Revelations

And to conclude the list of top experiences of 2007 here is a little list of some of the greatest revelations that God gave me during a very interesting, hard, frustrating, fruitful, joyful, exciting, passionate, and fun year:

 – I’m loved just the way I am, NOT in spite of who I am or the way I am 

– I’m a friend of God

– I don’t have to defend, promote or explain myself, because I know who I am in God, and he’ll do all of that if he sees it’s needed 

– I don’t have to do anything to improve myself, even if I all I do is sit in a chair and eat donuts the rest of my life, God wouldn’t love me any less

– I’m a broken cup, and God’s water will run through me, bless me and bless other people around me. Brokenness is a life long experience for me as a Christian (brokenness: having been fractured or damaged. No longer in one piece or in working order)

– All God asks of me is to abide in him and believe in him, he will love and live through me and change me and the world through me. It’s never about me pulling it together so I can make a difference!

 Wow…..I’m amazed just sitting here writing about some of the wonderful things the living God has chosen to reveal to me in the past year. And I continue to pray that he’ll give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation so I may know him better and better (Ephesians 1:17)

Torben 

 

Wonderful songs

Top 10 songs – many of the songs are not new, but these are some of the songs that meant something to me in 2007 and continue to bless and challenge me. Click on the links to see some music videos. 

 

East To West – Casting Crowns

Cry Out To Jesus – Third Day

Renew Me – Avalon

The Real Me – Natalie Grant

Everything – Tim Hughes

When God Ran – Phillips, Craig and Dean

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

A Place Called Grace – Phillips, Craig and Dean

Holy Surrender – Aaron Keyes

Where Is The Love – Black Eyed Peas

 

Bible highlights

Top 12 Bible passages  – it was very hard to pick! God has been good and has revealed much of himself through his Word in 2007. 

Matthew 5: 3-12 – The Beatitudes – I could talk for hours about the impact these verses have had…! (Maybe some other time!) 

Psalm 23 – this wonderful and well-known Psalm has come alive these past seven months. Wonderful description of my journey with God “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me!”

Romans 8:15 (really all of Romans, but I’ll pick one verse for this purpose) “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry ‘Abba, Father’”

1. John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” Universal truth. We actually do know what love is, because Jesus demonstrated it for us!

John 8: 31-32 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!” I have loved this verse for years, but I see the simple truth of this verse more in more in my life and in other people’s. If you encounter and live in the truth in any area in your life, it really does set you free!

John 6: 28-29 “Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” Nothing more, nothing less!

John 7: 38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” When I believe in Christ and abide in him, the life of Christ flows through my broken cup

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” I’m dead, Christ is alive in me. He does his work through me, and he gets all the glory!

Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” It’s all about God’s revelation. Without that all is just words and information without life.

2. Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness” When I’m weak, I’m strong – kingdom of God logic!

Hebrews 10:14 “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” in Christ I AM PERFECT!! And nothing can or will change that!

Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us” God is with us. God is here. God is alive, and because he drew near first, we can draw near to him who will then draw nearer to us.

 

Top books, movies and tv-shows of 2007

Some lists of wonderful things in the past year for your inspiration

Top 8 books: 

 

The Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning

Abba’s Child – Brennan Manning

Reflections for Ragamuffins (devotional) – Brennan Manning

The Life of The Beloved – Henri Nouwen

How To Stop The Pain – James B. Richards

Grace Walk – Steve McVey

Light Force – Brother Andrew

What’s So Amazing About Grace – Philip Yancey (I’ve read it at least 10 times before, but I read it a couple of times this year as well, and it continues to challenge me!)

 – all of these books are really must-reads…for those of you who haven’t read them before…!:-)  

 

Top 3 movies (either it wasn’t a great movie year, or I just missed most of the good ones?):

Blood Diamond

Die Hard 4

Ocean’s 13

 

Top 2 tv-shows:

The Office – I heard about it the first 10 months of 2007 from friends who are fanatic fans, and I finally gave it a go a couple of months ago, and I’ve been hooked since. Jeannette and I keep quoting it….it’s getting a little bit pathetic….

House, MD – just too funny. At least season 1 was hilarious!