Sunday, July 31, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Psalm 91 (Message Translation

Psalms 91: 1 - 16
1 You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow, 2 Say this: "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" 3 That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. 4 His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. 5 Fear nothing - not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, 6 Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. 7 Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. 8 You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses.
9 Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, 10 Evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door. 11 He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. 12 If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. 13 You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. 14 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. 15 Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. 16 I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!"
The Message

~Lena's Journalin'~
Why would you not fear what IS going on around you, and what seems to be the reality of things? Because your reality IS God’s Presence, all else is what is happening, but is it a part of what IS real? Yes and No, God’s presence is the realest thing there is. Sitting down in and spending the night with denotes that I live with, have a relationship with a commitment with someone. Saying "I trust You", is covenental vow type talk. This writer has entered covenant with the King of kings and Lord of lords, he’s been "Born Again" by the acceptance of dwelling with and housing God’s spirit. He’s telling us the benefits of that covenant commitment. This Psalm is about covering. It’s about what a person who is covered by covenant commitment, the continual presence of God and obedience to God’s plans and participation in His goals and what that person can insist upon and expect in that relationship. We don’t have to demand it, it is ours IF….If not, then the very things that were benefits of the covenant relationship are doors opened to God’s enemies. It’s all about who and what God’s enemies are and who or what are God’s friends. To say I am God’s friend is to say I participate with and in God’s presence. He does not have casual friends underneath His covering- think of covering as a robe on a man who is at rest in His own home. God does not have acquaintances come under His "robe". Likewise those who consider themselves acquaintances of God cannot expect to benefit as those of His household do. In fact they are on the outside of His "house" and therefore they may experience what happens outside of His house (i.e. disease, fear, traps, hazards, attacks, disasters, death…) It is our response-ability to make Him our refuge. It urkes me a bit when people blame God for the diseases, mishaps, calamity etc…, they say, "Where were You God when I needed You?" My question according to this Psalm would be, "Where were you?" Friend or acquaintance? Servant or son? Under or over? Covered in His presence or uncovered in your own life’s goals and plans? It is the original Genesis question- "Adam, where are you?"

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Psalm 34

Psalms 34: 1 - 22
1 I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together. 4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6 I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears. 7 For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them. 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! 9 Let the LORD's people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing.
11 Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. 12 Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? 13 Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! 14 Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others.
15 The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. 16 But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. 17 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one. 20 For the LORD protects them from harm – not one of their bones F31 will be broken! 21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned.
FOOTNOTES:F31: Hebrew protects him from harm<197>not one of his bones. The New Living Translation
~Lena’s Journalin’~
I’m making a list today of the verbs. They are action-doing words. I’m blessed in what I do. This Psalm is a doing Psalm, full of How to’s. We always want How to’s, but are we willing to do them? Let’s look at a few. When we do, He does for us! It’s about Divine order. It’s like, when we DO, the veil that prevented the He doeses is gone, the wall that prevented blessing to come through comes down. Look at this list:
Praise always
Speak of Him continually
Boast only in Him
Take heart
Tell of His greatness
Exalt His name
Pray
Look to Him
Cry out
Fear Him
Taste of Him (when you could have anything or anybody else you want, you choose Him anyway, you temper your appetites towards Him)
Trust
Reverence
Let
Honor
Come
Listen to His voice, the voice of His word
Watch your tongue
Keep your lips
Turn from evil
Do good
Work HARD at PEACE
THEN He’ll....
Watch
Hear
Hears
Rescues
Is close
Rescues
Rescues
Protects
Punishes evil against us
Redeems
Pardons Amen !

Friday, July 29, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Luke 2

Luke 2: 1 - 52
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fianc'e, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
8 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. F6 " 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord." F7 24 So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord – "either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." F8
25 Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. 26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 "Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, 30 I have seen the Savior 31 you have given to all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" 33 Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. 35 Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was very old. She was a widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only seven years. 37 She was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem. 39 When Jesus' parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him.
41 Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, discussing deep questions with them. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 His parents didn't know what to think. "Son!" his mother said to him. "Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere." 49 "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "You should have known that I would be in my Father's house." F9 50 But they didn't understand what he meant. 51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 So Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom, and he was loved by God and by all who knew him.
FOOTNOTES:F6: Or and peace on earth for all those pleasing God; some manuscripts read and peace on earth, goodwill among people. F7: Exod 13:2. F8: Lev 12:8. F9: Or "Didn't you realize that I should be involved with my Father's affairs?"
The New Living Translation
~Lena’s Journalin’~
She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth??? Many have said that He was born in the Springtime and he was in the desert. Have you ever heard of wrapping an infant with strips of cloth? What does that make you think of? It makes me think of burial preparation, and she put Him in a manger, which is a feeding trough, a place where animals devour or consume their food! Because there was no room for THEM, in the Inn…..His mother was quite prophetic, even the day of His birth. She prepared Him for death, and burial and gave Him to dwell where He’d be consumed or devoured by animals. I wonder if this was an odd occurrence for the Shepherds who would visit, it must have been significant for the angels to tell the shepherds this specific thing. The Messiah, the promised King of the earth, laying in a barn where animals feed and in burial cloths, when he was just born.
Why would we so readily fear angelic visitation? Is it because we don’t usually have angelic visitation? Or because the angels carry the very awesome presence of the Most High, whom all are in awe of? The presence we’ve not been in the presence of? The presence we’ve not known intimately?
A vast host? Host refers to an army, a large force, innumerable amounts, such as the stars of the sky. Ya know they did not have TV and this sight so astonished them that they ran to The house of bread to see what was being announced. We do have TV, what are we "running" towards that is being announced in such great multitude as the stars in the sky? That astonishes us as the shepherds were "astonished" at that day? If we’re astonished, are we allured? Does THAT mean there is truth? Does the astonishment lead us to God’s house (of bread) and to tend His flocks in the fields? (the field is the world) Or have we been astonished enough to leave the world alone? To go tend to a TV set? To be further astonished, but not moved towards praise of God? What causes us to run towards God’s will? His presence? What consumes us? Are we at all prepared for "burial"? (I die to my own life’s plans and goals daily, in order to pick up and life the life appointed me by God). Jesus did that. His mom "knew" something was up, she prophesied it. Do we "know" something is up enough to act differently, pecuiarly?
Only when one actually "sees" the Lord can he "die" to himself and what he has decided he is living for. How about things we’ve conceived or brought to life? Have we taken them to the Lord for dedication? Have we been willing to cut the flesh nature off of those things? Dedicating them completely over to the Lord. When we do, that’s when what we’ve brought forth will actually grow. Is Jesus, the promised Messiah, my Savior and Lord, growing up inside of me, is His stature changing in me. Is He gaing wisdom in me? How about favor? Is there favor in my life, because He lives in me? If not, there has to be a flesh nature removal and a death to my own plans or goals, and maybe, just maybe what has been astonishing me is responsible for my inability to cut off the flesh’s desires. I’m already astonished, why would I need anything else? Change. I’m already in awe, why would I look for God’s presence? Change. I’m already looking at "gods", why would I seek to see God’s face? Life- eternal life, is trying to be stolen from you, you- I need change! A Change of images.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Psalm 68

