The Upward Path

[Helen]

“Be strong and of a good courage.

The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? — He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. — My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

If God be for us, who can be against us? — The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? — Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. — We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.”

Josh-. 1:18.- Psa. 27:1. ‑Isa. 40:29‑31. -Psa. 73:26. Rom. 8:31. -Psa. 118:6. ‑Psa. 44:5. ‑Rom. 8:37. I Chr. 22:16.

 

[Helen]

"The fruit of the Spirit is Joy."

"Joy in the Holy Ghost. Unspeakable and full of glory."

"Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" "For the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame. "
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be fuIl." "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."
"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

"In thy presence is fulness of at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

 

[Helen]

Do you ever wish you could take all the loose ends of your life and tie them in neat little bows? :)
You know how it is...so that we can make everything happen in just the way we want in just the timing we prefer?!
Well, that’s not going to happen! So, I guess I need to change my wish...my desire! Do you?

I desire...I need God to take all the loose ends of my life and hold them in His Sovereign hand. That is our only hope, and it’s our best hope. So, if your life is tangled up with a ton of loose ends, hold tight to God. He’s got it! He's got all of it in His hands so you can stop wringing your hands !

Have a nice God-weekend. :)

 

[Dave L]

Oh dear...not sure how I got so many above!!! Or maybe the Lord wanted it said more than once!!

I am afraid that if I delete it..it was ALL get deleted..sorry about the repeat..

You can't have too much of a good thing..........

 

[Helen]

There are days when you just feel like you can’t take one more thing, right?
One more complaint. One more issue. One more frustration. One more complication.
When I’m having one of those days, I just want to say “no more!” And, that’s when I breathe and pray.

That is what I’ve learned to do … breathe and pray.
There’s something about pausing and breathing deeply that calms you and gives you a chance to pray. You can pray for more grace when the burdens are heavy.
You can pray for more patience when issues mount up.
You can pray for more strength and wisdom.

God will give us more than we can ask or imagine in that moment.
So, deep breath, pray! You’ll be okay. God has ‘got it’,

 

[Nancy]

There are days when you just feel like you can’t take one more thing, right?
One more complaint. One more issue. One more frustration. One more complication.
When I’m having one of those days, I just want to say “no more!” And, that’s when I breathe and pray.

That is what I’ve learned to do … breathe and pray.
There’s something about pausing and breathing deeply that calms you and gives you a chance to pray. You can pray for more grace when the burdens are heavy.
You can pray for more patience when issues mount up.
You can pray for more strength and wisdom.

God will give us more than we can ask or imagine in that moment.
So, deep breath, pray! You’ll be okay. God has ‘got it’,

I so understand this to be true although, when these burdens rush at you it seems the hardest for me to pray coherently! It is times like these that I wish I did have the gift of praying in tongues...but, that was never to be even though I had prayed for it and prayed to understand it all. When the poo-poo hits the fan, I am almost speechless so, I simply ask The Holy Spirit to help me to pray. At that point, I just have tears and have to believe He will do it...Too many times our emotions get in the way, for me anyhow...as I have heard said once or twice "feelings are fickle, go with what you know" Ha! ♥ I will do the deep breath next time :)

 

[Helen]

I so understand this to be true although, when these burdens rush at you it seems the hardest for me to pray coherently! It is times like these that I wish I did have the gift of praying in tongues...but, that was never to be even though I had prayed for it and prayed to understand it all. When the poo-poo hits the fan, I am almost speechless so, I simply ask The Holy Spirit to help me to pray. At that point, I just have tears and have to believe He will do it...Too many times our emotions get in the way, for me anyhow...as I have heard said once or twice "feelings are fickle, go with what you know" Ha! ♥ I will do the deep breath next time :)

Oh when the times get too tough , I don't even try to pray...I picture myself just climbing up into Fathers lap and snuggling , listening to His heart.

