By love alone, not intellect, can you reach out to Jesus in this life. As long as your soul lives within your mortal body, the clarity of your understanding of the spiritual life, and especially your understanding of God, is muddled with some manner of fantasy.

By love alone, not intellect, can you reach out to Jesus in this life. As long as your soul lives within your mortal body, the clarity of your understanding of the spiritual life, and especially your understanding of God, is muddled with some manner of fantasy.

Does a candle lose anything of itself by sharing its light with another candle? By sharing what it was freely given it is able to bring a change - it is able to bring more light to a dark room. The same is true of Jesus and His followers - He says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” [John 8:12] and He also says in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The moon has no light in it of itself, but merely reflects the light from the sun, we Christians ought to do the same – as the Son has given grace freely and showed us love, we ought to love and give freely because “He first loved us” [1 John 4:19]. 

Does a candle lose anything of itself by sharing its light with another candle? By sharing what it was freely given it is able to bring a change - it is able to bring more light to a dark room. The same is true of Jesus and His followers - He says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” [John 8:12] and He also says in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The moon has no light in it of itself, but merely reflects the light from the sun, we Christians ought to do the same – as the Son has given grace freely and showed us love, we ought to love and give freely because “He first loved us” [1 John 4:19]. 

The value of a soul:

Jesus says you are so valuable you should even cut off whatever becomes an obstacle. 

You are so valuable that you must be ready to deny, subdue, silence and even sacrifice your own body, or any of its members, rather than risk losing your soul. 

Do I value my immortal soul, my vocation to eternal life? 

If so, do I show this by the self-denial I exert in controlling what makes me (and eventually others through me) stumble? 

The value of a soul:

Jesus says you are so valuable you should even cut off whatever becomes an obstacle. 

You are so valuable that you must be ready to deny, subdue, silence and even sacrifice your own body, or any of its members, rather than risk losing your soul. 

Do I value my immortal soul, my vocation to eternal life? 

If so, do I show this by the self-denial I exert in controlling what makes me (and eventually others through me) stumble? 

Today's Meditation “It almost always happens that interior sentiments of pride precede the commission of grievous sins. Peter was not aware of his own weakness. He preferred himself before others; he trusted in himself as though he were incapable of sinning, boasting that no temptation would separate him from Jesus. He would not even believe the assurance of his Divine Master, that he would deny him thrice. Deceived by this vain confidence in his own strength, he neglects to pray, and to have recourse to God; and God, in His justice, permits him to fall, in punishment of his pride. There is nothing more dangerous than to confide in our own strength, and trust to feelings of fervor. We are full of malice, and capable of committing the most enormous crimes, unless God supports us.” —Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, p. 85-86

Today's Meditation “It almost always happens that interior sentiments of pride precede the commission of grievous sins. Peter was not aware of his own weakness. He preferred himself before others; he trusted in himself as though he were incapable of sinning, boasting that no temptation would separate him from Jesus. He would not even believe the assurance of his Divine Master, that he would deny him thrice. Deceived by this vain confidence in his own strength, he neglects to pray, and to have recourse to God; and God, in His justice, permits him to fall, in punishment of his pride. There is nothing more dangerous than to confide in our own strength, and trust to feelings of fervor. We are full of malice, and capable of committing the most enormous crimes, unless God supports us.” —Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, p. 85-86

From an instruction by Saint Columban, abbot
The unfathomable depths of God

God is everywhere in his immensity, and everywhere close at hand. As he says of himself: I am a God close at hand, not a God far off. The God we seek is not one who dwells at a distance from us, for we have him present with us, if only we are worthy. He dwells in us as the soul in the body, if only we are sound members of his, if we are dead to sin. Then in very truth he dwells in us, the one who said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. If we are worthy of his presence with us, then in truth we are made alive by him as his living members. As the Apostle says: In him we live and move and have our being.

Who, I ask, will search out the Most High in his own being, for he is beyond words or understanding? Who will penetrate the secrets of God? Who will boast that he knows the infinite God, who fills all things, yet encompasses all things, who pervades all things, yet reaches beyond all things, who holds all things in his hand, yet escapes the grasp of all things? No one has ever seen him as he is.No one must then presume to search for the unsearchable things of God: his nature, the manner of his existence, his selfhood. These are beyond telling, beyond scrutiny, beyond investigation. With simplicity, but also with fortitude, only believe that this is how God is and this is how he will be, for God is incapable of change.

Who then is God? He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God. Do not look for any further answers concerning God. Those who want to understand the unfathomable depths of God must first consider the world of nature. Knowledge of the Trinity is rightly compared with the depth of the sea. Wisdom asks: Who will find out what is so very deep? As the depths of the sea are invisible to human sight, so the Godhead of the Trinity is found to be beyond the grasp of human understanding. If any one, I say, wants to know what he should believe he must not imagine that he understands better through speech than through belief; the knowledge of God that he seeks will be all the further off than it was before.

