Elijah the Tishbite by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/text/1ki17_1.htm

One of my all-time favorite characters...Gary

Brownstones, stairs and Jesus

This picture reminds me of the staircases that were in my Great-Aunt's brownstones in Boston.  They were old, but you tell that at one time people of great wealth had owned them.  Whenever I was in Boston, inspecting her property was a priority, so I spent a lot of time going up and down stairs like these.  Naturally, they reminded me of two passages in the Scriptures and here they are...

WEB: Genesis Chapter 28

[10] Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. [11] He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13] Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. [14] Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”

[16] Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” [17] He was afraid, and said, “How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”

WEB: John Chapter 1

[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.”"

Jacob and Philip were two very different individuals.  They did have something in common, though... they had an encounter with God.  He showed them the way to heaven and I can't really imagine a better thing to know about.  The more I think about it, stairs will never be the same again!!!

Prove yourself a man, by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/text/1ki2_1.htm

Enjoy... Gary

The "sweet spot"

I have had this picture in my collection for some time, but it wasn't until just a few moments ago that I realized what it meant to me.  For a long time I have been just looking at the beautiful sky and the marvelous reflection in the water.  Make no mistake; it is beautiful!!!  But today, I focused my attention on the mist.  Funny, but it reminded me of the "sweet spot" that Earth occupies in the universe.  If our planet was closer, it would be too hot for life and if farther, then too cold.  Just right!  God makes things "just right"!!!  This makes sense; as the creator of the universe, he does what he pleases.  Believe it or not, this led to a chapter from the book of Jonah, which is listed below...

World English Bible: Jonah Chapter 1

[1] Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”

[3] But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. [4] But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. [5] Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep. [6] So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

[7] They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. [8] Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

[9] He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

[10] Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them. [11] Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy. [12] He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”

[13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. [14] Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.” [15] So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. [16] Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.

[17] Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

God cares for us all, no matter what nationality we are!!!  Nineveh was a city hated by the Jews and Jonah did not want to go there when told to.  In fact, he went in the opposite direction!!!  God directed the sea and it obeyed!!  People listened and then when they learned that the creator of the universe was behind their troubles they were "exceedingly afraid"!!  Who wouldn't be?  We are small insignificant creatures as compared to Almighty God.  Imagine the power to stir up the sea or put the whole Earth in just the perfect "sweet spot"?  Hopefully it won't take a great fish to get us to listen...?  Take one more look at the picture.  Its not just beautiful, it has a message and that is God has placed us exactly where we are to accomplish what HE wants us to.  And that is not just some "fish story" its real life; its YOUR LIFE!!  Still don't get it... read Jonah chapter 2 and see what he did...

Nathan's rebuke by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/text/2sa12_1.htm

I hope you enjoy this one...Gary

Bearable

Makes you almost wish you had a "teddy bear" again, doesn't it?  In real life, Bears are ferocious hunters and have killed many a human being.  Yet, the world is such that even they need love.  Which makes me ask the question: Does love have a purpose?  Is it just a feeling, or perhaps a necessary animal urge in order that the species may continue or something else?  I wonder, does God have a part?  Here is an except from an Old Testament book that may give us some insight...

WEB: Esther Chapter 2

[1] After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. [2] Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. [3] Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them; [4] and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

[5] There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, [6] who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. [7] He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter. [8] So it happened, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. [9] The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house. [10] Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known. [11] Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

[12] Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women). [13] The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house. [14] In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name. [15] Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her. [16] So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. [17] The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

WEB: Esther Chapter 4

[13] Then Mordecai asked them return answer to Esther, “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews. [14] For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The Jews had been deported to Babylon, which was by the time of this tale was now controlled by the Persians.  Vashti, the queen has displeased the king and so another queen was sought.  Esther (a Jewess) is chosen by the king to become the new queen.  Haman persuades the king to allow all the Jews to be killed and Esther's uncle Mordecai warns her that she won't escape death either.  So, we come to verse 14.  Did God cause the king to love her, so that the Jews would survive?  You be the judge!!!  It seems to me entirely possible.  Do I know; of course not!  But there is something in the human condition that wants to see order and purpose in everything.  We are hard wired that way by God.  Is it then so unreasonable to assume that God could not use our decisions (this really does include the decision to love another) to accomplish HIS will?  Love is a necessary fundamental of life and more than that it makes life BEARABLE!!!

At the front or at the base by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/text/1sa30_21.htm

Interesting lesson; I have never heard this one before... Gary