"To say that 'prayer changes things' is not as close to the truth as saying, 'Prayer changes me and then I change things'. God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person's inner nature."
-Oswald Chambers
Thursday, August 02, 2007
a little excerpt from provocative faith...
"Ultimately, we experience lifestyle joy when we become content with who Jesus is. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me' (John 14:6 NLT). Making peace with this statement is a process. Some days I wake up and am completely fine with Jesus being the 'way' or the 'truth' for me. But then there are times when I'm not okay with his way or truth; I want it to be my way or I want to find my own truth. But my rules and my idols and my belief systems only get in the way of Jesus reigning supreme in my life. Joy comes not when we put Jesus first, but when we realize that he's always been first and demands nothing less. We must get ourselves out of the way in order for his purpose of making us like him to transpire.
We will never find our joy in circumstance. We will never find our joy in the 'quickies' culture so often offers. Joy comes to us when we faithfully pursue knowing Jesus more intimately. As you begin to know him more deeply and more passionately, you will see your life becoming more peaceful, more content. You won't be 'happy all the time', but your joy will be a lifestyle and not just a passing feeling."
good stuff, mr. turner, good stuff.
"Ultimately, we experience lifestyle joy when we become content with who Jesus is. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me' (John 14:6 NLT). Making peace with this statement is a process. Some days I wake up and am completely fine with Jesus being the 'way' or the 'truth' for me. But then there are times when I'm not okay with his way or truth; I want it to be my way or I want to find my own truth. But my rules and my idols and my belief systems only get in the way of Jesus reigning supreme in my life. Joy comes not when we put Jesus first, but when we realize that he's always been first and demands nothing less. We must get ourselves out of the way in order for his purpose of making us like him to transpire.
We will never find our joy in circumstance. We will never find our joy in the 'quickies' culture so often offers. Joy comes to us when we faithfully pursue knowing Jesus more intimately. As you begin to know him more deeply and more passionately, you will see your life becoming more peaceful, more content. You won't be 'happy all the time', but your joy will be a lifestyle and not just a passing feeling."
good stuff, mr. turner, good stuff.
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