The first Christian was a felon.
Not Peter.
Not Paul.
Not your pastor.
A criminal. Hanging on a cross. Hours from death.
He beat everyone to paradise.
Think about that.
Before the disciples figured out the resurrection.
Before Paul got knocked off his horse.
Before the first church was planted.
Before a single creed was written.
A thief looked at Jesus and said, “Remember me.”
And Jesus said, “Today.”
The first Christian had no church.
No baptism.
No small group.
No Bible study.
No accountability partner.
No 6-week membership class.
He had nails in his wrists and six hours to live.
The first Christian never tithed.
Never served on the worship team.
Never read a single epistle.
Never debated Calvinism vs Arminianism.
Never posted a Bible verse on his timeline.
The first Christian was a convicted criminal who couldn’t lift his hands to pray.
And he’s been in paradise for 2,000 years.
Meanwhile.
You’ve been in church for 20 years.
You’ve read the Bible cover to cover.
You’ve got the theology down cold.
You’ve memorized the Roman Road.
You can articulate penal substitutionary atonement.
And you’re still wondering if that guy who prayed last week really “got it.”
The first Christian didn’t “get it.”
He got HIM.
That’s the difference.
He didn’t understand substitution.
He didn’t understand imputation.
He didn’t understand justification by faith alone.
He understood one thing:
The man next to him was a King.
And he wanted in.
“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
That’s it.
That’s the whole conversion.
No altar call.
No counseling room.
No follow-up email.
Just a criminal, a King, and a request.
And here’s the part that should wreck you:
His theology was WRONG.
“When you come into your kingdom.”
He thought Jesus was about to take an earthly throne.
He didn’t understand the resurrection.
He didn’t understand the ascension.
He didn’t understand the second coming.
He got the timeline completely wrong.
And Jesus saved him anyway.
He didn’t correct his eschatology.
Didn’t hand him a doctrinal statement.
Didn’t say, “Well actually…”
He just said, “Today.”
The first Christian had bad theology and a good King.
Some of you have great theology and no King at all.
You know every doctrine.
You can defend every position.
You’ve won every argument.
And you’ve never once said “remember me” like you meant it.
The first Christian wasn’t impressive.
He was desperate.
And desperation got him further than your diploma.
2,000 years of church history.
Councils. Creeds. Confessions.
Seminaries. Denominations. Debates.
And the first one through the door was a dying criminal who couldn’t even fold his hands.
Makes you wonder if we’ve overcomplicated this.
The first Christian didn’t have a platform.
Didn’t have a following.
Didn’t have a ministry.
Didn’t have a book deal.
Didn’t have a podcast.
He had a cross and a question.
And that was enough.
You scrolling through X right now with your Reformed credentials and your theological hot takes…
The guy who beat you to paradise couldn’t read.
He didn’t know the five solas.
He didn’t know the five points.
He didn’t know the four spiritual laws.
He knew one thing:
He was dying.
And so was Jesus.
And Jesus was still a King.
That’s faith.
Not a system. A surrender.
Not knowledge. Recognition.
Not performance. Desperation.
The first Christian.
A felon.
A failure.
A man with hours to live and nothing to offer.
And he’s been home longer than anyone.
What’s your excuse?
An incredibly adorable moment in the colony! 🐧💗
This baby emperor penguin is even bigger than its dad, yet it still waddles right behind him like a child who doesn’t want to leave his father’s side.
🚨 ALERT: In a bombshell interview, Senator John Fetterman goes Nuclear on Democrats, “I checked where gas was a gallon, two years ago in 24 and it was around $3.60-3.65 a gallon, and the world wasn’t on fire... And you know, I don’t remember any Democrats complaining about it.”
🚨 NOW: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is facing MASSIVE UPROAR after calling Scott Presler a "grifter" despite their polite conversation in the airport
Cornyn is ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS that Presler backed Ken Paxton because they couldn't get the SAVE America Act done — then he LOST
Presler is a WORKHORSE 🇺🇸
"Despite a quib reply back from you, I kept things professional & focused on the SAVE America Act.
While I respect that you say you want to ensure wins this November, I speak for millions when I say that voters will be more likely to vote upon the passage of the SAVE America Act.
I’m on the way to the Texas GOP Convention to help ensure all of our Republican candidates win this November — I hope you’ll do the same.
I hope you’ll do the right thing & encourage your colleagues to pass the SAVE America Act — let’s win big." 👏🏻
🚨 NOW — IT'S OFFICIAL: Minnesota $250M Feeding Our Future fraudster Aimee Bock SENTENCED to 41.5 YEARS IN PRISON
Great! Now it's time to go after ILHAN OMAR, whose name and office was involved in this scandal.
Walz and Ellison knew.
🇺🇸 Bernard Robert Stenzel, born on June 18th, 1945 enlisted in the US Army in 1963.
When he was stationed at Ft. Carson, CO, he met his future wife, Gloria. They married after he returned from Vietnam in October of 1966. They had three children. Bernie worked as a maintenance man at Ideal Cement for 43 years, coached his children’s baseball teams and enjoyed watching them play.
He also began going to a PTSD support group where he made life-long friends. Bernie passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. He is greatly missed by his family and friends.
#USArmy #USMilitary #Soldiers #Infantry #TheVietnamWar
Here’s a fun flying story.
When I was flying C-141s in the Air Force, we were taking off from Keesler Air Force Base, MS. Big jet, heavy jet, short runway. It was a morning departure on a beautiful sunny day. We were headed to Panama.
As I made the turn from the taxiway to the runway, I noticed 3 base kids on their bikes stopping to watch us. There’s a road and a bay right off the departure end of the runway. They were just out for a ride and wanted to watch a big jet take off.
As I taxied onto the runway to line up, the copilot and I were waving like maniacs from the cockpit for them to move. They wouldn’t. They thought we were waving at them and they waved back. 🤣
Tower tells us to expedite our takeoff due to traffic on short final. We had our clearance so I powered up, brakes held, and took off.
On departure, Tower called and said all 3 were thrown into the bay but were ok. We‘d tossed them about 50 fee, bikes and all.
Probably had the time of their lives and still tell this story today! 🤣
Unfollow me if you have a problem with me being Black and not supporting Karmelo Anthony.
I will not be intimidated by the threats I’ve been receiving from Karmelo Anthony supporters.
He took someone else’s life. Austin Metcalf is never coming back. His family will never get to hug him again. His parents have to wake up every single day knowing their son is gone forever.
I am not standing with someone based on skin color.
I am a human being first. And one human being wrongly killed another human being.
If you think Austin’s killing was no big deal because he was white, then you are straight-up racist.
Wrong is wrong.
I don’t care if the victim is white, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or anything else. A life was taken, and I will never celebrate that. I will never excuse that. And I will never be bullied into defending it.
🚨 NOW: Oil has PLUMMETED to nearly $85 per barrel after President Trump shocked the world by announcing a potential Europe peace deal signing with Iran this weekend
EVEN IRAN is now acknowledging that "large parts" are finalized!
JD VANCE would be going, and the Strait of Hormuz would IMMEDIATELY open — plus no nuclear Iran
Pray for peace! Gas prices set to go WAY down 🔥
"The Iranians are acknowledging that large parts of an agreement have been finalized and that Qatar and Pakistan are actively working as negotiators."
"This comes after Iran angered many of its neighbors in the Gulf this week. After launching strikes against them in retaliation to American military action, last night Iran reportedly fired missiles at a U.S. airbase in Jordan instruct targets in Bahrain and Kuwait."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to President Trump about the deal in a recording to his office expressed appreciation that a final agreement will address Iran's nuclear program among other issues. President Trump says that the naval blockade of Iran will remain in place until the deal has been signed."
The story in the Bible that rattled me before I converted to Christianity from Islam:
The two thieves crucified next to Jesus. I never knew about them. Bro. They’re the whole Gospel in one scene.
Two men. Same sin. Same cross. Same dying breath. Same distance from Jesus — mere feet away on either side.
One mocks Him. One turns to Him and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And Jesus tells the second man: “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Luke 23:43.
That man did ZERO good works. He couldn’t. His hands were nailed down. He never prayed five times. Never fasted. Never gave to the poor. Never got baptized. He had nothing to offer but a dying glance toward Jesus.
And Jesus saved him... on the spot.
In Islam, that man was doomed. No time to balance the scale. No deeds to weigh. Game over. A horrible life with a horrible punishment ahead.
I wonder if that would be me…
Yet in the Gospel, that man was in paradise the same day — because salvation was never about his works. It was about WHO he turned to in his last moment.
Two criminals. Same cross. One simple difference: which one turned to Jesus.
That’s why the Gospel is offensive.
And Jesus asks everyone: who do you say I am?
HILARIOUS: Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the UFC Freedom 250: “We’re never going to see anything like that again, guys, ever… What they’ve built out there is phenomenal. We’ll never see it again. Although, the president’s threatening to leave it permanently… Maybe we’ll just host weekly fights between people in politics and settle our scores that way.”