"7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[a]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Probably the greatest obstacle to understanding God’s purpose for brokenness is this: Most believers think of Christianity as something we do. We pray. We read the Bible. We go to church. We sing hymns. We give money. We do and do—and assume that’s the Christian life. It’s not.
Authentic Christianity is about becoming rather than doing. The life of faith that God designed involves receiving Jesus into our hearts and allowing Him to change our habits, mindset, beliefs, interests, and concerns so we become more and more like Him.
Realizing this will change our perspective on the heartache we must endure. You see, when we recognize that the Christian life is about Jesus’ persistent work of “re-creation” in our lives, then the role of brokenness makes more sense. It’s the process God uses to strip us of things that have become, or may one day become, an obstacle to our growth. The Lord also uses this tool to address issues we may have declared “off limits” to Him, such as unhealthy behaviors or relationships that we rationalize.
God doesn’t want to be Lord of most of your life; He wants to be Lord of all of your life! So He zeroes in on areas of self-will and self-sufficiency to remove everything within us that relies on “self.” He uses brokenness to remove those inclinations so that we can live moment by moment, day by day, in full dependence on Him.
Open your heart, and ask God to reveal any selfish strongholds. Let Him break unhealthy behavior patterns.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
FireProof - Never Leave Your Partner Behind
by Chet Nowlen
Two of my all time favorite Christian Movies are "Facing the Giants" and "Flywheel". Both were made by church members and volunteers in Albany, Georgia. These same church members and volunteers and just release their latest movie "Fire Proof" staring Kirk Cameron. It is in theaters now and is a must see movie - it is rated PG and is safe for the whole family to see.
Click on the title link below to see the movie trailer.
Two of my all time favorite Christian Movies are "Facing the Giants" and "Flywheel". Both were made by church members and volunteers in Albany, Georgia. These same church members and volunteers and just release their latest movie "Fire Proof" staring Kirk Cameron. It is in theaters now and is a must see movie - it is rated PG and is safe for the whole family to see.
Click on the title link below to see the movie trailer.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Prayer "Glory to You "
What shall I give you, Lord, in return for all Your kindness?
Glory to You for Your love.
Glory to You for Your mercy.
Glory to You for Your patience.
Glory to You for forgiving us all our sins.
Glory to You for coming to save our souls.
Glory to You for Your incarnation in the virgin's womb.
Glory to You for Your bonds.
Glory to You for receiving the cut of the lash.
Glory to You for accepting mockery.
Glory to You for Your crucifixion.
Glory to You for Your burial.
Glory to You for Your resurrection.
Glory to You who were preached to men and women.
Glory to You in whom they believed.
Glory to You who were taken up into heaven.
Glory to You who sit in great glory at the Father's right hand.
Glory to You whose will it is that the sinner should be saved through Your great mercy and compassion.
Glory to You for Your love.
Glory to You for Your mercy.
Glory to You for Your patience.
Glory to You for forgiving us all our sins.
Glory to You for coming to save our souls.
Glory to You for Your incarnation in the virgin's womb.
Glory to You for Your bonds.
Glory to You for receiving the cut of the lash.
Glory to You for accepting mockery.
Glory to You for Your crucifixion.
Glory to You for Your burial.
Glory to You for Your resurrection.
Glory to You who were preached to men and women.
Glory to You in whom they believed.
Glory to You who were taken up into heaven.
Glory to You who sit in great glory at the Father's right hand.
Glory to You whose will it is that the sinner should be saved through Your great mercy and compassion.
Owning Up
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:16-17
We've all messed up. When we allow God to examine our hearts, we are all going to discover problems in our lives. Some are painful. Some will be embarrassing. Some may be surprising; and some could be very difficult to overcome. The question we need to ask, though, is this: What should we do about these things when God brings them to our attention?
To help find an answer, there's no better place to look than at the life of David, the shepherd boy who God hand-picked to be King of Israel. He committed some really serious sins. First, he stole another man's wife. Then in order to cover it up, he murdered her husband, his loyal friend. When God confronted David about his sin, David responded the right way. He was heart-broken to realize how far he had strayed from God's ways. He wept with remorse and pleaded with God for forgiveness. He turned from his sin; he did not try to excuse himself, or minimize what he had done.
Pride often keeps us from responding to God with humility. We want to justify what we have done or rationalize it away: "it really wasn't that bad," or "it was someone else's fault." Those kind of responses are not what God is looking for. Only a "broken and contrite" heart can accept the enormity of the sin committed and realize its need for God.
Coming to a place of humility and brokenness is not easy; it is a very vulnerable position. But God is merciful and ready to restore you. To help you through those times, choose one of these verses to memorize:
Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 34:18 – The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A Prayer
Lord, I want to own up to my sins today. I ask your forgiveness for the wrongs I've committed against others and against you. Help me to live in humility with a broken and contrite heart, so you can restore me to a place of peace and reconciliation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
We've all messed up. When we allow God to examine our hearts, we are all going to discover problems in our lives. Some are painful. Some will be embarrassing. Some may be surprising; and some could be very difficult to overcome. The question we need to ask, though, is this: What should we do about these things when God brings them to our attention?
To help find an answer, there's no better place to look than at the life of David, the shepherd boy who God hand-picked to be King of Israel. He committed some really serious sins. First, he stole another man's wife. Then in order to cover it up, he murdered her husband, his loyal friend. When God confronted David about his sin, David responded the right way. He was heart-broken to realize how far he had strayed from God's ways. He wept with remorse and pleaded with God for forgiveness. He turned from his sin; he did not try to excuse himself, or minimize what he had done.
