Meditation Chip Brogden

The Key to the Book of Revelation

by Chip Brogden

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17).
The very essence of the prophetic word revolves around the Testimony of Jesus. The grand finale of Scripture records a great battle between the Overcomers and the Spirit of Antichrist concerning the Testimony of Jesus.
What is the Testimony of Jesus? Why does the prophetic word revolve around this Testimony? Why does this Testimony attract so much rage, spiritual conflict and opposition?
John gives us a precise answer, but the key to the Book of Revelation is not found in the Book of Revelation itself, but in another of John's letters...
Click here to read the rest of this article:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/the-key-to-the-book-of-revelation.html


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January 12

What to Expect

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
MATTHEW 5:11

Expect misunderstanding. Expect persecution. Expect ridicule. Expect mistreatment. Expect suffering. Expect rejection. Then, you won’t be surprised when it comes. And when it comes, shut your mouth, go to the Cross, and die so you can live. Learn to kiss the hands that nail you to the Cross, for as you are decreased, He is increased.
It is not a better living we need, but a better dying. We cannot reach Pentecost but by way of Passover. There can be no resurrection without a crucifixion. There is no crown without a Cross. To live, is Christ: to die is gain.
Source: The Prophetic Mandate by Chip Brogden


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January 11
The Kingdom Gospel

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” 
MARK 16:15

From beginning to end, right up until His ascension, the passionate subject of Jesus Christ was the Kingdom of God. When Jesus finally did send them forth to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” this was not a strange new thing for which they were unprepared. They understood (better than ever before) what the Gospel was because Jesus had already given them their mission long before He sent them forth.
It was not just preaching something in a general sort of way and calling it the “Gospel.” It was a Kingdom Gospel: “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Source: The Irresistibe Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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January 10

True Bread

“My Father gives you the True Bread from Heaven.” 
JOHN 6:32

Why are we following the Lord? Is it for what He can do for us? Is it so we can enjoy His blessing? Is it because He supplies our needs? Do we want the gifts or the Gift? If our motivation is for blessings then we will soon be disappointed. Indeed, from this time forward, many of His disciples turned back and stopped following Him. How many of us will continue to follow when the Lord fails to respond to us in the way we have grown accustomed?
The Lord may provide you with bread for a season, but there is a difference between looking to the Lord for bread and looking to the Lord as bread. May God show us the difference. The Gift of God is not what Christ can do for you, but Who He Himself is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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Just found out that my best friend, Tom Jerris, here in the Rolla area passed away on 01-08-2014 at 10:00am. I am in shock & sorrow.
Keep his Mom and family who live in the Chicago area in your prayers.

I will not be send a devotional today. Will pick up again on Monday.


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- "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." John Stuart Mill, 1867
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 - "If the First Amendment fails, use the Second one."

January 9

He Chose You

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you.”
JOHN 15:16

It is not so much our seeking the Truth as the Truth drawing us to Himself. That drawing us to Himself is interpreted by our soul as spiritual hunger. Without this we cannot come to Truth.
Christ has come to seek and to save the Lost. He tells His disciples that they have not chosen Him, but He has chosen them. The ones who seek Him discover that they are sought out by Him. The paradox of the situation is that the Lord will only reveal Himself to those who seek Him, but when they begin to seek Him, He searches for them in order to make Himself known.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden


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He came to Jesus at night for a secret meeting.

Probably afraid of what others might think.

He even tried to smooth it over with a bit of flattery:

"Teacher, we know you have come from God... no man can do the
things you do..."

But Jesus stops him short with some mind-blowing spiritual truth.

The guy doesn't get it.

Funny thing is...

This secret meeting with Jesus was recorded.

So we have the whole conversation.

And I'm going to play it for you Thursday night.

