R. Thomas Ashbrook > Quotes

“Two primary tactics used on us are pride and distractions. The enemy will attempt to convince us that we are really important, mature, and better than most (“After all, look at all the great work you’re doing for God”). A superior attitude, the belief that we really know what is right and best, may keep us from readily seeking God for guidance, or listening for the voice of God in others. This prideful blindness ultimately sets us up for major mistakes and alienates us from other Christians, whom we may well blame for the situation. Sound familiar?”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“Our defense against the devil, made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s presence in us, comes in three ways: 1. Preparation: In Ephesians 6:10f, the apostle Paul teaches us to grow in our faith similarly to a soldier putting on armor, so that we may stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Our defense is truth; a right relationship with God; the Gospel of peace, faith, and salvation; and our offensive weapon, the word of God. 2. Discernment: We are gifted by the Holy Spirit to “discern spirits” (1 Cor. 12:10). 3. Active resistance: James 4:7 says that if we resist the devil he will flee from us. Our ability to resist depends on our preparation and our discernment. Our resistance is not passive, but an active and intentional use of the “sword of the Spirit, the word of God.” Jesus modeled this, and the disciples followed suit, as they cast out demons by commanding them in the name of Jesus. We can do the same thing through the power of the same Holy Spirit.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“Authentic spiritual friendships: Most of what we know about ourselves, truth or falsehood, has been reflected back to us from others. It is vital that we have close brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we can be open and vulnerable and who love us enough to tell us the truth.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“Reading and teaching about contemplative prayer and spiritual warfare in prayer are essential. Although sermons and books and mentors can be very helpful, we must not look to others for what only God can give. If we expect the church to “bring us to Jesus,” we will ultimately become frustrated and critical of church and of ourselves, for not satisfying our new spiritual hunger. The whole movement of the fourth mansion is God’s desire to “infuse” us directly with His life and love. He wants to “feed” us Himself.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“Even though we have all had experiences of feeling distant from God, the Dark Night of the Senses is a particular experience with identifiable symptoms, described by John of the Cross. Although not every person necessarily experiences all these symptoms, we can get a good feel for this painful time by looking at the characteristics he describes:4 • The Dark Night of the Senses usually comes after a season of consistent and satisfying meditative prayer, and we have been experiencing some detachment from old dependencies on worldly things. • In the darkness, we no longer derive real satisfaction or consolation from spiritual practices or from other people. • The darkness does not have any apparent causes; it is not the result of depression or newly committed sins or imperfections.5 • We feel as though we are not serving God well, but backsliding in our faith, and we become concerned about failing God. • We experience a powerlessness to meditate on God’s Word and to make use of our imagination to relate to the truths of Scripture. God doesn’t seem to speak to us through our analysis and synthesis of the ideas in the text. Prayer may well feel like a waste of time. • In the midst of our spiritual dryness and the absence of God’s consolations, a “dark light” shines that brings us even greater pain. As this dark light shines on us, we gain a greater awareness of our own sinful nature and the extent to which every thought and action is tainted with self. • We find ourselves deeply grieved over our sinful nature and the sins of others. • In the light of our greater self-knowledge, we find ourselves humbler and more patient with the struggles of others. • The Dark Night season often feels even emptier by the absence of qualified spiritual direction to help interpret what is happening, or worse, by bad advice from others. • Whether the Dark Night time is relatively short or extends for years, it is terribly painful, like that endured by a lover separated from her beloved.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“The enemy’s attacks also increase during prayer. Disguised as our own thoughts, the enemy sends many memories of past sins, shameful thoughts, and messages of condemnation, designed to make us feel unworthy to seek God or ask His help. A flood of distractions about things to do makes it even more difficult to focus on God in prayer. We seldom see these attacks as signs of spiritual growth (if we weren’t growing, the devil wouldn’t trouble himself), but instead as failures, to be fixed, denied, or hidden. If the enemy can thwart or even stop our conversation with God, spiritual growth may be stopped as well. The second mansion can truly feel like a “valley of the shadow” time in which we have not learned to hold up the shield of faith or wield the sword of the Spirit. For this reason, prayers of intercession by more mature believers are essential. We are not meant to stand in the battle alone, but as part of the Body of Christ.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“He later became the founder of the men’s Discalced Carmelites and developed a close friendship with Teresa, who guided him in his spiritual life. It was during years of imprisonment for his reforms that John created his masterful prose treatises on mystical theology,”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Our ability to know the love of God and to share that love with others is uniquely greater because of our brokenness and woundedness.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“The garden of the soul, she says, can be watered in several manners. The first, drawing the water up from a well by use of a bucket, entails a great deal of human effort. The second way, cranking a water wheel and having the water run through an aqueduct, involves less exertion and yields more water. The third entails far less effort, for in it the water enters the garden as by an effluence from river or stream. The fourth and final way is the best of all: as by a gentle but abundant rainfall the Lord himself waters the garden and the soul does not work at all.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“The very fire of love which afterwards is united with the soul, glorifying it, is that which previously assails it by purging it.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“You may discover that you are far more on target in your spiritual growth than you ever guessed.”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the reveal- ing [through conversion and transformation] of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with persever ance we wait eagerly for it. —ROMAINS 8:19-25”
― R. Thomas Ashbrook, Mansions of the Heart: Exploring the Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth