Happy Easter everyone!
I realize, that I'm writing this post on Good Friday, but I have some free time today and I'll busy tomorrow helping my grandparents get ready for our family Easter dinner. I was afraid, that I wouldn't get this post written tomorrow, so I'm using my time wisely today.
Reflections: Jesus is risen from the dead and we rejoice on this Festival Day of Easter Sunday aka Resurrection Sunday. Easter has a total of seven Sundays and seven weeks. It is one of the longest seasons within the Church Calendar. These seven Sundays and seven weeks of Easter harken back Genesis Chapters 1 and 2, when Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created the world in 4004 B.C.E. (Before Christ's Epiphany). Usually Pentecost is the longest season, Easter is the second longest season, Lent is the third longest season, and Advent is fourth longest season. Christmas is the shortest season of the Church Year Calendar. However, Epiphany was longer than Lent this year, which doesn't usually happen.
The black and purple paraments have left us and now the white paraments adorn our churches. The purple paraments represent Jesus' Royalty and the black paraments represent our sinful nature, which murdered Jesus on Good Friday. The white paraments represent Jesus' Holiness and Purity and His Equality with His Father Yahweh and the Holy Spirit. Jesus defeated sin, death, Satan himself, and Satan's demons. Even though Satan and his demons have been defeated by Jesus our Messiah, they are sore losers, who cannot get over Jesus' Victory over them.
Jesus' Death, burial, and Resurrection objectively justified every single person, who has ever lived. This Objective Justification does not guarantee, that every single person is going to Heaven, when they die, however. Objective Justification is Universal Atonement. Jesus universally atoned for the sins of every single person, who has ever lived. Once people have experienced water Baptism in a Trinitarian tradition, believe, that Jesus died to saved them from their sins, and confess the Holy Trinity, Who are Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, to be the One True God, then they have been saved by Grace through Faith. This saving Faith subjectively justifies them. No water Baptism means no Salvation and no Faith means no Subjective Justification. Without water Baptism and without Faith, a person is lost and needs Jesus.
Let us now read John Chapter 20, "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not, where they have laid Him.' 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about His Head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, 'Woman, why weepest thou?' She saith unto them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not, where they have laid Him.' 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not, that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, why weepest thou?' Whom seekest thou?' She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, 'Sir, if Thou have borne Him hence, tell me, where Thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.' 16 Jesus saith unto her, 'Mary.' She turned herself, and saith unto Him, 'Rabboni;' which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, 'Touch Me not; for I Am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples, that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, 'Peace be unto you.' 20 And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His Hands and His Side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, 'Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.' 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.'
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them, when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said unto them, 'Except I shall see in His Hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His Side, I will not believe.'
26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace be unto you.' 27 Then saith He to Thomas, 'Reach hither thy finger, and behold My Hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My Side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, 'My Lord and my God.' 29 Jesus saith unto him, 'Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they, that have not seen, and yet have believed.'
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name" (KJV 1611).
Jesus calls us to believe in Him, to believe, that He is our Messiah, Who died to save us from all of our sins, Original Sin, death, Hell, Satan himself, and Satan's demons, to believe, that He is the Son of God and Son of Man, and that He is equally God with the Father Yahweh and the Holy Spirit. St. John the Evangelist wrote his Gospel account of Jesus' Life, so we would believe in Jesus. John's whole thesis is, that Jesus did all of these wonderful things, so we could believe in Him. Plus as a side note for comic relief, my pastor, Reverend Phillips, of Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Lima, Ohio pointed out during one of our Wednesday Night Bible Studies, that St. John the Evangelist wanted to rip into St. Peter for denying Jesus three times by pointing out, that he, St. John, could run faster than St. Peter. lol Amen! Alleluia! Jesus is risen from the dead!
Spring Sale at JFC: Jennifer Garrett is having a Spring Sale on Saturday April 27, 2019 from 10 AM to 3 PM at her store on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio called Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles aka JFC. Jennifer and her vendors will have a lot of great deals on all sorts of popular items. My used books books are pretty cheap ranging from $0.25 to $10, but most of my used books are just $1. My new books, which I’ve written and published, will be on sale for $10 that day, when I have my book signing from 10 AM to 3 PM there at JFC. For each copy of my new books, which you pay $10 for, you can get one used book priced at $1 or less for free. My booth is #162 and it’s straight back from the front door. The used books are a part of my second business called Ohio Book Mart and More.
May Book Signings: I will be having two book signings in May 2019 and I’ll be signing copies of my Christian romance novels The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 and my Greek and Roman Mythology book A Survey of Classical Mythology at both of these signings. I will be having a book signing at The Dam Store at 204 N. Main Street in Columbus Grove, Ohio on Saturday May 4, 2019 from around 10 AM to 5 PM. My Columbus Grove book signing will take place during the 2019 Columbus Grove Community Garage Sales. I will be having a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles on High Street in between Circle K Gas Station and Zion Lutheran Church (NALC) in St. Marys, Ohio on Saturday May 11, 2019 from around 10 AM to 3 PM. My book signing at The Dam Store will be cash only and the books will be on sale for $10 each. Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles is typically a cash only store, but, if I have no technical difficulties, then you’ll be able to pay with either cash or cards at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles for my new books during the book signing.
Fun Facts: I live in Shawnee Township in the Lima Area, so it takes me 25 minutes to a half hour to drive to either Columbus Grove or St. Marys. Plus every single time I have a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles in St. Marys, Ohio, some really slow driver gets in front of me, so please be patient and check out my booth #162 with both the new books, which I write and publish, and the used books, which I sell for my second business called Ohio Book Mart and More (OBM&M). At Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles only, you’re able to buy one of my new books, which I’ve written and published, for $10 and you can get a used book priced at a dollar or less for free.
Other Stores: My new books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, the Lima Hallmark Stores on Elm Street and out at Eastgate Plaza, Wagner’s IGA Grocery Store in Minster, Ohio, and of course here on the Shop page of this website.
OIL Press News: My goal is to have my next Christian romance novel published in time for the 2019 Christmas in July celebrations. I’m hoping to have some book signings in July to debut The Rising of The Moon Book 2: Faith, Hope, and Love. This Christian romance novel will have a similar cover as both The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2, because the story in Moon Book 1 Part 1 flows into Moon Book 1 Part 2, the story in Moon Book 1 Part 2 flows into Moon Book 2, and I want to save money on the cover design. Just read the front covers and you’ll be able to figure out, which book is which.
Easter Blessings!
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)