Christ

"It must be firmly maintained that Christ did not come to the world only to set an example for us. If that were the case we would have law and works-righteousness again. He comes to save us and in this way be our example. His very example should humble us, teach us how infinitely far away we are from resembling him. When we humble ourselves, then Christ is pure compassion. And in our striving to approach him, he is again our very help. It alternates: when we are striving, then he is our example; and when we stumble, lose courage, then he is the love that helps us up. And then he is our example again."

-Provocations

To approach the Truth

"Wherever true seriousness is called for, the law is this: either/ or. Nothing is more detestable and disgusting, both betraying and bringing about a deeper demoralization than this: to somehow want a little part in that which must be either/or, all or nothing, and then with good-hearted moderation together rush about it, and by this prattle to pretend mendaciously that one is better than those who have nothing to do with the whole concern – pretend to be better, and thereby make the thing more difficult for those who properly have the task to do."

-Provocations

Perhaps just in this weakness God will meet you and come to your aid. This much is certain: the greatest thing each person can do is to give himself to God utterly and unconditionally – weaknesses, fears, and all. For God loves obedience more than good intentions or second-best offerings, which are all too often made under the guise of weakness.
Therefore, dare to renew your decision. It will lift you up again to have trust in God. For God is a spirit of power and love and self-control, and it is before God and for him that every decision is to be made. Dare to act on the good that lies buried within your heart. Confess your decision and do not go ashamed with downcast eyes as if you were treading on forbidden ground. If you are ashamed of your own imperfections, then cast your eyes down before God, not man. Better yet, in weakness decide and go forth!
-Kierkegaard

Purpose

"And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last."

Marcus Aurelius

For Christendom

We need Christians – reborn people who have accepted the life of the Sermon on the
Mount.
We need people who work – people who are capable and willing to work.
We need people who radiate the spirit of Christ – people who witness for Christ
with their entire being.
We are a working community of disciples of Jesus who give up everything to live
simply and solely for love and for productive work. We must testify that we are a
church of Christ, a Lord’s Supper fellowship.
We need Christ and the kingdom of God, protest and the call to repentance,
testimony and faith, a bold commitment to life and love. Witnesses are needed – not
self-idolization, not the right-eousness of works, not self-appointed goals, not prophets,
not leaders. We need brotherliness in forgiveness and grace, because each proclaims
not himself but Christ.

-Eberhard Arnold

Wisdom determines what simply must be done without consideration of other options.

Rachoff

An excerpt from a conversation in the book Rachoff:


“Little mother,” Rachoff asked her one day, “What are your
teachings? What are your beliefs about God, about the rich and
poor?”
“In my eyes they all live in bondage,” Irina replied, “the richjust
as much as the poor.”
“The rich!” exclaimed Rachoff. “How can they be, when they live
in such warmth and comfort?”
“No one is free just because he has possessions,” said Irina. “And
money does not necessarily mean wealth. Yes, even the richest man
is poor. And so is every other being. The whole creation moans under
the weight of a terrible sadness. The earth itself cries out as if
in pain. There is sighing among the animals and the trees, in the
springs and the rocks, in the fire and the stars. But Jesus will come.
He hears every groan, and he will come to rescue us from our grief.
His spirit heals and reconciles and blesses; it comes to us and dwells
in our midst, and it can – through grace and hard work – pry us free
from our bondage and make us like children.”
“Children?” Rachoff puzzled.
“Yes, children.” Irina repeated. “True children are joyous,
whether they are fed with a hundred rubles or three kopeks a day,
for the spirit of Jesus lives within them.”

Brokenness

"Only in this way will there be a circle of disciples around Jesus upon whom he can depend. He doesn’t need strong people, nor so-called confident, bold, trained, or courageous people who push things ahead in the world. He needs people who are broken, who fear lest they become disobedient to his command. Those are the people he needs, for they are servants. All the others who have a manufactured piety and feel themselves so secure in it, are for the most part hardly usable as servants. But those who fear and tremble, those who are shaken and shocked by the word of truth yet joyfully say yes and take action – these are his people."

-Action In Waiting

For Her

The sincere do not walk the face of the earth, they are driven by it.

We have learned the wisdom of cowardice...it's called non-confrontation.

You Cannot Have Faith in God and Mammon

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see."

