I am a fairly hyper active person. Always have been, however, I'm not quite as bad I once was. Just ask my mom - she's got some stories... on second thought, DON'T ask her. But, being hyper active, I always had a pretty active imagination. I would make toys out of anything, and would play cops and robbers, all by myself if the time called for that. And you know what, I was never really at loss for things to do, or places to visit, simply because all of that was inside of me.
So, essentially inside of me was locked up all kinds of possibilities and opportunities. As a kid I never saw anything as impossible. Sometimes things were difficult, they were hard, and maybe I had to work a little harder to make it happen, but impossible was not in my vocabulary. One time I wanted a tree house, and I wanted to build it myself. I never asked my dad or brother or anyone for help. Me and my friend Chad went out into the woods in front of my house, and began to build a tree house out of BRANCHES! Needless to say it was pretty bad. NOT a good idea... the point is this: I wanted it, and it never crossed my mind how difficult it might be. I just knew that's what I wanted/needed and I did what I had to in order to make it happen.
In life, many times we look at the impossibilities instead of the possibilities. We look at the difficulties rather than the opportunities. Sometimes I long to go back to childhood, merely for the reason of knowing that ANYTHING was actually possible. Maybe it was the covering of protection from parents, or something else. Either way, it wasn't a problem, it was an opportunity. As life goes on, many of us need something or want something, or see something that we are "drawn" to or "called" to, but then the problem/difficulty raises up... and our destination becomes nothing more than something to strive for, instead of something to get to.
"Now to Him who is able to do FARE MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND all that we ask or think, ACCORDING to the POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US..." (Ephesians 3:20)
Yes, God can do whatever He wants, and He can do MORE than we could ever even imagine, however, there's a key part of that verse. "...according to the power that works within us..." What is that power?
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)
What works within us is the same power that worked within Christ when He was actually DEFEATING DEATH! Think about it - it says "...who raise Jesus from the dead..." Why was He raised from the dead? TO DEFEAT DEATH! So, the same power that conquered death, is the same power that can conquer our difficulties!
Does that mean that you will get EVERYTHING you want? Well, if your desires are His, sure... if they aren't, then probably not honestly. I'm just encouraged in the fact that if I believe in the power within me and I know what it can accomplish - then God can do above what I've ever even WISHED! When Jesus returned to His hometown, Matthew says "He didn't preform many miracles because of unbelief..."
In order for God to really rock out and do something greater than we can imagine, I must put myself in places to trust in and believe in the power He's placed within me! It's not about me... it's not about what I can't accomplish, but about what He can. And with Him - NOTHING is impossible!
Will you trust the power within you today? If you haven't, will you pray and ask God to help you trust His power?
Introducing People To The Life God Intended
Brandon Goff. Lead Pastor of Radiate Church in Columbia, SC. Married to Megan, 2 kids - Brody and Kiley.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Not JUST a Story
Hebrews 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the EXACT representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," (NASB, emphasis mine)
Couple that scripture with:
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh," (Hebrews 10:19-20)
I'm in unspeakable awe of what all of that really entails. Just reading the first verse (Heb. 1:3), I had to stop and pause for a few minutes to soak it in... and during my time of soaking in the Word - I began to be overwhelmed by the very words printed in my Bible. It's not that I never understood Jesus before. It's not that I never knew what He represented, it's something about that verse that brings it all home.
Jesus was a man, yes I know that. He was on earth, yes that is understood. But, what I often forget is that He was the "EXACT representation" of God. Not just some man, not just some guy, not just some dude walking around trying to make it. (which He was) - But He was the EXACT representation of God's grace, beauty, forgiveness, love, and mercy. He wasn't trying to achieve that - He WAS that!
And the fact that God chose to bless us with the opportunity for HIM to come to OUR place of life is incredible. Yet, the verse goes on to say that He made PURIFICATION of sins. He didn't eliminate them... He didn't forget them... He didn't throw them away... He made them PURE. Think about it - sin: dirty, grimy, disgusting acts of disobedience covered in disrespect. Yet, God said - If I TAKE them away, it's not love anymore because you don't CHOOSE your love to me, you're forced to it. But, if I leave them and make the PURE to those who love me - then there's a true love and passion...
God's EXACT representation, God's very being was put to death - in a brutal manner - so that we could CHOOSE to be purified through Him. But, couldn't He have done that in a different way?
"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18, NASB)
He sent His very self down to earth for 1 reason: To learn more about us, so He could make us pure. And as He lived our life, as He encountered our culture, and as He loved our loved ones... He realized that purification through death was the way to defeat the fear of death. (2:14)
So, at this point the story of Jesus can't be just a story of forgiveness so I can live my life... but a story of the beauty and grace of indescribable forgiveness so that we can live His life. Today, you have the chance to live with Him and for Him. It's not a decision to be thought about it - it's a decision that must be realized. That through Him my life is made purposeful. And that will never change!
Couple that scripture with:
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh," (Hebrews 10:19-20)
I'm in unspeakable awe of what all of that really entails. Just reading the first verse (Heb. 1:3), I had to stop and pause for a few minutes to soak it in... and during my time of soaking in the Word - I began to be overwhelmed by the very words printed in my Bible. It's not that I never understood Jesus before. It's not that I never knew what He represented, it's something about that verse that brings it all home.
Jesus was a man, yes I know that. He was on earth, yes that is understood. But, what I often forget is that He was the "EXACT representation" of God. Not just some man, not just some guy, not just some dude walking around trying to make it. (which He was) - But He was the EXACT representation of God's grace, beauty, forgiveness, love, and mercy. He wasn't trying to achieve that - He WAS that!
And the fact that God chose to bless us with the opportunity for HIM to come to OUR place of life is incredible. Yet, the verse goes on to say that He made PURIFICATION of sins. He didn't eliminate them... He didn't forget them... He didn't throw them away... He made them PURE. Think about it - sin: dirty, grimy, disgusting acts of disobedience covered in disrespect. Yet, God said - If I TAKE them away, it's not love anymore because you don't CHOOSE your love to me, you're forced to it. But, if I leave them and make the PURE to those who love me - then there's a true love and passion...
God's EXACT representation, God's very being was put to death - in a brutal manner - so that we could CHOOSE to be purified through Him. But, couldn't He have done that in a different way?
"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18, NASB)
He sent His very self down to earth for 1 reason: To learn more about us, so He could make us pure. And as He lived our life, as He encountered our culture, and as He loved our loved ones... He realized that purification through death was the way to defeat the fear of death. (2:14)
So, at this point the story of Jesus can't be just a story of forgiveness so I can live my life... but a story of the beauty and grace of indescribable forgiveness so that we can live His life. Today, you have the chance to live with Him and for Him. It's not a decision to be thought about it - it's a decision that must be realized. That through Him my life is made purposeful. And that will never change!
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