August 15, 2011

You must be born again —John 3:7

The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced (John 3:4). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.

“But as many as received Him. . .” (John 1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result of my own internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned through listening to others? Is there something in my life that unites me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior? My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3). Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . .” (1 John 3:9). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that wecannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.

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August 15, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord I try to do the right thing, but seem to fail …and fail often. If I have the ability to always do the right thing, then what is wrong with me? I seem to fail way too often.  I seem to exhibit my more self-like traits instead of the traits of Jesus.

And God says…”If you were not my child, you would not even be concerned about your actions and traits.  Recall that when I see you I simply see Jesus , all the time. And a process begun by faith cannot be completed by good works.  You have nothing to do with your sanctification; you need only have faith and accept my grace and mercy. Your transformation takes place, over time from the inside out. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.”

Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more —2 Kings 2:11-12

It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your “Jordan” (Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.

Alone at Your “Jericho” (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your “Bethel” (2 Kings 2:23). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

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Aug 11   2011 Journal  DJR

Good Morning, Lord.   Today’s message reminds me of the parallels that I find in life about staying the course on a vision.   There is an exciting time early on, maybe with an Elijah, or even a group of encouragers.   But then they are removed.   Maybe go against me or maybe just move on.   That is the time of Jordan, Jericho & Bethel.   Will I quit or will I hang in there?  Will I turn to you alone?   Maybe after I hang in there for a while on my own and searching for another Elijah?

There are many parallels for anyone to observe, if they have an inclination to observe … eyes to see.   When the night comes there are two choices that you tend to make.   Buckle down and dig in and dont quit … but pretty much in your own will power.   Better than quitting, and it gets you to the second option, which is giving up and turning to me.    The sooner you can get to that place, the better.   There can be collateral damage with gritting your teeth and holding on in your own power.

Lord help me not give up on the Visions that are from you … but help me give up sooner on my own power and get to where I’m relying on you alone.  How about not even going there to my own power first?   I would like that, but it seems that my creative mind (that you gave me) immediately goes to work to “solve” problems…

I made you that way.   It is up to you to bring that creativity to me and we will work together.   It will be better and faster.   But until you get that perfected, you can expect some Jordans, Jerichos & Bethels.   That’s how we get it perfected.

August 10, 2011

Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good . . . —1 Peter 4:19

Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.

The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).

Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

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August 10, 2011

Thank you Lord for many things; including changing me from the inside out.  And even though I often do not appreciate the difficult times while I am in them, I can look back and understand how you used a particular circumstance to help shape me. I can also understand how you might use difficult times to shape my brothers and sisters. And while it makes sense for me to love them while they are inside a tough time, I also understand that You must have Your perfect will and perfect timing; working through circumstances with believers. Lord help me to understand this and to praise you during these times, all the while not attempting to try and help myself or others escape the trials too early.

And God says…”If you recall, we have been on the best of speaking terms when you were in the most need. When you have been overwhelmed by difficulties that you could not control, you always turned to Me. You have been learning this lesson over and over and over, so that now turning your daily life over to Me is not an occasional thing, it has become a pattern of living for you. Had you been able to handle your day to day circumstances there would have been no motivation for you to turn to Me so frequently and with the highest degrees of intensity. ”

August 09, 2011

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ’Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’ —John 11:41

When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . ” (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God’s Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God’s eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? Jesus says, “In that day you will ask in My name . . .” (John 16:26). What day does He mean? He is referring to the day when the Holy Spirit has come to me and made me one with my Lord.

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side. Common sense is a gift that God gave to our human nature— but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son, and we should never put our common sense on the throne. The Son always recognizes and identifies with the Father, but common sense has never yet done so and never will. Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?

Journal DJR

Aug 9, 2011

Good Morning, Lord.

It is true that we (I) get tangled up trying to use logic and rationality and common sense … and miss out on some of your uncommon blessings.   I’m reminded of Mary and Martha.   You didn’t tell Martha that the meal didn’t need to get prepared, but as she was preparing it, she was stressing out.   I relate to that.   How do we do stressful things without the stress?   Of course I know the answer … … as we abide in you, rest in you, have relationship with you.

