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.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
"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 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."
Monday, March 22, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, February 12, 2010
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."
"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."
Friday, January 8, 2010
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).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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."
"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."
Friday, January 1, 2010
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
"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
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