Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Mark 14 Examination and Scrutiny = GRACE

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

Mark 14:1-72
The Plan to Kill Jesus 1 It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a trick to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot." A Woman with Perfume for Jesus 3Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. 4Some who were there became upset and said to each other, "Why waste that perfume? 5It was worth a full year's work. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor." And they got very angry with the woman. 6Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She did an excellent thing for me. 7You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me. 8This woman did the only thing she could do for me; she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her." Judas Becomes an Enemy of Jesus 10One of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests to offer to hand Jesus over to them. 11These priests were pleased about this and promised to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in. Jesus Eats the Passover Meal 12It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Jesus' followers said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?" 13Jesus sent two of his followers and said to them, "Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14When he goes into a house, tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says: Where is my guest room in which I can eat the Passover meal with my followers?' 15The owner will show you a large room upstairs that is furnished and ready. Prepare the food for us there." 16So the followers left and went into the city. Everything happened as Jesus had said, so they prepared the Passover meal. 17In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the twelve. 18While they were all eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me - one of you eating with me now." 19The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one began to say to Jesus, "I am not the one, am I?" 20Jesus answered, "It is one of the twelve - the one who dips his bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born." The Lord's Supper 22While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, "Take it; this is my body." 23Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup. 24Then Jesus said, "This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many. 25I tell you the truth, I will not drink of this fruit of the vineF38 again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus' Followers Will Leave Him 27Then Jesus told the followers, "You will all stumble in your faith, because it is written in the Scriptures: 'I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter. 'Zechariah 13:7 28But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." 9Peter said, "Everyone else may stumble in their faith, but I will not." 30Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows twice you will say three times you don't know me." 31But Peter insisted, "I will never say that I don't know you! I will even die with you!" And all the other followers said the same thing. Jesus Prays Alone 32Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I pray." 33Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled. 34He said to them, "My heart is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch." 35After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering. 36He prayed, "Abba, F39 Father! You can do all things. Take away this cupF40 of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want." 37Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake with me for one hour? 38Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak." 39Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40Then he went back to his followers, and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to him. 41After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his followers and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? That's enough. The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people. 42Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me." Jesus Is Arrested 43At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders. 44Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, "The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away." 45So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, "Teacher!" and kissed him. 46Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48Then Jesus said, "You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. 49Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true." 50Then all of Jesus' followers left him and ran away. 51A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him. 52But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked. Jesus Before the Leaders 53The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered. 54Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest's house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire. 55The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof of anything. 56Many people came and told false things about him, but all said different things - none of them agreed. 57Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, saying, 58"We heard this man say, 'I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple not made by people.' " 59But even the things these people said did not agree. 60Then the high priest stood before them and asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? Don't you have something to say about their charges against you?" 61But Jesus said nothing; he did not answer. The high priest asked Jesus another question: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?" 62Jesus answered, "I am. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky." 63When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, "We don't need any more witnesses! 64You all heard him say these things against God. What do you think?" They all said that Jesus was guilty and should die. 65Some of the people there began to spit at Jesus. They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and said, "Prove you are a prophet!" Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him. Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus 66While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came there. 67She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked closely at him. Then she said, "You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth." 68But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, "I don't know or understand what you are talking about." Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard. And the rooster crowed.F41 69The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said to the people who were standing nearby, "This man is one of those who followed Jesus." 70Again Peter said that it was not true. A short time later, some people were standing near Peter saying, "Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too." 71Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, "I don't know this man you're talking about!" 72At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Peter lost control of himself and began to cry.
FOOTNOTES:F39 fruit of the vine - Product of the grapevine; this may also be translated "wine." F40 Abba - Name that a Jewish child called his father.F41 cup - Jesus is talking about the terrible things that will happen to him. Accepting these things will be very hard, like drinking a cup of something bitter.F42 And…crowed. - A few, early Greek copies leave out this phrase.
Copyright Statement:
New Century Version

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
When the enemies of your soul say to one another, (basing their judgments upon your daily life actions, both private and public), “hey, who’s their daddy?” Would they see more of the character of Christ alive in you, or the character of your old father, the devil? If they were examining your life to find something to hold against you, would your sin be repented of and found under the blood of the Lamb? Or would your sin be the evidence they see, unrepented of and alive as a daily part of you?
The enemy of our souls does look to find something in us that is unrighteous and unholy. We love, serve and live for, a Holy God, who has made provision for every sin on earth known and unknown to mankind. There’s nothing like the blood of Jesus, it covers all (repented of)sin!
There’s a scripture that says-

