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Meditation Chip Brogden
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Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
September 2
Light Out of Darkness
“Called… out of darkness into His marvelous Light.”
1 PETER 2:9
The significant thing to be seen in Creation (and the encouraging thing to us spiritually) is that God, being God, could not and would not, permit this chaos, confusion, and darkness to continue indefinitely. His nature is to bring order, coherency, purposeful intention, and Light into the world.
We owe our physical life to the fact that God acted upon the chaos that existed in Genesis 1 and commanded Light to come forth. And we owe our spiritual life to the fact that God acts upon the chaos and darkness of our lives and commands His Light to come forth. The calling forth of Light out of Darkness is a spiritual principle that teaches us the ways of God. See how He sets aside Darkness with only a single command: “Let there be Light.” It is even more simple in the Hebrew: “Light: BE!” And so it was.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
September 3
He Must, Therefore He Is
“It pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.”
COLOSSIANS 1:19
He must increase; therefore, He will increase, and He is increasing. It must be so, therefore it is so. It is so simple. He must increase. Why? Because God has ordained that Christ must have the preeminence in all things. He clearly does not have that preeminence in all things now; and so, He must increase until He does have the preeminence in all things.
This is a Universal Spiritual Principle because it is at work right now. Whether you believe it or not, whether you understand it or not, whether you like it or not; the Bible says it must be, and so it is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Light Out of Darkness
“Called… out of darkness into His marvelous Light.”
1 PETER 2:9
The significant thing to be seen in Creation (and the encouraging thing to us spiritually) is that God, being God, could not and would not, permit this chaos, confusion, and darkness to continue indefinitely. His nature is to bring order, coherency, purposeful intention, and Light into the world.
We owe our physical life to the fact that God acted upon the chaos that existed in Genesis 1 and commanded Light to come forth. And we owe our spiritual life to the fact that God acts upon the chaos and darkness of our lives and commands His Light to come forth. The calling forth of Light out of Darkness is a spiritual principle that teaches us the ways of God. See how He sets aside Darkness with only a single command: “Let there be Light.” It is even more simple in the Hebrew: “Light: BE!” And so it was.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
September 3
He Must, Therefore He Is
“It pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.”
COLOSSIANS 1:19
He must increase; therefore, He will increase, and He is increasing. It must be so, therefore it is so. It is so simple. He must increase. Why? Because God has ordained that Christ must have the preeminence in all things. He clearly does not have that preeminence in all things now; and so, He must increase until He does have the preeminence in all things.
This is a Universal Spiritual Principle because it is at work right now. Whether you believe it or not, whether you understand it or not, whether you like it or not; the Bible says it must be, and so it is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
September 1
The Secret of Victory
“I am the light of the world.”
JOHN 8:12
Many people write to me and ask how to deal with this thing or that, how to get the victory here or there. May I say that it does not matter what your need is, or what your problem is, the Answer is the same. Victory is a Man, not an experience. If you must fail a hundred, a thousand, or a million times in order to learn that lesson then it is worth it.
It does not matter whether you understand it, agree with it, believe it, or see it yet. Indeed, everything else seems to say the opposite. But you will see, just as I have seen, that Victory, Grace, Strength, Peace, Love, Light, and Life are not “things,” they are Christ, and having the Man, you have everything the Man is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
The Secret of Victory
“I am the light of the world.”
JOHN 8:12
Many people write to me and ask how to deal with this thing or that, how to get the victory here or there. May I say that it does not matter what your need is, or what your problem is, the Answer is the same. Victory is a Man, not an experience. If you must fail a hundred, a thousand, or a million times in order to learn that lesson then it is worth it.
It does not matter whether you understand it, agree with it, believe it, or see it yet. Indeed, everything else seems to say the opposite. But you will see, just as I have seen, that Victory, Grace, Strength, Peace, Love, Light, and Life are not “things,” they are Christ, and having the Man, you have everything the Man is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
Hey Elaine,
I once flew to Florida with a man who owned an expensive
twin-engine turbo-prop airplane.
We had to make a stop somewhere to spend the night so he
could get “a little maintenance” done on his plane.
The next morning, when the maintenance crew was finished, he
wrote them a check for $15,000 and we took off again.
At first, I thought, “Wow, I can think of better ways to
spend $15,000! That costs too much!”
Then I thought…
“What would it cost if the plane crashed because he couldn’t
(or wouldn’t) maintain it properly?”
The price of maintenance is miniscule compared to the price
of loss.
And you know what?
A day is coming when the spiritual lives of millions of people
will crash and burn because they have failed to maintain their relationship
with God.
They aren’t in the Word.
They aren’t in prayer.
They aren’t walking in Love, Light, and Life.
They just kind of hum along and don’t think of their
relationship with God as something that has to be MAINTAINED (same as any other
relationship).
Some of them think they don’t have to do anything since
Jesus did it all – they can just be a lazy little branch hanging on to the
Vine, sucking the life out of it, never producing fruit, and they call that “abiding
in the Vine.”
Actually, that’s not a real branch – that’s a WEED.
Weeds take, take, and take and never produce or give
anything in return.
Eventually they will choke the whole Vine.
So “Jesus could not do many mighty works among them because
of their unbelief.”
Because of the WEEDS who keep saying, “Lord, Lord!” but don’t
DO what He says to do.
God’s going to do some pruning.
Are you ready?
