STARTING AGAIN

 4-23-24

I intend to start this post again, today.  

My plan is to publish on Mondays.

I will set forth the way I understand God reveals His will to us--

Jesus began His preaching and teaching by proclaiming, 

    "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has come near."

His next statement was to His first disciples, which I will assume to be the principle of His beginning point to teaching to you and me and  to all who seek His mercy and Grace--the Way, the Truth, and the Life of all Eternity. 

    "Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  Mt 4.19.

Mt 4.23-25 is a summary statement of what He would be teaching His disciples  --  How the kingdom would bring deliverance and freedom and transformation to the lives of all who would follow Him as Savior and Lord of their lives.

The way I understand the will of God for our daily lives is in the summary Jesus sets for in the next three chapters of Mathew--"The Sermon on the Mount."

    Therefore, I will begin with the Sermon and identify its significance in the plan and will of God for everyone one who seeks Mercy, Grace, Understanding........

First of all the Sermon devotes twenty verses to what has been identified as the Beatitudes.

I picture this first part of revelation of God's will for all who follow Him to be like a staircase to Heaven.  It is the introduction to  the Gloriousness of God for our lives--

    An outline of the way God will develop the life of any and all who will follow Him. 

Jesus starts out with us in a "pit" in the place that is the source of any and all troubles of our life from conception to death--"Blessed are the poor in spirit."

A huge part of the Old Testament is devoted to describing this pit, from Adam and Eve, through the Old Testament to the chaos of the world as reviewed in the last book of the Bible--Revelation.

We are all lost--like minnows or Plankton in the vast spaces of the Universe.

But Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit know exactly where we are at all times and is intimately involved with guiding us out of the darkness into the glorious Light of His presence and Kingdom.

The work of the Holy Spirit, according to the way described by Jesus here, takes us from spiritual poverty and blackouts into His glorious Light and Truth and Righteousness.....to becoming the Light of our small place in the world.

Jesus' glory shines into the Heart, soul, mind, and body of everyone everywhere who follow Him, so no one is omitted from the invitation to follow Him. 

No one is denied opportunity to follow Jesus, the Light of the World for all people  for all history.

This pathway and the message of the Sermon tells all men how to follow Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life of the Kingdom of the glorious God of the Universe.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN--Matthew 4.17

From that time on, Jesus began to preach, 

        "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

And His invitation was, "Come, follow Me, and I will make you Fishers of Men." 

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were written to show us how and what Jesus did for his three and a half years with and for the people He met and spent time with. They wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit so we can know how to be a follower and disciple, teaching others what He teaches us.

It is my intention to write here to explain what these writings tell us about how Jesus went about teaching people about this Kingdom of God and how it is available to us today.

Having spent sixty-six years and six and a half months reading the Bible Jesus has given us, (following the example of Ezra 7.10), I want to record what I have learned for the benefit of any who may take the time to consider my words.

        {Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.}

First things first, I will review the purposes and leadership of Jesus from Mathew 5-7, known as the 
Sermon on the Mount. I will review the introduction, known as "The Beatitudes," first.

The "Beatitudes" is a list of seven (7) positive  "attitudes" that Jesus lived and taught.

These are the values that we must incorporate and develop in our lives if we want to follow Jesus and lead others to follow Him, too.

These followers came to be called "disciples" because they were "learners from the Teacher," of whom the Twelve were selected as Apostles to go and teach others throughout the known world.

These Twelve plus a hundred or more followed Jesus day by day to learn from Him, instructed, coached, corrected, encouraged, rebuked-whatever it would take for them to better understand His ways and purposes.

Peter is the prominent leader, follower, and most corrected in the entire group.

But it is Peter who gives us the information not included in the Beatitudes as to the processes required to attain and develop each level and quality into our heart, soul, mind, and body ("strength"), as required by Jesus in order to become the fully developed followers who would reach the goal of "Love one another, as I have loved You."  (John 13.34)

In learning to Love each other we fulfill the greatest command which is to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mt22.37-40) and then be able to Love others as we are loved by Jesus.

