Sane, Simple, Sacred: Verbatim

Verbatim

"He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow..." (John 7:38)

Jesus did not say, "He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God," but, in essence, "He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him."

Our Lord's teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person--His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure.

If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God's purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us.

Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us--and we cannot measure that at all.

(VERBATIM from My Utmost for His Highest, 1st paragraph for September 2.) The grapes are "mine" -- what's left of a larger collection...See HERE for a few more.

11 comments:

no spring chickenSeptember 2, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Oswald Chambers challenges me every morning. I'm thankful for the challenge!

Blessings, Debbie
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Janettessage.blogspot.comSeptember 2, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Yes read that also today and thought about how much joy comes from God flowing out of us. It spoke to me deeply...thanks for expanding through the visual also....."by what God pours through us"
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Leaon MarySeptember 2, 2011 at 12:56 PM
Rebecca, I've been studying more about being God's image bearer. It's hard to fathom isn't it? I also keep seein those grapes. How when we're squeezed by the pressures of this life, our real stuff comes out. REFINE ME LORD!!!
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SandySeptember 2, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Oh, this is so rich and tasty, just like
grapes. Enduring the pressures of life and
being mercifully and lovingly squeezed by
His Spirit. Nothing like it to bring out
all that needs to come out and then be
ready to be filled and refilled by Him.
Pour through us, Lord!!
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Jeanette LevellieSeptember 2, 2011 at 2:31 PM
I do want to be like Jesus, so that when pharisees or persecutors squeeze me, His love and truth come oozing out.

Lovely grapes! Thanks for sharing.

Jen
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Janie FoxSeptember 2, 2011 at 7:15 PM
very nice...thank you for the reminder.
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Kathleen September 2, 2011 at 8:20 PM
I LOVE Oswald Chambers! I read his biography a few years ago and was touched by his humor and humility. He was just a regular guy with a powerful ministry that lingers still.

Thanks for adding your grapes. The visual is so refreshing!
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SueSeptember 2, 2011 at 9:33 PM
Hi Rebecca, first thing first. I so enjoyed reading your "Thank You post"just a fun read..
And this post, just makes my heart sing, He was and continues to be our example.
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.
Sue
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DianaSeptember 3, 2011 at 6:02 AM
I can honestly say that I could not have gone through that surgery without any less faith than what I went in with. It was an amazing feeling to just hand myself over to God. Love Di ♥
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RebeccaSeptember 3, 2011 at 6:07 AM
Diana, funny you should say that. I've only had one surgery - gall bladder - and it came up kind of fast. As I think about it, it WAS an amazing feeling to just hand myself over to God also. Could it be because there was absolutely nothing I could do about it? Even coming out and the first couple of days after, I was dependent on the care of others. I guess I didn't feel good enough to do anything else. Not even worry!
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BrendaSeptember 3, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Thank you, Rebecca. I read the whole passage for September 2. Wow! That is strong language . . . "His teaching was always anti-self-realization."
Good for us to think about.
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"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

Verbatim

11 comments:

Writing a Song a Week #3