Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Isaiah 40:1-31
God's People Are Comforted The Majesty of the LORD
R13 1 "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. 2"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins.
3The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert F64 A highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6The voice said, "Cry out!" And he F65 said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."
9O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" 10Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. 11He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. 12Who has measured the waters F66 in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? 14With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?
15Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. 16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. 17All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. 18To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. 20Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter. 21Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25"To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. 27Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? 28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Footnotes
1. F64: 40:3 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint omits in the desert.
2. F65: 40:6 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Vulgate read I.
3. F66: 40:12 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Dead Sea Scrolls read waters of the sea; Targum reads waters of the world. Show cross-references
1. R13: cf. Luke 3:4!ND6
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’
As usual I’d like to help open up to you a new understanding. When we read God’s word, we want to dig into it, dig deeply and see what God is saying that we can appreciate, value, and live the words of life. We don’t live in Britain in 1611 when the KJV was translated, and we defiantly do not speak or think in this age of the Old English Language. This would be a great reason to study the word and delve into its depths, to gain greater understanding in 2006 America.
Comfort the congregations of people’s who say they belong to Christ! Tell them the battle is over with, there is no reason to be involved in a fight, the victory has already been declared and set forth by the one who is Almighty, the One who has won the wars for us all. What our sins, mistakes and rebellion deserved has been paid for, for us, if we will only embrace Him, believe in His work, accept His sacrificial love, and live all the rest of our days for Him.
Look at the meanings of the word “double”:
To turn sharply or all the way around; reverse one's course
Immediate
The penalty of any sin is death, no matter what the gage or measurement. However great or small, sin separates beings from the Divine and Holy presence of God, for eternity. Its penalty is so severe that man could never bring repair of this breech with anything except faith in God and His finished work at Calvary.
Man could be good, do good, act good, and try try try to live good, but it still would not be enough to bridge in the gap. That is the severity of sin’s consequence.
Man used to offer blood of animals to atone for sin, but if one sinned again another sacrifice was needed and usually a hefty price was paid to obtain and make the sacrifice – it was gross too, who liked doing it? Hopefully in the grossness one would be deterred in the future from the sin that caused the sacrifices to have to be made. BUT, even if I somehow had the strength to overcome my sin by avoiding it, there’d be another reason come my way, to have to sacrifice again.
Ever feel you can’t get ahead? That has to do with the need for a savior. That’s the warfare that needed to end, man could never save himself, ever.
BUT in Christ Jesus we have a Savior, and if we choose to commit our lives to Him, we also have a Lord, who will repair that breech that no sacrifice ever could make repair for. We owed a great deal, for any and every sin we ever have committed or would ever commit. The wage for our sin was eternal death and separation from God, BUT Jesus came and paid for our hefty debt, no more animal sacrifices are needed. He paid it in full, eternally full.
So, for those who believe in Him and stick with His family on earth until they die, they stay in the service of the King, these are pardoned, these have a reversal of the judgments laid up against them. Those who turn from unrighteous living and get on the pathway of life, will receive payment in full when faced with eternal death and its edict against them.
(Read Romans 10:9-10 Amplified – it does not say if we say a prayer of lip service, something like- “Lord I believe You died, rose again and You are Lord, now thank you for saving me” – we will be saved. It says if we adhere, that means stay with our new life’s confession, our new lifestyle proclamation, proving what we say by what we live, then we will be saved!)
Thank God for these three:
Grace -we receive what we don't deserve.Mercy - we don't receive what we deserve. Justice - we receive what we deserve
One way a confession which is not merely words is evidenced, it is through action. Ever hear someone say, “Put some actions to those words, please”?
Evidence that one is “saved” is they speak about their freedom, their grace gift, their salvation and especially of the One who paid the price for their freedom. They believe and can’t help but speak for Jesus, whom they greatly appreciate to the point of love. They prepare the way of the understanding and receptivity of the Lord to come to others.
They know who sits in high places with prideful arrogance will be brought low enough to look up to Jesus on the cross, everything will be brought to the same view and perspective of Him. That perspective is all life here is about, seeing Him clearly and making way for others to see Him clearly also. Those who need to come up, will be brought up into their places in Him. They also realize how short earth days are in comparison to eternal days and that however much time is spent here preparing other’s way, it just isn’t enough when one thinks of men going to hell eternally separated from God’s presence.
Oh Zion wake up early, take a trek up to that mountain to see what God sees, so you’ll do what God has for you to do for today especially. How do we know if we will still have time tomorrow?
Be what He created you to be, a foot soldier, one who brings good news. Don’t be afraid here, fear what comes ahead to those who would not speak or share their living personal faith. Don’t be deceived by a gentle Jesus, that gentle Jesus broke the devils back, crushed his head under foot. He will not be honored by us if we did not take that seriously. That is a serious matter.
Our Father God will be asking- “So, what was it you did – with My Son, while you still had time left on earth?” “Did you know what He did for you and for others? Did you not care?”
How many have the souls of men on their hearts, in their wombs? He leads these. Lambs are led, are we led? Goats butt, do we butt? (“But”, I have this to do,”but” I don’t know how to speak good,” but” I’m busy, tired, sick….Was My sacrifice not enough to nullify those “butts”?)
Who is great? Are we great or is God great? How would someone know who is great to us? The one we serve and attend to most is the one who is great to us, that’s how they know. Who do we speak about most. That is the one who is great to us. Maybe in the past, you attended to yourself most and spoke of yourself and your needs a lot, lets’ gain a different perspective.
Who made the earth? Did you? What about the things in the earth? Did we humans do such a thing? Then why are we so great and all we talk about? He is great and greatly to be praised by the creation who were made by Him and for Him. That’s who we are. His beloved is who we are.
Wow, it seems like a lot to ask of me, to think of Him rather than me, to let Him care for me rather than me care for myself. To live responsibly rather than irresponsibly, to take on that kind of eternal responsibility. Yes it is a lot, whole lifetime worth.
He gives strength to accomplish it.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Psalm 122
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Psalm 122:1-9
The Joy of Going to the House of the LORD A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." 2Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, 4Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. 7Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." 8For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." 9Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’
People go to the “House of the Lord” for various reasons. Some love to be a part of the Kingdom of God and His work in the earth and can hardly wait to assemble with other members who feel the same and who will gather together to see how they can best do a greater work, by joining in that work together.
Two (and more) are better than one, where there is a threefold chord it is not easily broken, and where two or more of you gather, there I am in the midst, and also where two or three of you agree as touching (on) anything that they may ask, they’ll have what they ask of the Father in heaven.
These realize we are a much greater force against darkness when we are gathered in agreement and unity together. We show our Father we are willing to offer Him the strength of numbers by our faith in His word that tells us to gather together unto Him.
Others may feel a certain compulsion to visit the House of God occasionally. To drop in for a visit, or even to show up, kind of like showing up for dinner at Great Grandmother’s house, when there’s a family reunion of sorts.
Others may be young and feel made to go to the House of the Lord with say their parents.
There are so many “reasons” to go to the “House of the Lord”. I wonder which it is for you?
The questions is, are you glad, about going to the House of the Lord?
Appreciation is key.
I was thinking of how a son or daughter grows up in a house and wants to leave that house and all they can think of is leaving and how they can get out. Then when they get out, all they can think of is what they had in that house, what they left behind for nothing except extreme desire. That son or daughter’s appreciation for that house increased, almost overnight. It’s like understanding came to them through experience, all the while they could have also understood and been appreciative while still in the house.
This is the case with “church goers”, we can get understanding and appreciate the house of God while in the house, or be stubborn and willful and have to get out of the house to appreciate the house. Either way could be good, if we ultimately appreciate the house, enough to become glad to go there and be there. It is the grace of God on one who leaves that they’d even be able to return, for some have gone the way of experience rather than growth and maturity in the house to the loss of life.
Have you heard of Jesus, of God’s Risen Son? The one who died for you and as you, the one who took your place in death, the one who went down to hell for you, that you’d not ever have to experience that eternal death and complete separation from anything that resembles anything good? Have you seen Him? Do you know Him? When you have and you do, you’ll LOVE the House of God!
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Psalm 122:1-9
The Joy of Going to the House of the LORD A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." 2Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, 4Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. 7Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." 8For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." 9Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’
People go to the “House of the Lord” for various reasons. Some love to be a part of the Kingdom of God and His work in the earth and can hardly wait to assemble with other members who feel the same and who will gather together to see how they can best do a greater work, by joining in that work together.
Two (and more) are better than one, where there is a threefold chord it is not easily broken, and where two or more of you gather, there I am in the midst, and also where two or three of you agree as touching (on) anything that they may ask, they’ll have what they ask of the Father in heaven.
These realize we are a much greater force against darkness when we are gathered in agreement and unity together. We show our Father we are willing to offer Him the strength of numbers by our faith in His word that tells us to gather together unto Him.
Others may feel a certain compulsion to visit the House of God occasionally. To drop in for a visit, or even to show up, kind of like showing up for dinner at Great Grandmother’s house, when there’s a family reunion of sorts.
Others may be young and feel made to go to the House of the Lord with say their parents.
There are so many “reasons” to go to the “House of the Lord”. I wonder which it is for you?
The questions is, are you glad, about going to the House of the Lord?
Appreciation is key.
I was thinking of how a son or daughter grows up in a house and wants to leave that house and all they can think of is leaving and how they can get out. Then when they get out, all they can think of is what they had in that house, what they left behind for nothing except extreme desire. That son or daughter’s appreciation for that house increased, almost overnight. It’s like understanding came to them through experience, all the while they could have also understood and been appreciative while still in the house.
This is the case with “church goers”, we can get understanding and appreciate the house of God while in the house, or be stubborn and willful and have to get out of the house to appreciate the house. Either way could be good, if we ultimately appreciate the house, enough to become glad to go there and be there. It is the grace of God on one who leaves that they’d even be able to return, for some have gone the way of experience rather than growth and maturity in the house to the loss of life.
