Archive for April, 2015

Inner Invincibility

April 14th, 2015

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… —Matthew 11:29

“Whom the Lord loves He chastens…” (Hebrews 12:6). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.

“…to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.

“…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.

If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Right after reading today’s devo an email notification came thru and uncharacteristically, I decided to open it then. It was a prayer request for a man who has an aggressive untreatable cancer and 1-3 months to live. He is continuing to work … and also has engaged hospice. It really put the issue of “burdens” and bearing up under them by sharing them with you into perspective. Mine seem kind of lightweight. I asked myself, What would I do? How would that be? Would I share that burden well with you?

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Journal Entry-JDV

Lord, thank you for the perspective.  I can choose your yoke, where the burdens are easy and light. I can choose to be connected to You and allow You to live thorough me, or I can choose to hold on tightly to my own way of living and sense of control. Help me God choose You many times today; help me choose you when I am putting my day together, simply doing chores or errands, communicating, engaging others, or just resting. Help me be connected to You in all things.

What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming

April 13th, 2015

Cast your burden on the Lord… —Psalm 55:22


We must recognize the difference between burdens that are right for us to bear and burdens that are wrong. We should never bear the burdens of sin or doubt, but there are some burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off. God wants us to roll them back on Him— to literally “cast your burden,” which He has given you, “on the Lord….” If we set out to serve God and do His work but get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility we feel will be overwhelming and defeating. But if we will only roll back on God the burdens He has placed on us, He will take away that immense feeling of responsibility, replacing it with an awareness and understanding of Himself and His presence.Many servants set out to serve God with great courage and with the right motives. But with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, they are soon defeated. They do not know what to do with their burden, and it produces weariness in their lives. Others will see this and say, “What a sad end to something that had such a great beginning!”“Cast your burden on the Lord….” You have been bearing it all, but you need to deliberately place one end on God’s shoulder. “…the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). Commit to God whatever burden He has placed on you. Don’t just cast it aside, but put it over onto Him and place yourself there with it. You will see that your burden is then lightened by the sense of companionship. But you should never try to separate yourself from your burden.________________________________________________________________

April 13 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, You knew I was carrying a burden this morning and reached out to me with this devotional and song. It is what You do.  As the song says, You amaze me, redeem me and call me as your own. You will never leave me, I am not alone. And as I think about the burdens, roadblocks, snares and troubles that can appear, You do go before me, You will never leave me. I am not alone. Thank You for the reminder Lord.

And God says…” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Since the beginning and “the Fall” in the Garden, the world has been full of pain, trials and struggles. You get to live in a world where pain, struggles, trials, and fear often run rampant. And although you must live in it you do not have to be a part of it.  You can be in the world, but not of the world. Take My yoke upon you, it is light. I will not burden you with fear, trials, struggles and pain, and although I will allow these things to come toward you, you can choose to be in an intimate relationship with Me and allow Me to address the struggles, trials, fear and pain. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and I will provide everything else you require. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. Acknowledge me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. And as the song says…”You are not alone”.

Have You Seen Jesus?

April 9th, 2015


After that, He appeared in another form to two of them… —Mark 16:12

Being saved and seeing Jesus are not the same thing. Many people who have never seen Jesus have received and share in God’s grace. But once you have seen Him, you can never be the same. Other things will not have the appeal they did before.

You should always recognize the difference between what you see Jesus to be and what He has done for you. If you see only what He has done for you, your God is not big enough. But if you have had a vision, seeing Jesus as He really is, experiences can come and go, yet you will endure “as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). The man who was blind from birth did not know who Jesus was until Christ appeared and revealed Himself to him (see John 9). Jesus appears to those for whom He has done something, but we cannot order or predict when He will come. He may appear suddenly, at any turn. Then you can exclaim, “Now I see Him!” (see John 9:25).

Jesus must appear to you and to your friend individually; no one can see Jesus with your eyes. And division takes place when one has seen Him and the other has not. You cannot bring your friend to the point of seeing; God must do it. Have you seen Jesus? If so, you will want others to see Him too. “And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:13). When you see Him, you must tell, even if they don’t believe.

