Category: wisdom

Gathering Witnesses

If we are gathered together as witnesses for Jesus, and if we pray in God’s will, we are assured that what we pray for will come about.

Meditation Thought: “…if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19)

Traditionally two witnesses are needed for confirmation. If we have the two (or more) witnesses agreeing, and we are gathered together as witnesses for Jesus, confirming His salvation and released power, we have within us the Holy Spirit which He promised us. If we are led by the Spirit, we are also led to pray in God’s will, and if we pray in God’s will, we are assured that what we pray for will come about.

Blessings Bestowed

He loves us enough to encourage us to seek the blessings He can bestow in response to our request.

Meditation Thought: “And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” (Mark 6:56)

“As many as touched it.” They touched it. They activated their faith by reaching out. Although Jesus attempted to instill a desire for healing, apparently He never healed anyone except as a response to the expressed desire for healing – either by the one needing it, or someone asking Jesus on their behalf.

Our God is not a tyrant; He seeks to let us be free. But He loves us enough to encourage us to seek the blessings He can bestow in response to our request.

Suggested Prayer:
“Father, I thank you that your love for me prompted You to send Jesus to my rescue from sin and from all evil, and also to give a clear indication of just Who You are in character and in relationship to me.
Jesus, thank you for loving me enough to take on all the limitations of life in human form, and the sufferings involved in that act of obedience, so that I could reap the benefit of your sacrifice.
Holy Spirit, thank you for never intruding by force, but hearing and responding to the slighted whisper that I make when I need You to help me. Usually I think to request Your help after I have botched the job without it! But You never refuse to come, even if I’ve slighted You.

I don’t understand much about any of you – but You know all about me – and You obviously have my interests at heart, so I hereby request each of You to be my close friend – my mentor, teacher, guide, companion, guard, defender, and most of all, the transforming influence in every area of my life. Help me to move back into the pure image of the Father, unadulterated by sin, or willfulness, or selfishness, or pride, or obtuseness, or unbelief, or a sense of inadequacy, or an unforgiving spirit. Help me to so focus on all the characteristics of my inheritance from the good Father that any other factors will be nullified and simply neither desired nor appropriated into my life.

Only by the power of the Holy Spirit is this possible – and I seek this power to be the power above all others in my life. I know now that this was the intent of both Father and Son from the beginning.

As the power of the Holy Spirit moves in every area of my life, each area is transformed, changed so as to be more recognizable as a characteristic of the Father. “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” (John 14:7)

Through the power of the inheritance of the Spirit, through the power of the example of the Son who was the Father’s pure image, through the child’s desire to imitate their Father and the perfect Son – in fact, their determination to do so – does it become apparent to everyone that this child is the image of His Father. (The world says “spittin’ image” when a child looks as his earthly father loos. What is desired is that our spirit becomes the “spittin’ image” of the Father’s Spirit).”

Basis for Action

Trust the knowledge revealed to you enough to base your actions upon that knowledge – not upon any other knowledge.

Meditation Thought: “There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7)

“Go – see – confirm”. The Word has been given to you. You have been told where He is. Will you go to see Him? You go by faith and see by belief. You confirm by acting upon that faith and belief. You go from the world to the realm of the spirit; you believe by the revelation of the Spirit of Truth, you confirm by trusting the knowledge revealed to you enough to base your actions upon that knowledge – not upon any other knowledge.

Strength for the Battle

You cannot order the world to obey your command, but you can order your own will to obey God’s command.

Meditation Thought: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38)

You must grow strong in the spirit so that the spirit can pour strength into the weak body. You have the perspective of history to enable your mind and your spirit to be strengthened by faith and by example. You know the reality of the resurrection.

To foreknow victory is to give strength for the battle. Focus your mind on the results you desire through the revelation of your spirit as to the best possible outcome. The outcome must encompass a furthering of love, harmony, peace and blessings for all concerned, for these are the promises – if one believes the word of God and acts in accordance with this belief.

You cannot order the world to obey your command, but you can order your own will to obey God’s command, and the results will please you far more than being abele to exert your own will upon everyone else; God’s love is greater, God’s mercy greater, God’s design greater than these qualities in yourself. Therefore if you attach your own desires to God’s desires, you assure yourself of glorious victory: not only do you sense satisfaction of your own life ordered and at peace, but you have been the instrument by which God has accomplished this in the lives of others whom you have touched.

It is true that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” but it is also true that Jesus has released the power of the Holy Spirit within you to strengthen your own spirit to the point that your spirit overcomes the weakness of the flesh by moving the flesh in a new direction – causing the flesh to reach out in loving ministry rather that tightening within itself. The merging of your spirit with the Holy Spirit in obedience to His soft guidance enables the flesh to overcome self-consciousness, fear, awkwardness, selfishness and all negative aspects of live.

Infallible GPS

Jesus came to show the way back to the light which is the Father, and the knowledge which can be found within that light.

Meditation Thought: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

The love of God expressed through Jesus Christ brought light into darkness: mankind had wandered into the darkness of alienation with their Father and His purposes for them were no longer clear. Jesus came to show the way back to the light which is the Father, and the knowledge which can be found within that light.

It’s not too Late to Learn

If you enter into the wonder of it, are willing to commit yourself to learning the nature of it, and cooperating with it, you will be changed inside and out.

