Hey bloggers,
Thanks for bearing with me while I recuperate, and get re-acclimated to American time. I was glad to see such a good crowd ITB last night (apparently, the so-called gas/financial crisis hasn't kept you from venturing out on the highways), and would like to hear your feedback from what the team shared in the service.
I hope that you all took some flyers with you for the GPF Inter-Faith service at CITN on October 7, and that you'll pass them out. I really want to see a great turn-out from the church that night, and, as I told you last night, if you have to choose between coming Tuesday night or Wednesday night next week, please choose to come to the Tuesday event.
To all the Uganda team, Pastor Ben's lovely wife, Rosette, has blogged something to you all, so check it out (Tuesday, September 30).
I may be back later today...
Love you all!
12 comments:
Excerpt from Devotional entitled:
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
By: Oswald Chambers
THE ASSIGNING OF THE CALL
"NOW, I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church..." (Colossians 1:24)
We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him, He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, "HERE AM I Lord ! Send ME". (Isaiah 6:8)
This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us! We say, "If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I would not object!" But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would NEVER SUBMIT, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will HAVE TO BE Crushed-- for you cannot drink grapes! Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God HAD squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably Bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life has experienced the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed INTO GOD and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
Amen.
If you get a chance, watch the docu-film "War Dance". It is the story of some Ugandan children.
If you see the movie you can really appreciate what John was saying about the children.
This film is not for the weak. I can understand why the team said they all have been changed forever. You will be too. We have been blessed in so many ways that we take for granted or feel that we have an entitlement.
Bishop, hello and thanks for letting the team share tidbits from the trip. I look forward to hearing more stories from them.
hmmm...corn in Egypt, still thinking about that one. May God give further revelation and confirmation over that. There is definitely a lot of good grain coming out of the house, I agree
I am missing Wed nights at CITN right now as I accompany my son to little league football practice. I did get home and start streaming to catch Pastor Avery at the end. What she said was moving and so real to me. I felt what she was saying and I am glad she went with the team. I heard you Bishop and I really felt what you were saying when you told us of the boy who kept giving you the thumbs up. If we could just touch everyone... If we could just bring em home... Since we can't, we do what we do every day and believe God has us doing the right things. Eventually ...
Last nights service was really beautiful. It was especially nice to hear some of you speak who I've only known through the blog. I could see you all having round table discussions about the faith on a regular basis. Have any of you ever thought of taking those free classes to learn how to produce your own television shows. I see Atlanta has a public access station.
http://www.peopletv.org/
To the Anon who posted the Ralph Marston piece yesterday. I love The Daily Motivator. Ralph has an amazing way of preaching the gospel without alienating anyone. It's a true gifting he has. And Scribe, I've never read My Utmost for His Highest. I have had it in the back of my mind to pick up a copy though because I've wanted to check it out. Thanks for the posts.
My Cloud post today stirs a lot of questions up in me. It deals with the power behind just loving God. Bishop recently I watched What the "bleep" do we know? after hearing you talk about it. Now while I agree that not everything in the movie is biblical, it is filled with many spiritual/scientific truths that are biblical. Their is a section in the movie where they deal with a study that took place. In the study they took 0.5 cc's of water and placed them in 70 different petree dishes. Half of them were attended to by people who said mean things to them and sent out cruel intentions. These drops froze into plaque like smears that had no form or beauty. The others were given loving intentions and words like: thank you , and I love you. These drops froze into the most beautiful unique snowflake like patterns. How amazing is that! We are made up of 70% water. If what they did had such an effect on these drops of water; how much more does what we do to each other have a very real effect. The Cloud post also makes reference to purgatory, which some of us may or may not believe in. I used to believe in eternal hell, but now I seem to lean towards a more in between realm of the unseen for those still going through correction. Being raised under fundamentalist believes I was always told that "ghosts" were simply demonic spirits. I'm not so sure anymore. Doesn't the Bible command us to pray for dead. They even used to baptize each other in stead for those departed. Fascinating subjects regardless. Anyway, take what you want from it and leave the rest.
Be Blessed Today Ya'll.
The Place Of Christ continued...
With this realization that Christ is co-extensive with the universe, a whole cosmic and social dimension enters into contemplation. Christian mysticism can never be selfish preoccupation with one's little ego; it must be an opening to other people and to the universe. Once again, the English author explains this in the cosmology of his day.
For when you fix your love on him, forgetting all else, the saints and angels rejoice and hasten to assist you in every way - though the devils will rage and ceaselessly conspire to thwart you. Your fellow men are marvelously enriched by this work of yours, even if you may not fully understand how; the souls in purgatory are touched, for their suffering is eased by the effects of this work; and, of course, your own spirit is purified and strengthened by this contemplative work more than by all others put together.
