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 32:1-11
A psalm of David.
1 Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Interlude
6 Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
Interlude
8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control."
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD.
11 So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I was thinking today. I obviously need to increase my love, my God kind of unconditional love, the kind of love that extends love to those who hurt me, seemingly on purpose. The kind of love that gives even though it knows a thief is about to come and steal again. I need an increase there, to have no grudge over being taken from, to still give further, hoping to affect love on that one who does not seem to really know what they are doing when they hurt me, when they hurt the people in their world. Their taking from others is their cry for love. I want to really mean it and say, “Father, forgive them for they do not realize what they are doing or have done.”
As I read this, I see the pathway to that place is finding myself before God in my own sin and unwillingness to be exposed to that behavior over and over again. In repentance and acknowledgement of holding the gavel over offenders I’ll find that love and be free in that love I look for.
It is simple isn’t it? Yet it seems so backwards, backwards to the natural mind who tries to figure God out.
He is unfathomable!
Lord, forgive me for trying to go up another way, and please help me to live here, beginning today.
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Psalm 31 Who do we serve?
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 31:1-24
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for you always do what is right.
2 Bend down and listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be for me a great rock of safety, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
3 You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this peril.
4 Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone.
5 I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God.
6 I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the LORD.
7 I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to my enemy but have set me in a safe place.
9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.
10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery F30 has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.
11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they turn the other way.
12 I have been ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.
13 I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.
14 But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!"
15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16 Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, save me.
17 Don't let me be disgraced, O LORD, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave.
18 May their lying lips be silenced— those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
19 Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.
21 Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
22 In sudden fear I had cried out, "I have been cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
23 Love the LORD, all you faithful ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant.
24 So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!
FOOTNOTES:F30: Or Sin.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Ya know that way of God’s and our enemy is illusions, perversion and lies?
He wants us to think he is so great, and whenever we complain, murmur, and whine, we actually magnify the state of our life that is seemingly full of problems and in all that complaining our enemy is “glorified”. Let’s go way back to Isa 14 where Lucifer up in heaven, fell down, way down to the earth. He said, “I will ascend, I will be like the most High…”this is his character and he is still trying and vying for this position of self exalted rule today.
Are life’s troubles hard? Yes. But are they too hard for God to solve?
The enemy is very temporary minded, who do you think came up with fast food? - Just kidding!
Anyway, even if we suffered our whole lifetime in some kind of suffering and spent the rest of our eternal days with God our Father, our days of suffering would have been a blink. The enemy wants us to think the here and now is eternal, that it is and means everything. He wants us to think this is it, our end, and in this temporary time he’s busy, busy at work around us trying to take us out of the eternal hand of God, he wants us to turn and curse his enemy, which is God.
The Bible says even in trouble, even in (temporary) suffering - Oh magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together, let our souls (mind, will, emotions) bless the Lord!
Our faith in Christ and God is absolutely a decision we make for the Lord or not. It is not based on current troubles, or sorrow, or even glee, it is a covenant decision and we make. We are either in covenant for life or not. That’s pretty black and white, huh? Think about it.
Who do we serve no matter what? Who do we love no matter what? Who do we magnify no matter what? You gotta serve somebody. There are two choices here. Death or life, blessing or cursing.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 31:1-24
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for you always do what is right.
2 Bend down and listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be for me a great rock of safety, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
3 You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this peril.
4 Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone.
5 I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God.
6 I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the LORD.
7 I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to my enemy but have set me in a safe place.
9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.
10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery F30 has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.
11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they turn the other way.
12 I have been ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.
13 I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.
14 But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!"
15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16 Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, save me.
17 Don't let me be disgraced, O LORD, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave.
18 May their lying lips be silenced— those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
19 Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.
21 Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
22 In sudden fear I had cried out, "I have been cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
23 Love the LORD, all you faithful ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant.
24 So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!
FOOTNOTES:F30: Or Sin.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Ya know that way of God’s and our enemy is illusions, perversion and lies?
He wants us to think he is so great, and whenever we complain, murmur, and whine, we actually magnify the state of our life that is seemingly full of problems and in all that complaining our enemy is “glorified”. Let’s go way back to Isa 14 where Lucifer up in heaven, fell down, way down to the earth. He said, “I will ascend, I will be like the most High…”this is his character and he is still trying and vying for this position of self exalted rule today.
Are life’s troubles hard? Yes. But are they too hard for God to solve?
The enemy is very temporary minded, who do you think came up with fast food? - Just kidding!
Anyway, even if we suffered our whole lifetime in some kind of suffering and spent the rest of our eternal days with God our Father, our days of suffering would have been a blink. The enemy wants us to think the here and now is eternal, that it is and means everything. He wants us to think this is it, our end, and in this temporary time he’s busy, busy at work around us trying to take us out of the eternal hand of God, he wants us to turn and curse his enemy, which is God.
The Bible says even in trouble, even in (temporary) suffering - Oh magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together, let our souls (mind, will, emotions) bless the Lord!
Our faith in Christ and God is absolutely a decision we make for the Lord or not. It is not based on current troubles, or sorrow, or even glee, it is a covenant decision and we make. We are either in covenant for life or not. That’s pretty black and white, huh? Think about it.
Who do we serve no matter what? Who do we love no matter what? Who do we magnify no matter what? You gotta serve somebody. There are two choices here. Death or life, blessing or cursing.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Psalm 21 We WIn!
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 21:1-13
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because of your victory.
2 For you have given him his heart's desire; you have held back nothing that he requested.
Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life, and you have granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings. You have given him the joy of being in your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies. Your strong right hand will seize all those who hate you.
9 You will destroy them as in a flaming furnace when you appear. The LORD will consume them in his anger; fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 We praise you, LORD, for all your glorious power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Most of us fight, we fight for our own rights, protection, provision etc. Are we winning yet? If there was a way to win would we not engage in it?
There is a way to win. Let the guards down, trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not unto thine own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy pathways!
“What, are you saying, Lena, Are you telling us not to fight?”
Let me ask again. Are your tactics working for you? Does hatred or bitterness make an enemy flee?
Does hard work bring bread to the table. I mean, have you gotten ahead of the game yet?
Does your busyness and running around help you to be able to sit down and rest?
Well, I’m sort of and then again not telling us to not fight, let’s rather say not strive. Let’s say we engage in a fight, but we trust, rely on God, and live by faith in The greater one than ourselves who says He’ll take on the battles for us.
He’ll do the warring, we just enter the warfare and win by submission to Him.
So what if he says something like forgive and love your enemy, rather than fight w/ him?
What if that is the only way to defeat your enemy?
Huh?
Exactly. That does not sound like warfare, does it? But it is.
Keep reading the book
He wins
When we stand with Him, engaging His way, we win!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 21:1-13
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because of your victory.
2 For you have given him his heart's desire; you have held back nothing that he requested.
Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life, and you have granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings. You have given him the joy of being in your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies. Your strong right hand will seize all those who hate you.
9 You will destroy them as in a flaming furnace when you appear. The LORD will consume them in his anger; fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 We praise you, LORD, for all your glorious power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Most of us fight, we fight for our own rights, protection, provision etc. Are we winning yet? If there was a way to win would we not engage in it?
There is a way to win. Let the guards down, trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not unto thine own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy pathways!
“What, are you saying, Lena, Are you telling us not to fight?”
Let me ask again. Are your tactics working for you? Does hatred or bitterness make an enemy flee?
Does hard work bring bread to the table. I mean, have you gotten ahead of the game yet?
Does your busyness and running around help you to be able to sit down and rest?
Well, I’m sort of and then again not telling us to not fight, let’s rather say not strive. Let’s say we engage in a fight, but we trust, rely on God, and live by faith in The greater one than ourselves who says He’ll take on the battles for us.
He’ll do the warring, we just enter the warfare and win by submission to Him.
