Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Hosea 2 Daily Bread Today, no comment

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God Bless You Today, Lena B

Hosea 2
Charges against an Unfaithful Wife

1&2"But now, call Israel F4 to account, for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to take off her garish makeup and suggestive clothing and to stop playing the prostitute. 3If she doesn't, I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a desert or a dry and barren wilderness. 4And I will not love her children as I would my own because they are not my children! They were conceived in adultery. 5For their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, 'I'll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and drink, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil.'
6"But I will fence her in with thornbushes. I will block the road to make her lose her way. 7When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch up with them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, 'I might as well return to my husband because I was better off with him than I am now.' 8She doesn't realize that it was I who gave her everything she has—the grain, the wine, the olive oil. Even the gold and silver she used in worshiping the god Baal were gifts from me!
9"But now I will take back the wine and ripened grain I generously provided each harvest season. I will take away the linen and wool clothing I gave her to cover her nakedness. 10I will strip her naked in public, while all her lovers look on. No one will be able to rescue her from my hands. 11I will put an end to her annual festivals, her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals. 12I will destroy her vineyards and orchards, things she claims her lovers gave her. I will let them grow into tangled thickets, where only wild animals will eat the fruit. 13I will punish her for all the times she deserted me, when she burned incense to her images of Baal, put on her earrings and jewels, and went out looking for her lovers," says the LORD.
The LORD's Love for Unfaithful Israel
14"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. 15I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble F5 into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
16"In that coming day," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.' F6 17O Israel, I will cause you to forget your images of Baal; even their names will no longer be spoken. 18At that time I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds and the animals that scurry along the ground so that they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety. 19I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. 20I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD.
21"In that day," says the LORD, "I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. 22Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together, 'Jezreel'—'God plants!'
23"At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself! I will show love to those I called 'Not loved.' F7 And to those I called 'Not my people,' F8 I will say, 'Now you are my people.' Then they will reply, 'You are our God!'"
FOOTNOTES:
F4: Hebrew call your mother.
F5: Hebrew valley of Achor.
F6: Hebrew `my baal.'
F7: Hebrew Lo-ruhamah; see 1:6.
F8: Hebrew Lo-ammi; see 1:9.


Comments to come later, if any needed 

Monday, July 30, 2007

Hosea 1 plus Lena's Journalin' Today

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Hosea 1
1 The LORD gave these messages to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash F1 was king of Israel.
Hosea's Wife and Children
2 When the LORD first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, "Go and marry a prostitute, F2 so some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the LORD by worshiping other gods."
3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. 4 And the LORD said, "Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu's dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. 5 In fact, I will put an end to Israel's independence by breaking its military power in the Jezreel Valley."
6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, "Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—'Not loved'—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. 7But I, the LORD their God, will show love to the people of Judah. I will personally free them from their enemies without any help from weapons or armies."
8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. 9 And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi—'Not my people'—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God. 10 Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' it will be said, 'You are children of the living God.' 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite under one leader, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel F3 —when God will again plant his people in his land.

FOOTNOTES:
F1: Hebrew Joash, a variant name for Jehoash.
F2: Or a promiscuous woman.
F3: Jezreel means "God plants."


Lena Journals to Hosea 1
The Lord always gives a message to a generation of people. The words come in season even when it seems out of season.
Being Out of season is when one is not ready to receive, embrace them and live the words. In season is when a person decides the words offered are for their use and they are willing to put them to use in their lives.
Hosea, as many a prophetic spirit, came in a time not at all unlike our time, or any other time that man has been alive and going about his cultural business.
We’ve been given the words of the Bible, that we’d learn from other men’s cyclical patterns, and not repeat them ourselves. Not engage in their same lfe’s lessons and mistakes.
Hosea means “salvation has come”. The offer to man is that man would be saved through the power of God, for man, even though he tries hard to, he cannot save his self from eternal destruction and the pain that separation from God lays out in day to day life. In Hosea’s day, as ours, there needed to be a clear very distinct sound, a sound that others could follow after, turn to, clearly hear in order to follow.
Man, as always, had the option to take a hold of a new way, walk along a different path. This way is the only way to perfection and peace and it could only be had the way God led man to go. Man cannot have this sought after peace with himself and with His God, without going this specific way.
Man always wants the easy street version and the benefits of the way, without having to change his direction, so he contends with the ways of God for a time. In that struggle, that contention, man can rise above with praise, and with discipline that makes one’s self do a refocusing on God, rather than his self and self will. God gives each man an offer. Generations of peoples, an offer, the offers are given by God, He did pave the roadway, making the path clear, yet there seems to be a huge barrier on that road, one that can easily be removed by each freewill. It is by mere determined decision making that barriers like this one can roll way. In this, willingness to go another direction in life, God has His way, but only if man agrees with Him and decides. This is victory that a man loves God back, does His will, while still a freewill earth being, who does not have to do anything anyone else ever says, clear or unlcear.
How do we translate “other gods” in our day? I mean we don’t bow to idols, or do we?
Anytime we do what we want, which is contending with what God wants, we have bowed to another. It could be ourselves we bow to, and serve. For self service is worship. Giving time and energy to another, is worship. Whatever we attend to most is our object of worship. When we value something or someone higher than we value our faith in God, and attend to more than we attend to the nurturing of that faith, in these subtle actions, we bow to other gods.
It’s so subtle, that unless we find it out, are willing to see it, and set out to keep the guard, we won’t see it.
What God sows in the earth, all of His offers given man, He expects to reap a harvest in and of. When the offers are made, again and again, and man does not respond, the mercy given us by God to do His good pleasure, runs out. God told Hosae to name his daughter – “no mercy”. He was tired and saddened by man’s lack of response to His offers.
Jezreel means God “has sown”. (Put His many offers to man “out there”)
Has He not sown seeds in our lives? We take so much liberty, rather than believing His words are commands to follow, many the people of God believe they are optional offers. Our “liberty” could become a bondage to us. The Lord says in this chapter, He put an end to man’s independence. Man’s independence works against the commands of God, the will of God, and the plan of God, for an assembled unified army, in the earth.
God has a vision, and man was set here to will to do it and to complete or perfect its work through the power and strength of Christ!
May many seeds God has sown into the garden of your life grow and sprout up toiday, or may those plants already growing, be nurtured and protected and become strong plants in anf for the hosue of god, that all nations may eat of their fruits. These are for the feeding and healing of nations. Seeds must growm and stay put that they can be strong enough to be a tree that people can eat from.
Amen
Trees of righteousness, the plantings of the Lord, that he could actually be given back glory through man.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

2 Peter 2 w/ Lena's Journalin'


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God Bless You Today, Lena B


2 Peter 2
The Danger of False Teachers
1But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

4For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, F8 in gloomy caves F9 and darkness until the judgment day. 5And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. 8Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.
9So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment. 10He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones F10 without so much as trembling. 11But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against F11 the glorious ones.
12These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them. 13Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you. 14They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed. 15They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, F12 who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.
17These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind—promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living. 19They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. 21It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. 22They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit," F13 and "A washed pig returns to the mud."
FOOTNOTES:
F8: Greek Tartaros.
F9: Some manuscripts read chains of gloom.
F10: The glorious ones are probably evil angels; also in 2:11.
F11: Greek never bring blasphemous judgment from the Lord against.
F12: Other manuscripts read Bosor.
F13: Prov 26:11.



