Spiritual Understanding

Spiritual Understanding The stuff of Paul’s Ephesian Prayers Copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo ON, 2020

The Inevitable Follow-Up I see them Coming through the journey Grief and fear And the reproach: ‘Teller of hopeful tales Host with miracle bread Mender of broken hearts But somehow too soft For this place of push Leverage and convenient lies.’

But as promised My Love is now inside Father’s Love the same 1

And winds of change Haunt them with Possibilities.

New creations I promised And they lean forward In expectation.

Not at all like Their cowering after the Cross.

They will travel far Speak to great and small Find themselves possessed Of words of Heavenly origin.

Radiating...yes radiating My care and compassion My calm and conviction My Father’s Kingdom at hand.

Quite over with customary Fear of death or dearth.

Waiting happily Upon Spirit’s whisperings.

As rescued Family develops Around their remarkable huddle.

And the promised mansions In my care...are waiting All a-shimmer.

Ephesians 1: 15 T ​ herefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ​16 ​do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ​17 t​ hat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom

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and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 1​ 8 ​the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ​19 a ​ nd what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ​20 w ​ hich He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 2 ​ 1 ​far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 A ​ nd He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ​23 ​which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The Musts Posted on ​May 26, 2018

Oh I must be doing this or that. Following the check lists. Crossing the T’s.

Hold on a minute. This pressure might be coming from some articulate pastor or teacher or personal study. But it is Law and the failure rate is 100 percent.

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Jesus said take my yoke upon yourself and learn of me. Follow me.

You are to operate like the ocean sponge. He soaks continually in the ocean’s brine and becomes increasingly Ocean.

Oswald Chambers once said something to this effect: Pray often and repent of any apparent sins. Keep short accounts with God. Live frequently in the 4 Gospels and Psalms. Converse with Jesus in relaxed and friendly fashion. Then your common sense conclusions will be the will of God for you. Elsewhere King David says commit your ways unto the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37).

Gradually and inevitably your heart motivations and guidance will come from the will of God in Christ Jesus. Do not falter thinking that this is presumptuous.

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Love is the Prayer Target Posted on ​March 23, 2019 Oh Pastor you are taking time to pray that you might hear from God; that your words from the pulpit might evoke in the flock a deeper sense of God and of his intentions. You have long studied the history of other revivals.

In this fashion you are stubbornly holding out for revival. You have seen things from other places, things that suggest a coming wave of revival‌and you want this for your household of faith.

But the Spirit suggests that you pray for outbreaks of love and caring and common courtesy in your flock. Recently there have been woundings and oversights. Busy people will only go so far in actualizing what Paul described as the Body of Christ with varying parts. Rejoicing and suffering together. Is there vital family or is there not? Slow down...live in those four Gospels.

Helpful messages along this line might be found in the Christian classic The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond. http://momentsmidstream.blogspot.com/2009/09/love-in-shoe-leather .html

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Unprofitable Posted on ​September 30, 2019 God does not need me. He is the only all sufficient One. But He invites me to partner in some of His ventures. He expects obedience to the task and constant searching of His motives.

In Luke chapter 17 Jesus spoke of a household where the Master was not intent upon congratulating or stroking a servant for a job well done.

There would always be another one assigned upon its heels. The servants were always expected to say that they were unprofitable and simply doing what was asked of them.

But the Master was training partners for fuller participation and understanding in the Kingdom. This was always the posture in Jesus’ earth walk of 33 years and He never complained or expected that he was entitled to pause and gloat over accomplishments. Or hear bundles of fawning praise.

This nasty concept has caused many a ripple of discord in church assemblies. The “territory” and worthiness of a servant in his/her area of ministry. The deserved “upper seat”.

Admittedly it is a hard temptation to beat down.

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Simplicity Posted on ​September 22, 2019

approachable along the by-ways (Matthew 22: 8-10) Paul said the following in his Second Letter to Corinthians chapter 11: 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Truly Jesus was a man’s man and entirely approachable in His service.

There were no apparent barriers of form or protocol in getting in touch with His incomparable servant-messenger heart.

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Unadorned ​– He carried none of the trappings of religion or privilege or self-pampering.

Unhurried​ – He knew that He had an itinerary of many villages to visit in the announcing of the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. But in every episode we see the calm, collected Helping One, and often releasing His blessing to just one person at a time. Relaxed He seemed.