Psalms 68: 1 - 35
1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. A song. Arise, O God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate God run for their lives. 2 Drive them off like smoke blown by the wind. Melt them like wax in fire. Let the wicked perish in the presence of God. 3 But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. 4 Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD – rejoice in his presence! 5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy. 6 God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But for rebels, there is only famine and distress.
7 O God, when you led your people from Egypt, when you marched through the wilderness, Interlude 8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured rain before you, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9 You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary Promised Land. 10 There your people finally settled, and with a bountiful harvest, O God, you provided for your needy people. 11 The Lord announces victory, and throngs of women shout the happy news. 12 Enemy kings and their armies flee, while the women of Israel divide the plunder. 13 Though they lived among the sheepfolds, now they are covered with silver and gold, as a dove is covered by its wings. 14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
15 The majestic mountains of Bashan stretch high into the sky. 16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live, where the LORD himself will live forever? 17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary. 18 When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the LORD God will live among us here. 19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude 20 Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death. 21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
22 The Lord says, "I will bring my enemies down from Bashan; I will bring them up from the depths of the sea. 23 You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood, and even your dogs will get their share!" 24 Your procession has come into view, O God – the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary. 25 Singers are in front, musicians are behind; with them are young women playing tambourines. 26 Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life. 27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali. 28 Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past. 29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem. 30 Rebuke these enemy nations – these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Humble those who demand tribute from us. F48 Scatter the nations that delight in war. 31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia F49 bow in submission to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude 33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. 34 Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. 35 God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
FOOTNOTES:F48: Or Humble them until they submit, bringing pieces of silver as tribute. F49: Hebrew Cush.
The New Living Translation

~Lena's Journalin'~
Dear God, help me see any rebelness in my life. Help me want it out. It is so against Your spirit, its nature wars against who You are and the establishing of Your spirit in me. When You shine brightly in me, your enemies flee away from me. It’s about filling space, when I’m full of God nothing else fits inside. When God’s spirit is all around me, there’s no room for any other thing to be around me. I’ve got to have Him in me and He’s got to continually be so full in me that He overflows me, pours out of me and surrounds my atmosphere. If I fill my atmosphere with God and His love, how can anything else dwell there? It’s only when I’m not filling it with God and His love that I find enemies coming in and invading my space. If my space is full of God and His love inside and out, then won’t anyone who comes into my space get a taste of God and His love? Once we taste God and His love don’t and won’t they begin to want to know Him more? When they fill their space with Him, then won’t they also cause others to do the same and then… a godly heritage is made, an army is formed, a people are unified, the earth is FILLed with His glory, honor and praise. Yes, Let God arise! I was just thinking of how this psalm began as a prayer and a cal to the need for a warrior in a battle, and ends up an action of praise. I wonder if the writer began to ask for help and God showed Him how to get the help he needed by praising and worshipping God, in that action the enemies do flee, the atmosphere IS filled with God and a difference IS made! ?

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread 1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1: 1 - 25
1 I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. 2 God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
3 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, 4 including a future in heaven - and the future starts now! 5 God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all - life healed and whole
6 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. 7 Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. 8 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him - with laughter and singing. 9 Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.
10 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. 11 The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it - that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. 12 All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves - through the Holy Spirit - the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!
13 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. 14 Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. 15 As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. 16 God said, "I am holy; you be holy." 17 You call out to God for help and he helps - he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. 18 It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. 19 He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. 20 And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately - at the end of the ages - become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. 21 It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. 22 Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. 23 Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself!
24 That's why the prophet said, The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers droop, 25 God's Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.
The Message

~Lena’s Journalin’~
Dear God DO NOT listen to the liar who tries to tell you that there’s nothing left to live for! I’ve listened to that before, and I’ve got to know that that word can only come from a liar, it is NOT the word of my loving Father God, who fills my life with His purposes and gives more and more life to me! (Jn 10:10). Jesus died for purpose to be fulfilled in me here on earth, for purpose to be fulfilled in you here on earth. Do you see here where it says your future, your eternity with God begins now? Now, not later, when we escape all of this and get to heaven. He gives us the opportunity for a brand new life now! We’ve got to take a hold of it, now. We’ve got to realize that life here is not about how much money we can get and make and how much stuff we can buy, but it is all about influence for a God-purposed life and the continual giving of that life, the continual reproducing of that life. I Love how this says, God won’t allow us to get by with sloppy living (note the phrase "get by", isn’t that all some feel is happening in their lives?). If we live sloppily, not intently focused on His plans, we will barely "get by", we’ll wonder why we are just "getting by". We will, by God’s grace, be discontented with where we are at and desire more. This is God’s way of leading us out of where we’ve been and onto where He is taking us. We’ve got to know that what we are desiring is more of Him, not more things or more activities or more satisfaction of this world’s goods. It cost God plenty to get us out of an empty-headed life- headed towards emptiness. Genesis says, FILL the earth! This is God’s Destiny and design for each of us. Our old lives have no bearing on any of this, if we will make changes and go head on with God. This life on earth is truly short term, we’ve got to see how urgent it is that we get on board and fulfill God’s purpose. We will not be "happy" or content until we do.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Hebrews 13

