrown into a den of lions. King Darius did not like that Daniel was having to be put in with the lions but he said, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you."

The next morning, Daniel was found alive and well. He told the king that an angel had come down and shut the mouths of the lions. And because of this, King Darius sent out a new decree which stated that all of his subjects were to worship Daniel's God.

Resource: Who was Daniel in the Bible?

Truly Daniel was a man of great courage. And along with that, he was a God-fearing man.No threat of lions was going to make him stop praying to his God. And it was just those kinds of reasons that he prospered in Babylon. Kings had found favor with him. But much better than that, God had.

His stories are included in God's book for a reason. To teach us and help us understand what God expects of us. And when we are obedient, he rewards us. Maybe not always the way we want him to. But, one day it will all come together for us when God decides the time is right. Until then, we are to take heed to his word and take it from many of the special people that God loved.

April 24, 2019  Promise: But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will be at ease without fear of harm. Proverbs 1:33

Hello Friends. Thanks for coming by today. I pray that as you go through the day, God's blessings will be upon you and he will make it possible for you to bless someone else.

God's Special People/ Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendnego

Nebuchadnezzar was in secular history, a powerfully brutal king. He is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon,

In the Bible,  in 597 BC with his general, Nebuzaradam, he invaded and conquered Judah and completely destroyed the temple and most of Jerusalem.

In Daniel 2, he has a dream from God about the kingdoms that would come after his own. In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar was a head of gold on a statue. The rest of his body was comprised of silver, gold, bronze, and iron mixed with clay. These were the kingdoms that were less powerful than his had been.

He then ordered his astrologers and wise men to tell him what the dream meant. There was a problem. He didn't tell them what the dream was about.  And so of course, they couldn't even give him a good guess at it and so what did he do? He had them killed. Nice king.

He promoted Daniel to be one of his influential advisors and it was he who interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar and the king said, "Truly, your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery. Daniel 2:27

In Daniel 3, the king had made a gold statue of himself and required everyone to bow down to it when the music played. But there were three men that would not do this. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were friends of Daniels. When they refused to bow down as was so ordered by the king, he threw them into a blazing furnace. While in there, God had protected them and when they came out, the king could hardly believe it but he realized that their God had delivered them and that anyone that dared speak against their God, they would be torn from limb to limb, and their homes would be shambles because there was no other god that was able to rescue them other than the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel 3:28-29

Source for today: Who was Nebuchadnezzar?

Three men that would not bow down to anyone except the true God, and he rescued them from pain and death. Could we do the same if at some point it comes to something similar in our own lives? As we know, even Peter denied Christ three times before he was arrested. What about you and I?

Will it ever come to that? I don't know. But as part of the human race, I do know that we often cry and bellyache at the stupidest or at least the smallest things. Could I do it? Could you?

April 23, 2019  Promise: Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14

Hello Friends, thanks for stopping by. I pray that your celebration of Easter this year has been special and the life of Christ will go on for you every day and not for just a season.

 The life of Daniel did not stop there. There is more to learn about him so please come back tomorrow as I share about this great and special man of God. In the meantime, God bless!

What is Easter About? He is Alive!

Jesus was soon going back to his Father. But he was leaving the disciples with a mission. A mission to carry on his earthly ministry. It is found in Mathew 28:19-20. Go ye therefore into all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you always. Even unto the end of the world.

Friends, that is called the Great Commission and it was given not only to his disciples but to all that would come after. Including you and me. We live in a dying world. Who will tell of Christ, if we don't? The enemy would blot us out if he could, but in verse 18 of that chapter, Jesus said, "All power is given to me in heaven and earth." No one can take it away. No one.

Jesus had completed his ministry that began as a tiny baby in Bethlehem. It took him approximately 33 years to see its fruition. There was only one thing left to do. It was time for him to go home to his
Father.

Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up. And a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold two men stood beside them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand to gaze up into the heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up to heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. Amen.Acts 1:9-11;

As the disciples departed the place where Jesus had been taken up, it was now up to them to continue on as he had commissioned them.

Jesus is Alive!

All of  Jesus life, death, and resurrection in total, was and is what Easter is all about. But it does not stop there. He is coming back for those that have decided to trust him during their lifetime. Is he coming back for you?.

April 21, 2019, Easter reading: And God raised the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power. 1 Corthianians 6:14


Happy Easter Morning, Friends. I truly hope you have been blessed during this Holy Week. If you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have come back just for you. He loves you that much. Have a wonderful day with your family and friends. But most of all remember why it is you are celebrating today!

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What Is Easter?/ Chief Priests and Lies

Mathew 28:1-15

Jesus had come to earth as a baby. He grew up and even as a child spent time in the temple, learning. At about thirty years of age, he was baptized and started his ministry which would last for the next three years. During that time, he gathered his disciples and they followed him as he preached, healed the sick and did other miracles.

