Discovering Who I Am

Archive for the ‘Worth Quoting’ Category

What do you believe qualifies you for the love of God?
When things go wrong in your life, is your first reaction to wonder why God let it happen? Do you become introspective to see what you have done wrong? When you pray, do you find yourself going through a mental checklist of successes and sins to determine if God will answer your prayer?

If we ask ourselves the wrong questions, we end up like Adam and Eve: alienate from God through the fear and unbelief in our mind. We usually ask ourselves if we are worthy enough for God to answer our prayers and meet our needs. The answer to that is an obvious NO! But God doesn’t answer our prayers because we are worthy; He does it because we are qualified. There is a difference. I may not be worthy based on my actions. But I am qualified for all the promises of God because I am in Jesus! To be qualified is to meet legal requirements. To be worthy is to be deserving. I meet the legal requirements even when I am personally undeserving. Why? Because I am in Jesus! He is worthy!

Paul said it this way: “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colassians 1:12). How could I possibly be qualified when I am not worthy? Simple! Jesus is worthy. He inherited all promises of God. I am now in Christ. In Him I share in the inheritance, all the riches of god.

In Jesus we were all given the gift of righteousness. We do not stand before God in our righteousness. We stand before Him in the righteousness of Christ Himself! “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:21-22)

We have a righteousness that is not of our making. It is not based on our performance; it is based on the finished work of the Lord Jesus. “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (Corinthians 1:30).

When we receive His righteousness as a free gift, our conscience is made clear and our sense of self changes. We step into the identity that man was created to enjoy– one of dignity and worth. It is this very sense of righteousness that gives us peace and frees us from fear and wrath. It is the righteousness of Jesus that frees us from the abiding sense of lack, doom, low self-worth, and vague feeling of not measuring up. It is in this spiritual/ emotional state that we fulfill our God-given destiny as priests and kings.

–from Breaking the Cycle, by Dr. James Richards

To All My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

–Author Unknown

I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because it’s leaves are a little yellow, it’s tone mellower, it’s colors richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow. It’s golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content.

–Lin Yutang

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the Western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
“How many push-ups can you do “
Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”
“200 That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300 “

Steve replied, “I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.”
“Do you think you could ” again asked Dr. Christianson.
“Well, I can try,” said Steve.
“Can you do 300 in sets of 10 I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well… I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”

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I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town; and whose spirit still brings music to persons all over the world, in towns both large and small.

I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room, and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today.

I believe in the one who the rulers of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand; whose life was among common people, whose welcome came from persons of hungry hearts.

I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible:

I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother’s arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at persons and made them see what God’s love saw in them, who by love brought sinners back to purity, and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.

I confess my ever-lasting need of God: The need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.

I believe in God who gives us the best of himself. I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God, born in Bethlehem this night, for me and for the world.

Anonymous

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

There has been only one Christmas – the rest are anniversaries. ~W.J. Cameron

For the spirit of Christmas fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind. ~Loring A. Schuler

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukkah’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall!’ ~Dave Barry

Only in souls the Christ is brought to birth, And there He lives and dies. ~Alfred Noyes

Gloria, Gloria! they cry, for their song embraces all that the Lord has begun this day: Glory to God in the highest of heavens! And peace to the people with whom he is pleased! And who are these people? With whom does the good Lord choose to take his pleasure? The shepherds. The plain and nameless–whose every name the Lord knows well. You. And me.–Walter Wangerin Jr.

May we not “spend” Christmas or “observe” Christmas, but rather “keep” it.–Peter Marshall

Among the oxen (like an ox I’m slow)
I see a glory in the stable grow
Which, with the ox’s dullness might at length
Give me an ox’s strength.

Among the asses (stubborn I as they)
I see my Saviour where I looked for hay;
So may my beast like folly learn at least
The patience of a beast.

Among the sheep (I like a sheep have strayed)
I watch the manger where my Lord is laid;
Oh that my baa-ing nature would win thence
Some woolly innocence!

(Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis