Quietness and Confidence -- the Secret PlaceWithin You !

Silence

ISA.30:15 In quietness and confidence is your strength.

PSA.19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. PSA.46:10 Be still, and know that I AM God. PSA.62:1 For God alone my soul waits in silence. JOB 33:33 Be silent and I will teach you wisdom. REV. 8:1 There was silence in heaven for about half an hour. PSA.77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search…PSA.104:34 May my meditation be sweet to Him.

Paul Born of Jewish parents, from Tarsus, a Roman by birth, tentmaker by profession.

GAL. 1:15, 18 When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days.

“solitude” …“divine reading” … “contemplation” … “cloud of un-knowing”

The Bible mentions meditate or meditation twenty times.

1CO.16:22 As "mara-natha," it means "Come Lord" or "Lord come."As "maran-atha" it means "Lord is here" or "Lord has come." …

It's an Inside Job

Our meditation in this present life should be in the praise of God; for the external exultation of our life hereafter will be the praise of God; and none can become fit for the future life who has not practiced for it now. Jesus is doing an inside job on us. Be aware of His presence in you.

LUK.17:20, 21 Now when He was asked when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Specifically, in Matthew 23:26, "entos" is used to designate a location (within or inside the cup and platter). It is contrasted with another location (outside of them) in the same biblical verse. The meaning is rather straight forward. Jesus was saying both the inside and outside of the cup and platter should be clean. Jesus was making a rhetorical statement. His statement here in Matthew 23:26 was not a cleanliness commentary on dishware but rather a cleanliness commentary on the hearts of the Pharisees. They looked clean on the outside from all outward appearances. However, Jesus knew the inside was another matter.

As the meaning of "entos" as used in Matthew 23:26 is fairly straight forward, I would argue that it should be used in a similar fashion in Luke 17:21 (i.e. the kingdom of God is within you) as translated in the KJV version, since it is the only other time that "entos" is used in the NT. The KJV uses the term "within you". The NASB uses the term "in your midst."

Jesus was commenting on the nature of the kingdom- i.e. it is an inner, spiritual kingdom. Another and more compelling reason for the translation to be "within you" rather than "in your midst" is a simple examination of the word "midst". There is a Greek word "mesos" that is routinely translated "midst" which is used 62 times in the NT. Luke himself used "mesos"" fourteen times in writing his gospel (~25% of the total usage in the NT). I would have to assume that if he intended us to translate Luke 17:21 as "in the midst" as opposed to "within you", he would have used "mesos"" rather than "entos" , as he already demonstrated that he was communicating "midst" in his gospel by using "mesos". I would propose that his intended meaning was the same as that of Mathew 23:26.

The kingdom of heaven is spoken of as a power which must work in the heart of man; and our Savior often compared it, in parabolic language, to many things familiar to those he was addressing:--"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven (yeast) which a woman took and hid (that is buried) in three measures of meal (flour), until the whole was leavened." And so the power of God works in the heart, leavening our clay natures, gradually moulding them, and bringing them into the form which He would have them to be in--to true Godliness.

What is a Void It’s a vacuum that attracts desires. It is what God uses to draw you to Him. It is the womb of creativity. The earth was void, and was transformed by creative power. So avoid that which leads to devoid. And let the void your creative instincts awaken.

JOH.1:3, 4, 9 All things were made by Him.. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.

God is a Spirit

JOH. 4:23, 24 “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

In this conversation Jesus seems to be telling us to focus inwardly on the spiritual reality in an atmosphere of solitude and quiet..

Energy is everywhere but stillness plays a major role in its conversion from ‘potential’ to ‘actualized’ energy. I was amazed to learn that butterflies have to spread their wings in the morning sunshine because the scales on their wings are actually solar cells.

Without that source of energy they cannot fly.

The Lord’s Prayer

MAT.6:6-13 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray…

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

MAT.6:20-22 Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 1CO.2:9 As it is written: eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

1CO.2:11-13 Who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this

in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

He wants to live in you

ACT.7:47-50 Solomon built Him a house.However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet

says:'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me?

says the LORD, or what is the place of My rest?Has My hand not made all these things?'1CO.3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God

dwells in you?

It takes time and effort1CO.3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this

age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.2CO.4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is

perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.MAT.7:14 Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there

are few who find it.HEB.4:10 For anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as

God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.REV.3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and

opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

The greatest Biblical insight related to the symbol of God’s temple is found in the story of the boy Jesus’ visit to the temple with his parents. As told in Luke 2:41-51, Jesus accompanies his parents to Jerusalem for the feast. When his parents journey home, Jesus remains in the temple. After three days they find him sitting in the temple among the teachers, and in response to their anxiety about his failure to return home with them Jesus answers, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Here the temple symbolizes the meditative state in which man experiences his essential unity with God. It is to this temple that we make our way again and again in search of joy, peace, wisdom, and real prosperity of spirit.

Worthiness

LUK.7:1-7 After He had finished all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking Him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have You do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." And Jesus went with them. When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to You. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

HEB.4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

PeaceJOH.14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do

I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. LUK.1:78, 79 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from

on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. JOH.20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."

PHI.4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

PHI.4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Many are waiting for heaven and the hereafter to find that peace, but you can have it right now. Tears in Heaven is one of Eric Clapton's most beloved hits. The ballad was written in memory of Conor, Clapton's son, who fell to his death out of a 53rd story window in a New York City apartment building on March 20, 1991. The child was only five years old at the time of his death. Jennings who co-wrote ‘Tears in Heaven’ with Eric Clapton said, “This terrible thing had just happened not too long before, and he just wanted to write about it. So I wrote a bit of the same verse and all the words on the release, "Time can bring you down, time can bend your knee, time can break your heart, have you begging please."

And "beyond the door there's peace, I'm sure, you know there'll be no more tears in heaven."

Clapton stopped playing the song at his live shows, saying that he no longer felt the pain of his loss as much as he used to, and that he was ready to move forward with his life.

JOH.6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" JOH.6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”! And incidentally, the word "BELIEVE" in the New Testament is that Greek word, "DRINKING IN". "I BELIEVE" means "I DRINK IN"--"I SWALLOW." It's the word "pisteuo"--the New Testament for "I believe," "I drink in." The Lord's child, if he's in the spirit, will be in tune with His protective power and under the shelter of His wings. IF YOU KEEP YOUR MIND STAYED ON THE LORD, YOU'LL HAVE PERFECT PEACE. You don't have to worry about the Enemy, or the Devil or his power or anything else because he can't touch us because we have and love the Lord. Therefore, the Lord cautions us that we're not to fear, constantly tells us not to fear but to have faith.HOW WONDERFUL IT IS IF YOU HAVE FAITH AND YOU'RE THE LORD'S CHILD! You see the good and you feel good and you praise the Lord and are thankful. You're on His channel and you're getting His vibes all the time. All day long and even at night in your sleep you're receiving the Lord's communication.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under theshadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste

at noonday.

God hath not promised skies always blue

Flower strewn pathways, all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But He hath promised strength for each day,

Rest from our labour, light for our way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,Unfailing sympathy, undying love.