Hebrews 13: 1 - 25
1 Continue to love each other with true Christian love. F59 2 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Don't forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies.
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. 5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never forsake you." F60 6 That is why we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" F61
7 Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God's special favor, not from ceremonial rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. 10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Temple on earth have no right to eat. 11 Under the system of Jewish laws, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, but the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood.
13 So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come. 15 With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. 16 Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God.
17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19 I especially need your prayers right now so that I can come back to you soon. 20 And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 * [No text] 22 I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, F62 please listen carefully to what I have said in this brief letter. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy is now out of jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you. 24 Give my greetings to all your leaders and to the other believers there. The Christians from Italy send you their greetings. 25 May God's grace be with you all.
FOOTNOTES:F59: Greek with brotherly love. F60: Deut 31:6, 8. F61: Ps 118:6. F62: Greek brothers.
The New Living Translation

~Lena’s Journalin’~
I’m thinking each other means other Christians, and strangers means non-Christians, those in prison may speak of those bound up in sin and the unfairness of life’s dealings. Compassion has got to be our lifelong friend. Judgmentalism and condemnation cannot be a consideration in my thinking, if I am as He is- Love. I wonder if I love this way, if it means I carry the blessing of angels, like angels get "assigned" to attend those who are His and behave as though they are as He is?
I just got an e-mail, a real humdinger and recently I've been the "brunt" of some judgmental comments against me as a business person. It does not feel very good and my initial response is to rise up and defend myself, my business name, my family etc. Then I realize I just need to extend love as much as I can. The reputation is more about who He is in me, than who I am as a businessperson. As much as I can I should extend peace to even my accusers. I step back, take a deep breath and bless anyway. Words have been laid out unfairly, but I’m praying God will clear it up if clearing up is needed. It amazes me how people feed on misery and want to have something or someone to criticize, how someone would take the name of another and long to associate dirt with it. I pray I will purpose to not do the same in return, no matter the merit.
I keep thinking of how much I deserved to die with the penalty of disobedience to God as payment of my resistance to God, yet Jesus stepped in when I was not worthy of His great love and said, "Ill take her place, whip Me, mock Me, scourge Me!" It was so unfair, He was perfect and perfectly pleased God, where I did not even want to please God, and if I wanted to, I was unable.
Then I turn my thought to the ones who deliberately mock my name and hate me and speak ill words against me and my family and I see Jesus also stepped in for them as well. Even when they did not appreciate it, or ask for it or care that it happened. If He did that for us, we are worthy of Love and consideration and patience and a bit of tolerance.
Dear God help me tolerate others while they despise truth, forgive them for they don’t know what they do. Neither do I half the time, for I still despise truth in areas that have not yet been revealed to me and I also choose darkness rather than light in other areas, Help me choose life and light and have mercy on me as I do others! Whew, Forgive me as I forgive others! Double whew. That’s the truth of the word, if I do not forgive, neither will I be forgiven. God is not looking at degrees. We’ve got to remove the degrees.
(P.S. I sent an apology e-mail, humbly asking forgiveness for any offense caused by my business- the apology was accepted with sincere apology for the quick put down and threat to spread a bad word about us! Praise God for loving favor.)
Because of the angels? God angels or evil angels? Both! There is a very alive spirit world and all things in our natural world are swayed by the supernatural world. Why would I care about what I do or don’t do, who I serve or don’t serve? Whether my head is "covered" or not? Who I serve or don’t? It will be very clear on a day when we stand before God, all we did not see or refused to see will be revealed and it will be as "clear as day" and we will regret ever having not seen what God has told us to look at in our lives here on earth. Why is it not an easy road? Because it is a battle between God’s and satan’s. We’ve got to take sides and stand firm. Then there’s that verse that says if we don’t or won’t choose a side it has already been chosen by the host of the sway of evil. Why should I be in and honor the hardest thing there is to stay in? Because when I do I honor the very nature and character of God. Marriage on all levels, whether in business, whether in church, whether in relationship is a covenant. God is a covenant KEEPing God, satan is a covenant breaking god. Satisfaction is found in Him and only Him. The sway causes us to think or hope we can get it elsewhere, but its ways will always fail us, he will never leave us, never fail us! Money and its love WILL fail us, will leave us. If we choose it above God, we have chosen "sides". What do you think it means when it says, "Let us go outside of the camp"? I believe it is referring to how we can follow Him, by forsaking the sway of the world’s pull, by saying no to its call. "Be successful, get rich, spend more time away from your family, leave your family, find out who you are by how physically disciplined you can be, be the "best" of the world, by the world’s standards, etc, etc" At that we must go outside of the "camp" and be who He has called us to be no matter what the other voices are saying. That takes covenant commitment and a lot of faith in Him and His voice and His call and His will. We’ve got to know who he is, what He did, who He loves and why we are here. It is a spiritual battle in the "heavenly" realm on earth for eternity’s sake! In covenants there is a covenant mark, a scar, a wedding ring, something to mark one for the covenant. In the spirit the forces of good & evil look for the mark of the Lord Jesus on us, look for a people covenantally committed to His work, not casual friends who say Hi and Bye. When marked with covenant scars we are in the force that cannot be reckoned with. There ARE more that are WITH us than of those who come against us! Amen.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12: 1 - 29
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. F53 He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. 3 Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don't become weary and give up.
4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said, "My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children." F54 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? 8 If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all. 9 Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever F55 ? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong. 14 Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau. He traded his birthright as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 And afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he wept bitter tears.
18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a message so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." F56 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." F57 22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels in joyful assembly. 23 You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did. 25 See to it that you obey God, the one who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." F58 27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left. 28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
FOOTNOTES:F53: Or Jesus, the Originator and Perfecter of our faith. F54: Prov 3:11-12. F55: Or really live. F56: Exod 19:13. F57: Deut 9:19. F58: Hag 2:6.
The New Living Translation

