Shalom, welcome to June 2^nd


><//>--------------------Thought for the Day

Some more things I do not miss since becoming saved. I don’t miss those continuous arguments and debates with people when winning over them was more important then marriage or happiness. I don’t miss wondering whether this weekends adventures brought AIDS into our family’s life; having to remember all the lies and excuses I’ve had out there, and watching them destroy the confidence of my loved ones; or not being able to sleep because I dreaded the day ahead of me.

I’m quite sure that I don’t miss these things, am I not?


><//>--------------------Meditation for the Day

My Image

My Lord and My God, we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee. Make us like Thee.

   You are willing to drink of the cup that I drink of – the wine of sorrow and disappointment.

   You are Mine and will grow, if you are my Disciples, more and more like Me, your Master.

   True it is today as it was in the days of Moses that no man can see My Face and live.

   The self, the original Man, shrivels up and dies, and upon the soul becomes stamped My image.


><//>--------------------Prayer for the Day

Father, we pray that we may live to develop that faint likeness we have within us to the Divine. We pray that others may see in us some of the power of God’s grace at work. Amen.


A Disciple's Reflections: God has Made Death a Good Thing for Us

Together, beloved, let us see how something that appears bad to the world, God uses for the good for we who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.

Believers Hope was formed by the inspiration and power of God for those of us with need for hope. The weakened and wounded, the humbled and softened, the spiritually disenfranchised being prepared by God for His service. 

Beloved, many will proclaim to be followers of Jesus, but only on the last day will the truth be revealed on that score. It is understood not all who come to the fellowship are disciples, but rather some are merely onlookers. There are some, who being saved, want to try some of the Lord’s teachings here and there. Then, there are the disciples for whom this fellowship is devoted.

Men and women who have been called and gifted by the Grace of God to see just what this Sin condition from which we are being saved really is. Not so much because we see sin in others and want to be delivered, but because we see it in ourselves, and though we are forgiven we want to live each day to be rid of the filthy thing that makes every beautiful thing ugly; that breathes death into every living thing – saved or not. No one is immune!

In general, many churches teach that grace means we are forgiven and sin is not good, but understandable and forgiven, so everything's is all right. Now, I’m going to sin and reject my cross daily and you just have to tolerate that and forgive me too.

Oh! I’m sorry if my sin gets out of hand, then I’ll ask you to forgive me and you’ll help me back, and the cycle begins again. Everyone remains nice and carnal, and everyone remains utterly useless for service unto God, unless some Holy Spirit-produced work gets done on God's part in spite of ourselves.

As for me, I shall obey the Lord whatever the cost, even at the expense of my own life, and that is exactly what the cost to follow the Lord is and will be for many of us. To surrender all rights, preferences, hopes, and dreams unto Him to do with as He pleases.

What I’m about to offer is very important now.  We don’t surrender these things to another human being or institution even if it calls itself a church in Jesus’ Name. But only privately, and intimately unto Jesus personally do we give ourselves away completely. 

It is from submission unto Him that all things come. We soon learn how to submit unto one another and not be cultist, but rather faithful, always testing for evil spirits, cautious for fraud, and willing to serve boldly and courageously with all humility. Disciples go the way of the cross and death, resurrection and ascencion – there is no other way.

The carnal believer suffers since the flesh commands and the carnal believer obeys that flesh. This is not so terrible, since this is why Jesus came and died, but it’s when the flesh has usurped the freedom of thought, taken over the believers mind that real trouble breaks loose. Then the enemy has a foothold and nothing but God Himself can intervene, if it be His will to do so.

A disciple can only practice accountability with another disciple, since no other could understand the experience. Unless there is a complete rejection of the SELF, and all that make it up, there can be no other understanding but of the self. 

In cases such as these, spiritual believers will even find themselves rejected by other believers who have not dealt with sin in their character with fear and trembling. Pride will cause these individuals to think what they are doing is right and reasonable, and that which the crucified believer is doing is wrong and extreme or fanatical. Every word will be taken as offense, and every word from them will be defense. In circumstances such as these, there is no hope of recovery again without Divine intervention alone. Every word spoken will make it worse.

I know this because I was a believer such as this. More religious than spiritual, and I had no idea I was in this condition. I didn't know that I didn't know.

Being an addictive personality, and utterly dependant I need the full power of God just to function in this evil world. True believers weren’t created for this world; they were created with Yeshua and the Kingdom of God in mind in the first place. Did you know, that?

I recognize there are times when I’m just wrong and inconsiderate due to my old nature, but what is really important is that my behavior during those moments usually hurt someone else, and that’s unacceptable to me. I’m glad that God has forgiven us. But He has also slain us with Christ to make possible righteous behavior and this is when we can see Him more clearly, because we have died and are raised with Christ. We either believe God’s Word, or what we see and feel.

I may still do wrong, but because of God's grace I want it discovered and will not defend my wrongful behavior. Self-defense protects evil and wrongness that dwells in all of us, and increases our capacity to harm others. I can’t bear the thought of hurting others. I would rather an enemy slap my face, than be flattered by a friend when wrong or in spiritual error. I would rather harm myself than cause harm upon another.

Whether with thought, word, or deed let me be a blessing, but never one who harms. This is the only way to stop hurting others; there is no other way. What must be known is that every one of us, yes, even the best of us come from this as a starting place.  This is the beginning of having successful relationships.

Every time we are proven wrong, it’s like a spike has entered our hands. When we are shown our service is carnal and more a disturbance than a service it’s like another spike has entered our flesh at the feet. Every time we're willing to have our pride smashed by correction we become a little more like Jesus, and just a little less harmful than we were before the lesson. 

Every time we find fault with another it’s just an excuse to avoid dealing with our own wickedness. We must remember we are in a war, and our enemy has substance and can have power over mere humans. Every time we stray from the cross, demons become our master and we are used to harm more proficiently, but it will always appear to us that we are the victims. 

We must be careful that anytime we find ourselves boasting or ourselves, a demon has tricked us. We must repent and draw closer to the individual or institution that we thought was in offense and seek forgiveness. We must draw closer to God, and know we are in serious trouble lest He come and save us, as a Father would – He must rescue His little children from time to time.

Remember what Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you. unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven..." Am I a big, important person with rights, and do my feelings get hurt when I'm humbled? Or, am I a little child under the protection and care of God, our Father.

Love, friendship, marriage are all valuable gifts of God. Only selfishness and self-centeredness, and the love of the self can destroy these relationships. Imagine losing friends, or parents, or children just because we have to be right. This is idiotic, insane, and demonic; therefore, let us not contribute to it.  I must become harmless as a dove, and as sly as a fox. 

Let us continue learning, beloved, and it may take the rest of our lives to learn well. Though we may have far to go to attain the humility we desire, let us have enough to know we can do nothing to better ourselves in His eyes. We must continue to do evil without ebb unless we call on the Lord in all our affairs. Oh! – That the churches would teach this necessary, but financially costly truth.  More people would depart and take their tithes with them.

Our Prayer: Father, crush us and break us that there be nothing left of our old nature’s power to harm another or distract us from You. Blind us to the wrong of others and show us where in every thought, word, and deed we may be a blessing to another. Let us know there are none more beautiful than those who bring a blessing, and none uglier that those who bring harm. Make us to be beautiful in your sight and our deeds to please you forever and our worship and our praise be unstained. Amen.


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Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know that you are not alone.

God Calling compiled by A. J. Russell.
"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" Hazelton - [adapted].
Barry Gray writes A Disciple's Reflections