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2 Corinthians 12:7-10
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Discussing various statements made by the Apostle Paul, my mother and I often alighted on these verses in 2 Corinthians. The Lord brought me back to them recently and while researching the subject, I came across this Times Square Church video featuring renowned preacher, Dr R T Kendall. It cannot be bettered in my view, so we present this to you now…
THORN IN THE FLESH — R T Kendall
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
ISAIAH 55:12-13
"For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
"For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
THERE’S A THORN IN MY FLESH — A Ruth Porter
— LOVE with all your SOUL --
IF MY LOVE is first of all for God, I shall take no account of the base ingratitude of others, because the main-spring of my service to my fellow-men is love to God.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’ by Oswald Chambers]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’ by Oswald Chambers]
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Exodus 3:18-22
Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'
But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.
So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.
But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.
So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.
But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
Having said that He will send Moses to Pharaoh, our Lord follows up with the statement but I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. What does this tell us? To some it might seem that God is playing games. Why send Moses to Pharaoh only to find that Pharaoh, the king of this world, is not going to listen?
I believe that God works in the reality of His creation; He is not a magician who will sprinkle ‘oofle dust’ on a problem and make it go away. No, He guides and reveals the nature of things that will aid our understanding, while showing that He is to be trusted in all things.
What we see here is Moses receiving a Spirit Word that will give him the sure way ahead. Our Lord leads each of us in the same way — to take us out of bondage and into the Promised Land; from looking to the world, to living in the Kingdom.
It should be obvious that Pharaoh will not release us. Pharaoh is stubborn and wilful, and it will be his way or no way. As born again into the Kingdom of God, this is a lesson to us that spiritual discernment will show us the spiritual reality, and indeed that the things of earth are not growing strangely dim anytime soon without The Lord’s intervention. We can try on our own but only the Lord can make a difference between [His] people and [Pharaoh’s] people. We must be patient and it shall be that, when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. Wait for your reward.
I believe that God works in the reality of His creation; He is not a magician who will sprinkle ‘oofle dust’ on a problem and make it go away. No, He guides and reveals the nature of things that will aid our understanding, while showing that He is to be trusted in all things.
What we see here is Moses receiving a Spirit Word that will give him the sure way ahead. Our Lord leads each of us in the same way — to take us out of bondage and into the Promised Land; from looking to the world, to living in the Kingdom.
It should be obvious that Pharaoh will not release us. Pharaoh is stubborn and wilful, and it will be his way or no way. As born again into the Kingdom of God, this is a lesson to us that spiritual discernment will show us the spiritual reality, and indeed that the things of earth are not growing strangely dim anytime soon without The Lord’s intervention. We can try on our own but only the Lord can make a difference between [His] people and [Pharaoh’s] people. We must be patient and it shall be that, when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. Wait for your reward.
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
EXODUS 8:20-24
The Fourth Plague: Flies
And the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.
I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be."'"
And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.
HEBREWS 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
The Fourth Plague: Flies
And the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.
I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be."'"
And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.
HEBREWS 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
THE PRAYER — Charlotte Church
LOVE with all your MIND
THE BIBLE RECORDS that "God is love"; but it must be borne in mind that it is the love of God, and that love is inexpressible bliss to a Being like Jesus Christ, or to a being like Adam as God created him.
[Oswald Chambers from ‘The Philosophy of Sin’]
[Oswald Chambers from ‘The Philosophy of Sin’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below
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Exodus 3:7-10
And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Come now, therefore follows on from the previous verse, which begins now therefore. Both beginnings seem to say, ‘in the light of what has been revealed, we see that …’. However, come now, therefore, suggests a step higher, a moving closer and alongside, so that, when The Lord says that He will send Moses to Pharaoh, it strongly suggests that The Lord will be there also, alongside as a guide and protector.
The Lord has a plan for His people — to take us out of captivity and bondage to the things of this world (represented by Pharaoh and Egypt) that trap us and separate us from true freedom in Christ Jesus, and lead us to a land flowing with milk and honey — a sweet and pleasant land, nurturing and maturing, a fine place to live a good and righteous life. Except … it will be the land of six other peoples, who will challenge, upset and provoke, because they already inhabit that ‘promised land’. It is a picture of the life we all lead, speaking of the everyday challenges which we all face. This is the battle we must face, and why we must be released from Pharaoh’s grip.
