WILL NOW TAKE US DEEP INTO THE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT FOR THE CAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST
Giving God all the praises for His Marvelous Light (Photo by Pastor Davis)
By Shirley Rhodes
In Search of Peace:
If you are seen as “weird,” “strange,” or “indifferent,” it’s okay. If you are following the patternJesus has given you’re on a journey that will take you beyond your wildest dreams, just remember, this journey is about love and commitment for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Now let us see how Jesus wants us to prepare for this journey.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdomPsalm 90:12.
Now let us understand how the pattern of following Jesus on this JOURNEY works. The things that are holy belong to God and are sacred (special, precious); we hold such gifts close to our hearts because they are blessed.
When we are chosen, we’re set apart from the things of this world; we come out of darkness and follow “the light” that is spirit. Unless we are willing to accept this gift of light we have no inner peace, nothing really satisfies the thirst for righteousness. When we wonder about in life, do we ponder the meaning of the many gifts before us and offer praise and thanksgiving or do we literally take life for-granted. Sanctification sets us apart and instills our hearts and spirit with the desire to follow the pattern Jesus gave.
When we stop and read (learn) of his message and how it applies to our daily life, we process our thoughts and focus on what lies in front of us as the JOURNEY begins. God gave his Son so that we are able to share in his glory.
There are those who are always finding fault, pre-judging, accusing, doubting and giving their opinion of who we are and we allow those acts to influence how we live, but that do not have to be. Jesus made attempts, performed many miracles, gave us instruction for life, He was loving, patient and kind, yet there were (and are) so many who still prefer to wander in darkness than make the sacrifice to follow his pattern of teaching for life. This is the generation that seek him Psalm 24:6
Jesus summed it all up this way when He said, “Whoever believes in me, believe not just in me, but the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is in fact, looking at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark. If anyone hears what I’m saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. Whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying is willfully choosing rejection. The Father sent me, gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. I know exactly what his command produces, eternal life. What the Father told me, I tell you” (John 12:44-50, Mgs)
Jesus teaches us to love thy neighbor as thy self:
He didn’t just stop there, He went on to say, “Children, I’m with you for only a short time longer; let me give you a new command: Love one another in the same way I loved you. When everyone sees the love you have for each other they will know that you are my disciples (34-35).
Whatever you request along the lines of which I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. Whatever you request in this way I will do it. Because a loveless world, is a sightless world, if anyone loves me he will carefully keep my word and the Father will love him. The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you.
Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned bereft (23-28). If you find the godless world hating you, remember it got its’ start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of their own, but since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you (15:18-19). Fix this firmly in your minds: You’re going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You’ll be very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness (16:20). Your joy will be a river overflowing it’s banks”(24).
In closing, we encourage you to stay focus on the prize and keep in the forefront of your mind that, “THE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT FOR THE CAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST is one that you have been chosen to participate in and enjoy all the fruits that God has provided for you along the way. Now Enjoy!
EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF A LOVING RELATIONSHIP (PHOTO BY PASTOR)
Today’s lesson centers on the word love, and we begin our lesson today by answering our own question, and we answer it simply with one word: “EVERYTHING!” We were first created by a loving God. He created us to love and be loved. He commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. This day simply means that we take the opportunity to pause and reflect and think deeply upon what it means for us to love and be loved; then share our thoughts and true feelings of love with those that mean so much to us. Remember, we are the reflection of that person in the mirror, and that person is a child of God, created to love, and to be loved?
MaxImillion and Tida experiencing the joy of a loving relationship (Photo by Pastor Davis)
Now let us understand a few basic facts about love and being in a loving relationship. First of all, we’re all either in a relationship, getting out of one are looking for one. No matter what the situation may or may not be, everyone is seeking love. Some of us are seeking it in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. No matter, we want love. We want to be loved and we want to experience it in ways that will define who we are. Weather we are young or old, rich or poor, we are trying to reach a place in life that will define our happiness, our joy, our place in history, as a man or woman, a family or whatever. We seek love; we seek to be loved, not knowing that; Love is the foundation and the apex of the pyramid of our existence.
Now listen to what God’s word teaches us about love, it says, “If I speak with the eloquence of men and of angels, but have no love, I become no more than blaring brass or crashing cymbal. If I have the gift of foretelling the future and hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have that absolute faith, which can move mountains, but have no love, I amount to nothing at all. If I dispose of all that I possess, yes, even if I give my own body to be burned, but have no love, I achieve precisely nothing.
This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.
Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is,
Shared moments of love and romance (Photo by Pastor Davis)
in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. (1Corinthians 13:1-7 Phillips)
Love suffers for a long time. Our modern “throw-away” society encourages us to get rid of people in our lives who are difficult to get along with whether they are friends, family, or acquaintances. Yet this attitude runs in complete contrast to the love described in God’s word. True love puts up with people who would be easier to give up on.
Love does not envy. If our love is directed toward others, we will rejoice in the blessings they receive rather than desiring those blessings for ourselves. Fundamentally, the selfless love that God calls us to does not involve pride or glory. It does not parade itself and is not puffed up. In fact, true love does not seek its own. If we truly love others, we will set aside our own plans, agendas, and entitlements for the good of another.
Love is not provoked. That is, love is not easily angered or over-sensitive. When we truly love others, we are careful not to be touchy concerning other people’s words or actions towards us.
Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. The godly love described in this lesson has nothing to do with evil, but has everything to do with what is right and true. It believes all things and hopes all things. This does not mean that love is blind or naïve. When we love, we may recognize problems and failures in people, but we do not lose faith in the possibilities of what people might become. Love never gives up, knowing that God can change lives for the better.
Finally, love endures all things. Love accepts any hardship or rejection, and continues unabated to build up and encourage. When your relationship has been built on this solid foundation of Godly love, no weapon that the enemy may form against it shall ever prosper. Love is the glue that bounds all hearts that are filled with Godly love together. After you have carefully studied this word, prayed on it, meditated on it, I leave you with the question that we begin this word with, “WHAT DOES LOVE HAVE TO DO WITH VALENTINE DAY?” Now you complete the rest of the story in your own words to the one you love.
