Teachings by Emil J. Milano






[1] Praise God for we have a Mighty and Awesome God we serve. He has supplied us with all we need to be over-comers in this world for we are no longer of this world, only in this world. Our world is in the realm of The Kingdom of God.

I will be sharing many teachings from this point on. My teachings come from the Holy Spirit. I have taught in churches, home bible studies, prisons and on the streets; anywhere the Word of God could be spoken and I was lead to minister it... I would minister it.

I am not one to go quoting scripture or telling you exactly where to find it. Because of "Religious" spirited people and the harm I saw them cause as a young and old Christian, my prayer has always been to minister His Word by His Spirit from my heart and not from head-knowledge. Knowing myself as well as I do, I feared having head-knowledge would interfer with my ever receiving heart-knowledge, which is ministered in Love and in Chastisement. UT OH, there went half the membership. God chastises (corrects) those He loves as we do our children, not to hurt them but, to educate them that there is a price to pay for our sins.

Say, Emil, where are the scripture verses to verify what you are saying? They will come along in my teachings. This is just an introduction. Bear with me because this is an old dinosaur laptop. My newer one was eaten up by that last virus attack. Satan isn't quite happy with some of what I've been up to lately. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

Get thee behind me Satan, the Lord has given me power over you, your minions and cohorts so you can't intimidate me. Nor should any of you allow him to for; Greater is He, (Jesus) that is on me than "he" (Satan) that is in the world, (read 1 John 4). So many believers think the second "he" is you or me. If you abide in me and my words abide in you then anything you ask shall be done for you, (John 15:7).

"Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you". (Luke 10:19)

Is our God a liar? Is our Lord a liar?

Of Course not! And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, (1 John 3:24). Did I just hear another UT OH? Read that over again. He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him......... And we KNOW He abided in us. HOW? By the Spirit which He hath GIVEN us.

Now we get into the gist of it and a major part of my ministry from before I was saved............

To be Continued.

Satan is a liar and the father of all lies. My opening for this lesson was just lost, I guess the Lord will just have to have a better one, won't He?
6/17

[2] As I was saying last night I would be getting into the gist on a major part of my ministry from before I was saved. Well, you will have to wait on that. Don't you just hate when I do that? It does keep you coming back though doesn't it? Never a dull moment when I'm teaching.

There is so much to fathom in things concerning God. I am talking in just ONE area, let alone in His immensity or, I should say, His omnipotence. But, there is one thing that is never changing about our God and that is His Love for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ...

Now this is how much God loves us, what did Jesus ask for in return? You do know, that many of the promises of God are CONDITIONAL. Oops, I think I mentioned that in yesterday's lessons, see how quickly we can all forget? It's OK, you can scroll up and peek, I just did to make sure I was correct.

Now what condition is it that Jesus expects of us for the Father's Love?

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

OK that's easy, we just read the words and it's done. We can call it complete, right? Oh nooooooo we can't.
It takes a lot more then just reading the words and thinking we understand them. It takes LIVING through them in hard times and not turning away from God but turning to Him. The harder the times, the more we give our hearts to Him. With some people it's not hard to do at all, with others, it's not easy at all because of part two.

Love thy neighbor as thy self. This also plays the same way in many instances, see the teachings of Jesus. Now this is where unforgiveness comes into play. Unforgiveness of a family member, a friend, an old love, someone that slighted you and then allowed a seed of bitterness to take root, by doing so, you have hindered the flow of God's Love to be shed abroad by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Heb. 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Many are defiled. When you allow bitterness to take hold in your heart, not only do you hinder the Holy Spirit from sharing the love of God, but you fall into the spirit of MISERY and as they say, Misery loves company. Next thing you know, your family is miserable, why? The Word says..........
2 Corn, 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Huh? Jesus is Love. Darkness can not abide in the Light.

One of the tactics of the enemy and what is going on in the world today is to cause bitterness, DO NOT FALL FOR IT, it is NOT of God.

I can go on, but you get the idea. Now, what about loving thyself. This is a biggie. Bigger then most people think. Many of us, blame ourselves for things that happened in our past that we had absolutely NO control over. Then Satan got his claws into us and bound us up in GUILT and UNFORGIVENESS of SELF. What a big lie that one is.

How many of us have said, God will not, no, He can not forgive me for the things that I have done. I can not even bear to think of them. Well for one, as long as you keep them bottled up in you, you are battling giants. Speak them out and you will see they are mere whispers that only roar when you've kept them captive.

Mark 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mark 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

So, I will close out tonight's lesson with the following verse.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.


To be continued.

6/18

[3] Well, the Lord hasn't changed my mind or heart concerning continuing the teaching about loving thy self.
This old dinosaur of a computer is great in the fact that it teaches me patience every time I use it. It decides on it's own what letter it chooses to insert where. I am not the kind of typer that looks at the screen while typing. I am a three finger typer at best, though a fairly quick one.

This little beast decides at times to insert a sentence I am writing and placing it into the body of a paragraph previously written when I am not keeping an eye out for it. At other times, the Caps won't work. My newer laptop bit the dust with that vicious little virus that wipes everything out. I knew I should have laid hands on it.

Why am I telling you all this? Because we all have little gremlins that like to hinder us from doing the work of the Lord. So, don't feel lonely, if it is happening to you, Rejoice! You are ticking off one bad dude but, my God can kick their god's butt any day of the week!

Thy-self - As I was saying last night, (this morning) this can be the hardest of all because we often don't even know why we can't Love ourselves. As usual I will use an example in my life to bring this out. Why? because I am an eye witness to it.

I lived with chronic pain most of my life, I won't be getting into that now but the subject will be coming up in my lessons as we continue through the year. I go to the V.A. on a regular basis to visit any one of 6 doctors I have. One day my primary doctor asked me if I was depressed. That particular day I was somewhat depressed. Chronic pain added with Oxycontin, methadone and perceshet (sps) can cause one to be depressed at times. BTW, I tossed all those meds and have been pain free since then. Praise God.

When I told my doctor that I was depressed she wanted me to rush down to the ER, I asked why, she responded that they treated depression as though one were having a heart attack. So, I went to the ER. Boy, they went nuts there! Do you own a weapon? Yes. What is your phone number? Why? So we can call your wife and she can remove it. What? Are you nuts? I'm not going to kill myself and leave a burden like that on my family that I didn't love them enough to stay for them or that they didn't do enough to want me to stay?
Get out of here, you're nuts.

So I sat down with the shrink, real nice guy, we talked some and as I talked something came to mind. I was still a smoker, well, I had given them to the Lord but took them back in trade when I thought my wife was going to die. (That is one for another day along with the vision that came true). I recalled when I was a little boy of 5 years old. I am Italian and OK, I was a Momma's boy. My Mom, God bless her, she is most definitely rejoicing with my Dad with the Lord. Another story for another day. Well Mom went out the door and we had a metal covered water radiant heater in the kitchen, I would stand on it and cry out one of the 4 glass pane windows, Don't go Mommy. Over and over.

My sister who is two years older than I, (and became a grandmother today) threatened to kill herself by taking a bottle of aspirin if I didn't stop. Of course my being a head strong, red blooded Italian, didn't stop. If anything, I got louder. Hey, that was the way I was. Well, I finally shut up, I think the Lord started rejoicing then. There was dead silence in the house, you could hear a pin drop, if one did drop but none did.

I walked into the living room and what did I see, now as I am relating this to the doctor, tears are streaming down my face. It had always been a joke before with everyone I told, between my sister and I but now, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I saw my sister laid out on the floor with her arms stretched out and an open bottle of aspirin. We were 5 and 7 years old, neither knowing any better. I fell to my knees begging her not to die.
Swearing I would never cry for Mommy again if she would come back. Then she came back.

