Romans 12:15 ~ Rejoice with those who Rejoice, Weep with those who Weep

 

Writing this Scripture Blog usually brings worship and joy to my heart.  And does not always seem to go well with people. Why? When I was a student at Texas A&M University, I had a dream the campus would be wiped out and fully replaced within 30 years.  Now, I was excited about my dream and told our robust College Canterbury of 40 students. I met with some extreme anger. Not only all about the architecture A&M employed to have student plans to build the buildings, but it seemed to go on and cause divides like popcorn cooked in the microwave when the kernels keep going after you have that smell of oh, no. 

And one of the active students came to me and said his own dad, an Episcopal Priest, in Texas, had found that prophecy really upsets people. And Scriptures say not to insist on your vision.  Ok. Lesson taken.  And now 30 years later, the campus was demolished, and beautiful skyscrapers match and gleam and replaced the award-winning student yearly designs that never matched and looked hodge podge. 

Surprise! Edward and I found out as we decided on a lark to eat at our old hamburger haunt.

And later we had a college reunion where everyone fell silent remembering that part of our shared history about the dream.

So how well does a Scripture Blog get on?  Very well.  People unknown to me come up to discuss dying and having a picture of Heaven to strengthen them. Children come up to say they read the Blog.

So how well does a Scripture Blog get on?  About like everything else in the hyperparasitic world of Pandemic Recovery. Some clergy feel it hampers their style and then actually speak the Name of Jesus Christ more.  Some clergy feel loudly sarcastic and hyperparasitic about donations from the blog and mention $12 million. And a $2 million parking garage. Some clergy feel this Blog has its own lane and should travel within the speed limit. I applaud that. Some make unpleasant and repeat jokes. And a Bishop later writes a letter to us to give us a kindly update on that situation.  One famous clergyman made a very rude remark about a typ O.  And another one invited us to go on a trip to Israel in November with the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey.  Unfortunately, this was November, after the war started in October.  It's like the stock market. Highs and Lows.

Since the Blog started in 2007, 7 clergy we greatly cared for retired. After the Pandemic. And we saw injustice like Hezekiah selling off the Temple Door. Pandemic and woke scared many people and they behaved woke oddly.

Right now, Edward and I feel a little stuck between our Catholic years, our Anglican decades, childhood and years. And the Methodist Church. Numerous retirements.  And extremely unhappy about Parish drag shows for children, graffiti in Canterbury Cathedral, and the overwhelming sin of speaking of death and sex as hiccups or celebrations. Plus the evidence against Archbishop Steven Wood before he was chosen for archbishop and the unwillingness of church authorities to address many critical issues until 7 clergymen went to the Washington Post, who addressed this as the importance it was.  I wonder if the Church of England isn't hoping to sell off their church properties as elite schools. 

Inspiring

At this time, we have been listening to lots of inspirational and faithful, loving Sermons on Sundays.  Locally, St. Anthony of Padua, Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, The Abbey in St. Pawley, South Carolina (our first sermon was on new babies upon learning we were expecting our first grandchild) and St. Francis in Fairhope, Alabama.  Ascension and Father Mike Schmidt. And for many years, Bishop Robert Barron. 

What a Year for PALM SUNDAY.

This year was much, much more like the original Jesus Christ lived Palm Sunday year.

There is Good in this. Great and Unparalleled Good. 

Please accept this invitation for Great Good.

I invite you to spend Holy Week listening to the YouTube Sermons.

We are, no doubt, in the Post Plague Recovery.  Hollywood is going bankrupt, and so are movie theaters.  Ideas about compassion and loyalty to culture and family are in high priority. Our 12-family house street, for the last 26 years, now, has 3 families living 3 generations multi-culturally. And one neighbor moved to their mother's home in Virginia.

Very few houses go for sale on the market. This is massive.  And the new change this year is that almost everyone believes the stock market will rise. Businesses are investing in infrastructure.  The new changes to history and higher education are not being swallowed and are, in fact, well thought out disdain.  The new non-nationalized churches are being abandoned. Not at all surprising that evil doesn't create donations to Higher Theology. 

The Sermons are not like the Post World War Recoveries.  

ALLELUIA. 

All of the Sermons are vastly different. ALLELUIA... After the wars, people were expected to be told what was what in great repetition and finally be awakened.  The opposite occurred.  People began to unhitch themselves from the Church. Creating the massive slide of the last 25 years.

Palm Sunday

How is this year similar to the Year of Jesus Christ?

John 21: 24-25

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, 

and 

who has written these things, 

and 

we know

 that his testimony is true.

Now there are also

 many other things that Jesus did. 

Were every one of them to be written, 

I suppose that the world itself 

could not 

contain the books 

that would be written.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who Rejoice

Weep with those who Weep

If we spent time examining Scripture for Palm Sunday prophecy, we would probably find as many as the Gospel of John refers to in John 21.

We have our thoughts on Palm Sunday.  Our memories, our sorrows at the beginning of Holy Week.  And want to see more of Jesus. What was He thinking. What did this look like from all aspects. No Christian approaches Palm Sunday without being a little like Zacchaeus in the tree wanting to see Jesus. 

Jesus is fully human, fully God. And Jesus had to be afraid, worried, sarcastic about mankind's flip flop to fatality. His Love. His Duty. The Celebration of Joy.  

There are so many emotions to Palm Sunday for all of us. It's Easter. Plans are being made! The elderly are being ignored. Large Churches are thinking of Easter lunches to avoid any Easter Celebration marred by elderly isolation.  I have seen Rectors of Large Churches almost weep for the need for Easter Church Luncheon.

Jesus lived THIS. And Jesus did not weep. Jesus did not get out and grumble at the colt to put the wheels on and go faster.

In fact, 

if you try to find the museum paintings of Palm Sunday, 

you will not find many at all. 

This topic is avoided by artists.

Too much underlying aggravation in the celebration. 

How do you explain the donkey and the colt? 

How would you paint the face of Jesus Christ?

Due to Political Violence

narrow streets

not capable of EMS Response

OLD TOWN JERUSALEM

Ambassador Huckabee

says overreach

First Dallas Baptist has a huge Palm Sunday March. After the July 19th fire

in 2024.  And discusses the 47% Gallup Polls reporting Religion is Important to them. The Gallup Poll fails to educate correctly or completely and includes 52%

lumped as fair and unimportant. Sparking a discussion on the massive 25-year slide in 40 million Americans not attending Church.

Ok, but let's go with the truth. George Gallup was a very Christian man and he would be appalled to see a poll like this done in such a flimflam, snake fashion. 

He would have completed the questions correctly and the reporting correctly. This poll has a B I A S. 

Let's discuss some other truths about the Church. We have never had such a decade of not gathering together. Pandemic. A Lutheran Church near us put up a fort for a pulpit and a speaker. The Church gathered 6 feet apart and every Sunday.  Then national Church massive retirements.  Then woke fear.

During the decades of Church Going. People asked, What denomination are you? End of witnessing. Pegged the answer to the question. Everyone was so polite. No one discussed 'religion.'  A Virgin Birth. C'mon, where you born yesterday?  Pontius Pilate 1980s, a myth. Hittite Empire. Myth.  4th Century Bible. 

Now? Everyone knows the 300 pages of Papyrus 46 from the first century. Owned by the University of Michigan. Perfectly Intact! And now, since woke, it has to be said it is 120 AD. Oh really.  Verb usage? Read the information again. These verbs are used only in Scripture. That's called a weighted scale. And misdirection.

Pope Francis. Man, it was a lovely 2 Pope movie, but speak of misdirection. Benedict did not see that Lightning Bolt arriving.  No one is a heretic.  In Peter Pan. Sure. When was the last time before that that the PEOPLE screamed at the Pope during the Homily? Yeah. Baby.  That is Church History we have all seen. And heard.  

At this point, I won't tell you about our youth group High Schooler, who is now a Doctor, and was invited to Rome for a Pope Francis audience.  Pope Francis? He refused to greet the 50 far-flung travelers and sat in a huge chair humming popular Mariah Carey Christmas songs. The Pope never said a word. 

Frances did invite Nancy Pelosi for her pro-choice choices and not the Supreme Court. And he hoped Nancy would move to Italy to be American Ambassador.  And invested church funds in sunglass companies. History will remember.

GOOD NEWS. TODAY.

Romans 8:28, "God interweaves for Good" means God actively orchestrates all circumstances—positive, negative, and confusing—into a purposeful, beneficial outcome for those who love Him. This divine, skillful weaving transforms trials into a greater, often unseen, ultimate good, 

ensuring that nothing 

and no one

 is overlooked.

If we needed a Scripture verse for Pope Leo's job.  

He has a herd of cats. In different city-states and in different nations.

Isaiah 40:6

A voice says, “Cry!” 

And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

All flesh is grass, 

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

However, Paul in the Holy Spirit has another quote that is far, far better.

1 Corinthinans 9: 22-23 

I have become all things to all people 

so that by all possible means I might save some. 

23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, 

that I may share in its blessings.

Jesus Himself is famous for saying:

Matthew 19: 13

I Desire 

Mercy

Not Sacrifice

These are the decades for church attendance sliding.  And now we have a Vice President JD Vance who will admit he doesn't believe in space aliens, but could see this as demons.  I am in awe. We have someone who has opinions based upon Christian theology teaching books of the last 25 years. And is not afraid to give us his Christian opinion.

We have massive exhibits of the Catholic Church to go and experience. We have Dead Sea Scrolls that tour.  We have people leaving denominations to hear the Actual Word of God.  

It was said on the news today that we do not have a Great Awakening.

Really? Are we sure? I believe with the eyes of Faith. We do. 

Abba, Father,

John 15:3

Abide in

God's Love

I consider myself fortunate 

to stand before you today

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, 

in 

Jesus Christ. 

Father,

Help us 

to speak sincerely,

mercifully

Lovingly

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

To be rid

of

Evil

hiding

lying

harm.

To end what is Unrighteous.

Harmful

Plotting

Absorbed by self in all manners

Malicious.

Lord Jesus Christ soon.

Invited to meet Jesus.

The Glory

of

the Paths of

Righteousness

Gift of God

Thank You

for

our first grandbaby

Arriving this summer,

All Your Love

Blessings upon

this little one.

Going in for

A Larger Sonogram

we pray

for Good Health.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus The Lord

†