The zig-zag tree and a story.

Here is a happening between Jesus, John and James.

Jesus needed a place to stay in a Samaritan village while on the way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans had a temple that needed restoring on Mount Gerizim and Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and the answer to John and James’s request was:

“NO”

John and James told Jesus with a suggestion of their own. They could see Mount Carmel in the distance and remembered that Elijah had killed the false prophets there so this was their suggestion:

‘ Can you permit us to bring fire down from heaven and consume them like Elijah did?’

They were surprised by the answer.

Jesus speaking: ‘ You do not know what spirit is in you. For I came not to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.’

And Jesus went to another village.

‘ Under a pretence of zeal for righteousness, people who are confederate with evil angels bring suffering upon others, in order to convert them to their ideas of religion,

but

Christ is

ever showing mercy

ever seeking to win

by the revealing of His love.’

EG White

Ps

I was reading some thoughts from a fellow blogger and here are my thoughts on death and the spirit.

It seems that the spirit that returns to God, at death is ‘pneuma’, the air that He gave us to live with.

I personally agree with these verses:

‘ For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.’ Ecclesiastes 9: 5,6

These verses give me comfort when someone dies:

‘ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’

Revelations 4: 16,17

I am sad to say I have recorded in this space quite a few who are resting in Jesus. My friend Sue’s life will be celebrated this week. I miss her with us.

Take care,

Sandy 🙂