2 Cor 7: 9Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. 10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. 11And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. 12And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you--that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God.
In NKJV it says it this way, Godly sorrow leads men to repent, not just feel bad, feel caught and be sorry that I was found out. No, let the enemy of my soul examine me and find nothing unrepented of in me, and if he does find something at least I can now see it, repent of it and put it under the blood with all of my other sins.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of Mary. I LOVE Mary, I LOVE JESUS. Mary was a sinner, everyone knew it, but she fell in love with Jesus. She had not a thing to give Him except her sin. How do you think she bought the jar and perfume? It was not gotten honestly, it was her life’s savings, savings form income of her sin! Not too long ago she was forgiven of a life of uncleanness. The religious people of the day would have stoned her, left her dead in her trespasses and sins, judged her unworthy to live. She knew that well, well enough to be tremendously thankful! She brought all she ever was together and put it in a small box, one of value, yet her life was esteemed of no value, she turned it into value to show Him her great love for Him. She knew of covenant and made an exchange, a life for a life! She gave the treachery of hers for His. She knew it was not an even trade, He knew it was not an even trade. This story is an amazing picture of the great love of God for you and me. She had revelation of His death’s purpose before He even died for the forgiveness of mankind!
There is a question for us today, as we consider and remember the body and blood of our Lord. Will you take the cup? Will you eat the bread? “My meat and My drink is to do the will of Him who sent Me”, and “Lord, please allow this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not my will but Thine be accomplished.” Jesus’ life was given for all mankind. If we are Christians, so is ours.
We’d all like to sail through without a test. We’d like to pass through life with no proving, but a true faith in Christ, a true follower must be proven by God through men. Enemies will test man to see who his daddy is. Satan stood in the presence of God, saying let me touch Job and we’ll see whether his faith in You as His Father is true. Job was a man, who passed a test of His faith. It was a horrendous test, but if we are in Christ we also can pass, for it is not a test of self, it is a test of faith in God. The biggest test of all is the test of the will, the will to do His good pleasure.
Can the enemy scatter you if someone above you stumbles or falls, or is going through a test?
If the Son of man had to be handed over to sinful people, why would we avoid the same?
We don’t like being scrutinized, judged, persecuted, of course not, but that we’d come out as gold tried in fire, we’d become of such great value to our Lord, He’d be further glorified. Which matters more to us, what men say or think of us, or what God thinks? Jesus went before the scrutiny of men, they could not find a thing in Him, notta thing! Can they find something in you? Listen to their mockery and then take it to God and say, Lord is any part of this true about my life? If it is, then at least be willing to hear it and use it for a pathway of repentance. Remember God even used a donkey to speak His words of direction to a man! Let God speak however and through whomever. Don’t be choosey, receive His voice through an unexpected avenue, and you’ll be better for it. Better to be beaten down here than judged by God later on. Eternal judgment is unchangeable; judgments here and now can be reversed and changed, thank God! To not come under examination is to deny Him.

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Matthew 9 Harvestor Time

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

Matthew 9:1-38
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man 1Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed and lying on a mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, young man. Your sins are forgiven." 3Some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This man speaks as if he were God. That is blasphemy!" F25 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you thinking evil thoughts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven, ' or to tell him, 'Stand up and walk'? 6But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Stand up, take your mat, and go home." 7And the man stood up and went home. 8When the people saw this, they were amazed and praised God for giving power like this to human beings. Jesus Chooses Matthew 9When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to him, "Follow me, "and he stood up and followed Jesus. 10As Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Jesus and his followers. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus' followers, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12When Jesus heard them, he said, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. 13Go and learn what this means: 'I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.' F26 I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners." Jesus' Followers Are Criticized 14Then the followers of JohnF27 came to Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees often give up eating for a certain time, F28 but your followers don't?" 15Jesus answered, "The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will give up eating. 16"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in an old coat. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat, making the hole worse. 17Also, people never pour new wine into old leather bags. Otherwise, the bags will break, the wine will spill, and the wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new wine bags. Then both will continue to be good." Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman 18While Jesus was saying these things, a leader of the synagogue came to him. He bowed down before Jesus and said, "My daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live again." 19So Jesus and his followers stood up and went with the leader. 20Then a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. 21She was thinking, "If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 22Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, "Be encouraged, dear woman. You are made well because you believed." And the woman was healed from that moment on. 23Jesus continued along with the leader and went into his house. There he saw the funeral musicians and many people crying. 24Jesus said, "Go away. The girl is not dead, only asleep." But the people laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been thrown out of the house, Jesus went into the girl's room and took hold of her hand, and she stood up. 26The news about this spread all around the area. Jesus Heals More People 27When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with him. He asked the men, "Do you believe that I can make you see again?" They answered, "Yes, Lord." 29Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Because you believe I can make you see again, it will happen." 30Then the men were able to see. But Jesus warned them strongly, saying, "Don't tell anyone about this." 31But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus all around that area. 32When the two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon in him. 33After Jesus forced the demon to leave the man, he was able to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, "We have never seen anything like this in Israel." 34But the Pharisees said, "The prince of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out." 35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News about the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 36When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were hurting and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Jesus said to his followers,
"There are many people to harvest but only a few workers to help harvest them (do it).
38Pray to the Lord, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to gather his harvest." F29
FOOTNOTES:F25 blasphemy - Saying things against God or not showing respect for God.F26 'I want…sacrifices.' - Quotation from Hosea 6:6.F27 John - John the Baptist, who preached to people about Christ's coming (Matthew 3, Luke 3).F28 give up…time - This is called "fasting." The people would give up eating for a special time of prayer and worship to God. It was also done to show sadness and disappointment.F29 "There are…harvest." - As a farmer sends workers to harvest the grain, Jesus sends his followers to bring people to God.
Copyright Statement:
New Century Version

