Garden Tomb

     I was driving to work this morning when I heard the familiar, yet different, sounds of a mandolin picking out the intro to a song. 

Back when we traveled with The Heaven's Echos, this was a song we would do quite often, and I played the mandolin part. (Actually, as an aside, kind of a funny story... We did the song Peace Within and I played the mandolin on it. Then we went into the studio to record Garden Tomb and I played that intro and break over and and over and over again - then Sunday we had a singing at a church and I could NOT for the life of me play Peace Within! Every time I tried it came out as Garden Tomb! LOL) It is a beautiful song with a beautiful message! 

I'm having trouble finding that particular version in Apple Music - but here's a link to one - https://music.apple.com/us/album/garden-tomb/282484922?i=282485102

Here's the lyrics - 

When Mary saw Jesus in the Garden so soon

She thought he was the keeper who watched o're the tomb.

But she knew it was Jesus when he turned to say

Go tell my disciples I have risen today.

Chorus...

Early one morning at the breaking of dawn

Two women went out to the garden alone.

They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day

But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.

When they stooped over to look in the tomb

Two angels were sitting in that little room.

Why seek ye the living among the dead

For Jesus had risen the angels then said.

Chorus...

Early one morning at the breaking of dawn

Two women went out to the garden alone.

They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day

But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.

When Mary told Peter that Jesus was gone

He ran to the garden and John came along.

But the tomb it was empty what marvelous grace

For there lies the napkin that covered his face.

Chorus...

Early one morning at the breaking of dawn

Two women went out to the garden alone.

They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day

But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.

Let's take a look at this, shall we? First, it talks of the first Easter Sunday morning! The glorious day of Jesus' resurrection! The first, and most IMPORTANT fact, is that Jesus rose from the dead! He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins so that we can live forever! Don't get so into the song that this one simple fact of the Gospels is overlooked, for without the shedding of His blood and our acceptance of it, there is no hope of salvation!

So, moving onto the song. Starting with John Chapter 20 - 

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

So here we have Mary's interaction with Jesus, but she didn't know it was Him!

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 

(the emphasis is mine, to show what's mentioned in the song)

Moving to the chorus, we turn to Mark Chapter 16 - 

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

Now let's turn to Luke 24 - 

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

And back to Luke 24 - 

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

And finally back to John Chapter 20 - 

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Again - a GLORIOUS story, and told VERY very well in this song! One point that I must make, though, is the napkin. What's the significance of the napkin?!?

In the tradition of the time, if you got up from a meal and were finished, you would wipe your hands & face and just toss the napkin down. BUT - and this is extremely important - if you were NOT finished and you WERE COMING BACK, you folded your napkin neatly.

So what is Jesus saying? I'm stepping away from the table, but I'm not finished here on Earth. I WILL RETURN.

Hallelujah!!!!

Christian Monk

     While flipping through my magazines and devotions, I opened up The Voice of the Martyrs magazine - found here - https://www.persecution.com/free-magazine/

Now, this is the first time I've read it before, but an article really caught my eye! "The Monk Who Found Jesus." 

I want to make you aware of this, so you can pray for this man. Sejun was a Buddhist Monk in Nepal and... Well... Here, you can read it. :-) I was going to link to it, but I can't find the story online, but the magazine is free so I have no problem sharing it here...

Before you read it, though, please playfully consider praying for him! He has a father and brothers that are not saved... I think we all have loved ones that are on our hearts and minds, and we have it easy! I have time to type this, while he was just trying to survive!

Confession Time

     I was listening to Dr. Tony Evans on the way to work this morning and I was VERY very convicted of something... He mentioned Christians not having time to build the temple when they had time to 'panel their houses.' So we shouldn't make our house better with everything we have but ignore the Lord's house - got it. Simple enough.

Then he goes on to say, and this is where MY toes got sore, we as Christians are doing OTHER things instead of HIS things. Did you 'not have time' to read your devotional today? Really? What did you have time for then? Ouch...

So, first break I got, I grabbed the Voice of the Martyrs magazine and read the next story. Not really a devotional, but it really touched me. This person, Sara, is being threatened by anti-Christian people, yet she and her husband are still witnessing and giving out bibles and having bible study. One of the bibles they use? The ACTION BIBLE! I have a copy of this, but have only read a bit of it...

It's a graphic novel style bible. Yes - a comic book! I've become less enthralled with modern comics - Flash and Green Lantern have been favorites for years, but they just don't hold my attention right now, and then with the pro-gay 'agenda' now affecting comic books? I have less and less respect or desire to explore the genre. But the Action Bible! Now that's another story!

I picked up my comic at Christian Publishers Outlet - in Jackson, Tennessee. They show it online, but in the store it was, I think, $9.99. VERY much worth it!!!

So, I'm convicted now - how about you? What are YOU doing INSTEAD of reading, studying, spreading the word? I know what I'm doing - God has shown me and I'm asking for His help to overcome this in my life. How about you?

God Bless you, gentle reader...

Faith - Feet

 Been listening to a lot of Tony Evans' podcasts lately. He's doing a study of Hebrews and man is he on the mark!!! 

On a side note, would love to have a week long revival/study with him and our pastor together!!!

Anyway, it's about faith and I reference this - Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

He says that if we can see it, then it's not faith. It's only faith if we believe and ACT on it without seeing it first!

James 2:26 says -  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

So Dr. Evans likes to say that our FEET are what prove it. We can SAY we have faith, but if we don't ACT on it... Well... You can say you have faith you won't have a wreck, but you put on your seat belt "just in case." That's not faith - that's hope!

Today's Jesus Calling email is...

This made me think of something else Dr. Evans says - we are SAVED by what Christ did on the cross; we just accept it. But it's what we do IN FAITH after we are saved that makes a difference in the world! It's what allows Him to work through us! 

Keep that in mind today... And every day... I'm trying to as well...

God bless you, gentle reader...

Life Out There

I read magazines and other stuff (books, sometimes audio books) via the Libby app. I was reading a little one page article that I thought pointed to God as the creator of the universe, even if the scientists mentioned don't acknowledge Him. (this is from the November issue of Astronomy)

Note in the second column - the double slit. If you're not familiar with that, in laymen's terms all things are potential until someone observes it. Look it up if you're interested - it is VERY very interesting, and something that can be SHOWN with science. Very cool.

Anyway, I disagree with Schrodinger in that "life may be the result of an accident." I firmly believe "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth" and that he put man on this planet. S goes on to say that Consciousness can NOT be an accident - that it can't be explained. Of course not! How can we describe the human soul?

The writer of the story goes on to posit that the universe might just be 'self aware.' It's like he's describing God! He goes on to wonder if our brains "arise with an architecture" to cognize. 

I'm reminded of something we talked about in Bible Study last night. Truth is always truth, but knowledge can grow and CHANGE. I believe the more people understand how things might work, the more it points to a CREATOR and God. The article mentions a "sudden appearance as a hyper-dense marble-sized ball that bewilderedly popped out of nothingness." Yes, the "Big Bang Theory" - or, as I like to say, the scientific explanation for what would have been visible had someone been there to watch Him speak it into existence out of nothing. 

Is there a point to this? No, just ramblings. :-) But I'm curious what you, gentle reader, think about it?