Today, let’s talk about Jesus because it is remembering the last week he lived on this earth.  We like to think of that little baby who was born at Christmas but we forget that he was with God at creation and that his birth, life and death were mentioned many times in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before  he was born to us in that barn or cave.

In that barn and among the animals was the first Christian worship service. And who was there? Well, there were Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, that was obvious, but there were mules, pigs, cows and chickens too! And the rag tattered shepherds came and they worshipped the baby. The Choir? That beautiful singing came from the angels and the star which showed people how to find the baby also showed that God was there to watch over his little son. It must have been a beautiful service!

Not much is written about Jesus, the boy, but I can imagine him playing with the other kids in his neighborhood and I can imagine him helping his mom and dad out whenever he was asked. He was written about when he was 12 years old though. I have never found out why Mary and Joseph started to go home without looking for their boy or why the boy Jesus wasn’t near his parents on the day they were to go home. Anyhow, when Mary and Joseph went back to find him they found him talking to the leading teachers of the Jewish faith. It seemed he knew more than the teachers about the Old Testament.

When he was 30 years old, he left his father’s carpenter’s business. He went first to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized. John recognized that he was the Son of God and said he should baptize him but Jesus insisted and was baptized by John. This began his teaching and healing ministry.

Jesus first got his helpers and that wasn’t like how we do things today! He found many of them while they were fishing. He just said “‘follow me” and they followed, even the tax collector! When he had 12 of them lined up they began to walk, Jesus talked and people came, probably most of them came because he healed them of all their illnesses. But they listened too and many of them followed. At one of his teaching times, the people got hungry and Jesus took the fish and the bread from a boy and changed that food into feeding all the people who were there, the Bible says 5000 men, but there must have been some women and children there also. The blind could see, the deaf could hear and the lame could walk is the way the Old Testament told it hundreds of years before he came.

The Jewish leaders didn’t like Jesus at all! They were planning all the time the best way to kill him. There were too many who were following him so it wouldn’t be easy. They found a guy, Judas, who was one of his 12 Apostles who would bring soldiers to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This was done and the soldiers came to the place where Jesus was and arrested him. Before that, Jesus prayed that what was about to happen could be taken from him, but not as he willed but as God willed. This proved how humble and human he was.

He suffered the worst trial ever in the middle of the night. He was beaten, he was spit on, He had his clothes torn off him, He had a crown of thorns with great big thorns which tore into his skin placed on his head. And in the end, he was told to carry his own cross to the crucifixion place. He was crucified with two criminals, one on each side. Even then he prayed that God would forgive those who did such horrible things to him.

He died so that all of us, even the most wicked of us, would have our sins forgiven. The only thing he asked is that we believe that he did this for us and that we ask for forgiveness and that we live for him the rest of our days. Yes, he suffered greatly for us.

Then, on the third day he rose up from the grave and was seen by 500 people! He had a different body and could walk through walls and could easily get from one place to another, but he was Jesus. Finally he went up to his father, God, who was in heaven.

So, this tells about Jesus but what are you going to do with him? He is alive. He listens to your prayers and answers them. If you don’t have him as your best friend, why not try him today?

What do you think about people being persecuted because they refuse to sell items that cause abortions or sell wedding cakes for people who are having a same sex wedding? There seems to be quite a few of these in America recently. In fact, there is one of these before the Supreme Court right now! Hobby Lobby craft stores is refusing to sell a pill that will cause an abortion even though they will sell four types of birth control pills. They are doing this because they are Christian people who don’t believe in Abortion. Those who brought Hobby Lobby to the Supreme Court think they should be able to buy this pill at their stores.

I believe that those who try to buy these items know about their Christian beliefs and are doing it to cause persecution of Christians. They could easily go to a place which will accommodate them! Do people entering business have the right to refuse to sell things because of their religious faith. That is the question, or is it?

We, who belong to Christian churches, have decided not to get involved. Do we believe what God has said in his book, the Bible?  He does not condone murdering anybody, and that includes babies especially those who are already born! He has said homosexuality is a sin.  So if it’s already a sin certainly a same sex wedding is a sin.We should ask God to forgive us for letting our country get this bad! We have sat down with our hands sitting idly in our laps condemning those who are doing wrong. Why, we even call those who are trying to change things “meddlers”.

I am not just saying this to you who might be reading my blog this week. I am saying it to myself too. I have not been nearly as involved as I could be. I give a little money to those who are working hard but I don’t really help. Let’s get involved, shall we? First, we need to pray for our country and then we need to ask God what we should do. Without his help, the things we do will not work out the way we planned. And when he tells us what to do, do it!

Remember, there were only 12 men involved in starting the Christian church. We, who need to stand up and be counted, are many more than that. Let’s do our part shall we?