Tag: Jesus Christ

In Your Lifetime?

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“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Luke 21:27

There is nothing more compelling, and more certain than the return of Jesus Christ. There is a huge interest in the speculation and books, tapes, websites etc: I suppose that this is good. Perhaps we would live more sincerely, and authentically if we understood fully the imminent return of Jesus.

This just may be a twist. But many of us struggle in areas of personal godliness. Perhaps much of our personal conflict, our deep failure and compromised living is missing this critical element– a deep confidence of the sudden return of the King.

I suppose that living life with a daily awareness that this “second coming” is to be “on the front burner.” It is both inescapable and completely unavoidable. Jesus Himself compares the days leading up to the Second Coming to the time preceding the great flood of Noah’s day. Unsuspecting people lived life to the fullest right up to the moment of the flood, having ignored the warnings–just as people ignore the signs of Christ’s imminent return today.

When we are sincere and true, we will almost always have a strong sense that Jesus is about ready to ‘stand up.’ He is very close to taking visible control. Up to now the Kingdom has been hidden. But soon, very soon, it will get very obvious. I suppose many believers, will suddenly be shocked when Jesus steps in visibly.

Imagine your response to having your world interrupted by Him. He interjects His presence “in your face.” Whether you agree or not, suddenly He is here. There was an old gospel song, “I Wish We Had All Been Ready,” which shares the earnestness, and the sadness of the many who are missing others who weren’t ready to leave.

“Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments.”

C.S. Lewis

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The Wind

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

The Wind

Your love is a violent wind
Sweeping away my pain and sin

Your grace is a babbling brook
Soothing the chaos within my soul

You warm me when all I feel is cold
When my heart is frozen in dread and fear

Your consuming Spirit draws me near
“Hush My child, for you are Mine”

And like a tiny caterpillar
Released from its cocoon
I fly aloft on Your gentle breeze
I am free as a butterfly

aasignLinda

Prayer for Bryan

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Since Bryan is struggling today with a severe bout of depression, I am posting for the next few days to keep what God has started here at Broken Believers going without a day missed. Bryan’s ministry here is so important, and I am blessed to be a part of it. Today I just want to offer a prayer for Bryan.

Our Dearest Jesus,

You are our High Priest, Savior, Rock, and Redeemer. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We praise Your holy name. We thank you today for giving our friend Bryan the wisdom and perseverance to keep this blog going for so long. Through Bryan, You have touched the hearts and souls of many Broken Believers. We thank You for his honest witness to the struggles faced when one chooses to faithfully follow You.

Today Your servant Bryan is struggling with darkness, struggling with the mental illness that You have allowed in his life for a purpose. We pray that You would grant him peace and comfort, knowing that You have experienced the anguish he is experiencing and so understand his heart. Send Your angels to minister to Him. Use this time of darkness to Your great kingdom purpose that Bryan might reveal to others the Light that You are to him. Heal his mind, Lord, and bring him back into Your great Light.

We also pray that You would strengthen Lynne and give her wisdom to minister to Bryan daily.

Finally, Lord, I thank You for allowing me to be a blessing to Bryan by posting for him here. May Your kingdom work continue until You come again.

In Jesus name,
Amen

aasignLinda

 

 

Caving Into the Presence

 

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“Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 10:22

 I have never really understood “caving”.  Some consider it a sport, but I guess I really don’t see the athleticism of it.  People actually seem to derive some satisfaction and thrill from exploring muddy caves in the dark.  I guess I can try to grab the basic idea of it, but to me it’s a whole lot like “parachuting”.  Why jump out of a perfectly decent airplane, when you can sit in a Starbucks with a vanilla latte?  It doesn’t compute.

But there is a sense about caving that resonates with the hunger in a man’s or woman’s heart.  Hebrews tell us that we are to enter the presence of God.  The keys will be sincerity and trust.  In other words, a honesty, and a trust that will open up the passage.  Spiritual spelunkers in a quest for His glorOUCC-Cave-Climbingy.

Sometimes something will block a person.  Depression is a barrier for us.  Essentially it effects our passion and strength.  Our pursuit of God is nullified by the corrosive facets of depression and melancholy.  There is no longer any zip or zeal for His presence.  The fire of zeal we once had just fizzles out.  But to reach our goal, we need to squeeze beyond the blockage. There is a spiritual resistance.  Our infernal enemy is working against any progress.

So much involves patience and humility.  A person must continue to probe ahead but slowly and patiently, taking their time and monitoring their progress.  Humility is necessary.  An awareness of self and our dimensions in tight spots.  “Am I small enough to squeeze through that hole?”

Our scripture tells us that we have a key to the throne room of God.  Our guiltiness and our defiled conscience have both been cleansed or sanitized from anything that would corrupt us.  We haven’t done a thing.  And we are exhorted to be very bold.  Jesus has made us pure.  We are clean.

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