Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Robert Ricciardelli

“Unbridled” by John L. Moore

Last updated on: September 22, 2010 at 3:23 pm   by editorconvergingzone

“Unbridled” by John L. Moore 2010-09-22T15:23:00-08:00 editorconvergingzone

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”  James 1:26

“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well.”    James 3:3.

________________________________________________________________

I make no claims of being a master horseman, just a fair-to-middlin’ badlands cowboy, but I know some real horsemen and I disagree with them somewhat on the matter of bits.

For those of you who don’t know, bits come in many forms, shapes, sizes and functions. Most trainers begin with an O-ring snaffle and progress slowly through a series of mouthpieces — shanked snaffle, low-ported curb, grazing bit, and others — until they find a mouthpiece the horse adapts to best, or, they adapt a horse to the ultimate bit, a Spanish spade of which there are several varieties.

My horses have always “told” me that they hate bits, and yet, they are required as a training tool.

The Law is our early bit. It jerks our head around when we want to go our own way. In other words, the Law “plow-reins” us. Gradually, we learn to respond to the Spirit and the Lord can “neck rein” us. Instead of being forcibly pulled we respond to a slight push. There are important spiritual lessons in this.

Horses and horsemanship seem to carry important messages at this time. A number of people I know have been having dreams or visions about horses, and red horses in particular. Interestingly, Secretariat’s nickname was “Big Red.”

Paul Keith Davis has been teaching all year on the spiritual messages found in the life of the great race horse, Secretariat. If you have not heard any of these messages I would invite you to go to whitedoveministries.org and purchase the teaching, Destiny of a Generation, or read his August newsletter. Secretariat, physically, had an unusually large heart, yet this mountain of horseflesh, this was controlled by an O-Ring snaffle, one of the mildest of bits.

Yet, I would say there is even a higher way.

Recently I purchased a Bitless Bridle for my good young gelding, Simon. A Bitless Bridle is a new concept, it is not similar to a bosal or mechanical hackamore, and Simon, who has a very sensitive mouth, responds to it well though he will require more schooling with a bit to develop his skills first. Yet, as I said earlier, I am convinced horses hate bits, but the good ones learn to tolerate them. To cowboys, bits are all to often simply a symbol of pride and well-crafted ones may cost a thousand dollars each.

Still, there is a higher way yet, and that is being “unbridled.” (See Chuck Pierce quote above.)

If we learn to allow the Spirit to control our mind and tongue we change from being plow-reined to neck-reined. The more we respond to the slightest pressure of the Spirit the less necessary pressure becomes. When the “mouth” is sanctified the bit is no longer required and we move into a “bitless” bridle because there is still need for control over our head (mind.)

When our head (mind) is in synch with our Master we are allowed to be “unbridled.”

One friend recently sent me the link below then quickly two confirmations  came: one, a magazine I occasionally write for has this horsewoman on the cover this month and it sits on the desk here beside me, and, two, another prophetic intercessor emailed me to say she’d watched this performance below recently. 

Watch and enjoy this brilliant example of communication between horse and rider, then stop and consider; imagine yourself as the horse and the Holy Spirit as the rider.        

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7v8Ck1crg

 www.johnlmoore.com

Coach Robert

Previous Post



September 22, 2010

Monkey Soup, Frog Smoothies and the Missionary Spirit by Lee Grady

Next Post



September 22, 2010 Kids in Church by Anonymous


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Arts & Entertainment Business Coach Robert Coaching Community Education Faith Family/Relationships Government Health History/Biography Leadership Marriage Mindset Musings Science Technology

Select a Month June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

The great day of the Lord is near—a day of wrath, distress, anguish, trouble, ruin, and what?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fire and brimstone Blood and thunder Plague and famine Darkness and gloom

Related posts from Robert Ricciardelli

New Visions

Toxic Faith by Robert Ricciardelli

Robert Ricciardelli

New Visions

The Platform by Alan Smith - Personalized for...

Robert Ricciardelli

New Visions

God is Never Distant by Robert Ricciardelli

Robert Ricciardelli

New Visions

Do Not Categorically Blame Muslims for Boston by...

Robert Ricciardelli

TRENDING AT PATHEOS New Visions

Did Prayer Cure His Cancer? Or Was It...

At 4 AM one morning, Joshua W. Brown’s wife awoke to a...

8 Ways a Near-Death Experience Rewires the Soul

Does Consciousness Survive Physical Death? After 50 Years of Research, Dr. Raymond...

Holy Longing: What Our Restlessness Is Telling Us

“One can find so many pains when the rain is falling.” -John...

The Making of a Dumbass

  What this is NOT about.  This blog is definitely not about...

Who Told You That?

Who said the Israelites were God’s chosen? That’s right, they did. Who...

The Spirit World Is the Real World: God...

A Monk’s Wisdom on Body and Spirit I sit with Brother Martin...

view all New Visions blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube