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| The Browerstache |
The Premise
The Browerstache
Jonathan Brower wrapped up his week-long series on the role of unbelief in a Christian's life. Basically, Unbelief should have no role in the believer's life, but I think we will explore exactly how difficult that truly is as we discuss the quotes from last night's message.
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| Missed Troubles mean missed opportunity |
The Quotes
Missed troubles mean missed opportunity
At a very primitive level, man desires self-preservation. We fret about every little issue in life & how it causes discomfort in our own lives. However, trouble is very often used in scripture as a channel of blessing.
God uses man to accomplish His purposes. God uses any man, but the greatest weapon in His arsenal is a willing man. He only asks for complete trust in the midst of the inevitable storm. Perhaps our fear of the unknown (to us, not to God) keeps us from trusting Him fully. Why would you hold back from God?
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| Full of nothing |
Full of nothing
God loves using contrasts in His word. He takes the weak & befuddles the strong. He takes the ignorant & astounds the wise. He takes the empty & fills it with blessing. A broken & contrite spirit is not rejected. The meek inherit the earth. The only problem is in the process. We are not going to like the process of being emptied any more than we like being broken, contrite or meek. But sometimes we must go through pain because without it we will never learn.
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| Woe is Joe |
Woe is Joe
We know that we are messed up people. I know that I am a messed up individual. But there is a psychological trick that we play on ourselves which excuses our bad behavior. The trick is to say, "Woe is me" & then point out the flaw in our neighbor to make ourselves feel better. That is not true repentance. That is called
passing the buck. We must take ownership of our own lack of faith & ask God to help us rely on Him more. Stop playing the blame game, it has no lasting value.
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| Know the enemy |
Know the enemy
The enemy is unbelief, because it fabricates a limit on God's control in your life. God sets a standard which is always more marvelous than we can conceive, but it's never something more marvelous than we can attain in this life. Beware of false humility & false emptiness, those are only excuses to stay in your comfort zone. There is no place for defeatism in the Church. We are to be victorious in our lives. Unfortunately, unbelief is not a dragon that stays slain, it is a nightmare that keeps recurring. It haunts us. It plagues us until we step out of this shadowy life into God's very presence. Fortunately, unbelief can be defeated in the same way a nightmare is dispelled; open your eyes & take a look at Jesus.
Your Turn
Have you ever experienced God's blessing after going through a fiery trial? I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below. If this post touched your heart, share it with your social groups! Here's some more reading on the topic:
