One Walk

11/01/2008

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth

Disciples and Servants

I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves.

You have seen how the earthly rulers exercise their authority, inconsiderate of the poor. This is not how it is to those in the kingdom of God. Whoever would be great among you must first become your servant. And whoever of you would be the greatest, must first be servant of all. Even so, I have come, not to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.

If you know these things, happy are you when you do them. Continue in the light of my word. Only then are you truly my disciples.

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Abba, Father, Lord God, looking back at this day I see Your hand and feel grateful for feeling Your presence which enables me to find humility in each moment fight to overcome my selfness, my pride and my dark side. Feeling the two wolves, looking to Jesus to help me feed to good one, the one that wants to walk in Your light, the one that knows what the evil one cannot accept; that even in darkness I cannot hide from You. I can close my eyes to You, I can close my ears to You, and I can close my heart to You, but I cannot escape nor hide from You. I am in my essence Your child, You are my source of source; a source that is eternal which through Jesus in the Spirit that will and does feed the good wolf. The evil wolf has as its source only the ways and things under the sun; all of which are passing and will not last, dying into the darkness that it seeks. O Lord thank You for this awareness, O Jesus thank You for Your example which lives in Your Words, which together with the Spirit units me as one with my Heaven Lord God and Abba Father in You with the Spirit, and convicts me when I step into the shadows of darkness, and is always there for me to grasp onto and pull me back into the light. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Sometimes, when I’m in such a state of spiritual dryness that I can’t find a single thought in my mind that will bring me close to God, I say an Our Father and a Hail Mary very slowly indeed. How they take me out of myself then!

— St. Therese of Lisieux

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Job 9:1-12, 14-16

1  Then Job answered:  2  "Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be just before God?  3  If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.  4  He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength — who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —  5  he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger;  6  who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;  7  who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;  8  who alone stretched out the heavens, and trampled the waves of the sea;  9  who made the Bear and Orion, the Plei’ades and the chambers of the south; 

10  who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number.  11  Lo, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.  12  Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, `What doest thou’?  14  How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?  15  Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.  16  If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. 
Psalm 88:10-15
Luke 9:57-62

57  As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."  58  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head."  59  To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  60  But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."  61  Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."  62  Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." 

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

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon

Ask and It Is Given, Volume 1: The Law of Attraction Unabridged By Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks Narrated by Jerry Hicks – 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 come to understand how the Universal laws that govern your time/space reality influence your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns, and more. 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!

The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II By John Cornwell Narrated by John Lee – Pope John Paul II is one of the most famous and influential political figures of the world. Now, best-selling author and journalist John Cornwell has written an accessible and provocative portrait of this highly charged figure, focusing primarily on the last five years and the major world events, and scandals within the Church that have impacted the papacy. The result is a thoughtful assessment of John Paul II’s legacy to the Church. In an age when many people see the Catholic Church as an institution in crisis, Cornwell raises the level of debate by posing difficult questions; chief among them is the effectiveness of a system that grants lifetime power to an individual vulnerable to the vicissitudes of aging and illness.

10/27/2008

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth

The Call

You have not chosen me. I have chosen you, and appointed you to produce good fruit from the lives that you live, fruit that will last.

If you wish to follow me, you must first put aside your own desires and your self-centered ways. Sacrifice your pride and follow me. Those who desire eternal life must put aside their old way of life. All who do this for my sake will discover new life – both here on earth as well as in heaven.

Abba, Father, Lord God, Abba, Father, Lord God, always remaining thankful and seeking humility I ask You in Jesus name to help me let His Words take root in my heart and mind until I am one with Him and You in the Spirit; and my every thought is pure and worthy of Him, my every word and act honors Him and my image be that of His disciple. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.

— St. Francis de Sales

Ephesians 4:32 — 5:8

32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7 Therefore do not associate with them, 8 for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 
Psalm 1:1-4, 6

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Luke 13:10-17

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." 15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" 17 As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. 

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

The Diamond in Your Pocket: Discovering Your True Radiance unabridged By Gangaji Narrated by Gangaji – The first major book release from Gangaji, describes our never-ending search to find fulfillment, which, paradoxically, is already present if we will only stop long enough to discover its true source. "I have discovered that it is actually impossible to find happiness," Gangaji explains. "As long as you are seeking to find happiness somewhere, you are overlooking where happiness is…in your true nature."

The Daily Message Unabridged by Eugene H. Peterson Narrated by Kelly Ryan Dolan – The much-anticipated daily "reading" version of The Message in audio format is finally here. Designed for individuals as well as small groups, The Daily Message combines Discipleship Journal’s renowned book-at-a-time reading plan with a flexible format that allows the listener to go through the Bible in one year or spread out the listening with an alternate two-year plan. This version provides monthly plans for 26 readings, and allows for reflection time, minimizing frustration. It also includes Eugene Peterson’s acclaimed chapter introductions from The Message.

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon