Confucius (also K'ung Fu-tzu, K'ung-tzu)

Here's an example of a story using jabez and rapha about Confucius:



Rapha asked Confucius, "When we hear a good idea, should we start to do it right away?" Confucius told him no. "First, you should always ask someone with more experience." Later on, Jabez asked Confucius the same question. But this time Confucius said, "Yes, of course you should do it right away." There was another student who had heard both of these conversations and was very confused. He asked Confucius why he had answered the same question in two different ways? "Jabez has a hard time making a decision," Confucius said. "So I encouraged him to be bolder. Rapha sometimes decides things too quickly. So I reminded him to be careful. Naturally different people should get different answers. "


Quotes from Confucius


Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. He who will not economize will have to agonize. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star. It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. Respect yourself and others will respect you. Study the past if you would define the future. The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved. To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness. To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage. To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle. What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others. When anger rises, think of the consequences. When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves. Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart. Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue. Have no friends not equal to yourself.  He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

BACKGROUND
Confucius was a philosopher in ancient China, about 500 BC. His main idea was that people could achieve peace by doing their duty, and cooperating with society. If people rebelled, and everyone tried to do his or her own thing, then the world would be full of fighting and unhappiness. So people should obey the law, and do what the emperor and government officials told them to do. Also, people should do their duty to their parents and take good care of their children, and people should do their duty to their parents/ancestors and to his God. At the same time, the government should do its duty to the people, and not abuse them or ask too much of them. The emperor should be cooperative and helpful to the people, just as the people were helpful and cooperative to him. Because Confucius wanted to make government officials behave better, the Chinese government did not like him while he was alive. But after Confucius died, later emperors of China did use many of his ideas. Of course they mainly liked the idea that people should obey the government, and they weren't so interested in the idea that the government should help the people!

Character for April 2010

For April 2010, we will study 5 character qualities.

Let's  practice them consciously and make them our way of life.
Discernment and discretion are very important pillars of character in our interactions with others.

Diligence vs Slothfulness

Discernment vs Judgement

Discretion vs Simple-Mindedness

Endurance vs Apathy

Faith vs Unbelief

God Bless You

Heroes of the bible- Jacob

Jacob – wrestles with God all night long.



We can’t be certain exactly what happened that night, but maybe it was something like this.

Jacob was moving again.

He pulled up the stakes of his tents, and he and Rachel and Leah and their 12 children packed up all their belongings and loaded them onto a caravan of camels. And with all their servants, and their great flocks of sheep and goats and camels, they were traveling back to the land of Jacob’s father.



They were a few days into their journey when they made camp for the night.


That night they had visitors, they were messengers from God.



“You’re brother Esau is coming to meet you,” they told Jacob.



Oh, oh.

“Esau is coming to kill me!” Jacob said.



When they were kids, they probably got into lots of fights - and Jacob probably always got pounded, because his older brother (by about five minutes! Remember, they were twins - but not identical twins at all) was bigger and stronger than he was - but for some reason that never seems to stop little brothers from getting into fights with their bigger brothers and sisters! That’s where Jacob must have learned it was better to be clever.



Of course, it’s not like they were going to end up wrestling on the ground or anything - they were both over a hundred years old by now!



(Jacob didn’t know it, but he was going to end up wrestling to the ground with God instead!)



But Esau was a powerful, wealthy prince. He had many strong and mighty men who served him - and he was coming to meet his brother.


..or kill him. At least, that was what Jacob was afraid he was planning to do.



And so Jacob came up with a plan to make peace.



He sent messengers on ahead of him. He told them to say to his brother, “I am your obedient servant. God has blessed me, and I come to you with many sheep and goats and camels.”



The messengers went ahead, and when they came back, they told Jacob, “Your brother is on his way, and he has 400 men with him!”

“He is coming to kill me!” Jacob cried.

And so he divided his household into two groups, “That way, if my brother attacks one group, the other may be able to get away.” he said.

And then, for the first time in his life, Jacob prayed to God.

“God of my fathers, please hear my prayer! You told me to go back to the land of my fathers, and that you would make everything go well for me. I came across the Jordan River with nothing but a walking stick, and now, look how rich you have made me! I am not worthy of all the kindness you have shown me.

