this man was, like richard baxter, a nonconformist pastor in 1600s england, and, like baxter refused to criticize the government or disobey it's restricting laws on such pastors.
concerning his salvation experience as a child..
he would blame those who laid so much stress
on people knowing the exact time of their conversion,
which he thought was, with many, not possible to do.
who can so soon be aware of the day break,
or of the springing up of the seed sown?
the work of grace is better known in its effects than in its causes.
he would sometimes illustrate this by that saying
of the blind man to the pharisees,
who were so critical in examining the recovery of his sight.
this and the other i know not concerning it, but,
this one thing i know that whereas i was blind now i see. john 9.25
he would bear his testimony to the comfort and benefit of early piety,
and recommend it to all young people,
as a good thing to bear the yoke of the Lord Jesus in youth.
he would often witness against that wicked proverb,
a young saint, an old devil
and would have it said rather,
a young saint, an old angel....
in dealing with young people, how earnestly would he press this upon them, i tell you, you cannot begin too soon to be religious,
but you may put it off too long.
manna must be gathered early,
and he that is the first, must have the first..
eccles. 12.1, remember thy creator in the days of they youth;
or as in the original, 'the days of thy choice
-thy choice days and thy chusing days.
he would say sometimes,
the life of a christian is a life of labour;
son, go, work
his godfather, the earl of pemboke, had given him 10 pounds
to buy him a gown, to pay his fees and to set out with. (to oxford university)
this in his papers he puts a remark upon,
as a seasonable mercy in regard of some straits,
which providence, by the calamity of the times,
had brought his father to.
god had taught him from his youth that excellent principle,
which he adhered to all his days,
that every creature is that to us
and no more
than God makes it to be.
and therefore while many seek the ruler's favour,
and so expect to make their fortunes...
it is our wisdom to seek His favour,
who is the ruler of rulers,
and that is an effectual way to make sure our happiness.
at his ordination mr. malden, of newport, closed with an exhortation
directed to the newly ordained ministers, in which, mr. henry says
went near my heart.
as the nurse puts the meat first into her own mouth,
and chews it
and then feeds the child with it,
so should ministers do by the word,
preach it over beforehand to their own hearts..
we must do what we can, when we cannot do what we would
he was noted for
great industry in the pursuit of useful knowledge;
he was particularly observed to be very inquisitive
when he was among the aged and intelligent,
hearing them and asking them questions..
..he was a constant and diligent attendant upon those within his reach,
as a hearer..
wrote the sermons he heard
then recorded in his diary
what reached his heart, affected him and did him good.
examples, felix TREMBLED. acts 24.25..
much was spoken that reached my heart and present condition,
as if the Lord had sent the minister to preach purposely to me.
blessed by God!
it is a dreadful thing to sin against conviction;
and that i have done many a time. Father forgive me!
a convinced person finds a great deal less pleasure in sin than others do.
i can..acknowledge myself, therefore, so much the more a fool
to transgress without a cause.
sure, my sin is the greater.
sins against conviction border upon the sin against the Holy Ghost.
oh, how near then have i been to ruin!..
saving convictions melt the heart,
set the soul a praying,
subdue the will to live according to them.
mine, this day, produced the two former effects,
with hearty unfeigned resolutions touching the latter.
Lord, undertake for me!
i was told that i must not stay till some remarkable time
from which to date my conversion to God, as many do.
but i must make this day remarkable by doing it now.
after dangerous backsliding,
lo, i come to ghee, for Thou art the Lord my god!-
my God in Christ.
heard 2 sermons at bangor..
quicken Thou me in Thy way.
in the prayer before sermon, this confession was put up,
which my heart close with:
Lord, we want wisdom to carry ourselves as we ought in the world,
by reason whereof the work of the gospel in our hands is much hindered!
oh, my God, bestow upon me a wise and an understanding heart.
the doctrine was,
that god's people often want quickening in god's way.
i am sure i do.
oh, when had i cause to complain, my heart is dead to the world,
creatures, pleasures, sin?
but to duty, praying, preaching,
when almost is it otherwise?
Lord, Thou gavest life at first;
give more life!
at thistleworth. matt. 12.36..
the doctrine was,
idle words must be accounted for.
words that are unprofitable bring no glory to God,
no real good to ourselves of others,
are very sinful,
because they are an abuse of ..our tongue, which is our glory.
we are guilty of very many, every day, in every company.
from hence was inferred what need there is for us
to reckon with ourselves every night
for the idle words and other failings of the day before.
it is no wisdom to defer.
if we reflect not quickly, we shall forget.
..i have formerly been very talkative,
and in multitude of words there wants not sin.
lord cleanse my soul..
and mortify that corruption for me..
every day, more and more1
I peter 4.18..it was urged that is no easy matter to be saved.
it is difficult work to the Spirit to work grace in us
and to carry it on against corruptions, temptations, distractions.
i was exhorted to inquire,
1. can i choose to undergo the greatest suffering rather than commit the least sin?
2. can i embrace Christ with His cross?
3. can i work for god though there were no wages?
4. can i swim against the stream:
be good and bad times and places?
5. can i pull out right eyes for Christ,
and cut off right hands, etc?
i can do all this, and much more, through Christ's strengthening me.
at bangor from philippians 1.27..
the doctrine was,
it is the great duty of christians to have their conversation as becomes the gospel;
that is, clothed with the graces of
the gospel, faith, love, humility, meekness, self-denial, patience..
and in these to abound and grow.
it is an uncomely sight to see an old professor a young saint...
at ellesmere. from matthew 5.6. the doctrine was
hungry thirst souls shall be filled, partly here, perfectly hereafter,
with grace, comfort, glory.
such put a great value upon Christ.
men will part with any thing for food;
they will go far for it;
take pains to get it.
lord, evermore fill my soul with thyself!
creatures will not satisfy....
go with conscience...'one of the doctors, who visited huss, said to him,
if the council of constance (1414) should tell you that you have but one eye,
though you have really two,
you would be obliged to agree with the council.
huss..while God keeps me in my senses,
i would not say such a thing against my conscience ,
on the intreaty or command of the whole world.
about 1657...as to the state of his soul in these years,
it should seem by his diary,
that he was exercised with some doubts and fears
respecting it. i think, saith he,
never did any poor creature pass through
such a mixture of hope and fear, joy and sadness,
assurance and doubting, down and up,
as i have done these years past...
it would affect one, to hear one that
lived a life of communion with God,
complaining of great straitness in prayer..
no life at all in the duty, many wanderings;
if my prayers were written down and my vain thoughts interlined,
what incoherent nonsense would there be!
i am ashamed, Lord, i am ashamed!
oh, pity and pardon!
i find in nothing more of the deceitfulness of my heart than in secret worship.
oh, how hardly am i brought to it, and how little sweetness and delight
do i for the most part find in it!..
i have a froward peevish spirit unto this day, impatient of contradiction.
oh, that it were mortified..
..hear him suspecting the workings of pride of heart,
when he gave an account to a friend, who inquired of him,
touching the success of his ministry...
at another time he writes..
1. omissions innumerable. i fall short of duty in every relation..
2. much frowardness upon every occasion,
which fills my way with thorns and snares.
3. pride: a vein of it runs through all my conversation.
4. self seeking. corrupt ends in all i do.
applause of men oftentimes regarded more than the glory of god.
5. my own iniquity. many bubblings up of heart corruption,
and breakings forth too...
..hear him charging it upon himself,
that he was present at such a duty in the midst of
many distractions, not tasting sweetness in it etc.
when a fire is first kindled, saith he,
there is a deal of smoke and smother,
that afterwards whereas away;
so , in young converts, much
peevishness, frowardness, darkness;
so it hath been with my soul,
and so it is yet in a great measure.
Lord, pity, and do not quench the smoking flax;
though as yet it doth but smoke, set these sparks be blown up into a flame!
great mercies, but poor returns;
signal opportunities, but small improvements;
..he was good in profitable discourse,
yet in that he often bewails his barrenness and unprofitableness.
little good done or gotten such a day, for want of heart..
yet when he wanted a faith of assurance, he lived by a faith of adherence.
such a day, saith he, a full resignation was made of
all my concernments into the hands of my ..Rather;
let him deal with me as seemeth good in His eyes.
i am learning and labouring to live by faith.
Lord, help my unbelief!
another time he notes that many perplexing fears being upon his spirit,
they were all silenced with that sweet word, ..
fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.
there is no living by a dead faith,..
no, nor by a living faith, unless lively.
Help, Lord, Thy poor servant, that my faith fail not!
i do not know that i ever saw my way clearer.
then why art thou cast down, o my soul?
he who prays most, will preach best.
spiritual beggars are special preachers.
Lord give me wisdom that i may preach in all my discourses. (conversations?)
we are really who we are relatively. (ie. in our homes with our family)
have a church in your house. (talk much with each other about God)
be much in secret fellowship with God in duty,
for it is secret trading (back and forth with God in heart?) that enriches the christian.
against faithful prayer - deadness, coldness, distractions, wanderings,
and the thought coming, 'you've spent too much time'..
if the devil can't keep me from coming to God,
he will try to work a loathness to tarry with Him.
be humbled before God in secret and take shame to ourselves.
don't lengthen prayer as a pretext,
neither avoid long prayer.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
2.1.2012 PSALM 119.136 WHEN SHALL I BEGIN TO WEEP AND BE BROKEN?
taken from spurgeon's treasury of david
psalm 119.136 rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.
Lord, let me weep for nought but sin,
and after none but Thee,
and then i would, O that i might!
a constant weeper be.
note: this psalm has 176 verses.
i noticed some similar themes in this psalm
so i started placing verses in one of the following categories
all of which i had in place before going thru the psalm again.
david, the author's:
1. only hope is God's word (remember, all he had in his day was maybe the book of job
and the penteteuch-1st 5 books of the bible..i think)
2. his resolve to obey God's word
3. his awareness and acknowledgement of his sin
4. assessment of those who don't keep God's word/
circumstances of difficulty between these people and himself
5. petitions to God
at verse 136 i found that there was a new category
for it was the first verse to speak, in any way, of
6. his love for other men
it impresses me that david does not seem to focus on HIS love for others.
he seems much more focused on his relationship with God.
as i think more about the little (1 verse) he speaks of his love for others,
and in an indirect way it comes that maybe not much needs be said about love
three things come to mind to ask myself about it:
1. do i weep for men?
2. do i keep God's commandments?
3. do i speak the truth to others?
by that scale i may or may not even be a 'featherweight'
(oh God have mercy and make my heart like Your's
or even anywhere close to david's.)
most of the easterns shed tears much more copiously than the people of europe.
the psalmist said rivers of waters ran down his eyes;
and though the language isbeautifully figurative,
i have no doubt it was also literally true.
i have myself seen arabs shed tears like streams. john gadsby
note: i recall when Jesus and His disciples
came to the home of the synagogue official
whose daughter had just died.
the mourners were all 'weeping and lamenting' for her.
when Jesus said,
'stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.
they all began laughing at Him.
may God have mercy on our souls
and keep us from trusting any outward appearance
that gives the impression of godliness
when there is nothing there of substance,
only the misfortune of possessing
a natural inclination which mistakenly can be taken
by oneself and or others as a mark of godliness.
may Jesus, as He speaks truth to us,
reveal our hypocrisy to pave the way
for us to live genuinely before Himself and others.
note, the sins of sinners are the sorrows of saints.
we must mourn for that which we cannot mend. matthew henry
godly men are affected with deep sorrow for the sins of the ungodly.
let us consider the nature of this affection.
..it is not a stoical apathy
an affected carelessness;
much less a delighful partaking with sinful practices...
not a proud setting off of ones own goodness,
with marking the sin of others..
not the derisionand mocking of the folly of men..
not a bitter, bilious anger,
breaking forth into railings and reproaches
nor an upbraiding insultation.
nor a vindictive desire of punishment,
venting itslef in curses and imprecations.
the diciples..to Christ was far different from that way,
and yet He said to them,
'ye known not of what spirit ye are...robert leighton
the Lord requireth this (mourning bitterly for other men's sins)
to keeep our hearts the more tender and upright
it is an act God useth to make us more careful of our own soulds,
to be troubled at the sins of others, at sin in a third person.
it keepeth us at a great distance from temptation.
this is like quenching of fire in a neighbour's house;
before it comes near tthee, thou runnest with thy bucket.
there is no way to keep us free from the infection, so much as mourning.
the sould will never agree to do that which it gieved itself to see another do.
and, as it keepeth us upright, so also humble, fearful of divine judgment,.
tender lest we ourselves offend and draw down the wrath of god.
he that shruggeth when he seeth a snake creeping u0pon another,
will much more be afraid when it cometh near to imself.
in our own sins we have the advantage of conscience
scourging the soul with remorse and shame.. thomas manton
thus uniformly is the character of god's people represented-
not merely as those who are free from-
but as 'those that sigh ans cry for -
all the abominations that are done in the midst of the land ezekiel 9.4
and who does not see what an enlarged sphere still presents itself on every side
for the unrestrained exercise of christian compassion?
the appalling spectacle of a world apostatized from God,
of multitudes sporting with everlasting destruction-
as if the God of heaven were 'a man what he should lie'
is surely enough to force 'rivers of waters' from the hearts
of those that are concerned for His honour.
what a mass of sin ascends as a cloud before the Lord,
from a single heart!
add the aggregate of
a village, a town a country, a world!
every day-every hour-every moment.
well might the rivers of waters rise to an over flowing tide,
ready to burst its barriers. charles bridges
note: Jesus wept with and for lazarus' sisters in his death..
and for the continual, GREAT loss;;
for all the mutitudinous calamitiess that come
from man's fall away from al who God is...
jesus wept over the insanity that grips and holds the human heart
(unless freed by His grace)
in an awful, prideful, willful, hateful,vengeful human opposition
to his only creator, sustainer and possible redeemer.
the vices of the religious are the shame of religion:
the sight of this hath made the stoutest champions of Christ melt into tears.
david was one of those great worthies of the world,
not matchable in his times, yet he weeps.
did he tear in pieces a bear like a kid?
rescue a lamb with the death of a lion?
foil a mighty giant, that had dared the whole army of God?
did he like a whirlwind, bear down and beat down his enemies before him;
and now, does he, like a child or a woman, fall a weeping?
yes, he had heard the name of god blasphemed,
seen his holy rites profaned, His statutes vilipended
and violence offered to the pure chastity of that holy virgin, religion;
this resolved that valiant heart into tears.. thomas adams
ezekiel 9.8-9 then it came about as they were striking and i alone was left,
that i fell on my face and cried out saying,
'alas, Lord God art Thou destroying the whole remnant of israel
by pouring out Thy wrath on jerusalem?
then he said to me,
'the iniquity of the house of israel and judah is very, very great,
and the land is filled with blood
and the city is full of perversion;
for they say '
'the Lord has forsaken the land, and
'THE LORD DOES NOT SEE!
psalm 119.136 rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.
Lord, let me weep for nought but sin,
and after none but Thee,
and then i would, O that i might!
a constant weeper be.
note: this psalm has 176 verses.
i noticed some similar themes in this psalm
so i started placing verses in one of the following categories
all of which i had in place before going thru the psalm again.
david, the author's:
1. only hope is God's word (remember, all he had in his day was maybe the book of job
and the penteteuch-1st 5 books of the bible..i think)
2. his resolve to obey God's word
3. his awareness and acknowledgement of his sin
4. assessment of those who don't keep God's word/
circumstances of difficulty between these people and himself
5. petitions to God
at verse 136 i found that there was a new category
for it was the first verse to speak, in any way, of
6. his love for other men
it impresses me that david does not seem to focus on HIS love for others.
he seems much more focused on his relationship with God.
as i think more about the little (1 verse) he speaks of his love for others,
and in an indirect way it comes that maybe not much needs be said about love
three things come to mind to ask myself about it:
1. do i weep for men?
2. do i keep God's commandments?
3. do i speak the truth to others?
by that scale i may or may not even be a 'featherweight'
(oh God have mercy and make my heart like Your's
or even anywhere close to david's.)
most of the easterns shed tears much more copiously than the people of europe.
the psalmist said rivers of waters ran down his eyes;
and though the language isbeautifully figurative,
i have no doubt it was also literally true.
i have myself seen arabs shed tears like streams. john gadsby
note: i recall when Jesus and His disciples
came to the home of the synagogue official
whose daughter had just died.
the mourners were all 'weeping and lamenting' for her.
when Jesus said,
'stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.
they all began laughing at Him.
may God have mercy on our souls
and keep us from trusting any outward appearance
that gives the impression of godliness
when there is nothing there of substance,
only the misfortune of possessing
a natural inclination which mistakenly can be taken
by oneself and or others as a mark of godliness.
may Jesus, as He speaks truth to us,
reveal our hypocrisy to pave the way
for us to live genuinely before Himself and others.
note, the sins of sinners are the sorrows of saints.
we must mourn for that which we cannot mend. matthew henry
godly men are affected with deep sorrow for the sins of the ungodly.
let us consider the nature of this affection.
