Jonah slipped outta God’s directive and wound up jailed, in a fish; cried out for God’s help, became fish-disgorge, bleached and beached, opted to go preach, saved the Ninevites nation. What can we learn? Folks squirm outta life daily only to enter self-incarceration; self-reproach, fright, despondency. These we try to lighten with encouragement; sometimes these hide away, we lose touch with them. Through probation, prison, parole, or local jail, 6.7 million Americans wear the dregs of cement and bars — 2.7% of adult population or 1 out of every 37 Americans have been sent “up the river,” (as of 2015). What’s up with these? — Scott Rasmussen reports. Some questions crop up: did not God throw a mighty tempest toward Jonah’s run-away boat and sailor friends? Did the bloody blokes not become suspicious of Jonah? Did they not, in turn, throw the fugitive overboard? Let’s review: So far,…
Healing at the Cross Posts
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly), does not act unbecomingly. does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it, [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. 1 Corinthians…
“The truth, however, is that Job was suffering for others, that he was, by the grace of God, a martyr… ” “The righteous sufferers, the martyrs, what are they? Always the vanguard of humanity. Where they go and the prints of their bleeding feet are left, there is the way of improvement, of civilization, of religion. In contrast, the most successful man, preacher, journalist or statesman, is popularly supposed to be leading the world in the right path. Where the crowd goes shouting after them, is that not the way of advance? Do not believe it. Instead, look for a teacher, a journalist, a statesman who is not as successful as he might be; he will, at all hazards, stand for the true. The Christian world does not yet know the best in life, thought and morality. He who sacrifices position and esteem to God’s righteousness, he who will not bow down to the great idol at the sound of sack-but and psaltery, observe where that man is…
It lurks in the recesses of a man’s heart and will surely appear when provoked by circumstance, and Job’s stuffing came out a display of abject transparency. We can say that Job’s transparency painted him badly; three acquaintances felt this, but his plight had baffled his sense of justice. “Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, implies openness, communication, accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. It has been defined simply as “the perceived quality of intentionally shared information from a sender”.[1] “The thing about transparency is that it shows. Period. When you’re open and direct, it shows; when you’re obtuse or avoidant, it also shows.”Beth Levine writes at http://www.smartmouthcommunications.com/the-thing-about-transparency/ I say, when our junk makes it’s appearance we can’t just display it, but we must be honest about it, but……
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. The “kingdom of God” refers to personal governmental authority, the operational will of God. Personal authority, to be lasting, must be of the same order of Jesus Christ. not the authority of autocracy or coercion, not a superstitious nature. Autocratic authority is to rule by right of insistence and not by right of personal integrity. Chambers Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to act in an involuntary manner by use of intimidation or threats or some other form of pressure or force. Wikipedia Another kind of authoritative practice is Sophistry which is self-government- self realization Superstition is any belief or practice that is irrational – i.e., it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic,…
Courage, The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery. Strength in the face of pain or grief. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ “Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty” Merriam-Webster “Any fool can be fearless. Courage, true courage, derives from that sense of who we are…” Barak Obama “Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. ” Maya Angelou, as quoted in USA Today (5 March 1988) “Be strong and of a good courage.” Joshua 1:6 Courage deflects fear, gives consistency, withstands danger, endures pain. Nevertheless, Courage, God’s way… fills the gap (tiny passageway) where truth oversees and refuses the broad-way compromise. A teen courageously defies his parents; it took courage to smoke my first cigarette, then my first joint. It takes guts to steal a car, drink a shot of tequila, stay out past curfew, shoot something in my vein. Intestinal fortitude does jail time…
Courage, The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery. Strength in the face of pain or grief. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ “Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty” Merriam-Webster “Any fool can be fearless. Courage, true courage, derives from that sense of who we are…” Barak Obama “Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. ” Maya Angelou, as quoted in USA Today (5 March 1988) “Be strong and of a good courage.” Joshua 1:6 Courage deflects fear, gives consistency, withstands danger, endures pain. Nevertheless, Courage, God’s way… fills the gap (tiny passageway) where truth oversees and refuses the broad-way compromise. A teen courageously defies his parents; it took courage to smoke my first cigarette, then my first joint. It takes guts to steal a car, drink a shot of tequila, stay out past curfew, shoot something in my vein. Intestinal fortitude does jail time…
“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony…” Exodus 25:21-22 “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.” Psalm 26:12 “…And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1John 2:1-2 The mercy-seat of God, the even place, and the propitiation speak of a one-and-the-same place. Here, all that hinders a face to face with God flies away. Things remaining, join us to Him. Sin and sin’s…
A football player rode the bench. He never played, never planned to play, he was third string. In this game the first stringer went down, broken leg. Bad for the team but no worries for our guy, second string went in. Before long this halfback twisted something. Oh no, the bench rider was up. “George, put on a helmet,” the coach shouted. “But coach, I can’t do it, I have never played.” “Just get in there, you’ll be fine.” “Can’t, sorry coach, I’m afraid.” Coach had to call for a time out, and then he spoke these words: “George, relax, you’re gonna be my secret weapon.” “Whatta ya mean coach?” “I’m gonna put the spirit of a great running back in you.” “How?” “Trust me.” “Who?” “Franco Harris” “Now get in the game.” The story makes us laugh. It’s a fairy story to a lot of us. Some vital points…
In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. John McCrae https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/in-flanders-field/ In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem: We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies. She then conceived of an idea…