August 23, 2011

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.

We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.

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August 23, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

God, I do not seem to have difficulty finding a private place and praying. Staying focused on You does not seem overly difficult lately either. What is unsettling is the notion that You seem to have abandoned the notion of answering my prayers.  Over and over I am offering up prayer after prayer with the same request (s), and it seems the answer is always “wait or ….I have something better in mind”.

And God says…”You are right; I do answer your prayers with those two answers. ..”Wait ….or I have something better in mind”. You are anxious and question my responses to your specific short term requests because you tire of waiting, and want my blessing for your own plans and projects.”

“When you consider the magnitude of the everlasting and the eternal, and faithfully trust Me to meet all your needs in this context, you may begin to understand that right at this moment, you are right where you want and need to be. Rest and be at peace with your prayer requests knowing that I will meet all your needs according to my riches in glory, according to My eternal timetable;  providing what is the absolute best for you….. from my perspective.”

“Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your understanding or perspective at all…and I will make your paths straight. Seek first My kingdom, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need or require”.

August 17, 2011

Jesus . . . said to him, ’You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:22-23

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.

Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.

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August 17, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

I have denied you and doubted, and you love me anyway. I have refused to hear your loving voice, and rejected your soft and clear direction. And You love me anyway. The notion that you love me regardless of what I might say or do is mind boggling. I thought I had to “measure up”.  And as I consider this amazing truth, my love for you and desire to follow you becomes firmly imbedded in my heart and soul.  Just considering this truth somehow transforms me…again and again.

And God says…”I knew the rich young ruler would be stopped in his tracks over my answer to his question;  just as you are often stopped in your tracks by my direction. However, both you and the rich young ruler have life more abundantly when you choose to follow Me. You can live a transformed life. When you hold onto your notions of money, what is sufficient and required for your life you, in affect are saying, “God, I will follow my own notions and my natural inclinations.” When you do this you decide NOT to receive My supernatural abundance and grace. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight. Seek first My Kingdome, which is Jesus, and all these things will be added unto you.

August 15, 2011

You must be born again —John 3:7

The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced (John 3:4). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.

“But as many as received Him. . .” (John 1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result of my own internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned through listening to others? Is there something in my life that unites me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior? My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3). Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . .” (1 John 3:9). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that wecannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.

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August 15, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord I try to do the right thing, but seem to fail …and fail often. If I have the ability to always do the right thing, then what is wrong with me? I seem to fail way too often.  I seem to exhibit my more self-like traits instead of the traits of Jesus.

And God says…”If you were not my child, you would not even be concerned about your actions and traits.  Recall that when I see you I simply see Jesus , all the time. And a process begun by faith cannot be completed by good works.  You have nothing to do with your sanctification; you need only have faith and accept my grace and mercy. Your transformation takes place, over time from the inside out. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.”

Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more —2 Kings 2:11-12

It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your “Jordan” (Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.

Alone at Your “Jericho” (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your “Bethel” (2 Kings 2:23). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

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Aug 11   2011 Journal  DJR

Good Morning, Lord.   Today’s message reminds me of the parallels that I find in life about staying the course on a vision.   There is an exciting time early on, maybe with an Elijah, or even a group of encouragers.   But then they are removed.   Maybe go against me or maybe just move on.   That is the time of Jordan, Jericho & Bethel.   Will I quit or will I hang in there?  Will I turn to you alone?   Maybe after I hang in there for a while on my own and searching for another Elijah?

There are many parallels for anyone to observe, if they have an inclination to observe … eyes to see.   When the night comes there are two choices that you tend to make.   Buckle down and dig in and dont quit … but pretty much in your own will power.   Better than quitting, and it gets you to the second option, which is giving up and turning to me.    The sooner you can get to that place, the better.   There can be collateral damage with gritting your teeth and holding on in your own power.

Lord help me not give up on the Visions that are from you … but help me give up sooner on my own power and get to where I’m relying on you alone.  How about not even going there to my own power first?   I would like that, but it seems that my creative mind (that you gave me) immediately goes to work to “solve” problems…

I made you that way.   It is up to you to bring that creativity to me and we will work together.   It will be better and faster.   But until you get that perfected, you can expect some Jordans, Jerichos & Bethels.   That’s how we get it perfected.

August 10, 2011

Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good . . . —1 Peter 4:19

Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.

The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).

Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

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August 10, 2011

Thank you Lord for many things; including changing me from the inside out.  And even though I often do not appreciate the difficult times while I am in them, I can look back and understand how you used a particular circumstance to help shape me. I can also understand how you might use difficult times to shape my brothers and sisters. And while it makes sense for me to love them while they are inside a tough time, I also understand that You must have Your perfect will and perfect timing; working through circumstances with believers. Lord help me to understand this and to praise you during these times, all the while not attempting to try and help myself or others escape the trials too early.

And God says…”If you recall, we have been on the best of speaking terms when you were in the most need. When you have been overwhelmed by difficulties that you could not control, you always turned to Me. You have been learning this lesson over and over and over, so that now turning your daily life over to Me is not an occasional thing, it has become a pattern of living for you. Had you been able to handle your day to day circumstances there would have been no motivation for you to turn to Me so frequently and with the highest degrees of intensity. ”

August 09, 2011

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ’Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’ —John 11:41

When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . ” (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God’s Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God’s eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? Jesus says, “In that day you will ask in My name . . .” (John 16:26). What day does He mean? He is referring to the day when the Holy Spirit has come to me and made me one with my Lord.

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side. Common sense is a gift that God gave to our human nature— but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son, and we should never put our common sense on the throne. The Son always recognizes and identifies with the Father, but common sense has never yet done so and never will. Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?

Journal DJR

Aug 9, 2011

Good Morning, Lord.

It is true that we (I) get tangled up trying to use logic and rationality and common sense … and miss out on some of your uncommon blessings.   I’m reminded of Mary and Martha.   You didn’t tell Martha that the meal didn’t need to get prepared, but as she was preparing it, she was stressing out.   I relate to that.   How do we do stressful things without the stress?   Of course I know the answer … … as we abide in you, rest in you, have relationship with you.

Yes.

But how to do that is the challenge.   Do you have any tips … that I haven’t tried?  You know this isn’t  a new concept to me … but getting (regular) victory in it … that would be new and a very nice thing.

… a few hours later … I thought I would let this simmer and see if you would make anything clear.   Not so much on the question, but I’ve been seeing your hand at work in other ways.   Finding things that had been lost, inventing new ways of using tools and designing the deck that I’ve been working on … but nothing new on how to strike the Mary – Martha balance.

Are you looking for a magic pill?  A silver bullet?  A secret formula?    There isn’t one.   So Satan would like to keep you and your friends looking for one,  preaching and teaching and writing books about it.    Meanwhile some skip that whole debate and search and just come to me.   Abiding is a pretty good word picture of it.    It means living with someone.  You dont need a formula.  You just move in.   And have meals together and talk and share thoughts and dreams.   So abide with me and forget the formulas.