Have you heard of Jesus, of God’s Risen Son? The one who died for you and as you, the one who took your place in death, the one who went down to hell for you, that you’d not ever have to experience that eternal death and complete separation from anything that resembles anything good? Have you seen Him? Do you know Him? When you have and you do, you’ll LOVE the House of God!
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Isaiah 58 Again Today- it's short :-)
If for some reason this is hard to read- scroll down to end and click on Lena's Journalin' and it will take yuo to the easily read website post. God Bless you, Lena B “________________, Where are you?” (“Adam” you, fill in your name…)
Isaiah 58:1-14
Fasting that Pleases God A Description of True Religion 1 "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 3"Why have we fasted,' they say, "and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? 6"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13"If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Everyday ask-
“What page am I on?”
~ Lena’s Journalin’ ~
Today we re-read a passage we’ve read again and again, especially those who’ve read along with us here over the past few months. So I’ll keep my comments short and allow you to savor the word of the Lord, that obviously bear repeating, again and again.
Job 33 says in vs 14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. 15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. 17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, 18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.
Why does God keep repeating Himself? Why have we yet not heeded the word of the Lord to the point of change? The Lord actually made humans to hear words more than one time in order to adopt and adapt to them. Yet if we find we feel the same word has been repeated in our hearing several times, we must ask, “Am I yet doing this word, have I yet taken it seriously?”
Lastly, for today. The word of God is serious. God does not speak flippantly at all, ever, when he speaks creation gives heed, do humans take heed? Ever hear yourself say, “Ah, I don’t believe that?”
Guess what, whether we believe in the words of God or not, they are true and will come to pass. Whether we think them serious enough to merit change, the word will have its work in the earth anyway, we just may miss out on the participation of it.
This will later on make us feel quite sad and regretful, for we then will realize of all of the changes we could have decided to make through Christ’s strength. As we stand before our Father we will so clearly see our self- centered ways and all we could have participated in, in the earth on our Divine assignment here.
Let us read and heed the words of life TODAY!
Isaiah 58:1-14
Fasting that Pleases God A Description of True Religion 1 "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 3"Why have we fasted,' they say, "and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? 6"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13"If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Everyday ask-
“What page am I on?”
~ Lena’s Journalin’ ~
Today we re-read a passage we’ve read again and again, especially those who’ve read along with us here over the past few months. So I’ll keep my comments short and allow you to savor the word of the Lord, that obviously bear repeating, again and again.
Job 33 says in vs 14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. 15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. 17In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, 18He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.
Why does God keep repeating Himself? Why have we yet not heeded the word of the Lord to the point of change? The Lord actually made humans to hear words more than one time in order to adopt and adapt to them. Yet if we find we feel the same word has been repeated in our hearing several times, we must ask, “Am I yet doing this word, have I yet taken it seriously?”
Lastly, for today. The word of God is serious. God does not speak flippantly at all, ever, when he speaks creation gives heed, do humans take heed? Ever hear yourself say, “Ah, I don’t believe that?”
Guess what, whether we believe in the words of God or not, they are true and will come to pass. Whether we think them serious enough to merit change, the word will have its work in the earth anyway, we just may miss out on the participation of it.
This will later on make us feel quite sad and regretful, for we then will realize of all of the changes we could have decided to make through Christ’s strength. As we stand before our Father we will so clearly see our self- centered ways and all we could have participated in, in the earth on our Divine assignment here.
Let us read and heed the words of life TODAY!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
1 Corinthians 10:1-33
Old Testament Examples Do All to God's Glory 1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." F25 8Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now all F26 these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Flee from Idolatry14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
All to the Glory of GodR14 23 All things are lawful for me, F27 but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, F28 but not all things edify. 24Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." F29 27If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; F30 for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." F31 29"Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Footnotes
1. F25: 10:7 Exodus 32:6
2. F26: 10:11 NU-Text omits all.
3. F27: 10:23 NU-Text omits for me.
4. F28: NU-Text omits for me.
5. F29: 10:26 Psalm 24:1
6. F30: 10:28 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.
7. F31: Psalm 24:1 Show cross-references
1. R14: cf. Ps. 24:1
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’
Let’s start today from the question ______________, Where are you?
This is the first Biblical question, the first question God asked man. Why would God ask this question of man, does not God know all? All about man, everyman, everywhere? Yes, He does. The question is, does man himself know where he is, especially in comparison to where God is and where the purposes of God are and God’s part in those purposes are? To some this question seems intrusive, to others it is insistent, and does God think I am dumb or something, that I don’t know where I’m at? Do we know where we are at?
Ever been in a new place and need a map, a store directory or directions? That doesn’t mean you are dumb, just ignorant. Ignorance isn’t dumb, but it does mean we can change the state of being to becoming informed.
Look at the root word in ignorance- ignore-ance. Something I did not attend to, have not yet attended to, have not yet found out about, or am purposely not delving into at this time.
Are you brave enough to ask God to show you where you are concerning follow His Son? Concerning Loving God and people? (the two greatest commands, in which all other commands of the Lord stand)? I mean what if I find myself lacking? Before God who does not lack? This is the point we must find ourselves making. I stand before God, I find I am lacking, I find He is not and He loves me the way I am, enough to help bring me up in His ways and change the ways I’ve been doing things wrongly. WOW, what a blessing! Thank God I found grace to help me in my weakness! Thank God someone was there to lead me right, show me the way, tell me the truth about where I am and which direction I should go in to get where I really want to be, and someone who sees danger ahead and diverts me in my walk.
Back to the context- bodies scattered in the wilderness, they obviously did not locate themselves, never got to their destination, maybe never even saw the destination. These died on the way, but maybe they thought there was a specific way to go that was wrong and they were deceived or lied to. Maybe no one led them, or maybe if led they would not follow. Maybe no one ever asked – Where am I at? Pride could have kept them from asking, and pride has also kept them away from where God wanted them to go. He had a dream He wanted them to have a part in fulfilling, but they wouldn’t listen or ask the question, they refused to locate themselves. The saddest part of all of this in life is- We are His dream and the promises He desires to happen in the earth are entrusted to us to accomplish through obedient action and the initiation of true heartfelt ex-pressed desire of love in our hearts towards Him. That love is so strong that it has to give its life for another’s dream. Yet no one in this wilderness scenario was willing to do that, love that much. So, He was not well pleased, no one was willing and obedient, no one ate the good of the land that was available to eat from. The food and water were around the corner of loving obedient sacrifice.
Be very careful thinking you are just fine where you are. You may be fine with I alright, but were you brave enough to ask God if He was ok with where you are at this time? That would be the way a person, who loves God and loves His will, would live, asking.
So what are idols then, like in modern day? What takes our time from us and uses it for its own glory? What requires our money? What do we pay the most attention to in life, even if it’s only in our thought life that we give attention to it? Idols are objects of worship.
All things permissible to me because I am a freewill being, but do I want to permit certain things to open unwanted doors in my life or am I a guard and a steward of God’s treasury- which is me, my family, my church house, my workplace etc? If I permit- or give an inch, remember others who are not convicted around me, may give it the mile in their own lives. What I permit will be permitted and what I do not allow will not be allowed. NO, it is not good to just be opened to just anything. It is good to look out for others and place no tree in their pathway, rather it is right to remove obstacles that may prevent them from getting through.
So, now ask the question….
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
1 Corinthians 10:1-33
Old Testament Examples Do All to God's Glory 1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." F25 8Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now all F26 these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Flee from Idolatry14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
All to the Glory of GodR14 23 All things are lawful for me, F27 but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, F28 but not all things edify. 24Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." F29 27If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; F30 for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." F31 29"Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Footnotes
1. F25: 10:7 Exodus 32:6
2. F26: 10:11 NU-Text omits all.
3. F27: 10:23 NU-Text omits for me.
4. F28: NU-Text omits for me.
5. F29: 10:26 Psalm 24:1
6. F30: 10:28 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.
7. F31: Psalm 24:1 Show cross-references
1. R14: cf. Ps. 24:1
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’
Let’s start today from the question ______________, Where are you?
This is the first Biblical question, the first question God asked man. Why would God ask this question of man, does not God know all? All about man, everyman, everywhere? Yes, He does. The question is, does man himself know where he is, especially in comparison to where God is and where the purposes of God are and God’s part in those purposes are? To some this question seems intrusive, to others it is insistent, and does God think I am dumb or something, that I don’t know where I’m at? Do we know where we are at?
Ever been in a new place and need a map, a store directory or directions? That doesn’t mean you are dumb, just ignorant. Ignorance isn’t dumb, but it does mean we can change the state of being to becoming informed.
Look at the root word in ignorance- ignore-ance. Something I did not attend to, have not yet attended to, have not yet found out about, or am purposely not delving into at this time.
Are you brave enough to ask God to show you where you are concerning follow His Son? Concerning Loving God and people? (the two greatest commands, in which all other commands of the Lord stand)? I mean what if I find myself lacking? Before God who does not lack? This is the point we must find ourselves making. I stand before God, I find I am lacking, I find He is not and He loves me the way I am, enough to help bring me up in His ways and change the ways I’ve been doing things wrongly. WOW, what a blessing! Thank God I found grace to help me in my weakness! Thank God someone was there to lead me right, show me the way, tell me the truth about where I am and which direction I should go in to get where I really want to be, and someone who sees danger ahead and diverts me in my walk.
