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