Good Friday Reading

John 18: 1-19:42  

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley

to where there was a garden,

into which he and his disciples entered.

Judas his betrayer also knew the place,

because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards

from the chief priests and the Pharisees

and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,

went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”

They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”

He said to them, “I AM.”

Judas his betrayer was also with them.

When he said to them, “I AM, “

they turned away and fell to the ground.

So he again asked them,

“Whom are you looking for?”

They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”

Jesus answered,

“I told you that I AM.

So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”

This was to fulfill what he had said,

“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,

struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.

The slave’s name was Malchus.

Jesus said to Peter,

“Put your sword into its scabbard.

Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,

bound him, and brought him to Annas first.

He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,

who was high priest that year.

It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews

that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.

Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,

and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.

But Peter stood at the gate outside.

So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,

went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.

Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,

“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”

He said, “I am not.”

Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire

that they had made, because it was cold,

and were warming themselves.

Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus

about his disciples and about his doctrine.

Jesus answered him,

“I have spoken publicly to the world.

I have always taught in a synagogue

or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,

and in secret I have said nothing.  Why ask me?

Ask those who heard me what I said to them.

They know what I said.”

When he had said this,

one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,

“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”

Jesus answered him,

“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;

but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”

Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.

And they said to him,

“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said,

“I am not.”

One of the slaves of the high priest,

a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,

“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”

Again Peter denied it.

And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.

It was morning.

And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,

in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.

So Pilate came out to them and said,

“What charge do you bring against this man?”

They answered and said to him,

“If he were not a criminal,

we would not have handed him over to you.”

At this, Pilate said to them,

“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”

The Jews answered him,

“We do not have the right to execute anyone, “

in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled

that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.

So Pilate went back into the praetorium

and summoned Jesus and said to him,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered,

“Do you say this on your own

or have others told you about me?”

Pilate answered,

“I am not a Jew, am I?

Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.

What have you done?”

Jesus answered,

“My kingdom does not belong to this world.

If my kingdom did belong to this world,

my attendants would be fighting

to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.

But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”

So Pilate said to him,

“Then you are a king?”

Jesus answered,

“You say I am a king.

For this I was born and for this I came into the world,

to testify to the truth.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,

he again went out to the Jews and said to them,

“I find no guilt in him.

But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.

Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

They cried out again,

“Not this one but Barabbas!”

Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.

And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,

and clothed him in a purple cloak,

and they came to him and said,

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

And they struck him repeatedly.

Once more Pilate went out and said to them,

“Look, I am bringing him out to you,

so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”

So Jesus came out,

wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.

And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”

When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,

“Crucify him, crucify him!”

Pilate said to them,

“Take him yourselves and crucify him.

I find no guilt in him.”

The Jews answered,

“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,

because he made himself the Son of God.”

Now when Pilate heard this statement,

he became even more afraid,

and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,

“Where are you from?”

Jesus did not answer him.

So Pilate said to him,

“Do you not speak to me?

Do you not know that I have power to release you

and I have power to crucify you?”

Jesus answered him,

“You would have no power over me

if it had not been given to you from above.

For this reason the one who handed me over to you

has the greater sin.”

Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,

“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.

Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out

and seated him on the judge’s bench

in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.

And he said to the Jews,

“Behold, your king!”

They cried out,

“Take him away, take him away!  Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them,

“Shall I crucify your king?”

The chief priests answered,

“We have no king but Caesar.”

Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,

he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,

in Hebrew, Golgotha.

There they crucified him, and with him two others,

one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.

It read,

“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”

Now many of the Jews read this inscription,

because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;

and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,

 “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’

but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”

Pilate answered,

“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,

they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,

a share for each soldier.

They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,

woven in one piece from the top down.

So they said to one another,

“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “

in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:

            They divided my garments among them,

                        and for my vesture they cast lots.

This is what the soldiers did.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother

and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,

and Mary of Magdala.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved

he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”

Then he said to the disciple,

“Behold, your mother.”

And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,

in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,

Jesus said, “I thirst.”

There was a vessel filled with common wine.

So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop

and put it up to his mouth.

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,

“It is finished.”

And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day,

in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,

for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,

the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken

and that they be taken down.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first

and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,

they did not break his legs,

but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,

and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;

he knows that he is speaking the truth,

so that you also may come to believe.