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
P.S. It’s easy to make a fresh start with God. This article will help:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/make-a-fresh-start-with-god.html
PO Box 1007
Wake Forest NC 27588
USA
August 30
Not of This World
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
JOHN 17:14
When we are called to put on the New Man we are challenged with something radical, something which by reason of Who He is must result in an upsetting of the natural, earthly order of things. It is a major upheaval. Why? Because this New Man is Totally Other. This New Man is of Heaven. This New Man is Spirit. This New Man is foreign from this world.
And when we put on THIS New Man, we are going to be at once set apart from the world and earmarked for something larger than we can fathom with our mind, something apart from flesh and blood, something we call “Spirit and Life.”
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
August 31
Count the Cost
“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
MATTHEW 10:38
It is unfortunate that after many years of service the Lord still has to call us back to the Cross, yet this is precisely where we should have begun. Although we ought to encourage people to come as they are and trust the Lord for salvation, we must also teach them that they must count the cost and take up the Cross: else they are not worthy of Jesus! God cannot fill us until He empties us. The Cross is where we are poured out that He may pour in.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
I once flew to Florida with a man who owned an expensive
twin-engine turbo-prop airplane.
We had to make a stop somewhere to spend the night so he
could get “a little maintenance” done on his plane.
The next morning, when the maintenance crew was finished, he
wrote them a check for $15,000 and we took off again.
At first, I thought, “Wow, I can think of better ways to
spend $15,000! That costs too much!”
Then I thought…
“What would it cost if the plane crashed because he couldn’t
(or wouldn’t) maintain it properly?”
The price of maintenance is miniscule compared to the price
of loss.
And you know what?
A day is coming when the spiritual lives of millions of people
will crash and burn because they have failed to maintain their relationship
with God.
They aren’t in the Word.
They aren’t in prayer.
They aren’t walking in Love, Light, and Life.
They just kind of hum along and don’t think of their
relationship with God as something that has to be MAINTAINED (same as any other
relationship).
Some of them think they don’t have to do anything since
Jesus did it all – they can just be a lazy little branch hanging on to the
Vine, sucking the life out of it, never producing fruit, and they call that “abiding
in the Vine.”
Actually, that’s not a real branch – that’s a WEED.
Weeds take, take, and take and never produce or give
anything in return.
Eventually they will choke the whole Vine.
So “Jesus could not do many mighty works among them because
of their unbelief.”
Because of the WEEDS who keep saying, “Lord, Lord!” but don’t
DO what He says to do.
God’s going to do some pruning.
Are you ready?
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
P.S. It’s easy to make a fresh start with God. This article will help:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/make-a-fresh-start-with-god.html
PO Box 1007
Wake Forest NC 27588
USA
August 30
Not of This World
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
JOHN 17:14
When we are called to put on the New Man we are challenged with something radical, something which by reason of Who He is must result in an upsetting of the natural, earthly order of things. It is a major upheaval. Why? Because this New Man is Totally Other. This New Man is of Heaven. This New Man is Spirit. This New Man is foreign from this world.
And when we put on THIS New Man, we are going to be at once set apart from the world and earmarked for something larger than we can fathom with our mind, something apart from flesh and blood, something we call “Spirit and Life.”
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
August 31
Count the Cost
“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
MATTHEW 10:38
It is unfortunate that after many years of service the Lord still has to call us back to the Cross, yet this is precisely where we should have begun. Although we ought to encourage people to come as they are and trust the Lord for salvation, we must also teach them that they must count the cost and take up the Cross: else they are not worthy of Jesus! God cannot fill us until He empties us. The Cross is where we are poured out that He may pour in.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 29
He Leads Me
“When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and Another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
JOHN 21:18 ESV
One characteristic of young disciples is their ability to dress and lead themselves. They find it very easy to go out and to come in. They are zealous and full of good works.
We are not suggesting that this is necessarily wrong, but we are suggesting that this is only the beginning stage of spiritual growth. The real question is not what need do I want to fill, or where do I want to go, or what do I want to say, or what do I want to do. The question is: what glorifies the Lord? Whenever “I” do something I consider spiritual and good, it is, nevertheless, “me” who does it.
Often we do what glorifies us – the Lord and His Need are seldom considered. But when we ask what glorifies the Lord, we see (in this passage at least) that the Lord is glorified when He is able to dress us and lead us where HE wants us to go – with no interference from Self.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
He Leads Me
“When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and Another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
JOHN 21:18 ESV
One characteristic of young disciples is their ability to dress and lead themselves. They find it very easy to go out and to come in. They are zealous and full of good works.
We are not suggesting that this is necessarily wrong, but we are suggesting that this is only the beginning stage of spiritual growth. The real question is not what need do I want to fill, or where do I want to go, or what do I want to say, or what do I want to do. The question is: what glorifies the Lord? Whenever “I” do something I consider spiritual and good, it is, nevertheless, “me” who does it.