..it is not a stoical apathy
an affected carelessness;
much less a delighful partaking with sinful practices...
not a proud setting off of ones own goodness,
with marking the sin of others..
not the derisionand mocking of the folly of men..
not a bitter, bilious anger,
breaking forth into railings and reproaches
nor an upbraiding insultation.
nor a vindictive desire of punishment,
venting itslef in curses and imprecations.
the diciples..to Christ was far different from that way,
and yet He said to them,
'ye known not of what spirit ye are...robert leighton
the Lord requireth this (mourning bitterly for other men's sins)
to keeep our hearts the more tender and upright
it is an act God useth to make us more careful of our own soulds,
to be troubled at the sins of others, at sin in a third person.
it keepeth us at a great distance from temptation.
this is like quenching of fire in a neighbour's house;
before it comes near tthee, thou runnest with thy bucket.
there is no way to keep us free from the infection, so much as mourning.
the sould will never agree to do that which it gieved itself to see another do.
and, as it keepeth us upright, so also humble, fearful of divine judgment,.
tender lest we ourselves offend and draw down the wrath of god.
he that shruggeth when he seeth a snake creeping u0pon another,
will much more be afraid when it cometh near to imself.
in our own sins we have the advantage of conscience
scourging the soul with remorse and shame.. thomas manton
thus uniformly is the character of god's people represented-
not merely as those who are free from-
but as 'those that sigh ans cry for -
all the abominations that are done in the midst of the land ezekiel 9.4
and who does not see what an enlarged sphere still presents itself on every side
for the unrestrained exercise of christian compassion?
the appalling spectacle of a world apostatized from God,
of multitudes sporting with everlasting destruction-
as if the God of heaven were 'a man what he should lie'
is surely enough to force 'rivers of waters' from the hearts
of those that are concerned for His honour.
what a mass of sin ascends as a cloud before the Lord,
from a single heart!
add the aggregate of
a village, a town a country, a world!
every day-every hour-every moment.
well might the rivers of waters rise to an over flowing tide,
ready to burst its barriers. charles bridges
note: Jesus wept with and for lazarus' sisters in his death..
and for the continual, GREAT loss;;
for all the mutitudinous calamitiess that come
from man's fall away from al who God is...
jesus wept over the insanity that grips and holds the human heart
(unless freed by His grace)
in an awful, prideful, willful, hateful,vengeful human opposition
to his only creator, sustainer and possible redeemer.
the vices of the religious are the shame of religion:
the sight of this hath made the stoutest champions of Christ melt into tears.
david was one of those great worthies of the world,
not matchable in his times, yet he weeps.
did he tear in pieces a bear like a kid?
rescue a lamb with the death of a lion?
foil a mighty giant, that had dared the whole army of God?
did he like a whirlwind, bear down and beat down his enemies before him;
and now, does he, like a child or a woman, fall a weeping?
yes, he had heard the name of god blasphemed,
seen his holy rites profaned, His statutes vilipended
and violence offered to the pure chastity of that holy virgin, religion;
this resolved that valiant heart into tears.. thomas adams
ezekiel 9.8-9 then it came about as they were striking and i alone was left,
that i fell on my face and cried out saying,
'alas, Lord God art Thou destroying the whole remnant of israel
by pouring out Thy wrath on jerusalem?
then he said to me,
'the iniquity of the house of israel and judah is very, very great,
and the land is filled with blood
and the city is full of perversion;
for they say '
'the Lord has forsaken the land, and
'THE LORD DOES NOT SEE!
Friday, January 25, 2013
1.25.2012 HOW, EXACTLY, DO I SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS?
i really don't know.
but there is something working within me
that will not allow me to continue to put off doing it
until i know how.
some days ago i was reading matthew 10
where Jesus, having summoned His 12 DISCIPLES (v1),
gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
then it tells the names of these 12 APOSTLES (v2).
this didn't occur too long after
He had called them to follow Him.
so it seems that not to long after a person
becomes a LEARNER of Jesus, how to imitate Him,
he becomes a SENT ONE
to do mighty good things to others
which involves exercising power over evil spirits
and being a healing and life giving agent.
so everyone in human history who Jesus sends out to help others
is His learner and imitator
and wants to be just like Him
and think, speak and do what He would.
in v7 Jesus tells them,
'AND AS YOU GO
PREACH (proclaim as a king's herald), saying,
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AT HAND (near).
so the mission of every learner of Jesus is:
1. exercise spiritual power
2. meet physical needs
3. tell people, where ever they meet them,
that they will come under God's control sometime soon.
when i hit vs 7 my mind just started churning out, as it were, the things that follow, in the format in which they appear.
-DO I HAVE TO TELL THIS TO EVERYONE?
* no, only everyone possible that you meet
as you are going along from one place to another.
-EVERYONE..i meet?!
*only as many as you think are in the position of possibly being
a nanosecond from an eternity in hell.
-HOW MANY IS THAT?
*you can only start to have an idea by talking with them, i would think.
Jesus said that MANY are on the road to hell
and that few will certainly be received in heaven.
*LET ME ASK YOU
IF YOU WERE A NANOSECOND FROM NEVER ENDING TORMENT
WOULD YOU WANT SOMEONE TO TRY AND HELP YOU
find a way of escape?
if you say 'no' then i guess you are taking your chances.
do you say yes?
well then i encourage you to do to others
what you would want them to do to you.
-WHAT IF I COME INTO DIFFICULTIES?
because the ones i'm talking with
don't like what Jesus says.
what if they make fun of me or
say bad things about me
even lie about me
and treat me badly
for trying to help them?
*BLESSED ARE YOU when you have been persecuted
for the sake of this righteousness of trying to help them.
YOURS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
blessed are you when men
cast insults at you and
persecute you and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely
on account of Jesus.
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
FOR YOUR REWARD IS GREAT,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-well...
i AM a learner of Jesus' commands and ways.
i'm committed to do His will no matter what happens to me,
so with God's help
i plane to start proclaiming that
'the kingdom of God is near'
to those i meet
as many as possible!,
for every man needs to fear God and keep His commandments
if he is to do as he should,
for Jesus commanded this..
He didn't suggest it.
-why should i say that 'the kingdom of God is near' though?
shouldn't i rather say,
'you need to ask Jesus into your heart
*well,
for one thing, it's short...
easy to get out, you know,
if its just a passing encounter
or no time to talk because of the situation.
you are, at times like this, like a sower of seed
scattering it liberally on the fly!
the more of this seed that falls on the human ear
(others you may not even know of may hear too!)
the more chances that it will germinate.
if there's no seed....God needs to work another way
like in the middle east where,
because no missionaries are willing to go there,
people are being introduced to Jesus
in visions and dreams.
that's not God's Plan A,
we are.
*also, it is not condemnatory in the least.
it is something that is just as true
for the 'best' or 'worst' man in the world.
*Jesus left it purposefully enigmatic (perplexing, mysterious)
we (especially I) tend to try to say too much,
to make it all too 'clear' too quickly
rather than to make short statements,
ask thought provoking questions
so as to understand better where
the person they are talking with
'is' spiritually.
so it can create curiosity
especially in a situation where nothing else is shared.
-that seems all good,
but shouldn't i understand what i am saying,
so that if someone says,
'what does that mean?'
i can explain it to them?
*you're right! what don't you understand?
-well, i know that
1. God is the King of kings,
obviously, as their creator,
the ruler over all men.
2. that even though He is heaven,
He wants His will to be done
by all everywhere.
...but, what does Jesus mean by the words 'IS AT HAND'?
* that means that it is very near.
now we have to understand several things
that will better help us to see
that this is a matter of urgency.
Jesus says that no man knows the day or the hour
of His return to earth.
but think of this.
neither does any man know the day or the hour
of his death.
OUR DEATH COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME..
so all the time we are potentially a second
away from the kingdom of heaven...
from standing in before God
with no chance to
'go back and do better'.
-i hadn't thought of that
and it is certainly true
that for every man,
being where God' will
is unchallenged,
...and eternal!....
is an IMMINENT (likely to occur at any moment) REALITY.
may God have mercy on me
and help me to obey this command
to proclaim His kingdom's imminence
and do the things He commands.
but there is something working within me
that will not allow me to continue to put off doing it
until i know how.
some days ago i was reading matthew 10
where Jesus, having summoned His 12 DISCIPLES (v1),
gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
then it tells the names of these 12 APOSTLES (v2).
this didn't occur too long after
He had called them to follow Him.
so it seems that not to long after a person
becomes a LEARNER of Jesus, how to imitate Him,
he becomes a SENT ONE
to do mighty good things to others
which involves exercising power over evil spirits
and being a healing and life giving agent.
so everyone in human history who Jesus sends out to help others
is His learner and imitator
and wants to be just like Him
and think, speak and do what He would.
in v7 Jesus tells them,
'AND AS YOU GO
PREACH (proclaim as a king's herald), saying,
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AT HAND (near).
so the mission of every learner of Jesus is:
1. exercise spiritual power
2. meet physical needs
3. tell people, where ever they meet them,
that they will come under God's control sometime soon.
when i hit vs 7 my mind just started churning out, as it were, the things that follow, in the format in which they appear.
-DO I HAVE TO TELL THIS TO EVERYONE?
* no, only everyone possible that you meet
as you are going along from one place to another.
-EVERYONE..i meet?!
*only as many as you think are in the position of possibly being
a nanosecond from an eternity in hell.
-HOW MANY IS THAT?
*you can only start to have an idea by talking with them, i would think.
Jesus said that MANY are on the road to hell
and that few will certainly be received in heaven.
*LET ME ASK YOU
IF YOU WERE A NANOSECOND FROM NEVER ENDING TORMENT
WOULD YOU WANT SOMEONE TO TRY AND HELP YOU
find a way of escape?
if you say 'no' then i guess you are taking your chances.
do you say yes?
well then i encourage you to do to others
what you would want them to do to you.
-WHAT IF I COME INTO DIFFICULTIES?
because the ones i'm talking with
don't like what Jesus says.
what if they make fun of me or
say bad things about me
even lie about me
and treat me badly
for trying to help them?
*BLESSED ARE YOU when you have been persecuted
for the sake of this righteousness of trying to help them.
YOURS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
blessed are you when men
cast insults at you and
persecute you and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely
on account of Jesus.
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
FOR YOUR REWARD IS GREAT,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-well...
i AM a learner of Jesus' commands and ways.
i'm committed to do His will no matter what happens to me,
so with God's help
i plane to start proclaiming that
'the kingdom of God is near'
to those i meet
as many as possible!,
for every man needs to fear God and keep His commandments
if he is to do as he should,
for Jesus commanded this..
He didn't suggest it.
-why should i say that 'the kingdom of God is near' though?
shouldn't i rather say,
'you need to ask Jesus into your heart
*well,
for one thing, it's short...
easy to get out, you know,
if its just a passing encounter
or no time to talk because of the situation.
you are, at times like this, like a sower of seed
scattering it liberally on the fly!
the more of this seed that falls on the human ear
(others you may not even know of may hear too!)
the more chances that it will germinate.
if there's no seed....God needs to work another way
like in the middle east where,
because no missionaries are willing to go there,
people are being introduced to Jesus
in visions and dreams.
that's not God's Plan A,
we are.
*also, it is not condemnatory in the least.
it is something that is just as true
for the 'best' or 'worst' man in the world.
*Jesus left it purposefully enigmatic (perplexing, mysterious)
we (especially I) tend to try to say too much,
to make it all too 'clear' too quickly
rather than to make short statements,
ask thought provoking questions
so as to understand better where
the person they are talking with
'is' spiritually.
so it can create curiosity
especially in a situation where nothing else is shared.
-that seems all good,
but shouldn't i understand what i am saying,
so that if someone says,
'what does that mean?'
i can explain it to them?
*you're right! what don't you understand?
-well, i know that
1. God is the King of kings,
obviously, as their creator,
the ruler over all men.
2. that even though He is heaven,
He wants His will to be done
by all everywhere.
...but, what does Jesus mean by the words 'IS AT HAND'?
* that means that it is very near.
now we have to understand several things
that will better help us to see
that this is a matter of urgency.
Jesus says that no man knows the day or the hour
of His return to earth.
but think of this.
neither does any man know the day or the hour
of his death.
OUR DEATH COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME..
so all the time we are potentially a second
away from the kingdom of heaven...
from standing in before God
with no chance to
'go back and do better'.
-i hadn't thought of that
and it is certainly true
that for every man,
being where God' will
is unchallenged,
...and eternal!....
is an IMMINENT (likely to occur at any moment) REALITY.
may God have mercy on me
and help me to obey this command
to proclaim His kingdom's imminence
and do the things He commands.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
1.24.2012 600 NECKS VS BLEND IN
'LET THE WORD OF THE LORD COME, LET IT COME,
AND IF WE HAD 600 NECKS WE WOULD SUBMIT TO HIS DICTATES.' augustine
'i thank my God for every storm that has wrecked me on the Rock, Jesus Christ. charles spurgeon
'suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. II timothy 2.3
v25 'it is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher,
and the slave as his master.
if they have called the head of the house beelzebul,
how much more the members of His household!
v27f 'what i tell you in the darkness,
speak in the light;
and what you hear whispered in your ear,
proclaim upon the housetops.
and do not fear those who kill the body,
\but are unable to kill the soul;
but father FEAR Him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell.
are not two sparrows sold for a cent?
and yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Rather.
but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
therefore DO NOT FEAR
you are of more value than many sparrows. matthew 10
on the other hand....
it can get lonely,
for we know that the whole world lieth in the evil one. I john 5.19
(being rocked in the lap of satan, fast asleep spiritually)
it can get rugged
doing anything in opposition to the world system
(which will accept anything except exact OBEDIENCE to God)
this system is in league with satan,
who is the god of this world,
and with the flesh which loves the world
'all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes
and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father,
but is from the world. I john 2.16
there are at least three very strong chains here:
habits, social mores and the commandments and teachings of men.
it should give pause to all those who would obey the word,
that Jesus Christ was put to death by the religious.
habit likewise is a very subtle but powerful agency,
in the life of an individual,
as well as in the life of a community.
to utterly shatter one or two of these iron fetters,
is a feat that is rarely accomplished.
to be free of all three is a license to die.
because of these
those seeming of the most rocklike nature,
without divine aid,
move subtly, but really,
away from resolute obedience to the clear cut commands.
we become 'careful', 'prudent', 'respected' and 'enmeshed'....
well respected in this life, but
opposite 'the scum of the earth' and
the 'despised and rejected of men'.
all must fall, even our heads
to the cause of truth..the cause of Christ.
but what a thicket of opposition would silently, subtly, smilingly
blunt the gleaming, razor sharp edge.
we all are prone to, we all abound in
wicked hesitations and subconscious calculations
with the result that we end up
fearing men
rather than the One before whom we will stand
and hear the eternal answer.
we TEMPORIZE...
from middle latin temporizare - to pass the time of day
1. act to suit the time or occasion
2. yield to the current or dominant opinion or
COMPROMISE (from latin com (with) + promittere-to promise)
1a.the process or result of settlement by arbitration
b. something blending the characteristics of 2 others
2. a committal to something prejudicial: surrender
so when a person temporizes, subconsciously or consciously,
instead of just acting on the clear and forthright command of Jesus,
over time
he learns to tailor his obedience to (ie. compromise with)
the human reaction he receives.
most of these humans are the sons of disobedience
referred to in ephesians 2.2,
(dead in trespasses and sins)
in which you formerly walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
when we act to suit the time we are in,
any occasion is automatically decided against us
clearly, confidently and unashamedly obeying Christ.
the flow of current or dominant opinion is always against that.
that is why the bible clearly states that
'all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
WILL BE PERSECUTED'.
(so each of us who thinks we are a follower of Jesus Christ
have in this a mirror which infallibly shows whether we
are real or pretend.
since everyone around us is evil (as we are evil)
this means that the vast majority of the time-
if we are out in the world being salt and light like we're told,
seeking and saving the lost
(rather than self-ghettoized in 'church' activities
or hiding in 'devoting our lives to our families'
or any number of similar dodges)
we are, most of the time, gonna get it in the neck...
bloody, messy, horrible...
just what you'd expect of a follower of Jesus.)
if you just want to be NICE
and a faithful attender at churchmeetings
and such,
you have probably
at some level or other
chosen to compromise..
to stay out of all that mess.
in this situation you and others of the same mind among the churchgoers
submit to arbitration. (involves one with (literally) 'the power to decide',
and we know him as satan, the god of this world
he inwardly delights in the most awful specters,
for he holds an unqualified hatred for us created in God's image creatures.
but he has learned that raw evil
and the results of raw evil,
are subject to the law of diminishing returns
and actually start to drive the dead in trespasses and sins to the hated
Redeemer God.
things work best for his program here
if there is not too much evident evil,
if niceness is the mask that hides wickedness.
this seems to have the highest yield
of those, churched and unchurched, who are heading
down the wide road,
the easy way,
that ends in destruction.
he's a master of stirring up
and blending
good and evil...
behind the gentile mask
there is the reality,
(for the obedient to Christ believer)
of SURRENDER to 'the program'.
this of course spell eternal spiritual battle
between those subject to God
and the resisting satan.
AND IF WE HAD 600 NECKS WE WOULD SUBMIT TO HIS DICTATES.' augustine
'i thank my God for every storm that has wrecked me on the Rock, Jesus Christ. charles spurgeon
'suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. II timothy 2.3
v25 'it is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher,
and the slave as his master.
if they have called the head of the house beelzebul,
how much more the members of His household!
v27f 'what i tell you in the darkness,
speak in the light;
and what you hear whispered in your ear,
proclaim upon the housetops.
and do not fear those who kill the body,
\but are unable to kill the soul;
but father FEAR Him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell.
are not two sparrows sold for a cent?
and yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Rather.
but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
therefore DO NOT FEAR
you are of more value than many sparrows. matthew 10
on the other hand....
it can get lonely,
for we know that the whole world lieth in the evil one. I john 5.19
(being rocked in the lap of satan, fast asleep spiritually)
it can get rugged
doing anything in opposition to the world system
(which will accept anything except exact OBEDIENCE to God)
this system is in league with satan,
who is the god of this world,
and with the flesh which loves the world
'all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes
and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father,
but is from the world. I john 2.16
there are at least three very strong chains here:
habits, social mores and the commandments and teachings of men.
it should give pause to all those who would obey the word,
that Jesus Christ was put to death by the religious.
habit likewise is a very subtle but powerful agency,
in the life of an individual,
as well as in the life of a community.
to utterly shatter one or two of these iron fetters,
is a feat that is rarely accomplished.
to be free of all three is a license to die.
because of these
those seeming of the most rocklike nature,
without divine aid,
move subtly, but really,
away from resolute obedience to the clear cut commands.
we become 'careful', 'prudent', 'respected' and 'enmeshed'....
well respected in this life, but
opposite 'the scum of the earth' and
the 'despised and rejected of men'.
all must fall, even our heads
to the cause of truth..the cause of Christ.
but what a thicket of opposition would silently, subtly, smilingly
blunt the gleaming, razor sharp edge.
we all are prone to, we all abound in
wicked hesitations and subconscious calculations
with the result that we end up
fearing men
rather than the One before whom we will stand
and hear the eternal answer.
we TEMPORIZE...
from middle latin temporizare - to pass the time of day
1. act to suit the time or occasion
2. yield to the current or dominant opinion or
COMPROMISE (from latin com (with) + promittere-to promise)
1a.the process or result of settlement by arbitration
b. something blending the characteristics of 2 others
2. a committal to something prejudicial: surrender
so when a person temporizes, subconsciously or consciously,
instead of just acting on the clear and forthright command of Jesus,
over time
he learns to tailor his obedience to (ie. compromise with)
the human reaction he receives.
most of these humans are the sons of disobedience
referred to in ephesians 2.2,
(dead in trespasses and sins)
in which you formerly walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
when we act to suit the time we are in,
any occasion is automatically decided against us
clearly, confidently and unashamedly obeying Christ.
the flow of current or dominant opinion is always against that.
that is why the bible clearly states that
'all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
WILL BE PERSECUTED'.
(so each of us who thinks we are a follower of Jesus Christ
have in this a mirror which infallibly shows whether we
are real or pretend.
since everyone around us is evil (as we are evil)
this means that the vast majority of the time-
if we are out in the world being salt and light like we're told,
seeking and saving the lost
(rather than self-ghettoized in 'church' activities
or hiding in 'devoting our lives to our families'
or any number of similar dodges)
we are, most of the time, gonna get it in the neck...
bloody, messy, horrible...
just what you'd expect of a follower of Jesus.)
if you just want to be NICE
and a faithful attender at churchmeetings
and such,
you have probably
at some level or other
chosen to compromise..
to stay out of all that mess.
in this situation you and others of the same mind among the churchgoers
submit to arbitration. (involves one with (literally) 'the power to decide',
and we know him as satan, the god of this world
he inwardly delights in the most awful specters,
for he holds an unqualified hatred for us created in God's image creatures.
but he has learned that raw evil
and the results of raw evil,
are subject to the law of diminishing returns
and actually start to drive the dead in trespasses and sins to the hated
Redeemer God.
things work best for his program here
if there is not too much evident evil,
if niceness is the mask that hides wickedness.
this seems to have the highest yield
of those, churched and unchurched, who are heading
down the wide road,
the easy way,
that ends in destruction.
he's a master of stirring up
and blending
good and evil...
behind the gentile mask
there is the reality,
(for the obedient to Christ believer)
of SURRENDER to 'the program'.
this of course spell eternal spiritual battle
between those subject to God
and the resisting satan.
Monday, January 21, 2013
1.21.2012 SELF HEALTH
the following is taken from 'FOLK MEDICINE' by dr. d.c. jarvis (1958) a vermont country doctor.
originally bought it at millers natural foods in bird in hand, pa. where i go every three months to get most of my food. when my daughter moved to vermont recently i decided to send it to her as a gift. the first time i read and underlined i had a much lower opinion than after just rereading it before sending it off to her as a belated house warming gift. reading it now i found much so valuable that it seemed good to try and put a bit on here.
a second reason for sharing is that it is coming to be more and more a settled conviction that i plan to spend whatever short time i have left here as disconnected as possible from the AMA system of medical 'care'. a growing personal aversion to prescribed drugs, doctors, hospitals and anything else accepted as good and normal by the media comes from personal experience and observation of how and why things are done in this realm and a multitude of increasingly horrid stories i hear along the way. at the conclusion of each i want to scream, 'RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is at stake!' but i have now learned that most of the time most all of us are impervious to all kinds of warnings for our good and sound wisdom that would be very helpful...so i pray.
maybe what i need do is make up one of those new fangled...what do they call the things..'living wills'
they came about i reckon because the path to a simple, honorable and a totally-trusting-only-the-Lord death has been buried under all the spif and shine of the miracles of modern medical establishment...i paint with a large brush but all the signs are there that the number of people who 1. actually know what they are doing and 2. have an ethical commitment to help every person for their good is decreasing daily).
if i wrote now it would be something to the effect:
- if this individual is found in a position, physically or otherwise, where it is deemed proper to take him to the hospital
(every situation is deemed proper for it adds to the bottom line while they pile up, one after another, all kinds of big bucks procedures that, along with the drug companies omniscient guidance and pricing, keep the bottom line, in most cases, in the black)
DO NOT. if he is unconscious, DON'T TOUCH him. call his son nate (phone number) and tell him to come and get him.'
the thing about a living will is that it does not match real life.
in real life there is an increasing number of people who look at themselves as, i'll call it 'little gods', who deem themselves as having the 'right' because of their position to dictate to you and your family (if around) what is going to happen to you. i hear stories like this all the time involving public servants, such as policemen and ministers of healing in the health field. ah yes, the land of the free.
so you have paid some bucks for a useless piece of paper as far as totally protecting yourself from those who, when you can't navigate yourself, can't wait to put their mits on you and make some $....
the only good thing is that if you are favored by God to actually have
a strong, independent and legally appointed person
who actually gets contacted in an appropriate amount of time...
and can actually get to you before medically polluted,
they can possibly pull you from the medical lions' den before too much
(how much, honestly, is too much...the first foreign hand on your body is too much..)
has gone wrong
and with a bit of commonsense, timely contact with a person
who can actually be reached
and is actually available,
who can actually help without taking over
and, above all,
the providential care and guidance of God over the whole -
MAYBE I CAN BE LEFT ALONE WITH GOD TO GO TO HIM IN PEACE
rather than as a human guinea pig surrounded by those who don't have a real clue as to
1. skillfully asking understanding questions of the patient,
if conscious,
so as to determine 2. what is actually wrong
and 3. what is needed.
the bottom line is
(are you listening, nate.........):
-be patient and kind and talk with me a little from time to time (even if unconscious)
-read the bible and pray out of what is currently of concern to you.
(don't worry about me at all..i'm almost HOME!)
so i can, in my heart, join you before the gracious throne of God
-give a little water from time to time and
-give a bit of bread from time to time. that's good.
