When African American slavery was legal in America it was evil. At the time other evils were legal too. One of those evils was that women of all races could not vote in America. Some were active only in the fight against slavery. Others were active in the fight for equality and other goodness for both African Americans and women.
Some people limited their activism to slavery because of ignorance. God wants us to have a comprehensive understanding of the Bible. The things that we do not know can cause us and others harm. God is concerned about all people.
Acts 18:24-26 New Living Translation Bible says, "Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately."
Priscilla and Aquila were a wife and a husband who were creyentes (believers). They worked together to share a relationship with God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit with many people. When Priscilla and Aquila encountered Apollos they didn't get angry with Apollos because of his limited understanding. Instead they loved Apollos and shared with him more revelation of who God is.
Apollos accepted the Word of God delivered to him via Priscilla and Aquila. Apollos also became a leader in the early Christian church.
How do you view people who have a different understanding than yours? Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P. O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, Virginia 22195
Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.
Priscilla and Aquila saw potential in Apollos even though he wasn't a part of their worship group initially and had less understanding of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible says, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."
The Chinese invented the fishing reel. Priscilla and Aquila weren't afraid to fish for Apollos who was different from them. God wants all kinds of people in His kingdom, and He wants us to continuously grow in our understanding of who God is and what pleases Him.
Showing posts with label Unity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unity. Show all posts
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Let Unity Rain
Salmo 133 Biblia Bilingue Version Reina-Valera 1960 dice, "Mirad cuan bueno y cuan delicioso es habitar los hermanos juntos en armonia! Es como el buen oleo sobre la cabeza, el cual desciende sobre la barba, la barba de Aaron, y baja hasta el borde de sus vestiduras; como el rocio de Hermon, que desciende sobre los montes de Sion; porque alli envia Jehova bendicion, y vida eterna." Psalm 133 Bilingual Bible New King James Version says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing--life forevermore."
When Birmingham, Alabama's Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Connor ordered fire fighters to "Let 'em have it" in May 1963, the children of Birmingham who were marching in protest of segregation didn't find the water of the fire hoses like pleasant dew. The water blasted off clothes and caused some to smash into buildings and trees. Police clubs and police dogs also attacked the crusading children.
Enduring the clash was worth it. Next month in June 1963 President John F. Kennedy gave a speech on civil rights and announced a new civil rights bill. The year 1963 also happens to be the year that the Organization of African Unity -- now known as the African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- was formed.
Living in oneness requires the removal of oppression. Good relationships and mistreatment do not match. Each human being is made in the image of God. God the King of Kings requires people to treat Him with love and respect. God made people with a built-in desire for love and respect.
The suspension bridge was invented in China. While everyone is made in the image of God, sin disconnects people from God. Jesus Christ is the Bridge (the Way) connecting creyentes (believers) to God. God wants creyentes to live in unity. Ephesians 4:3-6 Amplified Bible says, "Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. [There is] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—[There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all."
Is there something special that could be done in June 2013 to promote unity? Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P. O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, Virginia 22195
Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.
When Birmingham, Alabama's Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Connor ordered fire fighters to "Let 'em have it" in May 1963, the children of Birmingham who were marching in protest of segregation didn't find the water of the fire hoses like pleasant dew. The water blasted off clothes and caused some to smash into buildings and trees. Police clubs and police dogs also attacked the crusading children.
Enduring the clash was worth it. Next month in June 1963 President John F. Kennedy gave a speech on civil rights and announced a new civil rights bill. The year 1963 also happens to be the year that the Organization of African Unity -- now known as the African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- was formed.
Living in oneness requires the removal of oppression. Good relationships and mistreatment do not match. Each human being is made in the image of God. God the King of Kings requires people to treat Him with love and respect. God made people with a built-in desire for love and respect.
The suspension bridge was invented in China. While everyone is made in the image of God, sin disconnects people from God. Jesus Christ is the Bridge (the Way) connecting creyentes (believers) to God. God wants creyentes to live in unity. Ephesians 4:3-6 Amplified Bible says, "Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. [There is] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—[There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all."
Is there something special that could be done in June 2013 to promote unity? Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P. O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, Virginia 22195
Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Chen Guangcheng Doesn't Settle For Less Than The Best, Why Should You?
God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Ghost is a God of excellence and completion. He doesn't want us to behave halfheartedly and haphazardly toward Him or toward other people. Luke 10:27 Amplified Bible says, "And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 3 John 1:2 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Dear friend, I am praying that everything prosper with you and that you be in good health, as I know you are prospering spiritually."
Creyentes (believers) are reinas y reyes (queens and kings.) We are valuable and deserve outstanding treatment both male and female and of whatever racial, ethnic or other background. Satan wants us to think small and settle for less than God's best.
For years abolitionists and women's rights activists worked together supporting each others causes. Yet when the Fifteenth amendment was ratified in 1870 effectively extending the right to vote to African American men and other men of color, some wanted women to suck it up and shut up about their lack of a right to vote.
Abolitionists and women's rights activists like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others said we are going to stand up and to continue to seek all that is due us.
Christopher Yuan, who used to practice homosexual sex and is now a celibate, public speaker for Jesus Christ says that unconditional love is not unconditional acceptance of bad behavior.
Are you refusing to deal with bad behavior in a relationship? God doesn't settle for less than the best. God cares enough about us to bring His best out of us and in our relationships.
About one year ago the US and China agreed to allow Chen Guangcheng, his wife, Yuan Weijing, and their two children to leave China and to come to the United States. China agreed not to harass or to harm the Chen Guangcheng family still in China. In 2005 Guangcheng, a blind, self-taught lawyer, filed a class action lawsuit against local government authorities involved in forced abortions and forced sterilizations practiced as part of China's one child policy. He was put in jail then in house arrest in Shandong, China.
Guangcheng, Weijing, their son and their daughter are in the United States now, but Guangcheng's nephew, Chen Kegui, was arrested shortly after Guangcheng left China last spring after Chinese authorities burst into his house, and he attempted to defend himself. Chen Kegui is currently in jail and has not been taken to a hospital for treatment of acute appendicitis. Chen Kegui is married to Liu Fang. The couple have a young son, Chen Fubin. Last Thursday morning Guangcheng's brother, Chen Guangfu, was beat up by unidentified men who stopped him while he was riding his electric bike, which they destroyed. Other acts violence have been perpetrated against the Chen family since Chen Guangcheng came to America last year.
In addition to testifying before Congress on April 9, 2013, Chen Guangcheng and others have been speaking and seeking to get China to honor all of their side of the agreement that allowed Guangcheng to leave China while bringing attention to forced abortions and forced sterilizations practiced as part of China's one child policy and other human rights abuses in China.
One of Guangcheng's friends is Bo Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid. They have been meeting with members of Congress. They reaped some fruit from their labors when a letter dated May 13, 2013, was sent to Secretary of State John Kerry signed by both House Speaker John Boehner and Minority leader Nancy Pelosi as well as six other senior Republican and Democratic members of Congress including Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, Joseph Crowley, James McGovern and Rick Larsen.
Some of the things the letter urges US Secretary of State John Kerry to obtain are:
1) medical treatment for Chen Kegui
2) medical parole for Chen Kegui
3) a meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Chen Guangcheng and Yuan Weijing
4) denial of US visas to 44 officials involved in persecuting Chen Guangcheng's family
Bad behavior can be brought around to good. God doesn't often speak to us audibly. He usually speaks to our inner person leading us to what is right. If we don't do what He says, God can use community correction. Unity can be used for good. An East African proverb says, "When minds are the same, that which is far off will come."
Pray that US Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barak Obama's administration takes the actions requested in the bi-partisan Congressional letter. Don't only pray about leaders, pray about all of your life and relationships. God enjoys a lot of communication and is very responsive. He wants the best life for us privately and publicly. 1 Tesalonicenses 5:17 Biblia Bilingue Version Reina-Valera 1960 dice, "Orad sin cesar." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Bilingual Bible New King James Version Bible says, "Pray without ceasing."
Creyentes (believers) are reinas y reyes (queens and kings.) We are valuable and deserve outstanding treatment both male and female and of whatever racial, ethnic or other background. Satan wants us to think small and settle for less than God's best.
For years abolitionists and women's rights activists worked together supporting each others causes. Yet when the Fifteenth amendment was ratified in 1870 effectively extending the right to vote to African American men and other men of color, some wanted women to suck it up and shut up about their lack of a right to vote.
Abolitionists and women's rights activists like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others said we are going to stand up and to continue to seek all that is due us.
Christopher Yuan, who used to practice homosexual sex and is now a celibate, public speaker for Jesus Christ says that unconditional love is not unconditional acceptance of bad behavior.
Are you refusing to deal with bad behavior in a relationship? God doesn't settle for less than the best. God cares enough about us to bring His best out of us and in our relationships.
About one year ago the US and China agreed to allow Chen Guangcheng, his wife, Yuan Weijing, and their two children to leave China and to come to the United States. China agreed not to harass or to harm the Chen Guangcheng family still in China. In 2005 Guangcheng, a blind, self-taught lawyer, filed a class action lawsuit against local government authorities involved in forced abortions and forced sterilizations practiced as part of China's one child policy. He was put in jail then in house arrest in Shandong, China.