“But I am afraid. My brother is coming to kill us all! Remember your faithful servant. Remember that you promised that my children would be as many as the sands of the seashore.”

And then Jacob went through his herds and chose gifts for his brother Esau.


He chose goats and sheep, donkeys and cows, and camels.


A good camel was worth more than a good car back in those days. A REAL good camel was like a Mercedes Benz! In the desert, it was probably the most valuable thing you could own.

Jacob divided his gifts into groups, one in front of the other, and sent them on ahead of him. He told the shepherd of each herd, “When you meet my brother, say to him, ‘These are a gift from your servant Jacob. He is coming right behind.’ ”

That way, Jacob hoped that Esau would forgive him.


That night Jacob and his family came to a small stream. Jacob sent his family across the stream to make camp, but he stayed on the other side.

He was afraid. He felt like running away.


Under a starry sky, he sat next to a small fire, with his head down in his hands. “What am I going to do?” he said.

And that’s when a stranger stepped out from the darkness.

“What do you want?” Jacob said to the stranger.

“You asked for my help,” the stranger said.

“Go away! Leave me alone!” Jacob said. Somehow, Jacob knew the stranger was the angel of God. It was God himself, in the form of a man.


“My uncle hates me, my wives can’t get along, and my brother is coming to kill me. A lot of help you have been!” Jacob said, and he tried to push the stranger away. But the stranger grabbed a hold of Jacob’s robe.

“Go away! I don’t need your help!” Jacob said, and the two of them began to wrestle to the ground. The stranger wouldn’t let Jacob go.

“But without me, you have nothing at all,” the stranger said as they struggled back and forth.


“I don’t care, just leave me alone!”


“All right then,” the stranger said, and he began to pull away (but he didn’t let go of Jacob’s robe).

“No! Wait! You can’t leave me here all alone!” And now Jacob was grabbing a hold of the stranger, and he wouldn’t let him go.


“Why would you want to help me? I have been a liar and cheat all my life. I don’t deserve your help.” Jacob said as the two rolled in the sand. “You won’t help me anyway! You have caused me nothing but trouble!!!” (which, of course, wasn’t true at all!)


But the stranger just held on all the tighter.

“You need me,” the stranger said.


“I don’t need you! I don’t want your help!” Jacob said. But deep down inside, deep in his heart, he knew that that was what he needed most. He tried to push the stranger away, but he couldn’t let him go.

And so they wrestled back and forth, on and on, all night long.

Jacob wouldn’t let the stranger go, and the stranger wouldn’t let Jacob go.

Finally, the early light of morning began to creep across the eastern sky.


“I won’t let you go until you bless me!” Jacob finally said, and he wrestled with the stranger all the more. In his heart he was crying out,


“Don’t let go! Don’t ever let go!”


And he wouldn’t let God go.


At last, God struck Jacob on the hip and put it out of joint. Jacob walked with a limp from that day on. It would always remind him of the night he wrestled with God.

And then God said to Jacob, “What is your name?” A strange question to ask after all of this!


“You know who I am!” Jacob said.
God certainly did know. Remember, ‘Jacob’ meant ‘Cheater.’
“I am Jacob!” Jacob answered.

But that’s not who Jacob was anymore. He was not a cheater anymore. Now Jacob knew that everything he had came from God, and not from his own doing. And so God gave him a new name, a princely name.


“You shall be called Israel, which means ‘I have wrestled with God’.”

And then God blessed him, saying,


“I am with you always. In all that you do, and you shall be blessed. Your children shall be as many as the stars in the sky, and the land I promised to your fathers, you shall possess.”

That night, Jacob learned the most important lesson of his life.

Grab hold of God, and never let him go.

Heroes of the bible- Joseph

DAD LIKES YOU BEST

That's what Joseph's big brothers thought.



They were sure their father liked Joseph best.

In some ways they were right. Joseph was the baby of the family. And new babies aren't much good at hunting, or watching sheep. Mostly they just roll around and cry a lot, and you have to do everything for them. So, when baby Joseph came along, of course Jacob spent a lot of time with him. Well, that, and babies are just so cute!



But, Joseph's brothers didn't like it.



And they didn't like Joseph.



They were jealous. They wanted Dad to spend time with THEM. And so as Joseph got older, they picked on him. It was easy to do because they were bigger and stronger. When Dad wasn't looking, they bossed little Joseph around. They put beetles in his bed. They were always making him do stuff for them - like he was their slave or something.


Well, one day they were all going to be in for a BIG surprise!



Of course, being mean to someone their father loved probably wasn't the best idea. Did they think hurting Joseph would make their father love them more? That wasn't too smart.



When Joseph was old enough, he went to work out in the fields with his brothers, watching over the sheep. Joseph was 17 now, and his brothers still didn't like him much.



It probably didn't help things that when Joseph went home at night, he told his father when his brothers were goofing around instead of working.



It really didn't help things much when one day, Jacob gave his son Joseph a new coat.



It was a wondrous coat!



It had long sleeves and was made of many colors. Joseph was so proud! He wore his new coat everywhere he went.



Well, that did it!



Now Joseph's brothers were SURE their father liked Joseph best. And maybe he did. But Jacob loved each of his sons, and would have given his life for any one of them.



Then one night, Joseph had a dream.



The next morning, they were all sitting down for breakfast (you can be sure it wasn't Cheerios or Cap'n Crunch! - more like goat's milk and cheese. Yum!). And Joseph said, "You should have seen this dream I had! I dreamed that we were all out in the field, bundling our wheat together into sheaves. All of a sudden, my sheaf stood up all on its own - and then all of your sheaves made a circle around mine and bowed down to it!"



"Yeah, right!" said Reuben, as he reached over and finished Joseph's cup of goat's milk.



"Hey! Cut that out!"



"Make me, you dreamer! You think you are going to be the boss of us?!!" And all the other brothers laughed and poked at Joseph.

That night Joseph had another dream. The next morning at breakfast he told his brothers his new dream. "Last night I dreamed the sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me!"



"Oh Great and Mighty Joseph!" his big brother Levi said, and bowed down to Joseph - and then he swiped his cheese. All his other brothers laughed and teased Joseph all the more. "Dreamer! Dreamer!"



Poor Joseph didn't know what to do. He told his dream to his father, and even his father had enough of his nonsense, "You think your mother, your brothers and I are going to bow down and worship you?!"



But, it wasn't nonsense.

It was from God.

But, do you know what? They were.


There was something about Joseph.

He gave himself to God, and he let God lead him in everything he did. It was like the light of God's presence was there, wherever he went - even in a cold dark prison.

That's what God wants for all of us. God wants us to be the light of His presence wherever we are.

The chief jailer must have seen that in him, something maybe he couldn't even explain. But he liked Joseph right from the start. And before long, he put Joseph in charge of the whole prison.

And God was with Joseph, and blessed him in everything he did.


Time went by, and it happened that the Pharaoh's butler and his baker must have been having a bad day. Maybe the butler spilled a goblet of wine in the Pharaoh's lap. Or maybe the baker's sticky buns were too sticky.


Or maybe they offended Pharaoh much more seriously than that.

But whatever happened, Pharaoh was not pleased with them. And when Pharaoh is not pleased, believe me, NO one is pleased!

And so he had the Butler and the Baker thrown in jail.

They were there for a long time.



Now, it also just so happened that they were thrown into the same prison where Joseph was. And before long, the Chief Jailer made Joseph their servant. Of course, this didn't just happen. God was working out his plan. A very big, wild, wonderful plan.



One night, the Butler and the Baker each had a dream. They were very strange dreams, and the next morning, they were both upset.

"You look troubled," Joseph said when he brought them their gruel that morning (you don't get bacon and eggs for breakfast in prison! You don't get pancakes, french toast and waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Nothing like that! Nothing but gruel. Nasty gruel for breakfast, nasty gruel for lunch, nasty gruel for dinner - even nasty gruel for dessert. Well, maybe you would be lucky NOT to get dessert).



Anyway, when Joseph set their bowls of gruel down in the dirt, the Baker said, "We both had very strange dreams last night. We are sure they mean something, but we don't know what!"



"Only God knows what dreams mean," Joseph said. Joseph knew that everything we have, and everything we can do comes from God.



"But, tell me your dreams, and maybe God will give me the meaning."



And so the Butler and the Baker each told Joseph what they dreamed.
The Butler told the dream first


“In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine with three branches. All of a sudden, leaves began to grow on the branches, and then blossoms, and then grapes. When the grapes were ripe, I picked some and squeezed them into the Pharaoh’s cup and brought it to him.”

“I have good news!” Joseph said.

“Here is what your dream means. The three branches stand for three days. In three days, you will be lifted up from this cold, dark prison. You will be set free, and you will be restored to your Master’s house!”

And then Joseph added, “When you are back, serving in Pharaoh’s house, please remember me. Put in a good word for me with Pharaoh, and help me get out of prison, because I did nothing wrong.”

Now, when the Baker heard the good news about the Butler’s dream, he thought, ‘Whew! That IS good news! I can’t wait to hear what my dream means!’

And so he grabbed Joseph by the arm and said, “I had a dream too!
“In my dream, I was carrying three baskets on my head. In the top basket there were all kinds of tasty baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them.”

Joseph’s paused a moment, not knowing quite how to say what he had to say. “I am afraid for you the news is not so good.

“The three baskets stand for three days. And in three days, you will be lifted up too. But it won’t be like the Butler is going to be lifted up. You are going to be lifted up - Pharaoh is going to cut off your head, and hang your body on a pole for the birds to eat.”

That’s pretty scary.

But it has to be scary, because it is a warning. At the end of our life, each of us will be like either the Butler or the Baker.

Jesus was like both.

The Baker offended his Master, and he had to suffer the punishment for it. Jesus was like the Baker. Jesus was lifted up on a pole when he was put to death on the cross. Only Jesus suffered for OUR offenses, not his own.

But then, just like the Butler, after three days in a cold dark tomb, Jesus was lifted up to live in his Father’s house forever.

And so, when we come to the end of our life, everyone who believes in Jesus will be like the Butler. That is the Good News! We will be lifted up with Jesus, and we will live with him in our Master’s house forever.

But everyone else will be like the Baker. And that will not be good news at all.

There is Good News, but there is the bad news too. And that is something important to remember.

Well, three days later, it was Pharaoh’s birthday.

And Pharaoh gave himself a great party to celebrate how wonderful and mighty he was. Pharaohs can do stuff like that!

“Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!”

Pharaoh must have been in a very good mood, because he forgave the Butler. He even invited him to his party, and gave him his old job back in the palace.

But things were not so happy for the Baker. It all happened just as Joseph said it would.

But the moment the Butler returned to the palace, he forgot all about Joseph, and never said a word to Pharaoh about him.

Heroes of the Bible- Jonah

I DON’T WANT TO GO

Jonah


Would you ever say that to God?
Jonah did.
God said to Jonah, “Go to Ninevah!”
And Jonah said, “I don’t want to!”

Well, he didn’t exactly SAY that to God - but that's what he was thinking.

Back in Jonah’s day - this was a LONG time ago, about 800 years before Jesus was born - the greatest city in the world was Ninevah. Everyone had heard of Ninevah. And everyone knew it was an evil place.
So, God had a job for Jonah.

“Jonah,“ God called, “Get up! Go to Ninevah!“
“Tell the people there that I know all about the terrible things they are doing. They think no one can see the evil things they do. But I see!”

But Ninevah was a big, scary place, and Jonah didn’t want to go!
Besides, the Assyrians lived in Ninevah, and the Assyrians were big bullies. They were always beating up on everybody, especially Jonah's people. They deserved to get in trouble from God.

If Jonah warned the people of Ninevah, they might change their evil ways - and then God might forgive them (God is always forgiving people!) - and then they might get away with all the terrible things they have done.

That wouldn't be fair!

So, do you know what Jonah did?
He ran away.


Jonah went down to Joppa and jumped on a ship that was sailing for Tarshish. Tarshish was a city in Spain, or maybe it was what we call the whole country of Spain now, I am not entirely sure, but whatever, it was about as far away as a person could go. Jonah thought, “God will never find me there.”

But God knows where every gnat, ant, and bug on the face of the earth is. He knows when a mosquito lands on your nose. He knows where it came from, and where it goes. Of course God would know where Jonah went!

So the ship put out to sea, with Jonah hiding from God below the deck.

But God wasn’t going to let Jonah get off that easy.


Just as the last bit of land disappeared from view, God sent a terrible storm.

