Living without Personal Goals: Living with a Day by Day Trust in God — from Matthew 16:21-25

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

I have always been one to believe in personal goals, as a means to give myself direction. But lately I have been rethinking this idea. God has given me a new idea. I’ve gotten it from Matthew 16:21-25.

Matthew 16:21-25
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
NIV

In this account we see that Peter had different ideas than Jesus had. I can imagine that his goals, and his goals for Jesus were glorious; and they did not include suffering. In contrast, I don’t think Jesus even had goals. He just lived day by day and week by week according to His father’s will.

Jesus requires of us the same as He requires of His disciples: if we want to be His disciples we must deny our self and take up our cross and follow Him. I like the way the NLT says it: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition…” That speaks to me of personal goals—because personal goals are usually selfish. Wow, this whole idea of putting aside my goals and living day by day, trusting Him day by day is kind of scary. But in a way it’s kind of adventurous and daring.

I’m think right now of when Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple (recorded for us in Luke 6:27-28). I’m sure Matthew, being a rich tax collector, had some pretty high and ambitious personal goals. But Matthew denied his goals and immediately followed Jesus. In the NLT it says, “So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.” From that moment on he lived not according to his personal goals but according to God’s plan, Jesus plan. And (as did all the disciples) he trusted God from day to day to provide for him. Now, as His followers, what can we expect on this day to day plan?

1. That the road we travel on is narrow. Few travel on this road, and the way may at times be lonely, and the surrounding will be frightening and perverse. Hence we must keep our eyes straight ahead with our sight fixed on our Captain who is blazing the trail for us.

2. Suffering is inevitable, and trusting is required. Just as Jesus suffered, if we follow in His step we will suffer as He does. Therefore, to keep ourselves on the narrow road we must daily trust Him.

3. The end will be glorious and wonderful. Though the way is rugged and suffering is certain, the narrow road we travel will eventually bring us to heaven: where we will enjoy forever the treasure He has prepared for us.

One last note. Though I will not have personal goals, I must have some direction, some wisdom that will give me some comfort and hope and direction along the way. I will count on the scriptures to provide that. So I must daily read and meditate on God’s word. I am counting on Him to show me the way. And I think He will even give me direction a few days or even weeks ahead of time. Here are some verses that we can start with.

Psalm 32:8.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

Luke 11:3.
“Give us day by day our daily bread.”

Matt 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Posted in 4 Matthew to Acts, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Extremely High Cost of Heaven: Obtaining the Treasures of Matthew 13:44-46

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

Matthew 13:44-46
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too!
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout of choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! (NLT)

The hidden treasure and the pearl of great value I would say is heaven. This is given to us in the first line of these two short parables. But I would suggest that Jesus Christ is really the treasure. In Jesus we have heaven. In Jesus we have everything of value, everything we would ever want: joy, peace, love, friendship, and contentment.

Notice in the two parables how the man set out to get the treasure. It is the same for each parable: he sold all that he had and bought it. Now you may ask, how much is that? How much did the treasure cost? The answer is simple: it cost him everything that he had. But the principle here that really struck me is that God has set the price for the treasure (Jesus) on a sliding scale—so that it was different for every person, yet the same for every person. It is the extremely high cost of everything that each person has.

So the person who has possessions amounting to $1,000,000,000—that’s the price that God requires him to pay to get the great treasure. And the person who has possessions amounting to $100, 000—that’s what the treasure will cost him. And the person who has only $20 in possessions—that’s what he is required to pay.

I suppose there is a lot more we could get out of these parables, but this is how I see it; this is the way it struck me. We could also make these observations:

1. It may seem unfair for the rich to give so much and for the poor to give so little; however, at the same time, the rich have more to give and the poor have very little to give, so they are both sacrificing equally as much.

2. Since, in the rich man’s view, he is sacrificing more, it may be harder for him to obtain the great treasure (Jesus). Jesus said it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (Matt. 19:23-24).

3. In the end, all those who gave of what they had to get the treasure, however rich they were on this earth, they will end up with the same heavenly treasure; and so, all will be equally rich in heaven.

4. In both parables there is a great discovery. Likewise, when a sinner discovers the great gift of salvation—that Jesus died for his sins and that he can receive a new life in Christ—this is the great discovery of all time. It is sad that some aren’t willing to pay the price to get the prize; but those who do are never disappointed. For us who are Christians, we have the treasure now (Jesus), and we enjoy it; but when we get to heaven we will really see its value and will enjoy it (Him) all the more.

Note: the price of heaven (and Jesus) is not really money, it is you. You have to give up your self, your life. And you have to be willing to give up everything you have. God wants you and everything you have. And when you give it to Him, He will give you the kingdom.

 

Posted in 4 Matthew to Acts, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Our Victory in Christ: My Sins Are Blotted Out, Nailed To the Cross – Part 2

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

Because Jesus gained victory over sin and evil, we can have victory too. When He gave His life for us on the cross in payment for our sins, He made a public spectacle of evil (Colossians 2:11-15). He then, in His Spirit (between the time of His death and resurrection) went down to the demon spirits bound in the abyss and proclaimed His triumph over them, declaring to them that He had won over all evil. (1 Peter 3:19. These demons, according to MacArthur, are the fallen angels during the time of Noah, which God had locked up because of their wickedness against the human race.)

In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 we have a more vivid picture of Christ in triumph. According to MacArthur’s Bible notes, Paul is drawing from the imagery of the exalted Roman ceremony called the Triumph, in which a victorious general was paraded through the streets of Rome. But here, our general, Jesus Christ includes us in His victory. We all ride on horses with Him to show off His victory, which now is also our victory.

In our life we celebrate His victory and we smell of His fragrance. To other believers our fragrance is an aroma of life and of victory—victory over sin and death. To unbelievers, to those who are perishing, our aroma to them is an aroma of death. In other words, when they see us and are near us they are put to shame and are reminded of their sin and lostness. Just as Christ triumphs over evil, we being in Christ triumph over evil too, and really, over anyone who is lost—because they in effect represent evil. For all who are not of Christ are of the devil. Yes we triumph in Christ and we have a glorious future.

Let us pray always that others who are dead in Christ will repent of their sin, and therefore, be able to join in our glorious procession. Onward we go with Christ in victory. And as we go we cry out to the world, “Join us; be victorious with us; see how good God is to us and will be to you.”

Many afflictions and temptations plague us as we go, but Christ our captain delivers us from them all (Ps. 34:19).

Posted in 5 Romans to Philemon, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Victory in Christ: My Sins Are Blotted Out, Nailed To the Cross

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

Reading from Colossians 2:11-15, I understand that when I came to Christ He set me free from evil desires. My old self was removed, taken away (as the foreskin is cut off and removed in circumcision); it died with Christ; I was buried with Him, and I now have a new life with Him. He forgave all my sins and blotted out all the charges against me. He nailed them all to the cross, where they were destroyed. Therefore, at the cross God took away Satan’s power to accuse me of sin. And so all the evil powers, all the demons became powerless against me.

In fact, when Jesus died on the Cross, this act became a public display of triumph over evil—over Satan and his demons. This word display may also be rendered spectacle (NIV). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon indicates that the word means “to make an example of.” Hence, the meaning here is that at the cross God made a public example of Satan, putting him to shame, revealing his evil, and showing the world that He had defeated him.

220px-Bas_relief_from_Arch_of_Marcus_Aurelius_triumph_chariot[1]According to MacArthur, “The picture [in Col. 2:15] is that of a victorious Roman general parading his defeated enemies through the streets of Rome.”

Posted in 5 Romans to Philemon, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Reasons Why Jesus Tells us Not to Worry — from Matthew 6:25-34

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

In Mathew 6:25-34 Jesus tells us not to worry. See if you can pick out from the following passage the three reasons why Jesus says not to worry.

Matthew 6:25-34

25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.NIV

 

Here is what I found to be the …

 

Three Reasons Not To Worry

1. Life consists of more than material things. Life, life that is real and vibrant and enjoyable is life in a relationship with God. This life does not depend on material things, but on His life. He gives real life to us through His Spirit. Yes, we need food to keep us alive physically and we need clothing and shelter to keep us alive, but the quality of our life and the joy and vibrancy of our life is in God. Without Him our life would be a living death—we would be alive physically only to survive until we finally die.

