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Contents
Lift High The Gospel
All But Lost
The Four Books
The Gospel, The Word, His Presence
The Gifts Of The Spirit
The Best For Last
Lift High The Gospel
"The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." ... Jesus Christ
The wonder of The Gospel! God's entire message to us is presented through the words and deeds of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every possible theme or issue that is important to Our Father can be found in Christ's plain, yet comprehensive message, and in His way and manner of being. It has all been faithfully recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that we might read, see, and believe.
The beautiful book of John starts with, "In the beginning was The Word." When we read The Gospel we learn that, not only was The Word in the beginning, but it always is and shall ever be. It will not ever change. Not one dot of an 'i' or a cross of a 't'; can ever really be erased. All things shall pass away except This Word.
The Gospel is the foundation, the rock, the north point on our compass. It is our how-to manual, our code of conduct, and the only book we need to live the life God wants us to live. To walk and live as God wills, we must be Christ-like. As the complete record of Jesus' earthly life, The Gospel gives us the pattern to follow. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John show us The Word and The Way.
Too often we turn to other parts of The Bible when we already have The Word in The Gospel. Too often the message of Christ is bypassed when we need to justify or rationalize that which He came to make perfectly clear.
Too often we use the references to the Old Testament that are found in The Gospel to prove the authenticity of Christ when, instead, it should be the other way around. The Word of God the Son is the point of all reference, the beginning and the end.
Does He not tell us what is the New Message? Does He not tell us what to leave behind? Does He not tell us that He came to fulfill what was to be completed and specifically point it out? Could it be any clearer than Jesus Christ's own simple and straightforward words?
It has often been said that we can find a reference to prove or disprove almost any issue somewhere in The Bible. Taken as a whole, and all too often out of context, that may be an accurate statement. However, for the Christian, there is only one place of reference, The Gospel. By The Gospel should all else be weighed and measured.
If, after prayerful consultation with God in our reading, we cannot find a reference in The Gospel message; if, after prayerful waiting on God for His Gospel guidance, He remains silent; then, perhaps, we should conclude that the issue is of no import to God or is not of God. At the very least, we owe it to Our Lord, to consider His Word before we, in our impatience, seek our answers outside The Gospel.
The Gospel must regain its place of priority in our lives. It must be the first text to which we turn. The Gospel clearly spells out all we need to know through the words and acts of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Of the entire Holy Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, The Gospel is the only text we cannot live without, because it includes the entirety of our faith. Only when we put The Gospel in its true place of priority can we even begin to appreciate the richness of the rest of Holy Scripture.
If we hunger and thirst for God's constant presence, we must give up the Bible pick-and-choose approach. We can no longer consider The Holy Gospel as simply one of the choices in a smorgasbord. For anyone who desires the full measure of God's bounty, The Gospel is the complete meal. The Gospel is our feast. We absolutely must lift high The Gospel.
All But Lost
"In times as troubled as today" is a phrase taken from the Preface to 'The Practice Of The Presence Of God'. Brother Lawrence's life spanned most of the seventeenth century, a century marked by extremely troubled times including the brutal and savage Thirty Years' War. There was enough that happened over the course of that century that, surely, those inclined to proclaim "the end is near" were very visible and vocal.
Yet, if we travel back in history, we find that each century, era, age, and epoch bore the signs of troubled times. Many first century Christians were, understandably, convinced that Christ's message, so fresh to their ears, meant the end was upon them.
Each subsequent century, twenty of them, has had its messengers whom many would scoffingly call doomsayers. No doubt John the Baptist was called by that name in his day also. Today, at least, John is viewed by most as a worthy messenger.
How easy it would be, then, to paint all of history since the first century with the same brush, since all times have been "troubled times". Yet, without agonizing over which century was the most troubled, but still agreeing that the times were always "troubled" for those who lived them, we need to take a close look at today. Right now is the only time we have. God has appointed each of us to be here at this present moment.
