Today during crusade SM meeting, Irene shared with us a very insightful message from an excerpt from a book and a video sermon base on brokenness by Nancy Leigh Demoss... At first glace read the heading... brokenness is where God can sent revival? I had some questions if thats true... i believed that it's not necessary for revival to come only from a broken heart right?
Until it was explained more.... in her context of "True Brokenness"... many of us has the misconception of brokenness as being sad,gloomy and like the world is falling on you and other times where we have this sense of false humility, where we just put ourselves down, than there are others who view it has shedding of tears, having a deeply emotional experience, and many who equate it with being deeply hurt by tragic circumstances.
"TRUE BROKENNESS"
Brokennessis not a feeling or an emotion. Rather, it requires a choice, an act of the will... Its is the shattering of my self-will- the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God.
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“ I dwell in the high and holy place,With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble,And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. " Isaiah 57:15
Dictionary meaning...
Contrite- caused by or showing sincere remorse, brokenness, crushed into small particles.
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalms 51:17
Further elaboration from book..."True Brokenness" is the breaking of my self will, so that life and spirit if the Lord Jesus may be released through me. It is the Stripping of self-reliance and independence from God, it is the softening of the soil of my heart.
I dunno if this links.. but while reading the excerpt of the book... it reminded me of the song, Hosanna by Hillsong "...break my heart for what break yours..."
Anyway you may not totally grasped what i wrote here... so if you want, do read up more on the book for a better explanation...
IMPORTANT EXCERPT from her book BELOW! (PLEASE READ ALL from 1 - 35 SLOWLY!)
Ok heres the KEY part i believed ALL OF US SHOULD READ SLOWLY line by line! Its LONG but its WORTH IT!!! And i mean it!
When we each took turns to read each line.... I WAS IMPACTED so much by it! Sometimes i really feel that pride has creeped into my life and i really want to lead that life of true humility... ok the word brokenness to me is still quite questionable...but.... i agree with her context of "true brokenness "to her.
Attitudes Towards Others
1.. Proud people focus on the failures of others and can readily point out those faults.
Broken people are more conscious of their own spiritual need than of anyone else's.
2.Proud people have a critical,fault finding spirit. They look at everyone else's faults with a microscope but view their own with a telescope.
Broken people are compassionate- they have the kind of love that overlooks a multitude of sins; they can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven.
3. Proud people are especially prone to criticize those in positions of authority- their pastor, their boss,their husband, their parents- and they talk to others about the faults they see.
Broken people reverence,encourage, and lift up those that God has placed in positions of authority, and they talk to God intercession,rather than gossiping about the faults they see in others.
4. Proud people are self-righteous; they think highly of themselves and look down on others.
Broken people think the best of others; they esteem others as better than themselves.
5.Proud people have an independent,self-sufficient spirit.
Broken people have a dependent spirit; they recognized their need for God and for others.
Attitudes About Rights
6. Proud people have to prove that they are right- they have to get the last word.
Broken people are willing to yield the right to be right.
7. Proud people claim rights and have a demanding spirit.
Broken people yield their rights and heave a meek spirit.
8. Proud people are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.
Broken people are self-denying and self sacrificing.
Attitudes about Service and Ministry
9. Proud people desire to be served- they want life to revolve around them and their own needs.
Broken people are motivated to serve others and to be sure others' needs are met before their own.
10. Proud people desire to be known as a success.
Broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others successful.
11. Proud people have a feeling- conscious or subconscious - that "this ministry (or this organization) is privileged to have me and my gifts". They focus on what they can do for God.
Broken people have a heart attitude that says, "I don't deserve to have any part in this ministry". they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives.
Attitudes about Recognition
12.Proud people crave self-advancement.
Broken people desire to promote others
13.Proud people have a drive to be recognized and appreciated for their efforts.
Broken people have a sense of their own unworthiness; they are thrilled God would use them at all.
14. Proud people get wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked.
Broken people are eager for others to get credit, and they rejoice when others are lifted up.
15.Proud people are elated by praise and deflated by criticism.