So what if he says something like forgive and love your enemy, rather than fight w/ him?
What if that is the only way to defeat your enemy?
Huh?
Exactly. That does not sound like warfare, does it? But it is.
Keep reading the book
He wins
When we stand with Him, engaging His way, we win!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Psalm 20 God Bless YOU
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 20:1-9
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel F22 keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. F23
3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude
4 May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, F24 but we boast in the LORD our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.
FOOTNOTES:F22: Hebrew of Jacob. F23: Hebrew Zion. F24: Hebrew chariots and horses.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Amen- so be it!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 20:1-9
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel F22 keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. F23
3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude
4 May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, F24 but we boast in the LORD our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.
FOOTNOTES:F22: Hebrew of Jacob. F23: Hebrew Zion. F24: Hebrew chariots and horses.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Amen- so be it!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Psalm 16 Framing our world with His praise
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 16:1-11
A psalm of David.
1 Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Master! All the good things I have are from you."
3 The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!
4 Those who chase after other gods will be filled with sorrow. I will not take part in their sacrifices or even speak the names of their gods.
5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!
7 I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth F15 shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead F16 or allow your godly one F17 to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.
FOOTNOTES:F15: As in Greek version; Hebrew reads glory. F16: Hebrew in Sheol. F17: Or your Holy One.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I believe joy must be a choice. Even happiness. We wake up, look at our day before even anything has happened and we choose what to expect from our day. Our words shape our world. Ever hear someone say, “this is gonna be a doozey”? “This” hasn’t even happened yet and we’re already expecting or deciding for doom and gloom. Maybe this is our human way of preparing ourselves and avoiding disappointments. Is God not big enough to help us with our disappointments?
The Bible tells us whatever we allow is allowed and what we disallow is disallowed. What are we allowing or disallowing? What are we saying about our world? Our words are framing it, then filling in the picture of what will be – allowed. Is it a “doozey” or the day of the Lord? God is not a magician, He gave us the power of words, told us to praise Him and bless our world, we can opt in or out of that, but in principle if we “opt out” not believing it is so, it does not make it not so. It is a principle God set up for us to frame our days, weeks, months years. Whether we believe it or not it is so and whether we actively participate in it or not we are doing it. God holds us responsible. He merely tried to forewarn us, there would be some choices, some decisions to make, make them the way I would and it’ll be easier on your life.
So how is your day going to go today? Set it up with praise. With worship of Him, with declarations as righteous stewards of God, framing the day as he would… It’s our God given response-ability.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 16:1-11
A psalm of David.
1 Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Master! All the good things I have are from you."
3 The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!
4 Those who chase after other gods will be filled with sorrow. I will not take part in their sacrifices or even speak the names of their gods.
5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!
7 I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth F15 shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead F16 or allow your godly one F17 to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.
FOOTNOTES:F15: As in Greek version; Hebrew reads glory. F16: Hebrew in Sheol. F17: Or your Holy One.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I believe joy must be a choice. Even happiness. We wake up, look at our day before even anything has happened and we choose what to expect from our day. Our words shape our world. Ever hear someone say, “this is gonna be a doozey”? “This” hasn’t even happened yet and we’re already expecting or deciding for doom and gloom. Maybe this is our human way of preparing ourselves and avoiding disappointments. Is God not big enough to help us with our disappointments?
The Bible tells us whatever we allow is allowed and what we disallow is disallowed. What are we allowing or disallowing? What are we saying about our world? Our words are framing it, then filling in the picture of what will be – allowed. Is it a “doozey” or the day of the Lord? God is not a magician, He gave us the power of words, told us to praise Him and bless our world, we can opt in or out of that, but in principle if we “opt out” not believing it is so, it does not make it not so. It is a principle God set up for us to frame our days, weeks, months years. Whether we believe it or not it is so and whether we actively participate in it or not we are doing it. God holds us responsible. He merely tried to forewarn us, there would be some choices, some decisions to make, make them the way I would and it’ll be easier on your life.
So how is your day going to go today? Set it up with praise. With worship of Him, with declarations as righteous stewards of God, framing the day as he would… It’s our God given response-ability.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Psalm 5 Make the exchange today
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 5:1-12
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.
1 O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I will never pray to anyone but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
5 Therefore, the proud will not be allowed to stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple.
8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn.
9 My enemies cannot speak one truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech is filled with flattery.
10 O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they rebel against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Protect them, so all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with your shield of love.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
God is awesome and werhisimage @ likeness.
Do we love what He loves, want what He wants? To do that takes the building of a relationship. We must find out what He wants and who He loves, and if we don’t feel the same about it, we can walk with Him in fellowship and ask for that image to become us, that we’d be changed into that image of Him. In order to become Him we must be changed. The world has molded God’s images, influenced us, That influence and image can be restored to us through close fellowship with our Maker.
Love the Lord Your God with all heart, soul, and strength and your neighbor as well as yourself!
This is a good place to start.
Make a covenant exchange for love. Who you love He loves, who He loves, you love. Who (or what) He hates you also hate, and visa versa. (hate sin not sinner, love sinner into change towards righteousness), His strength for your weakness, your strength added to His, given as an offering to Him. His garments in exchange for your old torn clothes, Even His DNA in exchange for your marred DNA! Wow, what a deal we get huh?
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 5:1-12
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.
1 O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I will never pray to anyone but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
5 Therefore, the proud will not be allowed to stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple.
8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn.
9 My enemies cannot speak one truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech is filled with flattery.
10 O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they rebel against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Protect them, so all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with your shield of love.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
God is awesome and werhisimage @ likeness.
Do we love what He loves, want what He wants? To do that takes the building of a relationship. We must find out what He wants and who He loves, and if we don’t feel the same about it, we can walk with Him in fellowship and ask for that image to become us, that we’d be changed into that image of Him. In order to become Him we must be changed. The world has molded God’s images, influenced us, That influence and image can be restored to us through close fellowship with our Maker.
Love the Lord Your God with all heart, soul, and strength and your neighbor as well as yourself!
This is a good place to start.
Make a covenant exchange for love. Who you love He loves, who He loves, you love. Who (or what) He hates you also hate, and visa versa. (hate sin not sinner, love sinner into change towards righteousness), His strength for your weakness, your strength added to His, given as an offering to Him. His garments in exchange for your old torn clothes, Even His DNA in exchange for your marred DNA! Wow, what a deal we get huh?
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Monday, September 04, 2006
1 Sam 2 In the Message Version
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 Samuel 2:1-36
1Hannah prayed:
I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air.I'm laughing at my rivals.I'm dancing my salvation.
2Nothing and no one is holy like GOD,no rock mountain like our God.
3Don't dare talk pretentiously--not a word of boasting, ever!For GOD knows what's going on.He takes the measure of everything that happens.
4The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces,while the weak are infused with fresh strength.
5The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts,while the hungry are getting second helpings.The barren woman has a houseful of children,while the mother of many is bereft.
6GOD brings death and GOD brings life,brings down to the grave and raises up.
7GOD brings poverty and GOD brings wealth;he lowers, he also lifts up.
8He puts poor people on their feet again;he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope,Restoring dignity and respect to their lives--a place in the sun!For the very structures of earth are GOD's;he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation.
9He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step,but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark.No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!
10GOD's enemies will be blasted out of the sky,crashed in a heap and burned.GOD will set things right all over the earth,he'll give strength to his king,he'll set his anointed on top of the world!
11Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy stayed and served GOD in the company of Eli the priest.
