Thursday, January 28, 2016

Healing by Restful Keeping Sabbath


Keeping Sabbath (for healing) can be weaved throughout the life and days.

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. Fruit grows. If we rest in the vine. Rest in the finished work of God in Jesus. "It is done," Jesus said.

"Draw near unto God! and He will draw near unto you!" (Hebrews) "That we may receive the help (the grace) we need.." (Quit trying to make yourself good enough for God to love! Admit it can't be done! He - is the only source of Goodness. He has given an "oath" (Hebrews).

He is in the quietness.. I can't speak for any others.. but God gave me a formula for deep inner healing..

God is a God of order. (And even what seems the most complex of things, is basically simplicity.)

I was sitting on a bench under some plum trees and grape vines. Lo and behold I had found some plums that no worms had gotten! So I ate a couple and thanked the Lord. It was a very nice day. As I was musing it seemed as though a calendar opened up before me, in my mind's eye.. over a blue sky background. That there are four seasons with three times a day - 24/7. Each season with its particular spiritual lesson. I think of it as the 4 + 3 prescription. I see the big "Rexall" sign before it..

..three times a day to worship Him.. "you make the places where morning and evening meet to leap for joy" (badly? paraphrased from Psalms) - Not a strict legalistic schedule, just one to keep in mind.

Psalm 65:8 "You make the places where morning and evening have birth, to shout for joy.." ..and then there's Gethsemane's moonlit hour.. Three times a day throughout four seasons every year..

It's a box and pattern I can put my mind in.. and put up a shield of faith and deny every negative idea.. Turn from every negative thought.. The shield deflects the arrows and they fall to the ground bent and broken.

I believe we do well to allow ourselves much time(s) to rest quietly in Him. Listening to His quiet and soft voice.. of reason.

The basic idea is to weave into our life and days times of Quiet prayer and praise and the reading of God's Word. This is the bread and the wine, the prescription Jesus gave on the eve of His crucifixion.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Enter The Story Reading Schedule


I am working on transferring my Bible reading schedule onto this website / blog. The reading schedule can be found here - http://inner-monastery.blogspot.com/p/daily.html

The gospels are blended into two six month continuous readings in an effort to more easily 'enter the story' and feel a bit more as if we are walking with Jesus, where He walked and as He walked.

The Book of Acts is read over the course of the year. As is the Book of Revelation.

The New Testament letters are also read annually, and are read in the order believed to have been written.

There's an annual schedule for Psalms and a 31 day schedule for Proverbs. And a developing one for the books of the prophets.