Lena’s Journalin’ to 2 Peter 2 Today

Turn against their Master who bought them…
Did that say bought?
Yes it did.
Do we as Christians think we are “slaves” with a Master, or even servants bought, “hired”? Not usually. That puts a whole new light on the idea of being a “follower” of Christ.
That sounds like there’s ownership. Like someone belongs to someone else. No one likes that kind of idea, or do they?
Belonging.
I’ve heard a lot of people, lonely people say, they wish they just belonged…but how far does one go with that idea of desiring to “belong”?
In our nation and culture, we want a lot for free, yet freedom is never free, just as belonging is never really had without giving all. When we come to God, He expects we are done with living for ourselves our way. He believes we are ready to surrender all. He believes we are ready to be as His servants (in the beginning until we grow up in our relationship of faith becoming sons, family members), we are ready to give our all to Him and let Him handle our matters for us.
He did buy us, whether we ever give ourselves to Him or not. In the end there will be a reconciliation of all of our accounts, the ones we gave freely and the ones we held back from Him.
An example of another gospel and of heresy is when “Christians” (one who says by their statement of life they are becoming like Christ, daily) do not yield themselves willingly to the Mastership of Christ Jesus who paid a huge price to rule in the earth through humans. The heresy is that we think we are “saved” yet we live like we want to.
That is so subtle most of us don’t think of it much, but it is another gospel and is not in line with God’s word and its standard of ruler ship.
God will bring the whole world and whoever is in it under His ultimate control, the deal is those who allow His control now, will be least shocked by the outcome of this violent act. How far the earth is off from His Lordship will be how tragic the turning will be. The more people come under that kind of living now, the less of an adjustment will need to be made.
Ever hear of a city being wiped out, instantaneously?
Are we distressed by the wickedness we see and hear in our day, enough to live righteously as examples, extreme examples, who willingly make it so clear that no one questions it, are we teaching righteousness by example to our children? Are we willing to have this type of lifeline dropped in the midst of our lives, one that measures us according to His righteous standard of living and loving? The key word here is how willing are we?
It is ALL about the will.
In recovery programs for addicts. They tell those in for recovery, you don’t HAVE to do this!!!
Yet that seems contrary to what they are in for, but it is so key to their help, the true help comes through a freewill choice. All else is temporary help.
Everyone healthy around them says to them, Oh, You DON”T have to!
And really they don’t, because they have a freewill choice, they do not HAVE TO, no one needs to MAKE them, they don’t really need to.
Do you understand what is being said here? It is a matter of the will.
How are the godly rescued? Please listen to this answer…..
They change their want to’s!
They willingly put their own lives under authority, they submit their own lives to another’s will. They practice it with mere human people! They embrace responsibility, even when it is hard, especially when it is hard!
They want to.
Our nation tells us to be under authority is a challenge to our freedom and independence.
To independence yes, because independence defined as we do, is more like rebellion.
To freedom, no, for there is more freedom in submissiveness. It is very sad to watch people train by example their children in our culture to disrespect and hate authority. What is the worst is seeing the place that attitude puts the individuals in life and they don’t even know it. It is sad the place that puts us before God in the church when we do not honor and respect authority, but rather criticize or complain against them and spread that bad news. Bottom line - leaders and authorities are human, and make mistakes, it is the position they hold that God expects us to use to practice honor and respect in, and by respecting the position we’ll pray for and serve those who hold it for the timeframe they get to while on earth.
The criticism of authorities is a trap one must learn to escape form quickly, even if it means the separation of so called “friends”. Being a part of it will set one up to be caught in a whirlwind of mishaps, one may not be able to return or recover from.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Psalm 105 w/ Journalin' too

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 105

1 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
2 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his miracles.
3 Exult in his holy name; O worshipers of the LORD, rejoice!
4 Search for the LORD and for his strength, and keep on searching.
5 Think of the wonderful works he has done, the miracles and the judgments he handed down,
6 O children of Abraham, God's servant, O descendants of Jacob, God's chosen one.
7 He is the LORD our God. His rule is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
9 This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to the people of Israel as a never-ending treaty:
11 "I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession."
12 He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered back and forth between nations, from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf:
15 "Do not touch these people I have chosen, and do not hurt my prophets."
16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 There in prison, they bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his word, the LORD tested Joseph's character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king's household; he became ruler over all the king's possessions.
22 He could instruct the king's aides as he pleased and teach the king's advisers.
23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 And the LORD multiplied the people of Israel until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and they plotted against the LORD's servants.
26 But the LORD sent Moses his servant, along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians, and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 The LORD blanketed Egypt in darkness, for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
29 He turned the nation's water into blood, poisoning all the fish.
30 Then frogs overran the land; they were found even in the king's private rooms.
31 When he spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians, and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 Instead of rain, he sent murderous hail, and flashes of lightning overwhelmed the land.
33 He ruined their grapevines and fig trees and shattered all the trees.
34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came— locusts beyond number.
35 They ate up everything green in the land, destroying all the crops.
36 Then he killed the oldest child in each Egyptian home, the pride and joy of each family.
37 But he brought his people safely out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick or feeble people among them.
38 Egypt was glad when they were gone, for the dread of them was great.
39 The LORD spread out a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail; he gave them manna—bread from heaven.
41 He opened up a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry and barren land.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise to Abraham his servant.
43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 All this happened so they would follow his principles and obey his laws.
Praise the LORD!

Lena’s Journalin’ Today to Psalm 105
The first 5 verses have 11 doing words. Words for the reader, hearer, listener, reciter, & Christian, to DO.
These are not options of those who say they believe. If we say we believe, we follow our faith with actions proving that faith. We accept God’s Holy Word as our instruction book for life and for walking in the spirit. The words that say do, mean do, and they are commands. Every good soldier follows commands.
Why would we think ourselves/Christians, as soldiers?
We are under Commanders. We are in warfare, we win, and we have victory.
We love, so we obey.
We are the army of God.
God is counting on men who assemble, are under command, and obey.
God keeps His words, and Jesus prays that we will do likewise.
We say he is Lord, but is He when it come s to Him telling us what to do?
Jesus said to the religious people of His day, the church people, why do you say to Me, Lord, Lord, yet you don’t do what I say for you to do?
In keeping the word, and His commands, we live and spread life to generations to come.
Remember, He chose us, we respond by choosing Him. He chose us all, will all of us choose to walk in His ways? We are freewill beings and it is up to us, today.
Everything on this journey, as in the journeyings of those written of in the word of God are about faith, the walk of faith, the life of faith.
God chooses men, human men, unperfected men, to do His work.
If anyone ever thought that who God chooses are people who are already perfected, they may be in for a shocker when they first see imperfection in their leaders.
More than perfection, God cares that one’s will surrenders. The rest God can fine tune, as long as the will is pliable and yieldable.
One who even thinks themselves to somehow have arrived in some sort of perefection, may be in a dangerous place, where pride will try to win them over to its trap.
God provides for even those who lack faith, or for those who make mistakes, if they stay the distance and believe in Him, enough to walk His ways.
He helps mere human men.
Why do bad things happen? Both to test faith, and to show there is a better way.
Consequence and even pain are very important teachers to men. It shows there is another way to walk than the current path one was led on.
When going through hell, keep walking.
When in a pit, look up, and grab the rope!