I never realized that for 35 years I was slowly trying to kill myself by smoking because I blamed myself for my sister's "death". The doctor didn't need to tell me that. What he did tell me was that I was a thinker and my mind never stopped. And that there was no way that I was crazy or suicidal.

My point being here is that we all carry things from the past that bind us in guilt that we have no reason or cause to be guilty about. But, Satan will use something like that as a lever against us saying, see, you aren't worthy of God's love. Then there are the things we have done, (Maybe tomorrow's lesson?).

Now that was just a small example of something that happened when I was 5 years old. I see a psychologist a few times a year and she loves me and says, I love when you come in! You are always so happy! And you never want medicines like everyone else. I just take trazadone so my mind will stop when I go to bed, (I preach a lot to myself for one, I also learn a lot that way). I was told, that not only do I look at both sides of a coin but, look at things like a prism. And that is how I look at the Word of God. It is not one dimensional, nor two dimensional, nor three dimensional. Anyone that tries to keep it in those dimensions will never understand the Truth of the Word of God, the Living Word of God Jesus was more than three dimensional.

To be continued.

6/19

[4] Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Hello, taking last night's lesson into account and seeing how such a small matter as one 7 year old trying to deal with a 5 year old in the only way they can think of, can really mess another kid's head up for years, let us look at the darker side of life concerning the things we have knowingly done that haunt us to this day.

When I us the word, knowingly, here I mean, conscientiously; aware, eyes open, willingly, eager, without remorse and so forth. Then one day we "Awaken" to the fact that we haven't been "good" people in God's eyes. Don't feel bad, none of us are, if we think we are then we are self-righteous and just blew it.

Over the years we have carried the load of sin, like a weight upon our back, each one weighting us down more and more. Then comes the self loathing, the disbelief that we can be loved by anyone, the feelings of being "dirty or filthy". Often so bad that we feel as though our skin is crawling. My Lord, Emil, it sounds like you know what it's like! Who me? I was one of the dredges of the earth at one time. Many were worse, many better, but all sinners none the less.

The biggest hurdle to overcome all of this is self forgiveness. Believe me, I have worked with enough people in my life that their biggest problem in accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior was their disbelief that He could Love them because of the Life they lived and, even IF He could forgive them of their sins, they couldn't or wouldn't
due to the father if lies. He will not allow many to release those images and thoughts and feelings of guilt so they never achieve the complete freedom in Christ Jesus that they already have, (if they accepted His forgiveness as their own)!

to preach deliverance to the captives, Are you a captive? Yes, but if you have asked for forgiveness you find that not only does He forgive you and wash you clean by His precious blood but He casts your sins into the Sea of forgetfulness. So, who are you to keep them? Bigger then our Lord? Telling Him, OK, you forgive me but I can't or won't? Who is that speaking? Sounds a lot like the dude that got his butt kicked out of Heaven to me.
Guess what, with you or I holding onto those memories and beating ourselves, we are keeping ourselves out of the fullness of the Kingdom of God. That my friends is sin. We are basically refusing His forgiveness by taking the guilt and shame back or never letting it go. How do you let it go? Read on.

Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

So, why do we dredge them back up? Because Satan does NOT want you to have the Victory in Christ Jesus nor the Victory in self Love or Loving yourself.

If I sat around and start dwelling on some of the things I did when I was younger, I could give them Life again. YOU have the ability within yourself to put these hindrances to death. And, it is not a hard thing to do, just don't accept them and say, I have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, the sacrificial Lamb of God that was given for the remission of my sins. He has cast them ALL into the sea of forgetfulness and I will NOT receive them again. I have been cleansed and redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Remember these words that Jesus spoke as He was breathing His last breaths, Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do. Whatever it was that you did in the past, as much as your eyes were open going in, you knew not what you were doing, you were blind to the truth but now you are in the Light so Live as though you are in the Light and allow forgiveness to have it's place in your heart and your mind, that you might have the mind of Christ and speak out! Satan! Get thee behind me! I have been set Free! For who the son as set free is free indeed.

To be continued..........

6/20

[5] What of Parents and their effects on us and our effect on our children when they didn't know any better or when we didn't know any better. The best way for me to give this lesson is to use an older lesson I gave a while back. This lesson as to do with what we do not and what they did not realize they were doing or not doing as we were young children.

Tomorrow night we may very well speak of what our parents did conscientiously when we were children and how that effects as adults. Enjoy this evening's lesson.

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
A message every adult should read because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang
my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I learned that the little things can be
the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I knew that there is a God
I could always talk to,
and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make a meal and take it
to a friend who was sick,
and I learned that we all have to
help take care of each other..

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you give of your time and money
to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have
something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you take care of our house
and everyone in it,
and I learned we have to take care
of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw how you handled your responsibilities,
even when you didn't feel good,
and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I learned most of life's lessons that I need to
know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked at you and wanted to say,
'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'

I AM SENDING THIS TO ALL OF THE
PEOPLE I KNOW WHO DO SO
MUCH FOR OTHERS BUT THINK
THAT NO ONE EVER SEES.

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT.

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt,
uncle, teacher, friend) influence the life
of a child. Live simply. Love generously.

Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


To be continued...

6/22

[6] Tonight I am just going to post Chapter Hebrews 12. I will be breaking it down over the next few nights.
I had mentioned previously about some of the things our parents or other adults did or may have done to many of us. Some people are totally oblivious to a world out there that could do such things. Others have suffered for years with guilt for things they had no control over or for not having any knowledge. My people perish for the Lack of knowledge.

Satan will put anything and everything in our way, from thoughts, to fears, (that is a big one but one we learned to over come in the Upper room) illness, to guilt, remorse, lack of forgiveness and so on from hindering us from doing God's will for us; which is to do His will for Him with a willing and JOYFUL heart. Now, how are you going to have a JOYFUL heart if you are going to be carrying all these "old" FORGIVEN by the LORD sins that are memories with you all the time?

Hey, wait a second there Emil, we thought YOU were the teacher, then why are you asking us the questions?
Good question. Why don't you tell me? You may very well be one of the many still carrying them. We can go back and forth arguing over how hard it is to rid ourselves of them and I can come back and say, no it's not, I have been there. But the bottom line, as always is, God's Word and what He has to say about it.

Think it not strange that we are using Hebrews Chapter 12.

6/23
[7] Heb 12:1-29

We must persevere in our purpose


Now those are some pretty harsh but true words Beloved. RIGHT after I finished the lesson for the night, (I will be continuing the rest of the verse shorty) I shut the computer and started shaking violently. Teeth chattering, my whole body convulsing in violent shivering. I looked like a puppet on strings with an operator on drugs pulling the strings.

My wife got me into bed, my blood pressure was 85/45 and heart beat at 136. I take my vitals everyday because the doctors at the VA monitor me by computer/phone. My wife covered me in three quilts and I was still shaking like a leaf. After a few calls to the doctor they demanded I go to the nearest hospital. I have a history of these infections. This one only had a white cell count of 16000. Not as bad as others.

Normally they keep me in for three to five days, this time they were insistent that I leave the the next day. So I only stayed one night. Odd. Now we will see WHY it was NOT odd at all.

Heb 12:2b despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When I was doing our last lesson I read the Scripture and thought, Lord, I know what the words, "despising the shame," mean in print but how does one describe how you despised the shame to others. Shame in the Greek here means; dishonesty/shame. I knew that the doctor was lieing to me. I have lived with this condition for forty years now. But, I took it and used it for the Glory of God.

It says, Jesus DESPISED the DISHONESTY of what he was going through but He went through it and now sits on the right hand of the throne of God.

