If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ. The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

_______________________________________________________

July 2, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, once more you remind me that I am to keep my eyes on Jesus. Unlike religions that have sets of rules and commandments to follow, You continue to teach us that our faith and hope comes from being connected to Jesus. Thank you for reminding us of our need to be connected NOT to a religion but to the person of Jesus Christ. Help me to be connected to You this day, and to remain curious about how I can live out this connection by surrendering my life to You.

 

And God says…”Like the title of your blog, “manna today” you come to Jesus fresh every day. You cannot store up your connection or relationship. Yesterday’s connection is used up as you faced the issues of the day,  reached out to others and to other opportunities. You must come to Jesus every morning, and live it out step by step as you are connected. Oh to be sure you can try, and many do try to store up their religion by adhering to rules, “dos and don’ts”; but the abundant life comes from being connected to Jesus and allowing Him to live through you in the immediate. And you do this by renewing your mind and heart every day, many times a day. This daily renewing and refreshing comes from acknowledging Jesus as your source for all things. Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and He will make your paths straight. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you require will be provided. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress.” God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21).“Agree with your adversary quickly . . . .” Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now! 

______________________________________________________________

 

June 30, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, thank you for the gift of forgiveness; that ability to quickly let go of grudges and feelings that I must get back at someone that has hurt me or mine. That was a gift I was not expecting to come to me like it did, all at once. But You know that sometimes it is more difficult than others, especially when one of my children or a very close friend is hurt, or when I feel like I have been disrespected. How can I let go of these tendencies more quickly Lord?

 

And God says…”Forgiveness is a gift that must be opened immediately if you are to receive the full benefit of the gift. You have no right, and there is absolutely no benefit for you to hold onto any of the feelings and thoughts of reprisal, self-pity or self-righteousness. Whenever you hold out strong feelings against another person, institution, organization or group, you block the blessings that have been given you. And the “HOW?”…It is the same lesson as you have been learning. The “HOW’ belongs to Me. Surrender your right to reprisals and hard feelings because of the hurt inflicted by others, to Me. Let Me respond on your behalf. My ways are not your ways. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Your role is to simply surrender your right to yourself to Me. I will provide the “HOW”. In fact I am the “HOW”.  Seek first the kingdom of God which is Jesus and everything else you need, including the ability to forgive, will be provided”. Remain connected to Me and curious about how I will respond to meet your needs. If I would not spare my only Son, it is certain I would not withhold any good thing from you. Delight yourself in Me and receive the desires of your heart.” 

 

The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested (2 Corinthians 6:4). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer.“. . . in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors . . .” (2 Corinthians 6:5)— in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

“. . . having nothing . . . .” Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. “. . . and yet possessing all things”— this is poverty triumphant (2 Corinthians 6:10).

__________________________________________________________

 

June 26 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, thank you for the reminder through this devotional that I am to trust You in all circumstances; at every and all opportunities. As Chambers wrote, Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. Lord, it seems like the same lesson every day, to be connected to You and allow You to meet all my needs through Your grace and glory. And like manna for today, we are not to try and store up Your grace, but to use it all up at every opportunity and then receive renewed and refreshed grace and mercy as it is needed.

And God says…”Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and do not rely on your own understanding, strength, or awareness. Seek first the kingdom of God, in all you think and do, and when you fail to seek Me first, trust that my grace and mercy will carry you then as well. You may not live out your faith at every opportunity, and when you do not, fear not, because Jesus lives it out for you. When you find the strength to trust and believe, rejoice, but when you do not, rejoice in the fact that Jesus is living out your faith for you and through you. You are strong and believe most of the time, but when you are weak, I am strong, and help you in your unbelief. Do not wait for my strength, it is provided as you use it up. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.

 

_________________________________________________________

 

June 25 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional tells me that  sorrow and difficulty are essential to spiritual growth. The song tells me that I find your glory and grace in the heart of pain and suffering. Why is this the way of it?  Why must we find your love, grace and mercy in suffering?

And God says…”When you have no needs or you have needs and difficulties that you can handle, do you turn to me? Like a little child you say…”I can do this by myself”. You take pride in being able to handle your own circumstances, and challenges. Your nature is such that you first seek your own solutions before you turn to Me. The sorrows and troubles of this life help you grow and mature. Trust in Me in your trials and allow them to have their right and proper result. And remember that all things work together for your good, and I will never leave you.”

“Consider it a sheer gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.

______________________________________________________________

 

June 24 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I am always aware of my failures, of my capacity to make the wrong choices. If that is what Chambers is teaching, then I get that. But do I need to be reminded of my capacity for making wrong choices? I am more than aware of how I can miss the mark but is that the lesson?

And God says…”No that is not the lesson. The devotional and music today is designed to remind you that you have been remade by the sacrifice of Jesus, and that even in when you succumb to wrong choices you are still being remade by the gift and grace of Jesus. Do not let wrong choices bring you down.  I do not see or remember them. I remember Jesus when I see you. Trust Me to continually remake and bless you. “

Romans 8:1 The Message (MSG) …The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms

8 1-2… With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.

______________________________________________________

June 23 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional reminds me of my failures as a Christian, and my fear that my failures will as Chambers says…” will kill the life of God in us.” Is this possible? Should we worry about our status as believers when we miss the mark and fall short? Am I in danger of killing the life of God that lives inside of me?

And God says…”You cannot kill the life of God that lives within you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus. “being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV). Yes your old nature and the enemy will try to convince you that you are doomed…and your old nature is doomed, but you are not doomed: you and the Spirit of God that lives within you is ever present. The Spirit of God that lives within you and every believer has already rescued you from your old nature and it is no longer a question of doing “good things or bad things”. It is not a question of “sin management”. It is a question of surrender and connection. Who shall save you from the desires and sin of your nature? It is already done…simply trust God. Keep your eyes on heart on Him, and watch your transformation as a result of your surrender.”

Romans 7: 25 Living Bible  “So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.”

“So go and live in this freedom: trust in the Lord, trust in Jesus. He that began the good work in you will complete it. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Be connected and curious about how He will live through you and give you victory this day.”

 

Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, “If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me.” A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, “Now I see who Jesus is!”— that is the source of devotion.Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a “doormat.” The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that “falls into the ground and dies”— it will spring up and change the entire landscape (John 12:24).

______________________________________________________

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

June 19 2014

Lord, this is an easy message to hear, but not easy to internalize. Of course I want to feed Your sheep, but which ones do I feed and tend? Which homeless person is really in need? There are so many. How can I be certain that that person is really in need and not just taking advantage of our charity? How do I respond when there are so many in need, it is overwhelming Lord. Which ones do I help? My heart can break all the time if I see and try to help them all.

 

And God says…”First if all it is not your job to try and discern which homeless person is really in need. It is not your job to try and discover who is deserving and who is not. It is your job to be connected to Jesus and hear his voice and respond. Let Me handle the deserving part. After all, that is the point of My sacrifice…when absolutely no one is deserving, I give My life. Trust Me to handle the deserving part, your job is simply to be connected, curious and respond when I speak to you. It makes no difference if the receiving person is truly grateful, deserving or is a charlatan. Your trust in Me is your requirement. Trust Me to use your gifts and time for the proper outcomes. Do not look for the harvest when you are simply called to do the planting. Trust in Me for the outcomes, and be blessed in your planting. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make all your paths straight.”

The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all._______________________________________________

 

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

June 18, 2014

Lord, I understand the lesson, I truly do; keep my eyes, heart and head focused on You and do not allow my circumstances to dictate my life. With my eyes fixed on You, I can walk on the stormy seas, slay giants, and rise up and fly on the wings of eagles. But Lord, like Peter who was there living with You in the flesh, it is so very hard to keep our eyes focused on You when the waves are crashing all around and the people around us are frightened as well. It is hard to stay focused on a faith and power we cannot see, when we are inundated by the potential disasters we can see.  Lord, how do we stay focused on You in times like that? How can I step out of the boat I’m in in when I see the waves crashing all around me?

And God says…”If you want to live the abundant life, the one I promised you, you must focus on Me, and not your circumstances. When you focus on the circumstances or storms of life, you will only be able to see the waves and turbulent seas.  If you are waiting for your circumstances to change, for the storms to recede, you are relying on your senses to tell you when it is OK to trust in Me. Trust in Me by keeping your eyes on Me even, and especially, when your senses tell you it makes no sense for you to step out of the boat onto the stormy waters.

“When you keep your eyes on Jesus, and not your circumstances, you can and will walk on water, slay the giants and rise up on wings of eagles. But you must choose to be connected to Jesus, and not your circumstances. Your circumstances can and will overwhelm you if you allow them to dictate your response. However, perfect love casts out fear, and Jesus is perfect love.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and receive the desires of your heart. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you need will be provided. You can do this one minute, one hour, one day at a time. And you start just like you have this morning…by coming to Me in the morning and trusting Me to meet all your needs the rest of the day.  Simply remain connected and curious about how I will respond…I know you believe and I am here for you when your human nature succumbs to unbelief. When that occurs, I will reach out as I did with Peter, and lift you up”