LETTERS PATENT

From Noble Plans

In the medieval period a noble document meant to be read publicly were called Letters Patent.

"These were royal letters, sent open with a seal and pendant attached Their contents were not considered to be secret. Such letters authorised an action or instructed for instance, a sheriff to act. "*

In this day and age of e-mails, tweets, and instant messaging, it would be a rare and exotic thing indeed to receive a parchment bearing a message written in ink by quill, emblazoned with a wax seal and a pendant.

Yet I am reminded of the words of Rabbi Saul of Tarsus in 2Cor 3:2-3 where he refers to Christ's disciples as living letters, "known and read by all."

That means you, beloved. You are that rare parchment, sealed with the noble and eternal sign of the King of kings. You are His Letter Patent, bearing the seal and sentiment of your Sovereign.

When people read you — and they most certainly do — what do they read?

Being God's Letter Patent is a noble part of being an heir of the King, and an important aspect of any disciple's noble plan.


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"

* (A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases, Christopher Corèdon with Ann Williams, ©2004, D. S. Brewer, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, p. 175)

LOOK AND REMEMBER

In Numbers 15:39, God instructs his people to tie fringes to the corners of their garments to "look upon and remember." In fact, the spiritual principle of "look . . . remember" occurs often in the Scripture. Why?

I believe it is because we humans have a remarkable capacity to forget. God knows this, which is why we are so often called upon to "remember" (Ex 13:3, Deut 5:15, Deut 8:18, Ps 105:5, John 15:20, 2Ti 2:8). So we have cycles of seasons and holidays, rituals, and reminders, from festival favorites to wedding rings, from calendars to bobble heads: all of which serve to remind us of those things which are important, of things about which we are passionate.

While desktop wallpaper certain does not rank up there with Scripture, nor should it, it can serve a positive purpose, and for those seeking to live noble lives and make noble plans, these can be constant reminders so you "look and remember."

Here are free desktop wallpaper files for you to download, to help you in your quest to make and remember your noble plans.


Noble Plans Desktop No. 1

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Noble Plans Desktop No. 3

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Noble Plans Desktop No. 4

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Noble Plans Desktop No. 5

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"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"

MY SPEECH – MAY IT PRAISE YOU

"My speech – may it praise you without flaw:
may my heart love you, King of Heaven and of earth."
This prayer from 12th Century Ireland shows that in any epoch, watching the tongue is crucial.

James’ letter says much the same thing, but from the negative perspective: “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).

The next time you find yourself on the verge of letting go with some restless evil full of deadly poison, no matter how much you think old so-and-so deserves it, I’d like for you to try something if you would.

Look at whomever you’d like to give a piece of your mind, and see them through the eyes of compassion. If you do, if you truly do, I think you’ll find your anger melts away with the compassion of Christ. You can probably still get your point across, but by taking a path of compassion that heals and doesn’t hurt.

We’re going to explore “compassion” more in the near future, but for now try seeing others through compassion’s eyes. It’s a noble plan.


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"