Monday, July 27, 2009

MkITN XII

1. Then Jesus began to speak to His audience in allegories, saying, "There was a man who planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and then built a watchtower. Then he rented out the vineyard to some farmers and moved away to another place.

2. At harvest time he sent one of his servants to these tenants to collect from them some of the harvested fruit of the vineyard.

3. But, to his surprise, they wouldn't hear of it. They seized him, beat him up, and sent him back to where he came from with nothing but a black eye and a bloody nose.

4. Then the man sent another one of his servants to them, but they took the violence up a notch with this man. They struck him hard on the head, and just generally brutalized him for a while.

5. So finally He sent yet another servant, but this one they just murdered in cold blood. In fact, over a period of time he sent many others, and some of them they beat up, and still others they killed.

6. As a last resort He sent a son, whom he loved, saying to himself 'Surely, they will respect my son.'

7. But, on the contrary, the tenants said to one another, 'This is the man's heir... come on, let's kill him, too, and the entire inheritance will be ours.'

8. So, indeed, they took the son and killed him, and threw his dead body out of the vineyard.

9. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do in such a case? Certainly he has the right to come and kill those bloodthirsty tenants and give the vineyard to others.

10. Haven't you read the passage of Scripture that says, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

11 The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our perception'?"

12. Then the religious leaders, teachers of the Law, and the elders looked for a way to arrest Him because they were at least intelligent enough to realize that he had spoken the extended metaphor against them. But they were cowards, afraid of the crowd, so they just left Him and went away.

13. But they sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait Him, in an effort to catch Him saying something incriminating.




















14. They came up to Him and said, "Teacher, we know that You have integrity, that You are impartial...enlightened...indifferent to public opinion. So, because You don't pander to Your followers, but teach the way of God accurately, please tell us...in Your estimable opinion...is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

15. Of course He saw right through this trick question, and the pretentious motivation behind it. So He said to them, "Why do you keep trying to engage Me in your nonsense, playing these mind games with Me? OK, I'll bite...bring me a coin and let Me look at it."

16. They quickly handed him one, and He said, "The engraving on this coin...who does it look like? And, more importantly...whose name is on it?" "Caesar," they said.

17. Jesus said to them, "Then the answer is simple and obvious...give Caesar what is his, and give God what is His." And, once again, they were left utterly speechless by the clarity and candor with which He conveyed complex concepts.
18. Then, after this episode with the Pharisees, next came the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, with another provocative question for Him.

19. "Teacher," they said, "Surely you're aware that Moses wrote that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but no children, the man must marry his widowed sister-in-law, and raise up offspring for his brother.

20. Now, let's say, hypothetically, that there were seven brothers, and the first one married and died without leaving any children.

21. Then let's say that the second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no children. And the same scenario occurred with the third.

22. And so it went, but none of the seven brothers left any children. Then, finally the woman died, too.

23. Now, at the resurrection, whose wife will this woman be, seeing that she was married to all seven men?"

24. Jesus replied, "Your implausible premise is way off base because, clearly, in asking this question you reveal that you are ignorant of both the Scriptures, and of the power of God.

25. The fact is that in the next life, when the dead are raised up, they will have a completely different paradigm of human relationships...the concepts of sexuality, gender, and procreation will be rendered altogether obsolete, so, in that dimension they will neither marry nor be given in marriage...in that sense they will be in an exalted state like the angels in the heavenly realm.
















26. But as to the main point of your question about the dead rising...have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the story of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I AM (not "I Was", or "I Will be") the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

27. In so revealing Himself, He has declared that He is not the God of the dead, but of the living...your ideas about the finality of death have caused you to completely miss the point!"
28. While this exchange with the Sadducees was still in progress, along came a religion scholar who heard the tail end of it, and was impressed with Jesus' knowledge, and the good answer that He had given them. So he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, can you tell me which one is the most important?"

