3-Fold Message of Love

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 8:44 a.m. – When I woke this morning, this song was playing in my mind:

The Love of God / Frederick M. Lehman, 1917
John 3:16; Romans 8:38-39

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

What richness there is in these old words of this hymn. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 12:1-12, 28-34:

The Parable of the Tenants
1 He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away…

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

My Understanding: Since the song is about God’s love for us, when I read Mark 12, I was looking for a message about God’s love. What I saw in these quoted scriptures (above) was a 3-fold message of love – God’s love for us, our love for God, and our love for mankind. So, I believe God would have me, this morning, to concentrate on those three areas of love.

God’s Love for Us– This “Parable of the Tenants,” as applied to today’s church, is an allegory to describe God’s relationship with us and with the spiritual leaders of God’s flock, the sheep of His pasture. The man who planted the vineyard is God the Father. We are that vineyard. The wall, the winepress and the watchtower are symbols of God’s protection, nurturing, security for His people, and shelter, i.e. his provisions for them to help them become a choice vineyard. The farmers to whom God has rented the vineyard are the spiritual leaders in the church, though at the time this was written they were the Jewish leaders in Israel and the vineyard was the nation of Israel. We are now Israel, as Israel is now those who are in Christ Jesus since only those in Christ Jesus can be God’s children.

The word harvest has many meanings. It has to do with the gathering of a crop and of reaping the results of something that was sown. In this context, it has to do with God’s people producing lives – actions, words, thoughts and deeds – that are consistent with the seed of God’s Word He has sown into our lives, i.e. we should be producing the fruit of the Spirit and fruit in keeping with repentance. God is continually harvesting our lives with his harvesting instruments of daily trials, tribulations, tests, etc. that are intended for the purpose of making us into mature believers in Jesus Christ and fruit-bearing Christians who hold out the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Yet, there will be a final harvest in which Jesus returns and he judges the world and where the wheat (true believers) will be separated from the chaff (non-believers) and we will each receive the reward due us for what we have done with Jesus Christ in this life.

The servants spoken of in this parable were the prophets of old that God sent to the nation of Israel. Today they can be anyone in the Body of Christ to whom God gives a Biblical message to share with His Church in order to strengthen them spiritually, to encourage them in their walk with the Lord, to spur them on to good deeds, to exhort them to follow Jesus Christ with their whole hearts, to rebuke them for living self-centered and worldly lives, and to urge them toward repentance and Christ-filled lives that are bearing spiritual fruit in keeping with repentance. Many of Christ’s servants within the Body of Christ are doing this today. And, many of them are meeting up with the same resistance from spiritual leaders in the church as did the prophets of old from the spiritual leaders of Israel. They may not be physically beaten and killed for their messages today, yet many are being mistreated, rejected, falsely accused, mocked, made fun of, persecuted and even asked to leave because of their strong convictions that don’t fit with the local body called the church.

For the nation of Israel, the sending of the Son had to do with God sending His Son Jesus Christ to the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel rejected Him, spat upon Him, mocked Him, falsely accused Him, beat Him and crucified Him. The Bible tells us that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we can expect to be treated the same as Jesus was treated if we are truly following Jesus with our lives. If the world loves us, then something is wrong. This sending of God’s Only Son was the ultimate sacrifice of God’s love for His people who were once the nation of Israel but no longer, because they rejected His Son. Now God’s people are those who are in Christ Jesus through faith in Him. And, it is because of God’s great love for us in sending His Son to die for us on the cross for our sins – to provide us with freedom from the penalty, control of, and bondage to sin – that we are able to be called sons of God; and heirs of the promise of eternal life with God. The nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, but God has made Him the capstone (cornerstone) of the church.

Capstone – top stone – “a stone used at the top of a wall or another structure; something considered the highest achievement or most important action in a series of actions” (Encarta). The capstone or cornerstone is the most important stone of a building and the building is Christ’s church. Because Jesus was rejected and was crucified he died for our sins and because of His death on the cross and His resurrection, we are now heirs of the promise. God knew His Son would be rejected and killed but it was because of His great love for us that he allowed this to happen and the result is that we can be free.

Our Love for God – Because of God’s great love for us we should love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and with all our strength. Human love cannot do this. It is only because of God’s love for us and because of His love living in and through us that we are able to love God with this kind of love, and this is a tall order at that. What is impossible with man, though, is possible with God. We can love because He first loved us.

Our Love for our Fellow Man – Ditto to the above! Because God loved us, and because of His love living in us and flowing through us, we are able to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, God’s love for us, our love for God and our love for our neighbors has one source – God’s divine, measureless, rich, pure and unending love for mankind.

Pummel

Sunday, November 28, 2010, 9:48 p.m. – I was in bed to go to sleep and was praying when I had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw clowns, several of them and different kinds. I saw a boot kick up into the air from the right to the left (east to west). I saw a human bare foot, too, and it also kicked up into the air, sort of out in the middle, as did the boot. And, I saw a human hand on the right (or east) spread out like it was a starfish and then the fingers spread apart in the middle as if to form a V. In all of this, I also saw a plume of feathers over to the right that were curled at the right (or east) end toward the west. As well, I saw what appeared to be an elephant’s trunk on the right (or east) coming down from above (the sky). The trunk began to rise up into the air, and as it did I could see that there was all this slime that was hanging from underneath it. Somewhere in here the word “pummel” came to mind.

I think it was here that I saw what looked like drawings I have seen of God in heaven sending down a sword upon the earth and striking the earth with his sword.

There was one image after another after another in rapid succession to where it was impossible to keep up with all that was going on. Mixed in among all these images were images of various family members within my family. Some of them appeared to be in a sequence of some kind all in a row or a line. Somewhere in these images I saw what appeared to be two people giving each other some kind of secret handshake like people would do who were in a fraternity or a private club or secret order of some kind.

Then, I saw the face of Obama straight ahead of me, so north. He was facing me (south). He raised his arm and when he did I could see that he held a gun in his hand. He pointed the gun straight at me and shot. Then, it looked as though someone grabbed his arm. I saw a rather large arm and then there was a struggle, i.e. a battle of some kind that ensued. When it ended, I could still see Obama alive. I heard in my mind someone say that Obama was the “king of kings and lord of lords.” I said in my mind, “Jesus Christ is the only King of kings and Lord of lords!” Then, there was another battle of some kind. END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 10:32-45:

Jesus Again Predicts His Death
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

The Request of James and John
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

My Understanding: I read this news story: Leaked US cables reveal sensitive diplomacy -
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101129/D9JPFDGO0.html.

In the vision, I saw several clowns and different kinds of clowns, too. In this news article it states that “hundreds of thousands of State Department documents leaked Sunday revealed a hidden world of backstage international diplomacy…” Then, the article goes on to describe these classified cables that have been “leaked”. There were many, many cables and there were different kinds of cables, too. I had the strong sense that the “clowns” in my vision were to be compared with these cables and that these leaked cables are a practical joke, i.e. either they are severely doctored or they are meticulously altered or are made up for some kind of affect that they want to have, i.e. that the government wants to have as I believe the Lord has shown me that these leaks are a byproduct of the U.S. government. It is so obvious that they are not telling the truth or that they are doctoring the truth to say what they want revealed publicly.

Supposedly the documents detail occasional U.S. pressure tactics aimed at hot spots in Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea, only in this vision I saw that it was Obama who had a gun in his hand and he had it aimed right at me and he shot the gun, and maybe the shot is really these leaks that are intended to stir up something for their evil purposes or perhaps this is to be taken literally that what this is all about is an excuse, perhaps, to come after people, whether it be Americans or Christians or the people of the world, and to kill them literally. Either way, the “U.S. pressure tactics” that are aimed is a gun aimed at the head of the American people and the world and Obama is the one holding the gun.

This article said that the “massive release” was “sure to ruffle feathers in foreign capitals.” In the vision, I saw a plume of feathers to the east, so I take it that this plume of feathers I saw in the vision is related to the “ruffled feathers” in “foreign capitals,” so that would mean that the events I saw take place on the right (east) in this vision is taking place in foreign countries, not in the USA. If that is so, which it appears to be, then when the article said that these cables “provided often unflattering assessments of foreign leaders,” what came to mind was this elephant trunk that was coming down out of the sky and that when it was raised in the air to where you could see what was underneath it, there was all this slime hanging from underneath it. Slime is slang for “A despicable or repulsive person.” It is also “A mucous substance secreted by certain animals, such as catfishes and slugs.” http://www.answers.com/topic/slime.

The article speaks of handshakes at photo sessions among senior officials in “behind-the-scenes conduct of Washington’s international relations,” and here I saw the two people exchanging a secretive handshake in this vision. The article also spoke of how these leaked documents supposedly represent “field reporting,” which it says is often “incomplete information” and “does not always shape final policy decisions.” The “shaping” that I saw done in this vision was the shaping of a human hand into something that resembled a starfish and then into the shape of a V. (I will get back to this later.)

I don’t understand all of this right now, but I do know that it is related to the events of the last days, that this is about the rise of the beast of Revelation, that this is about “pummel,” i.e. to be hit with repeated blows, it is about government leaders who are slime underneath, it is about judgment of Almighty God, it is about persecution and killing of the saints of God and the people of the earth, it is about struggles and warfare, battles – some physical and some spiritual – and it is about the beast and the antichrist and ultimately ends with Jesus Christ returning to the earth, judging mankind, taking the saints of God to be with him, and him setting up his millennial reign on the earth for 1,000 years, i.e. he is the ONLY King of kings and Lord of lords. This is a spiritual battle and it is going to get so much worse.

The story of Jesus’ crucifixion has many parallels, not only to our own death to self and crucified lives when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but it also parallels over to the events of these last days as we, as saints of God, will go through similar suffering as Jesus did when he was on the earth and many of us will die literally for our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus asked his disciples if they could drink the cup he was to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which he was to be baptized, and they thought they could, but they really had no idea what that meant, but they soon learned. It meant that they, as Jesus’ followers, would suffer as he suffered and that many of them would die martyr’s deaths. And, that is the cup we will be asked to drink and the baptism we will be asked to participate with Christ in when the beast comes to reign on the earth for 3.5 years, because the saints of God will be persecuted and killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. And, that is what this really is all about. That is why it is so important that we get our lives right with Jesus and we get on fire for our faith in Jesus Christ instead of just going through the motions. Time is short.

The Motions / Matthew West

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)…

The Apartment Number

Monday, November 29, 2010, 6:08 a.m. – I woke this morning out of a dream.

THE DREAM: The dream ended with my husband and I moving into a new apartment and a new apartment building. Two young men who had lived in our previous building had also moved into this building. I saw one of the men outside. I lightly punched him in the abdomen or chest and I said something to him about how we were going to live in the same building again and how his roommate was a nice young man. I think I really liked his roommate.

When we arrived at the parking lot, someone in a small car parked in the street in front of the space where we were going to park and he instructed us to park behind him in the parking lot, only I think we ended up slightly to the right (or east) of his car.

We began unloading our cars. The couple from this other vehicle was still standing around their car. I walked over to the front of their car, scrunched down, and I peeked inside the front windshield and saw their two children sleeping. The children looked like the children of my youngest (military) son. While I was looking inside the vehicle, the two children woke up and they began to get out of the car. The 3 year old was in the back on the passenger side of the vehicle, and I saw her begin to exit out the door.

We went inside the building. We put some things in the apartment and then went back to the car. I had 3 keys in my pocket. All 3 of them looked like keys to lock boxes of some kind. Two of them were the same size. I decided that these two went to the apartment. The slightly larger one I determined went to the car.

When I got back to the apartment, I couldn’t remember which apartment was ours. My husband couldn’t remember, either. I knew that our apartment was on the north side of the hall, so I knew the general location, but I could not remember which specific apartment was ours. I saw that the two young men who had lived in our previous apartment building were moving in right around the left (west) corner from our hall and that their apartment was located on the west side of that hall. Then, I noticed that our middle son (not the military son) had moved into the apartment right across the hall (east) from these two young men, which would make his apartment southwest of my husband’s and my apartment, and the two young men then west of my son. I noticed that my son’s apartment door had no doorknob and not even a hole drilled for a doorknob, which seemed particularly odd.

Anyway, the dream ended with me trying to figure out how I was going to get the number for our apartment so that I could get back inside of it. I considered calling the office and thought how they shouldn’t just give the number to me over the phone without some kind of security code or question or something so they make sure it is really me asking the question. I also thought about writing the number down, once I got it, and putting it inside my purse, but then I thought that if the key and the number were together that it would make it possible for someone else to get into our apartment. END

I woke with a headache from trying to solve this problem in my dream, but thank the Lord, once I got out of bed and sat down to have my quiet time with the Lord, he took the headache away! Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 11:12-25:

Jesus Clears the Temple
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

19 When evening came, they went out of the city.

The Withered Fig Tree
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

My Understanding: I read these news stories: US tries to contain damage from leaked cables - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101129/D9JPOQ2G0.html; Citing deficit, Obama freezing federal worker pay - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101129/D9JPU8N00.html; and Lawmakers return to Capitol to clean up leftovers - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101129/D9JPSE8G0.html.

In the deficit article I saw that “the move” to a two-year pay freeze for federal employees paralleled over to this move into this new apartment building and new apartment. The article said this was going to require broad sacrifice and that sacrifice must be shared by the employees of the federal government. Here I saw the sharing in relation to these two men who shared an apartment. Then, the article said that the freeze would apply to all civilian federal employees, but would not affect military personnel. Here I thought about how my middle son, who is a civilian, not my military son, had moved into an apartment in this building. If I am representing Obama, then my children would be children of the federal government, i.e. their employees. So, it appears that everyone in this apartment building is non-military, i.e. civilian government employees.