The land, the dwelling-place, the life that The Lord has for us now is always going to have its difficulties, and we will be surrounded by many spirit forces that want us out and gone. The milk and the honey speaks of The Lord’s provision for the journey, to sustain us as we labour to possess our promised land — an internal struggle within each one of us, but with an assurance of success if we will but hold fast to Him. He will surely never let us go.
But first, He leads us to face Pharaoh. What does that mean for each of us? All I can surmise is that it is different for me than it will be for you. However, Pharaoh is a type for the ruler of this world, and Jesus said “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” [John 12:31] So, when we come face to face with Pharaoh, we only do so with the Christlife already securely held within us. We cannot stand against The ruler of the world unless we are clothed in the holiness and righteousness of Christ, and all this takes is abandoning ourselves to Him. Easy to say, but not always easy to do. But He is able, and we must have faith.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:23-24]
The Lord has a plan for His people — to take us out of captivity and bondage to the things of this world (represented by Pharaoh and Egypt) that trap us and separate us from true freedom in Christ Jesus, and lead us to a land flowing with milk and honey — a sweet and pleasant land, nurturing and maturing, a fine place to live a good and righteous life. Except … it will be the land of six other peoples, who will challenge, upset and provoke, because they already inhabit that ‘promised land’. It is a picture of the life we all lead, speaking of the everyday challenges which we all face. This is the battle we must face, and why we must be released from Pharaoh’s grip.
The land, the dwelling-place, the life that The Lord has for us now is always going to have its difficulties, and we will be surrounded by many spirit forces that want us out and gone. The milk and the honey speaks of The Lord’s provision for the journey, to sustain us as we labour to possess our promised land — an internal struggle within each one of us, but with an assurance of success if we will but hold fast to Him. He will surely never let us go.
But first, He leads us to face Pharaoh. What does that mean for each of us? All I can surmise is that it is different for me than it will be for you. However, Pharaoh is a type for the ruler of this world, and Jesus said “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” [John 12:31] So, when we come face to face with Pharaoh, we only do so with the Christlife already securely held within us. We cannot stand against The ruler of the world unless we are clothed in the holiness and righteousness of Christ, and all this takes is abandoning ourselves to Him. Easy to say, but not always easy to do. But He is able, and we must have faith.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:23-24]
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
EZEKIEL 29:2-3
"Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him,
and against all Egypt.
Speak, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
Who has said, 'My River is my own;
I have made it for myself.'
"Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him,
and against all Egypt.
Speak, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
Who has said, 'My River is my own;
I have made it for myself.'
EGYPT — Cory Asbury (Bethel Music)
A HOLY COMMAND
- Love with all your SOUL -
IF THE MAINSPRING of your service is love for God, no ingratitude, no sin, no devil, no angel, can hinder you from serving your fellow-men, no matter how they treat you. You can love your neighbour as yourself, not from pity, but from the true centring of yourself in God.
[Oswald Chambers from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[Oswald Chambers from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below
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Exodus 3:1-6
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.
And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
I was in prayer a few days ago and waiting on The Lord, when I heard His response, “Look to the burning bush.” Now this was possibly the first Bible story that I — and many of us — had heard, and God’s message to Moses from the midst of the Holy Fire was “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
This was God’s personal message to Moses, but it becomes a personal message to each of us — He calls us by name — and what it speaks to you or me is as personal and individual as each of us are. Take off your shoes; let nothing come between your walk with The Lord and His Holy Ground. What that means for you will no doubt be different from what it means to me. The when and the where will enter in also. The why is simply that each of us needs The Holy Spirit passionate fire speaking to us.
We are the bush, the wood — natural living beings; prickly and stubbornly clinging to our spiritual desert — and His Holy Fire in us does not burn or consume us, for it is gentle, yet giving new life; speaking wisdom and truth, discernment and guidance, even without our realising the fact. He wishes to lead us out of that desert, and into holy ground, into His life.
Moses was set a task by the Angel of The Lord (The Messenger), and each one of us will also be given direction in this way. Open yourself to His Voice in the midst of the fire — His Holy Spirit speaking to you in your innermost being.