THE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT FOR THE CAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST
By Shirley Rhodes
In Search of Peace:
Today, we set out on The Journey of Love and Commitment for the Cause of Jesus Christ, and if you are seen as “weird,” “strange,” or “indifferent,” it’s okay. If you are following the patternJesus has given, you’re on a journey that will take you beyond your wildest dreams, just remember, this journey is about love and commitment for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Now let us see how Jesus wants us to prepare for this journey, and we begin with:
When we follow the patterns of scripture, it says, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdomPsalm 90:12.”
Now let us understand how the pattern of following Jesus on this JOURNEY works. The things that are holy belong to God and are sacred (special, precious); we hold such gifts close to our hearts because they are blessed.
When we are chosen, we’re set apart from the things of this world; we come out of darkness and follow “the light” that is spirit. Unless we are willing to accept this gift of light we have no inner peace,
The Mystery of the forces of darkness (Photo by Shirley Rhodes)
nothing really satisfies the thirst for righteousness. When we wonder about in life, do we ponder the meaning of the many gifts before us and offer praise and thanksgiving or do we literally take life for-granted. Sanctification sets us apart and instills our hearts and spirit with the desire to follow the pattern Jesus gave.
When we stop and read (learn) of his message and how it applies to our daily life, we process our thoughts and focus on what lies in front of us as the JOURNEY begins. God gave his Son so that we are able to share in his glory.
There are those who are always finding fault, pre-judging, accusing, doubting and giving their opinion of who we are and we allow those acts to influence how we live, but that do not have to be. Jesus made attempts, performed many miracles, gave us instruction for life, He was loving, patient and kind, yet there were (and are) so many who still prefer to wander in darkness than make the sacrifice to follow his pattern of teaching for life. This is the generation that seek him Psalm 24:6
Jesus summed it all up this way when He said, “Whoever believes in me, believe not just in me, but the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is in fact, looking at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark. If anyone hears what I’m saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. Whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying is willfully choosing rejection. The Father sent me, gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. I know exactly what his command produces, eternal life. What the Father told me, I tell you” (John 12:44-50, Mgs)
Then Jesus moves on and provides us with His greatest lesson of all times by teaching us to love thy neighbor as thy self:
The Joy of Loving one another
He didn’t just stop there, He went on to say, “Children, I’m with you for only a short time longer; let me give you a new command: Love one another in the same way I loved you. When everyone sees the love you have for each other they will know that you are my disciples (34-35).
Whatever you request along the lines of which I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. Whatever you request in this way I will do it. Because a loveless world, is a sightless world, if anyone loves me he will carefully keep my word and the Father will love him. The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you.
Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned bereft (23-28). If you find the godless world hating you, remember it got its’ start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of their own, but since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you (15:18-19). Fix this firmly in your minds: You’re going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You’ll be very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness (16:20). Your joy will be a river overflowing it’s banks”(24).
In closing, we encourage you to stay focus on the prize and keep in the forefront of your mind that, “THE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT FOR THE CAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST is one that you have been chosen to participate in and enjoy all the fruits that God has provided for you along the way. Love one another, He says, as I have loved you! Now enjoy the moment! And He closes with, “I will be with you, even to the end of time.” AMEN!
How do we repair a major breach in our lives, when that breach is the glue that binds us together? Jesus commanded us to love one another. Love our neighbor as ourselves. The very first thing we need to do is to get Jesus into our homes, schools, communities, workplace and everywhere we work and play. Jesus is love; he is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He is the author and finisher of our faith.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 ESV).
Now my friends, take a few more minutes of your valuable time, and watch this video clip about love, healing and forgiveness. Then make this day, your day of healing as you pray and meditate on the word of God that his promises will be fulfilled in the lives of those who are in need of God’s blessings this day.
In this third lesson, we will teach you how to bless others by using your own manifest powers, and receive greater blessing for yourself. Know without a doubt, You are truly the power and present of God. Now learn how to use this power for a greater good. Be guided by these words; “Mercy and truth have met together, Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Psalm 85:10-11) NKJV
The Roses for Peace-Love-Blessings (Photo by Pastor Davis)
Your real blessings will begin after you have blessed yourself, and at this point, you will naturally want to share and extend this good, so begin by blessing your entire house and household. Now make sure that the source of your supply receives a very special blessing. After you have finished reading this lesson, why not email it to all the people you know, re-blog it and post it on all your social networking sites. Praise and bless him or her for all their manifest evidence of goodness, but here is the truly clever part – praise him or her, most for any quality of character or success that he or she at present appears to lack, and lo! You will stir within them that very quality. The following is a true story, which illustrates this very point; here it was a lack of love and loyalty.
A teacher was lecturing on “Blessing” in the New England states. A very lovely, charming woman was in the audience one who was very unhappy, for her husband had been neglecting her, leaving her alone night after night. Listening intently and storing away every word the teacher said, she went home, sat down before the fire, put a chair in front of her and mentally placed her husband in it. She then blessed and praised him for his goodness his kindness his honesty and integrity his success in life and his loyalty, releasing in him every good quality she knew. All the afternoon she did this at five she went upstairs and put on her prettiest gown. At six, her husband came home with a box of gorgeous American Beauty roses, also a large box of candy, and gave them to her. She thanked him, very graciously, but not a word did she say as to how she had spent her afternoon. After dinner, her husband said, “Do you know, my dear, I hadn’t meant these gifts for you, but as I was leaving my office something said to me, ‘What a chump you are, wasting your time and life. Go home to your wife, who really and truly loves you.” He had a complete awakening. Wasn’t that wonderful? What about you? Have you been missing out on your blessings, by being inconsiderate and not blessings the love of your life?
You see, her recognition and invocation of the “Divine Power”within him, her at-one-ment with the All good everywhere evenly present, called forth that marvelous demonstration. You can do the same thing with anybody or anything. So bless each member in your household, your friends, all your contacts for the day, the city you live in—this, you are enlarging your horizon.
Here is an example of how you can do this: Before going downtown, bless the shops, the clerks, and you’ll meet the blessing coming back to you in many unexpected ways. Did you ever throw a pebble into a pond and watch how the little ripples spread outward in every direction, all coming back to you as well as going forth? So it is with blessing.
Bless and praise the house you live in, the bed you sleep in, the chairs you sit on, for there is but one substance, one intelligence, by virtue of which everything that has form is life.
There is no reason why you should not bless the rug you walk on, invoke the Presence of the Divine Power within it,—saying, “For the Goodness of God within you, I bless you, and bless you, and bless you, and whoever steps upon this rug will receive a shock of instant good a healing, perhaps, or a manifestation of some desire by receiving, all of a sudden, the right idea to bring it forth.”
This will indeed make it a “magic carpet.” Likewise, you can bless all of your furniture in the same way. Learn to put fun, joy, and romance into everything you do. You are far too serious, which freezes your life forces. We have almost lost the art of playing. As Hans Christian Anderson says, “Every man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s finger.” Thus these “secrets” will call forth once again in your life the art of playing.
Now I encourage you to meditate on these words, understand the truth of what they are speaking to you. Allow the Holy Spirit that lives within you to take control of your thoughts as you move to the higher level of blessings. Know that in everything you do, you are blessed and you are a blessing to others you meet. Stay tune for lesson four, which will continue to teach you how to bless and be blessed.
This lesson today is my Blessings to all of you. I leave you with my peace, love and the presence of the Divine power of God, that surrounds each of you, that you will be filled with much joy and happiness and have the opportunity to experience the fullness of all that God has to offer you this day. I remain your brother in Jesus Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!
We have shared with you a deep and clear path for you to follow if you are truly committed to being that one disciple who will pick up his cross and follow the path that Jesus has laid out for those who truly do love him. I encourage each of you to go back and study each one of these lessons in its entirety, watch the videos and allow your mind to be taken on a journey as they prepare you to go into the vineyard and retrieve the harvest that has become ripen and ready for you to bring into God’s market place.
Now understand clearly what Jesus is saying to you when he says these words, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you ‘rejoined with me and I with you, the relationship is intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separate, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.” Through the study of this lesson, I am certain that each one of you has matured as one of Jesus Disciples and you are now ready to be obedient to his word because your state of mind is now one of maturity.
Therefore, allow me to conclude this lesson with the following remarks:
1. This state of mind that we have been discussing is as obligatory upon sinners as upon saints. All men ought to feel this compassion for souls. Why not? Can any reason be named why a sinner should not feel as much compassion for souls as a Christian? Or why he ought not to loveGod and man as ardently?
2. Professors of religion who do not obey the true spirit of these precepts are hypocrites, without one exception. They profess to be truly religious, but are they? Certainly not, unless they are on the altar, devoted to God‘s work and in heart sincerely sympathizing in it. Without this, every one of them is a hypocrite. You profess to have the spirit of Christ; but when you see the multitudes as He saw them, perishing for lack of Gospellight, do you cry out in mighty prayer with compassion for their souls? If you have not this spirit, write yourself down a hypocrite.
3. Many do not pray that God would send forth laborers because they are afraid He will send them. I can recollect when religion was repulsive to me because I feared that if I should be converted, God would send me to preach the Gospel. But I thought further on this subject. God, said I, have a right to dispose of me as He pleases, and I have no right to resist. If I do resist, He will put me in hell. If God wants me to be a minister of His Gospel and I resist and rebel, He surely ought to put me in hell, and doubtless He will.
But there are many young men in religious colleges today who never give themselves to prayer for the conversion of the world, lest God should send them into this work. You would blush to pray, “Lord, send forth laborers, but don’t send me.” If the reason you don’t want to go is that you have no heart for it, you may write yourself down a hypocrite, and that is no mistake.
If you say, “I have a heart for the work, but I am not qualified to go,” then you may consider that God will not call you unless you are, or can be qualified. He does not want unfit men in the service.
4. The ministry for the last quarter of a century has fallen into disgrace for this reason; many young men have entered it that never should have entered. Their hearts are not fixed, and they shrink from making sacrifices for Christ and His cause. Hence, they do not go straight forward, true to the right, firm for the oppressed, and strong for every good word and work. By whole platoons, they back out from the position which they have sworn to maintain. The hearts of multitudes of lay brethren and sisters are in great distress, crying out over this fearful defection. To a minister who was complaining of the publicreproach cast on his order, a layman of Boston replied,
“I am sorry there is so many occasions for it; God means to rebuke the ministry, and He ought to rebuke them since they so richly deserve it.” Do not understand me to say that this vacillation of the ministry is universal; no, indeed; I am glad to know there are exceptions; but still the painful fact is that many have relapsed, and, consequently, as a class, they have lost character, and this has discouraged many young men from entering the ministry.
Let this be so no longer. Let the young men now preparing for the ministry come up to the spirit of their Master and rush to the front line of the battle. Let them toil for the good of souls, and love this toil as their great Lord has done before them. Thus by their fidelity let them redeem the character of this class of men from the reproach under which it now lies. Let them rally in their strength and lay themselves with one heart on the altar of God. So doing, not one generation should pass away ere it will be said — Mark the faithful men; note the men whose heart is in and on their work; the ministry is redeemed!
5. With sorrow I am compelled to say — Many don’t care whether the work is done or not. They are all swallowed up with ambitious a springs. Who does not know that they do not sympathize with JesusChrist?
Beloved, let me ask you if you are honestly conscious of sympathizing with your great Leader? I never can read the passage before us without being affected by the manifestation it makes of Christ‘s tenderness and love. There were the thronging multitudes before Him. To the merely external eye, all might have been fair; but to one who thought of their spiritualstate, there was enough to move the deepfountains of compassion. Christ saw them scattered abroad as sheep that have no shepherd. They had no teachers or guides in whom they could repose confidence. They were in darkness and moraldeath. Christ wept over them, and called on His disciples to sympathize in their case, and unite with Him in mighty prayer to the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth laborers. Such was His spirit. And now, dear young men, do you care whether or not this work is done?
6. Many seem determined to shirk this labor and leave it all for others to do. Indeed, they will hardly entertain the question what part God wants them to take and perform.
Now let me ask you – Will such as they be welcomed and applauded at last by the herald of judgment destiny, crying. Out, “Well done, good and faithfulservants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord?” Never; no never!
7. Many say — I am not called, but really they are not devoted to this work so as to whether they are called or not. They do not want to be called — not they!
Now the very fact that you have the requisite qualifications, means, and facilities for preparation, indicates God‘s call. These constitute the voice of His providence, saying, Go forth, and prepare for labor in my vineyard! There is your scholarship; use it: there the classes for you to enter; go in and occupy till you are ready to enter the great white fields of the Savior‘s harvest. If providential indications favor, you must strive to keep up with their summons; pray for the baptisms of the Holy Ghost; seek the divineanointing, and give yourself no rest till you are in all things furnished for the workGod assigns you.
It is painful to see that many are committing themselves in some way or other against the work. They are putting themselves in a position which of itself forbids their engaging in it. But do let me ask you, young men, can you expect ever to be saved if, when you have the power and the means to engage in this work, you have no heart for it? No, indeed! You knock in vain at the gate of the blessed! You may go there and knock, but what will be the answer? Are ye my faithfulservants? Were ye among the few, faithful among the faithless – quick and ready at your Master’s call? O no, no; you studied how you could shun the labor and shirk the self-denial! I know you not! Your portion lies without the city walls!
Let no one excuse himself, as not called, for God calls all too some sort of labor in the great harvestfield. You never need, therefore, to excuse yourself as one not called to some service for your Lord and Master. And let no one excuse himself from the ministry unless his heart is on the altar and he himself praying and longing to go, and only held back by an obvious call of God, through His providence, to some other part of the great labor.
Many will be sent to hell at last for treating this subject as they have, with so much selfishness at heart! I know the young man who for a long time struggled between a strongconviction that God called him to the ministry and a great repellency against
engaging in this work. I know what this feeling is, for I felt it a long time myself. A
long time I had a secretconviction that I should be a minister, though my heart repelled it. In fact, my conversion turned very much upon my giving up this contest with God, and subduing this repellency of feeling against God‘s call.
8. You can see what it is to be a Christian, and what God demands of men at conversion. The turning point is — Will you really and honestly serve God? With students especially the question is wont to be — Will you abandon all your ambitious schemes and devote yourself to the humble, un-ambitious toil of preachingChrist‘s Gospel to the poor? Most of this class are ambitious and aspiring; they have schemes of self-elevation, which it were a trial to renounce altogether. Hence with you, your being a Christian and being saved at last will turn much, perhaps altogether, on your giving yourself up to this work in the true self- denial of the Gospel spirit.
9. Many have been called to this work, which afterwards backslide and abandon it. They begin well, but backslide; get into a state of great perplexity about their duty; perhaps, like Balaam, they are so unwilling to see their duty and so anxious to evade it, that God will not struggle with them any longer, but gives them up to their covetousness, or their ambition.
Young man, are you earnestly crying out, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” Be assured, God wants you in His field somewhere; He has not abandoned His harvest to perish; He wants you in it, but He wants you first to repent and prepare your heart for the Gospel ministry. You need not enter it till you have done this.
Many are waiting for a miraculous call. This is a great mistake. God does not call men in any miraculous way. The finger of His providence points out the path, and the fitness He gives you indicates the work for you to do. You need not fear that God will call you wrong. He will point out the work He would have you do. Therefore, ask Him to guide you to the right spot in the great field. He will surely do it.
Young men, will you deal kindly and truly with my Master in this matter? Do you say, “O my God, I am on hand, ready for any part of the work Thou hast for me to do?’
What say you? Are you prepared to take this ground? Will you consecrate your education to this work? Are you ready and panting to consecrate your all to the work of your Lord? Do you say, “Yes, God shall have all my powers, entirely and forever?”I do beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The altar of God is before you. A whole sacrifice is the thing required. Are you ready to fore go all your selfish schemes? Ye who have talents fitting you for the ministry, will you devote them with all your soul to this work? Say, will you deal honestly and truly with my Master? Say, do you love His cause, and count it your highest glory to be a laborer together with God, in gathering in the nations of lost men to the fold of your Redeemer?
Now, I ask you to please take note of Jesus final words to you, he says, “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.
“You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
“But remember the root command: Love one another.
Our hope is that you have received this message in the Spirit that it was meant to be given, and now you are in a unique position to accept the challenges that are provided to you in this very special lesson and grow with us as we will with you and together we can bring about a much needed change in lives of the people of this world. Working to lift them up out of poverty, to the possibilities of all things that are new in Jesus Christ, because we all are our brother’ keeper.
The VINE AND BRANCH WORLD MINISTRIES is taking the GOSPEL to the world and taking the WORLD one soul at a time. Pause for a moment, and say, “BLESSED.” Because, you are truly BLESSED, and we minister to you from a position of PEACE, POWER, PURPOSE AND PROSPERITY!!! Jesus is the true Vine and we are His branches and together we become, “THE VINE AND BRANCH WORLD MINISTRIES.”
OUR MISSION is to reach the world through the Word of God, with truth and power. Allow the branches of this ministry tree to grow and spread to every corner of the world, and sow a seed of salvation in one soul at a time, in doing so; we will transform the world and the lives of each person into a brand new flower in Jesus Christ and one of us will bear much fruit as Jesus has commanded us to do. Our purpose in this world is to live fruitful lives and to become fruit-bears.
OUR VISION: is for every person to encounter the supernatural life changing power of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel I share with you that you may accept it, grab hold of it and take it into the world and share it with others. I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD THAT CONCEIVED YOUR LIFE?
In the world today we find that people are filled with anxiousdesires to overcome their present lot in life. Anxieties are running deep in their veins, being faced with much lack of everything that this world has to offer and in their heart of hearts not being able to have the basics necessaries that God has promised to them that love and believe in the Lord. Nevertheless, I say to all the people, know that God never makes a promise that he will not fulfill. Just hold onto God’s unchanging hands and your storehouse will never be bare. You see, God has provided the world with all the necessaries things for man’s survival in this world. Remember, there are three basics things that we need for our survival and they are; the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. These three basics necessities, God provides them in great abundances’ and they are free and without germs are dieses.
But then you would say, I need a job and without a job how can I have food on my table for me and my family to eat, clothes for my children to wear, money to pay my mortgage and car note, money to keep the lights and gas on in my house, money to send my kids to college and of course your list will go on and on. It is true, that working on a job and receiving a paycheck is one way of providing you with money to help offset these burdens. However, do you remember what Jesus teaches us concerning these things with his word, how the world was created with his word, how you and I was conceived with his word? If not, please allow the following passage of scripture to remind you of Jesus’ teaching.
Therefore I tell you, stop being [a]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the [b]span of his life?
And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and[c]learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.
Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his [d]magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, what are we going to have to eat? Or, what are we going to have to drink? Or, what are we going to have to wear?
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
But seek ([e]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([f]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [g]taken together will be given you besides.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 AMP)
You see, in this passage Jesus is trying to bring you into the realization that you are free of all yokes and bondage of man’s rule over you. It is not man that is going to provide you with the necessities of this life, but it is God who provides all of those who believe.