2. Worrying won’t ever benefit us. Think about it. Has worrying ever helped you at all? Has it aided you, or helped you to think and plan what you should do? Has worry ever given you comfort or strength for your tasks? Has it given you wisdom? No, just the opposite. Worry has given you sorrow and depression and misery. Worry has given you a head ache, dizziness and weakness—so that you are less able to think clearly and rationally. Because of worry we become less hopeful, less confident, and thus more apt to make mistakes and errors in judgment. Worry takes away strength and comfort and joy and wisdom. The only reason we can think of to worry is to sooth out conscience—that tells us that unless we worry we don’t care. But that of course is a lie. Worry does us absolutely no good.

3. God loves us and will take care of us. If we live for Him and make His kingdom our primary concern, He will see to it that we are taken care of along the way. But if you are still concerned about having enough to get along in this life, be reminded that this life is but a speck (less that that) compared to our heavenly life. And what we put away now for heaven, what we invest now for eternity—whether it be works, gifts, talent, or money—will be safe from thieves and will not rust away, but will benefit us greatly for all eternity. Let us not worry in 2013, but let us be diligent and joyful in our work as we do all things for His glory.

Posted in 4 Matthew to Acts, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

12 Wisdom Principles – From The Sermon On The Mount

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

280px-Bloch-SermonOnTheMount

In Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount He gives us twelve wisdom principles. Early in Jesus’ ministry, just after He had chosen His twelve disciples, He sat down on the side of a mountain and taught them. This teaching of His we have named The Sermon on the Mount. It remains to this day as a masterful sermon, in which Jesus showed the full meaning of the law; and He showed His disciples (and us) that it is humanly impossible to keep.

His intent was to tell them that He did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. This means to us that, since Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, we are able to keep the law and be perfectly righteous in Christ—through our faith in Him (in our salvation and justification).
Moreover, as we see at the end of the sermon, Jesus tells us that if we hear and do these says of His we will be likened to a wise man who builds his house on a rock (hence the title).

These twelve principles of wisdom, since they come after Jesus’ exhortation to us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16), I think will help us to be just that; they will help us not to lose our salt, and to be a brighter light. And really, this is what wisdom is in its application: that we would help and protect people from evil (to be as salt); and that we would guide people (to be as a light). Here then are the…

 

12 Wisdom Principles –  from Matthew 5:21-7:23

 

1. Try to always be at peace with people. Never hold a grudge against anyone. If someone has something against you try to be reconciled with him. (Matt. 5: 21-26)

2. Be pure in your thoughts as well as in your actions. A man who looks lustfully at a woman is no less a sinner that a man who physically commits adultery. (Matt. 5: 27-32)

3. In your speech, be careful what you say and always speak the truth in love. Never think that you have to make some believe you by swearing or speaking profanely. (Matt. 5: 33-37)

4. Do not fight back or take revenge against one who hurts you or uses you. Let God be the avenger. (Matt. 5: 38-42)

5. Love everyone, even your enemies, as God does. You are a child of God and should act that way. (Matt. 5: 43-48)

6. Don’t broadcast your deeds or your prayers to the world. Do your good deeds and pray in secret before the Father only. And pray as Jesus taught us: first for His will, and then for our own needs. (Matt. 6: 1-18)

7. Seek God’s will first before your own desires. Don’t worry about what you need in this life. If we are doing His will He will take care of us. (Matt. 6: 19-34)

8. Don’t be critical of others and judge them unfairly. Always evaluate the situation and get your own house in order before you instruct someone else. And instruct only those who are worthy—willing to learn. (Matt. 7:1-6)

9. Be dependent on God for everything, and be assured that for any good thing you ask for He will give it to you. (Matt. 7:7-11)

10. Do for others in love what you want them to do for you. This is the golden rule. Don’t look to others to do something for you. Instead do for them the very thing you want them to do for you. Examples: If you want a piece of bread, offer them a piece of bread; if you want friendship from someone, be a friend to them. (Matt. 7:12)

11. As for the decisions you make in life, always do the right thing, not the popular thing. Don’t follow the crowd (traveling on the wide road), follow God and all true believers (who are traveling on a very narrow path). If you go the wrong way (the popular way, on the wide road) there is danger ahead and you will fall into certain destruction (Gal. 6: 7-8). (Matt. 7:13-14)

12. Be on your guard against false teachers who will take you down the wrong path. Know that not everyone who says he is a Christian is a Christian. (Matt. 7:15-23)

Posted in 4 Matthew to Acts, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Pray God’s Way Instead of the New Age Way – 8 Points

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

God wants us to pray His way, according to His Word. His way is much different than the New age way. Here’s how to pray God’s way:

1. Always meditate on the Word in preparation for prayer. Don’t listen to those teachers who tell you to clear your mind before you pray, or as a means of prayer, by the method of their mantra. This act will do nothing but bring you into the devils secret den where demons will fill your mind full of lies and temp you with all kinds of evil.