This was God’s personal message to Moses, but it becomes a personal message to each of us — He calls us by name — and what it speaks to you or me is as personal and individual as each of us are. Take off your shoes; let nothing come between your walk with The Lord and His Holy Ground. What that means for you will no doubt be different from what it means to me. The when and the where will enter in also. The why is simply that each of us needs The Holy Spirit passionate fire speaking to us.
We are the bush, the wood — natural living beings; prickly and stubbornly clinging to our spiritual desert — and His Holy Fire in us does not burn or consume us, for it is gentle, yet giving new life; speaking wisdom and truth, discernment and guidance, even without our realising the fact. He wishes to lead us out of that desert, and into holy ground, into His life.
Moses was set a task by the Angel of The Lord (The Messenger), and each one of us will also be given direction in this way. Open yourself to His Voice in the midst of the fire — His Holy Spirit speaking to you in your innermost being.
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
ACTS 2:1-4
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
SEND THE FIRE — Spring Harvest
A HOLY COMMAND
— Love with all your SOUL --
THE REVELATIONS MADE by Jesus Christ reveal that the right centre for self is God — personal, passionate devotion to Him; then I am able to show to my fellow-men the same love that God has shown to me. Until I get there, I take the position of the Pharisee or of the publican; I either thank God that I am not an out-and-out sinner and point out certain people who are worse than I am, or else I grovel to the other extreme. Both attitudes are wrong because they are not truly centred.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’ by Oswald Chambers]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’ by Oswald Chambers]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on download link below
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Lamentations 3:55-58
I called on Your name, O LORD,
From the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice:
"Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help."
You drew near on the day I called on You,
And said, "Do not fear!"
O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul;
You have redeemed my life.
From the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice:
"Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help."
You drew near on the day I called on You,
And said, "Do not fear!"
O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul;
You have redeemed my life.
We call on the name of The Lord — more often than not — when we need Him to fix something; get us out of a troubling situation or a difficult relationship, and surely He leaps into action and in an instant everything is peachy once again. Fortunately for us He doesn’t work like that. Our God knows us too well and operates on a far more creative level than we can ever know.
The prophet Jeremiah says here that when we call out His Name, because we are in the lowest pit, He hears and brings us words of reassurance, and says “Do not fear!” That is what we need to hear, whatever the problem may be. It may be all that we need to hear, for just as He awaits our cry, He desires that we hear Him; that we are in a hearing relationship with Him. What do we understand by ‘hearing’, when our cries come from the heart and make no sound?
In my ‘salad days’ as a Christian, I once asked a spirit-filled man of God what he understood by hearing God’s voice. He balled his fist and tapped his stomach with it, telling me it was ‘a gut response’, often a deep one that left no doubt of the Holy Spirit having spoken. He added that there were times that he had got things wrong, but that the fault was his — running ahead of God; not waiting on understanding Him.
Just as The Lord is patient (or longsuffering) with us, we must wait upon The Lord. Just as He hears us, He asks us to listen for His response, and take time to acknowledge and give thanks to Him.
The prophet Jeremiah says here that when we call out His Name, because we are in the lowest pit, He hears and brings us words of reassurance, and says “Do not fear!” That is what we need to hear, whatever the problem may be. It may be all that we need to hear, for just as He awaits our cry, He desires that we hear Him; that we are in a hearing relationship with Him. What do we understand by ‘hearing’, when our cries come from the heart and make no sound?
In my ‘salad days’ as a Christian, I once asked a spirit-filled man of God what he understood by hearing God’s voice. He balled his fist and tapped his stomach with it, telling me it was ‘a gut response’, often a deep one that left no doubt of the Holy Spirit having spoken. He added that there were times that he had got things wrong, but that the fault was his — running ahead of God; not waiting on understanding Him.
Just as The Lord is patient (or longsuffering) with us, we must wait upon The Lord. Just as He hears us, He asks us to listen for His response, and take time to acknowledge and give thanks to Him.
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
ISAIAH 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
PSALM 55:16-19
As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old.
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
PSALM 55:16-19
As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old.
HEAR MY VOICE — Lisa Bevill
A HOLY COMMAND
Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
WE LIMIT OURSELVES and our conceptions of God by ignoring the side of the Divine Nature best symbolized by womanhood, and the Comforter, be it reverently said, surely represents this side of the Divine Nature. It is the Comforter Who sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. It is the Comforter Who baptizes us into oneness with Jesus, in the amazing language of Scripture, until we are indwelt by a mysterious union with God. It is the Comforter Who brings forth the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance.
