In Remembrance of What Jesus Did For Us!

I know that this being Holy Week as we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord,  I have not been as much focused on that, as I should be. I have some reasons that I can give you. One big one isthe fact that we have finally found a home and anticipate a closing date coming up very soon. In the mean time, we have seemed to run around crazy trying to get things done working towards it. Like selling our home in Ohio, finding a new place, getting a loan...and much more. It has been one thing after another.  

Life at 69 has not settled down, as I once thought it would. 

In the mean time, we have also helped some family members with things on different occasions. Not because we had to. But because they have given us so much of their help all through this transition of moving and then getting acquainted with a new city, a new state and new situations.

And because they are family. And family helps other family out.

Now we are finally about ready to close a deal and the next steps will be to get everything out of storage and get moved in. No easy task, I assure you.

In the mean time, I have been trying to do the best I can to keep up with the series I have been doing on Harold Camping. A lot of days, I have just had to take time off for it to do other important things. Sometimes just to get some rest. 

For me, these are important reasons.And yet, all in all. I have not been so much focused on what should be (and really is) the most important part of life every year. The Easter Celebration. Because, that time is what we as Christians live for. 

God forgive me for my important albeit  misguided life these days!

And so, for this weekend, I am going to repeat excerpts  of the blogs and maybe some writings from another site, that I have done in the past. I hope you will find that acceptable and stick with me. I will get back to Harold Camping next week. 

From  April 12, 2019

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 clear. Jesus was worthy only of death.

He 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.

Jesus had cried out "It is finished." in John 19:30 that day. But it was not finished. Not really. He would arise from the grave to spend a few more days with those he loved. And then go to heaven where he has been since the beginning of time until his birth. What a miracle that had been. The work he started here on earth is not finished. It has gone on and on and will forever more. Despite the objections  and  workings of man through satan himself, to destroy what Jesus had done.

What was finished is the reason he was born in the first place. That was to fulfill the prophesy in Isaiah 53 about his suffering and death. Now it was done and for good reason. So that all could escape hell for a life in heaven.

He had not had to die on the cross for our sin. God his Father did not make him do it. It was his choice. He had not wanted to go through what he knew would be a cruel death. Not even God wanted that.  But because it was the will of God, he took all the sin in the world upon himself, to free us from it.

How great is our God?  Need we ask that question today as we think on what he did for us? No. Because he is and it is available to all that sincerely seek him

Our God is Great, alive and worthy to be praised!

God bless you ! May we allow him to do his good work in our hearts! 

And so were you!

May 22 and Beyond, the Aftermath (part one)

Looking into the life of Harold Camping, I found some interesting albeit some curious things about him and I wondered how such a man could amass so many people into following him, that believed that Jesus Christ and end time events, and yet they looked over the fact that Jesus had specifically said in Mark 13:32, that no one knows the day or the hour when he would come back. Not only that but Mathew 7:15 says to watch out for false prophets that come in sheep clothing...and again I wonder how he got so many to believe the things he had been teaching the things he did.       

If his followers had really done that, and then looked into Harold Camping himself, no doubt they would have not been ashamed or embarrassed when none of his three predictions had come true. And they would not have had to face their scoffers.

Who was Harold Camping?

Curious minds want to know,. 

Was he a pastor, and evangelist? Something else?

Who was he who had said of himself that those dates were revealed to him by God? Was he a prophet, a bible teacher, a bible scholar? Did Camping really believe he was a prophet that considered himself as a modern day Noah and what else, if anything else did he believe in ,that was also false. Or even true, for that matter about God and the bible?  To date, the only teachings I find connected with him are this end time revelation, about Sept 24, May 21, and Oct.24. Didn't he teach any other  parts of the bible, as well? Because the whole bible is important, or God would have given so much less to us about it then he did. He (God) had much more he wanted us to know, then just about end times or he would not have given us the rest as well, is what I am trying to say.

Was he a fraud set out to fool people into giving him their hard earned money? What was that research and  who did it and did they share it with all of those followers, or just blindly lead people into thinking that they didn't need to do the research themselves and just believe what they said  as truth

I know that there are many cults these days that preach crazy things that may seem easy to see that they are able to fool people. But this one did believe in the second coming of Jesus.

And was it just enough truth, to usher in lies and fool people?

 2 Timothy 2:15 is so important: Study to show thyself approved, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

The word of truth in this situation? We know that Harold Camping was wrong in his predictions. He claimed that God revealed those things to him. And obviously, that was not truth, so much so he 

convinced people to give him their money. 

That divides truth a truth from a lie, according to God's word.

For the next few days, we will dig more into his beliefs, and see what we can find out so stay turned. In the meantime, thanks for coming. I apologize for being away from my blog over the weekend. It was a busy time. God bless!

