Wisdom found in the past...
Letter 5
Peace Comes through Simplicity and Obedience
Learn to cultivate peace. And you can do this by learning to turn a deaf ear to you own ambitious thoughts. Or haven’t you yet learned that the strivings of the human mind not only impair the health of your body, but also bring dryness to the soul. You can actually consume yourself by too much inner striving. And to no purpose at all! Your peace and inner sweetness can be destroyed by a restless mind. Do you think that God can speak in those soft tender accents that melt the soul, in the midst of such inner confusion as you permit by that endless, hurrying parade of thoughts going through you mind? Be quiet, and He will soon be heard. The only principle you need to be concerned about is to be scrupulously obedience
You have been asking for comfort and peace. But you do not understand that you have need led to the brink of the fountain and are refusing to drink. Peace and comfort can be found nowhere except in simple obedience. So, be faithful in obeying even when you do not understand, and you will soon find that the rivers of living water will flow, as God has promised. You will receive according to the measure of your faith: much, if you believe much; nothing if you believe nothing and continue to listen to your own restless thoughts.
You dishonor the meaning of Christian love when you suppose that a man who truly loves God could ever be worried about these trifles which are continually clamoring for your attention. Christian love goes straight to God in pure simplicity, knowing that these trifles are no problem to Him. Satan is the one who torments us with trivialities. And he often transforms himself into an angel of light and bothers us with endless self-examinations and an over-sensitive conscience which allows us no peace. I’m sure you know by experience that trouble and spiritual danger which Satan can bring upon you in this way. But you can be victorious. Everything depends upon your faithfulness in repelling his first advances.
If you will learn to be honest and simple in your desires, I think you will be more pleasing to God than if you were to suffer a hundred martyrdoms. If there is anything you should be concerned about, it is simply you own hesitation in offering a sacrifice so right in the sight of God. Can true love hesitate when it is required to please its Well-beloved?
Written by Francois de Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, Archibishop of CAmbrai, Written to advise a few select believers in the court of Louis the XIV in the late 1600’s.
I think that this writing is extremely profound. I’ve been studying the writings of Christians of little pocket remenants over the centuries of Europe, and I found a book by this guy. It is a series of letters he wrote a select group of people who were trying desperately to stay righteous in a royal court of immorality and corruption. His letters are intense, and written by an mature Christian. This particular letter hit me hard. I had spent so much time trying to analyze myself that I had at many times lost sight with what God really wanted. I totally feel for the advances of Satan.
I think back in my years in the ICOC and how it was the ongoing past time to constantly be reexamining our own hearts to make sure we were “right” and righteous at all times. We took some writings of Paul, and proof-texting them into our own paradigm to fit what we had been told they meant. We would confess even the slightest little whim of a little thought of a slight amount of potential temptation in order to not let our hearts drift into sin. There was perpetual self-examninations, not to mention having “D-Times” were a group of guys would sit around in a room and confess all their sin (a good thing) but then we would asail upon each other with rebukes, corrections, and instructions. We would be brutal in our opinions of each other in the name of brotherhood and proverbial “Iron sharpens iron” mentality. We would be consumed with it. Well, this trade mark mentality has left its mark on me, and I continue to barrage myself, always looking to see if my heart is right. I am now going to take Fenelon’s advice and just be quiet and let the voice of God be heard.
I am also reading a booklet, or tract called The Triumph, Peace, and Power of True Christianity: An Early Tract of Defenselessness and Fidelity to Christ, by Pilgram Marpeck. Pilgram Marpeck was a Christian in the early mid 1500’s, and he was responding to Martin Luther’s brutal resolve to hem in violence with violence. Martin Luther showing his hand by ordering the deaths of thousands of revolting peasants who were only responding to the disappointment of the lack of social reform promised by church reform. There were a group of Anabaptist that was taking arms to defend themselves from this violence, and Pilgram Marpeck wrote this tract in response. It is powerful indeed. It is amazing what these people had to say, and how the purity of the scripture was embraced by small select groups throughout Europe during over the years.
It is also amazingly simplistic and obvious non-violence and passive resistance are unquestionably the truth and way of the true Christian when it is laid out like these brothers do. The third book I am reading is Do Followers of Jesus Fight? by Edward Yoder and friends. This was published originally in the 1940’s, and it is 54 questions frequently asked concerning Christian responses to relative questions concerning Christians and their responsibility to Christ when violence is inflicted on them. Many of those questions I have asked myself. These wonderful publications can be found at http://www.scrollpublishing.com/ and they are only a few dollars each. Again, I highly recommend them.
All this is in response to a request made by my bestest buddy John, and we are together going to research the total church in its entire history. So far I am off to a good start.
