Open Heart and Open Mind

It is a very difficult thing for men to read the Bible without prejudice. We approach it with our preconceived doctrines and dogmas and examine its passages in the light of what we have been taught to believe. The traditions of the elders are the spectacles through which we scan its pages. We have developed an uncanny habit of fitting the texts into the creeds we have accepted because of somebody's say-so, instead of coming with open heart and mind and asking the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher and our Guide.

God's Word, which is from above, can only be understood in the Light which streams from above and interpreted by the Interpreter which come from above.

Teach me again Oh Lord. Open my mind and heart that I may know you afresh and anew.

"...so for the sake your tradition you made void the word of God" ~ Matthew 15:6

A Belief That Makes Us Brave

"Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you declares the Lord"
~ Jeremiah 1:8

What a reason for bravery ! God will never be away when the hour of struggle arrives. God is always with the true, the just, the holy, to deliver them; and He will deliver you. Remember how Daniel came out of the lion's den, and the three holy children out of the furnace. Yours is not so desperate a case as theirs; but if it were, the Lord would bear you through. Get to your knees and plead for help, and then rise up saying , I will trust and not be afraid.

The Peace of God and The God of Peace

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" ~ Philippians 4:9

If we , by God's grace , can imitate Paul, we may claim the promise which is now open before us. And what a promise it is! God, who makes and grants peace will Himself be with us. That the peace of God should be with us is a grand benediction; that the God of peace should be with us is far grander. We prefer Him to any of the gifts He may give.

Shut the Door

"When Elisha came into the house, the was the child, lying dead on his bed.
He went in therefore , shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord"

2 Kings 4:32-33

There are frequent times in our lives that we need to simply shut the door and pray to the Lord. When we shut out the noise and distraction of the world we are able to hear the voice of the Lord. Elijah who was Elisha spiritual father and mentor modeled this as well in I Kings when he looked for God in the wind, earthquake, and fire only to find Him in a "still small voice". He had to shut out in order to listen in to the delicate whispering of voice of the Lord. True listening requires stillness and smallness on our part.

In Matthew 6:6 Jesus instructed His disciples when they pray to "go into your room , and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly"

Seven Joys

"What God layeth on, let us suffer,
for some have one cross, some seven,
some ten, some half a cross-yet all
the saints have whole and full joy, and
seven crosses have seven joys"

The Loveliness of Christ ~ Samuel Rutherford

When You Pray

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

So He said to them,"When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name..." Luke 11:2


Hallowed: to set apart, dedicate , consecrate, separate, sanctify, make holy.

Pursuit of Perfection

Expecting ourselves to be perfect slows the process of maturity and peace in our lives; it puts us in a guilty and anxious state. Expecting others to be perfect is equally destructive; it makes others feel ashamed and may interfere with their growth.

People are human and vulnerable, and that is wonderful. We can accept and cherish that idea. Expecting others to be perfect puts us in that codependent state of moral superiority. Expecting ourselves to be perfect makes us feel rigid and inferior.

We can let go of both ideas.

We do not need to go the other extreme, tolerating anything people throw our way. We can still expect appropriate, responsible behavior from ourselves. But most of us can afford to loosen up a bit. And when we stop expecting others to be perfect, we may discover that they're doing much better that we thought. When we stop experiencing ourselves to be perfect, we'll discover the beauty in ourselves.

"Let Love be without hypocrisy, Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good"~ Romans 13:9

Divine Delays and Faith

Delays work perseverance in us that is crucial to our character development. God is willing to delay even important answers to prayer to facilitate our transformation.

We should not interpret divine delays as signs of divine reluctance. Delays are tools to perfect our faith. Christ is looking to find a tenacity in our faith that prevails in spite of delays and setbacks.

He seeks to create a perseverance within us that outlasts the test of time , a resolve that actually grows stronger during delays. When the Father sees this quality of persistence in our faith, it so touches His heart that He longs to move our behalf.

Luke 18:8 " When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?"

Watch and Pray

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour"?

"Watch and pray , lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"

Matthew 26:40-41


The Apostle Paul describes this same battle between the Spirit and the flesh in Galatians 5:16-18. The Spirit and the flesh are diametrically opposed to one another. The result is a fierce and unrelenting conflict within Christians in which they cannot be victorious by their own strength.

Watching and praying is essential for victorious living for the Christians. When we pray and crucify the deeds and lust of the flesh the Holy Spirit helps us to wake up, rise above temptation.

The word flesh (sarx-sarks) in the Greek has several applications. In Matthew 26:41 it has an ethical and spiritual reference to the lower nature of a person, the seat and vehicle of sinful desires.

The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, watch and pray , watch and pray.

Taking Care of Ourselves

Rest when you're tired.
Take a drink of cold water when you're thirsty.
Call a friend when you're lonely.
Ask God to help when you feel overwhelmed.
Many of us have learned how to deprive and neglect ourselves.
Many of us have learned to push ourselves hard, when the problem is that we're already pushed too hard.

Many of us are afraid the work won't get done if we rest when we're tired. The work will get done; it will be done better than work that emerges from tiredness of soul and spirit. Nurtured, nourished people, who love themselves enough to care for themselves, are a strength and delight to all. They are well-timed, efficient, and Divinely led.

Common Signals of Life

Personal and spiritual growth depends on our ability to see one chapter of our life closing and a new one opening. These signals of transition come in different forms--a career change, the loss of a relationship, a physical move, health issues. They are met with either a desperate attempt to preserve the way things have been, or the recognition that things neither can nor ever will be the same.

Ready to Bloom

"Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying , "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said "I see a branch of an almond tree" Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word"
Jeremiah 1:11-12

Ready: In the Hebrew the word ready means watching , waking , hastening anticipating; to be sleepless, alert, vigilant, on the lookout.

In Jeremiah 31:28 God promises to watch over His people with an intent to build and to plant them. There is a connection here between the "waking" and the "almond". The almond is considered the "waker" in Hebrew thought, because it, of all trees, blossoms early, watching diligently for the opportunity to bloom.

Simplicity

I do not talk about the cross so much as about Jesus who was crucified. I do not talk about the grave, but about Jesus who rose. I do not talk about the ascension, but about Jesus who ascended. He is with you and me always.

It is not holiness, but it is Jesus the holy one. It is not meekness, it is Jesus the meek one. It is not purity, it is Jesus the pure on, Jesus, Jesus ! not it, not an experience, not emotion, not faith, but JESUS!

Understanding

"My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path." Proverbs 2:1-9

Understand: to discern, perceive, grasp, consider, regard; be perceptive, have insight.
This word occurs more than 165 times and has numerous references to spiritual revival when the people clearly understood the text. (Pro. 3:5; 4:5; Is. 11.2; Dan. 10:1)

Peace

Go easy. You may have to push forward, but you don't have to push so hard. Go in gentleness, go in peace.

Do not be in so much of a hurry. At no day, no hour, no time are required to do more than you can do in peace.

Frantic behaviors and urgency are not the foundation for our us. Do not be in too much of a hurry to begin. Begin , but do not force the beginning if it is not time. Beginnings will arrive soon enough.

Enjoy and relish middles, the heart of the matter. Do not be in too much of a hurry to finish. You may be almost done, but enjoy the final moments.

Let peace flow naturally. Move forward. Keep moving forward. Do it in peace.


"And let the peace of God rule n your hearts ..."
Colossians 3:15