WHERE DO WARS AND VIOLENCE COME FROM?

ENGLAND 1943!    I was not quite three years old.

'Under the Table'

Under the table , John!
Get under  the table NOW!
She grabbed me by the hand.
Desperately!
Under the square wooded table I found myself.
My teddy-bear hugged to my heart, wide eyed'
I was hugged also, close to my Mother's heart!
The room was getting dark.
It was early evening,
Outside the street was filled with noise;
Shouting, screaming, sirens.
'Take cover!    Take cover!......

 I did not know the terror of that moment.
I felt uncertain by my Mother's sudden distress.
But I felt no personal danger.
There was a strange sound in the air above.
A kind of whirring sound.
It seemed to come nearer, nearer -
It was right over us!.
I looked up - the noise stopped!

In the Silence, I heard my mother whimper -
Then an ear splitting explosion of sound;
of breaking fabric, breaking glass,
Fresh air opened up all around us, mixed with smoke;
acrid smoke and dust.


I scrambled from under the table.
My mother and I stood and looked out upon the street.
The sitting room wall had disappeared.
The Old Vic public house could be seen murkily opposite.
People were running, some stopping to peer at us as they passed.

This was a moment etched on my memory.
The flying bomb, or 'doodle-bug' 
could have killed us - did kill others.
 ++++++ 

NO MORE WAR!     Surely no more war.     People had declared WAR was ended at the close of the First Great War in 1914/18.     But a Second and worse World War was to be unleashed in 1939/45.     When I was twenty two, in 1962, and working in the City of London,  there came a day when Russia and America were poised on the brink of yet another war - this time threatening to wipe a a good part of the Western World.     I remember the day when at Mid-day we might have only seconds to live;  people walking during their lunch hour stopped to look up expecting DEATH to pour down from the sky.      It was an awful moment - but it passed. Nothing happened.

TODAY the world is once more threatened with WAR and by the 'Brinkmanship' of two world leaders who both are such a mixture of volatile showmanship as to bring the world to anxious nervous tension.         And these Powers both have weaponry that can blot huge populations out of existence totally, without survivors, and expose the rest of us to such injury and hurt than even Hiroshima has had to endure - for generations.
It IS a terrible thing that the civilised world seems quite unable to outlaw WAR, and those who might want to make War.

JESUS told us all in the Gospel of Matthew 24v6    -   IN THE LAST DAYS  -  ' You shall hear of wars and rumours of wars -  for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against  kingdom.   There shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in different places - THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS.
TAKE NOTE my brethren, that these are but the beginning of sorrows.      There IS worse to come........

Jesus continues, and says in Matthew 24 v9 . 'THEN shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations form y name's sake.   AND then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, land shall hate one another.   AND many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.    AND BECAUSE INIQUITY shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold    --  BUT he/she who shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.      
World Society is already making great inroad in rejecting GOD in their thinking and life style.   God is in fact more and more VISIBLY attacked on every front.    And as we see Christian concepts being set aside, so we shall increasingly find the Committed, believing Christian being seen as an Enemy of the State and of the World.     And indeed I believe this will be the experience of ANY man or woman who is sincerely seeking God in their lives.

THIS IS THE TIME for the Believer to HANG ON, and to re-commit themselves to putting GOD, and His Law FIRST, at home, at school, at the work-place, and wherever he finds himself.       If we do not encourage ourselves and harden ourselves to taking up our cross and dedicating our life to GOD, then we shall find ourselves induced to run from God, and to even DENY that we have ever known or wanted to know God.         WE need to know that when we say we Love God, and His Way for our life, we have to mean it to DEATH even.       We should set our face, our life, as a FLINT to go the whole hog, and all the way to the END without despair.      We have to REMEMBER that we have to ENDURE to the end, if we want to realise our Salvation.

AND we have NEED to go on REMEMBERING to ENDURE.      Things are NOT getting better.    They WILL get worse, and I would be untrue to God's Word if I were to say otherwise.      

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

THE RAIN has begun, and we are GRATEFUL to God for it.      Right now, as I write it is raining, and been heavily raining since mid morning.     The sky still looks heavy with RAIN.      Hallelujah.        Esther and I also Thank God for bringing us through our respective heavy colds - or 'flu.     We are both much better than a week ago.

Next week School begins again.      

The Primaries for the General Election scheduled for AUGUST have now finished.      It has not been, generally, an easy time, but at least, finally perhaps, less violent than expected.     We trust that from now on things will settle, and that by the date of the Election the Nation will rejoice in calm and peaceable voting.