For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:

            Not a bone of it will be broken.

And again another passage says:

            They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,

secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,

asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.

And Pilate permitted it.

So he came and took his body.

Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,

also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes

weighing about one hundred pounds.

They took the body of Jesus

and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,

according to the Jewish burial custom.

Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,

and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.

So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;

for the tomb was close by.

Signs of Life - 4

 

I actually captured this photo my accident.  My intent was to photo just the eggs.  The Birdhouse is higher on the stand so I could not look down into the nest.  My phone camera was placed inside without me know a bluebird was sitting on the nest.  

Stay tuned for more Signs of Life ......

Philippians 2: 6-11

Philippians 2: 6-11 

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,

            did not regard equality with God

            something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself,

            taking the form of a slave,

            coming in human likeness;

            and found human in appearance,

            he humbled himself,

            becoming obedient to the point of death,

            even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him

            and bestowed on him the name

            which is above every name,

            that at the name of Jesus

            every knee should bend,

            of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

            and every tongue confess that

            Jesus Christ is Lord,

            to the glory of God the Father.

Baseball Again

 

A couple of days ago Major League Baseball had their opening day, the return of the baseball season. 

The last few years I have not followed any sports at all, because of all the BLM, wokeness, and any other political wind that might be blowing on any particular day.  It seems when all of this started the left was using a captive audience to spew their message.

But here is the important point that people miss. Sports should be a uniter not a divider and especially not a political platform. In the past, fans came to the games from all races, creed, religions, male, female or different political views and no one made statements to lean the fans in a particular direction. The only part of sports that should be controversial is who will win the game, because it's about competition. So, the people should only be comprised of the fans cheering for their teams.

The reason I'm making this statement is I miss watching the game of baseball and for all the negative above statements, I willing to give it another chance. So, this year I will be following my team again - the Alanta Braves.

And also following the Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team.

More blog posts to come from a more hopefully optimistic baseball fan.

 

  

  

Tactical Thoughts

 

Some tactical thoughts on the war in Ukraine.

I believe Ukraine should focus on the defense of Odesa; it is the last port city. If Russia takes over this city, Ukraine will lose a vital supply port cutting off even more needed supplies.  I realize the advancing Russian military occupying the eastern side seems to be an area to defend, but logistics is the key to winning any war. 

Signs of Life - 3

Two more eggs since the last post.

Stay tuned......

 

Renewal and Good News

 I'm looking forward to the Spring and Summer months. It is a time for renewal, like most folks will do in January with resolutions. The outdoors is being renewed daily; something new is growing and thriving, and the critters are multiplying. 

I try to renew myself every morning - the start of a new day because yesterday was history. I will admit it has been difficult with all the bad news, and I have expressed much of that here. And too much bad news makes it challenging to have a positive outlook daily.  Most of the information we get is fed to us - not much of choice. I realize some folks only get their news once daily, and the odds of getting some good news are slim. So, you must try searching for good news and renewing yourself in several ways. 

First, try to find some good sources online for the good news content that works for you, social media pages, hashtags, blogs, or websites, and go there every day.

The second is to establish a prayer life.  Connect with your Creator, read the Bible, reciting your prayers at a minimum in the morning and evening. Re-connect/Renew your relationship with God daily.

        

Sirach 36: 1-22

Sirach 36: 1-22

A Prayer for God’s People

Come to our aid, O God of the universe,

and put all the nations in dread of you!

Raise your hand against the foreign people,

that they may see your mighty deeds.

As you have used us to show them your holiness,

so now use them to show us your glory.

Thus, they will know, as we know,

that there is no God but you.

Give new signs and work new wonders;

show forth the splendor of your right hand and arm.

Rouse your anger, pour out wrath;

humble the enemy, scatter the foe.a

Hasten the ending, appoint the time,

and let people proclaim your mighty deeds.

Let raging fire consume the fugitive,

and your people’s oppressors meet destruction.

Crush the heads of the hostile rulers

who say, “There is no one besides me.”

Gather all the tribes of Jacob,

that they may inherit the land as in days of old.

Show mercy to the people called by your name:

Israel, whom you named your firstborn.