So, while the Preface to 'The Practice Of The Presence Of God' says "In times as troubled as today," there are differences in the kind and quality of the troubles. This is, of course, one of the things that makes history an interesting study. However, to get to the point, there is one major and outstanding difference in Christianity between the seventeenth century and this, the twenty first century.
Between the days of Brother Lawrence and today, we have all but lost The Gospel.
Whether we read the conversations recorded between Joseph de Beaufort and Brother Lawrence or his letters addressed to a variety of people, we cannot help but notice not only Brother Lawrence's own understanding of The Gospel, but also his assumption that the other person shares the understanding.
Unlike the age in which we live, books were not readily available. Though some fortunate few had a New Testament, it was more likely for an individual to have a copy of The Gospel than a complete Holy Bible. Christians, even during this very early time of the tearing apart of the body of Christ, were brought up on The Gospel. In fact, many Roman Catholics and Protestants who learned to read began by learning to read The Gospel.
Brother Lawrence's assumption about others was not really an assumption because The Gospel, the scripture books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; was the staple of Christian life. Is this true today? Can we honestly say that The Gospel is as readily available today as it was over three hundred years ago? Is The Gospel the staple of Christianity today?
Please keep in mind that we need to make a distinction here between The Gospel and the Holy Bible, and even the New Testament. Why? Because The Gospel of the seventeenth century, generally understood to be "of Holy Scripture", was often what we would today refer to as a "stand alone" book. As such, a single book, The Gospel had its proper priority and place at the center of daily life.
Today, we live in what is referred to as the information age, a world that places priority on data. The emphasis is on more and bigger, often at the expense of quality and clarity. The Gospel, around one hundred and fifty pages of print, is all but lost inside heavy encyclopedic paper Holy Bibles and electronic search engine scriptures. Who can wonder that anyone hungry for The Son's message from Our Father would feel overwhelmed by the enormity of so much material? Who can wonder that a seeker of The Gospel, a heart being drawn to Christ, might back away from such complexity?
Perhaps the biggest difference between today and the days of Brother Lawrence is a matter of simplicity. Today we are driven by "Bible Study." Seventeenth century Christians were powered by "Gospel Appreciation." Yet, it is not too late to bring The Gospel back to its rightful place at the center of our lives. And it is not too difficult. All we need to do, and all we can do, is make The Gospel accessible. Our Father is in charge of the rest. He draws to Himself His own and reveals His presence through The Gospel.
The Four Books
The Gospel, presented in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; is like a musical quartet. Four distinct voices blend and harmonize to present the fullness of the composition.
The wonder of this type of composition is that we can enjoy listening to each voice separately for its distinct purity and quality. Each voice presents the entire composition. For example, we can listen to the voice of Mark and hear a faithful rendering of the complete composition, the gospel message.
When we turn to Matthew, Luke, and John; again, the same thing, a distinctly pure voice that presents the complete work. As we listen, over time, our ear becomes sensitive to the nuances and special qualities of each voice. Here is a sample of what we can learn about God's message, from each of the four voices.
The Gospel of Matthew
What is God's will for us? The answer can be found in the pages of the Gospel of Matthew, a rich source of information detailing the Son of God's instructions from Our Father to us.
Here we learn, through Jesus' teachings and actions, what we must keep of the old. We find what must be replaced. We see what has been fulfilled and has come full circle. We discover the new material and the new message. The Gospel of Matthew holds the keys to 'this generation's' entry into the kingdom of heaven ... if we have ears to hear and eyes to see.
The Gospel of Mark
This book of The Gospel, the accounting of Mark, is the story of God in action; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The movement of the story is swift. The details are presented with precision and economy. We often see the word 'immediately'. This denotes not only quickness in the temporal sense, but, more importantly, it denotes the key ingredient necessary to enter God's kingdom. The ingredient is obedience.
In the Gospel of Mark we are able to see the clear, decisive, and certain result of the Son's obediently representing the Father and transmitting His message of the meaning of pure and simple faith.