Seek then the highest wisdom, not by arguments in words but by the perfection of your life, not by speech but by the faith that comes from simplicity of heart, not from the learned speculations of the unrighteous. If you search by means of discussions for the God who cannot be defined in words, He will depart further from you than he was before. If you search for him by faith, wisdom will stand where wisdom lives, at the gates. Where wisdom is, wisdom will be seen, at least in part. But wisdom is also to some extent truly attained when the invisible God is the object of faith, in a way beyond our understanding, for we must believe in God, invisible as he is, though he is partially seen by a heart that is pure.

From an instruction by Saint Columban, abbot
The unfathomable depths of God

God is everywhere in his immensity, and everywhere close at hand. As he says of himself: I am a God close at hand, not a God far off. The God we seek is not one who dwells at a distance from us, for we have him present with us, if only we are worthy. He dwells in us as the soul in the body, if only we are sound members of his, if we are dead to sin. Then in very truth he dwells in us, the one who said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. If we are worthy of his presence with us, then in truth we are made alive by him as his living members. As the Apostle says: In him we live and move and have our being.

Who, I ask, will search out the Most High in his own being, for he is beyond words or understanding? Who will penetrate the secrets of God? Who will boast that he knows the infinite God, who fills all things, yet encompasses all things, who pervades all things, yet reaches beyond all things, who holds all things in his hand, yet escapes the grasp of all things? No one has ever seen him as he is.No one must then presume to search for the unsearchable things of God: his nature, the manner of his existence, his selfhood. These are beyond telling, beyond scrutiny, beyond investigation. With simplicity, but also with fortitude, only believe that this is how God is and this is how he will be, for God is incapable of change.

Who then is God? He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God. Do not look for any further answers concerning God. Those who want to understand the unfathomable depths of God must first consider the world of nature. Knowledge of the Trinity is rightly compared with the depth of the sea. Wisdom asks: Who will find out what is so very deep? As the depths of the sea are invisible to human sight, so the Godhead of the Trinity is found to be beyond the grasp of human understanding. If any one, I say, wants to know what he should believe he must not imagine that he understands better through speech than through belief; the knowledge of God that he seeks will be all the further off than it was before.

Seek then the highest wisdom, not by arguments in words but by the perfection of your life, not by speech but by the faith that comes from simplicity of heart, not from the learned speculations of the unrighteous. If you search by means of discussions for the God who cannot be defined in words, He will depart further from you than he was before. If you search for him by faith, wisdom will stand where wisdom lives, at the gates. Where wisdom is, wisdom will be seen, at least in part. But wisdom is also to some extent truly attained when the invisible God is the object of faith, in a way beyond our understanding, for we must believe in God, invisible as he is, though he is partially seen by a heart that is pure.

DA Carson

People do not drift toward Holiness. 

Apart from grace-driven effort, 

people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. 

We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; 

we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; 

we drift toward superstition and call it faith. 

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; 

we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; 

we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.

DA Carson

People do not drift toward Holiness. 

Apart from grace-driven effort, 

people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. 

We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; 

we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; 

we drift toward superstition and call it faith. 

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; 

we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; 

we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.

Jesus says

The words that I speak to you are spirit, 

and they are life.

John 6:63

Where are you watering your spirit, soul, and life from? Are you in the Word?

Jesus says

The words that I speak to you are spirit, 

and they are life.

John 6:63

Where are you watering your spirit, soul, and life from? Are you in the Word?

Jesus says

With the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 

Luke 6:38

How do you measure?

Jesus says

With the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 

Luke 6:38

How do you measure?

Prophets speak against the sin in the Church!

Most of the Kings of Israel were corrupt 

and lead the people into sin. 

The Prophets were sent to testify 

to the people 

against their sin and 

to turn them back to God

They were all killed because no one wants to hear they are in sin!

Nothing has changed

The leaders of the church have lead the people into sin. Allowing things that God does not approve. 

Jesus calls us to repent and turn back to God

True preachers of Christs message will be persecuted

People still do not want to hear they are in sin!

Prophets speak against the sin in the Church!

Most of the Kings of Israel were corrupt 

and lead the people into sin. 

The Prophets were sent to testify 

to the people 

against their sin and 

to turn them back to God

They were all killed because no one wants to hear they are in sin!

Nothing has changed

The leaders of the church have lead the people into sin. Allowing things that God does not approve. 

Jesus calls us to repent and turn back to God

True preachers of Christs message will be persecuted

People still do not want to hear they are in sin!

Judas was called and chosen but not a follower

He never accepted the grace of God to give himself to Jesus. He followed in his own way and bore the fruits of one following his own way. 

What is your fruit saying about you? Just because you hang out with Jesus does not make you a follower of Him. 

Judas was called and chosen but not a follower

He never accepted the grace of God to give himself to Jesus. He followed in his own way and bore the fruits of one following his own way. 

What is your fruit saying about you? Just because you hang out with Jesus does not make you a follower of Him. 

Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words. If they escape your lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy, since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on you will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself wrong. It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what is good. It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to flight.

Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words. If they escape your lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy, since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on you will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself wrong. It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what is good. It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to flight.

My Life

My life

Walk with God.

My purpose to walk with God

Like Enoch, Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Apostles, now all men. 

I have been chosen. 

