203

Loosed from the Devil, 29Jun

One term has been repeating in my travels these past few weeks – its actually from a prayer – that you will be “loosed” from the devil…. has this happened to you (in a small or big way)? or do you long for it…?  well it’s a powerful feeling! You feel the release in your heart! your soul! your mind! Yes your WHOLE body can remember that powerful winning struggle of Jesus taking you for HIS own…”I chose YOU” (“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1 KJV)… It’s a feeling of the physical spirit-human strength of Jesus manhandling the devil for you… and keeping you safe from his evil return… Do you feel those arms around you? Like Jesus holding you with arms under yours – holding you up and kicking the devil with HIS feet until you yourself join in the fight?   You feel it, don’t you? You can be loosed from the devil and put the victorious feeling in your life… And you will never want to go back, but if you slip you can call out (as many times as you need) for faith renews the hope, peace and joy…

26 And they will remember their souls and break loose from the trap of Satan by whom they were captured for his pleasure. (2ndTimothy)

Yesterday I arranged for someone to meet up at a church meeting with my friend who is an amazing example of rebuilding his life by the grace of God… Doesn’t matter what affliction / addiction / devastating influence what’s going on in your own life this Christian brother truly is a shining example of not letting the grace-filled light from Jesus be hidden under a bushel basket… (Luke 11:33). When I returned, to pick up my friend from this meeting, they were about to start a laying of hands prayer for an upset woman… I didn’t know her story was but I so moved (excited? humbled? enthusiastic? Yeah everything) to wholeheartedly and very humbly jump in at this opportunity for prayer…. it was solid and it was powerful…  the people networked around her with their hands criss-cross on everybody elses shoulders… it must have looked like the most wonderful net to Jesus, our “Fisher of men”.  The hand on top of my hand on top of her shoulder squeezed so tightly… “Amens”.. “Hallelujahs”… affirmations of the power of being loosed from the devil…. the prayer was powerful beyond powerful while also being as solemn as solemn… I was able to let myself down too, yes my guard has been down for months now with the armor of God surrounding me… but to let myself down into this net to feel the energy in the prayer… How blessed to partake in all the people around me truly truly feeling an affirmation of Jesus having saved them from the devil… yeah… it was not just a one time prayer for her – it was an all-time prayer for everyone – a reminder for every-time.

There’s a term – to “let down” – when you are nursing a baby and you have to let it go… you have to find your peace in your mind to let your milk flow out, otherwise it’ll be all held up. With a baby in your arms it becomes easier because you’re holding such a bundle of joy – a gift from God – and the baby is likely fussing… and when you “Let down” you not only feed your child but you also find your peace… So – when you’re pumping your milk at work, it’s not so easy, you have to find that memory of the baby and your state of peace from within your mind – because there’s no babe in your arms… Your peace is not in your hands and you still have to “let down”, otherwise the baby will get no milk and your milk will dry up from limited production… You must let down emotionally in your mind and your body.

The same is true with your spiritual life… you have to let down… you have to lower your guard you have to invite Jesus into your heart and you have to let your mind go… It’s peace when you surrender to give yourself to God… when you can let down like this, oh the blessings that flow…. Just like the song, “I surrender”, surrendering all to God becomes a heavenly a state of peace… sharing in the savior’s pain by remembering past pains, and now taking some of this pain away from others…”I’m laying it all down, for the sake of you my King”.  Your peace is not in your own hands but in the arms of Jesus holding you up – you still have to “let down” into those arms to find peace.

For these folks participating in this laying of hands prayer they acted out the victorious in victory over Satan… they found the hope… they acted upon their faith… they have found hope in small doses and in large doses and they allow themselves to let down and feel the joy of God that will heal. And they do this everyday… They surrender anew… They right their wrongs and pray for Jesus in their lives everyday, sometimes every minute…

So grateful and admiring these found souls who return to the meeting week after week to pick up their fellow weary travelers… not forgetting this important reminder in Psalm 66:13-14…  “I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you— vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.”

Praising the peace in surrendering daily to Jesus’ love and picking up the good fight over the devil.

“Let down” – “Be loosed”.