Then the article mentioned that Obama didn’t reach the decision about the salary freeze “lightly” and here I thought how I had punched one of the people from the shared apartment in the chest “lightly.” It was one of those punches like you give to someone you like and with whom you are buds. There is a certain amount of implied comradeship involved in this punch. The article said the freeze would make only a “small dent in the nation’s $1 trillion-plus budget deficit.” Here I saw that the “small dent” was related to the punch in this man’s chest and that chest is symbolic for a strong box in which we keep money and valuables, like in a bank. The article called this “small dent” a symbolic gesture that would show the White House got the message. The “symbolic gesture” of me punching this guy in the chest was to give the message to his roommate that I really liked him, so it appears that this is about making a dent in the chest (savings; valuables; money) of the nation in a symbolic gesture to let the White House know that I really like him/them.

The article also mentioned a proposal of a three-year freeze in pay for most federal employees. The daughter of my military son who was getting out of the vehicle was a 3 yr old, so this could mean this has begun. This same deficit commission of Obama’s also suggested there be cuts to Social Security benefits, higher taxes for millions of Americans and the child tax credit and mortgage interest deduction would be eliminated. Many people who live on Social Security, i.e. people who have paid into this program for their retirement, live on so little any way and will have their pay cut. People with small children will have their pay cut and those who depend on that mortgage interest deduction on their taxes will have a pay cut, and higher taxes will mean pay cuts for most Americans, so it sounds like federal employees may not get an increase in salary but most Americans will get a pay cut. Someone called this a “slap at working people” and that “To symbolically hit at federal employees I think is just wrong.” I saw both this “slap at working people” and the “symbolic hit at federal employees” as this light punch in the chest that I gave this man as though I was his bud and to give a message to his roommate (Washington) that I liked him.

Then, in the article about lawmakers returning to Capitol Hill, it stated: “Obama says the new START treaty that would reduce nuclear weapons arsenals in the U.S. and Russia is a ‘national security imperative’…” Here I saw that this is related to this apartment shared by me and my husband (America’s allies or New World Order partners) that we have both lost the number for and can’t get back inside to finish the move.

The main article that I saw related to this dream was the one about the “leaked cables.” I had a vision the night before, which I am still working on, where I sensed the Lord was showing me these various cables as clowns, i.e. as jokes, and the “U.S. pressure tactics aimed at hot spots” as Obama with a gun in his hand aimed at me (America, Christians, or people of the world, perhaps) and then he pulled the trigger.

The article said: “In the wake of the massive document dump by online whistleblower Wikileaks…” In my dream, the children (offspring) of my military son were the ones “waking up” and I had to squat down to see them and that is what woke them and then the 3 yr old got out of the vehicle where she had been asleep. The article said that “the cables unearthed new revelations about…” Here I saw that windows are often symbolic of “revelation” and that by me looking through the window at the sleeping grandchildren I wakened them and they began to arouse and the 3 yr old, for sure, came out (was unearthed) of the vehicle. This was the vehicle (means to accomplish something) of my military son or of the U.S. government/military and she was his offspring, so I believe the Lord is saying that these “dumps” supposedly by Wikileaks are really the offspring of the federal government of the U.S.A. It is obvious that the “leaks” are a joke and that they provide false and misleading information, but that they have a purpose, and it probably has something to do with providing an opportunity for our government to increase security.

Then, the article mentioned that the publication of the disclosures could become a problem for the officials concerned and for any secret initiatives they had preferred to keep quiet. Here I saw this as related to the apartment that me and my husband were to share but that we had both lost the number for and that we could not get back inside and would need to have some kind of security questions answered to make sure it is us wanting the number. I also saw this related to the new START treaty between the U.S. and Russia and that it is not on the up-and-up but has ‘secret initiatives’ contained within it that they would prefer to keep quiet (secret) from the people.

The article mentioned that the massive release of these documents had already prompted U.S. diplomats to scramble in recent days to shore up relations with key allies in advance of the leaks. I saw the “key allies” in relation to the keys to this apartment and the key to the vehicle, yet we were unable to use the “key allies” to open the door to this apartment because we had lost the apartment number. I am still not sure what that means. The article talked about “behind-the-scenes conduct of Washington’s international relations, shrouded in public by… handshakes at photo sessions…” In last night’s vision, there were secret handshakes going on like people have in private clubs and fraternities or orders like the freemasons, for instance.

In the dream, I was concerned about writing the apartment number down on a piece of paper and placing it inside my purse along with the keys to the apartment out of fear that might give a robber access to our apartment. Supposedly, and I don’t know how much of what is in these cables is true and how much is made up or how much is “cleaned up” so that we only have what knowledge the government wants leaked, these “cables could compromise private discussions with foreign governments,” according to the article. And, “when the substance of private conversations is printed… it can deeply impact not only U.S. foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world,” the White House said. So, if the “keys” represent our allies and I am concerned about placing the keys (our allies) and the apartment # printed on a piece of paper, i.e. these private conversations or secret initiatives, in the same purse (prize money; booty; available funds; etc.), and what is printed (the leaks) are a byproduct (offspring) of the federal government, what does that really mean? It is crooked, for sure.

Lastly, the article said: “Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Sunday called the release (of the leaked cables) the ‘September 11 of world diplomacy,’ in that everything that had once been accepted as normal has now changed.” I saw here the release of my 3 yr old granddaughter from this vehicle as related to the release of these leaked cables. There is much I don’t comprehend here but what I do understand is that the Lord has often shown me, and others, the New World Order as a toddler or more specifically a 3 yr old. I have seen in previous dreams the N.W.O. (or beast of Revelation) released out of the Washington, D.C. vehicle and is now out on its own, i.e. it appears that everything that we once accepted as normal has now changed and that the real “September 11 of world diplomacy” is the release of the New World Order and that part of that is the release of these doctored or altered cables for evil purposes and the cutting of American’s pay checks, etc., and so the true move and the true new apartment is the New World Order (beast).

We know that in the book of Revelation that it is addressed to seven churches and that most of those churches had something wrong about them that needed to be corrected and that God told them to repent or else. Following that we have the judgments of the last days and the persecution and killing of Christians. God is judging the wicked but he is also allowing his saints to undergo severe persecution at this time in order to purify his bride and make her ready for his return. There are definite parallels between the cleansing of the temple here in Mark 11 and God’s judgment on the earth in the last days in which he judges the church and the nations. The story of the withered fig tree is also related to the judgment of the last days as God will judge his people who are not bearing fruit so that they will bear fruit. So, this is what all this is truly about, I believe.

This song was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning:

God is so Good / Unknown

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!

He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He’s so good to me!

I love Him so,
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
He’s so good to me!

I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
He’s so good to me!

Listen to Him!

Sunday, November 28, 2010, 7:37 a.m. – I woke with this song in my mind:

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus / Louisa M.R. Stead / William J. Kirkpatrick

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Thee!
How I’ve proved Thee o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Thee more!