29. "The most important one is about the one true God," Jesus answered, "It's this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30. Love the Lord your God with all your passion, and with all your emotion, and with all your intelligence, and with all your energy.'

31. But there is a second one which is technically the same commandment...'Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.' There is no commandment greater than this one, revealed in these two integrated dimensions."

32. "Beautifully stated, Teacher," the man replied. "And You are absolutely right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him...

33. ...and that to have the full revelation of that you must love Him with all your passion, with all your intellect, and with all your ability, and to love your neighbor with the same love you have for yourself. Embracing this is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34. When Jesus observed that the man had answered with such insight, He said to him, "You, sir, are on the very cutting edge of the Kingdom of God!" And from that point on no one had the nerve to ask Him any more questions.
35. And as Jesus taught in one of the porches of the Temple, He said to His audience, "Think about this...how can the Scribes say that the Christ is David's Son?

36. David himself, in a Holy Spirit-inspired declaration, said, 'The Lord said to My Lord, "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool under Your feet"

37. The point is that David himself calls Him 'Lord'...so how can it be that He is his Son?" The huge crowd that was there that day was completely delighted with the way He challenged the pretentious Scribes and their conventional wisdom.

38. And in the course of His teaching, He went on to say, "Beware of the Scribes, who like to go around preening in long robes, basking in public flattery, and generally acting piously superior;

39. Sitting at the head table in every public forum...expecting a place of honor at every feast.

40. That in itself can be dismissed simply as a basic human weakness in them that manifests itself in a dysfunctional need for attention...it is what it is. What makes it so reprehensible with this group, however, is that all the while they are playing to the crowd, publicly, they are secretly exploiting widows...preying on them...going into their houses and devouring what little they have. And yet to distract the public from discerning their dark deeds, they make long prayers and elaborate speeches which make them sound intimidatingly holy. Be assured they will receive the heavier sentence of condemnation.
41. Later He sat down opposite the treasury and witnessed firsthand how the crowd was casting money into it. That day many rich people were obviously throwing in large sums.

42. And somewhere within the stream of people who were giving, a poverty-stricken widow came and unassumingly put in two copper mites, the smallest of coins, which added together are the equivalent of half of a cent.

43. And He called His disciples over and said to them, "Here's the truth about this little woman...she has demonstrated the relativity of giving, because even though she is poor, she has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury.

44. The others all casually threw their money in from out of their vast wealth and apparent abundance...they won't even miss the money. But she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had...in fact she has sacrificed all that she had on which to live, which is why she has given the most."

30 comments:

SCRIBE said...

OUTSTANDING!!!!! As we die to ourselves, we are raised up (DEEPER AWARENESS) in and Through God, where none of that other stuff matters anymore, for the TRUE PURPOSE of God In Us will have Awakened from our sleep, slumber, darkness, and carnal ways of thinking. So, we pass from life in this state of being to TRANSFORMED and TRANSCENDED Life in the greater dimension...the degrees of Glory that you referred to some time ago, Bishop.

This is most excellent! Let the people say HALLELUJAH! and those who have an ear HEAR what is being said and Rejoice! The Best is Yet to come.

Iris said...

Sorry for the length... but I think it makes my point...

Martin Luther King – “He led a mass struggle for racial equality that doomed segregation and changed America forever.” By Jack E. White

The Private GI – “From disparate roots but united by patriotic courage, U.S. soldiers preserved freedom around the world.” By Colin Powell - They were truly a "people's army," going forth on a crusade to save democracy and freedom, to defeat tyrants, to save oppressed peoples and to make their families proud of them. They were the Private Ryans, and they stood firm in the thin red line.

Albert Einstein – “He was the pre-eminent scientist in a century dominated by science. The touchstones of the era — the Bomb, the Big Bang, quantum physics and electronics — all bear his imprint.” By Frederic Golden - He was unfathomably profound — the genius among geniuses who discovered, merely by thinking about it, that the universe was not as it seemed.

