Going Fishing

After Easter

The story doesn’t end with Jesus on the cross, although that is the focal point of our salvation.

Every drop of blood in His body flowed out, ran down His brow, ran from the wound in His side, from the stripes on His back. His blood ran in rivulets down the hill, over the cliff of Golgotha, where according to legend, His blood flowed into the tomb was where Jesus was to be buried. Jesus didn’t die because His blood was all gone from His body. He died because He voluntarily gave up His Spirit, His life.

Jesus Himself said in John 10:17-18, “I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of Myself.” Then the first day of the week, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus took up His life again and rose from the dead, but the story doesn’t end there either.

In the garden, He appeared to Mary. That night He appeared to His disciples. Later He appeared to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Then in the presence of at least 120 people He ascended to heaven, but that isn’t the end of the story either.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, the Bible says now He is seated at the right hand of the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us. But the story didn’t end there either.

Jesus will come to take us to heaven where we will be with the Lord, but the story doesn’t end there either.

Then Jesus and His resurrected saints will return to the earth and we will live on earth with Him for a thousand years, but that isn’t the end of the story.

At the end of the thousand years, Jesus will re-create heaven and earth, and heaven will come down to earth, right over Jerusalem. Then we will rule and reign with Him forever. That isn’t the end of the story either.
That is only the beginning.

Sweet Words

If I were to define my worst trait it would be my big mouth. Oh, I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble over the years because of my mouth.
One time we’d been fishing and were leaving the creek, with Dad driving a big Dodge pickup with an overhead camper. We pulled up to the road and stopped, waiting for a car who was going  to turn in where we were coming out,  but she couldn’t see around us to see if she had room. In other conditions, Dad would have just backed up a little to let her in, but there was someone behind us too.
I was in the passenger seat with my arm hanging out the window and I just mouthed, “Can’t you see we can’t move? Come on, lady.” She was almost facing me and I could see her face as she hollered out at me, “What did you say?”
I said, “I only said we can’t back up.” Well, she couldn’t hear me, so she said, “Say that again,” and I could tell she was getting mad. Now I was an adult, maybe 30, and I decided maybe I’d better act apologetic before she jumped out of that car, pulled me out, and stomped on me.
While I was smiling and shrugging at the lady, Dad waved at the guy behind us to come on around us, and he did, so then Dad backed up, so the lady could turn in. It turned out okay but I should have just kept my mouth shut.
Have you ever had to eat your words? I did that day, and I’m sorry to say, that’s not the last time I’ve had to back up and retract something I have said.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.Psalm 19:14 NKJV.
I’ll keep my words sweet in case I have to eat them.