Where we place the wholeness of our being is what we hope for and that which we are blind to is that which gives us certainty. How then can we have a surety of hope in anything the world here offers? How is it possible for a Christian to have that which is seen possess his conviction? Yet this is the experience of most. The people of faith live their lives with an egotistical concern for personal welfare to sate themselves in the indulgence of an easy life (no man finds fulfillment in the excuses of ease). This replaces their transparency before God, and substitutes it for an unsteady hope in monetary income and activities. That which would be faith by profession is nothing more than sedated conscience and conflagrated will because it's power is merely in diction unrelated to the exercised power of the Kingdom of God. Because men choose to live in a way which does not depend on devotion to the singularity of God, their faith is shattered into fictional proportions and they are undone before the grace of God being unable to recieve it.
It is a matter of either/or. Man will either have a sure hope in what he is blind to and certainty of what is not seen, or his hope will be in what is here and now and his conviction will be merely the extension of his ego.
To you who would love Christ and who would be aware of worldly security, here is a negative rephrasing of the prior verse for definitive purposes: "Now unbelief is being sure of what is tangible and certain of what is seen." Those who would pure of heart and be complete in devotion to God must keep the faith and never rest in the lure of wealth's tangibility. Place yourself in the hands of the Living God and seek His providence in all things. Substantiate your hope in what you do not see and be possessed by the convictions of the unseen Christ. He who does this will be among the nations richly blessed.
Amen.

The effect of Faith is God making flexible the human will and gladdening it for His purposes.

a story of materialism

There is a Yiddish story about a rich man who is persuaded to pay a visit to the rebbe. The rebbe leads him to the window.

“Look out there,” the rebbe says, and the rich man looks out at the street. “What do you see?”

“I see people,” he answers.

Then the rebbe leads him to the mirror. “What do you see now?”

The rich man answers, “Now I see myself.”

“So,” the rebbe says. “In the window there is glass and in the mirror there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with silver, and no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others but see only yourself.”

"Pride is the sin that grows out of the ashes of mortified sin."

Faith

"Great faith merits great rewards. And wherever you set down the foot of hope among the goods of the Lord, they will be yours."

-Bernard of Clairvoux

The Heart of our Healer God

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. Simon and his companions searched for him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He replied, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Earlier in Mark 1, John the Baptist's ministry is summed up and immediately after it has run it's course (at the baptism of the Messiah and the arrest of John), Jesus goes forth into the world and begins to preach openly. In the passage i have put up, we see the heart of God displayed in the anonymity of Jesus by His refusal of recognition and praise. All that we see here, at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, is the Son of God going off into "a lonely place" to submit His heart to His Father in order that He may do God's will. In doing this, He openly rejects the praise of men, even of His disciples. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the curing of the sick is all that drives Jesus here. He will not rest until all that the Father has appointed to Him have heard the Good News in the other towns. This is perfect love, this pouring out of the self of God alone is the motivation of God's Sacrifice for us in the beginning of His ministry and at it's end--the cross.

When we consider that Jesus requires us to be like Him, conformed to His teaching and life-purpose let us consider the difficulity of being sincere before God. Let us consider that our baptism and clothing into and of Christ and the difficulties that we will face. Let us keep before is this Scripture as a warning and a promise:

"I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”


Also, let the sharp edge of Christ's word pierce you as you consider the great humility of grace poured out and what it calls forth from us:

"But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

God, may Your heart be ours, and may we not be timid or forget to proclaim Your Kingdom to a people in the land of darkness. Bless the words of our mouth and the work of our hands as we await the Day. May You alone be praised!

“I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.” – Unknown Confederate Soldier

"Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are."

-Kierkegaard

Puritan Prayers

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

A Puritan Prayer (Worship)

Glorious God,

It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
heavenly pleasure to approach thee.

Give me power by the Spirit to help me
worship now,
that I may forget the world,
be brought into the fullness of life,
be refreshed, comforted, blessed.

Give me knowledge of thy goodness
that I might not be over-awed by they greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
that I might not be terrified,
but drawn near with filial love,
with holy boldness;

He is my Mediator, Brother, Interpreter,
Branch, Daysman, Lamb;
him I glorify,
in him I am set on high.

Crowns to give I have none,
but what thou hast given I return,
content to feel that everything is mine
when it is thine,
and the more fully mine when I have yielded it
to thee.

Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
free from distractions,
from carking care,
from hindrances to the pursuit
of the narrow way.