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 9:2-13 (key v. 7):

The Transfiguration
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

My Understanding: As I was reading this passage of scripture, v. 7 really jumped out at me, particularly God the Father’s words to Jesus’ disciples: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” On Thursday evening of this past week, when I was reading Mark 6, these words of Jesus to his disciples stood out to me: “You give them something to eat.” And, yesterday, when I was reading Mark 8, these words of Jesus, again to his disciples, called out to me: “Do you still not understand?” All three of these statements, one by God the Father and two by Jesus Christ, God the Son, are emphatic statements, i.e. “definite; insistent; absolute; adamant; resolute; and imperative – vital; crucial; essential; urgent; and necessary” (MS Word Thesaurus). And, all three statements were directed to Jesus’ disciples. And, these are still God’s words to his (Jesus’) followers today.

I have often found that when something comes in sets of three that I should sit up and take notice. Jonah was in the belly of the big fish 3 days and 3 nights. Jesus was in the grave 3 days and 3 nights. Peter denied Jesus 3 times and then reaffirmed his love for Jesus 3 times. Peter’s vision of the unclean food was given to him 3 times before he finally began to understand what God was showing him, and even then his understanding was not complete until he stepped out in faith on what he did understand, and then the pieces began to come together. Our God is also a triune being – Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God’s divine attributes are three-fold – omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (everywhere present) and omnipotent (all powerful). Matthew 22:37 says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Heart, soul and mind are also three-fold. So, not only are these three statements of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, God the Son, emphatic statements in and of themselves, but the fact that they have jumped out at me now in a set of three just puts all the more emphasis upon them that they are indeed imperative – “vital; crucial; essential; urgent; and necessary.”

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

This is just the first stanza of this song. I did not quote the entire song because I felt as though this stanza contained the message the Lord wanted me to receive and to share today. If we truly take Jesus at His Word, what does that really mean? It means to believe what he says, that it is valid and that it is true. I read this definition of “to take someone at his word” at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/word – “To be convinced of another's sincerity and act in accord with his or her statement.” I believe that this understanding is essential. To take Jesus at his word, i.e. to believe what he says, that it is valid and true, means to act in accordance with what we say we believe Jesus has said. So, if Jesus says “You give them something to eat,” then we should do that, i.e. to feed the hungry physically as well as spiritually. If he says, “Do you still not understand?” then we should seek his face to see what it is that we don’t yet understand. And, if God the Father says “This is my Son, whom I love, listen to him!” then we should listen to him and do what he says.

So, that begs the question, “What does it truly mean to listen to someone?” Encarta dictionary says: “to concentrate on hearing somebody or something; to pay attention to something and take it into account.” One of the thesaurus words for listen was “heed” – “to give serious attention to a warning or advice and take it into account when acting; serious attention paid to somebody or to something such as a warning, piece of advice, or request” (Encarta Dictionary). So, to listen means to pay attention, to take what is said seriously, and to take it into account when acting. Again, here is the word “acting,” not in the sense of performing, but in the sense of our actions following suit with what we say we believe.

Proverbs 10:17: He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Proverbs 15:32: He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

Proverbs 16:20: Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

These passages in Proverbs make clear, I believe, that to listen, i.e. to heed means more than just paying attention to what is said, but it means to respond to what is said in a way that involves change in one’s behavior, thoughts, deeds, and words, etc. It means to hear what is being said, to give careful, thoughtful and serious consideration to what was expressed, and then to act upon what is heard in a manner appropriate to the words spoken. So, to listen means to heed, and to heed means to do something about what you just heard:

Mark 4:20: “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

Luke 8:21: He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Luke 11:28: He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

So, when God the Father said to Jesus’ disciples, “This is my Son, whom I love, listen to him!” what he meant was obey his words, put them into practice, and produce a crop.

Luke 8:15: But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Jesus is saying the same to us, his followers, today. God is telling us to listen to His Son, i.e. to not only hear the Word Jesus has spoken to us, his followers, but to retain the Word, obey the Word, put the Word into practice, and by preserving the Word in our lives, then produce a crop, i.e. bear fruit that is evidence that we have listened, obeyed and put His Word into practice in our daily lives.

Mark 8:17-18: Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?...”

Hebrews 3:7-10:

So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.’

Revelation 2:7: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Do You Still Not Understand?

Saturday, November 27, 2010, 7:09 a.m. – When I awoke this morning, this song was playing in my mind:

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross / Isaac Watts / Lowell Mason

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read the remainder of Mark 7 and I read Mark 8. When I got to vv. 31-38 of Mark 8, I knew this was the passage of scripture that went with this song, so I pray the Lord will grant me the understanding of His Word today that he would want me to have for myself personally and for me to share with others.

Mark 8:27-38:

Peter’s Confession of Christ
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Predicts His Death
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

My Understanding: At the beginning of chapter 8, I read how Jesus fed the four thousand, a similar story to him feeding the five thousand. I found it interesting how, even though the disciples had witnessed his wonderful miracle of the feeding of the five thousand previously, when Jesus presented them again with the opportunity to feed such a large crowd, they still replied in the thinking of the natural man by asking where they would get enough bread to feed so many people. Yet, Jesus again asked them how much food they did have, he blessed it, gave it to them to distribute, and just like with the five thousand, there were even leftovers.

Following this, the Pharisees (religious and political leaders; teachers and interpreters of the law) began to question Jesus and to test him. He responded to them this way:

He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Following this Jesus told his disciples to watch out for the “Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.” The disciples thought he was saying this because they had forgotten to bring bread. Again, they were thinking with natural minds. Jesus replied to them in this way:

“Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (Here he reminded them of the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand and how many basketfuls of food was left over each time.) Then he said: “Do you still not understand?”

So, in the first half of Mark 8 we have a picture of Jesus’ miracles being repeated and man repeating the same mistakes of thinking with natural minds and of failing to understand who Jesus really is. Even though they watched him perform this miracle of feeding a mass crowd previously, still the disciples went right back to thinking in the natural realm. Even though the Pharisees also saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle, they still did not believe in him, and they still made it their goal to destroy him, and to discredit him, etc. They saw him as a threat instead of seeing him as the Son of the Living God.

Jesus warned his disciples against these religious leaders and their teaching. Yeast is a living organism but it is also a fungus. It feeds on sugar and it grows and multiplies as it spreads throughout the whole batch of dough. So, Jesus was warning his disciples concerning the teaching of the Pharisees because, like yeast, it would get into their lives and thinking and would grow, multiply, consume and takeover their thinking and belief system. Interestingly enough, when I looked up the word “fungus” it led me to “mold” and when I looked at “mold” in a thesaurus, it rendered these words: “norm; tradition; rulebook; shape; pattern; fashion; model,” etc. (MS Word). The Pharisees were all about traditions and rulebooks and about shaping others to be just like them, which is why Jesus warned his disciples, because he did not want them to be like the Pharisees.

