Archived - CHRISTIAN REP

Noah The Movie

Rose — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:20:40 +0000

We hope you get to view this new blockbuster based on the story of Noah (artistic license taken is a given). Also check out their site at http://www.noahmovie.com/theark/ and take a tour of the Ark! A very cool experience!

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Verses To Struggle Over

Mike Messerli — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 03:21:14 +0000

Often, as I read the Bible, I come to passages that cause me problems. Statements made that challenge me, make me struggle. Here is one that has haunted me for decades,

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:21

As I read Paul’s words it’s clear he has a level of understanding, a relationship with God that I have yet to achieve. Yes, like Paul, I want my life to be all about Christ, but it’s not. I get busy and forget about him. Sorry, but I really do. Here I am, doing “God’s work” and so busy about it that I forget about him. I’m not sure how in the world I can do that, but I must be honest….it happens often.

What does it look like to say and live out, “For me to live is Christ”? This is what has bothered me, challenges me and caused struggles for me for decades. I want to walk with him, and for a few minutes at a time I find I can, but then the world attacks and I forget, I get busy and off I go…”serving God”.

For a long time I told people this was my life verse, but as I grew in faith it soon became clear I had no idea what it meant. For me to live is Christ….those words challenge me, convict me and leave me without words.

I hope, one day before I’m done with this life, I will understand just a bit of what Paul means when he says, “For me to live is Christ.” I long for that, want that, desire that to be true in me, but I know that I don’t even understand what that means yet.

And never mind the rest of the verse….to die is gain! That will be another visit.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

Popular Bible Verses About Surrendering to God

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The Hiding Place

Marie — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 04:30:31 +0000

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom is a riveting story of faith, hope and complete trust in the Lord during a time that is nothing short of horrific.

This true account of a family that helped Jews without regards to their own well being, will have you on the edge as you listen to Corrie’s recollection of the events that led up to her family’s imprisonment in a Nazi Concentration camp. Their home was the hub for the underground activities that was responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of Jews.

The grace through the episodes of testing and the miracle of 100 ration cards for food, all under the cover of a small watch shop will remind you that as long as you are willing, God is able.

The Sisters faith and trust as they were “thankful in all things”, including a flea infestation, will walk you through the dark days of World War II. Thinking of others, before, during and after the Concentration Camp imprisonment. Corrie’s detailed memories will have you searching your own heart, looking for all the wonderful blessings that are bestowed upon you each day.

The Narrator, Bernadette Dunne is exceptional! I listened with ease and excitement as I imagined it was Corrie, herself recounting the events over a warm cup of coffee.

I strongly urge you to get this book, listen and let your heart be blessed as you are reminded how living unselfishly, giving what you can, making a difference for others regardless of your circumstances is truly the greatest life of all.

I’d like to thank Christian Audio for the complimentary copy of this book through your Reviewers’ program. Follow Christian Audio on Twitter here.

Other Books from Corrie Ten Boom

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Whales, Worthless Idols and Grace (Revised)

Mike Messerli — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 02:00:40 +0000

I wrote these words a few years ago. Today they ring even clearer as our world chases worthless idols. All around us is the quest for the idols of the world…fame, success, money…and yet in the quest for those things we forfeit the most important thing. Your choice (and mine) is simple…worthless idols or grace. You can’t have both.

I came to Jonah chapter two this morning and as I read I stopped at verse 8. Rather, verse 8 stopped me! I read it over at least 10 times as I thought about Jonah’s words,

Jonah 2:8- “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

These words were part of Jonah’s prayer when he finally gave in to God’s will as he sat in the belly of the big fish. At the end of this prayer God instructs the fish to spit him out and Jonah finally obeys God’s commands to him.

But let me camp for a minute on this verse…”Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

I honestly had never seen this verse before. It had to be there for the first time today. I know I have read this passage hundreds of times before, but I never saw this. It’s profound! It’s life changing to me. When we cling to the worthless idols of our lives we forfeit (miss, give up) the grace that COULD BE OURS. You can’t hold onto your idols and grasp grace as well. You have to let go of one to find the other.

I looked up the definition of forfeit for this discussion and here’s what it means: “something to which the right is lost, as for commission of a crime or misdeed, neglect of duty, or violation of a contract.” Another way of saying this is, “Those who cling to worthless idols lose the right to the grace that could be theirs.”

What idols are you clinging to that make you forfeit the grace that could be yours?

What benefits of grace have we given up to have something worthless instead?

