Who Am I?

Who Am I?
A poem by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (This poem was written in prison, as he awaited a probable death sentence for hiding some men who made an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. This young Christian Pastor / Theologian was killed soon after this poem was written.)

Who am I? They often tell me
I stepped from my cell’s confinement
Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
Like a squire from his country-house.
Who am I? They often tell me
I used to speak to my warders
Freely and friendly and clearly,
As though it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me
I bore the days of misfortune
Equally, smilingly, proudly,
Like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
Struggling for breath, as though hands were
compressing my throat,
Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
Tossing in expectation of great events,
Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?

Who am I? This or the other?
Am I one person today and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, 0 God, I am Thine!

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
March 4,1946
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer sums life up the Christian life beautifully. At the very same time I am both “The person of faith” and the “woebegone weakling,” who is full of fear. The person stepping out for God no matter what the cost, and the person retreating into his shell. The strange thing is, in God’s view, we are the first person, the person of faith. That is the person “clothed with …the courage, determination and faith of …the Lord Jesus Christ.” Don’t worry about how others see you or even about how you see yourself. Ask God how He see you….You will be surprised. "Whoever I am, Thou knowest, 0 God, I am Thine!"
Bob Lipsys, Australia

Abandoned dreams

God brings us to the place of total dependence upon Himself to demonstrate that He is totally dependable. ... The more completely I depend on God, the more He surprises me by the results that follow -- results that I could never have achieved as long as I depended on my own efforts.
Quote by Derek Prince--Rules of Engagement (Chosen)

God hasn’t abandoned either you or the dream He put into your heart. The problem is that you began to limit what He planned to do through you. You wanted to make the dream achievable. He wants to make it humanly impossible. Something only He could create. It is His dream you see, no yours. You are the tradesperson He has chosen to work through. He will supply the materials, the helpers and the inspiration. Your task is to hear His heart and to act on His word.
Bob Lipsys, Australia

Never give up on the dream God has placed on your heart

More than anything else, I want you to know you can have a deep,
intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and
the very best life has to offer. God is no respecter of persons (see
Acts 10:34) and His promises apply equally to everyone. Yes, you can
have the very best God offers, but you will have to be determined to
never give up until you have succeeded in every area of life.

I believe God has a great purpose for you, and I urge you to not
settle for anything less. He wants to bless you and give you a life
that will not only thrill you, fulfill you, and bring you deep joy and
sweet satisfaction but also challenge you, stretch you, frustrate you
at times, and even lead you to moments when you are tempted to
give up.

Quote by Joyce Meyer – From the Introduction to the Book – Never Give Up.

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What was that dream that God placed in your heart years ago?
You know the one you gave up on;
after first being convinced that is was
God’s very purpose for you life.
If God planted that dream in your heart,
it is definitely the time to renew it.

Habakuk 2:2-3
Then the LORD replied:
"Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.

If you feel a stirring in your heart/spirit as you read this
then the Holy Spirit is being poured out on you.
Let God stir up faith in you, so that you can fulfil all
He has called you to do. That dream from God will
become reality.
Bob Lipsys, Australia

Walking on stilts

I see a man on stilts. He is walking toward me. He has on dark overalls. His stilts are striped. He is coming to give me a new perspective. Things will look different when we get up higher.
by hispresence4me
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I am doing a course on-line "Prophetic and Seer Exercises" by Mark Driscoll. The above is part of a vision one of the other students had. I read it in the morning and have thought about it all day.

Jesus comes to us walking on stilts. He has a higher perspective then we have. He sees over the problems and limitations we focus in on. He sees the way ahead. And he calls us to climb up too.

The world looks so different up here. It is easier to get things in the right perspective.

Perhaps you need a walk with Jesus on the stilts he has for you.

Help people out of bad situations.