Peter later--2 Peter 1.2-11-- gives us a way to develop each of the Beatitudes.

Peter's instructions take us through a step by step process that we must follow for each of the Beatitudes.

2 Peter 1.2-11 is an amazing identification of God's provision for our spiritual growth and development.

At the end of his Epistle, 3.18, he makes the following promising admonition:  "Grow in Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

But returning to ch. 1.2, we are told to begin our journey to becoming the Light and Salt
God wants us to bring to others so they can enter the Light of the Glory of God with us.  

We are to focus our faith on the great and precious promises of God, as Peter tells us.

But we must understand that Peter's instructions has James' instructions as backup to his own,

James tells us to "Look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continue to do so, not forgetting what we find, but being obedient in order to experience the blessings promised and intended by the Lord Jesus.

Promises abound.

Google to find anything You desire from God.

Focus meditation and thoughts on the promises You find with journaling Your thoughts, motives, desires, fears, regrets, hopes, dreams...and anything else you need to clarify for God's grace to lead you in the way you need to take to move satisfactorily to the goal of your prayers.

    Peter's instructions are how Romans 12.2 works for us--"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may receive the good, pleasing. and perfect will of God."

Remember, the sacrifice of righteousness required of us is the time it takes for our meditations to accomplish the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God for our eternal life of love, joy, peace....."  Romans l2.1

        Note--Ps 119.6-10 tells us that "considering....learning...and obeying" will empower us to stay of the path of the Beatitudes.  Journaling the ideas of this Blog into your own understanding will result in the will of God and His love for you being worked into Your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Meditations With Ed

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019

                                                                                                                                                    MANY SUFFER FROM A CRUSHED SPIRIT

             The human spirit can endure in sickness,

                        but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Proverbs 18.14 

HERE IS OUR ANSWER. 

DO AND SAY

SOMETHING

GOOD AND RIGHT.

The Kingdom of God is …

righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

                                                       Romans 14.7

Do and say something good and right to and for anyone you meet and especially to all your relationships.

If you do or say anything good in Jesus Name, in obedience to the will and way of God, because He wants you to, you will experience instant peace and joy.

The primary elements of love, for even an enemy, 

     is saying and doing something good.

  I say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”                                                             Luke .27-28

If doing and saying (blessing) something good for enemies is difficult, how much more should we work at good for all others?

A moment’s reflection (“waiting on the Lord”) will immediately

give us something we can say or do.

Reading Proverbs looking for something right and good for others for God will give us more and more significant things we can say and do.

Proverbs will give us good to say and do and bad to eliminate at the same time.

        Doing and saying right and good is always helpful to you and the recipient of your encouraging, comforting words and actions.

Now:

Do not be afraid (of what might happen).

Do not be discouraged (by what has happened).

Meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night,

So that you will be prosperous and successful.

Have not I commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid.

Do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

                                                                        Joshua 1.7-9

                                                                                                                                                           

Past events and future possibilities, singly or cumulatively, crush our spirit and we live under the condemnation of these memories and fears for years.

Negative past events and the memories, and the thoughts that torment us in the present moment, as the basis for all the fears we have about what might happen next and in the future.

If I have suffered in the past and think “suffering” in the present, I will instinctively think and fear suffering and failure in the future.

The past was real, but it is history.

This present moment can be different.

This present moment that we now in which we decide to live by faith in God expressed in doing and saying something good to the next person we see and meet, and the one who comes to our mind for later—

in this moment our discouragement and fear

(Depression?  Anger? Stress?  Tiredness?)

lose their power in and over us.

At this very same moment, peace and joyful anticipation move into our heart, soul, mind, and body, which is what Jesus promised if we choose to Love others.

This is the promised result of obeying "the Great Commandment” right now.

Move and do or say something for another—

right now.

       

Begin to do this daily, one by one, day by day.

Begin doing the one you recognize right now as a new start.

       Write it on a card and review and revise the card daily.

Build up a card file with weekly additions from the “Put On” verses of Colossians 3.12-14 and /or James 3.13-18.

Meditations With Ed

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019

                                                                                                                                                    MANY SUFFER FROM A CRUSHED SPIRIT

             The human spirit can endure in sickness,

                        but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Proverbs 18.14 

HERE IS OUR ANSWER. 

DO AND SAY

SOMETHING

GOOD AND RIGHT.

The Kingdom of God is …

righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

                                                       Romans 14.7

Do and say something good and right to and for anyone you meet and especially to all your relationships.

If you do or say anything good in Jesus Name, in obedience to the will and way of God, because He wants you to, you will experience instant peace and joy.

The primary elements of love, for even an enemy, 

     is saying and doing something good.

  I say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”                                                             Luke .27-28

If doing and saying (blessing) something good for enemies is difficult, how much more should we work at good for all others?

A moment’s reflection (“waiting on the Lord”) will immediately

give us something we can say or do.

Reading Proverbs looking for something right and good for others for God will give us more and more significant things we can say and do.

Proverbs will give us good to say and do and bad to eliminate at the same time.

        Doing and saying right and good is always helpful to you and the recipient of your encouraging, comforting words and actions.

Now:

Do not be afraid (of what might happen).

Do not be discouraged (by what has happened).

Meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night,

So that you will be prosperous and successful.

Have not I commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid.

Do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

                                                                        Joshua 1.7-9

                                                                                                                                                           

Past events and future possibilities, singly or cumulatively, crush our spirit and we live under the condemnation of these memories and fears for years.

Negative past events and the memories, and the thoughts that torment us in the present moment, as the basis for all the fears we have about what might happen next and in the future.

If I have suffered in the past and think “suffering” in the present, I will instinctively think and fear suffering and failure in the future.

The past was real, but it is history.

This present moment can be different.

This present moment that we now in which we decide to live by faith in God expressed in doing and saying something good to the next person we see and meet, and the one who comes to our mind for later—

in this moment our discouragement and fear

(Depression?  Anger? Stress?  Tiredness?)

lose their power in and over us.

At this very same moment, peace and joyful anticipation move into our heart, soul, mind, and body, which is what Jesus promised if we choose to Love others.

This is the promised result of obeying "the Great Commandment” right now.

Move and do or say something for another—

right now.

       

Begin to do this daily, one by one, day by day.

Begin doing the one you recognize right now as a new start.

       Write it on a card and review and revise the card daily.

Build up a card file with weekly additions from the “Put On” verses of Colossians 3.12-14 and /or James 3.13-18.

      

TURNING ANXIETY TO PEACE,

Via Philippians 4.6-8

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.  Finally, … whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy—think about such things.

       V 6—Whenever I am anxious,

                Therefore Afraid, Angry, Bitter Harsh…

       V 7—I can Pray for Peace—

                Peace of Mind, Thoughts, Feelings, 

                   “Still waters and Green Pastures.”

V 8—After I ask for Peace, I can Think About—

              (Set my Mind and Focus, Seek, Meditate)

       things that are

              True, Noble, Right, Pure, Love

              Admirable, Excellent, Praiseworthy.

Take a moment to identify an issue that causes Anxiety.

          Ask yourself, in your mind’s eye,

“Why am I anxious?  What am I anxious about?”

          God will tell you.

Stay still, pause a moment longer, and see if there is another issue.

        And another, and another, and … another…

Until you seem to have found the most important, bottom line cause of Anxiety.

When you have “hit bottom,” turn your mind to one of “these things” in v 8.

          Select one and focus on that one ("True,"...) thing for “Peace,”

 just like you did on “Anxiety.”

Something for Peace will come to your mind.

         Continue to focus and other things will come to mind.

Continue to focus on Peace until you come to the most important, bottom line thing that brings you Peace.

Continue your meditation morning and evening 

                 (reviewing noon, 5-7 times a day), 

         until your Peace is well-established.

Once you have learned to establish Peace in your heart, you can enter this place of calm, quiet assurance of grace and goodness from the Love and Faithfulness of God, the rest of your life.