Back to the context- bodies scattered in the wilderness, they obviously did not locate themselves, never got to their destination, maybe never even saw the destination. These died on the way, but maybe they thought there was a specific way to go that was wrong and they were deceived or lied to. Maybe no one led them, or maybe if led they would not follow. Maybe no one ever asked – Where am I at? Pride could have kept them from asking, and pride has also kept them away from where God wanted them to go. He had a dream He wanted them to have a part in fulfilling, but they wouldn’t listen or ask the question, they refused to locate themselves. The saddest part of all of this in life is- We are His dream and the promises He desires to happen in the earth are entrusted to us to accomplish through obedient action and the initiation of true heartfelt ex-pressed desire of love in our hearts towards Him. That love is so strong that it has to give its life for another’s dream. Yet no one in this wilderness scenario was willing to do that, love that much. So, He was not well pleased, no one was willing and obedient, no one ate the good of the land that was available to eat from. The food and water were around the corner of loving obedient sacrifice.
Be very careful thinking you are just fine where you are. You may be fine with I alright, but were you brave enough to ask God if He was ok with where you are at this time? That would be the way a person, who loves God and loves His will, would live, asking.
So what are idols then, like in modern day? What takes our time from us and uses it for its own glory? What requires our money? What do we pay the most attention to in life, even if it’s only in our thought life that we give attention to it? Idols are objects of worship.
All things permissible to me because I am a freewill being, but do I want to permit certain things to open unwanted doors in my life or am I a guard and a steward of God’s treasury- which is me, my family, my church house, my workplace etc? If I permit- or give an inch, remember others who are not convicted around me, may give it the mile in their own lives. What I permit will be permitted and what I do not allow will not be allowed. NO, it is not good to just be opened to just anything. It is good to look out for others and place no tree in their pathway, rather it is right to remove obstacles that may prevent them from getting through.
So, now ask the question….
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Monday, July 17, 2006
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Romans 15
Bearing Others’ Burdens
1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
3-6That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
7-13So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God's purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance: Then I'll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I'll sing to your name!And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together!And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise!And Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
14-16 Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another.
So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.
17-21Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been, Those who were never told of him— they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him— they'll get the message!
22-24And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing.
25-29First, though, I'm going to Jerusalem to deliver a relief offering to the followers of Jesus there. The Greeks—all the way from the Macedonians in the north to the Achaians in the south—decided they wanted to take up a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were happy to do this, but it was also their duty. Seeing that they got in on all the spiritual gifts that flowed out of the Jerusalem community so generously, it is only right that they do what they can to relieve their poverty. As soon as I have done this—personally handed over this "fruit basket"—I'm off to Spain, with a stopover with you in Rome. My hope is that my visit with you is going to be one of Christ's more extravagant blessings.
30-33I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me—to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—that I will be delivered from the lions' den of unbelievers in Judea. Pray also that my relief offering to the Jerusalem believers will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes!
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
The other day I was thinking about how within myself I’ve come to this wall many many times of being tired of serving, of being asked to do more, or of being given lowly tasks, when after many years of service and tasks, should I be more of a boss, than a laborer. I’m just being honest here, of deep inner workings that have arisen over the years. Be it serving in nursery(whether I feel the call to or not) , work at church, church cleaning, serving at picnics, helping others with whatever, or a choir member, etc., there are always opportunities for “service” in the House of the Lord. Anyway, I was thinking about the nature of God being that of a servant- Jesus washed the disciple’s feet and said you act like this too. Then there’s the nature of evil, that once said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High God…” The ascension ministry of pride rises up and tries to take another’s place. Tries to vie for a position, get somewhere in stature, rather than just being and serving. Being we are sons of God and are at war with the forces of evil, I conquer over that prideful spirit when I serve. I now plan to serve forever, for in service I defeat the spirit of pride in my life and I take the weapon out of the enemy’s hand that was set out by satan to hurt God. I’ll have no part in exalting self, because that is the spirit of evil, to exalt one’s self. I exalt Thee, not me.
Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
So I need strength to go on, to what? Stature? Or service? Which is more for God? Which is more for me? Am I here for self satisfaction or Godly service? This is a good self examination question to ask of one’s self as often as necessary. Many of us thought when we got saved it was for our personal benefit. Our salvation is the very promise God was looking to have fulfilled, that He’d have children and that His children would walk in truth. We are the heartbeat of God and His messengers to a lost world. Will that benefit us? Yes, it does, but the benefits were not “for” us by design and intent, They were/are for Him, and the execution of His will.
I had a conversation recently with someone who was angry at the thought of anyone perishing. They felt God is a loving God and would not destroy anyone. One point that came up was that God is everywhere and even people in remote places can know Him. In reading Roman’s 1 I believe that to be true also. The person had pointed out that people can find Him in nature and even if they call Him by another name, it is possibly only because of their not knowing how to define Him, but they quite possibly acknowledge Him as God, with whatever name they know to use. Romans 1 says, the creation knows the Creator through His awesome works, they are evidence that He lives. I noticed Paul uses this as a basis of His preaching. He says something like, “that god you have called such and such and so and so, I know His real name.” Once a person finds the Creator God, they must be introduced to His beloved Son, for there is only One Way to the Father-hood ministry of creation, and that is through the knowing of Christ.
Without Christ, I may know a Creator God, but I am not a child of God, nor is he my Father. There is only One way to the Father God, through Jesus the Son. Jesus made that way, all must pass that way in life. Jesus was the firstborn of many like Him, who would come after Him, for all who believe in Him. Knowing about the Creator does not save us, won’t ever save us unless that leads us to know the Son. So that person in the remote jungle that calls Creator, Sun God or whatever, must have a preacher come and introduce him to Jesus the Son and thus that person can be saved and become a child of God. Being a child of creation is not enough to save us, children of creation need a Savior, who is Christ.
Time to announce that good news. No matter how good or wholesome or in tuned with nature a person is, they cannot be saved and have God as Father, except through Christ Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, The Life! One Way Jesus! Time to make Jesus Lord.
Time to ask the question of the day…..
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Romans 15
Bearing Others’ Burdens
1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
3-6That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
7-13So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God's purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance: Then I'll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I'll sing to your name!And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together!And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise!And Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
14-16 Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another.
So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.
17-21Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been, Those who were never told of him— they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him— they'll get the message!
22-24And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing.
25-29First, though, I'm going to Jerusalem to deliver a relief offering to the followers of Jesus there. The Greeks—all the way from the Macedonians in the north to the Achaians in the south—decided they wanted to take up a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were happy to do this, but it was also their duty. Seeing that they got in on all the spiritual gifts that flowed out of the Jerusalem community so generously, it is only right that they do what they can to relieve their poverty. As soon as I have done this—personally handed over this "fruit basket"—I'm off to Spain, with a stopover with you in Rome. My hope is that my visit with you is going to be one of Christ's more extravagant blessings.
30-33I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me—to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—that I will be delivered from the lions' den of unbelievers in Judea. Pray also that my relief offering to the Jerusalem believers will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes!
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
The other day I was thinking about how within myself I’ve come to this wall many many times of being tired of serving, of being asked to do more, or of being given lowly tasks, when after many years of service and tasks, should I be more of a boss, than a laborer. I’m just being honest here, of deep inner workings that have arisen over the years. Be it serving in nursery(whether I feel the call to or not) , work at church, church cleaning, serving at picnics, helping others with whatever, or a choir member, etc., there are always opportunities for “service” in the House of the Lord. Anyway, I was thinking about the nature of God being that of a servant- Jesus washed the disciple’s feet and said you act like this too. Then there’s the nature of evil, that once said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High God…” The ascension ministry of pride rises up and tries to take another’s place. Tries to vie for a position, get somewhere in stature, rather than just being and serving. Being we are sons of God and are at war with the forces of evil, I conquer over that prideful spirit when I serve. I now plan to serve forever, for in service I defeat the spirit of pride in my life and I take the weapon out of the enemy’s hand that was set out by satan to hurt God. I’ll have no part in exalting self, because that is the spirit of evil, to exalt one’s self. I exalt Thee, not me.
Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
So I need strength to go on, to what? Stature? Or service? Which is more for God? Which is more for me? Am I here for self satisfaction or Godly service? This is a good self examination question to ask of one’s self as often as necessary. Many of us thought when we got saved it was for our personal benefit. Our salvation is the very promise God was looking to have fulfilled, that He’d have children and that His children would walk in truth. We are the heartbeat of God and His messengers to a lost world. Will that benefit us? Yes, it does, but the benefits were not “for” us by design and intent, They were/are for Him, and the execution of His will.
I had a conversation recently with someone who was angry at the thought of anyone perishing. They felt God is a loving God and would not destroy anyone. One point that came up was that God is everywhere and even people in remote places can know Him. In reading Roman’s 1 I believe that to be true also. The person had pointed out that people can find Him in nature and even if they call Him by another name, it is possibly only because of their not knowing how to define Him, but they quite possibly acknowledge Him as God, with whatever name they know to use. Romans 1 says, the creation knows the Creator through His awesome works, they are evidence that He lives. I noticed Paul uses this as a basis of His preaching. He says something like, “that god you have called such and such and so and so, I know His real name.” Once a person finds the Creator God, they must be introduced to His beloved Son, for there is only One Way to the Father-hood ministry of creation, and that is through the knowing of Christ.
Without Christ, I may know a Creator God, but I am not a child of God, nor is he my Father. There is only One way to the Father God, through Jesus the Son. Jesus made that way, all must pass that way in life. Jesus was the firstborn of many like Him, who would come after Him, for all who believe in Him. Knowing about the Creator does not save us, won’t ever save us unless that leads us to know the Son. So that person in the remote jungle that calls Creator, Sun God or whatever, must have a preacher come and introduce him to Jesus the Son and thus that person can be saved and become a child of God. Being a child of creation is not enough to save us, children of creation need a Savior, who is Christ.
Time to announce that good news. No matter how good or wholesome or in tuned with nature a person is, they cannot be saved and have God as Father, except through Christ Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, The Life! One Way Jesus! Time to make Jesus Lord.
Time to ask the question of the day…..
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Sunday, July 16, 2006
John 1 WOWweeeee
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend F1 it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. F2 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, F3 and His own F4 did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And F5 of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, F6 who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' F7 as the prophet Isaiah said." 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 28 These things were done in Bethabara F8 beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." 32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." 35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. F9 You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter F10 you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
FOOTNOTES:F1: Or overcome F2: Or That was the true Light which, coming into the world, gives light to every man. F3: That is, His own things or domain F4: That is, His own people F5: NU-Text reads For. F6: NU-Text reads only begotten God. F7: Isaiah 40:3 F8: NU-Text and M-Text read Bethany. F9: NU-Text reads John. F10: NU-Text omits hereafter.
New King James Version.Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I love this chapter. This chapter brings heaven and earth together through One man, Jesus Christ. God is manifested. He is the answer to a darkly lost world. He is the very beginning, middle and end. It is about Genesis to Revelation summed up in One purpose, the salvation of the whole world, the reconciliation between creation and the Father. Not just with the Creator, but with the Godhead complete - Father, Son, Spirit all 3 in One, manifested in Him for all creation, for all men, for all time.
It takes us back even further than Genesis when all was One with Him, sin entered, One became Two, then Two was cast out to earth, a curse came over the earth, utter darkness flooded the earth, the earth became in need of salvation before it even began. Jesus Christ was there, yearning for reconciliation, saying, “If You can use anything Lord, You can use Me…”, He was saying to the Father God, “Here I AM, Lord send Me.” He said that to Himself, before Adam was ever created.
Adam was created as opportunity for light to shine in darkness. Light was found in darkness. Light was there. God said, “Let there be Light”, then He also said, “Let US make man in Our image…and let them be fruitful (bring reconciliation in darkness)..”. He took One man, who had Eve inside of Him, he separated Him out (God’s image came clear in One becoming Two- ahh see a similarity, a prophetic similitude?) They were One- as all once were One (in heaven), then (through sin) Two came to being, So God made a visible sign of what had happened, in Adam, the answer man- plural. God separated them out to show a visible picture, to get to the root of the separation between creation and Father God, yet to show that Two can be One again!
God said to man- plural (Adam & Eve) You Two, shall become One (again)…The story goes on to show darkness trying whole heartedly to nullify One and keep Two, but God is the answer and Two cannot stand, cannot have it’s way. Jesus had already said He would go. Father knew that. Adam didn’t. It appeared that darkness prevailed; it even appears now that darkness prevails, but it does not eternally prevail and that’s how God lives, thinks and sees- eternally. Everything now is for eternity, either with or against God and His kingdom, power and glory.
God said – “Let Us make man, let the Two become One, Light be!” God’s words do not go out void, they accomplish what He has set them forth to accomplish, both now and later on, especially later on!
His word is still resounding today. His plan for man is still the same. Jesus came to show man what he was designed for, reconciliation of the world to God the Father, through the Son and by the Spirit.
Vs 5 is so powerful. We all need to sink our faith into it and open our spiritual eternal eyes to see it’s eternal truth…here it is, the same word, 6 ways (N-S-E-W-Up- Down)
To the N. -And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. Amplified
To the S. -The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. NLT
To the E. -The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. Good news Translation 2nd Ed.
To the W.- The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. Message
Up-The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. NCV
Down- The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.
It does not matter what it looks like, for even satan himself thought he’d won the victory in Jesus’ death. He thought he killed the Lord of Glory. He forgot whom he serves! He forgot about the power of light and life. He did not even think of the resurrection!
Don’t be so moved by what appears, for what appears are many times smoke screens for faith. What will we sink our faith in? Evil or God? Fear is faith in evil.
As I read this verse I was thinking about how dark it seems to have gotten even recently. I was in Blockbuster and I scanned the new release isle, my spirit felt grieved, I saw movie title after movie title of grave darkness, scorcery, witchcraft, murder, the occult, etc, etc. I thought, wow, what darkness, it seemed overwhelming! We read or listen to the news in our own area of the world and we feel darkness trying to swallow up light, then we look at world news and it seems bleaker still. When I read this, this morning and realized it may look bleak, dark, and overwhelming, BUT He died and rose again! I have the life and power of God in me. I’m alive unto God and God is light.
No, I did not rent any of those films. I don’t need to help the enemy flood the earth (my head is made of earth to – like yours is) with any more darkness than he already has.
I realize, I Am a light. So I say to the Father, Here I Am to worship, to bow down to You, To Go where You say and do what You’d like for me to do, now in this earth where you placed the two of me to become One. (My old flesh natured not born again man, like Adam is my firstborn man, flesh and my new born again man, my spiritually alive man, is my 2nd man, in Christ).
N-S-E-W-up-Down? I will go for You. For no matter the darkness, I Am is the Light and the darkness cannot overcome, overwhelm, extinguish, put out, or overpower it, for it is not it, “It” is Him.
Do I live as though I believe the Light has come?
Do I point the WAY to God the Father through Jesus the Son as my Lord, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?
Do I lead the way, preparing hearts to hear truth by living the truth?
Do I follow after Him, or pursue the world’s goods, treasure, truths?
Am I a disciple, who’s left the world’s calls behind the calls of Two, to become One man in Him?
Am I a reconciler of God and man through Christ, and am I expressing the importance of Following and Lordship?
Think about these tools in combat-
Satan rose up in pride which is against God and brought a curse to the earth.
Humility is the opposing force of pride, so to purposefully oppose darkness , I keep humility as a vision before my eyes, I participate in humility on purpose! (humility defined – I don’t let my own wishes and desires rise above God’s if that means I bow, then I must, if it means I arise up and go forth, than that is what I do)
Pride, said, You serve me, I don’t serve You. This was satan speaking to God now! OUCH, not a good move there. Ever feel your self life arise and ask why God isn’t doing this and that for you, or ever complain when asked to serve, because you deserve better, aren’t there others who can do it, haven’t you done it enough, isn’t it someone else’s turn? A tool to oppose such temptation- serve with a whole heart, with love as a giver, serve! Don’t ever stop serving, if it means wash someone’s feet, someone who has stinky dirty, haven’t changed socks in weeks, feet. Serve!
Another area of spiritual warfare in the area of Oneness with God is agreements, or should I say arguments? Is there a difference? Yes there is! Why would Two agree (come into One-ness) when they just can’t seem to? Why would they decide to or try to, agree? Why? Because to dis-agree is to stay Two, to agree is to bring into One-ness.
See why when Two on earth touch on anything that they shall ask about and agree upon, they can have anything from God? Because it is too easy to dis-agree, always. It absolutely does not work the will and purpose of God, debate, revelry, fighting, separations, divorce, disunity, disassembly- division, etc, are all devices of God’s enemy against us and ultimately through us he reaches to touch the heart of God.
So, why agree? Why not?
Now the ?....
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend F1 it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. F2 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, F3 and His own F4 did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And F5 of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, F6 who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' F7 as the prophet Isaiah said." 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 28 These things were done in Bethabara F8 beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." 32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." 35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. F9 You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter F10 you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
FOOTNOTES:F1: Or overcome F2: Or That was the true Light which, coming into the world, gives light to every man. F3: That is, His own things or domain F4: That is, His own people F5: NU-Text reads For. F6: NU-Text reads only begotten God. F7: Isaiah 40:3 F8: NU-Text and M-Text read Bethany. F9: NU-Text reads John. F10: NU-Text omits hereafter.
New King James Version.Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.Used by permission.
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I love this chapter. This chapter brings heaven and earth together through One man, Jesus Christ. God is manifested. He is the answer to a darkly lost world. He is the very beginning, middle and end. It is about Genesis to Revelation summed up in One purpose, the salvation of the whole world, the reconciliation between creation and the Father. Not just with the Creator, but with the Godhead complete - Father, Son, Spirit all 3 in One, manifested in Him for all creation, for all men, for all time.
It takes us back even further than Genesis when all was One with Him, sin entered, One became Two, then Two was cast out to earth, a curse came over the earth, utter darkness flooded the earth, the earth became in need of salvation before it even began. Jesus Christ was there, yearning for reconciliation, saying, “If You can use anything Lord, You can use Me…”, He was saying to the Father God, “Here I AM, Lord send Me.” He said that to Himself, before Adam was ever created.
Adam was created as opportunity for light to shine in darkness. Light was found in darkness. Light was there. God said, “Let there be Light”, then He also said, “Let US make man in Our image…and let them be fruitful (bring reconciliation in darkness)..”. He took One man, who had Eve inside of Him, he separated Him out (God’s image came clear in One becoming Two- ahh see a similarity, a prophetic similitude?) They were One- as all once were One (in heaven), then (through sin) Two came to being, So God made a visible sign of what had happened, in Adam, the answer man- plural. God separated them out to show a visible picture, to get to the root of the separation between creation and Father God, yet to show that Two can be One again!
God said to man- plural (Adam & Eve) You Two, shall become One (again)…The story goes on to show darkness trying whole heartedly to nullify One and keep Two, but God is the answer and Two cannot stand, cannot have it’s way. Jesus had already said He would go. Father knew that. Adam didn’t. It appeared that darkness prevailed; it even appears now that darkness prevails, but it does not eternally prevail and that’s how God lives, thinks and sees- eternally. Everything now is for eternity, either with or against God and His kingdom, power and glory.
God said – “Let Us make man, let the Two become One, Light be!” God’s words do not go out void, they accomplish what He has set them forth to accomplish, both now and later on, especially later on!
His word is still resounding today. His plan for man is still the same. Jesus came to show man what he was designed for, reconciliation of the world to God the Father, through the Son and by the Spirit.
Vs 5 is so powerful. We all need to sink our faith into it and open our spiritual eternal eyes to see it’s eternal truth…here it is, the same word, 6 ways (N-S-E-W-Up- Down)
To the N. -And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. Amplified
To the S. -The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. NLT
To the E. -The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. Good news Translation 2nd Ed.
To the W.- The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. Message
Up-The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. NCV
Down- The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.