Friday, July 27, 2007

Psalm 91 w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 91
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague.
4 He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day,
6 nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
8 But you will see it with your eyes; you will see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.
11 For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will satisfy them with a long life and give them my salvation."

Lena’s Journalin Today ~
Trust is an issue of faith, Faith is what pleases and moves God’s word to manifest in our lives. Faith is what changes circumstances and situations, faith is what moves mountains (changes even naturally impossible elemental principles in order to change things), faith is the substance of what we hope for, the evidence of what we do not yet see, it is how unseen becomes seen, heaven’s blessings come to earth’s realm.
Trust is the basis of even faith.
Question of the day for us all. How much do we put our trust in God? Do we really trust Him, or do we need to help Him out in things, make them happen, maybe before their time, or do it our own way?
Recently I knew of a person who hit rock bottom, they said I thought I trusted God, but I realize I had to set everything in my life up just so, so I’d be comfortable and have something that I deemed safe to hold onto. They said they realized trusting God meant letting all of that go! That was scary, very scary. Faith and trust are always scary to our humanness, but what awaits those to trust and rely on Him is immeasurable, beyond understanding, as this Psalm describes….
This Psalm is a list of the benefits for those who let Go and let God, those who trust and rely on Him in faith. These things do not come to people who hold the reigns of control, but to those who give God the wheel……wooooooweee…… watch out!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Psalm 50 from yesterday w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from east to west!
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches with the noise of thunder. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him.
4 Heaven and earth will be his witnesses as he judges his people:
5 "Bring my faithful people to me— those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge.
Interlude
7 "O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar.
9 But I want no more bulls from your barns; I want no more goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me.
12 If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 I don't need the bulls you sacrifice; I don't need the blood of goats.
14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
16 But God says to the wicked: "Recite my laws no longer, and don't pretend that you obey me.
17 For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.
18 When you see a thief, you help him, and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouths are filled with wickedness, and your tongues are full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander a brother— your own mother's son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn't care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who ignore me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God."


Lena Journals to Psalm 50
What has the Lord summonsed us for?
To Shine Him in all the earth. Wherever we live, Shine for Him. Whether at home, in the neighborhood, driving down streets, working at a job, serving in the house of God, out in the marketplaces, Shine!
As though we are His, as though we have Him on the inside - shine.
Is He the greatest sound people hear whenever they observe us? Is He great, Big, huge, or are our problems the biggest parts of our lives?
Is His voice as thunder, strong and powerful; or have we minimized Him underneath the circumstance of the moments?
Listen please, the enemy’s goal is that God be made smaller. It is each individual who chooses to magnify the Lord or not. We choose to exalt His name above other names. Ultimately it will be lifted up for all men to see how high it is, but today it is me who decides for me today, in my life, how highly exalted is He?
Do other things in our lives step aside for the presence of God, for the pursuit of His presence?
How do we become faithful to God? Are you full of faith in His words? Do you make sacrifices to be a disciple, to obey Him and live a lifestyle of purity?
What is His desire? Do we know or ask it?
The Psalmist tells those who will listen, what the desire of the Lord is….What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Fulfill what vows?
How about the ones we’ve said that sound like this -I love You Lord, I’ll serve You, all of my days….I confess Jesus as LORD…” Oh, those vows, oh yes, those!
"Recite my laws no longer, and don't pretend that you obey me. For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.
What do we think when we read stiff like this? Do we think Oh how sad someone has offended God? We need to think, Oh man, I may have offended God!
We need to dig deeply and repent, for the commands we do not yet obey and have not set up as a priority.
There is a difference between wilderness and promised land living. The difference starts on the inside.
It begins and ends with thankfulness in any and everything one can be thankful for.
Who is worthy of our praise? Do we praise anyone for anything at all? Can we find God in what we’re going through?
I heard a word the other day, that said, “I, the Lord, have placed you in this wine press, because I’d like some new wine made out of you!”
Wow. How could one gives thanks there? Thank You Lord for molding and changing me! Amen!

Psalm 55 Today w/ Lena's Journalin' too

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 55
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help!
2 Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
3 My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me, hunting me down in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish. The terror of death overpowers me.
5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me. I can't stop shaking.
6 Oh, how I wish I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!
7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.
Interlude
8 How quickly I would escape— far away from this wild storm of hatred.
9 Destroy them, Lord, and confuse their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.
11 Murder and robbery are everywhere there; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.
12 It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them.
13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.
14 What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.
15 Let death seize my enemies by surprise; let the grave F41 swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.
16 But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me.
17 Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.
18 He rescues me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, even though many still oppose me.
19 God, who is king forever, will hear me and will humble them.
Interlude
For my enemies refuse to change their ways; they do not fear God.
20 As for this friend of mine, he betrayed me; he broke his promises.
21 His words are as smooth as cream, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers!
22 Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
23 But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.
FOOTNOTES:
F41: Hebrew let Sheol.



~Lena's Journalin' to Psalm 55 Today~
As I read the words of This Psalm, I see human nature expressed and expressed as we see it from a human and an earthly view. A view based on the flesh nature, one we contend with daily in order to rise above.
In our humanness we could stand to lose the heavenly perception on life’s circumstances. We need to get up to the place He provided for us to get a view from, rise up and see things as He sees them, at least get a glimpse.
Have you ever stepped up higher and changed your view? Whenever you go through something, ask God to help you step up, climb up, and fly up, for a better view.
From a circumstantial view one may think God has not heard a prayer or they may think the world revolves around their problems only, for the scuffle is going on and the person is so involved that all there is is a scuffle. Yet when one sees form above, they can see a whole set of actions, reactions and even orchestrations within a big picture.
Maturity realizes it has a personal responsibility to unleash the power of God which is already alive and available in us. It takes responsibility and does whatever it takes, to be in position or engage in the very purposes that open doors for the very promises of God made available for the taking, for the seizing.
The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. What does that say? We do not get to sit back w/ a remote control in our hands as though we are watchers of a show, because we’re players, we’re the ones’ making the show happen!
Things just do not happen, there is a set course of responses that make things work. It reminds me of watching a gymnast. When we see them perform, we think it looks easy and we find that if we were to try out the feat, we’d fail miserably, for it took responsibility and discipline to demonstrate the results seen before our eyes. For Christ’s kingdom to come in any area, the responsibility and discipline is obedience to the word of God.
Instead of being overwhelmed in any given situation, if we rise up, we can rather overcome.
Why would God not answer?
He already did.
That’s why.
Are we ready to do what He’s said, as He’s said it?
Many of the promises we are waiting for, are waiting for us to make a responsible move.
We overcome by the Blood of the Lamb of God that was slain for God’s work to appear in the earth through us, By the word of our testimony of life and not of death, and we love not our own lives, even unto the death of our selfishness, self centered world, and personal desires.
Today is a day to overcome, rather than be overwhelmed. It is a mere choice away.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Psalm 20 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel F22 keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. F23
3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude
4 May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, F24 but we boast in the LORD our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.