But the miracles of miracles did not happen until he arose from the tomb that even many of his own people, who had witnessed them tried to enclose him in.

When he came out of that tomb, the gospel of Mathew 28 says that there was a violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Jesus Christ emerged with an appearance of lightning and his clothes as white as snow.

The guards had been so afraid that they shook and became as if they were dead men.

But "uh, oh", they must have thought. They had been placed there for a reason. They were not to let anyone go in and steal the body of Jesus because then people would think he really did rise from the tomb. And surely, those guards may have been worried they would be in trouble for Jesus being gone.

Some of those guards went to the city to report what had taken place at the tomb. Can't have it get out that he had arisen. And so what did the Chief Priests and elders do? Like too many government officials even today, they had to cover themselves. And they came up with a plan.. They bought the soldiers off, giving them money and telling them to lie and tell people that someone did come during the night to steal his body. The soldiers took the money and did just what they were told to do.

They had not counted on the truth. They had obviously not believed it. And if it was true, they were going to lie about it. Besides,  as for the soldiers, now they had some money to lie for. Why not?

However, verse 15 of that passage says this: So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The truth does prevail. The lies of the government in Jesus day did not stop the reason that his Father sent him. It did not keep him within the confines of a tomb. It did not hide the truth that there were enemies that didn't want people to know what the truth really was.. No, it had all come out. Jesus was alive and there was no stopping that fact at all.

And it had been his appearing to so many that proved that what they were being told about Jesus body had all been lies. If so many people had not seen him, the government could probably have gotten away with it. But, he did and that probably didn't sit too well with many people on either side.

Jesus had accomplished almost everything that he had to do while he was on earth. What was left?

It was his ascension back to be with his Father as people looked on. The end of his earthly ministry. The end of his time with the disciples. But it wasn't really the end. Was it?

April 20, 2019, Easter reading:  And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

Hi Friends. May God richly bless you today! Thanks for stopping by!

What is Easter About? Jesus Appearance /So Many Witnesses

In accordance with scripture, in Mathew 28:1-4 Jesus began to appear to many people after he had been resurrected that morning. There were women and even the soldiers guarding his tomb witnessed it as he came out. Verses 3-4 says that "his appearance was as lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook  and became like dead men."

Peter is mentioned as the first apostle that had seen him in Luke 24:34, after which he appears to the rest of the disciples in verse 36. And he also appears to them at other times in that 40 days before he ascended to be with God.

And he appears to "more than 500 brothers"  as well as James, (his half-brother) according to 1 Corthianians 15:6-7

There were just too many occasions that he appeared that people could deny that he had not done what he had been preaching all along.

Acts 1:3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave them many proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.


What it must have been like for those people that saw him arrested, suffer and die and then come back to life after 3 days. Knowing that unless he was who he said he was, there was no way on earth that this man called Jesus, could ever do such a thing.

As the Centurian Soldier stood at the cross after Jesus had died that day, he made this profound statement. "Truly, this was the Son of God." Mathew 27:54.

Indeed. There was no other that could have pulled off what Jesus had done. Only the Son of God. Only the Son of God! Only God's begotten Son, that he had sent to save us from our sin. John 3:16.

April 19, 2019, Easter Reading: It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Hello Friends. Thanks so much for visiting today. As our Easter Celebrations get closer, may we not forget that it was due to what happened over 2000 years ago that made them possible. God Bless!

What is Easter About? Who Would Doubt?

Out of the disciples of Jesus, who would doubt indeed? Thomas, that is who. He wasn't with the other disciples when they saw that Jesus was alive. that day. And in fact, he actually had to see more proof than just actually seeing a man. He said, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands and put my fingers in them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."

Several days later, Thomas was with the rest of the disciples in a locked room when suddenly Jesus appeared to them. He said, "Peace be with you." And then he turned to Thomas and said, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

At that Thomas cried, "My Lord, my God." 

Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those that believe without seeing me."

Reference: John 20:24-29

I think there had to be at least one doubter in the group that associated with Jesus and his ministry because his situation is certainly for us today.

Thomas had to see proof that Jesus was alive before he believed. Down through the ages, people have believed without seeing him but know that the events recorded were and are true and that one day we will see him. And it is those people and you and I who are blessed because of that belief that we have. 

As we know, there are all too many that refuse to believe and how sad that is because unless they at some point realize their need for a Savior, they will never be able to live with him in paradise. But there comes a time when even they will bow at the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10-11 says: That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of those in heaven and those on earth, and those under the earth and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

Imagine all the millions and millions of people through history that have rejected Jesus Christ, never giving their lives to him. Never trusting him. Many never even believing him all of a sudden that yes, he is real. Yes, he did come to earth as a baby to grow up and die for their sin, and now having to bow and admit that he not only is Jesus Christ, but he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How incredibly stupid they are going to feel. Worse yet, they will be cast into an everlasting dark place called Hell. 