Samuel Serves God
12Eli's own sons were a bad lot. They didn't know GOD and could not have cared less 13about the customs of priests among the people. Ordinarily, when someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant was supposed to come up and, while the meat was boiling, 14stab a three-pronged fork into the cooking pot. The priest then got whatever came up on the fork. But this is how Eli's sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to GOD. 15Before they had even burned the fat to GOD, the priest's servant would interrupt whoever was sacrificing and say, "Hand over some of that meat for the priest to roast. He doesn't like boiled meat; he likes his rare." 16If the man objected, "First let the fat be burned--God's portion!-then take all you want," the servant would demand, "No, I want it now. If you won't give it, I'll take it." 17It was a horrible sin these young servants were committing--and right in the presence of GOD!-desecrating the holy offerings to GOD.
18In the midst of all this, Samuel, a boy dressed in a priestly linen tunic, served GOD. 19Additionally, every year his mother would make him a little robe cut to his size and bring it to him when she and her husband came for the annual sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "GOD give you children to replace this child you have dedicated to GOD." Then they would go home.
21GOD was most especially kind to Hannah. She had three more sons and two daughters! The boy Samuel stayed at the sanctuary and grew up with GOD.
A Hard Life with Many Tears
22By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. 23Eli took them to task: "What's going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on. 24Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I'm getting, stories spreading right and left among GOD's people! 25If you sin against another person, there's help--God's help. But if you sin against GOD, who is around to help?"But they were far gone in disobedience and refused to listen to a thing their father said. So GOD, who was fed up with them, decreed their death. 26But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by GOD and popular with the people.
27A holy man came to Eli and said: "This is GOD's message: I revealed myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. 28Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests: to preside at the altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel. 29So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me? 30Therefore--this is GOD's word, the God of Israel speaking--I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now--GOD's word, remember!-there is no way this can continue.
I honor those who honor me;those who scorn me I demean.
31"Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age! 32You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it. 33I will leave one person to serve at my altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time. 34What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day. 35Then I'll establish for myself a true priest. He'll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I'll make his position secure and he'll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one. 36Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, "Please, give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table.'"
Copyright Statement: THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Hannah’s rejoicing is the joy of every Christian who has come to know who their King is and who has put their total trust and reliance in Him. Those who have had a revelation of Him, know how BIG He is.
I see how she says there is no none like You and no mountain is too large. Ever feel a situation or circumstance is bigger than can be conquered? Ever feel like everything in life is so huge and unsolvable? Hannah was barren, she’d tried to have babies and could not and there was nothing she could do to help, nothing, BUT she saw the Lord, she saw Him in a way beyond what every other voice that had spoken to her even in her head was saying.
Let me ask you, IS the problem you are having BIGGer than God? In all actuality, is it? The lie is that it is WAYYY bigger, way bigger, and it has led us to believe it can come against even God. It has exalted itself before God and has made itself to be bigger than life.
Hannah saw that evil tactic, she got a word from God, grabbed a hold of it and decided to Not let it go or be taken from her! She decided to turn the declaration around for truth and agree with Truth in the midst of a lie. She became a participant with 2/3rds of a host of angels, while it was only 1/3rd that were lyingto her !
So, no matter what, Praise the Lord? That takes a revelation of Him, of His word, of His spirit, of His life and truth. Once we get that we have to keep a hold of it, it is what the enemy wants to steal away from us, our agreement with God, if he can take that he has us again, in any given situation.
God is Great and greatly to be praised by those who feel like it and by those who do not.
Notice how Hannah says God brings death and life, prosperity and poverty?
Do we only bless the Lord because of what comes our way? Like if he brings relief to our problem do we bless Him then, or do we just bless Him? If we’ve seen Him, we bless Him.
We seek not only His hand – what He gives us, but His face- who He is. We DO NOT understand the workings of all of His plan and even where we find ourselves in it, but if we truly love and trust Him, does it matter? I mean we’ll marry a man or woman and say something like, “I’ll love you to the end, in sickness, health, richer poorer…”, but where God is concerned do we only love Him when things get better?
How deep is Your love Oh Lord, How great Your love! How deep and how great is ours for Him? Does it last eternally? He gave His Son as Hannah did, what do we give? I pray we offer up our lives as a daily sacrifice.
The sons of Eli went through the motions of service in the house of the Lord, but they did not know and love God, their lives were offensive to God. We cannot only seek His hand and expect the benefits of the sons of God. Rather than being blessed, Eli’s sons were cursed, Eli was a priest, who would not discipline his own sons. If we do not come under discipline we cannot learn the depth of love. Whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and calls them His sons. Discipline means training for growth. Those who are not in submission for growth and change are mere acquaintances. Are we sons of God or acquaintances? If we know Him and in knowing Him, love Him, we will live an honorable life for Him.
Honor your Father - God, and your Mother - His church and you will have long life on the earth!
Honor God and He will honor you! Dishonor Him, and dishonor will come. Do you realize these things appear as options now, but later on we’ll find each of us should have chosen to go all the way. We’ll all regret having of taken options to just know his hand and not seek diligently after His heart.
Raising our children in the Lord is a great honor to Him. Blessings passed on to generations will bless the Lord. He is looking for people to pass the blessing of Divine love on forever.
Yesterday our minister said that even if we do not have our own children, we have a generation that comes after us, whom we are all influencers of and we can pass on generational blessings or cursings to, depending on our personal choices. Don’t exempt yourself from these commands due to not having any natural children, we are all required by God to reproduce at least spiritual children, and there will be an accounting taken of this command fulfilled or unfulfilled.
If we don’t have any spiritual or natural children yet, we must cry out in faith as Hannah did, and bless God in faith for your children. Hannah went away from there and every time she came to visit Samuel she had another child. 5 more children - at least! There’s so much more!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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 Samuel 2:1-36
1Hannah prayed:
I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air.I'm laughing at my rivals.I'm dancing my salvation.
2Nothing and no one is holy like GOD,no rock mountain like our God.
3Don't dare talk pretentiously--not a word of boasting, ever!For GOD knows what's going on.He takes the measure of everything that happens.
4The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces,while the weak are infused with fresh strength.
5The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts,while the hungry are getting second helpings.The barren woman has a houseful of children,while the mother of many is bereft.
6GOD brings death and GOD brings life,brings down to the grave and raises up.
7GOD brings poverty and GOD brings wealth;he lowers, he also lifts up.
8He puts poor people on their feet again;he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope,Restoring dignity and respect to their lives--a place in the sun!For the very structures of earth are GOD's;he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation.
9He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step,but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark.No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!
10GOD's enemies will be blasted out of the sky,crashed in a heap and burned.GOD will set things right all over the earth,he'll give strength to his king,he'll set his anointed on top of the world!
11Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy stayed and served GOD in the company of Eli the priest.
Samuel Serves God
12Eli's own sons were a bad lot. They didn't know GOD and could not have cared less 13about the customs of priests among the people. Ordinarily, when someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant was supposed to come up and, while the meat was boiling, 14stab a three-pronged fork into the cooking pot. The priest then got whatever came up on the fork. But this is how Eli's sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to GOD. 15Before they had even burned the fat to GOD, the priest's servant would interrupt whoever was sacrificing and say, "Hand over some of that meat for the priest to roast. He doesn't like boiled meat; he likes his rare." 16If the man objected, "First let the fat be burned--God's portion!-then take all you want," the servant would demand, "No, I want it now. If you won't give it, I'll take it." 17It was a horrible sin these young servants were committing--and right in the presence of GOD!-desecrating the holy offerings to GOD.
18In the midst of all this, Samuel, a boy dressed in a priestly linen tunic, served GOD. 19Additionally, every year his mother would make him a little robe cut to his size and bring it to him when she and her husband came for the annual sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "GOD give you children to replace this child you have dedicated to GOD." Then they would go home.
21GOD was most especially kind to Hannah. She had three more sons and two daughters! The boy Samuel stayed at the sanctuary and grew up with GOD.
