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.

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June 23 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good Morning God. It looks like this is one of those devotionals where I am going to “push back” on Oswald Chambers. When he says…”Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life.” He seems to be countering what Paul said in Romans 7. Paul tells us that our spiritual lives and our nature are transformed by Jesus over time. And over time that sin will be eradicated in our lives, by the power and person of Jesus Christ. And that sin has died in our lives, because of Jesus and His sacrifice, not because of any good thing we accomplish.  Paul tells us that it is not a battle we fight, because Jesus has already won the fight. Which is it God? Is there a fight I must wage? Must I struggle every day and try to become a better Christian through my own efforts, or a combined effort of Jesus and me?

And God says…” The sacrifice of Jesus is and was complete, it requires no additions or support or fight from you. The only fight you must wage is a fight to be surrendered and connected to Jesus. You fight distractions, the idea that you can accomplish certain good things on your own, the idea that you can work to become a better Christian or servant to God and the distractions of the immediate. When you are in harmony with Jesus, by your surrender and connection, you know where you stand, you can sense your oneness with Jesus and you know His Spirit is working all things out for your good. The sacrifice of Jesus for all your sin; past, present and future was and is complete in the cross. And this gift neither demands nor requires any help from you. You are unable to grit your teeth and work harder and harder to become a better person. It simply does not work that way. Your requirement is your surrender, and to allow Jesus to live through you.

As Paul said, Romans 7……… 21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  22 I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned;  23-25 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.

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.”

“Now go celebrate your freedom through surrender, connection, curiosity and the obedience you can achieve though the Holy Spirit.”

This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution— “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God’s throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge.”Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, “If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way.” Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, “My God, judge me as I have judged others”? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ._________________________________________________________________June 22 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, thank you for the reminder in this devotional. Sometimes we can feel oh so smug wrapped around our feelings of “rightness”. You have been teaching David and me that “sin management” is not something to spend our time and energy addressing; that when we focus on Jesus, and surrender, get connected and remain curious, that You will change our lives and our behavior in Your time and ways. We can forget all about the time effort and energy we used to invest in “sin management”. You simply remake us in Your image. However, You did not teach us to judge others that are still wrapped up in the whole issue of sin management. And sometimes, we talk as if are superior and above it all. Please forgive us, take our tendency to judge away and continue to make us men after Your own heart.

And God says…”Human nature has a natural tendency to want to be validated. Humans want to be right, appear to be right, while seeking to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. It is difficult for humans to see themselves as needing a Savior; a Savior for eternal life, AND a Savior for day to day living. You want to take charge of your lives, be in control and avoid criticism and the judgement of others. And a natural way to accomplish this is to be the one that does the judging. This approach runs rampant in churches, with nations and patriotism, even in neighborhoods. For natural validation, Humans feel and believe that their race, religion, families, neighborhoods, schools, cities, states, and countries are better than others. But if you will seek first the Kingdom Of God, which is Jesus, I will give you all the validation you need. Before you look askew at other people, nations, denominations, churches, music, preachers, teachers, and doctrine, check your own surrender and connection with Jesus. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Jesus gave you but two commandments: love your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

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.

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June 18 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning God. David and I have talked and prayed over the ability to step out of the boat many, many times. We have asked You and each other how to develop that kind of faith…how to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on our circumstances. We have also asked if our storms and difficult circumstances are essential tools you must always use to help us grow. It seems like we hear you the most clear when we are struggling with our storms. However, we would rather the waters be calm, and our trials be easy…but that does not seem the way of it.

And God says…” when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. When all your needs are met, all the time, do you listen as closely for Me? Why do you think it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom? Because he does not look to Me for all his needs; all the time. Many of his needs are managed by his wealth and confidence in his wealth. He hires people to step out on the waves (take risks for him). Does this mean I want my children to be poor, destitute and at risk all the time? No…I blessed Solomon, Abraham, Job, and many others. But they too faced their own oceans and waves. Your trials, storms and fiery trials are elements I use to make you a man after My own heart. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, let Me be God of your life, in every area, and I will make your paths straight. And you will walk upon the waves in Oceans deep.”

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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June 17 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this was really a good lesson for David and me today. We examined our motives for criticism and judgement; essentially wanting our own way or deciding that our own ways are superior to others’ ways.  Or we decide that we can interpret Your will or Your scriptures so that we are equipped and morally or spiritually correct in judging another. But once again You reached out and taught us that our ways are not Your ways. And that even our attempts to be “Christ like” cannot work for us. We are simply to be surrendered and connected to You and allow You to engage others through us. Jesus gave us but two commandments; love You with all our heart, mind and soul; and to love our brothers as ourselves.