———–
2 Timothy 2, NIV

The Appeal Renewed
2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

 

yeah – “Loosed” is a funny unusual term to come up at least four times in the last three weeks – life is so fun…

I appreciate the fun as well as humbling experiences God throws my way…. knows every hair on my head for sure….

the middle time was from this awesome genesis song (below) that I first heard last week – there is no end to the amazing spiritual messages in the Genesis songs for me – really awesome…  and all the moon references throughout so many of their songs and my life experiences – yeah – awesome….

 

“Burning Rope”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWZzXg_plrk

The warming sun, the cooling rain,
The snowflake drifting on the breath of the breeze,
The lightning bolt that frees the sky for you
Yet only eagles seem to pass on through.
The words of love, the cries of hate,
And the man in the moon who seduced you
Then finally loosed you.

You climbed upon a burning rope to escape the mob below,
But you had put the flaming out so that others could not follow,
To be out of the bounds and the barks of those who do not wish you well.

You must blaze a trail of your own, unknown, alone,
But keep in mind
Don’t live to-day for tomorrow like you were immortal.
The only survivors on this world of ours are

The warming sun, the cooling rain,
The snowflake drifting on the breath of the breeze,
The lightning bolt that frees the sky for you
Yet only eagles seem to pass on through.
The words of love, the cries of hate,
And the man in the moon who seduced you
Then finally loosed you.

You’re old and disillusioned now as you realize at last,
That all all you have accomplished here will have soon all turned to dust.
You dream of a future after life, well that’s as maybe, I don’t know.
But you can’t take what you left behind, you’re all alone.
So keep in mind
Don’t live to-day for tomorrow like you were immortal.
The only survivors on this world of ours are

The warming sun, the cooling rain,
The snowflake drifting on the breath of the breeze,
The lightning bolt that frees the sky for you
Yet only eagles seem to pass on through.
The words of love, the cries of hate,
And the man in the moon…

201

God Works Outside the Box, So Plant HIS Seeds With LOVE, 28Jun

A friend pastor wrote about his sorrow because many people said no at a prayer outreach…he was sad that God cried for each of these souls…

I tried to comfort him, I messaged:
“Look at Matthew 10:11-14, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet” So, just do your best and let God stress for you… You are still planting seeds… Your boldness speaks volumes… They will still remember that offer… That was me once too…”

Let me tell you of a time when I refused prayer, and oh yeah, I can still see the expression on that woman’s face… A seed was certainly planted in me though, her surprise… I know I have had received thousands of planted seeds thru my life, I was/am truly truly blessed to now grow them – the great thing was that so many seeds were planted that the ones that were dried out were replaced by others.

That time I refused prayer, I was flippant – I regret that now – but then I was… couple nights before I was rushed… I was checking into the hospital… my first baby was coming unexpectedly six weeks early, some of my water broke, I was scared beyond scared… I hadn’t even read up about labor yet, let alone premature labor… Hadn’t even met my new doctor… Just get me into this hospital!!! They said what’s your religion? I rattled off Catholic even though I attended a Methodist church for nine years… Honestly I was just checking some old box on a old form to get myself into that hospital faster… Baby is coming early!!! OMG I don’t have time for that question about my faith right now! Yeah, right… I take the time now to recount those days and to restructure and appreciate my faith…

I had completed unpacking that day, having moved just one week prior at seven and a half months pregnant… leaving a stable and beautiful hometown, a great job/career, and my family support system for the nearly complete unknown… Yeah a stress-filled pregnancy likely factored into my complications… single umbilical artery, gestational diabetes, and now this… blood streaming down my leg – six weeks early… Scared beyond scared…

A couple days later my daughter was born – she was fine and strong, just early, she apparently wanted to come out… Her choice? God’s choice? My improper health circumstances? A divine intervention that enabled me to come to grips with a new baby for six weeks before 911 happened (because 9-10-01 WAS her due date)… I have time to reflect now – but not then – blood down my leg…

I checked the box… “Whatever!” I said to myself… Well they actually read that box, then a lady from the local Catholic church came to see me the day after my preemie was born, she offered me communion and offered to pray… “Oh no, I’m good” I said. She looked confused, really confused… I don’t remember if I told her I had just checked the box in a rush. I do remember thanking her though – nice of you to offer, but no thank you.

