This is the firm and immovable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him— “I will give your life to you . . . .” What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. “. . . your life . . . as a prize . . .” means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life and nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in exhibiting things for others to see, not showing off property and possessions, but our blessings. All these things that we so proudly show have to go. But there is something greater that can never go— the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” ( Colossians 3:3  ).

Are you prepared to let God take you into total oneness with Himself, paying no more attention to what you call the great things of life? Are you prepared to surrender totally and let go? The true test of abandonment or surrender is in refusing to say, “Well, what about this?” Beware of your own ideas and speculations. The moment you allow yourself to think, “What about this?” you show that you have not surrendered and that you do not really trust God. But once you do surrender, you will no longer think about what God is going to do. Abandonment means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you totally abandon yourself to God, He immediately says to you, “I will give your life to you as a prize . . . .” The reason people are tired of life is that God has not given them anything— they have not been given their life “as a prize.” The way to get out of that condition is to abandon yourself to God. And once you do get to the point of total surrender to Him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth. God will have you absolutely, without any limitations, and He will have given you your life. If you are not there, it is either because of disobedience in your life or your refusal to be simple enough.

…..”once you do get to the point of total surrender to Him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth”….this statement personifies the condition of the “connected” believer. Our experience being connected is that we are in fact surprised and delighted when we are connected and as a result, want more and more to be and remain connected. How we accomplish, or rather let God accomlish this in us,  is the focus of many or most of our CO2 sessions. JDV/DJR

We believe we discovered today a truth about our search for constant connection; it may be that in our search for connection with the Holy Spirit of God, that we “get or stay” connected when we are connected to others and become Christ in service to them. JDV/DJR

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[a] 31}The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]There is no commandment greater than these.”