The Gospel of Luke
Luke's Gospel is a letter crafted to accurately convey all that we must know about the Son of Man who is the Son of God, so we may clearly see what it means for God's children to believe.
The Gospel according to Luke presents a close-up of the Son against a background of humanity. Luke paints a beautiful word picture that shows us that the only way to please Our Father is by following His Son in all our earthly thoughts, words, and actions.
The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John is called the Gospel of love. It is written by that disciple whose heart was, over time, totally surrendered. Brother Lawrence, whose heart was also totally surrendered, was a great believer in doing what was most practical, simple, and direct; a style similar to that of the Beloved Disciple.
The Gospel according to John shows us the exquisite beauty and simple yet practical message of God's nature and the meaning of His commandment for all who would call themselves Christ's disciples: the law of love. This love is love of the highest order, the divine love that enables us to love God and each other as He loves us. In no other book do we find stated so clearly the answer to the question: Who is God?.
The Gospel, The Word, His Presence
1. What comfort and closeness to God we feel when we sit back and just read The Gospel. In the silence of our reading we lose ourselves in God's words. His thoughts become our thoughts. His view becomes our view. Though we may have read the words many times before, God gives us new insight each time we just read with Him.
When read prayerfully, The Gospel brings us directly into the presence of God. As we begin, we simply turn our attention to Him, Our Master, Our Teacher. As we read and pause to reflect on the words of Our Lord, we engage in an actual conversation with God. As we read, we take in the words. As we reflect, God responds.
This act of prayerful reading, reading and reflecting from the heart, puts us, not only in the presence of God, but also puts us into a kind of sacred rhythmic exchange, like gently breathing in and out.
We become aware of our complete dependence on God for this simple act of reading. Without Him, without the breath He breathes into the words, without His message, we are lost, in despair, and without comfort.
In the words of Brother Lawrence: "It is the Creator who teaches truth, who in one moment instructs the heart of the humble and makes him understand more about the mysteries of faith and even about Himself than if he had studied them for a long term of years."
An excellent way to read The Gospel is to begin afresh with Matthew, then Mark, Luke, and John; the first book to the last book. We must put away the calendar, dictionary, reference books, concordances, and clock for now. All we need is a bookmark or something to note the place where our next reading begins.
Each day we do some reading. A chapter a day or at one sitting is often a comfortable pace. However, it is important not to make a hard and fast rule because sometimes we may read more or less. The point is to read prayerfully, depending entirely upon God to guide our reading.
Whether we have never read The Gospel from beginning to end or have read it this way dozens of times, it doesn't matter. Each time is a new beginning and an opportunity for God to bring us into His vision, His kingdom, and His Word.
We need to read leisurely and resist the need to understand each word. When a question forms in our mind, as it will from time to time, we simply note it to God and move on. Later we see that He never forgets anything. Also, when we realize that we have drifted away, we just find the place where we left off and read it again. We need to read things a couple of times anyway!
Before we begin reading and when we finish, we take a moment to thank God for being with us. Without His guidance we could easily lose our way and, perhaps, give up on The Gospel. This would really be a tragic loss.
Pay particular attention to Our Lord's words and instructions to His Own, His close disciples, and followers. In God's presence we are no longer a part of the crowd. Reading The Gospel with the awareness of God's presence will highlight the uniqueness of our relationship with Our Lord. We will want to know all the information that Our Lord shared with His inner circle so we, too, may keep His Word and enjoy the fullness of faith.
Brother Lawrence said: "we ought to quicken and enliven our faith. It was lamentable we had so little. Instead of taking faith for the rule of their conduct, men amused themselves with trivial devotions which changed daily." What better way, what more personal way, to practice our faith than to experience God's Word, The Gospel, in His presence!
Eventually, the times of reading and reflecting on The Gospel and 'The Practice of the Presence of God' become an essential part of our life, a sacred habit that influences all our thoughts, words, and actions.
