Be You to the Full (Beautiful)

BE YOU

The answer to the question of “What makes you YOU?” is wrought with mystery and mystique.
In this world of a multitude of billions upon billions, you are totally and wonderfully unique.
You may find some who are similar or even eerily close, but not one exactly the same.
Even cloning a person doesn’t replicate a soul, without question, you’re more than your frame.
We’re happily distinctive with our insights and instincts, and yet sometimes we strive
To attain to other people’s testimonies, in hopes of making us feel alive.
Now there’s nothing wrong with great advice, for many know better than you.
But a big part of becoming is the journey itself, a journey we all must go through.
It’d be interesting find, as God had you in mind, your personality tied to your purpose.
And your purpose I’d guess though different from the rest finds you perfectly fit for His service.
So BE prepared to walk your own road, BE prepared to bear your own cross.
God’s plans are to give you a hope and a future; He’s paved the way and paid the cost.
Your destination is based on Providence, hinged neither on blind fate nor chance.
You were especially made by The Sovereign Creator, and your journey IS in His hands.


Here’s The Word;

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.


TO THE FULL

Now I’m a big fan of MacArthur and Chan, Tozer, Piper and E.M. Bounds.
But if my life is hidden in Christ, then IN HIM is really where I’m to be found.
Don’t ever discount the value of your personality, in Christ it’s not simply erased.
For in Him you’ll be you the way He intended, as your personality finds its place.
Now before I lose you in an interpretive rut, I’m not talking about your pride and sin.
These must be deleted. In Christ we’re completed and it’s only in Him we can win.
Often times we make much of the power of one voice as the spark to bring about change.
When I sit and ponder God in His magnificence, this ‘one voice’ idea isn’t strange.
Reflect on the idea of assembling a choir, coming together, singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.
God hears the beauty in every single ‘one voice’ as it’s joined in the multitude of voices.
All singing one song in waves and throngs, a wonderfully massive cry: “HOLY HOLY HOLY”
The fullness of me and the purpose of my journey is reaching my place that reflects His Glory!



Ecclesiastes 13:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

God made you special and absolutely unique and we give credit where credit is due.
We praise God the Father, who didn’t have to bother but for His Glory, He thought up beautiful you!
So you may have ideas of a successful life and accomplishments you want to achieve.
But apart from Him, you’re out on a limb - IN HIM, you live, move and have your being.

Choose Christ and Be You to the full…Journey on!

In Him,
Cros

Imago Dei

Hello All,

If you’ve never been part of an “Imago Dei” (Greek for “Image of God”) discussion, it goes a little something like this: We hold to Biblical truth in that man was created in God’s Image according to Genesis 1:26. Now after the fall in Genesis 3 what was our situation? I think you’d be hard pressed to argue that God’s image in us was wholly unaffected – but what? Did we totally lose the Image of God, or was it lessened, distorted, or marred in some way? Why does this matter? I think it matters in how we account for certain things natural to our experience: For instance, our anger toward injustice. If it were just “something in us”, we could see that anger as ‘ungodly’ and come up with methods to try and dissuade any responsibility to being provoked in the face of injustice. However, when you attribute it to the image of God in us, the responses prove less benign and rather something of a duty. We should either commit our resources to right the wrong or pray that God would sort it out as injustice is an issue also near and dear to His own Heart.

In spite of the fact that we live in such a sin-sickened world as well as our own fallenness - we are urged to seek after righteousness. What effect does this pursuit have on the image of God in us?

Here is The Word;

Colossians 3:9-11 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.


I don’t want to derail this but the fact of the matter is we can all be easily lied to. I could be lying to you right now (maybe not outright lying, but misrepresenting my own righteousness). I know some peek in on my blog and believe that very thing. That’s why ever since I’ve started writing this blog in 2007, this has never been about getting people to follow me or to believe I’m something I’m not. If you read the verse above, the new man, the inner man that is birthed at our conversion from death to life is “renewed in knowledge” – Not MY knowledge but the knowledge found in the Word of God and no matter what anyone thinks of me, that’s what THIS blog is about. I thank God that there is a place of rest and peace in all of this. I think it’s also something that proceeds to us directly from God’s image in us; impending justice. We are all able to hide and put up fronts and deceive and to do all of these things that support the truth of Scripture where it says in John 3:19 “..men loved darkness rather than light…”. It’s something that we as believers fight against but eventually (or as the Ol’ spiritual would say “Soon and very soon”) It all comes to the light. We should never forget that our lives are lived as an “Expose” before God and the most important thing is not the image I present but to consider the reality of your own “Imago Dei”.



In Him,
Cros

A Prayer for Our Children

Hello All,

The following poem is a prayer by General Douglas MacArthur;

Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be
where his backbone should be;
a son who will know Thee- and that
to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
here, let him learn compassion for those who fall.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high;
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men;
one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep;
one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
so that he may always be serious,
yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility, so that he may always remember
the simplicity of true greatness,
the open mind of true wisdom,
the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper,
"I have not lived in vain."


What an awesome prayer! As I read this I thought of so much more than just my son or even just my children. I thought of friends and family, as well as a long look in the mirror at myself. I could be speaking only for myself but I don’t think you have to tell most parents to pray for their children. Raising children present enough challenges where the apparent need for prayer comes easy. In those circumstances, I think our prayers tend toward the specific –“Lord, help ________with this particular issue that they're (or I’m) finding personal difficulty in managing at the moment. Things like potty training, cleaning up behind themselves, school work, integrity, influence, depression, etc. But what about broad-view, long-term prayers? I imagine some of you do just as well as Gen MacArthur but I’m sure there are a few of us who, if being totally honest, would have to admit that we could be doing a better job.

Here's The Word;

Here’s a few other requests to help us shape prayer for our children, family & friends, and ourselves.
(from the John Piper – desiringGod website)

 * That Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming. (Matthew 19:13–15)

 * That they will respond in faith to Jesus’s faithful, persistent call. (2 Peter 3:9)

 * That they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments. (Matthew 22:37-39)

 * That they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage.(2 Corinthians 6:14)

 * That their thoughts will be pure. (Philippians 4:8)

 * That their hearts will be stirred to give generously to the Lord’s work. (Exodus 35:29)

 * That when the time is right, they will GO! (Matthew 28:18-20)

So again, this is not me confessing to have ‘attained’ anything as much as it is an encouragement for us to seek to do better in pursuit for “a more excellent way” and to pray for our children.

In Him,
Cros