Listen to God’s Word instead, which tells us to meditate on His Word day and night (Josh. 1:8). For it is God’s design for us that when we pray we should have our mind and heart full of the Word of God. In fact, meditating on the Word is the first part of prayer; it is how we enter the secret chambers of God, where we listen at His feet and enjoy His presence.

2. Don’t ever try to empty your mind in order to fill it; instead, renew your mind. Some will tell you, if you want to fill your mind full of good and godly thoughts you must first get rid of the bad thoughts by emptying the mind. Richard Foster has said, “Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it.”

But is this really what Christian meditation is? I don’t think so. I don’t see that in scripture. I see in the scriptures that Christian meditation involves delighting in His laws (Ps. 1:2-3), and hiding His Word in our heart (Ps. 119:11), and considering His ways (Ps. 119:15), and in storing up His commands within us (Prov. 2:1). And this requires that we think deeply and prayerfully on His Word. And when we do this we are doing our part to renew our mind. Actually, renewal of the mind has basically two parts to it that we must do at the same time. We must put to death those sinful thoughts and desires by reducing our exposure to sinful things. At the same time we must set our mind on things above by thinking and dwelling on good things, including scripture. Then, when we prayerfully do these two things (by the Holy Spirit’s help), the Holy Spirit renews our mind—that is, He transforms (or changes) our mind into a new mind.

This transformation process does not come about by trying to empty the mind of our bad thoughts (by a mantra, etc.) so we can fill it with good thoughts. No, we should never try to empty our mind of thoughts, good or bad thoughts. That is wrong and it leads to demonic influence. The way to change your thinking is to do as I have just said; (1) reduce your exposure to bad things, and (2) think on good things, especially the scriptures. Then pray and trust the Holy Spirit to give you new thoughts. (Rom. 12:2, Col. 3, and Eph. 4)

3. Learn how to pray by submitting to the teachings of the Bible on prayer, and by following the best Biblical examples of prayer. The Bible should always be our main textbook on how to pray. Submit to the teachings of the Bible on prayer—especially the teachings of Jesus—and you can’t go wrong. If other books you read on prayer seem different than what the Bible says, don’t trust them. Always check out any teachings with the scriptures to see if they agree (Acts 17:11). Also, if you really want to learn how to pray, follow the examples of others in the Bible who you believe to be godly—especially the prayers of Jesus and Paul and some of the Old Testament saints like Moses, Samuel, Hanna, David, Elijah, and Daniel.

4. When you pray always humbly regard yourself as a created being, and regard God as your Creator. This thought of ourselves and of God will set us apart from the Hindu’s and the Buddhist’s and from those who practice yoga and TM. For they believe that we are all one with God (or with the impersonal force); thus, they arrogantly pray as one who is equal with or one with God. Similarly, many pray in an effort to find their own divinity within themselves. We must never believe any of this rubbish! God is our creator and is far above us. We are and will always be His creation and below Him. Let this thought always be in the forefront of your mind when you pray.

5. When you begin to pray always repent of any known sins. We can never expect our prayers to be heard if there is any willful disobedience to God. Moreover, when we harbor sin we let spiritual darkness into us, and therefore, we give Satan and the demons legal access to dwell in us. But if we submit to God and confess all known sins to Him, then He will give us power over the devil—and when we resist him he will flee from us (Ja. 4:6).

6. Don’t pray as an exercise; pray as a relationship. The Hindus and the Buddhists pray the mantra as an exercise, in order to rid themselves of suffering and to realize their oneness with the universe. As Christians, however, we should never regard prayer as a mere exercise. Prayer to us is a relationship; we pray to a personal God who is our Father and a friend.

7. When you pray always focus on who God is and what He desires of us. Prayer should never be to rid ourselves of suffering, or for any other selfish reason. Prayer should always be focused on achieving the will of God in our lives and giving Him praise.