The Gospel, from beginning to end; Brother Lawrence's 'The Practice of the Presence of God', from beginning to end; are circles of love and protection that surround us and become a vital part of our very being. They are personal letters, intended to be read in the privacy of God's presence.
When this simple approach is firmly established as the solid foundation of living in God's presence, additional reading and reflection is greatly enhanced; especially the rich array of available commentaries, books, and articles about The Gospel.
Brother Lawrence's personal approach, the same simple and direct approach that Our Lord stressed throughout The Gospel, enables us to glide over the many discussions and debates about authorship, timing, and countless other details that, in the end, are often of little importance to the holy and unchanging message of God's will for us.
Brother Lawrence "noted that there was a great difference between the acts of the intellect and those of the will. Acts of the intellect were comparatively of little value. Acts of the will were all important. Our only business was to love and delight ourselves in God."
We can do this. We can do this by keeping The Gospel and 'The Practice of the Presence of God' at the center and as the very foundation of our lives. Simple faith becomes our home in God.
2. The twelfth chapter of Matthew contains the parable of the unclean spirit. Jesus tells the story of what happens when an unclean spirit is driven out of a man. The unclean spirit roams through arid regions and can find no rest. Finally it decides to see if it can return to the man from whom it was driven.
Upon return, the unclean spirit finds its former home emptied, swept, and ordered. With these favorable conditions, the unclean spirit not only returns, but brings along seven others. So the last condition of the man is far worse than the first.
This can be an extremely frightening prospect for anyone considering renouncing all that is not of God in order to make way for His grace. How can we protect ourselves from making the situation worse? How do we prevent the return of an unclean spirit and more?
Brother Lawrence, who lived the words of Our Lord, addressed this in many ways. For example, he spoke of it when he mentioned difficulties with wandering thoughts. He suggested two things.
The first is to immediately throw ourselves on God's mercy. We must acknowledge to Him that we are too weak to keep the unclean spirits away. We must beg Him to fill the emptiness with His strength. And, second, we must stay very close to Our Father because "the least turning away from Him is insupportable."
The root of the problem to which Jesus referred is the emptiness left by the departure of the unclean spirit. It is a cleanly swept and orderly emptiness. Yet, it is an emptiness without purpose; an attractive and open invitation to be re-filled by its former spirit.
Brother Lawrence wrote of the importance of the heart left vacant. He then added two words that make all the difference: for God. The heart left vacant for God, the soul emptied, swept clean, and ordered for God will become a fertile ground for the growth of God's grace.
Yes, at first this is very difficult. Anything that creates a vacancy in our heart is painful. We ache with emptiness. We long to fill the void. We are emotionally, mentally, and physically weakened and 'the flesh' is vulnerable. Waiting for God, especially if this is new to us, conflicts with our patience and self-will. And waiting for God without expectation of the outcome, especially when we ache with emptiness, pushes our faith to the limit.
Sometimes, in our impatience and impulsiveness, we act foolishly and get ahead of God. Brother Lawrence wrote, "Such was my beginning. Yet I must tell you that, for the first ten years, I suffered a great deal. During this time I fell often and rose again presently."
Yet, Dear One, when we, like Brother Lawrence, continue to practice God's presence, we do learn. We do become surrendered to God's will. We do discover that we simply cannot afford to do anything short of making the whole space available for God. In this way, we open our hearts to the fullness of His words, His presence, and the glad tidings of The Gospel.
3. The practice of the presence of God is a response to Our Father's invitation to His banquet of life everlasting. To some the cost may seem too dear or the pain too great. The immediacy of the temporal and material world in which we live narrows our vision and limits our faith.
Jesus tells a parable about a great feast where the lord of the manor hosted a big dinner to which he invited many people. When the appointed hour was near, he sent his servants to summon the guests.
One by one, each of the servants returned with a message of excuse. Last minute things had come up. Matters of pressing importance - newly acquired land, the arrival of a herd of stock, a recent marriage; all these things took precedence.