So there I am with one fellow in my room, I am so weak they have given me a walker to move around. (No sympathy please, I am not looking for that. Instead, I want you to see some parallels we all might be called upon to do. At the time Jesus was despising, He was very weak also.) This man Gregory, about 60 or so has a brain tumor. Please keep him in prayer. They are going to attack it with some new form of radiation treatment which promises fewer side effects.

I spoke to Gregory somewhat the night I went in and just jawed with him and mentioned the Lord and how good He was in general discourse. I learned as he talked to the nurses that he had been in the hospital over three weeks. They had cut into his skull. The nurses asked him if he had any idea of when he might be going home. "It didn't matter," he said. He had no one or nowhere to really go.

I was not having a very good night. I hadn't slept in over two days, every part of my body hurt, but that hurt me even more. I can only start to understand Jesus' love for us when He went to the Cross as battered as He was.

The next days when I was told they were releasing me I wasn't going to go. I have always won every battle I have had with my doctors and the hospital concerning my health issues, care and stay. This is one I lost. Another oddity, or was it?

As my wife was about to wheel me out I said, "Stop. Push me over to Gregory's bed." I am a man of pride. I admit that. I'd much rather stand on my feet when I speak to someone or minister to him. I asked Gregory if I could pray with Him. I could only reach his foot, but he said, "Sure. Please do," and stretched his arm out so we could hold hands. I prayed and then told him of Jesus and how He has kept me alive against all odds for more years then any doctor would care to believe and how Jesus loves him.

In the short time that I had spent with Gregory it was the one time I saw him have a glow about him. I saw the Hope of Redemption and acceptance and a new life.

I have had this infection for months, why that one morning did it flare up like it did? Was Satan attacking me for posting a lesson he was trying all day to have me not post?
Or, did the Lord have someone who needed to hear from Him from someone who would despise the shame, yet go through it for God's Glory and the Kingdom of Heaven?

He is building an Army of Warriors. Are you willing to go through boot camp? He will be there right along side of you, holding you up and encouraging you on if you believe that His Kingdom here on earth, as it is in Heaven is what we are striving for.

Blessings.

6/28

[10] 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Contradiction of sinners against Him. OK let's move on, we all know exactly what that means, don't we? I mean, it's written right there. I'm sure it has even been pointed out to us. The dispute, disobedience, gainsay and strife of sinners against himself, a sinless man, lest we forget.

Now, consider Him, Jesus that endured this .... Go on. I'll give you some time to consider it. Why? Because the Word of God TELLS you to Consider Him that endured this.
WHY? lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

As Christians and Witnesses of the Living Christ, we come up against the contradictions of sinners against ourselves all the time, or at least we should. BUT, if we consider Jesus and all He went through and the fact that He was a sinless and blameless man then what do we have to complain about?

I went ahead and looked up the word. Strong's gave the definitions for minds (in Greek) as: 1) breath by implication of spirit; 2) life; 3)mind and 4) soul.
What am I saying here? If we do not consider and keep in mind all that Jesus went through and use Him as our example; to go through whatever He calls us to go through, we will lose the Breath of our Spirit; not the Holy Spirit though we will grieve the Holy Spirit. Life, that is the abundant life of the Joy of knowing Christ, Jesus. Mind, we will revert to our carnal minds even to the point of a reprobate mind (Roms 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;) and our soul; our very essence of being.

Our Spiritual walk is not a walk of fun and games, of eating coffee cakes and having brunches and Chinese auctions. It is a Spiritual Battle for SOULS for the Kingdom of God. Jesus didn't hang on the Cross for us to go through life claiming to be Believers and then only sitting on our butts waiting for Him to hand feed us daily while Christians around the world are being chopped to pieces!

Are we that self-righteous that we can sit around and say, "It is God's will for the End to Come." THAT IS A LIE from the pits of hell. Try reading 2 Chron 7:14. God's Will for His people is to return to Him and He will restore their land, NOT destroy it! It is OUR will that the world will be destroyed.

Start getting some good solid teachings people; not dogma from the pulpits that started being infiltrated by the communists (back in the 50s) to deceive you into accepting everything they tell you. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truths, the Word of God says. Get in touch with the Holy Spirit and learn to recognize His pull or "Voice." Then follow His leading, or we will never make it.

God wants to walk with you in the Garden of Eden as He had planned. Get rid of all the excess baggage and start walking with Him in the Garden, but don't touch the forbidden fruit. Okay, Emil. What's the "forbidden fruit?" All the things I've written about that have hindered us so far, plus what we'll learn about in coming lessons. He will provide you with the Fruit of the Spirit, the Water of the Word and the Bread of Life.

God bless each and everyone of you.


6/29
[11] In truth this verse should have been included in yesterday's lesson. There was much more I could have added about wearied and faint also. But I have found that short and concise lessons work the best. They are to the point and can easily be digested and begin to bring forth fruit in our lives. Getting too technical can bore people and they will lose interest in what the Spirit of the Lord has to say. Oh, how I long to walk in the Garden mist with the Lord and not have a care or fear to bind me from such a relationship. But, we already have that opportunity in the here and now if you can and will believe the Word of God ministered so far in our lessons. And believe the following scriptures.


Psa 23:1

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
They use these scriptures at funerals for the Dearly Departed when in Truth, they are for the Living!

Would you not consister those verses depicting a Garden? Somewhere the Lord would dwell? He maketh me to lie down; he leadeth me beside; He restoreth my soul; he leatheth me in paths: though I walk through............I will fear no evil; for thou ART with me. Go on, read the rest, then read it again and tell me, is that or is that not the Garden the Lord wants us to be in with Him, now? So tell me why so many of us aren't? Forbidden Fruit maybe?

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

God forbid, though there have been, are and will be those that will resist unto blood, striving against sin. Fighting and battling in the flesh the demons and Satan's minions that are seeking to destroy them and keep them from coming to repentance and God's saving Grace (1 Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour). I know, I was one of them. I didn't resist unto blood but I resisted unto near suicide until the Lord intervened and showed me all those who Loved me and that I should live for their sake, if not for my own. Selfish little dirt-bag that I was.

James 5:

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

( I have hopes of doing a verse by verse study of the Epistle of James sometime in the future, maybe continuing into James from here later on).

Since then, 30 years come this July 3rd, a day I will never forget, when a Loving God who knew my heart and knew that all my life I strove for Freedom in a world where there was no true Freedom, and for Liberty in a place that Liberty doesn't exist, at least not in this worldly realm. He gave me those Gifts along with Faith, Grace and washed me clean in the Blood of the Lamb and filled me with the Holy Spirit all at one time. So that Jesus and I could start to walk in our Garden together, as I learned to trust and reply more and more upon Him and died more and more to self.

God Bless you and yours.

6/30
[13] Praise God, another night we get to spend together going over the Word of God and our relationship with; God, neighbor and self. Wonderful isn't it? To get to know yourself so well? And to get to know just how much God loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us? That it is not just we that seek to have that personal relationship with Jesus and with the Father, but that is what they seek of us! Isn't that just so far out there? We are like grains of sand on mighty beaches or deserts yet, they seek constant communion with us. No wonder they say, our God is a jealous God. Anything that would rob Him of our time with Him would anger Him. Think about that for a moment.

Jos 24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. 22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. 24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

Those are some pretty heavy words there. They were swearing an oath. If you recall in yesterday's lesson, the Lord spoke of not swearing an oath, but letting your yea be yea and your nah be nah.

James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

So, let us go on with our lessons. This is what I call the Oh Boy! part for "no chastening for the present seemeth joyous" vs 11a.

When you come down and really think about it, as a parent, it isn't very joyous to chastise our children either is it? Whether it be a rod, quiet time, sitting in a corner, no TV all of that pains us as a parent but we know it is a necessity. How much more does our Father in Heaven know that, then we know? Which leads me to believe, He finds no joy in it either other then he knows in His infinite knowledge that it will teach us in the ways we should go.

This is a good place to insert one of my recommendations to all new Believers that have come to the Lord via my ministry over the past 30 years. Of course I would instruct them to read the book of John but, I would also instruct them to read the first seven Chapters of Proverbs everyday for seven days. Why? Because the Lord lead me to instruct them that way. It was/is to instill Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding in the ways of God. A Loving Father passing on all His Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding unto his son. Remember who wrote those proverbs. And what God said to Him when Solomon was told he could have anything he wised.

Solomon said, he wanted Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding and because he answered the Lord that way, God Blessed him with oh so much more/

So, by directing new believers to these Chapters I prayed they received W-K-U through His Word and by reading it so often it would become part of who they were to become.

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Can't you "hear" the Love in those words? Exhortation in Greek means; Comfort; Solace; Imploring; Entreaty. Those are all aspects of Love. Despise not here means to not have little regard for; disesteem; despise the chastening of the Lord because it is not meant for harm.

Basically, grow up and take it like a man and say, OK Lord, I understand and I'll do it your way next time. I messed up trying to do it my way. Next time I'll lean not unto my own understanding. Forgive me.

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! What a mean God we have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who wants to serve a God like that! I do! I do! I do! And do you want to know why? Because He Loves me! Then why would He want to chastise me? Uhm, Maybe cause I need it?

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Geez Emil, that's kind of stretching it a bit isn't it? No, not at all because it is the Word of God. In His Word, He refers to us young believers as Children, so, I take it we have foolishness, (have you ever seen a young Christian act without guidance?) within our hearts. So I gather that we also needed a bit of chastising when we were first saved, not to mention today when we didn't let that poor little lady cross the street in front of us. No, we just had to go through first, right? Yeah, you.
You know I'm talking to you. that's called, discernment.

OK ,so now we know that the Lord does chastise us. Isn't that something? And all those teachings we had that tingled our ears that God wouldn't do anything that might make us feel bad or cause us any pain at all. Let me tell you something, chastisement hurts at times. How does it feel when the Lord makes you Humble yourself before hundreds of people? Ouch! Yeah, but! The reward after humbling yourself is like standing on Mt. Everest!

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

I like this vs. If ye endure, I love enduring! It's such a challenge to endure until the end! Yes! Yes! Yes! The victory comes with the endurance! It does not go to the swiftest but to the one that endures to the end! I will endure my Lord's chastising until He takes me home and will do so joyfully! Because I am His SON! And, He LOVES ME!!!

God Bless You all. Jesus Loves you and so do I.

7/1/09

[14] Praise God! I don't know about you but, that video from yesterday's lesson had me Praising and Worshipping the Lord half the morning away. I must have played it over a half a dozen times! What an anointing there is on it. Lincoln Brewster was in the Spirit when he sang and played the music for that video. As a matter of fact, I just opened another tab so I can hear it again while I share a lesson with you tonight.


In our last lesson we spoke about enduring the chastening of the Lord and why. We learned that chastisement is never something to look forward to but, is always something that will benefit us in the long run. Aaaah, note that. Long run. In the Word of God, Proverbs 22:6, it says;

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it".

You will note that it says, when he is old, he will not depart from it. So take heart Mothers for your children who were raised in the Lord, they shall return.

But, the point I am getting at here is the Lord's chastisement of His children, you and I. Why? So that WE will not depart from it when we get old. We mature. In Greek, mature means to be made perfect. In the Word of God it says,

1Col 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Uhm, makes sense to me. I haven't stuck my hand in a fire since the first time I tried it. Have you?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

So, you thought you were special did ya, huh? All are partakers, get in line Brother, right there behind that sister who is right behind me. I'm a son and not a bastard. Chasten away Lord, you've only been doing it for 30 years come this Wednesday.

We constantly need correction, it is nothing to be ashamed of nor anything that should hold us back from doing His Will. It is when we, myself included, become stiff necked and will not heed the call and correction of the Lord. Then we have eaten Forbidden Fruit by doing Our Will and not God's Will which is to set us back on track. Which in turn will be a Blessing to all and not a burden to any.

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

This was the way Jesus lived, walked, acted and died. Aren't we to emulate Him? But we can not do it on our own. We need Him to make these changes in our lives and here in comes the chastening and the humbling that is so vital to our Christian Growth.

I could go on but will call it a night with our lesson. God Bless you all.



7-2-09

[15] Praise God, here we are again! God is good! I really didn't think I would be giving a lesson this morning but again, deep down in my Spirit I was hearing,
"Oh yes you will" So, here I am and I must admit, it feels good. It always feels good doing God's work. Just ask Paul when he was being lowered down the wall in a basket. He was getting away, that always feels good!

So, what would you like me to speak about this morning? How about, chastisement? No, I am not a sadist, I heard that. Kidding, I just Love the Lord so much that sometimes I can't help myself and have to throw a zinger in there now and then; a little shock value, you know? Keeps things interesting.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Now why on earth would I be lead, which I most definitely was lead, to post the above scripture verses when we are speaking about chastening? I am going to give you a few minutes to read those verses over once or twice and think about the question I just asked. Teachers do that; surprise quizzes.

OK, time is up. I know you didn't just read on but did as I requested. I am taking for granted that those that are reading this lesson have been following along from the start. I sure hope you have. If not, I suggest you take the time to. They are all short but deep lessons for the Body's edification.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

I recall my Dad, and have spoken of him many times in the past; both the good and the bad. My Dad was very strict and would use his belt on me and my sister when he would return home from the gin mill after work. We didn't understand, and I truly doubt that he understood, that he was taking out his own frustrations in life on his children. The anger of not having an education to provide for us because he had to leave school at 10 to provide for his 5 sisters and baby brother; his working and looking for side work laying block and brick to make an extra buck. Then coming home and hearing my sister and I fighting like cats and dogs.

He would snap and we would run into a closet and hide. Thankfully years later he gave up drinking, all his drinking buddies passed away. Talk about peer pressure. So he stopped drinking. My wife and I gave birth to my daughter, she was born with some disabilities, I got drunk and told my Dad off that he had better show my daughter love; that he had never shown me any. He began to change. When I was saved, he said, "Let's see how long this lasts," so I gave him over to the Lord and said, "I will not say another word, you will send someone to him and he will be saved." And, the Lord did just that. My Dad and I became best friends.

Why did I tell you all that? Because someone needed to hear it. But, it also goes along with the scripture and scriptures we are studying this morning. After all that my Dad did, I still gave him reverence. Did you know that the first commandment with a promise is the one that states,

Exos. 20:12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Now the Lord in the verse above, Matt 11:28-30 is telling us to take his yoke upon us because his burden is lighter then the one we have been carrying since childhood. Not only that, but we will find rest in our, what? Souls. We go through life carrying so much baggage, then we accept the Lord. Many feel all the burdens they carried lifted and they feel like they can fly! Three days later, Oh, woe is me. What have they done? They have taken what they gave Jesus back upon themselves. (See above lessons).

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

As you read above, after their own pleasures, whether it was out of frustration, or guilt, or any of a hundred other reasons it was done, we carried the scars. To this day, many will not or feel as though they can not open themselves up enough to be healed of those scars. But, Jesus does it for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Exercised, what do we do when we want to build stanima? Or muscles? Why do we jog, or walk, or use a treadmill? Why does the Word of God say,

Act 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. (Peaceable fruit of righteouness)

To exercise means to strengthen and build up or, at the very least, keep in shape. This is what Chastening does for us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Isn't this what we are striving for? To be more like Jesus every day and to die to self more and more each day? Then why do we despise the chastening of the Lord instead of rejoicing in it? Praise you Mighty Father in Heaven, all Glory, Honor and Praise be to thee and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.




