. . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven —Matthew 5:20

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The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is saying, “If you are My disciple, you must be right not only in your actions, but also in your motives, your aspirations, and in the deep recesses of the thoughts of your mind.” Your motives must be so pure that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke. Who can stand in the eternal light of God and have nothing for Him to rebuke? Only the Son of God, and Jesus Christ claims that through His redemption He can place within anyone His own nature and make that person as pure and as simple as a child. The purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be remade within, and that is exactly what Jesus has undertaken to do through His redemption.

No one can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations— He gives us His teachings which are truths that can only be interpreted by His nature which He places within us. The great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature— He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.

Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord
It is so easy to go about our day and forget that we are redeemed and have a new nature and a new way to think. It seems that this new nature and new way to think is an “option” that we have…we can exercise it … or not. And the busy-ness of our lives pushes us toward missing out on the fullness of our redeemed lives. Busy-ness and multitasking are so common. Maybe some people have figured out how to multitask and stay super busy and still consciously walk out their redeemed life … but it doesn’t work for me. I need your help.

Modern life does present different challenges than those in biblical times. But they are not more than you can handle. With my Spirit, you are equipped for whatever comes your way.

I dont want to be unappreciative, but I’ve had trouble working out my redemption and new nature in the middle of busyness and multitasking???

There is not a single formula for everyone. Your solution to the busyness of life will be different from others. That’s why you dont need to go looking in self help books or religious how to books. Even if they contain good plans that work, they are specifically for those authors. You are different. You are special and I have a special plan for you.

Well, that makes me feel good, like getting a present. But when can I unwrap it and start using it (more)? Maybe technology can be my friend on this. I’m going to set the alarm timer on my phone for 2 hours and at least every two hours I’ll unplug from what I’m doing and give a full effort to connect with you. … And I’ll wait for more instructions on how to live out this redeemed life, this precious gift that we find difficult to fully grasp.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us . . . sanctification . . . —1 Corinthians 1:30

The Life Side. The mystery of sanctification is that the perfect qualities of Jesus Christ are imparted as a gift to me, not gradually, but instantly once I enter by faith into the realization that He “became for [me] . . . sanctification . . . .” Sanctification means nothing less than the holiness of Jesus becoming mine and being exhibited in my life.

The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you . . .” (Colossians 1:27). It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification— imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God’s grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His Word?

Sanctification means the impartation of the holy qualities of Jesus Christ to me. It is the gift of His patience, love, holiness, faith, purity, and godliness that is exhibited in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy— it is drawing from Jesus the very holiness that was exhibited in Him, and that He now exhibits in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is something altogether different. The perfection of everything is in Jesus Christ, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfect qualities of Jesus are at my disposal. Consequently, I slowly but surely begin to live a life of inexpressible order, soundness, and holiness— “. . . kept by the power of God . . .” (1 Peter 1:5).

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Reprise Journal Entry-July 21, 2011

Thank you Lord for pointing out the futility of my life and efforts without You. Thank you for reminding me that it is You that began and completes the good work in me. My work is to surrender. Thank you for showing me the very narrow road and then showing me I do not have the ability to walk that narrow road.

And God says…”This is a lesson to be learned until it is ingrained into all believers; that the life of the believer can only be realized in personal defeat. My standards are absolute so that you can see the disparity and futility of trying to live the Christian life. It is not for you to “do your very best” I cannot accept your “very best”. I can only accept the purity and absolute righteousness of Jesus. This comes when you surrender and allow Him to live through you.” As Paul wrote to the Corinthians….2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord,
Recently I’ve received compliments for the “Wisdom” that I was able to share in several situations. … But at the same time, I see “Lack of Wisdom” operating in my own personal life. Something beyond garden variety Hypocrisy seems to be going on here.

Yes, the fact that you see it and acknowledge it takes it out of the first level of hypocrisy … where Pharisees say, “do as I say, not as I do” and see no problem with it. So you’ve identified the situation, Now what?

That’s what I was going to ask you. I relate with Paul, who called himself Chief Sinner, and said, “I do what I dont want to do and dont do what I want to do….

When you arrive at those conclusions, You are ready to receive impartation of my holiness. Only then.

