Posted on 09/20/2009 11:24:55 AM PDT by DaveMSmith
So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Following are my reflections on Bishops Kline's Sermon. Please consider listening to his address before posting negative comments to my words. I just wish to convey how his sermon moved me to find my path. It is an open thread.
Bishop Kline uses a ladder to symbolize the path to the Lord's Heavenly Kingdom. I posted on other threads some significance to that in my life (see my other posts). In my little office which is part of the dining room, there is a step ladder next to our wireless router and the pets water dish. One of my chores here is to keep the jug full for the community water dish. That's my mustard seed. That is my mustard seed. When I reflect and understand the significance of this, I can realize my higher purpose as a foot-soldier in Jehovah's army and use the power of the Internet to realize the New Jerusalem on earth.
What would Jesus do? When he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and overturned the tables of the money changers. To me, in today's society it means challenging the thoughts and long head ancient beliefs and traditions to effect change. I have my charge -- the Church. I will go forward on Sojourners, belief net and crosswalk to deliver my message. I do not need to hide among my friends reading any longer to realize Divine purpose.
AC5429. Verses 9-16 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them; and he said to them, You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land. And they said to him, No, my lord; and your servants come to buy food. All we, the sons of one man are we. We are upright men; your servants are not spies. And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see. And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is not. And Joseph said to them, It is as I spoke to you, saying, You are spies. In this manner you will be tested: As sure as Pharaoh lives,* you shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and you will be in bonds, and your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you. And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives,* you are spies.
'And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them' means that the celestial of the spiritual foresaw what was to happen to the general truths known to the Church in the natural. 'And he said to them' means the consequent perception. 'You are spies' means that they existed solely for the sake of gain. 'You have come to see the nakedness of the land' means that nothing would please them more than to know for themselves that they are not truths. 'And they said to him, No, sir, we are upright men'** means that truths are indeed present within them. 'And your servants come to buy food' means that they are present to enable the natural to make them its own by means of good. 'All we, the sons of one man are we' means that those truths all have the same origin. 'We are upright men' means that truths are accordingly present within them. 'Your servants are not spies' means that thus they are not there for the sake of gain. 'And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see' means that they do not care whether they are truths. 'And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we' means that all aspects of faith exist joined together in this manner. 'The sons of one man' means that they have the same origin. 'In the land of Canaan' means in the Church. 'And behold, the youngest is with our father today' means that they are also joined to spiritual good. 'And one is not' means that the Divine spiritual from which [the joining together begins] is not apparent. 'And Joseph said to them' means perception regarding that matter. 'It is as I spoke to you' means that the truth of the matter is as I thought. 'Saying, You are spies' means that they are interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain. 'In this manner you will be tested' means it will be seen whether this is so. 'As sure as Pharaoh lives' means a certainty. 'You shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here' means that truths with you cannot help being such unless these have been joined to spiritual good. 'Send one of you and let him fetch your brother' means provided that some kind of joining to that good exists. 'And you will be in bonds' means if all else is still separated. 'And your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you' means that in this way the fact of the matter will be established. 'And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are spies' means otherwise it is certain that truths exist with you solely for the sake of gain.
Spies are us. In Swedenborg's internal sense, this chapter deals with the regeneration of the individual. Last night while laying on my stomach in bed I felt my spirit trying to separate from by body, as if it was going to sit up on elbows. The Lord told me that Swedenborg's message is also for the regeneration of the world after the consummation of the age (end of the world view).
Read the entire chapter in Genesis and apply it to the situation. Benjamin is the intermediary (that's me). This first group is for those that failed -- grain for gain. Apply it to your life and see if it makes sense. We are One nation, under God, indivisible. Meditate on that and the state of public debate today.
Go to Huffington Post, democratunderground and every other site that offends the principals of the town square idea behind this country and make a difference. Read the messages carefully and see the Lord speaking through them for mutual growth... challenge your ideas and convictions and test them. Bring back not only praise reports but kick the word 'freep' up to a whole new level of intercession. Freeping polls is useless. Do something that makes a difference in the world.
We had the tea party, let the revolution begin!
If you work with elderly or folks that cannot get out of their homes, arrange computer access for them to make their voice heard. They remember what this country was and will give them a heavenly use of restoring it to what they loved. Talk to them about what their favorite things and passions were in their lives and get them hooked up with discussion boards. If politics is their passion, show them the lions den and get them on Free Republic!
You might want to read the Ladder of Divine Ascent by +John Climacus:
http://books.google.com/books?id=HiTaxR0EU2MC&dq=Ladder+of+Divine+Ascent&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=T7HeWcOtQm&sig=nFSkuCzoNiLWeTg9IHC0RqqJEgI&hl=en&ei=UHu2SunSE9Kv8Qadzfm5Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=16#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Have you read it? Care to post a thread on it with your thoughts and discussion of it's truths?
“Have you read it?”
Many times. It is particularly suited to Lenten reading. In fact in every Orthodox monastery in the world during every Great Lent, this little book is read during the evening meal. +John of the Ladder spent 40 years as a monastic hermit at the “God trodden” Mount Sinai, about five miles from the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine. Near the end of his life, he was made abbot of that monastery and it was during that time that he wrote this treatise at the request of the abbot of a nearby monastery. +John fell asleep in the Lord in 603 at age 80.
“Care to post a thread on it with your thoughts and discussion of it’s truths?”
Though I am vain, I am not much for vanity posts. I’ll see if there are online sections which can be posted which might make for a spiritually profitable discussion.
thank you for this picture it is what is around us constantly huh !
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