A Hard Life with Many Tears
22By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. 23Eli took them to task: "What's going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on. 24Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I'm getting, stories spreading right and left among GOD's people! 25If you sin against another person, there's help--God's help. But if you sin against GOD, who is around to help?"But they were far gone in disobedience and refused to listen to a thing their father said. So GOD, who was fed up with them, decreed their death. 26But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by GOD and popular with the people.
27A holy man came to Eli and said: "This is GOD's message: I revealed myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. 28Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests: to preside at the altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel. 29So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me? 30Therefore--this is GOD's word, the God of Israel speaking--I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now--GOD's word, remember!-there is no way this can continue.
I honor those who honor me;those who scorn me I demean.
31"Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age! 32You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it. 33I will leave one person to serve at my altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time. 34What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day. 35Then I'll establish for myself a true priest. He'll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I'll make his position secure and he'll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one. 36Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, "Please, give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table.'"
Copyright Statement: THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Hannah’s rejoicing is the joy of every Christian who has come to know who their King is and who has put their total trust and reliance in Him. Those who have had a revelation of Him, know how BIG He is.
I see how she says there is no none like You and no mountain is too large. Ever feel a situation or circumstance is bigger than can be conquered? Ever feel like everything in life is so huge and unsolvable? Hannah was barren, she’d tried to have babies and could not and there was nothing she could do to help, nothing, BUT she saw the Lord, she saw Him in a way beyond what every other voice that had spoken to her even in her head was saying.
Let me ask you, IS the problem you are having BIGGer than God? In all actuality, is it? The lie is that it is WAYYY bigger, way bigger, and it has led us to believe it can come against even God. It has exalted itself before God and has made itself to be bigger than life.
Hannah saw that evil tactic, she got a word from God, grabbed a hold of it and decided to Not let it go or be taken from her! She decided to turn the declaration around for truth and agree with Truth in the midst of a lie. She became a participant with 2/3rds of a host of angels, while it was only 1/3rd that were lyingto her !
So, no matter what, Praise the Lord? That takes a revelation of Him, of His word, of His spirit, of His life and truth. Once we get that we have to keep a hold of it, it is what the enemy wants to steal away from us, our agreement with God, if he can take that he has us again, in any given situation.
God is Great and greatly to be praised by those who feel like it and by those who do not.
Notice how Hannah says God brings death and life, prosperity and poverty?
Do we only bless the Lord because of what comes our way? Like if he brings relief to our problem do we bless Him then, or do we just bless Him? If we’ve seen Him, we bless Him.
We seek not only His hand – what He gives us, but His face- who He is. We DO NOT understand the workings of all of His plan and even where we find ourselves in it, but if we truly love and trust Him, does it matter? I mean we’ll marry a man or woman and say something like, “I’ll love you to the end, in sickness, health, richer poorer…”, but where God is concerned do we only love Him when things get better?
How deep is Your love Oh Lord, How great Your love! How deep and how great is ours for Him? Does it last eternally? He gave His Son as Hannah did, what do we give? I pray we offer up our lives as a daily sacrifice.
The sons of Eli went through the motions of service in the house of the Lord, but they did not know and love God, their lives were offensive to God. We cannot only seek His hand and expect the benefits of the sons of God. Rather than being blessed, Eli’s sons were cursed, Eli was a priest, who would not discipline his own sons. If we do not come under discipline we cannot learn the depth of love. Whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and calls them His sons. Discipline means training for growth. Those who are not in submission for growth and change are mere acquaintances. Are we sons of God or acquaintances? If we know Him and in knowing Him, love Him, we will live an honorable life for Him.
Honor your Father - God, and your Mother - His church and you will have long life on the earth!
Honor God and He will honor you! Dishonor Him, and dishonor will come. Do you realize these things appear as options now, but later on we’ll find each of us should have chosen to go all the way. We’ll all regret having of taken options to just know his hand and not seek diligently after His heart.
Raising our children in the Lord is a great honor to Him. Blessings passed on to generations will bless the Lord. He is looking for people to pass the blessing of Divine love on forever.
Yesterday our minister said that even if we do not have our own children, we have a generation that comes after us, whom we are all influencers of and we can pass on generational blessings or cursings to, depending on our personal choices. Don’t exempt yourself from these commands due to not having any natural children, we are all required by God to reproduce at least spiritual children, and there will be an accounting taken of this command fulfilled or unfulfilled.
If we don’t have any spiritual or natural children yet, we must cry out in faith as Hannah did, and bless God in faith for your children. Hannah went away from there and every time she came to visit Samuel she had another child. 5 more children - at least! There’s so much more!
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Deut 12 Worship of God- His way
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.
Deuteronomy 12:1-32
The LORD's Chosen Place for Worship
1"These are the laws and regulations you must obey as long as you live in the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
2"When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. 3Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Erase the names of their gods from those places!
4"Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. 5Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place he himself will choose from among all the tribes for his name to be honored. 6There you will bring to the LORD your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your special gifts, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your freewill offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your flocks and herds. 7There you and your families will feast in the presence of the LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you.
8"Today you are doing whatever you please, but that is not how it will be 9when you arrive in the place of rest the LORD your God is giving you. 10You will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession. When he gives you rest and security from all your enemies, 11you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your special gifts, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the place the LORD your God will choose for his name to be honored. 12You must celebrate there with your sons and daughters and all your servants in the presence of the LORD your God. And remember the Levites who live in your towns, for they will have no inheritance of land as their own. 13Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere. 14You may do so only at the place the LORD will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.
15"But you may butcher animals for meat in any town, wherever you want, just as you do now with gazelle and deer. You may eat as many animals as the LORD your God gives you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat. 16The only restriction is that you are not to eat the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.
17"But your offerings must not be eaten at home—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor an offering to fulfill a vow, nor your freewill offerings, nor your special gifts. 18You must eat these in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the LORD your God in all you do. 19Be very careful never to forget the Levites as long as you live in your land.
20"When the LORD your God enlarges your territory as he has promised, you may eat meat whenever you want. 21It might happen that the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle or sheep the LORD has given you, and you may eat the meat at your home as I have commanded you. 22Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer.
23The only restriction is never to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. 25Do not eat the blood;
then all will go well with you and your children, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD. 26Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the LORD chooses to dwell. 27You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat. 28Be careful to obey all my commands so that all will go well with you and your children, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD your God.
29"When the LORD your God destroys the nations and you drive them out and occupy their land, 30do not be trapped into following their example in worshiping their gods. Do not say, 'How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.' 31You must not do this to the LORD your God. These nations have committed many detestable acts that the LORD hates, all in the name of their gods. They have even burned their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. 32Carefully obey all the commands I give you. Do not add to them or subtract from them.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Have you ever read in the NT where it says,” may you be able to tell what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is?” For certain times in our growth and in the increase of our knowledge of God, we can be in the acceptable will of God, as we gain more and more of the knowledge of God and exercise it with wisdom, we then advance in our growth and live interested in more of a desire to do His will His way. Once our desire changes and we are actually after His will alone, we enter a place of great grace to find and do the will of God alone, erasing any inkling we have to do our own will and desire, in fact our will and desire becomes the same as His for we are one, this is being in the perfect will of God.
As I read here today I so clearly saw that will being outlined. Laws are lines drawn so we would know the perfect will of God and be able to clearly walk in it. When we are wiling to ask, seek and knock after what He wants and how He wants it, we are maturing in our faith in Him, we’ve hit the true place of increase.
I’ve heard people say things like, “I worship God my own way, don’t tell me I should worship God any other way”. What age group does that very statement sound like it comes from? A “I do it myself” age group, who are very young in growth. That’s fine, if you want to worship your way, you can and God will receive it. He’ll receive whatever you are willing to give Him, but there’s so much more. There’s worship the way He wants it. That’s like the difference in giving someone a gift you wanted to give them and giving them the very one they wanted and asked for.
I’ve heard people say, “I don’t like going to church, I don’t want to be with people, they bother me, so I just worship at home by myself, but I love God.”
