Tuesday, November 18, 2008

37 comments:

Larry Usher said...

The veil of the Temple was torn in two...

NTL said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Lesson 323 - ACIM

I gladly make the "sacrifice" of fear

Here is the only "sacrifice" You ask of Your beloved Son; You ask him to give up all suffering, all sense of loss and sadness, all anxiety and doubt, and freely let Your Love come streaming in to his awareness, healing him of pain, and giving him Your Own eternal joy Such is the "sacrifice" You ask of me, and one I gladly make; the only "cost" of restoration of Your memory to me, for the salvation of the world.
And as we pay the debt we owe to truth, - a debt that merely is the letting go of self-deceptions and of images we worshipped falsely - truth returns to us in wholeness and in joy We are deceived no longer. Love has now returned to our awareness. And we are at peace again, for fear has gone and only love remains.

Anonymous said...

It was at the cross, the disconnection between God and man was reconnected by the Son of God and the Son of man, the two being one in the same.

HollyC said...

Amen...

NTL said...

The cross is the vertical connection between God and us, and the horizontal connection between the you's and me's.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful poem of ultimate reconciliation and the complete victory of the cross.

Is this the John Calvin of Calvinism who taugh predestination of the elect and the damned? If so, Bishop, do you have any idea when this was written in his life. It sounds nothing like his rigid theology. I'm very curious?

robyn

Anonymous said...

Two beams of wood
Holding the only One who could
Salvation was the plan
Spirit made into man
Life given
Returned once again
New life given that day
All sins washed away
Now in new form
Our King who watches us through our storms.
Glory to God in the Highest
Peace Good Will To Men

Laura Benson
11-18-2008

Anonymous said...

veriword - fullif

That could stand for full life but for right now it says to me that my life is full if it is open to all that was done at the cross.

Perhaps there are some followers of John Calvin that would argue against the statement on the blog being seen in context with the total reconciliation of any who have ever not seen salvation through their western view but those same people will not argue that God is greater than any concept that man has yet imagined.

Anon @ 6:49 am is right on with the thought that we pay our debt to truth by letting go of self deceptions and images we have worshiped falsely. Fear is pushed away from us when we embrace every event, moment and even breath we breathe as a gift given by our loving Creator before we were ever created.

There is certainly much to consider and to do with those gifts. I pray that we all use the gifts with great thoughtfulness toward our fellow creation. To date the gift that is most dear to me is the one that tells me my name is in the Lambs book of Life. It is by sharing this gift to the extent of saying it is the fulfillment of life for everyone that my thoughtfulness toward others comes into true focus.

Bishop Jim's book AYITN is not only a treasure to me and others but may be the most remarkable document of a his legacy as a man who knows the Love of God. I also love the brainwashing from yesterday's entry as being among my favorites and can testify to the benefit of renewing my mind in Christ often, sometimes several times in the same day. The clincher though is the bold lettered prayer at the bottom of every page that ends with " In Jesus name,amen. "

There is no doubt in my mind that Bishop's view of the Jesus whose name he evokes here is infinitely greater than anyone's concept of that Jesus. My life is made fuller every time it takes into consideration just what is revealed to me and when I add to that the joy that is seen in others over their revelations of God's Love, then the 'e' in everyone cancells the if in my veriword and it changes to fullife.

We are connected by the cross and have been since before our world was created and will be when all has ended that is presently thought to exist. That is my only proclamation of declaring the end from the beginning and the only power there is to make that any different is in the hands of the God Who is Love.

In this season of thanksgiving it is my prayer that every life is made full, in Jesus name, amen!!!

JB

River said...

The Cross
The Savior
The Key
The River
Streams that flow to
Streams that flow through
Top to bottom
Stretched hand to hand
A Cross
A Savior
A Key
A River
The Flowing Stream
Love At The Cross

Larry Usher said...

Beautiful anon 6:49. That is the quest, but to rest!

Jesus was crucified as a "commoner", but would He have had it any other way? Even though King, he so ensconced Himself in His humanness that it was difficult for the world to see his royalty. Truly the Prince and the Pauper wrapped up in one.

We too are the same.
We carry this treasure in earthen vessels.
Light bearers.
Stewards of the life of God!

How awesome is the plan of God's great salvation!! Not to mention His creation! Man!

2 Cor 4: 5-15

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."

Glory IS the Lord.
The God of Glory thunders.

Shall He not make His way known in the wilderness?