The oldest of our two vehicles for the Homes - Nissan Caravan of great age, many times given a makeover - now seems to be at its last gasp.      We shall do what little we can to keep it on the road, but we will value your prayers.  It has been greatly used and daily in almost total use.       It has endured well, and now it really seems to have come to the END.       It has earned our Praise and Thanksgiving as a Gift from God.

God Bless you all.      Do not allow anything I have written to day depress you or make you feel that we ourselves have lost hope!     Our HOPE is at its brightest and most enduring.      I write not to depress or weaken your faith, but to ALERT you, and to ENCOURAGE you to STAND FIRM.        WE none of us stand alone when we BELIEVE, and He who Stands with us, will never leave our side, and has promised to bring us through.

Our love in Jesus to you all,

John, Esther and Daryl Green

A FAMILY OF NATIONS NEEDING TO BE ONE

THIS IS A PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE KENYA DAILY NATION YESTERDAY.  The Headline was -

PROTESTS, CHAOS!

As Jubilee Party Polls

FLOP in 21 Counties

in the wake of major irregularities.

Generally this is very disappointing, but not unexpected.     As an observer of political and other social behaviour since 1969, there has been little change in the way things go.    Riots, Civil Strife all seems to end in human rampage in word and action, in the cities, universities and wherever there is need to argue a point.      Of course there is an educated strata who refrain from getting involved in politics, and other areas of social fracas.     They are not small in number, but seem to shrink from putting themselves forward to challenge the greater mass, who are by comparison less educated and less informed than themselves.      This is a great pity.     Tribalism, and ignorance encourage dialogue and argument that ends up generating a totally immoderate and inflammatory use of words and personal opinion.     Thus finally those vying for power and position do so more from a desire for personal aggrandisement than for the good of the Nation as a whole.       And of course 'tribalism' has been and continues to be one of the major hindrances to national unity, and to a common respect for every one IN the Nation.       TEN years ago Kenya was shaken by violence during an Election throughout the whole Country; violence basically encouraged and engendered by Tribalism.     The suffering caused, and the set back, at that time, to National Unity took time to settle - indeed perhaps it is still seen to be under the surface.       That the Ruling Party - the Government - of the day could have taken so little trouble to ensure that we entered this current Election Year (they are scheduled for August) so haphazardly and without due regard to proper planning, seems quite amazing.      BUT perhaps the main danger has been the decision, after 2007, to chop the Nation up into Counties; Counties that are quite heavily populated on a tribal basis.     Instead of encouraging a National Spirit and  fostering the view that we are Kenyan, we still are constantly reminded of our TRIBE, and in doing so are tempted to evaluate each other on the basis of Tribe rather than our KENYAN nationality.      After so many years this is more than sad, it very regressive.

These current 'Primary Polls' have not so far  produced a lot of hope for a quiet and peaceful year.

The instability of the Voting population, together with a divisive drift in the Country to go away from cohesion towards - in some areas especially -  a kind of dispersion, back to ones tribal root and geographical origin.       I do not say it is wrong to be aware of ones history and heritage, but surely we are not to expect Peace or UNITY for ourselves as Kenyans when we put out ETHNIC root in front of the NATION being built?      I have married a wonderful woman from one of the Tribes of Kenya.    She has given me wonderful children who although they have inherited very different cultural genes, have not hung on to being more one thing than another - they see themselves as Kenyan.     In the Children's Homes that my wife and I have run here in Eldoret since 1972  filled with children from all over the STATE, it has been our joy and privilege to watch these children learn to cross all boundaries and to live together - more than 13 different ethnic groups (some of them not normally used to each other) as a family, seeing each other as 'brothers and sisters' without rancour.     More than three hundred of them.        Seeing this,  and living in the midst of it, we KNOW that it is possible for ALL Kenyans, indeed all of Mankind, to be able to co-exist together with respect and honour.       BUT God needs to be in the equation and the experience.      WITHOUT God perhaps it will not, cannot work.           God does not see Tribe or Race.     He sees Mankind, and HE loves each and every one of them, working for their good, regardless.

########################################

Dear Friends I must end this week.       I have been battling with a heavy bout of influenza over Easter, and it has truly put me physically down.     But I am recovering and already feel much better. God Blessed our Easter time together, and we know many of you will have been praying for us.

We send you all our Love in Jesus Name.     God Bless, Comfort, and Encourage you all day by day.

