on the rim

In the latter part of Acts 4, we read about those members of the church having received  the witness of the Holy Ghost giving all their possessions to the church, to hold all goods in common, that their be no poor among them. At the beginning of Chapter 5 we read of Ananias and Sapphira.  They sold a piece of land, they conspired to hold back part of the money, and Ananias brought the rest to the church.  Peter asked why Satan had entered into his heart, and Ananias realizing his secret was known, died.  Sapphira came looking for him, and was asked whether they sold the land for a certain amount, she also lied, and died. (sorry for the rhyme)  Why did this happen?  Was it because they withheld part of the money from the church?  No, it was because they represented the money donated as the price of the land.  They lied to God. That was lengthier than I wanted it to be.  Why do I mention this?  I am tired of seeing in class work, I am ti...

As the sun rises across the world on this Easter Sunday, we sing Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain!  This great song, and the Amen chorus attached, are the Hosannas of Messiah!  Truly He was wounded, bruised, beaten, and ultimately sacrificed for us!  The Great Plan of Salvation, the Great Plan of Happiness, was fulfilled.  the victory over Satan was complete.  No longer would man be chained in hell, but through faith in the Lord, and repentance, we can reenter His presence. Blessings and honor and power and glory be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne! Why seek ye the living among the dead? Good question! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngSsaSimi8A

As Good Friday comes to a close, with MoTab singing the Messiah, I have many thoughts about this time.  The live broadcast is beautiful, with soaring arias, and with a 360 member chorus, powerful, to say the least.  Wish I was there. Mel Gibson several years ago did the Passion of the Christ.  I know it was rated R due to the graphic nature of the violence.  I suspect that it is probably the truest portrayal of what Jesus Christ endured during His last night and day as a mortal.  Mel is a Catholic, and a member of Opus Dei, if my memory serves, which is a very strict form of Catholicism.  I am not sure he fully understood the appeal of his movie, thinking it was the graphic violence.  The following ultra gruesome movie, Apocalypto, was not nearly as popular.  Passion was so successful, I think, because it put very real pictures to the nature of scourging, and crucifixion.  I hardly even noticed that I was reading subtitles, as the movie was...

He is despised and rejected by men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not.  Isaiah 53:3. If you are a Handel's Messiah aficionado, you probably not only recognized the verse, but probably sang it.  It is one of the most powerful arias ever written. As I write this, my thoughts are on where the Savior was on this even 2000 some years ago.  He had left the Passover supper to retire to the Garden of Gethsemane.  In a manner that we cannot begin to comprehend, He took upon himself the sins of the world.  The pain was so intense that he asked to be free of it, conditioned on His Father's will.  He suffered, and seemed to bleed from every pore. Suffering that was so great that an angel was sent to support Him, to encourage Him.  Of course, the night was only beginning.  He was taken, in chains to face the High Priest, the former High Priest, and the Sanhedrin. ...