"Then He turned to the host. ‘The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be – and experience – a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned – oh, how it will be returned! – at the resurrection of God's people.'" (Luke 14:12-14 – The Message)
Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because the love of God in me is enlarging my heart to such a size that it is having to break out (and break free) of the little fortress of selfish interests that I have built around it in a vain attempt to protect it from harm. My enlarged heart will reach out to make contact with someone, even if it is risky . . . even if it is dangerous . . . because there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear!
Today I will love the unlovable and touch the untouchable. The Christ in me will flow like a river of reconciliation to those who have been rejected and refused.
I will gladly fill the role of a good Samaritan when the opportunity presents itself and, in so doing, the Kingdom will come and the will of the Father will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Today I will not be overly and unnecessarily concerned with protecting my reputation when it comes to reaching out to someone who really needs my help. I will lay down my life for them, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today I will make time for people and will show a genuine interest in what is happening in their lives. I will show respect for others and make the people around me feel important and special — by making eye contact when we speak; by a firm handshake; by listening and reacting appropriately; by calling people by their names; by displaying good manners; by being thoughtful and considerate; by being helpful and generous; by showing them the real Jesus.
Today I will pray for someone else's needs, taking them as seriously as I would take my own.
Today I will communicate to others on their level – relating to them in a real way. I will not be insensitive or judgmental, accepting people as they are and ushering them to the mercy seat of the Christ Who loves them unconditionally.
Today I will be kind to strangers, knowing that I may be unwittingly entertaining angels (Hebrews 13:2), and today I will live in the now!Father, help me to make the right contacts today.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
16 comments:
YES. AMEN. so beautiful and such a blessing when I move in obedience, reaching out, connecting, FREE from selfish motives. I have been aware of how only a moment of action dONE in selflessness can take YOU to the place YOU are supposed to GO and selfishness results in a retardation of my journey. HOLY ONE ALLow me to selflessly surrender to YOUr will. ALLow my thoughts, words, and movement be YOUrs, directed by YOU and motivated by TRUE LOVE in ALL its selfless GLORY.
in doing so, I AM able to stand in the gap and forge an awareness of our ONEness by being THE CHRIST revealed HERE and NOW.
Jesus said, "It is my meat to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work." With that said, along with what you just said so beautifully, His will is meat enough and His Word is bread enough. He asked us to be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren. Since Jesus died for ALL then ALL people are our brothers/sisters.
Christina Cain Hall said...
The "Preacher's Daughter" loves it!!!! Are you man enough??!!!!
Notonelost Sinner said...
Love it!
Vonna J Bailey said...
Thank you very much for this. It is so good.
Toni Clark said...
Dare us to live it, not just press the like button!
I said "I will go all the way !"
Then I said " I won't go all the way, but I'll go pretty far."
Then I said, "I am so tired, how far? "
Then I said, "I will go all the way!"
Contact !!!
"I just want to celebrate another day of livin' ! "
I first said "I will go all the way!"
a
Then I said "I wont go all the way, but I will go pretty fsr."
Then I said "I am so tired,how far?"
Then I said "I will go all the way!"
I have always found great blessing in those moments when I've given, knowing that probably nothing material will be coming back my way from this person...yet I know and rest in His promise that HE will give back to me somehow, because I did give.
Also, bishop, or anyone here...I just got through reading the following verses and wanted to hear your understanding...is this literal, or is some of this talking about putting on Christ and being transformed into His likeness, and His mindset/image.
1 Corinthians 15:44-53
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"[e]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
That's a big Amen from St. Simons Island.
This song just dropped in my Spirit - but the lyrics that were in my Spirit said - I just want to celebrate another Way of livin', I just want to celebrate another Way of Love...
I also find it interesting that this song was from a band called "Rare Earth"...hmmmmmmm...
I think the message coming forth through you that God so eloquently released through the prophetic Word today (and the confirmation and hug from your earthly mother) will redefine Love and what we celebrate as the God kind of Love as it creates not a rare earth but a new earth...a new way...a new paradigm shift that will truly release our souls from condemnation/separation...the opposite of love is not fear, but separation...re-member us...I no longer believe that ultimate reconciliation is about salvation but about re-membering the body on a cellular level so that separation ceases to be perceived and unity prevails...
