Sunday, November 23, 2008

MITN III

1. In those days John the Forerunner, who baptized and announced the earthly appearance of the Lamb of God, came preaching in the wilderness of Judea

2. and saying, “It’s time for a complete paradigm shift! You must begin to think differently about God and about your relationship to Him, for the kingdom of/from the heavens – the interior, tangible reign of God through Christ where His will is done on earth (in the physical realm) as it is in heaven (in the spiritual realm) – has now become available and accessible because it has come very near to you!”

3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord now, and make a straight highway for His entrance!’”

4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted completely of the carob-like pods that came from the locust tree, and wild honey.

5. People went out to see and hear him from Jerusalem and all Judea, and the whole region of the Jordan.

6. They willingly confessed their sins to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7. But when he saw many of the religious leaders, both Pharisees and Sadducees, coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8. “Produce fruit in keeping with the real changing of your minds,

9. and do not think that you have the right to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

10. “Even now, the ax is already poised at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into God’s purifying fire.

11. “I baptize you in a river of water for transformation through the changing of your minds. But after me comes One who is much more powerful, whose sandals I am not worthy to even carry. He will purify you, not in a physical river of water, but by baptizing you with the Holy Spirit in a spiritual river of consuming fire!

12. “His winnowing fork and fan are in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn, and burning up the chaff in your lives with His unquenchable fire.”

13. Then one day Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him.

14. But John protested passionately, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, “I’m the one who should be baptized by you! What are you thinking by coming to me in this way?”

15. But Jesus replied to him, “John, let’s do this; you must allow it to happen now, for this is the appropriate and most meaningful way for both of us to fulfill all righteousness and to perform wholly whatever is holy.” His direct words convinced John, and so he permitted Him.

16. And when Jesus was baptized, He came up at once out of the water, and immediately the heavens were opened and John saw the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove and alighting on Him.

17. Just then, a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I take pleasure and with Whom I am completely and absolutely delighted!”

36 comments:

Erik said...

Bishop,

MITN seems birthed from JITN and from all of the revelation that has been poured into you.

Although Matthew is very different from John, it seems you have uniquely folded them into each other, or more accurately, written that revelation. As much as John Loved the biggest picture, the blending of the detail between John and Matthew is exquisite in your presentation. It is ALL one, and The New Testament is a fluid expression of The Word Made Flesh, and your presentation of it so far, id the mist fluid. Praise God!!!! That is why CITN is at the Nexus.

Paradigm shift – our relationship with God is from the interior, and is so very tangible.

Thank You !

Unknown said...

Very cool foreshadowing in verse 15 of the change that will come in John's perception. You sent me to other translations, Bishop. I had not noticed that before!

Ditto, Erik. There is a palpable glory on these ITN translations.

NTL said...

word ver ...vimica...

It's healthy, easy to clean and shines so brite.

It's cold OTB, but ITB, theres a nice warm seat just waiting on you.
See ya there.

Anonymous said...

Pic 1 - The image in the center of that flame resembles a bird in flight. Love how it reappears in the second pic.

3:2 -“... a complete paradigm shift! ... the kingdom of/from the heavens – the interior, tangible reign of God through Christ...” reminds me of Bish's previous teachings about perception.

In chapter 2:1, the Magi (priests of ancient Persia, who allegedly possessed supernatural powers) were devoted to their studies of the stars and their interpretation of dreams. Their intent? To find the Christ child and worship Him.

Can't understand why that bothers folks. God, Himself, challenged Abram to examine heaven & tell the stars if he could number them. God spoke/speaks to many men/women through dreams.

When I study today's verse 2, it seems to underscore Chapter 2:4. The Magi sought illumination with their eyes to the skies. Herod sought illumination from voices of the past.

Different motivations, but they were all seekers.

dgm2007 said...

great sermon.. funny because a lot of things you said i have said.. so thats great.. just this week and for weeks past i have thought a lot about judgement.. and reading dewey is interesting.. i mean he thinks that judging yourself is the highest form of self-conceit.. i mean how can you really judge anything the act of judging means you think you understand the situation completely and feel you can evaluate it.. so judging yourself is super silly. and the whole you are what you are. i was just telling my good friend I am what I am and I am.. and anything beyond that i don't understand or care to think about.. ah and prayer.. whats funny is that i always say i dunt know how to pray i just think positively and go about my day.. and it works just thinking and speaking is my form of prayer.. i dont get all the other stuff.. i feel like lots of ppl bow there head but what does it mean.. rhetorical pregunta.. :) and i know that this ministry is super special i mean u translating the bible is a huge deal.. HUGE... ah and one last thing.. my good friend was talking about life and how energy is never created or destroyed so there is no such thing as death.. she also mentioned that we are to be human beings not human doings.. and you reminded me of that.. today.. she just said that yesterday.. the fact that i have these conversations and you say words that were exactly in them.. i know that its totally bigger than us.. and I love you.. i love it all..
ps i love when there's no real title on your message.. its a message what more does it need..