The host was very upset. He directed his servants to go into the town and bring back the poor, the lame, and the blind to fill his house and enjoy the fine dinner which was prepared. He told his servants that not one of those originally invited would ever taste the feast.
If Our Father's call to us was simply an invitation to a one-time dining event, even a once-in-a-lifetime feast, we could probably go on with our lives without regret. After all, no matter how sumptuous the fare, it's still only food. But, the call to practice God's presence is not a simple one-time event.
There are no immediate material gains. In fact, there is more fasting than feasting. Yet, if "not one of those originally invited will ever taste the feast," and we have even a hint of the idea of eternity, then the plain words of Brother Lawrence will hold that much more weight with us: "We die but once and a mistake there is irretrievable."
None of us has, from the beginning, the kind of faith required for what Brother Lawrence referred to as the Christian profession. When we are invited to Our Father's banquet of life everlasting, the continuous feast in His presence, God wants us to come as we are. In our fear and trembling, we need only say, "Lord, increase my faith."
Brother Lawrence wrote: "When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, this begets in us a familiarity with God where, when we ask, He supplies the grace we need." The first time and each time thereafter, when we ask for more faith, more trust, or more closeness to Our Father, He responds very quickly. These are the gifts He is ever ready to give us, because it is the nature of Our Father to withhold no good thing from a heart whose quest is to become wholly His.
The Gifts of the Spirit
1. In The Gospel we find listed a group of God's special favors. These gifts of the spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Fidelity, Gentleness, and Self-control. How do we acquire these gifts? Weak, unworthy creatures that we are, try as we might, we are incapable of getting these gifts through our own efforts. These are gifts that can only be bestowed by God at will. And yet, they have been promised to His children, to His own.
From personal experience, Brother Lawrence saw that "the whole substance of religion was faith, hope, and charity. In the practice of these we become united to the will of God. Everything else is indifferent and to be used as a means that we may arrive at our end and then be swallowed up by faith and charity."
In other words, through the practice of the presence of God, our will eventually becomes united with God's will. We become synchronized to the expression of what is pleasing to God in all we think, say, and do. Our attitude is transformed. We become God-contained.
We love God without any motive, even for His promised gifts. We love Him purely because He is ultimately lovely. He then bestows on us the gifts of the spirit. We feel His great outpouring while, at the same time, as Brother Lawrence said, the gifts become "swallowed up by faith and charity".
Who can wonder whether becoming established in the practice of the presence of God is worth doing whatever and for however long it takes to become at one with the will and ways of God?
2. His disciples came and Jesus taught them: "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad."
Brother Lawrence reflects the simple radiance of 'The Beatitudes'. To practice God's presence is to be poor in spirit; since we realize that without God we can do nothing. Awareness of our poverty leads us to become completely surrendered and reliant upon God's grace.
A.C. Simpson wrote: "In the golden stairway of 'The Beatitudes', the first promise is to those that are poor in spirit; but there is another step still deeper down on the way to God - blessed are those who mourn. We need to mourn over our poverty so we may realize our need. We need to be deeply troubled over our spiritual wretchedness so we may come with such hunger that nothing less than all the fullness of Christ can ever satisfy us again".
We hunger and thirst after righteousness because nothing less than doing God's will holds any lasting satisfaction. When we live, move, and have our being in God, this is the essence of our faith and the foundation of our charity. Through the words of The Gospel and by practicing God's presence we come to experience the fullness of the riches God intends for all His children. And it is good.
The Best For Last
The Gospel, from beginning to end, is a marvel that so clearly demonstrates God's power of inspiration and how magnificently He works through His children. Four of His own, different in individuality, brilliantly record a complete, thorough, and wholly compelling story of Jesus Christ, the Son of Our Father.
We begin with the highly instructive book of Matthew. Then we move to the amazingly concise book of Mark. Next, the book of Luke provides us with story-like details. And, finally, we come to the book of John, whose words flow as only a beloved son can speak of a cherished father.
