Broken Repaired

Broken Repaired

1 John 4: ¹⁹ We love because God first loved us. ²⁰ If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. ²¹ The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.

 

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Sitting on the couch of my apartment, it hit me that my life was not going so well. With creditors calling, and my car totaled, I wanted to hear a friendly set of words but they were not available.

 

“Why don’t you go to church with us?” someone asked. I went and heard words of love I hadn’t heard in a while. I felt great. Years of success later, a guy would come by my desk to steal ideas. “I hate that guy” I said to myself.

 

• I had forgotten what GOD did for me when I was broken.
• In my lowest moments, I needed GOD and HE was faithful to me.
• I was not faithful to GOD because I harbored hatred in my heart.

 

John addressed hatred. He knew the believers in CHRIST were persecuted by the very group that was supposed to be following GOD. He reminded everyone, that while we were still sinners CHRIST died for us. He then explained that you cannot love GOD and hate people.

 

My Observations:

• GOD is love and expects me to act like HIM.
• GOD loved me first and wants me to do the same.
• GOD wants me to love those who are spiritually blind, selfish, and mean.

 

Without GOD, love cannot exist. I mean, GOD is the one who defined what love is and HE created us in HIS image to love one another. Unfortunately sin entered the world and is a part of us. Humans conjure up a new definition of love, that could include selfish desires that are not aligned to GOD’s.

 

JESUS gave us the example to follow. HE, being GOD, did not think being a servant to those who hated HIM was a problem. Even before HIS death, he healed a guards ear, who came to arrest HIM. JESUS commands something that is a choice. “love those who hate you.” I am glad GOD loved me first, so I choose to follow HIS example, HIS way.

 

Challenge

• What lie does the writer point out?
• Has GOD ever brought you out of something?
• Will you consider examining your heart to see if you harbor any hatred towards someone and ask GOD to cleanse you of this and replace it with HIS love for others today?

Broken Mirror

 Broken Mirror

1 Corinthians 12 ¹² Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. ¹³ In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

 

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When I was moving, I threw a hand mirror in a box with books and other hard items. While unpacking I noticed it was cracked. I could still use the mirror, but it just wasn’t the same.

 

• I am part of larger group.
• I am a broken piece of a whole mirror.
• I am part of the entire body of CHRIST, but I need other broken pieces.

 

“Let us make man in OUR image” was the creation of the mirror. But when Adam sinned, the entire mirror was broken. It could no longer reflect GOD as a whole. Each piece could reflect a tiny portion, but not the whole being.

 

My Observation

• GOD wants me to know I am part of CHRIST, but only a part.
• GOD wants me to understand that I need other pieces of the mirror to reflect HIM properly.
• GOD wants me to seek the other broken pieces to put the mirror back together.

 

Knowing one part of the mirror is not more important than another part is the beginning. I mean, when I move a piece of the mirror to the eye or the ear, it reflects what is shown. BUT GOD wants an entire reflection. HE wants all the pieces put back together.

 

But what happens when they are all together? Wouldn’t there still be a crack? Yes. But somehow the HOLY SPIRIT removes the crack when we are “baptized into the one body” by HIM. HE guides us to see we all need each other to truly reflect GOD. I am glad I need other pieces.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about the differences spoken here?
• What do you notice about the HOLY SPIRIT?
• Do you feel you are a part of something much bigger?
• Will you seek CHRIST and be added into the body today?

My prayer for you today

3 John 1: ² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

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DEAR LORD HEAVENLY FATHER

I am so glad YOU are my FATHER and the FATHER to all who believe in YOUR SON. YOU know my heart and YOU know my ways.

Search me O LORD and eradicate any desires that blind me from seeing YOU.

Heal my ears so they may hear what YOU are saying to me. Guide my hands to bless others.

There are many who hurt, please give them peace.

There are many who are physically battling ailments, please heal them.

There are many who can’t make ends meet, please provide for them.

There are many who can’t forgive, please provide mercy.

There are many who are empty, please fill them up with YOUR love.

Please change all hearts toward “that” person, removing contempt for compassion.

Bless this reader today. amen

What to do when being attacked.

Acts 16: ²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

 ²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

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Country Western and Blues seem to be how I can describe various times in my life.  You know lyrics like “my dog died”, “my horse left” and “my woman burst into flames.” It seems like there are times when I am trying my hardest to live for CHRIST yet situations come up that feel like I am being beaten with rods. What should I do?

• There are going to be times when it seems like everyone is against me.
• There are going to be times when it seems like I should give up and stop trying.
• There are going to be times when it seems like there is no way out.

Paul and Silas actually praised GOD during their beatings. Wow! You mean they were trying to live for GOD and got beat in public for trying to do what is right? YES! They were publicly humiliated and physically beat for preaching about JESUS.

• GOD does not want me to be harmed but knows I will face opposition.
• GOD does not want me to feel like giving up especially when the going gets tough.
• GOD does not want me to turn away from HIM even when I’m boxed in with no way out.

Praising GOD is amazing! I mean when all circumstances look bleak praise HIM. When everyone around you is losing their heads and blaming it on you, praise HIM. When the road seems to be invisible and speed bumps keep getting larger, praise HIM.

Paul and Silas had a miracle happen when they praise GOD in the midst of their troubles. I have seen the same happen to me.

• Are you at the end of your rope?
• Do you feel many if not all people are against you?
• Do you believe in GOD’s strange tactics?
• Have you tried praising GOD?

Do I really know what to believe in?

John 20: ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.

⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

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Pranks could easily be played on me because gullible was stamped on my forehead. Blind faith was my “strength” and a weakness as the con artist or liar covered their tracks well. Soon my blind faith just turned into blindness toward believing in anything. I didn’t want to be burned again.

• Life has a way of making me cynical.
• Life has a way of placing negativity in front of me causing me to want to give up.
• Life has a way of reducing my dreams turning them into the mundane.

Like a whipped animal with a broken spirit, I moped around thinking “why believe?” I mean what good is church or “believing” anyway when it seems like evil people are easily getting their way?

• JESUS died for my sins because HE is concerned about my eternal life.
• JESUS sent HIS HOLY SPIRIT to live in me because HE is concerned about my earthly life.
• JESUS is building a new heaven and a new Earth for me because HE wants an awesome relationship with me forever!

Even the disciples who watched HIM heal people, walk on water, create things right in front of their faces and raise dead people, still did not grasp the magnitude of what JESUS did. Quite frankly I don’t either but I know this, HE has done some incredible things in my life! 

If given the choice of “my way” or “GOD’s strange way”, I nervously choose GOD’s way to guide my path and relieve my worries, doubts and fears. I choose to believe.

• What do you believe in?
• Do you have blind faith that GOD will work everything out?
• Are you fighting against GOD with your lifestyle?
• What are you doing to make changes in your life specifically for serving GOD?

Can I learn from my mistakes?

John 6: ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life.

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Stretching the truth about myself became a defense mechanism in uncomfortable situations. It seemed like the tougher the boss the more I sunk into covering up my mistakes rather than letting them be known.

Little did I know that one of my “hidden” mistakes would quickly surface and cost the company some money. You would think I would learn my lesson from that but I did it again until I met someone with compassion who enabled me to face my mistakes and face fears.

• Mistakes are a part of life.
• Sin will always be with me.
• Stuff will be broken and stolen.
• Things will not go as planned.

When the wheels fly off my plans I panic and work myself into a frenzy. My mind races towards the negative quickly overstepping GOD’s boundaries of my life. I think and overthink the situation when in reality there is a simple explanation for what’s going on.

• GOD says “Come unto ME and learn from ME and I will give you rest.”
• GOD says “I will lead you besides still waters.”
• GOD says “I will restore your soul.”
• GOD says “I will lead you on the path of righteousness for MY namesake.”