Yes.

But how to do that is the challenge.   Do you have any tips … that I haven’t tried?  You know this isn’t  a new concept to me … but getting (regular) victory in it … that would be new and a very nice thing.

… a few hours later … I thought I would let this simmer and see if you would make anything clear.   Not so much on the question, but I’ve been seeing your hand at work in other ways.   Finding things that had been lost, inventing new ways of using tools and designing the deck that I’ve been working on … but nothing new on how to strike the Mary – Martha balance.

Are you looking for a magic pill?  A silver bullet?  A secret formula?    There isn’t one.   So Satan would like to keep you and your friends looking for one,  preaching and teaching and writing books about it.    Meanwhile some skip that whole debate and search and just come to me.   Abiding is a pretty good word picture of it.    It means living with someone.  You dont need a formula.  You just move in.   And have meals together and talk and share thoughts and dreams.   So abide with me and forget the formulas.

August 2, 2011

The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being deliveredin adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . .” (Psalm 91:1,10)— the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life . . .” (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.

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August 2, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I believe this is a testimony that comes to us later in our spiritual journey; that your children will have difficulties and tough times. Early in our Christian lives we believe, think and hope that you will rescue us from the tough stuff. But later we learn that we get to go through difficult times.

This is not the message we want to hear; that You save us in the storms, not from the storms. Given a choice, I would rather not experience the storms Lord; however, I can look back and see their value. I can feel roots that reach down deep and strong; attached to your very solid foundation. They did not get there overnight, and I now know they will only grow strong and deep when watered by your blood and my tears.

And God says…”I love you very much, and am doing more than you could ever imagine to facilitate your transformation. I love you enough to allow the sandpaper and whetstones of life to touch you liberally. Do not try and get out of your trials too early; let them have their perfect result. Praise Me in the storms and look for rainbows that will surely arrive at precisely the right times.”

August 1, 2011

When Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples . . . He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities —Matthew 11:1

He comes where He commands us to leave. If you stayed home when God told you to go because you were so concerned about your own people there, then you actually robbed them of the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself. When you obeyed and left all the consequences to God, the Lord went into your city to teach, but as long as you were disobedient, you blocked His way. Watch where you begin to debate with Him and put what you call your duty into competition with His commands. If you say, “I know that He told me to go, but my duty is here,” it simply means that you do not believe that Jesus means what He says.

He teaches where He instructs us not to teach. “Master . . . let us make three tabernacles . . .” (Luke 9:33).

Are we playing the part of an amateur providence, trying to play God’s role in the lives of others? Are we so noisy in our instruction of other people that God cannot get near them?

We must learn to keep our mouths shut and our spirits alert.God wants to instruct us regarding His Son, and He wants to turn our times of prayer into mounts of transfiguration. When we become certain that God is going to work in a particular way, He will never work in that way again.

He works where He sends us to wait. “. . . tarry . . . until . . .” (Luke 24:49). “Wait on the Lord” and He will work (Psalm 37:34). But don’t wait sulking spiritually and feeling sorry for yourself, just because you can’t see one inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own spiritual fits of emotion to “wait patiently for Him”? (Psalm 37:7). Waiting is not sitting with folded hands doing nothing, but it is learning to do what we are told.

These are some of the facets of His ways that we rarely recognize.

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August 1, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I believe in your faithfulness, truth and your word, even when I do not see. And while I understand that patience builds endurance and faith grows while I wait, I ask You to reassure me one more morning of your love and plan for this day and every day.

And God says…”Remember, that all things work for the good of those that love the Lord, and are called according to My purpose. If I care for every sparrow, how much more I care for you and yours. I know the number of hairs on your head and help construct your dreams and visions. Seek Me first this morning, and watch everything else fall into place. When you seek Me first, you find your daily bread……..and your work, hope,  faith, dreams and vision for this day.”