On the other hand, are those that trusted Christ during their lifetime and are counted among those that will be in heaven with him forever and an ever. What a glorious day that will be when Philippians 2:10-11 happens for us. 

I know that I look forward to that day. I hope you do too. Because it will be the beginning for truly the best time in life that many of us will have ever known. Those of us that are still on earth when it happens. For those that have gone on ahead, their time with Jesus has already started and that is why it is so important for us to get with it today, and trust him. Because when we die, it will be too late for those that have rejected him. He is not someone to be doubted. 

 Think about it. Jesus Christ. Not a story in a book. But the soon and coming King. What a day that will be.

Reference: John 20:24-29

April 18, 2019, Easter Reading. And they went and told the rest, but they did not believe them either, Later he appeared to the eleven, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen.  Mark 16:13-14

Hi Friends: I pray God's blessing on you and your family today!

What is Easter About? Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Jesus appeared to many people after he had been resurrected from the grave. To whom more than his friends, would he want to be some of the first that were to see him. John's account in two of those friends appears in John 20. And one of those is Mary Magdalene

She had been standing outside the tomb crying. And when she stooped to look in, she saw two angels in white robes, one sitting at the head and one at the foot of where Jesus body had been laying. The angels asked her why she was crying. And she said it was because someone had taken her Lord away and she did not know where they had taken him.

But then she turned to leave and there was someone standing there that she did not recognize. It was Jesus, and he too asked her why she was crying. and who was she looking for?.

Clearly, Mary Magdalene did not know who she was talking to and thought he was the gardener. She said, "Sir if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will go and get him."

"Mary!:, Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which in Hebrew is "Teacher.")

"Don't cling to me" said, Jesus. "For I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Mary Magdalene did go and find them and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" and then she gave them his message.

Reference: John 20:11-18

Why had Jesus chosen to show himself first to her rather than to some of the others?
I can hardly, in my limited understanding make a good guess. I just believe what John wrote because I believe the bible. Mary Magdalene had meant very much to him for sure and why should she not have been one of the first to see that he had risen as he had said he would. Whatever reason Jesus had is good enough for me.

She had to have been very excited as she ran back to find his brothers. He had come back to life and now she had seen him! I wonder if she sang joyfully as she made her way back to them? How exciting that had to have been!

One day, we too will see our Lord Jesus, and just as an exciting day, it was for Mary Magdalene, what a day that will be for us as well!

April 17, 2019  Easter Reading: Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. Mark 16:12

Hello Friends: I pray that this Easter Holy Week has been a blessing for you so far. And I pray it will continue it to be. Praise God, he is not dead. He is alive and well!

                                                      

What is Easter About/ The Disciples: Was it really a ghost?

We next find Jesus appearing to his disciples. They had been talking about what had happened so far, when all of a sudden he was in their midst. He said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and afraid and thought that Jesus was actually a ghost. But Jesus seems to have little patience for their doubt. He said, "Why are you troubled. Why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bone as you see I have."

He showed them his hands and feet but they still were having a hard time with it. Yet at the same time, they were amazed. He again told them what he had been trying to tell them all along. That everything that had been written about him from the time of Moses forward, had to be fulfilled. "The Messiah will suffer and then rise on the third day and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power on high."

At last, they had gotten it because Jesus had opened up their mind so that they could understand.

Today's reference: Luke 24: 36-49
April 16,2019 Easter Reading: We love because he first loved us.1 John 4:19


Thanks for coming by Friends. Love didn't just happen. It happened because God first loved us and gave up his Son for the purpose of showing us that love. May we be forever thankful!

Jesus had a coming out party of source. A coming out of the grave. He visited many people after that to share the good news with. Who else might that be? Come back tomorrow for Mark's gospel account of who they were. Until then, be blessed!

What is Easter About? Jesus is Appearing to People

People were having it hard to believe that day. Jesus appeared to two people that were on their way to a village called Emmaus. This village was about seven miles from Jerusalem. They had heard about Jesus not being in the tomb when the women had arrived there and found him gone. Not knowing that they were speaking with Jesus himself, they told him that Jesus was a prophet from Nazareth that they had hoped was going to redeem Israel. But that the chief priests had handed him over to die and now it has been three days and when some women went to his tomb, they had found it empty. They had said that the women had seen two angels who had told them he wasn't there because he was alive. And that some others then went to the tomb and found out that it was true. He was not there.

At this point, Jesus seems to reprimand them by telling them how foolish they were being. He reminded them that Jesus had been telling them all along what he would have to suffer and that in fact, it had all come down from Moses as to what would take place.

As they got close to their village, they invited Jesus (still not knowing who he was) to stay with them because it was getting towards nightfall. And it was when they had all sat down at the table when Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave thanks for it, that they realized that they were indeed in the presence of the one that had just risen from the grave as he had said he would. Jesus had opened their understanding as to who he really was.

With that, he disappeared.

