Before me is a great door.
The room where I stand is dark.
In my hand is a key.
And so with a turn I enter.
The door is open.
The light hurts my eyes.
It won’t let me look away.
Someone is there.
He burns like fire.
He shines like the sun.
He carries a message.
He declares it to me.
“Give me your hands,
I will plow forgotten fields.
Give me you eyes,
I will show a world only dreamed.”
I go back into the black.
I walk slowly.
I hear the door close behind.
I am not alone.
There is a message.
It journeys with me.
It travels on my tongue.
It guides me on a path.
“Wake up forgotten fields!
Yield your harvest once again.
Rise up remembered dreams!
Make this your coming hour.”
The dawn appears.
There is light again.
A course is set.
A course is followed.
~Jeremiyah Mullins
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Davidic Meditation Part IV
So this is my final blog on the subject. Make sure your have read the other three before continuing. Meditation is a very practical discipline for us a Christians and it has some very practical results.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a “chance” encounter with someone and, at the moment where I was sharing my faith, God reminded me of a scripture that I had been meditating on earlier in the day. The scripture some times will be so directly pointed toward what the other person is going through that they’ve said things like, “How did you know what’s been happening with me?” There is a prophetic edge that comes from having your mind submitted to the Spirit of God and the power of God’s Word.
I’ve also found that meditation deeply affects me in the area of dreams. On the days where I keep the discipline of meditation, I find myself dreaming deeper and more profoundly. Not just dreams, but Godly dreams.
What’s more is that I have also found the ability to control the dreaming process. Yes, you are supposed to be in some form of control over your soul even when you are asleep. When your soul is submitted to your spirit and your spirit is yielded to God, the result is a deeper control over your subconscious.
I’ve had several occasions where I have woken myself up from a bad dream. On several of these occasions I actually woke up quoting scripture. And in a handful of bad dreams I’ve actually found myself quoting scripture in the dream and commanding the dream to stop (at which point I woke myself up).
And in each of these cases I was aware of the link between the time that I was spending in meditation on God’s word and an increased ability to better manage my thought & dream life. Yes, meditation will also have an incredibly profound effect on your thought life. In the same way that I’ve found myself in better control of my dream state, I’ve also found that meditation produces a deeper level of control (good management) over my thought life.
Even prayer and spiritual encounters changed when I began meditating on a regular basis. Several years ago I had a profound experience that I believe illustrates what I am talking about. I was actually staying with my mother shortly after she married my second stepfather (15-16 years ago).
I got up in the middle of the night and left my room to use the restroom. When I came back I laid down in bed. Suddenly, I was aware of a demonic presence in the room. I couldn’t move and was totally paralyzed lying on my bed.
And suddenly I remembered a scripture that I had memorized as a part of my daily meditation. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” I was unable to speak and so I began quoting this scripture in my mind.
Eventually I began to be able to move my lips and, getting louder as I went, I began to say the scripture out loud. I gradually became released from the feeling of paralysis. And when I felt myself free, I stood up and rebuked the demonic spirit, commanding it to leave my room.
Now don’t go looking for monsters in your closet. These types of encounters shouldn’t be an every day occurrence. In fact, I learned from this experience that God had authority over the demonic and that evil had no right to my life.
But I also made a mental link between the time I was spending in meditation and the ability to handle a spiritual encounter when it comes. On instinct I had remembered a scripture that applied to my situation. And in this particular case, meditating on that scripture had actually been a tool that I used to deal with the encounter itself.
So I want to strongly encourage your to incorporate meditation into your daily walk with God. Remember, this is not about impressing God or becoming spiritually pious. Its about love motivating you to discipline yourself and act in a way that benefits your relationship with God.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a “chance” encounter with someone and, at the moment where I was sharing my faith, God reminded me of a scripture that I had been meditating on earlier in the day. The scripture some times will be so directly pointed toward what the other person is going through that they’ve said things like, “How did you know what’s been happening with me?” There is a prophetic edge that comes from having your mind submitted to the Spirit of God and the power of God’s Word.