8. Be alert when you pray; and pray in clear sentences. Don’t regard prayer as a state of being or as being “in the spirit”, etc. Yes, we are to pray in the Spirit, but that doesn’t mean not thinking, and not praying in words. We should regard prayer as a conversation with God. Therefore, when you pray, be alert and talk to Him clearly and directly as to a friend. Then listen to Him as He speaks to you through the Word and through His Spirit.

We must be clear in our prayers, not so much for His sake but for ours—so that we know how God’s Spirit is praying through us and leading us in prayer. Also, when we pray alertly and with clear sentences, God will give us confidence in prayer and He will bless us for our effort.

This post is an excerpt from my book Joy of Prayer.  It will also be in my book Prayer A to Z very soon (I’m just finishing up the book–working on an index).

Posted in Part 4, How the Devil Tries To Pervert Our Prayers, Prayer A to Z Excerpts, Quietness in Prayer | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Be Fooled by the Devil’s Counterfeit Prayer: Comparing New Age Prayer to Christian Prayer

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

There are many things in contemplative prayer and in any kind of New Age prayer that may seem the same as Christian prayer, but there is a big difference. In this post I will point out the similarities, as well as the obvious differences between Christian prayer and the devil’s counterfeit prayer.

Both kinds of prayer seek and require solitude. Don’t be fooled. Just because a type of prayer requires solitude and just because people bow their heads with a humble quiet posture, it doesn’t mean these people and their prayers are from God. New age, contemplative prayer requires solitude and quiet so one can meditate on and concentrate on a “sacred word.” This concentration is with the intention of clearing the mind of thought and to put you into a state where you are able to contact God with your soul (without the mind). But this is a trap of the devil. Whenever one tries to blank his mind out, he is opening himself up to demons. And so if that person says God is blessing him and that God is speaking to him, that is not God, it is the devil.

Those who truly are seeking God with a Biblical, normal kind of prayer require solitude and seek solitude in order to reduce distractions so they can have privacy with God and so they will be able to think clearly as they pray and worship God with their mind. These do not seek to clear the mind or empty the mind, but rather they intend to fill the mind with good and holy thoughts. Their preparation is not with breathing exercises or with a mantra; rather, it is by reading, study and mediation on the Word of God. This preparation will result in the confession of sins, and a seeking after holiness and His will, which further results in a calm and peaceful spirit that rests in the presence of God.

Both kinds of prayer have the appearance of true prayer. Contemplative prayer appears to be true prayer, because the pray-er has his eyes closed and has a seeking, meditative prayer posture. But he is not really praying; he is just repeating a word over and over with the intent of reaching a higher level, in order to find God and get rid of his suffering. Thus his prayers are just vain repetitions for selfish purposes.

True prayer is also with the eyes closed and in a seeking posture; however, it is prayer of the heart and mind and will. This kind of prayer is thinking prayer, filled with many words that naturally flow from a heart that seeks after God. And though this prayer seeks God with many personal requests, it is not selfish, because it is ultimately for His purposes and for the good of His kingdom.

Both kinds of prayer deal with suffering. Contemplative prayer has it roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. Those who pray with contemplative prayer may not admit that they do the mantra to eliminate suffering, but they do; for this is the whole idea of the mantra—to enter into a state (the state of ecstasy or nirvana) where there is no more suffering.

Is this the idea of true prayer? No. True prayer deals with suffering, but it doesn’t try to eliminate it. With true prayer we seek God’s help in suffering, to win over suffering, but we don’t pray to destroy it; we pray to be able to use it for our good. Thus we pray for patience in suffering, so that it will make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing (Ja. 1:2-4).

Furthermore, unlike contemplative prayer, true prayer does not seek to empty the mind, and therefore weaken the personality and the individuality (which is the goal in Hinduism); it rather strengthens the mind and the personality, and gives hope and renewed confidence.

