Embedded Truth: Time to Decide

When God becomes a man, truth can be embedded in our hearts

“The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation.” –J.I.Packer

“The mystery of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding” –Martin Luther

There is no question about it at all, the incarnation drives us to a point of decision. We all stand as individuals at the manger, and we leave either knowing we have gazed into the face of God; or we see nothing but a baby.

The Gospel expects nothing, and demands everything. We move through life, taking our lumps, figuring it out as we go along. As Adam’s sons and daughters we live a charmed, and albeit, a frustrated life. We are each given a spark. Some labor to fan it into flame, others grab a bucket of water.

What will you do with this God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth? Does the fact that God became flesh, funneling himself into a baby, grip you at a fundamental level? Does it really matter? Can you live with yourself if you step away from his cradle, without giving him your heart?

The Bible tell us that the squalling infant Jesus came and developed into a man. That “man-god” went on to teach, preach and heal at astounding pace. In three years of ministry, he lit up his world. Everywhere he went, he was always the eye of a hurricane.

The Bible teacher John MacArthur posits this for us.

“If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us.”

We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!

Make a decision, and then keep making it.

So what are you going to do? Will you decide to follow him into his light and love? I feel compelled to ask you, do you know what is real? This Christmas we are celebrating the birth of God into the child, Jesus. We must do something with him. This is a real decision point we all must make. Not to decide is a decision.

My friend, Pastor Adrian Rogers has a web site. Please go to it, a link has been provided below. We can be sure of heaven and eternal life.

You can know Jesus definitively. Let me know of your decision to accept Christ and I will pray for you, and will send you things that will help.

Dr. Rogers site: http://www.lwf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dis_YouCanBeSure

The Implications of the Incarnation (faithgirlsdiscipleship.wordpress.com)
What Is Christmas To You? (pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com)
A Christmas Consideration (friendedbychrist.com)
Keeping Christmas Well: Taste the New Creation by Mark D. Roberts (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)

Dec 15 2011

A Spot for You, No Matter What

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.”

(Isa. 26:3)

All we need to do in time of sorrow and loneliness is to stay our minds upon God, to trust Him, to rest in Him, to nestle in His love. We remember where John was found the night of the Lord’s last supper with His disciples, – the darkest night the world ever saw, in the deepest sorrow men ever knew, – he was leaning on Jesus’ breast. He crept into that holy shelter to find quiet.

John was kept in perfect peace during all those terrible hours. Everything appeared to have slipped away and there was nothing that seemed abiding. But John crept into the shelter of love and simply trusted, and was kept in holy peace.

A beautiful story is told of Rudyard Kipling during a serious illness a few years since. The trained nurse was sitting at his bedside on one of the anxious nights when the sick man’s condition was most critical. She was watching him intently and noticed that his lips began to move. She bent over him, and heard him whisper the words of the old familiar prayer of childhood, “Now I lay me down to sleep.”

The nurse, realizing that her patient did not require her services, and that he was praying, said in apology for having intruded upon him, “I beg your pardon, Mr. Kipling; I thought you wanted something.” “I do,” faintly replied the sick man: “I want my heavenly Father. He only can care for me now.” In his great weakness there was nothing that human help could do, and he turned to God and crept into His bosom, seeking the blessing and the care which none but God can give.

That is what we need to do in every time of trial, of sorrow, – when the gentlest human love can do nothing, – creep into our heavenly Father’s bosom, saying, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” That is the way to peace. Earth has no shelter in which it can be found, but in God the feeblest may find it. –JR Miller

Dec 3 2011

Poetry of the Broken

Last Saturday I purchased a wonderful find at Powell’s Books (Portland, Oregon’s own homegrown new and used bookstore) – a used book called “Invisible Light: Poems about God” – for only $4.50. And it is in excellent condition. It is a collection of poems by various poets, some well known and some not so well known, as well as a few Psalms and other pieces of poetic scripture. I noticed in the table of contents that there were two poems by William Cowper, who I first heard of when reading “When the Darkness Will Not Lift” by John Piper. (See my book review of that book here).