Guangcheng, Weijing, their son and their daughter are in the United States now, but Guangcheng's nephew, Chen Kegui, was arrested shortly after Guangcheng left China last spring after Chinese authorities burst into his house, and he attempted to defend himself. Chen Kegui is currently in jail and has not been taken to a hospital for treatment of acute appendicitis. Chen Kegui is married to Liu Fang. The couple have a young son, Chen Fubin. Last Thursday morning Guangcheng's brother, Chen Guangfu, was beat up by unidentified men who stopped him while he was riding his electric bike, which they destroyed. Other acts violence have been perpetrated against the Chen family since Chen Guangcheng came to America last year.
In addition to testifying before Congress on April 9, 2013, Chen Guangcheng and others have been speaking and seeking to get China to honor all of their side of the agreement that allowed Guangcheng to leave China while bringing attention to forced abortions and forced sterilizations practiced as part of China's one child policy and other human rights abuses in China.
One of Guangcheng's friends is Bo Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid. They have been meeting with members of Congress. They reaped some fruit from their labors when a letter dated May 13, 2013, was sent to Secretary of State John Kerry signed by both House Speaker John Boehner and Minority leader Nancy Pelosi as well as six other senior Republican and Democratic members of Congress including Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, Joseph Crowley, James McGovern and Rick Larsen.
Some of the things the letter urges US Secretary of State John Kerry to obtain are:
1) medical treatment for Chen Kegui
2) medical parole for Chen Kegui
3) a meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Chen Guangcheng and Yuan Weijing
4) denial of US visas to 44 officials involved in persecuting Chen Guangcheng's family
Bad behavior can be brought around to good. God doesn't often speak to us audibly. He usually speaks to our inner person leading us to what is right. If we don't do what He says, God can use community correction. Unity can be used for good. An East African proverb says, "When minds are the same, that which is far off will come."
Pray that US Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barak Obama's administration takes the actions requested in the bi-partisan Congressional letter. Don't only pray about leaders, pray about all of your life and relationships. God enjoys a lot of communication and is very responsive. He wants the best life for us privately and publicly. 1 Tesalonicenses 5:17 Biblia Bilingue Version Reina-Valera 1960 dice, "Orad sin cesar." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Bilingual Bible New King James Version Bible says, "Pray without ceasing."
Saturday, March 30, 2013
God Confidence
Numbers 13:3-15 New Living Translation Bible says, "So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. These were the tribes and the names of their leaders:
Tribe Leader
Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur
Simeon Shaphat son of Hori
Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh
Issachar Igal son of Joseph
Ephraim Hoshea son of Nun
Benjamin Palti son of Raphu
Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi
Manasseh son of Joseph Gaddi son of Susi
Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli
Asher Sethur son of Michael
Naphtali Nahbi son of Vophsi
Gad Geuel son of Maki
A Chinese proverb says, "To plug the ears while stealing the bell;" it means "to deceive oneself." It is a deception to believe that God favors people based on race, ethnicity or some physical characteristic. God is no respecter of persons. Benjamin Banneker, an African-American inventor, surveyor, mathematician and astronomer during a time when African-American slavery was legal in the United States, said, "The color of the skin is in no way connected with strength of the mind or intellectual powers." Romans 2:28-29 Complete Jewish Bible says, "For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God."
Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi and Geuel were deceived. They believed in the inferiority of the Jews to the Canaanites. Numbers 13:31-33 Amplified Bible says, "But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
The people of God are reyes y reinas (kings and queens.) Jesus Christ is El Rey de Reyes (The King of Kings.) While Jesus died for us when we were sinners, God doesn't view us as sinners anymore. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus Christ, the Sinless One, the Perfect One. Low self-esteem is a sin. Not doing what God tells us to do is a sin even if it seems impossible.
Jesus died a horrible death on a Friday more than 2,000, years ago and got up from the dead on a Sunday, not so we would live in fear, low self-esteem, hatred or without unity among believers.
The people of God are called to do greater things than Jesus Christ did in His earthly ministry. Jesus Christ says in John 14:11-12 Complete Jewish Bible, "Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father."
What are some trust issues you have seen in the Church?
Tribe Leader
Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur
Simeon Shaphat son of Hori
Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh
Issachar Igal son of Joseph
Ephraim Hoshea son of Nun
Benjamin Palti son of Raphu
Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi
Manasseh son of Joseph Gaddi son of Susi
Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli
Asher Sethur son of Michael
Naphtali Nahbi son of Vophsi
Gad Geuel son of Maki
A Chinese proverb says, "To plug the ears while stealing the bell;" it means "to deceive oneself." It is a deception to believe that God favors people based on race, ethnicity or some physical characteristic. God is no respecter of persons. Benjamin Banneker, an African-American inventor, surveyor, mathematician and astronomer during a time when African-American slavery was legal in the United States, said, "The color of the skin is in no way connected with strength of the mind or intellectual powers." Romans 2:28-29 Complete Jewish Bible says, "For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God."
Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi and Geuel were deceived. They believed in the inferiority of the Jews to the Canaanites. Numbers 13:31-33 Amplified Bible says, "But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
The people of God are reyes y reinas (kings and queens.) Jesus Christ is El Rey de Reyes (The King of Kings.) While Jesus died for us when we were sinners, God doesn't view us as sinners anymore. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus Christ, the Sinless One, the Perfect One. Low self-esteem is a sin. Not doing what God tells us to do is a sin even if it seems impossible.
Jesus died a horrible death on a Friday more than 2,000, years ago and got up from the dead on a Sunday, not so we would live in fear, low self-esteem, hatred or without unity among believers.
The people of God are called to do greater things than Jesus Christ did in His earthly ministry. Jesus Christ says in John 14:11-12 Complete Jewish Bible, "Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father."
What are some trust issues you have seen in the Church?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Money and Marriage
"When Joe, 64, a computer professional in Massachusetts, married for the first time, he was 31 and very in love.
"She was attracted to me because I had structure; I was attracted to her because she was a lot of fun," said Joe.
He had noticed some financial red flags while they were dating: She always carried a credit card balance and liked buying expensive gifts for people. Still, he said, he wasn't fazed: "I never thought about it, because it wasn't my problem."
After they married, though, his new wife's spending habits became Joe's problem.
"She could drain a checking account in no time," he recalled. Joe describes himself as an avid saver, and his and his wife's financial differences became the cause of bad fights. "I couldn't stand being broke all the time and really struggling to pay the bills, and she didn't like the restriction of me saying we can't afford this," he said. 'We kind of drove each other into corners. She became more irresponsible and I became more rigid." Joe and his wife divorced after three years, largely because of financial differences," writes Stacey Vanek Smith in the March 26, 2013 The New York Times article "Money Talk Before Marriage A Tip You Can't Disparage."
Judas Iscariot divorced Jesus Christ in about three years also, and money seems to have played a major role. Judas, one of Jesus' original 12 apostles, didn't approve of Jesus' money management methods. In the Bible book of Matthew chapter 26 after a woman pours an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head, Judas divorces Jesus.
"An archaic and infrequently used name for the Wednesday before Easter is "Spy Wednesday", named for Judas' becoming a spy for the Sanhedrin," writes Joe Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, in his March 25, 2013, article "9 Things You Should Know About Holy Week." For 30 pieces of silver Judas tells the Sanhedrin where to capture Jesus. Once Jesus is captured, later in the week on Friday Jesus is crucified. On Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, having paid the sin debt for each person who will receive Him into their life for eternity.
The Chinese invented paper money which they originally called "flying money" because it was so light and easily flew out of people's hand. The generosity of Jesus frustrated and disappointed Judas. Money seemed to fly out of Jesus' hand. Judas wanted enough on hand for his desires, including theft.
An African proverb says, "Work is good, provided you do not forget to live." Jesus sees money as a tool to live well and to do good. Jesus says in Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)."
The more money possessed, the more responsibility to do good. The Complete Jewish Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life."
Conflict over differences in the management of money and sex are among the top reasons husbands and wives do not have un matrimonio de pasión y sorpresa and some end up seeking un divorcio. Instead of allowing differences to divide, why not ask God to help you find a way to diversity in unity? God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Father are different and unified. Jesus Christ prayed for believers in John 17:21 English Standard Version Bible, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
What are some ways Jesus Christ has brought diversity in unity to your marriage or your singleness?
"She was attracted to me because I had structure; I was attracted to her because she was a lot of fun," said Joe.
He had noticed some financial red flags while they were dating: She always carried a credit card balance and liked buying expensive gifts for people. Still, he said, he wasn't fazed: "I never thought about it, because it wasn't my problem."
After they married, though, his new wife's spending habits became Joe's problem.
"She could drain a checking account in no time," he recalled. Joe describes himself as an avid saver, and his and his wife's financial differences became the cause of bad fights. "I couldn't stand being broke all the time and really struggling to pay the bills, and she didn't like the restriction of me saying we can't afford this," he said. 'We kind of drove each other into corners. She became more irresponsible and I became more rigid." Joe and his wife divorced after three years, largely because of financial differences," writes Stacey Vanek Smith in the March 26, 2013 The New York Times article "Money Talk Before Marriage A Tip You Can't Disparage."
Judas Iscariot divorced Jesus Christ in about three years also, and money seems to have played a major role. Judas, one of Jesus' original 12 apostles, didn't approve of Jesus' money management methods. In the Bible book of Matthew chapter 26 after a woman pours an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head, Judas divorces Jesus.
"An archaic and infrequently used name for the Wednesday before Easter is "Spy Wednesday", named for Judas' becoming a spy for the Sanhedrin," writes Joe Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, in his March 25, 2013, article "9 Things You Should Know About Holy Week." For 30 pieces of silver Judas tells the Sanhedrin where to capture Jesus. Once Jesus is captured, later in the week on Friday Jesus is crucified. On Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, having paid the sin debt for each person who will receive Him into their life for eternity.
The Chinese invented paper money which they originally called "flying money" because it was so light and easily flew out of people's hand. The generosity of Jesus frustrated and disappointed Judas. Money seemed to fly out of Jesus' hand. Judas wanted enough on hand for his desires, including theft.
An African proverb says, "Work is good, provided you do not forget to live." Jesus sees money as a tool to live well and to do good. Jesus says in Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)."
The more money possessed, the more responsibility to do good. The Complete Jewish Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life."
Conflict over differences in the management of money and sex are among the top reasons husbands and wives do not have un matrimonio de pasión y sorpresa and some end up seeking un divorcio. Instead of allowing differences to divide, why not ask God to help you find a way to diversity in unity? God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Father are different and unified. Jesus Christ prayed for believers in John 17:21 English Standard Version Bible, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
What are some ways Jesus Christ has brought diversity in unity to your marriage or your singleness?
Monday, March 25, 2013
An Appetizer, the Main Dish or Among A Smorgasbord of Love Play
"Greet one another with a holy kiss," says 2 Corinthians 13:12 Complete Jewish Bible. Be kind to singles and married people; brush your teeth and tongue at least once a day. The Chinese invented the toothbrush, which is a good tool to use daily to help remove bad breath.
With fresh breath, a spouse may be inspired to say, "Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine" (Song of Solomon 1:2 New Living Translation;) "Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon" (Song of Solomon 4:11 New Living Translation;) "His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend" (Song of Solomon 5:16 New Living Translation.)
If you make the soft grass and field of flowers your lovemaking bed like Solomon and his Shulammite wife, be sure to bathe or shower frequently. Cleanliness helps cunnilingus and fellatio to be delicioso. Here's a fellatio idea:
1) The husband lies on his back. The wife crawls between his legs.
2) The wife holds her husband's penis and gazes at it adoringly. Perhaps his penis has a name?
3) Slowly with broad licks the wife ministers to her husband's penis while massaging his balls.
4) The wife swirls, licks, sucks his penis as much as possible.
5) The wife picks up the pace of ministering according to the husband's excitement level.
Fellatio can be an appetizer, the main dish or among of smorgasbord of love play as is cunnilingus. Solomon admired and tasted his wife's vagina. Song of Solomon 4:12-16 New Living Translation Bible says:
"You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride,
a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.
Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates
with rare spices—
henna with nard,
nard and saffron,
fragrant calamus and cinnamon,
with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes,
and every other lovely spice.
You are a garden fountain,
a well of fresh water
streaming down from Lebanon’s mountains.
Young Woman
Awake, north wind!
Rise up, south wind!
Blow on my garden
and spread its fragrance all around.
Come into your garden, my love;
taste its finest fruits."
Here's two cunnilingus ideas:
1) The wife can lie on her back while her husband crawls between her legs to suck her clitoris.
2) Or her husband can kneel at his wife's hip and provide oral delights from a right angle.
Cunnilingus and fellatio can be performed in a variety of ways. A good question for husbands and wives to ask is, "How can I please you?" The best lovers are good friends. Good friends are inquisitive. Friends want to ask questions to learn as much as possible about each other to increase all the good qualities of their relationship, qualities like their unity. King David writes in Psalm 133 English Standard Version Bible:
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore."
An East African proverb says, "When minds are the same, that which is far off will come." All obstacles to orgasms, spiritual fulfillment, emotional intimacy can be overcome by talking to God and allowing Him to empower you with the ability to be unified as a married couple full of friendliness and loving mutual ecstasy.
With fresh breath, a spouse may be inspired to say, "Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine" (Song of Solomon 1:2 New Living Translation;) "Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon" (Song of Solomon 4:11 New Living Translation;) "His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend" (Song of Solomon 5:16 New Living Translation.)
If you make the soft grass and field of flowers your lovemaking bed like Solomon and his Shulammite wife, be sure to bathe or shower frequently. Cleanliness helps cunnilingus and fellatio to be delicioso. Here's a fellatio idea:
1) The husband lies on his back. The wife crawls between his legs.
2) The wife holds her husband's penis and gazes at it adoringly. Perhaps his penis has a name?
3) Slowly with broad licks the wife ministers to her husband's penis while massaging his balls.
4) The wife swirls, licks, sucks his penis as much as possible.
5) The wife picks up the pace of ministering according to the husband's excitement level.
Fellatio can be an appetizer, the main dish or among of smorgasbord of love play as is cunnilingus. Solomon admired and tasted his wife's vagina. Song of Solomon 4:12-16 New Living Translation Bible says:
"You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride,
a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.
Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates
with rare spices—
henna with nard,
nard and saffron,
fragrant calamus and cinnamon,
with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes,
and every other lovely spice.
You are a garden fountain,
a well of fresh water
streaming down from Lebanon’s mountains.