The first prerequisite of having the great abundances of this life is to be set free. Your mind has to be free of the bondage that is keeping you from having all the things that you desire in this world. It is not that man is not providing you with a job to meet your basics needs that is hindering you from having. It is your own thought process that is keeping you from having; your dependences upon another man to provide you with a job that God has already told you to use your own thought process and you can have anything that you may desire. Free your mind and be free indeed. If the Son of God Sets You Free, you must realize the greatest news of all and that is, “You are truly FREE.” At a time when Jesus was speaking truth to power, this is what he said to the Jews and what he is saying to you and I right here and now, “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will FREEyou.” (John 8:31-32 MSG)
These are the words of truth that were birthed in you from the beginning of time. They are the words that will allow you to create that job that you are concern about in order to be in a position to meet your basic worldly needs. They are the words that will bring about that change from the old man to the new. They are the words that you can take to the cashier at your bank, present them with a check with whatever amount you desire at the time and be guaranteed it will be cashed with no questions asked. You are the ruler of your life, the power given to you by the maker and creator of this world. No man holds power over you but the one you give to hold such power. And when you are ready to make the change and your determination is so great that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to be the true ruler of your life, the new person in you will show up and nothing can stop you from rising to take your place in this world of great abundance.
Remember, in the past you have allowed yourself to live in captive, drug down, step on, and the invisible yoke of bondage put around your neck, and the heavy bondage of life worries placed upon your back. The thief came in the front door and stole all the love and joy away from you. You were unable to hold onto your job, and therefore all your earthly goods and everything that you had perceived as good was stolen away from you. Now you are suffering from a lack of determination, no energy and fight left in you to be able to take back what was stolen. Jesus has warned you that the thief was going to do this. However, you allowed your mind to set idle, doing nothing good for yourself, becoming a couch potato with the T.V. remote pointing and flicking from channel to channel and the cell phone constantly dialing and gossiping about who is sleeping with who. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD THAT CONCEIVED YOUR LIFE?
Now listen to the truth of Jesus words as he was warning the people, “Jesus told this simple story, but the people had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. (John 10:10-12 MSG).
Your life is worth more to Jesus than a job with the money you will earn to pay your bills. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the one that will preserve your mind from the idle thoughts that allows the thief to enter in and still and kill you. Haven’t you allowed him to do enough damage to you? DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD THAT CONCEIVED YOUR LIFE
Now as we conclude this word of truth, it is my hope that this word has stirred up a passion in your soul and given you new life to begin a new way of thinking and living, allow Jesus to have the final word that can make you whole and bring truth and salvation to your soul. Here then are the words of Jesus. “Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God’s Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.(1 Peter 1:22-25 MSG)
After this Jesus spoke and then gave us the greatest commandment of all, and this is what he said, “And you shall love the Lord your God [a]out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your [b]life) and out of and with all your mind (with [c]your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. [d]This is the first and principal commandment.
The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31 AMP)
Now my brothers and sisters, it is with great joy that I am thrill beyond my own imagination that you have comprehended what has been taught here and you will use it to your benefit to rise above where you are right now to the level God is trying to push you to be. I urge you to think globally and work locally. I minister to you today from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity because, This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.
My Child
You may not know me, but I know everything about you Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is Will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you Luke 15:11-32
This article an video is taken from the USA TODAY.com newspaper. Click on the above link to view the video.
Bell’s new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, has provoked weeks of fierce infighting among pastors, theologians and anyone else who scans the Christian blogosphere where critics rage that he’s a hipster heretic.
In Love Wins, which arrives in stores Tuesday, Bell claims:
• Heaven and hell are choices we make and live with right now. “God gives us what we want,” including the freedom to live apart from God (hell) or turn God’s way (heaven).
• Death doesn’t cut off the ability to repent. In his Bible, Bell sees no “infinite, eternal torment for things (people) did in their few finite years of life.”
• Jesus makes salvation possible even for people who never know his name. “We have to allow for mystery,” for people who “drink from the rock” of faith “without knowing who or what it was.”
• Churches that don’t allow for this are “misguided and toxic.”
Small wonder that traditionalists call him a false teacher of a Jesus-optional Gospel, leading innocents to damnation and a traitor to the evangelical label.
“A staggering number of people have been taught that a few select Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better. It’s been clearly communicated to many that this belief is a central truth of the Christian faith and to reject it is, in essence, to reject Jesus. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.”
“At the center of the Christian traditionsince the first church has been the insistence that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in the end, wins.”
“When people say they’re tired of hearing about “sin” and “judgment: and “condemnation,” it’s often because those have been confused for them with the nature of God. God has no desire to inflict pain or agony on anyone.”
“For some, the highest form of allegiance to their God is to attack, defame, and slander others who don’t articulate matters of faith as they do.”
“None of us have cornered the market on Jesus, and none of us ever will.”
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Bell jokes: “I am not aware that labels are the highest form of goodness and truth.” He rebuffs critics who say he presents a Jesus-optional Christianity: “Jesus spoke of the renewal of all things. He said, ‘I have sheep who are not of this flock.’ Through him, extraordinary things are happening in the world. If saying that gets you banned from the E-club, so be it.”
Bell’s view is “that God is love, that he sent Jesus to show us that love, that love demands freedom. So making definitive judgments about other people’s destiny is not interesting to me. The heart of God is to rescue everyone from everything we need to be rescued from.”
It’s a mercy that Bell doesn’t read his press or social networks.
Justin Taylor of the Gospel Coalition, a network of traditionalist scholars and pastors, says Bell’s views are “dangerous and contrary to the word of God. … If Bell doesn’t believe in eternal punishment, then he doesn’t think sin is an offense against a holy God.”
It was Taylor’s critique last month, based on reading a few chapters, that triggered explosive arguments radiating from Christian sites to CNN. Now that he has read all 200 pages, Taylor is even more convinced of Bell’s errors. “Whether you like it or not, the Bible presents true teaching and warns against false teachers, even those who look like great people,” says Taylor, digging at Bell’s highly stylized videos circulating online and among churches coast to coast.”
But Richard Mouw, president of the world’s largest Protestant seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary based in Pasadena, Calif., calls Love Wins ”a great book, well within the bounds of orthodox Christianity and passionate about Jesus.