Truth, love, kindness and peace are a few things GOD can teach me by coming to HIM for my lessons. I never feel like a failure nor do I feel unwanted by GOD. I always feel forgiven because I am. HE enables me to rest and HE gives me peace that humans can’t. HE has given me the “bread of life” which is HIS SON.

• What are you dealing with?
• Can you seek GOD’s comforting words in Psalm 23?
• Won’t you take a moment to face your fears and acknowledge your frailty?
• Can you recognize you are connected to the most powerful being so you can never fail?

GOD wants me to “know” HIM with my heart!

John 4: ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

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Remembering the “Be-Attitudes” was a goal of mine because my Sunday school teacher told me to do it.  Maybe I would get some sort of prize if I could spit out these memorable verses. I did and I believe there was some sort of ribbon or a token.

Look at me! I can remember verses and spit them out really fast!  I will be the envy of my class and I’m sure GOD is pleased with my knowledge!

• Knowing GOD’s word doesn’t mean I know GOD.
• Going to church doesn’t mean I am following GOD.
• Being nice doesn’t mean I am living GOD’s ways.

Without “the SPIRIT” I cannot worship GOD.  Without understanding GOD’s word which is the “truth”, I cannot worship GOD.  Both are equally important. “How do I know?” you ask, because HE placed both in my heart to make sure I worship HIM the right way.

• Before I was born, GOD wrote HIS word on my heart.
• After my birth my sin nature makes me forget my relationship with GOD so I had to realize I was like everyone else, a sinner.
• When I believed JESUS is GOD who saved me from eternal separation from HIM, I received the HOLY SPIRIT and eternal life.

With the HOLY SPIRIT and GOD’s word, I can worship HIM the way HE wants to be worshipped. As I get more mature with my walk with GOD I realize my “heart” knowledge of GOD is just as important as my “head” knowledge of HIM.  I can know someone needs help, but without compassion I will not be moved to do anything.

I can try to worship GOD because it’s the right thing to do, but HE really wants me to “want” to serve HIM instead of being obligated.

• Serving GOD in SPIRIT and in Truth should be an exciting experience between just HIM and me.
• Serving GOD in SPIRIT and in Truth means I believe HIS ways first before I make my decisions.
• Serving GOD in SPIRIT and in Truth supersedes my feelings, my plans, my doubts and worries.

GOD leads my decisions and at times it’s scary to have HIM do that. But the more I let HIM the better off I am.

• Do you think GOD is impressed with your church attendance and giving?
• Can you serve HIM without people knowing what you did?
• Won’t you start trying to get to know GOD a little better?

I’d rather be broken by GOD!

Luke 20: ¹⁷ Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

   “‘The stone the builders rejected

   has become the cornerstone’?

   ¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

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There have been times in my life where I flat out made the wrong choices.  I don’t know what drove me to the bad decisions I made. Was it lust? Was it greed? Was it fear, doubt, or worry that drove me to a bad decision? It was probably all of the above.

Sin seemed like the right choice at that time but it “always” made matters worse. Where was I to turn, what was I to do?

• GOD wants to break my life so HE can save it.
• GOD wants to break the chains of my small thinking in order to give me freedom.
• GOD wants to break my habit of trying to do HIS job so that I can sit and watch HIS deliverance!

Pride and arrogance are two things GOD can’t stand about me. I fuel them when I think “I” accomplished something without GOD’s help. HE has infinite ways to crush arrogance and pride out of me.

• Crushing is final, breaking can be repaired.
• Crushing means GOD wants nothing to do with me, breaking means HE is fixing me.
• Crushing is what GOD does to worthless items, breaking is how GOD refines HIS precious implements.

Just like glass is recycled, GOD breaks me, tosses me into HIS furnace of uncomfortable situations and reshapes me into something HE can use. I’d rather fall on “the rock,” as the old folks would say, than have it fall on me.

• What parts of your life are you trying to hold on to?
• Is pride and arrogance leading you to be crushed?
• Have you asked GOD to break you so HE can refine you?
• Are you trying to manipulate GOD with false humility?