I’ve also found that meditation deeply affects me in the area of dreams. On the days where I keep the discipline of meditation, I find myself dreaming deeper and more profoundly. Not just dreams, but Godly dreams.
What’s more is that I have also found the ability to control the dreaming process. Yes, you are supposed to be in some form of control over your soul even when you are asleep. When your soul is submitted to your spirit and your spirit is yielded to God, the result is a deeper control over your subconscious.
I’ve had several occasions where I have woken myself up from a bad dream. On several of these occasions I actually woke up quoting scripture. And in a handful of bad dreams I’ve actually found myself quoting scripture in the dream and commanding the dream to stop (at which point I woke myself up).
And in each of these cases I was aware of the link between the time that I was spending in meditation on God’s word and an increased ability to better manage my thought & dream life. Yes, meditation will also have an incredibly profound effect on your thought life. In the same way that I’ve found myself in better control of my dream state, I’ve also found that meditation produces a deeper level of control (good management) over my thought life.
Even prayer and spiritual encounters changed when I began meditating on a regular basis. Several years ago I had a profound experience that I believe illustrates what I am talking about. I was actually staying with my mother shortly after she married my second stepfather (15-16 years ago).
I got up in the middle of the night and left my room to use the restroom. When I came back I laid down in bed. Suddenly, I was aware of a demonic presence in the room. I couldn’t move and was totally paralyzed lying on my bed.
And suddenly I remembered a scripture that I had memorized as a part of my daily meditation. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” I was unable to speak and so I began quoting this scripture in my mind.
Eventually I began to be able to move my lips and, getting louder as I went, I began to say the scripture out loud. I gradually became released from the feeling of paralysis. And when I felt myself free, I stood up and rebuked the demonic spirit, commanding it to leave my room.
Now don’t go looking for monsters in your closet. These types of encounters shouldn’t be an every day occurrence. In fact, I learned from this experience that God had authority over the demonic and that evil had no right to my life.
But I also made a mental link between the time I was spending in meditation and the ability to handle a spiritual encounter when it comes. On instinct I had remembered a scripture that applied to my situation. And in this particular case, meditating on that scripture had actually been a tool that I used to deal with the encounter itself.
So I want to strongly encourage your to incorporate meditation into your daily walk with God. Remember, this is not about impressing God or becoming spiritually pious. Its about love motivating you to discipline yourself and act in a way that benefits your relationship with God.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
DESTINY IS MINE
The wind is out, I hear it calling swiftly through the trees.
The night is dark, the moon shines low amidst a veil of deprecating clouds.
There are echoes in the night, I hear them calling:
The voice of something long ago, The sound of something yet to come.
I am not a man, not frail in my intentions.
The night is mine, I will judge her voice and meet her challenge to my claim.
Hope is mine, neither wind nor brigand cloud shall upon my soul prevail.
I am not a man, but rather fierce and righteous in burning indignation.
Let the foe come and stand in the shadow that is cast before him.
I will show the meaning of sacred vows that I have rendered.
I will tender to him neither mercy nor the sounding of his pleas.
Let him stand and face the void that he has created, violent like the clapping of the sea.
I am not a man; just but mad in holy vindication.
Destiny is mine, and neither wind nor foe will steal what I have taken.
~Jeremiyah Mullins
The night is dark, the moon shines low amidst a veil of deprecating clouds.
There are echoes in the night, I hear them calling:
The voice of something long ago, The sound of something yet to come.
I am not a man, not frail in my intentions.
The night is mine, I will judge her voice and meet her challenge to my claim.
Hope is mine, neither wind nor brigand cloud shall upon my soul prevail.
I am not a man, but rather fierce and righteous in burning indignation.
Let the foe come and stand in the shadow that is cast before him.
I will show the meaning of sacred vows that I have rendered.
I will tender to him neither mercy nor the sounding of his pleas.