Sometimes God has to send storms of one kind or another to bring us back to him. But no matter how terrible the trouble, God’s power is always greater. God is always with us - sometimes in amazing ways.

Jonah was about to learn that.

It was the worst storm the sailors on Jonah's ship had ever seen. The sky turned black. The winds roared. Rain stung the sailors' faces. Wave after wave lifted their ship high into the air and sent it crashing down again.

The sailors were terrified!


They were sure their ship would break in two, and so they started grabbing all the stuff they didn't need and throwing it over the sides to keep from sinking.
Meanwhile, the one thing they really needed to throw over the side was asleep below the deck. It was Jonah.

The captain crawled down under the deck and shook Jonah, “Wake up, man! We are all going to drown! Pray to your God to save us!”


Above the deck, the sailors were fighting the storm with all their might. “Why are the gods so angry with us?” they shouted to each other.


(They were smart enough to know that there was a god who made the earth and the sea and everything in it - but in their time of trouble, they didn’t know who he was. A lot of people are like that.)


“Let’s draw straws,” one of them shouted through the storm, “Maybe this god - whoever he is - will show us who is causing all our trouble.” And so they all scrambled below the deck and got some straws ready.

Jonah drew the shortest straw.

“This is all my fault!” Jonah said.

“My name is Jonah, and I am a Hebrew. I worship the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the creator of the earth and the sea and all that there is.”

“What have you done to make your God so angry?” the sailors asked.

“Um... well.... (Jonah didn’t want to have to admit it)... I am running away from God.” Jonah said, and he told then the whole story - well, as best he could, shouting over the raging storm.

“What can we do to save ourselves?” the sailors cried.


“Throw me into the sea and you will be saved,” Jonah said.


Jonah knew it was the only thing they could do. He would have to take his punishment. One person would have to die so that the others could live. Many, many years later Jesus was going to do the very same thing. Only, he took OUR punishment. He died for us, so that we could live with him forever.


But the sailors weren’t willing to throw Jonah into the churning sea. They thought if they tried real hard, they could save themselves without God's help. And so they rowed with all their might to try to get the ship back to dry land.


But it was no good. The winds just blew all the harder, the rain stung their faces all the more.

Finally, they cried out, “Please, O God of this man Jonah, forgive us for what we are about to do!”

And then the sailors picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea.

At once the winds stopped, the waves rolled away, and the sea became as smooth as glass. Now those sailors knew who the real God is, the God who can calm the seas.

They thanked God for saving their lives, and they vowed to follow him from that day on.

Jonah saved their lives twice that day! He saved them from the storm (well, GOD saved them - Jonah helped), and he saved them from something much worse than that - a life without knowing God.

Meanwhile, Jonah was sinking down into the cold, black waters.


But Jonah couldn’t get away from God THAT easy! Even down in the deep, dark sea, God was with him.

And so God sent Jonah a fish - not a fish sandwich for lunch, but a big fish - and Jonah was the lunch.


The fish swallowed Jonah with one big gulp.

Instead of Jonah catching the fish, the fish caught Jonah. God seems to have a different idea of fishing than we do!

For three days Jonah sat in the dark, wet, smelly belly of that fish. But he was alive! And so Jonah prayed;

“When I was in trouble,

I called to My Lord

and he heard my prayer.

Even from the belly of a fish,

in the deep, dark sea,

God could hear my voice!

The water swallowed me up,

sea weeds wrapped around my legs.

And then I remembered my God.

I called out to him,

and in his holy temple

he heard the sound of my cry!

My God saved me!

And so I will give him

an offering of thanks.

I have made my vow,

and I will pay it!

For our God saves!”

Then God whispered to the fish, and the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land.

That fish was probably glad to get rid of bony old Jonah, making all that noise in his belly.


Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish, and stepped out alive again - just like Jesus would spend three days in the belly of the earth, and step out alive. How great and powerful God is!

Then God said to Jonah, “Okay, Jonah, get thee up! Now go to Ninevah!”


This time Jonah went the right way.


Ninevah was a big city. It took three whole days to walk all the way from one side to the other. It had walls all around a hundred feet tall, and so wide three chariots could ride, side by side.


THAT is a big city!

Jonah walked into the center of the city and he shouted out, “In 40 days God is going to destroy this city you think is so great!”