It does not matter what it looks like, for even satan himself thought he’d won the victory in Jesus’ death. He thought he killed the Lord of Glory. He forgot whom he serves! He forgot about the power of light and life. He did not even think of the resurrection!
Don’t be so moved by what appears, for what appears are many times smoke screens for faith. What will we sink our faith in? Evil or God? Fear is faith in evil.
As I read this verse I was thinking about how dark it seems to have gotten even recently. I was in Blockbuster and I scanned the new release isle, my spirit felt grieved, I saw movie title after movie title of grave darkness, scorcery, witchcraft, murder, the occult, etc, etc. I thought, wow, what darkness, it seemed overwhelming! We read or listen to the news in our own area of the world and we feel darkness trying to swallow up light, then we look at world news and it seems bleaker still. When I read this, this morning and realized it may look bleak, dark, and overwhelming, BUT He died and rose again! I have the life and power of God in me. I’m alive unto God and God is light.
No, I did not rent any of those films. I don’t need to help the enemy flood the earth (my head is made of earth to – like yours is) with any more darkness than he already has.
I realize, I Am a light. So I say to the Father, Here I Am to worship, to bow down to You, To Go where You say and do what You’d like for me to do, now in this earth where you placed the two of me to become One. (My old flesh natured not born again man, like Adam is my firstborn man, flesh and my new born again man, my spiritually alive man, is my 2nd man, in Christ).
N-S-E-W-up-Down? I will go for You. For no matter the darkness, I Am is the Light and the darkness cannot overcome, overwhelm, extinguish, put out, or overpower it, for it is not it, “It” is Him.
Do I live as though I believe the Light has come?
Do I point the WAY to God the Father through Jesus the Son as my Lord, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?
Do I lead the way, preparing hearts to hear truth by living the truth?
Do I follow after Him, or pursue the world’s goods, treasure, truths?
Am I a disciple, who’s left the world’s calls behind the calls of Two, to become One man in Him?
Am I a reconciler of God and man through Christ, and am I expressing the importance of Following and Lordship?
Think about these tools in combat-
Satan rose up in pride which is against God and brought a curse to the earth.
Humility is the opposing force of pride, so to purposefully oppose darkness , I keep humility as a vision before my eyes, I participate in humility on purpose! (humility defined – I don’t let my own wishes and desires rise above God’s if that means I bow, then I must, if it means I arise up and go forth, than that is what I do)
Pride, said, You serve me, I don’t serve You. This was satan speaking to God now! OUCH, not a good move there. Ever feel your self life arise and ask why God isn’t doing this and that for you, or ever complain when asked to serve, because you deserve better, aren’t there others who can do it, haven’t you done it enough, isn’t it someone else’s turn? A tool to oppose such temptation- serve with a whole heart, with love as a giver, serve! Don’t ever stop serving, if it means wash someone’s feet, someone who has stinky dirty, haven’t changed socks in weeks, feet. Serve!
Another area of spiritual warfare in the area of Oneness with God is agreements, or should I say arguments? Is there a difference? Yes there is! Why would Two agree (come into One-ness) when they just can’t seem to? Why would they decide to or try to, agree? Why? Because to dis-agree is to stay Two, to agree is to bring into One-ness.
See why when Two on earth touch on anything that they shall ask about and agree upon, they can have anything from God? Because it is too easy to dis-agree, always. It absolutely does not work the will and purpose of God, debate, revelry, fighting, separations, divorce, disunity, disassembly- division, etc, are all devices of God’s enemy against us and ultimately through us he reaches to touch the heart of God.
So, why agree? Why not?
Now the ?....
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Saturday, July 15, 2006
2 Kings 7
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
2 Kings 7:1-20
The Syrians Flee 1 Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Tomorrow about this time a sheah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria."' 2So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
The Syrians Flee3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? 4If we say, "We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die." 5And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. 6For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses--the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!" 7Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact--their tents, their horses, and their donkeys--and they fled for their lives. 8And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.
9Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household." 10So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, "We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound--only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact." 11And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king's household inside. 12So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, "When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city."' 13And one of his servants answered and said, "Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see." 14Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, "Go and see." 15And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. 16Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria." 19Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, "Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." 20And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission
~ Lena’s Journalin’
We really have to be on guard for the enemy of our souls, of our faith. Why do we allow His doubtful words and heart to be expressed through us against the Most loving Most High God? The only reason we would, is deception and lack of knowledge of Him.
The force turning on itself is an enemy tactic. If they fight or devour themselves by doubt and unbelief in the very one they serve, then there’s a mutiny, a destruction within, and there will be no need for exertion on the part of the enemy forces, because the person either shot himself or his fellow marine.
Shooting the leader is the best way to annihilate the force. Do we not think an enemy is engaged in a tactic well thought out? In a ploy against our very faith and souls? If he doesn’t even have to lift a finger, that would be an easy success.
So, knowing this sweet bit of info, we can now be on watch for the taking of our faith and the destructive tactics of our enemy against our love for God’s word and the faith that it builds.
God is God of the impossible. He is. Maybe we are not, but He is. So you hear of an impossible feat? Have faith in God, not yourself, but God. Tune your ear in to His words, and the voice of His words, and activate your faith, not letting it go, no matter how absurd it is to your natural mind.
The natural mind is an enemy of God. Do you not KNOW that already? If you know it, why allow the natural mind to rule us, and tell us what we should and shouldn’t believe in where God’s word or holy acts are concerned?
If we speak against Our Father God’s words, we may see His impossible acts accomplished, but we will not eat of it. God forbid that, rise up in faith and please God and eat the good of the land. It is faith in God that pleases God. All else is wood, hay, stubble and will be fuel for an enemy to start a fire.
I love this story, in how these leprous outcasts rose up in faith and put their faith ideas into action and saw the goodness of God. Ya know it does not matter where we are at or who we’ve been, or if we’ve been ailing or whatever, faith is an active force against evil. Faith changes things, moves mountains, causes a person to become new.
Why not go plunder the camp of the enemy today, in faith? Why not take back a whole lot of what was stolen from your life, a life with no active faith in God?
The other day, I was thinking about how a true sign that faith has come is when the voice speaks. If I truly have faith in God and in Christ I speak of Him, I share my faith, I testify. These lepers did not hold their victorious progression forward to themselves, they shared it with any and everyone who would hear it, who would go after it. Is this how we are with our Lord Jesus Christ and His Good News message? That message is not for us alone and it truly has been entrusted to us by the Father God. This is why we were born. To plunder hell, take back what belongs to God, testify! Open our mouths and speak. When we do, not only is our life turned around, but a turn around is made for other’s lives also.
We must God (up) and tell others. We must. There’s so much more to take back than we can even carry ourselves.
When we realize we’ve been on the wrong side in fear, for fear is faith in evil-rather than believing God. Thus everything not of faith (in God) is sin…We can join forces with God’s forces, not that our human force is anything, but with God, changing sides is something. Even in weakness, changing sides can mean a whole new world of opportunity for new growth and enemy defeat in our lives. “There are more with us than are against us” is always true in Christ Jesus. Even the number of evil vs. God forces is 2 x’s as large, for 1/3rd of the angelic host became demonic hosts, yet 2/3rd’s stayed with the realm of light and God. In merely changing sides, the enemy is outnumbered automatically! I have a whole host of heaven who are for me, while only 1/3rd of a host are against me. I don’t think 1/3rd are all against one person, but they are against God and His kingdom and His body in the earth.
We must come to know who we are and join the force of kingdom advancement for the Lord. This is what He’s been waiting for, for He created us to advance His Kingdom, join into His power, and wear His glory- forever.
Let’s become who we are destined before morning light comes, before the Son of man shows up for His accounting. Let’s “get in line”, while there is still grace.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
2 Kings 7:1-20
The Syrians Flee 1 Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Tomorrow about this time a sheah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria."' 2So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
The Syrians Flee3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? 4If we say, "We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die." 5And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. 6For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses--the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!" 7Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact--their tents, their horses, and their donkeys--and they fled for their lives. 8And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.
9Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household." 10So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, "We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound--only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact." 11And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king's household inside. 12So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, "When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city."' 13And one of his servants answered and said, "Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see." 14Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, "Go and see." 15And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. 16Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria." 19Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, "Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." 20And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
Copyright Statement: The New King James Version© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission
~ Lena’s Journalin’
We really have to be on guard for the enemy of our souls, of our faith. Why do we allow His doubtful words and heart to be expressed through us against the Most loving Most High God? The only reason we would, is deception and lack of knowledge of Him.
The force turning on itself is an enemy tactic. If they fight or devour themselves by doubt and unbelief in the very one they serve, then there’s a mutiny, a destruction within, and there will be no need for exertion on the part of the enemy forces, because the person either shot himself or his fellow marine.
Shooting the leader is the best way to annihilate the force. Do we not think an enemy is engaged in a tactic well thought out? In a ploy against our very faith and souls? If he doesn’t even have to lift a finger, that would be an easy success.
So, knowing this sweet bit of info, we can now be on watch for the taking of our faith and the destructive tactics of our enemy against our love for God’s word and the faith that it builds.
God is God of the impossible. He is. Maybe we are not, but He is. So you hear of an impossible feat? Have faith in God, not yourself, but God. Tune your ear in to His words, and the voice of His words, and activate your faith, not letting it go, no matter how absurd it is to your natural mind.
The natural mind is an enemy of God. Do you not KNOW that already? If you know it, why allow the natural mind to rule us, and tell us what we should and shouldn’t believe in where God’s word or holy acts are concerned?
If we speak against Our Father God’s words, we may see His impossible acts accomplished, but we will not eat of it. God forbid that, rise up in faith and please God and eat the good of the land. It is faith in God that pleases God. All else is wood, hay, stubble and will be fuel for an enemy to start a fire.
