Built on Rock

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” (Matt.7:24-27)

My Fellow Pilgrims,

When I was going through engineering school I thought I had mastered the basics of a subject when I took the “101” course in that subject, like “Physics 101” or “Chemistry 101”. But in each case, to my dismay, when I took “laboratory course in that subject I found that just knowing the basic principles is not enough! You have to actually do something with the intellectual knowledge and learn to experience and manage the effects of these principles before you can really begin to say that you understand them. And then, when you do, you find that you don’t really need to memorize the equations because now you “really” understand where the equations came from, and you can reconstruct them intuitively!

The same is true of the spiritual principles on which true discipleship is based.  Just hearing the Word of God and deriving a set of spiritual principles from the Word is not enough! You have to let the Word come be activated in your Spirit by acting, in Faith, on that Word. When you do you will experience that Word in its spiritual fullness and thus have it become an unshakable reality in your life! That is why the Lord Jesus tells us that, unless you act on the Word you hear from Him, the basis for your discipleship is built on shifting sand. Only when you act on that “Rhema” Word in Faith will it become a Rock for you in your discipleship.

I have written much to you regarding entering into a true discipleship through a personal relationship with Jesus and the spiritual basics behind following Him. Now, however, it is time to talk you a bit about how to put your faith in God’s Word by putting Jesus’ Word and teaching into practice so that the Word can manifest and bring forth fruit in your lives – fruit that will endure for His Glory!

Like all apprenticeships, we learn the most and fastest by putting what we learn into practice, that is, through on-the-job training. Although most of us Christians are routinely exposed to the Word of God in our religious services, our ability to put the Word we hear into practice in our lives is not usually very consistent. And even when we attempt to put what little we do into practice we are every selective about what we choose to do – and it is usually those items in which we feel comfortable doing.  Just read the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) and ask yourself “how much of this teaching am I comfortable putting into practice?”

In order to make you more aware of our failings in putting Jesus’ words into practice, I will pose a few more questions so that you can grade yourself on your progress towards discipleship.

[1] “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also…” (Matt. 5:38-39)

[2] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  (Matt” 5:43-45)

[3] “ … bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:28)

[4] “Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.” (Jn.5-19)

If we are truly His disciples and are following Him, can we truly say that we only do what we see the Father or Jesus doing? If not, why not?

[5] “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”(Jn 14: 12)

If we are truly His disciples are we doing the works of power that he did? If not, why not?

From what we read in the Gospels, it should be clear to us all that Jesus expected ALL his disciples to follow after him in how He related to the Father and how He, in obedience to the Father, manifested His Kingdom in all that He said and did.

[6]“They who have my [directives] and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”  (Jn. 14:21)

[7]“If you keep my [directives], you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s [directives] and abide in his love. (Jn. 15:10)

Here is one of the “directives” He gave to his disciples when He sent them out – a directive that has been termed “the Great Commission” and which we have been told by our church leaders applies to all Christians:

[8]“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16: 15-18)

Do you consider yourself in compliance in putting this “directive” into action in your lives?  If not? Why not?

In doing all that the Father expected of Him, Jesus himself modeled the ideal type of apprenticeship He wanted us to follow. Admittedly, we are NOT Jesus, so our individual ability to emulate Him is limited. However, He did not intend that we would merely attempt to imitate Him out of our own human strengths and abilities. No, His intent was that He would send the Holy Spirit to empower us, just as He was empowered, so that we could live out our discipleship totally dependent on the Father’s power. In this manner, it will be clear, that all that proceeds out of our willing service is attributable only to Him! Thus through faith and our obedience, He would manifest His Kingdom, His Power and His Glory.

He taught His disciples the manifestation of power through the working of miracles, healing and deliverance intermixed with preaching and teaching so that is was clear that The Kingdom He was proclaiming was more than just holy rhetoric but a spiritual reality that could be observed through its power manifesting itself among men. He also taught using parables intermixed with explanations that related the works of power to the Kingdom of Heaven.  His private teaching to His disciples was centered on teaching them how, to enter the Kingdom (that is, the reign of God) in their own lives so that they could act as the Father’s instruments, under the empowerment that was on Jesus, to bring forth fruit for the Kingdom. When He gave them a directive and sent hem out to carry it out, He also empowered them with the Holy Spirit so they could fulfill that directive.

So I suspect, brethren, that one of the reasons we cannot answer the above questions is that, although we have heard the Word and His directive, we don’t have the faith to believe that we have been empowered to carry it out.

If that is the case, no problem, He has provided the empowerment at Pentecost. And, all who believe and have been baptized have the empowerment within them – Jesus, in us, the Hope of Glory (cf., Col.1:27) !

All we need to do is ASK and yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we may receive the empowerment and the Charismatic Gifts of the Spirit to begin to carry out our calling to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom with signs following! Praised be His Holy Name!!

Everything He did with His disciples was a learning event about how to bring the Kingdom of God into manifestation in the events of God’s people. In their on-the-job training, the Kingdom of God was preached and manifested by them, through faith in Jesus, to the most needy, both spiritually and physically, of the community so that, through their experiences, they understood that the anointing that was on Him was covering them as they ministered in His Name!

It also became clear, through Jesus’ teaching, that the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit that was on Him was merely the Father’s way of attesting to the truth of who He claimed to be (the anointed of the father). Thus Jesus’ works of power affirmed the Good News of the Father’s Love by communicating this Love in a visible emancipating manner so that the proclamation of God’s Kingdom could not be denied! As disciples, He is calling each of us to do likewise, in the very environment in which we live.

It is not recorded anywhere that Jesus taught His disciples religion or how to comply with the religious practices of His day.  He did not come to disregard or negate these practices, derived from God’s Word, but rather to fulfill them in His Person by His example and His actions.

He did make it clear, through His confrontation with the religionists of His day (the Scribes and the Pharisees), that the legalistic keeping of religious statutes was not the ultimate desire of the Father. Rather, the law was given to assist His people in discerning the Love He had for them – a Love that could only be understood by their obeying the teaching of the Torah with a spiritual vision as to what was in the Heart of God.

That is why, in His “sermon on the mount” (Matt. 5-7), Jesus challenged them to go beyond the literal keeping of religious rules and fulfill the Spirit of the Law and not just the letter. In doing so, He also indicated that those desiring to be His disciples needed to realize that they must rise above the literal and human sense of compliance of the Law and operate at the spirit level of their hearts in order to be part of the Kingdom that God wanted to bring to realization through them!

Of course, He would later reveal to them that the only way they could accomplish this is to be attached to the Vine (Himself) so that His Spirit could work through them to comply with the Spirit of the Law and truly bring forth fruit for the Kingdom! (Jn. 15:1-2)

The objective of Jesus’ discipleship program was NOT to make His disciples more religious, but to bring them to the awareness that the Father wanted them to be more and more like himself and thus cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that after His departure they would continue to bring the Ministry of the Kingdom of God’s Love to all humanity.

In this manner, acting as channels of God’s Ministry of Love, they would go out into the world as His yielded instruments to bring the spiritual reality of the Father’s Love into palpable demonstration through the proclamation of the Word and the corresponding works of power that follow the anointed preaching of the Word! This, would validate not only their preaching of the Good News of Salvation, but would also open the door for the Holy Spirit to draw the people to God through conversion and baptism and thus enter the door to the Kingdom through faith in Jesus, the Anointed Son of the Living God!

At a certain point in Jesus’ ministry, the people finally caught on that Jesus’ preaching and teaching was, in reality, an invitation for them to follow Him and thus enter the Kingdom by letting God reign in their hearts. His teaching and accomplishments incited them to ask, “How can we do the Works of God?”, that is, “ how can we do what we see you doing?”.  Jesus’ plain and simple response was… “Believe in Him who He has sent”!

This, then, is also our starting point for discipleship, but it is only the Door to the Kingdom, a door that we must go through to really progress into true discipleship, where we can come to the point where we fulfill Jesus’ further directive to do the works that he did  (cf., Jn. 14;12).

Jesus is the Open Door

Isn’t it clear then, brethren, that we who are baptized believers, are standing before an open door to discipleship, a door to becoming more and more like Jesus, to the point here we begin doing the works that He did — the only things constraining us, however, is our unbelief and our fear of yielding to the Holy Spirit, through whom comes the empowerment that was on Jesus.

Well, I shouldn’t say the only things, because we are also constrained by the artifices of our human culture and tradition which restrains us from being more like Jesus and from being fully empowered channels of God’s Love. Oh yes, we are exhorted by our churches to exhibit our Christian virtues of taking care of the physical needs of the poor and the needy and visiting prisoners, which is as it should be, but when the Holy Spirit leads some of us to preach, teach and  lay hands on the sick so that they may recover, we are told that doing so is presumptuous and  beyond our role as laity!

Yes, brethren, Divine Agape Love (Charity) MUST INDEED be the foundation of our discipleship but such Love does not exclude us from bringing healing, deliverance, and a prophetic word to those to whom we minister. In fact, if we don’t bring them the supernatural help from the Father that they need are we not instead doing them a disservice?

So when we enter into discipleship, we must not be choosy about what we do in obedience to the Lord, doing only what we feel comfortable doing. If the Lord asks us to preach or to teach in His Name, we must certainly do so! If He asks us to cast out demons and heal the sick, then we must do so! Remembering that if He asks us to do something, He will provide the anointing and empowerment to fulfill the task to which he asks us. (cf., 1Ptr.4:10-11 )

Go into all the world ...

That is why the discipleship that the Lord is calling us to is NOT the type to be practiced in some convent or monastery. The discipleship we laity are being called to is in the rough and tumble of the real world around us. We, brethren, are at the front lines of the battle against darkness and we need all the empowerment we can get to bring about the VICTORY OF THE KINGDOM. In order to FULLY put to practice al that the Lord has asked of us we cannot take NO for an answer! Not from the world and certainly not from our religious communities!  Behold, He says..” I hold before you an open door!” (Jn 3:8), an open door through which you, as He did, will face rejection and obstacles, an open door for On-the-Job Training under Jesus’ yoke of Love. Seek that open door and enter in, no matter what, for He is indeed calling you, but you need first to ask and to seek in order to find the door to His calling!

Every day each of our lives and the lives of those around us there are lives and relationship being broken, there are children with terminal illnesses, there are homeless, hungry and desperate people all around us who, not only are being deprived materially but spiritually – being deprived of the Good News of the Kingdom and its manifestation in their midst! Are you ready to answer the call? Then, get ready, for the Lord is indeed calling for those who have an ear to hear and a sincere and faithful heart, which is the good ground for the Word to take root and flourish a hundred fold!  Be one of the workers the Lord is sending to collect the harvest for His Glory and the Glory of His Kingdom!

May His Name be glorified forever and ever! Amen and Amen!!

May the Spirit of he Father confirm His call in you this day for the Glory of His Name!!

Your Brother and Fellow Pilgrim in Christ … Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2012])

Recommended Links
Sweet Yoke of Love
Responding to the Spitit’s Call
The Kingdom of God: Our Spiritual Inheritance
Reclaiming Our Legacy In Christ
Hearing God’s Voice, and Obeying It
Pentecost and the Promise of the Father
The Empowerment Gifts (Part 1)
The Empowerment Gifts (Part 2)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (Jn 1:1-5)

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and Fellow Disciples,

The terms “Overcome … ” or “Overcoming …” are used in very important scriptures in the new Testament, but the Apostle John appears to me as really providing inspired insight into its meaning.  An understanding that carries great weight for the disciple, and especially for those of us who are just becoming aware of the Spirit’s call to discipleship and are in the process of opening our hearts to the challenge of following our master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The terms, I have just mentioned, are used by St. John, in his Gospel and Epistles, in two primary senses: “Overcoming the World” and “Overcoming the Evil One” or, its equivalent, “Overcoming the Darkness”.  He even begins His Gospel with this theme – the tension between God’s Light and the Darkness of Evil. (cf., Jn.1:5).