And God says…”The human condition includes the need to be right, feel right, seek things that feel good, to be in control, and one of the ways humans seek control is to judge others. The church has a sordid history in this area, as do the humans that make up the church. As you try to understand the inquisition, indulgences, the Crusades, and banishments; where are the two commandments I gave you in those actions? All humans have the need to feel better about themselves and their own behavior, so you often prefer comparisons and judgments of others to surrender of your will and notions of right and wrong to Me. Do you criticize your pastor because he or she does not preach or comfort like you think they should? How to you view and speak about those in your church that do not enjoy the freedoms that I have given you? Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and do not rely on your own understanding or interpretations and I will make your paths straight.  Surrender your will, inclinations, judgements….Yourself to Me, and then live a connected and abundant life.”

In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus…took a towel and…began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5).We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ. ___________________________________________________________________

June 15 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord. Thank you for the encouragement provided by Peter when he said that everything that we need to live a life pleasing to You is given us through our intimate relationship with Jesus. I cannot add character, consistent integrity, or self-discipline through my own diligence but these traits can be added through my connection to Jesus. Once again You remind and confirm that we are bound to fail unless we are connected to the One that invites us to You.

2 Peter 1:4-9The Message (MSG) 3-4 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God.

 And God says…” Seek first the kingdom of God…which is Jesus…acknowledge Me in all your ways, and do not rely on your own character, integrity or self-discipline, or other devices, and I will make your paths straight.  I am the vine, you are the branch, apart from Me you can do no good thing.  Concentrate on being connected to Jesus, remain curious about how We will work all your circumstances for your good, and know that even your ability to be obedient comes from Me.  Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. “

 

 

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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June 10 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, thank You once again for this lesson and song that bring us to the point of seeking a deeper connection and relationship with You before we bring our requests. Thank You for reminding us to seek the Holy Spirit and the spiritual “knowing” before we even consider how we want You to act on our behalf. David and I both agreed that today we will find our quiet place to pray and seek You and a very strong connection before we hold up our requests and step out into our day. Thank You for this insight.

And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Love Your God with all your heart mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself, and then check on yourself a number of times today after your intimate prayer time. See how your day has progressed and how your uncertainty simply does not matter because you know that I am God and I have a plan for you, for good and not for evil; for fulfillment instead of anxiety and concern. Trust in Me with all your heart, do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight. I have come that you may have life and life more abundant. Simply surrender your own notions of how this is to be done, and what the outcomes will be; be connected via the Holy Spirit and remain curious about how I will respond as you expect Me to act and you find my strength for obedience.”

Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself— begin to have spiritual discernment.

When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. You did not do it because there seemed to be no immediate call to do it. But now you have no insight or discernment, and at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-controlled. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment. It is easier to sacrifice yourself than to fulfill your spiritual destiny, which is stated in Romans 12:1-2. It is much better to fulfill the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than it is to perform great acts of self-sacrifice. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22). Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something that you have never been. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know…” (John 7:17).

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June 8 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord. This sentence from Chambers’ devotional; “If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself…” really caught my attention. The notion that we are to strike out in faith operating in the great unknown is very difficult for me Lord. I want the uncertainties to be more certain, the risks to be mitigated, and the outcomes to be more calculated and predictable. How do we obtain and live in that kind of faith? The kind of faith where we step out of the boat, not knowing if we will sink or not? How do we obtain the kind of faith that allows us to trust You and step out? How do we live day to day, hour by hour with a willingness and actions to actually leave the safe harbor and operate outside our comfort zones and desires to control the outcomes of our hopes and prayers?

And God says…”Inside of your own heart, mind and capabilities you can accomplish none of this. When you rely on your self-discipline, faith, training and spiritual preparedness, you are unable to trust completely. Your fear and uncertainty will always win out. You cannot get “prayed up or studied up” enough. However, you can always be surrendered enough. You can always acknowledge your weakness and give your hopes, dreams, fears and uncertainty to Me. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own capabilities and or understanding, and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will give you everything else you require for your daily living. Your own faith, knowledge, understanding, strength, and power can sustain you when you surrender them to Me and operate out of the Spirit of God.”