I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus-
give me a new sense of it,
continue to pardon me by it,
may I come every day to the fountain,
and every day to be washed anew,
that I may worship thee always
in spirit and truth.

"Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.'"

The more I think about the meaning of this passage, the more I come to grips with the fact that discipleship is an unsafe practice. Jesus comes forth to say, to the gathering of those following Him, that there are conditions that have to be met in order to be a true disciple. These conditions are outside of personal devotion and within a realm of sincerity. Jesus tells us that if we are to be His, we must cripple our relationships, our desires, and even the sum of ourselves in order to fully embrace Him - there can be no life outside of this. Let those within the numbers of the Church take to heart the admonition, may it sink deeply into our ears and transform us and our perspectives.
Discipleship, and sincerity before God will cost us our prosperity, our social status, our goals, and our dreams and any hope of gain in this world; but to those who see this as a condition for the crown of life, there will be no regret. To those who remember that these words are spirit and life, there is no room to draw back, for they realize that risking everything upon the premise of hope is a small act in comparison to what is in store for those who love God. Eternity awaits those who hear and keep to His words.

"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns."

The Legend

The Legend of Heliopher
As told by Hardy Arnold
Based on a Russian legend told by Maxim Gorki as
“Danko of the Burning Heart.”

Once upon a time there was a race which was lost in a great, dark forest. The trees stood so close together that the light of the sun could not penetrate the thickly entwined branches. There were also numerous wild animals which fell upon the people, especially the children, when they wandered too far from their parents while they were playing. So everyone lived in a constant state of fear of death and destructione, and a hopeless despair took hold of the hearts of the folk.

Continuous black darkness had strangled all the light in their hearts. They could not love one another any more. They even hated and murdered one another in their rage. Yet they were forced to remain together, for it was impossible for any single man to defend himself against the attacks of the wild beasts. They had lost all hope of ever finding their way out of the forest. Many of the young people did not believe in the light they had never seen, and they mocked their elders, when, with a last weak light gleaming in their dim eyes, they recounted tales of the festive, sunny days of their youth.

Among the people however, there was a young man called Heliopher. He was very much alone, grieving over the misery of his people, and seeking a way of salvation. He bore in his heart an endless longing for light and love in the desolation which surrounded him. Heliopher left his people to seek the sun. For many months and years he wandered through the dangers of the forest and of his own soul, and often, very often, nearly lost all hope and confidence. But Heliopher bravely withstood his enemies, whether within himself or around him, and at last he reached the edge of the forest and saw the light of the sun. In terrible amazement he fell into a swoon, and when he awoke he saw in the twilight that he was watched over in his slumber by beautiful people. In the green meadows stood the simple huts of the sun-people, and Heliopher lived with them in peace and endless joy as the most beloved amongst living men.

Then Heliopher went back to the forest to seek his people. “Come, brothers and sisters,” he said to them, “I will lead you to the light.” At this there was murmuring and frowning, wavering and hesitation, wonder and questioning, incredulous laughter, and finally a jubilant “Yes!” And then, at last, the longed-for departure.

Then the light of the sun shone in Heliopher’s eyes, but the way was long and difficult, and demanded much suffering and sacrifice, and murmuring arose among the people. Some spoke and said, “Let us murder him, the betrayer of the people!” And the dark glow of hatred was in their eyes. Others were wiser and said, “No! let us judge him in the presence of all, for it is dangerous to give the people a martyr.” And Heliopher spoke to his people, and talked about light and love. But the wise ones answered, “You lie! There is no light, there is no sun, there is no love. Let us be darker than the forest and more cruel than the wild beasts. Then we shall be masters of the forest!”

Heliopher answered in great pain, “O believe not, ye wise men, that ye can be victorious over darkness by being more dark, that ye can overcome the wild beasts by being more beastly. Only love is stronger. Only the light of the sun can drive away darkness.”

“Be silent!” said the wise men. “There is no light, there is no sun!”

And the people shouted, flinging their arms about in raging despair, “There is no light, there is no sun!”

But Heliopher called out, “Follow me!” And with his nails he tore open his breast, and his heart burned with love, and it glowed and shed its beams through the dark forest. The he took it in both hands, held it high over his head, and strode forth in front of the people.

In reverent wonder and silence the multitude followed the burning heart.

And the people went in jubilation towards the sun, and danced in its loving rays, and they loved one another. But Heliopher knelt down at the edge of the forest, and with the last strength of his outstretched arms he held up his loving, pulsing heart to the light of heaven, and gave his last smile to his people.