There’s more than that. There’s a way of change, a way of showing love to God that goes beyond what we think we want or are comfortable with. There’s a more mature love that trusts God with our comfort and safety. Even young children trust their parents. When we show sacrificial love, we show true love, a love that changes for another. God said, “Love Me & and in loving Me, love My people.” He said, “assemble together as a body in unity”. It takes a great amount of faith and of love to unite with anyone besides ourselves. It is not easy to agree with anyone but me. Whether I do this or not is a direct reflection of the measure of my love and trust in My Father God.
Do I engage in the good, acceptable or perfect will of God? This is shown by how much of His will I want to do. Vs 8 says, today you do whatever you please, but that is not how it will be when you arrive in that place of rest God has made for you…offer your sacrifices in the place that God chose, not the place you just want to or are most comfortable. Do you know if we let Him, God will pick our church? Or we can pick our own, the one we are more comfy cozy with and we’ll live out the consequence of our own choosing.
How do you think one gets to that place of rest? Submission to the will of the Father, the will of another. Heaven’s angels and the enemy powers know the power of a submitted obedient people, why else is it so hard on the flesh and soul? The greater the opposition the greater the blessing or love expressed through obedience.
Where will I see promises fulfilled?
Where will there be blessings galore?
Where will I find rest?
Where will I truly live?
Where will I finally possess what belongs to me?
There in that place of willing perfected obedience, in the place of His will.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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.
Deuteronomy 12:1-32
The LORD's Chosen Place for Worship
1"These are the laws and regulations you must obey as long as you live in the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
2"When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. 3Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Erase the names of their gods from those places!
4"Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. 5Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place he himself will choose from among all the tribes for his name to be honored. 6There you will bring to the LORD your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your special gifts, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your freewill offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your flocks and herds. 7There you and your families will feast in the presence of the LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you.
8"Today you are doing whatever you please, but that is not how it will be 9when you arrive in the place of rest the LORD your God is giving you. 10You will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession. When he gives you rest and security from all your enemies, 11you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your special gifts, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the place the LORD your God will choose for his name to be honored. 12You must celebrate there with your sons and daughters and all your servants in the presence of the LORD your God. And remember the Levites who live in your towns, for they will have no inheritance of land as their own. 13Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere. 14You may do so only at the place the LORD will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.
15"But you may butcher animals for meat in any town, wherever you want, just as you do now with gazelle and deer. You may eat as many animals as the LORD your God gives you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat. 16The only restriction is that you are not to eat the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.
17"But your offerings must not be eaten at home—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor an offering to fulfill a vow, nor your freewill offerings, nor your special gifts. 18You must eat these in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the LORD your God in all you do. 19Be very careful never to forget the Levites as long as you live in your land.
20"When the LORD your God enlarges your territory as he has promised, you may eat meat whenever you want. 21It might happen that the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle or sheep the LORD has given you, and you may eat the meat at your home as I have commanded you. 22Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer.
23The only restriction is never to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. 25Do not eat the blood;
then all will go well with you and your children, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD. 26Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the LORD chooses to dwell. 27You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat. 28Be careful to obey all my commands so that all will go well with you and your children, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD your God.
29"When the LORD your God destroys the nations and you drive them out and occupy their land, 30do not be trapped into following their example in worshiping their gods. Do not say, 'How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.' 31You must not do this to the LORD your God. These nations have committed many detestable acts that the LORD hates, all in the name of their gods. They have even burned their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. 32Carefully obey all the commands I give you. Do not add to them or subtract from them.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Have you ever read in the NT where it says,” may you be able to tell what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is?” For certain times in our growth and in the increase of our knowledge of God, we can be in the acceptable will of God, as we gain more and more of the knowledge of God and exercise it with wisdom, we then advance in our growth and live interested in more of a desire to do His will His way. Once our desire changes and we are actually after His will alone, we enter a place of great grace to find and do the will of God alone, erasing any inkling we have to do our own will and desire, in fact our will and desire becomes the same as His for we are one, this is being in the perfect will of God.
As I read here today I so clearly saw that will being outlined. Laws are lines drawn so we would know the perfect will of God and be able to clearly walk in it. When we are wiling to ask, seek and knock after what He wants and how He wants it, we are maturing in our faith in Him, we’ve hit the true place of increase.
I’ve heard people say things like, “I worship God my own way, don’t tell me I should worship God any other way”. What age group does that very statement sound like it comes from? A “I do it myself” age group, who are very young in growth. That’s fine, if you want to worship your way, you can and God will receive it. He’ll receive whatever you are willing to give Him, but there’s so much more. There’s worship the way He wants it. That’s like the difference in giving someone a gift you wanted to give them and giving them the very one they wanted and asked for.
I’ve heard people say, “I don’t like going to church, I don’t want to be with people, they bother me, so I just worship at home by myself, but I love God.”
There’s more than that. There’s a way of change, a way of showing love to God that goes beyond what we think we want or are comfortable with. There’s a more mature love that trusts God with our comfort and safety. Even young children trust their parents. When we show sacrificial love, we show true love, a love that changes for another. God said, “Love Me & and in loving Me, love My people.” He said, “assemble together as a body in unity”. It takes a great amount of faith and of love to unite with anyone besides ourselves. It is not easy to agree with anyone but me. Whether I do this or not is a direct reflection of the measure of my love and trust in My Father God.
Do I engage in the good, acceptable or perfect will of God? This is shown by how much of His will I want to do. Vs 8 says, today you do whatever you please, but that is not how it will be when you arrive in that place of rest God has made for you…offer your sacrifices in the place that God chose, not the place you just want to or are most comfortable. Do you know if we let Him, God will pick our church? Or we can pick our own, the one we are more comfy cozy with and we’ll live out the consequence of our own choosing.
How do you think one gets to that place of rest? Submission to the will of the Father, the will of another. Heaven’s angels and the enemy powers know the power of a submitted obedient people, why else is it so hard on the flesh and soul? The greater the opposition the greater the blessing or love expressed through obedience.
Where will I see promises fulfilled?
Where will there be blessings galore?
Where will I find rest?
Where will I truly live?
Where will I finally possess what belongs to me?
There in that place of willing perfected obedience, in the place of His will.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Prov 17 Wisdom & Knowledge - Now and later on
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.
Proverbs 17:1-28
1A dry crust eaten in peace is better than a great feast with strife.
2A wise slave will rule over the master's shameful sons and will share their inheritance.
3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4Wrongdoers listen to wicked talk; liars pay attention to destructive words.
5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
7Eloquent speech is not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
8A bribe seems to work like magic for those who give it; they succeed in all they do.
9Disregarding another person's faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends.
10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
11Evil people seek rebellion, but they will be severely punished.
12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in folly.
13If you repay evil for good, evil will never leave your house.
14Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15The LORD despises those who acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent.
16It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool who has no heart for wisdom.
17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend's note, to become responsible for a neighbor's debts.
19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who speaks boastfully F26 invites disaster.
20The crooked heart will not prosper; the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble.
21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
23The wicked accept secret bribes to pervert justice.
24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish child F27 brings grief to a father and bitterness to a mother.
26It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!
27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
FOOTNOTES:F26: Or who builds up defenses; Hebrew reads who makes a high gate. F27: Hebrew son.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Thinking naturally, in the here and now, for the here and now, like making decisions for instant pain relief or for gratifications’ sake or even for immediate peace are all temporary actions. They might bring a sense of relief for now, but many, many times later on they are harmful.
Proverbs are wise words written for the eternal benefit, for the benefit of the Lord, really. When one thinks eternally, lives eternally, he does not make rash decisions for just the now, but for the future and not only the near future, but for the hereafter future and for those who will come after us. His decisions don’t merely serve self, but they actually serve Gods own plans for the earth and heavens.