The real hellacious fight, says Mouw, a friend of Bell, a Fuller graduate, is between “generous orthodoxy and stingy orthodoxy. There are stingy people who just want to consign many others to hell and only a few to heaven and take delight in the idea. But Rob Bell allows for a lot of mystery in how Jesus reaches people.”
I’m just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools.
The Man
2 A lotus blossoming in a swamp of weeds—
that’s my dear friend among the girls in the village.
The Woman
3-4 As an apricot tree stands out in the forest,
my lover stands above the young men in town.
All I want is to sit in his shade,
to taste and savor his delicious love.
He took me home with him for a festive meal,
but his eyes feasted on me!
5-6 Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat—and quickly!
Apricots, raisins—anything. I’m about to faint with love!
His left hand cradles my head,
and his right arm encircles my waist!
7 Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem,
by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer:
Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up,
until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
8-10 Look! Listen! There’s my lover!
Do you see him coming?
Vaulting the mountains,
leaping the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle, graceful;
like a young stag, virile.
Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate,
all ears, all eyes—ready!
My lover has arrived
and he’s speaking to me!
The Man
10-14 Get up, my dear friend,
fair and beautiful lover—come to me!
Look around you: Winter is over;
the winter rains are over, gone!
Spring flowers are in blossom all over.
The whole world’s a choir—and singing!
Spring warblers are filling the forest
with sweet arpeggios.
Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed,
and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms.
Oh, get up, dear friend,
my fair and beautiful lover—come to me!
Come, my shy and modest dove—
leave your seclusion, come out in the open.
Let me see your face,
let me hear your voice.
For your voice is soothing
and your face is ravishing.
The Woman
15 Then you must protect me from the foxes,
foxes on the prowl,
Foxes who would like nothing better
than to get into our flowering garden.
16-17 My lover is mine, and I am his.
Nightly he strolls in our garden,
Delighting in the flowers
until dawn breathes its light and night slips away.
Turn to me, dear lover.
Come like a gazelle.
Leap like a wild stag
on delectable mountains!
God says, we can live in this world, but we do not have to be of this world. For this world is not our home. We are only temporary inhabitants of this world. This world is to be our training ground for us to live in the eternity. Therefore, we must keep our minds centered on God, who is the one and only power source that provides all power to this world. We may think just because we can enter into our houses, and flip a switch on the wall and our lights come on, place the key in the ignition of our automobiles, turn the key and it starts right up, that we are receiving the power for all this to happen directly from the people whom we paid our money too, but this is really not the case if we think deeply on where our energy supply originates from.
As Believers, we were given a constant source of spiritual power that we can connect too, simply by taking our minds on a journey and keeping it connected to God at all times, in order to keep our batteries charge. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5 these words, “5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (KJV) by keeping our minds stayed on Jesus will help strengthen us in ways that we could never imagine at any other time.
However, we must do our part to make sure our batteries are able to stay fully charged at all times. In order to do so a transformation must take place in our minds. Our thinking must be centered on the spiritualpowersource and not relying on the physical power sources of this world.
Now listen to how the scripture describes it, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2-3 KJV)
You see, your mind is the power station that supplies all the electricity to your physical body that will help you transform it into a truly beautiful living sacrifice. You must work daily to keep your bodies physical fit and your minds spiritual renewed. Always renewing your mind, by going to the main power source in prayer, and seeking the blessings and guidance from the one source that knows all things.
Therefore as we journey each day through the jungles of this earth, let it be a reminder for us not to store our treasures up on this earth for they can be stolen or rote away. Simply put, the treasures we have here in this earth is not connected to the main power source. For if, we depend upon man for our primary source of energy it will soon disappear. A prime example of what I am talking about is this. If we would only look at our oil, gas, and other nature resources, we can see that with man in charge, prices for these nature resources are skyrocketing every day.
In addition, to some degree, a great number of our people are suffering because they do not have sufficient funds to purchase what God has provided so freely for all his people. The people or finding it difficult to make ends meet, and now they are becoming discouraged. Some are just dropping out, some are committing suicide, and others develop a very negative attitude and then begin to blame all of their troubles on someone else. Then they begin to ask, why me? Why do I have such difficult time? I treat my fellow man with the up most respect, I go to church every Sunday, I pay my tithes, and I am a respectful person in the community and try my level best to do what’s right, but yet I am having it so hard.
When you are living in this world and you feel that the world has control of you, your thinking is not too far from the truth. The problem that we have as we journey through our temporary home is that we forget the calling that God placed upon our lives.
We begin to live in this world as though it is our permanent home. We begin to honor the things of man, rather than the things of God. We forget the mission that God has called us into. For the life that we are living is not about us, it is about God. Then you will ask a question, a question that so many of us always ponder.
If I am going to spend all of my time doing the Lord’s work, how am I going to be in a position to pay my house note or rent, pay my car note, put food on the table, cloth my children, pay my kids college tuition. How am I going to be in a position to meet my financial obligations? These questions or truly legitimate questions when your mind is consumed about the things of the world, but as you ponder these questions, don’t ever forget to ask the real question, and that is, where does the power sources that all the things this world operate on, come from? Who is the one person that supplies the world of all its power?
When we want to watch a T.V. program, the T.V. must first be plugged into a power outlet source, once we plug the T.V. into the outlet we then can push the power button and then turn on the T.V., proving we have paid our utility bills. We therefore purchase our power from a power source that is provided by man. By paying our utility bills, this allows us to stay connected to our main power supplier. If we do not pay, we will be disconnected from the main power supplier. What has become lost in our worldly thinking is who supplies the energy to the utility companies that we purchase for our individual use.
When we stop and think about the sun, moon, wind, rain, rivers, streams, lakes and the oceans. We then realize that all of these are natural resources, and each one of these are connected to the main power supply unit. Therefore, in order for you and I to live in this temporary home of ours, we must get reconnected to the main power supply and then stay connected to that main source of energy, because without it, we will continue to stumble through the obstacles in this world and be very disappointed when things don’t go our way.
In order for us to stay fully connected to God’s power source we need to spend time with Him, be in prayer at all times, reading His Word, confessing our sins keeps us plugged in. God is our supply line for all our needs here on this earth. Keep your mind stayed on Him and He will never put on you more than you can bare. He will never leave you are fail you. Stay focus on the prize. Jesus is your victory.
Now let me close with this final thought for each one of you who have taken the time to read this entire lesson and the many lessons we teach here daily, “Think Globally, and work locally. Looking beyond ourselves in the real and on line world, to reach out to others who might be in need, for we all are truly our Brothers Keeper, may the grace of God abide in you now and forever, in Jesus name, Amen.
In this third lesson, we will teach you how to bless others by using your own manifest powers and receive greater blessing for yourself. You are truly the power and present of God. Now learn how to use this power for a greater good. Be guided by these words; “Mercy and truth have met together, Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Psalm 85:10-11) NKJV
Your real blessings will begin after you have blessed yourself, and at this point, you will naturally want to share and extend this good, so begin by blessing your entire house and household. Now make sure that the source of your supply receives a very special blessing. Praise and bless him for all his manifest evidence of goodness, but here is the truly clever part – praise him most for any quality of character or success that he at present appears to lack, and lo! You will stir within him that very quality. The following is a true story, which illustrates this very point; here it was a lack of love and loyalty.
A teacher was lecturing on “Blessing” in the New England states. A very lovely, charming woman was in the audience one who was very unhappy, for her husband had been neglecting her, leaving her alone night after night. Listening intently and storing away every word the teacher said, she went home, sat down before the fire, put a chair in front of her and mentally placed her husband in it. She then blessed and praised him for his goodness his kindness his honesty and integrity his success in life and his loyalty, releasing in him every good quality she knew. All the afternoon she did this at five she went upstairs and put on her prettiest gown. At six, her husband came home with a box of gorgeous American Beauty roses, also a large box of candy, and gave them to her. She thanked him, very graciously, but not a word did she say as to how she had spent her afternoon. After dinner, her husband said, “Do you know, my dear, I hadn’t meant these gifts for you, but as I was leaving my office something said to me, ‘What a chump you are, wasting your time and life. Go home to your wife, who really and truly loves you.” He had a complete awakening. Wasn’t that wonderful? What about you? Have you been missing out on your blessings, by being inconsiderate and not blessings the love of your life?
You see, her recognition and invocation of the “Divine Power” within him, her at-one-ment with the All good everywhere evenly present, called forth that marvelous demonstration. You can do the same thing with anybody or anything. So bless each member in your household, your friends, all your contacts for the day, the city you live in—this, you are enlarging your horizon.
Example: Before going downtown, bless the shops, the clerks, and you’ll meet the blessing coming back to you in many unexpected ways. Did you ever throw a pebble into a pond and watch how the little ripples spread outward in every direction, all coming back to you as well as going forth? So it is with blessing.
Bless and praise the house you live in, the bed you sleep in, the chairs you sit on, for there is but one substance, one intelligence, by virtue of which everything that has form is life.
There is no reason why you should not bless the rug you walk on, invoke the Presence of the Divine Power within it,—saying, “For the Goodness of God within you, I bless you, and bless you, and bless you, and whoever steps upon this rug will receive a shock of instant good a healing, perhaps, or a manifestation of some desire by receiving, all of a sudden, the right idea to bring it forth.”
This will indeed make it a “magic carpet.” Likewise, you can bless all of your furniture in the same way. Learn to put fun, joy, and romance into everything you do. You are far too serious, which freezes your life forces. We have almost lost the art of playing. As Hans Christian Anderson says, “Every man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s finger.” Thus these “secrets” will call forth once again in your life the art of playing.
Now I encourage you to meditate on these words, understand the truth of what they are speaking to you. Allow the Holy Spirit that lives within you to take control of your thoughts as you move to the higher level of blessings. Know that in everything you do, you are blessed and you are a blessing to others you meet. Stay tune for lesson four, which will continue to teach you how to bless and be blessed.
Are you the type of person that is always taking and never giving? Do you seek sex from your spouse for the pure enjoyment of getting your rocks off, and not being mindful of your spouse’s need?
We need to understand that we all have needs, and we must learn to be respectful of our partners. Sex is primarily a spiritual act of oneness symbolized with a physical act. For it to be a blessing in marriage, there needs to be emotional and spiritual wholeness, free of domination, manipulation and control from either spouse.
Emotional wounding or bondage in either person will damage and distort sexual intimacy. To have a healthy sexuality, you need complete trust, mutual respect and appreciation of each other which leads to oneness of body, soul and spirit. This creates a godly sexual soul tie. An ungodly sexual soul tie occurs when sexuality becomes a tool of control. Yes, there can be an ungodly sexual soul tie even in Christian marriage. There can even be sexual abuse in Christian marriage, which is covered up by insisting on the scriptural submission of women to the will of the male.
Know in your heart, that it is a sin to dominate, manipulate or control a spouse in any way, including sexuality. It shows disrespect and treats the person as an object to meet the emotional needs of the other.
Sexuality can be used as a tool of punishment or reward to control the other spouse. When it is used as a way of reassuring yourself of worth or acceptance, it can easily become an addiction that drives you for more. A very simple test of sexuality is to ask yourself this question, “during sex are you lovingly giving yourself to your spouse or taking what you believe to be rightfully yours?” If you are taking then you are on dangerous ground!
In my observation, most sexual problems are emotional and spiritual, not physical. The solution is the healing of our wounds. We need to learn to love unconditionally. When we can detach ourselves from believing that we have total control of our spouses’ body, mind and soul and learn to trust and give them the love and respect they deserve, then we are on our way to learning the greatest lesson of all. “The art of a lover is to make the love last as long as possible.” Capture the spirit of this sentence and you capture the meaning of learning how to love unconditionally. In any relationship, this is the greatest challenge of all. However, it is one that we must learn to embrace, and understand if we are to have a complete loving and romantic life together as one.
Using Sex as a tool to control your spouse will only destroy any love that was developed in the relationship from the beginning. Sooner are later your spouse is going to get tire of being used and abused and the results is going to end in disaster. Learn to build respect between you and your spouse, and give without expecting anything in return. Know that God is love, and He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That simply means loving our spouse and their bodies as we would love our self and our own bodies.
Father I thank you for the word, I thank you for allowing the word to manifest itself in my life. I thank you for your Divine Order of all things. You have put all things in order according to your will. I accept my place in the order of things and yield to the Holy Spirit for guidance that my life will continue to be a work in progress, as I will continue to do what is right and pleasing in your sight.
For I know in my heart that the Holy Spirit is always at work molding me, shaping me and making me a brand new creature in your sight. I rejoice in every moment and in everything that I do, knowing that where ever I am, are what ever I do, you are in total control, and I shall have no fear of what might go wrong.