Want it?  Go here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MayDZ&m=3Zn9TvrILQpjxNq&b=3EQTo8.9pB6nFiaxeoPwsQ
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MayDZ&m=3Zn9TvrILQpjxNq&b=OD9Dqgkt_n6r8baVB.MQaw

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January 7
Defeating Darkenss

“This is your hour, and the power of darkness.” 
LUKE 22:53

Despised and rejected of men, betrayed by Judas, forsaken by the disciples, condemned by the Jews and crucified by the Romans. You say what has happened to you is unfair? The crucifixion of Jesus was the most unfair event in human history. He allowed them “their hour.” Go ahead and take the greatest concentration of evil you can find, bring the full force of death and hell and satan against the Lord Jesus, let evil do all it can do. What is the end result? He is raised up triumphant over it all.
Jesus did not avoid death. Sometimes death is unavoidable. Sometimes darkness is unavoidable. Sometimes evil appears to have the advantage. But in death, in darkness, in the worst evil, Life and Light come forth and God is glorified. If not here where we can see it, then in the End, when all things are revealed, when He makes all things new and wipes away every tear from every eye.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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January 8
My Way, God's Way

“Not My will, but Yours, be done.”
LUKE 22:42

What does it cost to become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ? What does one have to give up? There is truly only one thing that must be given up. It is not, and it never has been, a question of giving up friends, family, material possessions, fame and fortune. You can give up all those things, just like the first disciples of the Lord, and still run away and deny Him.
Forget the outward things and go right to the heart of the matter. Only one thing is necessary, and if we give up this one thing we are qualified to be disciples of the Lord. What is the one thing? All we have to give up is OUR WAY.
There are two ways, one which seems right, and one which IS right. One is my way, the other is His way.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

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January 6
Power in the Cross

“Though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God.” 
2 CORINTHIANS 13:4

As we daily embrace the Cross we will discover that the truth of our freedom in Christ becomes more real to us than the sin that used to imprison us. We will learn that the Cross is not a mere theory, philosophy, or theological teaching; the Cross is a very real, practical, spiritual principle of Life overcoming Death, Light overcoming Darkness, and God’s Power being revealed in the midst of our weakness.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

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January 4

Vision of Victory

“To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables.” 
LUKE 8:10

The parables are not quaint little stories; they are prophetic declarations of spiritual truth, and they give us invaluable insight into this Irresistible Kingdom.
Concealing the truth within the context of a parable was necessary, Jesus said, because “To you [the disciples] it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the rest it is given in parables.”
Those who want to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom have to have a relationship with the King. The mysteries of the Kingdom are reserved, not for passive listeners, but for true followers: so “when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples” (Mark 4:34).
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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God's Saving Judgments: A Fresh Look

by Chip Brogden

We may have difficulty reconciling the image of a brokenhearted God Who wants to restore the nations with One Who sends a flood to destroy the earth and rains down fire on cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. How do we explain the many passages of Scripture which refer to God’s judgment on the nations and His wrath towards sinners? Does the Bible contradict itself, or have we simply failed to interpret it correctly?
Surely the problem is not in what the Word of God says but in what we think it says. We cannot appreciate or understand God’s judgments if we do not fully comprehend His purpose for judgment. Scripture shows that His judgments are meant to....
Click here to read the rest of this article:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/gods-saving-judgments-a-fresh-look.html

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January 4

Vision of Victory

“Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 
EPHESIANS 6:13

If we see the devil as defeated then we will not fight, we will stand. If we see ourselves as earthly then we will behave in an earthly manner: our words, our thoughts, our prayers, our deeds, our warfare will be carried out in an earthly manner. If we see ourselves seated with Christ in the heavenlies then we will behave in a heavenly manner, as a heavenly people, bringing the Mind and Will and Kingdom of God to bear upon that which is contrary to Christ on the earth.
How do we obtain heavenly vision? We must ask to see as He sees. We must pray that God will illuminate our heart. Our vision affects our actions.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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January 3
Why Do the Righteous Suffer?

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."
JOB 42:5

The testing of Job was a valid test, a crucial one, and a crucible through which each Christian will be purged, sifted, and tried. To what end? It is summed up in the words of Job himself as he neared the end of his ordeal: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees You.” BUT NOW! BUT NOW! BUT NOW! Before he heard about Him, but now he sees Him, and falls to the ground. Before he worshipped Him having heard, now he worships having seen, and known.
I believe that God set him up for such experiential knowledge by allowing him to be subjected to the assaults of the devil, the harshness of his environment, the misunderstanding of his friends, the loss of his family and material possessions, and his physical infirmity. I submit that if anyone desires to take up the Cross and follow Christ, such testing is the only realistic expectation His disciple can entertain.
Source: The Seed of Apostasy by Chip Brogden

