Psalm 118 Two lives & Two deaths

During this week, I'll be away for a week (Nov 30- Dec 5). I may not be able to post (I haven't gotten a lap top yet). I'll post the reading plan on the 29th - just in case I can't. If I am able, I'll be posting from CA, where I'll be with my mom helping my Grandma & Aunt....
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. Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
3 Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
4 Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
5 In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me. 6 The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 7 Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people. 9 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes. 10 Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. 11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. 12 They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a roaring flame. But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. 13 You did your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. 15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! 16 The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
17 I will not die, but I will live to tell what the LORD has done. 18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. 20 Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. 21 I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me! 22 The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous to see.
24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. 26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, shining upon us. bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
The New Living Translation

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Today I feel prompted to speak of death and life.
Do you know there are 2 deaths and 2 births?
One is natural, and one is spiritual.
Man was born of a woman, that was a natural birth.
Man’s physical body dies, that is a natural death.
So where is the spiritual birth and spiritual death?
Man is a spirit, has a soul, lives in a body. His body is for his earth assignment. For him to have a time to decide to come alive unto God, eternally.
Sin separated the natural man’s spirit from God and that is called spiritual death. Natural man is dying spiritually. If that man is not born of the living spirit of Christ in God, and that man dies naturally, already spiritually dead, he also dies spiritually, eternally.
Each man now has opportunity to be made spiritually alive, meaning reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. If natural man receives the power of this sacrifice, he is born again; a second birth occurs. He is now made spiritually alive unto God. When this man dies naturally, he is alive spiritually unto God and does not die eternally. He lives eternally with God, reconciled to God forever.
When we read the Bible we need to think natural and spiritual.
A person could be hurt physically, be injured and physically die, but live. This spiritual life is the life that really “counts”, meaning - it goes on forever. The natural life we live here is the time we have to secure that eternal time later on with God and Christ. So that if we die naturally, we do not DIE spiritually speaking! It is also time for us to be reconcilers of others. We only have so much time here to do that. Our natural lives here are a time for us to get born again and then spend our lifetimes spreading this spiritually alive living and naturally perishing man message to those who are already spiritually dead and to reconcile men with their Father God. The God who created them and who loves them and sent His Son to bring them life.
Now, think about it. Would it be better to die naturally or spiritually?
One is temporary, one eternal. One lasts but a time, the other never ends.
So, how could Jesus endure such physical sufferings in our place? He had eternal vision. He was eternally alive and understood what it would mean for each of us to die eternally. He was desperate to make that happen for us, as much as He could do on His part. His heart of love had to make this happen for mankind, who are the objects of His Father’s love. His great love for His Father drove and compelled Him to bring life, even if it meant His own death!
When we get that, we will also become desperate. We’ll be desperate to live and love, to love and watch others live - eternally. Whatever it takes, even if it takes the laying down of a life- and it always does.
“Bind with cords the sacrifice to the altar”. I believe that means, “Lord, the sacrifices I am about to make, help me to not wiggle out from giving them all over to You, for the sake of others, that they’d choose to become alive to You”, spiritually speaking.
Even if I endure hardship to the end of losing my own natural life, or if I suffer, or if I take pains for someone else, or if I don’t ever get my own way on things, help me endure to the end, that they’d see their end, and turn to You and change.
Natural death is natural, temporary, and fleeting. Spiritual death is definite, eternal, lasts forever.
What can man do to me? Kill me, naturally? So what, if I’m born again. If I’m not, how sad that day is, because the opportunity for change is over, so rather than mourn, awaken, and turn your eyes towards those still alive and save some. “Oh God, help me to save some, before their time is out”.

Daily Thought to Ponder -
“Oh Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!”