By Gobel Brockman
There's an incredible story in the Old Testament book of Judges about a man named Gideon. He was directed by God to attack the Midianites, who were oppressing the people of Israel. For the sake of time I need to jump to the end of the story. (The whole story of Gideon is found in Judges 6–8; I encourage you to read it.)
At the outset there were several thousand men marching with Gideon. However, God whittled his army down to 300 men, for God told Gideon that when the victory was won, He wanted all of the glory. When his army was down to 300 soldiers, Gideon broke them up into three groups and gave each soldier three things: a shofar (a ram's horn used as a trumpet), an empty vessel, and a torch to place inside the vessel. He gave the command to the other two groups that when he and the men that were with him sounded their shofars and broke their vessels that they were to do likewise. When the vessels were shattered, the lights inside could be seen. The Bible says they then all shouted, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" At that point the Midianites went into confusion, began attacking each other, and tried to flee. The Lord won the battle for Israel that day.
There are many lessons to be learned in this story, but this week I want to focus on just one: the light in their vessels couldn't be seen until the vessels were broken. In II Corinthians 4:7 Paul said that "we carry this treasure in earthen vessels." In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, "Men do not light a lamp and place it under a basket, but instead they place it on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house." Here's my point:
The light of Gideon's army could not be seen until the vessels were broken. The light of Christ won't be seen in us until we are broken as well.
What do I mean by that? First, let me say what I don't mean: being "broken before the Lord" does not mean that we think of ourselves as scum, trash, and people that God tolerates – and probably wishes He didn't have to. No, I Peter 2:9 says that He has made us "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." John 3:16 does not say "For God so tolerated the world..." it says that He "loved the world." That's right – God loves YOU.
So what does being "broken before the Lord" mean? I think Paul summed it up in Romans 7:18 when he said, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there lies no good thing." It simply means that we recognize and acknowledge that we do not have the power within ourselves to set a captive free, heal a sick body, or shine light into the darkness. If I didn't have the power to save myself, I certainly don't have it to save anyone else. But if we are born again and filled with the Spirit of God, there is a light within us. Being broken before the Lord simply means that we get ourselves – our thoughts, our opinions, and our efforts – out of the way, and allow the Holy Spirit to move through us so that people can see the light of Christ in us.
It's rather obvious that we are in a world that is filled with darkness. People are helpless and hopeless. Crime rates are rising while hope is dissipating. It is time for the church to rise up in holiness and purity and allow the light of Christ to shine through us. For that to happen, we must remain humble before the Lord and realize that any good accomplished through us is simply "Christ in us, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27) When we start thinking that we have it all together and figured out, what we're actually doing is trying to put pieces of that broken vessel back together. The more we do that, the more people will see us again instead of Christ.
No good can come from that.
There's only one Light that will pierce this world's darkness. May our vessels always be broken, and may the light of Christ always shine through our brokenness.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Saturday, June 17, 2017
It's the Least I Could Do
By Gobel Brockman
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. A lot happened that day, but with a news event like that sometimes the personal element is lost in the chaos. Yes, a nation lost its leader and the world now faced an uncertain future. What is sometimes forgotten (or at least an afterthought) is that Jacqueline Kennedy also lost her husband. In spite of that, however, by all accounts she conducted herself with extreme grace and dignity. As Lyndon B. Johnson was preparing to be sworn in as President aboard Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas, it is said that he asked Mrs. Kennedy if she would stand by him as he took the Oath of Office. Thinking about everything she had been through in the past 90 minutes or so, and still wearing the dress stained with her husband's blood, her reported answer was quite interesting:
"It's the least I could do."
I find that amazing. In the midst of her suffering, she considered standing by the man taking over her husband's role "the least I could do."
When I think about that, I think about how we can sometimes feel like we are "owed" things because of what we've done or who we are. Sadly, that mentality can even creep into our lives as Christians. We come to church, give our offerings, fulfill our roles, and the temptation can come to feel that we somehow deserve something from God as a result of our "sacrifices." Our mindset can be, "God, You've seen what I have done for You and what I have given to You. Now here are my 'prayer requests' and I hope that You will see fit to answer them for me." Then in those times that things don't turn out as we hope, we may be tempted to feel as though God has let us down and forgotten all of those "sacrifices" that we made for Him. In thinking about this, however, I'm reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 17:7-10:
"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
My point is simply this: Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven, came to this earth in the form of man, and laid down His life that we might have ours. Through Christ's sacrifice on the cross we have hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Father. He pours out His Spirit on us to empower us, encourage us, and strengthen us. He gives us "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8) and "peace that passes understanding" (Philippians 4:7) without measure. So you know all those things we do in service to Him - going to church, giving of our finances, telling others about His wonderful love, and even those times when we feel like we are "sacrificing" for Him? Let's do them all with joy.
After all, it's the least we could do.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. A lot happened that day, but with a news event like that sometimes the personal element is lost in the chaos. Yes, a nation lost its leader and the world now faced an uncertain future. What is sometimes forgotten (or at least an afterthought) is that Jacqueline Kennedy also lost her husband. In spite of that, however, by all accounts she conducted herself with extreme grace and dignity. As Lyndon B. Johnson was preparing to be sworn in as President aboard Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas, it is said that he asked Mrs. Kennedy if she would stand by him as he took the Oath of Office. Thinking about everything she had been through in the past 90 minutes or so, and still wearing the dress stained with her husband's blood, her reported answer was quite interesting:
"It's the least I could do."
I find that amazing. In the midst of her suffering, she considered standing by the man taking over her husband's role "the least I could do."
When I think about that, I think about how we can sometimes feel like we are "owed" things because of what we've done or who we are. Sadly, that mentality can even creep into our lives as Christians. We come to church, give our offerings, fulfill our roles, and the temptation can come to feel that we somehow deserve something from God as a result of our "sacrifices." Our mindset can be, "God, You've seen what I have done for You and what I have given to You. Now here are my 'prayer requests' and I hope that You will see fit to answer them for me." Then in those times that things don't turn out as we hope, we may be tempted to feel as though God has let us down and forgotten all of those "sacrifices" that we made for Him. In thinking about this, however, I'm reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 17:7-10:
"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
My point is simply this: Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven, came to this earth in the form of man, and laid down His life that we might have ours. Through Christ's sacrifice on the cross we have hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Father. He pours out His Spirit on us to empower us, encourage us, and strengthen us. He gives us "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8) and "peace that passes understanding" (Philippians 4:7) without measure. So you know all those things we do in service to Him - going to church, giving of our finances, telling others about His wonderful love, and even those times when we feel like we are "sacrificing" for Him? Let's do them all with joy.
After all, it's the least we could do.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
The "Breaking" Point
By Gobel Brockman
When I was six years old (yes, it was a long time ago) I fell out of a tree. A trip the the emergency room and the ensuing X-ray showed that I had broken my wrist in three places. The doctor placed my arm in a cast and told my parents to bring me back in six weeks. Though it's been many years ago, I still remember that return trip. The doctor cut the cast off and I went for another X-ray. After looking at the X-ray, the doctor pointed out the place of the break to my Dad and told him, "Not only has the break healed, but the bone is actually stronger now than it was before the break." I suppose the reason I remember that is that as a six year old, that's a pretty intense thing to go through, but the point I remember from the whole experience was that one point the doctor made:
What was once broken is now stronger than before.
Life has a way of making us feel "broken" sometimes. An unexpected illness, a difficult financial situation, and a whole list of other things happen in our lives that can cause us to feel hurt, disappointed, and disillusioned. The constant worry of living in a world filled with terrorism and violence can cause continual concern. As Christians, we also feel the constant attacks of the enemy of our souls that try to discourage us and tempt us to walk away from our faith in Jesus. Just like my broken arm, these pains are real. However, there is an important lesson we can learn from James 1:2-3:
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
My point is this: for my arm to heal, it required two things of me: patience, and the willingness to leave my arm in the cast. You see, though it was many years ago, I still remember that cast. It was very uncomfortable, hot, and itchy. But for my wrist to heal, it needed to stay in that cast. I had to be willing to endure the discomfort for my own greater good. Likewise, there are times in life when we would like to speed up - or avoid altogether - the difficulties that we encounter. But just as I would have damaged my wrist by trying to take the cast off early, so we can possibly short-circuit what God's trying to accomplish in our lives if we try to leave our "breaking point" before the healing is complete. There are two important points that we as Christians must always keep in mind:
1) Great faith must be greatly tested.
2) Great faith that is greatly tested is also greatly rewarded.
My wrist was not only healed, but came out of the experience stronger than before. If you will stay in the place of "breaking," you will also be staying in the place of healing. I promise you that if you will do that, your faith will come out of the experience stronger than your faith went into it.
Take heart, child of God. What the enemy meant to do to "break" you will lead to you experiencing a powerful "breakthrough" by the Holy Ghost. Just don't take the cast off. Let the testing of your faith produce patience. The breakthrough will be worth it.
When I was six years old (yes, it was a long time ago) I fell out of a tree. A trip the the emergency room and the ensuing X-ray showed that I had broken my wrist in three places. The doctor placed my arm in a cast and told my parents to bring me back in six weeks. Though it's been many years ago, I still remember that return trip. The doctor cut the cast off and I went for another X-ray. After looking at the X-ray, the doctor pointed out the place of the break to my Dad and told him, "Not only has the break healed, but the bone is actually stronger now than it was before the break." I suppose the reason I remember that is that as a six year old, that's a pretty intense thing to go through, but the point I remember from the whole experience was that one point the doctor made:
What was once broken is now stronger than before.
Life has a way of making us feel "broken" sometimes. An unexpected illness, a difficult financial situation, and a whole list of other things happen in our lives that can cause us to feel hurt, disappointed, and disillusioned. The constant worry of living in a world filled with terrorism and violence can cause continual concern. As Christians, we also feel the constant attacks of the enemy of our souls that try to discourage us and tempt us to walk away from our faith in Jesus. Just like my broken arm, these pains are real. However, there is an important lesson we can learn from James 1:2-3:
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
My point is this: for my arm to heal, it required two things of me: patience, and the willingness to leave my arm in the cast. You see, though it was many years ago, I still remember that cast. It was very uncomfortable, hot, and itchy. But for my wrist to heal, it needed to stay in that cast. I had to be willing to endure the discomfort for my own greater good. Likewise, there are times in life when we would like to speed up - or avoid altogether - the difficulties that we encounter. But just as I would have damaged my wrist by trying to take the cast off early, so we can possibly short-circuit what God's trying to accomplish in our lives if we try to leave our "breaking point" before the healing is complete. There are two important points that we as Christians must always keep in mind:
1) Great faith must be greatly tested.
2) Great faith that is greatly tested is also greatly rewarded.
My wrist was not only healed, but came out of the experience stronger than before. If you will stay in the place of "breaking," you will also be staying in the place of healing. I promise you that if you will do that, your faith will come out of the experience stronger than your faith went into it.
Take heart, child of God. What the enemy meant to do to "break" you will lead to you experiencing a powerful "breakthrough" by the Holy Ghost. Just don't take the cast off. Let the testing of your faith produce patience. The breakthrough will be worth it.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Even So, Come Quickly Lord Jesus
By Gobel Brockman
I must be honest with you as I begin this week: I sat down to type this week's devotional with a completely different subject in mind. Just before I logged on, however, I took a look at the news, only to see that yet another terrorist attack has just taken place, this time in London. Once again, our hearts are broken. It seems as though it is now impossible to turn on our TVs or log on to the Internet without hearing/reading of another mass shooting or terror attack. News commentators and political pundits on both sides of the aisle sound off afterward with their opinions of both causes and cures of these problems. But every time I hear about a situation like this, my mind goes in a bit of a different direction:
1) It's always been this way
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden. After they disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were banished from the garden. As they continued their lives they soon had two sons - Cain, their firstborn, and his brother Abel. The Bible goes on to say that in time Cain eventually murdered his brother. The lesson in that story cannot escape us:
The very first human being born of woman into this world was a murderer, and human beings have been harming each other in one form or another ever since.
I know that our world is filled with anger, rage, hatred, and violence. My point is simply that it has been since the fall of man. In Genesis 1 God created the heaven and the earth; by Genesis 6 He's telling Noah that He's going to send a flood and destroy mankind because He saw that "the land was filled with violence." What we're seeing on the news today is not a new thing; sin has caused mankind to do immeasurable damage to itself from the very beginning.
2) We do not have the ability within ourselves to change things
With every mass shooting or terror attack there are calls for everything from gun control to all-out war. I know that what I'm about to say may be disagreed with by some, but neither will work. Why do I say that? Because human laws cannot change sinful hearts, and also because Jesus Himself told us that in the last days there would be "wars and rumors of wars." (Matthew 24:6) The apostle Paul also told us in II Timothy 3:13 that in the last days "evil men would wax worse and worse." So what do we do?
*Surrender our lives to Christ completely, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and make us the men and women of God that He wants us to be.
"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
*Pray for revival. We can't change people, but a genuine move of the Holy Spirit in this world can.
"If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn on their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14)
*BE revival in our world.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
I conclude this week with a simple truth; I truly believe that there will be no true, lasting peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns, so I think the best way to end this is with the same words that the Bible ends with (Revelation 22:20-21):
"Even so, come Lord Jesus. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all."
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