Reminders are a good thing!!!

This picture caught my eye, because I can relate to it easily today.  What started as a head cold has gone into my chest and it feels like I have the flu.  So, everything seems odd to me today.  When I saw this picture, I remembered I should take my medicine if I want to get better.   There was someone in the Old Testament who was sick and didn't realize it and needed to take the treatment of humility to get better...

WEB: Daniel Chapter 4

[29] At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. [30] The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? [31] While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from the sky, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you: [32] and you shall be driven from men; and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field; you shall be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. [33] The same hour was the thing fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair was grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. [34] At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. [35] All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or ask him, What are you doing? [36] At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me; and my counselors and my lords sought to me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me. [37] Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.

In the verses preceding this passage, God had warned Nebuchadnezzar through the prophet Daniel about the dangers associated with pridefulness. Nebuchadnezzar did not listen and when pride raised its ugly head, God brought the king low.  After a time, he was restored and gave glory and honor to the king of heaven.  Seven years of humility is a harsh treatment, but in his case a necessary one.  Hopefully, we can see the signs in our life and change for the better before God humbles us!!!  There is one thing that is bothering me, though, and that is what could possibly be wrong with the person who sees a breakfast in this way???  Maybe I shouldn't even ask, but simply say: "Take your meds... now"!!!!

Are you a disciple of Jesus by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/disciple.htm

What is a disciple of Jesus??....  Gary

Is he... there?

My wife told me yesterday that NCIS was listed in the paper as the number one TV show in America and I believe it!  Everything about it just catches your attention.  From the assistant coroner to the leader Jethro Gibbs himself, each and every character is interesting.  I find Abby especially interesting because she is both kooky and intelligent at the same time.  But, it is Gibbs that makes the show!!!  He has an uncanny way of knowing what everyone is doing, seeing through each persons' character and knowing what they are going to do BEFORE they do it that I find very curious indeed!!!  Like someone else in the Bible that the apostle John presents...

WEB: John Chapter 1
[35] Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, [36] and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” [37] The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "“What are you looking for?”"

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”

[39] He said to them, "“Come, and see.”"

They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "“You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas”" (which is by interpretation, Peter). [43] On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, "“Follow me.”" [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

[46] Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

[47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, "“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”"

[48] Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered him, "“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”"

[49] Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”

[50] Jesus answered him, "“Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!”" [51] He said to him, "“Most certainly, I tell you, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”"

Jesus has such a range of attitudes that sometimes he is a little hard for me to understand.  Yet, like Gibbs in NCIS, he knows what is going on before it happens and even more than that, he can perceive peoples' thoughts!!!!  I have often wondered what it would have been like to have walked with Jesus as the twelve did.  To actually hear his words and see his deeds!!!  Well, that is not going to happen, but we do have the scriptures to his us insights into Jesus' character, but I wonder.... Did Jesus ever make faces...??????

Apostolic succession by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/aposucc.htm

Is authority important?  What kind?  Read and see... Gary

The Apostacy and Restoration by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/apostasy.htm

interesting topic... Gary

Understanding "Change"

Today, two pictures caught my eye.  They seemed to go together with a common theme. Change is the topic and understanding it is paramount to living in the 21st century.  Check out the list in the first picture and compare it to what your life was like before you discovered the opposite sex.  If its radically different, then you are probably a "baby boomer", if not, maybe "Generation X".  If you have no difficulty in deciphering the binary calendar, then just classify yourself as a geek and deal with it. there are times when not being able to recognize something is a very good thing and the chapter from Revelation is a good example...

World English Bible: Revelation of John Chapter 12
[1] A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. [2] She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. [3] Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. [4] His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. [5] She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. [6] The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

[7] There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. [8] They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. [9] The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [10] I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. [11] They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. [12] Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

[13] When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. [14] Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. [15] The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. [16] The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. [17] The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

One of my favorite blogs is "right truth" and last week they had a most provocative post about how government is controlling more and more of our lives and will approach Tyrannical status in the near future.  From where I sit, its already there, with the EPA, IRS, INS and ATF exerting excessive control in most of our lives. As bad as these agencies are, they are nothing compared with the power the early Christians faced with the authoritarian government of the Roman Empire.  Its no wonder that Revelation is couched in the prophetic symbolism of the Hebrew Prophets.  If the Romans understood what was really being said, they would have radically increased their efforts to exterminate every last Christian.  Its hard for those of us from the 21st century to understand Revelation, because to really get it, you have to adjust your thinking from literal to figurative, but once you do, bingo.  Rome loses, Christians win.  Its just that simple!!!  I may never truly understand the 21st century, with all its new ideas, but I get that Christians win.  Just don't ask me to convert it to binary and put it into a timetable calendar!!!

Angry Words! O let them never by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/angwords.htm

I wish all Christians would read this one... Gary