Broken people know that any praise of their accomplishments belongs to the Lord and that criticism can help them grow into spiritual maturity.
Attitudes About Themselves
16.Proud people feel confident in how much they know.
Broken people are humbled by how very much they have to learn.
Broken people are humbled by how very much they have to learn.
17.Proud people are self-conscious; they worry about what others think of them.
Broken people are not preoccupied with what others think of them.
18.Proud people are concerned about appearing respectable; they are driven to protect their image and reputation. Broken people are not preoccupied with what others think of them.
Broken people are concerned with being real; they care less about what others think than about what God knows-they are willing to die to their own reputation.
19. Proud people can't bear to fail or for anyone to think they are less than perfect. This can drive them to extremes-workaholic tendencies, perfectionism, the tendency to drive others or to place unrealistic expectations on themselves or others.
Broken people can recognize and live within God-given limitations.
Attitudes About Relationships
20. Proud people keep others at arm's length.Broken people are willing to take the risks of getting close to others and loving intimately.
21.Proud people are quick to blame others.
Broken people accept personal responsibility and can acknowledge where they were wrong in a situation.
22. Proud people wait for others to come and ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding or a breach in a relationship.
Broken people take the initiative to be reconciled, no matter how wrong the other party may have been.
23. Proud people are unapproachable or defensive when corrected.
Broken people receive correction with a humble, open spirit.
24.Proud people find it difficult to discuss their spiritual needs with others.
Broken people are willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs.
25.Proud people try to control the people and circumstances around them- they are prone to manipulate.
Broken people trust in God- they rest in Him and are able to wait for Him to act on their behalf.
26.Proud people become bitter and resentful when they are wronged; they have emotional temper tantrums; they hold others hostage and are easily offended; they carry grudges and keep a record of others' wrongs.
Broken people give thanks in all things; they are quick to forgive those who wrong them.
Attitudes About Sins
27. Proud people want to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up.Broken people aren't overly concerned with who knows or who finds out about their sin- they are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose.
28. Proud people have a hard time saying, "I was wrong; will you please forgive me?"
Broken people are quick to admit their failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary.
29. Proud people tend to deal in generalities when confessing their sin to God (Dear Lord, please forgive me for all my sins...") or expressing spiritual need to others ("I need to be a better Christian...")
Broken people are able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin; "Lord, I agree with You that I love myself more than I love my mate;I confess that I am addicted to television;I'm a glutton; I have a critical spirit; I am an angry mother...."
30. Proud people are concerned about the consequences of their sin. They are disturbed over the problems caused by their sin-fro example the financial bondage created by their overspending,or the problems in their marriage that have resulted from selfishness and immoral choices.
Broken people are grieved over the cause, the root of their sin. They are more concerned about how their sin has grieved and dishonoured God than about the problems it has created in their lives.
31. Proud people are remorseful over their sin- sorry that they got caught or found out.
Broken people are truly repentant over their sin, and the evidence of their repentance is that they forsake the sin.
Attitudes about their walk with God
32. Proud people are blind to the true condition of their hearts.
Broken people walk in the light and acknowledge the truth about their lives.
33. Proud people compare themselves with others and feel worthy of respect.
Broken people compare themselves with the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for His mercy.
34. Proud people don't think they need to repent of anything.
Broken people realize that they need to maintain a continual heart attitude of repentance.
35. Proud people don't think they need revival, but they are sure everyone else does.(In fact , right now, they are making a mental list of the people they think need to read this book!)
"I was laughing at this line because i felt that way! oppps!"
Broken people continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with God and for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit.
-Nancy Leigh DeMoss (excerpt of book Brokenness: The Heart God Revives)
After reading all this...and when given some time to just spent time with God alone just to confess our sins and pray... i really felt God ministering to me so much... i really really felt the need to surrender everything to Him as i can't do it alone with my own strength... i need his Grace for me to pursue this life of holiness! And to overcome pride that can come in so easily from different circumstances!
This is one very insightful message i hope to share with everyone reading my blog! =)
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