1-12-2013- ZEAL IN AMENDING OUR LIVES
"REMARKS"
THE FOLLOWING IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS I FOUND IN MY STUDY OF YAH'WEHS, WORD. IT IS PROFOUND AND CAPABLE OF ENLIGHTENING A PERSONS SPIRITUAL WALK.
"ZEAL IN AMENDING OUR LIVES"
BE WATCHFUL AND DILIGENT IN YAHWEHS SERVICE AND OFTEN THINK OF "WHY YOU LEFT THE WORLD" AND CAME HERE.
WAS IT NOT THAT YOU MIGHT LIVE FOR YAHWEH AND BECOME A SPIRITUAL MAN?
STRIVE EARNESTLY FOR PERFECTION, THEN, BECAUSE IN A SHORT TIME, YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF YOUR LABOR AND NEITHER FEAR, NOR SORROW, SHALL COME UPON YOU AT THE HOUR OF DEATH.
LABOR A LITTLE NOW, AND SOON YOU SHALL FIND GREAT REST, IN TRUTH, ETERNAL JOY; FOR IF YOU CONTINUE FAITHFUL AND DILIGENT IN DOING SO, YAHWEH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE FAITHFUL AND GENEROUS IN REWARDING.
CONTINUE TO HAVE REASONABLE HOPE OF GAINING SALVATION, BUT DO NOT ACT AS THOUGH YOU WERE CERTAIN OF IT, THAT YOU GROW INDOLENT AND PROUD.
ONE DAY WHEN A CERTAIN MAN WHO WAVERED OFTEN AND ANXIOUSLY BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR, WAS STRUCK WITH SADNESS, HE KNELT IN HUMBLE PRAYER BEFORE THE ALTAR OF A CHURCH. WHILE MEDITATING ON THESE THINGS, HE SAID: " OH IF I BUT KNEW WHETHER, I SHOULD PERSEVERE TO THE END". INSTANTLY HE HEARD WITHIN THE DIVINE ANSWER: "IF YOU KNEW THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? DO NOW WHAT YOU WOULD DO THEN AND YOU WILL BE QUITE SECURE." IMMEDIATELY CONSOLED AND COMFORTED, HE RESIGNED HIMSELF TO THE DIVINE WILL, AND THE ANXIOUS UNCERTAINTY CEASED. HIS CURIOSITY NO LONGER SOUGHT TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HELD FOR HIM AND HE TRIED INSTEAD TO FIND THE PERFECT, THE ACCEPTABLE WILL OF YAHWEH IN THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF EVERY GOOD WORK.
TRUST YOU IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD, SAYS THE PROPHET; " DWELL IN THE LAND AND YOU SHALL FEED ON ITS RICHES."
THERE IS ONE THING THAT KEEPS MANY FROM ZEALOUSLY IMPROVING THEIR LIVES, THAT IS, THE DREAD OF THE DIFFICULTY, THE TOIL, OF BATTLE. CERTAINLY THEY WHO TRY BRAVELY TO OVERCOME THE MOST DIFFICULT AND UNPLEASANT OBSTACLES, FAR OUTSTRIP OTHERS IN THE PURSUIT OF VIRTUE.
A MAN MAKES THE MOST PROGRESS AND MERITS THE MOST GRACE PRECISELY IN THOSE MATTERS WHEREIN HE GAINS THE GREATEST VICTORIES OVER SELF, AND MOST MORTIFIES HIS WILL.
TRUE, EACH ONE HAS HIS OWN DIFFICULTIES TO MEET AND CONQUER, BUT A DILIGENT AND SINCERE MAN, WILL MAKE GREATER PROGRESS, EVEN THOUGH HE HAVE MORE PASSIONS THAN ONE WHO IS MORE EVEN-TEMPERED, BUT LESS CONCERNED ABOUT VIRTUE.
TWO THINGS PARTICULARLY FURTHER IMPROVEMENT, TO WITHDRAW ONESELF FORCIBLY FROM THOSE VICES, TO WHICH NATURE IS VICIOUSLY INCLINED, AND TO WORK FERVENTLY FOR THOSE GRACES WHICH ARE MOST NEEDED.
STUDY ALSO TO GUARD AGAINST AND TO OVERCOME THE FAULTS WHICH IN OTHERS VERY FREQUENTLY DISPLEASE YOU. MAKE THE BEST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY, SO THAT IF YOU SEE, OR HEAR, GOOD EXAMPLE, YOU MAY BE MOVED TO "IMITATE IT".
ON THE OTHER HAND, TAKE CARE THAT YOU BE GUILTY OF THOSE THINGS WHICH YOU CONSIDER REPREHENSIBLE, OR, IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN GUILTY OF THEM, TRY TO CORRECT YOURSELF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AS YOU SEE OTHERS, SO THEY SEE YOU.
HOW PLEASANT AND SWEET, TO BEHOLD BRETHREN FERVENT AND DEVOUT, WELL MANNERED AND DISCIPLINED.
HOW SAD AND PAINFUL, TO SEE THEM WANDERING IN DISSOLUTION, NOT PRACTICING THE THINGS TO WHICH THEY WERE "CALLED"!
HOW HURTFUL IT IS TO NEGLECT THE PURPOSE OF THEIR VOCATION, AND TO ATTEND TO WHAT IS "NOT THEIR BUSINESS".
REMEMBER THE PURPOSE YOU HAVE UNDER TAKEN AND KEEP IN MIND, THE IMAGE OF THE CRUCIFIED.
EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE WALKED AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS ON THE PATHWAY TO YAHWEH YOU MAY WELL BE ASHAMED IF, WITH THE IMAGE OF CHRIST BEFORE YOU, YOU DO NOT "TRY TO MAKE YOURSELF MORE LIKE HIM".
THE RELIGIOUS WHO CONCERNS HIMSELF INTENTLY AND DEVOUTLY, WITH OUR MASTERS MOST HOLY LIFE AND PASSION, WILL FIND THERE AN ABUNDANCE OF ALL THINGS USEFUL AND NECESSARY FOR HIM.
HE NEED NOT SEEK FOR "ANYTHING BETTER THAN JESUS, YAHSHUA".
IF THE "CRUCIFIED" SHOULD COME TO OUR HEARTS, HOW QUICKLY AND ABUNDANTLY, WE WOULD LEARN.
A FERVENT RELIGIOUS MAN, ACCEPTS ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE COMMANDED OF HIM AND DOES THEM WELL, BUT A NEGLIENT AND LUKEWARM RELIGIOUS PERSON, HAS TRIAL UPON TRIAL AND SUFFERS ANGUISH FROM EVERY SIDE, BECAUSE HE HAS NO CONSOLATION WITHIN AND IS FORBIDDEN TO SEEK IT, FROM WITHOUT.
THE RELIGIOUS PERSON WHO DOES NOT LIVE UP TO HIS RULE, EXPOSES HIMSELF TO DREADFUL RUIN AND HE WHO WISHES TO BE MORE FREE AND UNTRAMMELED, WILL ALWAYS BE IN TROUBLE, FOR SOMETHING OR, OTHER, WILL ALWAYS DISPLEASE HIM.
HOW DO SO MANY OTHER RELIGIOUS PERSONS WHO ARE CONFINED IN CLOISTERED DISCIPLINE GET ALONG?
THEY SELDOM GO OUT, THEY LIVE IN CONTEMPLATION, THEIR FOOD IS POOR, THEIR CLOTHING IS COARSE, THEY WORK HARD, THEY SPEAK BUT LITTLE, THEY KEEP LONG VIGILS, THEY RISE EARLY, THEY PRAY MUCH, THEY READ FERVENTLY, AND SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO ALL SORTS OF DISCIPLINE.
THINK OF THE CARTHUSIANS AND THE CISTERIANS, THE MONKS AND THE NUNS OF DIFFERENT ORDERS, HOW EVERY NIGHT THEY RISE TO SING PRAISE TO THE LORD.
IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF YOU SHOULD GROW LAZY IN SUCH HOLY SERVICE, WHEN SO MANY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO REJOICE IN YAHWEH.
IF THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT PRAISE YAHWEH, WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND VOICE, IF YOU HAD NEVER TO EAT, OR, DRINK, OR SLEEP, BUT COULD PRAISE YAHWEH ALWAYS AND OCCUPY YOURSELF SOLELY WITH SPIRITUAL PURSUITS, HOW MUCH HAPPIER YOU WOULD BE, THAN YOU ARE NOW, A SLAVE TO EVERY NECESSITY OF THE BODY!
WOULD THAT THERE WERE NO SUCH NEEDS, BUT ONLY THE SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENTS OF THE SOUL WHICH, SAD TO SAY, WE TASTE TO SELDOM.
WHEN A MAN REACHES A POINT WHERE HE SEEKS NO SOLACE FROM ANY CREATURE, THEN HE BEGINS TO RELISH YAHWEH PERFECTLY.
THEN ALSO HE WILL BE CONTENT, NO MATTER WHAT MAY HAPPEN TO HIM.
HE WILL NEITHER REJOICE OVER GREAT THINGS, OR GRIEVE OVER SMALL ONES, BUT WILL PLACE HIMSELF ENTIRELY AND CONFIDENTLY IN THE HANDS OF YAHWEH WHO FOR HIM IS ALL IN ALL, TO WHOM NOTHING EVER PERISHES, OR DIES, FOR WHOM ALL THINGS LIVE AND WHOM THEY SERVE AS THEY DESIRE.
ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR END AND DO NOT FORGET, "THAT LOST TIME NEVER RETURNS".
WITHOUT CARE AND DILIGENCE, YOU WILL NEVER ACQUIRE VIRTUE.
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO GROW "LUKEWARM", YOU ARE FALLING INTO THE BEGINNING OF EVIL; BUT IF YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO FERVOR, YOU WILL FIND PEACE AND WILL EXPERIENCE LESS HARDSHIP, BECAUSE OF YAHWEHS GRACE AND THE LOVE OF VIRTUE.
A FERVENT AND DILIGENT MAN IS READY FOR ALL THINGS.
IT IS GREATER WORK, TO RESIST VICES AND PASSIONS, THAN TO SWEAT IN PHYSICAL TOIL. (AMEN)
HE WHO DOES NOT OVERCOME SMALL FAULTS, SHALL FALL LITTLE BY LITTLE, INTO GREATER ONES.
IF YOU HAVE SPENT THE DAY PROFITABLY SPIRITUALLY, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE HAPPY AT EVENING.
WATCH OVER YOURSELF, AROUSE YOURSELF, WARN YOURSELF, ADN REGARDLESS OF WHAT BECOMES OF OTHERS, DO NOT NEGLECT YOURSELF.
THE MORE VIOLENCE YOU DO TO YOURSELF, THE MORE PROGRESS YOU WILL MAKE.