~ Lena's Journalin' ~
WOW, these first few verses say it all about walking out our faith. Who do we live our faith before? Most things we do, we do for someone, whether it be ourselves, others or God, or even some "higher" purpose, we live and die for something. Why would we continue on at a certain pace and not allow anything to slow us down or stop us? If we could see into the spirit as He sees and from the perspective He sees, we would know. Paul saw and is strongly praying for us to see as not only Paul saw, but to see as Jesus sees, from the heavenly, eternal, spirit realm. The scriptures say it over and over again, and so I also expound over and over again, why would Jesus die and endure the pain He did for us? Why would we endure any pain in life and not quit in our faith? TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST FROM THE ETERNAL FIRE OF HELL. TO know Him as he is more and more and to make Him known to the earth where we live right now in our day, to occupy till He comes. We waste time when we do not live this way daily, If we walk our faith out so that someday we’ll see a reward, one soul saved in our lifetime at the end of our lives, we have not yet seen how and what He sees. God so wants us to see, because He has called us to help His plan come to pass. He longs for His plan to come to pass. Why would we ever need or want correction? To get back on the most effective pathway. Seeing from one level one can manuever from that level to the ones at the other level. He is trying to tell us of danger or resistance, or temptation. If we’ve gone the wrong way or could go a better way, correction takes us there. The Correction God gives is as a true loving Father gives, for the betterment of who he’s created us to be, for beneficial change, to make me better and more effective, for my protection, NOT to show me how bad and dirty rotten I am and to leave me feeling like the dirt Adam was made from. His correction takes me right out of the enemy’s hand! If we see or take it anyway other than that, we are being trampled on by an enemy’s voice and we’ve been "had". Who’s child are we? Jesus told the religious self-centered leaders that they were living like their father the devil. Who’s Father are we? Do we receive correction from God our father or resist God’s correction and listen to stranger- enemy of God lies that lead us away from God? THAT tells who our father is.What’s another "reason" to be under the discipleship of the word, and of the Lord? (discipline = discipleship), Children. Do you have or have you ever wanted children? Have you ever cared for anyone else’s children? Is it an important task to raise or care for children? That is what God has given for us to do. He made parents first (made us all to be parents first, to be raised up by others or Him to become parents- spiritually and naturally, not to stay a parent or parented alone, but for the purpose of bearing or raising or caring for children) God wants children, more and more and more. He also wants legitimate children that someone will father. Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. This is the goal, how can God have children if the parents are not willing to have or raise or care for them? or to change to become one who will have, raise and care for children? Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison. I love this word today, It is so specific, how could we miss it? It is telling us how our pathways are blocked, or our walk becomes weakened, and how we are kept from fathering and caring for children. We HAVE to resist the pull of another father and his tactics we must recognize them and completely forsake them. Strife- unbelief-these are enemies of our faith to purposely resist ON PURPOSE! Talk about purpose fulfilled. If we daily resist these we will come along way on the pathway to life. This is NOT a physical mountain to climb up, we’ve been deceived to think it is a physical mountain. Oh God let us see clearly! Strife and bitter discontent and anger and irritation are the MOUNTAINS. Why do we waste our time and energy ascending these mountains when we are being called to the mountain of the Lord? Why do we have no energy left for God? We’ve been living in the flesh and not God’s spirit! Did you hear a bit of discipling there? :-) I’m taking it personally. Why does the word continue to urge us as though there’s something urgent? We’ve always thought it was because we don’t know when we might die and if we’re not ready we may not "go to heaven". That is true and is quite important, but there is an urgent matter we may not have been thinking much about, that of image impartation, that of creative stewardship, that of nature change. When we do stand before God, thank God we will stand there, but why do we stand there? To account to God. What is He counting for the accounting? Is it how much we gave to the poor, or how many times we went to church? Not exactly, it is more about how many children did we raise and care for for Him and how much of Him we showed others without perversion. How many of our days He gave us did we use to do this work of making disciples of ourselves and all of our God-given sphere of influence. In God’s heart this is urgent, it is calling to each and every believer and it is of top priority. We must turn and allow God’s heart to redeem our wasted time. He is a consuming fire here and now, not only there and then. If he is in us, His spirit will consume our flesh nature and it’s pull here and now.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread 1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11: 1 - 34
1 And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's. 2 I am so glad, dear friends, that you always keep me in your thoughts and you are following the Christian teaching I passed on to you. 3 But there is one thing I want you to know: A man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God.
4 A man dishonors Christ F54 if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her husband F55 if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair. And since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, then she should wear a covering. F56 7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is God's glory, made in God's own image, but woman is the glory of man.
8 For the first man didn't come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman's benefit, but woman was made for man. 10 So a woman should wear a covering on her head as a sign of authority because the angels are watching. 11 But in relationships among the Lord's people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, all men have been born from women ever since, and everything comes from God. 13 What do you think about this? Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? 14 Isn't it obvious that it's disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 And isn't it obvious that long hair is a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, all I can say is that we have no other custom than this, and all the churches of God feel the same way about it.
17 But now when I mention this next issue, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First of all, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized!
20 It's not the Lord's Supper you are concerned about when you come together. 21 For I am told that some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Is this really true? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace the church of God and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say about these things? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do not!
23 For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is given F57 for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it." 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. 27 So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, F58 you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 31 But if we examine ourselves, we will not be examined by God and judged in this way. 32 But when we are judged and disciplined by the Lord, we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So, dear brothers and sisters, F59 when you gather for the Lord's Supper, wait for each other. 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won't bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I'll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
FOOTNOTES:F54: Greek his head. F55: Greek her head. F56: Or then she should have long hair. F57: Some manuscripts read broken. F58: Greek the body; some manuscripts read the Lord's body. F59: Greek brothers.
The New Living Translation