John further indicates to us God’s eternal purpose – to bring us His Light, His Life, the Light of the Living Word, His Son!

“There was the true light which, [by] coming into the world, enlightens every man.” (Jn. 1:9)

In John’s revealed understanding of God’s intentions in redeeming His creation, the key dynamic behind His plan was the restoration of the Light of His Love into the darkness into which it had fallen due to the deception of the Evil One. In his Gospel, John clearly states that it is this light, the light of God’s Eternal Word that was still shining in the darkness and it was this true light that he was bringing to the world [system] to deliver man from the darkness that envelops us.

Now, the light He provides is the freedom of the light of life, but mankind is darkened to this by the Evil one so he can control us. Because of our fallen state and the deception of Satan, we prefer to live in the darkness of our sin rather than the light of God’s Love.

“And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.” (Jn. 3:9)

In order to “Overcome” the darkness God sent his only Son, The Word of Life” to bring us to the Light of the Father’s Love. So that in bringing all creation under His Light the darkness that envelops us may be dissipated. Jesus tells His Disciples (and us) …

The King within us

“I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.” (Jn.12:46)

Knowing, however, that those who follow Him would be resisted by the world as He was resisted, He prepares His disciples for their calling by telling them…

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (Jn.15:19)

He also encourages them by disclosing to them that, because He has “Overcome the World”, they are to be at “Peace” in this world  as long a they are “IN HIM”.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33)

The Apostle John further exhorts those whom he has discipled (and thus us) to stand against the World [system] by informing them they also are covered by this same Peace Of God (THE SHALOM) that was promised also applies to them because the “Overcoming Spirit of Christ” dwells in them.

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 Jn.4:4)

The apostle Paul, in a similar manner, tells his disciples that we are no longer to serve the Kingdom of darkness because …

“… He [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…” (Col. 3:1-13)

From what has been said, brethren, it must be clear to us now, that if we aspire to follow Jesus as His Disciples, we must also overcome the World and the Evil one who controls it, as he overcame it. The first step we take in entering this “overcoming” state is to turn away from the world [system] and place our faith in Jesus, the anointed Son of the Living God.

Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1Jn.5:5)

In the Book Of Revelation, John relates Jesus’ promises pertaining to those who “overcome”…

“… To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Rev.2:7)

“…  He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Rev. 2:11)

“… To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except he that receives it.” (Rev. 2:17)

Brethren, I truly believe that many right now are being called by the Spirit to enter into a true and overcoming discipleship under Our Lord and Teacher, Jesus, the Anointed of the Father. Are you one of these? If you are, then this article may give you some guidance. And, even if you do not sense a call right now, I feel the themes I will be touching on will greatly enhance your spiritual life, permitting you to go a step closer to hearing and understanding God’s call on your life – a leading to yoke yourself to Him in loving obedience to His Call.

As we enter into a New Year in Christ Jesus it is important to remember our call to discipleship and rededicate ourselves to make Jesus the very center of our lives.

Go into all the world ...

In attempting to live our lives for our Master we will find that the closer we come to Him the more stress the world and the evil one puts on us. The tension between world system of darkness and Our Lord’s Kingdom of Light is becoming ever more stressful for us believers as we draw closer to His Coming.

We are the children of the Light and the forces of darkness are doing everything they can to prevent us from shining forth His Light into the darkness of this world. We must always remember that He has called us as beacons of His Light in this present darkness. In order to let our light shine before men, it is therefore our calling as disciples to overcome this world system just as He overcame. And, because we are in Him and He in us, we have every confidence that He is working in us and through us to overcome the World.

 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  (1 John 5:4-5)

It is through this process of overcoming the world that we are strengthened and progress in our discipleship as the Holy Spirit is continuously forming us in His image.

In another article, I have already mentioned that the “renewal of our minds” is crucial to our overcoming the world. In this article, I wish to share with you some guidance I received in how to bring some of these concepts into practice in our lives.

One of the things I learned is that, once we have yielded ourselves fully to Christ,  we remove our “selves” from the throne of our lives and enthrone Jesus as Lord and King of our lives. We must begin to recognize Jesus is our LORD in all things and that we are merely stewards of every gift and ability The Father has placed in us. We are no longer acting on our own desires and plans, rather, we are literally acting in Jesus’ Name and, in this role, we must seek all of the Father’s desires that He places in us and, in accordance with His Grace, use our natural talents and gifts to fulfill or carry out those desires.

Except in specific situations, He does not normally dictate the details of what we are to do. He does not want robots for servants. No! What he desires is for us to freely use all our gifts creatively to bring His desires to fruition. When we seek His Spirit to work in us as we seek to manifest His will, the Spirit will augment our natural capabilities with His Spiritual Gifts so, that in this manner He enters into partnership with us in carrying out the work of the Kingdom!

A simple analogy to elucidate the manner with which we are to carry our His calling, would be to compare, God as the owner of a large piece of property in a large city, who wishes to build a hospital on that property. Think of yourself as acting for Jesus in accomplishing the Father’s desires, and as the architect whom He hires to design and build this facility and to whom He has delegated al the resources needed to build it as He desires. Yes, you have to check your plans with the owner every now and then to see if your design is compatible with His wishes, but other wise, He has given you free rein to design the best facility your creative and god-given talents can produce in accordance with His will and desires (think of this project as the particular “calling” the Lord has given you).

In this analogy, the world of darkness, however, is intent on keeping the hospital from being built and when the Prince of Darkness sees that you have been delivered from His control and have been appointed to this task, he will come up with every obstacle possible to keep you from building it. So besides the main task of designing and building the hospital you have to also deal with the politics, regulations, and pure stubbornness on the part of the city officials in order to bring the project to fruition. In effect, you will be opposed in carrying out your charge by the world and the Prince of Darkness.

One of the things that must definitely be avoided is to think of this as YOUR PROJECT or YOUR HOSPITAL. No! This Is the Father’s Project and Hospital and you are merely His steward at the service of the Father (just as Jesus was when He was on Earth). So when things get tough you go to the Father and ask Him to intervene to ensure its successful completion. That is, you use the authority and power that has been given you (in Jesus) to move the mountains that stand in the way and to keep the Devil away.

This is merely an allegorical example of how we, as disciples, are called to overcome the forces of darkness that intervene in our lives to keep us from bringing forth the Kingdom of God in our lives and the attitude to which we must take in responding to our calling.  I only bring this to you in this manner so that when you accept your calling and enter into the work of the Kingdom, you will draw on the power of God that has been allocated to you to fulfill your role as Jesus’ stand-in.

Always remember that without abiding in Jesus you can do nothing. The greatest deception the Evil One will place in you way is to think that YOU are the one behind your calling.  NO, brethren, you must NEVER permit yourself to be tempted by pride in what you have been called to do. This is how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and we see how Jesus resited the tempter through God’s Word. In the same way, Jesus will help you resist if you abide totally in Him and renounce your own self-interest by dying to your “self” and living for Christ only.

You must also be aware that these temptations come even when you are doing what you think are religious or spiritual tasks. In fact this type of temptation is even more deceptive because, since you think you are doing the Lord’s work, it will meet with His approval.  But if your inner motives are for your own self-gratification, these works will merit you nothing and, in fact, may nullify the work of the Kingdom in and through your life. Remember this principle: if you work for your own self promotion, you are not working for the KING and His Kingdom but for yourself and the Kingdom of Darkness!

I share all these reflections with you brethren to save you from stumbling along your path of discipleship. I tell you these things from the experience of my own failures and so that you may achieve union with Jesus in accordance with His Grace and thus fulfill the Father’s will in your lives to the Glory of His Name!

I conclude this message to you with Paul’s exhortation to the Church at Colossus ( and to us who are also being called into discipleship) …

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in Him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.” (Col. 2:6-10)

May the Lord strengthen you with His Spirit as you progress along the narrow way of His Love.

Your Brother in Christ Jesus,

Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2012])

Related Links

The Crucified Life

The Cost of Discipleship

The Renewal of Our Minds

The Sweet yoke of Love

Husbands Love Your Wives

Enter in by the Narrow Gate

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (Jn1:14)

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we approach the celebration of our savior’s birth it is appropriate that we meditate on the unimaginable mystery and magnificence of this event.  A mystery which was kept even from the angels – basically, the Father’s plan to redeem us from the sin which has enveloped humanity since Adam.

A plan not only to redeem us but to restore us to adoption as His spiritually generic Children. A plan that could be wrought only by through the Divine becoming one of us and atoning for our sins through an unjust passion and death at the hands of those whom He was saving. For, indeed  only God Himself, in human form, could take responsibility and be judged for our sins since He is the Sinless and Holy One who created us. In this incarnation of His Divine Self and the Sacrifice of His Son for our sins is the ultimate and immanent manifestation of His transcendent Love -Yet, A love that expresses itself at the level of Human realization – A Love that goes beyond philosophy and theology to the reality of the birth of a human child incarnating God Himself – the birth of the lamb of God -  The Lamb that the Father provided to be publicly sacrificed to atone for our sins,

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes on Him might not perish but come to everlasting life” (Jn; 3-16­)

The Father’s giving of His Son begins at the Birth of Jesus – the event we celebrate as Christmas – the key event, on this Earth for His plan of redemption.  The Gift of His Son begins at His Birth, His “incarnation”, where He emptied Himself of His Divine nature and became as one of us. This began the process by which the Word of God, the Son of God, became flesh for the  purpose of sacrificing His Life for for our sins and, in this manner, manifested the Love of the Father for His creation and opened the door for our own re-creation in His “image”.

“… when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”  (Gal 4:4-7)

From this scripture we understand that, in order to accomplish His will in this regard, the Father needed a select volunteer, a human woman without sin to bring forth the Son of God incarnate into this world. This woman was Mary, a pure virgin dedicated to God, selected by Him to be the vessel through which His Son would be conceived and born as the God-Man anointed savior of the world.

And, as you might expect, it all began with an Angel delivering a Word from God.

(For God does nothing apart from His Word).

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35)

In delivering this Word from God, the Angel was delivering a Divine Promise and in order for this Promise to be realized,  Mary, the chosen mother of His Son, needed to willingly and in faith accept and receive that Promise. Although she asked out of curiosity, “how can this be since I am a virgin?”,  the Angel told her  “.. with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). And Mary, responding in faith said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).

Brethren, I gently remind you of these things that you already have heard but which may not have had the impact it ought on your heart, so that you may be made aware, by the Holy Spirit, that the Father’s Love and purposes for the Birth of Christ, His ministry, His Passion, His Death and His Resurrection go much further than saving us from our sins and bringing us into His Glory. In fact, His intent was, and still is, for Jesus, His Son to be the first of many brethren. His intent is to replicate His Son in us so that His Glory and the Glory of His Son might be multiplied amongst us, and through us who believe, and so that we might be His instruments for the manifestation of His Kingdom in this world. Baruch ha Shem!

Peter, our first pope, expressly stated this underlying destiny for those who have also been born again through the Promises of His Word and who through the preaching of that word, have come to adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Yes! As you might expect, we also are re-born spiritually, through the proclamation  of  God’s Word – the Good News of Salvation in Christ Jesus!

“You have been born anew,

not of perishable but of imperishable seed,

through the living and enduring Word of God…

For  “All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls,

but the Word of the Lord endures forever.” 

That word is the good news that was announced to you.”

(1Ptr1:23-25)

And, as the Apostle Peter further amplifies, it is the Father’s intent that we, through our faith in His Promises, may become His partners in brining forth His Kingdom, through our baptism into Christ!

“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.” (2Ptr1:3-4)

What shall we say then, to these graces and love that is freely bestowed on us? What is the response that the Father desires of us to His gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus?  If the Living God gave totally of Himself, is it not appropriate that we His creatures give totally of ourselves in response to his Love. Is not this then the most appropriate gift that we can bring to the manger to celebrate the Gift of God’s Son to us?  Here again St. Peter hints the path of giving we must take to enter into the spiritual transformation that enables us to fulfill our destiny …

“Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  (1Ptr1:2-5)

And what are these spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God?  Aren’t these, in effect, the  giving of  our  “selves” to God?

To that question the Apostle Paul responds affirmatively ….

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Rom 12:1-2)

In order to assist you in accepting this challenge Brethren, I follow this article with a Prayer of Commitment, so that those of you whom the Holy Spirit has touched may, upon personal meditation use it to formulate your own payer of commitment wherein you not only dedicate your “self” as a Living sacrifice in response to the Father’s Love but you also yield yourself to the Holy Spirit so that He can fill you and mold you and empower you to bring forth the Father’s kingdom in and through your lives.

I conclude with the Apostle Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians who were also at the same point you now are, in being invited to enter the Kingdom through the gift of yourselves to the Father and to bring the Good News of the Kingdom to others….

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”     (Eph.3:16-21)

Your Brother In Christ … Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

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Prayer of Commitment

Lord Jesus, I believe that you, the Son of the Living God came down from heaven to reveal the Father’s Love to me by suffering and dying for my sins. I believe that through your death and resurrection you have brought redemption and life not only to me but also all else who believe in you. I further believe that it is only through knowing you in a loving personal relationship that I can know the Father.

It is because I have a burning desire to know you and abide in you that I now yield myself completely to you and your love. I open the door to my heart so you can come in and sup with me and thus begin the special relationship with you for which you died and for which I hunger. At this moment I yield myself to your love. Enter in and activate my spirit with your Holy Spirit so that I can go beyond just mere intellectual belief in you to a personal spiritual knowledge of you and the Father.

Lord, cleanse me from my sins and make me a fit vessel for your presence. Permeate my entire being with your life and your love so that I can truly be your instrument in this world. Be my Lord, Be My God, Be my King to rule and to reign in me. In faith and by your grace I receive You and I receive Your word. Abide in me just as you abide in the Father and the Father in You! Thank You for giving Yourself for me. Amen!

Prayer for Empowerment in the Holy Spirit

Father, as your child in Jesus I desire to be totally an instrument for Your Kingdom to manifest through my life. I desire to receive your Promise of the Holy Spirit to those who believe. Jesus, my Savior and King, baptize me in the Holy Spirit so that the power of your resurrection will work in me and transform me according to your will. Holy Spirit, empower me and fill me to overflowing. I hold nothing back from you. Work your gifts in me and through me so that the Father’s Kingdom may be manifested in and through my life. I ask this in Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen!

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Now, begin praising and worshipping God with all your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, renew you, and praise God through you. Release yourself from all the inhibitions you have and raise your voice in songs and psalms. Express those longings you have held in your heart for so long but were unable to let loose because of your inhibitions. As you sing and worship release yourself to the Holy Spirit so that He can pray and worship through you.

As you enter this time of praise and worship you will begin to experience a sense of the presence of the Lord. You will begin to lose your self-consciousness and you will sense that the flow of your prayers and song is coming as if from out of nowhere. In fact, as your praise increases you sense that you are uttering words that are no longer in your mother tongue. But you know in your spirit that these words are honoring God so your flow in these phrases increases. You have just received your prayer language. You are feeling so blessed, you find that you don’t want to stop. Don’t stop. Pray and sing your heart out, glorifying God!

Praised be His Holy Name! You have now ”Entered the Kingdom” of the Father! Walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His call! May the Lord Bless you and anoint you with the Holy Spirit in all that you do!

Your Brother In Christ,

Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

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Resource Links In Preparing for the Baptism In the Spirit

Catholic Charismatic History

§ Releasing the Spirit

§ The Double Portion Anointing

§ Jesus, the Source of Living Water, and Us

§ Pentecost and the Promise of the Father

§ The sanctifying Gifts (Part 1)

§ The Sanctifying Gifts (Part 2)

§ Praying in The Spirit

§ Empowerment Gifts (Part 1)

§ The Empowerment Gifts (Part 2)

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

(Mark 16:17-18)

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My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In my previous post under this title (Part 1), I commented on the need for us Christians to learn to pray more and more as Christ prayed. Not just because we need to imitate Him and carry out His Teachings on prayer, but because as New Creations In Him we are being conformed into His image by the Holy Spirit (cf.,Rom.8:29) for the purpose that He, working through us, His Body, might continue to bring forth the Kingdom in this world – beginning with each of us individually.

In general, we Christians, are not growing spiritually as we ought, is not so much because of the effects of the world system in which we are embedded, but rather because of our lack of awareness of who we are in Christ, namely, that in coming to a new birth in Christ, we are a new creation in Him and that our that the focus of our lives needs to center on the understanding in faith, that “… it is no longer [we] who live but Christ who lives in [us] and through [us]’’ (cf. Gal 2:20).

I have been crucified with Christ...

And, that Jesus, our lord and Savior by sacrificing Himself on the Cross for us, not only redeemed and saved us but, in effect, exchanged His Life for ours by taking on Himself all of our sinful nature and extending to us His own righteousness so that we might be reborn as new creatures (2Cor.5:17) and spiritually engendered children of God in Him.

If the apostle Paul were with us today, I’m sure that he would repeat his plea to the Galatian church, “My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..” (Gal 4:19). And as he also reminded the church in Corinth, “Do you Not Know that Christ is in you?” (cf.,2Cor.13:5) or “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (cf.,1Cor.3:16)).

Of course, if we consciously came to this realization, I assure you we would be living the holiest lives we could, by God’s grace. It is for this reason that we need to grow in the awareness of His presence in us, especially when we pray, so that our prayers may emanate from His presence within us and call forth, prophetically, through our prayers the power of The Kingdom to heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, and deliver from the power of darkness those who are calling for His help. In effect, we need to learn to pray as He prayed.

In so doing we must always remember that when we are praying in this mode, that is, as Jesus’ stand-ins under His Anointing, and not as individuals separate from Him, we must constantly be aware that it is He working through us. Recognizing this, that the gifts we receive to operate under His Anointing are His Gifts, not ours, and do not involve us other than we have yielded ourselves to Him so that He may express Himself through us for the Glory of God, the Father. Praised be His Holy Name!

Our problem is that we seldom enter or operate in this mode of prayer.  Yes, we all acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior but when it comes to praying at the level I just described we run into our inferiority complex. Our awareness of our own sinfulness and God’s holiness so dominates us that it seems presumptuous to “the nth degree” to even contemplate that we could pray and do the works of power that Jesus did. And yet the Lord Himself promises that,

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”  (John 14:12-14)

Now, it is true that if we intend to do these works out of our own initiative or fleshly desires it would not only be presumptuous but sinful as well.  What Jesus is saying above has some conditions. One of them is that you must be under His anointing and that anointing is ONLY granted when you are obeying the Father in what He is accomplishing. Listen to what Jesus says about operating under this anointing,

“Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.” (John 5:19-20)

So we see that only through a deep fellowship with the Trinity in prayer are we granted to “see what the Father is doing” and to receive from Jesus the authority to act in His Name in bringing the Father’s work to completion (cf.  The Crucified Life).

But it is exactly to this deeper union with the Divine to which we are being called through prayer, so that, indeed, we, like Elisha (cf., 2Kings-2:9-14), can receive Jesus’ mantle and operate under His anointing. This is essentially what we are praying for when we pray the “Our Father” and  submit ourselves to His Will so that His Kingdom may come, in us and through us in today’s world, here and now. (see part 1 of this series).

This brings us to the next two themes regarding prayer that Luke wants to impress on us. These themes not only address the prayer life we need to attain to operate under His anointing but also our responsibility to share the blessings of our holy fellowship with other pilgrims who are seeking the face of the Lord in their lives.

The next theme addressed by Luke in Chapter 11 is as follows:

The Second Theme:  Sharing the Gift – The Responsibility of the Disciple

“And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him. ’And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.” (Luke 11:5-8)

Now, that we have dedicated ourselves to the Lord as His disciples and have come to a deeper union wit the Holy Trinity, Luke wishes to gently remind us that we have the responsibility to share our relationship with those other pilgrims who are sincerely seeking the Lord. Jesus, in this teaching, refers to this other pilgrim as “a friend of mine has arrived …” – that is, a seeker that God has brought into your life specifically so that you can witness to him.

Three Loaves

Your responsibility is to share what the Lord has done for you with him, namely, your relationship with the Father, the Holy Spirit, your source of sustenance, and Jesus, through whom you have the forgiveness of your sins. These are the three loaves you are asking to bring to “your friend”. You, of course are powerless to provide these loaves (you have nothing to offer) so an “asking” prayer is the way that you intercede for your pilgrim friend so that through your witness He too may come into the Reign of the Father in his life! In this prayer you must be bold and persistent, not because the Lord would hold back, but because the forces of darkness (ie.,the midnight) will resist you.

This second theme is important because without the relationship to the Triune Godhead. we cannot proceed to the next theme: “Asking for the Anointing”.

The Third Theme: Asking for Anointing – by the Holy Spirit

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13)

-Note that, Jesus’ quote for this theme is a restatement from the book of the prophet Jeremiah that states: ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’  (Jer.29:10-14)

In this Old Testament Scripture, the terms, “Ask, Seek, and Find” all refer to God Himself.  And similarly, the quote by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel refers to the “Holy Spirit”. This is attested to by the final statement: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke  11:13)

In attempting to comprehend the teaching here, it must be pointed out, that Luke was writing to Baptized Christians, who have already received the Holy Spirit. So, then, what is the point that Luke is intending to make?

Recieving the Anointing

The point that Luke is making to baptized Christians, is that in order to be empowered as Jesus was empowered, the Anointing of the Holy Spirit that came on Christ must be invoked by us, through prayer so that we may share in Jesus’ anointing. The exhortation quoted above, then, instructs the Christian on the faith and the steps needed to pray for this anointing of the Holy Spirit over our lives. In this way we permit the empowerment that was on Jesus to fall on us in order to accomplish the Father’s perfect will in our service to others.

As a child of the Father, in order to proceed to accomplish the tasks or mission that the Father sets before you in your role in life, you need to ask the Father to empower you to carry our that role (see post on Our Father).  In doing this we follow the example of Jesus who although had the fullness of the Spirit in Him from birth, emptied Himself of the empowerment He was entitled to as the Son of God (Phil. 2:7), so that He, as the Son of Man, could submit Himself to be empowered by the Spirit, as a “MAN”. This happened, when after His Baptism by John the Baptist, the Spirit came upon Him like a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mk.1:10, Lk.3:22; Jn.1:32).  He affirmed this event when he entered Nazareth on the Sabbath and read from Isaiah the following passage from Luke 4:18:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free…”

We similarly, in following Jesus’ formation in the Spirit through our baptism, must also be anointed by the Spirit in order to carry out our own specific calling accompanied by the spiritual gifts we need to carry out that calling. Yes, we received the “inner” anointing (1Jn.2:27) for our own sanctification when we were baptized into Jesus (Rom. 6:3), but like Jesus we also need to be anointed with the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8) so that we might be channels of God’s grace to others. This is normally accomplished at our Confirmation or through what is sometimes termed, “the Baptism in the Spirit”. That is how the Lord places us in partnership with Himself to work in this world. When we are obedient and empowered, He will place us where He wants us so that He, working through us may minister His Love and Grace to others for the building up of the Church (1Cor. 14:12).

One of the problems we all face, is in understanding how the empowerment anointing operates in our renewed lives in Christ. The first mistake we all make is to take the Gifts of the Holy Spirit for granted. That is, we assume that after we have been baptized, Grace being Grace, the Spirit will work in us automatically through our lives as long as we remain in a state of grace.

Now, for the sanctifying graces noted in Chapter 11 of Isaiah, that may well be true. But for the actual graces, as manifested in the empowerment gifts listed in 1Cor. Chapter 12, this not true. The main reason being that the Holy Trinity does not want to empower zombies or robots to do the Father’s will. He wants to empower His Children so that He may work through their obedient Love.

In order that LOVE might be supreme in forming a partnership with us, He wants us to freely yield to Him to work in us and through us so that, with our willingness and obedience in place, He might be free to work in us an through us to manifest His Kingdom through our obedience. Normally this would be accomplished through the Sacrament of Confirmation, but since we are not usually prepared to receive the Empowerment Gifts at this instance, the Lord, in His mercy permits us to release the Anointing that was placed on Jesus at a prayer service we term, “the Baptism or release of the Spirit”.

At this service you will be asked to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and to pray for an infilling and release of the Spirit in your life. This submission, if done in faith, will give the Holy Spirit the Freedom to work in you and through you so that the gifts and anointing that was on Jesus will be on you. This will permit Jesus to work in you and through you to accomplish the Father’s will.  Praised be His Holy Name!

Once thus anointed and in place to serve Him, we might ask, “now, how do I activate this anointing?”.  Luke provides us the answer in this third theme – namely, we ASK., we SEEK, and we KNOCK.

Thus, by implication, if we desire to do the Father’s will and be partners with the Divine in bringing forth His Kingdom, we are urged to ask for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Only in this way can we bring to fulfillment the desires the Father has placed into our hearts, whether they be ‘moving mountains, healing the sick or casting out demons (Mark 16:17).

Also, we note, that in the Greek, the tense of the verbs ask, seek, find, and knock infer a continuing action such as, “asking and keep on asking”. The reason for this is that the Lord wants us to ask, seek, and knock for His help in every situation we face in life.  By doing so we invite Him and His Holy Spirit to be the dynamic source for our actions thus activating the partnership He wants of us, and yielding all the results for His Glory  – not ours!

In asking, we not only admit our own inability and humility but also affirm our total dependence on HIM and Him alone- so that it is clear that all the Glory attendant to the works of power is His!

In seeking, we understand that only through a personal face-to-face relationship with Him can He act not only as our Empowering Partner, but also as our guiding Parent. Thus our seeking is an act of discerning His will and an affirmation of our personal connection to Him –  who created all things,

In Knocking, we take action, in faith, to test and discern “what the Father is doing” in our circumstances – and, then, again in faith, entering in through that door that He opens for us to bring to completion the Father’s will. Praised be His Holy Name!!

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“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” (Eph. 2:4-10)

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter4:7-11)

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With all I have shared with you my brothers and sisters, I pray the Lord will inspire your discernment in the reading of the Word and the Meditation of your hearts so that these themes will come alive in your spirits and so that you may find and enter through the doors He is opening for you to take the action He desires of you for the Glory of His Kingdom. 

Praised be His Holy Name, forever and ever. Amen.

Your Brother and Fellow Pilgrim in Christ Jesus  …  Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

Recommended Links

§ The Empowerment Gifts

§ Becoming Children of God

§ Growing in the Spirit

§ Responding to the Spirit’s Call

§ Reclaiming Our Legacy In Christ

Jesus In Deep Prayer

[Jesus:] “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.  …. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  (cf.,Jn.16:24-27)

“I [Paul] am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.” (Col.1:24-29)

“Examine yourselves to see whether y are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor. 13:5)

“My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4:19)

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Dear Pilgrims and Fellow Members of the Body of Christ,

One of the greatest responsibilities we have as members of Christ’s earthly body, His Church, is prayer.  But REAL prayer, not just the rote repetition of scripted religious piety, prayer that is a heart to heart dialogue with the Our God as Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Prayer that flows out of our meditation on His Word. Prayer that is constantly seeking His face and His Will to perform it. Prayer that comes from a yielded spirit that is not seeking anything for “self” but only the Glory of the Father and His Kingdom!  Prayer that comes forth out of the spiritual awareness that we are “in Christ and that Christ is in us” – an awareness that compels us to yield ourselves in Love to Christ so that He may live and pray through us to the Father.

The reason that this level of prayer is required of us is that it is only through this level of prayer that we can fulfill the destiny that Our Father has for us, the Body of Christ – the destiny of being conformed to the image of the Son (Rom. 8:29). For,  “Unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ… till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God… unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:7, 13).

In order to grow into the Christ-likeness the Father intends for us, we must pray as Christ prayed, we must walk as He walked, we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit as He was empowered and we must fulfill the Father’s will as He fulfilled the Father’s will to bring forth the Glory of His Kingdom here on this Earth. In effect we are here to continue Jesus’ ministry in this world! This is beyond anything our hapless humanity can accomplish – only the Holy Spirit working in us and through us can transform us and empower us to bring us to this point. We are new creation in HIM, but the Holy Spirit will not activate our new self without our yielding totally to the will of the Father.

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2Cor.5:15-17)

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” (1Cor.6:19-20)

Yes, brothers and sisters, we have been bought for a price and our lives are no longer our own, it is our destiny, yea even our mission in life to give ourselves totally to the Spirit of God to conform us to Jesus, so that He, living and working through us, might bring to completion the purpose for which He was sent, namely, to bring the Kingdom of His Father to this world and, thus, restore God’s creation to its original Glory!

Yes, he died to save us from the power of evil and to be with Him in Heaven for eternity, but He also gave Himself for His “called out ones” in this world, His Ecclesia”, that so that we could take His mantle and carry on His ministry until He comes to reign. He died for us, taking on our sins so that we could be restored as children of the Father and, that as His Brothers and Sisters, we might become inheritors of the Kingdom with Him who is our King, so we, that as His commissioned envoys, may enforce, through faith, His Word and His Promises to bring forth His Kingdom for the Glory of the Father!

We, His Body, then, are called to be His deputies in bringing forth the Kingdom in this world in preparation for His Coming as King!   However, without true, intimate, spiritual prayer and communion with the Divine we cannot achieve the end for which we were created.  Without prayer we cannot be attached to Him, the Vine, and without being attached we cannot bring forth fruit!

That is why I previously mentioned, in another article, that the foundational prayer model for true discipleship is “the Lord’s Prayer” or what it really should be called, “the Disciples Prayer”. This prayer, mentioned by both Matthew and Luke, once spiritually understood, clearly lays out the Father’s plan to have us be His Partners in enforcing His Promises and His will in order to bring forth His Kingdom in this world.

Looking more carefully at Chapter 11 of Luke’ Gospel we see that the evangelist was not just recounting a series of unrelated stories about Jesus’ prayer life and His sayings, but rather was taking these sayings and teachings to string together a spiritual lesson, laying out the importance of prayer in bringing forth The Kingdom in our world today!

Let us first analyze these initial themes and order of these teachings/sayings so that we may discern what Luke is attempting to tell us through these teachings of Jesus.

Chapter 11 of Luke’s gospel begins with the three major themes that indicate the importance we need to place on our personal prayer in order to begin to fulfill the roles the Father has destined for us in fulfilling the portion of Jesus’ ministry that has been designated for us. The scriptures that specify these themes are: Luke 11: 1-4; Luke 11:5-8; and Luke 11:9-13. In order to help your meditation on these teachings I will go through each with my own annotations, which are there to help you, but which I urge you to read, test and reinterpret these scriptures as the Spirit leads you.

The First Theme:  The Prayer of Dedication (The Disciples’ Prayer)

(Luke 11:1)  He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

- Here, in this situation Luke is attempting to convey that the Holy Spirit moved the disciples to desire to pray as Jesus prayed.  Do you feel led by the Spirit to have Him bring you to the point where you can pray as Jesus prayed? This desire is the starting point to the Way of Discipleship. If you don’t have it yet, pray for it when you pray the “Disciples Prayer”, not out of routine piety but out of a heartfelt desire and need to follow our Master.

(Luke 11:2-4) He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come.

- Here Jesus tells His disciples that through the relationship they have with Him they are to address their prayer directly to the “Father”. In addressing God as   personal “Father” He is going against all the traditions of the Jewish people. In fact this is one of the accusations that was made against Him, that “He claims that God is His ‘Father’ ” (Jn 5:18). Now, Jesus is intimating to His Disciples that if they are to pray as He prays, they are to also address God as their Father not just the Father of the Jewish People, which was acceptable, but as the personal  “Father” for each one of them. Note that the term used by Luke is the more personal, “[my]Father”, not “Our Father”,  as in Mathew’s version. Now, we have to ask ourselves when we say this prayer do we really understand in our spirits that we are addressing our own spiritual parent, the creator of the Universe, the one who has made us a New Creation in Christ, and not just some pietistic name for Deity? Do we really understand the unimaginable upgrade we have in Jesus to be able to address God as “our Father”, presuming, in faith, the same relationship that Jesus had?  And then there is the even more unimaginable offer we are making as His Children, namely. to ask Him to manifest His Kingdom, through us by offering ourselves, through the surrender of our individual will and self to Him? To clarify that this prayer is not to bring you to some “blue sky’ concept of an ethereal paradise, Mathew’s version adds: “…(so that) thy will [may] be done [here and now] on Earth as it is in Heaven”. Now this is what makes this prayer a prayer of dedication for you, as a disciple –  a prayer opens you to the reign of God in your Life!  A prayer that prepares you to “Pray as Jesus Prayed”!

(Luke 11:3) Give us each day our daily bread.

- Here Jesus indicates that our prayer of dedication MUST first acknowledge our humanness and complete dependence on the Father for both our spiritual and material sustenance. Without this sustenance, we cannot our of our own humanness, expect to be effective in being obedient to Him and His Word, That is why Jesus, in John’s Gospel says: “Without me you can do nothing” (Jn.:15:5). And that is also why in another place in John, He says; “I am the Bread of Life” and, “…those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” (Jn 5:35; Jn 6:56). We, in the Catholic tradition of faith, are able to fulfill this spiritual source of sustenance through the reception of the Eucharist, with the proviso, … “if we receive in faith, so that by partaking of His Body and Blood, He is strengthening and renewing His Presence in us” so that His Kingdom may be realized in us in the events and circumstances into which, by the Father’s grace and providence we have been placed.

(Luke 11:4) “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

- In Luke’s version, Jesus concludes the model of the prayer of dedication He is teaching His disciples by also indicating that without forgiveness they cannot be the Father’s envoys to bring forth the Kingdom. For His is a kingdom of Love and since He Is Love, His Love must rule your heart. If we do not forgive, we are in sin and we CANNOT do His will when we are in rebellion against His will! But if we sin we have an advocate before the father, so that if we confess our sins we will be forgiven (1Jn.1:8-10). The concluding line indicates our awareness of our human weaknesses and tendency to sin and asks that He keep us from trials that will lead us to sin. Again, in the Catholic tradition, after we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we ask that He “… keep us from the near occasions of Sin” or situations that are beyond our spiritual maturity and wisdom so that we will not fail to bring forth fruit for His Glory and For His Kingdom.

Psalm 15

1 O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and speaks truth from his heart;

3 who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

4 in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD;  who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 who does not put out his money at interest, and does not take a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things shall never be moved.

“For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory for ever, Amen.” (Matt. 6;13))

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This, then, in commentary, is what the Disciples’ Prayer is about. It is a prayer, that, when said from the heart, with full understanding of the commitment you are making, reiterates your desire to pray as Jesus prayed, and commit yourself to the “Obedience of Love” as Jesus committed Himself. In doing so, your focus in life, from here on, will be to seek the Father’s will in all that you do. In so doing you will comply with other of Jesus’ exhortations, namely, to  “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33) and to embody in ourselves Jesus’ own statement of dedication, “… Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise” (John 5:19).

In my next article on this subject (Praying as Jesus Prayed Part 2) I will comment on the remaining two themes on Prayer at the beginning of Luke Chapter 11 (cf., Luke 11:5-8; and Luke 11:9-13).

Please pray, read, and meditate on these scriptures so that you may respond to the Spirit’s call on your life to permit the Spirit of Jesus to live and pray through you!  For it is to this level of prayer we are all called as we are being conformed more and more into the image of Christ.

Praised be His Holy Name!

Your Fellow Pilgrim in Christ …  Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

Recommended Links

§ Sweet Yoke of Love
§ Releasing The Spirit
§ Hearing His Voice…. and Obeying it
§ Praying In the Spirit
§ Responding To the Spirit’s Call
§ The Kingdom of God Our Spiritual Inheritance

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised …” (Luke 4:18)

Dear Fellow Pilgrims, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is perhaps nothing more pernicious that can happen to us than the experience of a broken heart.  Not only does a “broken heart” cause emotional damage to the person involved but it also causes spiritual damage because it provides an entrance to the enemy of our souls into our lives. An unresolved inner hurt that is not spiritually resolved provides the enemy a foothold (stronghold) in our spirit that leads us into un-forgiveness, addictive immoral behavior, or worse, thus preventing us from establishing a full and complete relationship with the Holy Trinity because it inhibits our ability to love as Jesus loved and to walk as Jesus walked.

A broken heart is an inner emotional hurt that can be brought about by a variety of causes, the main ones being [1]:

1. Result of an offense* brought to us from others.

* (People say and do things to hurt us): cf.,Proverbs 18:8.

2. Result from our own sinful behavior: cf., Psalms 25:18, Proverbs 17:19,

II Samuel 24:10.

3. Result from a calamity where one is overcome by the experience:

cf., Job 3:25-26

4. Result of the sins of the forefathers: cf., Exodus 34:6-7.

5. Result from drug and alcohol use:    cf., Proverbs 23:29-35.

6. Result from occult involvement:        cf., Leviticus 20:6.

Now it must be made clear that, in the case of personal offenses, as mentioned in item 1, are, in some cases, only “perceived” offenses. That is, the offense is only perceived by the person affected and is not an intentional offense by the other person. The offense, however, is as real to the affected person as an intentional offense because the affected person makes a judgment about the “intent” of the other party – a judgment that is never resolved because the affected person immediately severs the relationship with the other, thus never engaging the other in dialogue to inquire as to the true motives behind what was taken as an offense. And, even if dialogue later occurs, the person affected has so bought into his/her judgment that admitting an error of judgment would bring about self-condemnation.

That is why the gospels tell us that If we feel we have been emotionally injured we should privately bring it to the attention of the one who hurt us and enter into dialogue with that person. If this is done early in the situation you may find that the person may not even realize he/she had hurt you, and if they did realize it, your initiative provides them the opportunity to apologize and be reconciled with you.

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” (Matt. 18:15)

So many times our pride or self-justification gets in the way and something that could be resolved through a logical explanation of some human error that occurred without evil intent grows into a major wounding of the heart and the unnecessary breaking of a relationship. In fact, it becomes a virtual prison for those who cannot forgive. Listen to what Jesus tells His disciples:

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister [or, mother or father], you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.

So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny”. (Matt. 5:21-26)

In most cases “Broken Heartedness” can also lead to “Hardness of Heart”, where the injured soul retreats into a “shell” to protect itself from further hurt. But in so doing, the heart is hardened so that all communications attempting to break into the shell are ignored and thus a vicious trap closes around the individual. Such traps are termed the “Snare of the Fowler” by certain scriptures (cf.,Psalm 91: 3 ff.)

Now, it must be said that “Broken Heartedness” that is caused by coming to an awareness of one’s own sinful state (see item 2 above) can lead to repentance and conversion. This is the godly sorrow of which scripture speaks. It is the godly sorrow that fell on Peter upon realizing that he had disowned His Master and Lord in the events following the arrest of Jesus at Gethsemani. This godly sorrow usually comes when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and does not lead us to hardness of heart but instead breaks through the shell we have placed around ourselves. This is what the scripture tells us about his type of sorrow,

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit.”  (Ps. 34:18)

God also gives the strength to resist or endure a broken heart as when Paul was returning to Jerusalem and was warned by the prophet Agabus about what would happen to him if he continued on his way – setting all the community to weeping…

“ While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, “The Lord’s will be done.”  (Acts 21:10-14)

The Lord Jesus Himself experienced a broken heart on several occasions but did not let this brokenness hinder his mission and obedience to the Father’s will. For instance when …

a.) Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Lk. 13:34),

b) Jesus wept before the tomb of Lazarus (Jn. 11:35),

c) Jesus, on the cross exclaimed,

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34 )

   and then says in faith,

 “Father, Into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46)

It was also prophesied that Jesus’ mother Mary would suffer a broken heart,

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed, so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul [heart] too.” (Luke 2:34-35)

In these cases we see that, through Faith in God and His Word, the Grace of God helps us to endure the pain and attain a spiritual victory over a “Wounded Heart” even though we have been exposed to tremendous emotional suffering. It of course requires a deep spiritual maturity which most of us are still lacking.

Because “Broken Heartednss” occurs through a broad spectrum of human events, I am recommending an internet posting that summarizes the main problems that arise when we encounter situations in our lives that deeply wound us in the spirit (ie., our heart). You may connect to the site by clicking on the following title: “Dealing with a Wounded Heart”

Of course, since the article is intended only as a summary of several approaches to the problem, you need to pray for the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit before you take any action in this regard. The reason being is that every case is sufficiently different so that only the Lord’s specific guidance will lead you to the specific prayers and resulting actions you need to take for your own or for a friend/s particular situation.

Healing the Heart

In praying, just remember, “Nothing is impossible for God”, pray in faith,  through the Word, in the Spirit and persist,never giving up.  For the Lord cares for the broken-hearted to heal them and deliver them from the oppression of the enemy. Let the Spirit guide you because only the Spirit knows what is in the hearts of men.

I personally have found the guidance provided in this article in conjunction with prayer and meditation on God’s word to be of great benefit and consolation in dealing with emotional hurts. I pray that it will also be of help to you as we all walk along the Lord’s narrow path to spiritual maturity.

Praised Be His Holy Name!

Your fellow Pilgrim and Brother in Christ … Bartimeaus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

Footnotes:

[1] list excerpted from reference article “The Wounded Heart”

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Other Related Links

§ Escaping the Snare of the Fowler

§ Coming to the Fullness of the Spirit

The Wounded Heart

§ Enter in by the Narrow Gate

§ Walking the Walk

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Here is a brief list scriptures you might consider for your meditation:

(Luke 4:18)  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised …”

(Ps. 51:17) The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

(Ps. 34:18) “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

(Ps. 27:10) “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”

(Joshua 1:5) “… I will never leave you nor forsake you.”.

(John 15:9) “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love ……..”

More Comfort From the Word of God

(Ps. 41:4) “I said, Lord, be merciful and gracious to me, heal my inner self, for I have sinned against You.  “

(Ps. 146:3) “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds” (curing their pains and their sorrows.)

(John 7:38) “He who believes in Me (who cleaves to and trust in and relies on Me) as the Scripture said, From his innermost being shall flow (continuously) springs and rivers of living water”.

(John 15:10-11) “If you keep my commandments (if you continue to obey My instructions), you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.  If have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” 

(Eph. 3:16) “May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy Spirit) (Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality)”.

(Prov. 17:22) “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” 

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(Excerpted from a booklet by Jorge  Madrid Sr.,  with the Author’s permission)                          

The Word is a Double Edged Sword

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”  (Hebrews 4:12 emphasis mine)

In our rationalistic culture we somehow believe or think that by assigning a definition or label to a concept that somehow we have captured the spirit of that which we so define. It is like thinking that we can capture the essence of a uniquely aromatic field of lavender by passing the butterfly net of our intellect over it and attempting to describe it with words.

No!  To really capture the essence of that field of lavender you have to be in that field, walking in it, breathing in the air, and smelling and absorbing the richness of its essence under the imbuement of the associated color and light. Then, if we have a poetic or musical strain, we may attempt to convey our experience to others through the inspiration of our art. But it is never the equal of the experience itself. Only a personal visit to the field of lavender will really suffice. And even then each person’s experience, while having some commonality, will differ because the experience will evoke different reactions from the visitor’s inner person, that is, the non-intellectual part of the person.

I bring this up to indicate our need to emphasize that the terms we use to define some of our concepts are but mere place-holders that we use to attempt to communicate a reality that cannot be intellectualized but can only be fully comprehended through our experiencing it! And, that if the person we are trying to communicate with has not experienced something similar, our words will be just that, words. Empty words. Words that will not transmit the essence of our experience but merely a statement that indicated we visited some place called  “a field of lavender” and that we had a “wonderful” experience.

“Spirit”, “spiritual” and “spirituality” are words that are commonly used to attempt to communicate such concepts. In fact, they are so commonly used that our first reaction is to assume that we understand want is meant because we have read so many books and materials on the subject. But if someone were to pin us down with the question: “ when was the last time you experienced something spiritual”, most of us would be hard pressed to answer. And if we did, we would usually respond with something that evoked our emotions, because that is the usual way we tend to misunderstand the meaning of the term, “spiritual”.

It is because of this misunderstanding that many Christians are somewhat afraid of “spiritual” experiences because it might make them appear as too emotional, especially in church. And of course, what Christian wants to be emotional, especially, in a church environment?  After all, anything that looks like emotionalism indicates a lack of self-control and would bring some unwanted attention from the congregants and the ministers[1].

First of all, true “spiritual’ experiences initiated by the Holy Spirit are not emotional outbursts or esoteric feelings. They are exceptional events that occur deep in our “inner selves’. Sometimes they involve visions, dreams, and prophecy, but mainly they are a non-cognitive awareness of something beyond that which can be perceived by our senses but which imparts an infused understanding, knowledge or wisdom beyond ourselves. They involve a perception into that which lies beyond our normal sense or cognitive experience.

These experiences may evoke emotions on our part but our responses are always entirely under our control. The Holy Spirit does not take over our personality but instead values our free will and a cooperative attitude.  What the Holy Spirit desires from us, in granting us these experiences, is “communion” with the divine and that communion takes place in the quiet center of our inner being. What we sometimes term as our “spirit” or our “heart”. It is our “Holy of Holies”, our sanctuary where our spirit can commune with the Holy One.

The human spirit was designed by God to have a desire or a “hunger” for communion with He who created us and those things in our lives which can, in some way, satisfy or satiate this “hunger” or “thirst” are, therefore, referred to as “spiritual”.   Spirituality is the term we use to describe this nature or characteristic of the spirit that yearns for communion with the Divine in the stillness of our inner sanctuary.

Every person on this planet, whether they realize it or not, are seeking to be in touch with their spirituality. This is only natural because it is an essential part of our being and its neglect brings us to a dysfunctional state which we humans, in our ignorance, attempt to repair by attempting to fill our spiritual hunger with ego-satisfying ambitions, and the empty lure of worldly lusts and emotions. Thus, amplifying our state of disarray and personal agony.

Another of the problems in our rationalistic western culture is our inability to comprehend the tripartite nature (body, soul, and spirit) with which we have been endowed.  Since our spiritual nature cannot be observed and studied as our body and our soul (mind, psyche, emotions, etc.) we tend to ignore its needs and demands. As a result when the Holy Spirit knocks at the doors of our hearts we do not know how to open the door or, if we do, we are afraid to because it may lead us to an area of our lives for which our culture has not prepared us, or in fact, has blocked the door because being “spiritual” is considered by some to be “anti-intellectual”.

Before continuing, let me say that because of this, simple, less intellectually sophisticated persons are usually better able to open the door to the Holy Spirit because they are not hampered by the intellectual or philosophical predispositions introduced by our culture.