Knowledge - is knowing about something, wisdom - is the application of what we know.
I may know I should get up now and do a few things around the house. If I am wise I will get up and accomplish my work, even scheduling it into my day.
I may know it would be good to get a job, but wisdom does what it takes, lands the job, and keeps it with diligence. I might know it would be better to have different friends than I do, but wisdom would go find a new crowd, and surround myself with people who are wiser than I, so I would learn to look ahead and make wiser decisions in life.
When we live for right now that is what we get, right now satisfaction and blessings. They are soon over, they vanish away and we need more satisfaction. When we live eternally, the blessings never end.
Be blessed with the knowledge of the Lord today and with wisdom to apply His Truth to your and your family’s life forever.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
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.
Proverbs 17:1-28
1A dry crust eaten in peace is better than a great feast with strife.
2A wise slave will rule over the master's shameful sons and will share their inheritance.
3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4Wrongdoers listen to wicked talk; liars pay attention to destructive words.
5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
7Eloquent speech is not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
8A bribe seems to work like magic for those who give it; they succeed in all they do.
9Disregarding another person's faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends.
10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
11Evil people seek rebellion, but they will be severely punished.
12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in folly.
13If you repay evil for good, evil will never leave your house.
14Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15The LORD despises those who acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent.
16It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool who has no heart for wisdom.
17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend's note, to become responsible for a neighbor's debts.
19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who speaks boastfully F26 invites disaster.
20The crooked heart will not prosper; the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble.
21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
23The wicked accept secret bribes to pervert justice.
24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish child F27 brings grief to a father and bitterness to a mother.
26It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!
27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
FOOTNOTES:F26: Or who builds up defenses; Hebrew reads who makes a high gate. F27: Hebrew son.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Thinking naturally, in the here and now, for the here and now, like making decisions for instant pain relief or for gratifications’ sake or even for immediate peace are all temporary actions. They might bring a sense of relief for now, but many, many times later on they are harmful.
Proverbs are wise words written for the eternal benefit, for the benefit of the Lord, really. When one thinks eternally, lives eternally, he does not make rash decisions for just the now, but for the future and not only the near future, but for the hereafter future and for those who will come after us. His decisions don’t merely serve self, but they actually serve Gods own plans for the earth and heavens.
Knowledge - is knowing about something, wisdom - is the application of what we know.
I may know I should get up now and do a few things around the house. If I am wise I will get up and accomplish my work, even scheduling it into my day.
I may know it would be good to get a job, but wisdom does what it takes, lands the job, and keeps it with diligence. I might know it would be better to have different friends than I do, but wisdom would go find a new crowd, and surround myself with people who are wiser than I, so I would learn to look ahead and make wiser decisions in life.
When we live for right now that is what we get, right now satisfaction and blessings. They are soon over, they vanish away and we need more satisfaction. When we live eternally, the blessings never end.
Be blessed with the knowledge of the Lord today and with wisdom to apply His Truth to your and your family’s life forever.
Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Ps 118
Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Psalm 118:1-29
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
3 Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
4 Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
5 In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me.
6 The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
7 Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.
9 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
12 They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a roaring flame. But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
13 You did your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
17 I will not die, but I will live to tell what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD.
20 Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!
22 The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous to see.
24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, shining upon us. Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
This Psalm is really the meditation of Jesus as He faced the death of Himself on the cross, endured it’s torment, and the deep pain of separation from His Father and then the freedom that that sacrifice paid for, and what its outcome was.
This is s progression of each of us who go through pain and sorrow for change.
As we consider change, don’t we consider what God is saying concerning it, and is it not He who is leading us towards that change anyway?
We face the opportunity for change. It is a challenge to us, we weigh its value, its worth and whether it is for us personally to participate in or not.
Jesus said let this cup pass from Me, then not My will, but rather Thine be accomplished.
Isn’t change usually more for the world than only one individual directly? Change affects the world we live in and that which comes after us. Maybe this is why it is so hard, it is eternal in nature, maybe change is the labor pains of eternity being birthed through us.
The only way to consider, start, press through, and follow through, would be by the supernatural strength that comes from the revelation of the love of God, found for us in Christ Jesus.
On my own I can do nothing of as great a value as this, but through Christ I can do all things, in all things, through Christ I am strong!
Love, Joy & Peace to you as you go through the challenges of this fine day of opportunity for change.
Oh magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name above, higher than any other offer presented us today.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.
Psalm 118:1-29
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
3 Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
4 Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
5 In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me.
6 The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
7 Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.
9 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
12 They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a roaring flame. But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.
13 You did your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
17 I will not die, but I will live to tell what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD.
20 Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!
22 The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous to see.
24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, shining upon us. Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
This Psalm is really the meditation of Jesus as He faced the death of Himself on the cross, endured it’s torment, and the deep pain of separation from His Father and then the freedom that that sacrifice paid for, and what its outcome was.
This is s progression of each of us who go through pain and sorrow for change.
As we consider change, don’t we consider what God is saying concerning it, and is it not He who is leading us towards that change anyway?
We face the opportunity for change. It is a challenge to us, we weigh its value, its worth and whether it is for us personally to participate in or not.
Jesus said let this cup pass from Me, then not My will, but rather Thine be accomplished.
Isn’t change usually more for the world than only one individual directly? Change affects the world we live in and that which comes after us. Maybe this is why it is so hard, it is eternal in nature, maybe change is the labor pains of eternity being birthed through us.
The only way to consider, start, press through, and follow through, would be by the supernatural strength that comes from the revelation of the love of God, found for us in Christ Jesus.
On my own I can do nothing of as great a value as this, but through Christ I can do all things, in all things, through Christ I am strong!
Love, Joy & Peace to you as you go through the challenges of this fine day of opportunity for change.
Oh magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name above, higher than any other offer presented us today.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Col 1 & 2 oops posted Eph 1 rather than Col 1 yesterday!
Administrator Note:
If this Daily E-mail is cluttering your e-mail box, please see below to UNSUBSCRIBE, thank you.
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.
Apology: Yesterday I posted an incorrect DB reference. So I’ll post yesterday and today together. Col 1 & 2 52 verses….
Colossians 1:1-29
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
2It is written to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters F1 in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
Paul's Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God's people. 5You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. 6This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God's great kindness to sinners.
7Epaphras, our much loved co-worker, was the one who brought you the Good News. He is Christ's faithful servant, and he is helping us in your place. F2 8He is the one who told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
9So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you.
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives,
and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.
10Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,
and you will continually do good, kind things for others.
All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
11We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power
so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.
May you be filled with joy,
12always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.
13For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14God has purchased our freedom with his blood F3 and has forgiven all our sins.
Christ Is Supreme
15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. F4 16Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
18Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, F5 so he is first in everything. 19For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.
21This includes you who were once so far away from God.
You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions,
22yet now he has brought you back as his friends.
He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body.
As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Paul's Work for the Church
24I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church. 25God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. 26This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. 27For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.
28So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect F6 in their relationship to Christ. 29I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me.
FOOTNOTES:F1: Greek faithful brothers. F2: Greek he is ministering on your behalf; other manuscripts read he is ministering on our behalf. F3: Some manuscripts do not include with his blood. F4: Greek He is the firstborn of all creation. F5: Greek He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. F6: Or mature.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
Colossians 2:1-23
1I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other friends who have never known me personally. 2My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself. 3In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I am very happy because you are living as you should and because of your strong faith in Christ.
Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ
6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
8Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, F7 and not from Christ. 9For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, F8 10and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.
11When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. 15In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.
16So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself. 18Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don't let anyone say you must worship angels, even though they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them proud. 19But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.
20You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, 21"Don't handle, don't eat, don't touch." 22Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. 23These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires.
