Tag Archives: humility

Lessons Begun

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Things I have begun to understand in the last three days:

Any school boy can understand words, even good words.  But there is a place where good words begin to come alive in a man.  It is the latter which provokes this post.

Lowered eyes that cannot be raised, may be a sign of humility.  (Keyword being “cannot“. Shame can have the same effect.) While eyes that will not lower, often are accompanied by the chin.

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As a man desires, so he will become.  The man who desires the things of this world, has already attained them.  Even though they are not yet in his hand.  Likewise, with the man who desires the things of Christ Jesus.

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As a man compares himself to others, godliness leaves him.  While the man who is able to be satisfied with what he has, is capable reaching toward godliness.  The former sins by his comparison.  While the other opens himself to the peace of God.

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In the matter of godliness: The young man may think he has attained.  But he does not know the extent of what is required.  The old man has begun the journey.  But no man can live long enough to attain all there is to attain.  Continuance for both must be established.

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In summary:  Our dependence on the Holy Righteousness of Christ Jesus does not diminish with our accomplishments.  It only grows stronger the higher we climb on the Mountain of holiness.  Toward the pinnacle, the fall increases.  While at its base, pride remains king.

Woe to those who do not consider these things, for what they lose, no man can count.  And the sadness of their loss will never cease.   For if it is difficult for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Yet who can tell where a man may begin?  Those who remain In the Way of Christ may well accomplish great things.  Perhaps the “greatest” has not yet been born; whether of flesh or spirit.

These things have come to me as I have entered 61 years of living.  Why should those of lesser years give up now?  And these things have come to me in a relatively short three years.  What great hope lays, therefore, before my seniors?

It is necessary to encourage one another as the days grow more wicked.  As these things become known, it is not right that we should bottle them up. 

And it is not a righteous thought to believe that others will recognize the truth as they as they see it displayed in us.  Where is the wise word of counsel from those who know?  Laziness and fear are not godly traits.

By His Grace

Prayer Against Fear

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Mighty and Righteous Holy Lord, You who lives forever by the Righteous Judgement of the Sovereign God.  You are trustworthy and true.  No doubt is born of you!  But by Holy union, you cause us to believe.

There is no fear that shall overtake us, if we will but lay down our pride and accept your glorious gift of life.  The Holy Father himself has declared this to be true. 

Therefore we surrender as we find ourselves able.  We have called our fear humility, and we are in error.   Open our eyes that we may see and believe.

We beg you for strength, simply to believe.  We are weak in our way, please accept our apology.  But grant us wisdom to understand!

For you cannot lie and you have sealed your promise in the Holy Blood of your Holy and faithful Son.  Though our weakness is blatant, we beg you for mercy.  For we have not understood as we should.

Cause growth to our faith!  Let us rise up and believe.  Let us defend your Holy Name, in this place of testing; this by our firm trust and patient doing. 

You have displayed your intent in the greatest of possible love.  Therefore give us the gift of faith.  Do not allow your people to rest in the faith of man.  Rather transform us into The Holy Faith of your Holy Way.

Then you will have what is rightfully yours; a people separated from the wickedness of this rebellion against your Holy Law.

All day long and even into the night, temptation assails, and in our weakness we are tossed about.  Send understanding O’ Sovereign One! 

You lack by our weakness toward fear.  We are bent toward fear as the trees along the ocean are bent by the constant wind.  Holy One, this should not be!

Come among us and give us strength to serve, that your bounty may be evident before your Holy Throne!  Come and  cause to be, what is rightfully yours.

By the Holy Name of your Holy Christ, the perfect and faithful One, grant that we should rise and believe.

Fantasy is Fallacy

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If we want butter we are forced to go to the cow for its milk.

If we want metal we are forced to dig at the ground.

If we want rain we are forced to wait for the clouds.

If we yearn for day, in the darkness of night, we are forced to wait for the rising Sun.