Now, that’s not the kind of thing most people want to hear. And Jonah must have thought that no one would pay much attention to him.


But Jonah was in for a surprise.

The people of Ninevah listened to Jonah. The evil there must have been so bad, that everyone knew they couldn’t go on like that. They needed someone to show them the way out. And Jonah showed it to them. They could turn to their loving God.

And so, from the greatest to the least, they got rid of all their evil things (just like the sailors threw overboard the things that were making them sink when they were in trouble) - and they begged God for his forgiveness.

When the king heard the news of this, he didn’t get angry as you might have expected.

Instead, he tore off his royal robe, and put on an old robe made of the cheap, scratchy stuff they made sacks out of. He took off the robe of a king, and put on the robe of a beggar, to show he understood that God is the real king, and compared to God, he was nothing but a poor beggar.


And then the King made a decree. There would be a fast. No one was to eat or drink, not even the animals of their herds. Everyone was to put on sackcloth, and cover themselves with ashes, to show how dirty they must be in the sight of God.

“Let us call out to God!” The King decreed. “Let us all stop the evil things we have been doing. Let us stop hurting each other, and maybe God will have mercy on us. Maybe he will forgive us, and not destroy our city like we deserve.”


When God saw that they really were turning from the evil way they were living - and that they weren’t just saying it - he had mercy on them.


God decided he would not destroy the city after all.


God saved their lives!


When God first called Jonah, Jonah did the exact opposite of what God asked him to do. But God didn't give up on him. God used him to accomplish his plan. It was just a little more painful than it had to be!

But now, Jonah was mad.


These people did mean, rotten and nasty things. They were famous for it! They didn’t follow God, and still they had everything they wanted. It wasn’t fair!


“How come they should get off so easy!” Jonah grumbled to himself. Secretly he had been looking forward to watching God really punish them good.


Now God was giving them a second chance.


“I knew this would happen,“ Jonah said to God. “I knew you would let them off the hook!”

I guess Jonah forgot just WHO got let off the hook in the first place.

“I knew it!” Jonah said to God. “I knew that you are full of everlasting love, and that you are always ready to forgive and to hold back from punishing.”


So Jonah walked to the edge of the city and sat down to pout. Maybe the city would go up in a ball of fire anyway. That is what he was hoping to see.

Now, the sun was burning down on Jonah. Sweat was rolling down his face and stinging his eyes.


So God made a bush grow up next to where Jonah was pouting, to shade him from the sun.

Jonah was thankful for the bush and the comfort of the shade.
But the next morning, God sent a worm to eat the roots of the bush. The bush withered and died. When the sun came up, God sent a scorching eastern wind, heated by the desert. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head until Jonah nearly fainted.


Jonah cried out to God (well, whined, more likely!) “Why don’t you just take my life now, and save me from this misery!”

Poor Jonah. He was having such a rough time!


“Jonah, Jonah, Jonah!" God said to him. "Do you think I have stopped loving and caring for you? I could never do that!


“You are so upset because I let a little bush die - but you want me to destroy the whole city of Ninevah! Aren’t all these people worth far, far more than a little weed?

“Didn’t I forgive you, even though you tried to run away from me? I love you so much!


“Even though these people didn’t know me, and they sinned against me, I love them as much as I love you."

And then at last, Jonah understood that God truly is slow to anger, and always willing to forgive us when we turn to him.


Now he knew that our wonderful God truly is tenderhearted and forgiving, and overflowing with a love for us that will never end.

Heroes of the Bible- Daniel again

Isn’t God wonderful!

Just think, even the most mighty king is nothing compared to God. King Nebuchadnezzar finally learned that. He finally learned that God has power over all things, and that whatever power King Nebuchadnezzar had, it wasn’t his own doing. God gave it to him.


Too bad his son didn’t learn anything from his dad.

King Nebuchadnezzar died, and his son Belshazzar became king. He thought he was pretty hot stuff. Well, he was. He had just inherited the richest, the mightiest, the most glorious kingdom in the whole world. And he was in charge. He could do whatever he pleased. He could have whatever he wanted.


And so King Belshazzar decided to have a great feast to celebrate just how wonderful he was. He invited a thousand of all the most important people in Babylon.

It must have been a wild party. King Belshazzar began drinking wine. He drank too much wine, and he lost all his sense.