FOOTNOTES:
F22: Hebrew of Jacob.
F23: Hebrew Zion.
F24: Hebrew chariots and horses.


Lena's Journalin'

What does man deserve? (from God’s righteous true and holy hand)
Does he deserve to be blessed unconditionally?
Has he done all he can to give God a good name, a good reputation and a good representation? I mean if the picture of man is the very reflection of God, How has man done in painting this picture?
I hear people all of the time say, I hate hypocrites.
Are many men hypocrites? Who of us has not said a thing and done another?
So what does man really deserve? No, not our neighbors, bosses, or ex-“whatevers”. I mean me, you, personal “men” - me.
Look at this:
"Justice - When you get what you deserve
Mercy - When you don't get what you deserve
Grace - When you get what you don't deserve"
- Unknown
I had a lady say to me, I hope I get what I deserve! Oh wow. I hope NOT.
Why? Because all men since Adam have sinned, either willfully or not understanding the ways of God, and so sin separated man from God’s eternal security system and man knowing and fulfilling earth’s purposes for God here, therefore man needed someone to stand before God for Him and ask, if God would accept Him even through his mistakenness?
The answer was Yes, but…Yes “but” what?
There was only one way. It would take someone giving up their life. A life for a life. A life given in order to save a life! If someone would do that then God would accept an undeserving man. The laws showed us we could be temporarily forgiven sins, of various degrees through sacrifices made, and restitution paid, but what would it take for unrighteous humanly mistaken man to be made right even if he continued to make mistakes? Another man, a spotless Lamb, a man who chose right on purpose, for the ultimate sacrifice. Otherwise man deserved death, and eternal death at that!
Now that Man has come, He willingly stood in that gap between men and God, for He gave His spotless life freely for us all, so that anyone who will believe and receive, and will change and choose to live for and as Him in the earth could be saved. It is a life changing decision made.
Did man deserve it? No, but God loved Him so, He gave up His life to undeserving ones.
Did God blot out the penalty man owed for what he did deserve in turning his back on God? Yes, to everyone who believes along with life following evidence, receives Him with great respect to the work He’s done for us, as us.
Is man gonna get what he deserves? (death) Not, if he realizes enough what God did sending His Son for him and makes a decision to turn and also live this same dedicated way for others to also follow Christ and be saved too.
Do we deserve to be kept safe form harm? No, except for the love that God has for us, and it is so strong in nature that He’d send His Son to redeem unworthy, undeserving man, man who makes mistakes and does not follow God all the way, and with a whole heart…
So the question now is – Are we acting as He is, do we pray God will keep undeserving men safe? Do we pray for our enemies?
We were God’s enemies, when we decided to walk another way than the way He set out for us to walk.
Why would the Psalmist pray, may He accept your gifts and offerings?
What are you giving God? Glory? All of your heart? All of your mind? All of your body? Like a marionette puppet? He isn’t asking that, but it could be given Him anyway. What are we giving? Like 3.5 hours per week? If so, I also pray He’d accept your gifts and offerings.
What about our whole life? What about doing what He wants and maybe never doing what you thought you wanted, because the world trained you to want stuff we don’t need, or to “become what He doesn’t really care about? They also told us certain behaviors that offend God are ok, and some of us arrogantly say to God,” here I am, just as I am, take or leave it”….Ew boy, one should re-think that one for sure!
The funny thing, is if we give it, He does take us as we are, but never ever to remain as we are…
I’m gonna pray now, May all of your heart’s desires and plans become the same ones His are.
May all of our prayers be asking Him what He’d like to see happen, and to put us in that picture of unfolding as much as He desires to , even if it takes us out of our comfort zone or requires we make even radical life changes.
Remember how the anointing comes to us in concentrated form? We love what is right in us, we do what God deems is right to do, and we hate what is wrong, we do not constantly excuse unholy behaviors in our own lives. I did not say look at others and say, did you see how they do this and that, no say, I’m not gonna do that, even if I know I have freedom to. I don’t want to quench God’s spirit and I don’t want my eyes to see unholy things that could become so easily my meditation. I may be able to not do what I see others do, but I also choose to not watch them do what they are choosing to do that is wrong (i.e. TV shows, media, etc.) I choose and thus God anoints me more, He knows I’ll protect what is valuable to Him. If He gives it to me to use, I’ll not abuse it. I’ll honor Him and keep it pure.
What are we boasting of? I pray it is God and His wondrous works, in our personal lives, our family lives, in our career fields of harvest, and it’s not what He gives us, but who He is to us in all of these places.
Who loves you today and who do you love, with all of your heart, soul and strength? Can others tell that about your life without any words spoken? Is there something about your life that tells them out loud enough for them to hunger and thirst after the same righteousness Today?

Monday, July 23, 2007

Psalm 18 W/ Journalin Today

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. He sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

1 I love you, LORD; you are my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.
3 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave F18 wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angel, F19 he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
12 The brilliance of his presence broke through the clouds, raining down hail and burning coals.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave a mighty shout. F20
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.
15 Then at your command, O LORD, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me.
19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22 For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.
23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
24 The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.
28 LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights.
34 He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me; your gentleness has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
38 I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40 You made them turn and run; I have destroyed all who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them. They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.
42 I ground them as fine as dust carried by the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me as the ruler over nations; people I don't even know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreigners cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me
48 and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing joyfully to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.
FOOTNOTES:
F18: Hebrew Sheol.
F19: Hebrew a cherub.
F20: As in Greek version (see also 2 Sam 22:14); Hebrew adds raining down hail and burning coals.


Lena's Journalin'