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Do you know men have authority on earth to forgive sins? Do you know the forgiveness of sins and the healing of disease are directly related? In fact if one will not forgive sin they are themselves involved in sin, and willful sin is an open door to all sorts of ailments and torments.
In fact, the one who wills to not forgive sins, stands in God’s place as judge and jury, he’s taken his own seat as God, determiner of people’s outcome, and taking God’s seat is not taken very lightly, in fact the last “guy” who did that was forced out of heaven and brought down to an eternal pit, an eternal destiny of doom.
Many are diseased due to sins not repented of. Many are paralyzed and cannot even walk the walk of faith, due to sin unrepented of. When sin is repented of, the divine order in one’s life is re-established and all sorts of blessings can flow to earth from heaven.
Forgive and heal the land.
In the great co-mission Jesus said we were to make disciples. Here we see Jesus making disciples. He says to men, “Come follow me” and they do. Men need to follow Jesus in us today. The thing is, are we following Jesus far enough that we can lead someone else His way? Have you ever asked someone to follow you? How easy is it to have a follower in our world? Not very, right? Why? People need to see something supernatural in order to leave what it is they are doing in life and follow another man other than themselves. It takes faith in God. It should take a tremendous amount of faith in God and also a huge amount of responsibility to be a leader. It would take a tremendous amount of courage to say, “Come follow me”, for what if I make a mistake? What if I’m not “perfect” as most humans aren’t. The leader who asks people to follow him must be in right relationship with God and stay there. It takes a decision to be such a person. Yet God requires each of us to make this quality decision and lead others to Him. He wants each of us to gird up our loins and cinch up the ropes of our lives, swallow hard and diligently seek Him that others may be found in Him, as we also have been. It takes faith to lead and faith to follow. It is faith that raises up dead things, faith that heals and causes bind eyes to see the fields of harvest are indeed ripe.
When He says pray for laborers what do you think that means? I believe it means there are a whole lot of Christians who say they are following Christ yet have not become faith-filled enough to step out on water and say to a group of people, watch me walk, and follow me as I also follow Christ. We need to pray yes for more believers, but also for those who say they believe to become brave, faith-filled leaders who lead others into discipleship. We have to pray for continuity to erase hypocrisy. We must ask God to help Adam and Eve come out of hiding behind their own coverings and show themselves to God daily that there’s nothing left hidden that His light cannot shine on. We must pray that they’d be made clean, loving what is right and hating what is wrong and become anointed to destroy yokes of bondage everywhere they go. We need to pray they be kept from evil and from the sway of the evil one.
We’ve had lots of converts, if we had 100% of the converts become disciples, within just a few years our world would be saved in no time.

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

1 Tim 2 Positions of Men and Women in Holy Battle Array

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

1 Timothy 2:1-15
Instructions about Worship
1I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.
8So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. 9And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 10For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
11Women should listen and learn quietly and submissively. 12I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. 13For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. 14And it was the woman, not Adam, who was deceived by Satan, and sin was the result. 15But women will be saved through childbearing F3 and if they continue to live together in faith, love, holiness, and modesty (with self control and in unity of the spirit, as a symphonic harmonious sound).
FOOTNOTES:F3: Or will be saved by accepting their role as mothers, or will be saved by the birth of the Child-Jesus. Come LORD Jesus, COME!
Copyright Statement:
Holy Bible, The New Living Translation