Shall He not make a way where there seems to be no way?

Remember the Lion and the Bear.
Remember the Lion and the Bear.
Remember the Lion and the Bear.

There are more that be with us than be against us!

Blessings,

Larry

word ver: UNCHNIN- "Unchainin'"

2nd word ver: WARMIZE- "Warm Eyes" That sounds nice, doesn't it??

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Yes, Robyn...it's the very same John Calvin...

That's precisely why I used the saying...because it sounded so out of character for him...it's in the flow of my June 22 post (In The Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses) where I quoted Finis Dake, Watchman Nee, and others...

I found the poem the other night while I was looking for something else, but I don't know when he said it...I'll have to do some further investigation when I get a minute...

I just always think it's interesting to find confirmation that so many people really believe in the ultimate triumph of the cross, even when they say they don't...

Like when people in traditional churches sing "He is Lord...every knee shall bow, every tongue confess"...even though "officially" they don't believe it...

More on this later...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Wow, JB...I'm hugging you in cyberspace right now...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, everyone...good stuff!

Larry Usher said...

"Fear is pushed away from us when we embrace every event, moment and even breath we breathe as a gift given by our loving Creator before we were ever created."

Very good Johnny!

Love the whole seize the day, seize the moment strain. Watched "China Cry" again yesterday about the amazing story of Nora Lam, who I had the opportunity to meet many moons ago in Dallas. There is something about "seizing" these moments; it requires strong action, fearlessness! We show these moments what they are, we captivate them, rather than they captivating us. Nora Lam's life was one of constant positive choices in the face of oppression and "captivity". One is only truly a captive when one's will has been given over to self-pity, forgetting who you are as a child of God in the midst of a blinded world.

"Remember who you are."

From James 1

22"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Not a condemnation for those that don't do, but an exhortation for all to remember who they are and continue to look into the "perfect law of liberty." For in so doing one becomes reconnected to the Source of "doing", the Source of "light shining", the Source of miracle working and so on.

Keep your eyes fastened upon the Master, for in Him all your qustions are answered.

Bro Lar

Does anybody here LOVE THE HOLY GHOST!!! Yah!

linda said...

wow, deep thoughts! Bishop I always loved what you said about the cross representing our relationship with God - vertically, and our relationships with one another - horizontally. kinda brought in all into focus for me

stay warm

Linda

Anonymous said...

You probably know this already Bishop - but the text is from a commentary by John Calvin that he wrote on the book of John. Date I don't know. The verses he was expounding on was John 13:30-35.

I scanned the commentary and saw enough to know that it was written with soul and spirit, and, to me anyway, this particular part seems to be straight from the spirit of of John Calvin. The beautiful part of him that was born solely from God and contains the truth and light of the universe.

robyn

Anonymous said...

This is such a wonderful picture of a cross of words on which the word Himself hung for our justification, and salvation.

I agree it does sound out of character for John Calvin, but it just farther confirms what Bishop was saying and I have said in the past also; I am amazed by the fact that so many people - down deep in their heart and subconscious - really believe in the reconciliation of all things but consciously are not aware of it. This is very interesting and also puzzles me. There is something about that that we have not come to understand yet; but will in God's time.

Oh how we are blessed to have been given eyes to see the plan and purpose of God in the ages. Which has also laid upon us a Glorious responsibility to share it with others. Frankly it is too Glorious to bear in the flesh; but thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us and give us power to go out and be witnesses of this Good News of the Kingdom Now to all the world. We have so many means to communicate today it is mind boggling, I often wonder if God has allowed all of these communication devices and networks (cell phones, internet, blogs, text messaging, instant messaging, chat rooms, etc.) to be discovered and built for the purpose of His Chosen ones to go out into all the world with the message of the Kingdom of God. I suppose, whether He did or not, it is certainly at out disposal. I can see so many opportunities right in front of me I am overjoyed and overwhelmed at the same time. There is so much that could be done. We are accomplishing a lot now I know, but there is so much more that I see that could be done. We could literally overrun the communication systems of this world with the True Good News of the Kingdom in a matter of hours.

Lord help me today to share this good news with others in some form or other. And as I share it and we share it I pray that blind eyes would be opened and deaf ears would be unstopped, cluttered minds would be cleared to clearly see, hear and understand the Gospel.

