Windows On The Soul

My recent readings have ranged widely, from New Age (Quantum Healing), a Christian psychotherapist (The Road Less Travelled), through spiritual disciplines (Practicing Peace and Celebration of Discipline). The New Age book with a twisted pseudo-scientific slant inevitably leads down the path of mystic meditation with the promise of possible physical healing, but totalling ignores the problem of sin. The psychiatrist presents some excellent insights into what makes us tick (or sometimes 'toc'), the pre-eminence of love, the importance of grace and the nature of evil. The Disciplines present excellent material on spiritual growth principles. But the one common theme to lesser or greater extent, was the emphasis on what "I" can do: shades of "works" versus "grace". We must be constantly aware in our striving toward spiritual maturity and growth (and I'm sure the above Christian authors would agree) that our starting point must always be the ...

"I confess to you honestly that I have no wings with which to fly or even legs on which to run - but listen, by the grace of God, I am still on my feet! I have not fainted yet. I have not exploded in the anger of presumption, nor have I keeled over into the paralysis of despair. All I am doing is walking and not fainting, hanging in there, enduring with patience what I cannot change but have to bear. "This may not sound like much to you, but to me it is the most appropriate and most needful gift of all. My religion has been the difference in the last two weeks; it has given me the gift of patience, the gift of endurance, the strength to walk and not faint. And I am here to give thanks to God for that! "And who knows, if I am willing to accept this gift, and just hang in there and not cop out, maybe the day will come when Laura  Lue and I can run again and not be weary, that we might even soar some day, and rise up with wings as eagles! But until then - to walk and not ...

The world says, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". But Jesus says, "My power is strongest when you are weak". The world says, "Tough it out". But Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest". The world says, "Be the master of your own destiny". But Jesus says, "Take up your cross and follow me" ----xxxXxxx---- 2 Cor.12:9 "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak" 1 Cor.1:27 "He chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful" Isa.55:8 "My thoughts are not like yours and my ways are different from yours" Heb.11:33 "...they were weak, but became strong..." 1 Pet.4:1 "Strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking that he had" Ph.2:5,7 "You should have the same attitude Christ had...gave up all he had and took the nature of a servant...

Of necessity, theology uses many picture phrases to try to describe the eternal indescribable. But the image is not the real thing. Illustrations are easily distorted beyond their original intent. So it was a serendipitous discovery of the above phrase - the image of God ladling His love by His Holy Spirit over us as He the master chef sees fit by His grace. The sweetness and aroma best brought out in the oven of life. " Justice is when we get what we deserve. Mercy is when we don't get what we deserve, But Grace is when we get what we don't deserve. " Barbara Johnson, "Splashes of Joy in the Cesspool of Life" ----xxxXxxx---- 1 Tim.1:14 "The grace of our Lord over-flowed me with the faith and love that are in Christ" Dan.9:18 "We pray to you because you are merciful not because we have done right" Rom.9:16 "God's compassion is not dependent on man's will or exertion, but on God's mercy" 2...

This is hard teaching Lord. You call sinners to repent and to receive forgiveness according to the riches of your grace, but are you now saying that your forgiveness is conditional? I know that you call me to live a life like you, forgiving others as you have forgiven me, but I do fall far short of your graciousness. Lord, help me by your spirit, to identify, repent of, and be healed of those parts of my being, those attitudes that hold me back from being totally forgiving to others. Lord shine the light of your spirit into my darkest recesses, bringing forth attitudes to be confessed to you, to receive your cleansing forgiveness. - --===X===--- 1 Jn.1:9 "If we confess...faithful and just to forgive" Lk.6:37 "Judge not...be not judged, forgive and be forgiven" Jn.3:18 "He that believes on Him is not condemned" Mic.7:18 "Who is like God, that pardons iniquity, that overlooks transgressions" Lk.3:3 "...preaching the ...

" Man does not live bread alone ", that I know, but Man does live by bread a lot! Thank you Lord for recognizing and supplying my physical needs. But Lord, am I being unreasonable for asking for " Jam and Cream " on my " Daily Bread "? And perhaps a weeks supply in advance, " Just in case "! " You of little faith " you say. Yes! I see now. I must come to you every morning, Asking and trusting you for my needs for the coming day only, no more, no less. Forgive me Lord for trying to live on " stale blessings ", Instead of seeking and receiving from you " new every morning ". " Great is your faithfulness! " ---===X===--- Lam.3:22-23 "compassion never fails..new every morning..great is thy faithfulness" Lk.9:17 "They (the 5000) all ate and were satisfied" Ex.16:4 "...bread from heaven...gather enough for that day..." Ex.16:16-18 "...gat...

Acceptable offerings - by faith Heb.11:4 Access to grace - by faith Rom.5:2 , Eph.3:12 Assurance - by faith Heb.10:22 Bold witness - by faith 1 Tim.3:13 Christ indwells - by faith Eph.3:17 Healed - by faith Acts 14:9 , Jas.5:15 Hearing - by faith Rom.10:17 Inherit God's promises - by faith Heb.6:12 Justified - by faith Rom.3:28 , 5:1 , Gal.2:16 Live - by faith Hab.2:4 , Rom.1:17 , Gal.2:20 , Heb.10:38 Made whole - by faith Mt.9:22 , Mk.5:34 , Lk.8:48 , 18:42 , 17:19 Overcome the world - by faith 1 Jhn.5:4 Patience in persecution - by faith 2 Thes.1:4 Pleasing God - by faith Heb.11:6 Prophesy - by faith Rom.12:6 Purifying hearts - by faith Acts 15:9 Receive the Spirit - by faith Gal.3:14 Righteousness - by faith Rom.3:22 , 4:5 , 9:30 , 10:6 , Phil.3:9 Sanctified - by faith Acts 26:18 Saved - by faith Lk.7:50 , Eph.2:8 , 1 Pet.1:9 Shielded from Satan - by faith Eph.6:16 , 1 Th...