CALLING ALL THE BROKEN

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17 ESV 

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. " 2 Corinthians 4:7 

What makes for a strong Christian? What is the secret of being mightily used of God? What kind of person does God use? Too many people say, "I'm so ordinary, so average and undistinguished. I can't do anything significant." 2 Corinthians 4:7 shows that this argument is wrong and why. It says, "We have this treasure in jars of clay(or clay pots!) to show us that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 

God's concept of ministry is so different from the world's concept. The world stresses the classy container. It emphasizes power and strength that come from physical beauty, brains, success, togetherness, acquired wealth, accomplishments,popularity, reputation, admiration, education,and brilliance; but God sees His glory in human weakness. God's purpose is to make sure that we see that the surpassing power belongs to Him and not to us. How does he do it? He puts the treasure of His grace, power, gifts,and His gospel in fragile, damaged, imperfect, broken, and cracked clay pots like you and me. 

Your ordinariness,weakness, and brokenness is not a liability; it is an asset, if you really want God to get the glory in your life. No one is too poor, too weak, too shy, too inarticulate, too disabled, too sinful, and too broken tout do what God wants you to do with you and through you. 

For Paul, weakness was his badge of apostleship and authority from God. Listen to his words: 

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. " (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV) 

Paul argues for the authenticity of his ministry by appealing, not to his visions and revelations nor to his successes and gifts, but instead to his weakness! He attributed all of his ministry to his brokenness, neediness, and weakness. That is the ground by which the power and glory of Jesus flowed through him. It was in that lowly place of utter dependency that God moved in his life. 

I have discovered that brokenness is the design and will of God for our lives. The Psalmist writes that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17 ESV). God finds pleasure in us when we are in the place of brokenness, humility, poverty of spirit, and neediness. These places of brokenness and weakness are not desired in this world. Nobody wants to be known as weak, needy, poor, or inadequate. Paul sure didn't! He asked the Lord repeatedly to take away whatever it was that handicapped him.He did not want to have to live and serve God in this lowly state. The Lord, refused."Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

Paul came to see that this weakness, this brokenness, this neediness was indeed a precious gift from God. This was the place that released the true flow of God's power, strength, and grace in his life and ministry and it will be the same for you. God knows where His power and glory thrive and where it is diminished. 

What are your weaknesses and handicaps that God has given you? Every one of us is united in this reality whether we realize it or not. In my own life I have struggled with fear, insecurity, drivenness, loneliness, depression, and relational difficulties. I am coming to see that God wants to have me serve him out of those. He is not looking for a few good men. He is looking for broken, humble, and contrite clay pots to fill with His heavenly treasure. 

Paul's growth as a Christian is remarkable in that his growth increased as his own sense of his weakness and sinfulness increased. In 1 Corinthians 15:9, Paul calls himself "the least of the apostles." Five years later, in Ephesians 3:8 he calls himself "the least of all God's people." Finally, two years before his he calls himself after walking with Jesus for thirty years, "The worst of all sinners" in 1 Timothy 1:15. For Paul, the way up in God's kingdom was down! The less he saw of Himself, the more he saw of Christ. The greater awareness of his brokeneness and sinfulness before God, the more he was amazed by God's gift of grace towards someone like him. He became stronger by becoming weaker. He became rich by becoming poor. He became successful by becoming a failure. Oh dear reader, do not despise those gifts. 

That is what Paul boasted about in his life. He was not afraid to speak truth about himself and truth about Jesus. I will boast about my failings, weaknesses, struggles, and inadequacies because when I am weak I am strong. We are great sinners and Jesus is a great savior! No wonder why Peter tells us that the key to ministry is speaking the oracles of God and serving in the strength that God provides so that in all things GOD GETS THE GLORY! (1 Peter 4;10-11). 

I encourage all of you to begin living at the foot of the cross and seeing yourself in truth as sinners, broken, poor, helpless, and needy before God. Then receive His sufficient grace and love for every weakness as a gift that He takes pleasure in giving to you. In the light of that truth, be willing to freely share with other Christians your weakness and speak often of God's love, grace, and mercy. Watch what begins happening among you when you are all free to be ordinary, flawed, and broken together instead of pretending to be what you are not. There will be such freedom, such transparency, such honesty and openness, such safety and security, and such healing when all are humbly living together out of failure and pain at the foot of the cross of Jesus. There you will begin to see the healing power of the Holy Spirit work as God takes weak people like you and me, clay pots, and then fills them up with His strength and the gift of his heavenly treasure, adequately equipped by Him for His use and glory. 

The only kind of people who God uses are those who depend not on their own gifts and resources. You can only become a strong Christian when you finally admit to the fact that you are weak. You can only become whole by being broken and vulnerable before God and others. Let this prayer encourage you my fellow broken ones. 

“I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. 

I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. 

I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. 

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. 

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. 

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for. 

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Broken,

Padtor Boll

Thoughts on Death: 59 in Las Vegas, Tom Petty, and my Own

Yesterday was a very difficult day in America. Over 59 people‘s last day earth was yesterday in Las Vegas as they were brutally gunned down. On another note, beloved rock singer Tom Petty died at 66 of a sudden heart attack. I think more people were shaken by his sudden death than the 59 in Vegas. But, that’s not what my posting is about. Days like yesterday, can cause some of us to have a deep wake up call to a sense of our own mortality. I myself am 64 years old and I have outlived many of my heroes. I’ve also seen my own younger brother die at 21 and have lost several dear friends who died suddenly while others died slowly and agonizingly prematurely. 

  Yesterday has made me realize the closeness of death like never before. Death snatches us all. In Hebrews 9:27 we are told, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” In Ecclesiastes 7:2 Solomon wrote, “For death is the destiny of every man.”

How do you feel about your death? Are you prepared for your own inevitable last day of your life?  Jonathan Edwards.lived his life by 70 resolutions to help focus his thinking. Several were in regards to thinking about his own death:

#7 Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

#9 Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

#17 Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

#19 Resolved, Never to do anything which I would be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.

An entry in his diary reads: Monday, Feb 24, 1724. Let everything have the value now which it will have on a sick bed; and frequently, in my pursuits, of whatever kind, let this question come into my mind, How shall I value this on my deathbed? “   Jonathan Edwards lived with an awareness of his death. I’m asking myself I do this. I wonder if you live aware of your death as well? Does this affect your daily actions?

I have had a reality check, that has caused me to do some real thinking about my life. Listen to the insight God gave to Moses. Standing on THE SHORES OF THE Jordan River. Moses looks over the Promised Land and cries “Lord teach us to number our days!”  “Let me be aware of  the limitations of my life. Let me have a outlook on my death and my life. Let me remember.

“Teach us to number our days”  Moses paints a picture of life being like a book. Each day is a new page. Each night another page is turned. We don’t know when the final page will be turned. Moses says, “You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!... You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers… The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” (Verses 3,5,-6,10) 

Moses concludes: “Teach us to number our day’s.” Little children don’t number their days; they don’t think about the reality that they will die. Most teenagers don’t either; rather they are indestructible and immortal.  When someone close to us dies we are shocked, especially if they are our age or younger. Every day someone dies. We sneak a peak at the obituaries, we hear the news, we see it on T.V.. Yet we still deny it will happen to us. Though we deny it, it means nothing to it, since death doesn’t have to ask for our permission. Death is coming and everyday is someone’s last.  In spite of the prevalence of death, we prefer not to talk about it. Most of us recognize that we will eventually die, but this recognition is reserved for a distant event decades from now, not today, not this week, not this month, not this year.  Death is a foreigner, not a close neighbor.

William Law wrote that the living world's brilliance blinds us from eternity and the reality of death.  "The health of our bodies, the passions of our minds, the noise and hurry and pleasures and business of the world, lead us on with eyes that see not and ears that hear not."'

It is this unexpectedness of death like took place yesterday that should encourage us to take a second look, to reconsider our pleasant denial, to admit that, yes, death might visit us as early as this week. 

Jesus tells a story that illustrates this. Luke 12:15-21, “Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

The reality is none of us know when it’s her time. Did those 59 in Las Vegas know that it was going to be the last day of their life, Tom Petty know that he was going to have a massive heart attack he and that would be the last day of his life?

Thomas A Kempis urged, “Thou oughtest so to order thyself in all thy thoughts and actions, as if today thou were about to die. What ways shall I wish that I had taken when I am leaving this world?”’

When confronted with the reality of death, it is amazing how we begin to see what is really important in life.  That is why young people give little thought to the significance of their lives, while the elderly think about it all the time.  In the face of the end of life, questions about its significance loom large.  There comes a time when we stop denying our death and start numbering our days.  Do you?

Moses goes on and writes, “that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  What is a heart of wisdom? Let’s look at the opposite. It is one who does not number his days aright. The fool who lives in denial of death! “The heart of wisdom is the one who lives his or her life in view of the reality of their death.”  I want to challenge us to look death in the face, to seize its reality, and make it the very tool that inspires us to live.

Deuteronomy 32:29, “If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!”  Psalm 39:4,  “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”  Ecclesiastes 9:10, “ Whatever your hand finds to do, do  with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”  Ephesians 5:15-17, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” What happens when we reflect on our death?

1. Reflecting on our death refocuses our perspective 

Remembering my death is acting like a filter, helping me to hold onto what is essential and to let go of what is trivial. Why let trivial things capture our hearts?  When we forget death we lose perspective. 

Eternity turns everything around.  On judgement day I suspect, the things that bother us now, that force us out of our agenda's and schedules-taking the time to help someone, reading our bibles-will be the very things we deem most important.  We may not remember the t.v. show we skipped, the surf session we missed to do God's will, but in eternity we'll be so g!ad we did.

A group of 50 elderly people over 95 years old were asked one question: “If you could live your live over again, what would you do differently?” The three most dominant answers were: I would reflect more, I would risk more, I would do more things that would live on after I am dead. When confronted with the reality of death, it is amazing how we begin to see what is really important in life. 

2. Reflecting on our death filters our passions and priorities

What person in his right mind would continue contemplating an affair if he knew he wasn't going to wake up the next morning?  What person would risk eternity in a drunken stupor? What fool would ignore his loved ones and his God for one last night so he could make an extra thousand bucks just before he died? "Death is the best rule which we can make for all of our actions and undertakings.” Fenelon

 When we schedule our priorities and follow our passions without regard to eternity we are essentially looking out of the wrong end of the telescope.  Instead of seeing things clearly, our vision gets distorted.  We miss the big picture.  It will cause us to continue rebelling against God thinking later on we'll set things right, then death comes and surprises us, because we soon forgot we were presuming.

Remember Jonathan Edwards 17th resolution? "Resolved that will live so, as wish I'd done when come to die." Paul exhorts Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5-8, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry.  For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 

Jesus teaches us in the parable of the talents that each person's perspective affected how they lived.  "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew  25:21-30) John Maxwell says, "In order to hear well done from the Lord, we have to well do for the Lord.  John Mason says, “Do today what you would postpone until tomorrow.”  The only thing that comes to a procrastinator is death. Do it now! Start living for God, start serving Him and His people. Find out His will and do it.

How to keep death alive-“Remember”

When my dad died three years ago  it reminded me in a way that nothing ever had that one day my body, my bones will be lying in a casket.  My work on earth will be done.  What will matter than?  What should matter now? What should matter in the light of my future death?  I would encourage you all to remember,

1. Remember in reflecting on those who have lived and died before you

Hebrews 12:1-4, “ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.   In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

We are here for such a limited time, and it may be shorter than I think.  What did their life mean?  What does my life mean? Paul said,

Philippians  1:20-21, "It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not at all be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Acts 20:24,  "But I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2. Remember Jesus death. 

John 19:30, “ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

 What is your "it"?  What must you accomplish so that, like Jesus, at the Hour of your death you can look up to heaven and say.  "I've been faithful."?   

3. Remember we glorify the Lord by our death 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" (John 21:18-19)  

Jesus told Peter about the fact that he would die in his service. It was indirect, but Peter probably got the message. And who knows what look was on Jesus' face when he said it. But such is the price of following Jesus Christ. This isn't so different from what he predicts for each of us. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate . . . his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal" (John 12:25). "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). "They will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name" (Luke 21:16-17). 

 John said Peter's death was to glorify God, "This He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God." The way John said this seems to show that he considers all our deaths as appointed for the glory of God. The difference is: with what kind of death will we glorify God?  Are you ready for this? Will you show God great in the way you die? Will you say like Paul, "To live is Christ and to die is gain"? Will you call this ugly, defeated, torturing enemy sweet names? Will the loss of all your earthly family, friends, and possessions fade at the prospect of seeing and being with Christ?

Are you ready for the end of your time? Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. ”  Ecclesiastes 7:2 "Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart" 

It’s been said, “When you were born,' he said, you alone were crying and everybody else was happy.  Live your life in such a way that when you die you alone going to be happy, leaving everybody else crying. ?  

Jonathan Edwards resolved, “Resolved to live with all my might while I live!”

Are you ready for the day of your death?

A Prayer

Oh Father in heaven, giver of life and ordainer of our death. Give us a view of life that would change our view of death. Teach us to number our days aright so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Cause us like Paul to be able to say and believe from the depths of our heart, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Cause us to live each day in remembrance of our death. Make us ready to die well by helping us to live well. Let us never forget how precious life is. Whether we live long lives or short lives, help us to live with all our might while we live. We long, oh Lord, that on the day of our death to be able to face you with joy and hear the words from Your lips to us, “Well done, My good and My faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” Oh what gain that will be! In Jesus name. AMEN