Let’s pull out a few ideas for us to consider together today as we read through what a man who is expressing His love and appreciation for the Lord wrote in His journal to share with us over the ages.
Why do we love God?
How do we express it to Him, and to those He made and loves?
What has led us to love and follow Him and His will, if we are at that place yet?
The question I’m really seeing as I read this journal is: How much of Him have we come to see and know?
What do we realize about Him?
Do we see Him in the earth, in ourselves, our family, others?
Do we observe the work of His hand in our day to day life?
If we do not yet see it, or are not yet at a place to speak of it, this doesn’t mean He’s not at work, it could mean we just do not yet see it, it has not yet been revealed to us.
When someone doesn’t give God thanks it is not because He hasn’t done anything to be thankful for. It may mean the person has not yet seen what to be thankful in or how to give thanks in everything or for something.
Who is God to you?
How great is He in your life?
Do you know it is the praiser who chooses to give the praise to whomever he choses? It is the exalter, who decides to exalt and how high?
We know the Bible says, God is great and greatly to be praised, but on a personal level, we have a free will to decide what and how and how much praise we are willing to give to Him.
For peace, strength, value, help, etc. Do you call on God first, or other things? Such as friends, substances, work, etc?
Do you hear His voice? How loudly? Is it small and quiet and polite or can you hear it like thundering waterfall? Is it a strong commanding voice you both hear and heed? Or a gentle offering voice, where you take options?
The Psalm says they cried to Him and He didn’t answer. Why would that be?
Do you ever ask yourself these types of questions?
It has to do with honor and respect. When He asked something of you through His word, what did you do with that?
Those who do not welcome His presence ( or as they may deem – His intrusions), accept His invitations, or take His words as options, do not get as much assistance. For there’s no living relationship there.
It’s not what, but who we know.
Relationship brings favor, for trust has been built into it, by giving and receiving of and from one another.
How’s your relationship with the Lord? Is it give and receive, or just receive?
If you are not seeing promises fulfilled, is it not because He’s not there or chose some other lucky person, or doesn’t especially care about you. These are all lies and deceptions that are offered to anyone who starts to grow in Christ. Ideas that come against God’s words of truth offered to us as disciples.
Let me ask you something. How much do you care about what He truly cares about? Ya know, people who really love one another and are friends or like family, totally care about each other’s stuff.
If you only care for Him as God, whenever He shows care for you by blessing you, then the relationship is very shallow, and barely there.
Do you know why prophecies do not come to pass? We look at them as though they are magic words given to us from magicians for God or something. This is not how it “works”.
Prophecies are God’s ideas for us expressed to us out loud through a vessel, a messenger, to confirm an idea we had in our own hearts that seemed just a good idea to us without the prophetic word.
When God speaks it to us, He is offering us something to put our faith in and start a new direction walking towards, if we have faith for it or if we “take Him up on His offers”.
If you were in a time of prayer and you said in your heart, I’d really like to play the piano, but I feel so untalented etc…and a prophetic word was given to you that you’d play music for the Lord. The word may seem absurd to others who know you do not play and were not born with the talent to play, but you said this in your heart and God was showing you He heard it and if you really want it, He’s willing to give you abilities beyond your own strengths and if you want it, andf put your faith into action on it, it can really happen for you.
So you go through life on the same road you are on now and you let years go by and you wonder why no musical abilities have just been supernaturally poured upon you, you blame the word as not being God or God not caring. This is not the case, He’s waiting for you to act on the word in faith – Go get lessons and play everyday and then, and only then, will you see the word come to pass.
Serving and loving God is all about taking responsibility.
If He says it and we believe it, enough to act upon it, it will happen for us. If we don’t act, we may not really believe and we won’t see it happen. Who’s “fault” is that?
God is not magical at all. He is responsible.
Are we? We were created just as He is and need to become as He is everyday of the rest of our lives. It is our turn He awaits our response to His words Today.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Matthew 21 Today w/ Lena's Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Matthew 21The Triumphal Entry
1As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2"Go into the village over there," he said, "and you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them here. 3If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will immediately send them." 4This was done to fulfill the prophecy,
5 "Tell the people of Israel, F109 'Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey — even on a donkey's colt.'" F110
6The two disciples did as Jesus said. 7They brought the animals to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. F111
8Most of the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9He was in the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting,
"Praise God F112 for the Son of David! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!" F113
10The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked.
11And the crowds replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Jesus Clears the Temple
12Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves. 13He said, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a place of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" F114
14The blind and the lame came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple. 15The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the little children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." But they were indignant 16and asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'You have taught children and infants to give you praise.' F115 " 17Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
21Then Jesus told them, "I assure you, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and it will happen. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and other leaders came up to him. They demanded, "By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the Temple? F116 Who gave you such authority?"
24"I'll tell you who gave me the authority to do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. 25"Did John's baptism come from heaven or was it merely human?" They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe him. 26But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed, because the people think he was a prophet." 27So they finally replied, "We don't know." And Jesus responded, "Then I won't answer your question either.
Story of the Two Sons
28"But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' 29The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go. 31Which of the two was obeying his father?" They replied, "The first, of course." Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I assure you, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32For John the Baptist came and showed you the way to life, and you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to turn from your sins and believe him.
Story of the Evil Farmers
33"Now listen to this story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 34At the time of the grape harvest he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. 35But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.
37"Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'
38"But when the farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' 39So they grabbed him, took him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.
40"When the owner of the vineyard returns," Jesus asked, "what do you think he will do to those farmers?"
41The religious leaders replied, "He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest."
42Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous to see.' F117
43What I mean is that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls. F118 "
45When the leading priests and Pharisees heard Jesus, they realized he was pointing at them—that they were the farmers in his story. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid to try because the crowds considered Jesus to be a prophet.
FOOTNOTES:
F109: Greek Tell the daughter of Zion. Isa 62:11.
F110: Zech 9:9.
F111: Greek over them, and he sat on them.
F112: Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means "save now"; also in 21:9b, 15.
F113: Pss 118:25-26; 148:1.
F114: Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11.
F115: Ps 8:2.
F116: Or By whose authority do you do these things?
F117: Ps 118:22-23.
F118: This verse is omitted in some early manuscripts.


Lena Jounalin'
We might read this: “because Jesus was humble this is why He, as a man of earth, could ride an untrained donkey.” His humility, which put God first, which placed His trust in God above trust in training, and placed reliance of God first and thus was obedient to God in loving trust , unleashed supernatural abilities in our natural world.
Why would the crowd recognize this as something to gaze upon?
Rebellion & stubbornness were instantaneously tamed through obedience to God.
Prophets, those who speak the words of God, must also have living proof of their words. Words are powerful tools, especially when confirmed by actions.
What kind of business are you busy with? If a Christian, Kingdom of God being established on the earth business is what everything everyday is all about.
Prayer is the first action of a kingdom citizen. We give thanks and praise to God and ask Him what He needs and desire s for us to do, then we do it, each and everyday. We live by permission rather than trial, error and mistakes with forgiveness.
Thank God for forgiveness when we make a mistake in what He has told us to do, but man also goes gung-ho on his own good ideas and later on finds out they were not of God they were just good works, the repentance there and forgiveness is about doing our own wills in comparison to seeking His for the earth, and going wholeheartedly after it.
There’s also a difference between seeking God for what we should become and seeking Him for what He wants done. We could spend our whole lives wondering what our personal purposes are, all the while what He wants isn’t even touched upon in those conversations.
The point is whoever we are, do His will, which is save souls and disciple people.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? No fruit? Yes and no.
The fig tree is like church people who should have fruits and so they look as though they do, they smile at church, seem happy, say all the right things, but when you look closer there is no spirit life being given to others and nurtured towards growth. That does not sit well with God, to look good and not really be good.(meaning on a daily venture to do as he pleases and change who we are without that venture going on)
An example of this is being faithful in church goings, but not taking the words preached and studying them, fellowshipping them with others and getting understanding of them in order to become them, in day to day life, taking them home and practicing them.
It’s Listening because you plan to do them. Being accountable and submissive to others in Christ and allowing people to help us see what we do not yet see for ourselves that desperately needs change.
If just we go to church, get inspired, feel like we did our duties and then live our week as we are, with no God required changes being the important goals of the week, and we live like we want to, do what we want to, etc. Then we go back to church on Sundays and hope it is only 1 hour long…. we are that fig tree with no fruit. It is a put on and God knows it better than anyone.
This is quite possibly why Jesus was angry. That we’d actually think in deception, that we can put on an act, and God wouldn’t know what’s going on, on the inside! Then to really think that God is ok w/ it!
Do we not know Him and that God sees what no one sees, even ourselves, because we deceive ourselves, especially when we live religiously and do not do the words we hear. If we live like we know God knows all and we cannot hide anything from His eyes we honor Him.
Jesus did not feel honored in His own house that day. What did Jesus curse of hat fig tree? Phoniness, and the thinking that we can get by w/ it.
The Lord would rather we not say a thing and do it, than to say things we not do.
Then there comes a stage of growth where he wants us toi say and do our words, even to our own hurt. In this we will win in the struggles of life.
It’d be better to “turn one’s self in” humbly before God and confess phoniness and rebellion to the true ways of the Lord, than to hide one’s whole life and it be revealed in the end!
God have mercy on the religious soul.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Psalm 8 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 8
A David psalm


1GOD, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.
2Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
3I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
4Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
5Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden's dawn light.
6You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
7Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
8Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps.
9GOD, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.