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
All kings, would be for all heads who are ultimately responsible before God for other men, other people. Every head of household, every boss, every parent, every male, every ruler, governor, etc. Our position on earth is to pray for these to be in their God-given positions and stay there, rather than use our energies to complain against them being out of position.
If there’s bitterness, envy, strife, anger malice, etc., against people, there won’t be prayer for them, for their souls. Eph 4: says-31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Do you realize we all, like Paul, have been chosen as ambassadors of God’s living eternal word right now. We’re here to establish His kingdom on earth and to bring the living truth of the gospel message to our world, each of us has been given a piece of the world to influence? That means were to be a demonstration of God’s eternal word to anyone in our lives. Sinner and “saint” alike. Good mankind, bad mankind, nice mankind, ogre-like mankind. All need to be saved from the wrath of God which is to come. All will give account for the part of the world they were responsible to govern starting with themselves then going to their own homes and after that is established they get to be stewards of their greater world. This is the order of God. When He says, get your house in order, this is what it means.
When one gets an eternal revelation both of a life with Christ and without Christ, he only wants others to believe in and receive Life in Christ. There is no hope for doom, even for the worst of enemies. We want what God wants, change for unsaved, unredeemed mankind! The only way towards that change is through Christ.
After Paul tells us the order of life, he starts telling each person in the array about having specific prayer assignments for the home and communities we live in.
Where heads of houses are concerned, beginning with heads of individual houses, starting with me, Paul says I would like to see men not be agitated in their souls over temporary fleshly order, but to take that energy and turn it into effective prayers for all mankind in their sphere of influence. Males especially were set by God as examples and leaders and they have to raise up a standard everywhere they go, the standard of the unconditional love of God, which endures great affliction for the receptivity of seed plantings for salvation unto God.
This is the “lifting of hands”. Hands that give praise to God, rather than insist on domination over other men. God made men to rule earth for God. That means move a few demonically influential powers away from other men’s sight of Jesus. That means kick devil butt in the spirit, not command men as slaves to serve other men. True love covers a multitude of sin in prayer, rather than becoming frustrated and commanding, they get earth’s ground ready for the words of God to be planted. That takes a whole lot of unconditional love in demonstration.
The lifting of hands means my own fleshly powered defenses are down, but my spiritual senses are up. I surrender the flesh power I have to a God that has given me responsibility to me to move mountains that people may see Him and be saved. The goodness of God brings men to repentance, the love of a Father draws them to Jesus.
Holy hands means I’m clean before the blood of the Lord Jesus. When I compare my life and the actions and attitudes I carry about as I walk as a saved man, to His word, I’m a model of it. I change continually, adjusting my life to His words, not His words to the personal opinions of my life.
Likewise women have a Divine assignment and a prayer order. They need to also stay in orderly array, submitting to order and covering of the spirit. They must get a glimpse to understand they are co-governors, responsible to God to rule through the same spirit of humility, as an under girder, they help the men rule the earth as co-laborers of the gospel message. They are very perceptive even to the enemies of the man, being able through intercession to thwart things that try to come onto the pathway of the heads of households before they even get to them! They stay sensitive in the spirit for the purpose of seeing and praying ahead. They are serious enough about this position to not usurp it for hormone’s sake, allowing their flesh to get in the way of their spiritual positions and assignments. They are not stirrers of fleshly lusts, for they know what oneness is about and they keep the focus on kingdom matters and kingdom rule and purpose, not allowing their man to be distracted off of the focus.
What she says she is. If she says she belongs to Christ, she has no need to win a worldly man in the flesh, but to under gird one in the spirit, for life. She doesn’t need to give additional trouble for lust to a man. She understands covenant relationship, so lusty fleshy fly-by-nights she does not even give the time of day.
Learn in silence, means she has no need of gossip or slander for it does not help serve the purposes of God. No meddling, she’s in the spirit and God tells her what to pray for. Her relationship with God and her co-partnership with him in the spirit is in tip top shape and so she has no need to tell all. That’s the silence she’s under, one of orderly respect, giving the enemy NO place with her mouth.
This word “teach” here means – debate. She has no need for debating a with a male, unless she has no faith in exercise, debating with intent to correct as in usurping the authority of. This does not means she does not point enemies out in honest conversation, but she’s not a hot-head know-it-all in congregational settings, being on top of every conversation, advising everyone, especially men who are leaders.
God requires the man to give account to Him about the rule men should be having, not for them to account to her but to God. She needs to stand in the fear of God for his well being and pray for his soul that when he does give an account, he’ll have mercy, for his heart and actions were righteous before God. If he’s off, he needs the miraculous and supernatural power of God at work in order for him to stand in this required by God position with out being judged harshly and possibly dying. She needs to take the incorrect things that she sees to God for Him, forgiving him and asking for mercy for him.
That’s her God-given position.
She too shall be saved from wrath in her own responsibility as a woman of God, if she stands in her “place” of intercession, if she never leaves this post.
If he rules well as a priest, prophet, and then a king and she prays and intercedes when he’s off or attacked and they live this way, then reproduction of kingdom life will happen for God, and they who together were set up here by God to take back the earth together will do His will and fulfill His plans for mankind.


Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Matthew 18 A Trumpet is Blowing (Todays it's called "Lena's Trumpet") But It's Blowing All Across the Land_ Please Read_Please Heed! ( I Love U Maria)