I love this story, in how these leprous outcasts rose up in faith and put their faith ideas into action and saw the goodness of God. Ya know it does not matter where we are at or who we’ve been, or if we’ve been ailing or whatever, faith is an active force against evil. Faith changes things, moves mountains, causes a person to become new.
Why not go plunder the camp of the enemy today, in faith? Why not take back a whole lot of what was stolen from your life, a life with no active faith in God?
The other day, I was thinking about how a true sign that faith has come is when the voice speaks. If I truly have faith in God and in Christ I speak of Him, I share my faith, I testify. These lepers did not hold their victorious progression forward to themselves, they shared it with any and everyone who would hear it, who would go after it. Is this how we are with our Lord Jesus Christ and His Good News message? That message is not for us alone and it truly has been entrusted to us by the Father God. This is why we were born. To plunder hell, take back what belongs to God, testify! Open our mouths and speak. When we do, not only is our life turned around, but a turn around is made for other’s lives also.
We must God (up) and tell others. We must. There’s so much more to take back than we can even carry ourselves.
When we realize we’ve been on the wrong side in fear, for fear is faith in evil-rather than believing God. Thus everything not of faith (in God) is sin…We can join forces with God’s forces, not that our human force is anything, but with God, changing sides is something. Even in weakness, changing sides can mean a whole new world of opportunity for new growth and enemy defeat in our lives. “There are more with us than are against us” is always true in Christ Jesus. Even the number of evil vs. God forces is 2 x’s as large, for 1/3rd of the angelic host became demonic hosts, yet 2/3rd’s stayed with the realm of light and God. In merely changing sides, the enemy is outnumbered automatically! I have a whole host of heaven who are for me, while only 1/3rd of a host are against me. I don’t think 1/3rd are all against one person, but they are against God and His kingdom and His body in the earth.
We must come to know who we are and join the force of kingdom advancement for the Lord. This is what He’s been waiting for, for He created us to advance His Kingdom, join into His power, and wear His glory- forever.
Let’s become who we are destined before morning light comes, before the Son of man shows up for His accounting. Let’s “get in line”, while there is still grace.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Friday, July 14, 2006
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
2 Kings 6:1-33
The Floating Ax Head
1One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. 2Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead."
3"Please come with us," someone suggested. "I will," he said.
4When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 5But as one of them was chopping, his ax head fell into the river. "Ah, my lord!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!"
6"Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Then the ax head rose to the surface and floated. 7"Grab it," Elisha said to him. And the man reached out and grabbed it.
Elisha Traps the Arameans
8When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place."
9But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there." 10So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God, warning the people there to be on their guard. This happened several times.
11The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called in his officers and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?"
12"It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!"
13The king commanded, "Go and find out where Elisha is, and we will send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan." 14So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" he cried out to Elisha.
16"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" 17Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
18As the Aramean army advanced toward them, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, please make them blind." And the LORD did as Elisha asked. 19Then Elisha went out and told them, "You have come the wrong way! This isn't the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria. 20As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see." And the LORD did, and they discovered that they were in Samaria.
21When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them?"
22"Of course not!" Elisha told him. "Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master."
23So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their king. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.
Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria
24Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his entire army and besieged Samaria. 25As a result there was a great famine in the city. After a while even a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver, and a cup of dove's dung cost about two ounces F14 of silver.
26One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, "Please help me, my lord the king!"
27"If the LORD doesn't help you, what can I do?" he retorted. "I have neither food nor wine to give you." 28But then the king asked, "What is the matter?" She replied, "This woman proposed that we eat my son one day and her son the next. 29So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said, 'Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she had hidden him."
30When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath next to his skin. 31"May God kill me if I don't execute Elisha son of Shaphat this very day," the king vowed.
32Elisha was sitting in his house at a meeting with the leaders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, "A murderer has sent a man to kill me. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. His master will soon follow him."
33While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king F15 said, "It is the LORD who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?"
FOOTNOTES:F14: Hebrew sold for 80 shekels [0.9 kilograms] of silver, and 1/4 of a cab [0.3 liters] of dove's dung cost 5 shekels [57 grams]. Dove's dung may be a variety of wild vegetable. F15: Hebrew he.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’
What an awesome day when a disciple rises up with a desire to build and comes and tells the teacher, “Hey, com’on, let’s go here and I’ll lead, you just come along and watch”!
That’s like a child taking off walking, or eating with their own fork, or potty training by themselves, hearing them talk like a little adult, or even reading, or writing, making wise decisions, cleaning up their own messes, helping mom with hers, driving, getting a job, etc, etc. It’s all about growth in evidence and it is such a joyful thing, almost an awesome thing to see nurtured growth in action.
Notice how Elisha just said “ok” and went along. He didn’t want to miss seeing their faith for increase in action. Also, was it not wisdom that he was there while they were ready to go the next step which would be found in the exercise of their activated growth?
What is even greater than that is, they were at such a place with the mentor that they’d do what he said. As Ruth was with Naomi, she’d said, “ just tell me and whatever you say I’ll do”. THAT kind of statement, that kind of heart is not easily found, nor is it easily developed. It is not that a teacher or parent or leader or boss has not been there to nurture it, it is that we’ve lived in a rebellious world and we’re still learning to see that to be like the world is to be at enmity with God’s ways. The world and culture have taught us so much through default, but Jesus said, “you are in the world, and not of it”. That “not of” part is not going to just fall into place, in fact, those who are serious about being “in but not of” will have to seize those truths by violent siege, with strategy, on purpose. All true worship of God starts with seeing Him, seeing His plans, seeing His sacrifice, seeing His will.
So have you grown? If not, why not? Have you submitted to what it takes to grow and grow quickly? If not, what hinders that in your life? Worldly thinking and patterns? Lack of teach ability? How ‘bout going to that place where the axe head dropped, back to the place where you were once teachable? How about overcoming whatever obstacle you ran into that stumped your ability to receive and grow on.
Maybe someone in leadership was harsh on you. David was to be king, but he had to serve under Saul the king for a time (of training) first. It was many years and there were many opportunities for David to quit, but in order to fulfill the Divine mission of God, he had to endure and press through the controlling spirit of Saul. God actually used the controlling spirit of Saul to shape and test David’s character. Wow.
Going back may mean for you forgiveness extended towards the leader you felt wronged you. Be rid of the shame and the hindrances, be determined that no matter where you are now at in this Christianity you determine to grow and live a life that will bring God glory, nothing or no one hindering your growth. Bless those who use and curse you. That’s what Jesus said. If we do that and just plain ol’ trust God, He’ll deal with who needs to be dealt with.
Be brave, you have a responsibility to live, you are going to be accountable before God and I’ll give you a hint- You won’t be able to take anyone in with you and say it was their fault that you didn’t grow or walk in obedience to the call of God on you! You’ll stand alone before God and all of your excuses will fall aside as you sense His great love and the love you now wished you’d reciprocated. You’ll literally fall to your knees and cry, because you’ll know anything, everything impossible was made possible for you through the Blood of the Lamb. There really was not one valid excuse. Selfishness is not an excuse, laziness is not an excuse, hurt, pain, sickness, intimidation, were not excuses either, for you will know and will understand how great His love was for us that He overcame the power of these things to hinder us, we just allowed them to hinder us and give us invalid excuses. We did not stand on the sacrifice and declare Him. We declared us instead. We did not overcome anything for His will. We let nothings be important and we will see at that time how unimportant they were/are.
I’ve decided to press in to this now, stand before the Father God now. For if I stand before Him now, I’ll stand before Him later and it will just be another day to stand before Him who loves me and whom I love. I live to intimately know the One who overcame for me, the One who set me free, the One who heals me, and covers and protects me. The One who gives my life purpose and causes me to overcome, by His precious Blood.
Go back to the place where you were hindered, stand before God and get healed, get cleansed, ask God for forgiveness for not believing the blood of His Son was enough to heal and help you. Be made whole again, and grow, grow, grow.
Do you know the enemies of God have mobilized forces against any and everyone who would even think to believe in Christ? As much as they have assembled forces is as much and more of how we are to wake up, stand watch, protect and guard our faith in Him. We cannot stand guard or fight very well alone when there are so many assembled, strategizing for our souls. This is one reason to allow faith and trust in Christ to bring us into fellowship with a body of believers, who know about spiritual warfare and will stand watch along with us, alerting us of enemies and giving us tools to fight.
Has God or His word or a sister or brother in the Lord ever tried to prevent you from going somewhere or ding anything? I wonder if you did it anyway? I wonder if you ever regretted not listening? So many heartaches and defeats can be prevented ahead of time. In fact most of what God teaches us is ahead of time to avoid the pitfalls.
Notice this say the warnings were given several times. We actually train our ears to hear or not hear those warnings. This is another area where we will not be able to tell God, “Well Lord, I just wasn’t told”! Whew!
The only way there will be more on your side than are against you, is if you are on the right side. If God has warned you and you stay put where you are, yet you expect God to somehow show up on your side for you rather than you fulfilling a requirement of blessing which is, to change sides, you are deceived by enemy smoke and need to clear the air, wake up, see where you are at and repent- meaning change sides. We are the ones who need to change sides, ideas, plans, wills, hearts, etc. We cannot just do what we want and expect God to bless it. That is lowly self-natured thinking.
When we refuse to look and see which side we are really on, we live deceived and when all hell breaks loose in our lives we get mad at God, we get mad at circumstances, we get mad at the church, we get mad at prophets, etc. All the while we are where we are because we chose to be where we are at. We chose to stay where we are, thinking wrongly, that God will come over to our side and protect us. We are NOT protected on enemy territory. It is enemy territory.
The enemy is out to steal kill and destroy any hint of victory in our lives. He is out to steal kill and destroy our faith in Christ, God’s Son.
He is a devourer, He lies , but his goal no matter what he says is to eat up the very promise of God, that Christ would be formed in us.