Often we do what glorifies us – the Lord and His Need are seldom considered. But when we ask what glorifies the Lord, we see (in this passage at least) that the Lord is glorified when He is able to dress us and lead us where HE wants us to go – with no interference from Self.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 28
Receiving Him
"My God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
PHILIPPIANS 4:19
We need more than a touch from God; we must have God Himself. There is an ocean of difference between receiving the blessing and receiving the One Who blesses; between getting a touch and receiving the One Who touches; between healing and the Healer; between redemption and Redeemer; between salvation and Savior. The former deals with what God has or can do, while the latter deals with God Himself.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Receiving Him
"My God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
PHILIPPIANS 4:19
We need more than a touch from God; we must have God Himself. There is an ocean of difference between receiving the blessing and receiving the One Who blesses; between getting a touch and receiving the One Who touches; between healing and the Healer; between redemption and Redeemer; between salvation and Savior. The former deals with what God has or can do, while the latter deals with God Himself.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 27
God's Power Revealed
“The message of the cross... to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18
It does not matter what your situation is; the Cross is sufficient. If the Cross is the power of God for salvation, then the Cross is also the power of God for your relationships, your spiritual growth and development, your life’s purpose, your encouragement and strength, and your victory over everything which hinders and distracts and comes against you. At one time in your life you learned you could not save yourself – that was the work of the Cross.
Now, accept the work of the Cross and learn that just as you could not save yourself, neither can you love God, love your neighbor, forgive those who have sinned against you, cast out devils, be a bold witness for Christ, or fulfill your destiny in your own strength. Just as you once relied upon Christ to save you, so now you must rely upon Christ to live through you every day. Just as you continually rely upon Christ for salvation, so you must continually rely upon Christ for everything else.
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
God's Power Revealed
“The message of the cross... to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18
It does not matter what your situation is; the Cross is sufficient. If the Cross is the power of God for salvation, then the Cross is also the power of God for your relationships, your spiritual growth and development, your life’s purpose, your encouragement and strength, and your victory over everything which hinders and distracts and comes against you. At one time in your life you learned you could not save yourself – that was the work of the Cross.
Now, accept the work of the Cross and learn that just as you could not save yourself, neither can you love God, love your neighbor, forgive those who have sinned against you, cast out devils, be a bold witness for Christ, or fulfill your destiny in your own strength. Just as you once relied upon Christ to save you, so now you must rely upon Christ to live through you every day. Just as you continually rely upon Christ for salvation, so you must continually rely upon Christ for everything else.
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 26
Who is the Elder?
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:12
An older person is not necessarily a spiritual elder. We do not look to the age of a person’s physical body when determining their spiritual maturity. Of course, we owe a certain amount of respect to the aged by virtue of their seniority; but they may not necessarily be our elder in the things of the Lord.
One can be older chronologically and be quite immature in spiritual matters. Likewise, a relatively young man or woman can have a deep relationship with the Lord and be light years ahead of those two or three times their age. A young man or woman who knows God is more elder than a senior citizen who does not know God. We cannot judge by the flesh, or we will be misled.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Who is the Elder?
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:12
An older person is not necessarily a spiritual elder. We do not look to the age of a person’s physical body when determining their spiritual maturity. Of course, we owe a certain amount of respect to the aged by virtue of their seniority; but they may not necessarily be our elder in the things of the Lord.
One can be older chronologically and be quite immature in spiritual matters. Likewise, a relatively young man or woman can have a deep relationship with the Lord and be light years ahead of those two or three times their age. A young man or woman who knows God is more elder than a senior citizen who does not know God. We cannot judge by the flesh, or we will be misled.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 25
Two Made One
“Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
1 CORINTHIANS 6:16,17
One theme that constantly appears in Scripture is the believer’s spiritual union with Christ. This joining together is perfectly pictured in the illustration of the Ekklesia as the Bride of Christ. When Paul wished to encourage the Corinthians to “flee fornication,” he made a similar analogy but from a very different perspective.
The physical joining together of man and woman, whether in marriage or outside of marriage, has the effect of making them one flesh. Spiritually speaking, the Bride of Christ is joined to the Lord and is now one spirit with Him. This is an admittedly difficult point to get across – even Paul said this is a great mystery, and you do not usually find him to be at a loss for words when it comes to explaining something.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Two Made One
“Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
1 CORINTHIANS 6:16,17
One theme that constantly appears in Scripture is the believer’s spiritual union with Christ. This joining together is perfectly pictured in the illustration of the Ekklesia as the Bride of Christ. When Paul wished to encourage the Corinthians to “flee fornication,” he made a similar analogy but from a very different perspective.
The physical joining together of man and woman, whether in marriage or outside of marriage, has the effect of making them one flesh. Spiritually speaking, the Bride of Christ is joined to the Lord and is now one spirit with Him. This is an admittedly difficult point to get across – even Paul said this is a great mystery, and you do not usually find him to be at a loss for words when it comes to explaining something.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 24
Will He Find Faith?
“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
LUKE 18:8
This is perhaps one of the most intriguing questions Jesus ever put forth – from a human perspective it almost sounds as if He wonders about it Himself. There is no doubt that He will perform what He has promised to us; but will we perform what we have promised to Him? Can we patiently wait for Him to fulfill His Word, no matter how long it takes?
Rest assured that, “Now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). Two thousand years after His promise we are even closer to its fulfillment.
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Will He Find Faith?
“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
LUKE 18:8
This is perhaps one of the most intriguing questions Jesus ever put forth – from a human perspective it almost sounds as if He wonders about it Himself. There is no doubt that He will perform what He has promised to us; but will we perform what we have promised to Him? Can we patiently wait for Him to fulfill His Word, no matter how long it takes?
Rest assured that, “Now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). Two thousand years after His promise we are even closer to its fulfillment.
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
Hey Elaine,
I was sitting on the front porch the other day, praying and pondering.
And the thought came to me:
"Why are Christians carnal?"
I mean, think about it...
Pretend like you're living in Israel during the period of time before Christ.
And you're thinking, "Wow, people around here are so carnal. We have the laws of God but we don't follow them. We know what to do but we don't do it."
This bothers you, so you go to the prophet Ezekiel and ask him.
"Why is it so hard to obey God? Why does He give us commandments that He knows we won't keep? It's all very frustrating."
Ezekiel nods his head knowingly.
Then he lays his hands on you and begins to prophesy:
"Hear what the Lord says: A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments, and do them."
And you're thinking, "Wow! That's the answer! If God can really change our hearts, and if He would really be willing to put His Spirit WITHIN us, then we would have the power of His Spirit to walk in victory and holiness!"
You eagerly wait for that day and you die waiting for it, because the promise is for a future time.
So fast forward a few centuries...
Jesus is born, lives, dies, and lives again.
The Holy Spirit is poured out on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, just as Ezekiel prophesied.
And wherever the word of Jesus is proclaimed, God confirms the message by pouring out His Spirit upon these believers.
Problem solved, right?
Everyone lives holy ever after, right?
Wrong.
Paul writes to the Spirit-filled believers in Corinth and says, "You've got the spiritual gifts, but you are STILL CARNAL... NATURAL... FLESHLY... EARTHLY."
Ouch.
What a disappointment.
I thought once God came to live INSIDE a person then they would be set for life!
What happened in Corinth?
What happened to us?
What happened to me?
Because I'm filled with the Spirit, like many of you.
And yet, I struggle with stupid stuff I shouldn't be struggling with, like many of you.
What's the problem?
Then I realized...
Being "filled" or "baptized" with the Holy Spirit is only the first part of a journey that takes us from immaturity to maturity.
It's not the top of the mountain, it's the beginning of a path up the mountain.
We don't go from carnal to spiritual in one fell swoop.
And if you thought "getting the Spirit" would suddenly transform you into Superman or Superwoman then you were misled.
In fact, I've identified seven Scriptural "stages" one passes through on this journey from being carnal to being spiritual.
You won't hear this being touch in "Spirit-filled" churches.
Most people get stuck at Stage Two, or they want to skip from Stage Two to Stage Five - and once they get to that point, they know it all and you can't teach them anything.
But this not only explains why the Corinthians could be Spirit-filled and still be carnal...
It also explains why this keeps happening today.
To me, to you.
And it will continued to stunt our growth if we don't understand what God is doing and start cooperating with Him.
This article explains it all:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/blog/his-government.html
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
August 23
His Yoke is Easy
“My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
MATTHEW 11:30
The Law of Life is more powerful and active than anything generated or maintained by self-effort. With self-effort I am always at the mercy of how I feel. If I feel spiritual then I can pray for hours at a time. But if I do not feel spiritual then I cannot even pray for five minutes.
This is why so many believers live their lives like a roller-coaster. They do not live according to principle, according to the Law of Life. Thinking it is up to them to become Christ-like, they turn an easy yoke and a light burden into a difficult yoke and a heavy burden – difficult and heavy for themselves, and for those who must live and work around them. The one who rests in Christ will produce more fruit than the one who strives with self-effort.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
PO Box 1007
Wake Forest NC 27588
USA
I was sitting on the front porch the other day, praying and pondering.
And the thought came to me:
"Why are Christians carnal?"
I mean, think about it...
Pretend like you're living in Israel during the period of time before Christ.
And you're thinking, "Wow, people around here are so carnal. We have the laws of God but we don't follow them. We know what to do but we don't do it."
This bothers you, so you go to the prophet Ezekiel and ask him.
"Why is it so hard to obey God? Why does He give us commandments that He knows we won't keep? It's all very frustrating."
Ezekiel nods his head knowingly.
Then he lays his hands on you and begins to prophesy:
"Hear what the Lord says: A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments, and do them."
And you're thinking, "Wow! That's the answer! If God can really change our hearts, and if He would really be willing to put His Spirit WITHIN us, then we would have the power of His Spirit to walk in victory and holiness!"
You eagerly wait for that day and you die waiting for it, because the promise is for a future time.
So fast forward a few centuries...
Jesus is born, lives, dies, and lives again.
The Holy Spirit is poured out on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, just as Ezekiel prophesied.
And wherever the word of Jesus is proclaimed, God confirms the message by pouring out His Spirit upon these believers.
Problem solved, right?
Everyone lives holy ever after, right?
Wrong.
Paul writes to the Spirit-filled believers in Corinth and says, "You've got the spiritual gifts, but you are STILL CARNAL... NATURAL... FLESHLY... EARTHLY."
Ouch.
What a disappointment.
I thought once God came to live INSIDE a person then they would be set for life!
What happened in Corinth?
What happened to us?
What happened to me?
Because I'm filled with the Spirit, like many of you.
And yet, I struggle with stupid stuff I shouldn't be struggling with, like many of you.
What's the problem?
Then I realized...
Being "filled" or "baptized" with the Holy Spirit is only the first part of a journey that takes us from immaturity to maturity.
It's not the top of the mountain, it's the beginning of a path up the mountain.
We don't go from carnal to spiritual in one fell swoop.
And if you thought "getting the Spirit" would suddenly transform you into Superman or Superwoman then you were misled.
In fact, I've identified seven Scriptural "stages" one passes through on this journey from being carnal to being spiritual.
You won't hear this being touch in "Spirit-filled" churches.
Most people get stuck at Stage Two, or they want to skip from Stage Two to Stage Five - and once they get to that point, they know it all and you can't teach them anything.
