Lord
1. HELP me to ORGANIZE a usable system to aid in MY (daily?) INTERCESSORY PRAYER for
- other men, women, groups (ie. my neighbors, ridgeline fellowship, the US government down to those self-appointed tyrants rather than PUBLIC SERVANTS who are on the souderton borough board, my family in Christ around the world, ?...), issues (ie. the death of the Church in the US and the resulting piecemeal destruction of the US (see deuteronomy 28 to see a picture) by God,...?) and various prayers found in the bible, etc.
ephesians 6.18-
with ALL prayer and petition
PRAY at ALL times in the Spirit
and with this in view, BE ON THE ALERT with ALL perseverence and petition
for ALL the saints.
I timothy 2.1f-
first of all, then, i URGE that
entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,
BE MADE ON BEHALF OF ALL MEN..
2. HELP me LIVE MATTHEW 6.19-33
v19 DO NOT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES UPON EARTH
v20 but LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN
v.24 no man can serve two masters..you cannot serve God and mammon (ie. valued possessions)
(how much of my thought-word-deed, time, energy, ability and $ are focused on God today?)
v.25 DO NOT BE ANXIOUS (ie. recurring thought) for your life (food)...nor for your body (clothes)
v26 LOOK AT the bird of the air..do not sow..reap..gather into barns..
v28 OBSERVE how the lilies of the field grow..they do not toil nor..spin.
v31 DO NOT BE ANXIOUS...
v32..your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
v33 but SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
and all these things will be added to you.
v34 therefore DO NOT BE ANXIOUS for tomorrow...
I timothy 6.6-10-
but godliness is actually a means of great gain,
WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY CONTENTMENT.
for we have brought nothing into the world,
so we cannot take anything out of it either.
and if we have FOOD and COVERING,
with these we shall be content.
BUT THOSE WHO WANT TO GET RICH
(note: here is God's definition of RICH: having MORE THAN FOOD AND COVERING)
fall into temptation
and a snare
and many foolish and harmful desires
which PLUNGE men into ruin and destruction.
for the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil,
(note: we can't LOVE GOD ( have time to 'keep His commandments', john 14.15,
and at the same time LOVE MONEY (have time to seek for more than what is absolutely necessary to live). it is just impossible to do. every person chooses one or the other.)
and some by longing for it have
wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves with many a pang.
3. SET me COMPLETELY FREE from
-masturbation
-gluttony (especially gallon containers of ice cream)
-book reading (other than the bible)
-any focus(es) i currently don't see as stealing precious moments and all consuming focus from God
-any further distractions that will present themselves in the future
(note: i share this private information publicly
as a single person protest
against the squeaky clean 'church'
(this in quotes hoping those i encounter are NOT ONLY tares among the wheat,
but also true believers who are in stages leading to total spiritual atrophy
(kinda like samson. of hebrew 11 hall of faith for believing God to destroy the philistines
in giving him a prayer-asked resurgence of the sin-destroyed strength),
evidently (?) having no shepherd
who cares enough to seek them out
and nurse them back to spiritual health and then vibrancy.
i'm sick of never encountering true believers who are fighting a daily battle against sin
that i am fighting.
it is a reality for every person who truly knows Christ.
(ie. Jesus, talking to the disciples...
'if you BEING EVIL
know how to give good gifts and paul....(many years after meeting Jesus on the road to damascus, while leading, (almost single-handedly?) the greatest evangelistic effort in church history...
'for i am not practicing what i would like to do,
but i am doing the very thing i hate'...)
james 5.16 has been excised,
along with many other verses from the bible
and from the daily practice of christians one with another.
we desperately need to once again bemoan and agonize
in the ongoing battle against sin in our lives.
pray for me!)
john 8.31f-
Jesus..was saying to those jews who had believed Him,
if you ABIDE (obey, keep) IN MY WORD,
then you are truly disciples of Mine
32 and YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH
and THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.
34..truly, truly, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
and the slave does not remain in the house forever;
the son does remain forever.
