Philip K Stone

A Sore Head

Struggling today with a sore head – don’t get them very often thankfully, so today I’m just letting matthew 11v28 become a reality today and I’m just sitting at the feet of Jesus.

‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

No Where better to be folks!

For They WILL see God!

I’m currently reading the shortest book i’m taken a dive into, but its possibly going to take me a long time to read, its one of those books that grips something inside you, it stirs a longing in your heart to Learn, apply, live everything written. The Knowlege of the Holy is a fantastic read – its deep but is good for ones soul and spirit, Tozer just has a way of not only exciting me with His writing, but also He seems to remove a veil that has hidden so many Biblical treasures from me.

But today this has been on my heart, Its a verse he quotes from Matthew 5:8-
‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God’

That verse has been running round in my head last night, I actually stuggled to sleep trying to soak up the meaning of that verse, So often we distort God for who He Really is! We’ve tried to bring God down to our level instead of us striving to rise towards His Level (towards not to the same).

God doesn’t look at a person’s appearance when He decides who is pure in heart. In fact, those who appear to be doing God’s will may be a long way from him? (Did I just say that..).

As Jesus looked down the mountain that day where he was teaching his disciples he saw among the a crowd at the bottom many who were pure in heart. These were among the people who were down-trodden by the self-righteous Pharisees and by the Roman government, yet whose lives were filled with seeking God’s will. They probably weren’t particularly very special people – in our eyes.

You needn’t look far to find a little widow lady whose heart is right with God, who believes this or that tv-ministry is God’s work, so supports it with a check every time the minister pleads, “Please don’t let this work go off the air.” She may be deceived, but her heart is pure.

How can you know whether your heart is pure or not? David, gives us a clue. He wrote, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:34).

If your hands are clean of doing ungodly things, and if you are a good neighbor, a credit to your community; if you haven’t put materialism and other empty things of the world ahead of the things of God; if your word can he trusted by all; then you are likely among those of whom Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

God sees into our hearts and mind, He knows even what we think. I’m sure he finds some who appear to be doing God’s will, but whose hearts are far from him. Isaiah prophesied.
“…this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” (Isaiah 29:13).

I guess today I’m not asking a question looking a worded response, but rather a question that requires action and obedience,

Am I pure in Heart? How can I be? Today Rise up, and seek God in honesty and purity and I know You will Find Him!

Why do You Study?

Well, whats your answer? Do You study to grow? Do You study to be challenged to change? Do You study to receive fresh Mana from Heaven? Do You Study to become more like God? or Do You study seeking to find something that Your friends may not know, to find a new Gem that you can claim to be Yours?

Here’s a quote from a book I’m reading on study at the minute by Rick Warren “Don’t study to find something new – rather study to find something for You!”

I like 2 Timothy 2:15 in the Amplified Bible – “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”

Heres a Golden Nugget for You “The Most important part of Studying Gods word is the Application”

If we apply Gods word to every area of our lives, then when our ‘test by trial’ comes along we will be able go get through, it may not be easy, but WE WILL GET THROUGH! Fix your eyes on Jesus, Do everything in your power to fill your mind with Gods word, Listen to Gods word, Read Gods word, meditate on Gods word – If You want to grow in God You Need to spend Quality Time so be encouraged to spend that Time in His beautiful Presence as often as is possible!

But I am a Youth?

Last night I called at home en-route to a friends house, All day yesterday I was feeling A little like Jeremiah, When You know you’re being called to do something, but just feel that because I’m only 24, I’m to young and there are many ohers older, with more experience and better enabled.

Hence when I was home alone for 10 minutes last night I set and read and re-read Jeremiah Ch1v4-10

Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak’. “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.”

Well there is was, Have You ever read a verse in the bible and it seems like its the only verse in the Bible that matters and it seems to go from font 8 to font 72?

Well God was giving me the answer I had been searching for probably a few weeks now if I’m honest ‘ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak’. “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,”

So next time you know that God wants You somewhere but you try to put it off with the excuse of age, read Jeremiah ch1.7b

Unity Portrayed

I was driving home from work yesterday evening from work through Lurgan Town Centre, The place was flooded with Young people involved in the Glo Outreach in Town at the minute, Seeing these Young people unite from several churches in town to GO out into their Community Together and Shine for Jesus in Unity – How beautiful a picture of How Christ pictured the Church, Theology moved aside (Lets face it, its man made theology that casues the arguments between various denominations) These Glo Young People just Wanting to Do what the Bible says about Unity, Here are a few verses that inspire unity…

Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

John 17:21-23 ‘That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me’.

Romans 12:4-5 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function. so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

What a Phrase from Jesus in John 17 – “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

These are the words of Jesus, I have often hear Phil say about How as Christians we are better reading books about the book than the book itself, any wonder we find ourselves confused in theology, God gave His Word to be our Source!

Stop depending and confusing yourselves with books, while they are good to help unlock our minds and see verses and scriputre in different approaches – remember most books are opinionated! They are not the True word!

Be inspired today to unite with The Others in the Bride of Christ, Seek First God, not standards, not rules, not rituals – Just Seek God and follow Him – Thats what matters most!

Don’t allow yourself to be the cause of an argument with a brother/sister – If we all took on that challenge there would be a major advancement to the church uniting!