May I Introduce You to My Friend?

Of The Imitation of Christ

Book 2, CHAPTER VIII

Of The Intimate Friendship of Jesus

Comment:  Thomas takes us into an intimate friendship with Jesus by reminding us of the goodness that attaches to His friendship:  Peace, Consolation, Purity, Joy, Holy Conversation through prayer. And for this Friend, we will even endure discomfort for His sake.  But we know it will be worth the sacrifice,   "for after winter comes summer, after night the day returns, after a storm there follows a great calm."

Who can you be Christ to this week?  Who can you befriend on behalf of our Lord?

Thanks for reading and praying through this with me.
Until next time, be imitators of Christ!
tim

When Jesus is present all is well and nothing seems difficult, but when Jesus is not present

everything is difficult. When Jesus does not speak to us within, our comfort is worthless; but if Jesus speaks only one word of comfort, we feel great consolation.

Did not Mary Magdalene immediately arise from the place where she wept when Martha said to her, “The Master is here and calls for you (Jn 11:28)?”   Happy is the hour when Jesus calls you from tears to the joy of the spirit!
How dry and hard-hearted you are without Jesus! How foolish and vain you are when you desire anything else beyond Jesus! Is  this not a greater loss than if you were to lose the whole world (Lk 9:25)?

2. What can the world profit you without Jesus? To be without Jesus is an extreme hell, and to be with Jesus is sweet paradise. If Jesus were with you no enemy could hurt you. Whoever finds Jesus finds a good treasure, yes, good above all good; and whoever loses Jesus loses much, yes, more than the whole world. Whoever lives without Jesus is in poverty, and whoever abides with Jesus is among the rich.

3. It is great art to know how to converse with Jesus, and to know how to keep Jesus close is great wisdom. Be humble and peaceful and Jesus shall be with you. Be godly and quiet, and Jesus will remain with you.

You can quickly drive away Jesus and lose His grace if you turn towards outward things. And if you have put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom will you flee, and whom then will you seek for a friend? Without such a friend you cannot live long, and if Jesus is not your friend above all you shall be very sad and desolate.
You act foolishly, therefore, if you trust or find joy in any other. We should wish to have the entire world against us, rather than to have Jesus offended. Therefore of all that are dear to you, let Jesus be especially beloved.

4. Let all things be loved for Jesus' sake, but Jesus for His own sake. Jesus Christ alone is to be specially loved, for He alone is found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake, and in Him, let both enemies and friends be dear to you, and pray for them all that they may all know and love Him.

Never desire to be especially praised or loved, because this belongs to God alone, Who has none like to Himself.  Neither desire that any one’s heart should be set on you, nor give yourself up to the love of anyone else, but let Jesus be in you and in every devoted disciple.



Forgiven, by Thomas Blackshear

 5. Be pure and free within yourself, without being entangled by creatures. You ought to bring a bare and clean heart to God, if you desire to be ready to see how gracious is the Lord (Ps 34:9).

And in truth, unless you be prevented and drawn on by His grace, you will not attain to this, that having cast out and dismissed all else, you alone are united to God.  For when the grace of God comes to a disciple, then that disciple becomes able to do all things, and when it departs then the disciple will be poor and weak and given up unto troubles.

In all these things you are not to be dejected nor despair; but to rest with calm mind on the will of God, and to bear all things which come upon you for the glory of Jesus Christ; for after winter comes summer, after night the day returns, after a storm there follows a great calm.

Where Am I? On Finding Jesus

Book 2, CHAPTER VII:

Of The Love of Jesus above All Things

Comment:  Thomas a'Kempis lays out this simple concept - if you seek to "find yourself" you are more hurtful to yourself than if the whole world and all your adversaries lined up against you.  Rather, he tells us, if you put an intional effort into seeking the love of Jesus, you won't need to look any further,

Until next time, be imitators of Christ!

tim

"Blessed is the disciple who understands what it is to love Jesus, and to disregard all self concern 

for1 Tim 6:10)  Jesus' sake. The disciple must give up all treasured things for The Beloved, for Jesus will be loved alone above all things. The love of created things is deceiving and unstable, but the love of Jesus is faithful and lasting.

Whoever cleaves to created things will fall with their slipperiness; but the disciple who embraces Jesus will stand upright forever.  Love Jesus and hold Him for your friend, for He will not forsake you when all depart from you, nor will Jesus suffer you to perish at the last (Heb 13:5). You must one day be separated from all, whether you will it or not.

2. In life and in death, keep yourself near to Jesus and commit yourself unto His fidelity, Who, when all others fail you, is alone able to help you. Your Beloved is such, by nature, that He will not permit a rival, but He alone will possess your heart, and as a King will sit upon His own throne.

If you would learn to empty your heart of every created thing, Jesus would freely take up His abode with you. You will find all trust placed in mankind corrupted: But not so with our Lord Jesus. Do not trust not nor lean upon a reed shaken with the wind, because “all flesh is grass, and their glory falls like the flower of the field (Is 40:6).

3. If you look only upon the outward appearance of men, you will be quickly deceived, for if you seek your comfort and profit in others, you shall too often experience loss. If you seek Jesus in all things you shall truly find Jesus, but if you seek yourself you shall also find yourself, but to your own detriment. For if you do not seek Jesus you are more hurtful to yourself than all the world and all your adversaries."

You Are What You Are, and You Aint What You Aint



Hyacinth Bucket:  Keeping up
 Appearances



Thomas finishes Chapter 6 with a reminder:  You are what you are, and you aint what you aint (there's a great John Prine song there, have a listen...."Dear Abby")!  In other words, as your conscience is pure, you are at peace.  And you can't be more than what the Lord has gifted you to be - and it's okay to be content with that station in life and in skill.  Keeping up appearances is vain and a waste of time.  Just ask Mrs. Bucket (pronounced boo-kay).

God asks us to walk with Him.  What else matters?

Until next time, be imitators of Christ! (not Mrs. Bucket!)

3. A disciple will easily be contented and filled with peace, whose conscience is pure. You are none the holier if you are praised, nor the worse if you are reproached.  You are what you are; and you cannot be better than God pronounces you to be.

If you consider well what you are inwardly, you will not care what others will say to you. Men look to the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam 16:7). Man considers on the action, but God considers the intention.

It is the token of an humble spirit always to do well, and to set little account by one’s self. To refuse comfort from any created thing is a sign of great purity and inward faithfulness.

4. The disciple that seeks no outward witness, shows plainly that commitment wholly to God. “For not he that commends himself is approved,” as St. Paul says, “but whom the Lord commends.”(2 Cor. 10:18)  To walk with God, and not to be held by any outer affections, is the state of a disciple of Christ (Mi. 6:8).