It WAS really nice of her, I remember thinking (seed planted) about how good it was that volunteers actually took time to minister to those who needed it… But me? Really? I didn’t need it, didn’t want to waste her time… I was fine I told myself… I had God all figured out… OMG with the emphasis on M

Ha! I am so changed now!!!! Can you imagine me or anyone (or even you?) with that attitude? Yeah I can… because it was me!!!   I had God squared away in my box, not HIS. God works outside the box. God is LOVE. Love is patient….1 Corinthians 13… He worked on me years and years before and after that day… “when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.”

His love came down on me like a river (as the song goes), caused a Christmas flood for me, I got corrective action by God, fully taking Jesus in and myself out. Like Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:39), Jesus said I was sleeping and said “Arise”.

I am still shaking the excessive flood water off, into my saved rain barrels of writing, and yes onto other people in the splashzone… Some people came prepared with sponges to help sop up the runoff – and some perhaps came with their own dry cups to absorb my excessive rain from God. Of course, some backed away FAST, and still others were close to see the splash but wore rain slickers to repel the excessive extravaganza of God’s power… They don’t want to get wet, they are happy to keep dry inside their box.

Now my OMG is “Oh my, God, really?” I expect God in the unexpected now, I opened my box, actually God exploded it, that’s how I let JESUS in and let the LOVE come out. God was patient with me and so we should all be patient too with the seeds we plant, don’t be stingy, plant fully with love and go back for some more out of God’s pockets. I will plant seeds the rest of my life. It’s my calling now: to pay back the LOVE graced upon me.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a nosy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

(4) Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; (5) it is not arrogant or rude. (6) Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

(7) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. (8) Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. (9) For our knowledge is imperfect, but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

(10) When I was a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. (11) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. (12) Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

(13) So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

———-

Matthew 10:11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Sometimes it does worry me a bit – but mostly I think God is comforting me – by throwing songs my way at the right times… because when I was posting this essay (written last month) about changes I was listening “randomly” to YES – and their song “CHANGES” was playing… fitting duplication…

200
Change Your Attitude – Fire and Brimstone vs LOVE…, 26JUN
I have always known that this notion is important and the email below speaks to how Jesus is about repentance, believing, and being forgiven – not about threats of hellfire.

Fire and Brimstone vs LOVE…

I wish people in distress could count God’s blessings more, I wish they could open their eyes, and cut back their own thorns… wouldn’t that be nice if everyone did… If we find grief with situations and people, it is my opinion that we are meant to learn something about ourselves in that situation… And then we can learn to change our attitude… at least we could try… And this is because we likely have no control over the other person/situation… What we can control is us, just us. My favorite piece of advice on one of my roughest days was “if the pain is in you, well you know exactly how to deal with yourself, right? You’ve lived with yourself for 45 yrs… so just deal with it.” Yup…. That advice worked wonders that day…

I really ignored Satan before, but now I see him… I usually see him coming a mile away… Knowing the right and wrong way within your brain makes ALL the difference, and I often can get over my grief situations by acknowledging that I put myself up for a fall…. And the doubt that creeps in when you know you have done something in good faith, that’s Satan eating at you for breakfast…. Don’t forget to engage your brain when you feel your heart guard is down…

By obeying God, Satan’s legs get knocked out, he crumbles and slithers away for another day…

Whenever you exercise and build strength physically you can withstand falls and health threats. So whenever you exercise your faith – even flash your smile when you feel Jesus holding you up – then you can withstand the storms. Exercising by running towards Jesus, and retaking your body and soul as a temple, your tabernacle, well that’s doubly good…

Grace begets brave living… And brave loving…

> ———- Forwarded message ———-
> From: “Jesus-Centered Life” <info@jesuscenteredlife.com>
> Date: Jun 26,
> Subject: Your Jesus-Centered Daily
>
>> The early church presents the Jesus-following life as uncomplicated (repent, believe, and be forgiven), with no complex atonement theories (we killed Christ, but God raised him up), and zero threats of hellfire as motivation (because the gospel is less about running away from something and more about running toward someone).
>> — Bruxy Cavey

 

199
Happy Halfway to Christmas, 25JUN

Why am I excited for Christmas? It’s because everyday is Christmas this year… My poinsettia is still red…

How awesome is it that Christmas and Easter are renewed in the calendar and hopefully in our hearts every year… Yeah it’s awesome!

