The following are words given by participants at the streamed meeting. 1 Corinthians 14:29 says that "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others weigh carefully what is said." 1 Thess 5:19-21 tells us not to despise prophecies, but to test everything and retain what is good.
At beginning of the meeting, Scripture Reading Psalm 37:4 - "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Scripture Reading Wisdom 10:1-4 - "The Work of Wisdom from Adam to Moses. Wisdom protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created; she delivered him from his transgression, and gave him strength to rule all things. But when an unrighteous man departed from her in his anger, he perished because in rage he killed his brother. When the earth was flooded because of him, wisdom again saved it, steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood."
Scripture Reading Psalm 77:11-15 - "I shall remember the deeds of the Lord. Surely I will remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your works and muse on your deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders. You have made known your strength among the people. You have by your power redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph."
Prophecy - That one song that came on, "Take me where you are. I want to be in your presence." But what the Lord said to me was, "I am your Father and I come down to you to dwell in your presence for where you praise me, there I am in your midst."
Scripture Reading Sirach 2:7-11 - "You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him, and your reward will not be lost. You who fear the Lord hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed? Compassionate and merciful is the Lord; he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble."
Scripture Reading Psalm 90:1-2 - "O Lord, you have always been our home. Before you created the hills or brought the world into being, you were eternally God, and will be God forever."
Teaching
The second talk of the Life in the Spirit Seminar, "The Gift of Salvation" was given by Natalie. Genesis 2:16-17 - "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the fruit of one tree, the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die." Genesis 5 - "The serpent said, 'That's not true, you certainly won't die. God knows well that the moment you eat of it you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.'" Genesis 3:6 - Eve looked at the tree, saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom.....and she ate the fruit. Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Story of the Grand Canyon. John 3:16 - "Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life." Genesis 3:15 - "I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers." Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ." Isaiah 62 - "Nations shall behold your vindication." Vindication: one who lays claim - perhaps from the root word meaning 'desire, love'." John 3:16 tells us of the width of the love of God. It was the world that God so loved. St. Augustine: God loves each one of us as if there is only one of us to love." Isaiah 53:6 - "We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him (Jesus) the guilt of us all." Story illustrating how God could be perfect justice and perfect mercy. Isaiah 53:7 - Jesus was like a lamb led to the slaughter. Story of Fr. Pierre Smith. Hebrews 9:22 - "According to the law almost everything is purified by blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Jesus said he didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Sheep raised in the fields around Bethlehem were destined for sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem. This is where Jesus was born. Luke says that shepherds were "in the fields, taking care of their flocks." Normally, shepherds crowded their sheep into pens for the night. The one season they didn't do this was lambing season so that the new lambs would not be trampled to death. Luke's account suggests that Jesus was born during lambing season. Jesus' birth during lambing season and at Bethlehem points to Jesus' identity and mission - He is the "Lamb of God," destined for "sacrifice" in Jerusalem. In the OT times, only once a year the high priest could enter the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Holy of Holies, because he had the blood of the sacrificed animals. Now, the offering in the heavenly sanctuary is the blood of Jesus which Scriptures say is the most pure sacrifice...the true offering. Vision of pure white glistening snow on the ground and drops of blood falling from heaven on the snow. Psalm 51:9 - David prayed to God to wash him and he would be whiter than snow. At the very moment that Jesus died, the curtain in the Jerusalem synagogue that kept people from entering the Holy of Holies, was torn in half. The way to heaven was opened. Hebrews 7:25 - "Therefore Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he forever lives to make intercession for them." Matthew 9:12 - "People who are in good health do not need a doctor; sick people do. I have come to call, not the self-righteous, but sinners." Luke 15:4-7 tells us something about God and ourselves. "Which of you, having 100 sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the 99 in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'" Salvation is not just a single act. It's an ongoing thing. John 14:16 - Jesus says, "I will ask the Father and he will give you another paraclete, to be with you always." 1 Peter 2:2 says that Christians must grow to the fullness of salvation, stripping away everything that is contrary to the new life received from Christ. Matthew 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13 say that salvation is attained by him who perseveres to the end. Titus 3:6 says that God gives the Spirit richly, so that his work in us may be brought to completion and perfection (sanctification). 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, that glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us all into his own likeness, from one degree of glory to another." Hebrews 9:28 says that when Christ appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin, but to give salvation to those who eagerly await him. The Lord said to St. Faustina, "I shall protect them myself at the hour of death, as my own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to my mercy he give me the greatest praise and is the glory of my Passion." Vision of Jesus holding high over his head a gold bar interpreted as the cross bar of the cross high in victory. Prophetic word for our son - "My hand and my arm is mighty even to the breaking down of strongholds. There is nothing beyond my reach and nothing is impossible. Know my children, that as you sit, my arms and my hands are about a mighty saving work. Even as your brother lies near death know that my arm and my spirit are upon him." Saving work = final salvation. When our son was anointed, he had an experience of God, something that he could hang on to when the going became tough. He had a glimpse of what was awaiting him, a share in the Lord's final triumph - glorification. That's our God....He has saved us, He is saving us and we have the hope that He will save us.
David - My wife had reconstructive surgery on her lower eyelid yesterday. She had cancer removed previously and this is the final part of the surgeries to repair her eye. David praised God for the doctors and nurses and for the good results coming out of that. We prayed for her full recovery. She has to be very careful over the next week as things heal and settle in.
Leslie J - Two days ago her blood pressure was very high, 185, 166/97. She didn't want to go on additional medication. She prayed earnestly; she did more exercise; she looked up her diet, salt intake. And as of 4:45 today, her reading was 120/77. Thank you, Lord.
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