Pope Francis' Burial Wishes and his Final Testament

 How tragic and sad this is. Have you read Pope Francis' Burial Wishes and his Final Testament

Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop,
I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the
Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains
rest - awaiting the day of the Resurrection - in the Papal Basilica of
Saint Mary Major.

John 14:6 (ESV) 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Sorry, but you cannot reach the Father through Mary. Entrusting yourself to the mother of Jesus will do nothing for you. She cannot grant you anything; only through Jesus Christ can we receive true life.

If you have not yet entrusted yourself to Jesus, picked up your cross, and choose to follow Him, now is the time. Repent and become a true disciple of Jesus.
That is the only way to find real, everlasting life.

Excited about reading and studying God's word

When will people get as excited about reading and studying God’s Word as they do about watching a movie or TV show that takes liberties with the word of God? (The chosen, House of David)

People often say, “At least it gets others to start reading the Bible.” That might be true—but does it lead to more than a verse or two? Does it stir up a desire to really study God’s Word?
Are they curious about the biblical parts they heard or the non-biblical parts they saw and heard? Are they just looking for something that makes them feel good or are they looking for the truth?

Why do we feel the need to add things that aren’t in Scripture? Is God’s Word not complete enough for us?

Each episode is about 35 minutes to an hour. Do we spend that much time reading and studying the Bible ourselves?

Do we truly want to know what God said—or are we more curious about what He might have said, or what might have happened?

Do we need the Bible glitzed up and polished just to get us to seek Him?

Maybe I’m being too critical. Maybe I’m just a stick in the mud.
But I still think it’s something worth thinking about.

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Here's some stuff I pulled off the web about the chosen.

Jenkins’ stated goal in creating the show was to help people know Jesus better and love Scripture more. To reach that goal, he and the other scriptwriters took the gospel accounts and added what are, in their opinion, plausible details about the lives of the biblical figures found there. They added backstories to well-known characters and fleshed out other characters who might receive only a passing mention in Scripture.

The changes are designed to give each episode a feeling of being grounded in real life. One example of these artistic choices is that the disciple Matthew is depicted as a young man on the Asperger’s/autism spectrum

Some comments from Reddit?

The Chosen is based, primarily, on the four accounts of the Gospel. So that each of the many characters feel like real human beings, they are all given lines (many of Jesus's apostles never speak a word in the Gospel) and backstories (we know very little about any of Jesus's apostles, save for Peter and a few details about a couple others).

This requires "adding" material to fill in the blanks, making for scenes that progress the plot and character growth in ways not seen in the scriptures.

There are countless creative liberties taken.

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It's based on the Bible, yes. Does everything that happens on the show happen in the Bible? No. But could it have happened? Yes, theoretically.

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Something can be non-Biblical without being un-Biblical. That's where much of The Chosen falls.

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The Chosen added the story. But remember that it is not scripture and has never claimed to be. So it isn’t violating the scripture.

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Your concerns were my concerns when I first started watching and, to be honest, I found myself thinking "That is not in the Bible", However, then I realized that it could very well have happened that way.  

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So, with those comments what are we seeking the Bible glitzed up and polished just to make us feel good? Are we seeking the truth and are we wanting others to seek the truth?

This video showed up on my YouTube feed About The Chosen. I do not watch The Chosen So I do not know if this is accurate or not but if it is accurate how can you continue to watch it? 

https://youtu.be/JEFqXKcQIKY?si=6c0EFvxK7VYLwS4x 

New Pope?

I've heard people ask who will be the next Pope? I've heard everything from Joe Biden, Mel Gibson, even JD Vance because we all know he killed him lol. I have heard that there is white smoke coming from the papal conclave. So, let's see who it is….  
Hey that's a good-looking pope lol. Looks like I'm ready to sign autographs and Cindy must have mixed up some kind of holy water from her chemistry books lol. 

It's a great thing we already have an intercessor that lives.

 

My own action figure of me!

 

After seeing Wes Huff Facebook post about his AI action figure, I couldn't resist. So, I had ChatGPT make one of me lol.

This is what I asked ChatGPT to do:
Can you turn this photo into an action figure? You can add a body to my Head. Make it look like it's in a box like action figure being sold add a Bible and a sword in the box with me. 

And it made it for me. I thought it was pretty good.
After chat GTP made my action figure it asked,   
ChatGPT: Want to add any other accessories or make a custom backstory for the figure?

Me: Yes, I would, what would be a custom back story for this figure? ChatGPT create one that I thought was kind of funny. Then ChatGPT asked ChatGPT: Want to include this as a "bio card" on the back of the packaging or want me to design that too?
Me: Yes, include a bio card on the back of the packaging and you design it

I have posted here the images of what ChatGPT produced for me. Let me know what you think in the comments.

 

Crying Out in the Wilderness

 John 1:23 (ESV) 
He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

You know, sometimes I really do feel like a voice crying out in the wilderness. Do I—or will I—make any difference with what I say or do? Will anyone even listen? And if they do, will it matter?

Then I remember—it’s not up to me to make a difference. All I can do is what the Lord wants me to do and say what He wants me to say. It’s the Holy Spirit who takes anything I offer and uses it for God’s glory.

I know I don’t have the power to change anyone’s life—that’s Christ job, not mine. My part is just to be available, to be His vessel, and to be faithful in speaking and doing what He puts on my heart. If I stay true to the Lord then I have taken up my cross and I followed him.

The LORD’S Passover

The Passover is this week April 12, 2025, So I started reading about the Passover in the Bible. Then I came upon this:

Exodus 12:7 (ESV)
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.

 Exodus 12:11-13 (ESV)
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:11
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover.

We must be like them...

With the blood of the spotless Lamb upon the doorposts of our hearts
and the lintels of our lives,
we are marked—set apart—redeemed.

When He calls, whether in the stillness of night or the blaze of day,
we must be ready to rise,
ready to move,
ready to go wherever He leads.

Are we living the life He has called us to live?
Are our hearts tuned to His voice,
our feet swift to follow,
our souls anchored in obedience?

Are you ready? Truly ready?
If not—why?
What holds you back from the One who gave everything for you?

Now is the time to search the soul.
Now is the time to return, to realign, to rekindle.
For when He calls, may He find us faithful—and ready.

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I had some help with the last part of this post I had my original text turned into more poetic style than what I would normally say.