7-3-09
[16] 30 years in the Lord today. Praise you Jesus. More than half my life walking consciously with you. I recall vividly exactly where I was sitting and how I was dressed and how my hair was combed on that summer afternoon when I first received you as my Lord and Savior through my First Holy Communion in our small St. Anthony's Church.

I recall how I had to press the host up against the roof of my mouth and how I truly believed I was receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. You administered Faith and Grace to me that day. Other then being taught the Catechism from my confirmation, I was never instructed in any thing else and went my own way because I was taught, I would never understand the Bible. I quickly lost track of the Path and leaned unto my own understanding. But, you never left me, never.

All those times I should have died, or gone to jail, losing friends to accidents, drinking, drugs, suicides and murder. Myself being threatened many times over and never fearing, maybe because I had this deep rooted faith that you planted within me. Your being there the day I almost chose suicide but your chastening me by showing me all those that loved me which broke my heart and my spirit and humbled me and broke me as a man. You were there, all the time. Not long after that, during the battle for my soul, the pulling from side to side, you won knowing how much I knew none of us were truly Free and how much I was seeking my Freedom. That you set me free in the parking lot out side of a church after I had gone in and prophesied of this day to them and told them they needed to do more then jump up and down yelling Hallelujah.

You spoke to my heart in words what did not come from any Bible but from the heart of another man you abode in. And, you reached in and touched my heart and told me I could not do it without you, no matter how hard I tried, I would always be beaten down by the world. But, together we could overcome the world. My sinner's prayer was, "I can't take it anymore, help me". You took the weight of the world off of my shoulders and a wind blew through me and I looked at my Brother Johnathan and said, "I know what you mean". Years later he told me, "I saw the scales fall from your eyes and it changed my life forever also". That was 11pm on July 3rd 1979. Jesus set me free for what I now call, Dependence Day. Dependence on Jesus Day.

That night, he put His yoke upon me and His yoke is light, it is one of spreading Freedom and Liberty to one and all and how to achieve it. That has been the burden on my heart for all these years, the same as His. He died for this very reason, to set us Free!

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

I know my purpose in the Lord and I know the Vision he gave me almost 30 years ago of His church. I also know I am still here because He has much for me to do and He is supplying me with the laborers/partners to accomplish His goals. I will not let my Lord and Savior down if I have it in my power not to do so. If I ever become proud, I pray He chastises me quickly for to me, to serve the Lord is Life.

John 10:10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

Wherefore LIFT up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; why? For the Lord is with us!

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

God Bless you all.

****************

7-4
[17] Good Morning all! Rise and shine and give God the Glory, Glory~~~~ Oh each day can be such a Blessing even when things don't go quite the way you wish they would. As you recall from yesterday's lesson, the 3rd was my 30th year walking with the Lord, what I didn't share was on the 3rd of July 1992 my dearly beloved Mother in Law went to be with the Lord.

I went up to Massachusetts because of the magazine I was publishing was co-sponsoring a large Rod & Custom car event. My dear mother in law was suffering with cancer of the liver and I knew she wouldn't make it through the weekend. My wife insisted I go because of our station there. I promised to come home as soon as I received a call from her. I left a message at the Hotel to come and contact me as soon as I received a call. I had just gotten the magazine stand and canopy set up. My other crew was set up at another event in another state.

Someone pulls up and climbs out of his car and said, Emil, "You just received a phone call, Pat's Mom passed away". I looked over at Ed Roth and Bob Moscoffian and said, I have to go. They nodded and I gathered my assistant and packed everything up and went home. Wondering why the Lord would take her that particular day, a day of Rejoicing in Him for me. I wasn't bitter at all, at least she wasn't suffering at anymore, Lord knows how much she had been. My assistant and people I knew very well offered to run my operation while I went home and I could return for the merchandise when I had the time. My assistant could bring the subscriptions back with one of the people who lived in our area. But out of respect for my wife's mother and my second mother, who just took over when my Mom and Dad moved to Ga and treated me better then her own daughter, deserved closing up shop at the every least.

Today, I received a message on my phone, my cousin Joanie, who some of you prayed for. She had four brain tumors, had breast cancer that had been removed, and had a lung removed over the few years. She was 62 I believe. The Doctors could not believe how she held on. I ministered to her on the phone a number of times but received a lot of fear in return, as though if she accepted the Lord she was accepting death and not eternal life.

I know she had others around her to minister His Love and Word to her, I pray she received Jesus into her heart before she left us. But again, another dear person taken on a day special to me. I am a big believer in what the Word says about not esteeming one day above another.

Rom 7:3 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

I like to esteem everyday alike, yet I might go on about my b'day in the Lord because THAT is a special day to me. I didn't get to talk to her twin sister Jeanie last night because I was taking a break from the computer, and out of my room. The computer is a totally different story. Have you heard? Satan is a liar?

What I can believe is that two beautiful people I loved and who touched my life. and I in turn touched theirs, by the Grace of God, entered into His rest on the same date as the date I was saved on. Maybe their is some consolation in that. Two beautiful people that gave all they had to who ever was in need and never asked for anything in return have gone to their rest and are no longer suffering. Thank you Father for your Mercy.

Back to our study.

Heb.12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Yesterday our lesson was still on chastening, hopefully you all survived and came out the other end stronger and with more understanding than when you first came in; no longer having arms hanging at your sides and feeble kneed. We've all seen kids like that portrayed on TV; looking week and unable to deal with opening a peanut butter jar let alone life. Giving up on the jar of peanut butter just as people give up on life and on Jesus because they haven't EXERCISED or been exercised by the Lord because of disbelief, pride, guilt or anyone of the dozen reasons I have already given in prior lessons.

That is the reason we have had to have been exercised through chastening! Bet you didn't know when you accepted Jesus you signed up for the Jesus Gym, did ya? Can't you feel those spiritual muscles grow as you exercise them also? Exercise your sense by reason of use.
So we see there are two forms of exercising. One, by the Lord via chastening. Verse 11 and by our exercising our Gifts, Acts 24:16. And below, Rom 12:6 as you will see.

Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

To exercise those gifts accordingly, check the Greek out. I.e. Exercise these gifts by reason of use. i.e. Use them or lose them!

Back to verse 13, How do we make straight the Paths of our feet ? I can hear Horshack now because a bunch of you know this one. "Ooh, Ooh, I know Mr. Kotta, Pick me, pick me!" OK, Horshack, Go on, what is it""?

Prov 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Amen. Least that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather be healed. Any one have any idea what the Word means here?

What happens when someone is lame? They have a tendency to wander off to that side, the longer they walk wandering to the lame side, the further off track they go. Put them in a giant desert and they will walk in a giant circle. Something along the lines as Moses did for like 40 years! With out acknowledging the Lord in the way we should go, we will sooner or later wander off that straight and narrow path (gate) He speaks of in Luke.

How does He heal us when we lean not unto our own understanding but acknowledge Him? With Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding.

Note that the Lord uses the Word Lean. Lean not unto your own understanding.........Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.

Let me try something here. This might make it really clear to us all.

Heb.12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Prov 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

1.) Make straight your paths = he shall direct thy paths. (Your Word is a Lamp unto my feet).
2.) Lame be turned out of the way = lean not unto your own understanding (Flesh-Carnal minded)
3.) Rather it be healed = in all thy ways acknowledge Him. (Having your mind renewed that you might have the mind of Christ).

Clear, concise and unarguable about. Can you see it?

I can't wait to see what I learn tomorrow night, can you?

Praise God and may you have a Blessed Dependence on the Lord Day which is everyday for me.