No corner of the universe is untouched by this exercise of love. Put in Teilhardian terms we might say that the noosphere is built up up by this contemplative exercise; or that fresh impulse is given to the thrust of consciousness in its movement towards Omega. It is, of course, a great paradox that we should help people precisely by forgetting them: "Therefore, firmly reject all clear ideas however pious or delightful. For I tell you this, one loving blind desire for God alone is....more helpful to your friends, both living and dead, than anything else you can do." This is something known only to experience through faith.
The adventure continues...
"Feeling, sweet feeling drops from my fingers..."- Jimi Hendrix, "Manic Depression"
Not letting the feeling drop! Cupping my hands for more, craning my head to see more, wanting more...LIFE!
While out on an estimate today, got to hear an amazing testimony from a fellow who had seen and done much. Swapped stories of redemption & grace for the better part of a half hour. He has an adopted(from family member) daughter named Katie who has gone through tremendous difficulties in her life & needs our prayers.
To Pastor Ben & Rosette,
Blessings, peace & joy to you & your young family and to your spiritual family! The joy & unity we share with you is something only God can bring...we are definitely one! Please say hello to everyone there and give them my love and hugs and appreciation for ALL the kindnesses and service! Expecting good & great things as the synergy exponentially radiates God's blessings.
Love to all and Glory to God!!!
Larry
SOZ, check out this video. I think you might find it interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfNIQJ6PGQc
Peace,
Dennis
Pay close attention to what is being said in the prayer..."relatives"...."include all living sinners"...ect.....interesting to say the least.
Joh 20:22-23 YLT and this having said, he breathed on them , and saith to them, `Receive the Holy Spirit; (23) if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'
what if some that have even passed on, suffer to some degree because of the sins we have not "loosed" them of.....?
Just a thought.....
That was really an amazing video. Gives you strong thoughts of compassion for those, even ourselves, in any type of real or perceived fallen state. Is perception reality? What it makes me think of , is that I can see biblically where a type of purgatory in the next life, and, or a "hell" in this one as well, could be a reality. If releasing lost souls through Godly communion and contemplation really is a true act of love and power in the universe, by God, I want to exercise it. That leads me to ask; What is keeping someone in "eternal death", whether it's in this life or the life after physical death? What prevents us from entering "eternal life" today and forever more? I think about my own life and struggle, some of the thoughts I have to deal with.
I agree with an earlier post that; "We don't live on the mountain in every moment in life." But like a seed, with all its components for fulfillment intact, its more about the falling away, than the adding to. The soil, water, and the light. We are called to arrive!
Many people like to demand man's freewill never be violated in God's dealings with us. I propose in His creative genius He never does any such thing. No man comes unless the Spirit draws him. But maybe He does the drawing when we are fully ready to receive. Ready to forgive and release forgiveness. Prepared by Him to love others and ourselves. Ready to let go of hate and fear and bitterness. These are the negative mountains which must be removed. And with the commitment to die daily, yes we miss the mark, but with the desire to trust in the power of God alone to save us; we will overcome. We will hear well done good and faithful servant every night when we lay our pillow upon our bed. We will not be as those ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Come into the life, in the light, though all manner of men will scoff and conspire against you. Life is radical. For this we press forward in the face of adversity and even our own carnal natures. Adversity that comes from the outside and from within, even from the throne of God Himself where we are called to be seated as Christ is seated in the Father.
We are freeing ourselves and setting the captives free. And every time one soul turns around wherever they may be; every time one person sees things from a new perspective. Every time we awaken to a fresh vision of mercy and grace; every time we are born again with new revelation, not just about scripture, but about God, and others, and ourselves; angels rejoice and their is shouting and praise from the mountain!
We are to multiply ourselves. We are the talents and our lives are God's gifts to each other and the world. Every one of us is precious no matter where we are or what we happen to believe at the time. We are not burying ourselves in the dirt; dirt to dirt, dust to dust. We are alive by the Spirit, multiplying ourselves 5 to 10, 10 to 20; surely fruit is following.
One last thing that I heard the other day that is in my heart. The priests were to wear fine linens and not wool when entering the Holy of Holies. The Bible specifically says why; it was so they would not sweat. Let our labours be of the Lord. Take joy in the Lord! His burden is light and His joy and peace are complete. He is with us, an ever present help and constant gardener in our lives. He loves us so very much. He is especially fond of you just the way He designed you. It is in you , for He is in you. Free ourselves from not good enough. Believe that you are forgiven and you will be healed. Everyday is the day of salvation and all flesh shall see the salvation of our God!
We desire to love and praise You our God
Be our God
God over all creation
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