devotional – Broken Believers

In Need of Grace–Quotes

I’ve put together a collection of quotes one of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning. I have found that when he writes, he penetrates. What he writes goes deep into the soul of losers: junkies, drunks, and mentally ill people–he tells us of God’s love like few have ever done.

To Manning, every person is redeemable, none are too far gone. Brennan Manning was a strong voice to the weak, the lame, the mentally challenged, and for the prodigal.

I blame him for the theme of this post–that brokenness is our path out of depression: Bipolar, Schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, Schizoaffective disorder, and addictions.

*******

“There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are.”

“My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.”

“To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side I learn who I am and what God’s grace means.”

“To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace.”

“Christianity doesn’t deny the reality of suffering and evil… Our hope… is not based on the idea that we are going to be free of pain and suffering. Rather, it is based on the conviction that we will triumph over suffering.”

“I am what I am in the sight of Jesus and nothing more. It is His approval that counts.”

“[Be] daring enough to be different, humble enough to make mistakes, wild enough to be burnt in the fire of love, real enough to make others see how phony [you] are.”

“The blood of the Lamb points to the truth of grace: what we cannot do for ourselves, God has done for us. On the cross, somehow, someway, Christ bore our sins, took our place, died for us. At the cross, Jesus unmasks the sinner not only as a beggar but as a criminal before God.”

“Do the truth quietly without display.”

“It is for the inconsistent, the unsteady disciples whose cheese is falling off their cracker.”

“The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust—not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God.”

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him with their life style. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

“The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven. It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness.”

“In essence, there is only one thing God asks of us–that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough. That is the root of peace.”

***********

I really hope some of these quotes have connected. Brennan Manning has authored several books all of which I can heartily recommend.

The decision to make decisions that will please God is in itself a monumental step. It means you have come to the place where it matters. It’s coming to the place where I say “Yes” to all that God says yes to and “No” to everything He has forbidden. The willingness to be guided is itself a powerful thing.

A fundamental principle to begin with: Every heart has a throne, the question is– who sits on it?

Step 1: Putting God First.

In part you have already done this just by your eagerness to do His will. You have made a deliberate decision to honor and esteem Him by letting God be completely God. It is likely that God will withhold His direction if you have no real intention of doing it. You will just sputter around in the dark. Your life will be painfully empty.

Step 2: Worship Him willingly.

For me, to commence praise & worship is like firing up the nuclear power plant that I have in my backyard. It is a source of unlimited energy that I have at my disposal, but it’s not about me at all. When I start to worship, it must be all about Him. It’s His character, attributes, love and grace I lift up to be examined by all.

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.”

John 4:23

Step 3: Read the Word faithfully.

Guidance often comes when we turn to the Bible for light. Each part or style of my “leather bound Book” is a purposeful and deliberate unveiling of truth. After 25 years since I became a Christian, the Bible has shown itself over and over to be important. The Life of David has been rich, and Daniel as well. I needed to discern the difference between:

A moral decision that concerns things that are right & wrong, evil & good.
A non-moral decision that directs me in the areas of preference and direction.
Reading the Bible provides us with all that we need.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

Step 4: Seek out the counsel of elders and veteran saints.

The Church has this big ‘brain-trust’ at her disposal whenever she needs it. There is accumulated wisdom and insight that often is ignored or not even considered. My life has changed because of my contact with these older saints. Most of them never really recognized the imprint they were having on me, my marriage, or my ministry. I realize that I stand on the shoulders of giants, that I only see further because they were willing to raise me higher. We will fail in decision making if we will not involve our elders.

“Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.”

Prov. 15:22

Step 5: Prepare yourself to walk by faith.

The scripture is jam-packed with people who had to have faith. They are everywhere and they are doing everything! But, all through faith. I got to thinking about Noah, and his faith. Directed to construct an ark, which took him years and years.

“It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.”

Heb. 11:7

Faith is defined as trusting God to carry out His unseen promises.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Heb. 11:1

Step 6: Concentrate on eternal purposes.

I have heard it said, that this life is very short, and only what is done for Christ will last. I believe this. Matthew also tells us to seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else will be given to you.

