Saturday, July 12, 2025

Will We be Ready When Jesus Returns?

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.  The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!  He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.” 

“Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?” 

And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.  If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.  I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.  But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?  The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.” 

“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.  But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Luke 12:35-48 NLT) [1]

 

Friday, July 11, 2025

We Must Live in Confident Expectation of Christ's Return

“But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted.  They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.  These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.  Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. 

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

(Jude 17-25 NLT) [1]

 

Thursday, July 3, 2025

What is a Patriot?

Everyone who is informed about current events knows what a Patriot is.  It’s a surface-to-air missile, right?  That’s true, but how does the name “Patriot” apply to human beings? 

What is a patriot?  What used to be understood as an American cultural value seems to have gotten out of focus.  Now words mean different things to people. 

A patriot personifies the quality of patriotism.  Wiktionary says that patriotism is “Love of one's country; devotion to the welfare of one's compatriots; passion which inspires one to serve one's country.”  Merriam-Webster.com says that “patriotism can be defined as love of one’s country, identification with it, and special concern for its well-being and that of compatriots." 

Patriots do things that are patriotic.  They vote, pay taxes, volunteer to serve in the military, stand for elected office, and work to improve their communities, states, and nation.  Patriots stand for the national anthem, respect the flag, say the pledge of allegiance, serve on juries, and obey the law.  If necessary, patriots are willing to fight for their country, even to the death. 

Patriots believe that, when weighed in the balance, their country and what it stands for are more good than bad.  They recognize the things that need improvement and work constructively and peacefully to improve their nation by legal means. 

A patriot is a useful and productive citizen.  They give a dollar’s work for a dollar’s pay, and they believe that there is dignity in all honest work.  When possible, patriots add value to their contribution to the workforce by obtaining additional education or training.  If they fall on hard times, they may need to temporarily rely on public assistance programs, but they actively seek return to work because they understand that to have self-respect one needs to be self-sufficient. 

Patriots never give up or surrender.  They do not abandon their country during hard times.  A patriot continues to defend their country (as long as they have the means to resist), even when the cause seems to be lost.  Patriots oppose tyranny and defend freedom. 

Patriotism is the act of doing patriotic things, rather than just saying them.  On this Fourth of July, let’s think about what it truly means to be a patriot.  Whether you agree with what I have written or not, come up with your own idea of what a patriot is.  Then put it into action. 

Above all, please pray for the United States of America.  Have a happy Fourth.

 

Saturday, June 28, 2025

How to Save Your Life

Set aside your old way of living.  Take up your new life in Christ.  Follow Him. 

One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.” 

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!” 

Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.  “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” 

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”                  (Luke 9:18-26 NLT) [1]

 

… And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:  If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:8-9 NLT) [2]

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Not There Yet

I believe that I have been called to write this blog to share God’s Word, the way of salvation, and how to become more and more like Jesus.  I do not want to be a hypocrite, however, so I confess that I have not been able to fully attain the standard of righteousness that God sets for us.

I am not nearly as bad as I used to be.  In Christ, I have become much better than I ever thought I could be.  I am still not what I should be.  That is why I need a Savior. 

When we are saved, we become a new creature (2Corinthians 5:17)  who desires to know and do the will of God. (Philippians 2:13)  It is God’s will for us to be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:29) 

So, I continue on knowing that I am saved by grace – not by any good deed that I might do - in order to do the things God has planned for me to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)  However, like the Apostle Paul, I’m not there yet. (Philippians 3:12)  I’m working on it. (Philippians 2:12) 

I just want you to know that I am not setting myself up on a pedestal, pretending to be perfect.  This blog is intended to glorify Jesus Christ – not me.  I’m just an ordinary person who loves the Lord.

 

Friday, June 20, 2025

God is Good ... All the Time

“I will extol the Lord at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

 

(Psalm 34:1-8 NIV) [1]

 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

The Time to Walk the Walk is Now

 

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:11-14 NIV) [1]

Monday, June 9, 2025

Addicted

As of today, the US national debt is very close to $37 trillion. [1]  By the American system of reckoning, a trillion is a thousand billion.  Please check my math as it is not my strongest subject.  However, if I am correct, and if the United States reduced the national debt by a billion dollars per year, it would take about 37,000 years to pay it off. 

