#15 Happy Halloween?

#14 Happy Birthday or Not?

#13 Choices: To do or not to do, that is the question...

The LIVING WORD OF GOD....nothing less.....nothing else

The Living Word is clear in and of itself. It has purpose and states that purpose for the Reader, the Follower of Christ, to learn, to be corrected, to know how then we ought to live, as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16.  Also, the Holy Spirit is given to Christ-Followers as our Teacher, One who lives within us, so that we don't  need anyone to teach us what it true. For the Spirit teaches us everything we need to know. (I John 1:26-27)


What amazes me is that humans, then, take it upon themselves to 'help out' the Holy Spirit in further clarifying what the Living Word says and also why the Living Word says what it says.  How? By what we refer to as "footnotes"; as Intros to paragraphs in the text, as 'commentary.'  Well intentioned; yes!  Needed?  Doubtful.


Would a  couple of examples of this humanitarian over-stepping help clarify?


1. What humans refer to as "The Lord's Prayer" is clearly stated AS A RESPONSE to the disciples question, "Lord, teach us to pray!" Luke 11:1  So, IN CONTEXT of the Living Word, this very familiar and often quoted prayer is truly a Disciples' Sampler Prayer.  The actual Lord's Prayer, or prayer of our Lord, is documented for us in John 17.


2."The Feeding of the 5,000" subtitled so in John 6 is inaccurate right off the bat.  How do we know? The context! John 6:10 states, "The men alone numbered about 5,000." Since when don't women and children count? Since never, in God's eyes!! And, in actuality, the emphasis of this passage is not on the 'feeding' as much as on the test Jesus was administrating to one of His disciples!! (Check out the context in John 6!)


3. "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" Luke 15:11 states why Jesus gave this story. "To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story." So, what point was Jesus illustrating? The answer is given in Luke 15:1  "Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that HE WAS ASSOCIATING WITH SUCH SINFUL PEOPLE- even eating with them!" So, to instruct the Pharisees and teachers of religious law Jesus gave them three stories, this being the third of the three.  The heart of the parable?  THE FATHER'S Mercy and GRACE on His own; NOT on one of the 'sons!" 


"Why make such a big deal about this, Ele" you may ask.  Well, friends, we're holding the Living Word in our hands, Jesus "shrunk down" to the written page! Who are we to slice and dice Him into paragraphs, commentaries and bold print headlines?  How dare we!! Ought not our posture be one of humble awe, trembling a bit as we enter into the Classroom of One with the Holy Spirit as our Teacher? Reduce the Living Word of God to anything less that who Jesus IS?  May it never be!


May we choose, daily, to sit at His feet with the disciples of old, to fill ourselves on the Living Bread of Life, to drink to the full the Living Water, to interact with our Eternal Teacher....and so then, we will be taught how then to live.


Sitting only at His feet,
     Ele

TRANSFORMING TOGETHER gone Youtube!

Yes, it's true.  It's official.  Transforming Together has gone Youtube as well.

How come?  Because one Saturday morning a few weeks ago I woke up to the Spirit announcing, "Ele, I'd like you to have a Youtube ministry!"  You're surprised?  Then you know how I felt.  Youtube has not been on my radar.  I don't 'surf' it, I follow no-one.  I do see it from time to time when someone else shares something with me on Facebook.  That's it.  Besides, I don't photograph well.  Don't believe me?  Just hop on and see for yourself.

Anyway, this is merely an act of obedience.  That's it.  No glam. No glitter. Nothing.  It's me, sitting in front of my Mac wherever I may be, sharing for 3-5 minutes what the Spirit gives me to say. Nothing more.  The 'audience?'  Humans. Women. Moms.  Whomever the Lord prompts to 'tune in.'  The subject matter? Biblical principles from the Living Word of God.  Instilling Truth into our reality.  The application is up to the viewer.  Oh, I do give suggestions, and, at times, short examples.  But it's up to the Viewer to apply or pass it over.  Actually, that's always the case, isn't it?

So, why this announcement on this blog?  To invite YOU to hop on and check out the Youtube site.  At least once.  If you like it, become a fan.  If it's not for you, it might be for someone you know.  So, please consider the following:

1. Check it out for yourself

2. Share the link w/others on your Facebook, Twitter and/or Email. (let them decide for themselves if they want to continue or not)

3. Pray for this attempt.  We know there are lots and lots of people 'out there' who don't want anything to do w/ churchy stuff.  This isn't churchy...it's just an older woman sitting in her home sharing a bit with another. Period.

Thanks. I am, quite literally, in my small corner being who the Spirit is asking me to be.  I trust you are being the same wherever you are.

Won by one by one......for HIS glory.....

Elehttp://www.youtube.com/user/TransformingTogether?feature=mhee

Of Whose Kingdom are you?

Loyalty. Allegiance. Honor. Identity.  At birth we are born not only into a family but also into a nation, a kingdom. We, by right of birth, grow up with certain 'givens' as direct result of the 'kingdom' in which we happen to be birthed.

The same is true in the spirit world. When we are 'birthed' in the spirit world, "born-again" as John 3 puts it, we enter into another Kingdom, a Kingdom not of this world, a spiritual Kingdom.  So, what does that mean, really, to us today?

Well, it means the following:

1. Our citizenship is no longer tied to where we were physically born.  Our citizenship is in heaven as stated in Philippians 3:20

2. The Kingdom of God to which His children belong is invisible, but powerful.
       Romans 14:17 "The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

3. Because of the power, we have the potential to become incredibly influential in other kingdoms:

    Luke 13:18  "What is the Kingdom of God like? It is like a tiny mustard seed that is planted and grows to become a tree where the birds make nests in its branches."  The Kingdom of God grows WITHIN us as we read the Living Word of God and is AVAILABLE TO OTHERS for shelter, safety and nourishment as needed.

     Luke 13:20 "What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast used in making bread. Even though only a little yeast in put in, it permeates every part of the dough."  The Kingdom of God INFLUENCES, permeates, affects what it is around.  We as citizens have influence BEYOND ourselves as we live in 'other kingdoms.'

4. We're to pray that HIS kingdom come! This is seen in the Disciple's 'sampler' prayer Jesus gave us as recorded in Matthew 6. God's desire is that we, His children born into His Kingdom, partner with Who God desires to be in this fallen system...through us!

5. The kicker? Hebrews 12:28 reminds us the the Kingdom of God is UNSHAKABLE, cannot be moved, is grounded...come what may...

So, how then shall we live, Child of the King,  Citizen of the Kingdom of God?


Another Citizen of the Kingdom of God,
              Ele