Then, following the recording of the healing by Jesus of the blind man, we have Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ. Matthew recorded Peter’s confession in this way:

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

It is interesting to me that this same Peter is the one who ended up denying Jesus Christ three times after he is arrested, yet later was asked by Jesus to reaffirm his love for the Lord three times. So, even after Peter had this great revelation of who Jesus is, still he turned right around and responded with his fleshly man nature when things got tough. And, this is true of Peter here when Jesus began to tell his disciples about how he, Jesus, was going to suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed but after three would rise again. Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Jesus. Matthew’s gospel records it in this way:

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

How interesting, again, that after Peter had this wonderful revelation of who Jesus is, and had made a great declaration of that fact, yet he turned right around and rebuked Jesus for saying that he would be rejected and that he would die but that he would rise again. Again, Peter was thinking in the natural realm. Jesus was their teacher. Their lives were wrapped up in him. They believed he was their Messiah and that he was going to set up his kingdom on the earth and that he would deliver them from everything and everyone who were oppressing them. They did not want to believe that Jesus was going to die, and I am certain they did not comprehend why he must die or that he would rise again. Peter was in denial.

Jesus responded to Peter in an interesting way. He said:

“Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Jesus understood the real source of Peter’s confusion and of Peter’s fear of losing Jesus. The source was Satan. He is the one who puts doubts and fears in our minds. He is the one who tempts us to doubt Jesus even after we have seen miracle after miracle. He is the one who entices us to think like natural men even though we have partaken in the Spirit and have even walked in the Spirit and have obeyed our Lord. He is the one who whispers lie after lie into our ears and minds so that we become dull of hearing and understanding; so that we lack true spiritual insight into the things of God. That is why Jesus said to Satan, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” And, that is really what this whole chapter is mainly about up to this point, i.e. men thinking like men instead of thinking, seeing and hearing with spiritual minds, sight and hearing.

So, what is the solution to all of this? How do we keep from thinking with natural minds; from having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God? How do we keep from being dull of hearing and understanding so that we still don’t get it even after we have seen miracle upon miracle of God’s grace in our lives? The answer lies in these last four verses, which is what this song is really all about. If we want to truly come after Jesus and become a follower of Him, we must deny ourselves, i.e. we must reject thinking like men and having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God. We must die to our old way of thinking, seeing, hearing, acting, and behaving by taking up our cross daily and following Jesus, putting the old behind and pressing on toward our heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

We must be willing to give up whatever Jesus requires us to give up, i.e. anything in our fleshly lives that stands between us and our pure devotion to our Lord. Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” The writer of the song said: “My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” Ephesians 4 has much to say on this subject of the putting off of the flesh. Yet, this is not just about what we must give up. It is also about what we gain and what we put on in place of what we have taken off. So, when we put off thinking like men, we must put on thinking like Christ, and the only way we can do that is to fill our minds with the things of God instead of filling our minds with the things of this world. What we take into our minds affects how we think, how we feel about ourselves and society, and that ultimately affects how we behave.

And, we must be willing to give all to Jesus. The writer of the song says it this way:

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Jesus is not looking for us to dedicate ourselves to the things of this life, i.e. of this world and to call that our gift to him. Romans 12:1-2 tells us the kind of offering he wants from us. He wants our bodies (our whole being) as living sacrifices to him, for us to not be conformed to the pattern (mold; fungus; yeast) of this world, but to be transformed and renewed in our thinking and actions. The amazing love of Jesus Christ for us in being willing to suffer, to be rejected, to be persecuted and to die for us and for our sins demands our souls, our lives and our all! Yet, many believers in Jesus Christ still don’t get this and they are still walking according to the flesh and are thinking like natural men and have in mind the things of men instead of the things of God and Jesus Christ is still asking us, “Do you still not understand?”

Lord Jesus, I pray today that you would help me to see where I am still thinking in the natural mind even after I have seen miracle upon miracle of your divine grace in my life. Help me to put off thinking like men and having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God, and help me to give my soul, my life, and my all to you daily. In Jesus’ name I pray these things. Amen!

You Give Them Something to Eat

John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Thursday, November 25, 2010, 9:35 p.m. – My husband and I had gone to bed. I was praying to the Lord about a passage of scripture Rick and I had just read in the Psalms, and I was inquiring of the Lord concerning how he would want to apply its truths to my life. Just then, this song, Break Thou the Bread of Life, began playing in my mind, so I got up to hear what the Lord wanted to teach me.

Break Thou the Bread of Life / Mary Lathbury / Alexander Groves / William Sherwin

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace, my all in all.

Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes, and make me see:
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 6 about a prophet who is without honor among his own, Jesus sending out his twelve disciples, the beheading of John the Baptist, and concluding with Jesus walking on the water. Right before this last section of this chapter is Mark’s recording of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Mark 6:30-44:

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

My Understanding: As I prayerfully read back through the verses to this old hymn, I saw how the verses to the hymn served the purpose here of providing an outline from which to understand the practical application that I believe the Lord has for me to receive this evening from this passage of scripture.

I. Seek the Lord and His truth – The disciples, seeing it was late in the day, suggested to the Lord that he send the people away so that they could get something to eat. “But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’” This really jumped out at me as I was reading it. The disciples were thinking in a natural realm of the cost of buying food for that many people, so the Lord asked them how many loaves of bread that they had and then he said, “Go and see.”

Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), so the bread that we are to “Go and see” is Jesus. We are to seek after and hunger after Him more than we hunger and seek after anything of this natural realm. The writer of the song said, “My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word.” To pant is “to have a strong desire and yearning for somebody or something” (Encarta). So, just like Jesus told his disciples to “Go and see,” he is calling us to “Come and see,” and for our hearts’ desire to be for Him more than and above all else that this life has to offer.

Then, when we have “gone and seen” who Jesus is and what he is about and we have hungered after Him and have yearned for him as a deer pants for water, then we are to give the people something to eat. As I prayed that the Lord would give me the message he wanted me to hear from this passage this evening, the words “You give them something to eat” called out to me almost as though the Lord Jesus was audibly saying them to me. We are not to take in the Bread of Life just for ourselves, but we are to give it out to others to eat, too.

II. Pray for the Lord Jesus to impart His truth to me – The writer asked the Lord Jesus to bless the truth to him as Jesus had blessed the bread by Galilee. When Jesus prayed, he looked to heaven. He recognized that his source of power came from the Father, and then he gave thanks for what God was going to do. Then, in faith, Jesus broke the bread and he gave it to his disciples to distribute to the people. When we ask the Lord to impart His truth to us, we must recognize that the spiritual insight into His Word comes from Him. If we truly want to hear from Jesus, we must ask him to bless the Word as he blessed the bread so that what we are receiving is of the Spirit and not of our own natural thinking or reasoning.

Then, when we share its truth with others, it will have the blessing of God upon it and we will be sharing it in the power of the Holy Spirit, imparting Spiritual truths with Spiritual words instead of just sharing our own intellectual or natural understanding. And, it is God’s intention that we share it, too. He had the disciples seek out the bread and he has us seek Him and His truth. Then, he put His blessing upon it so that the miracle of God’s grace could flow through it, and then he gave the food to the disciples to give out. And, that is how he works with us in giving us His Word, in giving us spiritual understanding, and by telling us to go and to tell others what Jesus has done for us. And, it is only the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God that has the power to free us from the strongholds (bondage) in our lives. Our own words cannot set people free.