~Lena’s Journalin’~
By Divine ideal order, not by preference, by a manner to do life, a way that is narrow and clear for marks of who’s who. If man covers himself, he is as Adam was, hiding from God, as satan was, being his own god, and prideful in his own right, rather than finding himself in God, as Eve was IN Adam. The need for and the covering are symbolisms of man’s need for God, and his inadequacy in being able to do all for himself apart from God. It shows man was not created to be alone and was made for God. Eve was in the heart of man and was made for oneness with man, just as "man" (plural) was inside of the heart of God. The order of things has gotten so far off and it now seems so tyrannical to even consider this ordered because of perversion and abuse. These scriptures were not written with affliction and infliction in mind, they were written with protection in mind, with pure love and longing and pure one centered fellowship in mind. Think of the "covering" as like a wedding ring, to those abused it is bondage, where to those in love it is what causes me to be who I was created to be. The ring and the "covering" are symbols to be seen, they speak of covenant love. Spirit beings know when one is in the love of God and when one is not in the love of God, when a woman (think church) is protected or not, there is no hiding in the spirit. The angels are ministering spirits, sent to minister for those under the "covering" of His love, those who in the spirit are marked ones for God. What is the act of love that brings the symbol of "covering"? Obedience. Jesus said, if you love me, obey my words. Glory is weight, the measurement of how obedient this love is. Jesus carried the greatest "glory" or weight or amount of covering or length of covering (i.e. length "hair"), because He laid down his life, gave up His spirit, sacrificed and surrendered His ALL. Does His bride, the church, do this as a response to His great love?
A very symbolic reminder of how we are to respond to Him is found in the consistent memory and review of how He responded to us, in the terrible, awful, sinful state I was in, He loved me enough to shed all of His blood for me. He asks me to eat the communion meal with Him and with His body to remember this. And what do we, the body do with this meal? We eat it! That means we partake of it, we consume it, we make it and take it as a part of our own lives, our own lifestyles. What he did we now do, for Him and for others. It ties in with covering. If I love Him, I’ll obey Him. He loved God and obeyed Him, even to the death at the cross. He laid down His will, and was glorified as no other. So, you and I can also respond correctly and lay down our wills, our selfish ways, for Him, and for others. As we do, as He did, we are no longer alone, no longer hidden, no longer ashamed. We are "unclothed" (because we do not yet have the glory He has in form, only because we are not yet made into incorruptible bodies, we live in a semi-temporary state here on earth) but even though we live here in mortality, we are "covered". It is as though we are glorified as He is, because we eat and drink as He did. His food and drink was to do the will of the Father, who sent Him. In the spirit, we are seen by the spirit world as covered and glorified, as we are in obedience to His will being fulfilled through His shed blood. The Lord showed us something directly in line with His character and the person of God here: In the night He was betrayed, He ate and drank- ANYWAY! It’s not about fairness or if you do, I will. He did, and we do as He did, no matter what! Thank God for the cover, the order, the glory revealed to and in us! Amen.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

P.S. Matthew 18 continued "comment"

On the verse where it speaks of offenses and taking witnesses, and it says that the words will be established in the mouths of 2-3 witnessess....I believe it is a good way of communicating and making sure the communication is not mistaken, but is clearly heard, so that there are plenty of chances for peace and less chance for misunderstanding and not getting it.

Today Our Daily Bread Matthew 18

Matthew 18: 1 - 35
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" 2 Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, "I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck. 7 "How terrible it will be for anyone who causes others to sin. Temptation to do wrong is inevitable, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting.
8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven crippled or lame than to be thrown into the unquenchable fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. 10 "Beware that you don't despise a single one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. 11 And I, the Son of Man, have come to save the lost. 12 "If a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one? 13 And if he finds it, he will surely rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.
15 "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won't accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. 18 I tell you this: Whatever you prohibit on earth is prohibited in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven. 19 "I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!
23 "For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26 But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' 27 Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. 31 "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. 35 "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart."
~Lena’s Journalin’~
Why would I pursue peace with anyone? Why would I especially want to be agreeably joined with believers? Because it is the very character of God to agree, to unify, to join forces. It is the character of satan that opposes and divides and goes against God’s character. If I agree with anyone or make peace I’m displaying the attributes of God, if I agree with another believer who is in agreement with working with the power of God, I unify with God’s spirit and with another Son of God who is in agreement with God’s spirit and the forces of God are increased mightily against God’s enemy force and the enemy force just lost a participator, a recruit! Remember 7 times means all the way, till it is finished, made whole, tied up, completed. The Lord is saying WORK IT OUT period, till it is complete. Forgive as long as you have to till you agree with ME. God’s kingdom stands on agreement, unity and the power of it. It cannot stand (at least in me) if it is divided. It is not about fairness or who or what is right or how even things are. It’s about taking great transgression and pardoning it. That makes me cry to think of that. I’m so glad God was not fair when he dealt with me or I’d be smoked, and dead, and gone. Thank God He gave all for me when I could hardly give any to Him, and then He forgave my debt to Him and set me free. That is so incredibly brave of God, because with my freedom I could leave Him and serve others, but he loves me anyway, died for me anyway, and woos me all of the time. What and who He is also what and who I desire to be. I can’t get enough knowledge of Him, because He is truly perfect and so loving, my heart is overwhelmed imagining and trying to fathom it. Humility is an attribute of the likeness of Christ, pride is an attribute of God’s greatest enemy-satan. "Which is the greatest?" is just like saying , "I will ascend…" They are statements of pride and self exaltation. Jesus’ point is/was, if we are self-centered, we will not be God/Christ or kingdom-centered. Pride was thrown OUT of God’s presence, out of heaven, it cannot dwell there WITH God, who and whatever dwells with God, must be like He is, One with Him. Think about that one when considering what will put us in or keep us out of heaven. What is One with God and what is not? Change is of God, especially when it involves me becoming more and more as He is, and as more and more of Him is defined for me and I choose to move from who or where I am to become who and where He is. Satan’s ploy is to make us as he is, unlike God in any resemblance. If we lose faith, we won’t ever be able to become One with Him, we’ll not even want to. We are in an intense battle for the hearts and eternal Destinations of people’s souls! It is the original battle between God and satan, and satan wants to add to his forces of evil. He left heaven with a third of the angelic host, he is looking for recruits to strengthen his forces of evil work against God and His kingdom. Satan does the tempting, he steels the faith, he does not relent or repent. If we have ever had any inkling to do any of the above, we’ve Got to change! It’s a matter of death and life. This battle is so deadly serious and of such eternal significance that we’ve got to wake up and join the force of God and His spirit while we are in and on the earth and still have any time to do so. It is so important that this author stresses it is such a descriptive manner as to say, it important enough to almost "die" for, or to lose something of great value and use over, such as an important member of your body. It is That serious! Are we Son’s of God? If so, we’ve got to see that we also have come in the time of life we are in, in the time on earth we were born in, in the time and places we live, we also came to seek and save the lost!