He brought out the sacred pitchers and cups of gold and silver that his father had taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. He and his guests drank wine from them with no thought at all that these were God’s holy vessels.

The king and his guests were laughing too loudly, singing too badly, and falling all over themselves. They bowed to statues of gold and silver, bronze and iron and wood, and thanked them for making them so great and wonderful.

Right then, in the middle of King Belshazzar’s wild party, a human hand appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t attached to a body. And it began to write on the wall of the royal banquet hall.

The whole hall went quiet.


The only sound was the sound of a finger scratching giant letters into the plaster wall.


King Belshazzar was terrified.


His face turned white. And he began to shake all over, so that even his knees were knocking together.


He cried out, “BRING ME MY MAGICIANS, SORCERERS, AND WISEMEN!”

The party was over.

All the guests went home, and King Belshazzar was left alone in his banquet hall, with the writing on the wall.

The magicians, sorcerers, and wisemen came before the king, and the king said, “Tell me what this writing means! Whoever can tell me what it means, I will put a gold chain around his neck, a purple robe on his back, and I will make him the third most powerful man in all of Babylon.”

Well, of course the magicians, sorcerers, and wisemen didn’t know what the writing on the wall meant. Only God knew.

Now, the queen heard all of this, and she came to the king and said, “O King! May you live forever! Don’t be afraid. Remember back in the days of Nebuchadnezzar your father. There was a man who had great wisdom and understanding, the power to answer riddles and to solve puzzles - and he could tell the meaning of dreams. His name is Daniel.”


“Bring me this Daniel!” commanded the king.

And so, once again, Daniel came before the king of Babylon.


“So you are Daniel,” said the king. “I have heard that you have great wisdom and understanding, that you can answer riddles and solve puzzles - and that you can tell the meaning of dreams.

“I have called my magicians, sorcerers, and wisemen to tell me the meaning of this writing on the wall, but they can’t do it. I will put a gold chain around your neck, a purple robe on your back, and I will make you the third most powerful man in all of Babylon, if you can tell me the meaning of the writing on the wall”


Daniel said, “You can keep your gold chain and your purple robe. But so that you will know that there is a God in heaven, and that he has power over all things, I will tell you what the writing on the wall means.


“O king, the Most High God made your father Nebuchadnezzar a great and mighty king. All the people in the world feared him because his power was so great. He could do whatever he pleased, and take whatever he wanted.


“But your father became proud. He started to think, ‘How great and wonderful I am!’ And so the Most High God took away your father’s power, and he made him live like an animal. After seven years, your father finally understood that God is King over all things, and he can give power to whomever he wants.
“But you, King Belshazzar, have not learned from your father.

“You think you are so great. You think no one can tell you what you can do and what you can’t do. And so you insulted God by using his sacred vessels for your drunken party. You bowed before statues of gold and silver, bronze and iron and wood. These statues cannot see, they cannot hear. They can do nothing for you at all. But you couldn’t even take a breath without God, and you do not praise or honor him.

“So the Almighty God has sent you this message, ‘ MENE, MENE, TEKEL and PARSIN.’

“And this is what it means. MENE means that God has counted out the number of days you will be king, and they are over. TEKEL means that God has tested you, and you have not passed the test. And PARSIN means your kingdom will be divided, and given to the Medes and the Persians.”

Well, at least King Belshazzar was true to his word. He put a chain of gold around Daniel’s neck, and a purple robe on his back, and made him the third most powerful man in all of Babylon.


And that very night, King Belshazzar died.


His great and glorious kingdom and all his riches were given to Darius the Mede.

(Just a note. You might hear someone say, “The writing is on the wall.” What they mean is that it looks like whatever is happening is about to come to an end, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.)

Heroes of the Bible- Daniel

Some people don't like it....when you always do what is good and right. I guess it's because it makes THEM look bad.That’s what happened with Daniel.


The King of Babylon, King Belshazzar, died, and Darius the Mede became the new king.


King Darius decided to appoint a hundred and twenty supervisors and governors to help rule over his kingdom. And he made Daniel and two others their boss. The other supervisors and governors didn’t like it. Daniel worked harder, and did much better work than any of them. The King was so impressed he was going to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.