Take pity on your holy city:

Jerusalem, your dwelling place.

Fill Zion with your majesty,

your temple with your glory.

Give evidence of your deeds of old;

fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name.

Reward those who have hoped in you,

and let your prophets be proved true.

Hear the prayer of your servants,

according to your good will toward your people.

Thus all the ends of the earth will know

that you are the eternal God.

Wag the Dog - the movie

(1997)

Movie Trailer

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi920715545?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The movie scenarios could easily fit into the current political environment as well as past presidencies.  It was about an election year and the current President poll numbers were falling due to a sex scandal. So, the President calls in a specialist (Robert De Niro) to sweep the scandal away and improve his poll numbers. He recruits a movie producer (Dustin Hoffman) to create a fake war to distract the American public by using the news media to help convince the public to re-elect a failing President, sound familiar.  

Over-all, I liked the movie, didn't really care much for the progress-left actors, but a good movie.  

I watched this movie for the first-time last night. I will have to say it was thought provoking and at times funny and other times alarming.

I will usually take what I hear in the news with some analysis of history, some knowledge of politics, past experiences (comes with age) and critical thinking. Watching it I could not help thinking, could this happen in real life? And especially now with the current president (not my president).

Take a look that the pictures from a recent Press Conference with Biden.

    

Who is in charge of this actor? and more importantly who is the producer?

 

Signs of Life - 2

 

Bluebird eggs - picture from a couple of days ago. 

Stay tune for more updates.....

Is it the Best or Worst of Times?

 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

                      - Charles Dickens -

Does anyone feel like we are going through both good and bad times?

I try to have those days of hopefulness; some days are really good and then the next day it seems to vanish and the reality of the worst of times settles in for the remainder of day. And I go back to 2019/2020 it was like someone flip a switch and everything drastically changed overnight. 

At this moment, news reports of mask mandates possibility being lifted, some local governments are working on cutting taxes to ease the cost of inflation. People are getting out more going to sporting or music events. But then you hear the reports of doom and gloom of war, food shortages, and mass migrations of illegal immigrants crossing the US border.

I think we are at the point of just taking one day at a time, to enjoy those brief moments where all seems right with the world. And for those bad times, just pray to God and hope for the best.      

photo - Alexas_Fotos - pixabay 

Oscars 2022 - real or fake or do you care?

 

First, I did not watch the Oscars last night and have not in years.

I saw the Chris Rock vs Will Smith exchange. I really don't care if it was fake or real. 

I am a fan of classic movies from silent film of the 1920's up to movies in the 1960's. After the 60's, movies seem to go downhill from there, with some exceptions. 

Why does everything have to be dramatized. This incident, fake or not was not good for the movie industry.  The Oscars have been struggling to get there ratings up and this didn't help. And for those who watched it and thought it was good entertainment, your acceptance of this is why our country is in the shape it is in. 

We cannot continue to go down the path of just accepting everything as it happens, there has to be consequences to actions. I realize this was just one show but when does this type of action result in some form discipline.  I would believe if this happened in the 1950's the actors involved would be banned or fined from the film industry.

Just my opinion. 

photo -  onkelglocke - pixabay    

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

 Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,

but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So to them Jesus addressed this parable:

“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,

‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’

So the father divided the property between them.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings

and set off to a distant country

where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

When he had freely spent everything,

a severe famine struck that country,

and he found himself in dire need.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens

who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,

but nobody gave him any.

Coming to his senses he thought,

‘How many of my father’s hired workers

have more than enough food to eat,

but here am I, dying from hunger.

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I no longer deserve to be called your son;

treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off,

his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him,

‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;

I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

But his father ordered his servants,

‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;

put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.

Then let us celebrate with a feast,

because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;

he was lost, and has been found.’

Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field

and, on his way back, as he neared the house,

he heard the sound of music and dancing.

He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

The servant said to him,

‘Your brother has returned

and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf

because he has him back safe and sound.’

He became angry,

and when he refused to enter the house,

his father came out and pleaded with him.

He said to his father in reply,

‘Look, all these years I served you

and not once did I disobey your orders;

yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.

But when your son returns

who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,

for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

He said to him,

‘My son, you are here with me always;

everything I have is yours.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice,

because your brother was dead and has come to life again;

he was lost and has been found.’”

