HAPPY EASTER!

                            HE IS RISEN!

GOOD FRIDAY

                                                                  GOOD FRIDAY

We saw Passover and the Last Supper observed. Today, we visit the most tragic and unjust death in the history of the world. Our Savior, who was perfect and sinless, being beaten and crucified for all of us as sinners, so that we may have everlasting life.

I often cry as I read about Peter denying Christ three times, and realizing the horror of what he has done. How many times in every day life do we deny Him because we may be worried what others think or we don't want to be labeled as "one of those nuts" or we are afraid it may affect our jobs, standing or reputation? How vain and shallow can we be? It would be only fair then one day as we stand before Him in judgement that He say He knew us not.

While this day is dark in so many ways, Christ was the perfect Passover and sacrificial lamb, the best there was to offer without blemish, no broken bones during crucifixion etc. I also think of the Jewish Leaders claiming their only King was Ceasar, and not Christ, the King of the Jews. How many of us in churches and as Christians have chosen another king? Money, power, influence, addiction, things, sports or entertainments that all take the place of where Christ should be in our priorities in life. Just something to think about.

Here are the readings for this Good Friday.

Good Friday Readings

And They Crucified Him Mark 15:22-25 -- They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him . . . 25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. 1Cor. 15:1-3 -- Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, This is the King of the Jews John 19:19-22 -- Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." Rom. 5:6-8 -- You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His First Word on the Cross Luke 23:33-34 -- When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-- one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Rom. 5:9-10 -- Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Casting Lots for the Seamless Robe John 19:23-24 -- When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. Rom. 3:23-26 -- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus Blasphemed and Mocked by All Matt. 27:39-44 -- Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, `I am the Son of God.'" 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Luke 23:36-37 -- The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." Gal. 3:13 -- Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." His Second Word John 19:25-27 -- Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 1Pet. 2:24 -- He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. His Third Word Luke 23:39-43 -- One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." 1Pet 3:18 -- For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. His Fourth Word Mark 15:33-36 -- At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." 36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.   Col. 1:19-23 -- For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. His Fifth and Sixth Words John 19:28-30 -- Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." 1John 2:1-2 -- My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. His Seventh Word and His Death Luke 23:46 -- Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. Heb. 2:14-15 -- Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Col. 2:13 -- When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. The Miraculous Signs Matt. 27:51-56 -- At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Heb. 7:26-27 -- Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. Heb. 9:25-28 -- Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. They Pierce His Side John 19:31-37 -- Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." Eph. 1:7 -- In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 1Pet. 1:18-19 -- For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. The Burial John 19:38-42 -- Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. Matt. 27:60-66 -- He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, `After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." 65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Gal. 2:20-21 -- I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

PASSOVER-- Question # 4

                          PASSOVER-- Question # 4


4. On all other nights we eat while sitting upright, but on this night we eat reclining.

The fourth "question" refers to the ancient custom of eating while reclining on one elbow. It symbolizes the concept of freedom, that Jews would be able to have a celebratory meal while relaxing together and enjoying each others company. This question became part of The Four Questions after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. Originally the fourth question, mentioned in the Talmud (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4) was: "On all other nights we eat meat which has been roasted, stewed, or boiled, but on this night we eat only roasted meat." This original question referred to the practice of sacrificing the Paschal lamb at the Temple, a practice that ceased after the Temple's destruction. Once the sacrificial system was abandoned the rabbis replaced the fourth question with one about reclining during the Passover Seder.

The Messianic or Christian answer also includes “Because our Passover Lamb has bought our freedom. Tonight we remember that we are no longer slaves, but children of the very King of Kings. Free men, royalty, recline while eating. So, as Jesus who reclined at the Last Supper, we too recline tonight, for we are free to come before God who is upon the Throne.”

PASSOVER-- QUESTION #3

                                                         PASSOVER -- Question # 3


3. On all other nights we don't dip our vegetables/parsley in salt water, but on this night we dip them twice.

The vegetables are dipped in salt water to remind us of the tears of slavery. 

“Our fathers dipped hyssop branches into the blood of the Passover lamb, that they might mark their doorposts.”

