Saturday, November 29, 2003
You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have.
Corrie Ten Boom
God has a way of reminding me that this is the life He has for me, as well as the one I have chosen. To drift too far from the simplicity of knowing Him is a danger. God uses the suffering in my life to drive me to Him at times. It works, trust me.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Corrie Ten Boom
God has a way of reminding me that this is the life He has for me, as well as the one I have chosen. To drift too far from the simplicity of knowing Him is a danger. God uses the suffering in my life to drive me to Him at times. It works, trust me.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Thursday, November 27, 2003
"The lack of wealth is easily repaired; but the poverty of the soul is irreparable."
Today is thanksgiving. I am reminded again of the meaning of true wealth. Serving those who have less than we do always helps me with this. Walking through the neighborhoods and inviting others to come and share in a thanksgiving meal, I found many with such humility and dignity - if they had little else.
I am sure I don't need all the things that I collect. A meal without charge seemed to be enough to bring joy to over 500 today.
Today is thanksgiving. I am reminded again of the meaning of true wealth. Serving those who have less than we do always helps me with this. Walking through the neighborhoods and inviting others to come and share in a thanksgiving meal, I found many with such humility and dignity - if they had little else.
I am sure I don't need all the things that I collect. A meal without charge seemed to be enough to bring joy to over 500 today.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Peter once said "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealedThough you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:6-9
Peter said what we all know. We are being tested and refined. All the time. I am glad God is in control of my life. I am thankful to do life with people who know that too.
Henri Nouwen reminded me of you today with these words...
When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares
Thanks for all of you who are that to me. This thanksgiving includes thanks for you!
Peter said what we all know. We are being tested and refined. All the time. I am glad God is in control of my life. I am thankful to do life with people who know that too.
Henri Nouwen reminded me of you today with these words...
When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares
Thanks for all of you who are that to me. This thanksgiving includes thanks for you!
Monday, November 24, 2003
Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give. We are told by James to be "quick to listen"... (James 1:19)
"The first service one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love of God begins in listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lord, teach me to listen today. You gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason.
"The first service one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love of God begins in listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lord, teach me to listen today. You gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Friday, November 21, 2003
"Confess your faults one to another" James 5:16. I have been thinking about this alot. Christians need to do this. I need to do this. When we share with each other, it really does release the Holy Spirit in our lives... Here is a powerful thought from someone I respect immensely in his writings.
He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their lonliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. The fact is that we are sinners!
But it is the grace fo the Gospel, which is so hard for the pious to understand, that it confronts us with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come, as the sinner that you are, to God who loves you. He wants you as you are; He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone. "My son, give me thine heart" (Prov. 23:26) You can hide nothing from God. The mask you wear before men will do you no good before Him. He wants to see you as you are, He wants to be gracious to you...He wants to love you.
Christ became our Brother in order to help us. Through him our brother has become Christ for us in the power and authority of the commission Christ has give to him. Our brother stands before us as the sign of truth and the grace of God. He has been given to us to help us. He hears the confession of our sins in Christ's stead and forgives our sins in Christ's name. He keeps the secret of our confession as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I am going to God.
In confession the break-through to community takes place. Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light.
Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders; he gives up all his evil. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother. The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power. It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder. Now the fellowship bears the sin of the brother. He is no longer alone with his evil for he has cast off his sin in confession and handed it over to God. Now he can experience the true grace of God. The confession now enables him to find true fellowship with the brethren in Jesus Christ.
In confession the break-through to new life occurs...conversion...Confession is conversion. "Behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17) Christ has made a new beginning with us."He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Prov. 28:13). In confession the Christian begins to forsake his sins. Their dominion is broken. From now on the Christian wins victory after victory.
What happened to us in baptism is bestowed upon as a new in confession. We are delivered out of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Confession is the renewal of the joy of baptism. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. 30:5)
~Taken from Life Together, Confession and Communion, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their lonliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. The fact is that we are sinners!
But it is the grace fo the Gospel, which is so hard for the pious to understand, that it confronts us with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come, as the sinner that you are, to God who loves you. He wants you as you are; He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone. "My son, give me thine heart" (Prov. 23:26) You can hide nothing from God. The mask you wear before men will do you no good before Him. He wants to see you as you are, He wants to be gracious to you...He wants to love you.
