Lessons From The Garden Index

Chapter 40 – Principles of Reckoning

WE now return to our study in The Complete Green Letters, coming to the fourth section of book titled, The Realization of Spiritual Growth.  In the preface to this section Miles Stanford comments that there are three steps in reckoning – to know and reckon, to abide and rest, and

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Principles of Reckoning – Part 2

I’M going to limit my opening to today’s reading so that we may focus upon the text below without commentary and little more at length.  There are things that need to be said, but I’m going to reserve that for next time. SO, taking up where we left off last

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Principles of Reckoning – Part 2 Review

AT this junction, I hope you are still with me.  After reading the previous posting, a lengthy section from Chapter 40—Principles of Reckoning, I fear I may have lost you. It all may have sounded somewhat strange.  But I would submit, that what was expressed there has been expounded in

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Principles of Reckoning – Part 3

Hence, the Holy Spirit allows us to fail after our eager beginning. He applies the principle of need in every phase of our advance. The calculated failure is used to cause us to move beyond the early infant-enthusiasm to the place where we have to dig in and settle down

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Chapter 41—Three Steps in Reckoning

WE have just completed Chapter 40—”Principles of Reckoning,” the first chapter in Part 4 of The Complete Green Letters – The Realization of Spiritual Growth. We now come to Chapter 41 – “Three Steps in Reckoning.”      OUR author outlines the three steps thus: 1) Know and Reckon 2) Abide

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Three Steps in Reckoning – Part 2

ONE of the rich blessings of the church is the diversity of different teachers and perspectives.  Paul wrote: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have

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Three Steps in Reckoning – Part 3, conclusion

WE are concluding our look at Chapter 41 – “Three Steps in Reckoning,” in this section of The Realization of Spiritual Growth. To review:The first step is to Know and Reckon – We are not to rely upon experiences for growth and maturity no matter how wonderful and stimulating they

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Chapter 42—Knowledge of Reckoning

I’m going to keep my opening comments short as we commence the next chapter’s instruction. The opening words of Chapter 42—Knowledge of Reckoning, are quite to the point in both reminding us and instructing us of the importance of growth truth.  However, I am reminded of the importance of understanding

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Knowledge of Reckoning – Part 2

WE are looking at The Realization of Spiritual Growth, Part 5 in The Complete Green Letters, specifically Chapter 42—Knowledge of Reckoning.  We’ve already viewed Chapter 40 – Principles of Reckoning; Chapter 41 – The Three Steps in Reckoning; and now our author goes forward to expand on this theme in

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Knowledge of Reckoning – Part 3, conclusion

AGAIN, I’ll ask the question does all this seem tedious?  … One of my M&M verses (“must memorize’) is Isa 28: 13: “But the word of the LORD was to them, ‘Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little… .’” 

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Chapter 43—Spirit-applied Reckoning

“Happy were it, if puzzled and perplexed Christians would turn their eyes from the defects that are in their obedience, to the fullness and completeness of Christ’s obedience; and see themselves complete in Him, when most lame and defective in themselves.”  John Flavel, (1627–1691- English Presbyterian clergyman, puritan, and author). 

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Spirit-applied Reckoning – Part 2

OUR author opened this chapter saying: “The Comforter, even the Holy Spirit … he shall teach you all things … He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 14:26; 16:14, ASV). “The Comforter, even the Holy Spirit.” The Lord Jesus chose

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Spirit-applied Reckoning – Part 3, conclusion

I’M so tempted to just have us go back and reread the previous posting without comment before proceeding to the close of this chapter.  A few comments back I said rather tersely that this “all may seem so tedious,” as we seem to plow the same ground over and over,

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