36 IF.. THE SON SHALL SET YOU FREE
YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED.
romans 8.13-
for if you are living according to the flesh,
you must die;
but if by the Spirit
you are putting to death the deeds of the body
you will live.
galatians 5.1F-
it was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore KEEP STANDING FIRM and
DO ONT BE SUBJECT AGAIN to a yoke of slavery.
13-for you were called to freedom, brethren;
only DO NOT TURN your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love, SERVE ONE ANOTHER.
16 but i say WALK BY THE SPIRIT
and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh
for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit
and the Spirit against the flesh;
for these are in opposition to one another,
so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 but IF you are LED BY THE SPIRIT,
you are not under the law
24
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
11.4.2013 ADDICTION TO PORN
found i worldmag, 10.19.13, p52f...'fleeting images by j.c. derrick and angela lu
..richard (we're using only first names to preserve privacy,
now a youth pastor (note: isn't he disqualified?) in his mid 30s,
cites his 15 year addiction to porn as the prime reason he's still single.
'it has kept me from healthy relationships with women
(and) drastically affected my maturity in Christ (note: not to mention effectiveness in ministry)
he's not alone:
in one generation the average marriage age in the US today
jumped from the early 20s
to 29 for men and 27 for women.
...john piper agrees: (a woman)..asked him if a boyfriend's porn addiction
should be a deal breaker
-piper's response became one of his most popular podcasts ever.
he noted four problems with porn:
it is unloving to the women picture,
adulterous,
destructive to man's capacity to love real women,
destructive to a man's soul and his capacity to see God.
...90% of all boys
and 60% of all girls
will see pornography before they turn 18
-including large amounts of deviant behavior,
such as bestiality, group sex and child porn.
(note: one way to see it all is that the more enslaved, dysfunctional or desperate we become,
the more focused, the One who came not for the healthy but for the sick, is on us-ready to meet
our need.
..richard (we're using only first names to preserve privacy,
now a youth pastor (note: isn't he disqualified?) in his mid 30s,
cites his 15 year addiction to porn as the prime reason he's still single.
'it has kept me from healthy relationships with women
(and) drastically affected my maturity in Christ (note: not to mention effectiveness in ministry)
he's not alone:
in one generation the average marriage age in the US today
jumped from the early 20s
to 29 for men and 27 for women.
...john piper agrees: (a woman)..asked him if a boyfriend's porn addiction
should be a deal breaker
-piper's response became one of his most popular podcasts ever.
he noted four problems with porn:
it is unloving to the women picture,
adulterous,
destructive to man's capacity to love real women,
destructive to a man's soul and his capacity to see God.
...90% of all boys
and 60% of all girls
will see pornography before they turn 18
-including large amounts of deviant behavior,
such as bestiality, group sex and child porn.
(note: one way to see it all is that the more enslaved, dysfunctional or desperate we become,
the more focused, the One who came not for the healthy but for the sick, is on us-ready to meet
our need.
11.4.2013 BENGHAZI'S UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
found in world magazine, 10.19.2013, p44f
1. WHO authorized the opening of a special mission in benghazi,
a tumulous city known for producing terrorists?
2. WHY did ambassador chris stevens-
two weeks after the state department issued a travel warning for libya
-have to go to benghazi on the 9/11 anniversary?
3. WHAT did stevens discuss with turkish consul general ali sait akin
the night of the attack?
4. WHERE was president obama at the time of the attack
and what role did he play?
5. WHO ordered US forces not to attempt a rescue mission?
6. WHERE ARE THE BENGHAZI SURVIVORS?
7. HOW many survivors are forced to undergo polygraphs
and sign new nondisclosure agreements (illegal)?
what are they not allowed to tell what happened?
8. WHY has no one been cited or brought to justice for the attack?
1. WHO authorized the opening of a special mission in benghazi,
a tumulous city known for producing terrorists?
2. WHY did ambassador chris stevens-
two weeks after the state department issued a travel warning for libya
-have to go to benghazi on the 9/11 anniversary?
3. WHAT did stevens discuss with turkish consul general ali sait akin
the night of the attack?
4. WHERE was president obama at the time of the attack
and what role did he play?