...oh well, thanks for putting up with my little tirade..
another of the many evidences,
hidden and viewed by all
of how little REAL trust i have in God.
maybe God could use me in 'guinea pig' role to do
some little thing to advance His name.
my plan at this point is to type key things that seem helpful
and also try to make an alphabetical list of things he recommends.
may You in some way cause it to be a blessing to someone
in some way.
opening page..
the three Rs: Resistance, Repair, and Recovery
Resistance to disease
Repair of injury.
Recovery from illness.
vermont folk medicine has much to give
to those who reject the inevitability
of physical impairment and wekness,
to those who plan instead
to be strong, active and free from disease
throughout their lives.
here is the wonderfully simple secret of good health
that vermonters
working WITH nature
rather than AGAINST IT,
is the best medicine.
VERMONT MEDICINE
14. men in their 70s do a full day's work on vermont farms
as a matter of course,
and it is not unusual to find men of 80
sharing the farm work as though they were
many years younger...
that it is posswible to prolong the span of life beyond 70 years of age
is amply proved by studying native vermonters living close to the soil.
..the vermonter's knowledge of food does not come out of books
but from close association with the creatures of the barnyard,
which teaches that the DAILY FOOD INTAKE must be
HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES,
represented by fruits, berries, edible leaves, and roots
and LOW IN PROTEINS,
represented by meat, fowl and eggs.
vermonters accept the body tissues
as soil in human form.
management of the soil
to its best advantage
requires undderstanding of natural laws,
and SPECIFIC CARE to
MAINTAIN and
BUILD it.
...(to do this) 'we take into account
dominance of the body
by MINERAL elements.
...the number of minerals included in the functioning of the human body
is one of the wonders of life.
except for silver and gold,
practically all minerals are in action.
in vefrmont fold medicine there is an extremely simple prescription
for replenishing the mineral needs of the body.
TWO TEASPOONFULS OF HONEY and
TWO TEASPOONFULS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR,
TAKEN IN A GLASS OF WATER
one or more times a day
depending on how much mental and physical work is done.
17....let us consider the ANIMAL LAWS
-an animal's refusal to eat when it is sick.
if we wish to imitate the animals'
restorative biochemical change
withing the body,
we can do so by limiting ourselves to
an acid drink such as
grapejuice which contains tartaric acid
or cranberry juice, which contains citric, malic, quinic and benzoic acids
or to apple juice, which contains malic acid.
..by the age of fifty one needs to begin building the body anew.
not eating to gratify the appetite,
but rather selecting the foods which
our somber second thoughts tell us
originally bought it at millers natural foods in bird in hand, pa. where i go every three months to get most of my food. when my daughter moved to vermont recently i decided to send it to her as a gift. the first time i read and underlined i had a much lower opinion than after just rereading it before sending it off to her as a belated house warming gift. reading it now i found much so valuable that it seemed good to try and put a bit on here.
a second reason for sharing is that it is coming to be more and more a settled conviction that i plan to spend whatever short time i have left here as disconnected as possible from the AMA system of medical 'care'. a growing personal aversion to prescribed drugs, doctors, hospitals and anything else accepted as good and normal by the media comes from personal experience and observation of how and why things are done in this realm and a multitude of increasingly horrid stories i hear along the way. at the conclusion of each i want to scream, 'RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is at stake!' but i have now learned that most of the time most all of us are impervious to all kinds of warnings for our good and sound wisdom that would be very helpful...so i pray.
maybe what i need do is make up one of those new fangled...what do they call the things..'living wills'
they came about i reckon because the path to a simple, honorable and a totally-trusting-only-the-Lord death has been buried under all the spif and shine of the miracles of modern medical establishment...i paint with a large brush but all the signs are there that the number of people who 1. actually know what they are doing and 2. have an ethical commitment to help every person for their good is decreasing daily).
if i wrote now it would be something to the effect:
- if this individual is found in a position, physically or otherwise, where it is deemed proper to take him to the hospital
(every situation is deemed proper for it adds to the bottom line while they pile up, one after another, all kinds of big bucks procedures that, along with the drug companies omniscient guidance and pricing, keep the bottom line, in most cases, in the black)
DO NOT. if he is unconscious, DON'T TOUCH him. call his son nate (phone number) and tell him to come and get him.'
the thing about a living will is that it does not match real life.
in real life there is an increasing number of people who look at themselves as, i'll call it 'little gods', who deem themselves as having the 'right' because of their position to dictate to you and your family (if around) what is going to happen to you. i hear stories like this all the time involving public servants, such as policemen and ministers of healing in the health field. ah yes, the land of the free.
so you have paid some bucks for a useless piece of paper as far as totally protecting yourself from those who, when you can't navigate yourself, can't wait to put their mits on you and make some $....
the only good thing is that if you are favored by God to actually have
a strong, independent and legally appointed person
who actually gets contacted in an appropriate amount of time...
and can actually get to you before medically polluted,
they can possibly pull you from the medical lions' den before too much
(how much, honestly, is too much...the first foreign hand on your body is too much..)
has gone wrong
and with a bit of commonsense, timely contact with a person
who can actually be reached
and is actually available,
who can actually help without taking over
and, above all,
the providential care and guidance of God over the whole -
MAYBE I CAN BE LEFT ALONE WITH GOD TO GO TO HIM IN PEACE
rather than as a human guinea pig surrounded by those who don't have a real clue as to
1. skillfully asking understanding questions of the patient,
if conscious,
so as to determine 2. what is actually wrong
and 3. what is needed.
the bottom line is
(are you listening, nate.........):
-be patient and kind and talk with me a little from time to time (even if unconscious)
-read the bible and pray out of what is currently of concern to you.
(don't worry about me at all..i'm almost HOME!)
so i can, in my heart, join you before the gracious throne of God
-give a little water from time to time and
-give a bit of bread from time to time. that's good.
...oh well, thanks for putting up with my little tirade..
another of the many evidences,
hidden and viewed by all
of how little REAL trust i have in God.
maybe God could use me in 'guinea pig' role to do
some little thing to advance His name.
my plan at this point is to type key things that seem helpful
and also try to make an alphabetical list of things he recommends.
may You in some way cause it to be a blessing to someone
in some way.
opening page..
the three Rs: Resistance, Repair, and Recovery
Resistance to disease
Repair of injury.
Recovery from illness.
vermont folk medicine has much to give
to those who reject the inevitability
of physical impairment and wekness,
to those who plan instead
to be strong, active and free from disease
throughout their lives.
here is the wonderfully simple secret of good health
that vermonters
working WITH nature
rather than AGAINST IT,
is the best medicine.
VERMONT MEDICINE
14. men in their 70s do a full day's work on vermont farms
as a matter of course,
and it is not unusual to find men of 80
sharing the farm work as though they were
many years younger...
that it is posswible to prolong the span of life beyond 70 years of age
is amply proved by studying native vermonters living close to the soil.
..the vermonter's knowledge of food does not come out of books
but from close association with the creatures of the barnyard,
which teaches that the DAILY FOOD INTAKE must be
HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES,
represented by fruits, berries, edible leaves, and roots
and LOW IN PROTEINS,
represented by meat, fowl and eggs.
vermonters accept the body tissues
as soil in human form.
management of the soil
to its best advantage
requires undderstanding of natural laws,
and SPECIFIC CARE to
MAINTAIN and
BUILD it.
...(to do this) 'we take into account
dominance of the body
by MINERAL elements.
...the number of minerals included in the functioning of the human body
is one of the wonders of life.
except for silver and gold,
practically all minerals are in action.
in vefrmont fold medicine there is an extremely simple prescription
for replenishing the mineral needs of the body.
TWO TEASPOONFULS OF HONEY and
TWO TEASPOONFULS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR,
TAKEN IN A GLASS OF WATER
one or more times a day
depending on how much mental and physical work is done.
17....let us consider the ANIMAL LAWS
-an animal's refusal to eat when it is sick.
if we wish to imitate the animals'
restorative biochemical change
withing the body,
we can do so by limiting ourselves to
an acid drink such as
grapejuice which contains tartaric acid
or cranberry juice, which contains citric, malic, quinic and benzoic acids
or to apple juice, which contains malic acid.