If we want to learn we are forced to observe the things that are.

Fantasy gives birth to fantasy.  Lies give birth to lies.  Truth gives birth to truth.  And only God can give birth to what is godly.

Why do you look for godly righteousness in places where he is not?  Why do you search in your own heart for the things that God demands?

God is forever, never fails, and will never cease.  This is the nature of the righteousness you seek.  You do not possess it, nor can you create it.  It belongs exclusively to the Most High God in his Holy Son Christ Jesus.

Pride lies to itself and says,  “I will create what I do not have.  Then I will be perfectly acceptable and glorified.”

To the proud I say this:

“Make your own milk that you may have butter. 

Create your own ground that you may make metal. 

Go make your own sky and produce the clouds for rain.

Speak to the black universe and create your own Sun. 

Do these things, and vastly more, and it will be granted that you are righteous; able to save and sustain yourself.

But you observe what God has done and call it your own.  Let foolishness be what foolishness is.

Fantasy gives birth to fantasy. 

Lies give birth to lies. 

Truth gives birth to truth. 

And only God can grant what is God.

Line of Sight

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We try to perceive what is.  And if one will carefully follow his lines of thought there is a progression in our perceptions.  Finally we reach fullness of our perception.  “Thus far will come and no farther.”  Says the Lord.

How then can a man say that he knows what is true?  At best, he can only say he knows he who is true; and this to severe limitation.  For the wisdom of God and His glorious nature are hidden from man by his excellent will.

We are forced, by the constraints of his creation, to wear humility instead of pride.  So it is for us, so it was for the Holy Lord Jesus; who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.

Where is the pride among men that divides and destroys?  Not only among the men of the world but of the children of God.

But men compare themselves to other men, thus pride lives among them.  What would relationships look like if our comparison were exclusively between ourselves and the living God in Christ Jesus?

Humility would be the rule.  Pride would be the anomaly.  But as we look at the nature of people’s interactions that is not what we find.

Truth is truth.  Who dares to live the promise of eternity today?

The Little Boy

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In his striving to understand, man finds himself woefully lacking in wisdom.  By this perceiving, a man is forced to humility.  Pride grows tall on ignorance; a fertilized garden for weeds.

Shall we then make no attempt to understand?  Shall we close our lips lest our ignorance be revealed?  How should such a thing be, when all men are of the same stock?

The folly of men will judge other men.  By all means then, judge me.  Read my words and point your finger.  What is that to me?

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I am but a little boy. 

My understanding is so small.

So I gladly display my severe lack. 

That my God maybe great in all.

Who are you?

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Who can say he would do such if certain things happened to him?  To make words is easy.  Fools do it all day long.  But who among us knows of what they are made before the test is given?  And even as a test begins upon us we have not yet seen the fullness of our nature.

Were your mate to have a stroke and lay in a bed for 10 years.  Could you endure?  What would you do?  As the question is presented, your mind answers.  But you cannot say for sure.  Your answer would arrive at the end of the 10 years.

Life as you now know it will end.  Plans you had together will not just deteriorate or be placed on hold, they will evaporate into nothing in the flash of a moment.  And you will become embroiled in a horrible test.

Should you be caught up in some stupidity and find yourself in jail for 20 years, what would you do?  Again, the answer comes at the end of 20 years.  What we say before the test is complete is but speculation.  It is not even to calculated guesstimate.  Proof alone can rightly answer.

We know what is right.  We know what the word valor means.  We know the meaning of weakness and strength.  But we do not know of what we are made until we are tested.

No man can fully be called faithful to Christ until he arrives before the Holy One; this place of testing left behind forever.  Until then we fall on our knees and beg for mercy that we may endure everyday.  To consider yourself a faithful Christian now is to prepare a room for pride.

Who knows what tomorrow brings?  Who knows what will happen before the sun sets?  What we are is what we have done.  The sum of our history is a test.  As you look at what you have done, who are you?  We are living answers.