It is the kingdom that must be paramount. The kingdom is carried around in our hearts; it is the place where the King dwells and rules.

These are not just noble and lofty thoughts to be smiled at, humored and regarded as quite quaint. This is for real, these are concrete realities that we choose. God’s will is not some abstract, it is as specific as the believer wants or needs it to be.

Summary

I honestly believe that you and I can know deep inside us what constitutes a Godly decision. It very often is on the path of greatest humility. And when you meet up with humility, you will find faith– and then follows goodness. And as you accrue these qualities it becomes much easier to make Godly decisions.

Recommended Book

“Decision Making and the Will of God,” by Garry Friesen, J. Robin Maxson

Life Can Be Brutal

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,”

1 Peter 1:6, ESV

So much has been written already from the perspective of suffering Christians. We live in a painful world; there are plenty of cuts and bruises to go around. Yet each blow we take is disturbing. I’ve met so many who have been unfairly brutalized and must walk through mental or physical disabilities.

Some things are just plain brutal.

We may not fully understand this, but suffering provides us with incredible advantages and blessings. The bruises which hurt us, can also bring us wisdom. We learn many things, but only when we hurt. The challenge is not to waste our sorrows.

Suffering offers us great benefits:

Suffering verifies our faith (1 Pet. 1:6-7).
Suffering confirms our sonship (Heb. 12:5-8).
Suffering produces endurance (James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 5:10).
Suffering teaches us to hate sin (John 11:33).
Suffering promotes self-evaluation.
Suffering clarifies our priorities (Dt. 6:10-13).
Suffering identifies us with Christ (2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Thes. 2:14-15; Gal. 6:17; Phil. 3:10).
Suffering can encourage other believers (1 Thes. 1:6-7; Phil. 1:14).
Suffering can benefit unbelievers (Acts 16:16-34).
Suffering enables us to help others (Heb. 4:15-16).

-John MacArthur

If you have ever been attacked, it can change you. Spiritually, our vision clears and we will no longer be short-sighted people. We are now able to see things much clearer and with more discernment and wisdom. But the choice today is yours to make.

Will you make suffering work for you?

“IF YOU HAD NEVER KNOWN PHYSICAL PAIN IN YOUR LIFE, HOW COULD YOU APPRECIATE THE NAIL SCARRED HANDS WITH WHICH JESUS CHRIST WILL MEET YOU?”

Joni Eareckson Tada

The pain is real. No question about it. However, I honestly beg of you to make this transaction with the Holy Spirit. Exchange your anger and fear and doubt– for peace and confidence and joy.

God will use your pain to bless others.

My newest teaching site is alaskabibleteacher.com.

On the Edge

Circus performers have my enthusiastic admiration– especially the tightrope walkers! They move with such grace and courage. Their work above the crowds must be perfect, or else. I don’t even want to consider their failure. (I hope they can bounce).

To be a mentally ill or disabled Christian is just as formidable. We must walk out our condition 24/7, 365 days a year. It is relentless. We struggle with a weakness that pits us against symptoms and gravity of a spiritual kind. We get little support from others– sometimes criticism. It often is a very solitary feeling. We are often overlooked or scorned.

My particular rope is depression. Everyday I mount up and walk out on to it, holding my breath. I still fall a lot, but have a good safety net, and the Holy Spirit is my strength. Losing my balance happens. I pick myself up and climb up the ladder for another go at it.

There is a stigma to having weakness or disabilities. Things are usually ‘slanted’ against us. We are not truly welcomed in many venues, even the Church, I grant you that. In 2 Cor. 12:8-19 we catch the higher perspective.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God’s program includes my weakness– it actually demands it! Sometimes we chose to seek a deliverance or a healing at the expense of the Kingdom. Scripture over and over tells us that the Lord uses weakness. That’s when it’s best.

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us.”

2 Corinthians 1:9-11, NLT

We must rely on God. It is His “job” to keep us, repeatedly. So day by day I “walk the line.” My meds are my balance pole, and I don’t need any special attention. I do whatever the day brings, and even that is from His hand.

Category: devotional