Christ became our Brother in order to help us. Through him our brother has become Christ for us in the power and authority of the commission Christ has give to him. Our brother stands before us as the sign of truth and the grace of God. He has been given to us to help us. He hears the confession of our sins in Christ's stead and forgives our sins in Christ's name. He keeps the secret of our confession as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I am going to God.
In confession the break-through to community takes place. Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light.
Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders; he gives up all his evil. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother. The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power. It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder. Now the fellowship bears the sin of the brother. He is no longer alone with his evil for he has cast off his sin in confession and handed it over to God. Now he can experience the true grace of God. The confession now enables him to find true fellowship with the brethren in Jesus Christ.
In confession the break-through to new life occurs...conversion...Confession is conversion. "Behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17) Christ has made a new beginning with us."He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Prov. 28:13). In confession the Christian begins to forsake his sins. Their dominion is broken. From now on the Christian wins victory after victory.
What happened to us in baptism is bestowed upon as a new in confession. We are delivered out of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Confession is the renewal of the joy of baptism. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. 30:5)
~Taken from Life Together, Confession and Communion, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Monday, November 17, 2003
Today I'm reminded of how hard truth-telling really is. Each day I'm challenged to tell the truth and do it simply. This "yes, no" teaching of Jesus isn't easy. Our words can shape our direction!
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Today I gave a message on God's holiness and seeing God as He really is. When we do, we have revival. Seeing God on the throne (last time I checked, He was still there) causes self examination which allows me to see my "spiritual" bankruptcy. Some of the congregation gets it too!
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Today, God I learned lessons about spiritual bankruptcy. Like Isaiah, when I see God in all His awesome power, I am "undone". Like Paul, though I want to do good, I find myself doing wrong. Lord help me.
I would like to, each moment, be relying on God's power rather than my own. I have a long ways to go on that one.
But God is FAITHFUL. He waits my brokenness and is ready when I call. Help me Lord to place the call.
I would like to, each moment, be relying on God's power rather than my own. I have a long ways to go on that one.
But God is FAITHFUL. He waits my brokenness and is ready when I call. Help me Lord to place the call.
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Talked with some old friends today. I love that. To hear news from people whose lives God has touched. Their twenty year old made a statement that I will remember. She said regarding God providing for things..."
"If it's God's Will, it's God's Bill".
Her dad said something else. He said he used to try to live the life of faith by works. To control everything and work hard to please God. Now he simply wakes up each day and takes up the attitude of a child. Father help me, feed me, lead me. Hold my hand.
Lord, help me be more like a child.
"If it's God's Will, it's God's Bill".
Her dad said something else. He said he used to try to live the life of faith by works. To control everything and work hard to please God. Now he simply wakes up each day and takes up the attitude of a child. Father help me, feed me, lead me. Hold my hand.
Lord, help me be more like a child.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
It's late now. I have finished a time of sharing between four of us guys "doing life together" in the spiritual realm. My heart always is challenged as we gather weekly and share our lives. The Holy Spirit did a job on us tonight as we bore one another's burdens. It makes me seek righteousness more as we depart. Wow.
Today, I was reminded to be grateful for my brother in Tennessee; his name is Kenneth and he is a believer who loves the Lord. He He cares for my parents each day and serves the family. God's work in him allows me to serve here in CA, knowing God is using him in TN. I'm thankful.
My daughter says she wants something mentioned about her. Jennifer, I love you! You are the greatest daughter a father could have. You make me proud of you each day and I love you more than words can speak!
I just talked with my son Jon. He encourages me spiritually! It's nice to be linked in the spirit with him. He is growing!
Today, I have been thinking about worship. What an awesome topic. I am giving a series of talks about this at our fellowship. If you have any thoughts on this topic, jump in and mail them to me at palomarchurch@cox.net
Here is one of my favorites. Richard Foster says “If worship doesn’t change us, it is not worship. To stand before the Holy one of eternity is to change. Worship begins in holy expectancy and ends in holy obedience."
Here is one of my favorites. Richard Foster says “If worship doesn’t change us, it is not worship. To stand before the Holy one of eternity is to change. Worship begins in holy expectancy and ends in holy obedience."
Hi Everyone. My Name is Sam Brumit and this site is for those who desire to develop a passionate walk with God! Let's jump in.