In order to get past these barriers it is necessary for us to comprehend is that spiritual experiences in the Holy Spirit are our legitimate Christian legacy and, if properly practiced and understood, are perfectly compatible with our Faith. They are, in fact, at the core of our Faith.

That being said, it must also be affirmed that one must be aware that a person can be deceived, not only intellectually, but also spiritually. There are counterfeit spiritual experiences just as there are false teachers of deceptive philosophies. For that reason, the gifts of the Holy Spirit include, the gift of prophecy, teaching,, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment of spirits, so that those leaders of the community that are charismatically endowed can help keep the community from spiritual and intellectual deception.

In the early centuries of the church, both intellectual and spiritual deception was rampant. The Greek intellectual environment of those days scrutinized every religion (new and old) with respect to discovering some “new” wisdom.   Such wisdom was sought both intellectually through philosophy and logic as well as through the esoteric “hidden” wisdom sought out by the mystery cults and the Gnostics.  Because of these trends, the faith of the early Christians was very vulnerable to being hi-jacked by these movements.

In their defense of the true Faith, the early church fathers went to great extremes to establish a solid theological foundation that could counter the attacks of the cultural Greek intellectual elite and the mystery cults. They also attempted to define the clear bounds for discerning orthodox spiritual experiences from the occult and pagan demonic experiences. In doing so they had to define the terms “spirit”, “spiritual” and “spirituality” in a manner that was consistent with orthodox theology and concepts that would become the bulwark against the prevalent deceptions of the Greek intellectual and pseudo-spiritual culture of those days. These diversions from the truth had attempted to twist Paul’s theological concept of “body, soul, and spirit” to accommodate Gnostic and Manichean dualistic concepts of good and evil that usually ended up postulating that we had two natures, one evil and one divine.

In those early theological battles it also became essential to define what was meant by the term “soul” and what was meant by the term “spirit”.  In the Gnostic concept, our spiritual nature was the “good” part of us while our natural self and body were inherently evil. In their view, salvation could only be achieved through an esoteric knowledge (gnosis) through which our real “self” could escape our “evil” nature into the “pleroma”  (union with the highest divinity). This of course implied that our natural soul was part of the evil nature and that we had within us another spiritual entity which, although “good” was imprisoned within the natural. Replete with errors, the ultimate conclusion of this heretical line of reasoning was that our salvation depends on ourselves (through our achieving gnosis) and NOT on the saving sacrifice of God’s son.

In order to quell such heretical dualistic disparities, the church councils clearly established the true teaching that we only have one spiritual nature and that is our soul. What is sometimes lost because of the intricacies of the theological discourse is the fact that the councils did not refute scripture regarding the separate identity of the human spirit. Rather, the councils affirmed that the human spirit, though it has its own intrinsic functions, is embedded in the soul, and is of the same spiritual essence. This unique spiritual entity, together with the body, form one living being[2]. Their main intent was not to negate the existence of man’s spirit but rather to affirm that there are not two spiritual natures (or essences) in man but one.

Today, because we have forgotten the intent of the councils to differentiate essence from function, there is some confusion over the functional distinction between soul and spirit to the degree that, in general, they are generally considered to be synonymous

St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, and one of the Fathers of the Christian faith, clearly indicates in his writings that the human spirit exists as the deepest most intimate part of our soul and that it exhibits distinct functions from the rest of the soul. In his letters to a confused cleric, Augustine states: “It now remains for me to show how it is that while the designation spirit is rightly predicated of a part of the soul, not the whole of it,–even as the apostle says, “Your whole spirit, and soul, and body;” or, according to the much more expressive statement in the Book of Job,’ “Thou wilt separate my soul from my spirit,” –yet the whole soul is also called by this name” (cf., A Treatise on the Soul and its Origin, Book 4, Chapter 36)

Now, if we don’t really understand that the term “spirit” as used in scripture refers to a component of man’s being that, although an integral part of the soul, has its own distinct functions[3], how can we really understand what spirituality or spiritual growth entail?

In the past, theologians wrapped themselves around a proverbial axle trying to define the distinction between “spirit” and “soul” by deferring to classical philosophical definitions between essence and form. This usually led to abstruse discussions about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.  All we need to know is that the Holy Spirit through His infallible Word has revealed to us that in the eyes of God there is a special part of us that He designates as our “spirit”. If we trust His word we should not need to go into any arcane classifications between form and essence in attempting to understand with our limited human intelligence something beyond what God has revealed to us. We merely trust Him to tell us what we need to know to adequately manage our spiritual lives. And knowing that we have a “spirit” is something we need to know in order to understand the dynamics of what happens in the spiritual domain.

First of all, we read in Genesis 2:7 that when God created man in his image, He breathed His Spirit [Hebrew, neshamah, Strong's Hebrew #5397] on man so that He could become a living entity or soul [Hebrew, nephesh, Strong's Hebrew #5315] [4]. This leads us to the following implications: 1) man’s higher spiritual nature [neshamah] is created directly from the creative power of God’s Spirit, 2) the spiritual entity which is created from God’s Spirit is co-natural with the Divine (that is, it is of a similar nature, though not the same essence), and 3) the union of body and a spirit-empowered soul forms one single living entity [nephesh].

The spiritual part of this single living entity created by God contains two separate functional units, much as a peach has two parts apart from the skin: a fruit part, and a seed part. However, when we think about what makes a peach a “peach” we usually have the fruit part in mind.  So also when we think about man’s spiritual essence or “soul” we usually only think about those identifiable intangible personal assets that we are conscious of, namely, our personality, our ego, our intellect, our emotions, our will, our psyche, and so on. The reason we forget to include our “spirit” in our associations is that we are not normally aware of the spiritual organ deep within us that the scripture calls “spirit”.  This part of us, our “seed” part, is just as much “soul” as our self-awareness part. But, just because it is beyond our normal self-awareness, we tend to ignore its existence.

What we normally consider the “soul” part is created as man’s control center, to manage the interface between man, his body, his senses, his mind and the natural space-time environment, while, at the same time, being connected through his “spirit” to the divine which transcends this space-time environment in which we exist. The “spirit” part is created to interface with the divine and contains the necessary faculties to do this. Jesus himself reiterated this fact when he spoke with the Samaritan “woman at the well”, telling her that God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth”[5]. Paul, who was clearly aware of the functional distinction[6] between soul (mind) and spirit (heart), says, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind (soul) is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind”[7].

From this and many other scriptural references which affirm the above we see that our spiritual faculties, though intertwined with those of our soul, are there for the purpose of receiving Life from God and for man to fellowship with His Creator. It is that component of our being that is designated to interface God and therefore the enabler our fellowship with Him. What we normally consider our “soul” part, contains the faculties needed to interact with each other and the material universe, including our bodies. Our “spirit” part contains the faculties needed to interact with the divine.

God, through the scripture, tells us that man’s being is functionally composed of spirit, soul and body[8]. The fact that there are three facets or levels of awareness to our human nature may be compared to the statement that the human body is composed of a central nervous system, a circulatory system, a muscular system, a respiratory system, and a skeletal system. Just as the central nervous system can impact our circulatory system, so our spirit has influence over our soul and over our body and vice-versa. Just as sometimes problems in our central nervous system may be misdiagnosed as circulatory problems so problems in our spirit are sometimes misunderstood as being psychological problems. This does not mean that our spiritual faculties are one and the same as those of our soul. It merely means that what is happening in our spirit is reflected in our soul (and vice versa). One of the functions of the spirit is to communicate what it senses in the supernatural realm to the soul whose main function is to permit us to function in the natural realm.

In God’s original design, the spirit (heart) of man was meant to be in submission to the divine and to exercise direct influence over our “soul” just as the “soul” was to have direct influence over the body. When mankind fell from Grace, the faculties in man’s “spirit” became disconnected from God (the spirit “died”) and our “souls” became the dominant part of our nature. Jesus came to take on our death and revive the “spirit” component of our nature so that our renewed spirit could aspire to regain its God-inspired dominance and we could again be truly called God’s children (in the spiritual sense).

With this understanding in mind, the term “spirituality” denotes any improvement in our condition that begins to move our renewed spirit back into the place of influence originally designed by God. The process of improvement cannot begin unless our spirits are revived. Man cannot revive his own spirit, only God, through His Holy Spirit, can revitalize our spirits[9]. When Paul, speaking to the Corinthians says, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ”[10], he is telling them, that although they are truly his brothers in Christ through baptism, he cannot speak to them in spiritual terms because they have not yet reached the place where their renewed spirits exert a direct influence on their minds (soul). Since the unspiritual man cannot understand the things of God[11], he must address them in terms of their reason, so that through their reason he can motivate them to come to spiritual maturity. That is why He exhorts them to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”[12].

The same is true today. I was just like those Corinthians. I was spiritually in Christ through baptism but my mind (soul) needed to be renewed so that I could begin to grow spiritually.  The first barrier I had to remove to receive God’s grace for renewal was to dethrone the “self” which had been ruling my mind (soul) and turn my life over to Jesus so that He and He alone would rule in me through my spirit. Then, as the Holy Spirit worked in me through meditation on the Word of God and prayer, my renewed soul was opened to receive more of God’s life by way of my spirit.

This symbiotic relationship between soul and spirit is what God intended for man. In this way man is led to integrate his spirit, soul, and body to bring about the wholeness for which God destined us. The final step in this integration is union with the Divine. Thus we understand, that true spirituality is achieved when we cooperate with God’s Grace by permitting the Holy Spirit to work through us in those activities which bring us to total integration with God’s will. This will in turn reflect itself in the wholeness (holiness) of our lives (spirit, soul, and body). This is true spirituality.  Anything that diverts us from this goal is unspiritual.

Realizing that we have a spiritual nature and learning to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit through that nature is only the first step in spiritual growth. We must also come to the realization that the primary reason the Lord created us with such a capacity is so that we can delight in His presence to the point of total worship and for communion And fellowship with Him. At the same time, He also designed us with this spiritual nature so that He could manifest His Kingdom in this world through us, His children. In the process of bringing us to conformity us to the image of His Son, we are to be His partners in all the works He plans for this world[13]. We, therefore, have a great responsibility before God to work with His Grace and Anointing to perform His Will on this earth[14]. The way we do this is through prayer and resulting action. In doing this we become participants in bringing His Kingdom into manifestation in this world. This is, in essence, what we are asking when we pray: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven[15]”, as we say the “Lord’s Prayer”.

Our response to this Grace that the Father has freely provided through the Blood of Jesus is to keep our vessels pure and to abide in Him so that His power and anointing will flow through us to our society to bring His Love, His peace, and His justice to this world. For this reason, when we come into this renewed spiritual awareness we should freely and willingly rededicate ourselves and all of our activities to Him so that all that we undertake and accomplish is truly in His Name and not out of our own zeal and energy.

Our Father who art in Heaven

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

(Matt.6:7-13)

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My dear fellow pilgrims,

It all begins with relationship.

Only when we enter into the awareness that we are truly The Father’s Spiritual Children in Christ Jesus we can begin to fully understand our inheritance in His Kingdom (cf., § Becoming Children of God). And that, through that understanding and the Divine Wisdom that comes with it, we may find our place and role in the here and now so that, through us, His Kingdom may indeed be manifested here on Earth as it is in Heaven.

For just like children of the flesh in this world who mature to fill distinct and varying roles and positions of responsibility, so too, we, God’s Spiritual Children, are purposed by Him to be His Arms of Love extended to the world – the world He created and redeemed so that He could manifest His Kingdom in their midst.

In His loving will He also has determined where and how are to serve Him and the spiritual gifts we will need to accomplish His will in this world.  That is why it is so important that we discern our individual calling and ask for His Holy Spirit to empower us to carry out that calling. But we cannot do this outside of a relationship with Jesus and the Father.