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

Matthew 18:1-35
The Greatest in the Kingdom
1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
2Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. 3Then 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. 4Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6But 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. 8So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven F91 crippled or lame than to be thrown into the unquenchable fire with both of your hands and feet. 9And 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. F92
Story of the Lost Sheep
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? 13And if he finds it, he will surely rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! 14In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.
Correcting a Fellow Believer
15"If another believer F93 sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16But 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. 17If 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. 18I 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. 20For where two or three gather together because they are mine, F94 I am there among them."
Story of the Unforgiving Debtor
21Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone F95 who sins against me? Seven times?"
22"No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven! F96
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. 24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. F97 25He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' 27Then 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. F98 He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. 30But 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. 32Then 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. 33Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' 34Then 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 F99 in your heart."
FOOTNOTES:F91: Greek enter life; also in 18:9. F92: Some manuscripts add verse 11, And I, the Son of Man, have come to save the lost. F93: Greek your brother. F94: Greek gather together in my name. F95: Greek my brother. F96: Or 77 times. F97: Greek 10,000 talents. F98: Greek 100 denarii. A denarius was the equivalent of a full day's wage. F99: Greek your brother.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
There’s a certain something inside of every man alive, that is the desire to be great. We might think it is pride and came from satan, but it is truly an attribute of God. God IS great and there is no one “as” great as He, yet He reproduced His greatness in men and women of the earth and told them to do great things in the realm they live in.
It is inside of the perversion of that desire that we find sin. Everything created was created by God, even desires of the heart were placed in men by God. Passion was perverted into lust, as an example. These attributes of life have to be routed properly, governed, tuned in to fulfillment of the heart desires of God and defined by the words of God.
To desire to arise above evil is godly, to desire to succeed, to overcome, to conquer, to get on top, etc are all from the Lord. The place satan missed it was that rather than becoming great, he went way too far and desired to usurp above his author. Also the way to greatness must be God’s way not any other way. There is a way that even seems right to man, but be careful of its end being death. If man is not going God’s way he is going the way of death. Jesus is THE Way, Truth, Life, this is the only true way to greatness.
So the disciples ask, “how does one become greatest in God’s kingdom”, Jesus (THE WAY) said…
“Unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
#1 Turn from sins- repent. You were on a path, a road; and it led to death, for sin leads to death. Jesus died for sin and death, paid a hefty price for us to walk in life, so we find out a way we’ve walked is death, we turn around in honor of the death we believe He died for, for us and we change pathways and head towards life.
Repent means- turn around, go a different direction. Honor God, believe His word, call whatever He calls sin, sin, and turn. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean to, or you weren’t hurting anyone, or your heart was right. If God calls it sin, call it sin, forsake it, and follow Him to life.
#2 Become as little children- think about this one. Children are new, they are being taught everything for the first time, they trust and love their caregivers (God is our caregiver-parent model, they believe whatever their caregiver tells them, they don’t argue the case, they are honest, very vulnerable and trusting. You tell them something because you are teaching them about life and they act, right away. I’m not talking teenager here. I’m talking 3 year old, 6 year old, etc. They do what their trusted parent says, period. It is not a rebellious and debatable age. They are humble.
#3 Whoever humbles himself as a little child-“humble” means apt for change, moldable, to be under the guides of another, to be lowly, meek, not prideful or arrogant, not argumentative, modest in attitude, teachable, innocently trusting.
THIS is How to become great in God’s kingdom. God is looking for a few Great men and women. It starts with childlike faith. Many of us have to start from the beginning when we come to God. We have to sit at His feet saying, all I ever learned may be wrong, God help show me truth, light and life and the right pathway to begin on for and with You. If we do not start here with the new kingdom citizenship we have, we’ll go around mountain after mountain never growing up in Him towards greatness. He needs Great men and women to take the land back for Him, but there’s only one way to greatness, starting as a child in faith, trust, and honor.