John, Esther and Daryl Green

THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF EASTER

AT THE CLOSE OF FRIDAY AFTERNOON THEY CARRIED THE BODY OF JESUS TO Joseph of Arimathaea's tomb, and rolled the STONE over the entrance, and let the High Priests guard SEAL it in place, leaving the Guard to GUARD it.
The Jewish PASSOVER WAS NOW IN PROGRESS  -  nothing more could be done further before Sunday morning.    
SATURDAY must have sat heavily upon all the Disciples.   A day of deep distress, and sense of immeasurable loss;  a day of FEAR.
Certainly NOT  happy day of frivolity for THEM.
Here in ELDORET we have been quite amazed to find that many Churches had no Service on Good Friday.     We had a few 'pastors' attending ours!
AND TODAY some are already rejoicing over the Resurrection!   A day of FUN, and LOUD rejoicing.      We wonder what will happen tomorrow!      Such a CHANGE.     There could have been NO resurrection without SACRIFICE.
SATURDAY has all these years been a very QUIET day.     Shops have opened, but generally there has been a kind of subdued sense of impending desolation - at least for some.

The Hymn writer, Robert Lowery, writes of the hours immediately following the Death of our Lord -

'LOW IN THE GRAVE HE LAY, 

Jesus my Saviour!

Waiting the coming day,

Jesus my Lord.

Yes the FINALITY of the STONE in front of the TOMB must have encouraged a lack of belief in His Life.       He was DEAD, even the Soldiers at the Cross believed it.    Pilate, the Priests, even Joseph of Arimathaea believed it.     Life for them seemed to be at an end.    Nothing would be the same again.

BUT ON SUNDAY morning the Women went back to the tomb and found it  EMPTY, the STONE rolled away from the Entrance - And the hymn writer says =

UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE,

with a mighty triumph o'er his foes

He arose a Victor from the dark domain

And He lives forever with His saints to reign

He AROSE!     He AROSE!

Hallelujah!  Christ Arose!

Mary met and spoke with Him before running to tell the others.     Peter and John ran to find the tomb EMPTY.      Two men walking home that morning also met Jesus, and took Him home with them. They did not at first know Him, but then as they ate breakfast together   they saw the 'nail prints' in His hands - and then He appeared to the Disciples in the Upper room where they were hiding   Yes He was not Dead but ALIVE, and is alive today, and soon to come again to gather all those that have believed in Him, both dead and living, to take them to be with Him Forever.

Easter Sunday

for us, this year will see us joined together for our

Resurrection Service 

which we hold in the School Hall at 10.30 a.m. our time.

ALL our Staff and children, and young people.

 from the  three Homes and two Hostels will be there.

I shall be leading the Meeting.

First we shall have a time of Praise and Worship

Then Breaking of Bread.

Thereafter perhaps some testimonies

plus Bible Readings, Hymns and Choir pieces

THEN, finally

Pastor Wykliffe Ondanga

will bring the Message for the Day.

We shall be giving Thanks for our Father's Providence

and Love to us all 

We trust that this Easter will also be Meaningful , and especially a Blessing to you all,  You will all be in our prayers, trusting that Jesus will give you new proof and evidence of His Risen Presence with you all.

Lovingly in Him.

John, Esther, and Daryl Green

 

EASTER WEEK is about to commence.....Some years ago we began to remember Maunday Thursday in our family program for Easter.  The photo shows Staff and Children on that first Remembrance among us.    We all sat down together to Remember that Last Supper, just before Jesus was offered up as God's Lamb.  It was a truly wonderful occasion.    Ever since then we have 'remembered' in each of our Homes and Hostels on Maunday Thursday.       ONCE when at home in the UK with our son Steven, went with him and his family to celebrate Easter.  He and his family at that time were attending an Anglican Church in Baxenden, near Accrington, in Lancashire.     The Congregation came together on the Thursday night to share a simple meal, and prepare themselves for Good Friday.   We were so impressed and moved by this, that it encouraged us to bring it home to TFH here in Kenya.    It has really become a precious prelude to all that follows.
In fact we have been surprised by how this initiative has proved popular in every house, both with staff and children.     We had at first wondered if it might be just a little too much, but instead it has seemed to open up a whole new vista and understanding about the Crucifixion, and the Gift of God.      Each home usually eats supper about 6p.m. our time.    We spend about 30 minutes before just reminding ourselves about the meaning behind the food to be served and eaten, and all that Jesus tried to show His friends about Himself, and why He had to die.
AFTER the meal we also take a little bread and water in a prelude to teaching the whole truth about the Communion.
and Breaking of Bread.    Then a short prayer and a hymn.     It truly draws families together, and at times old boys and girls might drop in to share with us, and even one or two of our day workers.. This year the senior Greens are having their little daughter Helen and granddaughter Abigail with them, and hopefully even Daryl, Carol and their children.     Pray for us as we also will be remembering all of you as we join together.     A time to Forgive;  a time to reach out to each other in Love.