Both of Cowper’s poems were so beautiful; made me wonder why I even try to write poetry. (But I do know my poetry is getting better, and reading poems like Cowper’s just makes me want to learn more about poetry and get better at writing it).

I want to share one of Cowper’s poems with the readers at Broken Believers. I do so because it is a great reminder that even when we think we are too lost and broken to be of any use to God, even then God can do the impossible. He can take a broken vessel and cause great light and wonder pour from its cracks. I am thankful for the poetry Cowper wrote, and for the witness that he provides of the truth that God uses the broken for astonishing things.

You see, Cowper suffered from recurrent bouts of depression and severe mental illness. At times he was convinced that he was damned for all eternity, that he was a lost soul. Nonetheless, he was able to write some truly inspiring poetry and hymns to glorify God. This particular poem will cause the “Comfortless, broken, afflicted” to delight in the joy of a life to come where all pain and sorrow will cease, and the glory of Jesus will be all we need.

If you are struggling, feeling like you can never be of any use to God, take heart. God is in the business of using His power and wisdom in tandem with the broken believer to accomplish great things.

The Future Peace and Glory of the Church
by William Cowper

Hear what the Lord hath spoken:-
O my people, faint and few;
Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you:
Thorns of heart-felt tribulation
Shall no more perplex your ways;
You shall name your walls, Salvation,
And your gates shall all be Praise.
There, like streams that feed the garden,
Pleasures, without end, shall flow;
For the LORD, your faith rewarding,
All his bounty shall bestow:
Still in undisturb’d possession,
Peace and righteousness shall reign;
Never shall you feel oppression,
Hear the voice of war again.
You no more your suns descending,
Waning moons no more shall see;
But, your griefs for ever ending,
Find eternal noon in me:
God shall rise, and shining o’er ye,
Change to day the gloom of night;
He, the LORD, shall be your glory,
God, your everlasting light.

Hymn No. 10 of The Olney Hymns

You can find Linda’s own blog at http://lindakruschke.wordpress.com/

Nov 21 2011

Sorting Out What is Real

It’s a terribly cold, gray day here in Alaska. Very typical for the end of November. Just as typical is that I have had a heaviness descend on me, just like when the fat kid sits on the little kid at the bus stop. This grayness seems to be a premonition, I feel, of what I face trying to survive through another Alaskan winter, and I don’t know if I’m going to make it (this year.)

Been thinking about ecosystems and symbiosis. How the trees in a forest touch each other with their roots. The big tree in the sun, “shares” with the little tree in the shade. It’s the way they gently touch each other– helping, and encouraging and strengthening.

The Church is very much like this. As a mentally ill believer, I have a lot of needs and weaknesses. But knowing this, I draw from what God supplies by means of fellowshipping with others, and prayer, and the Word. (FYI. I’m not good at any of the three.) But I guess I am planted in a good spot.

I think that when we finally make it to eternity, we will be interlaced with each other to the extent we really aren’t sure who is us, and who are our loved ones and our Christian ‘brothers and sisters.’ One thing is certain–we’re not going to survive the journey alone. We just can’t do it on our own.

I must keep myself rooted firmly into “today”. I can’t handle tomorrow’s sorrow today. I have a special friend who believes he has to live “moment-to-moment”. He says that this helps him navigate the hopelessness and the despair from depression. One day at a time, and pace myself. And perhaps, be just a little more gentle with myself?

An interesting thought, not sure who said it, but it seems true:

“There are places in the heart that do not yet exist; suffering has to enter in for them to come to be.”

The transformational reason is that we grow after we hurt, that pain endured will change us. I think this is what God has intended to happen. (Good thing, not to waste our sorrows). After all, we’ve already paid for them.

Expect Times of a Certain Clarity (brokenbelievers.com)
LAPD officers shoot, injure mentally-ill woman (abclocal.go.com)

Aug 15 2011

Dealing with the Ultimate Fear?