He knows.
I may have told you this before ...probably so.
But I read once about a young new minister who travelled with Smith Wigglesworth. He lay in bed and said that S W never got into bed , but knelt by his bed all night , and he heard S.W. groaning over and over "Oh God, Oh God" over and over all night.
He was an amazing healing ministry ( England)

If groaning "Oh God" was a good enough prayer from Smith Wigglesworth, it's also good enough for me. :)

You don't have to read the whole lot, just read from "Ministry" down ( I hate links haha!) An old lady we used to take to church in the '60's actually knew him and went to his meetings. She told about the wonderful things that God did through him.

Smith Wigglesworth - Wikipedia

 

[Berserk]

I don't believe that we have really begun to understand the marvellous power there is in being still. We are in such a hurry ~ we must always be doing...so much so that we are in danger of not giving God a chance to work.
We may depend upon it, God says to us, "Stand still," or "Sit still," or "Be still," when He is getting ready to do something.
This is our trouble regard to our Christian life; we want to "do something" to be a better Christian when we need to let Him work in us.

We know how still we have to be when your photo is being taken.
Now God has one eternal purpose concerning us, and that is that we should be like His Son; and in order that this can be so, we must be passive and quiet in His hand.
We hear so much about activity, may be we need to know what it is to be still.
.........~ ~ Crumbs ~ ~

Your post reminds me of a favorite quote from French mathematician/ philosopher, Blaise Pascal's Pensees:

"All man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone...The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing."
The life of prayer is meant to be a 2-way conversation. Too many Christians spend little time listening for God's response to our needs and petitions. This listening process is greatly aided by the lost art of meditation. Too many Christians dismiss meditation as a New Age or eastern religious discipline, when in fact the Psalms place great emphasis on meditation. Biblical meditation can be understood in terms of the image of a cow chewing her cud. The cow chews her cud, swallows it, and then regurgitates it to chew it some more. In meditation we meditate of a divine promise, principle, or biblical image by chewing on it, swallowing it, and then recognizing that it has not properly been digested until we regurgitate it and chew on it some more, perhaps as new facts emerge in our thoughts and our lives. As we develop this discipline, the Spirit reveals our heart's "hidden reasons" and needs, so that God can respond to those needs as opposed to our conscious desires. ​

 

[Helen]

Thank you...good post.

 

[farouk]

Your post reminds me of a favorite quote from French mathematician/ philosopher, Blaise Pascal's Pensees:

"All man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone...The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing."
The life of prayer is meant to be a 2-way conversation. Too many Christians spend little time listening for God's response to our needs and petitions. This listening process is greatly aided by the lost art of meditation. Too many Christians dismiss meditation as a New Age or eastern religious discipline, when in fact the Psalms place great emphasis on meditation. Biblical meditation can be understood in terms of the image of a cow chewing her cud. The cow chews her cud, swallows it, and then regurgitates it to chew it some more. In meditation we meditate of a divine promise, principle, or biblical image by chewing on it, swallowing it, and then recognizing that it has not properly been digested until we regurgitate it and chew on it some more, perhaps as new facts emerge in our thoughts and our lives. As we develop this discipline, the Spirit reveals our heart's "hidden reasons" and needs, so that God can respond to those needs as opposed to our conscious desires. ​

I like Pascal's writings...

 

[Berserk]

ARE YOU A BLESSING MACHINE?

My friend Lloyd shared his friend's remarkable and instructive testimony with me. This man was an avowed unbeliever. One day, as he was strolling through a very crowded mall, he inadvertently bumped into a middle-aged lady. She braced herself for the impact by forcibly placing her hand on his shoulder, smiling, and then going her separate way. When he left that mall, something strange and wonderful happened. He became obsessed with the need to get right with God, despite his prior history of disinterest in spiritual matters. By the end of the day, he had repented and surrendered his life to Christ. Years later, he saw a photo of Christian faith healer, Kathryn Kuhlman, and recognized her as the woman whose hand had touched him that life-changing day with a blessing that allowed the Holy Spirit to pursue him with convicting power!

