“Where there is no obedience there is no virtue,
where there is no virtue there is no good,
where there is no good there is no love,
where there is no love, there is no God,
and where there is no God there is no Paradise.”
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
(sea oats along the beach at Rosemary Beach, Fl / Julie Cook / 2018)
Jesus could’ve put an end to this right now with Pilate, but he didn’t.
He let it go on because he was going to war. This was his victory march.
He was going to win and it would all be shown on Easter morning, the day of Ascension,
and when he is glorified in Heaven. And you want to know when the real end result will be?
When all of us, who this work paid for our sins,
stand cleansed in the blood of the Lamb before God’s throne on the end day and he says,
‘Welcome into my presence, you good and worthy servants.’
Steve Ray
from The Pain of the Crucifixion
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
The quote perhaps needed one more line “Where there is no Paradise, there is Evil.” Maybe it should be “Where there is no God, there is Evil.” So thankful that there is a God!
I knew I needed your input to make it right!!!!! 🤩
It was right, just not finished. 😀
@Oneta
That is something to think about. Where there is no God, what is there?
Evil, some say, is the absence of good. Yet indifference, not hatred, is the absence of love. So what is evil?
The Bible calls separation from from God death. Perhaps evil is just the dreadful stench that arises from those who have separated themselves from God. Without God there is no life. Where there was life, the dead are dying.
I love this! And I love Oneta’s addition, too! Love YOU, dear Julie!! ❤