Let him stand and face the void that he has created, violent like the clapping of the sea.
I am not a man; just but mad in holy vindication.
Destiny is mine, and neither wind nor foe will steal what I have taken.
~Jeremiyah Mullins
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Davidic Meditation Part III
So make sure you read part one and part two of this blog before continuing. We left off talking about our nature. We are triune beings: body, soul, and spirit. The flaw in our nature is that sin causes our body, soul, and spirit to operate independent of each other. Our body, soul, and spirit can all tug us in different directions.
We also have 7 senses (5 natural senses and 2 supernatural senses). These senses allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with the outside world. They also allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with each other. What the body senses causes a reaction in the soul. And so with any number of exchanges that can happen between the three.
Unfortunately, we can live our lives following the whims of outside stimulus and the sinful desires of our body and soul. But the body and soul can be redeemed in the same way that our spirit was redeemed the moment we accepted Christ.
This is where I believe that Davidic meditation is such a powerful tool. As we will see, this requires the body and soul to submit to the spirit. And you also are teaching your senses to focus in harmony with each other on God.
As I read through the Bible I noted scriptures that I felt were especially impactful. These scriptures spoke to major beliefs or provided insight and direction into situations that I could relate to. And I then broke these scripture out into lists.
For example, I have a list from the Torah. I also have a list from Psalms, Proverbs, a list from the gospels, ect. These I call daily scripture lists (D.S.L). I have a set order for their use, but sometimes I feel I need to use one out of order and am not overly rigid.
There are days where I just need to hear Jesus. There are days where I need to listen to the words of the Psalmists reminding me that God deserves my worship. But barring a decision to deviate I have a set order that I fall back on.
From experience, I have found that it works best to divide the daily scripture lists in half. These become a morning and afternoon/evening segment. Remember Psalm 1, ‘in His law he meditates day and night.’
My rule is that 40 minutes a day keeps the devil a way. 40 minutes mediating on scripture each day. The 40 minutes I divide into two 20 minute segments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening.
Techniques I use for meditation are very practical. I have found it best to engage as many of my natural senses as possible. I have a notebook with my scripture lists in them. The outside of notebook is textured instead of smooth. Sometimes in the morning I remember the feel of the notebook in my hand as though my body is saying, “don’t forget to meditate.” It’s also green which I find a soothing color.
I also like to use my Bible (versus something electronic) because the Bible has a special look and feel. The pages make a unique sound when you turn them because the pages are so thin. You get the picture.
When you meditate, create an environment where you are engaging your natural senses. Meditate in a serene place where your natural senses are occupied. This way you can dig in and really starting dealing with the relationship between you spirit and your soul (while your body is also focused and not distracted).
So I select a scripture that I want to memorize. I then break that scripture down into sentences. Starting with the first sentence, I say it out loud until I am able to recite it three times from memory. Then I move to the next sentence and do the same. Then I combine the two sentences, reciting them out loud until I am able to say them together three times from memory. I continue adding sentences until I am able to recite the entire verse out loud three times from memory. I also say the scripture reference before and after reciting the actual verse.
Pretty straight forward and not unlike what many people do. But there is a technique to it that may not be natural for everyone. Gradually, I memorize a whole list of scriptures. I then am able to meditate and recite them from memory.
I started this pattern of memorization when I was thirteen. Unfortunately, I subsequently went through a challenging time as a teenager. By eighteen I was a drug addict on the run from God (or so I thought). I ended up in jail faced with a serious charge for committing a violent crime.
I was so ashamed of the things I had done that I couldn’t even pray. The moment I tried I fell to my knees in my cell and began to weep before the Lord. Would God ever be willing to forgive all of the terrible things I had done.
Then the words of the scriptures I had memorized so many years before came back to me. “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3). “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).
All those years had gone by but the word of God was still imbedded in the fabric of my mind. That is the real power of meditating on God’s word. Its not the power of the person who is meditating or the meditation itself. It’s the power of Who you are meditating on.
