These words were not spoken as a rebuke, nor even with surprise; Jesus was encouraging Philip to draw closer. Yet the last person we get intimate with is Jesus. Before Pentecost the disciples knew Jesus as the One who gave them power to conquer demons and to bring about a revival (see Luke 10:18-20). It was a wonderful intimacy, but there was a much closer intimacy to come: “…I have called you friends…” (John 15:15). True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit. The whole experience of life is designed to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we really know Him?Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away…” (John 16:7). He left that relationship to lead them even closer. It is a joy to Jesus when a disciple takes time to walk more intimately with Him. The bearing of fruit is always shown in Scripture to be the visible result of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ (see John 15:1-4).

Once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely and we never lack for understanding or compassion. We can continually pour out our hearts to Him without being perceived as overly emotional or pitiful. The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.

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January 7 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord, and thank You for this day and this devotional.  This is a message You have been teaching us for some time; be intimate with Jesus. And as we learned yesterday, the day to day message is for us to get connected to Jesus, stay connected, and live it out.  Therein lies the rub, how we do that. Lord, it seems as if every distraction in the world gets in my way daily and hourly.  Even as I seek out a quiet time to meditate, my mind wanders. Even as I turn my day over to You my spirit is often hijacked by day to day, hour to hour fears, distractions, responsibilities, and interruptions.  It seems that I can only stop my wandering mind and spirit when I am in desperate need, and You are the only answer”.

And God says…”As Paul wrote…”who will rescue me from this circumstance? “Thank God it has already been done; Jesus paid the price for your inability to stay connected.  I know what you can and cannot do. I do not give you hope and connection and then pull it away. I would not show you how to live abundantly and not make the life easily attainable.  This abundant life is not meant to be something you must earn; it is not available to just the disciplined. Our intimacy is not based on your abilities, focus or even your worship and study.  It is not based on your worthiness. Our intimacy is based on the sacrifice of Jesus. Simply reach out to Him knowing that He is all that is required to get and stay connected. And when you notice that you are more closely aligned with your own notions, fears, responsibilities, and interruptions, silently cry out to Jesus, and let Him restore your connection and intimacy. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you require will be provided. “

Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love-gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard it for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded (see Exodus 16:20). God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others.Bethel is the symbol of fellowship with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abram “pitched his tent” between the two. The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him. Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time— there is always plenty of time to worship God. Days set apart for quiet can be a trap, detracting from the need to have daily quiet time with God. That is why we must “pitch our tents” where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our times with the world may be. There are not three levels of spiritual life— worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight.

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January 6 2015

Journal Entry for today-JDV

Lord, today as we prayed, talked and sought your message, we heard you loud and clear.  Our goals are to get connected, stay connected, and then live it, give it and work it out.  Sounds a bit cliché-ish”, but that was the message we learned today.

And God says…”That has been your lesson for many days. Be connected and in relationship with Me and then simply live.  When we are connected you know that I am guiding your life, so you can be curious and expectant, knowing that all things will work together for your good. And when you are connected, you will naturally become a blessing for others. It is impossible to be connected to Me, be truly blessed and NOT be connected to others. Love your God with all your mind, heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself;  the only commandments given you by Jesus.”

“And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’ ” (John 21:19). Three years earlier Jesus had said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and Peter followed with no hesitation. The irresistible attraction of Jesus was upon him and he did not need the Holy Spirit to help him do it. Later he came to the place where he denied Jesus, and his heart broke. Then he received the Holy Spirit and Jesus said again, “Follow Me” (John 21:19). Now no one is in front of Peter except the Lord Jesus Christ. The first “Follow Me” was nothing mysterious; it was an external following. Jesus is now asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding (see John 21:18).Between these two times Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75). But then he came completely to the end of himself and all of his self-sufficiency. There was no part of himself he would ever rely on again. In his state of destitution, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Lord had for him. “…He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ ” (John 20:22). No matter what changes God has performed in you, never rely on them. Build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives.

All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to “receive the Holy Spirit.” “Receive the Holy Spirit” — the idea is that of invasion. There is now only One who directs the course of your life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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January 5 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, on my own I have no power or desire to follow You. On my own I make resolutions and chase visions, hopes and desires that hold no lasting value. Even when I am wildly successful, the victories seem hallow and fleeting. But connected to You I feel a sense of purpose and design.

When you surrender you own notions of life, who you are and what you are to do and are connected to Me, you are connected to My love and a sense of purpose and power that provides a peace that passes all understanding.

Lord I get that, but like Peter when I see the storm waves all around me, my senses overload on what can or could happen. When I sense the impending dangers or risks, and I cannot see or feel You, I get frightened and worried.

There is a simple remedy for that; do not face your days, full of dangers and risks, without Me. Do not step out onto the waters of your days until and unless you are connected and communing with Me. Seek first the kingdom of God and I will provide everything else you require. Acknowledge Me in all you ways and I will make your paths straight. Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Security from Yesterday. “…God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow. “…the Lord will go before you….” This is a gracious revelation— that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our “rear guard.” And God’s hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.

Security for Today. “You shall not go out with haste….” As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.

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December 12 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional is very timely as I take stock of 2014 and look out at the future of 2015. However, there is something here that doesn’t quite ring true. If Jesus paid the price for our sins and transgressions, then why should we recall them and our yesterdays as if we need to be held accountable?  What can we be held accountable for, if Jesus paid the price? Is this one more of those “bait and switch” teachings? Jesus paid it all now it is up to me to live it out and be held to account for not doing so according to some measuring guide?

And God says…”I said I will remember your sins no more. They are as far as the east from the west. I do not recall past, present or future sins. When I look at the accounting, I see Jesus, and how you allowed My Spirit to live through you. There is no measurement, only yes and no. As you have been fond of saying, “God does not grade on the curve”. So let go of the past, present and future, and look to the new year as an opportunity to step out in a vision and faith so large, that the only way to live it is to be totally surrendered to Me. Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else you require will be provided. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. Do not get confused by the enemy contemplating your failures and missteps. Focus on Jesus and by the strength and faith of Jesus, allow your vision, hopes and dreams to become real. Acknowledge Me in all our ways and I will make your paths straight.”

When God, by His Spirit through His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must “walk in the light” of that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it, if you don’t “walk in the light” of it you will sink to a level of bondage never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to “walk in the light” of the vision that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge them— that is between God and them.

When you find that one of your favorite and strongly held views clashes with the “heavenly vision,” do not begin to debate it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you— things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the root of everything foreign to Himself— “…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

If we don’t see and understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our Lord’s teaching.Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.

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December 29 2014

Journal Entry form Today-JDV

Lord, sometimes I think Oswald Chambers was simply a spiritual “drill instructor”, focused on guiding his students to a preparedness that would help them sustain their energy and hope in a difficult struggle. However, I often read his devotionals and think, “How could that have come from the Spirit?”  Now he is writing about how we regress if we do not follow the vision; that we “back slide” unless we demonstrate more focus and discipline. That sounds way too much like, “God’s done His part now I must do my part”.   But You have been teaching us that there is only one part; Your part.   Jesus has already done it all, we are simply to surrender and trust You. The discipline and focus may follow immediately, or not, but You are the answer to all of our questions. We have but to surrender to You and allow You to bring about our transformation and the discipline and focus that follow.

You have been teaching us about how we regress if we rely on our own strength and discipline.  How do I reconcile Your teaching on surrender and Chambers’ focus on personal discipline and focus?

And God says…”Since time memoriam humans have taken My desire for a relationship and turned it into something else entirely. In the garden, Adam and Eve had their own ideas about our relationship. Abraham could not wait for the vision to materialize, and the wandering Israelites wanted rules. Peter wanted to build tents for Elijah, Moses and Jesus in the garden. It seems that “Good Christians” always want to “do something”. And a great many spiritual leaders cannot wait for the transformation and actions of the Spirit to take place and as humans you continue to try and create caveats, rules, and quid pro quo circumstances. Recall that Jesus only gave you two commandments; love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Chambers just like many, many other “spiritual leaders” wants to help accelerate spiritual growth and discipline. However, when you first trust in the Lord and do not rely on your own understandings….and ways and means, including self-discipline and focus, I make your paths straight.  Your discipline and focus will come not as the result of your efforts but as a result of your surrender to Me.  And make no mistake, discipline and focus are key elements of your growth; however they must, and will, come from the Spirit as a result of your daily, hourly and minute by minute relationship and surrender to Jesus.”

 

 

His Birth in History. “…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.

His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.

God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

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December 25 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord and Happy Birthday. This devotional and  song remind me that while your birthday is a day to celebrate, I cannot forget why You came to earth. You were born to die so that I could live, and you live in me. Thank You Lord.

And God says…”Many were, and are, looking for a king like David or Solomon. And instead I sent a baby. Many were looking for a miracle to keep Jesus from the cross. Instead, He suffered painful and agonizing beatings, was mocked and died on the cross. Then I raised Him up. These are all reasons to celebrate and recognize Jesus now living inside of you. When you celebrate the birth of Jesus today, remember to celebrate His mission and His living sacrifice as well.” 

The Spirit of God testifies to and confirms the simple, but almighty, security of the life that “is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul continually brought this out in his New Testament letters. We talk as if living a sanctified life were the most uncertain and insecure thing we could do. Yet it is the most secure thing possible, because it has Almighty God in and behind it. The most dangerous and unsure thing is to try to live without God. For one who is born again, it is easier to live in a right-standing relationship with God than it is to go wrong, provided we heed God’s warnings and “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).When we think of being delivered from sin, being “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), and “walk[ing] in the light,” we picture the peak of a great mountain. We see it as very high and wonderful, but we say, “Oh, I could never live up there!” However, when we do get there through God’s grace, we find it is not a mountain peak at all, but a plateau with plenty of room to live and to grow. “You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip” (Psalm 18:36).When you really see Jesus, I defy you to doubt Him. If you see Him when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:27), I defy you to worry. It is virtually impossible to doubt when He is there. Every time you are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to you. “My peace I give to you…” (John 14:27)— a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “…your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you._______________________________________________________________December 24 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord, thank you for this devotional and song that reminds us that You are here with us, and that “You are the one that conquers giants, calls out kings, you close the mouths of lions and tell the dead to breathe.”  You can do anything Lord, and You take the time to remind me that You are still doing these things on our behalf.

And God says…”Reread this portion of the devotional…”When you really see Jesus, I defy you to doubt Him. If you see Him when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:27), I defy you to worry. It is virtually impossible to doubt when He is there. Every time you are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to you. “My peace I give to you…” (John 14:27)— a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “…your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you.”

“This is the message you have been learning for months and years; the most important part of your spiritual life is your connection to and with Me.  Our intimate, daily, hourly relationship allows you to live knowing that I am the great I am and that when you seek Me first, I am able to meet all your needs. When you delight yourself in the Lord I can give you the desires of your heart.”

“I came to earth to help  demonstrate and solidify our intimate relationship through Jesus, the Messiah.”

Never be sympathetic with a person whose situation causes you to conclude that God is dealing harshly with him. God can be more tender than we can conceive, and every once in a while He gives us the opportunity to deal firmly with someone so that He may be viewed as the tender One. If a person cannot go to God, it is because he has something secret which he does not intend to give up— he may admit his sin, but would no more give up that thing than he could fly under his own power. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with people like that. We must reach down deep in their lives to the root of the problem, which will cause hostility and resentment toward the message. People want the blessing of God, but they can’t stand something that pierces right through to the heart of the matter.

If you are sensitive to God’s way, your message as His servant will be merciless and insistent, cutting to the very root. Otherwise, there will be no healing. We must drive the message home so forcefully that a person cannot possibly hide, but must apply its truth. Deal with people where they are, until they begin to realize their true need. Then hold high the standard of Jesus for their lives. Their response may be, “We can never be that.” Then drive it home with, “Jesus Christ says you must.” “But how can we be?” “You can’t, unless you have a new Spirit” (see Luke 11:13).

There must be a sense of need created before your message is of any use. Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to “bring…a sword” through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself.

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December 19 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I believe your word is like a sword, and it often cuts us, and those we interact with to the quick. Your word points out my need for a Savior, and your Spirit convicts non-believers, but I can find no scripture that tells me I should be rude or heavy handed. When Chambers says I must deal with those that offer strong opposition so that I …will cause hostility and resentment toward the message, I am not sure.

And God says…”Let Me deliver the message to those you come in contact with. Do not have any preconceived ideas about how or what you say or do. Just let Me live through you, through our connection; and allow Me to deliver the message that is needed. Most often you will not even be aware that you are a living, breathing testimony of Jesus. On your most effective days, you will not even be aware that your message was sent by My Spirit, through our connection and received by another. Jesus only gave you two commandments; love your God with all your heart, mind and spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself. As long as your communication is based on these two commandments, you need not be concerned about anything else.”

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

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December 18 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

God, the first thought that comes to mind when I think of being tested is my inability to “keep the faith”. And I ask myself why in the world would You test me in the first place, when you already know my inability to stand against formidable challenges? I say and do the wrong things more often than I say and do the right things. When I read a devotional about how you test us Lord, I feel confused, because you already know that I will fail tests of faith; that I am frightened of pink slips, a dwindling bank account, and difficult diagnosis and prognoses. You already know that I want to avoid  pain and the difficulties of life. Why would you want to test and exposé me for the failure that I am?

And God says…”Of course you fail tests of faith.  Every man does.  Look at Elijah, Moses, David, Peter,  Paul and others. I do not test so that I can see your strength and faithfulness; I test you so that you can see your need of a Savior…in all areas of your life. Left to your own devices you will choose the easy path, the one without trials and difficult circumstances. Left to your own devices, you will not choose the difficult paths, and as a result you will not grow in your faith. And to be grown in your faith does not mean that you will one day be able to handle more and more difficult circumstances, on your own, it means you will grow to the point of surrendering the circumstances to Me at your very earliest opportunity. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and I will provide everything else you need. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and I will make your paths straight.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart.  Remind yourself of the many times I have interceded on your behalf, or of the times that your worst fears did not come true….remind yourself of how I go before you, and that I do not test you to determine your weakness or strength, I test you so that you will grow to the point of looking and finding strength in your surrenders to Jesus.”

” And as you recall your growth and strength that has come from your surrenders to Me…….as the song says…Just say Amen.”