[18] Good Morning all! I hope you all visited our Morning Praise and Worship Page already. It is the best way to start the day and continue in it.

I also trust you had a Blessed Independence Day and remembered to thank the Lord for all the benefits He has bestowed upon us and not just complained about what we are losing. Remembering that we all also gave thanks and prayers for all those that served our Country and serving our Country with distinction now. God Bless our Troops and their families.

Even with all that is happening around us and the loss of freedoms and the addition of excess taxes and the loss of jobs, etc. We still have so much to be thankful for. If we dwell on the bad and those that are determined to bring our Nation down, it will bring down our Spirits. Be Thankful and keep that fighting Spirit alive in our Hearts, Minds, Souls and Spirit!

This is even without taking into consideration all that the Lord has done for us; the shedding of His Precious Blood, the Stripes He bore for us, the despising of the shame, the humiliations, the beatings, the final most painful part of all... the separation from His Father, the first time ever and His carrying the sins of every man, woman and child that ever walked the face of this earth that He willingly took upon Himself. Then His Death; His decent into Hades, His retrieving the keys to hell and His conquering the Grave and Death by His Resurrection on the third day!

There is more; our redemption, our being washed in His Precious Blood of all our sins, our relationship with Him, His abiding in us, His living Word carved into the fleshy tablets of our hearts, His Healing us, His Word, His Holy Spirit, Eternal Life, fellowship with the Saints and so, so much more!

If I go on we would be here all day. Hmmm, that might not be a bad idea after all. We do, myself included, forget how much we have to be thankful for but Hey, that's human nature isn't it? Aaaaaaaaah, now there's the crux of the problem right there. Human nature is sinful nature.

That's right, the Flesh profits nothing. Do you really want me to go searching down all these scripture verses? The flesh in itself is sinful. It is at enmity with the spirit of God. That means, it battles the spirit of God. They are at odds with each other. Paul said, (paraphrased), "I do that which I least want to do. The more I don't want to do it, the more I find my flesh wants to do it."

Here are the verses;

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

I am not going to go through a verse by verse break down on these most important scripture verses. But as you can see, even Paul had a battle between the Flesh and the Spirit. The Flesh and Spirit are at enmity with one another. In constant battle and this is why we must constantly be in His Word, signing songs and Psalms, chatting, praying and being with the Lord through out the day. He must be part of our daily life. Our very breath, our every thought should take into consideration what His spirit is telling us what we should do.

Beginning back in Hebrews 12:11 the theme of this chapter turned from Chastening to Holiness.

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (KJV)
Let's look at these verses for a minute or two, shall we? They look somewhat interesting and noteworthy to me. I mean, I DO want to be more like Jesus as I grow in my walk and this is one thing we are to strive for. Or, have I missed the point somewhere along the line? Isn't His Word our text book? The Living Word of God, good for instruction, correction and rebuking? ( 2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine). If that be the case then I think it is a good idea if we heed it.

Gird, strengthen up the loin, the loin (external), i.e. the hip; internal (by extension) procreative power :- loin.—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

Procreative, reminds me of the scripture, let this mind be also in you, that you might have the mind of Christ, paraphrased.

Be sober, discrete, watchful.

I am not going to go word by word through 1 Peter 1:13-16, it is self explanatory if you spend time on reading it after prayer and asking the age old question as a child does, Why?

In this case it is to be mature and Holy because that is what we are Called to be. Oh boy........Me? Holy, only by the Grace of God.
Note that I did not underscore the words; ïn all manner of conversation". Conversation here meaning, behavior.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

That is some lead in for this verse isn't it? Holiness in Greek
(hagiazo); properly purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concrete (by Hebrew) a purifier :- holiness, sanctification.
—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

Without which, Holiness and acts of Holiness, will no man see the Lord. That there dear friends are some pretty heavy words. When was the last time you heard that preached from a pulpit? Be ye Holy for I am Holy, Other wise you won't see me. Paraphrased but you get the idea now don't you?

Again, we can not MAKE our selves Holy but we can strive for Holiness from?

1 Peter 1:13b not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

You can't claim ignorance if you know the Word of God and have heard the Word. Sorry folks, that doesn't cut it with the Lord.


30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10:30-37 (Be Holy!)

A Samaritan was the least of the least yet Jesus said, Go and do likewise. Is this Holiness? Jesus gave his all for you and I when we were yet sinners and He paid the price because He had compassion on us. We were left half dead. He came, saw me, had compassion on me, bound up my wounds, poured in oil, the the anointing and wine, the Holy Spirit and set me on His own beast to carry me to an inn that would take care of me and feed me the Word of God.

He will return and repay everyone that has ever help this miserable, wretched man that the Lord had compassion on, redeemed and washed clean with His precious Blood and for that, I will be eternally thankful and in His debt my entire life. For to live is Christ.

God Bless you all.



15a Looking diligently (beware, take the oversight) lest any man fail of the grace of God; <--fall short of the grace; literally, figuratively or spiritually; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude

:- acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

This is exactly what i was speaking about above. And, I spoke it before I looked it up in Greek. So as you can see, anything can rob us which in turn robs others of a Blessing from God. That is exactly how Satan works. He is a beguiler, a Liar and a thief.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
He is always on the prowl, always ready to pounce upon you which is another reason to always be in contact with the Lord in open communication with Him in Prayer, Psalms, His Word, your consciousness, your standing upon His Word and your NOT compromising His Word.

A lion prowls for his prey. He will walk around until he sees what looks tempting to him. In many cases, he will settle down and watch his prey to see how they behave and react to noises; how alert they are and in what direction they might run so he can cut them off, pounce upon them and make a meal of them. View Satan in the same manner for a moment and you as a Gazelle. He's observing you, will you run with the pact or will you break from the herd and go off in an opposite direction on your own, or will you sit there like a deer in the headlights?

These are all legitimate questions that each one of us must ask ourselves. How will we react the next time we come under attack?
How quickly can we recover? We all will be attacked but being diligent, sober minded and vigilant can save us from major attacks.
Think on these things, such as those in the second half of this verse 15.

15b lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

We taught on any root of bitterness in the beginning of our series and it was quite an in-depth study so I am not going to go through that part of it again other than to say, "Do not allow it to happen. Good things do not come of it." See Lesson # [2] 6-17 and possibly Lesson # [3]. Those teachings also have to do with the many being defiled by the root of bitterness springing up in you.


I believe I will call it a night and begin with Verse 16 tonight. Be Blessed and I pray these Lessons are a Blessing to those that read them, in Jesus name, Amen.

7-9-09
[20]

Evening all! I'm, starting this evening's Lesson off in the PM and not in the AM as I usually do. Things seem to be quiet all over the Net tonight. Not much action on any of the 25 or so Groups I am part of or have a God & Country Group set up in. I didn't miss that Rapture by any chance did I?

It has been a peaceful day on my end but I have found that has not been the case with others. A couple I have spoken to and others that I can just feel in my Spirit. I believe these Lessons are very timely for some at this moment in time. Needy for all of us throughout our walk with the Lord through our lives to live Victorious lives in Christ, Jesus.

In yesterday's Lesson we learned how even a mild illness, if we allow it, can rob not on ourselves of a Blessing but many others as well. We spoke at how Satan roams around as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. Now there is one think we need to understand about out dirtbag.
He knows our faults better then we do. We knows where the kinks are in our armor, where the weak spots are in our flesh. Addicts call these spots, Triggers. Once they are triggered they are a real battle to get back under control. There are Triggers for all sins. Anger, lust, rage, (which is different then anger) anxiety attacks, health issues, migraine headaches, tension headaches, bitterness, misery and the list goes on and on.

Verse 16 gives us an example of one person that Satan was able to take down with his weakness.

