http://executableoutlines.com/text/2ki7_9.htm
and good news is always welcome...Gary
11/28/11
Monday
The weekends are great; you can get things done and even have a little time to yourself; you can do what you want!!! Then Monday morning comes along and its back to the same old grind. YUK!!! Frustration; you have to do something you don't want to do... work. It is tough!!! Jesus encountered frustration too, as this verse from the book of Matthew shows...
WEB: Matthew 23:37. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Jerusalem was the center of worship for the Jews. It had been the place of much turmoil over the centuries and was the seat of great kings like David, Solomon and Hezekiah. However, the Jews were a stubborn people and quite often a prophet sent by God was killed. Jesus knew all this and his frustration with this city is obvious. Yet, he did what he had to do and for that I am thankful. I just wonder how he felt about doing it? Perhaps, it was like the way I feel about Monday's....
Elijah the Tishbite by Mark Copeland
http://executableoutlines.com/text/1ki17_1.htm
One of my all-time favorite characters...Gary
11/27/11
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!!!
11/26/11
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
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