. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . —Joshua 24:15
A person’s will is embodied in the actions of the whole person. I cannot give up my will— I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do. The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans. The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you.
“. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . .” Your choice must be a deliberate determination— it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision. The proposal is between you and God— do not “confer with flesh and blood” about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.
Openly declare to Him, “I will be faithful.” But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, “You are witnesses against yourselves . . .” (Joshua 24:22). Don’t consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, “I will serve You.” Will to be faithful— and give other people credit for being faithful too.
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July 8, 2011
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Lord, sometimes it seems as if all I can recall are my failures and disappointments. And just when I grit my teeth and will myself to do the right thing…I do the wrong thing. Just when I think I have it all under control….I don’t. Just when I know that I have overcome that character flaw or trait, it pops back up again. I want to serve you, but all too frequently, it seems I fail.
And God says…”Paul says it well in Romans 7 (go back and read it in The Message translation). He acknowledged that even when he would strive to do My will he could not. He would do the opposite. And he acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the bridge over that troubled water. Do not judge yourself harshly when you fail, I do not judge you at all. My grace is larger than all your wrong choices. Simply acknowledge your failures and Jesus as your redeemer. Acknowledge the law is good and let Jesus, My Holy Spirit and the Word continue to mold you into the man you will become. Do not focus on your human nature and inclinations, focus on Jesus and your new nature that is being refined. Trust in the Lord in all your ways and do not rely on your own devices……and He will make your paths straight “
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July 8 2011 Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord
This message today from Oswald, Joshua, & Dylan seems so right on. It seems so clear when I hear it … but living it out minute by minute is another matter. What’s up? What am I doing wrong?
You are on the right track … keep on coming. None of my men got to the peak of their character in a day or a week. And none of them ever really got totally perfected either. They are perfect now, and you will be too. The question for people on earth is “what are you going to do with the time you have left on your side of heaven?” The focus that I’m interested in is, “what are you going to do with your character?” … not so much “how big an organization or how much wealth will you build?” All that will fade away anyway. Character lasts forever.
I agree with all that, but it’s frustrating to fall so short …
Relax … and stay pressing in on it at the same time. You wont be perfect. And I wont kick you out. Just keep on the track. I like your recent commitment to daily reminders … it will help.
OK I’m just looking for a little something, a signpost, a confirmation, something. I’ll be looking for it today. I love you.
… For Those who remember the original…
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
