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Monk Preston's "Celtic Cross" Teaching: The Rule of Seven (A Memory Aid of Monk Preston) "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." -James 4:8
The Christian's One Desire is to draw nearer to God; to have a deeper communion with Christ. This can only be accomplished by God's grace, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We reach forth, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, pursuing the Four Goals of: Right Belief, Right Life, Right Witness, Right Ministry; through means of the Two Devotions: the Word of God and Prayer. The Rule of Seven: One Desire / Four Goals / Two Devotions
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Right Witness (Mark 16:15)
____________ Christian Growth: "And he said to them all, If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." -Luke 9:22-24 Our One Desire "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." -James 4:8 The Four Goals "We make the Sign of the Cross from head to heart, and shoulder to shoulder, "In the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Making the Sign of the Cross can also remind us of Four Goals of the Christian life: (Right Belief, Right Life, Right Witness, Right Ministry) to help us focus on our desire to be a "good and faithful servant" of Christ. There is no power in ourselves (in our flesh) to accomplish this godly desire which God has placed within us. All power for living the Christian life comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is absolutely necessary to stay in constant communion with Christ: this is the importance of the Word of God and Prayer. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5 The Two Devotions The ring on the Celtic Cross, a symbol of eternity, is a representation of our communion with the eternal God, made possible by Christ (symbolized by the Cross) through the power of the Holy Spirit. In this communion, God speaks to us through His Word; we speak to God in prayer; both occur by the power of the Holy Spirit. "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." -1Thessalonians 5:17-18 "Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked." -Ephesians
6:16 Prayer and the Word of God are the basic Two Devotions absolutely necessary for growing in Christ." -Monk Preston ____________ |
The Rule of Seven One Desire: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." -James 4:8 Four Goals: Right Belief (II Tim. 2:15) Right Life (Galatians 5:22) Two Devotions: The Word of God and Prayer. (Acts 6:4) ___________________________ As there is One Cross of Christ which we take up daily to follow Him, we have One Desire: The One Desire: "To draw nearer to God; to have a deeper communion with Christ." As the Cross has Four Arms, we have Four Goals: The Four Goals:
As Christ came with Two Natures (Human and Divine), we have Two Devotions: The Two Devotions: To focus on the Four Goals we follow the example of the Apostles to devote ourselves to the Word of God and Prayer ("But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." -Acts 6:4). ___________________________ Scripture References: Right Belief (Orthodoxy): "Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -II Timothy 2:15 “And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." -II Timothy 3:15 Summary: The Nicene Creed (related page: Nicene Creed: Scripture Basis). Right Life (Orthozoe): "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'." -I Peter 1:15-16 "What, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -I Corinthians 6:19-20 Summary: The Fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" -Galatians 5:22 Right Witness (Orthomartus): "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you..." -I Peter 3:15 "...so that, even if some of them refuse to obey the word, they may be won over without a word through your conduct..." -I Peter 3:1 Summary: The Great Commission: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." -Mark 16:15 Right Ministry (Orthodiakonia): "A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." -Proverbs 16:9 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." -Proverbs 3:5,6 Summary: The 23rd Psalm Summary of All Four Goals Together: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" -Col. 1:9,10 The Word of God and Prayer "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." -Acts 6:4 ___________________________ Related Pages:
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Right Ministry (Proverbs 3:5,6)
___________________________ "...this one thing I do...""Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 3:8,9,13-14 One Desire: The Four Goals actually comprise four aspects of the Christian's one ultimate desire: our greatest desire as Christians is to draw nearer to God (James 4:8); to have more of Christ. This can only be accomplished by God's grace, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Two devotions: the Word of God and Prayer. "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was encumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are full of care and troubled about many things: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." -Luke 10:38-42 Four Goals: Are the four arms (Goals) of the Cross illustration on this page in balance in your Christian walk? Two Devotions: Do you need to devote more prayer and study of God's Word to one of these four areas? __________________________ "Christianity is not a religion, Christianity is a person: Christ; and the Christian life is our relationship with Him. The essence of this life is communion with Christ. It is lived out through an unceasing life of prayer and feeding on the Word of God." "We love him, because He first loved us." -I John 4:19 "We desire to serve Christ with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And when we appear before Christ in Heaven, our desire is to have Him say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Our focus on this desire can be manifested through four areas which encompass all of our Christian life: Right Belief, Right Life, Right Witness, Right Ministry. These are the Four Goals. They are our focus toward the attaining of our one goal of drawing nearer to God, of having more of Christ; to enable us to live our lives in His service, according to, and in the knowledge of, His perfect Will for our lives. This can only be accomplished by God's grace, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Word of God and Prayer. These are the Two Devotions." -Monk Preston Copyright © 2008 S.G.P. All rights reserved. Daily Prayer: Praying the Hours PRAYER Category
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