No one can come to me unless the father draws. I will cast no one out who comes. God is my teacher. I chose you to go and bear fruit. 

To bear fruit and live the kingdom 

The fruit is the kingdom of righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit 

While in the earth

Everywhere i go I am taking the Father, Jesus, the Spirit and the Kingdom out into the world

He will permeate everything everywhere I go

How - Prayer

In returning and rest I will be saved 

In quietness and confidence I will be strengthened 

Return to Him being surrendered and repentant

Rest in Jesus knowing he has the plan and will walk you through (go to him)

Quietness of soul to hear and walk In With and Through Him for Him (into room)

Confidence of the Word, the Call, and the Keeping (the Spirit intercedes)

I will be saved and strengthened following this path

Be Still and Know

TRUST GOD he is worthy of it - not a liar - pure good

OBEY GOD he knows the best for your soul and fulfillment 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me, a sinner. 

Jesus, I trust in You. 

Genesis 5:24 (NKJV): And Enoch walked with God

John 6:44 (NKJV): No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. 

John 6:37 (NKJV): All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 

John 6:45 (NKJV): And they shall all be taught by God. 

1 John 2:27 (NKJV): But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

John 15:16 (NKJV): You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. 

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. 

Romans 14:17 (NKJV): for the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 17:21 (NKJV): The kingdom of God is within you.

Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV): For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Matthew 11:28 (NKJV): Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 6:6 (NKJV): But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV): the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV): Be still, and know that I am God

My Life

My life

Walk with God.

My purpose to walk with God

Like Enoch, Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Apostles, now all men. 

I have been chosen. 

No one can come to me unless the father draws. I will cast no one out who comes. God is my teacher. I chose you to go and bear fruit. 

To bear fruit and live the kingdom 

The fruit is the kingdom of righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit 

While in the earth

Everywhere i go I am taking the Father, Jesus, the Spirit and the Kingdom out into the world

He will permeate everything everywhere I go

How - Prayer

In returning and rest I will be saved 

In quietness and confidence I will be strengthened 

Return to Him being surrendered and repentant

Rest in Jesus knowing he has the plan and will walk you through (go to him)

Quietness of soul to hear and walk In With and Through Him for Him (into room)

Confidence of the Word, the Call, and the Keeping (the Spirit intercedes)

I will be saved and strengthened following this path

Be Still and Know

TRUST GOD he is worthy of it - not a liar - pure good

OBEY GOD he knows the best for your soul and fulfillment 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me, a sinner. 

Jesus, I trust in You. 

Genesis 5:24 (NKJV): And Enoch walked with God

John 6:44 (NKJV): No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. 

John 6:37 (NKJV): All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 

John 6:45 (NKJV): And they shall all be taught by God. 

1 John 2:27 (NKJV): But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

John 15:16 (NKJV): You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. 

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. 

Romans 14:17 (NKJV): for the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 17:21 (NKJV): The kingdom of God is within you.

Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV): For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Matthew 11:28 (NKJV): Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 6:6 (NKJV): But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV): the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV): Be still, and know that I am God

Man wanted to 

be like God, but 

without God, 

before God, 

and not in accordance with God.

Man wanted to 

be like God, but 

without God, 

before God, 

and not in accordance with God.

Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV): In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV): In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

We see then that it is quite easy to have a false sense of security about our salvation. But what if we do have a proper understanding of what salvation requires, does that guarantee that we will avoid a false assurance of salvation?

By no means. The devil himself knows what is required for salvation. He knows who the Savior is. He understands the intellectual part of salvation better than we do. But he does not put his personal trust in Christ for his salvation. He hates the Jesus who is the Savior.

We can have a proper understanding of what salvation is and still delude ourselves about whether or not we meet the requirements of salvation. We may think that we have faith when in fact we have no faith. We may think that we are believing in Christ but the Christ we embrace is not the biblical Christ. We may think that we love God but the God we love is an idol.

Do we love a God who is sovereign? Do we love a God who sends people to hell? Do we love a God who demands absolute obedience? Do we love a Christ who will say to some on the last day, “Depart from me, I never knew you”? I am not asking whether we love this God and this Christ perfectly; I am asking whether we love this God and this Christ at all.

We see then that it is quite easy to have a false sense of security about our salvation. But what if we do have a proper understanding of what salvation requires, does that guarantee that we will avoid a false assurance of salvation?

By no means. The devil himself knows what is required for salvation. He knows who the Savior is. He understands the intellectual part of salvation better than we do. But he does not put his personal trust in Christ for his salvation. He hates the Jesus who is the Savior.

We can have a proper understanding of what salvation is and still delude ourselves about whether or not we meet the requirements of salvation. We may think that we have faith when in fact we have no faith. We may think that we are believing in Christ but the Christ we embrace is not the biblical Christ. We may think that we love God but the God we love is an idol.

Do we love a God who is sovereign? Do we love a God who sends people to hell? Do we love a God who demands absolute obedience? Do we love a Christ who will say to some on the last day, “Depart from me, I never knew you”? I am not asking whether we love this God and this Christ perfectly; I am asking whether we love this God and this Christ at all.