Dipping a parsley sprig into the salt water, it continues. “As they wept salty tears for their life of slavery, they, in faith, painted the door lintels with the blood, that the Angel of Death may pass over. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Dipping the parsley again, this time into a small glass dish of apple and raisins. “But now we have hope. Because of the blood shed by the thorns piercing Jesus’ brow. Because of the blood from the wounds of the nails, that we, in faith, mark on the door of our hearts. Now we wipe away our tears, for we have glorious, endless new life in Christ. We have been rebirthed into His hope.”

Passover -- Question # 2

                                  Passover -- Question # 2

2. On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables and herbs, but on this night we have to eat bitter herbs. ( In a Seder, this is usually horseradish)

 “For on that long ago night, that night of Passover for the children of Israel, God said that ‘bitter herbs they shall eat’ (Ex. 12:8) and so we do too. To remember the bitterness of the cruel slavery of the Israelites to Pharaoh, to recall the bitterness of our relentless, ugly bondage to sin.”  “But we eat the bitter herbs with the matzah to remember how Jesus, our Bread of Life, has paid the price and absorbed our bitter sins.”

Passover--Question #1 of the Four Questions

       PASSOVER----QUESTION #1 of the FOUR QUESTIONS

Passover is a very special time as it represents the freeing of the very 

oppressed Jewish people at the time with great miracles. It was also a 

somber time because of how this was accomplished. The Passover Seder,

 pictured above, is very ceremonial and all the foods listed represent a 

particular piece from that first Passover. Passover was named so the Angel of

 death would pass over the Jewish home's door marked with blood at the top

 so their firstborn children would be spared and not killed. The Egyptians did 

not know about this so therefore, had no blood marking their doors and the 

Angel of Death entered and killed their firstborn children. This made them so

 afraid and heartbroken, they finally freed their Jewish slaves. So it is also a 

lesson of obedience to God and a fulfillment of promise. This is a nice look at

 how a Seder is handled in a completed home. 


 On all other nights we eat bread or matza, while on this night we eat only matza.


Because tonight we remember Jesus. By whose stripes we are healed. Yeast leavens, or puffs up, as pride and sin inflates our hearts. Tonight we eat unleavened bread, bread without yeast, to remember Jesus who was without sin.”  The matza is then broken in half, “Just like He was broken for 
us.”


 It is customary before Passover to thoroughly clean the entire  house from 

top to bottom and make sure every last crumb of bread is gone.  This often is 

a game for the children of the house. This symbolizes the purging of sin from 

our lives. Matza also has a symbolic correlation for the Christian or Messianic 

Jew in that matza has the criss cross pattern of the cross, and the holes in it 

that represents the piercing of Christ on the cross. Of course, you will notice 

that the questions also relate to the Passover Seder as well. 

Question #2 tomorrow.

HAPPY PESACH or PASSOVER!

                                                      HAPPY PESACH or PASSOVER!

Tonight starts Passover. This miracle of deliverance for the Jews from slavery is symbolic with Christ being the sacrificial lamb for all of us, and delivering us from the bondage of sin. 

Tonight, we will ask the question "Why is this night different from all other nights?"

The answer is "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Eternal, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One had not taken our ancestors out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy."

This correlates to the saved believer directly, as while the Jews were saved from the slavery of the Egyptians, Christians are saved from the slavery of sin thanks to Christ's sacrifice.

As this Holy Week continues, I will post parts of the Passover Seder daily up through Good Friday and to Easter, celebrating Christ's resurrection and greatest Miracle of all.

O YE OF NO FAITH

                     

                          Watch a corporation getting married!

                                                            O YE OF NO FAITH

    For the past two weeks, spreading the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ, and marking Him as the foundation for Christianity, has been very frustrating for me. Few people pay attention to the teaching of scripture--the very words of Christ and the Word of God. Rather, church people and pastors accept the secular meaning of the word "person", and in so doing, deny Christ in the very season they should be following the biblical meaning of "person". I received  Word on this subject last night, and appropriately, they were the very Words Christ spoke on the Cross, "It is finished." (John 19:30) I have clearly put forth the biblical and secular meaning of a person, and very few, if any, church people or pastors have paid attention. Some call it political, and it definitely is all about politics. We have the biblical Word of God and the foundation upon which 
Christianity is based, Jesus Christ, versus a secular explanation of person, upon which mankind chooses to accept the 7th explanation from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (pg. 628). It is indeed a sad time for me, a Christian minister, ordained to God's service, to have to admit that Christians are following man's law, not God's Law, and not the very Word of God as given in Gen. 1;26,27.

