He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief —Isaiah 53:3

. . . do you love Me? . . . Tend My sheep —John 21:16

. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . —Matthew 14:29-30

Beware of Criticizing Others
Judge not, that you be not judged —Matthew 7:1

Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Help me remember and live from the words of today’s song this day and every day…. just a fallen man living in the Land of Mercy. It’s pretty easy to live there when I get a clear look at “what lies in me apart from the grace of God.” But as my mind drifts back into daily affairs, it is easy to judge other cultures, other people, etc. When I have the clear view that without you… I’m a wreck, … it’s not difficult to be non judgmental. When I move away from that consciousness, the ability to judge and criticize quickly resurrects itself.

I had my people build Altars and Monuments in the Old Testament. One of the purposes was to help them remember. The need to remember the things you see in those moments of clarity is still there. Songs can serve the same purpose. As you sing the words they can remind you. But be cautious to not just sing the words in a rote fashion. Let them penetrate and let me sing between the lines and beyond the lines … then they will be especially for you. Keep on remembering your need for grace and keep on giving out grace to others. Dont worry I have an inexhaustible supply.

Have you noticed that the world, the economy, the culture, politics and your whole society is built on evaluating and judging what is of value and what is cool … and what it not? If you spend your whole life in that world, you will find those ways of evaluating and judging easy to adopt. So come away with me. As we spend time, your mind and heart and world view will be re-calibrated … to match my mind and heart and world view. The view is better from here. Come on up. Come away. Often.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . —John 15:13, 15

Come to Me . . . —Matthew 11:28

Where sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saint starts. Do I really want to get there? I can right now. The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words— “Come to Me.” Our Lord’s words are not, “Do this, or don’t do that,” but— “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.

Have you ever come to Jesus? Look at the stubbornness of your heart. You would rather do anything than this one simple childlike thing— “Come to Me.” If you really want to experience ceasing from sin, you must come to Jesus.

Jesus Christ makes Himself the test to determine your genuineness. Look how He used the word come. At the most unexpected moments in your life there is this whisper of the Lord— “Come to Me,” and you are immediately drawn to Him. Personal contact with Jesus changes everything. Be “foolish” enough to come and commit yourself to what He says. The attitude necessary for you to come to Him is one where your will has made the determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit it all to Him.

“. . . and I will give you rest”— that is, “I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm.” He is not saying, “I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep.” But, in essence, He is saying, “I will get you out of bed— out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity.” Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about “suffering” the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that?

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Today’s devotional sums up what we have been hearing for the last 4 years. It’s all about the relationship, the connection and your life that comes thru it. Not to do this or dont do that but simply come to you and then live from whatever we find there. Wow. How wonderful and simple is that! So why do we, (us humans) find it so difficult to do the simple?

It is simple and not difficult when you are out of the way. If your “old nature” still lives, it will want it’s own way. So immediately there is conflict and simply coming to me becomes difficult or impossible. So your challenge and the question you can always ask yourself is how “crucified with Christ” you are, or are your carnal passions alive and well and pulling you? Come to me. Dont just talk about it. Really come to me. And my life and love will flow into you and life will become an adventure, regardless of circumstance. Just come to me.

. . . seek, and you will find . . . —Luke 11:9

Seek if you have not found. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss . . .” (James 4:3). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. “. . . seek, and you will find . . . .” Get to work— narrow your focus and interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? “. . . seek, [focus,] and you will find . . . .”

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. . .” (Isaiah 55:1). Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent— so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit. Remember that you can never give another person what you have found, but you can cause him to have a desire for it.

“. . . knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). “Draw near to God . . .” (James 4:8). Knock— the door is closed, and your heartbeat races as you knock. “Cleanse your hands . . .” (James 4:8). Knock a bit louder— you begin to find that you are dirty. “. . . purify your hearts . . .” (James 4:8). It is becoming even more personal— you are desperate and serious now— you will do anything. “Lament . . . ” (James 4:9). Have you ever lamented, expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. “Humble yourselves . . . ” (James 4:10). It is a humbling experience to knock at God’s door— you have to knock with the crucified thief. “. . . to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10).

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, Knock, Knock, Knock. I find some things easy to come knocking for on your door and other things not so much. Some things I’ve knocked and knocked and I think I may have just gotten tired…? At least there is a lack of the desperation that is mentioned in the message today. I dont have to dig too much deeper to find unclean heart and hands and lack of faith. It’s a good exercise. Getting humble like the thief on the cross, both so that I can hear better and also believe better and obey better.

That’s good analysis. But good analysis won’t solve your problems. It’s like getting a correct diagnosis of cancer. It’s good to know … but you still have cancer.

OK, then what does one do? In the correctly diagnosed cancer metaphor, there are then treatment options. When we get a lack of faith, or unclean heart diagnosis … are there treatment options?

Accessing my power and life is the cure. But there are different ways that it will be accessed and applied. Remember that there is no cookbook with recipes where one size fits all. That is why you must come knocking and listening to me to get your custom prescription for your lack of faith or unclean heart. There is no 4 step program for you and you cannot prescribe a 4 step program for anyone else. I customize solutions for all of my children.

Lord, help me this day to come knocking with the right heart … and then to be quickly obedient when I hear or see something that is from you. I love you. Thank you for your love.

Everyone who asks receives . . . —Luke 11:10

“Hope Can Change Everthing”. Song by Bart Millard, Francesca Battistelli, Jamie Grace, Jeremy Camp, Matt Maher & Sidewalk Prophets. Lyric Video made by SMN

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.

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
This causes me to question, Why do I do what I do? Why am I passionate about what I’m passionate about? Is it you and your atonement and your plans? Sometimes it doesn’t seem so.

You are in process. Sometimes you are seeking me purely. Sometimes it’s a mix. I’m in the mix but not central. Sometimes you’re just running on your own steam. Those times dont work out too well. You call it running amuck. When you look back you can see some of all of these cases.

Yes, I can. It’s good to see when I’ve been connected and heard your voice and done your will. But on all that other time when it seems like I’m running on my own power … I feel so bad about that, but dont seem to be able to wrest my mind over to focus on your atonement as Oswald describes today.

You can try to do that in a mechanical way. It won’t work very well long term.

Yes, I have tried that. Set my watch to ding every hour and try to focus. It didn’t seem to work.

You will have better success at simply starting each day spending time with me and a prayer to keep a focus on our relationship thru the day. Then go do the day. Keep looking for me in all the circumstances. If you have asked me lead you and guide you, dont you think that I’ll be happy to answer that prayer? Realize also that just as you stay curious and watch and see what Father is doing in a situation … I also am curious to see what you will do with situations. I will not make you a robot. I am curious to see how much of me and my kingdom you will absorb and make your own. It starts off that my thoughts are not your thoughts. But as time goes on and you immerse yourself more and more in me and my ways and my thoughts … you will start thinking like me. It is then that these verses will make sense.

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