The School has closed yesterday for the Easter Holidays - four weeks - and so all our children once again at home all day and keeping their Parents busy and on the alert.      Esther and Daryl are away today as well, attending Carol's fathers funeral some three hours driving distance away.     I would also have been with them, but I do not travel easily these days, so I have remained at home with Helen and granddaughter.     It is cloudy, cool, and showing signs of RAIN today.     It may be that RAINS will start earlier than predicted, and there will be great Relief and Rejoicing if they do   We shall be just ourselves, otherwise for Easter - a small family community of 140.     I am due to share on Good Friday, and our Pastor on Easter Sunday.    -   THEN expected Visitors through to the end of the month.        I am thinking of a simple word on Good Friday.    We shall  have some four Bible Readings and then the Word.

Good Friday.
On the way to Jerusalem, to attend Passover, Jesus said

'Father, save Me from this hour!

But for this reason I came to this hour.'

What hour was he talking about?  The hour of his DEATH, of His Crucifixion -  He shrunk from it.

The LAW of God says - 'The soul that SINS shall DIE'

The man, woman, or child that does wrong - does what is opposite to God's Will and Purpose, WILFULLY, will face DEATH.      BUT none  of us are MEANT to Die'  IT IS not GOD'S WILL, He has no pleasure in any one of us actually dying.     He longs to give us  Life - Ezekiel 18v32      BUT, yet again, God cannot alter His own LAW.    And all mankind HAS gone astray and followed his OWN way instead of God's.    Thus we are ALL now sentenced to death, for we HAVE all sinned - Yes!  All of us.

We are told ' 'SEE no evil, HEAR no evil, and SPEAK, no evil.'    This Maxim derives from Confuscionist Philosophy,  not from Christianity.      The PROBLEM is evil is in our flesh, and lives in us.     ST.PAUL tells us that SIN lives, dwell, exists, in our FLESH, and has done since Eve allowed herself to be tempted by Satan, and together with her husband stopped listening to God, and gave in to their personal desires instead.    From that moment all mankind has been born, prone to SIN, and with Sin.
BUT GOD, our Creator, LOVES US, and has no pleasure in seeing any one of us die.    But HOW can we be saved?   What can take AWAY our sin, and purchase our forgiveness having sinned?
And the Voice of the Word of God said ' PREPARE ME A BODY...and I will go and SAVE them'
God prepared a body in the womb of Mary, and when the child was born He was given the name of JESUS.      
And so the WORD was made FLESH and came from Heaven to Earth to live and die among us.
He came first to show us how GOD is, in His Nature and Character, and how a Child of God should live, and then to DIE on our behalf, standing as our Substitute ,and bearing in His own Body our Punishment, so that WE could be forgiven, and receive a NEW life - HIS sin free life - from God.

HE did this for the Love HE had for God, His Father, AND for the love His Father has for Mankind.
He, who was Pure, and Holy, and without SIN,  came to put OUR sin upon Himself, counting them as His Own, taking away OUR Condemnation sand Punishment and suffering instead of US.

BUT He did not go to the Cross without fear.      He, as a man, would have AVOIDED the pain and the shame of it.       He said again to His Father, as he prayed in the Garden the night before Judas came with police to arrest Him......' Father, if it be possible.......YET not my will but YOURS be done.
HE WENT TO THE CROSS out of Love for His Father, and His Father's love for us.      As he hung, nailed to the Cross, He was heard to cry out ' My God, my God why have you forsaken me?   Perhaps the most dreaded and AWFUL moment had come, the Moment when God looked away from His Own Son because of the Sin of All of US that covered up and HID him from view.      We cannot imagine the terrible, devastating, isolation and loneliness that came upon HIM then - a deep despair that would otherwise come to each and every one that dies in UNBELIEF of God's Way of Salvation;
of everyone that dies uncleansed and unforgiven of their sin.

SOME people seem unaware and unconvicted of their being anything wrong with them.    They might even declare that they have no sin, and have no need of forgiveness or God.    
THE BIBLE tells us differently.  
St. JOHN who knew and loved Jesus the most, said in his 1st Letter 1v8-10

IF we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, 

and the TRUTH is not in us.