The nature of the devourer is to devour, everything about our lives, our time, money, labor, gain, increase, progress, growth, faith, fellowship. If any of these areas are being taken away from you, you need to open up your eyes and see who’s side you are on.
It’s never too late to change sides as long as you are alive. When you change sides and stand and hold that ground, you’ll see a turn around quickly. God is a miracle working God and when we get on the right side He adjusts our lives and orders and redeems even times. He does this so we can get the ball rolling so He can finally use us to get the work done He needs done in the earth. He’s been waiting to use us.
So…
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
2 Kings 6:1-33
The Floating Ax Head
1One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. 2Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead."
3"Please come with us," someone suggested. "I will," he said.
4When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 5But as one of them was chopping, his ax head fell into the river. "Ah, my lord!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!"
6"Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Then the ax head rose to the surface and floated. 7"Grab it," Elisha said to him. And the man reached out and grabbed it.
Elisha Traps the Arameans
8When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place."
9But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there." 10So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God, warning the people there to be on their guard. This happened several times.
11The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called in his officers and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?"
12"It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!"
13The king commanded, "Go and find out where Elisha is, and we will send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan." 14So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" he cried out to Elisha.
16"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" 17Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
18As the Aramean army advanced toward them, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, please make them blind." And the LORD did as Elisha asked. 19Then Elisha went out and told them, "You have come the wrong way! This isn't the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria. 20As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see." And the LORD did, and they discovered that they were in Samaria.
21When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them?"
22"Of course not!" Elisha told him. "Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master."
23So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their king. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.
Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria
24Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his entire army and besieged Samaria. 25As a result there was a great famine in the city. After a while even a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver, and a cup of dove's dung cost about two ounces F14 of silver.
26One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, "Please help me, my lord the king!"
27"If the LORD doesn't help you, what can I do?" he retorted. "I have neither food nor wine to give you." 28But then the king asked, "What is the matter?" She replied, "This woman proposed that we eat my son one day and her son the next. 29So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said, 'Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she had hidden him."
30When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath next to his skin. 31"May God kill me if I don't execute Elisha son of Shaphat this very day," the king vowed.
32Elisha was sitting in his house at a meeting with the leaders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, "A murderer has sent a man to kill me. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. His master will soon follow him."
33While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king F15 said, "It is the LORD who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?"
FOOTNOTES:F14: Hebrew sold for 80 shekels [0.9 kilograms] of silver, and 1/4 of a cab [0.3 liters] of dove's dung cost 5 shekels [57 grams]. Dove's dung may be a variety of wild vegetable. F15: Hebrew he.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’
What an awesome day when a disciple rises up with a desire to build and comes and tells the teacher, “Hey, com’on, let’s go here and I’ll lead, you just come along and watch”!
That’s like a child taking off walking, or eating with their own fork, or potty training by themselves, hearing them talk like a little adult, or even reading, or writing, making wise decisions, cleaning up their own messes, helping mom with hers, driving, getting a job, etc, etc. It’s all about growth in evidence and it is such a joyful thing, almost an awesome thing to see nurtured growth in action.
Notice how Elisha just said “ok” and went along. He didn’t want to miss seeing their faith for increase in action. Also, was it not wisdom that he was there while they were ready to go the next step which would be found in the exercise of their activated growth?
What is even greater than that is, they were at such a place with the mentor that they’d do what he said. As Ruth was with Naomi, she’d said, “ just tell me and whatever you say I’ll do”. THAT kind of statement, that kind of heart is not easily found, nor is it easily developed. It is not that a teacher or parent or leader or boss has not been there to nurture it, it is that we’ve lived in a rebellious world and we’re still learning to see that to be like the world is to be at enmity with God’s ways. The world and culture have taught us so much through default, but Jesus said, “you are in the world, and not of it”. That “not of” part is not going to just fall into place, in fact, those who are serious about being “in but not of” will have to seize those truths by violent siege, with strategy, on purpose. All true worship of God starts with seeing Him, seeing His plans, seeing His sacrifice, seeing His will.
So have you grown? If not, why not? Have you submitted to what it takes to grow and grow quickly? If not, what hinders that in your life? Worldly thinking and patterns? Lack of teach ability? How ‘bout going to that place where the axe head dropped, back to the place where you were once teachable? How about overcoming whatever obstacle you ran into that stumped your ability to receive and grow on.
Maybe someone in leadership was harsh on you. David was to be king, but he had to serve under Saul the king for a time (of training) first. It was many years and there were many opportunities for David to quit, but in order to fulfill the Divine mission of God, he had to endure and press through the controlling spirit of Saul. God actually used the controlling spirit of Saul to shape and test David’s character. Wow.
Going back may mean for you forgiveness extended towards the leader you felt wronged you. Be rid of the shame and the hindrances, be determined that no matter where you are now at in this Christianity you determine to grow and live a life that will bring God glory, nothing or no one hindering your growth. Bless those who use and curse you. That’s what Jesus said. If we do that and just plain ol’ trust God, He’ll deal with who needs to be dealt with.
Be brave, you have a responsibility to live, you are going to be accountable before God and I’ll give you a hint- You won’t be able to take anyone in with you and say it was their fault that you didn’t grow or walk in obedience to the call of God on you! You’ll stand alone before God and all of your excuses will fall aside as you sense His great love and the love you now wished you’d reciprocated. You’ll literally fall to your knees and cry, because you’ll know anything, everything impossible was made possible for you through the Blood of the Lamb. There really was not one valid excuse. Selfishness is not an excuse, laziness is not an excuse, hurt, pain, sickness, intimidation, were not excuses either, for you will know and will understand how great His love was for us that He overcame the power of these things to hinder us, we just allowed them to hinder us and give us invalid excuses. We did not stand on the sacrifice and declare Him. We declared us instead. We did not overcome anything for His will. We let nothings be important and we will see at that time how unimportant they were/are.
I’ve decided to press in to this now, stand before the Father God now. For if I stand before Him now, I’ll stand before Him later and it will just be another day to stand before Him who loves me and whom I love. I live to intimately know the One who overcame for me, the One who set me free, the One who heals me, and covers and protects me. The One who gives my life purpose and causes me to overcome, by His precious Blood.
Go back to the place where you were hindered, stand before God and get healed, get cleansed, ask God for forgiveness for not believing the blood of His Son was enough to heal and help you. Be made whole again, and grow, grow, grow.
Do you know the enemies of God have mobilized forces against any and everyone who would even think to believe in Christ? As much as they have assembled forces is as much and more of how we are to wake up, stand watch, protect and guard our faith in Him. We cannot stand guard or fight very well alone when there are so many assembled, strategizing for our souls. This is one reason to allow faith and trust in Christ to bring us into fellowship with a body of believers, who know about spiritual warfare and will stand watch along with us, alerting us of enemies and giving us tools to fight.
Has God or His word or a sister or brother in the Lord ever tried to prevent you from going somewhere or ding anything? I wonder if you did it anyway? I wonder if you ever regretted not listening? So many heartaches and defeats can be prevented ahead of time. In fact most of what God teaches us is ahead of time to avoid the pitfalls.
Notice this say the warnings were given several times. We actually train our ears to hear or not hear those warnings. This is another area where we will not be able to tell God, “Well Lord, I just wasn’t told”! Whew!
The only way there will be more on your side than are against you, is if you are on the right side. If God has warned you and you stay put where you are, yet you expect God to somehow show up on your side for you rather than you fulfilling a requirement of blessing which is, to change sides, you are deceived by enemy smoke and need to clear the air, wake up, see where you are at and repent- meaning change sides. We are the ones who need to change sides, ideas, plans, wills, hearts, etc. We cannot just do what we want and expect God to bless it. That is lowly self-natured thinking.
When we refuse to look and see which side we are really on, we live deceived and when all hell breaks loose in our lives we get mad at God, we get mad at circumstances, we get mad at the church, we get mad at prophets, etc. All the while we are where we are because we chose to be where we are at. We chose to stay where we are, thinking wrongly, that God will come over to our side and protect us. We are NOT protected on enemy territory. It is enemy territory.
The enemy is out to steal kill and destroy any hint of victory in our lives. He is out to steal kill and destroy our faith in Christ, God’s Son.
He is a devourer, He lies , but his goal no matter what he says is to eat up the very promise of God, that Christ would be formed in us.
The nature of the devourer is to devour, everything about our lives, our time, money, labor, gain, increase, progress, growth, faith, fellowship. If any of these areas are being taken away from you, you need to open up your eyes and see who’s side you are on.
It’s never too late to change sides as long as you are alive. When you change sides and stand and hold that ground, you’ll see a turn around quickly. God is a miracle working God and when we get on the right side He adjusts our lives and orders and redeems even times. He does this so we can get the ball rolling so He can finally use us to get the work done He needs done in the earth. He’s been waiting to use us.
So…
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Luke 13
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Luke 13:1-35
Unless You Turn to God
1About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. 2Jesus responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die. 4And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? 5Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die."
6Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren't any. 7He said to his gardener, "What's going on here? For three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?'
8"The gardener said, "Let's give it another year. I'll dig around it and fertilize, 9and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn't, then chop it down.'"
Healing on the Sabbath
10He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. 11There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!" 13He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
14The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath."
15But Jesus shot back, "You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. 16So why isn't it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?"
17When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.
The Way to God
18Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? 19It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."
20He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom? 21It's like yeast that a woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread--and waits while the dough rises."
22He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem.
23A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?"He said, 24"Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life--to God!-is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. 25Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, "Sorry, you're not on my guest list.'
26"You'll protest, "But we've known you all our lives!' 27only to be interrupted with his abrupt, "Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.'
28"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. 29You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in--and wondering what happened. 30This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.
31Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's on the hunt. He's out to kill you!"
32Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I'm busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping things up. 33Besides, it's not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.
34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,abuser of the messengers of God!How often I've longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings--but you refused and turned away!
35And now it's too late: You won't see me again until the day you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.'"
Copyright Statement: THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
~ Lena’s Journalin’
These first verses (1-5) have a wealth of truth in them that should be extracted.
People are continuously tempted by the evil one, to weigh and measure sin’s value. Thinking like this, this sin is of greater value than that one, and if we measure some sin as not so great and other sin as great then somehow we can justify ourselves, even exalt ourselves as ok in our own eyes.
These shared with Jesus a grave sin (as all sin is). When we share the gravity of sin we must watch that we are not trying to magnify ourselves or cover ourselves with someone else’s magnified wrongs. We can never be covered by a wrong, ever.
What is wrong with any sin, in any range, from speaking curses over your brethren, to murder, is sin separates us from being one with God through the covering of the blood of Jesus, it brings the potential of eternal separation from God and THAT fact is what is grave. Jesus said it so plainly to the perceived “saved” and the perceived “unsaved” alike, “unless YOU turn to God you too will die”.
The point of any revealing of sin, would be to uproot it out of our own lives and expose it by confession and repentance. Pointing out other’s sins is a tool in the enemy’s hand to keep us covered in our own righteousness.
Being in and going to the church is not enough to save you, you must continually walk in the light as He is in the light, allowing no work of personal darkness to overshadow the light in you, that means continued exposure to His light-life.
Jerusalem is the church, don’t be deceived into thinking that if you go to church you are ok. You’re ok if you stay exposed to the light. Going to church, listening and doing should help keep you there.
Our pastor has stood in the gap and has petitioned the Lord for another year for our congregation to bear fruit. Praise the Lord for a man who would intercede. Who do you intercede for? Being continually exposed to light puts you in a place to be able to be used by God to ask for another “year” for someone! To dig around the roots and fertilize means we get dirty, we expose where others have hidden. The kingdom of God cannot go on in fruitfulness unless this is done one way or another. It would be better to become uncomfortably exposed before a loving Father God here, than to later burn in hell! It would be the grace and mercy of God to show us our sin now and lead us into the provision for our sin now, than to wait for judgment later on. Also where the tree is concerned, it represents us, not just me, yet it takes a me to make a we, and we to make a complete picture of Him in the earth. So, I must interceded for those who have yet to see what I’ve now been graced by God to see, so we can all come, now ya hear?
I just recently heard the word Sabbath defined as “celebration”. God’s celebration over what He had made and the use fullness of what He had made. Not a rest as in relax and do nothing. He’s watching and waiting for His creation to do what they were created to do. Some of us have not been able to do what we were created to do, because of hurt, pain, lethargy, illness, etc. Healing on the Sabbath? As though healing is work. Yes, heal, so God can have what He’s ready to celebrate, which in part is us walking out our created purposes. THAT is why we have to get healed in Him, and all provision for our healing is had through the outpouring of the sacrificial blood. Giving Him the glory due His Holy name. Now THAT is true worship, being willing to go all the way in wholeness and giving God something to celebrate in us.
To be religiously minded is the same as being carnally minded, it is based on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not the tree of life. Even in Christianity, we can study our religion and not live the words we’ve studied or entered into bringing life to the words we’ve recited, by applying them. If we only know the words we’ve studied, yet do not make changes by the power of the spirit of the words, then we live in deception and really we could as easily study any history book or any other religion of the world. God is not looking for students of knowledge, but students who are disciplined to change. They are wise in respectful honor of Him and because of that loving respect for His word and how it leads them into greater love for God and to be in love with those whom He loves, they come to know Him, His heart, His mind, as a person, not a black word on a white page in an understandable language.
It is so important to shake your religious mind up, become uncomfortable, do a word from today’s word, Change!
Get to know Him, and don’t fool yourself and justify yourself. He’s not deceived by behaviors or acts. He’ll know who He personally knows, who through personal relationship and love did the impossible for His sake, because of their great love they changed, by His grace they moved mountains with faith in who they knew. They refused to allow any ungodly excuse to tell them His death was not good enough to provide for my participation in His celebration. His provision for us makes the impossible happen, His purposes expressed through me preserve my life, give length of my days, and cause me to bear fruit each year. I believe and receive, and live in Him- everyday. I know Him and so I make Him known.
One of the best evidences of true salvation is I speak of Him. If I know Him I am also wiling to make the changes that will make Him further known, even my life change is evidence of knowing Him and the visibility of the change to others is shown in my life and my new lifestyle. They are able to believe what they see.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Luke 13:1-35
Unless You Turn to God
1About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. 2Jesus responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die. 4And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? 5Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you too will die."
6Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren't any. 7He said to his gardener, "What's going on here? For three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?'
8"The gardener said, "Let's give it another year. I'll dig around it and fertilize, 9and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn't, then chop it down.'"
Healing on the Sabbath
10He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. 11There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!" 13He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
14The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath."
15But Jesus shot back, "You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. 16So why isn't it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?"
17When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.
The Way to God
18Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? 19It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."
20He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom? 21It's like yeast that a woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread--and waits while the dough rises."
22He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem.
23A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?"He said, 24"Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life--to God!-is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. 25Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, "Sorry, you're not on my guest list.'
26"You'll protest, "But we've known you all our lives!' 27only to be interrupted with his abrupt, "Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.'
28"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. 29You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in--and wondering what happened. 30This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.
31Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's on the hunt. He's out to kill you!"
32Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I'm busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping things up. 33Besides, it's not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.
34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,abuser of the messengers of God!How often I've longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen, Her brood safe under her wings--but you refused and turned away!
35And now it's too late: You won't see me again until the day you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.'"
Copyright Statement: THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
~ Lena’s Journalin’
These first verses (1-5) have a wealth of truth in them that should be extracted.
People are continuously tempted by the evil one, to weigh and measure sin’s value. Thinking like this, this sin is of greater value than that one, and if we measure some sin as not so great and other sin as great then somehow we can justify ourselves, even exalt ourselves as ok in our own eyes.
These shared with Jesus a grave sin (as all sin is). When we share the gravity of sin we must watch that we are not trying to magnify ourselves or cover ourselves with someone else’s magnified wrongs. We can never be covered by a wrong, ever.
What is wrong with any sin, in any range, from speaking curses over your brethren, to murder, is sin separates us from being one with God through the covering of the blood of Jesus, it brings the potential of eternal separation from God and THAT fact is what is grave. Jesus said it so plainly to the perceived “saved” and the perceived “unsaved” alike, “unless YOU turn to God you too will die”.
The point of any revealing of sin, would be to uproot it out of our own lives and expose it by confession and repentance. Pointing out other’s sins is a tool in the enemy’s hand to keep us covered in our own righteousness.
Being in and going to the church is not enough to save you, you must continually walk in the light as He is in the light, allowing no work of personal darkness to overshadow the light in you, that means continued exposure to His light-life.
Jerusalem is the church, don’t be deceived into thinking that if you go to church you are ok. You’re ok if you stay exposed to the light. Going to church, listening and doing should help keep you there.
Our pastor has stood in the gap and has petitioned the Lord for another year for our congregation to bear fruit. Praise the Lord for a man who would intercede. Who do you intercede for? Being continually exposed to light puts you in a place to be able to be used by God to ask for another “year” for someone! To dig around the roots and fertilize means we get dirty, we expose where others have hidden. The kingdom of God cannot go on in fruitfulness unless this is done one way or another. It would be better to become uncomfortably exposed before a loving Father God here, than to later burn in hell! It would be the grace and mercy of God to show us our sin now and lead us into the provision for our sin now, than to wait for judgment later on. Also where the tree is concerned, it represents us, not just me, yet it takes a me to make a we, and we to make a complete picture of Him in the earth. So, I must interceded for those who have yet to see what I’ve now been graced by God to see, so we can all come, now ya hear?
I just recently heard the word Sabbath defined as “celebration”. God’s celebration over what He had made and the use fullness of what He had made. Not a rest as in relax and do nothing. He’s watching and waiting for His creation to do what they were created to do. Some of us have not been able to do what we were created to do, because of hurt, pain, lethargy, illness, etc. Healing on the Sabbath? As though healing is work. Yes, heal, so God can have what He’s ready to celebrate, which in part is us walking out our created purposes. THAT is why we have to get healed in Him, and all provision for our healing is had through the outpouring of the sacrificial blood. Giving Him the glory due His Holy name. Now THAT is true worship, being willing to go all the way in wholeness and giving God something to celebrate in us.
To be religiously minded is the same as being carnally minded, it is based on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not the tree of life. Even in Christianity, we can study our religion and not live the words we’ve studied or entered into bringing life to the words we’ve recited, by applying them. If we only know the words we’ve studied, yet do not make changes by the power of the spirit of the words, then we live in deception and really we could as easily study any history book or any other religion of the world. God is not looking for students of knowledge, but students who are disciplined to change. They are wise in respectful honor of Him and because of that loving respect for His word and how it leads them into greater love for God and to be in love with those whom He loves, they come to know Him, His heart, His mind, as a person, not a black word on a white page in an understandable language.
It is so important to shake your religious mind up, become uncomfortable, do a word from today’s word, Change!
Get to know Him, and don’t fool yourself and justify yourself. He’s not deceived by behaviors or acts. He’ll know who He personally knows, who through personal relationship and love did the impossible for His sake, because of their great love they changed, by His grace they moved mountains with faith in who they knew. They refused to allow any ungodly excuse to tell them His death was not good enough to provide for my participation in His celebration. His provision for us makes the impossible happen, His purposes expressed through me preserve my life, give length of my days, and cause me to bear fruit each year. I believe and receive, and live in Him- everyday. I know Him and so I make Him known.
One of the best evidences of true salvation is I speak of Him. If I know Him I am also wiling to make the changes that will make Him further known, even my life change is evidence of knowing Him and the visibility of the change to others is shown in my life and my new lifestyle. They are able to believe what they see.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Ask myself daily: “What Page Am I On?”
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