In Jesus Name Amen,

All you who have read my blog or know me, know that I am not one to go around chasing the devil or seeing a demon in everything.......but WE DO HAVE AN ADVERSARY THAT WOULD KEEP US FROM THE GOOD THAT WE WOULD DO; THAT'S HIS JOB AND HE IS DM GOOD AT IT.
yes I said that, that is part of his job if you understand me.....so....You all pray for me to get all the clutter out of my life that is choking out the fruit of the Spirit, and the word of God that could be going forth and multiplying. It seems the adversary has found a new attack strategy to use even in my so-called retirement. It will not work, the Lord has revealed the plans of the enemy and his lying in wait has been discovered. Now that he has been revealed, you all take aim and give him a good shot of spiritual speaking forth in power of the Holy Ghost, taking authority over him in the name of Jesus.

Satan, you are defeated and you have been discovered and are now clearly seen out in the open; not hidden and lying in wait to attack. I rebuke you and all your thorns and thistles, clutter and clatter must go in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Peace,
Dennis

ver. words
cytome
teren

Anonymous said...

The LORD told me to copy those two ver. words in my last post......

Read my post before you read the rest.

check out what I found on those to word at wiki..exact spelling...

Cytomes are the cellular systems, subsystems, and functional components of the body. The cytome is the collection of the complex and dynamic cellular processes (structure and function) underlying physiological processes. It describes the structural and functional heterogeneity of the cellular diversity of an organism. The study of cytomes is called Cytomics.

teren - 1. pitch (the field on which cricket, soccer, rugby or field hockey is played)

Jesus said the field was the world....

God does speak to us.

Peace,
Dennis

ver. word
agatiest

Anonymous said...

Just gotta do this....

agatiest

a-gat-iest

"THE MOST GATES"

Lise said...

In the spirit of this wonderful season, a post for you to ponder:

Though our mouths were full of song as the sea,
and our tongues of exultation as the multitude of its waves,
and our lips of praise as the wide-extended firmament;
though our eyes shone with light like the sun and the moon,
and our hands were spread forth like the eagles of heaven,
and our feet were swift as hinds,
we should still be unable to thank thee and bless thy name,
O Lord our God and God of our fathers,
for one thousandth or one ten thousandth part of the bounties which thou has bestowed upon our fathers and upon us.

- from the Hebrew Prayer Book

AMEN!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful poem elle,

I just thought of somethng about my last word. I had started outside and it seemed so important that I had to come back and share it.

Jesus said, "I AM the gate"

ver. word.
cousn

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

No, I didn't know that, Robyn...very interesting...

Great observation about J. Calvin...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

30. But nothing was ever the same after Judas took that bread from Jesus, and they both knew it. There were no other words that needed to be said, so he just got up and quietly went out into the shadows of the night.

31. As soon as the door closed behind him, Jesus turned to the remaining disciples and said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.

32. “And if God is glorified in Him, He will glorify the Son in Himself, and He will glorify Him in the now.

33. “Listen, My sons, I am only going to be with you a little while longer. You will look for Me, and, as I told the people in the temple, so I tell you now, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’

34. “So this is what I need to leave with you – these are My last words to you – what I want, more than anything, for you to remember. I have given you many instructions and insights during our time together, but here is the new commandment, the new order, the thing that is superior to every other thing: in a word, LOVE ONE ANOTHER. In the way that I have loved you, so you must love one another. Do you understand?

35. “You see, this is the only way that people will know that you are My disciples. Your love for one another is the solitary thing that will validate My message in the long run – not the miracles, not the signs and wonders, not the teaching – but your unconditional love for each other. It is not optional.”

(John 13:30-35, John In The Now)

tracy said...

Great post today and I definately got to experience the horizontal this afternoon. You see I got to have Thanksgiving lunch with Bailey's Special Ed class. So I have had my share (more than my share) of kisses, I love you's, hugs, you my friend, I likea yo hair, and I likea yo eyes, little fingers in my hair, little hands touching my face. Nothing like a little cranberry sauce in the hair to say I love you! Anyway-man if we could all do horizontal like that. I truly believe though that there is something so deep in the hearts of these kids (the big God that lives in each one) that has yet to be tainted by man and religion and prejudice. They get the vertical so clearly that the horizontal comes so naturally. My mom was telling me today that she heard on the news about a Catholic church somewhere that would not let any of its congregatiion that voted for Obama receive communion. Has anybody else heard of this? I didn't know if it was true or not, but I thought how sad. Such the opposite of the message of the cross. No reconciliation in that.

tracy said...

