Greetings from the Mountain Top

This is my first entry on my own blog so pardon my first attempts to appear swell, hip, cool, and virtually with-it. My hope is this format will be used to discuss the Bread of Life, good books, things I'm thinking about and learning and to encourage others to think with me on things above (Col. 3:1,2).

Below are two items to get this started.

First, a thought from First John 4:1,2 in relationship to spirituality. According to these verses, there is a baseline as to determine what is truly of the one, true God. That is, there is spiritual talk/teaching that is true and there is spiritual talk that is false. The main test: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist. . .(4:2,3 NASB).

It's quite apparent that John the writer is making a person's confession regarding the incarnation as ground zero regarding what is being heralded as 'spiritual.' I find it somewhat ironic that this focal point regarding spiritual talk is about One Particular Man, Jesus Christ. John does not discuss the characteristics of spirits but rather insists his readers test what is true based on the Only Begotten Son who has explained God (John 1).

Second, a poem from Horatius Bonar that has been an encouragement:

I hear the words of love

I gaze upon the blood.

I see the mighty sacrifice

And I have peace with God.



'Tis everlasting peace,

Sure as Jehovah's name;

As stable as His steadfast throne,

Forever more the same.



The storms may come and go

And clouds may sweep my sky

This blood-sealed friendship changes not;

The cross is ever nigh.



My love is ofttimes low

My joy still ebbs and flows

But peace with Him remains the same;

No change Jehovah knows.



I change, He changes not;

The Christ can never die.

His word, not mine, the resting place,

His love, not mine the tie.