Hey bloggers,

Thanks for the comments on the other site…it’s just something I’m experimenting with. I’ll get back to posting MITN here in a minute…

One thing about the whole “Laws of Attraction” thing that completely rings true with me is the fact that the more you acknowledge and even celebrate little joys…the little miracles…the more they keep coming. It’s why Jesus said that to those who have, more will be given…

So today I'm celebrating the little things...I'm happy that Debye and P. Avery found such a great flight schedule to the Philippines...I'm excited about going to Chicago in the morning...I'm looking forward to us having Sofia next week while Christina visits Daisson, and taking her (Sofia) to have her picture made with Santa, and to ride on the Pink Pig at Lenox Square...Judah made 100 on a very important project (that he really needed to)...Jonah got the lead role in the school play...Jared texted me and said he wants to hang out next week...and every phone call that I got yesterday was just nothing but good news...Bishop Huskins called to ask if we could host the ICCC Conference here in May (we'd be honored)...Dr. Chironna called to talk about getting together soon (first time in a long time)...Pastor Carey Harrell and Pastor Don Hughes both called to schedule me at their churches (and I love both of their churches)...I found a really cool Christmas song to sing this Sunday...our house looks beautiful all decorated (the Newton Citizen called to ask if they could photograph it for the paper)...

These are all just little things, but I'm celebrating them today.

We have so much for which to b e thankful!

HAPPY 10 MONTHIVERSARY, BLOGINTHENOW!!!

MITN X, Verses 21 - 42

21. But when you begin to colonize the earth with this message of the kingdom (the Nation of Heaven), a clash of cultures will occur here, and chaos will ensue. Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death.

22. Initially, it will seem as though you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he or she who, in spite of this resistance, perseveres and endures to the end…who stays strong until they see the full manifestation of the Omega of God…will be saved from destruction.

23. But, at the same time, use wisdom. If you need to flee to another geographical location to avoid the persecution, then do what you have to do to survive. But I promise that you will not have resorted to going through all the places of refuge in Israel before the revelation of the Son of Man Comes.

24. The bottom line is this…a disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. In other words, this inevitable persecution only reveals how very connected you are to Me.

25. So if you look at the whole thing correctly, you should be content – even pleased and satisfied – that you, My students, get the very same treatment that I get! Don’t you see the implication here? Obviously, it means that when the public sees you, they see Me…just as when they see Me, they see the Father! And if they have been brutish enough to call, Me, the Master of the House, “Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies from the Outhouse”, what can you expect them to call you?

26. But, at the end of the day, none of that stuff even matters. So have no fear of them…take your cues from me, and refuse to be intimidated by any of it. Eventually, everything that needs to be revealed will be revealed, and truth will triumph!

27. And what I now say to you in the dark, I want you to begin to tell in the light…and what you hear whispered in the ear, I want you to fearlessly shout from the housetops.

28. And do not be afraid of those who can only kill the temporal, physical body, because they can’t touch the part of you that is both internal and eternal. If you were going to fear anyone, you would have legitimate reason to be afraid of Him who has the power to destroy that part of you which is internal, and to then throw the external part onto the garbage dump at Gehenna!

29. So you can be fearless in spite of persecution, because the only One who actually has the power to destroy you is your loving, caring Father! Are not two little sparrows sold for a mere penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's consent and notice.

30. And you are each so uniquely special and important, that even the very individual hairs growing out of your head are actually all numbered.

31. So don’t fear anyone or anything…the Father who keeps inventory of your hairs obviously considers you to be much more valuable than many sparrows.

32. But even though you are so loved, your actions will define your terms with Me because of the universal laws of sowing and reaping. So everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me, regardless of the repercussions, I will also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven.

33. But whoever denies Me before men in their hour of persecution, I also will deny before My Father in their hour of need.

34. This relationship is a two-way street, so don’t think that I have come to just bring unconditional peace upon the earth. Let me be clear…I am demanding your total allegiance. So, in a sense, I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,

35. because My standard of discipleship, especially during this time of national transition, could potentially part asunder a man from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a newly married wife from her mother-in-law.

36. The demand that I am making on you could create a scenario in which a man's foes will be the very members of his own household.

37. See, I want you to love me with same abandon with which I love you. So he who loves and is loyal to father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves and takes more pleasure in son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38. The thought of you possibly having to choose between your family or Me may be as painful for you as a death on a cross. But he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is simply not worthy of Me.

39. Why does it seem that I am making it so difficult for you with such high expectations of commitment? It’s because I want you to walk in a higher, more exalted kind of life. Whoever compromises to find his lower life will lose the higher life, but whoever loses his lower life on My account will ultimately find the higher life.