Lest we let this concept of being His instruments incorrectly exalt us, we must also be aware that this work is not to be accomplished by us, but by the Son of God who lives in us and works through us. He, and He alone, is the author and source of the work of the Kingdom. The only way we may participate in this work is through our complete surrender to Him and His Love. This surrender is not easy and is termed by Jesus as “ carrying your Cross”.  Believe me it is a difficult cup to drink from because requires us to die our own self-sufficient mentality and enter into a God-centered mentality – where we acknowledge to ourselves that, “without Him we can do nothing” (Jn.15:5)!

The Foundational Prayer for Discipleship

That is why the prayer form that Jesus taught His disciples (cf., Matt.6:7-13) begins with the acknowledgement that God is “Our Father” and that we, as His Children, are totally dependent on Him and His Glory and power. A recognition that, although His Name, that is His Character and Person, is Holy and beyond the reach of any human rapprochement, He, through His Son, has breached the gap of holiness that separated us, so that we enter into a full and true relationship with him through His Son!

The prayer further states that, it is only through this relationship of obedience and love with Him, as Father, our source of life, provider, and sustainer, that we can be His instruments in bringing His Reign (Kingdom) into full manifestation in this world.

But of course, before we can be channels of His Love, His Reign must begin in us through our full surrender to Him and His Holy Spirit so that He might begin the work of His Kingdom in us!  The work of His Kingdom in us begins by His Spirit working in our lives to conform us to the image of His Son! Blessed be His Holy Name!

Recognizing that it is His work that must be accomplished, we ask for His daily sustenance and provision.  Although most of us take this request to mean “food for the table”, the reality is, that it is a request for His continual and daily spiritual empowerment, the infilling of His Spirit, to be able to carry out His Will. For us today, it refers to the living spiritual strength that is derived from communion with Christ in the Eucharist.

In the prayer we also recognize that our human failings against Love are a major impediment to the fulfillment of His Will and therefore ask for His forgiveness, in accord with our forgiveness of those who trespass against us.  In doing this we clear out anything in us that would impede His Will from being accomplished.

Recognizing, also, that the enemy will come against us through temptations to impede the Father’s Will from being completed, we also petition that He not permit any testing that goes beyond our ability to resist.

The reason this prayer, which we term “The Our Father”, is so important is because it is foundational to establishing the appropriate spiritual attitude of faith which underlies our ability to serve Him as His Children and fully committed disciples. That is why many have stated that this prayer really ought to have been named “The Disciples Prayer”.

If the problems of your life situation are creating impediments to your progress as a disciple, always keep in mind the admonition Jesus gave His disciples,

“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? … [S]eek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”.  (cf., Mat. t6:25,33)

Or, put in today’s modern dialect, “ Do not let the worries and concerns of everyday life deter you … your first priority must be to let God reign in your life so that you are always faithful to accomplish His Righteous Will, then you will find that the worldly concerns in your life will be resolved appropriately”.

The Necessity of Prayer

Once, when through faith in His Word and Prayer, you have entered into an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus and deeply desire to follow Jesus in discipleship, you will find that your need for a deeper continuing prayer life increases.  Just as Jesus, spent most of his evenings or early mornings in prayer, so to we who are following Him, must do the same.  We will do so, not so much as an imposed devotional practice, but instead to fill our awareness of the increased spiritual need for His presence in our renewed lives.

As we go deeper into discipleship we will find that we will not be able to adequately deal with the events and situations which we are called to handle without our daily prayer encounters with Jesus and the Father. Once we begin our prayer encounters and see the results in our everyday lives, we will willingly seek out these payer times on our own – for we begin to understand that our continuous need to tap into the source of LIFE without which we cannot function spiritually.

First of all we need to remember, that it is only through the intimacy of prayer that we receive from Him the wisdom, knowledge, empowerment, and Love we will need in preparation for the next day’s events. Secondly, it is through meditative  prayer in union with His Inspired Word, that we continue to be taught by the Holy Spirit in order to be formed and grow spiritually and learn from our experiences. St. Ignatius of Loyola tells us that “…there are very few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves into his hands, and let themselves be formed by his grace.”

Once we have entered into true discipleship we will find that we can no more do without daily prayer than we can do without food or water.

The Need for Discernment

One of the problems we face as Lay Disciples of Jesus, is that the modern church is not structured to properly assist lay people, who are not part of the “religious establishment”, to follow the personal path of discipleship the Lord is calling them to follow.  The modern church establishment does not expect lay people to enter into such individual callings.  The establishment expects that any one who has such a call to either enter a seminary to become a priest, deacon, or minister or to join some religious order. It is difficult to overcome the prejudices of the past that have placed lay Christians as passive , un-empowered, servants of the clergy, having no understanding of things spiritual.

As a result, until the Lord works to change the situation we must seek the Lord intensely for personal discernment and guidance for what the Lord wants of us each day– a discernment that goes beyond that of our calling – a discernment that leads us to hear the voice of the Head Shepherd, Jesus Our Lord! (Cf., § Hearing and Obeying His Voice)

It is only through hearing and living His Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to distinguish between our fleshly-driven instincts and the spiritual directives and revelations from Our Heavenly Shepherd. Praised be His Holy name!

Now, I don’t discount our need of our earthly shepherds because they are still the dispensers of the sacraments, especially those of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. It is just that some of them cannot fully comprehend where we Charismatics are, spiritually, making it difficult for them to provide in-depth spiritual guidance for us when they themselves have never experienced the fullness and spiritual gifts of the Spirit and, in many cases, even resist them.

I try to maintain good relations with all members of the clergy, but I usually feel them out before going into spiritual issues until I sense they are on the same page with me and with the Holy Spirit. I know its not their fault, its just that the depth of their spirituality varies depending on their seminary and life experiences especially if they have not been introduced to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

By the way, I expect that this spiritual lethargy that is still evident with some of our clergy will all be changing in the church of the new era we are entering, where the Spirit of God will overwhelm all Christians with His Glory and many of those who are now holding back will be surprisingly renewed in the Spirit. It will be a very difficult era for Christians and He is preparing us for those times when we will need to draw upon His power and strength to manifest His Kingdom on this Earth!

I must also mention that If you are struggling with discerning the Lord’s Will in your life, obedience to the Father is of the essence. If you yoke yourself to the Lord He will bring you though the times when you are being tested because of the fleshly baggage we all have to contend with.

Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating; because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the uncertain state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.

Relationship is Everything

Finally brethren, in order to make clear the importance of our relationship with Jesus and the Father, let us recall the words of  Our Teacher when he told His disciples to …

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’  “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’  “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’  (Luke 13:24)

Yes, we also may claim a mundane familiarity with Him through your religious practice and even have worked signs and wonders in His name, but unless you personally “KNOW” Him, He will tell you when you come to His door: “depart from me you workers of iniquity, I do not KNOW you”.

Relationship, then, is everything, and without it our works for God become meaningless for entry into the Kingdom.

I pray brethren that the preceding discussion has been of help in encouraging you to move through the “narrow door” into a personal and private discipleship relationship with the Father through Jesus.  If you have that desire in your heart then you can be sure that the Holy Spirit placed it there. Pay heed, then, to that desire and seek the face of the Lord in prayer. If He placed it there He will confirm it and bring you to the open door to the Kingdom!

Baruch Ha Shem! Blessed be the Name!

Your Brother In Christ Jesus …. Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

Related Links

<> Sweet Yoke of Love

<> Husbands Love your Wives

<> Walking the Walk

<> Discerning the Spirit’ Call 

<>  Hearing God’s Voice and Obeying It

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:11-13)

“… it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. (Rom. 9:8 )

Jesus Welcomes Children

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Matt.18-1-5)

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My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

We have all been taught to respect all of humankind as “children” of God and, in the limited sense that we have all been created by Him, that is certainly true. But the New Testament introduces us to another perspective – and that is, that, we who believe in Christ have become a “new creation” and are literally “in Christ” and “Christ in us”. Because we are created in His image, we are now His brethren and thus “spiritual” Children of the Father and are of the same genre as the Son and destined to be like Him.

Our Current Situation

Our problem today is not so much that we are unaware of this truth but that we have not comprehended that truth in its full spiritual intent so that through faith in this truth we may bring forth its manifestation in our lives. Without this spiritual understanding we end up living our lives as fleshly children ignorant of the spiritual inheritance and the spiritual power and purposes that the Father intended for us in the manifestation of His Kingdom here on earth.

That is why the Lord tells His disciples: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

In saying this, of course, He was comparing the disciple’s obvious spirit of pride and competitiveness to the humility of little children who had not yet been affected by the spirit of the world – whose hearts had not yet been conditioned to thinking and acting like the world but were open and responsive to “true” love.

It is this openness and humility of heart that the Lord is trying to instill in His disciples – a trait, without which, they cannot enter the spiritual realm necessary to undertake a sharing in His ministry – which He termed, “the Kingdom of Heaven”. This doorway into the Kingdom permits us to transition from mere fleshly children to our “New Creation” in Him – spiritual children who have been “born of God” – “children” who KNOW, UNDERSTAND, OBEY and LOVE their Spiritual Father. It is this challenge that the Lord sets before all of us who have been called to be His disciples – the challenge of changing from our fleshly approach to life and truly becoming the Father’s Spiritual Children, Jesus’ Brethren, by yielding to the Spirit of the Son that indwells us.

The Process of Change  Involved

Although the process of becoming or changing into spiritual children is begun in Baptism and conversion, it is a challenge to us because it doesn’t just automatically happen – it requires an action of the will. An action based on our full consent and knowledge of what it means to let Jesus be the Lord of our lives and our yielding to the Holy Spirit to conform us into His image.

It is a challenge because such a commitment goes against our human nature and our fleshly instincts. We must forget our natural responses to life and begin a process of renewing our minds (Rom12:1-2) to what the Spirit of God is leading us to do. We must even change the motives behind our religious activities. For indeed, we find that we are no longer here “to do something for Christ” but to let the Christ that is in us live and work through us to bring forth the Kingdom.

In becoming a child of the King we have to learn to love as He loved, to walk in the Spirit as he Walked, to hear the voice of the Father as He heard the Voice of the Father, and to learn to be an obedient servant as He was a servant.

In becoming a child of the King, we have to move from being self-centered to being God-centered. We have to yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit and be empowered as He was empowered. And, most of all, we have to learn to pray as He prayed – to bring ourselves before the Throne of God by putting on Jesus’ Robe of righteousness and, in His Name, relate to the Father directly as His Children, be enveloped in His Love, and to go forth from His embrace to fulfill His will in this world, knowing that the Spirit of His Son is in each of us and that He will never, never forsake us no matter what.

Is this transformation easy? No, of course not! Not only will you be going against your own fleshly nature but you will be going against the world culture itself. Just as the world did not receive Jesus you will not be received. Just as, His home town, Nazareth, did not receive Jesus so also you will find that not all in your religious community will accept you.

Of course, Jesus is there to help you all you have to do is YOKE yourself to Him!

Encouragement and Good News!

Yet, if you KNOW your calling, like Jesus did, you will persist in doing what the Father has called you to accomplish in His Name, regardless of the obstacles. If you do this in Faith, although you will endure suffering, you will see the mountains removed and the Will of the Father prevail! Praised be His Holy Name!!

Now, in order to encourage you to step out in faith and live out the life of Christ that is in you, I present to you a series of scripture and commentaries that in meditative prayer, will assist you in opening your heart to God’s Spirit so that He may guide you into the process of becoming His Spiritual Children in Christ Jesus.

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Jesus, a Child, and the Holy Spiirt

The Spirit bears witness that we are the Children of God. Has the Spirit witnessed to your Heart that you are His Child?  If so, then you can ask yourself, are you being led by the Spirit of God or by your own fleshly desires? If you are not aware that you are being led by the Spirit of God – then why not?

