Further Spiritual Reflections

The Blessed Life

“There is a Christian life which, when compared with that experienced by the majority of Christians, is as summer to winter; or, as the mature fruitfulness of a golden autumn to the struggling promise of a cold and late spring. And the blessedness of this blessed life lies in this: that we trust the Lord to do in us and for us what we could not do. And truly, according to our faith, it is done to us.” F.B. Meyer

Charles Trumbull

Trumbull tells the story of a poor man whose small mill and home were washed away by a flood. Everything he had was gone, and as he stood at the site, heart-broken and discouraged, he saw something shining in the bank which the waters had washed bare. It was gold. The flood which had beggared him made him rich. So it may be with many of us. Some day we shall thank God for what we thought were calamities.

Young African

A young African prayed like this: "O Lord, You are the needle and I am the thread!" He had been watching some girls sewing. He noticed that the thread always followed the needle, and he saw in that simple task a deep spiritual truth. If he stayed close to the Lord, praying, reading His word, and depending entirely on Him, he would always be led by God's Spirit.

William Carey

William Carey, the pioneer missionary, was a cobbler (or shoemaker). He used to go around the villages preaching. One day a friend said: "Mr. Carey, by going about preaching as you do you are neglecting your business." Carey looked at him steadily. "Neglecting my business? My business is to extend the Kingdom of God! I only cobble shoes to pay expenses."

Americans and their Pets

"Americans spend over $50 billion a year on their pets. They treat their pets as human beings, and lavish more love and affection on them than on their own children. I stayed 6 months in America, and was shocked by the way parents ...neglect their children. Children openly do drugs, while pets like dogs and cats (and other weird furries) are pampered like babies. No wonder that country is ruined."

Praying for One’s Cat

A lady called Beth (who liked the above post), wrote: That's the truth. Daily I speak love and blessings along with prayer over my cat, telling him what a gift he is, thanking God for him, praying God's blessing over his health, and so on and so forth, things that CHILDREN should be hearing from their parents! I'm single/no kids and there's nothing wrong as a single person covering my cat with blessings and giving thanks for what God gave to Adam as dominion over the animal realm, the Lord knows when even a sparrow falls and provides for them... but I agree that the words I tell my cat about what a gift he is, how wonderful he is, and so on and so forth, is the kind of edification and blessing children should be hearing. The OT greats VALUED the Father's blessing so much so that Jacob stole his brother's blessing! My cat lines up for his blessings and won't let go until he hears them! Too many people haven't had blessings spoken over their lives, and that's sad: but they can start speaking God's blessings over their own lives and choose to put the power of words to work for the good by speaking life, amen.

Facile Pragmatism

Americans exhibit a facile pragmatism in religious matters. They believe that they can make anything work; they are motivated by success. They know 'how to do just about everything': how to be born again, how to plant a church, how to raise funds for evangelical activity, how to advertise and mobilize huge crowds in gatherings, etc. They fail to realize that the Christian life begins with failure. Unless you reach the point where you are drowning in the mess you've made of your life, you cannot find the way up and out! (Ps 40:1-3).

Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Further Spiritual Reflections

One

Jesus said something very deep in John 10, which my friends would do well to ponder over. He said, 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.' 27. 'A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him...' I find many who hero-worship preachers in mega-churches; they are enchanted by Francis Chan, Joseph Prince, Reinhard Bonnke, Rick Warren, Robert Schuller...and the like.

A true sheep has the ability to discern between the true voice and the false voice. It is spiritual discernment. Every truly born-again child of God has this discernment, even in a rudimentary degree. This faculty has to grow.

Two

'The word of God...piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit...' Heb 4:12. I guess the majority of Christians would be unable to understand this statement. Division of soul and spirit? What does it mean? You can understand the word of God on a soulish level, i.e. intellectually, or emotionally. But the word must pierce through to the heart, into the spirit. Only the Spirit can bring the Word home to your heart, and bring true conviction.

Alas, most conversions these days are emotional. And many, too, are trapped by an intellectual understanding of God's word, without the Word speaking to their heart (through revelation by God).

Three

'The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.' Heb 4:12. Living, active, sharp: that is the powerful word of God. It is not dry knowledge that accumulates in the head; but a 'living sword' that pierces into the heart. Is the Word to you like that?

Four

Dear friend, are you obsessed with your orthodox doctrine or fascinated with your supposed charismatic gifts? If so, I see that you have really not understood what it is to be 'born of the Spirit'. You may be a sound Calvinist or a super Charismatic, but that doesn't make you a child of God. You have to be humbled, broken, emptied - utterly dependent on the Lord, for every step in your life.

If you want to know what is the true Christian life, study the words and the walk of Jesus in John's Gospel.

Five

'Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards while they are in blossom.' Songs 2:15. Our Christian life has to be free from the little foxes, the little 'sins' and 'shortcomings' and 'failures' (of the flesh) that plague us so much in our walk with God. We dare not tolerate sin in our life; we have to root it out. Otherwise the blossom will not bear fruit. And we will regret our failure, at the time of Christ's judgment of the saints. Let us be holy even as our Lord is holy, 1 Pet 1.15-16. Holiness is demanded of every child of God; the word 'saint' implies that.

Six

'The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.' 2 Chron 16.9. God is watching; He looks from heaven, He sees all the sons of men, Ps 33.13. His eye is upon the righteous. But His arm moves mightily on behalf of those 'whose heart is completely His'. Are you totally surrendered to the Lord? Then God will work wonders in your life!

Seven

I am extremely wary of 'prophecies'. It seems to me that a number of Christians are into prophecies and visions. They say such and such thing is going to happen, and are fond of predicting events and foretelling things about people. Reminds me of soothsaying. These people claim to have supernatural insight, but do they have insight into the human heart? What's the point of soothsaying and predicting events, when the main focus should be to preach the word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit so that it speaks clearly to and pierces the human heart like a two-edged sword. (Acts 2:37, Heb 4:12)

Eight

There's is so much of the Word of God which we do not know, but we would like to keep the Word aside and prefer to listen to the 'exciting divinations' of fleshly and fallible men. No wonder the owners got so much profit from a certain slave-girl in Philippi. Fortune-telling, soothsaying, divination - are what is behind this craze for 'prophecies' in charismatic churches.

© Pratonix