    Assuming all of you "Christians" follow man's law, lets look at that explanation given in the dictionary. "7. Law. A human being (natural person), or a body of persons, or, in a wider sense, an aggregate of property (artificial, conventional or juristic person), that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties." If you can read and write, you should notice the words "artificial, conventional or juristic person", which clearly separates man's definition from God's definition as given in scripture, as well as the dictionary description. "2. A human being; a particular individual." This explanation agrees with scripture (Gen. 1:26,27) "3.b. A HUMAN BEING, as distinguished from THINGS or animals." Do you know what a human being is? Maybe that's why wickedness is progressing so "nicely". "4.a. The bodily form of a human being; also, outward appearance; as, of comely person". We know what Christ looked like, as
He was made in the image of God. You may hang your belief on number 7 above, if you choose man's convenient method to circumvent the Ten Commandments plus One. Ignore numbers 2, 3 and 4, and you follow man's legal explanation to place God and Christ in the trash can: and you say we are a Christian nation.

    Every one if you who accepts the explanation of a person as including a corporation. is not only not a Christian, but blaspheming the very Word of God. We know what Christ looked like, we know how man was created. Then we consider money, and anything that enables hoarding money or gives us the chance to gain power is the way to go. Even the Roman Centurion in Mark 39.b. recognized Christ, not a corporation, when he said "Truly this Man was the Son of God." If you accept a corporation as a human being, picture what the figure on the Cross would look like. Figure how this non person could talk to God while hanging on the Cross. See if you can find any reason (except money) to believe the man's law interpretation. On Easter, be certain to say "It has risen!"

  To all you Christians, church people, and especially pastors, judgment has not been
declared, but unless you reverse your field and start preaching the TRUTH, you will be the headline event when judgment falls upon us. Don't preach about the tribulation or end times, because God will have to handle your problem first.

    O ye of no faith, you are not preaching any of Christ's teaching in the Gospels, about how to treat your fellow man. You are preaching money, our national debt and how we have so many entitlement people who are causing the deficit. You don't say a word to your partners in crime who make the laws and enjoy benefits even our handicapped veterans don't receive. You don't tell Congress to stop giving foreign nations our tax dollars while we cut the money needed by our citizens. I think Romney said it all when he told people about the 47% who  thought they were victims. What a farce, having a man like that speaking without any knowledge of Christ's teaching. The worst part is that he has divided the middle class into two groups, setting those who don't need help from those who rightfully do. This is where you non believers grab hold of greed and envy. You don't want anyone getting any of your tax dollars. If they can't buy bread, let them eat cake, O ye of no faith!

    This message is about politics, but not the politics of Republicans, Democrats, or the Tea Party. Apparently no one from any of these parties cares enough to go against the flow. The politics is very simple: either you believe the Word of God (John 1:1),"and the WORD was God," or you believe the ruling of lawyers and judges that uses a minor excuse to get rid of God. Yes, I said, "to get rid of God." O ye of no faith, you complain that the government has taken the bible out of the schools and the public way. This is your next step to completely get rid of Christ anywhere. You call yourself Christians, but you are of Lucifer. It's difficult enough for people to believe in something we know happened and people could see, but when Christ is removed as a person, there is nothing heavenly to see. The corporation rules, and all corporations are ruled by men and women who display little, if any, of Christ's teaching, and certainly none of God's Word.

    I've done my best to bring you the truth according to scripture, so you at least know the
difference between the Supreme Court and Holy Scripture. There are two ways to go, and God gives you the choice. This choice is now yours alone, and you will either be uplifted by the person of God and Christ, or dragged you know where by the teaching of man. I will  pray for you and hope to see some movement to real Christianity. However, it appears the church is in a spiral downwards led by Ye of No Faith.

Rev. Walbear

A FISHY EASTER STORY

                                                  A FISHY EASTER STORY

    We are in the Easter season of 2013, and I have a message for the season that is probably different from others you may have read. This Easter story gives us the first actual experience of Christ's life, sacrifice, crucifixion, ministry and salvation. Yes, I said salvation, although Christ had not yet been sent to earth by God. You need to turn to the Old Testament Book of Jonah for this fish story. Remember, a fish is also the symbol for Christianity. Jonah certainly wasn't Christ, and his actions weren't Christ like until God put him through a little training. We all need a lot of training. Rather than  give you a ton of quotes, I ask you to follow along in scripture as the story unfolds. I am going to highlight the main thrust of this Easter story before going back to review the other lessons we are taught in the Word of God in the story of Jonah.