At the very end of the book of John, we find the most beautiful scene in the entire record. The twenty-first chapter of John has been a subject of much discussion and conjecture about whether it was an afterthought, whether it was really intended as part of John's book, and whether he even wrote it at all.
We can only trust that Our Merciful Father has a sense of humor about those who become so easily distracted with, to use an expression of Brother Lawrence, "trifles and fooleries." Perhaps it is for those easily distracted that Our Father inspired John, in this same chapter, to record the exact number of fish in the net: one hundred and fifty-three! Sadly, those who focus on the details of this chapter will likely miss the sheer delight of this most beautiful seaside scene.
It is very like John to have written this scene, which has so much to do with Peter. John's sensitivity toward others is seen in his subtle interactions with Peter. This is especially noticeable in the events surrounding and following Christ's crucifixion where John seems to have become Peter's quiet supporter.
The scene opens with seven of Christ's disciples gathered together on the shore at the town of Tiberias' side of the Sea of Galillee. It is well into the evening and Peter announces that he is going fishing and the others go with him. They work all night in the fishing boat and their nets yield nothing. This must have been a disappointment to at least Peter, James, and John who were fisherman by trade.
What follows seems to happen in a flash. At dawn, Jesus calls from shore, "Have you caught anything?" They answer 'no', He tells them to cast once more, and the net is filled to the point of breaking. Here we can visualize a large catch of fish almost glimmering in the first morning's sun.
John next writes that, when he told Peter the voice was that of Jesus, Peter then immediately dove into the water to get to his master. We have to wonder whether, at the same time, Peter remembered how this happened before. Is this not a repeat of the scene described in the book of Luke when Jesus first called Peter to follow Him? In any event, John said, 'It is the Lord' and Peter dove for shore. What a wonderful picture!
Next is a moment of great delight. On shore, the disciples find that Our Lord has a meal prepared for them. Fish cooked over a charcoal fire. And bread. Almost casually it seems, Jesus tells them to add some of the fresh catch to the meal.
What makes this so delightful is the ordinariness of it all. The disciples, having worked through the night, do not find a banquet of delicacies awaiting them. Instead, they find their daily and familiar food. Yet, it is prepared and served by the hand of The Master. The Lord and His close ones have a meal together. Good food in the best of company -divine simplicity!
The next highlight is Jesus' interchange with Peter. It seems that Our Lord wanted to send a special message of comfort to him back at the tomb when He told the women to tell the disciples "and Peter" to meet Him in Galillee. Only Jesus and, perhaps John, could understand the depth of Peter's anguish over having done the very thing he could not imagine himself doing -denying his Master.
And yet, as we see with this group of six of the other disciples, Peter, no doubt with a new sense of humility, is back taking the lead. After they have eaten, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. We immediately see the correspondence of three times the question to three times Peter's denial. But, there is more.
When Jesus asks Peter the first time if he loves Him "more than these," it may be, as many read it, that Jesus here refers to the other disciples. Yet, it seems more likely that Jesus refers to the fish. Our Lord wants Peter to see and say that he loves his Master and the work of his Master more than his trade as a fisherman. Peter is a skilled and successful fisherman whose business has, at least, been successful enough to provide for a family.
Peter very likely came from a long line of fisherman. The trade was in his blood to the extent that his natural impulse the night before was, of course, to go fishing. And, since the business of the fisherman is to provide food, it is all the more natural for Our Lord to tell Peter to, "feed my sheep." We get a sense of Jesus saying to Peter: 'Don't stop being a fisherman, but take on the higher trade of feeding God's children as I have taught you'.
After a little more discussion, Jesus tells Peter that his one and only responsibility, his sole business and first priority is simply to follow Him. Then John concludes with these most wonderful words, "There are many other things that Jesus did that, if they were all told, I do not think the whole world could contain all the books that would be written. Amen."
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"The hour comes, and is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father seeks such people to worship Him."
... Our Lord, Jesus Christ
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© Light Heart
www.PracticeGodsPresence.com
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