5. WHO ordered US forces not to attempt a rescue mission?
6. WHERE ARE THE BENGHAZI SURVIVORS?
7. HOW many survivors are forced to undergo polygraphs
and sign new nondisclosure agreements (illegal)?
what are they not allowed to tell what happened?
8. WHY has no one been cited or brought to justice for the attack?
Saturday, November 2, 2013
11.1.2013 DUCT-TAPE DISCIPLES by carol arends
in the last few months God has, amazingly,
brought a number of men into my life.
it started a while ago
as i was led to start 'throwing pebbles' from time to time
into the lives of other men who i sensed might be open to
really seeking to be challenged in and grow in their faith
to the point that they were becoming more and more Christlike
in what they thought, spoke and did...
to the point of being open and honest about sins they were struggling with,
to the point of being desperate for Christ.
for the last few years this impulse has been on and off.
'on' when the desire for such was rekindled,
'off' when discouragement set in once again
because of little to no response..
finding little or no apparent kindred desire in any one else i knew.
but these last few months...!
God seems to be blowing the door of apathy off its hinges.
the first was a man named mark, recently saved and seeking a mentor.
it is our relationship that is shaping me
as i seek to learn what it is to be a friend
in christianity today, november, 2013, p31
what really sticks when leading a (note: person, no!...a) FRIEND to Christ
pascale honore loves watching her sons tackle the australian surf.
a woman not easily intimidated,
she would join her boys in the waves
were it not for a 1995 car accident that left her paraplegic.
bound to a wheelchair, surfing was not an option
-until one of her sons' friends had an idea.
tyron swan, 23, is a strong and skillful surfer.
'i could duct tape you to my back and surf, he said to pascale, 50.
pascale didn't see why he couldn't and armed with several roles of tape,
they set out to test their plan.
pascale 'can't find the words to explain'
what it's like to move through the ocean,
to feel like she's 'part of the water' after years of immobility.
for his part, tyron notes that surfing with an extra 88 pound taped to his body
is 'a pretty good challenge'.
but his nonchalance can't mask the significance of his gift.
'it's changed her life in a way, he admits.
..a powerful metaphor for spiritual friendship.
is there any more vivid embodiment of 'bearing one another's burdens gal. 6.2
than a sturdy tyron rising up on his surfboard with a ginning pascale on his back?
is there any richer example of the way trust can make possible
things once thought impossible?
when we use words like evangelism and discipleship,
are we not daring to dream that we who have already experienced
the waves of God's mercy might somehow lead a friend or two into the water?
..wherever the duct tape surfing documentary is posted,
there is space for viewers to leave comments.
several folds have asked about having a company make a professional grade harness,
eliminating the need for the reams of silver tape
(note: takes a lot of time and effort and output to be a friend
(ie. the duct taping and unducttaping!)
not to speak of the strength, cost, potential for injury and pain involved)
tyron cuts off with a fishing knife after every outing.
'pascale was sent a number of harnesses to try but realized that duct tape is the best
as ty needs her in a certain position (note: skin close)
, explains mark tipple, the film director.
'too low and he's off balance,
or if she's too high, he can't raise his head while paddling and can't see.
for now, duct tape is the best!
where prefabricated solutions have failed,
duct tape lets pascale and tyron
customize, adapt and fit themselves together as needed.
here is where my mind makes the leap back to spiritual friendships.
there are many evangelism and discipleship programs available,
chock full of great ideas.
but i am learning,
in my halting attempts at SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIPS,
that no one believes, disbelieves, questions or grows in exactly the same manner.
THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO SHARE THE FAITH
OR INVITE SOMEONE DEEPER INTO IT.
while programs give us ideas,
successful spiritual friendships
are built upon ADAPTIVE, RESPONSIVE, TRUSTING relationships
as unique as the people who inhabit them.
as a teenager, i spent several weeks going through a life changing discipleship program
with my youth pastor's wife, pam mitchell.
although i'm grateful for the material we worked through,
i can't remember anything about the curriculum we used.
WHAT I REMEMBER, above all, IS OUR FRIENDSHIP
-the way i could trust pam completely with my hurts and hopes.
as she lived out the scriptures we were exploring,
i longed to swim where she swam
-to follow her as she followed Christ (I corinthians 11.1)
there is a give and take to discipleship,
a discovery of how a would be mentor's strengths and experiences align with
a friend's questions and quandaries.
spiritual friendship should be as much listening as leading,
as much discovery as discourse.
forcing that friendship into preconceived patterns
will almost certainly sink it.
and so, whether i am the mentor or mentee (or, often, both),
i am trying to embrace something like duct tape discipleship.
it's stickier, and messier, than some of the prefabricated solutions.
but it takes an approach as adaptable
-and tenacious-
as duct tape to be the kind of friend who dives in deep and,
like the proverb says, 'sticks closer than a brother' (18.24)
brought a number of men into my life.
it started a while ago
as i was led to start 'throwing pebbles' from time to time
into the lives of other men who i sensed might be open to
really seeking to be challenged in and grow in their faith
to the point that they were becoming more and more Christlike
in what they thought, spoke and did...
to the point of being open and honest about sins they were struggling with,
to the point of being desperate for Christ.
for the last few years this impulse has been on and off.
'on' when the desire for such was rekindled,
'off' when discouragement set in once again
because of little to no response..
finding little or no apparent kindred desire in any one else i knew.
but these last few months...!
God seems to be blowing the door of apathy off its hinges.
the first was a man named mark, recently saved and seeking a mentor.
it is our relationship that is shaping me
as i seek to learn what it is to be a friend
in christianity today, november, 2013, p31
what really sticks when leading a (note: person, no!...a) FRIEND to Christ
pascale honore loves watching her sons tackle the australian surf.
a woman not easily intimidated,
she would join her boys in the waves
were it not for a 1995 car accident that left her paraplegic.
bound to a wheelchair, surfing was not an option
-until one of her sons' friends had an idea.
tyron swan, 23, is a strong and skillful surfer.
'i could duct tape you to my back and surf, he said to pascale, 50.
pascale didn't see why he couldn't and armed with several roles of tape,
they set out to test their plan.
pascale 'can't find the words to explain'
what it's like to move through the ocean,
to feel like she's 'part of the water' after years of immobility.
for his part, tyron notes that surfing with an extra 88 pound taped to his body
is 'a pretty good challenge'.
but his nonchalance can't mask the significance of his gift.
'it's changed her life in a way, he admits.
..a powerful metaphor for spiritual friendship.
is there any more vivid embodiment of 'bearing one another's burdens gal. 6.2
than a sturdy tyron rising up on his surfboard with a ginning pascale on his back?
is there any richer example of the way trust can make possible
things once thought impossible?
when we use words like evangelism and discipleship,
are we not daring to dream that we who have already experienced
the waves of God's mercy might somehow lead a friend or two into the water?
..wherever the duct tape surfing documentary is posted,
there is space for viewers to leave comments.
several folds have asked about having a company make a professional grade harness,
eliminating the need for the reams of silver tape
(note: takes a lot of time and effort and output to be a friend
(ie. the duct taping and unducttaping!)
not to speak of the strength, cost, potential for injury and pain involved)
tyron cuts off with a fishing knife after every outing.
'pascale was sent a number of harnesses to try but realized that duct tape is the best
as ty needs her in a certain position (note: skin close)
, explains mark tipple, the film director.
'too low and he's off balance,
or if she's too high, he can't raise his head while paddling and can't see.
for now, duct tape is the best!
where prefabricated solutions have failed,
duct tape lets pascale and tyron
customize, adapt and fit themselves together as needed.
here is where my mind makes the leap back to spiritual friendships.
there are many evangelism and discipleship programs available,
chock full of great ideas.
but i am learning,
in my halting attempts at SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIPS,
that no one believes, disbelieves, questions or grows in exactly the same manner.
THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO SHARE THE FAITH
OR INVITE SOMEONE DEEPER INTO IT.
while programs give us ideas,
successful spiritual friendships
are built upon ADAPTIVE, RESPONSIVE, TRUSTING relationships
as unique as the people who inhabit them.
as a teenager, i spent several weeks going through a life changing discipleship program
with my youth pastor's wife, pam mitchell.
although i'm grateful for the material we worked through,
i can't remember anything about the curriculum we used.
WHAT I REMEMBER, above all, IS OUR FRIENDSHIP
-the way i could trust pam completely with my hurts and hopes.
as she lived out the scriptures we were exploring,
i longed to swim where she swam
-to follow her as she followed Christ (I corinthians 11.1)
there is a give and take to discipleship,
a discovery of how a would be mentor's strengths and experiences align with
a friend's questions and quandaries.
spiritual friendship should be as much listening as leading,
as much discovery as discourse.
forcing that friendship into preconceived patterns
will almost certainly sink it.
and so, whether i am the mentor or mentee (or, often, both),
i am trying to embrace something like duct tape discipleship.
it's stickier, and messier, than some of the prefabricated solutions.
but it takes an approach as adaptable
-and tenacious-
as duct tape to be the kind of friend who dives in deep and,
like the proverb says, 'sticks closer than a brother' (18.24)
Friday, November 1, 2013
11.1.2013 NO INSULT LIKE THE TRUTH by charlie peacock
words to this song i found on his 'full circle' cd
1. i've run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
there's NO LIE LIKE INDEPENDENCE
there's NO DEMON LIKE CONTROL
i've fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
there's NO *PARODY LIKE POWER
(*when human power is not consciously trembling before God Almighty,
it can easily become a humorous, satirical or woe-rather-than-weal-bringing attempt
at imitating the Real Thing.)
there's NO FEVER LIKE DESIRE
2.i've drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
there's NO DRUG AS STRONG AS PRIDE
NO BLINDNESS LIKE DECEIT (last 2 lines 2x)
3. i've railed against a mountain
with a pick ax and a file
there's NO MINEFIELD LIKE PRESUMPTION
there's NO DEATH WISH LIKE DENIAL
4. there's NO GUNSHOT LIKE CONVICTION
there's NO CONSCIENCE BULLETPROOF
there's NO STRENGTH LIKE UTTER WEAKNESS
there's NO INSULT LIKE THE TRUTH
5. i've adjusted my prescription
til i couldn't trust my vision
there's NO KILLER LIKE CONVENIENCE
there's NO SICKNESS LIKE OMISSION
6. i've amended resolutions
and resisted explanation
there's NO KILLER LIKE CONVENIENCE
there's NO SICKNESS LIKE OMISSION
7. i've amended resolutions
and resisted explanation
there's NO TRAPDOOR LIKE EMOTION
there's NO PIT LIKE REPUTATION
there's NO CANCER LIKE AMBITION
there's NO CURE LIKE CRUCIFIXION (last 2 lines 2x)
1. i've run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
there's NO LIE LIKE INDEPENDENCE
there's NO DEMON LIKE CONTROL
i've fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
there's NO *PARODY LIKE POWER
(*when human power is not consciously trembling before God Almighty,
it can easily become a humorous, satirical or woe-rather-than-weal-bringing attempt
at imitating the Real Thing.)
there's NO FEVER LIKE DESIRE
2.i've drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
there's NO DRUG AS STRONG AS PRIDE
NO BLINDNESS LIKE DECEIT (last 2 lines 2x)
3. i've railed against a mountain
with a pick ax and a file
there's NO MINEFIELD LIKE PRESUMPTION
there's NO DEATH WISH LIKE DENIAL
4. there's NO GUNSHOT LIKE CONVICTION
there's NO CONSCIENCE BULLETPROOF
there's NO STRENGTH LIKE UTTER WEAKNESS
there's NO INSULT LIKE THE TRUTH
5. i've adjusted my prescription
til i couldn't trust my vision
there's NO KILLER LIKE CONVENIENCE
there's NO SICKNESS LIKE OMISSION
6. i've amended resolutions
and resisted explanation
there's NO KILLER LIKE CONVENIENCE
there's NO SICKNESS LIKE OMISSION
7. i've amended resolutions
and resisted explanation
there's NO TRAPDOOR LIKE EMOTION
there's NO PIT LIKE REPUTATION
there's NO CANCER LIKE AMBITION
there's NO CURE LIKE CRUCIFIXION (last 2 lines 2x)
11.1.2013 WE ARE THE ONLY BIBLE MOST MEN WILL EVER READ
..found on the back of a church bulletin..
PORTABLE BIBLE
'remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of david
-that is my gospel,
for which i suffer hardship,
even to the point of being chained liked a criminal.
but the word of God is not chained. II timothy 2.8-9
years ago, in england, it was not unusual that there would be only one bible in a parish.
a large bible would be literally chained to the pulpit or altar table.
if someone wanted to read the bible for themselves,
they could find it where they last saw it.
it hadn't moved because it was chained to the spot.
this, of course, also insured that no one would steal the bible.
it was chained down and didn't go home with anyone.
then again, maybe it did.
you can't chain the word of God.
when people hear it and take to heart what it says,
it travels.
it moves!
it goes with you.
it's portable!
your bible isn't chained to the altar at church.
but even if it was, it wouldn't stay there.
the word of God travels home with you,
to the office, the shop, the field
and everywhere else you go.
it's portable.
in fact, there are times when i wish the word of God would 'stay put' but it doesn't.
it follows me!
it convicts me when i do wrong.
it reminds me of what is right. it guides me in the paths of righteousness.
it follows me like my shadow.
that's because it is 'LIVING AND ACTIVE'. hebrews 4.12
it's portable!
'finally, brethren, PRAY for us that
the word of the Lord spread rapidly ('run' kjv)
and be glorified,
just as it did also with you.' II thessalonians 3.1
PORTABLE BIBLE
'remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of david
-that is my gospel,
for which i suffer hardship,
even to the point of being chained liked a criminal.
but the word of God is not chained. II timothy 2.8-9
years ago, in england, it was not unusual that there would be only one bible in a parish.
a large bible would be literally chained to the pulpit or altar table.
if someone wanted to read the bible for themselves,
they could find it where they last saw it.
it hadn't moved because it was chained to the spot.
this, of course, also insured that no one would steal the bible.
it was chained down and didn't go home with anyone.
then again, maybe it did.
you can't chain the word of God.
when people hear it and take to heart what it says,
it travels.
it moves!
it goes with you.
it's portable!
your bible isn't chained to the altar at church.
but even if it was, it wouldn't stay there.
the word of God travels home with you,
to the office, the shop, the field
and everywhere else you go.
it's portable.
in fact, there are times when i wish the word of God would 'stay put' but it doesn't.
it follows me!
it convicts me when i do wrong.
it reminds me of what is right. it guides me in the paths of righteousness.
it follows me like my shadow.
that's because it is 'LIVING AND ACTIVE'. hebrews 4.12
it's portable!
'finally, brethren, PRAY for us that
the word of the Lord spread rapidly ('run' kjv)
and be glorified,
just as it did also with you.' II thessalonians 3.1
11.1.2013 FORGIVENESS comes to Corrie Ten Boom
taken her 'tramp for the Lord'
'it was at a church service in munich that i saw him,
the former S.S. (nazi) man who had stood guard at the shower room door
in the processing center at ravensbruck. (one of the concentration camps)
he was the first of our actual jailers that i had seen since that time.
and suddenly it was all there
-the roomful of mocking men,
the heaps of clothing,
betsie's (corrie's older sister) pain-blanched face.
he came up to me as the church was emptying,
beaming and bowing.
"how grateful i am for your message, fraulein", he said.
"to think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"
his hand was thrust out to shake mine.
and i, who had preached so often...the need to forgive,
kept my hand at my side.
even as angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me,
i saw the sin of them.
Jesus Christ had died for this man;
was i going to ask for more?
'Lord Jesus, i prayed,
forgive me
and help me to forgive him.
i tried to smile.
i struggled to raise my hand.
i could not.
i felt nothing,
not the slightest spark of warmth or charity.
and so again i breathed a silent prayer.
'Jesus, I CANNOT forgive him.
