Open Memoir - Rumination Upon The Election Results... Spotlight on Barabbas - God's Truth for Us!

 

Yesterday I went out for the first time after the election...I had depended on something I had no right to do... God had told me that "He had this" and I began to believe I knew what was meant by his message, his response to my cries for action... So, for weeks, I've enjoyed all of the thousands and millions who have attended rallies--seeing hope, joy, and an end to all of the chaos that had been going on for almost a decade. I, along with millions, felt that the first woman president of the United States was going to be named... But, still, as I write this, there was always a bit of doubt that it really was over...

I wore a sparkly cat on my sweater which caught attention... As I was waiting for my friend and her son, a black woman with her son walked by and the child knew he would be put in the shopping cart, so he started walking and his mother said, wait until I get the cart, she said, laughingly. I smiled and said, Here, take mine... She looked at me, old, bent over a little and she said, "are you sure?" I said, yes, and she picked up her son to ride in the cart and moved on into the store. 

I got another cart and decided to step inside the store out of people's way. As I started through the door, another black woman noticed my sparkly cat and commented. We talked a few sentences which I can't remember, because I was already asking my question in my mind... "I have to ask, what did you think of the election?" She looked into my eyes and said "You voted for Kamala..." I nodded and she explained that she hadn't voted but knew she should have--her and her husband's work schedules presented a problem... I cautioned her to "be careful." but I already knew that she would know that. All black people have known throughout their lives that they must be careful--of what they say, of what they do... But it's never been like this--I felt I needed to proactively speak to the black women I saw--I had to do something, some gesture to minimally replace the possible joy and security we had lost once again. Additional words were spoken with the second women, but all I remember was that each of us reached out to hug tightly to each other and she noted she had to get to work... She called out "God Bless You." I returned it... There were several other women with whom I talked after that. It was a time to recognize other people going about their daily lives, shopping, hurrying to work... I became just another, doing the same... But I noticed that there was, still, seemingly, a need to speak out to our neighbors, if only for a minute--to try to connect and hope that things will get better... even in the midst of continued chaos...

On election day, my friend helped me to get to the polling place and then we went on to have lunch together. She talked about having to get home to vote as well. I went home and turned on the television to settle back into my routine at home. But I was tired so decided to take a nap and read, knowing that no results would be known that day. Frankly, I was stunned the next day...How was it possible that a man, like our previous president, could be re-elected? I could not deal with it. Even books could not keep my mind from straying... So I wound up watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel for most of the week... I could shed my tears of sorrow over fictional stories that I could not find in my sorrow over the fact that a convicted felon, and more, could ever be elected OUR president! How was it even possible... Then, as I was continuing to read The Light of the World, mostly every morning, it hit me for, I believe, the first time... the crowds, the mob, the leaders at that time, also chose. To free Barabbas, a known criminal, instead of Jesus who was without sin, so that He could ransom us from any pain that grieved us... Did you know that Barabbas was guilty of insurrection, and more! Quite a coincident that Barabbas and Donald Trump were freed, though guilty...

As I thought about this more, the parallel of Christ's final years on earth are very similar to what had/is happening here in America...

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barabbas-biblical-figure

Barabbas, in the New Testament, a prisoner mentioned in all four Gospels who was chosen by the crowd, over Jesus Christ, to be released by Pontius Pilate in a customary pardon before the feast of Passover.

In Matthew 27:16 Barabbas is called a “notorious prisoner.” In Mark 15:7, echoed in Luke 23:19, he was “in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection” against the occupying Roman forces. John 18:40 describes him as a bandit.

It was the religious leaders and government officials who first chose to select Jesus as a criminal and kill him. Why? Because He was dangerous to those who placed power and money first in their lives. They had no interest in getting rid of guns--give us money and we won't ever attempt to control guns... Give us power and prestige and we'll make sure your taxes are reduced or even totally eliminated... Don't worry about the old, let them die, especially if you don't do an audit to find out why social security funds are no longer earning enough to ensure coverage of what the people put in for their retirement... And, don't worry about kids being hungry...who cares about the cries of the very young or old! Education? They can learn from television or just get dumber and dumber, as we planned!

It was Jesus who went into the crowds to help all those who needed support of any kind...His power was used for good, for feeding the crowds who followed Him to hear of what He offered...And when He went into the temple, He chased out the money-makers who defiled the temple of God by their greed...