Mother Teresa – “In fighting for the dignity of the destitute in a foreign land, she gave the world a moral example that bridged divides of culture, class and religion.” By Bharati Mukherjee

Billy Graham – “Transcending doctrine and denomination, he served as the nation's spiritual counselor and made America safe for public testimonies of faith.” By Harold Bloom

Gandhi – “In an age of empire and military might, he proved that the powerless had power and that force of arms would not forever prevail against force of spirit.” By Johonna McGeary

Rosa Parks - “Her simple act of protest galvanized America's civil rights revolution.” By Rita Dove

Princes Diana – “Why could we not avert our eyes from her? Was it because she beckoned? Or was there something else we longed for?” by Ian Buruma – “Yet she was one of the richest, most glamorous and socially powerful women in the world. This combination of vulnerability and power was perhaps her greatest asset.”

Helen Keller – “She altered our perception of the disabled and remapped the boundaries of sight and sense.” By Diane Schuur with David Jackson
From Muhammad Ali, to Anne Frank, Che Guevara, E.Hillary and T Norgay, and Andrei Sakharov to name only a few… most household names… Extraordinary people… maybe… common… most likely… They remind us of a quality that is a common denominator in any form of greatness – reliability

It’s the bread and butter characteristic of achievement… It’s the shared ingredient behind retirement pens, Hall of Fame awards, and golden anniversaries… It is the quality that produces not momentary heroics by monumental lives…

Continued....

Iris said...

The bible has it’s share…Consistent and predictable…these biblical characters were spurred by a gut-level conviction that they had been called by no one less than God Himself… As a result… their work wasn’t affected by moods, rainy days, or thorns along a rocky trails… Their performance graph didn’t rise and fall with roller-coaster irregularity… They weren’t addicted to rave reviews or ovation nor discouraged by grouchy bosses or empty wallets… Rather than strive to be spectacular… they aspired to be accountable and dependable… And since their devotion was not determined by their comfort, they were just as faithful in dark prisons as they were in spotlighted pulpits…

Reliable servants… they are … (if you will…) the binding of the Bible…Their acts are rarely recited and their names are seldom mentioned… Yet were it not for their loyal devotion to God, many notable events never would have occurred…

Andrew…He probably wasn’t on the podium, or even on a planning committee. Yet every time he is mentioned he’s doing the same thing – introducing somebody to Jesus… No lights, not pulpit, no reviews…

Epaphroditus – (Epaphro – what – us?) (Note to self – when I meet Paul I will ask him the correct pronunciation.) Paul said he was like a brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and messanger…One doesn’t earn eulogies like these for appearing at an occasional youth rally or showing up at church picnics… these are compliments earned over years and tears… Paul said “he almost died for the gospel…” Epaphoditus – The only thing longer than his name was his staying power.

Her hair is gray… Her skin wrinkled…But there was nothing senile about her words… “This is He. The Messiah.” Anna should know. She’d been praying and fasting for this day for eight decades… Faithful servants have a way of knowing answered prayer when they see it… and a way of not giving up when the don’t…

cont...

Iris said...

Re – liable…. Liable - means responsible… Re - means over and over again…

So I would like to end this by saying thank you…

Thank you Bishop for your countless Sundays of revelation… prepared and delivered with tenderness… love… and healing laughter… Your stubborn sowing of God’s seed IS bearing fruit… you have a great harvest…

Thanks to all of you who practice on Monday what you hear on Sunday…You’ve spent selfless hours with orphans, at typewriters, in board meetings, on knees, in hospital wards, away from families, and on assembly lines. It is upon the back of your fidelity that the gospel rides…

Thank you missionaries for your bravery in sharing the timeless truth in a foreign tongue…

Thank you senior saints for a generation of prayer and forest clearing…

Thank you all the consistent and predictable… you can be called on cold mornings and you’ll deliver the goods… you can be sent over rough terrain and you’ll make it on time… You can go miles without the pampering of a good polish or the luxury of a tune-up and you never complain… You get the job done…

Keep it up… your hall of fame moment is right around the corner….