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Take Up the Cross
“Come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 
MARK 10:21

What does it really mean to be crucified with Christ? Thankfully, God does not ask us to submit to physical crucifixion in order to prove that we are disciples of Jesus. When Jesus tells us to take up our Cross and follow Him, He is not telling us that we must pay the penalty for our sins. Thank God that Jesus has paid the penalty for us! Taking up the Cross, for us, is adopting a spiritual attitude of self-denial, of surrender, and of yielding all that we have and all that we are to God.
Although that aspect of the Cross occurs in us day by day and moment by moment, what Christ accomplished through His death on the Cross is finished, complete, and settled once and for all. This finished work of the Cross is the basis upon which we can take up the Cross daily and follow after Him.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

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January 1
An Irresistible Purpose

“According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 
EPHESIANS 3:11

When we really look at what the Bible says and grasp the implications of the Gospel according to Jesus then we soon discover that this Good News is better than we could have ever dared to hope. It is a story of recovering something that was once thought to be totally lost, redeeming something that was once thought to be absolutely hopeless. It is a story of God bringing something wonderfully good out of something terribly evil. It is a story of God bringing Life and Light out of so much death and darkness. It is a story of love, and the incredible lengths to which that Love will go to secure the object of its affection.
The Gospel is more, so much more, than how to avoid hell and go to heaven; it is the story of an Idea, a Purpose, an Intention, a Plan, which is working itself out in this universe even as you sit here reading these words.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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Meeting Together: What's Missing?

by Chip Brogden

I once met regularly with some people in a house church that had adopted the philosophy of “no leaders.” Everyone just came together once a week and talked about whatever occurred to them. Supposedly this was what it meant to be “led by the Spirit.”
After a few weeks of this I noticed that the Spirit always seemed to lead them to talk about sports, or wine, or the churches they came out of. Nothing of any spiritual consequence ever happened.
That all changed one evening when...
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December 30
The Authority of the Ekklesia

“As we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ.” 
ROMANS 12:4,5

There is tremendous authority in the Ekklesia, but it bears repeating: the greater the authority, the greater the responsibility. There is no such thing as authority in the Kingdom of God without responsibility. If God gives you authority to represent Him, there is a reason. Authority is not given to us so we can order people around and make them serve us. Authority is given so we may carry out our own responsibility. There is a task, a function, a mission, an assignment, given to every member of the Ekklesia. Since all the members share in the same authority, all the members share in the same responsibility – though not all share in the same function.
Just as different parts of the body have an equal responsibility to perform their specific function, so the many members of the Body of Christ have equal responsibility to function in the time, place, and manner which is given to them by the authority of the Head.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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December 31

Of Him, Through Him, To Him

“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.” 
ROMANS 11:36

In Romans 11:36 Paul sums up the preeminence of Christ into three expressions: “Of Him… through Him… to Him… are all things.”
“Of Him” says that everything which exists – things in heaven, things in earth, everything that was created, everything that has come into being, everything that will come into being – is created by, and because of, Christ. “Through Him” says that everything which lives, moves, breathes, operates, exists, or functions in this universe, whether animate or inanimate, whether biological, chemical, spiritual, natural, or cosmotological – does so through Christ, Who sovereignly upholds all these things, determines their place, and keeps them in order. “To Him” says that everything, no matter how far from God’s Thought it may be, no matter how chaotic things may appear, is being directed, summed up, and gathered together into Christ. As the Alpha, all things flow from Him; as the Omega, all things flow to Him.
That is quite a paragraph. A paragraph like that cannot be grasped in one reading. But that paragraph is, in essence, what Paul means, and what we mean, by Christ having the preeminence in all things. We are talking about Jesus as Lord over us individually, over the Ekklesia corporately, and over all creation collectively. We are talking about a preeminent Christ Who is exalted above every principality and power, rule and dominion; things visible, things invisible; things past, things present, things future; things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth: all things are of Him, all things are through Him, and all things are to Him. That is preeminence.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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I'd like to invite you to a wedding...

Jesus will be there with His disciples.

And He will do something miraculous and prophetic.

You don't want to miss it.