FOOTNOTES:F7: Or from the basic principles of this world; also in 2:20. F8: Greek in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
It seems that the thoughts and intents of the heart are more important than outward actions, and that outward actions reflect the thoughts and intents of the heart. I’m not speaking of a “put on” or a mask I’m speaking of day in day out living. Attitudes, responses or reactions, thoughts we meditate on, words we allow to come out of our mouths, like complaints or thanksgiving.
God wants to bring the first and most important changes to the inward man. He wants to go deep inside of us and change us into His image inwardly first with the fruits of the new life being the outward vision of loveliness. Only through a life deeply rooted and dedicated to Christ and to the word can one be changed so deeply, so inwardly.
New Day, New Life, new me, new you – In Christ!
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
If this Daily E-mail is cluttering your e-mail box, please see below to UNSUBSCRIBE, thank you.
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.
Apology: Yesterday I posted an incorrect DB reference. So I’ll post yesterday and today together. Col 1 & 2 52 verses….
Colossians 1:1-29
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
2It is written to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters F1 in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
Paul's Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God's people. 5You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. 6This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God's great kindness to sinners.
7Epaphras, our much loved co-worker, was the one who brought you the Good News. He is Christ's faithful servant, and he is helping us in your place. F2 8He is the one who told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
9So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you.
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives,
and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.
10Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,
and you will continually do good, kind things for others.
All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
11We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power
so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.
May you be filled with joy,
12always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.
13For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14God has purchased our freedom with his blood F3 and has forgiven all our sins.
Christ Is Supreme
15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. F4 16Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
18Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, F5 so he is first in everything. 19For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.
21This includes you who were once so far away from God.
You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions,
22yet now he has brought you back as his friends.
He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body.
As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Paul's Work for the Church
24I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church. 25God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. 26This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. 27For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.
28So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect F6 in their relationship to Christ. 29I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me.
FOOTNOTES:F1: Greek faithful brothers. F2: Greek he is ministering on your behalf; other manuscripts read he is ministering on our behalf. F3: Some manuscripts do not include with his blood. F4: Greek He is the firstborn of all creation. F5: Greek He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. F6: Or mature.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
Colossians 2:1-23
1I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other friends who have never known me personally. 2My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself. 3In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I am very happy because you are living as you should and because of your strong faith in Christ.
Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ
6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
8Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, F7 and not from Christ. 9For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, F8 10and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.
11When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. 15In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.
16So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself. 18Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don't let anyone say you must worship angels, even though they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them proud. 19But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.
20You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, 21"Don't handle, don't eat, don't touch." 22Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. 23These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires.
FOOTNOTES:F7: Or from the basic principles of this world; also in 2:20. F8: Greek in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
It seems that the thoughts and intents of the heart are more important than outward actions, and that outward actions reflect the thoughts and intents of the heart. I’m not speaking of a “put on” or a mask I’m speaking of day in day out living. Attitudes, responses or reactions, thoughts we meditate on, words we allow to come out of our mouths, like complaints or thanksgiving.
God wants to bring the first and most important changes to the inward man. He wants to go deep inside of us and change us into His image inwardly first with the fruits of the new life being the outward vision of loveliness. Only through a life deeply rooted and dedicated to Christ and to the word can one be changed so deeply, so inwardly.
New Day, New Life, new me, new you – In Christ!
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Eph 1 How Great is Your Love, Oh Lord, How great is Your love!
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.
Ephesians 1:1-23
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. It is written to God's holy people in Ephesus, F1 who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Spiritual Blessings
3How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4Long ago, even before he made the world,
4God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
6So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. 10And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, F2 for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. 12God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. 13And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, 16I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. F3
19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. 22And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. 23And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
FOOTNOTES:F1: Some manuscripts do not include in Ephesus. F2: Or we have become God's inheritance. F3: Or realize how much God has been honored by acquiring his people.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I want to pick out a few verses today and concentrate on them.
Do we realize how great the love of God our Father is? Do we know what He truly thinks of us or how much He truly loves us and the great plans He has for us while we are living this life on the earth? Look again at this-
4 God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
And this gave him great pleasure.
How can any human be holy and without fault in His eyes? Haven’t we always been told how faulty we are and when we think of God don’t we feel faulty? I want to ask you a good question - Who told you that?
Why did God send Jesus, and why did Jesus die for such imperfect people who very well may continue to reject God and His plans? He loved/s you!
His love is/was so great He had to take a chance on us for reciprocation of that love and hope with the greatest hope that we would at some point desire to be a participator in His plan. Reciprocation of His love gives Him GREAT pleasure. Obviously, or He would not have extended Himself so far for it.
So what is His plan then?
9God's secret plan has now been revealed to us;
it is a plan centered on Christ,
designed long ago
according to his good pleasure.
10And this is his plan:
At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Why does it say at the right time? I believe that means the time IS now right, has always been right, but for me it is right when I decided it. When I finally decided it, it is right for me.
Bringing everything together in Christ is not at all an easy task. When was the last time you agreed with someone else so thoroughly that you could say you had no disagreements?
Yet there is something we all can agree on. The love of God and the great work of Christ! We can even agree that everyone needs to come to know this great truth.
Sin is a gap maker, sin is a breech bringer, sin is where darkness dwells. If the gaps are closed in, sin and its terrible separating power is nullified. In that place is peace, love, joy.
This is why everything needs to be brought together, that God will be shown victorious and sin’s effects annihilated!
I want to be a participant of the victorious, not of the defeated.
19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him.
When someone comes to see the great love of the Lord, they receive so much in the way of love, joy, and peace and that sensation continues as long as they walk in His light and it is wonderful and awesome, BUT there is so much more than just the sensations of love, joy, peace. There is life and that more abundantly.
To be born is great- wonderful, we are so thankful to be alive, but to have and raise a child is a whole ’nother world. You received and lived life when it was for yourself, but when you participate in the giving of life it is amazing. I’ve learned more from teaching than I ever did just learning for myself.
This is where the understanding really “kicks in”, when we reproduce the word of God-life in others! WOW
God’s #1 desire- children, us and others than us.
If we have truly understood the words of life we will show that fruit in our giving of that life for and to others. This will show how great our understanding is. Fruit is evidenced in that we have received and so we give, what we really got.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
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.
Ephesians 1:1-23
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. It is written to God's holy people in Ephesus, F1 who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Spiritual Blessings
3How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4Long ago, even before he made the world,
4God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
6So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. 10And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, F2 for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. 12God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. 13And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, 16I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. F3
19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. 22And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. 23And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
FOOTNOTES:F1: Some manuscripts do not include in Ephesus. F2: Or we have become God's inheritance. F3: Or realize how much God has been honored by acquiring his people.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I want to pick out a few verses today and concentrate on them.
Do we realize how great the love of God our Father is? Do we know what He truly thinks of us or how much He truly loves us and the great plans He has for us while we are living this life on the earth? Look again at this-
4 God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
And this gave him great pleasure.
How can any human be holy and without fault in His eyes? Haven’t we always been told how faulty we are and when we think of God don’t we feel faulty? I want to ask you a good question - Who told you that?
Why did God send Jesus, and why did Jesus die for such imperfect people who very well may continue to reject God and His plans? He loved/s you!
His love is/was so great He had to take a chance on us for reciprocation of that love and hope with the greatest hope that we would at some point desire to be a participator in His plan. Reciprocation of His love gives Him GREAT pleasure. Obviously, or He would not have extended Himself so far for it.
So what is His plan then?
9God's secret plan has now been revealed to us;
it is a plan centered on Christ,
designed long ago
according to his good pleasure.
10And this is his plan:
At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Why does it say at the right time? I believe that means the time IS now right, has always been right, but for me it is right when I decided it. When I finally decided it, it is right for me.
Bringing everything together in Christ is not at all an easy task. When was the last time you agreed with someone else so thoroughly that you could say you had no disagreements?
Yet there is something we all can agree on. The love of God and the great work of Christ! We can even agree that everyone needs to come to know this great truth.
