New Again!

   "Whatever happens, whatever you see, whatever your eyes tell you has become of me.  This is not, its not the end, for I am making all things new again!"  These words are sung by Brad Paisley along with Sara Evans on the album The Passion of the Christ.  (Song: New Again)

  Over two thousand years ago today, a man was stripped of His clothing and received a beating across His back.  This was not an ordinary beating with a leather strap, this was a beating with a cruel device that at the end of each strap was a talon that would rip the flesh open.  Over and over He received the blows and when this could not keep Him down, they put His robe upon the open wounds, placed a purple cloak around Him and placed a crown made from thorns upon His head.  They began to mock Him and hit the crown so that His blood streamed down His face.   Then laying the beam across His shoulders, took Him through the town to a hill known as "skull" hill, Golgotha or better known as Calvary.  

  There at 9 a.m., so it is told, He was nailed upon the beam that He struggled to carry, then the cross was raised with Him upon it.  Those who just five days before, welcomed Him into the city with palm and their own clothing laid before Him, now stood there mocking and despising Him.  For what?  What did this man do?  He loved us, not just those who were there, but those yet to be born.  He loved me!!!

   At 3 p.m. He cries out to His Father, asking why has He been forsaken.  He then states that He thirsts, upon taking the bitter wine offered to Him, He then states; "It is Finished," but was it?   His time on earth was finished, but the real battle was just beginning.  For once they laid Him in the grave, He went to war.  For three days, He fought for every human on the earth and He rose with victory in His hands. 
  Today, April 19, 2019, is Good Friday.  The morning was bright and the birds were singing.  I woke up at 7 a.m., drank what I like to refer to as "lemon-cinnamon" tea, read my devotionals and then went to work on the yards.  I mowed the backyard and then weed-wack until my string ran out...so annoying.  I planted my herbs that I bought yesterday.  Rosemary, thyme, tarragon, lavender, Thai basil and then I moved the herbs from last year to the new garden spot.  As I was completing the task, the clouds began to roll in and I felt a few drops of rain. I looked at the time, 8:50 a.m. Just ten minutes away from the time over two thousand years ago, He was being nailed on the cross. I prayed at that moment.  Prayed for that all would be forgiven.  Then I planted my butterfly bush.

Miss Violet

I finished up my yard work for the day for it was obvious that the weather was definitely changing.  The story reflects that at 9:00 a.m. on Friday of Passover week, as He was nailed to the cross, the skies became dark as night and at 3 p.m. when He took His final breath, the earth shook violently and the rains poured down.  Here we are in 2019, on Good Friday and we are experiencing torrential rains around the same time frame and will continue throughout the evening. There is even a tornado watch until midnight.

One has to wonder, if this weather is a reminder of what transpired over two thousand years ago, and wonder was His death worth it?  Social medias have paved the way for hatred and ugliness to be spread faster than ever before.  I do not believe that when created, this was the intention, but it is what has happened.  When He walked the earth, His message was clear, love God above all things and then love each other as you would love yourself.  But how many individuals look in the mirror and do not love what they see.  How often do they hear in their minds, that they are not worthy of love, that they are not worthy to have someone special in their lives, or that they are worthy enough to have someone spend time with them.  If one is unable to love themselves, then how can they love others?  How? By allowing God into their heart and letting Him love them.  Then we must begin loving on them, as God loves on us.  Being a shepherd for God is to seek out the lost and bring them back into the fold and to pour love onto them.  Show them they are worthy, spend time with them, provide for their needs. Cry with them and pray with them and continue to pray for them. When love is freely given, it grows.  Just as when a rock is dropped into the water, the circles continue to grow and grow until they are so massive it is hard to see them. That is how love grows with God as the center and we being the ripples around Him.  God, so loved us weak humans, that He gave His one and only son, to die on a cross, descend into hell and arise victorious with our freedom in His hands.  Jesus is the bridge to our Father.  He opened the way and created the path for He is the Way, the Truth and the Light.  All things are possible with Jesus, who is LOVE.  

 We should be combating all the negative and ugly social medias with LOVE.  When hatred and ugliness is on a person's site, hide it and then let them know privately that you are praying that love will prevail in their hearts and the ugliness will stop.  Promote positive and inspirational messages on your sites and do not fear if someone sends a nasty message...pray for them.  This day, over two thousand years ago was not in vain.  Take a stand for LOVE.  

Remember:  Whatever happens, He can change it by trusting in Him.  Whatever we see, We can change it by showing LOVE.  Whatever our eyes are telling us, pray that we view the situation with God's eyes and bring forth the positive.  This is not the end of the world or our country, because HE makes ALL things NEW AGAIN!

   May you find peace in the knowledge that He knew exactly what He was going to go through, and still went through it for you!!! 

 Love and Prayers for a blessed Good Friday!