But why do I get Christmas all year this year? Why do I not force myself away from this christmas merry go round, which certainly I also chose? Why do I allow this mental state? Why do I feed myself and mediate on God at a level I would previously said was overkill? And I’m sure others would say even now is overkill!
So I don’t know if God has caused this or I have caused this continuation of willingly focusing on God

I don’t know the answer to this I don’t know why I’m feeling Christmas just as much as I don’t know why I got here when I did.

What I am truly sure of is that I am really enjoying it. It’s a mental drifting away state… I try to focus on things and I am still getting my work done in life itrs just my life work is changing.

I am sure it’s because God wants me to be firmly rooted, and is giving me at least a whole year, I am being allowed and also allowing myself to grow. In the moment it feels such a long year but I know in hindsight it will seem so quick many years from now. And I know it won’t be done in a year but for at least this year I’m indulging myself in the pleasures of God… thank you God for supporting that.

Here’s a new-to-me song – good for a half Christmas

I Will Delight (In the Law of the Lord)
Words and Music by Walt Hurrah and John A. Schreiner

I will delight in the law of the Lord
I will meditate day and night
Then, like a tree firmly planted,
I’ll be rounded in Your Word

Blessed is the one
Who follows the way of the Lord
Blessed is the one

Satisfied
Oh, so satisfied
Satisfied

196

I have a friend going thru a court hearing today…. no details… but I found this website, talks about forgiveness…Here’s my message to them and the website link and part of the text…

Ah, ……, prayers for today, the storm passed, the sun is out….try to forgive the anger and rage…. Ask God to forgive … If they can’t see their ways, that’s up to God to correct… You have to forgive… It’s hard… Those Amish parents whose kids were killed by that shooter forgave the shooter right away, which is what God wants us to do, forgive… Forgive and ask for forgiveness… It’s the way to true peace… May God hold you tight in His loving arms so you can feel peace.

I was reading about forgiveness, from this website http://www.patheos.com/…/top-7-bible-verses-about-forgiven…/

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

” The Biblical Definition of Forgiveness:
What the Bible defines as forgiveness is much broader and more comprehensive than what the world believes. In Matthew 6:14 Jesus shows us what forgiveness really is: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” The Greek word for forgive is “aphiēmi” which means “to send away,” to “depart,” or “to yield up” which means you send away from ever being in the presence of either party. That means that if my brother offends me and I forgive him, then I “send away” the offense from myself and from him so that it is never brought up again. If a person keeps bringing the same offense up then they have never really sent it away or they haven’t truly forgiven you. True biblical and godly forgiveness is this; “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8) and “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10)…

 

197
Even in the darkest hour the cross still shines

198
Question, 23JUN:
The spirit, of all people, led Jesus into the desert to be tempted…. Why? To test Jesus? To show us we are able to resist temptations? Or just to give the devil some grief? Or?

And Jesus knew this ahead of time, right? Hmmmm….

I wonder about God testing vs God letting you be tested… I would think the latter… Many people blame God for the temptations, but I don’t think so…

I bet He knew that we would have to find similarities to our own lives in order to follow Him and He to show us that He understands our grief…

Matthew 4:1-11 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

195 A
Funny red elderbugs this year, last year they were orange… Hmmmm…. Red was my field day team color today…. I was supposed to be blue, since I run it, I get to pick my color, which is always blue like my car… Well someone messed up and I got red…. Figures…. It is still Pentecost…. Figures….

I like how this bug is smiling…

195 B Email:

Yeah, duplicate scripture so fitting for today…. God bless your all…Wishing you calm…. You always have to come back to the calm…. Focus on Jesus for calm…
And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
— Jesus

——————————–

195 C Email:

good verse – I bet it will come up in duplicate sometime this week – just got a feeling on this one…

1 Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

—————————-

195 D Email:

And there’s your triple play for today, God’s hat trick, for three occurrences for psalm 23 today… Me first, reciting partially, in the car thinking of things that people and I list as wants which are not needs…. Then a friend texting me the psalm after seeing sheep along the road and sending it by email, then me pulling a copy if it out of my old purse after ignoring that bag for about a month…. Sweet triple…. “The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want…”

 

202 – questions with professor
Q:

Well, new question professor and pastors…..the spirit, of all people, led Jesus into the desert to be tempted…. Why? To test Jesus? To show us we are able to resist temptations? Or just to give the devil some grief?  Or? And Jesus knew this ahead right? Hmmmm….