The two immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem where they found the disciples and those that were with them and said to them, "It is true! The Lord has risen and appeared to Simon." And then they explained how Jesus had broken bread with them.

Jesus will appear to many people before he goes back to his heavenly home to be with God the Father because he surely wants people to know he has risen. Who does he go to next? Come back tomorrow for the answer according to the account in Luke 24.

Today's reference Luke 24:13-35

April 15,2019  Easter Reading: You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Hello Friends: Well today is tax day. A day when taxes should be already prepared and hopefully at least in the mail for those that had yet to get them sent. It is an important day in that respect. But more importantly, was the day when Jesus arose from the rock walls that enclosed his body, As the scripture in the Easter reading for today says.he was killed, but God raised him! No tomb could hold him. He was the Son of God and he lives even today!

Thanks for coming! God bless you and yours!

  

What is Easter?/ "He is not here."

Can we imagine for a moment the sadness that most likely overtook the friends of Jesus when he died? What must it have been like for them? Did they really take him at his word and know without even the tiniest doubt that he was going come out of that tomb alive?

The women had prepared spices and they took them to the tomb. But they found the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. And then all of a sudden they were in the presence of two angels. They knew why the women had come. And they asked them why they are looking for the living among the dead. "He is not here, he has risen!" they explained.

So off they go back and told what they had seen. The apostles did not believe them. They thought it was all just about nonsense. I can imagine their thought process. Maybe they were thinking, "Silly women. They are just too emotional..." or something like that.

However, there was one that ran to the tomb to see for himself. It was Peter who had denied Jesus the night of his arrest. He wanted to see if these women really were correct. He found the tomb empty and the strips of cloth that had been around Jesus were lying there. And even seeing for himself, he seemed to be scratching his head, just not sure of what to think.

The high priest, chief priests, all of the Sanhedrin, and Jesus closet friends did not get what was really happening. There had been doubt in their minds. And probably confusion.

The story of Christ's resurrection does not end here, of course. His life on earth went on for a few weeks as he made his appearance known. What must people have thought? What were their reactions? What about those that arrested him and had actually put him on the cross? What did they think?? Perhaps we will find out in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, these people had been a part of a miracle and they didn't even realize it yet. They were witnessing an event that would go down in history for all time. What a privilege that was for them. Can they be criticized for not really believing Jesus was going to rise out of his tomb? No. They were human. You and I would probably have been skeptical too if we had been there.


Because we didn't actually see what had happened, we are just called to "believe."
By faith, we know that God sent his Son Jesus into the world to save us from our sin. That he walked the earth for some 33 years preaching the good news, He was then crucified and died a horribly painful death. After which, he was put into a tomb.

0n the third day, he came out from it! Halejuhia1 He has risen! "He is not here."

And that is what Easter is really all about! It isn't about Easter bunnies, candy, and dinners after church. It is about the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. Those other things, candy, bunnies, etc. They are fun. Some times a spiritual meaning can be applied to help children understand better about what Christ had done for us. But at the end of the day, it really is not about anything less than his Ressurection.
Today's references: Luke 24:1-12

April 14, 2019, Easter reading: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one that believes in me will live, though they die.

Hi Friends. Thanks for coming. Thank God we don't have to see Jesus crucified to have his promise of eternal life. All we have to do is admit we are sinners and ask him to come into our hearts. If you have not done that, Easter is a wonderful time to do it. Or even to recommit your life to the Lord. Don't put it off until it is too late.

God Bless

1

What is Easter About?/ Jesus is Buried

After they took Jesus down from the cross, a rich man and a disciple of Jesus got permission from Pilate to have his body. And he took it and wrapped the body and placed it in his own new tomb. Then he rolled a big rock in front of it and left.

In the meantime, there were some chief priests and Pharisees that weren't so confident that Jesus was going to stay there. They remembered what he had said about rising after three days. But then they thought too that the disciples might come and steal the body, making it look like he had risen and that would make them look incredibly stupid. (My words)

And so they went to Pilate to ask him to order that the tomb be sealed and not only did Pilate do that, but also a guard would be placed there so that no one could try to get into it.

None of them understood what was going on. They had thought or at least hoped that Jesus was gone for good and life could go back to being the way it was before this fraud came along trying to say he was the Son of God.

They didn't realize that no matter how secure that tomb was, or even if there was an army guarding it, the tomb could not hold Jesus. He hadn't been born and then died for nothing. He had died for the sins of all humanity, even them, should they accept it. And there was no staying where Joseph had placed his body. No, and no one had any choice. He was coming out when he said he would.

Reading about this account this morning, it sort of made me think about my own doubt sometimes. The times I have prayed for something but doubted God loved me enough to answer it. Maybe, I didn't take the time to even pray because I knew he wouldn't anyway, so why bother. It is sort of like keeping Jesus in a tomb. Where he can't do anything because I have closed him off. I hope that makes sense. At any rate, he did come out and he did it for me. And you. And all who would dare believe on him. Thank God that no tomb can hold him from us, not when it comes to loving us. And not when it comes down to answering our prayers. And one last word on these thoughts. If Jesus had never done anymore then just died for me, and if he had never answered one prayer on my behalf, then that in itself is enough. It is just that simple.