Pride often keeps us from responding to God with humility. We want to justify what we have done or rationalize it away: "it really wasn't that bad," or "it was someone else's fault." Those kind of responses are not what God is looking for. Only a "broken and contrite" heart can accept the enormity of the sin committed and realize its need for God.
Coming to a place of humility and brokenness is not easy; it is a very vulnerable position. But God is merciful and ready to restore you. To help you through those times, choose one of these verses to memorize:
Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 34:18 – The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A Prayer
Lord, I want to own up to my sins today. I ask your forgiveness for the wrongs I've committed against others and against you. Help me to live in humility with a broken and contrite heart, so you can restore me to a place of peace and reconciliation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Blessed to be a Blessing
“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever…” - Psalm 21:6 (AMP)
God is love, and out of His love, He gives good gifts to His children. It pleases Him to see you prosper, and He longs to pour out His blessings upon you. He wants to lavish you with His goodness and grace so that you can be an example of His goodness by extending that blessing to those around you. We are blessed to be a blessing!We are never more like God than when we are filled with His love and giving to other people. Ask the Lord to show you ways to be a blessing to the people around you today. Sometimes, it only takes a smile or something simple to minister the love of God to a person’s heart. Other times, God may require that you give something greater or more valuable. But remember, God promises that when you give, it will be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over! That means you can’t out-give God! When your heart is to be a blessing to others, He will entrust you with even more of His resources. He’ll fill you with His blessings, and you’ll live the abundant life He has prepared for you!
Father in heaven, thank You for blessing me so that I can be a blessing to the people around me. Show me how to share Your love with the people around me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
God is love, and out of His love, He gives good gifts to His children. It pleases Him to see you prosper, and He longs to pour out His blessings upon you. He wants to lavish you with His goodness and grace so that you can be an example of His goodness by extending that blessing to those around you. We are blessed to be a blessing!We are never more like God than when we are filled with His love and giving to other people. Ask the Lord to show you ways to be a blessing to the people around you today. Sometimes, it only takes a smile or something simple to minister the love of God to a person’s heart. Other times, God may require that you give something greater or more valuable. But remember, God promises that when you give, it will be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over! That means you can’t out-give God! When your heart is to be a blessing to others, He will entrust you with even more of His resources. He’ll fill you with His blessings, and you’ll live the abundant life He has prepared for you!
Father in heaven, thank You for blessing me so that I can be a blessing to the people around me. Show me how to share Your love with the people around me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Take Heart
“God’s grace means that I can rest assured
that I’ll have everything I need
to be what He wants me to be and to do what He wants me to do
in the situation in which He’s placed me.
I’m no longer restricted to the limits of my own strength and wisdom.
By His grace, I’ve a new identity and a new potential.
I’m a child of God; the risen Christ now lives inside of me.
I need no longer fear people or circumstances;
I don’t have to feel weak in the face of suffering or temptation,
because I no longer rest in the resources of my own ability.
I’m in Christ and He’s in me.
This new identity gives me new potential
as I face the realities of life in this bent and broken world.
God’s grace gives me reason to ‘take heart.’”
-Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Take Heart”
that I’ll have everything I need
to be what He wants me to be and to do what He wants me to do
in the situation in which He’s placed me.
I’m no longer restricted to the limits of my own strength and wisdom.
By His grace, I’ve a new identity and a new potential.
I’m a child of God; the risen Christ now lives inside of me.
I need no longer fear people or circumstances;
I don’t have to feel weak in the face of suffering or temptation,
because I no longer rest in the resources of my own ability.
I’m in Christ and He’s in me.
This new identity gives me new potential
as I face the realities of life in this bent and broken world.
God’s grace gives me reason to ‘take heart.’”
-Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Take Heart”
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Dive In
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:17b-19
Think about standing on the shores of a large body of water like a lake. You can see to the other side and get an idea of its size. You can take its temperature, and study the plants along its edges. You can talk about it and think about it and dream about it—all without ever getting wet.
But as long as you are standing on the shore, you have missed the essence of this lake, the water. You are not going to fully grasp its significance or strength until you get into the water, over your head.
The same can be said of the love of Christ. You can study it for years. You can take theology classes and skirt the surface of a Bible study. You can talk about it, look at it, and even dream about it—all without actually experiencing it. But to grasp the significance and strength of Jesus' love; to fully understand how his love can change your life, you've got to step off the shore and dive into the water of his love.
Only by diving headlong into a relationship with him will you truly begin to grasp how "wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." It surpasses knowledge; and it requires experience.
Dear God, I don't want to just stand on the shores of your love; instead, I want to experience the fullness of what it can do in my life. Thank you for providing a way for that to happen, through Jesus Christ. Help me each day to realize the significance of that relationship. And help me to show others that when they get off the shore and into the water, life will take on a new meaning and power. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
Think about standing on the shores of a large body of water like a lake. You can see to the other side and get an idea of its size. You can take its temperature, and study the plants along its edges. You can talk about it and think about it and dream about it—all without ever getting wet.
But as long as you are standing on the shore, you have missed the essence of this lake, the water. You are not going to fully grasp its significance or strength until you get into the water, over your head.
The same can be said of the love of Christ. You can study it for years. You can take theology classes and skirt the surface of a Bible study. You can talk about it, look at it, and even dream about it—all without actually experiencing it. But to grasp the significance and strength of Jesus' love; to fully understand how his love can change your life, you've got to step off the shore and dive into the water of his love.
Only by diving headlong into a relationship with him will you truly begin to grasp how "wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." It surpasses knowledge; and it requires experience.
Dear God, I don't want to just stand on the shores of your love; instead, I want to experience the fullness of what it can do in my life. Thank you for providing a way for that to happen, through Jesus Christ. Help me each day to realize the significance of that relationship. And help me to show others that when they get off the shore and into the water, life will take on a new meaning and power. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.
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