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  (24)  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  (25)  "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.*43 (26)  "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.  (27)  "Now my soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  (28)  "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."  (29)  So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to him."  (30)  Joshua answered and said, "This voice has not come for my sake, but for your sakes.  (31)  "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out.*44 (32)  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." *45 (33)  But he was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.  (34)  The crowd then answered him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Messiah is to remain forever; and how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?"  (35)  So Joshua said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.  (36)  "While you have the Light (while Joshua is on the earth), trust in the Light (given by the Maker, our Father), so that you may become sons of Light." These things Joshua spoke, and he went away and hid himself from them.  *43  Verse 25 provides a key teaching of Joshua of what one must do to be his disciple/follower.  This key teaching is repeated in all the gospels (Matt. 10:39, 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24, 17:33) and yet is virtually unknown to the masses who take some Christian label.  Disciples must ask ourselves, ‘are we willing to do this’? *44  In this commentator’s opinion, this was fulfilled with the ransom paid at the cross (Joshua’s death – see Matt. 20:28), and thus Satan lost his strong ruler-ship over mankind – Joshua opened the door to mankind’s prison cell by paying the ransom (Matt. 20:28) and ever since, mankind (each person) is free to choose whom or what they will serve – each person must decide if they are going to walk out of the dark prison cell and go to the Light or not – a cell they have grown accustomed to and feel comfortable in. *45  He was lifted up from the earth and thus he does draw all men to himself.  See Luke 24:51.  Everyone who hears of Joshua has been given an invitation to come.  All who have had the opportunity to hear his words have no excuse for rejecting him.  Substituting bible or christian religion for him is a clever way to reject him. (37)  But though he had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in him.  (38)  This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "Lord, Who Has Believed Our Report? And To Whom Has The Arm Of The Lord Been Revealed?"  (39)  For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,  (40)  "He Has Blinded Their Eyes And He Hardened Their Heart, So That They Would Not See With Their Eyes And Perceive With Their Heart, And Be Converted And I Heal Them."  (41)  These things Isaiah said because he saw his glory, and he spoke of him.*46 (42)  Nevertheless many even of the political rulers believed in him, but because of the religious leaders they were not confessing him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;  (43)  for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. *46  This is a good example of a saying in the scripture being wrong.  The writer John quotes the Jewish prophet Isaiah who in this case says that God “Has Blinded Their Eyes And He Hardened Their Heart, So That They Would Not See With Their Eyes And Perceive With Their Heart”.  The heavenly Father does not blind men nor harden their hearts, rather men do that all by themselves.  Listen to Joshua, whose words are from the Father’s heart - “For I have come not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”.  See the next paragraph – “I have come to save the people of the earth” and those words are given by “the Father Himself”.  All Old Testament sayings should be thought of as potentially painting the wrong picture of God unless the saying is validated by Joshua’s Way and teachings. (44)  And Joshua cried out and said, "He who believes in me, does not believe in me but in Him who sent me.  (45) "He who sees me sees the One who sent me.  (46) "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who trusts in me will not remain in darkness.  (47)  "If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the people of the earth.  (48)  "He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.  (49) "For I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.  (50)  "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me." *47 *47  What more could he say?  He is the Creator’s Messenger.  He is the Light of the world and the Life that everyone needs.  There are consequences for rejecting him and his Light.  Why would you reject him?  What does he say that is wrong? Which of his primary teachings do you disagree with and why?

I have pondered during the last few days as I have once again began to watch "The Last Word." But key for me is that those who have chosen one way or another at the election in America have chosen what they desire--or, for giving them the benefit of the doubt, what they have been persuaded to by false prophets at various levels...

At this time of my life, I look forward never backward. I believed that, even though Harris and Walz lost the election, their promises of joy, support and more for all peoples, is what God has always provided for us, if we choose Him... You see, I now realize that it was not the election that would make the difference for each of us. Rather, it is what we do in the future to support God's plan for each of us on behalf of America... (I learned recently that over 80% of those who voted for him stated they were christian.) The words are the same but have been modified so that I may say that I will not be doing much differently here at Book Readers Heaven. God has used this site in ways that may have caused division, even within my family. But, then, that is part of how we who know Jesus/Joshua act. It is our choice...

I find that I am calm about the future... During my reading these past years... I have found the method/man who has given false information about our children, simply by giving parents what they wanted... He is now dead but the lack of concern for our children still holds sway for those who do not walk the ways of Joshua...

I have watched as the respect owed to all has been lost through the allowance of bullying by our children, which they then continue into their adult lives, doing the same to their children... I have watched and read how many have found only prejudice and discrimination by those with money, power, or simply hatred and a desire for violence...

I could go on but we all know the issues that have divided America many times in the past...which have been allowed to continue now and int0 the future. I will undoubtedly read more about them and share here at Book Readers Heaven. I have chosen to Speak Jesus/Joshua...

I found this video after I had written above...To me, this was God's Confirmation of my (your?) plan for the future...

God Bless Us One and All

Gabby