A Conversation.

Conversation between Two Monastic Believers.

You don’t have to answer this! In it I say nothing different than what I always say. It is a theme that revolves constantly in my mind. Every time I open my mouth to speak, the same thing comes out, even to my closest friends in the Church. This morning, reading Amos, I have just came to the verse 5:13 that you mention — “Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.” The Commentary I have says of it: “The reign of terror puts an end to freedom of speech, and people are governed by a prudent expediency rather than truth. the uninfluential man, who knows that were he to take his case to court he would get no satisfaction, is obliged to keep silent in the face of the unredressed wrongs of others”. And in another place it says: “The rulers of the day have effected a great transformation, and none can rebuke or halt them. There is One against whose flashing destruction neither the strong man nor the strong place (fortress) can offer the least resistance. What a vision for faith this is in a day when ungodliness is rampant and the godly man is chiefly aware of his own impotent silence.” The tirade of the Prophet Amos is against the people who are God’s own people. The sin is in the people; it is not the Church that sins, but the people in the Church. The big rulers of our churches have taken control over the lives of the people and even if I take my case to ‘the court of the church’ it will not be heard, or so it seems. Therefore do I sit in silence in my ‘monastery’ and I prophesy out into the wind of the world wide web with the prayer that the Spirit of God will take it as He blows where He listeth, and it will find a home in some listening ear. >>>>> I really hear you loud and clear on this.  We are involved with several people who are basically church people, and it is like speaking a different language.  I have come to the conclusion that the churchianity realm does not have the ears to hear, and that it has become another religion and there is no point to connect.  But still, there may be a remnant and something happening in an unseen realm, but having said that, I also think it is time to be silent to that realm, and the silence will be a speaking. >>>>>> My problem is practical: all ‘good people’ cry out against the corruption and crime, against the atrocities committed in our beautiful country, against the carnage on our roads due to human unconcern for the lives of others. We cry out but do we see only these BIG wrongs  that make the headlines while we are blind (deliberately?) to the little foxes that corrupt the whole structure of our own Christianity? —  ”Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes”. (Song of Solomon 2:15). So are we, who take offense and cry out, really ‘good people’ who hate crime at all levels, or do we fail on godliness? >>>>> I think we cry out because we see these things as a bigger picture of the judgment to come and actually the darkness has increased to the point that it seems like the night which comes in which no man can work.  And then we enter our chambers (Is. 26:20) and hide ourselves, and hopefully examining our own hearts because the interior shaking won’t let us do otherwise, and we have the desire to want to be ready and able to open to Him immediately when He comes.>>>> Then the question is ‘What constitutes godliness?’ How is godliness defined other than as ‘the way of God’? What must a human be in order that his or her actions will conform to the way of God other than that his or her actions must always be completely ethical and,  when there is a lapse, which there always will be, there is immediate conviction of having done wrong? >>>>> We must realize our heavenly calling and our place being in Him, hidden in Him, that we are called as those who have their citizenship in heaven.  We sever our connection to the things of the earth, and even the turmoil and perplexity of the world, and seek those things which are above.  It is not perfection in ourselves, He is our life.  Beholding Him (and nothing else) we are changed from glory to glory.  Our path is not always clear, but as we set Him always before us we draw our life and breath from Him, moment by moment and He directs our paths in that way.  I think we are all realizing that is the only way because we have come to the end of knowing anything by our own abilities, and also because of the chaos of the times we are in. It is just a seeking to maintain that abiding in Him as the source of our life and our leading.  I know that sounds rambling, I hope it makes sense.  >>>>>>>> If I was to identify  wrong action (sin) by it’s outworking,  I would say it is any action (or word or thought) committed by a human being that will cause evil (harm) to another person (or which is detrimental to the Creation which is the environment for all beings) unless the act is deliberately performed in order that good may come of it (but be careful here because only God is perfect and knows when evil will produce good in the long run). Any such action is mostly marked by selfish unconcern for another or others, whether the selfish unconcern is consciously held or unconsciously it is the outworking of a selfish spirit. Always the Spirit knows, and so will we also know if we will but heed His voice. “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8). Is the Lion not roaring in our land? Is the fact that God allows the corruption, the crime, and the carnage on our roads to continue, is not that the roaring of the Lion? Why then will we of the Church not heed it and look into ourselves to find the cause? And repent so that God will heal our land? >>>>>  Lately I have had a sense of urgency and that the time is short and am in amazement that people are not fearful of what is coming and seem to have no awareness of the shaking that is happening.  All things are being shaken to the core.  Who is aware of it?  Where are the people who tremble?  This urgency I sense is overwhelming.  But I don’t see anything corresponding to it except with a very few. >>>>>>>>>>>> <><><><><><><><><>>< From Jessop.

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