Archive for June, 2012

The Greatest Source of Power

June 7th, 2012

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . —John 14:13


Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.

 

However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me . . . “— that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point— “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these— what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . .” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.

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June 7, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I thank you for reminding me that You are the love, power, grace and mercy that I need to live an abundant life. Thank you for reminding me once again that evidence of Your love and power is not in the outcomes and crisis of my life, but in the strength and faith You give me in spite of…(or could it be because of) the circumstances of this life.

And God says…”Trust in Jesus to meet all your needs, all the time. One day you will step off into the unknown when you pass from this life to the next. You will live to a time and place and circumstance you absolutely cannot control and you will realize that you must trust Jesus. This opportunity happens for everyone when they move from earth to heaven. But can you consider living an abundant life of trust; trusting Jesus just like that while living day to day? That is the way to live an abundant life, not dependent on any circumstance or outcome.  Why not live life abundantly by trusting Jesus today? Trust Him for the outcomes you do not know and cannot fathom. Trust Him because He is the Son of God and gave Himself for you. Surrender your day, hopes, dreams, worries, and yes even the outcomes of your prayers to Him. ”

Work Out” What God “Works in” You

June 6th, 2012

. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13

Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, “But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say “I will not obey” is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.

The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. “. . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with “dynamite,” and the “dynamite” is obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.

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June 6, 2012

Lord, this lesson reminds me that on this earth as a believer, I will always be in conflict with my own nature, even when I surrender my will to You. I thought this was a “one-time” thing; that once I gave my heart and life to You that I could and would easily live in your will. But that has not been the case. Even when I purposefully and completely surrender my will to Yours, I find that I must be diligent and focused on Jesus as I can quickly and easily revert to fear, uncertainty and selfishness. I can quickly revert to the “old man”.

And God says…”It is a daily, minute by minute activity, to take up your cross and follow Me. While you are on this earth, you will need to work out your salvation, by staying in connection with Jesus. You cannot work harder or become more disciplined because you choose; you become more focused and more disciplined, when you are close to Jesus. Surrender early and often every day and realize that “working out your salvation” simply means to learn how to let Jesus live through you. Jesus lives through you when you surrender to Him. He provides all the focus and discipline you will ever need.

 

Romans 7: 14-25
(MSG) I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?”  Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What  I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act  another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure  out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s  command is necessary.

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real
question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Never-forsaking God

June 4th, 2012

He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5


What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

 

“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.

“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.