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom. 8:11-17)

Who, then, is it that dares to detain us “Lay Children” from coming closer to Jesus in the Spirit?  Is it the Legalists who demean us? Is it our religious culture that misinforms us about who we are in Christ? Or is not our own ignorance of the Word that tells us of our inheritance as children?

“Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” (Matthew 19:13-15)

In the past, when we were not yet His spiritual children, religion was a disciplinarian that made us aware of those things in us that limited our access to the Divine. But, now that Christ has died for our sins and has exchanged His Life for ours, what is it that keeps us from coming to the spiritual awareness of the Spirit of Christ that abides in each of us and that we are co-heirs according to the promise? Why do we still act and think like slaves and not as heirs to the Kingdom?

“Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:24-29)

“My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. (Gal. 4:1-7)

But now, as co-heirs with Christ, we have been brought near – we have access to the Father, and no one can separate us from His Love. Have you so yielded yourselves to Christ so that you KNOW that He abides in you and you in Him? If not – why not? Is it because you feel unworthy? Is it because you know you are a sinner?

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us, [how] much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. (Rom.5:6-10)

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,  “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:28-39)

There will be some of you who think to yourselves: “ … well, I’m not such a bad guy – I go to church and do all the things I’m required to do, I guess this doesn’t apply to me.” Well stop justifying yourself, meditate on the Word, let it divide your soul from your spirit (Heb 14:1-2), and the Spirit will show you your failings,  But this is exactly what God wants of you so that you may turn to Him in repentance.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.

Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked.” (1Jn. 5-10; 1Jn 2:1-6)

If we repent and confess our sins He is righteous and just to forgive us (1 Jn 1:9). Then, If we receive His Body and His Blood we will abide in Him and He in us (Jn.6:56) – giving us access, through Christ our High Priest, to the Throne of Grace.  When we do this, we put on the robe of His righteousness (Rom.13:14), so that we can then come boldly before the Throne of Grace. Do not let anything or anyone stand in your way, for you are truly a Child of the King and if you open yourself to Him and His Reign, He will live and manifest Himself through you to the Glory of God the Father! Praised be His Holy Name!!

Approach the Throne as a Child

“Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:14-16)

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In Conclusion

So then brethren, this is the message we heard from Him -  the Good News about becoming God’s Children, that we pass onto you, so that your inheritance in Christ may not go unrealized and so that in knowing who you are in Christ you may go boldly before His throne in prayer to bring forth His Kingdom in you and in those around you! This is how our spiritual Childhood is manifested and how, in so doing, we enter into a partnership with the Divine in what He intends to accomplish in this world for His Glory through the Spirit of His Son that is in us, His Children!

Consider the words of Therese of Lisieux, A Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-four, wrote to a friend:

“… Jesus has so incomprehensible a love for us that he wills that we have a share with him in the salvation of souls. He wills to do nothing without us. The Creator of the universe awaits the prayer of a poor little soul to save other souls redeemed like it at the price of all his Blood.” When God’s word is spoken his kingdom is revealed and his power is released. When people respond to God’s word with faith and obedience they are changed and made “a new creation” in Christ” (cf., 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Do not let the message of the Good News and your calling be quenched for it is not from me but from His Holy Spirit! Praise His Holy Name!

There are many modern Pharisees in the world that will tell you… “no, don’t pray like this” or “don’t teach in His name or heal in His Name for it is against our customs”. But do not listen! They are trying to close the door to the Kingdom – a door that they, themselves, will not enter but are quick to prevent others from entering (cf., Matt.23:13-22).

Place all your trust in Jesus and His Word, guided by the Holy Spirit that is in you and enter the Door into the Kingdom – the Door that no man can shut!  Of course, that Door is Jesus Himself. Blessed be the Name!

Jesus is the Open Door

Your Brother In Christ …  Bartimaeus

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011]

Recommended Links
<> Hearing God’s Voice, and Obeying It
<> Pentecost and the Promise of the Father
<> The Empowerment Gifts (Part 1)
<> The Empowerment Gifts (Part 2)
<> The Kingdom of God: Our Spiritual Inheritance
<> Reclaiming Our Legacy In Christ

“Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down;  Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

Elijah Contends Against ThePriests Of Baal

After his confrontation with the priests of Baal (1 kings 18: 17-40), Elijah, the prophet, fled into the wilderness to avoid the wrath of Queen Jezebel who was in the process of executing all the prophets of Israel she could find  (cf., Kings 19). It is interesting to note Elijah’s very human response to the queen’s threats after he had experienced the power and Glory of God overcome the priests of Baal and thus overwhelmingly show the people that there is only one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

His reaction shows that Elijah did not let the anointing the Lord had placed on him go to his head. He knew that he was only a channel and instrument through which the Lord was working and that all of the power manifested during his ministry originated with the Divine and he had nothing to do with it other than being His willing servant. He knew that he was a weak human being in need of God’s protection and blessing. So he cried to the Lord for help.

Elijah in despair

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” “(1 Kings 19: 1-5)

As the Lord led him to refuge at various locations Elijah kept complaining to the Lord saying, that he was the last of the prophets who was faithful to the God of Israel, until finally the lord rebuked him telling him that He had seven thousand more who “had not bowed the knee to Baal” (1Kings19:14-18), “Seven Thousand”, hidden ones, who, by implication were His reserve force against the forces of darkness. These, then, were the “hidden ones” of that epoch. They were hidden because they were under the protective cover of the Lord to be used by Him for His purposes in dealing with Israel.

Thy Hidden Ones

These former “hidden ones” were “hidden” not only in the sense that they were under the covering of His wings (cf., Ps.91: 4) but also in the sense that they had no rank or status within Israel or the world of that day and thus were indistinguishable from the common people, the poor, the despised, the lay people of that time, sometimes referred to as the “Anawim”.

Yet, it is these simple ones that the Lord holds up to Elijah as his reserve force against the power of evil in the pagan culture into which Israel was being drawn; the term “Seven Thousand” being merely a cultural metaphor for a significant number.

The implication is that these “hidden ones” were the righteous praying ones whose prayers for the restoration of Israel was the reason the Lord was acting through Elijah to bring about the changes needed in the heart of the people so that Israel could once again be considered as “the people of God”.

Today's Golden Calf

Today, it appears, is no different from the times of Elijah. For we indeed live in a world that worships other “gods” – gods of their own making: money , sexual immorality, lust, power, ambition, greed, narcissism and so on – gods which pervade even our Christian communities and thus prevent the faithful from achieving the personal holiness and service to which they were called.

Today, we also have our “Elijahs”, God’s ministers and prophets who are being persecuted for their stand against the evil world culture through the proclamation of Word of God and His Kingdom! These Elijahs are also being sustained in prayer by God’s elect intercessors, today’s “Seven Thousand”.

These intercessors are also “hidden” in the sense that they attempt, as they ought, to keep in the background of our religious culture. Their relative anonymity provides them the degree of freedom needed to focus and practice the “charism of intercession” under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and apart from any influence that would quench the fire of the Holy Spirit that is working through them.

Because they operate “under the radar”, so to speak, these servants of the Lamb may not have come to your attention. You will find them in almost every Christian denomination eschewing any publicity, because their calling, their Charism, depends on their separation from the world and from the religious politics and worldly influences that surround them. Their great desire is to yield themselves totally to the Spirit of God so that He and He alone rules in their hearts, so that their prayers become the supplications of the Spirit of God for His people.

Each intercessor must be free to express what the Spirit places in his or her heart and thus the modes of prayer will vary form intercessor to intercessor. There will be some who pray and sing in tongues, some who fast and pray continually, some who praise and worship in Song, some who use the prayer of authority to bind the demonic spirits that they are challenging, some who specialize in silent contemplative prayer reaching deep into the Heart of the Divine. Most mainstream Christians would probably not understand the various and distinct modes of prayer and spiritual gifts which come into play when the Spirit of God is given full liberty to express Himself through these intercessors.

Such servants of God would not normally fit in to our over-structured and regimented religious culture where human tradition and formality rule the with regard to the accepted modes of prayer, where there is no liberty to express the true gifts of the Spirit, or to speak the oracles of the Lord as He gives them to us. So it is natural that they would want to congregate in their own small groups, while yet being dedicated to praying for the whole body of Christ.

Today, brothers and sisters, the Lord is calling out for us to pray and support these “hidden ones”, these intercessors of the Lamb. For because they are in fact our front-line prayer warriors against whom the Evil one is waging war against to “take them out”, so to speak, so that he and his evil spiritual companions may continue to disable the church from performing its commission. These “hidden ones” are sent to war against the Satanic powers and thus bring about the Victory of Kingdom of God into manifestation through the power of the charism of the deep prayer of intercession.

The reason the charism of intercession is such a threat to Satan is because it is not merely a human form of supplication but it is, in fact, Christ’s prayer of intercession through His elect servants who yield themselves to His Spirit. For you see, the charism of intercession is the Lord’s charism, for He and He alone, is the one mediator between God and Man (1Tim.2:5). Those who yield themselves to this charism are yielding themselves totally to the Intercessory Spirit of Christ in them so that through that spiritual union they may become His instruments of intercession for His people.

In the Catholic tradition, this type of prayer is not usually well understood because it does not usually follow the traditional forms of prayer but rather depends heavily on the unfettered work of the Holy Spirit through spiritual gifts and contemplative levels of prayer required to enter into spiritual union with the heart of Christ. It is for this reason that most of these type of intercessors usually do their praying inside of convent or monastery walls.

Recently, however, some intercessor communities are coming “out of the closet”, so to speak, but, in certain occasions, are not being welcomed into the mainstream Christian community as they ought. That is why I am asking you, my fellow pilgrims to enter into intercession for them.

In order to focus your prayers for the moment, I am asking that you lift up a specific group of brothers and sisters who have been “crucified with Christ”. Namely, the community of intercessors once called the “Intercessors of the Lamb”, but now, due to suppression by their Diocese [1], humbly call themselves the “Bellwether Lambs” or the “Companions of the Lamb”.  I have placed the links to this organization in my sidebar under the Label: “NEED PRAYER?”, so that you may frequent their prayer site when you also are I need.

Please ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you enter into prayer for them. Ask to be joined in the spirit with them in unity with the Divine so that you may fully comprehend in the Spirit, the Father’s Love and desire for this group and their leader and foundress, M. Nadine Brown.

May the Lord empower you prayers and may He bring them to the place where He wants them for His Glory! Amen and Amen!

Your Brother In Christ Jesus  … Bartimaeus.

(© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2011])

Recommended Links:

Thy Hidden Ones at Bellwether

The Prayer of Intercession

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[1] Note: keep in mind the suppression of Padre Pio as reported below:

The Suppression of Padre Pio

(Excerpted from the  National Catholic register

http://www.ncregister.com/info/email-a-friend/his_friends_remember_padre_pio )

…  

It was on Sept. 20, 1918, that Padre Pio received the stigmata — the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion — while praying in the choir loft of the 16th-century church attached to the friary. After this event, his fame grew, and by 1922 he had attracted the attention of many people — including the Vatican’s Holy Office, which began an investigation. As a result of this investigation, which concluded that Padre Pio was not experiencing anything supernatural, the Holy Office attempted to transfer him to another monastery in 1923. An uprising of the people in San Giovanni prevented the move. Nevertheless, the friar was not allowed to say Mass publicly, or even to correspond with those who wrote him. In Terlizzi, a small town near Bari, about two hours from San Giovanni, another Capuchin who knew Padre Pio said of him, “Knowing Padre Pio was like knowing Jesus Christ,” he said. The key examples from Padre Pio’s life he says, are “silence and obedience.” Referring to the years when Padre Pio was suppressed, Padre Pancracio noted: “With one word he could have changed things, but he kept silent.”

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