..by the age of fifty one needs to begin building the body anew.
not eating to gratify the appetite,
but rather selecting the foods which
our somber second thoughts tell us
Thursday, January 17, 2013
1.17.2013 BREAKTHRU PRAYER by JIM CYMBALA
the following is taken from the chapter 'breakthrough moment'
...prayerlessness often coexists with extensive bible knowledge.
only the Holy Spirit can inspire us to pray effectually,
and He uses various means to accomplish his purpose.
first of all, SERIOUS PRAYER is born out of a sense of need,
out of the knowledge that we must ask God to intervene.
the Spirit of God moves us toward prayer by using scripture to show us two things:
our human need and the Lord's promise of provision.
breakthrough prayer isn't born out of an 'I SHOULD PRAY TODAY' attitude but,
instead, out of an 'I MUST HAVE GOD'S HELP' frame of mind...
like worship and hunger for God,
THE IMPULSE TO PRAY IS OFTEN CONTAGIOUS.
we catch it as we watch others presenting their needs at the throne of grace,
pouring their souls out in prayer.
years ago i reached one of the lowest points in my spiritual life.
i was so challenged by the ministry
and so discouraged that i felt dangerously numb.
the Lord seemed remote, too distant to help me,
and i fell into a depressed, prayerless state.
all of this happened while i was trying to pastor a church!
one sunday during a time of prayer,
i noticed a woman standing at the edge of the platform,
sobbing quietly
and then gradually raising her hands toward heaven.
her uplifted face, stained with tears,
reflected the earnestness of her heart.
in her, i saw my answer.
the God she was imploring
was the same one i needed to call on.
i broke down in tears and began seeking the Lord again.
God used that woman to encourage a pastor in spiritual trouble,
though not one word ever passed between us.
that night i found the strength to continue my journey.
this was not a case of emotional excess,
but an example of how the act of prayer itself can inspire others.
i never learned that woman's name,
but another one named hannah,
whose story is told in the bible,
has also provided motivation for my prayer life.
hannah could be called 'the first lady of prayer'
because she's the first woman whose petition is recorded in scripture.
her story is related in some detain,
showing us how God uses deep human need
as a springboard to accomplish his purposes.
whenever he does this,
believers receive answers they can hardly believe.
(hannah couldn't have children
and her husband's second wife-with-children, peninnah taunted her)
'constantly tormented,
with no offspring of her own,
weeping and unable to eat,
hannah seemed mired in a hopeless situation.
in the midst of her pain,
she didn't know what God was about to do.
she had no idea that
He was going to raise up a prophet
who would lead His wayward people
back to Himself.
nor did she know that God would choose her,
among all the women of israel,
to bear that child.
God chose this heartbroken woman
out of compassion and grace.
and he used a remarkable method
to bring about the birth of hannah's son, samuel.
once when they had finished eating and drinking in shiloh,
hannah stood up.
now eli the priest
was sitting on a chair
by the doorpost
of the Lord's temple,
in BITTERNESS OF SOUL hannah WEPT MUCH
and prayed to the Lord.
and she made a vow, saying,
'O Lord Almighty,
IF YOU WILL only look upon Your servant's misery
and remember me,
and not forget your servant
but give her a son,
THEN I WILL give him to the Lord
for all the days of his life. I samuel 1.9-11
this prayer, one of the greatest in the bible,
not only changed hannah's life,
but also altered the history of israel....
incredibly, we have the same potential in prayer that hannah did.
like hannah, OUR 'BREAKING POINT' CAN LEAD TO A 'BREAKTHROUGH''
if it spurs us to call on God.
hannah asked for a son,
but god gave her much more. ..
hannah's encounter with the Lord was not about emotional fanaticism.
her example assures us that a prayer answering God can resolve
seemingly hopeless situations.
if we deny or doubt that fact,
we are the losers.
many times, sons and daughters are wooed back to the Lord
through a mom or dad breaking through in prayer.
great things still happen...
hannah's sorrow, tears, and anguish
showed the earnestness and intensity
of her petition....
like hannah, we sometimes find it difficult
to form the proper words for prayer.
but God hears our heart's cry even when our mouths are silent. ...
..(eli thought she was drunk and rebuked her)
..her experience at this moment points to an important lesson about prayer:
if you pray,
you will certainly become a target of satan,
who will immediately attack you
with spiritual opposition and discouragement.
the secret to prevailing in prayer involves '
'pressing through'
and 'holding on to God'.
don't be distracted
when people accuse you of fanaticism
because you believe God answers prayer.
follow the Spirit's leading
and ignore everything that discourages you
from trusting the Lord....
after hannah explained to eli what was really happening,
she manifested great faith in God.
'eli answered,
go in peace, and may the God of israel
grant you what you have asked of Him.I samuel 1.17
upon hearing that word from the priest of God,
hannah 'went her way
and ate something,
and her face was no longer downcast v18
..she felt sure her petition would be granted...
hannah was sure about God's answer BEFORE she conceived her child...
..some earlier christians used the term
'praying through'
to describe the supplication that stays
at the throne of grace
until this assurance has been granted.
rather than the human centered
'name it and claim it' formula,
this is the 'pray it and know it' cycle..
some problems, of course, will not be resolved by a few moments spent in heartfelt prayer.
these can only be overcome by extended times of prayer and waiting in faith.
..paul understood this in giving instructions about spiritual warfare in his letter to the ephesians,
'pray in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests.
with this in mind,
be alert
and always keep on praying for all the saints..ephesians 6.18f
why must there be 'all kinds of prayer'
'on all occasions'
if God has already decided to help us?
why must we 'keep on praying for all the saints'
if one concise petition can do the trick?..
these are some of the mysteries of prayer that God never fully explains.
still, He gives spiritual insight to those who spend time with Him
at the throne of grace...
hannah did something else that day in the temple
that shows us how to succeed in prayer.
she dedicated the son she prayed for
before he was even conceived..
it seems at first glance
as though she was bargaining with God...
hannah asked for a son
and promised God that
the answer would be consecrated to Him...
A COMMON PROBLEM IN OUR PRAYER
IS THAT WE FOCUS ONLY ON OURSELVES
WITH LITTLE THOUGHT TO HOW
GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED...
(note: when we are desperate enough to say 'i will do x, if You will do y'..
if we are really desperate we may say 'i will do anything You want,
if You will do what You know is best!)
..most christians can quote from memory,
cast all your anxiety on Him
because He cares for you. I peter 5.7
but reciting a verse is different from putting it into practice.
putting a verse in practice means
unloading our burdens through fervent prayer...
but reciting a verse is different
from putting it into practice.
putting the verse into practice
means unloading our burdens through fervent prayer...
'yet i am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay psalm 40.17
david combined FAITH IN GOD'S CHARACTER
with a prayer for help.
the actual transfer of our anxiety, fear, or sorrow occurs
when we give it to God in prayer.
lack of prayer translates into lack of peace
no matter how knowledgeable we are about the bible.
'do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
and the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus. philippians 4.6-7
...prayerlessness often coexists with extensive bible knowledge.
only the Holy Spirit can inspire us to pray effectually,
and He uses various means to accomplish his purpose.
first of all, SERIOUS PRAYER is born out of a sense of need,
out of the knowledge that we must ask God to intervene.
the Spirit of God moves us toward prayer by using scripture to show us two things:
our human need and the Lord's promise of provision.
breakthrough prayer isn't born out of an 'I SHOULD PRAY TODAY' attitude but,
instead, out of an 'I MUST HAVE GOD'S HELP' frame of mind...
like worship and hunger for God,
THE IMPULSE TO PRAY IS OFTEN CONTAGIOUS.
we catch it as we watch others presenting their needs at the throne of grace,
pouring their souls out in prayer.
years ago i reached one of the lowest points in my spiritual life.
i was so challenged by the ministry
and so discouraged that i felt dangerously numb.
the Lord seemed remote, too distant to help me,
and i fell into a depressed, prayerless state.
all of this happened while i was trying to pastor a church!
one sunday during a time of prayer,
i noticed a woman standing at the edge of the platform,
sobbing quietly
and then gradually raising her hands toward heaven.
her uplifted face, stained with tears,
reflected the earnestness of her heart.
in her, i saw my answer.
the God she was imploring
was the same one i needed to call on.
i broke down in tears and began seeking the Lord again.
God used that woman to encourage a pastor in spiritual trouble,
though not one word ever passed between us.
that night i found the strength to continue my journey.
this was not a case of emotional excess,
but an example of how the act of prayer itself can inspire others.
i never learned that woman's name,
but another one named hannah,
whose story is told in the bible,
has also provided motivation for my prayer life.
hannah could be called 'the first lady of prayer'
because she's the first woman whose petition is recorded in scripture.
her story is related in some detain,
showing us how God uses deep human need
as a springboard to accomplish his purposes.
whenever he does this,
believers receive answers they can hardly believe.
(hannah couldn't have children
and her husband's second wife-with-children, peninnah taunted her)
'constantly tormented,
with no offspring of her own,
weeping and unable to eat,
hannah seemed mired in a hopeless situation.
in the midst of her pain,
she didn't know what God was about to do.
she had no idea that
He was going to raise up a prophet
who would lead His wayward people
back to Himself.
nor did she know that God would choose her,
among all the women of israel,
to bear that child.
God chose this heartbroken woman
out of compassion and grace.
and he used a remarkable method
to bring about the birth of hannah's son, samuel.
once when they had finished eating and drinking in shiloh,
hannah stood up.
now eli the priest
was sitting on a chair
by the doorpost
of the Lord's temple,
in BITTERNESS OF SOUL hannah WEPT MUCH
and prayed to the Lord.
and she made a vow, saying,
'O Lord Almighty,
IF YOU WILL only look upon Your servant's misery
and remember me,
and not forget your servant
but give her a son,
THEN I WILL give him to the Lord
for all the days of his life. I samuel 1.9-11
this prayer, one of the greatest in the bible,
not only changed hannah's life,
but also altered the history of israel....
incredibly, we have the same potential in prayer that hannah did.
like hannah, OUR 'BREAKING POINT' CAN LEAD TO A 'BREAKTHROUGH''
if it spurs us to call on God.
hannah asked for a son,
but god gave her much more. ..
hannah's encounter with the Lord was not about emotional fanaticism.
her example assures us that a prayer answering God can resolve
seemingly hopeless situations.
if we deny or doubt that fact,
we are the losers.
many times, sons and daughters are wooed back to the Lord
through a mom or dad breaking through in prayer.
great things still happen...
hannah's sorrow, tears, and anguish
showed the earnestness and intensity
of her petition....
like hannah, we sometimes find it difficult
to form the proper words for prayer.
but God hears our heart's cry even when our mouths are silent. ...
..(eli thought she was drunk and rebuked her)
..her experience at this moment points to an important lesson about prayer:
if you pray,
you will certainly become a target of satan,
who will immediately attack you
with spiritual opposition and discouragement.
the secret to prevailing in prayer involves '
'pressing through'
and 'holding on to God'.
don't be distracted
when people accuse you of fanaticism
because you believe God answers prayer.
follow the Spirit's leading
and ignore everything that discourages you
from trusting the Lord....
after hannah explained to eli what was really happening,
she manifested great faith in God.
'eli answered,
go in peace, and may the God of israel
grant you what you have asked of Him.I samuel 1.17
upon hearing that word from the priest of God,
hannah 'went her way
and ate something,
and her face was no longer downcast v18
..she felt sure her petition would be granted...
hannah was sure about God's answer BEFORE she conceived her child...
..some earlier christians used the term
'praying through'
to describe the supplication that stays
at the throne of grace
until this assurance has been granted.
rather than the human centered
'name it and claim it' formula,
this is the 'pray it and know it' cycle..
some problems, of course, will not be resolved by a few moments spent in heartfelt prayer.
these can only be overcome by extended times of prayer and waiting in faith.
..paul understood this in giving instructions about spiritual warfare in his letter to the ephesians,
'pray in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests.
with this in mind,
be alert
and always keep on praying for all the saints..ephesians 6.18f
why must there be 'all kinds of prayer'
'on all occasions'
if God has already decided to help us?
why must we 'keep on praying for all the saints'
if one concise petition can do the trick?..
these are some of the mysteries of prayer that God never fully explains.
still, He gives spiritual insight to those who spend time with Him
at the throne of grace...
hannah did something else that day in the temple
that shows us how to succeed in prayer.
she dedicated the son she prayed for
before he was even conceived..
it seems at first glance
as though she was bargaining with God...
hannah asked for a son
and promised God that
the answer would be consecrated to Him...
A COMMON PROBLEM IN OUR PRAYER
IS THAT WE FOCUS ONLY ON OURSELVES
WITH LITTLE THOUGHT TO HOW
GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED...
(note: when we are desperate enough to say 'i will do x, if You will do y'..
if we are really desperate we may say 'i will do anything You want,
if You will do what You know is best!)
..most christians can quote from memory,
cast all your anxiety on Him
because He cares for you. I peter 5.7
but reciting a verse is different from putting it into practice.
putting a verse in practice means
unloading our burdens through fervent prayer...
but reciting a verse is different
from putting it into practice.
putting the verse into practice
means unloading our burdens through fervent prayer...
'yet i am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay psalm 40.17
david combined FAITH IN GOD'S CHARACTER
with a prayer for help.
the actual transfer of our anxiety, fear, or sorrow occurs
when we give it to God in prayer.
lack of prayer translates into lack of peace
no matter how knowledgeable we are about the bible.
'do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
and the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus. philippians 4.6-7
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
1.16.2013 PERSONAL PRAYER
a very meaningful verse in my life has been psalms 27.4,
'one thing have i desired of the Lord, that will i seek.
that i may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to enquire in His temple.
a little over 10 years ago my son Nate and i went up to the brooklyn tabernacle.
it was the first time either of us had been there.
they were still in their old building and it was packed.
the Lord prepared my heart by the many things i experienced that day.
before the service began the prayers of the people all over the building
sounded like an otherworldly..holy, beehive.
the message from pastor cymbala was on psalm 27.4.
at the end i joined a throng of people at the front,
many who came in response to the invitation
to ask God to make this real in their lives.
it was the only time i have ever responded to an invitation as a non-child.
the fountain of my spirit was opened
and God has made real the desire and response of my heart.
in many various situations the Lord will bring that verse to mind...
almost more than any other verse.
recently i have more and more been drawn to the phrases,
'behold the beauty of the Lord' and
'inquire in His temple'
just as the new year came this meditative habit
once more had me thinking,
especially of the second..'inquire'..
asking Him to reveal what that meant practically.
with most things that i experience that are
what i call God things,
a tidal change occurred inwardly.
i find whenever the Lord
'highlights with neon yellow' marker
or 'sticks it to the soul with velcro'.
when He does this
from then on it is a part of my life.
that is what happened just after the new year.
i began a new page to write personal prayer requests
and noticed something new at the end of a lot of them.
question marks.
this has seemed,
hopefully somewhat true,
to subtly move me a bit from the position of
'I KNOW what is needed in this situation', to
'what is needed in this situation, Lord?'
maybe He is somewhat more
realizing to me, just
how little i even know how to rightly pray,
how a gracious God is
faithfully, lovingly listening...and cares
how greatly He must yearn over my sad state
seeing me like a sheep with ripped flesh from the brambles,
cast
(an animal in such a position on the ground
that it cannot get up on its feet again)
helpless to in any way help myself,
without a shepherd,
for i have wandered away
from His care, provision and protection,
thinking i know....matthew 9.36
...and is quietly working to make me a bit
more like Himself.
may God have mercy on me and help me to do what He says.
'one thing have i desired of the Lord, that will i seek.
that i may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to enquire in His temple.
a little over 10 years ago my son Nate and i went up to the brooklyn tabernacle.
it was the first time either of us had been there.
they were still in their old building and it was packed.
the Lord prepared my heart by the many things i experienced that day.
before the service began the prayers of the people all over the building
sounded like an otherworldly..holy, beehive.
the message from pastor cymbala was on psalm 27.4.
at the end i joined a throng of people at the front,
many who came in response to the invitation
to ask God to make this real in their lives.
it was the only time i have ever responded to an invitation as a non-child.
the fountain of my spirit was opened
and God has made real the desire and response of my heart.
in many various situations the Lord will bring that verse to mind...
almost more than any other verse.
recently i have more and more been drawn to the phrases,
'behold the beauty of the Lord' and
'inquire in His temple'
just as the new year came this meditative habit
once more had me thinking,
especially of the second..'inquire'..
asking Him to reveal what that meant practically.
with most things that i experience that are
what i call God things,
a tidal change occurred inwardly.
i find whenever the Lord
'highlights with neon yellow' marker
or 'sticks it to the soul with velcro'.
when He does this
from then on it is a part of my life.
that is what happened just after the new year.
i began a new page to write personal prayer requests
and noticed something new at the end of a lot of them.
question marks.
this has seemed,
hopefully somewhat true,
to subtly move me a bit from the position of
'I KNOW what is needed in this situation', to
'what is needed in this situation, Lord?'
maybe He is somewhat more
realizing to me, just
how little i even know how to rightly pray,
how a gracious God is
faithfully, lovingly listening...and cares
how greatly He must yearn over my sad state
seeing me like a sheep with ripped flesh from the brambles,
cast
(an animal in such a position on the ground
that it cannot get up on its feet again)
helpless to in any way help myself,
without a shepherd,
for i have wandered away
from His care, provision and protection,
thinking i know....matthew 9.36
...and is quietly working to make me a bit
more like Himself.
may God have mercy on me and help me to do what He says.
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