2/24/09

Your favorite food

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I love to eat, but I don't think I will be partaking of this soup anytime in the near future. Whether there are crickets or cockroaches in that little brew makes no difference to me, I don't want any part of it and my guess is that you are thinking one word right now...yuk! Face it, some things you just won't try, no matter what! Quite a number of years ago I worked in a vitreous china factory; no, we didn't make plates, we made toilets. One interesting fact was that it was made up of all sorts of nationalities; Koreans, Vietnamese, Polish, Chinese, Italians, etc.. Lunch time came around and everyone went to their respective groups, in fact, it was a real eyeopener to see how much the various groups hated and looked down upon the others. I am very glad that God doesn't think that way; that he doesn't condone favoritism. Read this passage from the book of Acts to see what I mean:

Act 10:9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
Act 10:10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
Act 10:11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
Act 10:12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
Act 10:14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
Act 10:15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
Act 10:16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
Act 10:17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate
Act 10:18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
Act 10:19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
Act 10:20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."
Act 10:21 And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?"
Act 10:22 And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say."
Act 10:23 So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Act 10:24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
Act 10:25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
Act 10:26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man."
Act 10:27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.
Act 10:28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
Act 10:29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
Act 10:30 And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
Act 10:31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
Act 10:32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.'
Act 10:33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
Act 10:34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
Act 10:35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Act 10:36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
Act 10:37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
Act 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Act 10:39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
Act 10:40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,
Act 10:41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
Act 10:43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
English Standard Version
God doesn't concern himself with just food; its people he cares about; ALL PEOPLE, EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST JEWS! So, the next time you have your favorite food, remember that someone, somewhere, just might look at it and think.... YUK, but God looks at YOU and remembers HIS SON! You and I, in fact all of us, are special because all of us have the opportunity to obey the Gospel and become clean, completely clean. What to hear more... read the first Gospel sermon; its found in Acts chapter two.

Done for

The water just keeps getting deeper and deeper! You are filled with anxiety and apprehension about how deep it will be and whether you are going to make it! And that's just a bath! Today, a lot, and I do mean A LOT of people are concerned about what is going to happen next. They are afraid they will lose their job, their car, their house and who knows what else? I think it is perfectly reasonable to think this way considering what is happening in our country. But I can't help thinking; is this happening for a reason? Read Jonah chapter two for a little insight!

Jon 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly.
Jon 2:2 He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
Jon 2:3 For you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.
Jon 2:4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
Jon 2:5 The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.
Jon 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
Jon 2:7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
Jon 2:8 Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Jon 2:9 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh."
Jon 2:10 Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
World English Bible
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and so what did Jonah do, he went in the opposite direction. Eventually, he finds himself in the belly of a big fish (some say a whale) and realizes he is done for. Then, he comes to his senses and reaches out to God. God listened and delivered him; end of story! Or, is it? Jonah went on to do what God wanted him to but still remained stubborn (and the last part I have never truly understood). See anything here; well, I do. America, wake up! We have been allowing this nation to turn from God in many ways for a long time and its getting worse. Do we really have to find ourselves in a situation where we realize we are done for before we change our way? Its not too late, pray about it; Jonah did and it worked. Maybe, just maybe it will work again!!

My wildest dreams

This sleeping kitten seems to be dreaming about something; I wonder what it could be? It does raise questions in my mind about dreams, though; what is their purpose and what do they mean? People have speculated about these questions for as long as there have been people, so don't expect me to have all the answers, save one from the book of Genesis:

Gen 40:1 It happened after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
Gen 40:2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Gen 40:3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
Gen 40:4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.
Gen 40:5 They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
Gen 40:6 Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.
Gen 40:7 He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"
Gen 40:8 They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."
Gen 40:9 The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,
Gen 40:10 and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.
Gen 40:11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."
Gen 40:12 Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
Gen 40:13 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.
Gen 40:14 But remember me when it will be well with you, and show kindness, please, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
World English Bible
God gave the butler and the baker the dreams in order that Joseph might interpret them and ultimately save the Jews from starvation. God cared for them and he cares for us as well. I am approaching the sunset years of my life and I have seen many of my wildest dreams come true; not in any way that I could imagine, but in God's own way of doing things. So, the next time you have a dream, perhaps God may be trying to tell you something. I just wish Joesph was here to help us understand, it would make life so much simpler.