III. Ask the Lord Jesus to teach me to love His truth – The writer here recognized that Jesus is the bread of life and that he is his Savior, and the Word of truth what led him to salvation, so he desires that he might love the truth of God. This brings me to the other sections of this 6th chapter of Mark’s gospel. When I think about the Lord teaching me to love Him, to love His Word and to love His truth, these three sections prior to the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand comes to mind.

When we love the truth of Jesus and we share the bread of life with others, we need to know that very possibly we will have to go through some of the things mentioned in these verses. The people took offense at Jesus and his words because they did not see him as someone important enough to share such wisdom. It was kind of like someone saying, “Who does he think he is?” There are those who think you must have a seminary degree or have attained some official position or be a certain age or be male in order to speak with wisdom and understanding of the Words of God. So, most likely we will face opposition or rejection from people from our own families, from familiar surroundings, etc.

Also, in learning to love the truth of Jesus, we must want to share it with others and be willing to not be welcomed and to have people not want to listen to us. If we give out only feel-good, comfortable messages that do not convict of sin and do not call for repentance, then we will probably be accepted. Yet, if we preach Christ crucified and us crucified with him, of the need for us to repent, i.e. to turn from our sin and to turn to God/Jesus in faith and obedience, then we are more likely to not be welcomed and maybe even be asked to leave. Jesus said that if they don’t welcome us or they won’t listen to the truth of the Word of God, then we are to leave and to shake the dust off our feet. Herod didn’t like John the Baptist because he said that Herod shouldn’t have his brother’s wife. People don’t like to have someone point out sin in their lives. So, he was beheaded.

IV. Request to have my eyes opened to see the truth in His Word – In the last section of this passage of scripture, the disciples were out on the lake on a boat, the winds and waves came, they were afraid, and they were trying in their own strength to combat the forces against them. Jesus came to them, but they didn’t recognize him. So he said, “It is I, Don’t be afraid.” When he got into the boat, the wind died down. Mark said, “They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”

When Jesus teaches us lessons, when he performs miracles in our lives, and when we see him working over and over again and then we come up against something we can’t handle in our own flesh and we respond with fear, it is because we didn’t get it. We didn’t see that it was him all along. We didn’t understand the truth he was trying to reveal about himself to us. So, we need our eyes opened to see that it is Jesus. We need to see that it is him so that we are not afraid. Fear can blind our eyes to truth, and so can stubborn hearts that don’t want to receive the truth. There are many barriers to us being able to see with spiritual eyes what the Lord has for us; to teach us. So, when he says, “It is I,” we need to pay attention. We need to not fear what he wants to show us, and we must receive his truth with willing hearts and with obedience. If we don’t obey the truth, disobedience will also blind us to truth. So, we need to obey.

When the disciples realized that the people needed to be fed, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” It is not the responsibility of a preacher or an evangelist or someone else to tell the people in our lives about Jesus, the bread of life, and about salvation through Him. Jesus, I believe, is saying to his disciples today, “You give them something to eat.” We must seek out the truth; we must pant after Jesus; we must love His Word; and we must have our eyes opened to the truth. We must operate in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in the strength of the natural man, seeing through natural eyes, but we must see spiritual truth through spiritual eyes. Then, we must give the people the bread of life. If we don’t, who will? The people of the world are hungry for truth. Will we send them off to go purchase their truth somewhere else? Or, will we seek after the truth, ask for spiritual understanding, obey what we’ve been shown, be willing to love the truth and love the Lord so much to suffer for His sake and the sake of the gospel, and then give the people we know “something to eat”? Jesus is calling out to us to “Come and see” and then to share.

In the Decapolis

Thursday, November 25, 2010, 5:59 a.m. – I woke this morning with this song playing in my mind:

I Will Praise Him / Margaret J. Harris

When I saw the cleansing fountain
Open wide for all my sin,
I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing,
When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”

Though the way seems straight and narrow,
All I claimed was swept away;
My ambitions, plans and wishes,
At my feet in ashes lay.

Then God’s fire upon the altar
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His Name!

Blessèd be the Name of Jesus!
I’m so glad He took me in;
He’s forgiven my transgressions,
He has cleansed my heart from sin.

I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.

Glory, glory to the Father!
Glory, glory to the Son!
Glory, glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Three in One!

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 5:1-20:

The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man
1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

My Understanding: When I woke up this morning, the chorus to this hymn, “I Will Praise Him,” was going through my mind:

I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.

Then, when I got to the part of this passage of scripture in my reading where Jesus instructed the man who had been delivered from this legion of demons to go home to his family and to tell them how much the Lord had done for him, and how he had mercy on him, and then I read how the man went away and began to tell “in the Decapolis” (a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire) how much Jesus had done for him, I realized that this section of scripture, combined with the song, was to be the focus of what the Lord wanted to teach me this morning.

Today, in the United States of America, is a national holiday called “Thanksgiving.” I have heard differing stories as to why we celebrate this holiday in the U.S.A., from it having to do with the early pilgrims who came over to America and the celebration of the first harvest (what I had always thought to be true) to it being a declared holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 where he asked the nation to give thanks for the union (just heard this one for the first time recently). In our family, it has always just been a day where we gather together as a family to eat a meal together, to enjoy the fellowship of one another, to play games, talk, etc. And, we are always thankful to the Lord for the food he provides and for our family times together when we can enjoy one another.

Yet, this morning, I sensed the Lord encouraging me to go to my family and tell them how much the Lord has done for me and how he has had mercy on me. As well, I believe he was encouraging me personally to praise HIM today; to praise the Lamb for sinners slain and to give HIM all the glory, for His blood can wash away each stain. I believe the Lord is saying to me today that all thanksgiving should go to him, not to the union and not to the pilgrims, but to the Lord Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for our sins so that we could have life and so that we could be free from sin and from the power of and the bondage to and the burden of sin and the control of sin over our lives. And, we are to give him ALL the glory!

This man was told to go home to his family. The scripture said that the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. I was not familiar with “the Decapolis”, so I looked it up:

The Roman government wanted Roman culture to flourish in the farthest reaches of the empire, which at the time included eastern Palestine. So they encouraged the growth of these ten cities, allowing them some political autonomy within the protective sphere of Rome. Each city functioned as a polis or city-state, with jurisdiction over an area of the surrounding countryside. Each city also minted its own coins. Many coins from Decapolis cities identify their city as "autonomous," "free," "sovereign," or "sacred," terms that imply some sort of self-governing status.

The Romans strongly left their cultural stamp on all of the cities. Each one was eventually rebuilt with a Roman-style grid of streets based around a central cardo and/or decumanus. The Romans sponsored and built numerous temples and other public buildings. The imperial cult, the worship of the Roman emperor, was a very common practice throughout the Decapolis and was one of the features that linked the different cities. A small open-air temple or facade, called a Kalybe, was unique to the region.