Thank you to you all…

With much love in my heart… Iris

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks so much, Scribe...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Iris, you needn't apologize for the length of the comment...I'm just happy that someone's blogging (it's been a slow day on the comments page...I even reposted the "No Tomatoes" pic to get a response and to see if anyone was alive in the blogosphere, but I wasn't sure the current community would get the joke)...but, anyway, your post was beautiful...thanks...

Iris said...

Bishop, you are welcome...

If I wasn't so tired... I throw some Tomatoe jokes at you... Maybe we will leave the Tomatoe jokes for Uganda...

Hmmm... We will have to see...

Luv U...
Iris

SCRIBE said...

Wow! Verses 28 - 34 are worded / broken down phenomenally! Jesus is saying plain and clear: When we Love God with all that we have, honoring and acknowledging HIM in all of our ways, we have developed the prerequisite for being in RIGHT Relationship with Self also, which opens the door to right relationships with others.

We can love God with all that we have and love others as much as we are capable, however, that still doesn't mean that we will be well received. We are Always received, accepted and Loved by God, yet not so much with some people we may encounter. Yet, we are not to carry a false sense of guilt or condemmnation just because we are unable to give MORE THAN WE HAVE the capacity to give. When we feel taxed and burdened to do more than we are able to, even when we know in our hearts that we've done as much as we can, then we should SHAKE OFF THE SHACKLES THAT BIND, tread to higher ground and bask in the Freedom that was already bought and paid for. Walking in Love is one thing, but having the lifeblood, energies, and vitality sucked out of us through Toxic Relationships is quite another. Come out from underneath false senses of obligation! When we try to save drowning people (namely those who are always jumping into shark-infested waters), they may end us drowning us instead, or else we may get eaten alive by the predators.

Jesus came to SET THE CAPTIVES FREE and WE whom the Son of God / Son of Man have set Free are Free Indeed. So, my dear Brothers and Sisters, Choose Life, Choose Freedom, Choose Peace with Self. For it is a proven fact that when one is not at peace within self, they will constantly be at odds with everyone else, or blaming everyone else their unhappiness.

May God's Word Stand as Truth and everything contrary to The Freedoms that come through meditation in the word be shown as a lie. Before something kills us, or peace is stolen, or our hope is destroyed, the Deception creeps in first... subtle and mostly undetected.

THANK the Lord! Hallelujah! When we stay plugged in by way of the Holy Spirit, darkness may try to overtake us, but the Light WILL ILLUMINATE from within and we shall then see things clearly, as God would have us to see them. As we grow to the place where even when we may not SEE GOD at all times or Feel Him in all things, innately we shall KNOW HIM, KNOW THAT HE IS WITH US, and understand that WE ARE KNOWN by HIM, through HIM and IN HIM. In Him, we shall Live, Move, HOPE beyond Hope Itself, and IN HIM WE HAVE OUR BEING. Even when we don't feel like human doings, we must know that we were created first as Human BEINGS; for we know that HE IS THE HOPE of GLORY and We are created to Worship Him. Let EVERYTHING (that includes US) that Have Breath PRAISE YE' THE LORD! For this is but Our Reasonable Service. And HE SAID that if we fail to Give HIM Praise, He can raise up the stones of the earth to Cry Out "HOSANNA, Blessed Be HE that Comes in the Name of the Lord! I'd rather stand on the Rocks and Give shouts unto God than to have the rocks cry out and give God more praise than me. We are those that HAVE BREATH, so should we gladly praise God more than the inanimate objects of the earth. (This is just food for thought... obviously it must be for someone because this wasn't even on the forefront of my thinking tonight)

Regardless,GOD is Real, God is Very Present, GOD IS RIGHT NOW.... spanning the distances, bridging the gaps, yanking the slack, and loosening the choke-holds, breaking the deathgrips. FREEDOM and WISDOM cry out in the streets to us. Come and be fed, Receive Graciously for there is No Lack in either... only deliverance, healing, and liberty.

Erik said...

Hello,

I can see how the Pharisees were locked into the letter, which can take a lot of effort, resulting in the evident irritation of Jesus, but coming back to the real Spirit of loving God and each other with who we are.

This is connected to what I have been thinking more on yesterday and today.

In the service yesterday, Bishop talked about just being with God, Kissing the Son, having that intimacy. Bishop has talked about that before, and certainly we often speak about The Church as The Bride of The Christ. Other places do, and Revelation speaks about The One who becomes The Bride of The Christ.

God , Elohim, is both male and female, as is commonly understood.

In what I imagine in the following, I focus on the female energy. This is what comes through me in the following, however, that is me, and imposes nor questions anyone else who prefers the male in the following, for whatever reason.

On my flight West last night we chased the sun, and I was able to admire the sunset out the window, over clouds of stormy weather that produced wonderful shapes and colors. The sunset period lasted nearly an hour.

I imagined what it is like to be romantically involved with God, what kissing Her lips is like (metaphysically, but not excluding physically) , smelling Her hair, Her Godly enticing perfume, Her skin, The Curves, what it is to be entwined with Her. How it is to lay with Her, God. (To use something literally Biblical)

I thought about it as I went to sleep, as I woke up, and this evening. I suppose some may think it is beyond our human comprehension. Of course, it is more than we can ask for or think. I want to experience what makes Her tremble, breathless, sweat, as She and I go over The Edge. I see this as a significant part The Spirit of The Word, often missed in the letter of it.

I guess some may say one cannot experience this and live (at least here). I say, why not? She is not limited, God can certainly cover me in this expansion of experience, to the infinite power. What is Her/ Our shuddering of the Universe?

Then, what about the three in One (Like the 3 in 1 Godhead). Two people with God also entwined, a threefold chord, all ‘laying’ with each other.

The metaphysical and physical, shared by all three, from each point and the blended, and the borderless experience, both understood, but more than can be thought or asked or defined in terms We have here.

I suppose that is what intimacy, laying with, is with our Spouse (however that is defined in The Spirit) is available. Not to get too far out, (as if I ever could), The pillars of the Old testament (as we call it, who mostly were male) had broad definitions here. The New testament, except in Revelation, did not go here much.

So, has anyone else though about laying with God and/or the three fold chord of God in conjunction with their Spouse? One thing I experienced when untying my passion, intelligence, heart, into this vision was a consuming fiery Peace, different for the fiery desire in the flesh, taking the fire in the flesh forward, including that and more.

Son of Zadok said...

That's deep Erik.

But honestly, one time about 14 years ago lying on my couch in my first apartment, I had an experience that was so overwhelming it's really hard to describe. I was almost hyperventilating from the expression towards me and waves of love that were pouring into my being from Holy Spirit and the bond we had at that time. It was very emotional. Never has that happened like that since then and I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. Seems like something along the lines of what your saying.

Son of Zadok said...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the thoughts in your post don't seem that strange to me because of that experience I had.

What was really strange about it all, and I remember this aspect of it very clearly, was the experience resembled more of a sadness in saying a goodbye of some sorts in my soul. It was as if a parting was taking place or one of us was going away or something, and the tragedy of that stirred up this wild passion in us both. I know Holy Spirit never leaves us, but maybe it was me who had to go away. Looking back on my life I can see how that did have to take place. I think what God was showing me was just how awesome this love is in a tangible, almost physical way. It felt like I was being branded by Love's desire for me, in spite of me. Truly nothing in this world can satisfy a heart that has even gingerly tasted of it. I don't think anyone here could not relate somehow to that.

Erik said...

Hi SOZ,

I hear you in the feeling that you were leaving something. What was branded was your soul memory for a journey that was right for you, supported. God, Holy Spirit approves of the journey. It was not a Kiss Goodbye, but a Kiss of Good Travels, and We will see you soon.

Once understanding The Kiss, you are always present no matter the journey. The Kiss is to awaken that, inflame it, to energize you for the journey. Clearly it has.

Erik said...

Bishop,

The added post of additional verses, re The Woman who gave all she had in the two mites.

Giving in the treasury (whether The Temple Treasury or the Human Treasury, housing The Homeless, Clothing The Naked, Feeding The Hungry,Visiting The Prisoners - literally and those who perceive them selves as hungry, imprisoned,homeless, or naked) with sums and energy we cannot affors in their paradigm.

Yes, it is what comes from ourselves, the sums and energy that would otherwise be used for ourselves that we give, allowing what we may not then have depended on for ourselves is abundance, leaving the cosmetic system of the world, declaring Our Part of The Beauty of The World.

Son of Zadok said...

Yes and amen to that.

I still have things that are being repaired and cleansed out in me, but I've come far, as we all have.

I think of how those I've read about in the past have done such great works for God. I think if your obedience rises to the level where Spirit knows you will do whatever God asks of you, a time comes when Spirit will do what you ask of God. Kind of how Bishop was talking about answering requests. I think the level of friendship and relationship can get to such a point with Spirit where God says, "Well, because it's you asking..how can I not show out?"

I talk a good game, but I really need to get back to the place of silence and listening to what God is telling ME to do. It's different for us all, but if we take the time to close the door and wait in that secret place, Spirit will be revealed.

I'm going to go read these new verses. Thanks Bishop.

Erik said...

SOZ,

Your talk is evidence of You listening. Even if you are a Buckeye.

(notice my transformation, I capitalized Buckeye - I am feeling quite proud of my growth:))

Brother.

Son of Zadok said...

Thanks Erik.

True religion is in the doing. Everything else is just pious talk.

That statement is not totally true though because of the power of words. But their is a lesson in it.

Interesting fact about how the money was given back in those days. I'm not sure exactly how it worked now because it was told months and months back at Paradox. But anyway, the receiving device for the coins would actually make a noise when you put coins into it. I guess the pharisees just loved to put their coins in because everyone could hear their giving.

Theirs more to it all, including a point. I'll have to try and round up that facts.

Great job as always though Bishop.

Erik said...

Enjoy the wonderful dreams tonight SOZ.

Son of Zadok said...

Are you trying to set my sleep up with some of your quantum magic?

Well if so, I pray that you dream of Michigan winning the national championship, along with roast lamb and Spirit kisses on the 50 yard line after the game.

Let's keep that Michigan stuff in your dreams though, OK?

Goodnight all

Erik said...

Hahaha,

SOZ, I cannot claim or deny any quantum magic. I receive your dream vision for my sleep, that will be quite excellent under the Arizona moon.

I awoke this morning to the sun rising behind a mountain with the sky aflame, which would have made a good roasting fire under the Michigan moon for a tasty lamb.

As it is, I bought some beautiful lamb chops for grilling tomorrow’s dinner. I will enjoy them thinking of the 50 yard line celebratory meal, in whatever stadium and year that may be.

The Wolverines are still rebuilding, so I think The Buckeyes are safe for a year or two. One must always have hope though :).

P. Avery said...

NL, on working for Twitter, I should see if they're hiring. Seriously though, I see this tool they've created, as the next step in connecting the body of Christ. So, I do my share of tooting their horn.

Son of Zadok said...

You can have all the hope you like Erik, just remember that hope deferred makes a heart sick.

P.Avery, I might finally have to get on this their twitter bus.

Let's keep our brother Pastor Dennis lifted up, the doctor's have told him his uncle is at heaven's door tonight. We love you Pastor.

OK, now I really am going to bed, but I'm going to leave with this quote for all of you who stand up for this glorious gospel of Christ and get hit over the head for it.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

I liked that one...

last goodnights...