Friday, July 22, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Luke 12

Luke 12: 1 - 59
1 By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. 2 You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. 3 You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town. 4 "I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. 5 Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life - body and soul - in his hands.
6 "What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. 7 And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail - even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.
8 "Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels. 9 But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels? 10 "If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked. 11 "When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves - what you'll say or how you'll say it. 12 The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."
13 Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance." 14 He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?" 15 Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." 16 Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. 17 He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' 18 Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, 19 and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' 20 "Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods - who gets it?' 21 "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."
22 He continued this subject with his disciples. "Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. 23 There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. 24 Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. 25 "Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 26 If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all? 27 Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance - but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 28 If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 29 "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. 30 People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 31 Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 32 Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. 33 "Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. 34 It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. 35 "Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! 36 Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. 37 Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. 38 It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake - and so blessed! 39 "You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn't have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. 40 So don't you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don't expect him, the Son of Man will show up."
41 Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?" 42 The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? 43 He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he's doing his job. 44 45 But if he says to himself, 'The master is certainly taking his time,' begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, 46 the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes. 47 "The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. 48 But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities! 49 "I've come to start a fire on this earth - how I wish it were blazing right now! 50 I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up - how I long for it to be finished! 51 Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! 52 From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be - Three against two, and two against three; 53 Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."
54 Then he turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming' - and you're right. 55 And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one' - and you're right. 56 Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now. 57 "You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, 58 the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jail 59 and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make."
The Message
~Lena’s Journalin’~
I just added a bit tonight because of the time. I used this version because it explains it all by itself and does a fine job for understanding.
When you read this whole first verse doesn’t it seem like peculiar and unmatched words? Like what does one have to do with the other? The crowds—unwieldly (awkwardly)---crushing each other…then it says His primary concern was His disciples. We’ve got to become His disciples, not just pew warmers or converted ones or a part of the religious/good guys crowd. Being a part of the large crowd, will get us NO where with a personal relationship with the Lord. The Lord is desirous of a personal relationship with us, but will not share us with whatever else takes up the space he could occupy when in relationship with us. Why would Jesus warn those closest to Him to not eat what the religious people of the day ate? Because it will make you want to be a phoney fake, on a masquerade, which is completely opposite what God wants His word and the fellowship of other believers to make us. God wants to get down deep into the innerest part of us, into the real us and make the real us look like the real Him. What we need to get is, when we let Him look deep into that part that hurt oh so excruciatingly bad, we’ll find we are healed and it didn’t hurt at all. The only thing that really hurts is the resistance and hiding and its effects. Oh boy, I’m getting a glimpse of the Fear of the Lord, and it makes me stand up tall be as bold as all get out and go for it everyday. How can we fear others when we fear God? How small has the enemy tried to tell you you are? It is a deliberate lie, it is a ploy against you to get you as far away from Christ and His image and likeness as possible. If you ever hear you are small, unworthy, nothing, valueless, etc etc, close the door on the voice, because it is God’s enemy calling you to join forces with him against God. There is only one judge and mediator 1 Tim 2. If we live in such a way as to speak up , by our life’s proof, for God and not live in ways that demonstrate that we are against Him then we will be having a Divine connection and protection from any enemies.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Psalms 103

Psalms 103: 1 - 22
1 A psalm of David. Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's!
6 The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone – as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
19 The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. 20 Praise the LORD, you angels of his, you mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! 22 Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everywhere in his kingdom. As for me – I, too, will praise the LORD.
The New Living Translation
~Lena’s Journalin’~
Why do we tell ourselves? Because every other voice will try to tell us other things that will quench the voice of praise. Exalt itself against the knowledge of God. Doesn’t that "strike a chord" in you? "Exalt itself above"? Sounds like a certain characteristic trait I would like to stay far far away from on purpose! I’ve heard a lot lately about being "fair". I’ve thought a lot lately of how we should be oh so glad things are NOT "fair". If things were so "fair" then I’d have a whole lot of debt to pay and be in a whole lot of trouble. Fairness or the return of equal portions is not the heart of God. I plant one seed and a whole bush of flowers comes forth. Is that "fair"? I sinned, willingly, and Jesus died, is that "fair"? Not at all, but I’m oh so thankful for it. I so wish we’d get our thoughts involved with kingdom rule and not with what is fair. If all were "fair", how would we ever really live? I mean investments wouldn’t even grow, they’d just be returned as equal of what was given over. I’m so thankful that because of the shed blood of God’s Son, my mistakes are not held to me fairly. I love to think of the great exchange. My life for His, my love for His, my name for His, my riches for His, my knowledge for His, etc., etc. What is greater? His love is the greatest of All! When I acknowledge His love as greatest by my obedient, heart after God response I actually cause order to come into place and the creation enters into a place of worship of Him. If I’m "out of line", my disobedience could throw the whole orchestration of worship off, the whole focus off- Wow- No, I desire for all creation to worship Him, so here I am to worship Him, not others, but Him.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread Genesis 28