The cities may also have enjoyed strong commercial ties, fostered by a network of new Roman roads. This has led to their common identification today as a "federation" or "league." The Decapolis was probably never an official political or economic union; most likely it signified the collection of city-states that enjoyed special autonomy during early Roman rule. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decapolis#The_Roman_Decapolis

When I read about the Decapolis, I could not help but see some definite parallels between this Roman Empire and the United States of America. Yet, I also saw this:

Daniel 7:19-21:

“Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them…”

Revelation 13:1-8:

And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Much is being discussed these days concerning a New World Order. Phrases such as “international community”, “union,” “cooperation,” etc. are frequenting speeches given by our president and other world political leaders. Many believe that what is spoken of here in Daniel and in Revelation is a revival of this old Roman Empire, and I see that, too. And, I believe it is happening right now in our day, and the Lord is saying today to each one of us to go to our families, not just our immediate family members, but to the people we know in our towns, in our nation, etc. and tell them what Jesus has done for us because the time is short and the time of this rising of the beast of Revelation and this revival of this “Decapolis” is upon us and many, many people need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we don’t tell them, who will?

We need to tell everyone we know what Jesus has done for us in saving us and in having mercy on us and in healing and delivering us from the bondage to and control of sin over our lives. And, we need to praise the Lamb for sinners slain and to give HIM ALL the glory!

As I was writing this, the Lord brought this song into my mind, as well, and it does express my testimony of my relationship with Jesus Christ, as well. My prayer would be that everyone I know would come to know Jesus in this way.

The Longer I Serve Him / William J. Gaither

Since I started for the Kingdom,
Since my life He controls,
Since I gave my heart to Jesus,
The longer I serve Him,
The sweeter He grows.

Ev'ry need He is supplying,
Plenteous grace He bestows;
Ev'ry day my way gets brighter,
The longer I serve Him,
The sweeter He grows.

Chorus
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows,
The more that I love Him, more love He bestows;
Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows,
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

Cat's Eyes

Monday, November 22, 2010, 10:10 p.m. – I woke from sleep, went back to bed, and had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw a large set of cat’s eyes front-and-center, facing south, and very close up. I then saw Obama or heard his name in my mind. Then another cat, from the south or southeast, began to claw the face and eyes of that cat and drew blood from the cat’s eyes.

Following this, I saw the face of a man whose name means this: “From Greek Διος (Dios) meaning "of ZEUS" combined with Νυσα (Nysa), the name of a legendary mountain. In Greek mythology Dionysos was the god of wine, revelry, fertility and dance. He was the son of Zeus and Semele.” http://www.behindthename.com/name/dionysos

Then, I saw the man’s son, whose name means this: “From the Late Greek name Χριστοφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστος (Christos) combined with φερω (phero) "to bear, to carry". It was used by early Christians as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts.” http://www.behindthename.com/name/christopher

I then saw Obama. It was silent for a few minutes and then, in my mind, I heard someone yell the name OBAMA very loudly and drawn out.

I inquired if there was more and then I heard the company names “Mary Kaye,” “Shaklee,” and another name I did not recognize. END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 3:20-30:

Jesus and Beelzebub
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

23 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. 28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

My Understanding: The phrase “to scratch someone’s eyes out” came to mind, so I looked it up: “scratch someone’s eyes out – informal - to fight or argue with someone in a very angry and cruel way - *Synonyms or related words for this sense of scratch*
To fight physically: fight, wrestle, clash, come to blows, grapple, scrap, fight it out, trade blows/insults, tangle with...” http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/scratch#scratch_15

Catfight – “A vociferous dispute” - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/catfight. Vociferous – “vocal; loud; voluble; noisy” (MS Thesaurus).

I read this news story: At least 349 die in stampede at Cambodian festival - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101123/D9JLIIH80.html. The article said: “The prime minister's special adviser, Om Yentieng, denied some reports that the victims were electrocuted by lighting cables and that the panic was sparked by a mass food poisoning… "This is the biggest tragedy we have experienced in the last 31 years, since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime," Prime Minister Hun Sen said, referring to the ultra-communist movement whose radical policies are blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people during the 1970s.”

“The Khmer Rouge is remembered mainly for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people or 1/5 of the country's total population (estimates range from 850,000 to 2.5 million) under its regime, through execution, torture, starvation and forced labor. Because of the large number of deaths, and because ethnic groups and religious minorities were targeted, the deaths during the rule of the Khmer Rouge are often considered a genocide as defined under the UN Convention of 1948.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge

I believe the vision reference to “Mary Kaye,” et al has to do with “The Khmer Rouge,” as “rouge” is reddish makeup for cheeks and “Mary Kaye,” et al sell skin products.

Then, I read this story Tuesday morning: North, South Korea exchange fire; 2 marines killed - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_KOREAS_CLASH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-11-23-09-25-29

The story mentioned that South Korea responded to North Korea by firing K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and dispatching fighter jets. I looked up the K-9 howitzer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K9_Thunder.

When I read K-9, the word “Canine” came to mind - A family of carnivorous mammals that includes dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes - http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Canine+family. Cats are also carnivorous mammals. Carnivorous literally means “to devour flesh.” Often cats are used symbolically in dreams as “evil spirits” or as “danger lying in wait.”

One of the uses of the word “dog” in the NT is to describe evil men, false teachers, wicked, immoral, liars, etc.:

Revelation 22:14-15:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

Phil. 3:2:

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

II Peter 2:17-22:

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

This article about this battle between North and South Korea is definitely a story of a “cat fight”, i.e. cat against cat, or evil against evil. Supposedly the north and south exchanged artillery fire Tuesday “after the North shelled an island near their disputed sea border.” The article said: “The clash, which put South Korea’s military on high alert… The skirmish began when Pyongyang warned the South to halt military drills in the area…” The south evidently refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters. The north retaliated by bombarding the small island of Yeonpyeong. Then, “South Korea responded by firing K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and dispatching fighter jets.”

The article said: “The entire skirmish lasted about an hour.” “A statement from the North said it was merely ‘reacting to the military provocation of the puppet group with prompt powerful physical strike,’ and accused Seoul of starting the skirmish…” Then the article said: “Nearly 2 million troops – including tens of thousands from the U.S. – are positioned on both sides the world’s most heavily militarized border.” “The exchange represents a sharp escalation of the skirmishes that flare up along the disputed border from time to time.” The article also indicated that this “sharp escalation of skirmishes” also follows the North’s apparent progress in its quest for nuclear weapons and six weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il anointed his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, as the heir apparent.”

I definitely saw this “sharp escalation” as these cat claws clawing down the face and eyes of the other cat and drawing blood. In the vision, the first cat I saw was facing south with its eyes front-and-center (perhaps a reference to being right on the border). The eyes can represent eyesight, judgment, discernment, watching, observing, i.e. to watch somebody closely or to pay close attention to the matter in hand (MS Word/Encarta). The eyes facing south were looking close up, so they could represent this warning that the North evidently gave to the south, and the south refused the warning and fired into the North’s territory.

In the vision, the cat’s claws came from the south or southeast of the first cat and drew blood from the cat facing south (the cat in the north). There was no indication in this vision that the cat facing south retaliated. What followed in the vision was an image of a black man whose son was mixed (of a white mother). The man represented the son of Zeus and his son’s name meant a bearer of Christ. The Lord has often shown me Zeus as the New World Order, the son of which is the U.S. government (Washington D.C.), or as Washington D.C. itself with the government as sons of Zeus. Zeus was the king of the universe and I have often seen Obama as such in various dreams or visions, including a recent cover of Newsweek Magazine with him depicted as “God of All Things” and as a Hindu god of destruction - http://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2010/11/11-22-10-newsweek-poses-obama-as-hindu.html.