[from ‘Christian Discipline’]
[from ‘Christian Discipline’]
LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW…
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1 Samuel 18:12-16
Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.
Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.
Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.
Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
Today’s meditation is from David Wilkerson’s devotional book ‘God Is Faithful’, and we present this to you as it seems to hit exactly the place where many of us are being challenged in these days. It is a timely reminder about bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
“Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:12).
Satan most envies and fears those who have been with God in prayer and are determined to stand up and fight in faith. Satan fears even a small army of those who are girded up in faith for a fight. He cowers before those who are up on their feet and ready to resist. He also fears you, and because of this his design is to neutralize your fighting spirit.
The devil does this by trying to flood your mind with defeating, distracting, hellish thoughts that breed mistrust and questions about God’s power. He will whisper into your mind and spirit, “It is no use fighting. You are too weak from your personal struggles, so you might as well relax. The powers of hell are just too big to overcome. You don’t need to be so intense about the battle anymore.”
That is a distraction! Satan’s entire strategy is to get you to take your eyes off the victory of the cross. He wants to turn your focus onto your weaknesses, your sins, your shortcomings—and that’s why he turns up the heat of your present problems and sufferings. He wants to make you believe you are not strong enough to go on. But your strength is not the point—Jesus’ strength is!
We all are going to be in a fight until we either go home to be with the Lord or Jesus comes back. We may be given seasons of calm, times of reprieve, but as long as we are on this earth, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. That is why Paul says Jesus has given us weapons that are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. We have been equipped with every weapon needed, which Satan cannot withstand: prayer, fasting and faith.
DAVID WILKERSON — ‘On Our Feet And Ready’ [from ‘God Is Faithful’]
Meditate On These Things
2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-6
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
STAND UP STAND UP FOR JESUS — Stuart Townend
A HOLY COMMAND
Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
WHEN WE HAVE that wonderful love of God in our hearts, the sovereign preference for Jesus Christ, our love for others will be relative to this central love.
"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake"
(2 Corinthians 4:5).
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy]
"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake"
(2 Corinthians 4:5).
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on download file below
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Revelation 8:1-2
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
There are many interpretations of these verses in the Book of Revelation. Most follow the ‘apocalyptic’ style of the writing, which to the contemporary way of thinking seems — in my understanding — to encourage theories of interpretation both fanciful and misguided, and at odds with what scripture reveals elsewhere. We have already looked at Revelation 8:1 in April 2020 (See ‘Silence In Heaven’). Here are some further thoughts.
Apocalyptic writing is a method of presenting ideas in a surreal — or better — a supernatural way, used here to express scriptural wisdom and spiritual truth. In essence it is a literary device, and one which powerfully describes the awe-inspiring nature of the Plan of God. However, it adds a layer of difficulty in interpreting and understanding the message. Indeed — as with all Bible writings there are levels of meaning beyond the mere literal.
In our gathering this week, we ranged between Malachi 3 and Revelation 8, 10 and 22; only a part of our meeting with The Lord in the air. This silence in heaven for about half an hour has engendered much speculation. Why the pause? Is this ‘the calm before the storm’, or perhaps something we often encounter when there is a significant change — a time of reconfiguration, readjustment and reflection? A pause before the next act of the drama; a time to prepare for a proclamation.
I believe that the mention of time here is important. If we look at the word or words involved in that expression, we see that it denotes a very short time, even instantaneous. The translation could read ‘in that same day’ or ‘in that same moment’, although that does not seem to make sense to us. The silence could not be instantaneous — at least not in the natural world. But in thought, in spirit, it is a different matter. ‘Silence’ here means ‘peace’ or maybe ‘dumbstruck’. John describes this time of peace as the angels preparing to sound the first trumpet — a moment, long or short, between the opening of the seventh seal and The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (verse 7)
God’s refining work then begins.
Apocalyptic writing is a method of presenting ideas in a surreal — or better — a supernatural way, used here to express scriptural wisdom and spiritual truth. In essence it is a literary device, and one which powerfully describes the awe-inspiring nature of the Plan of God. However, it adds a layer of difficulty in interpreting and understanding the message. Indeed — as with all Bible writings there are levels of meaning beyond the mere literal.
