Lena's Journalin' to Jaohn 7 Today

Pride shows itself as an enemy of everything within the characteristics of God. Jesus said the world hated Him. Wouldn’t one think the world would love Him? I mean He did come to save men from an eternal doom. This is a prime example of how the word of God works two different ways within two different hearts.
Our hearts need to be prepared for the coming of the Truth of the gospel message. Our hearts are like soil, and in order for the seed of the word to #1 be received, and #2 be tended to for the growth of that planted word to occur, the soil must be properly prepared.
The same word could spurn hatred in one person and love in another.
It is not the word that causes that reaction or reception, it is the receptor.
One person may hear the word and say, “Thank God for telling me this truth that I may avoid calamity”, while the other heart says, “I wish you’d stop condemning me and telling me what to do all the time!” The first is delighted in knowing how to change, while the 2ND stays the same as they were before hearing the word.
A good gage to see which your heart is, is whether you respond to the word of God or react to it. Especially when it comes through a vessel of less than your own choosing.
I’ve heard many a people say, “Ya, know if it came through a different person, or if they said it a better way, I’d receive it better…” That should be a red flag that your soil needs some tilling.
The best tiller of soil is the Holy Spirit and being in an atmosphere of a corporate worship and praise. Of course personal prayer times are a great tiller also. Especially when it is humble prayer, where we are really willing to ask God to show us the motivations of our hearts with a desire to be shown how to change.
Remember pride is THE enemy of God’s word being able to be implanted and grow in you. If you knew an enemy were coming to take your car tonight, what would you do about it? Anything? Pride is the enemy of your soul, of your salvation, what should you do about it? Combat it on purpose. Do not allow its work inside of your soul or spirit. Bring its power down by willing obedience and submission to the word, whether you want to or not.
Why would Jesus not be able to go onward with you? Why would He have to stay in “Galilee” where growth or going on in you is concerned? Do you love or hate His word? (We cannot say we love Him, but with our actions not obey His words, the love or hatred is shown in the actionsod obedience or disobedience).
He would not go on, He stayed put, because they would not receive Him.
He taught only at the Temple. Which temple? The temple that received Him by listening to Him and believing in Him. We are the Temple of God’s Spirit if the spirit of Christ dwells in us.
Can He teach and preach in your “house”? Does He get to be in a visible form in you? Or is He hidden from others sight? Do others see Him in your life? If they watched, but never were told who you are, would they say your are a Christian, a follower of Christ?
The religious said, “How does He know so much when He has not been trained (like we have)?” By the Spirit, only by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. No natural means can teach men to know God, except by His spirit. The message we preach, if it is the gospel truth is not our own message, it is the message sent to the earth by the spirit of Christ, the Savior and Lord of the world. God is looking for vessels, conduits of His Spirit. Willing ones, who yield, rather than resist Him. They allow Him and disallow evil. They don’t just want to become who they are alone, but they become one with Him, through the desire and exercise of His will.
Whose glory do we live for? Glory is defined as “weight”. What weight do I want to carry, what responsibility do I take on? His or my own? Whose name do I bear? Do I try to make a name for myself, or do I willingly give my name in exchange for His to become Him, one with His will?
Whose name we make is who’s glory we are after. Do we live to make others look good? Do we strive to make His name great, or ours? Do we live to honor others or do we smear their names in the sand when they don’t help us to look good?
What about leaders? What do we do with their names? The president, governors, police, bosses, pastors, husband or wives? Are we all in for making other’s names look good, no matter what we think they may deserve? Do we honor a position given by God, like king David did with King Saul? Or are we trying to be king of the leaders with our heartfelt opinions?
What is your opinion of Jesus? (Does it matter?) When we are opinionated, and survey people who are in positions above us, we exalt ourselves as though we know all about their jobs. This is a dangerous practice, yet highly promoted in the good ol’ USA. Gallop polls galore.
Who was He speaking of when He said, “you will not be able to go where I am going?” He spoke to those who would not believe and receive Him; with those who stumble over Him, looking only at the natural circumstances of who He appeared to be. The ones who reason out the gospel message and won’t humbly believe it, just because God sent it. He spoke to those who wear masks and won’t take them off to save face or make a name for themselves. Those unwilling to be like someone else. They want to have their won identity, rather than sow it into the making of His identity in them.
BUT, those who till the soil and are ready to receive word and water will live eternally. They will till other’s soil and rivers of life will flow form their beings throughout the whole earth. They do not keep Jesus from moving on with them, they allow His word to penetrate their spirit and soul, they grow like crazy and bear fruit for His name. They praise Him and raise His standards in the earth at the risk of losing all they are In Him.
The religious want to arrest Him, contain Him in a box, making Him stay in one place, so they can go on unhindered by truth to build their own kingdoms.
They knew the written word, but they did not know Him that they might recognize Him. This is a fine line each person, especially those raised in churches for lengths of time, must see. We can study, read, pray and do our religious duties and yet still not see Him, for He will only be seen by those who hunger for change.
Obedience moves us into growth. He can only be drawn by the spirit. The Holy Spirit leads men to obey further for further growth. Without His spirit we are another nicey, nice organization.