                                                                                                                                                    MANY SUFFER FROM A CRUSHED SPIRIT

             The human spirit can endure in sickness,

                        but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Proverbs 18.14 

HERE IS OUR ANSWER. 

DO AND SAY

SOMETHING

GOOD AND RIGHT.

The Kingdom of God is …

righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

                                                       Romans 14.7

Do and say something good and right to and for anyone you meet and especially to all your relationships.

If you do or say anything good in Jesus Name, in obedience to the will and way of God, because He wants you to, you will experience instant peace and joy.

The primary elements of love, for even an enemy, 

     is saying and doing something good.

  I say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”                                                             Luke .27-28

If doing and saying (blessing) something good for enemies is difficult, how much more should we work at good for all others?

A moment’s reflection (“waiting on the Lord”) will immediately

give us something we can say or do.

Reading Proverbs looking for something right and good for others for God will give us more and more significant things we can say and do.

Proverbs will give us good to say and do and bad to eliminate at the same time.

        Doing and saying right and good is always helpful to you and the recipient of your encouraging, comforting words and actions.

Now:

Do not be afraid (of what might happen).

Do not be discouraged (by what has happened).

Meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night,

So that you will be prosperous and successful.

Have not I commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid.

Do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

                                                                        Joshua 1.7-9

                                                                                                                                                           

Past events and future possibilities, singly or cumulatively, crush our spirit and we live under the condemnation of these memories and fears for years.

Negative past events and the memories, and the thoughts that torment us in the present moment, as the basis for all the fears we have about what might happen next and in the future.

If I have suffered in the past and think “suffering” in the present, I will instinctively think and fear suffering and failure in the future.

The past was real, but it is history.

This present moment can be different.

This present moment that we now in which we decide to live by faith in God expressed in doing and saying something good to the next person we see and meet, and the one who comes to our mind for later—

in this moment our discouragement and fear

(Depression?  Anger? Stress?  Tiredness?)

lose their power in and over us.

At this very same moment, peace and joyful anticipation move into our heart, soul, mind, and body, which is what Jesus promised if we choose to Love others.

This is the promised result of obeying "the Great Commandment” right now.

Move and do or say something for another—

right now.

       

Begin to do this daily, one by one, day by day.

Begin doing the one you recognize right now as a new start.

       Write it on a card and review and revise the card daily.

Build up a card file with weekly additions from the “Put On” verses of Colossians 3.12-14 and /or James 3.13-18.

A Resurrection of Sorts

Hello to any who read this with me--
Thanks to special prayer and extra grace, I have decided to resurrect my blog notes.
In these "last days" of mine, I want to write some notes about "Life with God in the Days of Or Life."

Leszek Kolakowski asked, "Why is there Something rather than Nothing?"

I ask, "What is this Something?"

God answers. "This Something is a Man that I am mindful of."

"What is a Man?"

"A Man is the supreme creation of God."

How can that be?

It often seems that a man is the most miserable, wretched life form on earth.

One of the unique potentials of Man is his capacity to be the greatest or the worst of all life forms.

The unique greatness of the Creator is His capacity and desire to save, transform, and restore the worst Man to join the best of every Man.

How can this happen?

God.

Our Creator.

He created everything.

Everything was and is in His mind.

He brought all His thoughts into real life existence.

He created the Something when there was Nothing.

We, Man, Mankind, are part of this creation.

He knew what He was doing.

He knows what He has done.

He knows what is happening it.

He watches all things, at all times.

He creates me. He watches me.

He has influences what I am doing.

BUT.....!!

Part of His creating plan includes my being able to agree to and submit to His judgment and influence for my choices.

Somehow, His "sovereignty," power, purposes, still allow for my willingness to follow His creative purposes for my existence.

He has created me, and each of us, for a good purpose, but left a bad choice available to us.

We are given plenty of influence for the good, but we can choose the bad and reap the bad consequences.

And here is the next amazing reality--

If I make a wrong choice, I can change that choice back into the good that I forfeit if I obstinately continue in my selfish disregard for my Creator's plan and purpose and way to eternal happiness.

How does this happen?  To be continued..I hope.