In order to grow on from this childlike place and head towards the great things God has for each of us to do for Him in the earth, we have to cut off our past life for the old life cannot go with us where we are going. A huge part of this will happen for us in forgiveness. God requires us to forgive, any and everyone of their sins against us as He also forgave us of our sins. If we do not, He will not keep our debts off of us. We have to call sin what God calls sin. Unforgiveness is sin.
The whole principle of God’s kingdom is based on forgiveness.
Forgiveness is how we came to know Jesus.
We got a revelation of the debt of sin we owed God and realized there’s no way we could afford to pay it, then we surrendered to His will and received His great forgiving power. When we believed and received it by revelation and faith we were Born Again. We realized our great indebtedness to God. Jesus gave His life, and to be in covenant means there’s a life given for a life and so we decided to commit and give ours over to the work of the Lord. We love Him because He first loved us before we ever knew it. If this is NOT how you came to God, Go back and re-come to God! Get really saved!
It is such a serious time right now, God is opening the eyes of our understanding for truth. He is showing us the truth we may have never seen and He requires us to walk in it!
It says in Colossians, that the very way we receive Christ, meaning the revelation we had when we came to Him is how we walk in Him.
If we received Him with urgent fear we walk that way, if we received Him nonchalantly, we walk that way. If we came selfishly, or because we needed healing, that’s how we walk.
It may be a time to walk a new way. Really get saved right, in deliberate revelatory obedience and make a covenant commitment to walk in the fear of the Lord daily. Uproot old bad plantings. Wash off the wrong approaches and wrong thinking and wrong walking and walk in the truth and the light of today. Get rooted and ground in true love, not selfish love, but self-less, God love, the kind that lays down its life for others.
Col 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
The Lord has need of You! This is the seriousness of the hour. God has need of you.
In the past chapters of this and last week, we went over the scripture where the disciples went and got the donkey for the Lord. They said, “Lord what do we tell the owner if he asks what we are doing?” He said tell them, “The Lord has need of it.” (Of thee, of thy rebellion!)
Come on man, if you’ve been an illegitimate son, no one can tell you to even come to church or commit your whole life to God, God can’t speak to you with you responding to hear and do, it is time to give that over to Jesus. He has need of thee! He’ll mount the donkey in you, IF you LET Him!
The Lord has need of us in the earth. He does not do things magically. He set men and women in the earth to rule the earth and to allow and not allow things to happen, to be powerful and great for His works, to permit and to not permit, to bind and loose principalities and powers, to take a hold of darkness and disallow it, and to be light in the earth.
He needs a few great men and guess what? We’re it! He isn’t doing anything big because we’re not. It’s because we didn’t start out humble, and submissive, and allow Him to mount and conquer over our rebellious nature.
Allow Him to arise, and let the enemies of our souls and the enemies of His will, to be scattered and flee away. In fact we’ve been ok w/sin and we’ve allowed it live with us! Rather than Letting God move in. Where sin is allowed and cohabitated with, God is not dwelling there. Then we in ignorance, wonder why God seems so far off?
We’ve watered His word down to the opinions of men and have allowed satan’s demons to live w/ us! Whatever we allow is allowed, whatever we disallow is disallowed.
The Lord has need of our allowances of Him.
So on the matter of forgiveness, what exactly does 7 x 7 mean anyway? That means the same person, even the same offense or hurt in the same day, every time they do it, say it, or inflict it upon you, turn your other unhurt cheek and offer it and forgive them! 7 means all, 7 means all, completely. Jesus emphasized it, saying it twice.
Do not withhold forgiveness. If it is withheld by you, you are requiring them to pay for what they deserve, while God did not require you to pay for what you deserved – In fact we deserved an eternal burning with all 5 senses eternally aware it’s hurts inflicted upon us with no redemption from it in hell, but He gave you what you did not deserve and could never ever pay for- forgiveness of that eternal death, because His son died a tormentors death for you!
So one who lays down his life for another will “die” to the hurts and temporary pain here for that person until they can ask for it for themselves. Don’t make them pay eternally in hell. Pray for their soul, and for their sins that will send them to hell, just like your sins would and will send you there if you do not submit your rebellion to God.
If you do not forgive, you are saying that you are God the judge, and you are standing in His place, like satan tried to, you are requiring the judgment.
You are in sin. Your sin is going to kill you as well as the person who’s been offending you. Their sin will kill them forever in hell! That’s serious business! We need to cry out for their mercy, and if we do not forgive them, we are a part of sending them to hell. Their blood is on our hands! Hatred = murder. Unforgiveness not dealt with by God turns into bitterness, which turns into hatred and hatred is the opposite of love which forgives and does not eternally damn people.
God is warning us, before it’s too late for us. It is time to set captives free, open prison doors, release people from our prisons, the prisons of our hearts and minds.
R U Really saved? If not, better get really saved, soon, very soon. Now is the time to become a serious kingdom of light-and-life citizen!