Source: Mathew 27: 57-66

April 13, 2019 Easter Reading: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him, shall be saved.  John6 3:16 Thanks for coming and have a blessed day

What is Easter About?/ Good Friday

Jesus had just a few hours before, had been having supper with his friends. He had been trying to tell them what was about to happen. He had explained that one of them would sell him out. And that Peter would deny him 3 times. After supper, they went to Gethsemane where he became very troubled. He knew he was facing the very reason he was born on this earth. And it was less then a very pleasing thought now. It was causing him so much anguish that he wanted to back out. But he knew it was his Father's will to proceed and he knew he had to go through with it. 

After he was through praying, Judas and the Roman Soldiers came up. Judas had been the one to sell Jesus out as he gave him a kiss. And he did it for just 30 pieces of silver. The amount he was willing to pay for his "friends" life. But he did and now Jesus was arrested and taken before the high priest and the chief priests and  the whole Sanhedrin.looking on. 

They had been looking for anything they could use against Jesus to just get rid of him for good. The only answer that Jesus himself would give them was that he was 'the Son of the Living God' to which it was decided he was "worthy of death." 

Jesus was to be flogged and crucified. And when the soldiers had their fun mocking him and had stripped him of his clothes, they led him off to the place where he would be on display for everyone to see. Because, as they "knew" he was not really the Son of God as he claimed. What God would ever allow his Son to be humiliated like that. Jesus was just not who he claimed to be and they were going to prove it.

And Jesus hung on the cross until about evening when they made sure that he was dead. While his grief stricken mother and friends looked on. What if he wasn't really the Son of God? Had they had any real doubt? Perhaps even just an inkling? Would he really come out of that tomb as he said he would? Or did they just take it for granted that he was in there and he wasn't coming out alive?

Today's scripture references: Mathew 26:36-67, 27:11:61

April 12, 2019 Easter Reading: With a loud cry Jesus breathed his last. And the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood in front of Jesus saw how he had died, he said "Surely, this man was the Son of God!"

Hi Friends. Jesus died a horrible death that day. In my youth I had once thought that since he was God's Son, God had to have spared him all that pain that day. That was my youthful ignorance speaking at that time in my life. It was not until later when I learned about what flogging was and what he had experienced, did it open my eyes to know that his death did not come easy or painless at all. He really had taken on not only the sin of the world but it was through the physical pain that he endured for hours before death took him. 

The Good News! is that that death did not hold him. It could not. Satan who was the instigator of the whole thing from its very beginning, did not win anything. He has truly lost it all. Even though it does not look like it now. God is not finished with him yet! We will eventually see his own finish and what a glorious day that will be! God bless your Good Friday. 

What is Easter About? The Last Supper

It was the last chance that Jesus would have to have supper with the Apostles. His disciples, His Friends. It took place on  what became known as 'Maundy Thursday' in a place called 'The Upper Room which is located in the Old city of Jerusalem. This was not to be a social gathering. It was a serious time when Jesus was going to give them some important information.  

                                                                    

Information that no doubt was probably confusing, stressful and hard to hear. As they lounged in their seats and ate the bread and drank the wine that Jesus had told them earlier in the day to go to this place and prepare the meal for them. 

It was Passover,  or the Festival of Unleavened Bread. A time when the Israelites remembered the freedom from the slavery of the Egyptians and also when the Death Angel passed over them, if there was lamb's blood on their doors, their first born sons would not be killed. 

Back in the Upper Room, Jesus began breaking bread and told them to eat it as a token of his body that was to be broken for them. And then he told them to drink of the cup as a symbol of his blood that would be spilt out for them as well. (A practice of worship today that Christians do in remembrance of him called 'Communion.'

And then Jesus told them that one of them sitting at the table would betray him and "Woe to him that does this for it would be better for him to have not been born at all. ." 

His time was drawing near. What had been written about Jesus was soon coming to fruition. How much understanding did his friends have of what was about to happen. Confusion, sadness or perhaps even a bit of depression. How much of that might have sat in as the minutes and hours ticked away. Jesus was going away. They had not understood much of that earlier. What about now. Especially upon hearing about the betrayal. Were they afraid?

No matter their understanding now, they would later get of why Jesus had to do what he did. But it would come at a grief stricken cost as they watched as death took their friend and master. And much later, it would come at their own cost. 