Young Woman
Awake, north wind!
Rise up, south wind!
Blow on my garden
and spread its fragrance all around.
Come into your garden, my love;
taste its finest fruits."
Here's two cunnilingus ideas:
1) The wife can lie on her back while her husband crawls between her legs to suck her clitoris.
2) Or her husband can kneel at his wife's hip and provide oral delights from a right angle.
Cunnilingus and fellatio can be performed in a variety of ways. A good question for husbands and wives to ask is, "How can I please you?" The best lovers are good friends. Good friends are inquisitive. Friends want to ask questions to learn as much as possible about each other to increase all the good qualities of their relationship, qualities like their unity. King David writes in Psalm 133 English Standard Version Bible:
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore."
An East African proverb says, "When minds are the same, that which is far off will come." All obstacles to orgasms, spiritual fulfillment, emotional intimacy can be overcome by talking to God and allowing Him to empower you with the ability to be unified as a married couple full of friendliness and loving mutual ecstasy.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Multiplication
"Sadly, many people don't really know true love--that is, God's love for them. I'm talking about a real revelation of His unwavering, unconditional love. This may be an underlying cause of many problems in relationships today. Quite honestly, many people just don't like themselves, and it's mainly due to the lack of a revelation that God, the Creator of the universe, is absolutely crazy about them," writes International Bible Teacher Joyce Meyer in her February 2013 Enjoying Everyday Life magazine.
Booker Taliaferro Washington liked himself even as a boy. People who like themselves seek to improve themselves and other people. Shortly after Washington was freed from African-American slavery as a boy, he was forced into the slavery of child labor. Sometimes he had to go to work starting at 4 a.m. in salt mines and working throughout the day. He also later in his childhood had to work in coal mines. Nevertheless, Washington and his mother schemed together for ways to send him to night school and to home school him. Washington taught himself the English alphabet.
While liking himself, it took some time to get over envy of others who were born into lives with more opportunities. Washington, an educator, speaker, author and Civil Rights Leader who was born into slavery and rose to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation, writes in his book, Up From Slavery, about his boyhood, "In those days, and later as a young man, I used to try to picture in my imagination the feelings and ambitions of a white boy with absolutely no limit placed upon his aspirations and activities. I used to envy the white boy who had no obstacles placed in the way of his becoming a Congressman, Governor, Bishop, or President by reason of the accident of his birth or race. I used to picture the way that I would act under such circumstances; how I would begin at the bottom and keep rising until I reached the highest round of success.
In later years, I confess that I do not envy the white boy as I once did. I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. Looked at from this standpoint, I almost reach the conclusion that often the Negro boy's birth and connection with an unpopular race is an advantage, so far as real life is concerned. With few exceptions, the Negro youth must work harder and must perform his tasks even better than a white youth in order to secure recognition. But out of the hard and unusual struggle through which he is compelled to pass, he gets a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race."
Besides his mother, a multiplicity of people helped Washington to overcome the obstacles of being born into slavery. God never meant for us to live lives of isolation. Proverbs 18:1 Amplified Bible says, "He who willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment."
Self-centeredness is stupid and Satanic.
Jesus Christ talks to God the Father shortly before Christ is going to be crucified, killed and resurrected in three days from the dead. One of the things Christ asks God the Father for is that all believers may be one as Christ and the Father are one.
The Complete Jewish Bible says in Psalm 133:1, "Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony."
Francis Chan writes in his book, multiply disciples making disciples, "Jesus prayed that we would be united. Why? So that the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God, and so that the world would know that God loves us. Isn't it amazing that Jesus believed that the unity of His church would communicate all of this to the world? So often we assume that having right and logical arguments will be enough, but Jesus said the world will be convinced by our unity. And when you think about it, haven't we all heard the objections from unbelievers who point to divisions in the church as a cause for their disbelief?
... Jesus prayed for our unity, which means that we have to focus on loving and serving each other. But we need to be doing this in such a way that the world can see what we are doing and recognize it as a picture of unity."
Let's live in advocacy without atrocity. While there is plenty we will not agree on, disagreement does not give us permission to mistreat people.
Try to understand people. Ask God for revelation about why someone is sinning.
Everyone is a candidate from coming into relationship with Christ. Don't write-off anyone. Naomi Zacharias writes in her book, the scent of water grace for every kind of broken, about women who appear to be choosing prostitution, "Someone's willingness to subject herself to something has never made a harmful act any less exploitive (sic) or relieved the offender of responsibility. If this were so, then neither should we intervene on behalf of the abused wife who chooses to endure beatings or the laborer who willingly goes to work in the sweatshop because he needs an income in order to eat."
The answer for everything in life is God. He knows how to change us, so that we can get along with people and do other good things. Jennifer Salinas sings, "Ven A Cristo" ("Come to Christ;") He is "Incomparable" (Incomparable).
Booker Taliaferro Washington liked himself even as a boy. People who like themselves seek to improve themselves and other people. Shortly after Washington was freed from African-American slavery as a boy, he was forced into the slavery of child labor. Sometimes he had to go to work starting at 4 a.m. in salt mines and working throughout the day. He also later in his childhood had to work in coal mines. Nevertheless, Washington and his mother schemed together for ways to send him to night school and to home school him. Washington taught himself the English alphabet.
While liking himself, it took some time to get over envy of others who were born into lives with more opportunities. Washington, an educator, speaker, author and Civil Rights Leader who was born into slavery and rose to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation, writes in his book, Up From Slavery, about his boyhood, "In those days, and later as a young man, I used to try to picture in my imagination the feelings and ambitions of a white boy with absolutely no limit placed upon his aspirations and activities. I used to envy the white boy who had no obstacles placed in the way of his becoming a Congressman, Governor, Bishop, or President by reason of the accident of his birth or race. I used to picture the way that I would act under such circumstances; how I would begin at the bottom and keep rising until I reached the highest round of success.
In later years, I confess that I do not envy the white boy as I once did. I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. Looked at from this standpoint, I almost reach the conclusion that often the Negro boy's birth and connection with an unpopular race is an advantage, so far as real life is concerned. With few exceptions, the Negro youth must work harder and must perform his tasks even better than a white youth in order to secure recognition. But out of the hard and unusual struggle through which he is compelled to pass, he gets a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race."
Besides his mother, a multiplicity of people helped Washington to overcome the obstacles of being born into slavery. God never meant for us to live lives of isolation. Proverbs 18:1 Amplified Bible says, "He who willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment."
Self-centeredness is stupid and Satanic.
Jesus Christ talks to God the Father shortly before Christ is going to be crucified, killed and resurrected in three days from the dead. One of the things Christ asks God the Father for is that all believers may be one as Christ and the Father are one.
The Complete Jewish Bible says in Psalm 133:1, "Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony."
Francis Chan writes in his book, multiply disciples making disciples, "Jesus prayed that we would be united. Why? So that the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God, and so that the world would know that God loves us. Isn't it amazing that Jesus believed that the unity of His church would communicate all of this to the world? So often we assume that having right and logical arguments will be enough, but Jesus said the world will be convinced by our unity. And when you think about it, haven't we all heard the objections from unbelievers who point to divisions in the church as a cause for their disbelief?
... Jesus prayed for our unity, which means that we have to focus on loving and serving each other. But we need to be doing this in such a way that the world can see what we are doing and recognize it as a picture of unity."
Let's live in advocacy without atrocity. While there is plenty we will not agree on, disagreement does not give us permission to mistreat people.
Try to understand people. Ask God for revelation about why someone is sinning.
Everyone is a candidate from coming into relationship with Christ. Don't write-off anyone. Naomi Zacharias writes in her book, the scent of water grace for every kind of broken, about women who appear to be choosing prostitution, "Someone's willingness to subject herself to something has never made a harmful act any less exploitive (sic) or relieved the offender of responsibility. If this were so, then neither should we intervene on behalf of the abused wife who chooses to endure beatings or the laborer who willingly goes to work in the sweatshop because he needs an income in order to eat."
The answer for everything in life is God. He knows how to change us, so that we can get along with people and do other good things. Jennifer Salinas sings, "Ven A Cristo" ("Come to Christ;") He is "Incomparable" (Incomparable).
Monday, December 10, 2012
Some Things to Pray
What are some things to pray for? Jesus says in Matthew 21:22 New International Version Bible, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." In John 17 Jesus prayed that He will be revealed to believers. God has to give life to our spirit in order for us to recognize who Jesus is. We can pray that Jesus will be revealed to people.
Unity is also something good to pray for. Psalm 133:4 New King James Version Bible says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Unity makes it easier to accomplish our purpose in life because we are cooperating with each other.
Living in unity does not mean that we are all the same. Pray to know your God-given purpose. This way we will fulfill all that He has called us to fulfill.
Don't try to fulfill purpose without consulting God. By ourselves we go into areas that are not productive.
When we live in purpose we also live with truth. We can pray for truth to be revealed. Truth may seem to be revealed by facts, but this is not always the case. Truth has a dimension that is both spiritual and natural. For example, in the natural the Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh, some type of problem in his life. In the Spirit of God, God turned the weakness this thorn caused into strength.
We can pray for intimacy with God. Jesus notes in John 17 that He is so close to God the Father that He is one with God the Father. Jesus is the manifestation of God that we can see. He had a physical body in His earthly ministry 2,000 years ago. Even before Mary was pregnant with baby Jesus, Jesus had a body. For example, in the Old Testament Jesus was the commander of the Lord's army in Joshua 5 that Joshua worshiped.