Lena Journals to Psalm 8 Today ~
OK, before we say things, lets see if we really mean them.
God Brilliant Lord, Yours is a household name….
Who’s household? The ones’ speaking?
We hope so.
Yet many a time the religious church will recite passages and quote scriptures as though they are the words of others, but not words to resound personally.
The word of God was given us that it would become our own words, that we’d implement them into our own lives to become as He is, for He is the Word.
He is the word made flesh, and is the firstborn among those who receive Him and call themselves His, born again ones. If that is who we say we are, we must ask ourselves daily - is that what I’m doing to become as He is? Am I living with His words as my standard to achieve and with His help to do and become them, am I also the Living Word in exemplary form for others to look at, begin to hunger for and thirst over and also become?
Our earth life’s purpose is all about this. What else is there to pursue, concentrate on, be trained in, etc? Of course there is the pursuit of career and all, yet inside of that career is a person being developed into someone for someone’s use. The career is a means to show the world who we are, if we are living words.
Is He a household name? Not just casually mentioned, but borne in the home, worn on the brow, impressed upon the heart, imprinted in the mind, exercised in the body? Do the relationships in the house benefit from the wearing and bearing of His name?
This is what the word in just Psalm 8:1 is saying. The Psalms are not just sweet poetry; they are words of life to live. How can one live them, if they think they are only to be recited as some prose or something with rhythm and rhyme to chant?
Do your youngest children feel safety inside of your household because you have chosen Him as Lord and you follow Christ Mon-Sat along with Sunday also?
Does your baby who is walking and now speaking, showing yourself to yourself, and as they copy you, are they showing the likeness of Christ? Or do they argue, say curse words, spit and hit at people, are they sad, angry, or discontented?
This is what church “going” is all about. We go to learn and implement change in our homes.
Our Pastor tells us not to go to church, ever. Wow, what is he trying to do, lose a congregation? No, he is bringing out a principle. That being, “BE the church” in living form on each and every day of your week God has blessed you to have time left on earth to do so in.
When we live this way, and we do this by choices, even our kids will defeat enemies that have haunted our past ancestry for years. They will walk on and go free.
One problem that we find in our kids walking away from church is due to the lack of consistency. The church is not there to save our children, though it helps tremendously. Church services should just confirm for our kids what they are already seeing implemented at home. If that is happening, the kids will stay around for a life of more. They may go through a brief test of their own faith being solidly based on their own decisions, but they will stay. It is the confusion through hypocrisy that will send them journeying for other things. Kids hate and despise, hypocrisy. Don’t you? If we take them to church or cram words we do not exemplify, down their throats, then they begin to despise those words.
If we live the words, become disciples who live the words, and we humbly admit mistakes along the way, they will love the words.
We should ask ourselves, do my children love or distain the Word of God? Do they love the house of God, do they love our house? The answer to that question should lead us to either keep in hot pursuit of change to the Word or to a repentance towards becoming the church at home.
God made even our youngest children to overcome enemies of even our past!
Do your children see God in nature? Have you taught them to observe this world God served to us to enjoy and marvel in? Or have you been busy busy in the concrete jungles of life and the making and spending of $, too much so to stop and look at what we are responsible to God for.
2 Commands that matter above all else…Love God….Love People.
In this we overcome.
God requires that we do.
He gave us all we need to.
It’s up to us to , or not to.
Choose this day who you will serve in living color.
Choose life and blessing that your seed may live and love forever.
Be the church while at home the Living Word of God that your family and other people can see.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Psalm 4 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call,
O God who declares me innocent.
Take away my distress.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make these groundless accusations?
How long will you pursue lies?
Interlude
3 You can be sure of this:
The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.
4 Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Interlude
5 Offer proper sacrifices,
and trust in the LORD.
6 Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"
Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.
8 I will lie down in peace and sleep,
for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

Lena Journals
Why would God hear our distresses? Because we moan, groan, whine, and are loud? I think we inwardly think something like this. But what is it God really listens for in a cry? A desire and strong yearning for change, to be changed, and to change, by taking on whatever responsibility it takes to be changed by willingly being under the supernatural power and hand of God.
The first thing that God listens for is faith for that change. Faith that arise up and says, “ok I know this may become hard for me, but what I’m living is already hard. I believe God is great and He cares enough for me to help me if I truly want it. If I call to Him He will help me know what to do in obedience to Him and I have enough determination for the change that I’ll do whatever it is He tells me to do to head that new way.”
I love how when Jesus was at the wedding at Cana and the wine had run out and His mother looked at Him and He told her, knowing her thoughts, “woman it is NOT My time here yet!”; Her response was, “Do exactly as He tells you. I mean, whatever He tells you to do, just do it.”
In that, your water will turn to wine. Impossible?
Yes, in human and natural law terms, yes, but in faith united and connected to the heart of God who created each element of the earth, no. Obedience and faith can even move mountains the Bible says. The question is, do we believe that for our own lives and circumstances and we you ready to be responsible and submit our lives to what may be necessary for change?
Why would God seem to have mercy on one and not on another? Why would someone ask for it and it not just be granted automatically? It is available to those who are truly His, those given up to Him and to those who ask with sincere earnest gratefulness, realizing without His Words of life, what and where we are.
Oh man, the enemy is out to get anyone who progresses in faith. Even if a Christian makes one small step towards growth he’d like to do them in. Come on I’m telling you this, so now that you know, set up a guard and a watch ,and when the enemy does this, shows up this way, know it is Him, the imposter and thief and do not allow him to take what is precious and of great value, forbid it to happen.
So people misunderstand you? Check yourself before the Lord and ask Him if there is anything in it you can use for constructive criticism and change, then go on.
If they smear your name, without cause, pick up and walk as though it isn’t smeared. Know who you are, not because you paint some nicey nice picture, but because you are pure, undefiled, and live a holy life. If any vindication is needed, God will do it for you, IF you are clean and clear. If not, your sin needed to be exposed to you, so you’d see it in order to change!
What controls you, moves you to action? Your emotions or the commands and precepts and laws of the Word of God? Are you impassioned for only what you like to do, or by anger and frustrations? Or do you move with heat towards doing the will of God and seeing lives effected and changed?
Proper sacrifices? Giving up what the world offers us to have time to be in hot pursuit of God’s kingdom establishment, whatever that means to each of us is different.
I know there are marked times on this journey that stand out for me. One was I did not seem to have much time to read or study God’s word. I started getting up early to do it, now I just get up and do it. I even required less sleep after I did that. I would have never known that before I did it, because my body and mind told me how much sleep I needed and how it would never work for me. When I worked it, it worked. I wanted to have more time to meditate on the Lord without feeling other voices interrupt a lot, just voices of the world, so I decided not to let the TV just play in the background, and I don’t sit in front of it much at all anymore. You would not believe how much time that gives to have a blank page in your head!
It’s all up to us, we do what we really want to do, we respond to God’s offers as much as we want to, really.
If we wanted to take a trip to Disney w/ our kids, we’d save up money, or work harder and we’d plan and then wake up when we needed to and go, no matter how late we went to bed the night before, or we’d make sure we went to bed early over it. We do what we want to.
Ever think of going to bed earlier so you’d be fresh for church and on time and not sleepy while there? These are sacrifices that are well pleasing to Him , wanting to do what He is doing. Making Him #1 priority. Making plans ahead to be who He desires us to be and do what He desires us to do.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Luke 7 Today w/ Journalin' too

