Archive for December 4th, 2008

Take Heed: Beware of living your life on religious "food." By now you have certainly forgotten… the seven loaves that fed the four thousand and the plenty that remained. But I am not speaking to you about earthly food.

December 4, 2008

V

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon

The Problem of Religion

 

Take Heed: Beware of living your life on religious “food.”

 

By now you have certainly forgotten the five loaves that fed the five thousand with twelve baskets left over, and the seven loaves that fed the four thousand and the plenty that remained. But I am not speaking to you about earthly food. No, I have come to warn you against feeding on the ideas and false teachings of those who market on religion.

 

In vain such people worship me, teaching as doctrines what are merely the inventions of men. Preoccupied with their own superstitions, they have forgotten the commandments of God.

V

Abba, Father, Lord God, humble knowing I am nothing without, thankful for each and every blessing, I still ask and pray for You to bless me and mine indeed, enlarging our territory. That Your hand would be with us to keep us from evil and from causing any pain. That we would each grow in Jesus, and in this season of Advent meditate on what You through Jesus in the Spirit us to us, and stop using the problem with religion as an excuse, a barrier that separates us from You. For there is You one God, and Jesus one Lord and Savior, and one Spirit in each of us; who works with our individual spiritual gifts according to Your will. So help me, help us, walk in the light according to the Words of Jesus. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

 

V

They say, "God told me", or "God replied to me". And yet most of the time they are talking to themselves.

— St. John of the Cross

V

Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalm 23:1-6

1  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;  2  he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;  3  he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.  5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.  6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Matthew 15:29-37

29  And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain, and sat down there.  30  And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,  31  so that the throng wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  32  Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  33  And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?"  34  And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."  35  And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground,  36  he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  37  And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 

V

Audio books I am listening to and other books or readings I am reading:

The Processes: Ask and It Is Given, Volume 2 (Unabridged) Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve. As you listen, you’ll discover powerful processes that will help you go with the positive flow of life. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good, and this audio program will show you how to make it so in every way!

There’s No Such Thing as "Business" Ethics (Unabridged) Best-selling author and expert on leadership John C. Maxwell claims there is only one rule for business. How does a person judge what is ethical? Sometimes it’s clear. You know Enron’s leaders were in the wrong. But is it always easy to see where the line is in your life? What’s the standard? And can it work in all situations? John C. Maxwell thinks it can. When the New York Times best-selling author, successful businessman, and former pastor was asked about his thoughts on business ethics, his response was, "There’s no such thing. There’s only ethics." Maxwell asserts there’s one ethical standard for all behavior. And you might be surprised by what it’s based on. Did you know that a variation of the Golden Rule exists in every major religion? In There’s No Such Thing as Business Ethics, Maxwell shows how people can live with integrity by using the Golden Rule as their standard (regardless of religion, culture, or circumstances). Along the way, he delves into the desires of the human heart, reveals the five most common causes that get people off track ethically, and teaches how to develop the Midas touch when it comes to integrity.

V