Meditation Thought: “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” (Mark 12:24)

If you understand the meaning of a word it is far different than the technicality of reading a word. The scriptures must be understood if they are to be alive and active as a force in your life. They can be understood only through:

  • becoming familiar with the words
  • learning the meaning of the words
  • incorporating these words into your vocabulary, enriching it by their frequent use
  • seeking all the uses for the words; they have various meanings for various placement in the context of other words, other situations.

To a child the word ‘truth’ may connotate only ‘not telling a lie’, but to an adult, ‘truth’ can be many things, and cover a wide area. Learn to understand scriptures as an adult, not a child. Study.

The power of God is not hidden from anyone but frequently it is never discerned. The only way to recognize it is to look for it, believe the evidence of it, and accept it as fact. Once you recognize it, it becomes easier to perceive other manifestations of it.

If you enter into the wonder of it, are willing to commit yourself to learning the nature of it, and cooperating with it, you will be changed inside and out.

Move Which Mountain?

You cannot pray for the Father’s will if you do not know it – and you cannot know it if you do not seek it. You cannot seek it if you limit yourself to seeking your will only.

Meditation Thought:” whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:24,22)

God is: what? whom? How can you know? Because Jesus was able to prove God by the effects He made by His life – and for which He gave God the credit. No man has ever had such an effect on the world. How could He be totally outstanding from all others? He claims: “It is the Father who does the works.” “Believe in God.” “Believe in Me.” (Believe that what I say is true.) “He who believes in Me shall do the works that I do and greater works than these shall he do.” (See John 14)

You must focus on your destination before you can find the path there.

Will you indulge yourself – or glorify the Father?

Will you do your own thing – or the Father’s works and glorify Him?

If you know your Father, you believe Him, trust Him, obey Him, seek His counsel – you cannot move mountains. But your faith in your Father’s ability to do so can move mountains. You do not doubt in your heart because your heart is already consecrated to the Father, and you are doing His works: moving mountains.

You receive what you ask in prayer because you are praying for the Father’s will. You cannot pray for the Father’s will if you do not know it – and you cannot know it if you do not seek it. You cannot seek it if you limit yourself to seeking your will only.

When you know which mountain the Father desires to be moved, then your faith is the lever that starts the movement.

Finding Help

Fear comes at the thought of separation from that which is dear to you. Belief comes when you have assurance that the Father has both the love and the power to bind together ever more firmly you and all that is dear to you.

Meditation Thought: “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

“‘Do not fear.’ Do not listen to any voice save Mine if you do not desire to fear. Others speak with only partial knowledge, as children – saying what they perceive as the truth, but knowing only limitedly. I have the total knowledge, the mature insight – the wisdom of the Father interpreted to you in terms you are able to understand.

‘Your help comes from the Lord’ (Psalm 121:2). But you must be looking for that help, and not distracted from it by fears shattering your concentration. Discipline yourself to turn in the direction where your help will meet you.

  • The Word will turn you properly
  • Prayer will turn you properly
  • Meditation will turn you properly
  • Service will turn you properly
  • Love will turn you properly
  • Sacrifice will turn you properly
  • Forgiveness will turn you properly
  • Mercy will turn you properly

These are the qualities of My character. These are the qualities of your character within My character, within the Father’s character. It is a continuation of the ‘behavior modification’ theory. (See blog post entitled Faith Over Fear 1/18/23.) Every time you behave in harmony with the character of your Father, you reinforce His character in yourself. As His character becomes more and more your character (by your own desire for it), you move further and further from ‘fear’ and closer and closer to ‘belief’.

Fear comes at the thought of separation from that which is dear to you. Belief comes when you have assurance that the Father has both the love and the power to bind together ever more firmly you and all that is dear to you.

Do not fear. Have I not revealed the reality of the Father to you? Would you fear one who gives His own life for your salvation? Can there be any greater proof of the Father’s love than His willing sacrifice of Himself for His Son’s sake?

How can you fear that such a father will not respond to his child’s call? Out of the depth of such love is faith made sure.”

Faith Over Fear

Nourish the thoughts which reflect the thoughts of the Master Teacher.

Meditation Thought: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. (See Hebrews 11:1)

“Behavior modification” is possible in the realm of the spirit, as well as in the realm of the physical. Each time you are confronted with a decision, seek to act as if you have the faith of Jesus.

Jesus’ example of complete trust in his Father is the way, the truth, the life. Not for a moment did he waver in his belief that his Father would care for him; and for all, if all would believe.

Be careful which seeds you nourish in your garden. Many seed-thoughts will be cast into the field of your mind. Nourish the thoughts which reflect the thoughts of the Master Teacher, and reject those thoughts which are foreign to His teachings. In this manner, do you, modify your faith behavior, and in modifying your faith behavior, you modify your faith.

No longer does your faith waver, moving, according to the circumstances it encounters, but it is strong, sturdy, worthy of holding up whatever is cast upon it it. It’s strength lies, not in your conception of faith, but in Jesus‘ conception of faith.

Where is your faith? If it is embraced in the faith of Jesus, it is embraced by the love and power of the father. If it is anywhere else, it is non-existent, only word, not substance, not evidence.

Perspective for Unity

You can unite opposing forces, if you will see from the Father’s perspective.

Meditation Thought: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24)

Learn to move yourself into a different perspective when you realize you are opposing anything.

Focus on the Word, the Spirit, and move in accordance with these who work all things together for good

You can unite opposing forces, if you will see from the Father’s perspective. The Father’s kingdom is united by love; deflect any weapon wielded against you by the power of love. Wield no weapon, but carry the soothing ointment of love.