Sunday

Rock LEGEND Ozzy dies; age 76.

"After Forever" by Black Sabbath, from 1971's Master of Reality.

Patheos: Ozzy’s Faith Was Louder Than You Think.

And then there’s “After Forever,” where Ozzy asks, “Have you ever thought about your soul – can it be saved?” That’s not just a lyric—it’s a theological gut punch.

Lyrics: After Forever 

BeliefNet: Ozzy Osbourne; Christian.

While Ozzy’s public image often leaned into dark and gothic themes, his private beliefs told a different story. Despite his “Prince of Darkness” moniker, Ozzy consistently rejected accusations of Satanism or devil worship. He identified as a Christian and maintained a belief in God throughout his life.

“I believe in God, absolutely,” he once said. “I'm not a Satanist, never have been.”

Ozzy’s Christian beliefs often surprised fans. Songs like “After Forever,” written during his Black Sabbath days, include lyrics that question atheism and affirm belief in God. Though he admitted he didn’t attend church regularly or read the Bible extensively, he acknowledged that Christianity influenced his worldview and some of his music.

His faith was not loud or doctrinal but personal and sincere. He reportedly received a Bible from a well-known evangelist and kept it with him. He was also known to end his concerts with a heartfelt blessing, asking God to bless his audience.

“I’m not preaching, but I think there’s a higher power watching over us,” he shared in an interview. “I should be dead a hundred times over. There’s something more to life than we understand.”

[.]

Ozzy remained quietly committed to his Christian faith, even as his on-stage persona projected something else entirely.

More on Ozzy news and music after the PageBreak ⏬ 

Easter Monday.

The text at the link below appears to have been removed from the site, or maybe moved to a link contained in the page - I don't know why. The message excerpt below remains the same. It's the same I posted other Easter Mondays:

Christianity.com: What is Easter Monday and Why Do We Celebrate It?

Easter Monday may not be the first thing you think of when you remember the Easter calendar, but it highlights an important part of the Easter story: what happened after Jesus got out of the tomb?
[.]
Easter Monday is a continuation of the joy of Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday, Christians celebrate that Jesus is alive, and therefore, we can find new life in Him. Easter Monday is celebrated differently in various parts of the world and within different denominations.
[.]
What Follows Easter Monday?

When the resurrected Christ first appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not with them. The disciples told him what they saw, but Thomas said he would need to see Christ’s nail-pierced hands for himself to believe. A week later, Jesus revisited the disciples. This time, however, Thomas was with them. Jesus showed Thomas his scars, and he believed. Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

- - -

Easter Sunday

From Christian Bible Reference:

Click=enlarge 

 

 

 

 

   

Remember those who are alone, those for whatever reason, can't be with their loved ones. 

 

Remember those less fortunate. 

 

We all have reasons to be incredibly grateful for what we have. Pray. Give Thanks.

Happy Easter to all.

 

HE is RISEN!

Holy Friday.

From Crossway.

We Are Barabbas

Pilate’s Ruling

Jesus became a substitute for us in a colossal way.

On Jesus’s final day on this earth he was arrested in a garden and taken for trial. It was a brief ordeal because there was no real evidence. There was no attorney with exhibit A or a last-minute witness to take the stand who would clinch the verdict. The three mock trials probably lasted a few minutes each. Jesus bounced from Pilate to Herod and then back to Pilate again.

It was in the final trial that Jesus was sentenced to death. It seems as if Pilate didn’t necessarily want to send Jesus to his death, but he bowed down to the pressure of the Jews (Matt. 27:22–24). As the Roman governor over Jerusalem, Pilate already had a difficult relationship with the Jewish population. He previously had remedied a budget shortage by pillaging the temple treasury for funds. The Jews were so angry that many rioted. The soldiers Pilate sent to stop the riot ended up beating many Jews to death. That will certainly make you an enemy of the people. At another point, the Jews were so exasperated with Pilate for decorating his palace with idols, they actually appealed to Caesar. The ruler was less than thrilled at the bickering and asked Pilate to remove the idols. Pilate was supposed to keep the Jews under control, but he just couldn’t seem to do it.

Now Pilate faced yet another potentially explosive issue: what to do with Jesus? Another riot would have been costly. With two strikes against him, a third one might put Pilate out of work and on the streets for good. The situation with Jesus came to a boiling point during the Passover. It was tradition that the Roman Empire would allow one convicted felon to go free, and the Jews could choose who this would be. Matthew 27:15–18 records this moment:

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

Pilate might have said to himself, “Here’s my opportunity to simply let Jesus go free. We’ll put forward the worst prisoner, a murderer, and we’ll put forward Jesus. Surely they won’t let the other guy go free.” But they did. The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to release Barabbas. Pilate was so surprised, he asked them again a second time, “‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas’” (Matt. 27:21). And so just to clarify, Pilate asked them one last time, “‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’” (Matt. 27:22–23).

This whole scenario is surprising to say the least. Jesus had been accused of crimes that could not be proved. Then there was Barabbas who was basically a terrorist. The crowd chose a murderer over the one who brings the dead back to life. They chose evil over the one who loves perfectly. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but the crowds roared to free Barabbas and to crucify Jesus. And Pilate caved in to save his job.

Matthew 27:25

All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Sunday

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  - John 14.6. 

Sunday

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

- Matthew 5:44.

Other Verses about Prayer.

Sunday

Sunday.

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

- Hebrews 13:2

Sunday.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11:

Over 500 people at one time saw Jesus after His resurrection.

Over a period of 40 days up to the day Jesus went back Home He was seen by, and talked to a number of individuals.

Sunday.

"Let nothing Disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, Though all things pass, God does not change. Patience wins all things. But he lacks nothing who possesses God; For God alone suffices."

- Teresa of Avila

Sunday.

..."whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished."

 - Proverbs 17:5

Sunday

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
 - 1 Timothy 2:5 ESV 

Jesus Being The Only Way; Other Verses.

Sunday.

"But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."  -  Matthew 6:15

Other versions.

Sunday.

Sunday.

1 Peter 3:10-12.

10 For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
11
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil.”

Sunday.

Dear God, at the start of each day, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we might see you and notice how you're at work through our lives.

Give us wisdom to make the best choices, and fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this world. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new.

I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

From Crosswalk. 

Sunday.

A Prayer to Start the Day. Every Day.

Dear God, at the start of each day, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we might see you and notice how you're at work through our lives.

Give us wisdom to make the best choices, and fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this world. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new.

I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

From Crosswalk. 

Edit: I had this pre-scheduled to publish but failed to change it from PM to AM. 

Sunday.