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Luke 9 The cost is affordable really, we can't afford the luxury of NOT followng Jesus

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

Luke 9:1-62
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
1One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. 2Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3"Don't even take along a walking stick," he instructed them, "nor a traveler's bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat. 4When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home. 5If the people of the village won't receive your message when you enter it, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate."
6So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Herod's Confusion
7When reports of Jesus' miracles reached Herod Antipas, F41 he was worried and puzzled because some were saying, "This is John the Baptist come back to life again." 8Others were saying, "It is Elijah or some other ancient prophet risen from the dead."
9"I beheaded John," Herod said, "so who is this man about whom I hear such strange stories?" And he tried to see him.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. 11But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. And he welcomed them, teaching them about the Kingdom of God and curing those who were ill. 12Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, "Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this deserted place."
13But Jesus said, "You feed them." "Impossible!" they protested. "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?" 14For there were about five thousand men there. "Just tell them to sit down on the ground in groups of about fifty each," Jesus replied. 15So the people all sat down. 16Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people. 17They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!
Peter's Declaration about Jesus
18One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
19"Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead."
20Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!"
Jesus Predicts His Death
21Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about this. 22"For I, the Son of Man, must suffer many terrible things," he said. "I will be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. I will be killed, but three days later I will be raised from the dead."
23Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. 24If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. 25And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? 26If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27And I assure you that some of you standing here right now will not die before you see the Kingdom of God."
The Transfiguration
28About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30Then two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31They were glorious to see. And they were speaking of how he was about to fulfill God's plan by dying in Jerusalem.
32Peter and the others were very drowsy and had fallen asleep. Now they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him. 33As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, "Master, this is wonderful! We will make three shrines F42 —one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 34But even as he was saying this, a cloud came over them; and terror gripped them as it covered them.
35Then a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. F43 Listen to him." 36When the voice died away, Jesus was there alone. They didn't tell anyone what they had seen until long after this happened.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a huge crowd met Jesus. 38A man in the crowd called out to him, "Teacher, look at my boy, who is my only son. 39An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It is always hitting and injuring him. It hardly ever leaves him alone. 40I begged your disciples to cast the spirit out, but they couldn't do it."
41"You stubborn, faithless people," Jesus said, "how long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring him here." 42As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43Awe gripped the people as they saw this display of God's power.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
While everyone was marveling over all the wonderful things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44"Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed." 45But they didn't know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they could not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46Then there was an argument among them as to which of them would be the greatest. 47But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."
Using the Name of Jesus
49John said to Jesus, "Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons. We tried to stop him because he isn't in our group."
50But Jesus said, "Don't stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you."
Opposition from Samaritans
51As the time drew near for his return to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53But they were turned away. The people of the village refused to have anything to do with Jesus because he had resolved to go to Jerusalem. 54When James and John heard about it, they said to Jesus, "Lord, should we order down fire from heaven to burn them up F44 ?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them. F45 56So they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go."
58But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head."
59He said to another person, "Come, be my disciple." The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."
60Jesus replied, "Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. F46 Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God."
61Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family."
62But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."
FOOTNOTES:F41: Greek Herod the tetrarch. He was a son of King Herod and was ruler over one of the four districts in Palestine. F42: Or shelters; Greek reads tabernacles. F43: Some manuscripts read This is my beloved Son. F44: Some manuscripts add as Elijah did. F45: Some manuscripts add And he said, "You don't realize what your hearts are like. 56For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." F46: Greek Let the dead bury their own dead.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
It seems like when a believer dies, passes on, he leaves more of his life’s message than was here when he was here. It’s like reproduction becomes multiplication, kind of like a seed is one seed, but brings forth like 3 ears of corn on a stalk with hundreds of kernels on each ear! 1 Cor 15 speaks of such a principle in kingdom sowing and reaping, a life brings forth lives.
They kill John, they get more Johns, they kill Jesus they get more Christians!, They kill Stephens they get more disciples and apostles…etc. Especially when those who are killed give the life, rather than allow the enemy to take it. They lay it down as an offering to God and He multiplies that which is given. This is how it works with us, when we give our lives, lay down our own desires, our own selfish ways and plans in life each day. What you sow you shall reap in this life and in eternity. The enemy will be confused saying, I thought I killed them, I thought I hurt and injured them, I thought I rendered them dead and useless by offending them, so why are there MORE of them out and about now than were before? They gave of their own life unto God, an offering it as a , a sweet smelling savor.
The way of true, successful multiplication is government. The more people who died for the gospel around these disciples the more serious the others became about setting up His governmental order in the earth. This is the crux of the beginning of His government ruling in us. It starts with this, it starts with this in us personally. If we never get here personally, He’s not really our Lord, maybe our Savior, but not yet Lord. If not Lord, we are not yet His.
Here’s the crux of the kingdom message. Not My way LORD, but Yours….
"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.
24If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. 25And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?
After we make Him Lord, He shows us the multitudes and says – YOU feed them! What a test of faith to be made bread for nations of peoples.
The making of bread is a process, so is salvation. He who stays in the process will truly be saved (especially from His self life!). Bread starts out as grain in a field unharvested-unsaved, in unbelief, when harvested it is then brought to the threshing floors where it is separated out from what is precious and what is waste- eternally and for earthly consumability. Once separated out (from the world and it’s ways) it is beaten and crushed along with others like it, and milled to be so fine it is like mere dust (from dust we cane and to dust we return, it pleased the Lord to crush-bruise Him), then the dust product sits till chosen to be mixed with other useful ingredients such as love, life, forgiveness and power etc. Then all of this goes into the heat of an oven to be proven and rise to the occasion, the very intent behind harvest, is to become food. If the dust abides alone it will be consumed alright, by mite and, maggots, without ever being used properly for it’s intended use.
Jesus said, you who were once harvested material, You now feed them!
Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."
Any one who is not against you is for you."
Amen!

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.