P. Avery said...

SOZ, nothing takes the place of this blog for depth, permanence and many other things...but the immediacy and reach of twitter is...well, its a bit like being ITB at CITN. You understand once you'vè tried it!

P. Avery said...

The sandman cometh...later all...

Erik said...

I am up late EST, but still relatively early PST. Watching a James Bond flick on USA. All the incarnations of Bond are fun, there are favorites, but all are good.

Thinking on practical, natural matters, business matters. Our company has a great client whom we have accomplished much for, beyond their or our expectations. We have a competitor, what’s new. However, for various sensitivity reasons that our client has, we have not fiercely opposed them. We have committed ourselves to ensure that our results and service are so superior, that they speak for us.

Apparently though, the amount of business diverted is approaching the point where we must compete more directly, still understanding the specific relationship this competitor has. We have introduced new services at no additional cost, increasing the premium value of what we add, to dilute the competitor’s value. Although for many reasons we appreciate this competitor’s relationship with the client, and a certain amount of business given up for that reason. It is however, beginning to take more than what was anticipated.

So, we will be fierce and fair. Acknowledging the competitor needs a certain income level, but concentrate efforts to outdo them on every front, so it is clearly only a sacrifice that our client gives them business. Sometimes, it just has to be done. We want them to sustain what they have, which is good. However stop further build up, we are already confronting and reducing their foundation.

What is the point of bringing this up here? Because we all face certain issues and challenges, that although we have mercy, given our own defined parameters in business, relationships, life, we come to a point to declare authority, or at least put ours on the line and allow what comes to come. We do what we can and then stand.

I had been a proponent to allow this competitor room because of their previous history with our client (even though it had questions) , but now, we are taking a deflating policy on them, so far, no further and reduction of the territory claimed, to make our point.

Competition, capitalism, rise and fall on what you are willing to risk. All that to say, like God and Holy Spirit, what do we risk of our doubt to trust. The higher the risk, the higher the return. Re God, the return for risk is guaranteed.

I do not think I have ever raised business challenges on the blog. I see business like football, it is all good, we compete and the best one wins. Except I play in this game rather than watch football (although I used to play that).

I love the people I work with, and if someone is trying to score on us, I will tackle their butt, drive them for a loss, and make them punt every possession. I can allow them to make some gains, but a win is out of the question, then it is time for iron curtain defense and maximum offense, winning by a score of 72 to 12.

Everyone walks away, but the outcome is abundantly clear.

Erik said...

it is only midnight for me, wooohooo.

Still, need to get to sleep to be useful on EST in 6 hours.

On the playlist, 'Takin it to the Street' is playing by The Doobie Bros. man, does that bring me back. I can remember all that was going on then in my life, when this came out, remember transistor radios ?

Blessed then and blessed now.

Son of Zadok said...

Yawn...

Good Morning beautiful people.

One Love all around the world this day!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xjPODksI08&feature=related

Son of Zadok said...

Erik,

I came across this statement this morning and it reminded me again of what you might have been talking about last night.

I look forward to that day when all come to know Ishi (Husband), and no more baali (Lord) (Hos. 2:16)

"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'

-NIV

P. Avery said...

Now that, SOZ, is a hammer for the right nail!

Don't know who "dan" is, but wordver says "comondan"..., Come on, Dan!

Izumi/JOY said...

I appreciate the last pic; it's placement and symbolism. It really highlights the (excellent) text.

Leads me to wonder.

Whose hands are holding the mites? What does He see when He studies them? What He's showing about them?

Is it a dove? A cross? An anchor? A flower? A sun?

What's He hold in that manna madala?

Yes and amen?

Larry Usher said...

Good stuff everyone! The human race moves on to dominion...


Just been pondering the following-from Eph:1 the KJV(especially vss 22, 23)

17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23Which is HIS BODY, THE FULNESS OF HIM that filleth all in all.

WE ARE THE FULNESS OF HIM, think about THAT!

THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS IN THE HOUSE!