When I was a boy I was terrified of death. The very thought of being six feet deep in a small box, with maggots, rottenness and decay terrorized me. I also had an incredible fear that someone would make a

mistake and that I would wake up entombed in a buried coffin. Just thinking about it now unsettles me. It was an anxiety that required diversions. Which I suppose led me down the road of escalating drug and alcohol abuse. It undoubtedly led to much of my psychological issues that I deal with today.

Here is 2 Timothy 1:10, ”Which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Scripture says that Jesus has ”abolished death”. I have learned to love that word, “abolish”! It means to nullify, eliminate or make obsolete. This is a decisive and a dramatic word which soothes my fear, and calms my mind.

It’s like he pulled the plug. Death does not operate for the believer, because he did a disconnect for us. I used to think my terror was unique to me. I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone that I had those moments alone when I would be overwhelmed by morbid thoughts of death. But Jesus destroyed the devil!

“We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying”, Hebrews 2:14-15 NCV.

“The fear of death is ingrafted in the common nature of all men, but faith works it out of Christians.“– V. Powell. When an athlete goes into intense training he/she will develop in their muscles “lactic acid” (or for the geeks out there– 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) Lactic acid is what causes the soreness and cramps in an overworked muscle. Trainers will stretch and manipulate the athletes limbs to extract this acid. Death has infused our souls, faith works it out of us.

Fear of death is nothing to be ashamed of. Almost all of us have had those disturbing moments that seem irrational. But it’s not a question of rationality, but of faith. Do I really believe that Jesus unplugged death for me? He made the deliberate decision to change the status quo for me. It wasn’t an afterthought, but a definite act, purposeful and well thought out.

“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death.“ John 8:51, Amplified.

A tremendous promise for the believer, especially the believer who is anxious about death. We are free now, free to live life in outrageous freedom! I proclaim Jesus’ promise to you, you are free!

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These are odds and ends that would not fit in this post. I didn’t want to trash them so here you go. <3

“Christian! Death cannot hurt you! Death is your best friend – who is commissioned by Christ to summon you from the world of vanity and woe, and from a body of sin and death – to the blissful regions of glory and immortality, to meet your Lord, and to be forever with him.” –Wm. Mason

“Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.” –Helen Keller

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Dead and Gone? (womenswindow.com)
Dealing with Fear (marcyda.wordpress.com)
The Power House Within You! (suzanlutz.wordpress.com)

Jun 13 2011

CCM Classic Spotlight on 2nd Chapter of Acts

Live at an outdoor concert, “Mansion Builder“

The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus Music and early Contemporary Christian Music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1973 and enjoyed their period of greatest success during the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1988. (From, Wikipedia)

About 2nd Chapter Of Acts

Source: http://www.2ndchapterofacts.com/AboutUs.html

The 2nd Chapter of Acts began as a result of the trio singing at home together as Annie played the piano. Following the death of their parents in 1970, Nelly (14 yrs) and Matthew (12 yrs), still minors, moved in with their older sister, Annie, and her husband, recording engineer Buck Herring. Annie was a self taught singer and songwriter, who wrote and played her songs around the family piano. Her brother and sister would often join in as she played, and eventually, they developed extremely tight and intricate harmonies.

They started singing for local coffee houses and small gatherings, and gained the notice of Pat Boone, who arranged a contract to record and release two singles with MGM, “Jesus Is” (1972) and “I’m So Happy” (1973), which both charted secular in California radio. The fledgling trio also came to the attention of 1960s folk singer Barry McGuire (New Christy Minstrels), who had recently become a Christian and was preparing to record his first Christian music album, produced by Buck Herring. The siblings provided background vocals for Seeds and McGuire’s 1974 follow-up Lighten Up.

The trio released their debut album With Footnotes in 1974. This album featured “Easter Song”, which would become a signature piece for the group and has been recorded by many other artists since. This was followed with In the Volume of the Book in 1975, the year that also saw the release of a double live album with Barry McGuire, To the Bride, which included “a band called David”, who supported 2nd Chapter of Acts on tour.