Broken Vessel

2 Chronicles 7:14 - and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NAS)

This verse and the song which was written about it have been on my heart for several days now. Today in church Pastor N briefly mentioned Jonah and Nineveh. I really feel this all ties together. One man had a word from God and he changed an entire city.

At first Jonah ran from the very presence of God, but God had Jonah swallowed by a large fish. It took Jonah being vomited up by this large fish to finally obey the Word of the Lord. I really feel the Lord wants a people who are called by His Name, a people who are chosen by Him, who will voluntarily bring themselves into subjection and Pray and seek His face and will turn from their wicked ways. He will hear them from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. God saved Nineveh when one man obeyed the Voice of the Lord. Imagine how much damage all of GodÂ’s people could do to the forces of evil if they humbled themselves before God and seek His face. Today Pastor N said we should not yearn for the presence of God, but we should yearn to BE the presence of God. God wanted Jonah to be His presence in Nineveh. We need to be the presence of God to our Nineveh. This could be our workplace, our families, or sadly even some of our churches. You may ask how God can use me to do anything. The same God who turned a stuttering coward into one of the great men of the Bible can use any willing broken vessel. The funny thing about a broken vessel is it takes more going in to keep it full than a whole vessel.

Biblical advice for bloggers

While floating through the blogosphere tonight I found an interesting blog by James Smith. Here is the link to "Biblical Advice For Bloggers". I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Slow moving rabbits and low hanging fruit.

A good friend of mine uses this term quite often, and when I first started thinking about the subject I started thinking this could be a continuation of “The Right Way”. The more I began to think about this the more God began to show me an entirely different path. I really feel like God is challenging me with this question. Are you giving Me all your issues, or are you just giving me the easy things? So I began to really take this heart. Am I being lazy and only letting God dealing with the easy stuff, or Am I only chasing the slow moving rabbits and grabbing the low hanging fruit?

Overcoming Temptation

James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you … (NKJ)

James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (NAS)

I found this in the Strong’s:
"A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden"."

I really think the point James was trying to deliver was the Non-Military use of the word a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden. So if we will voluntarily give in to God. Set our selves against the devil he will take flight from us to avoid danger. This is a very powerful statement which shows how we have authority over the devil through the power of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 4:8 Jesus resisted the devil he left Jesus for a season. So we should expect the same. Resisting the devil is an ongoing thing. Resisting him once will not chase him away forever. Everyday we must renew our minds to the mind of Christ and in doing so we will resist the devil.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NAS)

There is a way out of every temptation. It is not the way of escape or the way of surrender, but the way of conquest in the power of the grace of God. We are able to conquer every temptation we are faced with. Paul indicates here that temptation may be enticing, but it is not irresistible.
God WILL provide a way of escape from every temptation if only we will stop and hesitate. I am reminded of a teaching Pastor N taught. If we will listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit we can avoid the crime, sin, and avoid the time or punishment. I found this while studying this verse on the internet. "God does not save us from temptations; He scours us in the midst of them" We are allowed to be tempted because without them we will not grow in our strength in God. In Hebrews 2:18 the author states "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." If you look at this verse in context it is clear that Jesus is who is being referred to here. Jesus faced the same temptation we did therefore he is able to help us overcome these temptation or provide our way of escape.

The Right Way

Recently during one of my occupational therapy sessions my therapist made a comment to me about doing my exercises the right way. She said men tend to be more about reaching the goal, and could care less if they do it right as long as they get there. Where as women really aren't as concerned if they achieve the goal as long as they are doing it the right way trying to reach the goal. At first I laughed, and thought this woman has lost it.

Later the same day ..... God really started to deal with me about what she said not only with my therapy, but with every area of my life. Am I learning to just walk again or am I making sure I am doing it right. What have I gained if I just achieve the goal of walking again only to develop a permanent limp in the process? Am I just trying to serving God or am I serving Him the right way. I don't know about you I want to do more than slide in the door of heaven. I want to serve God with every fiber of my being. Am I just trying to be just a father or am I really trying to be the father God wants me to be. I am reminded of the saying "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy."I don't want to be a father who is untouchable I want to be a Daddy. Someone my son can learn how his relationship with God should be. I want to more than just a husband. I want to be the husband my wife needs me to be. I want my son to learn how to treat women from me and the relationship I have with my wife, and not from some kid at school.

As a man of God I should not just be living my life, but living my life like 1 Corinthians 9:24. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but {only} one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." (NAS)

Everybody runs the race. Are you running the right way? Are running the race in such a way as to win the prize?