. 

 

The News Wasn't What We Expected (part nineteen)

 The 21st of May, 2011 has now come and gone. Jesus had not come back for his people after all. It was a hard pill for those that believed in Camping's prediction to swallow. But what now for them?

We heard from Mr. Camping yesterday. Now what follows is the reactions of some of those that we have heard from throughout this video. I will not quote them word for word but will be telling you what they are saying, and of course as usual you may check it out at:    Watch Wheat and Tares | Prime Video

First lady: No one had slept that night. Everyone was up and waiting. During that whole weekend, there had been a lot of information coming up in Facebook. People were putting a lot of their teaching on there. They thought maybe it was a different time. Maybe 12 noon Jerusalem time. So as the different time periods would come and go but after the time period of Jerusalem came and went on May 21, it was clear to me that it wasn't going to happen.

First man: Speaking of May 20th, the expectation of the 21st was overwhelming. I was so wound up and looking at the sky, looking at the sky. Waiting, looking at the sky, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for some news. (My note: I get that he was anxious about the 21st, but why was he already waiting for some news? The earthquakes weren't supposed to happen that day?)  On the 21st the news wasn't what we expected. But we kept waiting because something was going to happen. The 21st goes all the way around the world and then its the 22nd. Now you feel like nothing is going to happen.: 

First lady: I stayed in the house in my pajamas the first couple of days. I am like, Ok Lord, we're going to be stuck down here, either there is no salvation, this world is going to get worse and worse and why are we here?

(my notes) She then talks about things being barren, and it feels like a death. You can't preach the gospel. (My notes: What did that mean.  Maybe people are can't be on the streets preaching now I guess. She sounds angry at God to me. But is God responsible for the fact that now all those people look like idiots to everyone else that can now say, "I told you so."? I

 know they are disappointed, confused and more. But after it was all over, what really did they expect?}

First man: Now, we have to start living life again. We were going and now we are not going. So now we had to deal with people.  But for the next week I didn't want to deal with people. I didn't want to answer my phone, speak to anyone or talk to my neighbors. Because I wasn't supposed to be here. I didn't want to talk to my coworkers because I had nothing to say to them. I am not the same and I don't want to be the same. I still know how to treat people. I am just quieter and very choosy about my words.. We have returned back to our normal life. What people expect to be a normal life

First lady: It changes you.  My daughter said, I just want my mom back. My happy, funny mom. But I am still the same person but this is something that I know and it changes you and you can't go back. And in some ways they are asking for something that they will never have again. (my notes: now is it her daughters fault or maybe her tough luck that her mom can't be the person she was before?) 

She goes on: I always knew that May 21st was judgement day. The time was correct. There is too much information and research that had went into that. The bible confirmed that, I don't know how many times. I knew May 21, that was it. That was judgement day. So if God did not take us on that day I knew there would be five months of judgement, so it would have to be October 21.

Are you kidding me? Really? Is there a new date now predicted for judgement day? And wait...what research is she talking about that came into it? I clearly thought the bible says that no man knows the day or the hour...

So now what for these folks? These interviews on today's posts, were the only ones that we have up to the end of this video. But we have to remember, they were given soon after their world was really turned upside down. 

What happened to pregnant mom and her family, and the teen's mom? Neither of them gave interviews on this video after the 21st. Can we find out?  What else can we find out about this man and his "ministry"?

I will be taking a couple days off from posting. I will be back on Friday, March 24th with more on this series and what we can find out about the end time prediction that clearly did not come to pass. Thanks for coming by 

God Bless!

"Thats a pretty big oopps." (part eighteen)

As if the world didn't already know it, at least those that were watching for the miraculous end of the world even along with all of the naysayers-the news stations began reporting the fact that it didn't occur. 

Channel 3, Times Square, Fox/Channel 10 were among them on this video. The following is some clips that includes what Camping said soon after it was evident that Jesus was not coming back. At least not that day.

"The spokesman for Camping says he is home in seclusion and according to Camping's wife said he is mystified that his doomsday prediction did not come true.."(Reporter)

"Give me a day. Don't interview us at all today. Sorry. sorry. you know... this is a big deal, big deal and I've got to live with it, I've got to think it out." (Camping standing at his door, obviously looking confused and not at all as confident as he had been for a long time.)

"People posted Facebook pictures of empty clothing, as if the occupants had been swept up to heaven." (Reporter) 

"And tonight for those true believers who were looking forward to heaven, the absence of disaster...well is now the disaster." (Reporter)

"California radio preacher has spoken now publicly for the first time since his judgement day came and then went." (Reporter)

The video then cuts away to the 'Open Forum' ( radio program) with Camping ready to explain what happened? Check it out.