We can pray that God will not lead us into temptation. Temptation can bring out weakness that does not lead to giving honor to God. Avoid temptation. It can be enticing. Some can be passed, but not all.
We can pray for protection. Our ultimate enemy is the devil and his demons who have been around a lot longer than we have. God can take care of problems we have no idea about. For example, we live in a world where there is enough food for everyone, but political obstacles stand in the way. Respect authority. Pray for governmental leaders. May leaders let go of pre-destined failure and embrace win-win solutions today and every day. Anything is possible.
Unity is also something good to pray for. Psalm 133:4 New King James Version Bible says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Unity makes it easier to accomplish our purpose in life because we are cooperating with each other.
Living in unity does not mean that we are all the same. Pray to know your God-given purpose. This way we will fulfill all that He has called us to fulfill.
Don't try to fulfill purpose without consulting God. By ourselves we go into areas that are not productive.
When we live in purpose we also live with truth. We can pray for truth to be revealed. Truth may seem to be revealed by facts, but this is not always the case. Truth has a dimension that is both spiritual and natural. For example, in the natural the Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh, some type of problem in his life. In the Spirit of God, God turned the weakness this thorn caused into strength.
We can pray for intimacy with God. Jesus notes in John 17 that He is so close to God the Father that He is one with God the Father. Jesus is the manifestation of God that we can see. He had a physical body in His earthly ministry 2,000 years ago. Even before Mary was pregnant with baby Jesus, Jesus had a body. For example, in the Old Testament Jesus was the commander of the Lord's army in Joshua 5 that Joshua worshiped.
We can pray that God will not lead us into temptation. Temptation can bring out weakness that does not lead to giving honor to God. Avoid temptation. It can be enticing. Some can be passed, but not all.
We can pray for protection. Our ultimate enemy is the devil and his demons who have been around a lot longer than we have. God can take care of problems we have no idea about. For example, we live in a world where there is enough food for everyone, but political obstacles stand in the way. Respect authority. Pray for governmental leaders. May leaders let go of pre-destined failure and embrace win-win solutions today and every day. Anything is possible.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Freedom, Diversity and Unity
"Vive Libre" is a statement I recently saw on a T-shirt as I walked past someone. It's a good message, so long as the freedom is the freedom to do good.
God the Son Jesus Christ wants us free to do good. John 8:32 Amplified Bible teaches us that truth and freedom go together: "And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
In the beginning when the first man and woman choose a plan for their life that seemed good, but wasn't, one of the dynamics they set in place was they were no longer free to function as God designed them. The choice they made instead of giving them a better relationship with self and each other actually caused their relationships to deteriorate.
When Adam and Eve got along great with self and each other and were preparing positively to expand their family Genesis 2:25 Amplified Bible says, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other’s presence."
Without God living in us we do not have the person we need to empower us to grow in relationships of positive freedom with God, self and others. God wants us to experience this freedom. But by ourselves it's impossible. We need new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified Bible says, "Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" When we receive God by faith, God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Ghost come to live inside us giving us new life, giving us the ability to function in freedom to do good.
God on the inside does not show up on the outside in full all at once. One reason God gave us the Bible is because He likes for us to chase Him something like we would when we are passionately in love with someone. We want to take the time to know everything about our loved one, and be our best self in relationship with our loved one.
Genesis 2:25 shows us that freedom to do good is diversity and unity: male and female, distinct yet harmonious. Please contact Michele and Rafael at email address michefrancesjackson@gmail to join our relationship group celebrating God's gift of freedom, diversity and unity in our relationships.
God the Son Jesus Christ wants us free to do good. John 8:32 Amplified Bible teaches us that truth and freedom go together: "And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
In the beginning when the first man and woman choose a plan for their life that seemed good, but wasn't, one of the dynamics they set in place was they were no longer free to function as God designed them. The choice they made instead of giving them a better relationship with self and each other actually caused their relationships to deteriorate.
When Adam and Eve got along great with self and each other and were preparing positively to expand their family Genesis 2:25 Amplified Bible says, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other’s presence."
Without God living in us we do not have the person we need to empower us to grow in relationships of positive freedom with God, self and others. God wants us to experience this freedom. But by ourselves it's impossible. We need new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified Bible says, "Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" When we receive God by faith, God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Ghost come to live inside us giving us new life, giving us the ability to function in freedom to do good.
God on the inside does not show up on the outside in full all at once. One reason God gave us the Bible is because He likes for us to chase Him something like we would when we are passionately in love with someone. We want to take the time to know everything about our loved one, and be our best self in relationship with our loved one.
Genesis 2:25 shows us that freedom to do good is diversity and unity: male and female, distinct yet harmonious. Please contact Michele and Rafael at email address michefrancesjackson@gmail to join our relationship group celebrating God's gift of freedom, diversity and unity in our relationships.
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