Unmixed​ – The things that He said and did were just as the Father had instructed Him. No deal-making with the agendas of politics or intimidating religion. “Mustard seed faith” as He described it was simply pure and unadulterated (Luke 17: 6) Untiring​ – Jesus had found the way to live out the parable of the “unprofitable servants” recorded in Luke 17. He was always up for the next assignment and did not expect kudos or back-patting. He knew that in child-like obedience there came more understanding of the heart and will of His Heavenly Father (John 7: 16, 17). He also said that in obedience one would find food and recharging that the disciples still did not understand (John 4: 32-34) Unprecedented​ – Unlike any of the other rabbis of His day He went in His teaching right to the will of the Father and to the illustrations in Creation as He had experienced same. There was no long listing of prior teachings of any schools of thought to add authority to the lesson. No hiding behind other opinions. No resorting to the “lawyer’s game”. (Mark 1: 22)

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Unintimidated ​– Even His detractors knew that He understood the hearts of men and would not soft-sell the truth as He knew it. (John 7: 26). Ultimately before Pilate he knew that it was time to announce that He was King of the Jews. (John 18: 36, 37). And that “I am” sealed his fate.

Unblemished ​– Any sacrificial lamb according to the Mosaic form had to be searched to ensure that it was without any spot or break or blemish.

The authorities did this to Messiah in their subtle questioning recorded in Matthew 22. Think of an entire life without slipping or stumbling or raging or rebelling. Amazing! http://momentsmidstream.blogspot.com/2009/11/lamb-without-blemis h.html Paul’s letter to Colossians expresses in many ways the completeness of the representation of Jehovah in and through the Son Christ Jesus.

(Colossians 3: 9-11). We have only to step into the new man waiting for us clothed in the beautiful things of righteousness, honour and peace.

Corrie Ten Boom, that wonderful post-war evangelist and one-time death camp resident, wrote of ministering the Gospel to severely handicapped or mentally challenged people. She said that it was entirely possible because the gracious Lord had made it all so simple.

Even Father-God can be regarded through this filter of simplicity: 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of 9

a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57)

Went Up That Hill

by James Tissot

Breezing along for years Doing the things instructed Noble parents’ examples And the words formed A community themselves: Hope, Saviour, Flock, Pilgrim Red bows, green boughs

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Purple and gold sashes And the music – Wesley, Newton, Watts, Handel.

Seemed as if we had it all.

Self-assured.

But then some setbacks Challenges to decency Regrettable stumbling.

And images of those other words: Selfish, heartless, judgment, failure Repentance.

And not to be passed by Roadblocks of pain and guilt.

But there He was The Galilean of boundless help.

Come my way and gazing Straight at me.

No secrets now; no play-acting No sterile religion.

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But Words of Life Begetting Life.

Cleansing the dark vocabulary Shouldering me through the valley.

Smiling with encouraging zeal.

Just as the old man from that galley ship had said: ‘Taught my heart to fear And then my fears relieved.’ Grace gifted clean and constant.

Hallelujah.

Explore the Mysteries April 18, 2015

Oh how we should love the mysteries unlocked in the Gospels and Epistles! The condescending love and self-revealing of the Godhead. But only when we are ready and in the right attitude of heart. Only when our spirit hunger cannot be satisfied in any other manner. It becomes the call of deep unto deep.

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The mystery of the Kingdom of God The mystery of the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile The mystery of the indwelling Christ The mystery of godliness The mystery of the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4) I would like to say a little on the third one above. For so many years I was into religious exercise, seasons and the 'imitation" of Christ. Lessons crammed into the head. Supposedly available in the squeeze or challenge. Fat chance of that! But then I was told by an obedient messenger about the possibility of having ​the Spirit of Christ come to dwell inside me for the asking and become the Pilot. ​This was perhaps the most exciting prospect arising out of the New Birth. And I for a time had balked at the idea of "born again" experience. The educators were against it; the media; the trend-setters; the merchandisers; the liberal church.

But I reached the bottom of my barrel, and through sad experience, gave up on the systems of the world and of self-important men.

Imagine! The Christian life was to be ​a matter of impartation ​rather than imitation. The shutters were pulled back. The windows were

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opened. The enormous capability, cleansing and compassion of Jesus allowed inside. Take a moment and read the third chapter of Paul's letter to the Colossians. There we see​ the supernatural transition from old man to new; ​the change of raiment and of disposition.

Go for it. Explore the mystery.

Equipment​ ​Fruit of Spirit​ W ​ akening

http://histocall.blogspot.com​ (a helpful site on the sovereignty of God)

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Heavenly Father: We must not be discouraged as we strive to go beyond carnal considerations of what Jesus did for us and placed within us. We must pray for spiritual eyes and ears to receive the thrilling realities contained within Paul’s prayers, declarations that eluded us for so long.

It is completely possible in the influence and urging of your Holy Spirit. It is the realm of Love that we refer to with humility as your agape. The Trinity has thrived in it always. We now enter in and pray for the stamina and joy of this love. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13). You never fail Lord, and you are eager to use us as we wait, listen and submit. Amen.

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