“Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” - Matthew 21:9

Good morning and welcome. It's Wednesday, March 28, 2018, and I know that most everyone is aware of the importance of this week as it relates to the truths we proclaim as Christians. It's called passion week because at this time of year we pause to celebrate the death, the burial, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe this is not only a faith-based belief because it actually happened in history. He came. He lived a perfect life. He went about doing good. He came to give Himself up on behalf of the sins of all people so they can be made right with God. He accomplished this through His death on The Cross, His burial in a borrowed tomb, and His glorious resurrection which we will celebrate on this upcoming Sunday. I'll give you the cliff notes summary from the Apostle Paul's inspired text as found in the 15th Chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians. This was written to address those who were saying there was no resurrection of Jesus and there will be no resurrection of believers. Paul made it clear that if the Resurrection is not true, then those of us who have responded to the Gospel and in faith we have accepted God's offer of salvation, well, if it's not true, then we are to be pitied for we are without hope in this life and in the life to come. BUT, he goes on to affirm what we know to be the truth, CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD! Now that, my friend, is our glorious hope that causes us to rejoice. Amen and Amen.

I am looking forward to being off on Friday. It's a company holiday in celebration of Good Friday. That has been the practice of our owner since I've been here. People honoring this day has been around a very long time. Since around AD 100. Here are some thoughts from a variety of individuals. ~ "Exalt the Cross! God has hung the destiny of the race upon it. Other things we may do in the realm of ethics, and on the lines of philanthropic reforms; but our main duty converges into setting that one glorious beacon of salvation, Calvary’s Cross, before the gaze of every immortal soul." Theodore Ledyard Cuyler ~ "It is the resurrection that makes Good Friday good." Ravi Zacharias ~ "He drained the cup of God's wrath bone dry, leaving not a drop for us to drink." Richard Allen Bodey ~ "What is good about Good Friday? Why isn't it called Bad Friday? Because out of the appallingly bad came what was inexpressibly good. And the good trumps the bad, because though the bad was temporary, the good is eternal." Randy Alcorn ~ "Practice mercy and forgiveness throughout as a lesson that symbolizes the love shown through his crucifixion." Unarine Ramaru ~ "The Cross! There, and there only though the deist rave, and the atheist, if Earth bears so base a slave; There and there only, is the power to save." William Cowper ~ Amen.

I understand they are adding a question to the upcoming US Census that asks the individual if they are a citizen of the United States or not. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. It is, after all, a census of the United States. They do have a box to check if you are not. Therefore, each person can be accounted for. Hold on a second. California has already filed a lawsuit against the President asking that question to be removed. Have you ever felt like you went to sleep one night and woke up right in the middle of an episode of the Twilight Zone? One of the young men speaking against guns in the recent march on Washington DC said that making students use clear plastic backpacks was a violation of their constitutional rights. He's the same individual calling for laws to be passed in contravention of the 2nd Amendment which affords constitutional rights to gun owners. Try not to be confused. The liberal viewpoint is that violating some constitutional rights is okay while others should be off limits. Why? Because that's the way they feel. I'm not staking out hard and fast lines here for my own personal views. I'm only giving you my eyewitness and ear hearing of these strange times we are living in. Here is a quote from yesteryear that seems to apply. "Strange times are these, in which we live, forsooth; When young and old are taught in Falsehood's school: – And the man who dares to tell the truth, Is called at once a lunatic and fool." George Francis Train, (1829-1904). See you next time. Until then, may God bless us all. Amen. ....More later.