Taken from: http://www.plough.com/articles/stories/heliopher.html.

On compromising entertainment and a holy mind

"The Word of God condemns all of this! No one who names the Name of Jesus is to participate in ANY of this! These things quench God’s Spirit, affront His Holy Character, and obliterate His Love! If you are a believer, according to God’s Word you will not – you cannot – participate in any way in any of these things."


"In Ephesians, after Paul revealed the supreme truth of the life transformed by the grace and glory of God referred to earlier, he fully implored the believers to live according to the call with which they were called. He declared that believers are no longer to conduct themselves as unbelievers do – in the vanity of their minds because of their dark thoughts. He said that unbelievers lived this way because they were excluded from God’s life because of their ignorance of God and that this ignorance was grounded in the hardness of their hearts. Then he laid out the realities of the deadly situation that result from this hardness of heart. These realities issue into the very things that concern us. He said that this very hardheartedness produced a further callousness of the conscience and that that callousness itself produced giving oneself over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity with the desire for more. These words show, indeed, the lethal downward spiraling effect of the power of sin to rapidly reproduce itself in greater degrees of sinfulness. As part of the holy remedy of believers who have been delivered from these kinds of sin, he said that they were to allow no unwholesome word to proceed from their mouths, but were to utter only words that were beneficial for building up their fellow believers according to their needs. Very soon after these words, Jesus declared through Paul that the believers were (and are) therefore to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and to walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a sweet smelling fragrance."

Generosity

"A good eye and a humble spirit and a lowly soul, those who have these are disciples of Abraham our Father" (Mishnah, Abôth, 5.19).

Meditations on Light and Life

"In the midst of temporal darkness we can be transplanted into everlasting light; in the midst of death we can have life and peace. So let us continue to work and trust that though there may still be shadows, they will soon be scattered. Those who hold firmly to Christ will enter God’s kingdom, the kingdom without end. That is our comfort and hope."


"If we have the right attitude of faith to the Savior and to the promises the Father makes, a new light will dawn for us, and the cause of Christ will suddenly take on joy and radiance. We will have new hope: "Why, we had completely forgotten that there is a Holy Spirit, who can supersede the laws of everyday life!" And we will not mourn, neither over the unfortunate circumstances of our lives, nor over the state of the churches, nor even over the powers of sin and hell. Nor will we fear the dangerous days that are foretold, the days of the end times. If we have the light and power of the Holy Spirit, we shall not be confounded."

Meditations

"We must go down into the depths; that is our calling. Yet at the same time we must keep the heights in our hearts. Our human calling goes beyond death into eternity. Blessed are those who keep God’s height in their own depths."


"When we have found the foundation that God gives us for our lives, we will be shown his light for all people, both in the visible and in the invisible world. And we will be given the certainty that our faith and our relationship with the Father, as well as our life on earth – fraught as it is with trials and darkness – can work for the good of the world and for humankind. That is our joy."


"Jesus makes all things new! That is our light. And with it we can look into the greatest depravities, into the darkest places of humanity, and still have confidence in the God who makes all things new in heaven and on earth. We are not called to establish new hells, but to declare war on sin and death in the strength of God, who is love."


"Our thoughts should not dwell too briefly on the Crucified One. We ought, rather, to surrender our entire being to him: 'Very well, if I must die to myself, I must; but I shall do so in the name of the living God – under his judgment alone, and at the side of the Savior.' If we can release the things that bind us in this manner, we will be saved, for a whole new life will begin for us. The old world must be given up in this way – at the cross, and through judgment – if the new world is to begin."


"'Die, and Jesus will live' means 'Yield, give up your demands.' Then, instead of Death, you will see Life. We must go through death not in order to die, but so we might rise again."


"Right into death we must go! That is our first lesson as disciples of Jesus: to live in the midst of death, so that the Risen One is glorified. Therefore we should not say, 'In the midst of life we are surrounded by death,' but 'In the midst of death we are surrounded by life.' We should not mourn, but praise. Words do not convey the import of this truth, but every heart must receive it: you need no longer struggle to escape the valley of death, or to run from it as from an overpowering enemy. Stand firm instead at the side of the Risen One, and proclaim life in the midst of death. Jesus conquered death, and through him, the source of power and light, life will be victorious even in the dead."

--Now Is Eternity