Posted in Part 4, How the Devil Tries To Pervert Our Prayers, Prayer A to Z Excerpts, Quietness in Prayer | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus’ Presence is Torture to Demons – from Matthew 8:28-31

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

I think Jesus’ very presence is torture to demons and to all who walk in darkness. Just after Jesus and His disciples had crossed over the Lake of Galilee (after He had calmed the storm), He encountered two demon possessed men. Jesus had not spoken a word to them, but the demons must have known that Jesus was intending to cast them out; because they came at Jesus and were screaming at him. In the NLT it says (in Matthew 8:29), “They began screaming at him, ‘Why are you bothering us, Son of God? You have no right to torture us before God’s appointed time!”

I think Jesus’ very presence was a torture to them. In fact, I think this is true for all who live in darkness. All sinners hate the light, and they especially hate Jesus. There is no fellowship at all between light and darkness. In this story the demons were angry at Jesus and they screamed at Him.

I think their torture is in thinking of the dread that will come on them in the final judgment—that is a torture to their mind. But I think also that Jesus’ very presence is painful to them—a constant reminder to them of their sin and their fall from grace, and that there is no way out for them.

The people of that town also experienced displeasure in Jesus and what He had done (in casting the demons into their pigs). But I think this displeasure is not only in the loss of their pigs; it is in the fact of who Jesus was to them. I think they were under some demonic control and lived in darkness. They knew who Jesus was and they hated Him. They didn’t want any part of Him.

Can you relate to this story? I can. Recently I’ve been writing posts on prayer methods that are not of God. And I have been exposing them for what they are—evil. Just this morning I got a very disturbing reply. Someone was unhappy with what I wrote. I immediately deleted it because it was too inappropriate for viewing. But though I was very disturbed, I have to continue with writing the truth as I see it. I must do God’s will, and people must know the truth. It is the only way they can find freedom from the bondage of sin and Satan. In John 8:31-32 Jesus said,

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. NIV

Posted in 4 Matthew to Acts, Quiet Time Highlights | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Roots of Contemplative Prayer: The Desert Fathers

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Stephen Nielsen

The roots of contemplative prayer can be clearly traced back to a group of monks known as the desert fathers. These hermits of the early Middle Ages, who lived in the Middle Eastern deserts, devoted their lives to God and in trying to seek Him. Unfortunately, they obviously did not regard the Bible as sufficient in their search for Him and in learning how to pray, because they borrowed ideas from other religions, particularly it seems from Hinduism and Buddhism.
Ray Yungen stated in his book, A Time of Departing that the desert fathers thought that if they only practiced their Christianity based on the Bible they would “impoverish their spirituality.” Yungen also said, “…The desert fathers believed as long as the desire for God was sincere—anything could be utilized to reach God. If a method worked for the Hindus to reach their gods, then Christian mantras could be used to reach Jesus.”

Well, the whole idea of the desert fathers that the Bible is not sufficient is just wrong! 2 Timothy 3-16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Did you get that last phrase? It says that since all Scripture in inspired by God, if we read it and believe it, we will be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Barnes in his Barnes Notes comments on this phrase: “The idea is, that whatever good work the man of God desires to perform, or however perfect he aims to be, he will find no deficiency in the Scriptures, but will find there the most ample instructions that he needs.”

Therefore, this says to me that the Bible is sufficient to show us how to pray and how to seek God. And if we have read and studied the Bible we would know this. For there are numerous passages in the Bible that teach us how to pray, why to pray, when to pray and where to pray. The Bible is like a prayer manual. It is loaded, packed full of scriptures that will guide us in prayer. Furthermore, I believe that every word of the Bible relates to or has a link to prayer, because the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible, and He is the Spirit of prayer. Thus, when we prayerfully read it, He breathes into us the spirit of prayer and He takes every word and teaches us how to pray.

Arthur W. Pink says the following about the Bible’s completeness:

The Bible needs no addendum. There is more than sufficient in God’s Word to meet the temporal and spiritual needs of all mankind…the Bible is a source of blessing, will minister to every need, and is able to supply every variety of want…If every book but the Bible were destroyed not a single spiritual truth would be lost. In the small compass of God’s Word there is stored more wisdom that will endure the test of eternity than the sum total of thinking done by man since his creation.

Therefore, what I am saying is this: the desert fathers were wrong in going to other sources, especially to pagan religions to try to develop their prayers. And we are wrong also if we use contemplative prayer, because its source is not Biblical.

Posted in Part 4, How the Devil Tries To Pervert Our Prayers, Prayer A to Z Excerpts, Quietness in Prayer | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments