Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
The more I understand your substitutionary death the more awesome it becomes. When I was a young Christian, I could see that it was a good deal. Now I see that it is a great deal. And as my experience and understanding expands … it just keeps getting better. Now you are teaching us that our striving to be better or quit bad habits is a waste of time. Well, maybe not a waste of time, but it certainly doesn’t work. Maybe there is value in that. Learning what doesn’t work, firsthand. After finding out that grunting and striving to be better doesn’t work…Now I’m at the place of finding what does work. And it seems to be to simply surrender and let your Spirit provide the power and the changes start to happen. Learning the aspects of the Surrendered Life is an exciting journey, because it has plenty of surprises. If I plan an event and it goes exactly like I had planned it … I’ve almost certainly missed it because your plans are always better than mine, and include surprises that I hadn’t expected.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… —Matthew 28:19

Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go…make disciples of all the nations….” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples returned from their first mission, they were filled with joy because even the demons were subject to them. But Jesus said, in effect, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20). The missionary’s great essential is remaining true to the call of God, and realizing that his one and only purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. Remember that there is a passion for souls that does not come from God, but from our desire to make converts to our point of view.

The challenge to the missionary does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the missionary’s own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter. The one great challenge to us is— do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God’s sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said? Or am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God’s only call for a missionary? If I follow any other method, I depart altogether from the methods prescribed by our Lord— “All authority has been given to Me….Go therefore…” (Matthew 28:18-19).

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit… —Romans 8:16

We are in danger of getting into a bargaining spirit with God when we come to Him— we want the witness of the Spirit before we have done what God tells us to do.

Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to you? He cannot. It is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the way as long as you won’t abandon yourself to Him in total surrender. Yet once you do, immediately God witnesses to Himself— He cannot witness to you, but He instantly witnesses to His own nature in you. If you received the witness of the Spirit before the reality and truth that comes from obedience, it would simply result in sentimental emotion. But when you act on the basis of redemption, and stop the disrespectfulness of debating with God, He immediately gives His witness. As soon as you abandon your own reasoning and arguing, God witnesses to what He has done, and you are amazed at your total disrespect in having kept Him waiting. If you are debating as to whether or not God can deliver from sin, then either let Him do it or tell Him that He cannot. Do not quote this or that person to Him. Simply obey Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden….” Come, if you are weary, and ask, if you know you are evil (see Luke 11:9-13).

The Spirit of God witnesses to the redemption of our Lord, and to nothing else. He cannot witness to our reason. We are inclined to mistake the simplicity that comes from our natural commonsense decisions for the witness of the Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature, and to the work of redemption, never to our reason. If we are trying to make Him witness to our reason, it is no wonder that we are in darkness and uncertainty. Throw it all overboard, trust in Him, and He will give you the witness of the Spirit.

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Journal Entry for October 22, 2015-JDV

Lord, this devotional touches on a lesson you have been giving me for the last couple of weeks. Namely, that Your Spirit connects with the Holy Spirit living inside of me when I do not bring my logic or ideas about how we relate. When I think our relationship should look like this, or when I focus on my unanswered prayers and how certain answers would make me or others whole or happy, we are disconnected: Disconnected because I did not come surrendered. I still held onto my ideas of what the world, answers to prayers and blessings for us should look like. And when I do this, I do not offer up un equivocal faith that “says” You are God and You work all things out for good. When I truly seek Your will, I have no suggestions or answers about what that should “look like”; what the outcomes should be. I simply seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and allow You to be God in my life.

And God says…”When you let go of your ideas, your perceptions and trust Me to be your God, I can meet all your needs according to my riches in glory. When you only allow me a small space in which to operate, that is to say your hopes and faith only include certain outcomes, and blessings, your faith in Me is reduced and restricted to only those areas and outcomes. And certain outcomes and answers do not and will not always serve you, Me or the greater good. My will is chosen by you and I am free move in your life as you surrender and let go of your will, and trust in Me with all your heart. When you do this you can be certain that I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you  the desires of your heart shaped by my will.”

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith… —Jude 20

There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God’s nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple.

Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman— an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he “followed Him at a distance” on dry land (Mark 14:54). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises— human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God— but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people— and this is not learned in five minutes.

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October 21 2015

Journal Entry for October 22 2015

Lord, I’m not certain I agree with Chambers this time. When he says Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different.  You have been teaching us that it is all the same; walking on water or miracles, and the day to day mundane work and service; it all comes from You via the Holy Spirit through us. You have taught us to be and live surrendered, connected, curious and obedient, regardless of the service or circumstance.  The outcomes are not our concerns, the methods or circumstances are also non issues but that we are to let You work through us and revel in our relationship; whether it be routine or supernatural.

And God says…”I work all things together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to My purpose. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you require; strength and appreciation for the routine and mundane, as well as faith and belief in and for the miraculous. Do not seek a miracle or a routine outcome, simply trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding or expectations. Allow Me to be God in your life as you live out of surrender, connection, curiosity and obedience. “

This is the will of God, your sanctification… —1 Thessalonians 4:3

 

Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me— is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and to let His life be exhibited in my human flesh? (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Beware of saying, “Oh, I am longing to be sanctified.” No, you are not.

Recognize your need, but stop longing and make it a matter of action. Receive Jesus Christ to become sanctification for you by absolute, unquestioning faith, and the great miracle of the atonement of Jesus will become real in you. All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). It is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8). He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification.

No wonder Paul said that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Sanctification makes me one with Jesus Christ, and in Him one with God, and it is accomplished only through the magnificent atonement of Christ. Never confuse the effect with the cause. The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ. _____________________________________________________________________

Journal DJR Good Morning Lord,

I’ve always thought and said that our goal after salvation was to become Christlike. Perhaps that’s what sanctification is? And here it says pretty clearly that’s what you want also… This is the will of God, your sanctification… —1 Thessalonians 4:3 I think where I’ve messed up is in striving to be Christlike… It has always led to failure. I think it was a “do it yourself” sanctification effort, which I can see now, is doomed to failure.

I do want you Christlike. And I’ve paid the price and paved the way and sent the power to make it happen … but it doesn’t include your willpower or religious pride of accomplishment to get it done. Stay on the track I’ve set for you… Surrender, Connection, Obedience, Curiosity about what I’m doing and going to do next, and looking and listening and then just living out of that. With that approach, you are well on your way to the Christlikeness that you desire. But it will be like a side effect…Not the thing you were striving for. There may be shame and devastation when you see the opportunities that have been missed. But those emotions will be overwhelmed by joy when you see me as I am and really see the gift you have been given. Gratitude overpowers shame and leaves you in peace, not striving.