O could I tell, you surely would believe it!
O could I only say what I have seen!
How should I tell or how can you receive it,
How, till He bringeth you where I have been?

His Resurrection Destiny

April 8th, 2015

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? —Luke 24:26


Our Lord’s Cross is the gateway into His life. His resurrection means that He has the power to convey His life to me. When I was born again, I received the very life of the risen Lord from Jesus Himself.Christ’s resurrection destiny— His foreordained purpose— was to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God. We never have exactly the same relationship to God that the Son of God has, but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. When our Lord rose from the dead, He rose to an absolutely new life— a life He had never lived before He was God Incarnate. He rose to a life that had never been before. And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life. One day we will have a body like His glorious body, but we can know here and now the power and effectiveness of His resurrection and can “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Paul’s determined purpose was to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).Jesus prayed, “…as You have given Him authority over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him” (John 17:2). The term Holy Spirit is actually another name for the experience of eternal life working in human beings here and now. The Holy Spirit is the deity of God who continues to apply the power of the atonement by the Cross of Christ to our lives. Thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that His Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us, if we will only obey Him.
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April 8 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Thank you God, for this devotional that reminds me that Your Holy Spirit is living inside of us, and transforming us.  However, as You might suspect, and probably intended, I do take issue with Chambers on one or two issues. Nonetheless, I am drawn to the notion that it is the Holy Spirit living inside of me that is responsible for my transformation. I am not transformed because I obey; I obey and am transformed because I can do no less when I am connected to You.  However, I also know that when I am not connected to You, when I am seeking my own kinds of salvation and rescue;  church, family, the right partner, career, financial security, or other kinds of “substitutes” I am left wanting…..

And God says…”One of the most amazing aspects of the sacrificial cross of Jesus is that it also made possible your resurrection and transformation as well.  How does it work? As you are learning, your connection to Jesus comes when you surrender all the other choices you have allowed to lead your life; the church,  your job, partner, finances, friends, family, health, even Christian fellowship. When you have chosen priorities like these or perhaps even less noble or less “wholesome” priorities the results are always the same; failure and frustration, coupled with a dose of fear.”

But when you surrender your own ways and means, seek to be connected to Me, and then operate/live out of curiosity (I wonder how God is going to lead me today? Or I wonder how God will work this out for my good?) and the obedience that can only come out of connection and the power of the Holy Spirit, you begin to experience and live out the very transforming power of God in your life. It is a bit like operating 30 stories up without a net, or stepping out of the boat onto the water every day; but what a glorious and exciting way to live. Seek first the kingdom of God (an intimate and personal communication) which is Jesus, and I will provide and deliver everything else you require this day.”

 

 

Why We Lack Understanding

April 7th, 2015

He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. —Mark 9:9

As the disciples were commanded, you should also say nothing until the Son of Man has risen in you— until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you truly understand what He taught while here on earth. When you grow and develop the right condition inwardly, the words Jesus spoke become so clear that you are amazed you did not grasp them before. In fact, you were not able to understand them before because you had not yet developed the proper spiritual condition to deal with them.

Our Lord doesn’t hide these things from us, but we are not prepared to receive them until we are in the right condition in our spiritual life. Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). We must have a oneness with His risen life before we are prepared to bear any particular truth from Him. Do we really know anything about the indwelling of the risen life of Jesus? The evidence that we do is that His Word is becoming understandable to us. God cannot reveal anything to us if we don’t have His Spirit. And our own unyielding and headstrong opinions will effectively prevent God from revealing anything to us. But our insensible thinking will end immediately once His resurrection life has its way with us.

“…tell no one….” But so many people do tell what they saw on the Mount of Transfiguration— their mountaintop experience. They have seen a vision and they testify to it, but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don’t add up because the Son of Man has not yet risen in them. How long will it be before His resurrection life is formed and evident in you and in me?

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord

I am reminded of the way Mary, mother of Jesus “pondered these things in her heart” when she had that mountaintop experience with the Angel. … But how does this balance with your great commission? Go make disciples of the whole earth. And You will be my witnesses? I’m sure “balance” is key, but please clarify.

