What is Brokenness?

BLESSED BROKENNESS

He sat by a fire of sevenfold heat

As He watched by the precious ore,

And closer He bent with a searching gaze

As He heated more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test,

And He wanted the finest gold

To mold as a crown for the King to wear;

Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Though we fain would have said Him, "Nay,"

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

And it melted the past away.

And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,

And our eyes were filled with tears.

We saw but the fire, not the Master's hand,

And questioned with anxious fears.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow

As it mirrored a form above

That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us,

With a look of ineffable love.

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart

To cause us a moment's pain?

Ah, no! But He saw through the present cross

The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With a love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat

Than was needed to make it pure.

Author unknown poem transcribed from audio "Brokenness" by Dr. Charles Stanley

The Evidence of Brokenness

   Brokenness is evident when the believer no longer reacts with his previous flesh patterns when the following rights are challenged:

His right to possessions.

His right to a good reputation.

His right to have acceptance.

His right to be successful.

His right to have pleasant circumstances.

His right to presume on the will of God.

His right to life itself.

His right to beauty or strength.

His right to have friends.

His right to be heard.

His right to take up offense.

His right to avoid reaping from what he sows.

His right to be right.

His right to see results.

His right to be loved by others.

His right ______(fill in the blank)_____________.

His right ______(fill in the blank)_____________.

Are you secure? Are you significant?

   What would make you feel secure? What would make you feel significant?

Security – A sense of belonging, unconditional love, acceptance, connectedness, and protectedness.

Significance – A sense of value, importance, identity and separateness.

   We were created with certain needs. Needs that only God can meet. When I attempt to do it “my way,” I am acting in the flesh or as the old man or old nature.

   God is love. He designed you and me to need love so we would need HIM.

   Knowing nothing of God, but needing to be loved, we tried to “milk” our need-supply out of people. Little kids, being totally self-centered, learn about themselves from the feedback they get from others: They do not learn about others. If Mom doesn’t hug them, they learn “I’m unlovely,” not “Mom has difficulty expressing physical affection.”

   Our emotions began to be programmed by reacting to our belief system. We began to develop habit patterns that are programmed into our brain, patterns of thinking (mind), choosing (will), and feeling (emotions). These flesh patterns are currently how we get our needs meet our way.

“The women's needs can be summarized as the need for security… The men's needs can be summarized as the need for significance…”. His Needs, Her Needs, Willard Harley

   Trying to meet these needs within our own strength will only result in frustration. In our own strength, we are too empty and needy ourselves to be able to meet anyone else's needs.  Romans 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:16

Source of Life Where Do I Look?

Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Genesis 2:8-9 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Genesis 2:15-17 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’”

Genesis 3:5-6 “’For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it…”

Genesis 3:22 “And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’” (NIV)

Secure Forever

Philippians 4:19; John 7:38-39

Additional Material

"Lifetime Guarantee" Bill Gillham

"The Ins and Out of Rejection" Charles R. Solomon

“The Search For Significance” Robert S. McGee

“The Reach of God’s Love” audio MD 146  1996 Dr. Charles Stanley

“Toxic Love” Malcolm Smith

“Overcoming the Flesh”  6 audio  Gillham

http://www.ficm.org

http://www.intouch.org

"Hiding Places" audio Patsy Clairmont, Focus on Family C5875 13351

Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News. Volume 3 Issue 5. February 2, 2003.

Who am I? My identity

I am not a sinner in the hands of an angry God

I am a saint who sins in the hands of a loving God

I cannot consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with my self-perception.

John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 3:26; 4:6; 1 Peter 2:9,10;1 John 3:1-3

WHO AM I?

Old: I am unworthy. I am unacceptable.

New: I am accepted and worthy. Romans 15:7

    "Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God"

Psalms 139:13-18    "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Old: I am a fearful/anxious person.

New: I am free from fear.

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I John 4:18-19a "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he (God/Jesus) first loved us."

Old: I am a weak person.

New: I am strong in Christ.

Daniel 11:32b "...but the people who know their God will firmly resist him."

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Old: I am not very smart.

New: I have God's wisdom.

Proverbs 2:6-8 "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protect the way of his faithful ones."

I Corinthians 1:30 "It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Old: I am unloved.

New: I am very loved.

John 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I (Jesus Christ) loved you. Now remain in my love."

Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ: Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine...? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Old: I am unwanted.

New: I am adopted by God and I am His Child.

Romans 8:16-17 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."

Galatians 4:5-7 "..that you might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

Ephesians 1:5 "he (God) predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will"

Old: I am depressed and hopeless.

New: I have all the hope I need.

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Psalm 16:11 "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in this land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Old: I am alone.

New: I am never alone.

Hebrews 13:5-6/Deuteronomy 31:6"...because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

    "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels no demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Old: I have no one to take care of me.

New: I am protected and safe.

Psalm 32:7-11 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you...  but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

Psalm 27:1-6 "The Lord is my light and my salvation -  whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?...One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...I will sing and make music to the Lord."

WE BECOME WHAT WE FOCUS ON!

WHAT AM I LOOKING AT TODAY?

WHAT AM I FOCUSING ON TODAY?

WHAT WILL I BE LIKE TOMORROW?

Jesus is the truth

(John 14:6)

the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth

(John 16:13)

the Word of God is truth (John 17:17)

we ought to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

 

Additional Material

“Victory Over the Darkness” Neil T. Anderson

“How to Listen to God” Dr. Charles Stanley

http://www.ficm.org

http://www.intouch.org

“Wheel and Line” audio Dr. Charles Solomon

“Turkeys and Eagles” audio Peter Lord

Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News.

Salvation -The Doors to Life

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any may hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20)

Salvation/The Doors to Life

Dr. Sid Collison

   What is salvation" Most Christians or those who understand the historical position would readily answer, "It is being saved, knowing Christ as your Savior, being born again; it is knowing that you are going to heaven when you die."

  You're right. It is all of the above. Those who are Christians, and most who claim to be, at least understand the concept of being born again. In fact, the terminology "born again" has become a popular term, particularly among some politicians at election time. The unregenerate, as well as the carnal Christian, will not hesitate to use the Christian identification at any time that it will promote the cause of the flesh.

  Of the hundreds of people that I have seen in my counseling ministry, the majority come to me with two very definite characteristics. First, they believe that they are saved, born again, Christians; and second, their lives are totally miserable and unhappy. Some come with anxiety, hostility, panic attacks, eating disorders, lust problems, demonic activity, thought of suicide, having attempted suicide, marriages that are disintegrating, and overwhelming depression. In other words, all of the things that are happening in the world are happening to the Christian or those who think that they are Christians.

  Have you ever wondered, "Is this the way life is supposed to be for one who is a child of God?" No! I believe the answer is found by understanding what the scripture means by the word "Salvation."

  LOOK WITH ME NOW AT THE “THREE DOORS OF SALVATION.”

The Three doors of salvation: Savior, Lord and Life.

  The Hebrew and Greek words for salvation set forth the ideas of deliverance, security, preservation, healing, and soundness. Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel setting forth the redemptive acts and processes of justification, redemption, grace, forgiveness, and sanctification, just to name a few. Salvation is in three tenses or doors. Each door opens as the key of faith is used (Ephesians 2:9, Revelations 3:20) and once through the door, it closes behind the believer and is never opened again as God is faithful to His word.

DOOR ONE: JESUS AS SAVIOR

  The believer is saved from the guilt and penalty of sin, he is "born again." Once the believer accepts Christ, he is eternally secure. He knows the Savior and is a "new creature in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 7:50, 1 Corinthians 1:8, John 3:1-21). Many try to teach that this is the end of God's program for man and that when a man is born again there is no further need. If that is true, then why are so many who know the Savior so unhappy and unfulfilled? The answer may be found in understanding what is meant by Paul's admonition to the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

DOOR TWO: JESUS AS LORD

  The believer is being saved from the habit and the dominion of sin. He is accepting Jesus as Lord and Master (Romans 6:14, Romans 12:1, Philippians 1:19, Philippians 2:12,13, 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

DOOR THREE: JESUS AS LIFE

  The believer is in the process of being brought into conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29, Romans 13:11, Hebrews 10:36, 1 Peter 1:5, 1 John 3:2)

  Only as the believer comes into the fullness of his identity with Christ and the "Exchanged Life" will his life take on the abundance of the supernatural blessings the Lord has intended for His children (Galatians 5:22-25).

Copyright 1996-1998 by RAB Tech and/or Life Exchange Ministry

Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News. Volume 3 Issue 2. January 12, 2003.