Are You Ready?

 2019 was the last year we knew of a "somewhat normal" way of life.

Since then, we have had the following:

• Pandemic
• Election Fraud
• Civil Unrest and Protest
• Business Closures
• School Curriculum Controversy
• Supply Chain Breakdown
• Interest Rate Increase
• Stock Market Down
• War in Ukraine
• Threats of Nuclear War 
• Cyber Attacks
• Rising Gas Prices
• Progressive vs. Conservative

Is there more to add?

All of this has affected us in some way or another. It is important at this time to be thinking about preparedness. Actually, if you are just now thinking about it you are already behind. So, without going into some major details about preparedness, which will be a later post, think about how the above list of events affected you.

Did you feel at any time you were un-prepared?

What could you have done differently?

Thinking about current events, could our country be affected?

Has the supply chain and the increase cost affected you?

If you could not get supplies, do you have enough now to last at least month?

What if all utilities (water, electricity, gas) were cut-off?

What would you do if all communications collapsed?

And the last question, Are you Ready?

  

photo - ArtTower - pixabay

Supreme Court Nominee

 The last day for hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson has clearly demonstrated how political this whole process has become in the last several years.  The Dems are set to confirm her as the next Justice on the Supreme Court.  They have not criticized her at all. But the last three Justices, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Gorsuch were questioned so much to the point of almost classifying them as criminals. And to be fair, the conservatives have done their part in questioning her ability to do the job.

I think these positions should be elected positions because they represent America in the interpretation of the Constitution.  Judges in the lower court systems are typically elected. 

Why not have the highest court in our country be elected by the people?   

Signs of Life

 

Every Spring we look forward to the return of the Bluebirds.  This is still a work in progress, but I would believe soon we will be seeing eggs.  More to come...... 

God's Creation

Don't mess with God's creation.

I understand that throughout history some people have felt they were trapped in another body. I'm saying for those transgenders, do not physically change what God gave you.  The main reason I say this is - God does not make mistakes.

 

All this has come into the news lately, about men competing in women's sports. The sports authorities want to be politically correct and are afraid to offend. Transgenderism - no matter how much one tries to change physically via hormones, the bone structure and muscle mass will always remain what God gave them.

Everything that God creates is good.

A Chess Game

The leaders of the world's largest nations are playing a chess game as everyone watches the events in Ukraine.

Russia is wondering where to make their next attack. 

China is thinking which the is best nation to become allies with them.

United States is trying to only give assistance to Ukraine but not really get involved.

North Korea is just waiting to see who wins and then join team.

Iran is just waiting from someone to make them a nuclear deal.

We thought 2020 was Bad a Year

All of this year's events have been overwhelming with mandates and vaccine enforcements, supply chain issues, high gas prices, the trucker rebellion, elementary and high school curriculum wokeness.  And "men" having babies and competing in women's sporting events. I also, should mention the threat of World War.

How crazy does this sound?

2020 was bad, but 2022 is not the best of times so far.

A bit of all this chaos has continued on from the last couple of years and seems to be getting worst. Our politicians from a local level all the way up to the Biden Administration need to get out of the way and let a preferably conservative leader take charge. 

This madness has to stop!         

Zelensky - an opinion

 I watched President Zelensky speak to the US Congress.

I have mixed opinions about the situation. On one side I feel the humanitarian aspect to help those in dire need. The US has always been the go-to country for aid to those in need either by disasters or any other high casualty situation.  

On the other side is, any assistance beyond what we are already doing will clearly draw the United States into WW III. In the most recent wars, the US has fought many years to defeat a single country.  The possibility of WW III will bring us into a war fought on multiple fronts including air and naval battles with not only Russia, but China, Iran, and North Korea, and all of these countries have nuclear capabilities.

The only resolve to this situation, if we agree to the no-fly zone, which will then fully commit us to fight Russia and their allies - the strength of the United States military will have to combine forces with our allies in Europe. The added military muscle of our allies would absolutely crush Russia.     

WW III would be catastrophe to the world. The advanced weapons technology systems of today would make the casualty rate much higher than WW II.  The United States would have to activate the military draft system, for casualty replacements and this would now include women.

I pray to God this will end soon.