Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Getting Caught Up

Hey bloggers…

Great to be back home…thanks for all your prayers and support. Thanks for giving and pledging last Sunday, and for receiving my parents’ ministry last week. All is well. Thanks, Dr. Amaki, for the flowers.

I’ll talk about our trip some tonight and Sunday. God really spoke to me about several things while we were away, and I’ll share them with you at the appropriate time.

If you sent me an e-mail or text that I haven’t returned or respnded to, you may want to send it again. Getting caught up when you’ve been gone for several days can be a little overwhelming, and I really appreciate your helping me out in that area.

I’ll post something later tonight for tomorrow, but I said that I would answer this, and I want to be good for my word…


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To DBA…

What I was going to say to you in the N. Korea post was in response to your assertion that peace comes through strength. I actually addressed it the Sunday before we left for Europe, and what I said was that I do believe in military strength, but I also believe that prayer is a strong force, and that communication is a strong force, and that love is the strongest force of all. I have a positive vision for peace on earth, but that doesn’t mean that I’m naïve or unaware of the world situation. My daughter and son-in-law were supposed to come to stay with us this weekend (we haven’t seen him since Christmas), but he can’t come because four young men in his group (Green Berets) were killed in Afghanistan this week, and he has to arrange their funerals. He’s also going to Afghanistan in a few months, so I am very much in touch with, and in support of, the presence of the military, even though I am passionately anti-war.

My point is, if people want to work for peace, or even just to visualize it, I don’t want to make fun of them, or even esteem them lightly. Every little bit helps, as far as I’m concerned.

As to your question about the experience of Obama, I can’t answer that without sounding partisan, or that I’m endorsing a candidate. The bottom line is that both candidates have serious limitations for different reasons, and both need our prayers. That’s all I’ll say about that for my own reasons, but, in any case, let not your heart be troubled. The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.



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To Shannon...

As soon as I get some information about the GPF I'll let you know.



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To CITN...

I love you all!

19 comments:

DoubleBack Alley said...

Sahib,

Perfect. I am seeing from the west and you are seeing from the east (figuratively and literally). One must have a sincere desire of peace with an enemy to see it through to its fruition. As you are well aware, it takes a big man to say, "let's live in peace". Just so you know, it breaks my heart to see names scroll across the screen like so many stock listings.

I remember growing up and having the Vietnam conflict judged as a ballgame score box. We lost three hundred; they lost three thousand. We won. We lost and we are losing again if some long-standing peace does not result from this horrific conflagration. More than anything, I want peace and I think I want it the same way as you, without regret.

A man of integrity is weighed by his words and you have been weighed as righteous and Godly and full of the stuff of life. Peace comes when we desire it more than anything else. I will covenant with you to be at peace with all men and, if I have to, flex my bicep so that my intention to be at peace is well known.

I will pray for your son-in-law. No more noble cause can a young person make these days than that of defending the freedom that we all enjoy. God is with him.

God is with us my Sahib

Ain't God Good?

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Son of Zadok said...

Great word tonight as usual. We yearn for that Spirit Life! You know Bishop, your working hand in hand with the Holy Ghost, changing lives around the world. It really doesn't matter what anyone says. I can't tell you how much your love for God has benefited my life already in such a short time. This ministry has been such a lifeline to me. I feel a real love and bond to you all. And if you ever start a bible college I'll be one of the first to sign up! ;)

From 'Destined For Salvation':

"It is very helpful to realize that the small numbers of people who respond most negatively are in reality your co-workers in spreading the good news of salvation for everyone. Of course, they do not realize they are helping you through their criticism of you. Also, because of the pain they can sometimes inflict upon you, it may take considerable time and graciousness on your part before you are able to realize & fully appreciate how helpful they are to the cause of spreading the gospel.
The reason the critics are so helpful is because they often tell others about your beliefs & how misguided they think you are. That creates enough of a stir that an ever-increasing number of people begin to talk about it. As the word spreads through the controversy, other people wonder what the fuss is all about. That motivates them to find out more about it. Upon learning & finding out why it is so very important, the majority of those people are very receptive to it. Some of the new adherents become strong proponents of the teaching & proceed to tell others freely about it. That generates more controversy, which results in further spreading of the good news of salvation for everyone, & so on. If we are courageous enough to not only endure some negative reactions from some people, but also utilize it, we can make a powerful difference in the lives of countless people who yearn for the good news!" - Kalen Fristad

Love You All,

Scott B

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Iris said...

Bishop, great word tonight… Home… There is no place like home… I couldn’t take notes quite quick enough as you were teaching… love the part when you talked about… letting the baptism fire of the Holy Spirit burns away the things that need to be destroyed…because only then can we have the paradigm shift that all of the temporal stuff just doesn’t matter… We then can separate the temporal from the eternal…and walk into the eternal and make it a now reality of home… when we get a hold of this… we won’t be disappointed…because the Spirit life is so much deeper than the mundane temporal…

Also the part about the Holy Spirit not being controlled… He is like the wind that you can’t pin down…or a brush fire if you will that is out of control…burning away everything that is in its path… clearing away everything that is temporal so that home is clearly seen.

I know for me Bishop… I want to see it… I have to see it… I know there is more… I want to live it and experience it all… I want to be burned… I want all that the baptism of fire has to offer… It is an immeasurable vastness that I want to dwell in… Home… I don’t care about being ordinary, typical, normal religious ho-hum person that walks the streets… I want to leave a path were ever I go, where people know that the Holy Sprit has been there...where they to want to know how to see the home within them a dwell in it…And Bishop if normal is not a part of experiencing that…. Than normal I will never be.

I want to say so much more…It is burning within me… I feel like my bones are even on fire… My spirit could write all night… but my eyes are in much need of sleep…. It is getting late…

Until tomorrow….
Love you all
Iris

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