Storing Treasures In Heaven

“... store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

~Matthew 6:20-21 (NRSV)

We can reasonably expect a strong motivational pull toward the gaining of reward in this life. After all, it’s not only how the world works—people lining up in order to get what they deserve—rights argued for, even in church settings—it’s our sense of natural justice coming to the fore.

But human bestowed rewards—those which we take receipt of—are short-lasting; the blessing gets buried, there, in the moment. The unseen Spirit has no further license to work blessing into these situations.

The power of God works in secret. This is saliently illustrated in the project for change we initiate in the patience of faith—that which will allow God to bless us and others via kingdom-related results, whether here or in eternity; usually both.

Truly Hidden With Christ In God

There is a promise of golden investiture by the incorporation of a way of thinking and acting that permits God to hide us within the Lord’s own ends.

Whenever we read a passage like Colossians 3:1-4, noting what the new life in Christ looks like, we begin to understand, afresh, that all motives other than the divine are short-lived, perilous, and not worthy of God, other people, or ourselves. Such motives bequeath short payment—they bring a swift end to any power flowing via divine action.

An example of this is in the body of work; done for love and, therefore, for no other reason at all. Such a body of work is done for other people, sure, but the real motivation is pleasing God, for no other motivation is worthy of our divinely-sponsored acts of love; which all work can be powered by, in joy.

Getting Beyond Guilt And Selfishness & Onto Love

Those treasures we’re storing in heaven may be actual things or rewards we receive when we reach heaven, which is what Jesus has said (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18), but it’s what happens here that is of Jesus’ main concern.

When we are able to forget ourselves and our needs and wants, whilst we work, God is providing for those needs and wants. Our Lord rewards no one better than the cheerful giver.

A great blessing it is to ask these questions before, or whilst, we do anything: What am I really doing this for? Is it to please another person, myself, or God?

As we start asking these questions we may quickly find the first two are our default reasons; we have learned to operate out of guilt or selfishness and, in effect, we have negated the power of God in and through our lives via the things we can do for God, without thought of reward, in our day-to-day.

Pleasing God allows the process of spiritual blessing to take place; selfless acts procure for the giver the experience of spiritual harmony within: the love of God. The love of God loves us hardly better than by our witnessing the power of the Spirit resplendent in works done for God alone. We see the difference the Lord makes in people’s lives, each of which is a miracle.

***

The secret life of love, where our actions are motivated to please God, and not others or ourselves, is the manner of storing treasures in heaven. These are even redeemed here, where untold powers for spiritual joy unfold to the will of God.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

The Focused Christian Life

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

~Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NRSV)

“On the day of judgment, surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived.”

~Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

What is Christian discipleship other than knowing the Lord more and more intimately by the way of living well as possible—in God’s sight—the struggles of life? This is a serious adherence to the discernment of the will of God.

What has the exorbitant consumption of knowledge have to do with such an endeavour? Why do we fill our minds and lives and living rooms and, not less, our focus with that which cannot help us on the Day of Judgment, but only hinder?

The quest for knowledge, for the gain of resource, for education at the hand of humanity, endless degrees and corpuscles of human endorsed achievement will be rendered null. If it has no practical benefit in this life, why do we engage in it?

A great many Christians have won their self-control over substances and vices, only to lose it in the cherished chase for wisdom—a knowledge-based wisdom. They have the Spirit’s provision over one, yet have relented to the replacement of God in the other. What good is knowledge if it becomes the source of worship? We can know that it has become a source of worship when we not only see it as the halcyon grail, but when we also stridently (and blindly) cling to truth (our truth) over God’s will in situations, through pride. Our devotion always impacts our action.

That is the test for the knowledgeable—for the one who may have decided for knowledge over application—the one lost in love to doctrine.

No, there is more to life.

The Christian Life As Revealed In The Gospels

Jesus railed hard against the Pharisee. God incarnate could condemn nobody but the one condemning everyone, and, in the process, not least themselves. It was the Pharisee who had lost the plot in life; the one that put discernment of the Scriptures above morality, the one that ‘perfected’ the Law, was themselves an abomination of the godly life.

