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December, 2011
A Working Key
We really don’t have enough of anything in us to serve God effectively. It’s only through the graceful rebuilding of us in the likeness of Jesus Christ that we begin to utilize the rich qualities of our Christianity. I’m not suggesting doing nothing, I’m pointing out that we are woefully inadequate as mere human beings, if we are not leaning heavily on the power of God to remake us in His image. We tend to admire our “talents” and conclude that “we should use these talents” to serve God. The correct way to serve God, is to let totally go of our trust in ourselves and rely on our trust in God. Whatever talents we may have developed out in our lives, are only building blocks, not monuments. If God wants to use them, He will. If He wants to junk them all and send us off in another direction, so-be-it! Our talents will naturally be modified once we invite God to take control of our lives for His purposes. God’s ability to change us from a “screwdriver to a hammer” as needed in His building plan is amazing. If however we operate under the assumption that we can only do what a screwdriver does, then we’ll never become the hammer which God wants us to be when He needs us to be it.
The “I’m good at this so I can do that” approach to serving God, emphasizes our abilities and ignores God’s omnipotence. When God took an anti-Christian proponent (the Apostle Paul) and turned him into the premier advocate of Christianity for all Gentiles, God was simply doing what He does so well. Noah wasn’t an ark builder before God told him to build one. Turning fisherman and tax collectors into devoted disciples was no small feat either. Their foundational stones were used by God for his purposes. From a proponent of one belief to a world class advocate of another. From desert craftsman to a desert shipbuilder, as needed. From fishermen to fishers of men. From a collector of taxes for a monarch to a collector of souls for a deity. God knows better than us what we can do if we are following His lead. Being open to that lead is the key. Remember, God took a shepherd boy (David) and turned him one of the most effective Kings in ancient history. To unlock our real potential we must accept that God holds the only working key. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV).
JC Calkins with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE
Pouring Out Love
To regain our sanity in an insane world … We are the sole engineers of our outcomes. Our destiny is never dictated by God, or by our environment, physical traits or abilities. Our life outcomes are the direct and indirect results of our many varied choices, which in some instances are further influenced by the related choices of those around us. “We deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn weakness,… read more
God’s New Year
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old… read more
Christmas “Time”
Having now been asked repeatedly, what is it that I love most about Christmas “time”, this thought lingers. Except while fully immersed in prayer, there is no other time during the year when the presence of God, through His Holy Spirit is more pervasive. I feel my emotions filled past overflow, with gratitude for His presence. I offer the deepest thanks for Our Lords immense sacrifice for our redemption and salvation. The peace which He offers to us, starts again… read more
Drawn In
Why do you suppose that some of the smartest people we know don’t believe in the need for or the possibility of developing a personal relationship with God? It’s reasonable for many to conceptualize God, to intellectually justify the need for God, even to envision God as an institution to visit every so often, but going further requires something yet undiscovered for this large body of humanity. Those who’ve seen or experienced the kinds of broken-ness which they are unable… read more
Either Or
Christianity isn’t a crutch, gurney or an elevator, it’s the gate which was wrenched open by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Christianity is not for the weak or wishy washy, it is only for those who are willing to be slashed while wielding the sword of God when it’s placed firmly in our faith filled hands. Christianity is not remotely convenient, not occasional, not decorative and absolutely not trivial, secondary or optional. It is either or. Christianity matters… read more
Election Wisdom
In troubled times, we can count on only a few people to follow true leaders. Those people make their choices without ever being connived, convinced, recruited or paid. The rest of the world choses to follow the “trusted” referrals of; instinct, friends or sometimes simply the loudest voice. The first test of true wisdom is selflessness. Ask, who might this idea or cause benefit? And then, who or what might it hurt? When we actually do encounter a source of… read more
Willpower
We understand why and how we draw upon our own will to get something done. Willpower isn’t at all physical, it is entirely metaphysical. What we don’t understand and therefore can’t adequately evaluate is somebody else’s willpower. This leaves us very few alternatives, which generally results in our substituting expectations for the understanding which we lack. I’ve asked many times, “are you willing to make these changes” when it’s become apparent that someone is moving down a path with a… read more
Circle of Life 3
Most of us never give a second thought to using our “talents” to serve ourselves or for that matter any thought what-so-ever toward using them to serve God. The truth is that God didn’t give us our talents to serve ourselves, but to use in His service. When we use our talents for our own personal gain or achievements were are doing so all by ourselves. Even if our gain is not financial, if we should use these talents for… read more
Circle of Life 2
Understanding and accepting the essence of our relationship with Jesus Christ is one of the greatest challenges we face. It is more than I can ever describe, however this metaphor coupled with faith may help. We can not survive long term without the body of Christ as our life host. If we were to separate a single cell from our body and place it in a sterile dish it will survive for awhile but without the life source of the… read more
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