Let me invite you to meditate on this verse for a bit and share your thoughts…in the belly of the big fish Jonah has shared with us an amazing truth to help us contrast the grace of God and any other option. It is, ultimately, the choice between the Christian faith and any other- grace or worthless idols. Cling to one and you will forfeit the other.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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Still He Speaks

Marie — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 01:27:14 +0000

Ps 46:10 BE STILL…and know that I AM God

Romans 10:17 – Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God

Sometimes when everything is going great – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still HE speaks

Sometimes the tears flow daily – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still He Speaks

Sometimes the laughter fills our hearts – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still He speaks

Sometimes discouragement steals our joy – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still He speaks

Sometimes anger robs us of our compassion – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still HE speaks

Sometimes hatred blinds our way – we forget to listen to the Lord – Still HE speaks

Sometimes daily activities keeps us busy and we forget to listen to the Lord – Still HE speaks

Sometimes weariness causes us pull away and we forget to listen to the Lord – Still He speaks

Sometimes…..we forget to listen to the Lord – STILL HE Speaks

Will you hear?

Will you trust?

Will you listen?

Still… He speaks

Visit Marie at SpreadingJoy for more and support her as she spreads JOY!

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Barren

Mike Messerli — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 02:27:44 +0000

God does his best work with barren things.

He built nations from barren wombs.

Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was barren and yet from her God built a nation of millions!

Elizabeth was barren and from her came John the Baptist.

In Exodus 17 God led his people into a barren desert and in a place where there was no water he made a river for them to drink.

God does his best work with barren things.

He works with barren lives, lives ravaged by failure, sin, loss, and wasted years.

He works with barren things so the world will see his glory and greatness.

Have you felt like a failure? Have you wasted your years? Do you think you’re not good enough, not smart enough, have nothing to offer? Then you are just the person God can use. He loves working with barren things, broken lives, and failures, because through what the world considers “barren” God works miracles!

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no man may boast before God. ³⁰But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, ³¹so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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Forgiveness

Mark Luker — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 00:50:12 +0000

What should we do when people to whom we have given our trust betray that trust?

Should we be angry and refuse to trust those people again?

What if our car breaks down, causing us great frustration and inconvenience? Do we not take the proper steps to fix it so we can drive it again? If we can’t get it fixed…..do we never drive a car again because it might break down? Will our anger from that instance of failure continue to cause us frustration by keeping us from wanting to have another car? Will that anger make us feel any better as we walk everywhere?

We may be justified in not trusting a car again, but does that really solve the issue at hand or just make us feel more justified in our anger?

Could it be possible that the person who let us down is really a good person, but made a mistake unintentionally? If so, wouldn’t we be hurting ourselves if we refused to trust that someone again? After all, we must have thought they were good people before they made a mistake, so isn’t there a chance that they are still a good person?

It would seem that the best way to solve an issue, would be to first let the anger and disappointment of that situation go….

We need to ask ourselves.……is the reason we are having a difficult time forgiving someone the result of not being able to come to terms with the issue at hand? It seems that if we are able to free ourselves of these negative emotions and first solve the situation, then it really wouldn’t be that hard to forgive the person or persons involved….

If we refuse to forgive and never trust a person again, are we possibly robbing ourselves of real growth? Could it be that the solution to solving a particular issue lies with the very person we refuse to forgive?

If you made a mistake, would you want your friends to give up on you?

Seems that is what forgiveness is all about….

God forgave you didn’t he?

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God’s Plans…

Mike Messerli — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 23:29:53 +0000

In the last week our family has been praying for something very specific….….it didn’t happen.Now comes the normal responses of all of us as we seek to know what God is doing…

I prayed, why didn’t he answer?

This was really important to me, how could he not do it?

Is there really a God at all if he doesn’t answer prayers like this?

How can I trust him when he knew how important this was?

Why pray at all if he doesn’t answer anyway?

I’m sure you could add a dozen other questions to this list that you have asked as the plans and prayers you hoped for didn’t come true, didn’t materialize.

What is God doing? What’s his plans for us? How do we navigate this topic of prayer when often the things we ask for are very important to us? Now what? Can we trust him? Should I even pray for things again since he didn’t answer this prayer? Doesn’t he know how important this was to me?

The emotions of unanswered prayer are intense. The hoped for expectations that are crushed by a prayer unanswered are confusing. Now what? Where do we go from here?

There are often no words for the emotions that follow an unanswered prayer. For me, after many years of knowing God, I realized that often my dreams and visions are not the best thing for me…and so I trust God for his plans, his directions….but it’s hard, isn’t it? It’s hard when we asked, we wanted, we hoped…and he replies with silence. Is he there at all? Is he, as many say, the God of the deist…making it all and then walking away? Unanswered prayers make us ask those questions…especially when he has invited us to ask!

The bottom line for all of this is simply this- God loves us. God is sovereign and his love, his plans, and his wisdom direct our lives for his glory and our good. It doesn’t mean we always get what we want…and that confuses us because we “know” that what we want is the very best thing….if only God would give us what we prayed for.

But often he doesn’t. Now what?

Solomon wrote these words,

“The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

When God says “no” I come back to this…God loves me,He has my best in mind,

He has a plan for my life,

and he’s sovereign.

I can trust him to accomplish the best for me…..even when he says “no”.

In moments like this, when I don’t understand his “no” I go back to the verses that direct me when I don’t have answers…the verses that calm my confused and disheartened mind,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.”

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Have You Achieved Enlightenment?

Mark Luker — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:44:12 +0000

Not me!

But it’s not like I haven’t been looking for it……

No, I am not a Buddhist (and I mean no disrespect towards Buddhists) but I have nonetheless been searching for “comprehension” most of my life.

I have spent this life running aimlessly from one thing to another searching for something that I could use to say to God, “I found it, can I come up now?” I know now it’s been right in front of me all along….but I was so busy searching for it that I couldn’t see it! Like when I can’t find a tool in the toolbox, totally convinced it is just not there….until my wife points to it.

Here’s my main thought on enlightenment folks…..

I think about someone dying and appearing at the gates of heaven only to be told….

“Sorry, but you haven’t achieved the proper quota of humming exercises.” (again…no disrespect towards Buddhists intended!)

The world will tell you…. “If you would just work harder and be willing to put everything else aside, sacrificing everything, you might attain true happiness.….”

What kind of promise is that? Work hard for the future, do your best…and you might achieve the promise of happiness? Be very careful, because if you do achieve happiness in this world...it can be taken away at any moment…..Some of you most likely have already learned that painful lesson…I know I have!

God has promised us paradise…and we have to do nothing for it except believe in him and accept the sacrifice he made of Jesus Christ to atone for our sins….that’s it…no catch, no fine print. And the awesome news is…..it cannot be taken away from us…!

Self-help gurus all have their own special formulas for attaining true happiness and self enlightenment – but if you listen closely….they don’t really promise anything! But of course, they can sell you lots of books……

God has already provided a book for us to follow…and it’s free!

Am I the only one who has figured out that although we are all created in God’s image, we all have very unique reasons we are here…united in the one great reason…which is that we have been sent into the world to glorify him? So what good would it do me to read a book by a celebrity about their life to find secrets about achieving enlightenment for my own?

That’s like a mechanic reading a truck manual to learn how to fix my car.

I think it’s good to read about other people’s journey in life….and they may very well have achieved what God wanted THEM to achieve…but that doesn’t necessarily mean that is what he wants me to achieve…..

I think the main reason we all struggle in this world…is that no matter how hard we try……we cannot enlighten ourselves!

Do you have a favorite plant in the house….? Do you think that it can water itself or maneuver itself to get the best light…? Can your plant fertilize itself?

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”

Matthew 6:31

True enlightenment is already available to us….we just need to accept it!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

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Seeking God

Mike Messerli — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:48:22 +0000

“Seek the Lord while you can find him.

Call on him now while he is near.”

-Isaiah 55

This morning, just after sunrise, I went for a long walk in the woods. If you are ever in a place like this you have to walk out into the woods and be still, listen, pray and praise. That was my goal this morning…and I hoped to see a bear…but back to my topic. I walked about a mile back into the forest and just stood still…waiting…waiting for God. I prayed, I sang (badly), I quieted my mind and listened….

….I listened for God, but at times he feels as elusive as that bear I never saw today. At times I wait, I listen and I hear nothing…..I want to hear from him, I want to follow him, I want to be aware of his presence, but often…..silence.

I know many struggle when this happens. I have. Is this a game of “hide-and-seek”? Why is this so hard? But there is much more going on than you know when you sense God is not there. He’s teaching us to be still. God said to David, “Be still (shut up) and know that I am God.” God is there and he is not silent, but often I’m deaf to his voice. How do I fix that? What do I do?

I have to be still….be quiet, quiet my mind, my heart, my voice and wait on him. This morning I stood in the deep forest for more than 30 minutes. I know, that’s not very long, but as I stood there praying, listening, silent before God, I waited for his voice. He knows I want to follow, he knows I desire his will, he knows me better than I know me….and yet he makes me wait. He says nothing.

What is going on? What’s wrong? Nothing at all….God is working on things I’m completely unaware of. He’s dealing with things in my life I have never dealt with. For me the first task is stillness….God has the response…I will know that HE is God.

I’m seeking God. He’s not like that old bear who avoided me this morning…he’s always with me, working in my life…even when I don’t see him, even when I don’t hear him. In these times I wait. He always works in my life in ways that surprise me. I look forward to his surprise today.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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Archived - CHRISTIAN REP

Noah The Movie

Verses To Struggle Over

Related articles

The Hiding Place

Whales, Worthless Idols and Grace (Revised)

Still He Speaks

Ps 46:10 BE STILL…and know that I AM God

Romans 10:17 – Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God

Barren

Forgiveness

God’s Plans…

Have You Achieved Enlightenment?

Seeking God

“Seek the Lord while you can find him.

Call on him now while he is near.”

-Isaiah 55