Kathryn Kuhlman was "a blessing machine." As a young man, I attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena for a year before transferring to Princeton. One Sunday, my Aussie friend Sam and I attended her noon healing service at the LA Shrine Auditorium, where the Academy Award ceremonies used to be hosted. You had to get there an hour early to get one of the 9,000 seats. Sam insisted that we sit on the platform with the long line of about 60 ministers. At one point, Kathryn wheeled around, looked at us, and jokingly said, "Did you ever see such a dead bunch of pastors? I think they need a blessing, don't you?" The huge audience roared their approval. She then began giving each pastor a gentle touch of blessing on their foreheads. It seemed like her gentle touch electricuted them because it catapulted each of them off their seat, prostrate on the floor! but as she approached Sam and I, sitting at the end of the long row, I was frightened because I'd never been "slain in the Spirit" before, and so, I didn't want her to touch me. Amazingly, without looking my way, she stopped, listened to what the Spirit was telling her, and discontinued her blessings just a couple of people before she would have gotten to Sam and me. I was impressed with her gift of spiritual discernment.

I later learned that a Presbyterian seminarian, a huge ex-college football player, had talked to her after a healing service, when she casually touched him and he "fell under the power," despite his lack of experience with such a phenomenon! Kathryn's whole way of being seemed to be oriented towards blessing all she met and Lloyd's friend was the beneficiary of her touch of blessing in that providential encounter in that crowded mall.

Jesus establishes an example for us by using His hands to bless children and His disciples:
"He took them [little children] up in His arms, laid hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16)."
'Then He [the Risen Lord] led them [His disciples] out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them (Luke 24:50)."
And He commands us to do the same: "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:28)."

How often do you take the time to bless people? Do you even know how?
God provides Moses with the type of prayer that constitutes a proper blessing:
"You shall say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
"the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:23-26)."

Blessing is different than normal petitionary prayer in this respect: when I bless people, I confer divine favor on them. Kf I use the model blessing in Numbers, I confer divine protection and peace on them. Blessing means "divine favor," but when I bless you, I'm not telling God specifically how to do it. I leave that to God's sovereign will. So blessing can be more powerful than specific petitions because it is a way of praying according to God's will to operate in the right way at the right time for the person being blessed. For Kathryn Kuhlman, blessing others became second nature to her and she silently blessed strangers she encountered. So she was virtually a blessing machine. Her use of her hand to silently bless Lloyd's skeptic friend led to his conversion that very day!

 

[Helen]

@Berserk

(I will just have to start calling you Joe. from now on! :) )

Good testimony .

It may interest you to know that one of the brothers on this Site is the nephew of Kathryn Kuhlman, I think she was his mothers sister or something.
I forget. He'll be back soon...he just had knee a replacement done and at the moment is in too much pain to post. ( he probably wishes his aunt was still around right now!! )
His name on here is @Willie T ..Bill .
If you hand around, you will meet him soon I am sure.

Bless you Helen.

 

[Helen]

"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. "

"How precious ... are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." — "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" — "Thy love is better than wine."

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." — " Thou art fairer than the children of men."

"As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." — "His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend. "

PSA. 63:5,6. Psa. 139:17,18. -Psa. 119:103. ‑Song 1:2. Psa. 73:25. ‑Psa. 45:2. Song 2:3,4. ‑Song 5:15,16.

PSA. 63:5,6. Psa. 139:17,18. -Psa. 119:103. ‑Song 1:2. Psa. 73:25. ‑Psa. 45:2. Song 2:3,4. ‑Song 5:15,16.

 

[brakelite]

I wonder whether Jesus's disciples or any of his friends for that matter called him 'Christ'?
It seems such an impersonal and removed term to me; as odd as calling your friend by a title particularly seeing Jesus's intention was to break down unnecessary barriers.

Even more uncomfortable to me is the reference so often made to the Christ.