Anyway, here are the lyrics I found online (I think I like my version better...but these are also good...)
I just want to celebrate another day of livin'
I just want to celebrate another day of life
I put my faith in the people
But the people let me down
So I turned the other way
And I carry on, anyhow
That's why I'm telling you
I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah
I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah
Another day of living,
I just want to celebrate another day of life
Had my hand on the dollar bill
And the dollar bill blew away
But the sun is shining down on me
And it's here to stay
That's why I'm telling you
I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah
Another day of living, yeah
I just want to celebrate another day of living
I just want to celebrate another day of life
Don't let it all get you down,
Don't let it turn you around and around
And around and around
Well, I can't be bothered with sorrow
And I can't be bothered with hate, no, no
I'm using up my time by feeling fine, every day
That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate
Aw, yeah
I just want to celebrate yeah yeah
Another day of living, yeah yeah
I just want to celebrate another day of livin', yeah
I just want to celebrate another day of life
Don't let it all get you down, no, no
Don't let it turn you around and around,
And around and around, and around
Around round round
'round and around round round round
don't go 'round
Wow - I just read Erik's comment from earlier today - now that's confirmation...connection is so cool...
Anon 248 PM, excellent !
Today in service, wonderful, the Pur Love was full today. In the song we sung near the end, " Take Joy my King..." To me the words were .. "Take Joy My Love, in what You hear, let our Love between us, be a sweet, sweet, sound, in our ear"
While we were singing, especially at the end, I love seeing God in everyone's face, each ear lobe for those near by, the eyes and smiles of those farther away.
It is traditional to worship 'up', and I love that, what I Love even more is worshiping between us, to each other. The gift, offering to Allah, God, The Christ, The Universe, The Spirit as us, is the Love we have for each other.
We sung 'Let it rain' , I saw our vapors, our Spirit water vapor rising from us, into the air above us, mixing, forming beautiful collection of our vapors (clouds in a sense) and then raining down upon all of us. The water streamed down the aisles, off the stage. into the area in front of the stage, flooding there, swirling and flowing around our feet, legs, waists. We waded and swam in each others' Love, sharing that with God, S/He shared back His/Her Joy and Peace, absorbing, and sharing all of it back. We emptied, directed our own rain to fall, and filled with each others' rain back, and The Universe's nourishment. Emptied and filled, over and over, in each, between each, and in and between Allah.
This is what we produce for God, our Love of each other and ourselves, offered and shared with Everything, and being gifted in exchange from The Universe. S/He smiles in solid, peaceful, Joy.
We sung, " Let it rain" - I saw all our
Erik, really enjoyed visualising that!.. imagine that visual as an actual art piece/drawing...showing the water pools and clouds INSIDE the sanctuary and off the stage. Sketch it man!
It seems that most of the christian world thinks that the message of reconciliation of ALL PEOPLE (those who have heard of it, or will), is not a good thing. The first thought may be "that's not right", deeming it as something "ILLEGAL".
ILLEGAL? Well...yes, I guess you could say that it is, in a sense. The opposite of illegal is LEGAL, which makes me think of the word LEGALISTIC, which makes me think of pharisees and scribes, who deemed what most of Christ did and taught,as 'ILLEGAL'...
...not approved and ok'd by the governing religious body.
...some may think that we're propagating a BAD WEED, when in actuality, I believe, it's a GOOD SEED. A seed of love, oneness, non-judgement, equality, confidence, forgiveness and assurance...a seed that gives life to ALL mankind.
word ver: ragase,.. makes me think of reggae. It's funny because these thoughts originally came out of a conversation in the CITN choir room with Pastor Jon talking about the song ONE LOVE, by Bob Marley, which led to jokes about the ILLEGAL weed! (haha) Wow.
I just want to celebrate another day of "LOVE" ~ that is the air I breathe.
Peace ~
Northern Light
Post a Comment