Nearly every night I endeavor to read my Bible. I have a way of going about it, though,
that you might find a little unusual. But, I wanted to make sure that whatever I read,
whatever I learned, was by God's guidance. So, I took to opening my Bible - actually
tossing it a little up in the air sometimes - and then reading whatever page God had the
page open up to.
I still do that. I like to think of it as God's chance to tell me what He wants me to
know today, and it's amazing how often it's exactly what I needed to bolster my spirits,
or to inform me of something He thinks it's time for me to know.
These are more or less my study notes that lead to the things I write about, that God
has me read or study.
1/27/2009 -
Opened the Bible to one of my favorites, and read 1st Timothy Chapters 1 and 2. What
stuck out the most for me:
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 1:1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past into
the fathers by the prophets,
1:2 Hath in these last days spoken to us by His son, whom He hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom He also made the worlds;
1:3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and
upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of our Majesty on high;
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief.
4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and shjarper than any two edged
sword, piericing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and itnents of the heart.
4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight;but all
things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
4:14 Seeing then tha we have a great High priest, that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
4:15 For we have not a High Priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any tiem ; the only begotten Son which is in
the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him.
John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth
ye know Him and have seen Him.
John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the father that dwelleth in me, He doeth
the works.
1/28/2009
Apparently, God wants me to talk about apostasy this week. And faith, real faith. And I
think it's because it provides a context for really understanding the many facets of the
example of Christ Jesus. I wonder how "trained" ministers come up with the
topics of their teaching? :} I thought it was interesting that one of the
"signs" of a high priest is their lack of religious training...
II Timothy 2:12-15 2:5&6 2:3&4 on Apostasy 2nd Timothy 4:16-18
Titus 1:10&11, 15&16 3:3
Philemon 21:22
Most profound parts to me:
2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him, if we deny Him, He also will deny us.
2:13 If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He can not deny Himself.
2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are His. And Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.
personal note: Define suffer
Philemon 21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou
wilt also do more than I say.
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.
Earth,
Wind & Fire - All About Love
Elton
John - Love Song
1/29/2009 - It's clear God is sending me a message about apostasy... something I read a
lot about when I first began to realize myself and become back in 2002.. something I gave
a great deal of time and consideration to when evaluating myself, trying to prove to
myself that I was not "the son of man"... even though I believed I was. Some of
this is random reading, marked R: some is purposeful marked P: and some
is because of a Pastor I heard last night named Dr Mike Murdock, marked M:
P: I read all of 1st and 2nd Timothy... I'm going to research some more 1/30 on
apostasy, because I know it's fully defined and easy to understand, somewhere in the
Bible. I read it once:}
R: This was interesting, because I turned to the very page and verse that I was
"directed to" by Robert Novak that was actually the "tipping point" in
realizing that the activism I was doing, the things I was saying, even my demeanor and the
values I was espousing were - at the very least - just like the Bible said this son of man
guy would be like.
Isaiah 30:27 Behold the name of the Lord cometh from afar, burning with His
anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and His tongue
as a devouring fire.
In the brain dump, the recordings there sort of chronicle what I was doing and talking
about back in 2002. I got that verse I think in August or so...
Isaiah 29:13 - Giving "lip service" to God
Isaiah 30:8 - False Prophets, Apostasy
30:20 - The bread of adversity... could be read as "adversity is a good thing
deliverd by God"... like to make you better... no pain, no gain... if it doesn't kill
you, it makes you stronger... bad thinking, it's really about lemons turned into lemonade,
and how God AND Satan work through people... how the adversity is caused by Satan
purposely interfering with God's plan, and how God works to not only correct the
plan and give you new choices, but also finds a way for you to have the courage to
continue having faith by learning something that will be useful to you.
Chapter 32... the whole thing is great. 32:6 For the vile person will speak villany,
and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the
Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to
fail.
32:7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy
the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
33:1 Speaks of anti-Christ and those who coopaerate or particpate with them, whether
they consider themselves of the anti-Christ or not...
31:4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring
on his prey, when a multitude of sheperds is called forth against him, he will not
be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of
hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
1/31/2009
St John 5:19-47
St John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is
just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent
me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he
witnesseth of me is true.
Michael
W Smith - Stand - 07 - Grace
Matthew 24 20:16 22:14 called and chosen
Peter 2:1- 9:Ye are a chosen generation
Romans Chapter 8 Peter 1:20 Foreordained
Guile
2/5/2009 - It may seem. by this posting date, that I haven't been keeping up on my
studies. The truth is, I haven't studied every night, but quite a few.
Reading the first Chapter of Romans sent me into quite an inquiry... The outward
appearance of Godliness.. it's so true... thinks we think would mean something that don't,
like meeting a person who you've been told can be mean and ornery, and finding out they
aren't, but people treat them like they are because they were told the person was that
way, so when the person gets tired of it and starts acting that way, they say,
"There's the proof".
Or if they act a certain way, that it means they're a good person. Then, last night, I
came upon this song, that I always liked before... listen to the lyrics, what it's really
about and saying to you... and how society tells you how to act, think and feel. (and
let's be honest, sometimes that's a good thing).
Prince
& The New Power Generation - Diamonds & Pearls - 08 - Walk Don't Walk
You never know when you'll hear a good idea unless you listen for one.
Back in 1995 or so, my sister Alma wanted me to work with her on a book about what the
world would be like if things were the way they should be. I thought, it's an interesting
idea, but the world is the way it is. Now here I am 13 years later writing For the Love of
the World. :} And Part II is going to be subtitled: Creating the Future... ya just never
know :}
Matthew 6: When you pray, use not vain repetitions... I'm really casual
when I pray, like I'm talking to a friend who's the boss.. honest, direct, jabbing Him in
the ribs every once in a while to give him a hard time/laugh, and being mindful of the
vanity of my complaints... andering how to think of what I am experiencing as what needs
to be viewed and dealt with on a more universal level... like it's not really just about
me, what I'm experiencing, it's about commonality with those in need of real relief.
how 'bout you?
I liked Romans 3 and 4 because it spoke ot the idea o f forgiveness:
justification, faith, salvation, righteousness and the necessity of hope.. despite the use
of it to deceive... some might say I've called for the abandonment of hope when in fact I
was saying to not act purely on hope, but to act based on fact so that your hopes can be
realized... I heard a woman on a preview of a tv show, a screen writer, say last
night that the facts gets in the way of the truth.
Despite what deceivers say, there is such a thing as real truth based on
fact, not inuendo and spin, and it's not about relativism or perspective it's about the
judgment used to determine what to do in response to situations and crime and all.. so
that the results are fair and just and fulfill more than a prosecutor's desire to enhance
their trial record.. and that's not intended as a criticism against lawyers.. they're
necessary.. but I do, once again, acknowledge the pressures of the "real world"
we live in...
And then, I was reading in Samuel.. and this group that contacted me from
Hebron.. I won't say I know anything about them... but I'll bet it's been at least 9
months that they've been asking me to assist them in a reconciliation and educational
conference between Israeli and Palestinian citizens... part of what makes me wonder, and a
little sad, about the difference I might have made in partnership with this group in
Hebron, if I had not been contained as I have been by this country.
And that takes me back to the Prince song again.