Sin is a gap maker, sin is a breech bringer, sin is where darkness dwells. If the gaps are closed in, sin and its terrible separating power is nullified. In that place is peace, love, joy.
This is why everything needs to be brought together, that God will be shown victorious and sin’s effects annihilated!
I want to be a participant of the victorious, not of the defeated.
19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him.
When someone comes to see the great love of the Lord, they receive so much in the way of love, joy, and peace and that sensation continues as long as they walk in His light and it is wonderful and awesome, BUT there is so much more than just the sensations of love, joy, peace. There is life and that more abundantly.
To be born is great- wonderful, we are so thankful to be alive, but to have and raise a child is a whole ’nother world. You received and lived life when it was for yourself, but when you participate in the giving of life it is amazing. I’ve learned more from teaching than I ever did just learning for myself.
This is where the understanding really “kicks in”, when we reproduce the word of God-life in others! WOW
God’s #1 desire- children, us and others than us.
If we have truly understood the words of life we will show that fruit in our giving of that life for and to others. This will show how great our understanding is. Fruit is evidenced in that we have received and so we give, what we really got.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
Tuesday, August 29, 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.
Ephesians 6:1-24
Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2"Honor your father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. 3And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing." F12
4And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
9And in the same way, you masters must treat your slaves right. Don't threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
The Whole Armor of God
10A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. 11Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
13Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. F13 16In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. F14 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. F15 20I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Final Greetings
21Tychicus, a much loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's work, will tell you all about how I am getting along. 22I am sending him to you for just this purpose. He will let you know how we are, and he will encourage you.
23May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters, F16 and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24May God's grace be upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
FOOTNOTES:F12: Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16. F13: Or For shoes, put on the readiness to preach the Good News of peace with God. F14: Greek by the evil one. F15: Greek explain the mystery of the gospel. F16: Greek brothers.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Love is best expressed by obedience to God, whether directly or indirectly. We love God by loving people. The greater love is shown to those who DO NOT deserve it. So, how is the deserving gauged anyway, by us, or by God? Who truly deserves love? I can answer that, those whom God loves deserve love. So who deserves obedience? Only the obedient and kind? This is what the world has told us.
Don’t obey them if they don’t deserve it, they have to earn the giving of our obedience, right? Did you have to earn God’s great love? No way. We love as He loves; as demonstrators of His great love, we obey even those who have not earned our obedience, because we see beyond the here and now. We see into the realm of unconditional love, where our obedience here to natural men is offered up to God as a living sacrifice, a sacrifice of love and obedience.
Love the unlovable today in action, in word, from the heart that loves God unconditionally.
Each person stands before God for their responses and reactions. They do not stand before us. Yes they should do this or that, but that is their responsibility before God, they account to Him in this. Yet in love, we can encourage one another to stand before God now in behavior offered, reminding one another of the great and sacrificial love of Christ Jesus.
Such as is pictured here- it goes from the weaker to the stronger. Like when it is saying, children obey (or love) your parents, then it reminds parents, who may be hard to love and obey, please make it easier on your children to love and obey you. This “weaker to stronger” principle applies in any and every situation. The children will stand before God for their requested action, and so will the parents. This applies to slaves and masters also, but each cannot take the other into the presence of God with them, saying he or she caused me to not obey/love. That won’t work. Love is a command and a decision. It stands alone, there are no excuses.
Notice it goes beyond here, stating that in obeying God’s commands to love and obey, we are not just to offer it as a have to, but with the expression of willing love before God, and we know God sees all things, especially the heart. This means we may need to cry out to God for a heart change- continually.
How in the world can one behave and live this way? Love is a decision, because of the great and sacrificial love of the Father who sent His Son to die for and unlovely world, we choose love. That revelation of the depth, height and breadth of the magnificent love of God leads us. We believe what God has said, we trust and rely on Him, we dress ourselves to look like and be as He is in this world. He is no longer physically present in this world, but we are. We are the ambassadors of His love. We are the only Christ-like ones the world has to look at now. They so hope we look like our Father-God. They hope they can someday look more like Him too. We are the hope for the world.
The best part of this chapter is the reality of eternity. We’re offering to God a lifestyle of love, which will part spiritual seas and move spiritual mountains! God needs a people in demon-stration of Him to set Him on high displacing principalities, powers, mights dominions, and names, that have come to try and rule the earth in our place, in His place.
Are we, God’s children, going to allow that? Or will we choose love? Let’s dress up in the full armor of God! Today.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
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.
Ephesians 6:1-24
Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2"Honor your father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. 3And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing." F12
4And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
9And in the same way, you masters must treat your slaves right. Don't threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
The Whole Armor of God
10A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. 11Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
13Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. F13 16In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. F14 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. F15 20I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Final Greetings
21Tychicus, a much loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's work, will tell you all about how I am getting along. 22I am sending him to you for just this purpose. He will let you know how we are, and he will encourage you.
23May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters, F16 and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24May God's grace be upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
FOOTNOTES:F12: Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16. F13: Or For shoes, put on the readiness to preach the Good News of peace with God. F14: Greek by the evil one. F15: Greek explain the mystery of the gospel. F16: Greek brothers.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Love is best expressed by obedience to God, whether directly or indirectly. We love God by loving people. The greater love is shown to those who DO NOT deserve it. So, how is the deserving gauged anyway, by us, or by God? Who truly deserves love? I can answer that, those whom God loves deserve love. So who deserves obedience? Only the obedient and kind? This is what the world has told us.
Don’t obey them if they don’t deserve it, they have to earn the giving of our obedience, right? Did you have to earn God’s great love? No way. We love as He loves; as demonstrators of His great love, we obey even those who have not earned our obedience, because we see beyond the here and now. We see into the realm of unconditional love, where our obedience here to natural men is offered up to God as a living sacrifice, a sacrifice of love and obedience.
Love the unlovable today in action, in word, from the heart that loves God unconditionally.
Each person stands before God for their responses and reactions. They do not stand before us. Yes they should do this or that, but that is their responsibility before God, they account to Him in this. Yet in love, we can encourage one another to stand before God now in behavior offered, reminding one another of the great and sacrificial love of Christ Jesus.
Such as is pictured here- it goes from the weaker to the stronger. Like when it is saying, children obey (or love) your parents, then it reminds parents, who may be hard to love and obey, please make it easier on your children to love and obey you. This “weaker to stronger” principle applies in any and every situation. The children will stand before God for their requested action, and so will the parents. This applies to slaves and masters also, but each cannot take the other into the presence of God with them, saying he or she caused me to not obey/love. That won’t work. Love is a command and a decision. It stands alone, there are no excuses.
Notice it goes beyond here, stating that in obeying God’s commands to love and obey, we are not just to offer it as a have to, but with the expression of willing love before God, and we know God sees all things, especially the heart. This means we may need to cry out to God for a heart change- continually.
How in the world can one behave and live this way? Love is a decision, because of the great and sacrificial love of the Father who sent His Son to die for and unlovely world, we choose love. That revelation of the depth, height and breadth of the magnificent love of God leads us. We believe what God has said, we trust and rely on Him, we dress ourselves to look like and be as He is in this world. He is no longer physically present in this world, but we are. We are the ambassadors of His love. We are the only Christ-like ones the world has to look at now. They so hope we look like our Father-God. They hope they can someday look more like Him too. We are the hope for the world.
The best part of this chapter is the reality of eternity. We’re offering to God a lifestyle of love, which will part spiritual seas and move spiritual mountains! God needs a people in demon-stration of Him to set Him on high displacing principalities, powers, mights dominions, and names, that have come to try and rule the earth in our place, in His place.
Are we, God’s children, going to allow that? Or will we choose love? Let’s dress up in the full armor of God! Today.
Daily Meditation/Recital/Question
Isaiah 58:12 (New Living Translation)
12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
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