Reference today: Mathew 26:17-30

April 11, 2019  Easter Reading: As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders, scribes and the whole counsel,,,,Mark 15:1

Hi Friends. Today marks the very event that happened over 2000 years ago, when the Last Supper took place. What a sad time for his friends, but had they not gone through this and had they went on to have a different and perhaps a life that did not include Jesus and his teachings, you and I would be in a different place as well. Jesus death was cruel and that is no joke. But because he paid that price, you and I are free to enjoy the benefits of it. Maybe not as much in this life as we would wish. But someday, it will all come together for us. Just like it eventually did for the very people that followed him during his ministry. I pray that you go forth this day in whatever you are doing, you will remember to give thanks for those that had to go through such heartache during that time. But most of all thank Jesus for what he did to save your life. God 

bless!

What is Easter About i/ A Mystery Cleared Up

They did not understand the magnitude of what Jesus had been talking about. What did he mean when he told his disciples that  he was going away. Thomas asked him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way?" It had been confusing. A mystery. They were having a hard time 'getting it.'

Jesus had tried to comfort them..He had just told them to not be troubled. That he was going back to his Father, and would come back for them. But at first that had not been enough. Their beloved friend and master was leaving them. Where was he going.

Yes, it must have been a confusing time for these men that had spent so much time with Jesus that are now finding out that he was going to leave them. What was to come in the days that followed were no doubt some of the saddest times that they had ever lived through. Why? It was because they did not understand.

And yet, all of it had been ordained from the beginning of the world.

It is sometimes confusing to us when we think of all that happened from that time on. If God is God, where is he? Where did he come from? What and who existed before time really began?

like the disciples we don't have all the answers to our questions. There are mysteries that man does not know and are yet to be revealed to us by a holy God.

One mystery was cleared up by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why had he had to go through all of that?

Because the wages of our sin is death. Romans 6:23. He had to take our punishment on himself so that instead of us spending eternity in hell, we could live forever with him in heaven. That is what the whole thing about Easter should be about to us in our hearts. Had God not loved us enough to come up with a plan in which we could escape his judgement, or if Jesus had refused to go to the cross, there would be no hope for us.

And while the disciples had eventually come to grips with losing their dear friend Jesus, because they had had to, they also eventually figured out exactly what he had been trying to tell them. They finally got it.

Many today still don't get it. It is too far out for them. And sad to say, many have passed this life only to find themselves in ever lasting darkness. For those that do get it, our hope is in the One that died for us because he loves us that much!

April 10, 2019 Easter reading:  They came again into Jerusalem. And while Jesus was was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. "By what authority are you doing these thing?" they asked. "And who gave you the authority to do this?"


Hi Friends. I am glad you are spending these days before Easter-the holiest time of the year-with me. Thanks for coming. God bless you through out this season!

What is Easter About?/ The Criminal?

They watched his every move. Every word he spoke. Hoping for some reason to put him to death. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were among those following Jesus. They didn't like this rebellious man who dared to break their law of healing on the Sabbath. Worse yet he was claiming to be God.

Jesus had never committed a crime and yet because he  would not abide by what they said, and made these outrageous claims they had him arrested and put to death.

If ever there was an innocent man, Jesus was he.

But it had been no surprise when he got his death sentence. Did he look forward to his crucifixion? Of course not. But he knew it was the only way to save the world from it's sin. He did it for you and I.

As fun as this time of the season is, what with Easter eggs and bunnies, what Jesus had gone through was not pretty. And it was not fun.

And our remembrance of that event over 2000 years ago should never be far from our minds all year round as well as at this time. And actually, no matter what we are doing or how things are going, the death and Resurrection of our Lord should always be at the forefront of every thing we think and do.

So enjoy those fun things of the season. Create memories with your kids. Enjoy a wonderful meal on Easter with your family and friends. And in the mean time never forget that with out the cross of Jesus we would have had no hope.

Scripture: Mathew 15: 9  John 5:18

April 9, 2019 Easter reading: "Blessed is the coming of the kingdom of our father David." " Hosanna in the highest heaven." Like 11:10

I am glad you came by Friends! God Bless!

What is Easter About/ 8Day Walk With Christ

8 Day Walk With Christ

A few minutes ago I ran across something very new to me but I wanted to pass it on to you. It is called 'The 8 Day Walk With Christ.' The idea is to have a .chance to get closer to Jesus Christ. What a wonderful idea for this season of celebration of his Ressurrection.

It take but a few minutes each day for those that are interested. I am sorry that I can't copy the web address for you at this time. However, you can of course put it in your search engine to find it. It looks very interesting so I encourage you to check it out.



April 8, 2019 Easter reading: And they that went before and they that followed cried "Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!"  Mark 11:9

Thank for coming by Friends! Have a blessed day!

What is Easter About? / Easter Egg Hunts

The Easter Egg hunt. A favorite activity that our kids enjoy every year. So how did this originate and become a part of our Easter celebration?

Of course we know it as a game in which we hide either colored boiled eggs, plastic eggs filled with candy or even chocolate eggs outside or even inside for ours kids to find.

According to some historians, eating eggs during lent was abstained from by Christians in the early church because they come from animals that are killed.

Many traditions of Easter have pagan roots and egg hunts are no different. It is believed that they go back to the 1700s when an egg laying hare named Oschter
Haws laid eggs in the grass by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Children made nests for the hare to lay its eggs in an d also look for the eggs.

Hence the tradition evolved into the Easter bunny, eggs  baskets, and egg hunts as we know them today

Perhaps egg hunts don't have any thing to do with the real meaning for Easter and the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. But really the egg itself doesn't either except as St. Augustine had likened them to the hope of new life. But as one church in Florida uses their hunts as a tool to invite the community to learn about their church by handing not only information about it, but also Jesus and it's real meaning of why it is celebrated. I am sure that there are other churches that do the same.

Pagan roots. Yeah. But, there are ways of using those kinds of Easter symbols to the glory of God.  And that should always be where our focus is at during this season.

April 7,2019 Easter reading: Mark 11:8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road while others spread branches they had cut   from  the field.

Thank for visiting today  Friends! May God bless you on this Lord's Day!

Easter posts resumes Sunday April 7th

Hi Friends, I will be out today, but wi!l be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I leave you with Mark 11:7

And they brought the colt to Jesus,  they threw their cloaks on him and Jesus sat on him.

What is Easter About? The Easter Lamb

Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, Easter baskets. These and other items are commonly used in our celebrations at this time of year. Many do not really have a Christian or a "religious" cononotation to Easter. Some, like the Easter Egg can be used teaching our children about the Ressurection of Jesus in a visual way.

Perhaps the closest symbol that is used would be 'The Easter Lamb.'  The eating of lamb on Easter really originated during Passover in the Old Testament before the birth of Christianity.

Jesus is often called the 'Lamb of God ' or the 'Sacrificial Lamb ' and so for many Chistians it stands to reason why they would have it On their Easter dinner table in remembrance of what he did for us.

For more info go to https://www.history.com/news/easter-foods-from-to-eggs

April 5,2019 Easter Bible reading: Mark 11:5-6 And when those standing there said "What are you doing releasing the colt?" they told them what Jesus said and they let them go.

Thank you for coming by today, Friends. God bless your day!

Changes

Hello Friends. I will be cutting my blog down a bit every day for a couple weeks. The new one I recently bought stopped going on line yesterday and so having contacted Amazon about it, it was determined that I need to send it back. It will take some time to get another one. In the meantime I will use my tablet. But it is harder to do a lot of typing on it so the blog will be much shorter until I get a replacement. I am sorry for this interuption.

This week I have focused on Easter Eggs and bunnies. A couple days ago a friend sent me an online link about ' Resurrection Eggs.'  These are colored eggs that are a simple way to teach children about the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. I have heard of them before and in fact had seen you can buy them on Amazon if you are interested. However, you might want to go cheaper by making them yourself. I am not sure how to copy and paste anything in this tablet or if I even can. So if you are interested, you can do your own search. (Sorry) I do think they would be a great teaching tools for your children.

 April 4, 2019 Easter reading: And they went their way  and found the copy tied by the door and they loosed him. Mark 11:4

Thanks for stopping by,   Friends. God bless.

What is Easter About/Truth or Consequences

When and where did the celebrations of Easter originate? 

         

It has been said that the word Easter comes from a pagan goddess named Eastre who was the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe.. However, there seems to be disagreement about it among the websites that I checked out about it. One site, which I will post its link at the end of today's blog, stated that the idea of a spring goddess and a spring festival in her honor, is conjecture because there is no proof in history for it to be true. And that it is the same with the Easter bunny and eggs. The most that we can say about it, the site says is that it probably came from Germany.

How does the Easter Bunny and eggs fit into the equation of the holiday?

These traditions were probably brought here by German settlers that came to America in the 1700s. He would bring baskets of toys, candy and eggs and hides them for the children to find in the morning. Of course, as we know none of this is in God's word.

For Christians, there is more to it even when they enjoy the fun part of Easter. Though we don't consider the Easter bunny and other traditions as evil, there is more to it that as Christians we don't want to miss. And that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And in teaching our children about the real reason for the Easter celebration, our focus should be on what it is really about. And granted this can be done through the use of ideas that are on the internet these days in making the holiday Christ centered. In this way, we can help our kids understand its meaning and while all the fun parts of the season goes on, we need to also incorporate biblical teachings into it, as well.

Some would say that telling the kids about the Easter bunny coming is lying to them. Much like Santa Claus is not real. That is something maybe you struggle with. And I can't say for you. I am kind of in the middle of that one as far as how I feel about it. I do know that for my grandsons we filled baskets for them for when they would come to visit us and I never told them they were from the Easter bunny. We probably told our own kids that the Easter bunny was coming, many years ago. But kids do get the point at one time or another that he as well as Santa Claus is not real, and unlike some have said, that by lying to them about this thing, they will grow up believing you are a liar and not trust you. If we are people that do not make a habit of lying and model the truth in front of them other wise, I don't think a made up story is going to make them grow up thinking we are liars. However, that is between the individual and God. There is that saying: WWJD. What would Jesus do? If he lived on earth and had children, would he tell them about the Easter bunny. Probably not. But it is something to consider.