    God called on Jonah, a prophet, to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the leading world power at that time. The Assyrians were the most savage, bloody people around, and were feared by other peoples. They were so ruthless, some villagers committed suicide when attacked rather suffer the torture and killing of captivity. Men and children were killed, and women used and abused. The Assyrians had piles of skulls at the entrances to the city to remind people of who was boss. They were extremely wicked people. Knowing this, and perhaps having relatives killed by the Assyrians in the past, Jonah hated the Assyrians and didn't want them to be accepted by God as repentant. It certainly was not a place you would want to visit for the purpose of preaching to them about changing their wicked ways.

    For those of you who want this message shortened. I'll cut right to the chase and tell you how this story forecasts Christ's time on earth, Then, I'll go back and point out the other things God accomplished through Jonah's training and work. If you don't read this entire book, you are missing a wonderful Christian story. It is the very least you should do for this all-important time in Christianity.

    Instead of heading East to Assyria, Jonah bought passage on a boat headed West, away from Assyria. He boarded the ship and retired below deck and went to sleep. While he slept, a violent storm came up and the sailors feared the ship would sink. They tried to row to safety, to no avail. Jonah was awakened, and the crew tried to determine who on board was responsible for God's wrath. The sailors weren't Israelities, but men of many faiths and idols. When they drew lots, Jonah was the man responsible for their dilemma. He told the sailors to cast him into the sea, and they did this reluctantly. Now begins our forerunner of Christ's experience on earth.

    When he was cast into the sea, he was swallowed by a large fish, possibly a whale. He spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. Ring a bell for you about Christ's experience in the tomb? This corresponds with Christ's time spent in the earth. Jonah was not killed, although his experience may have made him think so, and he could have died and resurrected. He was spewed out, and now knew he had a mission to complete in Nineveh. He did not want these people to be repentant and saved by God. When you hate someone, isn't this a normal human reaction? But, Jonah went there and preached the Word of God as is found in the Old Testament. To his surprise, these bloody people listened and repented. Rather than be happy, he was angry. He had been buried in the sea, brought back to life on dry land, and preached repentance which resulted in the Old Testament version of salvation. A clear explanation of what would happen in the New Testament, although Christ had a Godly acceptance of His mission while Jonah did not. 

    We observe Easter because we have had the plan of salvation laid out for us by none other than the Son of God. We already had the Ten Commandments, which the Assyrians accepted on the preaching of Jonah. We had the greatest teacher that ever lived, but we have a major problem trying to be Christ like. The Assyrians accepted God as the supreme being over all other gods. The sailors on the ship also recognized God as the supreme God. If we observe the sacrifice of Christ as our redeemer, why do we fail to honor all the Commandments and man's ever-changing laws? Jonah was a great prophet and preacher, and the Assyrians were great listeners and understood. We "Christians" can't even follow the bible or Christ. Most of us are Christians in name only. 

    There are two things you need to note carefully. First, in Matt, 12:40, Christ told the scribes and Pharisees the sign they sought was the sign of the prophet Jonah, who spent three days and  nights in the belly of a fish. Christ would likewise be three days and nights in the earth before rising. Jonah was not a prophet of salvation, but a prophet of judgment. You've had the teaching of salvation. This is the teaching of judgment. If you abandon the very Word of God as given us in scripture, you will be judged accordingly.

    Now in Jonah 3:5, we are told "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them." They had only the words of a prophet and the instructions we have in Genesis, yet they believed in God and the very Word of God. We had Christ. What's our excuse? Perhaps modern man doesn't believe Christ was the image of God. Perhaps we don't understand the Commandments. If we celebrate Easter without following EXACTLY what He and God taught, we are frauds. It's become a "feel good" holiday for uncommitted people.

    Jonah's mission was accomplished. God gave that wicked city 40 days to change their ways, and they did it. God's mercy is great. The city wasn't destroyed. Friends, I don't know how long we have to get back to Gen. 1:26, 27, but I have to believe our time is running out. We are  observing Christ's sacrifice, but only because of His free gift. We have no obligation to recognize He is the image of God and was with God when mankind was likewise created in His image.