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


Luke 7
Faith of the Roman Officer

1When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went back to Capernaum. 2Now the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. 3When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal his slave. 4So they earnestly begged Jesus to come with them and help the man. "If anyone deserves your help, it is he," they said, 5"for he loves the Jews and even built a synagogue for us."
6So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, "Lord, don't trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. 7I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 8I know because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it."
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel!" 10And when the officer's friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, with a great crowd following him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The boy who had died was the only son of a widow, and many mourners from the village were with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "get up." 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and "We have seen the hand of God at work today." 17The report of what Jesus had done that day spread all over Judea and even out across its borders.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?"
20John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'"
21At that very time, he cured many people of their various diseases, and he cast out evil spirits and restored sight to the blind. 22Then he told John's disciples, "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 23And tell him, 'God blesses those who are not offended by me. F32 '"
24After they left, Jesus talked to the crowd about John. "Who is this man in the wilderness that you went out to see? Did you find him weak as a reed, moved by every breath of wind? 25Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces, not in the wilderness. 26Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
'Look, I am sending my messenger before you,
and he will prepare your way before you.' F33
28I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!"
29When they heard this, all the people, including the unjust tax collectors, agreed that God's plan was right, F34 for they had been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and experts in religious law had rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism.
31"How shall I describe this generation?" Jesus asked. "With what will I compare them? 32They are like a group of children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 'We played wedding songs, and you weren't happy, so we played funeral songs, but you weren't sad.' 33For John the Baptist didn't drink wine and he often fasted, and you say, 'He's demon possessed.' 34And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!' 35But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. F35 "
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for a meal, so Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat. 37A certain immoral woman heard he was there and brought a beautiful jar F36 filled with expensive perfume. 38Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet. If God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She's a sinner!"
40Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. "Simon," he said to the Pharisee, "I have something to say to you." "All right, Teacher," Simon replied, "go ahead."
41Then Jesus told him this story: "A man loaned money to two people—five hundred pieces of silver F37 to one and fifty pieces to the other. 42But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?"
43Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt." "That's right," Jesus said. 44Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You didn't give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. 46You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." 48Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The men at the table said among themselves, "Who does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins?"
50And Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
FOOTNOTES:
F32: Or who don't fall away because of me.
F33: Mal 3:1.
F34: Or praised God.
F35: Or But wisdom is justified by all her children.
F36: Greek an alabaster jar.
F37: Greek 500 denarii. A denarius was the equivalent of a full day's wage.
Lena’s Journalin’
The LORD, Creator of the entire universe is God, God is orderly. He ordered all of creation, and to this day it operates under the principles set up by His words.
To understand authority and position is to know the ways of the Universe that God set in order.
There is relational and positional authority
Relational authority is found in families or in even the honoring of friends. Positional authority is found in governments of all kinds, whether church, on the job, or in communities.
Knowing and operating in order and authority and honoring God by willingly recognizing and honoring what He Himself sets up sits well with Him. The person who recognizes authority and submits himself positionally inside of its order, has a sense of the Father. When we respect and operate in either relational or positional authority, we are truly engaged in kingdom order.
Seeing the supernatural power of God unleashed in our natural world is many times merely a matter of setting things back in the order designed by God. Kind of like a back thrown out of alignment, to relieve the pain happens when the spine gets adjusted rightly. It may initially hurt to make the adjustment, but once back in line the pain is relieved long term, as long as the alignment is maintained. (think about that- staying in right order being the answer to life’s pain relief) The pain was actually an alarm or alret system set up by God to tell us we’re out of relational or positional alignments.
We were ordered by God to be healthy and well in mind and spirit, relationally whole, etc. Our submissiveness to authority and position many a time brings the adjustment needed to see the manifestation of God.
Rebellion brought tragedy to the order of the earth set up by God. Obedience sets it right. Reversing the curse.
The tragedy is human kind has been lied to by their enemy, who tell them they’d know God or feel His true love if he’d just let us go ahead and stay out of order and have blessings anyway. The enemy does not want us to embrace responsible living, which willingly gets back in line and sets thing right. He tell us through voices in our culture and peer pressure that God loves us like we are and we don’t need to come under authority or rule, he wants us to think it’s ok to go on as though they we could be set right without doing anything obediently. He sets it up as some kind of test of God’s love towards us and then causes the person who listens to this lieu to end up angry at God or hating Him altogether. This lie is set up as a detriment to our society coming to Christ and giving all up to His will in loving service as kingdom of God on earth citizens.
God does not operate this way, neither does He honor or bless disobedience unchanged. We’ve thought that the word supernatural means, I stay as I’ve been, and get blessed anyway. Not so, the miracle is that I move and change and get in order, then the blessings just flow. I have unkinked the hose of blessing by my movement into Divine Order.
This human officer told Jesus that what he says his servants do. Why would that happen with a mere man, and Jesus or God have a struggle with men doing what They say?
Jesus marveled that people would just do what a man says! That a man would understand if one obeys what God says, what they need would just frankly happen!
Speak the word only and my servant will be healed!
How much do we believe that a word from God spoken over us will do the “trick”?
We are living with what we do believe.
How about words like, “children obey your (spiritual and natural) parents in the Lord”?
How about, “Love God with all you are and have, and love others just the same as you’d like to be loved by others”?
Obedience to words such as these is a powerful way to release healing and the supernatural power of God in the earth!It IS THE way.
How about: “don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together? Stay away form every appearance of evil? Love your neighbor and do good to him? Be kind, patient, humble, slow to anger….?”
All the words of God are full of the offers for supernatural release of God’s power into the earth. When we obey them, it is like plugging a cord into a socket of a wall. Voila - POWER! Humans make a connection to God through our response of obedience, because of our faith, in His words.
Prove God in this, obey and watch. It says all were amazed, when they returned to the house, the slave was completely healed. It is time for amazement to fill our homes as we each choose God’s ways to obey.
Compassion is NOT at all the same as sympathy. Compassion leads one with the answers to make a change, or help a person make decisions that will make the change.
Sympathy, on the other hand, will pet us where we are at, saying oh how sad that you are in this spot, I wish I could help you not be in pain in this state. (That “says”, I so wish you could have your cake and eat it too.)
There is a big fleshly reason based lie out there – It speaks to the human mind and says I’d know that God really loved me because I’d be able to stay as I am and still be blessed without being required to be responsible and make major repentant changes. If God chooses me as special it would be proven to me, because He’d intervene and make my situation better.
That is not the truth of God’s word, for He has already given us all we need to make decisions and changes that will make our situations better! He gave us His word and wisdom to do it, and is waiting for us to engage, plug in, and obey it wholeheartedly, setting in motion a whole world of supernatural order and power!
Compassion does not allow us to believe in lies, it tells truth, embraces truth, even to one’s own “hurt”(“hurt” meaning the pain of the need of responsibility and change.)
Compassion moves flesh out of the way in order to implement the needed change. Sometimes it is critical enough to not seem very caring, yet that too is lie for it cares much more than one could ever know. It cares eternally, where it truly matters. Feelings pass away in moments, life is for eternity. Jesus said to the lady who lost her son, “Don’t cry!” To some that was an uncaring position, yet He cared enough to shut down the emotions and make the change!
Can I ask a very strong probably controversial question?
Do you mostly choose sympathy or compassion? What about for your own life first? Staying the same and wanting that blessing and a fleshly feeling of love or having a willingness to be responsible to God and change, even if radical is the word for you?
That wasn’t even the strong question yet. Here it is:
Are you someone’s redeemer, savior, and true friend? Is someone counting on your own obedience to God, so that your anointing would increase and flow out onto their lives? Does the earth groan over your life awaiting the manifestation of the engaged plugged in sons of obedience and blessing?
Do you know what humility really means? I believe God at His word, and so I do it.
Pride might excuse its self from obedient actions. It sort of says, “I’m exempt and have some kind of liberty to do it that way I think is good.” That’s false humility.
Sample, if God says I can do what He has told me to do, like to preach boldly to captives, and my response after I hear it is- I say to the Lord, “Oh You don’t mean me”; then I’m operating in pride.
Some might think I’m humble, because I’m shy, but humble and shy are not the same, shyness is pride, because it won’t do what God has said to do, It hides instead and excuses itself, exalting itself above the command of God. It says I’m ok to not obey Him, because I can stay as I am, instead of trusting Him to cover my backside and just not look at my own shortcomings and overcome, because I know Him who loves me and gave His own life for me.
Humility says, If He says I can do it, then here I am Lord, to do Your will anyway You want me to.
Shy or not shy doesn’t play into a spirit led walk. I submit to change and become who you want me to be. (Yes, God loves us in who we are, the question is how much do we love Him back? Enough to change?)
I love the woman with the alabaster box. She is a woman of faith. She risked her own reputation, which was not good to begin with, she risked being rejected in who she was, and presented herself before God anyway. She gave everything before she even knew He’d do that for her. She recognized her life was not in order and she set out for change, just in case it could possibly happen for, and to, her.
It can happen to anf or us too, IF we choose it Today.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