Give me Your forgiveness.
as i took his hand, the most incredible thing happened.
from my shoulder along my arm and through my hand
a current seemed to pass from me to him,
while into my heart sprang
A LOVE
for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.
and so i discovered that it is not on our forgiveness
any more than on our goodness
that the world's healing hinges,
but on His.
when He tells us to love our enemies. He gives, along with the command,
the love itself.
note: oh Lord help us submit to You (james 4.7) so that You can live through us
and BECOME MANIFEST TO EVERYONE WE KNOW AND MEET.
may i bear good fruit (do the will of Your Father, who is in heaven...matthew 7.15-21)
by doing what You say.
help me
LOVE MY ENEMIES
DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE ME
BLESS (speak well of) THOSE WHO CURSE ME
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY ABUSE ME
BE MERCIFUL (lament and regret the misfortune and death of anyone who does not do Your will)
just as my Father in heaven is merciful (laments and regrets the same).
NOT TO JUDGE (ie. say of anyone in my heart, no matter how evil they are, s/he is bad!...but
pray for them and show them God's love and forgiveness no matter what they do!)
NOT TO CONDEMN (ie. to, as it were, lock them in a dungeon-no matter how hypocritically 'nice' i may treat them outwardly-take the key and throw it into hell vowing never to pray for or help them in any way!)
PARDON (ie. so i can with clear conscience pray, 'forgive us our debts AS we forgive those who 'owe' (done wrong to) us')
GIVE
GOOD MEASURE
PRESSED DOWN
SHAKEN TOGETHER
RUNNING OVER (ie. to the worst enemy on up...) luke 6. 27-8;36-8
'it was at a church service in munich that i saw him,
the former S.S. (nazi) man who had stood guard at the shower room door
in the processing center at ravensbruck. (one of the concentration camps)
he was the first of our actual jailers that i had seen since that time.
and suddenly it was all there
-the roomful of mocking men,
the heaps of clothing,
betsie's (corrie's older sister) pain-blanched face.
he came up to me as the church was emptying,
beaming and bowing.
"how grateful i am for your message, fraulein", he said.
"to think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"
his hand was thrust out to shake mine.
and i, who had preached so often...the need to forgive,
kept my hand at my side.
even as angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me,
i saw the sin of them.
Jesus Christ had died for this man;
was i going to ask for more?
'Lord Jesus, i prayed,
forgive me
and help me to forgive him.
i tried to smile.
i struggled to raise my hand.
i could not.
i felt nothing,
not the slightest spark of warmth or charity.
and so again i breathed a silent prayer.
'Jesus, I CANNOT forgive him.
Give me Your forgiveness.
as i took his hand, the most incredible thing happened.
from my shoulder along my arm and through my hand
a current seemed to pass from me to him,
while into my heart sprang
A LOVE
for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.
and so i discovered that it is not on our forgiveness
any more than on our goodness
that the world's healing hinges,
but on His.
when He tells us to love our enemies. He gives, along with the command,
the love itself.
note: oh Lord help us submit to You (james 4.7) so that You can live through us
and BECOME MANIFEST TO EVERYONE WE KNOW AND MEET.
may i bear good fruit (do the will of Your Father, who is in heaven...matthew 7.15-21)
by doing what You say.
help me
LOVE MY ENEMIES
DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE ME
BLESS (speak well of) THOSE WHO CURSE ME
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY ABUSE ME
BE MERCIFUL (lament and regret the misfortune and death of anyone who does not do Your will)
just as my Father in heaven is merciful (laments and regrets the same).
NOT TO JUDGE (ie. say of anyone in my heart, no matter how evil they are, s/he is bad!...but
pray for them and show them God's love and forgiveness no matter what they do!)
NOT TO CONDEMN (ie. to, as it were, lock them in a dungeon-no matter how hypocritically 'nice' i may treat them outwardly-take the key and throw it into hell vowing never to pray for or help them in any way!)
PARDON (ie. so i can with clear conscience pray, 'forgive us our debts AS we forgive those who 'owe' (done wrong to) us')
GIVE
GOOD MEASURE
PRESSED DOWN
SHAKEN TOGETHER
RUNNING OVER (ie. to the worst enemy on up...) luke 6. 27-8;36-8
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