    Although Jonah's mission was successful, Jonah was not happy that Nineveh was spared.
He went outside the city to brood. He wanted to see if Nineveh would continue to follow God, or if the people would backslide. God provided a gourd to give Jonah shade in the heat . Jonah really appreciated the gourd. Then the Lord brought a worm, and the worm killed the vine. That  left Jonah alone again. He wished he could die. The Lord had a final lesson for Jonah, and it was the forerunner of Christ's Eleventh Commandment, "love thy neighbor as thyself." If we are to take the Word of God to people who are lost, we probably won't love them to begin with. But, if they accept the Word of God, you will be able to see that God loved the lost as John 3:16 tells us. Jonah was not told to love the Ninevites, he was told to GO and preach them the Word of God and warn them about judgment. When Jonah understood the presence of God in these people's lives had made them brethren, he could drop his anger and see the all encompassing love that Christ directed us in the Eleventh Commandment. 

     The willingness to drop God's Word, and the eagerness to take from those who are somehow  disadvantaged have cast American Christians into the same pot as the Assyrians. God is not mocked and time is running out. Ashes on the forehead and declarations of "He has risen" mean nothing if Christ was not the image of God and mankind. Churches and pastors should take note, because judgment will begin with them, who are trashing His Law. You can only salve your  conscience by remembering Christ, alone, is your Savior, and you know what He looked like. A person is only a person. If you accept any other definition, you probably are Lost.

Rev. Walbear
P.S. -- For folks that don't know, the fish is a Christian symbol because Christ called us (like the disciples who were fishermen) to be fishers of men.

New Directions

                                                    New Directions

    A bill will soon be introduced by the House of Representatives Majority to correct the
confusion about separation of church and state. The measure sets aside an as-yet undetermined appropriation to cover the cost of transition. There has been some controversy over removing Christian symbols from locations considered to be publicly funded sites. The current bill would carry out this removal of confusion by removing crosses and such symbols from churches and other religious sites.

    This move would be in line with the Law of our nation, according to a Christian spokesperson. Our law has superseded instructions given us in our bible where
the "inspired" writers erred. For example, if you read Gen. 1:26,27, and many sections of the New Testament, you see the error of thinking Jesus Christ was created in the image of God and mankind. This bill clearly points out that Christ is wrongly depicted as a human man, and certainly of the image of God.  In fact, it is a myth that Christ died to cover mankind's sins and provide entry to heaven.

    You see, the Law of our Nation is not be confused with the errors in the Ten Commandments. Christ and men and women were not created in God's image. The Law of the United States declares that Christ, men and women were created in the image of a "person", described by the justices as any corporation. They ruled that a corporation has the same "rights" as a person, according to the Constitution.

    Plans are underway to remove crosses and other symbols usually placed on church steeples and elsewhere, as well as statues and pictures depicting a "person" as being Christ and human-like. In their place will be the new and correct symbol, the American dollar sign ($). Christians are urged to volunteer their time and work to assist in making this change. Protests have been identified as "Leftist" attempts to block Christian progress and worship of the true symbol. An attempt is also underway to revise the meaning and explanation of Christianity so it conforms to the Law of the United States. We are, after all, not a Christian nation (and  really never were), but a Corporate Nation. It's the Law!

-- Rev. Walbear

COMMANDMENTS

                                                              COMMANDMENTS

How are we making out these days on following the Ten Commandments plus
One? You remember, of course, Christ added a commandment to God's original
Ten to steer Christians away from the soon-to-be idol of greed? Let's go right to
the Fourth Commandment, which some denominations use to try and set their
denomination apart from other Christian denominations. This is the Commandment the Pharisees used trying to convict Christ of disobeying God. Think about this, and look at the New Testament to get the explanation Christ gave. I will give it to you as well, but I want you to understand I only teach the explanation Christ gave.

    "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do
all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou
shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor
thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six
days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

    God's Chosen people were the Israelites we know as the Jews. They worshiped in the temple on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath. There were no Christians yet, and  when Christ came to earth and Christianity began, Christ and the apostles and teachers were all Jews. They spent Saturday in the temple. Their teaching could not be in the temple, because the temple was only for Israelites. Therefore, they taught Christianity outside the temple on the following day, Sunday. Matt. 5:17 tells Christ came to fulfill the law, not change it.

