11/7/09

Create in me...


Isn't he the cutest little rugby player you ever did see?

Roman doing his best Darth Vader impression. Now he just needs his cousin's halloween costume ;) Poor guy is pretty miserable. It takes a lot to slow this monkey boy down but he went down hard and fast this week.

This is just a random snap shot while waiting in my car in town. I got bored and started snapping pictures.


My hubby has done a LOT if digging! They will be pouring cement next week.


I'm going to switch gears a little now. I am surrounded by so many spiritual giants here. So many lives and saints that are totally unoticed, unapplauded but portray the very life of Christ. I am humbled and challenged by each one of the servants here that I come across, from the woman who serves by cleaning the bathrooms each morning to house mothers who care for 15 children. The humility and joy in which they face the daily challenges of life astounds me.

God does not expect us to imitate Christ. That is not only phony but impossible. We must allow the very life of Christ to manifest itself in the nitty gritty stuff our lives are made of. That can only be done by the penetrating and changing power of the Holy Spirit being allowed to have His way in our lives.
" God engineers circumstances and brings us into difficult places where no one can help us, and we can either manifest the life of Jesus in those conditions, or else be cowards and say "I cannot exhibit the life of God there. We deprive God the glory."
Oswald Chambers

We often have no control over what life brings across our path. We face situations, people and problems that we think we must deal with in our own strength. We will not allow God into that part of our life , we feel like we need to protect God from the reality of our messy lives. We will not allow Him to have His way but will instead avoid and hide from His illumination and glory.

"..because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:14

Once we are made perfect in Gods eyes through Christ, we should no longer fear the spring cleaning of the Holy Spirits work in our lives. We should welcome it. We are not perfect...God knows that better than even we do (we can delude ourselves after all) but He sees in us the perfection of Jesus Christ. Notice the words "being made" holy. That is an ongoing action. He is working out that perfection in us. Its a process.

No one is beyond His unfathomable mercy. The vilest sin and sinner can experience freedom and forgiveness. What a God of incredible Justice and Mercy combined! It's hard to even really comprehend. He reconciles our past, our present and our future...as irreconcilable as they can seem. Sometimes as Christians we accept the gift of salvation but forget that we are being renewed and transformed. That transformation also based on God's mercy. We are a new creation.

Genesis 1:1 is a passage not often applied to us individually because it talks about creation. I think it can also apply to us since as believers we are called a "new creation" through Christ.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said "Let there be light."
and there was light.


How many of us have lives that are 'formless and empty'?
The blanket of darkness threathens to smother us as we go through the motions of living. Hope is long gone and light seems like a fantasy that we dare not dream of.
But even as we were lost in darkness the Spirit of God was there with us, preparing us , convicting us, calling us.
He creates order out of disorder. He creates light out of darkness. He brings peace to the chaos that is our lives.
God said "let there be light" and there was light....simple as that.

What is not so simple is that we sometimes do all we can to avoid that light. We have to much to hide, to much we cling to, too many walls that keep us secure and safe from that scrutinizing light.

If you are not constantly changing, growing, being shaped a moulded to manifest more of the Spirit of God in your life it's fair to ask , have you ever been changed? I hope that answer is an enthusiastic "Yes ! I am a new creation!"

"If you are going to be used by God. He will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all, they are meant to make you useful in his hands and to enable you to understand what transpires in other souls so that you will never be surprised at what you come accross."

"The circumstances of a saints life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by his providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all but the Spririt of God understands. God is bringing you into places and among people and into conditions in order that the intercession of the Holy Spirit in you takes a particular line."

Oswald Chambers

Cambiame Dios.
Amen.
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1 comment:

Jenilee said...

what a beautiful post! I love the scriptures you used... thanks for sharing it!