40. But here’s the payoff for walking in such loyalty to Me. It will give you a place of honor in the kingdom that will create a new reality…a reality in which he who receives and welcomes and accepts you receives and welcomes and accepts Me. And it follows that he who receives and welcomes and accepts Me, receives and welcomes and accepts Him Who sent Me.

41. In this new kingdom reality, he who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet, simply because he is a prophet, will actually receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man, simply because he is a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42. The coming of this kingdom, for which you may, indeed, be persecuted, is going to change everything…so much so, in fact, that whoever gives to one of these “little ones”…one of those who has seemed insignificant and unimportant in the natural world…even a cup of cold water, just because he is My disciple, will be openly and permanently rewarded. When you think of it in this way, you will realize that anything you may go through for the advancement of the kingdom will be worth it!

MITN X, Verses 1-20

1. And in direct answer to the prayer for harvest hands, Jesus summoned to Himself His twelve disciples, and gave them power and authority over rebel spirits, to evict and expel them, and to cure all manner of disease, weakness and infirmity.

2. Now these are the names of the original twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter or “Rock”, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;

3. Philip and Bartholomew (A.K.A. Nathaniel); Thomas and Matthew, known as “The Tax Man”; James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (A.K.A. Judas…not Judas Iscariot);

4. Simon, the Canaanite, who was a Zealot, and perhaps Jesus’ most controversial pick because of his radical political connections and agenda, and Judas (Iscariot), who eventually betrayed Him, even though he had been given the same anointing and authority that the other eleven had received.

5. Jesus sent out this very diverse and eclectic group, charging them with these words: “This Gospel is ultimately for the entire world…that’s the big picture…but it has to begin somewhere. So, for the time being, go nowhere among the Gentiles, and do not go into any town of the Samaritans;

6. Go, instead, to the lost, confused people right here in the house of Israel...the people who speak your language and have your world-view.

7. And tell them, plainly, that the kingdom of/from the heavens is here! Say to them, “The kingdom is ‘at hand’, or as close to you as is the hand at the end of your arm!”

8. And to drive home your point, bring health to them when they are sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Take the dominion away from their demons, and set them free. You have been treated generously, so live generously…freely, you have received the kingdom, so, freely, you should give it away!

9. And don’t worry about how you’re going to finance your travel and expenses. In fact, don’t even take any money with you.

10. You don’t need a lot of paraphernalia…just travel light…walk by faith…stay in the now. Everything you need is already inside you, so just do your work, and remember that a good worker is worthy of his food. In other words, don’t worry about going hungry…you’ll have everything you need in the external world because of the abundant overflow from your internal world.

11. And into whatever town or village you go, ask around until you find someone who is open to your message and in the flow with you, and wait for a door to open for you to stay with that person. And then stay there until you leave that vicinity.

12. And as you go into their house…or into any house, for that matter…speak a kingdom blessing over that house.

13. Then if the people in that house are open to your words, let peace and prosperity come to the entire household. But if they are religiously close-minded, and reject you and your message, then your words will not produce fruit for them, and your very own blessing will return to you, and will bless you!

14. In fact, if you are so rejected, don’t just leave the house…leave the entire town, and shake the dust from its streets off of your shoes.

15. I tell you, honestly, that when judgment comes on this nation, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

16. I say all of this to you because you need to know that I’m really sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. And to be able to survive this hazardous work, you’re going to have to develop the flexibility to be wary and wise as serpents when necessary, and to still be innocent and guileless as doves. I realize that no two animals are less similar in temperament than a snake and a dove, so I’m really asking you to do the impossible.

17. So you can’t afford to be naïve. You must be on guard against men whose way or nature is to rebel against God, and the inevitable changes that His kingdom brings; for they will deliver you up to councils, and actually flog you in their synagogues,

18. And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them, and, ultimately, to the nations.

19. But when they deliver you up in this way, do not worry, or even be anxious about how or what you are to speak. You’ll know exactly what to say when the time comes, because it will be given to you as revelation in the eternal now.

20. And, aside from what will be happening at that moment in the natural realm, in the larger context, it will cause you to realize that it really is not even you doing the speaking…you will have the awareness that it’s the Spirit of your Father speaking through you!

Hey Bloggers,

We're back from Brazil...awesome trip...thanks for your prayers...

I wasn't planning on opening up the blog until tomorrow, but I thought you might want/need to communicate a little, so I decided to go ahead and post something...

Service this morning was amazing...I meant to mention that today is Pearl Harbor Day, and I intended to honor all of our service men and women...but since I didn't do that, let me take this oppornuity to thank all of you who have so given yourselves for the good of our country...

Gonna try to get a little post-international travel nap in before Sacrament Service tonight...

I'll post at least a part of MITN, Chapter X, for tomorrow a little later...

Peace...

Thursday, 12/4 - Sunday, December 7

Hey bloggers,

Until I get back from Brazil, just use the CITN blog to keep the conversation going...and I'll see you SUNDAY!