Christians are so afraid of making a mistake that they do nothing. Not realizing that this mistake is the greatest one anyone can make. If you do something wrong, God is big enough to fix it, but if you do nothing, God cannot change your inactivity into activity…...... Expect God to live big in you. Do big things for God. Do things that lift people, that help people. Do things that bless mankind. Do what God would do if He were here. Forget what men might say about you. They said those things about Jesus. There was never a person working for God that was appreciated until they were needed to get someone out of a bad situation. Be that person, help people out of bad situations.
a Quote from Curry Blake http://www.jglm.org/
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Curry Blake releases Christians into the ministry of healing God has for them. Check out his site. It will change your view of healing. Bob Lipsys, Australia

Constant change

One of the things that we have learnt, over the last 29 years of ministry, is that constant change is here to stay! The Holy Spirit never stands still. At all costs, it is vital for each of us to remain sensitive to the Spirit of God; to obey His purpose and His plan. We must adapt and adjust and move with the cloud, following His leading, His guidance and His voice.
Rodney Howard Brown,
See http:www.revival.com
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Just about every mainline Christian denomination began with a move by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit highlighted a truth. People grabbed hold of it, revival and new life sprang from it. The church prospered and brought new life to many.

The problem is, after a time they lost touch with the Holy Spirit who brought them into being. Rather then focus in on God and keep moving with Him, the church decided it had finally made it. Such churches stagnate, lose their sense of destiny and become increasingly irrelevant to their world.

The world is full of stagnant, irrelevant churches.
The world is full of stagnant, irrelevant Christians.
There is only one antidote - Repent. Turn around and go back to the God who gave you new-birth. Hear once again the voice of the Holy Spirit. Do what God says. Move on with God - keep moving with God.

Too many churches and Christians resist change. However, as Rodney Howard-Brown points out: "The Holy Spirit never stands still."
Bob Lipsys, Australia

I just want to be where You are

I just want to be where You are,
dwelling daily in Your presence
I don't want to worship from afar,
draw me near to where You are
©Integrity Music – Don Moen

Lord keep on bringing us closer to your heart.
There we find Life, Joy, Peace, and Love and
A Father who Knows us and Loves us.
The Lord Jesus who died for us to make us right with God
And the Holy Spirit who asks us to come on the most
incredible journey of our lives.
Bob Lipsys, Australia

When you are in a dark valley

“Leadership is proven in the valleys, not at the mountaintop"
Brian Houston - Hillsong

Deuteronomy 8:6-7 (New Living Translation)
“So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.

Even in the valleys the Holy Spirit is poured out for God’s people. If you are living in a dark valley at the moment, I pray that the “Living Water” of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will flow over you.

Fill them to overflowing Lord – More Lord More

Bob Lipsys, Australia

The Signs of the times.

On a World Wide scale
We’ve been consuming more food then farmers have been producing for most of the last decade.” –National Geographic June 2009

Super storms are ripping apart western cities, -floods, fires and droughts are everywhere.

The health system of western countries is collapsing. Antibiotics are failing……. Pan-epidemics are breaking out. Swine flu, Bird Flu……

Stable Financial Markets have collapsed.

These are the “Signs of the times.”
But these are just the times God has prepared you for. As people of faith, this is your time to demonstrate the practical faith that God has placed in your heart. It is time to rise up and sense your Lord approaching. It’s time to do the stuff – for real – without any safety net.

Over the past fifteen and a half years, God has been teaching us to give in troubled times, to rely on Him for provision, to experience Jesus as healer, both for ourselves and for others, - to rely on Him alone. He has proved himself faithful, in each trial….However lately I’ve been sensing that soon our very lives will depend on putting this trust in God.

I honor those who were there for our first steps of “living by faith.” Those we relied on, those who spoke the word of God to us. And there were many. Among them were Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. I went to a meeting of theirs in Brisbane Qld Australia as a skeptic. A friend took me. I had prejudged them, following those who condemned them as “name it claim it” showmen. But what I heard was people who loved Jesus speak the Bible. I heard people take God at His Word. What was more, as we did what we heard, we found it worked. God’s word works in everyday life.
Have a read of one of Gloria Copeland’s Introductions below. It is a great quote. But more then that, it works. And it will work too when your countries medical system falters. Bob Lipsys, Australia.

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There is a medicine so powerful it can cure every sickness and disease known to man. It has no dangerous side effects. It is safe even in massive doses. And when taken daily according to directions, it can prevent illness altogether and keep you in vibrant health.
Does that sound too good to be true? It's not. I can testify to you by the Word of God and by my own experience that such a supernatural medicine exists. Even more importantly, it is available to you every moment of every day.
You don't have to call your doctor to get it. You don't even have to drive to the pharmacy. All you must do is reach for your Bible, open to Proverbs 4:20-24 and follow the instructions you find there:

A quote by Gloria Copeland
See http://www.kcm.org

Proverbs 4:20-24 (New Living Translation)
20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.