But this not only explains why the Corinthians could be Spirit-filled and still be carnal...
It also explains why this keeps happening today.
To me, to you.
And it will continued to stunt our growth if we don't understand what God is doing and start cooperating with Him.
This article explains it all:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/blog/his-government.html
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
August 23
His Yoke is Easy
“My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
MATTHEW 11:30
The Law of Life is more powerful and active than anything generated or maintained by self-effort. With self-effort I am always at the mercy of how I feel. If I feel spiritual then I can pray for hours at a time. But if I do not feel spiritual then I cannot even pray for five minutes.
This is why so many believers live their lives like a roller-coaster. They do not live according to principle, according to the Law of Life. Thinking it is up to them to become Christ-like, they turn an easy yoke and a light burden into a difficult yoke and a heavy burden – difficult and heavy for themselves, and for those who must live and work around them. The one who rests in Christ will produce more fruit than the one who strives with self-effort.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
PO Box 1007
Wake Forest NC 27588
USA
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 22
An Anointed Head
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”
PSALM 23:1,5
An anointed head and a cup that runs over – this is the hallmark of the Christian. An anointed head exudes a heavenly fragrance that sets us apart from the world, even though we walk about in it daily. It is bearing the Testimony of Jesus that witnesses of a heavenly reality that is quite distinct from the earthly fact. The cup that runs over means we have an ample supply of the Life of the Lord. If we can contain ourselves then we have yet to touch the Lord. For once we have indeed touched the Lord we will overflow. We will not be able to contain Him.
All who walk with the Shepherd should experience Infinite Supply: a never-ending flow of the Life, Light, and Love of the Lord Jesus Himself. This is the normal Christian life, and it is God’s provision for every disciple.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
An Anointed Head
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”
PSALM 23:1,5
An anointed head and a cup that runs over – this is the hallmark of the Christian. An anointed head exudes a heavenly fragrance that sets us apart from the world, even though we walk about in it daily. It is bearing the Testimony of Jesus that witnesses of a heavenly reality that is quite distinct from the earthly fact. The cup that runs over means we have an ample supply of the Life of the Lord. If we can contain ourselves then we have yet to touch the Lord. For once we have indeed touched the Lord we will overflow. We will not be able to contain Him.
All who walk with the Shepherd should experience Infinite Supply: a never-ending flow of the Life, Light, and Love of the Lord Jesus Himself. This is the normal Christian life, and it is God’s provision for every disciple.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 21
No Going Back
“If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
GALATIANS 5:18,25
In the wilderness you don’t follow your feelings. It says the children of Israel were led by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved then they moved. When the cloud stayed still then they stayed still. I mean it’s really as simple as that.
Walk in the Spirit. If you begin to be led by your feelings then you’ll make the wrong decision every time. Most of the time, the right decision doesn’t feel good. Doing the right thing is usually difficult. The easiest thing to do is to quit, to give up, to go back to Egypt. But I’m telling you, get to the place where going back is no longer an option – then going back is no longer a temptation.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
No Going Back
“If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
GALATIANS 5:18,25
In the wilderness you don’t follow your feelings. It says the children of Israel were led by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved then they moved. When the cloud stayed still then they stayed still. I mean it’s really as simple as that.
Walk in the Spirit. If you begin to be led by your feelings then you’ll make the wrong decision every time. Most of the time, the right decision doesn’t feel good. Doing the right thing is usually difficult. The easiest thing to do is to quit, to give up, to go back to Egypt. But I’m telling you, get to the place where going back is no longer an option – then going back is no longer a temptation.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 20
Comprehending Christ
“Be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height.”
EPHESIANS 3:16-18
We have to come to know the breadth, length, depth, and height of HIM, and may I say that we will never come to the end of Him. But we do not search for anything as if we do not have it, nor do we hope to gain some new thing, for what we call “new” is simply that which has been seen for the first time. Thus, revelation is critical, for it unveils what we already have. Having the Son, we have All.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Comprehending Christ
“Be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height.”
EPHESIANS 3:16-18
We have to come to know the breadth, length, depth, and height of HIM, and may I say that we will never come to the end of Him. But we do not search for anything as if we do not have it, nor do we hope to gain some new thing, for what we call “new” is simply that which has been seen for the first time. Thus, revelation is critical, for it unveils what we already have. Having the Son, we have All.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 19
Laboring Christ's Strength
“To this end I also labor, striving according
to His working which works in me mightily.”
COLOSSIANS 1:29
The one who rests in Christ will produce more fruit than the one who strives with self-effort. This is demonstrated in Scripture and in the real-life experience of countless saints.
There is no question that Paul worked, labored, and toiled. But the difference with Paul is he knew that he was laboring according to Christ working in him. Was Paul lazy? By contrast, he was more fruitful than ever. The end result is his statement, “I labored more abundantly than them all,” quickly qualified with, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). The “I can do all things” must always be followed with “through Christ Who strengthens me.” If we trust in the Life we will be anything but passive.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Laboring Christ's Strength
“To this end I also labor, striving according
to His working which works in me mightily.”
COLOSSIANS 1:29
The one who rests in Christ will produce more fruit than the one who strives with self-effort. This is demonstrated in Scripture and in the real-life experience of countless saints.
There is no question that Paul worked, labored, and toiled. But the difference with Paul is he knew that he was laboring according to Christ working in him. Was Paul lazy? By contrast, he was more fruitful than ever. The end result is his statement, “I labored more abundantly than them all,” quickly qualified with, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). The “I can do all things” must always be followed with “through Christ Who strengthens me.” If we trust in the Life we will be anything but passive.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 18
Nothing Impossible With God
“The things which are impossible
with men are possible with God.”
LUKE 18:27
Once God has determined to do something, is there anything, or anyone, that can resist Him? Is man more powerful than God, or does it only seem that way sometimes? It does appear that God, in His infinite wisdom and loving-kindness and patience, chooses to delay the fulfillment of His Will. Man can try to withstand it, the devil can rebel against it, and by collaborating with man can even appear to hinder and prevent it temporarily – but in the end, God will have His Will.
Let no one mistake God’s longsuffering for any inability to bring about His desire and accomplish His Purpose. His plan is unavoidable and irresistible.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Nothing Impossible With God
“The things which are impossible
with men are possible with God.”
LUKE 18:27
Once God has determined to do something, is there anything, or anyone, that can resist Him? Is man more powerful than God, or does it only seem that way sometimes? It does appear that God, in His infinite wisdom and loving-kindness and patience, chooses to delay the fulfillment of His Will. Man can try to withstand it, the devil can rebel against it, and by collaborating with man can even appear to hinder and prevent it temporarily – but in the end, God will have His Will.
Let no one mistake God’s longsuffering for any inability to bring about His desire and accomplish His Purpose. His plan is unavoidable and irresistible.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 17
Spiritual Growth Defined
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
JOHN 3:30
A disciple of the Lord Jesus is someone who enters the narrow gate and walks the narrow path until they come to the end of the narrow path and are left with nothing but Christ. As you can see, this is a very, very narrow way, which is why few find it, and fewer still remain on it once they find it. Nothing of self can be retained. All of self must be lost in order to gain Christ.
As we walk the narrow way we are being changed from glory to glory. Today we should reflect a little more of the glory of God than yesterday; tomorrow we will reflect yet more than we did today. This is growth. Growth is not more knowledge or increase of years: it is simply more of Him and less of me. He increases as I decrease. This is what it means to be a disciple.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Spiritual Growth Defined
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
JOHN 3:30
A disciple of the Lord Jesus is someone who enters the narrow gate and walks the narrow path until they come to the end of the narrow path and are left with nothing but Christ. As you can see, this is a very, very narrow way, which is why few find it, and fewer still remain on it once they find it. Nothing of self can be retained. All of self must be lost in order to gain Christ.
As we walk the narrow way we are being changed from glory to glory. Today we should reflect a little more of the glory of God than yesterday; tomorrow we will reflect yet more than we did today. This is growth. Growth is not more knowledge or increase of years: it is simply more of Him and less of me. He increases as I decrease. This is what it means to be a disciple.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 16
Slow Down
“We wanted to come to you—even I, Paul,
time and again—but Satan hindered us.”
1 THESSALONIANS 2:18
If we will wait patiently before the Lord then He will make us know His will. Almost any mistake can be rectified except presumption and rashness. The flesh is always in a hurry, so we should begin to equate “getting in a hurry” with “getting in the flesh.” Out of one thousand presumptuous acts, nine hundred and ninety-nine of them are flesh.
We want instant relief, instant answers, and instant results, but God wants us to slow down, remain calm, be still, and know that He is God. He wants us to apprehend His Mind, wait for His Spirit, and become acquainted with His ways.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Slow Down
“We wanted to come to you—even I, Paul,
time and again—but Satan hindered us.”
1 THESSALONIANS 2:18
If we will wait patiently before the Lord then He will make us know His will. Almost any mistake can be rectified except presumption and rashness. The flesh is always in a hurry, so we should begin to equate “getting in a hurry” with “getting in the flesh.” Out of one thousand presumptuous acts, nine hundred and ninety-nine of them are flesh.
We want instant relief, instant answers, and instant results, but God wants us to slow down, remain calm, be still, and know that He is God. He wants us to apprehend His Mind, wait for His Spirit, and become acquainted with His ways.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 15
Wanted: More Disciples
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.”
MATTHEW 10:24
Jesus said go into all the world and make disciples. It is not that ministers and workers are unimportant; indeed they are. But what is the priority? Can a man or a woman truly be a minister or worker on behalf of the Kingdom if they are not a disciple first? Of course not. They can minister and work themselves to death and still be in the flesh, doing many mighty works in the name of Jesus and not know Him at all.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Wanted: More Disciples
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.”
MATTHEW 10:24
Jesus said go into all the world and make disciples. It is not that ministers and workers are unimportant; indeed they are. But what is the priority? Can a man or a woman truly be a minister or worker on behalf of the Kingdom if they are not a disciple first? Of course not. They can minister and work themselves to death and still be in the flesh, doing many mighty works in the name of Jesus and not know Him at all.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 14
The Spirit Points to Christ
“He will guide you into all truth.”
JOHN 16:13
Since Jesus is the Truth, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth by increasing Christ. The Scriptures that tell us about Jesus are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The ability to understand those Scriptures is given by the Holy Spirit. The fruit that comes from abiding in Jesus is the result of the Holy Spirit.
If you learn anything concerning Jesus and His Irresistible Kingdom by reading this book it will not be because of me. My ability to write is a gift of the Holy Spirit so that Christ will be increased; likewise, your ability to read and comprehend what is written is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And when I stop writing, and you stop reading, and we go forth to put into practice what we have learned, we will do so by, through, and because of the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father has given, to lead us and guide us deeper into Christ.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
The Spirit Points to Christ
“He will guide you into all truth.”