Anonymous said...

A little over a year ago, I posted this on the CITN EACH blog the month that the Holy Spirit was designated as the EACH award winner.

Oct 2007:
There is a covenant body of believers who have been supernaturally led to CITN by the Holy Spirit.

We don't desire recognition, we don't desire praise, we don't desire an award, we don't desire individual honor. Just like God in whose image we are created - we do not desire an ego.

All we want is to honor God in ALL we do.

Honor Him with our giving.
Honor Him with our worship.
Honor Him with our contributions.
Honor Him with our presence in His presence.
Honor Him with our living a Kingdom life.
Honor Him by giving back through our gifts and talents that He has bestowed upon us.
Honor Him by our trust and our belief in who He really is.
Honor Him by always being a willing vessel that He can use as He sees fit.

What we do desire is to live in freedom and liberty and through our testimony show others how this is done.

What we do desire is to always walk in the Spirit every second of every day.

We want God confidence - not self confidence!
We want God sense - not common sense!
We want God dependency - not self dependency!
We want God fulfillment - not self fulfillment!
We want God awareness - not self awareness!
We want God recognition - not self recognition!

We want to BE LOVE!

Nov 2008:
A few days ago, the HS reminded me of this and through the metamorphosis that I have personally undergone this past year, He spoke to me again and revealed to me that the last few statements have now morphed into the same thing...

Self confidence IS God confidence!
Common sense IS God sense!
Self dependency IS God dependency!
Self fulfillment IS God fulfillment!
Self awareness IS God awareness!
Self recognition IS God recognition!

In unity and oneness, I AM THE WORD MADE FLESH...

It IS through contrast with darkness that I see the light...
It IS in Him that I live, and move and have my being...
What confirmation today's teaching was (In the NOW)...I am in agreement with it all - in the Spirit and in the flesh...

Hallelujah!

Linda Luke said...

BEAUTIFUL service and message & worship was over the top! Thank you Bishop, for reminding us to believe, think, speak, act according to the Kingdom of God and not according to all the chaos that seems to be happening in the world and around us!

Thinking on the negative most certainly is not going to make anything better or change a thing except maybe to make it worse and one depressed. Since we have a choice~why not choose to think on whatever is pure, lovely and good!

It's all good because of Jesus Christ and that He will perfect all that concerns each of us~ working it for our good! It just doesn't get any better than that! =)

What sums it up for me at the end of any given day is that 'HE IS FAITHFUL!' I've been thru the fire and seen the good, bad, and worse but HE IS ALWAYS faithful thru it all! We must go thru the fire for refinement and purification to be the 'jewels' sparkling His life and love into the lives of others thereby changing the world around us!!

I am enjoying MITN! New perceptions happening like Jesus coming from the lineage of David thru Joseph! AMAZING! Somehow I don't remember ever realizing that and it's powerful that thru adoption what Jesus' lineage was in the natural and what ours is thru the supernatural! Thank you so much!

Also...today...‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ...

...maybe the picture of the stone a few days ago with the mans face...is what I thought of when I read this! ...and if we don't praise Him then He will cause the rocks to cry out!

Praise and gratitude are really powerful in so many ways! One is that we should praise Him just for who He IS! Then for our benefit, it is a law of attration so to speak for we are operatiing out of abundance in what we have rather than what we do not have and scarcity!

BLESSINGS as yall travel and minister in Brazil!!!

Love, Joy, Peace & Happiness!

PRAISING GOD for all of His goodness & greatness! HAPPY THANKSGIVING just in case I'm not able to message again before then.

tracy said...

Today was great. What a blessing! Love Love Love the part about Get behind me Satan......and he gets behind us and pushes us into our destiny. There was such power in that statement the tears immediately started. The first service we came to here 7+ years ago you taught on Jonah being spit out of the whale's belly into his destiny. Neither one is very pleasant but both serve a necessary purpose. Thank God for the sacrifice...beautiful. Thanks too for the cool exchange while we were all working in the Welcome Center Larry.

tracy said...

eww did I say Satan-I meant little s, tiny s, minuscule s....

Donald said...

Great stuff today Bishop.

Donald said...

I can tell that my daughter is home this weekend.
Other than her clothes being slung all over her bedroom, I think every shoe and handbag website that is known to humankind has been visited since she got here.

Anonymous said...

We are a spark in the river
We took hold of His hand
We made the stand
He saves our lives
As we walk in His light
Under in the river
Up in the Light
Washed away sins
No more will live in
Jesus made the way
For us up to this present day
Enter in
Call Him friend

Laura Benson
11-23-2008

Anonymous said...

oops meant to say

No more will we live in

instead of No more wiil live in

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Wow, Erik...that's beautiful...would make a good blurb for the book!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, Avatar...I like hearing that MITN sent you to other translations...study to show yourself approved unto God...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

NTL, I love your recruitment messages for CITN services...

Unknown said...

v.17, "completely and absolutely delighted"...its easy to imagine crawling into the lap of a Father who would say that. Reminds me of your Papi pic with Sofia, Bishop.

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Excellent point about Abraham and the stars, Izumi...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

I always enjoy reading your take on things, dgm2007...thanks!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Wow, Anon12:52...I love it!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, Crownjewel...it definitely is amazing that Matthew's lineage of Jesus came through the step-father, Joseph, while Luke's came through Mary's line...Son of Man/Son of God = Jesus, the Christ...as human as He was/is divine...as divine as he was/is human! A beautiful mystery!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

I'm touched that you remember the first sermon you heard at CITN, Tracy...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, Donald...it's wonderful chaos when the kids come home...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks for sharing, Laura...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

And thanks again, Avatar...Papi is ready to see her this week!

Erik said...

The Chosen people means People who choose to be free – From PBS study on where the thought of One God emerged – ‘a mixed multitude’ of escaped slaves, disenfranchised people of Canaan city states who left, nomads who left nomadic life. and vagabonds who settled in an area that is now southern Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia, eventually becoming the 12 tribes of Israel.
-------
Bishop,

Exquisite today !

The Praise and Worship was infused by The Holy Spirit. Pastor Jimmie , you led the worship , passing directly through what The Spirit breathed into you. Within minutes, The Experience of The Spirit was evident throughout the sanctuary. Thank You.

Bishop, your message was simply elegant. CITN is an epicenter, a nexus, that is a conduit of The Spirit throughout the world, manifesting the connection of EACH soul. We are here supernaturally. Those who have been, those who are here, and those who are coming. Those who have left, and those that have returned and those that will return as they transform.

All of these, which really is all the world, are and always are connected family. The Universe, of all times (what we perceive as past, present, and future) praises and worships with us and inspires and receives the message unveiled each service. It is the eternal message, that has always been instilled, and continues to be distilled, and has been perfected long ago, even as it is perfected now.

I can say that I was stirred the first time, through Pastor Gloria, July 2000, I heard of CITN. I did not know yet what it was, but did know I was going to see something. 4 days later, when we got to the property that Sunday, it was more evident. Still did not have the clear vision, but knew something was happening.

In the service that day, I knew what this place was, knew it was a Spirit unlimited, and although geography does not limit, and all geography, all communities share the same Spirit, it was especially manifest in THIS geography, in THIS body/community. As you said, This particular geographical place had been long prayed over, and even well before the previously neighboring women. Well before the U.S.. The confluence of Spirit, Revelation , Sociology, Geology, and Geography, manifest. I only knew this after experiencing the combination that July Sunday. It is .

DGM2007, - It is so enjoyable to see that self judgment is self conceit, and is so very non expedient. Energy always exist without concern of destruction, and is not concerned with creation since it already exists and has long since been created, like each of us.

Something enjoying today, is the difference between lawful and expedient. It is lawful to fear- and attendant lies -, to have doubt, to have self loathing – and its attendant manifestations of judgment of others, demeaning others, bitterness, simple meanness, maintaining grudges, revenge, and self sabotage. However, it is expedient to have faith, Love unconditionally, forgive, edify others, Love God, Love Self equally as others, and trust God.

Anon 1252 PM - Yes, Yes, Yes !!! Self confidence is God confidence, and all of the following you wrote, We are The Word Made Flesh, the metamorphosis is The Word Becoming Flesh. Manifesting Being. Manifesting Love, which IS Being.

NTL said...

Bish,
Love is softening hearts. It is such a joy when we see the evidence.

Miracles, peace and love to us all.

Unknown said...

I will submit my envy to the lap of our Father!

Btw, Great list today!

Word ver: proma.
Okay Holy Spirit, moms have great laps too!

tracy said...

OMG Bish ....of course I remember the first sermon. It changed our lives>>> We had said we would never ever join another church and I made David bring me here for my birthday as a present. He swore he wouldn't ever even go to another church, but once we came he was IN hook line and sinker. So yes we remember that sermon and most of the rest of them.