Genesis 28: 1 - 22
1 So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "Do not marry any of these Canaanite women. 2 Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban's daughters. 3 May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants become a great assembly of nations! 4 May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where we now are foreigners, for God gave it to Abraham." 5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother's brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.
6 Esau heard that his father had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman. 7 He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 It was now very clear to Esau that his father despised the local Canaanite women. 9 So he visited his uncle Ishmael's family and married one of Ishmael's daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife's name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.
10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone for a pillow and lay down to sleep. 12 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it. 13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I will give it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What's more, I will be with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. I will someday bring you safely back to this land. I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you everything I have promised."
16 Then Jacob woke up and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God – the gateway to heaven!" 18 The next morning he got up very early. He took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named the place Bethel – "house of God" – though the name of the nearby village was Luz. 20 Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will be with me and protect me on this journey and give me food and clothing, 21 and if he will bring me back safely to my father, then I will make the LORD my God. 22 This memorial pillar will become a place for worshiping God, and I will give God a tenth of everything he gives me."
~Lena’s Journalin’~
Wow all over! Isaac- meaning JOY expressed (Jesus Then Others Then YOU) in laughter, calls a man who is not acting like God at all, he is acting like the world’s images have taught him to "act" or "be". God takes and calls this man to go somewhere in life, to come to know who he really is, to come to know whom he came from, to come to find real true joy and satisfaction (which by the way every human being is searching for). He tells him the way to find this is to go somewhere and make a covenant relationship, one that is lifelong, one of commitment, the no turning back kind. He tells him where to go- Padanaram, which literally means – "The Field", JOY says, this is the same place your grandfather went to (old ways) and it’s the place he found true love (only God our father, can show us true love). His grandfather’s name means "man of God". Go the ways that the older men of God have gone, into the filed of harvest. When you go there, that’s where the blessing of God will lie, the treasure of God will be there for you to have and live in and with. The blessing of God, wisdom of God, fruit of God is there, if you don’t go there, you’ll not find what you will be searching for everywhere else in life.
Esau let rebellion rule him. He intertwined himself in lifelong covenants with those who were not of or as God. His wife’s name was "a stringed instrument", and she came from the descendant of "God will hear", her sister was "heights". He thought himself at first to be a seeker of god a seeker of "truth", yet disobedience and rebellion led him to seek what was real from the wrong sourse, from the wrong "root" or "tree". He even sought to bring praise, but it was turned towards those who practiced using tools of God to exalt themselves. Ever think of one who has had that attitude, one who was with God, one who was light, one who was praise, already exalted, who became perverted, rebellious and fell? Man called a place or a field one name, while God calls it another. Man calls man one name while God calls him another (Jacob- Israel, Luz- Bethel). Luz was a "good" name, meaning almond tree, it was a tree that looked good to the eyes….it even bore fruit…..sound familiar? Genesis 1,2,3….But if it is not being lived strictly for and given over to God, it is and can only be good. Jacob not only re-named the city or the place, he also put a spiritual mark on it where it counted, in the pocketbook, in the place that signifies what I do and who I am. The world identifies us by what job we have in our "fields". God identifies us by who He is and puts us in a "field" to win souls, no matter what we do it is not who we are. Jacob was deliberate to show this by giving his tithe to God. In giving this tithe he was saying the world cannot name me, the world cannot tell me who I am, the world cannot have me to work for them! All I have and all I do and all I am, I give to God! Tithe is only 10 %, but it signifies that if I give 10, I’m saying I give all, I’m saying the rest is God’s too, and even though it appears I work for others. I’m really and truly God’s property and my life and all of my assets are given by and given to Him. Jacob was making the place where he dwelt God’s house, when it could have been any other place naturally speaking. It’s like saying, I live in CypressHead, but I’ve set up a place here where God is welcomed and can use me as he desires and call me what he pleases. He has set up house here, where someone else could have owned and named this land one thing, but God is gonna have rule and I will allow Him to have His way here in the part I’ve "earned" and kept. When I tithe I say, I’ve kept it for God’s use. Here Lord, here’s a piece of Your originally owned land back, the enemy tried to take God’s land and rule in it, but I’ve now bought a piece and I’m giving it back to God. (remember people= land!)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread John 1

John 1: 1 - 51
1 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, 2 in readiness for God from day one. 3 Everything was created through him; nothing - not one thing! - came into being without him. 4 What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.
5 The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. 6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God 7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. 8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. 9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. 10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice. 11 He came to his own people, but they didn't want him. 12 But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. 13 These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. 14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word." 16 We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. 17 We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding - all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. 18 No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day. Thunder in the Desert
19 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. 20 He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah." 21 They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not." "The Prophet?" "No." 22 Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something - anything! - about yourself." 23 "I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached." 24 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. 25 Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" 26 John answered, "I only baptize using water. A person you don't recognize has taken his stand in your midst. 27 He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I'm not even worthy to hold his coat for him." 28 These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the time.
29 The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, 30 "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking about, 'the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.' 31 I knew nothing about who he was - only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God." 32 John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. 33 I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 That's exactly what I saw happen, and I'm telling you, there's no question about it: This is the Son of God." 35 The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. 36 He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb."
37 The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. 38 Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them, "What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" 39 He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon when this happened. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. 41 The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). 42 He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock").
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." 44 (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) 45 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" 46 Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." 48 Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." 49 Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! 51 Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again."
The Message

~Lena’s Journalin~
He made them to be their true-selves"! WOW, isn’t that just "IT"? The very person our internal being cries out to know and to be? The only way towards the fulfillment of this is through and inside of Him, Jesus. Without Him there is no finding of this out, no matter how long or far one searches. I’ve heard taught that where it says, "no one has seen God.." is speaking Eloheim, plural God or God head- God head ALL at one time in one place. We’ve seen the Father through Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus personified ALL. Moses saw – the Father at one time, people saw Jesus, we now see the Holy Spirit at work, but Jesus exemplified Eloheim on earth! It is an awesome thing to know who you are, in Christ. It is a lonely thing to always wonder who you are. When you know who you are you accomplish, you live from goal to fulfillment of goal. When you don’t know, your life is purposeless, very lonely. John knew who he was enough to tell others who Christ is/was. Do we know who we are enough to point God out to the world? To prepare for His coming to Him? To show Him what he looks like and when he comes their way, they also will know Him as we know Him and more? Do we know Him enough personally to say to a whole crowd of watchers, whom we’ve gained the attention of, "There He is, He’s NO doubt The Son of God". Do we know that? Do we personally believe that? Are we even as the disciples of John were, curious enough to ask, curious enough to follow after, curious enough to listen and obey Him, bringing others along with us as we follow? Are we bold enough, do we believe enough to proclaim and declare Him as he is to others? How can the son of a mere man, become also the Son of God? Jesus showed us not only who He is, but also who we are and the way to being Sons of the most High God! God’s angels were in the heavens and released to earth as God purposed and as man inquired for help. Because of salvation and the finished work the angels of God have been released in earth to prepare the way for those who will receive salvation, They are on a continual mission, as we are also Co-missioned by God, we get help from the Godly angelic realm, if we do as Son’s of God do and know Him and make Him known. In Jesus what was of and in heaven has come to earth, to bring earth to the same atmosphere as heaven.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread 1 Cor 6