I wonder about God testing vs God letting you be tested… I would think the latter… Many people blame God for the temptations, but I don’t think so…

Matthew 4:1-11New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

A:

Here’s your answer-

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.(Hebrews 4:15-16)

He was tempted so he could be like us in every way, to better understand our human condition, and to become the Last Adam. As the first Adam was tempted by the devil and failed, thereby ushering in sin and death and sorrow into the world, the Last Adam was tempted by the devil yet was without sin- did not give in- so that the sin, death, and sorrow might one day be banished from the world.

 

My RESPONSE:

Awesome, thanks… I never heard the term Last Adam…  makes me wonder if Eve gets a do-over?

I do appreciate approaching the throne to help with temptation and being able to say no, doesn’t always work but for major glaring temptation I have been rewarded with grace-given strength.

Thanks so much!

194
Entitlements vs. Affirmations, 21JUN
I was in the mountains helping a friend open her cabin, we worked hard… So we felt entitled to sit by the lake to relax, and later I also sat at the bonfire stirring up coals. It was where I felt such peace…. Of course temporary moment for peace, couldn’t stay all night and get bitten up by the bugs, but I allowed myself to accept freely offered PEACE….felt good…felt God…

Was I entitled to sit there? probably not… I really should be out solving world hunger and working for world peace, shouldn’t I? Shouldn’t we all? That’s another conversation….but I was granted this golden slice of personal peace and I joyfully took it. Gifts are more wonderful when you don’t expect them.

When I look to God, should I look for entitlement? I am pretty sure I should not… I need to respect God and his plan. I already live a golden cake-walk type life, what is my right to ask for entitlements?

Does God give gifts? Oh yeah! Gifts are more wonderful when you don’t expect them.

I have been praying for something for at least two years, so long I don’t even know… honestly the praying became like begging at times. Yes, we should all pray for whatever we need… begging and anguish are all acceptable… we should always go to God in whatever state we are in, for all of our needs, because he already knows them before we can even ask.

Although I did not feel totally feel entitled to what I was begging God for, I have to say that when I finally said “It’s your will, God… do as YOU will, not as I ask”, well wouldn’t you know it? God answered in a big way… God knew I had changed… and I received this gift within 6 hours, I am not making this up and I am not going to tell you what it was…. Just know God provides… God’s gift was an affirmation of His LOVE. I had to admit I was not entitled to it, even though some might say I was. And “honest-to-God” when I humbly decided I was not going to demand it anymore, my heart was truly changed… and when I prayerful lifted it to God, finally in the right heart-set, He in turn gave it to me. A gift. He loves me.

God freely gives Grace. He loves you and knows what you need, just turn to HIM.

But it IS difficult to do this for everything we should, and it is HARD to separate needs and wants, and who knows, perhaps what we are demanding is the best for the situation because often it probably is…. Scripture says “All things are possible if you believe”. God wants to you to look towards Him, God does have your best interest at heart. Have faith in God, and accept grace gifts gracefully…

If we pray for God’s will in all things, no matter how difficult it is to give up control, then all the gifts from God become affirmations of Love. When we shed our human desires for human acceptance, human love, human entitlements, and instead desire to please God and respect HIS plan (a very very long term plan that we are not entitled to know the details of), then everyday everyway we can experience JOY… And the best JOY – an eternal life – only comes from God.

A good friend said JOY stands for Jesus-Others-Yourself… If you ask God to change your heart and put Jesus first – then others – before your own needs, you will find JOY… And it will feel like you are affirmed in an overload of LOVE.

I can truly truly say that, PEACE is offered by a loving God, I pray we all to take and accept that PEACE in Joy…

THANKS God. You make my heart smile eternally for you.