For more information on a biblical standpoint, go to:  https://www.gotquestions.org/easter-bunny-eggs.html

April 3, 2019 Easter Bible Reading: As they approached Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. And when you have entered it, you will find a colt tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you why you are talking it, tell them 'The Lord needs it and will send it back shortly.'" Mark 11:1-3

Hello friends. I hope your week is blessed! Thanks for coming by! Take care!

           

What is Easter About?/Easter Eggs (part2)

The memories of childhood seep into my sixty+ old brain this morning, of Easter mornings of the past. Actually, I do not have too many holiday memories of any kind, while growing up.. (just a few) But I have memories of some that came later as we raised our own family. And one is about my deceased mother-in-law.

She was a good grandmother to my kids. Actually, she was a sucker for any kid that was going around the neighborhood during that time period to sell candy or other items that school children were selling to make money for their school. Just go right up and knock on her door to sell something, and the child might walk away from someone that just ordered 10 of whatever he or she was selling. And the thing was, she would then give those items to those around her. Like our family.

But one thing I remember in our lives with her, was each year she would buy each of us one of those big 'Anthony Thomas' Easter Eggs. I chuckled each year when bringing them home because she always bought us peanut butter (which I hated) ones. She knew it was a lot of  candy/sweet....but because peanut butter was good for you, that is what she bought. I guess in her mind, the peanut butter cancelled out some of the sugar part of the egg.

Easter eggs have long been  part of our Easter celebrations. You may or may not be surprised that there are Christian denominations that teach that coloring eggs is pagan and therefore we should not use them in our Easter celebrations. The question is: Is it pagan and how did the practice of doing it get started in the first place?

This according to 'The History Channel', The Easter Egg is most likely associated with pagan traditions. The egg itself is an ancient symbol of new life and was used in festivals celebrating spring.

So okay, setting aside the fact they were used in said festivals, how did the Easter Bunny or some chicken, cluck its way into Christianity getting away from pagan rituals? (lol)

In Christianity, the dynamics changed over to celebrating new life in man (Because of Jesus), instead of new life in nature. The church started teaching that the egg represents Jesus being resurrected from the tomb after he had been crucified and in it for three days. According to whatever website we may go to, it is really anyone's guess how and when this tradition actually started, or the events surrounding it. But the thing is, it did start and can we qualify it enough to be pagan so that we as Christians just stay away from the whole thing. Or can it be a fun way to teach kids about what the celebration really is all about?

The bible does not mention the word 'Easter' in any sense of the word. Were there no eggs being dyed during those times? Maybe not. But many homes, whether the occupants are of faith or not, did and sill do recognize Easter as a Christian holiday. And when it gets down to trying to convince people that some of these traditions are pagan and therefore we should not involve ourselves with them, I am very cautionary. Because that boils down to legalism which is extreme adherence to law and I was in a church long ago that demanded the forbiddance of celebrating any thing that would have come out of paganism, no matter if it was no longer used the way it started out and especially in the church.

Rather it is better for me to show what I have found and let people decide for themselves, because we all do have that right.

So what is the verdict? For me, I don't color eggs anymore. In fact, hadn't for the last several years that my two youngest sons were still at home. Why? Because by then I was working many hours each week. My youngest son, who was in his middle to upper teens at the time, did still like to color eggs. So I would always have the stuff ready for him and he did them while I was at work.

I don't remember our church at any time, teaching that the egg is likened to Jesus bursting out from his tomb or any other similar teaching either. For us it really wasn't a matter of anything 'religious.'
It was a fun thing to do prior too our celebration of the death, and resurrection of our Lord. It is like putting the two together, but then not really doing that, if that makes sense.

The most important part of it was teaching our kids about what Jesus had done for us, and not applying the egg to it, and yet still having fun with the eggs on a day prior to Easter.

And that is how we handled egg coloring back then. If circumstances were that my grandchildren were around at this time of year, you can bet I would be doing eggs with them. And no, I would not tell them it represents Jesus and the tomb. But I would read them a story about it and share with them in that way which would be my own special way of celebrating Easter with them.

You may want to check out some of these websites I post. There is so much info out there and a lot of it is interesting and I can't possibly cover everything. I do encourage you however, to stick with those that are Christian.

Up tomorrow: More on the topic from today.

Today's sources:
https://www.gotquestions.org/should-Christians-celebrate-Easter.html
  and     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg

April 2, 2019 Easter Bible Reading: They were on the way to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way .And the disciples were astonished and some were afraid. Again he took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. Mark 10:32.

Hi Friends. Thanks for coming by. Please come back tomorrow and until then stay blessed!