24 Comments

I cherish your dedication to focusing on Christ this week! I have a friend telling me that Easter is a pagan holiday & she will not participate. The emphasis on bunnies & eggs & even the word “Easter” offends her. Please address this issue.

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So wonderful, Erick! Really enjoying your Holy Week essays. God bless!

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Life-giving words this week, Erick. Thank you.

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Awesome comments Erick! Love the morning messages!!

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The devil actively influences is to focus on the past, evoking nostalgia or regret, or to focus on the future, evoking hope, fear, and the perpetual pursuit of the rainbow's end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now.

~The Screwtape Letters

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Amen and thank you Erick.

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Amen!

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Thank you for this fresh glimpse of our Savior, and of His half-brother, Jude. It is a wonderful, thoughtful precursor to our upcoming Easter Weekend Celebration. You've done it again, Eric! And Well done it is.

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Iam not being argumentative because I do not really know what I am talking about but I have read that Judas had to betray Jesus to complete prophesy and that is why Jesus revealed him with a kiss. Your piece was lovely.

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Amen and Amen!

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"So instead of fretting, be like Jude,"

"Historians in the era document the Romans exterminated Jude and his family, killing them all, along with every other presumed blood relative of Jesus still living."

The suggestion here seems to be Christian passivity and demonstrated love of hostile neighbor. And that, along with empathy over resulting dead Chrstians, will lead to general population support for Christians and Christianity and opposition to the forces against them and it.

This suggestion was backed by a related suggestion that the mainstream liberal media started to see the truth of the Trump indictment toward the end of the day.

I did not see that. I saw only glee.

I'm also not convinced in this time where the media is monolithic and ubiquitous, because it is owned and/or controlled by the same cabal of coastal liberal elites fueled by so much hate of the "ants"... people beneath them needing to be controlled or killed... including Christians.

Even this newsletter fails to acknowledge the profound importance of the Twitter Files and the ramifications of election interference and corruption of our democratic system... that we would rely on to gain support from news of persecution. Had not Elon Musk spent $44 billion we would never have had the evidence of our government abusing its power to cheat at politics. They are still working this. The media does not report much on news that might result in public criticism of things beneficial to Democrats. Instead they spin it to beneficial political influence. For example, the trans killer of 6 Christians is THE victim and a martyr.

I think the best I can do is not hate... but resolve to actively fight to control the elites. Evil generally cannot be defeated or even tamed without a fight. The mainstream media and big tech are currently, mostly, part of that evil.

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Thank you, Erick - an eye opener. I had focused on the other Judas - now to contemplate Jude. Another awakening for me over the past few days, that Jesus suffered and died for our sins - bearing the weight of years, thousands/millions of people. Yet, through my Bible study, I learned that Jesus also bore the wrath of God His Father on the cross. Such a weight, pain, obedience. Jesus, thank you! I am humbled, so deeply humbled. And so grateful that He lives among us today. Praise Him!

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Thank you Sir.

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Awesome message.

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Christ knew Judas Iscariot would betray him, just as he knew Peter would deny him. He made Judas a disciple anyway. Judas betrayed him because the betrayal was necessary…it was another step to the cross, and hence the resurrection, that Jesus knew he was going to take. As much as we scorn Judas for his betrayal, it seems that it, too…was part of God’s plan.

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Most if not all pastors and theologians believe Judas was condemned for his betrayal. He comes across as a tortured man who didn’t want to betray Jesus. So why did he? Perhaps because he was forced into fulfilling God’s plan?

So much for Free Will.

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Agreed. We remember also that Martin Luther said (correctly) Satan is God's devil. His ways are not our ways, but it will all become clear at the necessary time.

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