Go here to RSVP:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/webinar

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

FREE WEBINAR
"THE WEDDING IN CANA"
(John 2)
Join us for this FREE Online Teaching followed by an interactive Question & Answer Session.
Live Online Event
With Chip Brogden

January 02
Thursday, January 2
7:00pm - 8:30pm EST (New York)
4:00 pm - 5:30pm PST (Los Angeles)
(Friday) 11:00am - 12:30pm  AEDT (Sydney)
You will receive instructions for logging into the event when you register.
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December 29

When Temptation Fails

“The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” 
JOHN 14:30

The temptations of Christ were not random attempts to trick Him into making a mistake, but were part of a calculated effort to destroy or disqualify Him by any means necessary. From that time on the adversary determined that a direct assault against the Lord Jesus was a pointless waste of time. Why? Because He was so selfless!
You cannot tempt a man who seeks nothing for himself. He wanted nothing and desired nothing but what was given to Him from Above. With Jesus the only option was to destroy Him through the evil intentions of other people. Even in this the Lord Jesus merely passed through crowds who sought to stone Him. He was untouchable and unkillable. Eventually He submitted Himself to betrayal and crucifixion; but even in this He overcame death and rose up in victory. Never before or since has any man so thoroughly routed his enemy. The devil had finally met his match.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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December 28

The Irresistible Seed

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 
MARK 4:26-29

Once the seed is in the ground it just naturally comes forth the way God intended – but not immediately. First the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. Like everything else in God’s creation, it is progressive.
Likewise, we “do not know how” this Irresistible Kingdom continues to grow and develop, yet it persists in doing so. It really is irresistible. Eventually the harvest will come and we will see the end result. Only then will the magnitude of God’s infinite wisdom and the greatness of His Purpose be revealed in all its fullness.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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December 27

His Fullness

“Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” 
JOHN 1:16

Just how full is “full”? How many people does “all” include? We have to believe that full means complete, and all includes each one of us. “Of His fullness we have all received.” No one, no matter how “anointed” they may appear, has more fullness than anyone else. And if we have received it already then there is nothing for us to do to get it.
If I have already entered into a room and sat down in a chair then there is no need for me to try to get into the room anymore. I am there already. We entered into Christ when He entered into us: we do not have to enter into Him over and over again, we are merely abiding in Him.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden
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December 24

Everything for Him

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” 
REVELATION 4:11

All things were created by Him, and everything was created for Him. For Him! Why this earth, the moon, the stars, the galaxies? Why the animals, the birds, the fish, the insects? Why men and women, angels, cherubim, and seraphim? For Him! All for Him!
God’s original thought is for Christ to fill every created thing with His Life, Love, and Glory. A design implies a Designer, a plan implies a Planner, and a creation implies a Creator. We are not drifting along aimlessly, and we did not come into being by accident. We were created by Him, and we were created for Him. We were created to love Him, and to be loved by Him.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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December 26
How to Defeat Evil

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” 
ROMANS 7:15 ESV

We eventually discover, like Paul, that the real problem is not what we DO, but what we ARE. We can confess the same sins over and over again, or we can take up the Cross and die to them all. The first approach deals with sins committed, while the second approach deals with the sinner.
Which do you think is more effective? Well, if the one who sins is dead then the issue of continued sinning becomes irrelevant. Hating sin is good; hating Self is better, and far more effective. For the strength of Sin is Self. If you take the ax to the root of a bad tree, then it will stop producing bad fruit, and the issue is settled once and for all. If Self is denied then Sin becomes superfluous, and the problem of Evil is solved.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

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December 25
The Greatest Gift of All

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” 
ROMANS 8:32

When God wished to test Abraham, He did not ask him to sacrifice a sheep, a ram, or a cow. He did not ask for Abraham’s gold or silver or tents or possessions. He went right to the heart of the matter and asked for Isaac, the son of promise. How gladly Abraham would have given anything and everything but his own beloved son. But in the willingness to give up his son, he was, in essence, laying everything down on the altar. When God owns what the man loves most, He owns everything the man has.
In the same way, the Father, wishing to demonstrate His great love for us, has not given us parts and pieces of things, but has sacrificed His only Son. By giving us His Son, He has, in essence and in fact, freely given us everything. When man possesses what God loves most, he owns everything God has.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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Reckoning and Reality

by Chip Brogden

Some may say, “I don’t feel as though I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies. I do not have any sense of victory. I see what God’s Word says and I want to believe, but my experience contradicts what God says. So I do not know how to live this out in a practical way.”
There are many things to discover in Christ. In fact, to know Him is to know how little of Him we know. Spiritual growth and maturity is the natural result of discovering something new in Christ, reckoning it to be so, living as if it is so (despite all evidence to the contrary), and then seeing our faith rewarded with tangible evidence, spiritual fruit, and practical results.
There is a world of difference between reading about our victory in Christ and actually casting out devils. The space in between the spiritual truth and the practical expression of the truth is where we are growing, learning, and maturing. We will sometimes fail, make mistakes, and be sorely tempted to believe what we see and feel instead of what God says. But if we persevere, victory is inevitable. The Cross cannot fail...
Click here to read the rest of this article:

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December 23

Led by the Life

We are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” 
PHILIPPIANS 3:3

We too quickly put our confidence in flesh and blood. It is easier and speedier to have someone tell us, “Yes, you should do this” or “No, you should not do that.” The question is not should or should not; the question is, how is the Life instructing you? If we do not know what the Life is telling us, then we should be still and be quiet until we DO know.
But all too often we know well enough what we are to do, and we are looking for a way out of it; or we are trying to get confirmation from this thing or that thing before we will obey. This is why we have a hard time hearing to begin with. How many times does God have to repeat Himself? How many times does He have to confirm something before we will obey? It sounds spiritual and humble to question and wait, but if the Life has already instructed us then any delay on our part is really disobedience.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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THE WORD BECAME FLESH
PORTRAITS OF CHRIST John Chapter 1
Click Here to Register
https://convertegy.leadpages.net/soc-webinar-john-1/

A Free Live Webinar with Chip Brogden
Thursday, December 26, 2013
7:00 p.m. EST (New York Time Zone)
Hello Elaine!
Last week we introduced a chapter-by-chapter series of live teachings on the Gospel of John.
In Chapter 1 this week, we'll see where John declares that "the Word became flesh and lived among us."
Most of us automatically think of the birth of Jesus as the moment when the Word become a flesh.
That's certainly true; however...
John never mentions the birth of Jesus.
Seems like a missed opportunity.
I wonder why John didn't mention it?
Join us for this week's live teaching to learn more: 
http://theschoolofchrist.org/webinar
There is no charge to join the webinar, but your gift (of any amount) to support Christ-centered teaching is welcome.
Hope to "see" you Thursday!

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!

 
December 24

Everything for Him

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” 
REVELATION 4:11

All things were created by Him, and everything was created for Him. For Him! Why this earth, the moon, the stars, the galaxies? Why the animals, the birds, the fish, the insects? Why men and women, angels, cherubim, and seraphim? For Him! All for Him!
God’s original thought is for Christ to fill every created thing with His Life, Love, and Glory. A design implies a Designer, a plan implies a Planner, and a creation implies a Creator. We are not drifting along aimlessly, and we did not come into being by accident. We were created by Him, and we were created for Him. We were created to love Him, and to be loved by Him.
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!

December 21
Willing Vessels

“[Elisha] said, ‘Go, borrow... empty vessels...
then pour [oil] into all those vessels.’”
2 KINGS 4:3,4

There is no lack of supply with the Lord. There is only a lack of willing vessels. The oil kept flowing until there were no more vessels to fill. A willing vessel is both yielded and empty. A vessel which is unwilling to be used cannot receive of the Infinite Supply. And a vessel which is already full cannot receive. The Life of the Lord is always looking for expression through a willing vessel that is both yielded and empty.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

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December 22
Beyond "Born-Again"

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
JOHN 3:3,5

All of us are familiar with these verses, but we are not so familiar with what they actually mean. To state it simply, being born-again is not the goal, but the first step towards the goal: the goal is the Kingdom of God. We could state it like this: the narrow gate is not the goal, but it is the first thing we must pass through in order to enter the narrow path.
Our goal, and God’s goal, is not the gate, or we would not need a path. Though we begin our journey by entering the gate, the goal is at the end of the path, not at the beginning of the path.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

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December 20
No End of His Increasing

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants.”
REVELATION 1:1

May God give us the revelation of Christ! Oh God, give us that vision of Him! If we are illuminated to see Him then we cannot remain small any longer. He is God’s Answer for smallness.
This Testimony is a boundary-breaking thing, an overshadowing thing, an expansive and increasing thing: “Of the increase of His Government and peace THERE SHALL BE NO END” (Isaiah 9:7). Not only will there be no end of His Kingdom, but there will be no end of HIS INCREASING! Oh God, we cannot fathom that! We cannot comprehend that! It cannot be contained. We cannot take it and fit it into our program. We have to find a way to fit into IT, and not the other way around.
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!

December 18
The Spiritual Significance of Light

“The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
REVELATION 21:21

The spiritual governs the natural, while the natural helps us to interpret the spiritual. When God said, “Let there be light” He established the foundation of the spiritual and the natural world. In the natural world, according to what we can observe, light is increasing the size of our universe infinitely in every direction. But in the spiritual world, the True Light, Jesus Christ, is shining into spiritual darkness with an irresistible, unstoppable brightness.
When God said, “Let there be Light,” He was saying, “Let Christ be infinitely increased in all directions at once!” And it was so. He must increase, therefore He will increase, and He is increasing.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

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December 19

Protecting Your Valuables

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
COLOSSIANS 2:8

If by the end of today there is less of me and more of Jesus then I am growing. Otherwise I am not. Jesus must become greater and greater in my life, and I must become lesser and lesser. This is the Path. Along this Path towards apprehending Christ as All in all, there are many pitfalls, snares, hindrances, and detours.
Thus, Paul says we are to be on our guard and let no man cheat us. In this context, the word “cheat” means, “to destroy and strip of one’s possessions; to deprive of something valuable by force.” Each believer has an incredible fullness and completeness in the Person of Jesus Christ. Christ is THE Gift of God, the ultimate Gift, and this Gift is precious, valuable, and of great worth.
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!

December 17
Your Heart, His Bethany

“Being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.”
MARK 14:3

Perhaps you are in a lonely place because the Lord desires to use you to establish a place in the wilderness for Him. If the Lord has impressed His Need for such a place on your heart, then declare your heart a “Bethany” place and take this up between yourself and the Lord. Give the Lord some ground to build upon. Give Him His place. Do not look for multitudes of people. It is better to have one, two, or three gathered together as the Lord’s Bethany than to have hundreds or thousands of people gathered together as something other than Bethany.
Is there anyone in all the world who can truly meet for the purpose of ministering to the Lord and “waste” themselves in worship, giving no thought to their own need, but laying down their lives wholly for the Lord’s satisfaction?
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden

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Click Here to Register
A Free Live Webinar with Chip Brogden
Thursday, December 19, 2013
7:00 p.m. EST (New York Time Zone)
Hello Elaine!
As the new year approaches, I find myself wanting to get back to basics...
Back to the simplicity of Christ...
And if that's where you want to be then I've got some good news for you.
This week we're beginning a new series of live teachings that will takes us through the simplest yet most profound book of the Bible - the Gospel of John.
Each week we'll look at a new chapter and discover a new "portrait of Christ" - a revelation of Who He Really Is, through the eyewitness account of one of the men who knew Him best.
Join us this week as we begin this deep, deep dive into the depths of Jesus!
Go here to register:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/webinar
The webinar is free, but your gift (of any amount) helps pay our webinar bill.
Hope to "see" you Thursday!

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
P.S. We switched our webinar service back to GoToWebinar because they offered to up our capacity from 100 attendees to 1,000 attendees! I hope this "leap of faith" illustrates how serious we are about making Christ-centered teaching available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Thank you for your support - which makes it all possible!
Go here to register:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/webinar

©1997-2013 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!

December 16
All Things Working for Good

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.”
GENESIS 50:20

And that is the work of the Cross: to be able to see that God is working all things together for good. Even the things that we would not choose! Even the things that we do not like to go through! Even the things that we do not want to experience! Even the evil things that other people do to us! All of these things God can use for our good if we will embrace them and accept them and understand the reason why God permits them to come to us.
Everything we experience: whether it is evil or whether it is good; whether it is something we have not chosen or something that we have chosen; whether it is something we like or something we do not like; all things are working together to increase Christ and decrease us. That is the principle that we see in the life of Joseph.
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!