The Pharisee is revealed here, today, in churches all over the world, and indeed everywhere humanity congregates. He and she are revealed by the fervent ardency of their opinions. Pharisaic thinking infiltrated humanity, as the temptation to self-righteousness, from the Fall.

Jesus revealed the living God to us in his being, by being present here with us, in humility, in the modelling of Christian life—his life. And the Lord revealed this not only to Christians, but he revealed a life that is credited to us as righteousness when it is lived by faith, recalling the story of Abraham (refer to Galatians; Romans 1:16-17).

Endless chatter and opinion have nothing to do with the godly life; they take us away from that which God has for us—the focus on need that can be served, here, today. And there is never less need in the present day than at any time in history.

It is perhaps worthy, for the sake of the present discussion, to end with another Thomas á Kempis quote, this time at the reverse of the first one:

“What good is much discussion of involved and obscure matters when our ignorance of them will not be held against us on Judgment Day?”

***

In a world where so much can be said, we ought to live for a higher purpose regarding that which can be done. In a world with so much wrong about it, we have just as much opportunity to do right; especially the small things. In a world of endless distraction, we are much more adept to focus on loving God before all other loves.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Psalm 148 – All Creation, Praise The LORD!

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.”

~Psalm 148:13 (NRSV).

Think of the entire compilation of creation—the heavenly creatures and features and the earthly creatures and features—blocking out not one from conscious thought—and we begin to comprehend the composition of praise the psalmist calls for in this psalm.

The structure of Psalm 148 is uniform: the angels and heavenly host are called to praise the Lord in verses 1-4, before substantiating reason is given for such praise in verses 5-6; the formula is then replicated in verses 7-12, where this time the things of earth are called to praise, with substantiating reason given in verses 13-14.

The Heavenly Creatures And Features

From a human perspective, thought for praise from a nonhuman source seems inordinate—we think praise is an expression exclusive to thinking-feeling humanity, until we read the Bible and it reminds us what occurs in the heavens. And just the very existence of the constituents in the heavenly realm compels praise (Psalm 19:1).

This section of the psalm harkens us back to the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2. God called these heavenly things into being and assessed them, in Divine knowledge, as “good” or, equivalently, perfect.

One reflective look at the starry host on a clear night commends us to agree with verses 1-6. Wonder there must be in abundance!

The Earthly Creatures And Features

If the heavenly realm can be called to laud God for the finery of creation, the subordinate of creation—the earthly things—must count it privilege to be called in the same way.

Things nearer to humanity’s sight—sea monsters, all the deep, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind, mountains, the tallest trees, wild animals and cattle, creeping things and birds; kings and all peoples, young and old men and women alike—must address God replete with the respect Divinity deserves: Praise Him.

Of all creation, humanity has most reason to form its existence around praise, for there is no rationality anything close to God as humanity is; we have minds to conceive praise, and hearts upon which to base such awed thoughts.

***

Praise for God is the emotion of awe in consideration of the nature and works of the Creator. All praise is due such Divine entity, for which all things exist. Everything that is, and ever was, and ever will be, has reason to praise the Almighty God.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

The Perfection Of Love In Glory

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.”

~1 Corinthians 13:12a (NRSV)

“He who loves cannot be satisfied if he does not feel that he loves as much as he is loved.”

~Saint John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ

Re-reading the above Saint John of the Cross quote sufficiently to understand its eternal truth, upon serene rumination, helps us understand the love-gap we experience in this earthly life.

We cannot love God as God loves us; not here, not now.

Only at Glory will we reach the perfection of love that is, at last, the equal of God’s love for us. Then, and only then, will we be eternally quenched in worshipping the Lord aright.

The perfection of love in Glory means all things, not simply love, and the Hope to which all of this pertains, hardly captures a minnow of measure, here.

An Illustration of Human Love

If we consider the nature of this love-gap—us and our ever imperfect devotion before God, in mortality—it may be hard to fully reason it. An illustration helps.

When we contemplate the overtures of love sent forth our way by those that love us, we, of a normal moral capacity, wish to meet them at their level of love or clearly exceed it, upping the ante. Inwardly, we’re not happily content to leave the manner of someone’s blessing us at that—the law of reciprocity, common in social psychology circles, kicks in and, even subconsciously, we want to bless them back. Such as this is, love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) and it continues on to the blessing of all in that relationship.

If, in our human relationships, we have no way of repaying the love bestowed, we might find that an incredible frustration. Such is the grace of God, though, we are blessed in that our inability to love God back according to the way God loves us is not a constant inhibition to us. Life is made tolerable despite the existence of such a divine love-gap.

Love for God – Like Looking Through a Mirror Dimly

This love-gap is, according to 1 Corinthians 13:12a, covered beautifully as a metaphor for looking into a mirror that is enticingly impossible to see reflections through. We are enchanted by love, never escaping its tantalising grasp, yet we have no way to its perfection. In other words, with such love in focus we cannot help but gaze longingly into the inscrutable mirror.

Looking into the mirror itself is known as a riddle—such love (and other things of God) cannot be known in their reflective perfection this side of eternity.

These facts beckon us toward patience; we will enter Glory soon enough. There, all processes of love, grace, and maturity of character will combine unto spiritual perfection. And though we will never be on equal terms with God we will be able to love God, by our worship, as God loves us.

***

Oh the Hope of Glory! At last, home, having been away seemingly so long, we will have full capacity to love God. Such perfection awaits, and this is hope beyond any living fear for death.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Is Belief In God Reasonable?

“Profane men think that religion rests only on opinion, and, therefore, that they may not believe foolishly, or on slight grounds, desire and insist to have it proved by reason that Moses and the prophets were divinely inspired. But I answer that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason.”

~John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

The evergreen topic of dissension between believers and nonbelievers has been and will always be reason and relevance for, and faith in, God.

Between religions, even, there are incessant arguments and philosophical and theological debates over nuances of God. Moreover, the Christian faith, the church and its denominations, is split in numerous chapters of belief in the differentiating minutia of all things that may be true about God and faith and, therefore, held up for disputation.

By this, there is the foretaste of indifference and the aftertaste of competition on all things of divinity.

But what is proposed by Calvin above makes the issue irrefutable—indifference and competition will become silence; a retort may be considered, yet it will be discounted.

The Irrefutability Of Belief In God

The testimony of the Spirit, as read through the biblical Word, it is argued, is superior to human reason—God may not be ‘explained’; God, in fact, has censured that all things of belief are to be secured by faith, and by faith alone.

God may not be known unless by deliberate means of belief—the state of deciding an allegiance of heart and mind, in this case absent of visible evidence to support the decision. That may be faith.

The reasonable man and woman will think the decision for faith is madness; thus, we need to remember that this God has revealed himself to the believer in irrefutable, most relevant ways. Nobody believes in something untrue or irrelevant to them, personally.

If we may consider that belief in God is irrefutable—given the majority of human beings do actually believe—then we might find a test for true belief.

Truth Is The Friend-Of-God’s Ally

One of the best ways to challenge anybody regarding their God-faith or their rejection of God or faith, altogether, is by the majestic test of truth.

Truly, the person who is called a friend-of-God has learned to love the truth; their belief is, therefore, set by the truth in the manner of understanding and the acceptance of life as it attends. And balancing such love of truth is grace which tempers the oft-hard-crudeness of truth remitted in loveless ways.

It may be no coincidence, the person disbelieving God, and rejecting faith, wants no part in such grace-evident truth—they might typically kick-against-the-pricks of life, dispelling the sense of natural justice in life as unfair. They blame others for their own mistakes and when others are at fault they find such things unforgivable and grudges are borne. This is the character of the unregenerate person.

***

The existence of God, and faith in God, are undeniable in this: the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason.

And if that isn’t enough, try this: we have. Yes, by the fact we possess life, things, hopes, and love, demands we have a Provider; the fact that we have necessitates faith for handling, with aplomb, all these possessions. The Provider—God—has engineered life to require faith.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Psalm 62 – For God Alone My Soul Waits

“Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.”

~Psalm 62:11-12a (NRSV).

This psalm is a resolution of secure silence in reflection of many throngs of would-be assassins (if not by actual means, then my character assassination) that have been met. The psalm reads like a song, complete with a chorus in verses 1-2 and 5-6.

The chorus is the resolution:

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.”

This Psalm of David’s is typical of his genre: in the presence of persecution by an enemy there is an inner strength and confidence prevailing through David’s heart as we read, with encouragement, his unenviable situations that are met with poise of faith. Yet, there is no absence of vulnerability.

As with a lot of Scripture, because it has been rewritten in a different language, in this case from Hebrew, there can be translation issues, as we read meaning into English words that perhaps weren’t there in the original. There are those issues here in the chorus.

The Psalmist’s Hope And Salvation

The writer of the psalm makes his confessions, again, with sound resolution. There is not much quiver to the voice, little hesitation as the words leave the mouth; as the letters are written on the page. Clearly there is confidence that God delivers (verse 7).

Although he has felt assailed, perhaps in this case by memory of battles gone by, little real impact is made for the changing of his mind. Indeed, so resolute is David he not only believes, but is an advocate to others for the hope and salvation that is in God (verse 10).

The hope and salvation of God, truly, is one stayed on the right path, not defeated by one’s enemies, circumstances, or even the greed of one’s own covetous heart. Our Rock and our Salvation saves us from all these, and more.

The Confessional Value Of Hoping In God

There are several direct references to the sovereign character qualities, and names, of God: my Rock, my Salvation, my Fortress, my Mighty Rock, and my Refuge.

As we call on these names of God, our psyches recognise the confessional value of hoping in God—we are affirming to ourselves our beliefs, the strength of our confidence, and even venturing beyond any evidence of situational disbelief. We prefer, at these times, to rest in our confidence for God to deliver us, than explore any presence of despair that intermittently underpins our humanity. And to rest in this confidence we are well advised.

***

Quietness of soul and rest beyond compare characterise the heart prepared to observe the safety resplendent in God. The Lord’s faithfulness reaches from eternity to eternity and has covered our whole lives. This is what we are now able to see.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Clothed In The New Self

“You were taught to put away your former way of life... to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

~Ephesians 4:22a, 23-24 (NRSV)

“God is pleased to strip them of this old person and clothe them with the new person... He strips their faculties, affections, and feelings—both spiritual and sensual, both outward and inward...”

~St. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul

The most common experience of coming to faith in Jesus Christ is that of blessing and emotional anointing—to be counted privileged and to witness great personal miracles, as God proved himself to us. We fell in love with this God. The baby believer is swept up in all manner of emotion for the Lord.

Then, eventually, our understanding is morphed after we have come in and landed. Life, once it has normalised beyond the emotions-of-blessing, what St. John of the Cross might call the “unperfected” phase of salvation, then becomes a testing ground for the refinement and purification of our faith. And we’re tempted to think God’s Presence has left us, because life feels, again, like it did before we were saved.

Yet, this is merely evidence of transition into the truer faith-life.

The goal of this truer faith-life is somewhat a tongue-in-cheek experience, admitting, in the Presence of God, there is now no desire for personal control over circumstances that would neither aid nor hinder us, as well of those that might.

We ought to be beyond the placating of our circumstances; reliant on them to feel good.

Problems For The New And Older Believer, Alike

Christian maturity has nothing to do with the years one has been saved.

There are some believers saved five decades that have less malleable Christian maturity than a two-year-old tried and tested by their circumstances and application of faith. But the years of applied faith approve our growth toward perfection.

The truer faith has everything to do with straight submission under the purposes of God in the living of one’s life beyond triumph and tumult. The truer faith is home to the dry life as much as anywhere.

The differences between being clothed in the new self and not are, for instance, the source and manifestation of complaint, what we might argue about, even what we might choose to discuss. It is a test of worldliness.

In our everyday life we have grown used to comfort and beauty all around us; we naturally want to attract more of God’s ‘goodness’ and we can grow accustomed to requiring it.

When a severe testing time comes we’re not ready for it—as I was personally concerned, my faith was still infantile; but it soon grew. And that is the purpose of the testing time; to prove our faith worthy of accepting life however it comes—the process of maturing.

Accepting Life However

The great difference between Christian living and the unregenerate life is the manner of acceptance—those who will not and cannot accept their real-life circumstances are still living the unregenerate way; they are clothing themselves in the old self. This is a hard word but it is nevertheless true.

Accepting life however it comes compels us to imagine a place of possible circumstances that may cause fear and trembling.

Anything that comes—good, bad, or indifferent—is for our growth. Again, thinking of the possibilities, we ought to be thankful for the things God is saving us from, and has saved us from.

***

Christian living is the purpose of life in that it focuses us on being clothed in a new self that is patiently resilient whatever comes. This is about not living as little children anymore, but agreeing to partner with God to the acceptance of life on life’s terms.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Make Heading for Joy!

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

~James 1:2-4 (NRSV)

As with all voyages, we’re steering to a land beyond the present horizon—our gaze is set solely for a destination explicit of the next purpose that drives us by faith.

And though we may be clearly short of joy right now we’re headed there if we wish it so; a bearing has been made and a commitment to travel the full course of the blessed sojourn is resolute.

When we make heading for Joy, we know the destination also as Maturity; the navigation through tremulous waters, the testing of faith, in producing patient stillness resplendent in the Lord, despite trials of any kind.

Joy – The Power In, And For, The Journey

It is hard to pinpoint one single virtue as providing antecedent value on the pilgrimage to joyous lands, but could it be that the destination is found throughout the tumultuous meandering of, and along, the journey?

Here we picture joy as the prevailing energy inflating our sails, giving the craft that is our spiritual-state the ingenious grace to cut through the waves of struggle and even burgeoning despair. No longer are we robbed of the vision of joy because it is too far off. It is part of daily experience—or can be.

Such a thing as hope is buoyed by faith to know that the inward attitude and outward demeanour of joy is proving the serenely majestic way through all seas destined for our bow; whether choppy, heavy at swell, or calm.

Joy is hence characterised in resilience; to keep chiselling through those waves of impending doubt, indifference, frustration, and everything else, as each one is met. This is because it knows that a greater prize stands for the winning at the arrival of that cherished destination: the calm sophisticated port of Maturity.

Joy – The Final Frontier Of Spirituality

Now we come to joy—the final frontier and ultimate destination of an essential spirituality; the true Fatherland of faith.

But such a joy we arrive at to a paradox: what promised as a destination was no less than a promise of so many more destinations of joy—and, no less, trial—to come.

Weighing anchor at port, setting sail for the unknown horizons ahead, we have stowed the precious provisions that will carry us to the next ports along the course to Maturity. For we know that such a place is no end in itself—in this lifetime—but a continual pilgrimage and destination to be enjoyed each moment.

***

Joy is where life is at. So, climb aboard Joy and weigh anchor with Faith at the helm for the land that promises no opportunity at peril, just resilience of hope to the building of spiritual maturity one sailing moment at a time.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Hope In And Beyond Life

The Apostle Paul: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer.”

~Philippians 1:21-22 (NRSV)

Opening the letter to the Philippians we might imagine Paul gushing with joy upon a theophany of spiritual grandeur; he is in a no-lose situation—entirely happy however life is or is to become (see also Philippians 4:11).

He imagines both scenarios—to die now or to live for Christ in the body—as being of equally intriguing proportions. He willingly goes either way at the special behest of the Lord. The simple obedience is the best obedience, and Paul delights in the pleasure of doing it.

The Christian Contentment

We ordinarily associate with Philippians a joy that is insurmountable unless by Christian opportunity; our argument is the non-Christian cannot understand what appears to be so logical. Spiritual sight must first be gifted the person—the willingness of open eyes and ears to imagine God by faith.

Yet, the gift is freely available, as is the contentment that goes with the gift—that rare ability to take life, however painfully or awkward it may be, and simply accept, with a casual spirit-smile, ‘whatever’ for whatever it may be.

In this way the Christian contentment agrees with God to let God be God.

Dead or alive the Christian is happy. And though there may be more wins and more losses, either way, such gains and losses are counted a trifling pittance in comparison with the knowledge of God, which comes despite life in the body.

The Christian contentment, then, is the envy of those confused regarding God and life, in their living without hope, yet pretending to be hopeful. A Christian’s contentment is just as it is, because when life is taken just as it is, contentment there is abounding.

Then it can be seen, also, by those magnificently discontented with life, such a contentment is both maddening, ridiculously surreal; an uncommon insanity.

This same Christian contentment worries not about the losses and sees mainly only benefit whenever the permeation of multiple options are explored.

Committing to Joyfulness

Many of us have had seasons of joylessness, and, as a consequence, when we at last found joy—at the bosom of God, by salvation in the Lord Jesus—we sprang forth with incredible and inspiring hope that knew no bounds in our mortal beings.

Committing to joyfulness is the Christian way.

Just like Paul, the Christian takes life truthfully to its core, yet still there is joy, despite all willing recognition of sorrow.

Committing to joyfulness is about finding life as it is, accepting same, and biding with every sense of possibility and, in that, letting God be God. We are readily fitted with joy at our request. This way, life is a constant prayer of praise.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Discerning the Ministry Motive

“For such boasters are false prophets, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.”

~2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NRSV)

There is surely one central test of any minister of Christ—the want implicit of motive toward self-gain will mark the minister as not just a sinner, as all ministers are (because they are imperfect people), but a thief of the worst kind: one who would gain the trust of impressionable ones and lead them as if lambs to the slaughter at the shepherd-ship of a ravenously cunning wolf, hungry for success.

Such false prophets are about in every age, to every walk of life, as opportunists.

They are just as big an issue today as they were in the Apostle Paul’s day regarding ministerial deceit in Corinth. And the humbling thing is every minister will relate regarding the battle over motive. This is enough to cause each of us to repent in fear and trembling in the Presence of God. Finding the presence of this sin is divine awakening; that which we should be thankful for.

Portrait Of The (Situational or Career) False Minister

A predominant sign of this age is the prevalence of what I call the market-motive. It appears so many so-called servants of God have voraciously cloned themselves on well-known Christian leadership personalities and their practices. The market-motive has cornered their thoughts, their focus, and has blurred their rationale. They want success more than they want God.

Instead of being Spirit-centred and Spirit-surrendered vessels, usable by the living God, they have sold out to the gospel of success, which equates to power-in-numbers, as much Christian community influence as possible, and the esteem of human beings and not God.

And if we’re being honest, every living minister will relate that part of their ministry motive has been falsely wrought; they have been wise to repent when the Spirit has revealed the worldly market-motive as a situational driver to the expense of love and the message of salvation, where Jesus has been crucified afresh. To be convicted is blessing.

The Urgent Need to Repent

Jesus makes it clear in John’s gospel (see 12:31; 16:11) that a swift end is coming to the “ruler [or ‘prince’] of this world,” and Paul extends that here to the false prophet, for judgment will condemn them in the end, even to the point where they may be foreseeably pitied.

The Lord’s judgment of those agents of Satan is particularly severe and the genuine believer will be given even to compassion, despite the severity of the false prophet’s apparent sin. Yet again, when we’re honest in the Presence of God we will identify, at least partly, with the false minister’s motive. We battle with the flesh in our preferred Spiritual world.

***

Whilst discussing such subjects as this invites suspicion over many a good minister, for the majority are pure enough of motive not to be suspected, suspicion is still a worthy caveat before an otherwise vulnerable faith. And faith does need to be vulnerable.

The keyword for us out of the passage profiled is deceit—the motive of.

Any such motive, without comprehensive repentance on the part of the minister, should qualify them for immediate dismissal from a humbly noble service which can never be a denigrated to the worldly practice of trade.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Postscript: for more on this subject, please feel welcome to read, False Prophecy and True.