Pressed...Not
CRUSHED
| Picked... |
Peeled...Not
CRUSHED |
Prepared...Not
CRUSHED |
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Why
Good People do Bad Things by Erwin Lutzer;
The
title should draw your curiosity: why do supposedly good people do
apparent, bad things? Let begin another journey with one of my
favorite writers and, ideally begin to learn why...
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WhyGoodDoBad_Lutzer_2009.pdf
Can we see and understand the
potential to do both good and bad. Of course, the first issue
might be understanding the differences between good and bad -- what is
"good" and what is...
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Embracing Brokenness by Alan E. Nelson;
What, embrace brokenness? That's right, we
must embrace brokenness or "refinement" such that we may be more
like Christ. In the content of this read, I have found a
better understanding of the discipline and circumstances that God allows
in our lives - from which "goodness" can be
rendered. |
EmbracingBrokenness_Nelson_07-28-09.pdf
In the consolidated summaries of
the book is some salient truths about the process called brokenness.
It hardly seems naturally that breaking something could make it better;
but the brokenness of this book is spiritual - it is a broken heart that
is being restored in the likeness of Christ.
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Do
Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris; |
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"Parents,
don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush
their spirits."
-
Colossians 3, The Message
The
inspiration for this page came from an old soft drink, obviously orange flavor,
called "Crush", and from Bible scripture that in some versions, is
expressed as Hard pressed on every side - but not CRUSHED..." Using
both the object and phrase lead to this title, theme and general tone of
resiliency to overcome great odds.
To
be CRUSHED insinuates something (or someone) that is broken beyond repair;
an attempt or action to crush something is an attempt to destroy
it...beyond recovery or repair. Periodically students will squeeze
as many as possible into an old phone booth and, to my understanding, are not
crushed. They recover from the contest and, at the least, get their names
in the paper....
People
sometimes have the miraculous possibility of
mending shattered lives, of withstanding a crushing blow, and overcoming great
set-backs and personal obstacles. I do not subscribe to the endless
ability of human will but I cannot ignore the human condition that
manifest remarkable - even unpredictable - ability, strength and
resolve. Brokenness is not being crushed altogether, but is a
form of loss or conditioning used in the spiritual walk to nurture
growth and maturity - just as pruning is used is a natural process to produce
more fruit or yield.
In
the cited scripture, from the second book of Corinthians, Paul is reminding
the church that they are not beaten or crushed - and that our final hope rests in the
impending and unrelenting return and reign of Christ. In the first book of
Corinthians, Paul writes: Christ is first, then those with him at
his Coming, the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands
over his kingdom to God the Father.
So I press-on because of
Christ -
where strength beyond the human condition can be found...
For
more information, please e-mail: hey@hkirkrainer.org
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Last Edited: 11/23/2009