You will be making disciples, whatever you do. Remember I told the Pharisees that they were making disciples and it was not a good thing. (John 8) Because their lives were not authentic to the truths they were trying to preach, they were hypocrites. Being a hypocritical preacher is worse than saying nothing at all. You terminate your hypocrisy through connection with me. As we are connected your need to impress and have the right answers will fall away. Your outside will begin to match your inside. Then you are ready to be my witness and then words won’t be so important.

The Collision of God and Sin

April 6th, 2015

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree… —1 Peter 2:24


The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God’s judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross— He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus— He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating “God was manifested in the flesh…” from “…He made Himto be sin for us…” (1 Timothy 3:16 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.

The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.

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April 6 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it is amazing to me that we celebrate such an event and method of dying. Amazing in that one of the most hideous processes for an execution can be celebrated by the entire Christian world is….astounding. Last night, as I watched the television show, A.D. The Bible, I couldn’t make myself watch the 9 inch nails being driven into the actor’s hands, and I knew of course that this was “Hollywood”.  But the point made to me was powerful. Even in the Hollywood “play acting” I felt devastated and overwhelmed by the brutality and torture of it all. And Jesus went willingly.

And God says…”These acts of brutality and torture, combined with the willingness of Jesus to leave His place in heaven make a statement that is undeniable. I love you. This act of love, combined with my grace and mercy provides the point of our reconciliation…. we can now have an intimate relationship. You do not need to “get better” or “become a better person or better Christian”. Nor do you need to continually work on your character, or do something for Me. We simply need to be connected, and the cross provides the way.  See the cross and My sacrifice as the gift that it is, and allow Me to love you just as you are; warts and all. As you are connected via the cross your peace, happiness, character, integrity, and the very way you view yourself and the world around you will be transformed over time. Seek Me first, and I will provide everything else you need or require”.

The Glory That’s Unsurpassed

April 2nd, 2015

…the Lord Jesus…has sent me that you may receive your sight… —Acts 9:17

When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.

The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).

Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.

Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside,
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Gazing on the Crucified.

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, I see something a little differently than Mr Chambers here today. Where he says, “To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.” … I’m thinking that perhaps the most spiritual way of all is to be curious and fascinated about all things AND keep you as the context in which we think of all those other things. Perhaps it is drawing a fine line of semantics but it seems less restrictive and more conducive to being ready for you to show me new things … which I’m convinced you want to do.

Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Do not remember the past events,
pay no attention to things of old.
19 Look, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.

Your point is indeed a matter of emphasis and perspective. Like the four blind men encountering an elephant. They thought it was a wall, a rope, etc depending on their experience and perspective. Continuing the metaphor, realize that all humans are like the blind men. So your perspective is your perspective. It comes from your set of experiences and your set of giftings. Every person has their own set of giftings and experiences so their perspective is of necessity going to be different. That’s not a bad thing. Celebrate the diversity. You don’t need to try to change people. You’ll notice that’s not what I did. Just get connected, stay connected and live out of that. That’s what I did.

Second Song … Compare and Enjoy.

Helpful or Heartless Toward Others?

April 1st, 2015

It is Christ…who also makes intercession for us….the Spirit…makes intercession for the saints… —Romans 8:34, 27


Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors– that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?

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April 1, 2015

Journal Entry for April 1 2015

Lord, thank you for this lesson about keeping my heart in the right place so that I can be engaged in intercessory prayer. And more than that, you reminded us that we cannot even pray in the right frame of mind unless we are connected to Jesus; surrendered, connected, curious, expectant and obedient. Yesterday I tried to remember to be connected at every endeavor. Whether it was a “spiritual”, personal (how can I even think about separating this from “spiritual”), commercial (my work) or others directed thought, attitude, or prayerful thought.  And while I cannot say that I was connected the entire day, I do recall that peace that passes all understanding prevailed.

And God says…”I came to give you life and life more abundantly.  Your peace is not based on your circumstances, or the outcomes of your prayers and petitions. You peace is based on allowing Jesus to live through you.  You have had lesson after lesson about what it is that gives you the peace that passes all understanding. It is not the cushion of your bank account, the security of your job or family or even the life partner you have sought. The peace and happiness you have experienced comes form living in your surrendered connection with Jesus. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you require. Delight yourself in the Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.”