IF we say we have not sinned,

we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

BUT - v.9 - 

IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to

FORGIVE us our sins,

and to CLEANSE us from ALL unrighteousness.

Just because a person has not been caught Stealing, or Murdering, or committing Adultery, does not mean they have never had an evil thought, or seen others doing wrong and been unwilling to report it. Some people feel that you can LIE but it doesn't matter, or even pilfer and take what is not yours.   They are not convinced it is wrong.     Their CONSCIENCE is not working.

EVE only took a fruit that was offered to her.      She had been warned by GOD not to even want it.

It looked harmless, even desirable to her - so why not - may be God was just a 'spoil sport.'

SO she took and gave also to her husband who was with her, and they both enjoyed the fruit.   It did not seem something VERY important - but it cost them EVERYTHING.    They were condemned to DIE.       They could have lived forever.     Instead they brought Death upon themselves for a moments happiness - and brought death upon ALL of us as well.

And God grieved, and finally had to see His own Son die so that WE might be saved   -  but remember NOT all are saved.     ONLY those who believe in God's Plan of Salvation in Christ.

Be VERY careful, and faithful to God in what you LOOK at!

Be VERY careful and faithful to God in what you LISTEN to!

Be VERY careful and faithful to God in what you SPEAK and SAY.

Will you not say with me today

THANK You Father for allowing Jesus to come to change places with me on the Cross.

Thank you Jesus for going through my punishment, and for sparing me from being separated from God.

THANK YOU for taking my condemnation altogether upon yourself

and for giving up in every way your Life for me, that I might LIVE.

WE all wish you a VERY Blessed Easter, full of Peace, Joy, and Spiritual Renewal..

John, Esther, and Daryl Green

those who are alive at His Coming will not stop those who are ASLEEP!

HERE WE ARE AGAIN in a photo taken by Ian Hogley during their recent visit.    My dear Esther does not show her 73 years, but my almost 77 years begin to be 'felt' at last.    But God has blessed us together, and given us happiness together.      We truly Thank our Lord Jesus, and our Father in Heaven for keeping us well and strong all these years - not a small miracle when you think about it.

AND HERE WE ARE YET AGAIN - this time with our son DARYL.    As you may remember Daryl was invited to be the one to take over from me as Director of Testimony Faith Homes & School. This is his THIRD year in office.      Daryl is a good business man and administrator.   He is not perfect of course.   He also has a mind of his own, and full of good intentions based on his own innovative ideas.      NOT EASY for him, still, as he is sitting in my shadow.  Rather like Prince Charles and his great, great grandfather Edward V1th waiting to be really FREE to Reign for themselves.     And of course it may be a step worse for us since I am no longer 'king' but still hang around to make comments about the NEW Reign!  Neither of us always agree on how something should be done, but so far God has helped him - and me - and I believe that he will finally make the most of his opportunity in front of God.      He is a hard worker,  and has already been used of God to overcome difficulties we have had with Government and the Inland Revenue, and even in Banking.     What of his spiritual life?     Daryl continues to testify that Jesus is his Lord and Saviour.     He still fights the devil in his life.    Pray for him, and believe, with us, for him, and for his sanctification.     He will be 45 this year.      He has made mistakes in living his life, and is over conscious of those mistakes, as much as he often feels mistrusted in, and often judged, in the here and now.   BUT he needs encouragement.       I have not always helped him in this, being too demanding, and often unwilling to suffer change.     You need to pray for me too!     But he has a free hand under our Board of Management, and  without any sign of censure.       He is the 'New Man' in an old ministry - There is bound to be differences and changes in the way he Leads and Manages.      As long as JESUS is allowed to remain LORD and MASTER, all will be well, and Vision will be renewed and expanded.

Some whose name and testimony have been with us many decades are now passing on.   To the left is a photo of our dear friend Ann Lipson, for many years a supporter and Team Member of IcFem in Kimillili, and before that an enthusiastic and well used Physics Teacher in many of our Schools, not least at Lugulu           Girls High School, and in addition a well known evangelist and generous friend to many.       Ann and ourselves, although at some distance from each other,  met quite often.    We visiting her last School to preach and fellowship, and she visiting us in Testimony.     An amazing and very committed sister in Jesus she will be greatly missed by all who had to the good fortune to know her.      She was about 78 - a year or so older than myself.      She, as myself, had problems with her teeth.  Both our dentists said it was due to lack of calcium (probably being in need of milk) during the War years in which we were both growing up.    I lady I shall always admire and remember with Thankfulness.