193
FYI…adult Sunday school time… College level…. 20JUN
I love these discussions (email below) with “my professor”… Such a wealth of knowledge that he has, and the ability to draw electronically on great resources….

This is an academic interlude… kinda like hearing Paul Harvey saying, “Now you know the rest of the story”…

It’s cool that they can debate calmly, they can agree to disagree…. We need more of that in today’s society. Luther says “Partaking of the body of Christ can be of use because it involves the promise of forgiveness of sins. Since, however, every promise requires faith, and since faith is spiritual knowledge, then the bodily repast, if it is eaten in faith, must at the same time be eaten in spirit.” Meaning it’s real… The other guy says it’s a figure of speech… He uses the “I am the vine” scripture in his argument for it being a symbol.

“LUTHER: Call upon God, that you may receive understanding.

OECOLAMPADIUS: Call upon him yourself, for you need it just as much as we!”

My favorite agreement they have is:
“Indeed, to do the smallest thing at the command of the Master is spiritual. ”

And on page 11, “Respecting Helvidius, it can be proved from Scripture that “brother” can mean “cousin.” ” yeah that made me take a pause!…. based on all my cousin writing, on 17mar and more recently… Cool…

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: “Professor”  Subject: Re: Another question

> We explored this question in (too much) detail during my scholasticism class this past semester!
>
> What it boils down to is that from the very earliest years the church believed that Christ was really present in the communion elements. We can see this belief as far back as the 1st and 2nd centuries. It wasn’t until Ulrich Zwingli in the early 1500’s that many protestant churches came to believe in this “memorial only” understanding. In fact, Zwingli and Martin Luther once held a face-to-face debate on the subject called the Marburg Colloquy. Luther believed in a version of this “real presence” doctrine, Zwingli did not.
>
> Here, read this- it’s the transcript of the debate. You’ll learn a lot!http://divdl.library.yale.edu/dl/FullText.aspx… Follow the links at the bottom to the next pages to see their actual debate.

> —–Original Message—–
> From: debbie
>> Ok, Professor,
> I am curious….
> Why is it that Catholics are taught that actual transformation of bread and wine become real body and blood, and (I think) in protestant churches it is a symbol (am I right on that?)…. And why wine switched to grape juice but not in Catholic churches….
> What an amazing argument verse 43 must have started!!!!
> Verse 37 is also very intriguing in that God had to draw the people to Jesus first, and then Jesus shows them the way home… it’s not technically a circular argument, especially since these folks had all their history of God from Moses etc, but I could see how it would incite arguments! Jesus says he is God, but said God needs first to draw people to Jesus, and then they are saved…like the parables it requires open ears to fully understand, it’s taxing to comprehend and requires each person to make a personal evaluation… And it begs the question of why God made the system so intricate? Well because it’s a long term plan, not short term…. God is not in a vacuum of just God and people and everything being made from God are not a separate entity…. Everything is connected (everything from dust then back to dust)…. it’s as if within God there is all this movement here on earth… It’s as if people wander around, some seeking (some not) until they find the narrow slit of Jesus to pass through, to find eternal life… Not many get thru they say, the slit is narrow…but Jesus says he is here for “those who God draws to him” so perhaps it is for everyone but only so few will make it… One would pray that others see the LIGHT too…
> I am in no rush, but won’t it be cool to find out how all this shakes out in heaven?!!
> Thanks… I am so blessed to have fallen thru the narrow slit, or at least the first refining mesh…. Which is like a retaining mesh as well, Jesus won’t let me fall back out, he’s got me now. Like naaman I had to let go to fall in…. To let go the baggage that blocked my pass…. Who knew how blessed I would feel… And humbleness should be in being of such few that make it thru… Not pride…humility of the work now laid out for us… Now the real work really begins! God’s work is to help those find the narrow pass thru jesus…. I don’t think God minds if we polish the pass and make it a little easier for others to slip thru….but they have to let go of their baggage too, we can’t tear it out of their hands.

> 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
> Jesus the Bread of Life
> 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
> 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
> 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
> 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
> 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”
> 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
> 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
> 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
> 41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
> 43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[d] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
> 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
> 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
> Many Disciples Desert Jesus
> 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
> 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
> 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.