"Welcome to the May 23rd Open Forum. Of course this last weekend became a very interesting weekend because May 21 came and is gone. And all the dire predictions that had been talked about did not come to pass." (Now Camping looks a bit more rested after having taken some time off from answering the questions of reporters and is ready (or not?) to take questions/comments (?) from some callers.

However, I am not going to post them word for word but just give you an idea of what they were saying because some of them are obviously angry and a least one  used some colorful language. If you want the whole interview here, feel free to go to: Watch Wheat and Tares | Prime Video )

One caller told him that the churches were right. That he is a false prophet.

Another one said, " #^@!%#&*(

The next one called him a false prophet.

One said he was flabbergasted and told him he thought that he had figured out a way to weasel out of what he had done wrong.

The next one told him that he thought Camping needed to retire, to take his wife on a vacation and give up the radio station to someone else.

So there you have it folks. What were Camping's reactions to these callers? Your guess is as good as mine. They did not tape his answers to them.

And my question to that is: Why didn't they give his answers to these callers that had something to say to him?

Because then that part ends and it goes to the reaction of a woman that had been an huge part of this whole deal and really thought she would not be here after the 21st. What did she and others have to say about it?

That will come up on my next post. Thanks for coming. 

May your day be blessed!

Are They Crazy? ( part sixteen)

Are They Crazy?

The people in this video (The Wheats and Tares/Prime Video} appears to be good people that really do love the Lord. Not "crazy" as some would call them. But people not only anxious for the day to come when they will go to be with Jesus for eternity as He promises, but also concerned for those that have not accepted His invitation and will not. 

Including some of their own family members. 

But they have it on God's prophecy to Harold Camping. Right? Because after all, he is the modern day Noah. Or so they believe.

But let me say this before going on, about Camping. I don't think he is probably a bad person trying to deceive people. I don't know his heart. Only God does. 

But, he was very misled. And in turn misled a lot of people. That misled many more!

In the next clip, it is the day before this event was to happen. May 20, 2011. The teenage boy is not one of those believers. He believes that it will not happens but  wonders what will happen the next day-when it doesn't. 

He hopes there will be no loud arguments but he says, "anything could happen." I am sure there were many more that wondered the same kinds of things.

And then a mother has this to say on camera:

"All my children are coming for dinner tonight. Kind of like our last meal together. I am not going to make the evening very heavy. Michael and I have decided they already all know what we believe and and how we believe it and... ummm... unfortunately they don't believe. so thank the Lord that this has not torn us apart in any way because I know that it has torn many families apart and I am so glad that it hasn't torn our family apart in that way. And we can still come together and we can eat together and enjoy each others company. I spoke to my sister while we were at my mom's house ya know and she's worried about me and the whole family is worried about me and they are all concerned about ya know, what I'm gonna do or what's gonna happen or am I losing my mind. And its so funny because of the years I was working like a maniac and driven to make money and ya know, careless in my actions and in other ways. We're careless in spending money or things like that. And I was sane then. Right? I was sane. But now when I have total faith in my Lord, ya know, and reading the Word of Life, the Bible faithfully and have really come to a place where I am happy and ya know where I am content with who I am, now I am crazy." (laughs)

I wonder what that "last" meal had been like? Really, how good could have it been within her family?

What did happen after it did not happen? Did it then tear her family apart?  She said she wasn't crazy, even though her family thought she was. Did it make her go crazy when Jesus did not come?

Eventually we may find out. In the mean time we have some interviews from others that were interviewed on May 20th. What were they feeling? What were they saying?

Up next time, we will hear from the pregnant mom, who wasn't so sure what would happen to her children that day. The 24 hours prior to that event had to have been filled with anticipation and anxiety all at once. Come back to find out, or if you prefer, feel free to check what she has to say. 

Thanks for coming. Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Buzz Word on the Streets (part fileen)

 What was the buzz going around about the May 21, 2011 event that was supposed to happen among the people that were contemplating their departure to heaven that day?

What must have they been feeling? Happy, sad, fear, joy? What?

The following is one group of those people that may give us a clue. Please note that I have done my best to transcribe it, as it was a bit hard to make out at times.

"Was it Spain? What was it, a tornado, Was it an earthquake?"

(My note: What are they talking about?)

"An earthquake."

"Earthquakes are happening all over the place."

"In Spain and Japan" 

" I think these disasters are like mini judgements."

"I would agree with that 100%."

"Like the bible teaches that many will be dying up until the world is destroyed, so its hard to fathom how everyone will be destroyed by these natural disasters. I think its not something we can comprehend, I don't think its like a traditional natural disaster. Maybe God will allow it to kill a certain number of people, I don't know."