TO THE RIGHT is a photo of The Rev. Dr. Henry Joseph, founder of Marinatha Ministries in Chennai, India.    Dr. Joseph studied in I.B.T.I., my old Bible College in Sussex, England a year before I arrived in 1966.      A man of Faith and Vision he founded a pentecostal ministry that raised churches, bible schools and orphanages throughout India.    A man of great strength and
christian character.
He is grandfather to Prem Joseph, our daughter Elisabeth' husband. We were blessed to meet up with him when we attended Lizzy's Wedding in 2000.     Already quite elderly and still missing his wife who had recently passed on, Dr Joseph was still full of energy and ministry.    A man who stood up for Jesus to the very end of his life on earth.
He will be missed among all his peers, as a true pioneer and champion of the gospel.    News of his Promotion to Glory has come to us just as I was writing the Blog.      Our sincere love and Prayers go out to all the family and all the many friends and associates who will be mourning his demise.

TWO WEEKS (approximately) BEFORE PASSOVER,   a Man called Lazarus, friends of Jesus, together with his sisters Mary and Martha, DIED.     The Gospel of JOHN 11-12.

And Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick - v2.
He was not far away when He heard; about 40 kilometers, BUT He made no attempt to get up from where he was and go to his friend, Lazarus.      He said, probably in a hastily written note sent by a runner to the family home in Bethany -

'This sickness is not unto DEATH, but that the Son of God

might be glorified.'

And He remained where He was for TWO more days.    He was just about two weeks from His Crucifixion - two weeks away from His Own Death.

He said to His disciples, after he had sent the note -

'Our friend, Lazarus, sleeps!

But I go that I may wake him up.

And His disciples replied immediately say 'Lord, if he sleeps then he does well!'

JESUS realising that they had not fully understood what He had meant, told them clearly, saying

'LAZARUS IS DEAD!

and I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there, in order that

you might believe!'

MARY BELIEVED -but she had SEEN her brother DIE and be BURIED.\

Jesus said to her - ' Your brother shall rise again!

But Mary pointed out that he had been FOUR days in the tomb, and was already decomposing.

JESUS said to her  ' I AM the Resurrection and the Life.    He / or she / that believeth in ME, though he were dead - yet shall her LIVE.'

Mary and Martha went with Jesus to the TOMB.

The STONE was still in place, covering the entrance.   'ROLL THE STONE AWAY' says Jesus.

Then, as one and other went to move the stone, Jesus shouted out ' LAZARUS!  COME OUT!'

And, almost immediately, there Lazarus was, at the opening of the cave, and still bound up in his grave clothes, and a cloth tie around his face.

HE WAS ALIVE and well a week later, when Jesus spent the night in his home, and had supper with him before going up to Jerusalem, and the waiting Cross.  - 12v1     Tradition tells us that he lived another 30 years before dying in the Island of Cyprus where, it is said, he was by then Bishop of Larnaca.   BUT, although Jesus WOKE HIM UP from sleep, he did not rise up GLORIFIED, and with a new sin free body.  Lazarus had to finish his pointed sleep, and be finally woken up on the Last Day.

THE JEWS, even some of those where were weeping at the tomb, wanted to KILL him!!  12v10

They wanted to KILL Jesus even more.

The morning after the Feast at Lararus' home, Jesus found Himself sat on a donkey travelling slowly up to Jerusalem.    It was only about SIX days now to the Passover.   The Lamb of God was soon to be offered up for the sin of the world.     

ON THE WAY, two Greeks, tried to be introduced to Jesus, but He said to them nothing.   INSTEAD

He spoke to all those that thronged excitedly around Him, shouting and singing -

HOSANNA!

Blessed is the King of Israel

that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

He said to THEM -

'If any an serve Me, let him follow Me,

And wherever I am there shall also my servant be.

If any man serve Me him will my Father honour.

THEN, more quietly, He continued..

NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED.

And what shall I say?

Father!   Save me from this hour -

BUT for this reason I have come to this hour!

NOW is the judgement of this world;

NOW shall the Prince of this World be cast out.

AND I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH,

will draw all men to Me.

BUT - THOUGH HE HAD DONE SO MAN MIRACLES.

yet they believe Him NOT

and changed their minds about Him

DENYING THEY HAD ANY KING BUT CAESAR

and crying out for the one they HAD proclaimed as King of Israel

TO BE CRUCIFIED!