In our gathering this week, we ranged between Malachi 3 and Revelation 8, 10 and 22; only a part of our meeting with The Lord in the air. This silence in heaven for about half an hour has engendered much speculation. Why the pause? Is this ‘the calm before the storm’, or perhaps something we often encounter when there is a significant change — a time of reconfiguration, readjustment and reflection? A pause before the next act of the drama; a time to prepare for a proclamation.
I believe that the mention of time here is important. If we look at the word or words involved in that expression, we see that it denotes a very short time, even instantaneous. The translation could read ‘in that same day’ or ‘in that same moment’, although that does not seem to make sense to us. The silence could not be instantaneous — at least not in the natural world. But in thought, in spirit, it is a different matter. ‘Silence’ here means ‘peace’ or maybe ‘dumbstruck’. John describes this time of peace as the angels preparing to sound the first trumpet — a moment, long or short, between the opening of the seventh seal and The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (verse 7)
God’s refining work then begins.
Meditate On These Things
MALACHI 3:1-3
"Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the LORD
An offering in righteousness.
"Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the LORD
An offering in righteousness.
As it is difficult to illustrate the silence in heaven with a video, we shall not try,
and present this song of Heaven instead …
SING TO ME OF HEAVEN — Acapeldridge
and present this song of Heaven instead …
SING TO ME OF HEAVEN — Acapeldridge
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
THE DEEP SECRET of God is Love, and only the child-heart and the child-spirit can find the way to learn this secret. Jesus Christ satisfies the last aching abyss of the human spirit, and until He does there is a great element of the precarious in our life.
[from ‘Christian Discipline’]
[from ‘Christian Discipline’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below
- Published on
James 1:16-20
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
No shadow of turning. Our God is unchanging and unchangable. It is we who can change, and do. The fact that He is the Rock on which we are supported is of such amazing comfort and reassurance.
With the death of our Queen, it is easy to feel cast adrift, particularly as she reigned for a full three score years and ten. She has always been there for us. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I felt a deep sense of loss, when I heard the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. I was born less than a month after her coronation, have never met her, and seen her only twice from a distance. Yet like so many, the shock of her death was palpable, as of the passing of someone in our own family circle.
One small detail made an impression on me. Apparently, the royal standard on Buckingham Palace is never lowered to half mast on the death of the Sovereign. Why? Because there is always a monarch. Charles became our King in the very instant his mother died. There is always a monarch, so the Royal banner is always there atop the seat of the monarchy. It is there as a sign of the perpetual nature of earthly kingship in this nation, just as our Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever in the spiritual realm. Such symbols were put in place in the days when we were more a Christian nation than seems the case today.
Our Queen was a great example of a woman and monarch of deep faith, and — it is ever thus — we perhaps only appreciate that fact now that she is no longer with us. King Charles has vowed to be ‘defender of the faith’. In these days we are witnessing man’s small attempts to display the immensely greater eternal weight of glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No man or woman has the capacity in themselves to live up to the blesséd actuality of Christ, so Lord we pray this day, that You anoint our new King, that he may have a hearing ear and a seeing eye, to live up to that promise; that his faithfulness to God be great, without any shadow of turning.
And lest we forget, each one of us are not just called to be, but made to be kings and priests in His service’, so that the call to unwavering steadfast faith rests upon us also. A heavy burden that may seem, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Look to Him; He will do it.
With the death of our Queen, it is easy to feel cast adrift, particularly as she reigned for a full three score years and ten. She has always been there for us. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I felt a deep sense of loss, when I heard the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. I was born less than a month after her coronation, have never met her, and seen her only twice from a distance. Yet like so many, the shock of her death was palpable, as of the passing of someone in our own family circle.
One small detail made an impression on me. Apparently, the royal standard on Buckingham Palace is never lowered to half mast on the death of the Sovereign. Why? Because there is always a monarch. Charles became our King in the very instant his mother died. There is always a monarch, so the Royal banner is always there atop the seat of the monarchy. It is there as a sign of the perpetual nature of earthly kingship in this nation, just as our Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever in the spiritual realm. Such symbols were put in place in the days when we were more a Christian nation than seems the case today.