16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Esau sells his birthright
I truly doubt that Esau was anywhere near death in his hunger but, like all of us had a tendency to exaggerate or act in a theatrical manner when expounding himself. You will also note that they struggled in the womb and even at birthing with Esau emerging first but Jacob holding Esau's heel as if to say, Oh no you don't. Even then, there was a battle for the Birthright right.

Some might ask, What is the big deal about the Birth Right? A person of Jewish persuasion could answer this better then I. But, in the Jewish tradition, the first born son gets all the inheritance. Then it is up to him what he may or may not what to do with it. My Assistant can jump in here and explain it a bit more if need be.

You will also note in verse 16 of Hebrews that the Word called Esau a fornicator or a profane person.
Profane = from the base of <G939> (basis) and belos (a threshold); accessible (as by crossing the door-way), i.e. (by implication of Jewish notions) heathenish, wicked :- profane (person).—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

If you recall in an earlier Lesson we used Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

This is what happened to Esau, he then started a Nation know as Edom. Now, if Esau, wasn't so lazy, or if he were more sober and alert, he would have MADE HIS OWN dinner instead of giving up his Birth Right to his brother the tent maker. After all, wasn't Esau the big, red, hairy hunter that Issac loved because he ate his own kill?

So, what does this have to do with us you might ask. What did we speak about in the beginning of the Lesson, Triggers. Esau's Trigger was his Hunger. Our Triggers are OUR hunger to feed the needs of the Flesh when we have wanders or strayed from the Lord or grown weak as Esau had. So weak in fact, that he hadn't even thought of making his own meal. He just saw what was set before him.

Are you thinking soberly or just seeing what is set before you and selling your Birth Right as a Christian in whatever area you so happen to be in at whatever time it is. Praise God He is Risen and gives us that Resurrection power in Him also.

Be Blessed in Jesus name.

17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Oh Geez, that's it, we were talking about Birth Right last night and we are still in it now. I hadn't even given the subject any thought when I opened up with my monologue. Now I think I'm Jay Leno. God, it feels so good to be alive and Free in Christ Jesus.

For ye know that afterward, after what, after he, Esau, gave up his birthright for some pottage to feed the lust of his flesh because he was to lazy or believed he was so starved that he would not get up and make his own. He freely gave up his birthright to his brother. When he went to repent, there was no repentance for him no matter how hard he tried, no matter what way he looked to redeem himself and retrieve his birthright.

Now you will notice something we didn't bring up in our last lesson but is very essential to our study since day one and will be until the very end.


Gen 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

New readers would have to go back to the beginnings of our Lessons to fully understand the implications I am making here. I will try to explain without being too redundant with our regulator readers. Jesus set us all free of our sins and everything that occurred to us in our past when we received him as Lord and Savior. Too many of us took back our old feelings of guilt, failure and on and on, usually throw at us by Satan. These things hindered us from serving our Lord in the fullness and Freedom He gave us. So that is what I was referring to.

As you recall we also mentioned being Roman 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Then Esau began the Nation of Edom.

Now here is a very legitimate question for you. As stated in a lesson or two above, starting in Heb 12:11, the Word of God went from Chastening, to Holiness. We learned that Chastening was good for us because it caused us to grow and be obedient and become more Christ like. Dieing to self so we might become more like the sons of God walking in the Garden with the Lord.

Now here we are talking about holiness and God throws in Esau as an example of what he doesn't want us to be like. Now Esau is a real extreme, you have to admit that and say, no way, that would never happen. Wanna bet?

This one is for you Brother Lowell. Maybe we can cut and paste it into testimonies. Remember, God gives them over to a reprobate mind. Before I go any further I have one question for you. What is the one unpardonable sin? Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Has any one ever seen any one in the act of doing so?

I will try to make this as short as possible. Remember, we all fall short of the Glory of God but just because we fall short of His Glory does not mean that we give up! We are redeemed daily, Resurrected daily and Saved daily.

I used to have a small prison ministry at our local medium security facility. We had a lot of success and had murderers except the Lord and even had two baptized in the Holy Spirit. One day, two young men asked if they could go with me to the prison, I said OK but there was something nagging at me. I asked the boys how things were and they said, one of their friend was admitted to the psych ward at the VA hospital in Northport. BINGO! That was it and that was where I had to go.

I told the two young men, let's go there. They said, Oh come on, we want to go to the prison, yada, yada. I whispered to the Lord, Lord, make a way. We get to Riverhead where the prison is and Lord behold! Two cons had escaped and no one was allowed in! Thank you Jesus!

I said to the two boys, Look at that long line, they are not allowing anyone in until they catch these two guys. Let's go to the VA. One guy absolutely refused to go. The other hemmed and hawed and I told him, he is your friend and the Lord is telling me we are to go.

We get onto the psych ward and we see all these young men walking around like zombies with glassed over eyes. One fellow comes up to John and me and asks John, "Can you go to the basement and get me a cup of coffee"? John looked terrified! Basement? I told him, there is a cafeteria down there and it was safe, I knew exactly what was happening in my spirit.

John left and here I was with the patient and this other fellow that immediately started to curse the Holy Spirit and God as well as Jesus.
I summoned up the authority I had in the Holy Spirit and command this demon filled madman to sit on the couch that was there and shut his mouth and not say one more word in the name of Jesus. That I bound in and he had no power and could not move from that moment until the Lord's work was done. this was not me, this was the Power of the Holy Ghost working through me but, when John and I were separated I had and felt absolutely no fear for He is there with me.

I turned to the man that needed healing, he had a condition that I have so I could relate. As I prayed, I looked out the window to my right and the sun was shining and it reflected off of a window directly across from where I stood and right into my eyes. I did not blink because it did not blind me but I prayed on and said, you will not receive any more medication and will be released in three days in the name of Jesus.

I don't think he even understood what I was saying. I finished my prayer and turned and who comes walking in, John, with a cup of coffee.
He looks at the guy on the couch and says, here's your coffee, the guy just waves him away with a look of disgust. I just smile at him.

John asked, "How is (I forgot his name)" I said, Oh, he is fine. The guy sees the nurse down the hall and says, "Oh, I need my shot"! As he started walking down the hall, I said to John, he is not getting that shot in Jesus name and is not getting anymore meds. he will be released in three days. When the patient got to the nurse he said, it is time for my shot, she looked at her chart and said, Oh, Mr So and So, you are not getting anymore shots.

He was healed and released three days later. To God be all the Glory. Now why did I give that testimony in this lesson? The Blasphemer
Gave up his birthright as a Child of God and was given over to a reprobate mind as was Esau.

Remember our prior lessons, be ever vigilant, be sober, ever watchful. Keep your mind stayed upon the lord and He shall keep you in perfect peace. Paraphrased.

Our God is a Loving God but He is also a very jealous God.


***********************
7-11
[22]


Good morning all! I hope this day finds you all chipper and, er, happy. Can't use the word I would have liked to us. It just doesn't seem correct anymore. Such a shame. So many things don't seem correct any more, one of them being the use of the word, Jesus. But, that is not what our Lesson is about today. The Lord laid it heavy on my heart last night that we would be using Romans 8 today. I even left a little foot note you might have noticed so my feeble mind wouldn't forget.

How it will come into play only the Lord knows at this moment because it is such a great Chapter and filled with so much information on everything we have been studying.


18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

We are going to bundle up these four verses even though I could go through each one, as I have all the prior verses in Hebrews. We all know that the Mount spoken about is Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. We are being told here that we do not have to fear what the Hebrews had to fear then. We have a better way now.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

How much of this have we studied in prior lessons? Quite a bit I must say. Does any of it remind you of Esau? Does any of it remind you of self condemnation? When we start walking in the flesh and acting in the flesh and try living according to the Word of God we condemn ourselves to sin and walking after the flesh and fall into that trap we spoke about, the lust of the flesh. To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Those things are in the spiritual realm FIRST!