JOHN 16:13
Since Jesus is the Truth, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth by increasing Christ. The Scriptures that tell us about Jesus are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The ability to understand those Scriptures is given by the Holy Spirit. The fruit that comes from abiding in Jesus is the result of the Holy Spirit.
If you learn anything concerning Jesus and His Irresistible Kingdom by reading this book it will not be because of me. My ability to write is a gift of the Holy Spirit so that Christ will be increased; likewise, your ability to read and comprehend what is written is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And when I stop writing, and you stop reading, and we go forth to put into practice what we have learned, we will do so by, through, and because of the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father has given, to lead us and guide us deeper into Christ.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 13
Challenging the Lie
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
1 JOHN 1:6
Overcomers are learning to bridge the gap between what they SAY they believe and how they really LIVE. The one that overcomes is constantly challenging the lie of the enemy and demonstrating the preeminence of Christ over all things. When every lie is destroyed then the dragon is defeated, for it cannot control what it cannot deceive.
Most of what we see and hear is an illusion. It is not the Truth, but a lie, a distortion. Our eyes and our ears cannot be trusted. We must have heavenly vision and heavenly hearing.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Challenging the Lie
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
1 JOHN 1:6
Overcomers are learning to bridge the gap between what they SAY they believe and how they really LIVE. The one that overcomes is constantly challenging the lie of the enemy and demonstrating the preeminence of Christ over all things. When every lie is destroyed then the dragon is defeated, for it cannot control what it cannot deceive.
Most of what we see and hear is an illusion. It is not the Truth, but a lie, a distortion. Our eyes and our ears cannot be trusted. We must have heavenly vision and heavenly hearing.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 12
Persecuted for Christ
“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
2 TIMOTHY 3:12 ESV
Persecution should come as no surprise to those who seek first the Kingdom of God, because that kind of singlehearted pursuit for things Above will only antagonize those earthly-minded folk who cannot comprehend that level of Righteousness where Jesus is really All and Everything.
Persecution for the sake of that all-encompassing Righteousness, that universal dominion of Christ on His Throne, is the best proof we could possibly give that we really are kings and priests. The depth of our sufferings reveals the depth of our relationship with God, and if our suffering is light then our relationship is certainly shallow. When we can take up the Cross daily and follow after Christ then the centurions of this world will be able to look at us and say, “Surely this person is a son or daughter of God. Not only do they represent Him with their life, they represent Him with their death.”
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Persecuted for Christ
“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
2 TIMOTHY 3:12 ESV
Persecution should come as no surprise to those who seek first the Kingdom of God, because that kind of singlehearted pursuit for things Above will only antagonize those earthly-minded folk who cannot comprehend that level of Righteousness where Jesus is really All and Everything.
Persecution for the sake of that all-encompassing Righteousness, that universal dominion of Christ on His Throne, is the best proof we could possibly give that we really are kings and priests. The depth of our sufferings reveals the depth of our relationship with God, and if our suffering is light then our relationship is certainly shallow. When we can take up the Cross daily and follow after Christ then the centurions of this world will be able to look at us and say, “Surely this person is a son or daughter of God. Not only do they represent Him with their life, they represent Him with their death.”
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 10
Prophetic Revelation of Christ
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”
-REVELATION 1:1
The Book of Revelation itself is not primarily the revelation of what the end of the world will be like (although we do learn that), but is the Revelation and Testimony of Jesus Christ. We are immediately confronted with a vision of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of the Ekklesia: it is quite different from the image of the suffering Messiah, despised and rejected of men. So, this is a further unveiling or revealing of the Lord Jesus and is genuinely prophetic.
The rest of the book, its symbols, and its meaning may be unclear, and we may disagree with the interpretations thereof, but the main gist of the book, the revealing of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, is beyond dispute.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
PO Box 552, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA
August 11
Blessed in the Breaking
“It came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
-LUKE 24:30,31
After Jesus blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Until you have the blessing and the breaking your eyes will remain closed. Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. Then what we already have in Him will be revealed. Our eyes will be opened and we will see that He has been standing there the whole time.
Do you want to know Him? Do you want to see Him for Who He is? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to have your eyes opened? Embrace the blessing AND the breaking; receive them both. If you are a bruised reed or a broken cistern, take heart, because you are making progress.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Prophetic Revelation of Christ
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”
-REVELATION 1:1
The Book of Revelation itself is not primarily the revelation of what the end of the world will be like (although we do learn that), but is the Revelation and Testimony of Jesus Christ. We are immediately confronted with a vision of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of the Ekklesia: it is quite different from the image of the suffering Messiah, despised and rejected of men. So, this is a further unveiling or revealing of the Lord Jesus and is genuinely prophetic.
The rest of the book, its symbols, and its meaning may be unclear, and we may disagree with the interpretations thereof, but the main gist of the book, the revealing of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, is beyond dispute.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
PO Box 552, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA
August 11
Blessed in the Breaking
“It came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
-LUKE 24:30,31
After Jesus blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Until you have the blessing and the breaking your eyes will remain closed. Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. Then what we already have in Him will be revealed. Our eyes will be opened and we will see that He has been standing there the whole time.
Do you want to know Him? Do you want to see Him for Who He is? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to have your eyes opened? Embrace the blessing AND the breaking; receive them both. If you are a bruised reed or a broken cistern, take heart, because you are making progress.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 8
Rich in Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
MATTHEW 5:7
God is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4). Entry into His Kingdom is established upon the principles of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. To live in His Kingdom is to experience the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God on a daily basis. The nature of the Kingdom reflects the character of its King. If this is so, how can we claim to be representatives of this Kingdom of Love and refuse to forgive as freely as we have been forgiven? If we have been forgiven by God then we have an obligation to forgive others – not for their sake, not for our sake, but for the sake of the Kingdom.
It would be inconceivable to claim to be a king and priest of a Kingdom based on forgiveness of sins and, at the same time, allow unforgiveness and bitterness to remain in our personal life. It will be difficult for people to believe God can forgive them if His own people are unable or unwilling to forgive one another.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
August 9
All Things Under Him
“He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him.”
-HEBREWS 2:8
Even though Jesus is Lord, not everyone recognizes that, appreciates it, or acknowledges it. Our adversary the devil still walks around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). That there exists some spiritual force that continues in active resistance to Christ is proof enough that we do not yet see all things put under Him.
We also note the presence of sin, poverty, disease, death, and evil as being very much a part of the world in which we live. So there is still much to be done in terms of putting all things beneath Him. But the presence of the word “yet” should inspire us and fill us with hope! Although we do not yet see all things put under Him, the word “yet” implies that eventually we will see all things put under Him. That is to say, in due course, God’s Purpose will be fulfilled, and we will see all things put under Him – even though we do not “yet” see it.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
.
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Rich in Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
MATTHEW 5:7
God is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4). Entry into His Kingdom is established upon the principles of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. To live in His Kingdom is to experience the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God on a daily basis. The nature of the Kingdom reflects the character of its King. If this is so, how can we claim to be representatives of this Kingdom of Love and refuse to forgive as freely as we have been forgiven? If we have been forgiven by God then we have an obligation to forgive others – not for their sake, not for our sake, but for the sake of the Kingdom.
It would be inconceivable to claim to be a king and priest of a Kingdom based on forgiveness of sins and, at the same time, allow unforgiveness and bitterness to remain in our personal life. It will be difficult for people to believe God can forgive them if His own people are unable or unwilling to forgive one another.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
August 9
All Things Under Him
“He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him.”
-HEBREWS 2:8
Even though Jesus is Lord, not everyone recognizes that, appreciates it, or acknowledges it. Our adversary the devil still walks around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). That there exists some spiritual force that continues in active resistance to Christ is proof enough that we do not yet see all things put under Him.
We also note the presence of sin, poverty, disease, death, and evil as being very much a part of the world in which we live. So there is still much to be done in terms of putting all things beneath Him. But the presence of the word “yet” should inspire us and fill us with hope! Although we do not yet see all things put under Him, the word “yet” implies that eventually we will see all things put under Him. That is to say, in due course, God’s Purpose will be fulfilled, and we will see all things put under Him – even though we do not “yet” see it.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
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©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 5
Prevailing Prayer
“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.”
-DANIEL 10:12
Daniel prevailed over Earth because he was of Heaven. Daniel prevailed over Darkness because he was of the Light. Daniel prevailed over Death because he had Life. Daniel was delivered from the lion’s den, and lived to continue his ministry of prayer. After such an ordeal we might expect him to go ahead and retire, to quietly settle down, and relax a little bit. Certainly he has earned a vacation. But shortly thereafter we find him battling in the spirit for twenty-one days while he waited for yet another answer to be delivered from Heaven. Can there be any doubt as to the outcome?
Daniel does not stop. This is what it means to overcome. You can never coast, you can never let down your guard, you can never just let things slide for a day or two. Overcoming is not a once in awhile thing, it is an all-the-time thing. Settle that within yourself right now.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Prevailing Prayer
“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.”
-DANIEL 10:12
Daniel prevailed over Earth because he was of Heaven. Daniel prevailed over Darkness because he was of the Light. Daniel prevailed over Death because he had Life. Daniel was delivered from the lion’s den, and lived to continue his ministry of prayer. After such an ordeal we might expect him to go ahead and retire, to quietly settle down, and relax a little bit. Certainly he has earned a vacation. But shortly thereafter we find him battling in the spirit for twenty-one days while he waited for yet another answer to be delivered from Heaven. Can there be any doubt as to the outcome?
Daniel does not stop. This is what it means to overcome. You can never coast, you can never let down your guard, you can never just let things slide for a day or two. Overcoming is not a once in awhile thing, it is an all-the-time thing. Settle that within yourself right now.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Re: Meditation Chip Brogden
August 4
Seeing Victory in Advance
“Do not fear, for those who are with us
are more than those who are with them.”
2 KINGS 6:16
Elisha saw differently, and so he thought, spoke, and behaved differently. So often we try to adopt a certain way of thinking, speaking, and acting in hopes of becoming victorious. If this is your intention then you are already defeated. If victory lies in something you must do then you will never be able to do enough. “Acting spiritual” does not produce victory, for victory is not what I do or do not do: Victory is Christ.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2014 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
Seeing Victory in Advance
“Do not fear, for those who are with us
are more than those who are with them.”
2 KINGS 6:16
Elisha saw differently, and so he thought, spoke, and behaved differently. So often we try to adopt a certain way of thinking, speaking, and acting in hopes of becoming victorious. If this is your intention then you are already defeated. If victory lies in something you must do then you will never be able to do enough. “Acting spiritual” does not produce victory, for victory is not what I do or do not do: Victory is Christ.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
©1997-2014 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!
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