I thank you Heavenly Father for bringing me to this realization, that the seeds that are sown in my mind is a manifestation of my reality. Day by Day I am growing and prospering because you have purposed me to do so. In Jesus name, I thank you, I praise you, I honor you, and I give you the glory for teaching me how to understand the power of the Universal Spirit, that is always present and making everything in my life know that I am Divine, and I am living in the Divine Order of all that you have placed within the universe for all to see and dwell in. In Jesus name, I thank you for the Divine Spirit that lives within me. Glory and honor to God for the Divine Order of all things in all of our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.
During the course of our lives, we all have had someone to pray for us. Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to our blessings, and when we learn that our purpose in life is to serve others, and we can truly be effective as a servant by praying in the Spirit for our fellowman, we are then moved to pray without ceasing.
Paul’s prayer for spiritual empowerment for the Ephesians was that they be united by the Spirit, indwelt by Christ, and filled with all the fullness of God’s love. We know that God made the Holy Spirit available to all who believed in Jesus Christ as Savior. The Spirit provides power for our new lives.
The Prayer that Paul prayed for Spiritual Empowerment was a beautiful and powerful prayer. Now listen to Paul words as he spoke them in Ephesians 3:14-21:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height.
To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of
God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
We find that in this text’s prayer, Paul asked that the Holy Spirit deepen His work in their lives in three ways:
1. That Christ would dwell–more literally, “be at home” in their hearts by faith, that is, that He would move from being an acquaintance to being the center of their church family;
2. That they would grasp God’s love at a spiritual level, beyond intellectual or theological knowledge.
3. That they would be filled with God’s fullness, that is, that the Holy Spirit would reveal the things of Christ (John 16) more fully, achieving God’s fuller work in each life unhindered, unquenched, ungrieved.
When you start your day by praying, you fill your mind with wisdom, peace, strength, revelation, joy and fellowship with your heavenly Father.
At the same time you’re moving out of your way adversity, strife, fears, temptations and depression. And what do you leave in your wake? Joy, peace, love, gentleness, and kindness. Just a few minutes in the morning with your heavenly Father can make all the difference in the world. He’s waiting for you to talk to Him. He knows how busy you are, but can you at least say, Hi?
Don’t miss the one opportunity to change your sails in order to change your destination. Set your sails for glory. I guarantee you; you will find unlimited peace. You are the master of your destination and the captain of your ship. Now enjoy the peace and tranquility of the sea that you are sailing on. Focus upon your destination and allow the spiritual reality of your mind to be your guide.
As we begin our study of the epistle of 2 John 1:4-6, we are given to understand that John had only met some of the believers in the church and was glad to find them living in the truth. John was probably speaking of those he met at some place other than the local church itself. His joy at meeting them and then discovering that they were living in the truth prompted him to write this epistle. In identifying only “some” of the children, he was not necessarily excluding the others. Rather, he was speaking only of those he met. In both cases, the apostle rejoiced in the believers who had not allowed the false teachers to lead them away from the truth.
Living in the truth refers to the Christians conducting their lives as they had been commanded by the Father. The commandment to live in the truth came from the Father through the Son to the disciples, who passed it on to the believers. As John had explained in another letter. ”And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.” (1 John 3:23). To live in the truth, therefore, involves believing in Jesus Christ as God’s Son (faith) and loving others (action).
Now as we look at verse (1:5), we see that John urged the church to love one another. This was not a new commandment: the believers had heard this from the beginning. The Christians had been taught this commandment from the time they first heard the gospel preached. The statement that Christians should love one another is a recurrent New Testament theme. Yet love for one’s neighbor is an old command, first appearing in the third book of Moses (Leviticus 19:18). Believers can show love in many ways: by avoiding prejudice and discrimination, by accepting people, by listening, helping, giving, serving, and by refusing to judge. Knowing God’s command is not enough. Those who claim to love God and believe in his Son must put their faith into practice by loving. (Look at Matthew 22:37-39 and 1 John 2:7-10).
In verse (1:6) lest anyone wonder what John meant by the word “love,” he explained it here. Love does not focus on emotions or feelings; instead, love means doing what God has commanded. Love is expressed by obedience; obedience fulfills the command to love. The one command to love one another sums up all of God’s commands, and obedience to God’s commands is the sure test of love. John made the same proclamation in his first letter (see 1 John 3:11, 16-19).
Four times in verse 4-6 appears a form of the word”command.” Yet the commands are obeyed through love. John wanted his readers to know that he spoke as an Elder, as an apostle, and as a loving father to his children–with authority from God himself. The false teachers had no such authority, and their lifestyles did not exemplify love.
How do you do what God has called you to do, even when you do not know how to do it? Or let’s say you do know how, and you simply do not want to. The power of almighty God is the only answer.
We can’t settle for a life that falls short of Him, no matter how close we come or how far everybody else is behind us. The more I know Him, the more I know how much He loves me. I cannot know His love without experiencing His forgiveness. He forgave me before I ever asked Him. Imagine that.
If I told you that tomorrow someone would break into your house and violate you and all you stood for, could you forgive him today? When he got to your house and hurt you as planned, would you have love for him? This is the model of Jesus Christ.
With that model comes a desire to please Him, which becomes progressively more possible as I subtract my worldly attitudes and add spiritual ones. Then, once I determine, yes, I will forgive that person as an act of my will, God says, “You don’t have enough forgiveness in you to forgive him or her. So, here, take some of Mine.” And He energizes me with His power and forgiveness, and I can show that to the other person. That is godliness. God has set the standard and then commits Himself to giving us the power to meet it. Godliness is not perfection. It is continually striving with His power.
I want so much to be a godly father. I don’t always know what that looks like. So, I trust the promises of God, knowing He will give me a father’s heart. I trust that if my children say nothing else about me, they would say, “He was a godly father.”
I want most of all to be a godly pastor. I don’t always know what that looks like. So, I trust the promises of God to never leave me, nor forsake me. I have everything I need to be a godly father, and pastor. You have everything you need to be all that God wants you to be. You are fully equipped to live a life of godliness.
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage the little things are the big things…
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say, “I love you,” at least once each day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship shouldn’t end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives; it is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding the room for the things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which “the independence is equal, the dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.”
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best, as expressed in the words Mark Twain used in a tribute to his wife: “Wherever she was, there was Eden.”
04/11/2013
PASTOR DAVIS/MASTER TEACHER