Since the son (the heir) of the son of Zeus wore the name of Christ yet he was the son of a false god, then I would suggest here that this is representing the antichrist.

Obama appeared in between the image of the cat’s eyes that were facing south and the cat’s claws that I saw coming from the south and drawing blood from the cat’s eyes that were facing south. So, he is definitely involved here. At the end of this I heard his name called out very loudly. The definition of a cat fight is that it is a very loud, noisy and vocal dispute. So, Obama is definitely party to this cat fight between the North and South. It appears to me that the south was responsible for the “sharp escalation” of these skirmishes and we have more than 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and the U.S. is committed to South Korea’s defense, so it would appear that Obama, i.e. the US Gov/military was possibly involved in this “sharp escalation” of skirmishes.

This is not the first time the Lord has shown me something of this nature. Yet, the article stated that “screams and shouts filled the air” on the South Korean island as the North supposedly rained down on the island with artillery shells. Yet, in this vision, there is no indication of a retaliation from the North, only the appearance of an antichrist figure, often associated with Obama, and Obama’s name being shouted out as though the people being fired upon knew Obama was the one doing the firing. It sounds as though this is not truly a battle between the North and the South but that it has one source and that source is the U.S./Obama and that the target is either to force a war between these two nations or it is to come against specific people in either nation and then to blame it on a skirmish between the two nations. In other words, Obama/U.S. is/are the ones bringing about this “sharp escalation” of skirmishes between these two nations. And, this, as well, could refer back to the Khmer Rouge Regime or of the like, i.e. something of that nature is happening again.

In this passage of scripture, Jesus was accused of being of or possessed by Beelzebub, i.e. the “prince of demons.” Jesus disputed that accusation by stating that Satan cannot drive out Satan but that you have to first tie up the strong man if you want to rob his house, i.e. Satan is the strong man, his house is the realm of sin, his possessions are the people enslaved to sin, and demons are his agents who carry out his work. No one can free people from the bondage to sin unless he first of all binds the strong man (Satan) so that he can free the ones enslaved to sin and to Satan. So, the only true Christ, in other words, is one who first of all conquers Satan as did Jesus when he died on the cross for our sins so that we could be free from the power of Satan and sin in our lives. So, evil against evil will not produce deliverance from evil. If the US Gov, who works for Satan, or if Obama, who is an agent of Satan, tries to drive out evil in the world, it or they are only going against themselves and eventually they will fall, i.e. his/their end will come.

This song is going through my mind while I am searching the news:

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross / Isaac Watts / Lowell Mason

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Though they are Slighting Him

Saturday, November 20, 2010, 3:24 p.m. – This song began playing in my mind:

Rescue the Perishing / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Though they are slighting him, still he is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Mark 1:1-20:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”

4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

The Calling of the First Disciples
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

My Understanding: This second stanza to this song begins by saying, “Though they are slighting him, still he is waiting.” I wanted to know the meaning of “slighting,” so I looked it up.

Slighting – “abusive; offensive; rude; impertinent; wounding; rejection; refusal; snubbing; insulting; scorning; affronting; disrespectful”; “to treat somebody rudely, e.g. by deliberately ignoring him or her; to think of or treat something as unimportant; an action that shows contempt for somebody or something” (Encarta Dictionary).

So this is saying that, even though the perishing are slighting Jesus, still he is waiting for them for them to repent, to turn from their sin, and to turn to Him in faith and obedience. He still cares about them. He still longs for them to receive Him as Lord and as Savior. And so he calls those of us who are His children to “rescue the perishing.” And, the remainder of the song and this passage of scripture describe for us how we are to rescue them.

Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave – Jude 1:22-23: “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen – Ezek. 9:3b-4: “Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, ‘Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.’”

Plead with them earnestly; plead with them gently – II Co. 5:20-21: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Touched by a loving heart; wakened by kindness – Acts 26:16-18: “‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

Back to the narrow way patiently win them – Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

In the gospels we learn that John was a messenger sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord, i.e. to make a way for Jesus; to get things ready for him. His job was to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and to preach the nearness of the kingdom of God. He, as well, told of the coming of the Messiah - that he was one greater than John, and that he was the one who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

Then, when Jesus began his earthly ministry, he also began his preaching with a proclamation of the “Good News” – “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Then Jesus called his disciples. At least to some of them he said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” So, we have cycled back around. John prepared the way for Jesus, Jesus called us to follow him, he taught us how to be “fishers of men,” so we can prepare the way for Jesus’ second coming.

John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus’ earthly ministry. He did this by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins and by telling people about the one who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. The word “baptize” has several meanings, but I believe the main understanding of the word in this context has to do with it symbolizing death, burial and resurrection. Essentially, when we go under the waters of baptism, we are identifying with Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection and we are making a public confession that we have chosen to die to our old way of life, to bury it, and to be raised to newness of life in Christ Jesus. So, baptism (the symbol of) and repentance are really very similar in meaning as both have to do with leaving the old life of the flesh behind us and being raised with Christ to a new life committed to obedience to him and to following him with our lives in all we do.

John’s baptism was a water baptism (outward), but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (inward). John’s served as a symbol of what was taking place inwardly when the people confessed their sins and they repented of them and were baptized. Yet, Jesus’ baptism was the regeneration of a heart which provided the means and the ability of one to die to his old self-life and to be resurrected to a new life in Jesus Christ and to then have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling him - teaching, counseling, comforting, encouraging, exhorting, etc.

Essential to this new life in Jesus Christ is repentance – a deliberate change of mind and heart as evidenced by change of direction in thought and behavior. This cannot be left out of the gospel message. In love and kindness we are to go to the people to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they can receive forgiveness of sins. In pity, we are to snatch people from the fire of sin and the grave. Out of love and compassion we should weep and mourn over people’s sins. In a desire to lift up the fallen, we should implore people to be reconciled to God. And, it is imperative that we win people back to the road to heaven that is not the broad road that many people think it is, but to the narrow road that only a few find.

John prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. Jesus then preached repentance. Jesus called his disciples to follow him and he told them he would make them “fishers of men,” i.e. that they, too, would preach repentance and the good news of the gospel and that they would snatch people from the fires of hell as a fisherman catches a fish.

When we care enough about people to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and we love them enough to snatch them from the fire and to implore them to be reconciled with God, and to let them know that the road to heaven is a narrow road, not the broad road that many travel, then we, like John, are preparing the way and are making a straight path for Jesus Christ, not for his first coming, but for him to return. May we be about the Father’s business of preparing the way for Jesus to return and by preaching the “good news” of the gospel and by calling people to repentance. This is how we can “rescue the perishing” and “care for the dying,” and because of our obedience in sharing the “good news”, those who are now “slighting him” can be brought back to Jesus.

James 5:19-20: “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”