Peace Comes through Simplicity and Obedience
Learn to cultivate peace. And you can do this by learning to turn a deaf ear to you own ambitious thoughts. Or haven’t you yet learned that the strivings of the human mind not only impair the health of your body, but also bring dryness to the soul. You can actually consume yourself by too much inner striving. And to no purpose at all! Your peace and inner sweetness can be destroyed by a restless mind. Do you think that God can speak in those soft tender accents that melt the soul, in the midst of such inner confusion as you permit by that endless, hurrying parade of thoughts going through you mind? Be quiet, and He will soon be heard. The only principle you need to be concerned about is to be scrupulously obedience
You have been asking for comfort and peace. But you do not understand that you have need led to the brink of the fountain and are refusing to drink. Peace and comfort can be found nowhere except in simple obedience. So, be faithful in obeying even when you do not understand, and you will soon find that the rivers of living water will flow, as God has promised. You will receive according to the measure of your faith: much, if you believe much; nothing if you believe nothing and continue to listen to your own restless thoughts.
You dishonor the meaning of Christian love when you suppose that a man who truly loves God could ever be worried about these trifles which are continually clamoring for your attention. Christian love goes straight to God in pure simplicity, knowing that these trifles are no problem to Him. Satan is the one who torments us with trivialities. And he often transforms himself into an angel of light and bothers us with endless self-examinations and an over-sensitive conscience which allows us no peace. I’m sure you know by experience that trouble and spiritual danger which Satan can bring upon you in this way. But you can be victorious. Everything depends upon your faithfulness in repelling his first advances.
If you will learn to be honest and simple in your desires, I think you will be more pleasing to God than if you were to suffer a hundred martyrdoms. If there is anything you should be concerned about, it is simply you own hesitation in offering a sacrifice so right in the sight of God. Can true love hesitate when it is required to please its Well-beloved?
Written by Francois de Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, Archibishop of CAmbrai, Written to advise a few select believers in the court of Louis the XIV in the late 1600’s.
I think that this writing is extremely profound. I’ve been studying the writings of Christians of little pocket remenants over the centuries of Europe, and I found a book by this guy. It is a series of letters he wrote a select group of people who were trying desperately to stay righteous in a royal court of immorality and corruption. His letters are intense, and written by an mature Christian. This particular letter hit me hard. I had spent so much time trying to analyze myself that I had at many times lost sight with what God really wanted. I totally feel for the advances of Satan.
I think back in my years in the ICOC and how it was the ongoing past time to constantly be reexamining our own hearts to make sure we were “right” and righteous at all times. We took some writings of Paul, and proof-texting them into our own paradigm to fit what we had been told they meant. We would confess even the slightest little whim of a little thought of a slight amount of potential temptation in order to not let our hearts drift into sin. There was perpetual self-examninations, not to mention having “D-Times” were a group of guys would sit around in a room and confess all their sin (a good thing) but then we would asail upon each other with rebukes, corrections, and instructions. We would be brutal in our opinions of each other in the name of brotherhood and proverbial “Iron sharpens iron” mentality. We would be consumed with it. Well, this trade mark mentality has left its mark on me, and I continue to barrage myself, always looking to see if my heart is right. I am now going to take Fenelon’s advice and just be quiet and let the voice of God be heard.
I am also reading a booklet, or tract called The Triumph, Peace, and Power of True Christianity: An Early Tract of Defenselessness and Fidelity to Christ, by Pilgram Marpeck. Pilgram Marpeck was a Christian in the early mid 1500’s, and he was responding to Martin Luther’s brutal resolve to hem in violence with violence. Martin Luther showing his hand by ordering the deaths of thousands of revolting peasants who were only responding to the disappointment of the lack of social reform promised by church reform. There were a group of Anabaptist that was taking arms to defend themselves from this violence, and Pilgram Marpeck wrote this tract in response. It is powerful indeed. It is amazing what these people had to say, and how the purity of the scripture was embraced by small select groups throughout Europe during over the years.
It is also amazingly simplistic and obvious non-violence and passive resistance are unquestionably the truth and way of the true Christian when it is laid out like these brothers do. The third book I am reading is Do Followers of Jesus Fight? by Edward Yoder and friends. This was published originally in the 1940’s, and it is 54 questions frequently asked concerning Christian responses to relative questions concerning Christians and their responsibility to Christ when violence is inflicted on them. Many of those questions I have asked myself. These wonderful publications can be found at http://www.scrollpublishing.com/ and they are only a few dollars each. Again, I highly recommend them.
All this is in response to a request made by my bestest buddy John, and we are together going to research the total church in its entire history. So far I am off to a good start.
posted by P. Allan Frederick at 9:43 PM
1 Comments:
You have been asking for comfort and peace. But you do not understand that you have need led to the brink of the fountain and are refusing to drink. Peace and comfort can be found nowhere except in simple obedience. So, be faithful in obeying even when you do not understand, and you will soon find that the rivers of living water will flow, as God has promised.
Wow. I needed to hear this. I can so relate to this message. Boy. Thanks for posting it.
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