Flawed Servants

I think it brings God glory, when we see Him, look for Him in the ministry and being of His flawed servants.  I think He wants us to consider their lives, look past the imperfections of their faith and see the beauty of God within them.

Psalms 33:15 says that it is God who fashions the hearts of all men, and wants our lives to display His truth and His worth.   From Phoebe to St. Francis, even for the pagan Pharaoh, I believe that Romans 9:17 is true for everyone.  ”I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”  From David the King, up to David Brainer, the missionary, we see incomplete people of godliness and wisdom that have kindled the worship of sovereign grace in the hearts of men.

These people are heroes to me.  The lives of these people, our flawed Christian heroes are inspiring because, they were flawed like us, and still accomplished great things by and through Christ.  Their flaws give me hope that God will use each of us too…and their greatness inspires me to venture out beyond the ordinary and mundane.  I am looking at the lives of some pretty flawed, and wonderful people of God who accomplished much with their lives.  I am looking into how the ordinary person breaks out of the ruts of humdrum into remarkable.

Do you have any heroes?  It seems to be a lost thing now, but have you read about the lives of any men or women who have broken out of the mold and escaped the trap of the ordinary?  There is a sweet abandon that happens with these people as they lay all of themselves on the line for God and it puts a fire under me.  I am thanking God today for the flawed, faith-filled brothers and sisters who are still making an impact today.

They’re people too…. My friend David

My life has truly been blessed by having David and Diane Goodwin.  They are some friends from Australia who have been through alot of life, are very real, and there for anyone in a heartbeat.  David is a man of God who has been sharing his story.  It’s a story of what one touch from our huge God can do,  and I love his perspective on this.  Thank you David for sharing your story!

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing bits of my story.

It’s a story of victory over lies, and you can read some of what I’ve shared first over here and then here if you want some background and haven’t yet seen my ramblings.

To summarise if you don’t have time to read all of that : for most of my life I believed I was gay.  Note, past tense.  And that this was a result of spiritual oppression.

Not possession, because Christians can’t be possessed by any spirit other than the Holy Spirit.  And even then, it’s voluntary, right.  A conscious choice we make.

Nope, this was just oppression.  That’s what satan is doing all the time.  Oppressing people. Including non-Christians, with spirits of blindness (to the Truth) being his main arsenal on them.

But here’s the thing.

I believe distortions of sexuality, and other “it’s-only-natural” sins, are the result of spiritual oppression.

It’s not a popular belief.  But having walked this road, I think it makes sense. Though a quick look at posts like this one confirm just how difficult it is to get anything close to agreement.  (Yes, I commented on that post)

Anyone who believes they are homosexual can have their life changed. Anyone.  Just as anyone who struggles with any sin can have their life changed if they submit, wholly, to the Lordship of Christ.  It’s not easy, it’s not simply a decision to cease certain behaviour, or change a thought pattern.

It’s a decision to stop believing lies.  Deep rooted lies.  Lies that satan has a vested interest in you continuing to believe.

And even then, once you’ve conquered the lie, you’ve still got to conquer the feelings, the yearnings, the longings, the urges.  It’s not fun, not easy, not quick.  What deep healing processes are?

So in the meantime, when you’re out being light and life to the world and you’re interacting with people – you know, God’s most precious creations – remember:
- some of them will believe that being gay is normal, not sinful, totally OK.
- some of them will believe that homosexual people are of the devil, beyond redemption, scum.
- most of them will believe that somewhere between those two extremes

And then remember the Billy Graham quote: “the Holy Spirit convicts, God judges, my job is to love”.

Be love to those who don’t realise they need love.  To those who think they have it all together. To those who know they don’t.  Be Love.

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency).”  Philippians 4:13

Sometimes……

You need a little time to hear from God.  That be me.  I need some time away from the net, so I’m taking a week, and will be back a week from Monday.  Love you guys…. and while I’m gone thought I’d leave ya a little something to make you smile.  Have a wonderful week!

Just Curious

How does everyone feel about Halloween anyway?  I can see where there would be a bunch of different opinions etc….  :)  What do you do if anything?  Any strong convictions either way?  Any REALLY good Halloween jokes????  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Very little makes me want to hurl this early in the morning, but…

Friday, October 30, 2009

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THE STAR TREATMENT
WorldNetDaily
Sting: Obama is ’sent from God’
Pop singer: ‘We are here to evolve as 1 family, and we can’t be separate anymore’

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Posted: October 29, 2009
8:05 pm Eastern

British recording artist Sting says President Obama could be the answer to the world’s problems – the divine answer.

“In many ways, he’s sent from God, because the world’s a mess,” he said in a new interview with the Associated Press.

The comments from The Police’s lead singer, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, are just the latest in a long series of statements suggesting Obama’s connection to the supernatural.

WND previously reported when an artist who planned to unveil a portrait of Obama in a Christ-like pose with a crown of thornsupon his brow canceled the event due to “overwhelming public outrage.”

(Story continues below)

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan also was clear in a nearly religious adoration of Obama. As WND reported, Farrakhan declared last year that when Obama talks, “the Messiah is absolutely speaking.”

Farrakhan pointed out that the man Nation of Islam followers refer to as “the Saviour,” Fard Muhammad, had a black father and a white mother, just as Obama did.Addressing a large crowd behind a podium with a Nation of Islam Saviours’ Day 2008 sign, Farrakhan proclaimed, “You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking.”

“A black man with a white mother became a saviour to us,” he said. “A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall.”

WND also previously reported a website called “Is Barack Obama the Messiah?”capturing the wave of euphoria that followed the Democratic senator’s remarkable rise.

The site was topped by an Obama quote strategically ripped from a Jan. 7 speech at Dartmouth College just before the New Hampshire Primary in which he told students, “A light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote” for Obama.

The site includes this:

OBAMA BE THY NAME
THY CHANGE WILL COME
THY WILL BE DONE …

Sting said in the AP interview he has spent time with Obama and described the president as “very genuine, very present, clearly supersmart, and exactly what we need in the world.

“I can’t think of anyone better qualified because of his background, his education, particularly in regard to Islam,” he told the news agency.

The 58-year-old said, “My hope is that we can start talking about real issues and not caring about whether God cares about your hemline or your color. We are here to evolve as one family, and we can’t be separate anymore.”

Just a note…

I wanted to let everyone know I have taken out the “threaded comments”.  Yes Bernard, I do listen to you..  :)  And also, the newest comments are at the bottom of the thread, oldest at top.  Hopefully this will make it easier to track.  Remember to write in who you are responding to, thanks! OK, on to respond to some of what has gone on today… love you guys!

Oops… one more note.  My last blog was something I am struggling with that I decided to share.  While I intend to respond to you guys, and work through this (yes, it really got to me) I will not allow it to become a people bashing session.  My blog got there once before, and under no circumstance will I allow it again.  I am the queen of feisty, I understand that, but, it is the goodness of God that brings people to repentance.  That will be lived out here.  Thanks!

Just throwing this out there…

Ya know, recently, I came across a situation that I’m really struggling with.  I’m ok with people who profess Christ, and have differences in theological understanding.  We’re suppose to reason together, and I am more than willing to listen, and dig.   I am great with Atheist/Agnostics that ask questions and throw stuff out there we have some great discussion… and they are real.

BUT, when someone misrepresents their position, especially in this forum, it bothers me.  It is hard to get to know people through a blog, most of the people I have met from here, are true to how they really are, a couple not so much.  It’s too easy to portray yourself as something else I suppose, the person you want to be?  Hopefully those who really know me will tell you that I am just as big a nut in person as I am online.  But fake bothers me.

Recently someone who I thought was a believer, for the last couple of years now, said they did not follow Christ.  I’m feeling a bit betrayed I guess because I was led to believe, by them, that they were.  They spoke often about how we should be with the Holy Spirit, and what the Bible says, and basically represented God.  They spoke with the authority that only can and should come from a believer who has a relationship and knows the Living God.  I’ve watched him even come down on some of my friends when they supposedly weren’t in line with the Holy Spirit or what the Word  says… grrrrrr

If you’re here… please be real.  I will try my best to do the same.  I’m not here to judge, and really the only way we can really help eachother in this journey, is if we are real about ourselves.  I don’t need to know all your junk, and I won’t share all of mine.  But please don’t pretend to be something you are not.  God is very faithful in exposing the phony, and it does hurt other people when that happens.  I can take anything but a lie.  *****Stepping off soap box*****

The best….

…statement I have heard so far in the “if abortion is not ok, then why is the death penalty” debate…

“The first is slaying the innocent, the second is the consequence of being guilty.”  Well said…

Dan pointed out that my statement above probably is not a valid question, which I couldn’t figure out where he got the statement, until I read my own blog…   nice huh?   That should have read something like “if abortion is ok, then why isn’t the Death Penalty” debate … meaning, the same people who are up in arms over the Death Penalty, seem to have no problem with abortion.  People are way more worried about a possible mistake of one innocent life, than the 3700 that were killed today through abortion, both of which I believe are unacceptable.  Make sense?  AND I’m going to leave my mistake for all the world to see because I never claimed to be perfect, and now ya’ll have the proof…

Ephesians 3 – Blogged Bible Study

Ephesians 3:8-9 “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”

It seems to be a continuing trend nowadays that knowledge is power.  For us as believers, knowledge means obligation.  We know as believers something that not everyone knows.  We are not some kind of club that has a mystery to hide, nor are we to use it in some kind of advantage over other people, Paul had the compulsion to share good news.

The word preach doesn’t mean to harangue and brow-beat.  It means to “announce good news.”   The other word that paul uses is “photizo” or to “make plain” to everyone….

I don’t read anywhere where when Paul preached it became some kind of teeth grinding process… it was a privilege and by God’s grace.   God had given something to Paul, now he was to give it to others.  What he gave was inexpressible, indescribable, and in exhaustible.  Our motive should be to enrich others, by presenting God’s Word to them, not impoverish them.

Paul described it perfectly in Ephesians 1:13 “When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.” It is accepting, once God has drawn, and the Holy Spirit has regenerated our spirit by His, this gift of eternity with Him.  It’s not about our subjective decision, but realizing that God has acted.

So, not feeling very adequate for such a job?  Wonderful!!!!   That’s the first qualification.  It is often that our greatest weakness becomes God’s greatest strength through us.  There wasn’t one trace of false humility when Paul said that he was the least of all of God’s people, because he was “once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man”  (1 Timothy 1:13, and 1 Corinthians 15:9)  Every one of us need to realize that our sin, doubt and weakness disqualify us, but by God’s grace, given to us, we become more than qualified.

What would you do?

What great things would you do today and this week if you knew you would not fail?

Matthew 19:26 “²⁶Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”