    If you read the passages in Matt. Chapter 8, you should note that Christ refers
to the prophets of the Old Testament and is continually challenged by the Pharisees. When they criticize Him for healing on the sabbath, He points out there are some responsibilities that overshadow rules and require mercy. Among these are treating sickness, normal chores to care for animals, etc. There is a difference between working and doing what is necessary. Now, please note something that will be a subject later in this message. Christ did not change or discontinue the law because it is in place for the Israelites. He expanded the law to enable His followers to be taught the Word, and added an Eleventh Commandment, which many Christians choose to ignore.

    Next, we'll look at the first two Commandments, which many Christians either do
not understand, or choose to interpret for their own interest, The First Commandment simply tells us "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Pretty simple English language until you understand "no other gods before me" includes nothing that could or does represent the one and only God. Calves have been used, statues have been  used, and a multiple of other things have been used to represent God. I am very disappointed to write that American Christians have thrown this commandment under the bus. What!!! You say. I go to church and I pray to the Father in heaven. How dare you make such a statement?

    Well, to quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "How do I love thee, let me count the ways",  I'll count a few ways Christians are disobeying this commandment. First, we have mega churches where Christians are worshiping with Muslims in the same church, same pews, and with the bible of Islam next to the Christian bible in the pews. Islam does not recognize Christ as the Son of God, and their god is Allah. Then we have some denominations such as a Lutheran branch, that are revising the words and meaning in the bible. There are numerous organizations we classify as cults that have expanded the bible in direct violation of Rev. 22:18-19. I could go on and on, but I'll now list the worse violation of the First Commandment, which is ongoing, and does not involve other faiths such as Islam or a cult. This violation is so terrible because it has been put in place very subtlety, and most Chriostians who have accepted it don't even listen when
they are told about it. Compounding this violation of God is the fact that church pastors and teachers do not protest, and apparently see nothing wrong with it. Like the Pharisees, they are Christian priests who are only interested in the law--the law of men, not God.

     If one percent of those reading this, pick up on this violation of God and Christ, I'll be surprised, because no one, including pastors, I talk to, will explore the meaning of the subject. They take this violation to be an attack on their philosophy of conservatism. God is in charge of everybody, Christians, Muslims, Agnostics, you name it. God is also in charge of the world. You may say this is now politics, but it is much more than that because it supersedes the very Word of God. Read John 1:1. The Word was God. Is there some English word there you don't understand? We are told in clear English (and we can go to the Greek if you aren't satisfied) in Gen. 1:26,27 that a person (man or woman) was created in the image of God and the Son. Read those passages again, and tell me you don't know what men and women (humans) look like. Then tell me nobody saw Christ on earth, so we don't know what the image of God and Christ looks like.

    The United States Supreme Court is a body that contains more than just Christians, but the majority vote is controlled by conservatives. They ruled that a corporation is a person by declaring a corporation has the same Constitutional rights as a person. That opened the floodgates of political contributions, now virtually unlimited and without identity of the donor. One result was the wasteful spending by both parties in the past election. The conservatives claimed the ruling was necessary so both parties could collect and spend donations. The law
didn't seem to make any difference politically. The conservatives ruled for 12 years, and now the liberals are partially in charge. You may claim this message is about politics, but it is not. It is all about our Christian walk. Do we call God and Christ liars? Do the justices know more and better than God? Should we now worship a corporation or follow the teaching of corporations? Take down your pictures of Christ. Tear them out of your bibles. Get with the modernization of the new bible. Pray to our corporation in heaven. Go to your corporation for healing and blessing. This violation of God's Commandments alone may be enough to bring us under judgement. It's not the end time, it's judgment time.

    Now that we know Christ's likeness should be replaced by some corporate's headquarters or logo, we turn to the Second Commandment. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth underneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto
thousands of them that love me and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."

    As a Christian, do you love Christ? John 14:15, in Christ's very words, INSTRUCTS us, "If you love me, keep My commandments." Those include the Ten Commandments plus One, and I will get to the plus One shortly. I hear Christians talk about putting a financial drain on the next generation. If they read the commandments, they would see a worse curse for the personal sin. We should look at the graven image part in this commandment. If you wanted to
grab most Christians' attention, you would place a BIG Dollar sign above your message or advertisement. Like the Supreme Court ruling, we have a movement underway worldwide to place a money sign as our graven image. Many churches are spending more time on social planning than teaching the Word.

    The Second Commandment links with Christ's additional Commandment, and joins with the First Commandment as you see in Matt, 22:37-40. "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second (Christ's Plus One) is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Next to God, you should love your
neighbor. A pretty plain and clear directive. Today love has been replaced by hatred, greed and envy. Every person who receives aid--especially money--is considered a moocher by a very vocal group of Christian conservatives. It's the same chant over and over. They're taking "my hard earned money." Every person who receives social security worked his/her entire life to retirement age, paying part of every paycheck into this old age insurance. Wealthy people can collect the money, too. Soldiers who are physically or mentally handicapped from the rigors
of war, and their families, collect very little considering their lives are forever changed. People who are physician certified as needing SSI aid are labeled moochers who won't work.  People collecting unemployment must have a current work history to collect aid. I know of few people who don't want a job. The Christian conservatives who complain the loudest include those who are so unhappy with the election results, they want to secede from the union, just as the slave owning states' rights people did in the 1860s. Unfortunately, Romney, the conservative flag bearer, gave these unChristian "patriots" a rallying cry that 47 percent of citizens were moochers and didn't pay taxes. When you have so much, as Romney has, you don't even know that anyone working at a fast food place or for minimum or less wage, has taxes taken out of every paycheck before receiving anything. Apparently he thought only payment of federal income taxes separated
the moochers from conservatives. He didn't even know about property taxes, town or township taxes, state income taxes, etc. Poor people don't earn enough to have money left over to pay federal income taxes.

    Romney's 47 percent lie has become the continuing rally cry against the lower middle class. Human nature--not Godly nature-- has taken over because the loudmouths are so easily led into this separation of the middle and lower layers of American society. In this effort to cement these ignorant Christians as full supporters, the conservatives will not grow any thinking members. A thinking Christian would at least reference the 47 percent claim. Rather, they accept the nudge to violate Christ's teaching, overcome with greed and envy that brings hatred along. I have my legions of haters because I teach Christ's very words. I am a stinking liberal or socialist because I write or say our directives from scripture. Not one will review or discuss my messages, and none  will go to the bible to see the truth. What they all do is say welfare is destroying the country and people who don't work don't deserve to eat. Sometimes one of these people actually knows a verse or two of scripture, and uses that verse without having any idea what it means. 1 Tim. 5:8 tells us "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." So, we divorce our Christian brethren if they need help to support their household. We also divorce all non conservatives because they support Christ's added amendment. We now have a nice, little club where we all love each
other and hate those unGodly neighbors. They are all welfare cheats. When you see a crippled veteran or a struggling military widow, be proud somebody else saved your freedom. There is a need for welfare reform, but this is for the child mills, usually unwed mothers and irresponsible men. This group needs to be changed, but it is not responsible for our nation's financial woes.

    Who's responsible for our debt? It is Congress, and the culprit is the House of Representatives, who controls every dollar appropriated for every bill. Our Constitution tells us that the House must direct the payment of bills. The President is only directed to administrate programs set forth by Congress. These "patriots" don't know any more about the Constitution than they know about the bible. Our debt could be easily reduced by trimming foreign aid and withdrawing from the
mini wars that destroy our best workers. Why did we send National Guard and Reserves to fight in foreign countries instead of the Regular Army? Ask your senator or representative. Oh, I forgot. You don't want to ruffle any feathers with the leaders you voted for.

    I haven't gotten to Commandments 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. They are short and sweet directives that you know, if you know right from wrong. I will mention Commandment Nine, because it is another one that many Christians break frequently. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Every time you proclaim your dislike (hatred) against your neighbor--the 47 percenters--
you are committing a sin. I said a SIN, folks. And, breaking this commandment entitles you to judgment, and our nation to judgment. I urge you to read Matt., Chapter 26. Note carefully the many  false witnesses against Christ. Guess where they are today. Want to join them? Continue to spread the lies and condemn your neighbors who are innocent, and scripture tells us where you will finally "rest".  Envy, greed and false testimony, or the Trinity--God, the Son and Holy Spirit.

Rev. Walbear

P.S.-- This is satire only.