Hmmmm horizontal love....does that mean we always have to like too? Bailey just came out of my bathroom with Peanut aka Brownie-the poodle and tells me she brushed her hair and her teeth, I frantically ran to the bathroom expecting the worst and sure as everything...MY TOOTHBRUSH is WET! Question is, how many times has this happenned before??!!

Lise said...

Eeewwwww, Tracy... GROSS! Get a new one. Toothbrush, that is. Not daughter or dog ;) (This coming from someone who lets her canine munchkins kiss her on the lips.)
And you must have one really well-behaved dog. My girls are sweet as pie, but they DON'T like having their teeth brushed. Thusly, we only do it about once a month... which kinda means we may as well not bother! Louisa will be having a dental soon. Take her in on Friday for bloodwork because she is 10 now, and I get nervous about having her 'go under.' I know vets probably deserve their salaries, considering they have to learn the anatomies of so many different species (unlike human doctors), but as Joe has said on many an occasion, "Cha-ching-a-ring-a-ding-dong!"

Donald said...

That's uh,...uh,...that's pretty doggone rough right there Tracy.

Unknown said...

Anon, Nov.17@12:52--I keep thinking of your response post and relating it to today's poem...so, here goes

"don we now our gay apparel"...

righteous robes would definitely be in that category...purchased, renewed and put in order...for us to don at every dawning day...cue to you...

Elle@2:13--now that's worshipping a HUGE God!

I'll have cranberry sauce with me on Sunday...be ready, Tracy--

Mayam--hi! been missing you, both here AND ITB...

Speaking of HUGE gifts. Gracious goodness, Bishop. The Christmas playlist is definitely in all those categories--and more.

Anonymous said...

avatar,

...fa la la, la la la la la la...


first word ver...blessete...

blessete be the name of the Lord,
blessete be the name of the Lord,
most high.

Anonymous said...

As one who was not only brought up in a Calvinistic home, and educated in a college that was considered the Marine Corp of Calvinism, I am very surprised that the poem is from the Calvinist John Calvin. When I read it this morning I thought it was from another person with the same name. I posted the other day that I am being wooed by the Holy Spirit in my thinking, and I feel sure that I am not the only one. I pray that as this topic of dicussion is discussed, that it will be done in love, and not with condemnation to those who beleive what they beleive. I believe that the Holy Spirit is a gentlemen/
gentlewoman, and that we all will just remember that. I love you all and I pray you here my heart.

Erik said...

Anon 649 AM, Yes and Amen. Exactly.

Bishop,

JITN, especially v 34, Yes, We ALL understand The Christ. WE Love each other as The Christ Loves US. The Unconditional Love WE enjoy with EACH, EVERY one other, is the solitary validation WE express. Miracles, signs, wonders, revelation, words of Life, ALL can exist WITHOUT Love, ONLY Love can only exist WITH Love. As Love infuses ALL of the above, it is Real. Without THAT Love, the greatest revelation is equal to the greatest evil, the exquisite miracle is as the most vile banality and loss. The most apparent heroic is equal to the most trusted traitor. There is no differentiation. THAT love differentiates reality form smoke and mirrors that are the same no matter what mask is worn.

Jesus has THAT Love for Judas AND Peter AND Mary Mag , AND Lazarus, AND John AND Paul AND David AND Mohammed, AND Budha AND Joseph Smith AND Moses AND The Spirit AND Nature AND Each one ever existing, as do WE.

Erik said...

THAT Love is expressed again and again and again without end, as EVERY ear hears and EVERY heart receives.

Anonymous said...

Condemnation? Maybe I'm missing something. I just don't see where it is on here. I think the discussion on calvin is fair and compassionate. I guess we all see things through our own windows.

Anonymous said...

anon 10:17,

What I said was that I pray that as this topic of dicussion is discussed, that it will be done in love, and not with condemnation to those who beleive what they beleive. You are right in that there hasn't been any shown, and I pray none ever is. Condemnation brings death, love brings life. I'm sorry that I don't really know how to explain any more of what I am trying to say. I am one who is trying to move away from where I have been, in search of where I should be going. Please do forgive me for any misunderstanding. Peace.

Anonymous said...

No problem. As Bish always says - it's all good. Peace to you, as well.

Donald said...

Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!
You go baw-eeeeeee!
That was so-o-o-o good!
I am sitting here just totally, completely at peace.

I hope (fingers and toes crossed) to see all of you fine folks this weekend.

And everybody else, there has been some very good stuff written here today.

Later