2 Timothy 2 Today w/ Lena's Journalin' too

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God Bless You Today, Lena B


2 Timothy 2
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

1Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.
3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things.
8Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11This is a true saying:
If we die with him, we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
An Approved Worker
14Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 15Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. 17This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. 18They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some.
19But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," F2 and "Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness." F3
20In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
23Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
FOOTNOTES:
F2: Num 16:5.
F3: See Isa 52:11.


Lena’s Journalin’ Today to 2 Timothy 2

Grace is an awesome gift given to us by God. We do not necessarily deserve this special help, but He gives it to us anyway. Grace is sent to us to help us, as we decide to change and become as He is and has asked us to be. It is help to the response to the call of God to obedience to His words to us.
We can abuse grace. We can take advantage of it, and it can run out for us. Yet there is this never ending stream for those who use it with appreciation.
I believe the scripture, I can do all things (that God asks of me) through Christ who strengthens me…is a key to grace. Grace enables me to do what on my own I’m not able to do in obedient action to Christ as Lord of me. Grace is special favor, special help to be able to do what God has already asked of me.
DO NOT let yourself become tied up (bound, in bondage, unable to have any time for anything else, addicted, unable to be freed up from anything) in the affairs (adultery call) of this life (while here on earth, for earth life is only for the knowing of Him and the making of Him known that some may be saved and spend all the rest of eternity in a glorious state with and in Him)
If we are bound to this world and its ways, as if we were in a marriage relationship, to what the world calls, good, right, worthy of the giving of life to, we will not be able to do the will of God!
Ever feel like doing the will of God or considering doing it, is a struggle? That is a helpful hint for us. We may need to become untangled with what the world’s call to us has been.
Endure suffering? How would it make you feel if you disconnected from what you know, have regularly participated with, and the things you really like of the world? Could it be your souls would act like a weaned child? That child screams and cries to have what they’ve come to know and have depended on, not realizing they can live and actually grow better going on to something new.
What are you doing? Has anyone been able to ask this type of question to you? Do you want them to help lead you on to growth? Do you follow rules? Who’s rules do you like to follow? Your own, or someone else’s? It depends, right?
Following rules, especially someone else’s takes willful determination, discipline and decision. I decide to and I decide not to move off if what I’ve decided. It does not ever just happen for me, all the ducks in a row, easy road. No, I have to pave it through discipline for it to be easy at all, and it may never be easy for me, but those who come after my obedience to the rules will benefit and feel the ease of driving down a road I paved with my life’s decisions.
Is this your heart before your Lord ? I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
Do you know what Jesus did for us?
Do you realize what He saved us in and to?
If we belong to Him, truly belong to Him, we allow Him to own us, this is what that looks like. "The Lord knows those who are his," and "Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness."
Own, means belong.
All means all. Even any resemblance. All.
We pursue all holiness with humility. That means it is up to the definition of another, not left to our own self justification or self definition, where we decide our standards are. We lift high His standard and we don’t stop till we reach it! We do not give ourselves the luxury of defining our own standards.
Ever have your child say to you something like- That isn’t too bad???? It is not wise to say that to God. We give up the anointing when we speak that way to Him.
If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
It’s tragic that a Christian would spend their lives in the fellowship of evil and evil influencers. We decide to separate ourselves out, obviously no one can make us do that, we choose a holy undefiled unspotted life, or not. It is totally up to us.
God knows, we cannot trick Him, by saying with mere words that we love Him the most when we serve other things.
How does one become a captive to evil? They give a very small place to it. They do it without intention not to. They do not willfully close doors.
I was at a local help center, in our community yesterday. I looked up and saw on the wall…”Please support keeping our youth off of drugs, buy this license plate!” Do you know we caused our kids to be on drugs? We gave place to that. Any place at all, whether a social diddy or an alcohol problem, gave that place. We were a whole generation of free to do as we please-d-ers, we’re free to do whatever, no one can tell us what to do, we’re independent…Guess what? We’re totally bound, totally dependant on substances now over that protest!
What might seem safe to one generation is no where near safe for another. It is out of hand and those who were lied to, believed the wrong voice, and said, “its not bad..” opened the door!
Close the DOOR!
Decide for a holy life, a life separated from all of that social garbage. It is NOT of God.
Who told you it was ok? Or cool? Or acceptable socially, or culturally ok?
They lied!
We perish for what we do not know. Time for the light to shine, look and see, wake up, arise and shine, Truth is here for the taking to all who desire to walk in her ways.
The truth God’s way, as defined by the standard of His word, will set people free!