Our Queen was a great example of a woman and monarch of deep faith, and — it is ever thus — we perhaps only appreciate that fact now that she is no longer with us. King Charles has vowed to be ‘defender of the faith’. In these days we are witnessing man’s small attempts to display the immensely greater eternal weight of glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
No man or woman has the capacity in themselves to live up to the blesséd actuality of Christ, so Lord we pray this day, that You anoint our new King, that he may have a hearing ear and a seeing eye, to live up to that promise; that his faithfulness to God be great, without any shadow of turning.
And lest we forget, each one of us are not just called to be, but made to be kings and priests in His service’, so that the call to unwavering steadfast faith rests upon us also. A heavy burden that may seem, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Look to Him; He will do it.
Meditate On These Things
REVELATION 1:4-6
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS — Chris Rice
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— LOVE with all your HEART --
THE SUREST SIGN that God has done a work of grace in my heart is that I love Jesus Christ best, not weakly and faintly, not intellectually, but passionately, personally and devotedly, overwhelming every other love of my life.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below…
- Published on
Genesis 19:23-28
The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
This morning, while ‘out wiv dog’ as my friend, the artist Alexander Hamilton — who passed away early in 2021 — used to say, I began considering what it is that sets so many in this present age to turn away from God and look to old pre-Christian beliefs. I have heard some say that they don’t like religion, seemingly equating these old ideas — or what is now called ‘humanism’ — as not religious.
Obviously, I have to generalise here, for this topic is not straightforward religion vs unbelief, and I am sure that many will disagree with my thoughts. However, my belief is that we all believe in something, even if that something is nothing. I can say that, for me, it is certainly a case of “Here but for the Grace of God, go I.”
It does seem that in rejecting a notion of Christianity, leaves a considerable number in a chasm of emptiness and, casting about for something to hold on to, are drawn into a fantasy world, loosely based on ancient beliefs, which can sound appealing in their promises. It is a form of regression to an idyllic idea of the past that never existed. Maybe. What do I know? I know that I know, and have been shown that in vision, so that I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. [2 Timothy 1:12b] Ultimately, it is not for me or any of us to judge, but only to observe and discern the times as best we may, guided by The Holy Spirit.
In my considering, I heard the passage from Genesis (above), speaking to me. Lot’s nameless wife looked back behind Lot to the conflagration of all she desired and was consumed by The Lord’s destruction. Abraham, on the other hand, was able to look on that same scene and saw only the smoke of the land, but then Abraham stood before The Lord, Who had put that veil of smoke before Abraham’s eyes — his unwavering faith protecting him from that emptiness and death as suffered by Lot’s wife.
We should recognise that this same spiritual vacuum surrounds us today, and only the seed of Abraham will be protected in these times, just as Abraham himself was shielded by The Heavenly Father.
Obviously, I have to generalise here, for this topic is not straightforward religion vs unbelief, and I am sure that many will disagree with my thoughts. However, my belief is that we all believe in something, even if that something is nothing. I can say that, for me, it is certainly a case of “Here but for the Grace of God, go I.”
It does seem that in rejecting a notion of Christianity, leaves a considerable number in a chasm of emptiness and, casting about for something to hold on to, are drawn into a fantasy world, loosely based on ancient beliefs, which can sound appealing in their promises. It is a form of regression to an idyllic idea of the past that never existed. Maybe. What do I know? I know that I know, and have been shown that in vision, so that I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. [2 Timothy 1:12b] Ultimately, it is not for me or any of us to judge, but only to observe and discern the times as best we may, guided by The Holy Spirit.
In my considering, I heard the passage from Genesis (above), speaking to me. Lot’s nameless wife looked back behind Lot to the conflagration of all she desired and was consumed by The Lord’s destruction. Abraham, on the other hand, was able to look on that same scene and saw only the smoke of the land, but then Abraham stood before The Lord, Who had put that veil of smoke before Abraham’s eyes — his unwavering faith protecting him from that emptiness and death as suffered by Lot’s wife.
We should recognise that this same spiritual vacuum surrounds us today, and only the seed of Abraham will be protected in these times, just as Abraham himself was shielded by The Heavenly Father.
Meditate On These Things
PSALM 91:1-9
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
I’VE COME TOO FAR TO LOOK BACK — Praise song by James Hollihan, Roby Duke
Music: Redeemed Quartet.
Background: Glen Orchy and Glencoe, Scotland, UK.
Music: Redeemed Quartet.
Background: Glen Orchy and Glencoe, Scotland, UK.
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY and PEACE
— PEACE: Life in the SPIRIT --
MAN WAS TURNED out into destitution, and was thus divided from Deity; God disappeared from him, and he disappeared from God.
There are three false unities possible in a man's experience — sensuality, drunkenness, and the devil — whereby man's spirit, soul, and body are brought into harmony and he is quite peaceful, quite happy, with no sense of death about him. A drunken man has no self-consciousness, he is perfectly delivered from all the things which disintegrate and upset. Sensuality and Satan will do the same; but each of these unities is only possible for a time.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
There are three false unities possible in a man's experience — sensuality, drunkenness, and the devil — whereby man's spirit, soul, and body are brought into harmony and he is quite peaceful, quite happy, with no sense of death about him. A drunken man has no self-consciousness, he is perfectly delivered from all the things which disintegrate and upset. Sensuality and Satan will do the same; but each of these unities is only possible for a time.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download link below…
- Published on
Acts 27:16-20
And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.
When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.
And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.
On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands.
Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.
And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.
On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands.
Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
As a child I remember reading the classic story Swiss Family Robinson, which in the translation I knew — it was written by German-Swiss author Johann David Wyss — began with the words “For six days we were tempest-tossed.” Wyss wrote his story to teach his four sons about Christian values, and used Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as a model, (the original name for Wyss’s tale was The Swiss Robinson — the family’s name was never stated).
That double barrelled tempest-tossed stuck in my mind, and Acts 27 has all the thrill of an action and adventure story, but with the added drive of a deep spiritual dimension. It is a chapter which has drawn me back again and again — each time finding new insights with each reading. Verse 20 concludes with the despairing line that all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
The story moves swiftly on, with Paul allowing himself an ‘I told you so, but would you listen?’ moment, following that with the revelation that God had spoken to him by an angel, assuring him that everyone would be saved, although the ship would be lost. [Acts 27:22-23]
All that could be done was done — they threw all they had overboard and lightened the ship, then they threw the ship’s tackle overboard, to no avail. I have to be honest and say that I cannot see the point in throwing all that ballast overboard. It speaks of out and out panic, further endangering ship and those onboard, so that what we have here is a group of inexperienced seafarers faced with every mariners nightmare. There is nothing to be done about it. Perhaps for this reason if for no other they were prepared to listen to Paul
The lesson for us here is that the hand of man cannot save himself from disaster — no matter how hard we may try. Only through faith in God, hearing in The Holy Spirit and embracing the life of our Lord can we be saved. Even in the worst of scenario’s He is with us, extending the arm of safety and help in the time of trouble.
That double barrelled tempest-tossed stuck in my mind, and Acts 27 has all the thrill of an action and adventure story, but with the added drive of a deep spiritual dimension. It is a chapter which has drawn me back again and again — each time finding new insights with each reading. Verse 20 concludes with the despairing line that all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
The story moves swiftly on, with Paul allowing himself an ‘I told you so, but would you listen?’ moment, following that with the revelation that God had spoken to him by an angel, assuring him that everyone would be saved, although the ship would be lost. [Acts 27:22-23]
All that could be done was done — they threw all they had overboard and lightened the ship, then they threw the ship’s tackle overboard, to no avail. I have to be honest and say that I cannot see the point in throwing all that ballast overboard. It speaks of out and out panic, further endangering ship and those onboard, so that what we have here is a group of inexperienced seafarers faced with every mariners nightmare. There is nothing to be done about it. Perhaps for this reason if for no other they were prepared to listen to Paul
The lesson for us here is that the hand of man cannot save himself from disaster — no matter how hard we may try. Only through faith in God, hearing in The Holy Spirit and embracing the life of our Lord can we be saved. Even in the worst of scenario’s He is with us, extending the arm of safety and help in the time of trouble.
Meditate On These Things
ISAIAH 54:11-15
"O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colourful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
"O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colourful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
HURRICANE — Robin Mark
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY and PEACE
— PEACE: Life in the SPIRIT --
COMMUNITIES ARE MAN'S attempt at building up the city of God; man is confident that if only God will give him time enough he will build not only a holy city, but a holy community and establish peace on earth, and God is allowing him ample opportunity to try, until he is satisfied that God's way is the only way.
[from ‘The Highest Good’]
[from ‘The Highest Good’]