Next, week I’ll publish my final blog on this subject. I want to share some real world experiences I’ve had where meditation proved a critical foundation preparing me for spiritual encounters, prayer, and those critical moments where I had an opportunity to share my faith.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
We also have 7 senses (5 natural senses and 2 supernatural senses). These senses allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with the outside world. They also allow our body, soul, and spirit to communicate with each other. What the body senses causes a reaction in the soul. And so with any number of exchanges that can happen between the three.
Unfortunately, we can live our lives following the whims of outside stimulus and the sinful desires of our body and soul. But the body and soul can be redeemed in the same way that our spirit was redeemed the moment we accepted Christ.
This is where I believe that Davidic meditation is such a powerful tool. As we will see, this requires the body and soul to submit to the spirit. And you also are teaching your senses to focus in harmony with each other on God.
As I read through the Bible I noted scriptures that I felt were especially impactful. These scriptures spoke to major beliefs or provided insight and direction into situations that I could relate to. And I then broke these scripture out into lists.
For example, I have a list from the Torah. I also have a list from Psalms, Proverbs, a list from the gospels, ect. These I call daily scripture lists (D.S.L). I have a set order for their use, but sometimes I feel I need to use one out of order and am not overly rigid.
There are days where I just need to hear Jesus. There are days where I need to listen to the words of the Psalmists reminding me that God deserves my worship. But barring a decision to deviate I have a set order that I fall back on.
From experience, I have found that it works best to divide the daily scripture lists in half. These become a morning and afternoon/evening segment. Remember Psalm 1, ‘in His law he meditates day and night.’
My rule is that 40 minutes a day keeps the devil a way. 40 minutes mediating on scripture each day. The 40 minutes I divide into two 20 minute segments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening.
Techniques I use for meditation are very practical. I have found it best to engage as many of my natural senses as possible. I have a notebook with my scripture lists in them. The outside of notebook is textured instead of smooth. Sometimes in the morning I remember the feel of the notebook in my hand as though my body is saying, “don’t forget to meditate.” It’s also green which I find a soothing color.
I also like to use my Bible (versus something electronic) because the Bible has a special look and feel. The pages make a unique sound when you turn them because the pages are so thin. You get the picture.
When you meditate, create an environment where you are engaging your natural senses. Meditate in a serene place where your natural senses are occupied. This way you can dig in and really starting dealing with the relationship between you spirit and your soul (while your body is also focused and not distracted).
So I select a scripture that I want to memorize. I then break that scripture down into sentences. Starting with the first sentence, I say it out loud until I am able to recite it three times from memory. Then I move to the next sentence and do the same. Then I combine the two sentences, reciting them out loud until I am able to say them together three times from memory. I continue adding sentences until I am able to recite the entire verse out loud three times from memory. I also say the scripture reference before and after reciting the actual verse.
Pretty straight forward and not unlike what many people do. But there is a technique to it that may not be natural for everyone. Gradually, I memorize a whole list of scriptures. I then am able to meditate and recite them from memory.
I started this pattern of memorization when I was thirteen. Unfortunately, I subsequently went through a challenging time as a teenager. By eighteen I was a drug addict on the run from God (or so I thought). I ended up in jail faced with a serious charge for committing a violent crime.
I was so ashamed of the things I had done that I couldn’t even pray. The moment I tried I fell to my knees in my cell and began to weep before the Lord. Would God ever be willing to forgive all of the terrible things I had done.
Then the words of the scriptures I had memorized so many years before came back to me. “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3). “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).
All those years had gone by but the word of God was still imbedded in the fabric of my mind. That is the real power of meditating on God’s word. Its not the power of the person who is meditating or the meditation itself. It’s the power of Who you are meditating on.
Next, week I’ll publish my final blog on this subject. I want to share some real world experiences I’ve had where meditation proved a critical foundation preparing me for spiritual encounters, prayer, and those critical moments where I had an opportunity to share my faith.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
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