“We have to do something about this Daniel,” the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials said to themselves. But no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find anything wrong with Daniel because Daniel was completely faithful and honest in everything he did.


“Maybe we can use his religion against him,” they said.


And so they came up with a devious plan.


They came before King Darius one day and said, “King Darius! May you live forever! (although each one of them was probably really thinking, 'May you die tomorrow - so I can become King!'). All of us who help to rule your kingdom; the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials, think that it would be very wise of you to issue a command that for thirty days no one should be able to ask for anything from any god or man except you, O Great and Mighty King. And if anyone should ask for anything from any god or man besides you, they should be thrown into the lions’ den.”


King Darius accepted the idea of the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials, and signed the decree.


It became a law of the Medes and Persians that could not be changed.


Daniel heard the King’s decree, but still, the next morning he went to his window to pray, just as he did every morning, noon and night.


This was exactly what the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials were looking for.


They went straight to the king.


“Your Majesty, may you live forever!” they said. “Didn’t you sign a decree that said for thirty days no one should ask for anything from any god or man except you, O Great and Mighty King. And if anyone should ask for anything from any god or man besides you, they should be thrown into the lions’ den?”


“Yes,” said the king. “It is a law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be changed.”


Then the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials said, “We saw Daniel praying to his God this very morning! He does not respect you or your order.”


When King Darius heard this news he was very sad. He knew that Daniel was a good and honest man, who served him faithfully. And so he worked into the night, trying to find some way to rescue Daniel. But he couldn’t.


The supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials came back the next morning and demanded, “Your Majesty, you know a law of the Medes and Persians can never be changed. Daniel must be thrown into the lions’ den!” Which was just what they wanted all along.


And so, the king had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. The King said to Daniel, “May the God whom you serve so faithfully save you!”


And then the king’s men grabbed Daniel and threw him into a pit filled with pacing, roaring, hot-breathed lions.


They rolled a stone over the mouth of the den, and the King sealed it with his royal seal, so that no one could move the stone and rescue Daniel.


That night, the king could not sleep at all.


The first thing the next morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, the king ran to the lions’ den.


He shouted out, “Daniel! servant of the living God! Was the God you serve so faithfully able to save you from the lions’ jaws?


“Daniel...?”


“May your majesty live forever!” Daniel called from inside the lions’ den. “God sent his angel to shut the lions mouths all through the night. God has saved me so that you will know that I am innocent, and I have served you faithfully!”


The king was so happy. Immediately he ordered his servants to pull Daniel from the lions’ den. There wasn’t even a scratch on him. Everyone saw that Daniel had trusted God, and God had saved him.


And then the king sent for all the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials who had accused Daniel. They were in trouble now! Right then and there, the king had them arrested and thrown into lions’ den themselves.


The lions were not so friendly this time.


Then King Darius issued a new decree. It said,


“Greetings, people of all nations, races, and languages!


I, King Darius, decree that all people everywhere should honor and fear the God that Daniel serves so faithfully.




He is the living God


who rules for all time.


His kingdom will never end,

and his power will last forever.

He rescues and he saves.


He can do mighty things,


for he has saved Daniel from


the lions’ jaws!”




Once again, Daniel was faithful.


And God was able to show us that he is always able to do great and wonderful things.

Bless this food

This is how you say your grace:


We  thank you Lord for the food before us  and our family beside us.
Thank you Jesus for Mummy and Papa- they work hard to make our life easier.
Please help me to be good so that their lives are a little easier also.
Please take care of my family.
Keep them healthy and safe from harm.
I love them very much- even during times I don't show it.
Be present at our table Lord and sanctify the food
Bless the food and we give thanks in jesus name.

JESUS LAST 7 UTTERANCES AT THE CROSS

Luke 23:34


34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Luke 23:43

43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

John 19:26-27

26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Matthew 27:46

. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[c] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[d]

John 19:29-29

28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.

John 19:30

30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Luke 23:46

46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

The band of brothers - R & J

Hi

http://www.dropshots.com/rjvideos

MY CHILDHOOD VIDEOS

Hi

My childhood brings back memories of the wonderful time my parents spent with me.

http://www.dropshots.com/jabezvideos2007

http://www.dropshots.com/jabezvideos2008

More videos coming

Please enjoy