He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!!!
Bible Study
Ephesians 1 Part 4-Final
1:20-23
1:20-23
- Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
(Principality, and power, and might, and dominion refer to various classes of angelic beings. See the note on Colossians 1:16. God’s power has exalted Jesus far above all these spiritual creatures.)
- And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(And gave him to be the head over all things to the church means God appointed Him head (ruler) over all things for the benefit of the church. Jesus is the divinely appointed ruler over the entire universe for the church’s benefit.)
- Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(Paraphrased, this verse reads, “For the church is His body. It is the fullness belonging to Him who fills the universe with all things.” That is, Jesus, who so wisely and skillfully fills the universe with all material elements necessary for its existence, also wisely and skillfully infuses His people (the church) with His own life and character. This verse, then, explains why in 1:22 God made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church: the church is in such an intimate relationship with Him, and is of such character, that she is considered His own body. So it is for her good that Christ is the divinely appointed ruler of the universe. Since He filleth the church with His own life and character, she is a receptacle containing the graces and virtues of God Himself.)
Read more Bible http://www.bookbindery.c
Bible Reference https://www.biblegateway.com/
My Prayer for the Day
"Heavenly Father in Jesus name-Thank You for infusing me with the Holy Spirit as this does allow for a real intimate relationship with you that I didn't know was possible. There was always deep sadness inside of me due to the disconnect of shame and guilt...I didn't feel worthy enough to receive or to know you. That that ability was reserved for the "Saints" and the hierarchy of the church that I grew up in. Upon further investigation, which AA taught me to do, I found that You actually have been seeking a relationship with me and all your children the whole time.-That we, all believers are the saints spoke of in the bible-That we are the elect-That all we have to do is seek, knock and ask. That if we will hear Your voice through the chaos and confusion, You will know us-follow You we will be blessed with eternal life. Thanks be to God!-In Jesus name-Amen"
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:27-28
Todays Action
- Today I will seek a real relationship with my Father-Taking with Him in the car, on my walk, while I do my chores, ect. I have found that the more I commune with God, the less room for the mind to interrupt and to have it's way with me. My mind will lead me to a thought which connects to another thought and reminds me to think about that, and the time he did that...my mind having thought about the thoughts I am already having....SO-talking with God helps with the madness in our brain!
- Today I will pray to Him in the raw....meaning, I won't go with fancy words nor will I try to impress him with my posture or candles....If I weep I weep. If I beg, I beg. If I'm angry, sad, confused, frustrated...whatever...I am just going to be real with him.
- Today I will pray for all those I hate, are angry with or annoyed by
"Bless them Father-Change me!"
"today sucks Father...This isn't as easy as I thought it would be"
"I hate this world and all the madness! Why does this happen??"
"Father, I am pushed to my limit and being tempted big time right now...I NEED HELP!!! Please STRENGTHEN ME NOW!!!"
So the more I met with God in the "raw", the less un-approachable He was. Not only that, but when I started to form a real relationship with Him, I didn't blame Him for all that was wrong with the world, myself or others. Evil within myself, evil inside of others, evil of the world, is exactly that-evil. Evil comes from evil. God is not evil. Who does the world serve? Evil. Who is that person serving when the are picking up a gun and killing someone? Evil. Who am I serving when I say or act in a mean or hateful way? Evil. Once I really understood that it's a choice as to who we serve and show loyalty and fidelity to, that's what we will get back and act out. If I am serving and acting my defects, looping old behaviors, stuck and not growing, I become a conduit for evil. If I am working with others, doing the right thing, and content, I am a conduit for God...Period. What am I doing right now and who or what is driving me? Is this for God or Satan...
For example:
Most of you know about the "Benny" thing. Now, when "I" made the choice to let him off his leash (Benny has been known to not come back when he is let off leash), succumbing to my defect at the time which was "obsessing over my dogs happiness" so Obsession of the Mind and Repeating something I knew would cause me anguish, I was feeding my disease. My dis-ease can manifests in bad decisions that historically has hurt me or someone else. These are the things we still battle with in sobriety. This is also where free will and choice comes in to play...
Now-Do I risk it, repeating something that KNOW has turned into drama, Do I risk losing Benny and hurting Brian so that I can feel good about Benny having fun? (serving my insanity/disease/ego/evil)
Or-Do I have the sanity to know that if I let him off leash he will run away-That he is perfectly fine on his leash. That I would rather have peace and ensure my dogs safety (serving sanity/serenity/peace/God)
I CHOSE to go against my soul, my sanity, and gave in to my defect. As a result, my dog is is dead, and Brain and I were devastated. So do I blame God now for my choice? Or do I see that my defects influenced my decision making skills? Subtle decisions like this made throughout my life formed and shaped me into a hopeless alcoholic I was, because I wasn't healthy in my soul. My soul was sick because I was disconnected from God. I was disconnected from God because I was choosing to do the wrong things. Influenced by defects. I was riddled with defects! Most are gone but not all. When I made the choice to do the wrong thing I then became a puppet for satan....using me to carry out his will for me and those around me...Make sense??
Just as God uses me now for good-satan can use us for bad. Now-The "bad" doesn't mean I was out killing people. It's not that dramatic-but, evil feeds off misery, hopelessness, pain, shame...it needs me in order to survive. It needs me to carry out it's will. It needs me to maybe put some doubt or pain into someone else. It is the parasite that keeps us sick, looping, stuck, making stupid ass decisions that keeps us unhappy for it's survival.
This is why I must always ask myself who am I serving right now? What are my motive here? Is this coming from God or is this feeding my dis-ease?
I can't afford to make split decisions without asking myself these questions. I will suffer hard about things the world sees as not that big of a deal. I will beat myself up more then anyone could. I will fall into hopelessness and fear. I will punish myself far and beyond anyone I have ever met. My disease know this about me and wants me in this state. It looks for a way in any chance it can. It is in pursuit of me, always. It knows it can't get me through drinking or the many defects that have been removed-but, it waits patiently for me. Waiting for me to obsess on something or someone, then it can tempt and influence me. Satan knows me just as well as God does. The good news is that just as satan pursues me-So does God. It's my choice who I will serve.
Page of prayers http://silkworth.net/p
Podcast of the Day
Polly P. & Dave P. – Sponsorship & Service
https://www.recoveryaudio.org/aa-speaker-tapes/polly-p-dave-p-sponsorship-service-denmark-2003
Listen to more AA Podcast:
Big Book
How It Works...continued
"We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!’’ We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.
We found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person, such as our wife, best friend, or spiritual adviser. But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was, of course, quite optional so long as we expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation. This was only a beginning, though if honestly and humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one, was felt at once.
Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.
Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in- trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values.
We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.
Resentment is the “number one’’ offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships
(including sex) were hurt or threatened. So we were sore. We were “burned up.’’
On our grudge list we set opposite each name our injuries. Was it our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions, our personal, or sex relations, which had been interfered with?"
"We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!’’ We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.
We found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person, such as our wife, best friend, or spiritual adviser. But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was, of course, quite optional so long as we expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation. This was only a beginning, though if honestly and humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one, was felt at once.
Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.
Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in- trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values.
We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.
Resentment is the “number one’’ offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships
(including sex) were hurt or threatened. So we were sore. We were “burned up.’’
On our grudge list we set opposite each name our injuries. Was it our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions, our personal, or sex relations, which had been interfered with?"