 

[brakelite]

Deep Grief
by Chuck Swindoll

1 Corinthians 10:11-13

"The past couple of weeks have been some of the toughest of my life. My emotions have spanned the spectrum: shock, sorrow, horror, intense anger, disillusionment, disappointment, and utter bewilderment. I have prayed—without much benefit. I have read the Scriptures from the Psalms and Proverbs to the words of Jesus and various sections of the letters from Paul, Peter, James—without much peace.

I feel like Job, who admitted, "If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me? . . . He has exhausted me . . . . My spirit is broken" (Job 16:6-7; 17:1).

It occurred to me around 4:20 this morning that perhaps the late, great Spurgeon might have understood my grief better than any other when he wrote over a century ago in his Lectures to My Students, in a chapter entitled "The Minister's Fainting Fits":

Who can bear the weight of souls without sometimes sinking to the dust? . . . To see the hopeful turn aside, the godly grow cold, professors [and pastors] abusing their privileges, and sinners waxing more bold in sin—are not these sights enough to crush us to the earth? . . .

The lesson of wisdom is, be not dismayed by soul-trouble. Count it no strange thing, but a part of ordinary ministerial experience . . . . Live by the day, by the hour . . . . Be not surprised when men fail you; it is a failing world . . . . Be content to be nothing, for that is what you are.

No longer should we be saying that "perilous times will come." They have arrived, fellow pilgrim; they are now. And we must face them head-on, doing whatever is necessary to stand firm.

As Carl Henry wrote so eloquently in Twilight of a Great Civilization:

We may even now live in the half generation before all hell breaks loose, and if its fury is contained we will be remembered, if we are remembered at all, as those who used their hands and hearts and minds and very bodies to plug the dikes against impending doom.

The secret of standing in treacherous times is being willing to "take heed" lest we also fall."

I liken this to Isaiah's call for us to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in. (Isaiah 58.)
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

 

[Helen]

I Pray...
May the peace of God settle your thoughts.
May the love of God comfort your heart.
May the wisdom of God enlighten your mind.
May the Word of God illuminate your path.
May the grace of God carry your load.
May the kindness of God brighten your eyes, and may the presence of God fill your every hour.
Amen.

 

[Berserk]

@Berserk

(I will just have to start calling you Joe. from now on! :) )

No! Please, Not "Joe!" I hinted at my real name on the Welcome section.



Helen: "It may interest you to know that one of the brothers on this Site is the nephew of Kathryn Kuhlman, I think she was his mothers sister or something. I forget. He'll be back soon...he just had knee a replacement done and at the moment is in too much pain to post. ( he probably wishes his aunt was still around right now!! )
His name on here is @Willie T ..Bill .
If you hand around, you will meet him soon I am sure."

Thanks, I'd love to get his take on the criticism of KK that emerged after her death. She has always been my favorite Christian faith healer (though Kathryn would reject that label!) But I really sense the anointing on her when I attended 2 of her healing services when I was 21; and I go by testimonies of people who have been healed or blessed through her ministry that she doesn't even know about.

As a young man, I met an elderly couple who had attended Smith Wigglesworth's meetings and spoke glowingly of the humility of this great faith healer. He and Kathryn Kuhlman are in my view 2 of the greatest faith healers in the 20th century.

 

[Helen]

@Berserk said = <"Thanks, I'd love to get his take on the criticism of KK that emerged after her death. She has always been my favorite Christian faith healer (though Kathryn would reject that label!) But I really sense the anointing on her when I attended 2 of her healing services when I was 21; and I go by testimonies of people who have been healed or blessed through her ministry that she doesn't even know about.

As a young man, I met an elderly couple who had attended Smith Wigglesworth's meetings and spoke glowingly of the humility of this great faith healer. He and Kathryn Kuhlman are in my view 2 of the greatest faith healers in the 20th century." >

We had an old friend , gone now, who used to attend Wigglesworths meeting in her lunch hour in London . She couldn't say enough about him. He was quite the man. I have the book "God's Generals" that gives an overview on all the ( modern) 'greats' that have gone by. Most were in the healing ministry, ( that phrase will inflame some! lol )..died of some sickness or other. Even A.A Allan died of a stroke.
Smith Wigglesworth was the only one who died intact. Walked into 'church' sat down in the entrance way, was heard to sigh and was gone!! Wow what a place and way to go!

I read the book 'Daughter Of Destiny ' I think that is what it was called. Where Jamie Buckingham says before she died she told him to write it..and said "Write it all Jamie, write all of it, the good and the bad" And he did.
It's very honest, I'm sure you have read it.

Anyway @Willie T just had a knee replacement done..so not posting until he is back on his feet again.
You will see him around soon ( I hope! )

PS...and no.
I did se your hint about your name, but the hint wasn't clear enough for my tiny brain. Unless it is Don.

Most of us on here know each others real name. :)

 

[Berserk]

VISCERAL SPIRITUALITY "When splagchna
This thread will consider the often suppressed use of the Greek word "splagchna" (bowels) and its equivalent verb as a metaphor for authentic Christian compassion. Polite circumlocutions are often used in translations to cover up the raw intensity of the compassion required by this noun. Christians like to stress the need for heart-felt devotion, but "heart" too often gets reduced to a jargon work that fits ineffectually in our spiritual self-image. So the NT's visceral spirituality tends to get overlooked:

​

We need to actually wear our upset at our damaged sister's and brother's need on our faces and in our tone of voice!​

"Clothe yourselves with bowels (visceral compassion), kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). This alternate list of the fruit of the Spirit (cp. Galatians 5:22-23) adds a viscernal element, an element that gets lost on Christian reflection on 1 John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but shuts up his bowels (visceral compassion) from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?"​

In our weekly prayer group, I stress the need for regular updates on the conditions of the needy people that are targeted by our intercessory prayers. The updates are important to keep our prayer visceral by preventing them from becoming mere abstract topics on an unfeeling laundry list of prayer requests. Visceral compassion is a key to effective prayer and our role in emotional and physical healing. Consider Jesus' emotional state in Matthew 14:14 when He is about to pray for the sick:

"When He went out, He saw a great crowd and felt visceral compassion for them and cured their sick."

"For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the bowels (visceral compassion) of Christ Jesus; and this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with full knowledge and insight (Phil. 1:8)."
"
'

 

[Nancy]

VISCERAL SPIRITUALITY "When splagchna
This thread will consider the often suppressed use of the Greek word "splagchna" (bowels) and its equivalent verb as a metaphor for authentic Christian compassion. Polite circumlocutions are often used in translations to cover up the raw intensity of the compassion required by this noun. Christians like to stress the need for heart-felt devotion, but "heart" too often gets reduced to a jargon work that fits ineffectually in our spiritual self-image. So the NT's visceral spirituality tends to get overlooked:

We need to actually wear our upset at our damaged sister's and brother's need on our faces and in our tone of voice!
"Clothe yourselves with bowels (visceral compassion), kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). This alternate list of the fruit of the Spirit (cp. Galatians 5:22-23) adds a viscernal element, an element that gets lost on Christian reflection on 1 John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but shuts up his bowels (visceral compassion) from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?"​

In our weekly prayer group, I stress the need for regular updates on the conditions of the needy people that are targeted by our intercessory prayers. The updates are important to keep our prayer visceral by preventing them from becoming mere abstract topics on an unfeeling laundry list of prayer requests. Visceral compassion is a key to effective prayer and our role in emotional and physical healing. Consider Jesus' emotional state in Matthew 14:14 when He is about to pray for the sick:

"When He went out, He saw a great crowd and felt visceral compassion for them and cured their sick."

"For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the bowels (visceral compassion) of Christ Jesus; and this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with full knowledge and insight (Phil. 1:8)."
"
'

Wonderful post! Oh how I pray for that visceral compassion, especially when praying for those I do not know...but God knows them and hears us none the less ♥ I ask for a heart to love the worlds "unlovable" ♥