Estimates vary, but on April 28, 2025 CBS News reported “Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, says it has saved $160 billion through its push to root out wasteful or fraudulent government spending.” [2] DOGE does not, however, control the federal spending. 

The constitution gives the US Congress the power of the purse.  The executive branch must, eventually, spend the money appropriated by congress.  It is hard to sort through all of the mumbo-jumbo surrounding the “Big Beautiful” spending bill that is under consideration, but it does not look like it will provide the amount of spending cuts DOGE recommended.  Elon Musk does not think it will, and he is being pretty vocal about his displeasure.  Nevertheless, President Trump will probably sign off on it because it includes tax cuts and other provisions he wants. 

Regardless, it doesn’t matter because neither the DOGE cuts, or the savings provided by the “Big Beautiful Bill” will fix the problem.  The annual budget deficit in FY 2024 exceeds the spending cuts they provide. 

“In FY 2024, the federal government spent $6.75 trillion and collected $4.92 trillion in revenue, resulting in a deficit. The amount by which spending exceeds revenue, $1.83 trillion in 2024, is referred to as deficit spending.” [3] 

If the Unites States does not stop the growth of our national debt the possibility, (or perhaps the probability), exists that we will be forced to default and even revalue our currency.  The economic consequences of these actions would be catastrophic. 

Our currency is not backed by precious metals or any other thing of value, except the “good faith and credit” of the US Government.  Most of the world’s currencies are the same.  Further, the value of other nations’ money is based on the dollar. Additionally, our market is a major economic engine driving the world economy.  In short, if we crash there is a good chance we will take a lot of other nations’ economies down with us. 

I am not a fan of Elon Musk, but he is a brilliant businessman.  The opinions of knowledgeable people must be taken seriously.  It is apparent that Mr. Musk is very concerned about the budget deficit and our national debt.  We all should be. 

One of the characteristics of addiction is that the addict continues abusing the source of the addiction after experiencing negative consequences.  Our federal government is addicted to spending.  Congress is primarily responsible, but the chief executive is complicit. 

Frankly, it may already be too late to remedy budget deficits and the national debt.  The legal action and constitutional amendments needed begin with the addicted party – the US Congress. 

Prayer is not the least we can do. It is the most we can do.  Please pray for the United States of America. 

Then step out in faith.  Write, email, or call your Senators, Congressional Representatives, and the White House.  Vote for candidates who seem to recognize the enormity and seriousness of this situation.  God bless you.

 

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Love God and Cast Off Worldly Desires

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1John 2:15-17 NLT) [1]


Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Their Deeds Will Give Them Away

Jesus Said:

 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV) [1]

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Golden Dome

Those of us who were in grade school during the 1950’s may remember participating in civil defense air raid drills.  The teacher would have the class get down on their knees and elbows under their desks.  We would put our heads down so that our eyes were covered by our forearms, and we would cover the back of our necks with the other hand.  It was uncomfortable, but we had to remain that way until the teacher called all clear. 

We were told that hiding under our desks like that would help us survive if the Russians (Soviet Union) dropped an A-bomb on us, and to seek shelter in a storm drain if the air raid siren went off on the way to or from school.  I asked my mother what an A-bomb was, and she said it was a terrible thing that could destroy a whole city.  I recall a couple of movies that brought home the horror delivered by nuclear weapons. 

It was a frightening experience for a child, and I lived with the die Angst that I would not get to experience life fully – that we would all die before our time in a nuclear war.  As the years went by, the fear lost some of its immediacy.  Nothing happened yesterday, or the year before that.  Therefore, maybe nothing will happen today or tomorrow.  That is faulty situational awareness.  We all have become somewhat complacent.  However, the uneasiness about the risk of nuclear war is still there, buried in the back of our consciousness. 

We hope the leaders of the world’s nations will realize how dead-from-the-neck-up stupid the use of nuclear weapons is, and that they will collectively agree to get rid of them.  That has not been the case, though.  Rather, the countries with nukes keep adding to their arsenals, and rogue nations that do not have them are striving to acquire them … mostly for nefarious purposes.  Insanity. 

There you have it.  Humanity is self-destructive.  We are left without recourse, except to find a way to defend ourselves.  Hopefully, we can come up with something more effective than hiding under our furniture.  

It is for this reason that I support President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome initiative.  It is the constitutional responsibility of the US Government to defend our people.  It’s about time the government did something about it. 

I for one am sick and tired of living with the fear that some foreign aggressor, or some madman, will turn us all into crispy critters.  Please ask your Senators and Congressional Representatives to fully fund President Trump’s Golden Dome now.

 

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Become What God Planned for Us to Be

God will make of us all that He planned for us to be.


“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT)

 

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. (Luke 16:13 NLT)

 

“… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

 

The choice is ours to make.  I urge everyone to turn away from your sinful, disobedient style of living – a way of life that serves the purposes of the devil.  Accept the sacrifice Christ made for you and believe that it is sufficient to make you righteous in God’s sight – to save you by His grace and grace alone.  Trust and obey.  God bless you.

 

Acknowledgement: All verses quoted were copied from https://biblehub.com/

 

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

At the Name of Jesus

Jesus paid it all so that we can have it all.  Praise the name of Jesus.  He is Lord of all. 

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 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.” (Philippians 2:1-11 ESV) [1]

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

You can Receive the Holy Spirit Who is Freely Given

Dating from the Fourth Century, the Nicene creed eloquently states what has always been Christian doctrine.  The Third Person of the Holy Trinity proceeds from God the Father and God the Son: 

“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.” 

Jesus said: 

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13 ESV) 

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 ESV) 

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”  (John 15:26 ESV) 

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16:12-15 ESV) 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV) 

John also testifies: 

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” (1John 4:13 ESV) [1] 

God the Father and God the Son give us the Holy Spirit.  Please accept this most wonderful gift, Who is given to us when we are saved.



[1] All of the verses quoted were copies from:  https://biblehub.com/

 

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

The Holy Spirit Prays for God's People

 The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in harmony with God’s will. 

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.         (Romans 8:26-27 NKJV) [1]

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Easter 2025

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Colossae a description of the supremacy of Christ.  Paul told us about who Jesus is, the meaning of His sacrifice on the Cross, and the significance of His resurrection from the dead.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross 

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”                                        (Colossians 1:9-23 ESV) [1] 

Jesus said: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21 ESV) [2] 

This is the good news (gospel) that we celebrate on Easter.  May you experience the salvation God has provided, today and forever through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Saturday, April 19, 2025

He Laid Down His Life for US

Who killed Christ?  The Jews were persecuted in Europe for centuries in part because they were labeled “Christ killers.”  True, a mob that was egged on by the Jewish leaders called out to Pilate for His crucifixion. (Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25) On the other hand, it was Pontius Pilate, a Roman, who sentenced Jesus to death, and it was Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross and thrust a spear into His side. (Mark 15:21-39, John 19: 15-37) 

Who killed Jesus?  The truth is that it was necessary for Jesus to die in our place to pay the death penalty for our sins.  He laid down His life for us.  Nobody took it from Him.  Then, He rose from the dead, making it possible for those who believe to rise also. 

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:14-18 ESV) [1] 

That is what we celebrate on Easter.  The message at Easter is the gospel, or good news that if you believe in Jesus your sins will be forgiven, and you can be saved from the power of sin and death.  Please accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus died to give to you.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Were You There?

At times it seems like what we call Christian living today has lost its authenticity.  It is then that traditional gospel music drives home what is missing.  This Easter, let’s set aside all the fluff and look to the basics of our faith. 

“Were you There When They Crucified my Lord?” is an African American Spiritual that most probably predates the Civil War.  It has been handed down to us from generation to generation, and now various versions of it appear in over 200 hymnals.  Why?  It is because it makes us focus on what is important.

 

Were you There When They Crucified my Lord? 

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

6. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Sometimes I feel like shouting 'Glory, glory, glory!'
Were you there when he rose up from the dead? [1]

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday 2025

The Anointing at Bethany

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone;  she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,  because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

The Fruitful Grain of Wheat

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

Who Has Believed Our Report?

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,  that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Walk in the Light

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” [1] (John, Chapter 12 NKJV)