1 Corinthians 6: 1 - 20

1 When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? 2 Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things among yourselves? 3 Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth. 4 If you have legal disputes about such matters, why do you go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I am saying this to shame you. Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these arguments? 6 But instead, one Christian F30 sues another – right in front of unbelievers! 7 To have such lawsuits at all is a real defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? 8 But instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your own Christian brothers and sisters. F31
9 Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers – none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. 11 There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, F32 and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
12 You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food." This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them. But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. 15 Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which belongs to Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." F33 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
~Lena's Journalin~

I am continually amazed in my own life just how many opportunities I personally have to DIS-agree about something with someone everyday, all of the time. In entering into the Unity of God’s Spirit and of the Oneness of Christ, I ought to and am now governing my own thoughts accordingly, asking the Holy Spirit to remind me of this very pull to daily disagree When I become more and more aware of these so called "opportunities" and recognize them as that which comes against the very nature and character of God’s Spirit which is alive inside of me, I can resist the "opportunities" given me by a world which has its sway against God.
Who cares who is right when we have the Spirit of Truth? If I cannot agree and be agreeable, continually making peace, than how can I really be sitting with Him in a seat of "judgement" where much more weighty matters occur than what I deal with daily? What is wrong? To be unmerciful, unforgiving, disloyal, unjust, haughty, etc… What is right? To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God, which will carry over to our relationships with men.
I just want to take a moment to describe the fleshly traits demonstrated in a spiritual light, we sometimes think if we are not committing the actual physical sin, we are ok, but God does not see as man sees-rarely. Sexual sin- what is sex? Intimacy, a demonstration of oneness in proper perspective to marriage, outside of covenant it is considered (by God) to be unholy or sinful. What and whom are we intimate with? One with? In covenant with? What fills our daily thoughts? What have we joined ourselves to?
Now about idol worship. Idolatry is worship. Worship is life lived for a reason beyond self, life given over to a person larger than we are, believing to become as it/He is with the purpose for change. The root actually denotes healing, meaning there is a source for change. What are we seeking after? What and how are we endeavoring to change? What is the source of the changes? Self discipline? Self will? Positive thinking? Or the River of God?
What about adultery? I’ve committed by the words of my mouth to ONE (Let’s see who catches THAT!), yet I look at or desire or go after others. I gave myself to ONE, but I give myself to others, with a whole band of excuses. Do you see this relating to our relationship with our husbandman, the Lord Jesus Christ?
Male Prostitutes? A prosititute sells, what was meant for covenant love, to anyone and everyone who wants to have some, with the false premise of supporting self, and trusting in self to supply. What of our faith-walk is based on our covenant love and the promises of that love? The truth of the Word of God. What do we so easily sell it for? TV time? Rest time? Me time? Worktime and more worktime? Whoesoever asks for my time? This specifies MALE as the gender. God made men to rule their homes and families with the Word of God as the guide on how to rule well. Not rule over as in dictatorship, but teaching and using it as a guide for their own lives demonstrated to their families, living proof, Living Words to the family and to the world. The men have been most tempted to sell this position to whatever else calls them. Get that one also? Whoever "calls " them?
Homosexuals. A specific sex enjoying the benefits of God-given covenant love outside of the ability to reproduce, outside of the call to agree with one who is NOT like me. Refusal to be a part of that which reproduces life, because of a desire to be only around one who is just as I am, just like me in nature-flesh nature- no conflict, no struggle, no change required of me by another unlike me.
Thieves- taking what does not belong to me, with natural force. Greed would take one to that place. Greed being a desire for what is not naturally mine.
Drunkards-ones who are continually "under the influence" of another substance than that which brings life. That which only satisfies for a mere moment and then fades away with its false promise for better. What influences about us are false and of a deceptive nature? There’s even a falsehood spread among the church, that Christianity is for our comfort and satisfaction. No, rather, God called us for and to Himself to accomplish His dreams in the earth. Melinda, we are His work-man-ship! :-)
Abusers, that speaks well for itself.
Swindlers. Ew boy, this one wreaks of manipulation. Forcing things to happen the way we believe they should happen. Ishmael’s. We can even do this with what we believe God is telling us to do. Did we go back to God and ask, "How should I accomplish that plan?", or rather, "How would You like for me to walk out that journey and meet that goal?"
Notice it states that we all at times have struggled through many of the things in this list, but as we are willing to let God mold and change us and to recognize any and all of these as sin, He is Faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from our sin(1 Jn 1:9) and why would He so gladly pardon us when we’ve been "terribly rebellious" for a longtime? Every pardon shows forth the power of the cross, demonstrates the evidence of His love for us and sets us on a pathway for life and the passing on of sonship to others.
Allowed? Of course we are "Allowed", we are freewill beings, whom God will not override the will of. So, sure, we can do whatever we want, but what do we really want to do Our pastor used to be a drug addict and at times he would say, I smoke all of the pot I want. People would gasp, then he would state, His desire had changed and he has no more appetite for sin. His appetite is now for truth and righteousness. So yeah, we can watch any program on TV we want, and we can stay home from fellowship if we want, and we can pay more attention to other things and make more money to buy more of what we desire, or we can make a choice to fulfill and be right inside of the center of God’s will and plan. What an awesome price He paid for us to join ourselves to His plan! Wow!