"Like half the people"

"Yeah, yeah. "Also, keep in mind that there are 7 billion people living"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that...the castastraphy. It's unimaginable. You even think about it."

"So it's interesting. God has not allowed a lot of people to even hear the message, now it is covered on almost every network across the country, this is the first time even in the Muslim countries that people are declaring judgement day and that has never happened before."

Conversation ends.  As I said, it was a little hard for me to make some of it out. And parts of it doesn't even make sense of it.

But, this group of people whose conversation is above, are riding together somewhere in a car. The take on this for me, is that they are confident in the fact that judgement day is happening on May 21st and will end the world as we know it today. 

The video switches over to many, many people lined up along the streets of that city, getting ready to walk the streets, singing, "Onward, Christian Soldiers".... with their signs and pamphlets preaching 'eight days to judgement. "Don't be ignorant" they call out. (Ummm. Sadly, many people were ignorant.)

They even had cars and trucks spewing out the 'awesome warnings' from Camping about the whole thing. 

The devil sure has done his work and gotten his message through before these people figure out that it was all a lie. What will they do then? 

And so. what is next in this video? Come back next time for more or go to 

Watch Wheat and Tares | Prime Video to watch it for yourself. Thanks for spending some time with me today. God bless!

[

 as they sing, "Onward Christian Solders..."

The devil has certainly made his message known to many people that when that does come, what will happen when they find out that it was all a lie?

No One Knows (part 14)

To be Bound in the Bundles of Life

1 Samuel 25:29

This statement, albeit is not just a statement but is actually found in scripture, was a comment that a pregnant mom made to her own mom in a letter  to let her know that she was done trying to convince her that judgement day was coming on May21 and she  needed to get ready to meet Jesus because he was coming back.

Now, I have to be honest and tell you. I don't recall ever reading or hearing a sermon preached on this verse in all the years that I have studied the bible. And so of course, I wanted to know more about it, especially since it is made mention of and concerning the comment made by pregnant mom. 

Yet a man has risen to pursue thee and seek seek thy soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, then shall he sling out, out as the middle of a sling.

And so there it was. She was talking about an actual scripture in 2 Samuel. But what does it mean?

On one search for its meaning, I found that it could mean a bundle of items for convenience. Such as when the Children of Israel were on their way to the Promise Land, they would take with them, a bundle of items to cook their meals with, or the items they would need to put their tents up with.

My aunt being raised in the 20s and 30s, and born into a poor family, as a teenager had been able to work at some point and had started to buy hair ribbons for herself. She collected them and as she had gotten older and married, she was hard pressed to let her valuable papers, leave her sight. And in fact, she carried all of them plus a few other valuables in a large purse with her all the time. And they were probably bound in a bundle. 

So ok, but that is not what we are talking about in this text from the bible. What does it mean?

The following is what I found at:   What is the bundle of the living? (1 Samuel 25:29) if you would like to go there. 

 Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

These words were spoken by Abigail, the wife of Nabal, a descendant of Caleb (Numbers 13:6) of the tribe of Judah, who kept a large number of sheep and goats in Carmel. Nabal, although wealthy, was described by 1 Samuel 25:3 as being "churlish and ill-behaved".

As described in 1 Samuel 25; when David (who was also of the tribe of Judah) was fighting against Saul, David sent emissaries to Nabal, asking for provisions. However, Nabal refused to help David, despite the fact that David had permitted the grazing of Nabal's sheep and goats among his forces, without taking any of them for himself or his men, and had also dealt well with the shepherds and shearers who attended to them. 

When David heard of Nabal's discourteous response, David prepared to go to battle against him. However, Nabal's wife Abigail hurried to David and pleaded with him not to do so. In her pleading, Abigail acknowledged that the Lord was with David, and that God would protect him, so that if men tried to take David's life, God would preserve David by placing him "in the bundle of the living" (that is, grouping him with those whom God would not allow to be killed), as opposed to those who sought to harm David, whom God would, by contrast, cause to die by treating their lives as something that He would fling out from a sling, as indicated by the verse cited in the question.

And so what we can deduce from what pregnant mom was telling her own mom in the letter, that even though her mom was not responding to the impending judgement day of May 21, at least she her life is bundled and protected by God. 

But that calls the question into my mind, about her own children. If she could believe that God is protecting her mom, why couldn't she believe that for her own little babies?

Aren't they even more so precious to him?
And so here we find out what is meant by that verse in 2 Samuel. It is a good thing to know.

Hello, Friends. Thanks for coming. Next time, we will see what some of the buzz was going on prior to May 11th, by those that thought that they would be leaving for a better place 

Til then, God bless!

.o