Anonymous said...

You were off the chain today, Bish!

Son of Zadok said...

Wow Erik, Follow your dreams dude. God is loving your reality.

singing

It is a good thing...to give thanks unto the Lord
It is a good thing...to give thanks unto the Lord
And to sing praises..unto thy name
O, Most High!

took ya' back with that one didn't I?

What's up people? That service was really futuristic Bishop. Total survival preparedness from on high. Here's hoping it's gets better before it gets better.

Anyone have a recap of those 7 S's today? I'm struggling to recall a solid 4. The Holy Ghost doesn't have to move in a point by point bulletin...BUT HE CAN! That's God outside the box.

Post-Denominational - That's awesome

You know driving tonight, I was impressed by the thought of not only who sits in on CITN services in the natural, but beyond that, who's tilted ear and lustrous, warm, gaze is included in this cloud of witnesses; hovering between the seen and the unseen.

Thomas Paine was mentioned on the Blog here a few days ago; surely a devil in the legend of americhristicana. Well, we surely would have to put Thomas Jefferson in with that lot as well if people looked more closely into his spiritual box. Maybe that's why T.J. didn't bring up the subject of religion unless it was forced upon him. Thomas Jefferson believed that the ethical system of Jesus was the finest the world has ever seen. In compiling what has come to be called "The Jefferson Bible," he sought to separate those ethical teachings from the religious dogma and other supernatural elements that are intermixed in the account provided by the four Gospels. Eyler Robert Coates, Sr.
He never published these works or really intended them to be promoted, at least in his life.
Surely this man was a heretic and had no true revelation of Christ, the hardliner blusters.

Or...maybe they just couldn't find God in their generations church age? Maybe they were tapping into and trying to fit together pieces of the puzzle that their generation could scarcely see. Seeing in part, but just their part. Truly we all still see in part.

But what if something more is being revealed? What if our light is dawning like the life appears in the morning mist?

I think certain citizenry of the ages come to hear the declarations of the Lord in this place. The Thomas's, the Amy Simple McPhearsons; many who need to see God's revelation of Heaven in Earth. I think they have passports...

Since great men have had to fall to remember that God alone saves and sustains the heart of His servant, it is with all humility and trembling that we acknowledge and proclaim what is holy unto the Lord.

Life
Liberty
The Pursuit of Happiness

Living
Breathing
Having Our Being

God of life, we rest in your steadfast love. Asleep in the storm, Your mercies overtake us. We proclaim your word. In you we live, and move, and just have our total being. Your love is irresistible.

Ocelander Mason said...

Bishop,
Now, hear this, I was at the edge of my seat today. I think I must have said this a thousand times over that I have never heard the revelation of the Word quite like you bring it. So, thanks for bringing it. Now, yes I am a Christian and I have been in Church for years. But I was also scared for years about like when my thoughts might get into a place it has no business. Now, I would go into a depressive state because I was not suppose to or expected to be having thoughts like that. And before I was challenged to be better, I had more fear than when I first got to church.
I am not complaining but rather reflecting on where I was and where I am today in my mindset because of what I am receiving. I look at it this way… if you want a child to turn out to be great…tell them great things about themselves if even you are not seeing it. Seek out their interest and channel it. Now of course you can’t seek out everybody’s interest in the church because you are only one man but God the omniscient one is seeking our interests and our strengths and is channeling that through you. He says, I know the plans I have for you. He knows because he created us. The food that you eat will show on the outside and like that the word that you get, hear will show on the outside as well, it will show in your attitude, conversations and so on. Now I am not banging on where I’ve been receiving word before because I think that where you’ve been creates your experience so that you will make better choices of where you will go in your future.
I am reassured; however, that it is so important about where you eat. And because of that I am Sowing, Seeing, Speaking, Sacrificing, Saying, Staying and Settling in God. God bless you real good Bishop and thank you for being God’s vessel. That’s my word!

Son of Zadok said...

Hey ask and you'll receive. That was some God timing Nicola.

Sowing, Seeing, Speaking, Sacrificing, Saying, Staying and Settling in God.

Thanks!

Ocelander Mason said...

Erik and Son of Zodak,

That's what's up...awesome...

We must...
Sow in Famine
See the big picture
Speak the Word only
Sacrifice in joy
Say what you believe
Stay Connected
Settle in your destiny

Lord you are worthy of our praise...

Ocelander Mason said...

We are one...

Everyone
Attending
Contributing
Helping

Anonymous said...

Thank you Bishop for being REAL! Your love for the BOC is AWESOME and appreaciated. I am on my eay to be an E.A.C.H. as you spoke of again yesterday in service.

THANK YOU!