Matthew 14:1-36
The Death of John the Baptist
1When Herod Antipas F76 heard about Jesus, 2he said to his advisers, "This must be John the Baptist come back to life again! That is why he can do such miracles." 3For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod's brother Philip). 4John kept telling Herod, "It is illegal for you to marry her." 5Herod would have executed John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.
6But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7so he promised with an oath to give her anything she wanted. 8At her mother's urging, the girl asked, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!" 9The king was sorry, but because of his oath and because he didn't want to back down in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10So John was beheaded in the prison, 11and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12John's disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
13As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed by land from many villages. 14A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15That evening the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves."
16But Jesus replied, "That isn't necessary—you feed them."
17"Impossible!" they exclaimed. "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish!"
18"Bring them here," he said. 19Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. And he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave some of the bread and fish to each disciple, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21About five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves, in addition to all the women and children!
Jesus Walks on Water
22Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. 23Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
25About three o'clock in the morning F77 Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 27But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid."
28Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water."
29"All right, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
31Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" 32And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
33Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.
34After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35The news of their arrival spread quickly throughout the whole surrounding area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36The sick begged him to let them touch even the fringe of his robe, and all who touched it were healed.
FOOTNOTES:F76: Greek Herod the tetrarch. He was a son of King Herod and was ruler over one of the four districts in Palestine. F77: Greek In the fourth watch of the night.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
As I’m reading this first verse this morning I’m thinking about when the world called people “Christians”, Herod called Jesus a “Baptist”, a replica of John. Remember who the Bible said John had the same spirit of? Elijah, who would turn the hearts of fathers to children, children’s hearts to fathers and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, making a people ready for the coming of the King. People are recognized by what spirit they are of. We can have like mindedness, but to be one in spirit, we would have the spirit of God and of Christ at work in us. What Herod- a worldly king saw in Jesus was God, what he saw in John was God, what “he” should see in us is God. Of what spirit are we? That of the world, or that which is so different from the world that the world sees and begins to question the spirit we are of? It’s so the time to stir up questions among those we influence by our everyday lives. The world and its kings should ask, “what spirit are you of?”
One way they will know what spirit we are of is our standard of holiness. Love and truth rescues persons from the death grip of hell. John told Herodias truth, because he wanted her to repent and be rescued from hell. Uncorrectable and rebellious people think when truth is spoken, it is just the person desiring to put them down. They are already going down without words of truth to bring them up from the pits of destruction. John was executed for speaking the truth. How many are of that same spirit in our day that are willing to die for our own reputation to rescue someone else’s soul? Better a Christian die physically for speaking truth, than a sinner die and go to hell.
What about in our homes- are we willing to lay down our own self-life to speak the truth- IN LOVE? The love of God that truly is desirous of the rescue of a soul? It amazes me that a Christian spouse in an unequal yoke does not first get on their knees and cry out for the salvation of the spouse and ask for angelic help and pray for messengers of God to surround and bring their spouse into God’s kingdom, daily, praying until it happens, looking fervently for open doors to speak truth without any malice in the home.
I’ve heard so many say, “I cannot talk to them about it.”
Who has been set up by God to talk to them about it, but a plant inside of their very own home, which just so happens to be you? It is time to lay down self life- risk the present state of the relationship and speak the words of truth. Now if they don’t see the spirit of Christ and God in you, you may have sabotaged your reputation as a Christian, so you must cry out to God to show you how repair that, be humble and repent and speak the truth. Life force is the greatest witness and the best proof, but even if I don’t live it, the word is still truth and without Jesus as Lord we go to hell. To wait for yourself to get right would be a mistake, for you do not know when another’s or even your own life’s witness will pass away. Time for change, time to live and risk your own self life and speak!
Herod was very interested in his self life and the gospel message was silenced by the removing of the headship of Christ and the voice of his word being spoken (in that instance). Self life, and a dose of good worldly reputation will kill the gospel message.
After the tragedy of the main voice being silenced in that day, by the grace of God, it was time for the message to multiply through disciples. If you won’t, by God’s great grace someone else will. Eternal life is counting on it. Jesus said to the disciples YOU feed the multitudes! They said,” we can’t, it’s impossible!” Well, alone that is true, you can’t and it is impossible (to speak to and save that spouse), but offer them to God, give thanks in prayer by faith, believe, distribute the word of life, be the bread of life, let them eat of you and drink of you. Break down walls in prayer, crying out for the supernatural miraculous help of the spirit. Watch God do a miracle at your own hands! Surround yourself with other disciples who will agree with you in prayer!
Before and after every move, every miraculous feat, Jesus prayed. Prayer is the key, the prayer of faith brings the desired end. How much do you pray in fervent faith for a specific soul, especially your spouse?
Jesus is walking on water to you for this. He wants these people saved far more than we do. Ok there’s a storm, it is a distraction to try to thwart your faith. It is a smokescreen to get you to think the situation is greater than God is. That’s a lie. NO situation is greater than God, except in our heads. So spirit, soul and body Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together! He is great and greatly to be praised, if we believe in His miraculous power, we’ll praise Him.
Can you imagine heaven’s view of earth, even of a large storm? The Lord and heaven’s angles are waiting to see how we respond to a storm, we’ve been given back the Adam assigned power over elements and over our situations by Jesus. We have these keys, it is time to use them! The Lord of heaven’s armies awaits the earth executives call for help.
We even have a certain rule over angels. The word says they hearken to the voice of His word- “storm be still.” It says they offer ministry to those who are heirs of salvation, that’d be every Christian and also those destined to be saved.
So we execute the voice of His word - “Angles of God go forth and set my spouse up to hear truth. Be relentless until they surrender, set them up circumstantially with laborers of the gospel of truth, trip traps of enemies that try to plan lies around them. In Jesus’ name we believe they are heirs of salvation and we call for all elements of life to steer them into faith in God and in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Change the course of your day, Change the course of your family’s day with your executional words of faith. Speak creative God empowered words into your world. Frame it by words of faith in God. Let the impossible happen for you! Watch many more than just your little household be fed the bread of life. Believe God as never before and speak the truth in a true heart of love and compassion, a heart that looks at the outcome and is so in love with who God loves that they’d lay down selfish reputation for truth.

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15
I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.