The more you keep it up, the closer you allow yourself to become like Esau. But, the more Spiritually minded, NOT religiously minded, the more Christ-like you become and the more of an overcomer you become.
There are no guarantees you won't fail, we all fall short of the Glory of God. I just had to repent and ask for forgiveness from my Ministry Team members because I forgot who my supplier was. And this was right after finishing a study on it. I just thank God I do not have to fear going to the Mountain as Moses did.

If you are battling with God, it is not God, it is you, or me, whatever the case may be. The carnal mind is enmity against God.

(echthros); hostility; by implication a reason for opposition :- enmity, hatred. —Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

So, we can battle all day and all night, all our lives if we'd like and NEVER win, if we are doing so in the Flesh. But, God has made a better way for us and He wants it to improve daily if we are willing to humble ourselves and give our will over to His Will.

God Bless you all.




7-12
[23]
Good day all! Another day to Praise the Lord and serve a Living, Loving God! One that wants only the best for us. Though we might wonder at times, our best interests are His intentions for each one of us if we heed His Word and His ways. Everyone needs instruction, from a toddler to an aged adult. We never stop learning, and our Lord is faithful and true to never stop teaching us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday's lesson we spoke about Mt Sinai which represented the Law that was given to Moses and God's people who had to live under these Laws, to break one Law was to break all the Laws. But to day we have come to Mt Zion (Sion) as you can see in the Scripture below. Mt. Zion represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ in which we are set free from the Law of sin and death.

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Verse 22 is telling we now operate in the Kingdom of God, no longer of this world but on in this world. We are now in a totally new realm. Where angels also abide. We can not see this City of God with our natural eyes, nor the heavenly Jerusalem yet we walk in them when we walk and operate in the Spirit of God. As I shared with you in my testimony above at the VA Hospital. I would never have been able to have taken control of the situation as I did if I were not operating in the Heavenly Realm of the Kingdom of God.

What does the Lord's prayer say? Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done HERE on Earth as it IS in Heaven.
So you see the Kingdom of God resides here. We just have to know how to enter into this realm. Thought our lesson I have been sharing with you how to enter this realm and how to operate in it.

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

In Verse 23 the general assembly is the Church that formed on Pentecost, i.e. firstborn, the Church composed of the whole group of regenerated people going back to Pentecost to the first Resurrection;
1 Cor 15: 52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

United together and to Christ by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit;
1 Cor 12:12,13: 12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

We are the Body of Christ of which Jesus is the Head. We are the Body that fits together, members in particular. We think small. God thinks large.
1 Cor 12:27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

We read these verses and think, ah yes, we have all those things in our church but the one down the block doesn't. Brother, Sister, you've missed the mark. This is for the entire Body of Christ. That right, for that denomination, and that one and this one. All members in particular.
If all were the ear, what would we smell with? This is the reason to tear down all denominational walls and learn to love one another for God is Love and anyone that Loveth is born of God and knoweth God.

That isn't always easy to do especially when you come up against certain kinds of believers. But.......

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Jesus is the mediator or the reconsiler of the new covenant, (which is one of Love and Forgiveness) and to the sprinkling of Blood to cleanse us of sin and He speaks of better things the men, (Abel, Son of Adam). Jesus can make a way for you to speak to them, if not, pray He send just the right person and He will. I have seen it time and again. We do not have it in our power to save souls, only to plant seed. So we sow seed every where we go. The Holy Spirit waters, the Lord Reaps.

I know I am glad I can go to My Sion instead of fearing Mt Sinai. We have a Merciful, Loving and Gracious Lord in Jesus Christ. Remember to keep Him in Praise and Worship. He will keep those who's mind is stayed upon Him in perfect peace.

God bless you all.

7-13
[24]

Good day all and God Bless you. Another day to rejoice in the Lord for this is the Day that the Lord hath made! Isn't that great? He made it so it must be good!
Think about it. What He makes is good, what we make of what He makes of it is a totally different story though. Or, what we allow to occur. Often times we have no power over what the occurrences might be. But, we do have the power in how we react to these occurrences.

I was having a problem last night. To the point where I was on the verge of going to the hospital again but we prayed, I took some meds, I did some stretching exercises and of course rebuked and cursed Satan and his minions. I was able in a short while to end up doing my lesson when a half hour prior to that I could not breathe and felt fluid in my lungs. I had just finished my antibiotics for a lung infection. Satan is such a liar. But, as I have said before, we are more then conquerors in Christ Jesus.

I was on the phone during this time so it can be verified. But walking in faith means doing God's Word and that is exactly what we did. We prayed first, then I took my meds which is what I am supposed to do, then I acted by doing these exercises that the Lord lead me to do as i explained to someone over the phone this week to relieve pressure on the lungs, it worked for them. So I said, if it's good for the goose, it might just be good for the gander. It was. Then there was the rebuking and cursing Satan and his minions, I will give them no part in stopping me from doing God's work. This is Faith and walking in Faith and by doing so, pleasing God there by being Blessed by God.

I woke this morning clear lunged and feeling Great. All Glory, Honor and Praise be to God and His Son, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Satan has been attacking every minister of Christ in one way or another lately. He is doing all to damage and weaken the Body of Christ. Do not allow him to weaken you but take the authority that has already been given to you by the Grace of God and the measure of faith you were given when you were first saved.

I can go on and on with how many gifts and Blessings He has bestowed upon each and everyone of you. I am not special in the least. Anything I have done you can do, maybe not in my area but in the area of the Gift God has given you.

We spoke in our last two lessons of Mt Sinai, the Old Law and Mt Zion, the New Covenant or Gospel. I ended yesterday's lesson with;

I know I am glad I can go to My Sion instead of fearing Mt Sinai. We have a Merciful, Loving and Gracious Lord in Jesus Christ.

I have no fear of the Old Law but now I have the New Testament but better yet, The Living Word of God abiding in me as I abide in Him.
Time to do some underlining again.

25a See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth,

Make sure you don't shun or reject Him, Jesus or the Holy Spirit (as the case my be seeing as they are one in Truth) That speaketh.
Because if those that walked the earth when He did while He spoke on earth...


25b much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:


Those words speak for themselves, especially now that we break them down. Jesus speaks from Heaven to our hearts if we reject, shun or choose to ignore them, we lose our relationship with the Lord. He doesn't go anywhere. We go hiding behind the bush and when we come to our senses when He calls our name we usually try and blame it on an Eve. It was that lousy infection Lord. Or my boss was on my case. Or this, or that. YOU, ME let ourselves be overcome by something in the flesh and chose not to listen to that small still voice that said, "This way".

Instead we continued our own way. How many can say, I loved that song by Frank Sinatra, I Did It MY Way! You all were a bunch of people filled with Pride as I was, huh? Thought you could take on the whole world didn'tcha. Don't worry about it. Until we came to Jesus, we were all sons of the father of lies whose greatest sin was Pride which other then Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is our greatest sin. Yes, I know the seven sins and the one that is an abomination, being one that causes discord among the brethren. But I believe that falls into the Pride bracket. It did in Lucifer's case with 1/3 of the angels. But, I digress.

26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

29 For our God is a consuming fire.

The inheritance of believers is secured to us and all things pertaining to salvation are freely given in answer to prayer. We seek grace, that we may serve God with reverence and godly fear. See that we refuse not the ways of God in our lives so that we might abide in the Kingdom of God where we can not be moved.

Verses 26, 27 refer to Mt Sinai, 28 to Mt Zion. 29 to the fact that our God is a consuming fire, one way or the other.

One fire to purify the earth.

One fire to purify us.

God Bless you all.