So why can I have wisdom for others better than for myself? Is it the Objective view that I see their stuff from a distance (objective) and on my own stuff, I’m too close to the forest to see the trees? (subjective, & easily tripped into hypocrisy)

Yes, that is another part of this issue, When you are in the battle and in the tension, you react against the stressors. When you are at a distance you can respond with wisdom after observing objectively and choosing based on the best outcomes.

So seeing and recommending wisdom for others because I see it objectively can be considered a prototype for how I can see my own stuff. Objectively will work out better. Like we have termed it, from the “Balcony View”

Yes, remember how I did it in John 5:19 … only what I saw the Father doing. I was on the balcony with him all the time. I’m saving a place for you…Come up here on my balcony, and life will really get to be exciting.

OK, I’ll do my best. But even saying that, I know I’ve failed a lot, and will probably fail more…. I need your help.

That’s what I’m here for. Come on up. I have things to show you.

Those who wait on the Lord . . . shall walk and not faint —Isaiah 40:31

Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the psalmist speaks of— “We will not fear, even though . . .” (Psalm 46:2)— will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God’s presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it. Then we will exclaim, “He has been here all the time!” At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, “Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that.” Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to our spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.

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Reprise Journal Entry-July 20, 2011-JDV

Waiting is not something I do well Lord. I cannot or perhaps simply do not grasp the sense of the everlasting in my day to day living. For some reason it seems like I am in a race to accomplish, learn, achieve or obtain. Quite often my sense of waiting seems bound up in a “hurry up” kind of living that keeps me from enjoying this day, hour or minute. Lord, please help me grasp your everlasting presence this day and help me enjoy your presence and promises more completely every hour and minute.

And God says…”You can begin to grow and appreciate the everlasting as you praise and worship Me day by day, hour by hour and minute by minute. Pray without ceasing,(that is simply..stay conscious of Me all the day) stay connected, and experience my love and peace beyond understanding. When you pray without ceasing and are connected, waiting becomes a pleasurable experience as you begin to know and appreciate the certainty of My promises and your place in them”. 

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am —John 13:13

He said, “Who are You, Lord? —Acts 9:5

Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bondservant of the Lord Jesus.

There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other person’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, “You must do this,” and, “You will do that,” he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.

Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart— Jesus Christ, not religion. But “Woe is me” if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t,I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, “I will not obey,” He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But “Woe is me” if I refuse the light (seeJohn 3:19-21).

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July 18, 2012

Journal Entry-JDV

Lord, thank you for helping me understand the nature of the obedience You have for me. I thought I understood it but for years, when I was  much younger, I felt like Your obedience was the stuff given me by the Cosmic  killjoy, trying to prevent me from enjoying my life to the fullest. Then, as I  got a bit older, I felt like the obedience you have for me was rooted in  religion that would turn me into one of those conservative Christian “bible  thumpers” that have all the answers before the questions are even asked, and  can only find grace for people they agreed with. But then You showed me that  the obedience you have for me has its roots in your mercy, love and grace and  is designed for me to enjoy life to the fullest. The obedience you have offers  me a way to stay connected with the God of the universe.

And God says…”Delight ourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight. One of  the reasons obedience is so important is that I know in advance what will cause  you difficulties in this life. I know what will hurt you even though you think  it offers pleasure and excitement. And sometimes you cannot even fathom the  meaning of an action because my ways are not your ways. And if I cannot count  on you to understand, much like a parent cannot often help a two year old understand  “why?” you must simply trust and obey. If I gave you my only Son, I certainly  will not withhold any good thing from you”

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord. We were contemplating today whether Oswald’s wording, “signing your death certificate” was over dramatic and guilt producing. Was it more the language and type of preaching of the day in which this was written?

There are two sides, actually many sides of the same coin. Many views of the same issue.

It’s true and I like the way he says it in the last paragraph better, “you won’t make me obey … but if I dont, there will be consequences.” Then it’s up to us. We can miss out on the blessings if we choose to not obey…

Some come to obedience thru guilt. And some preaching uses guilt. That is not my best for you. I prefer that you come to me by knowing me and knowing that my nature is love and my intentions for you are good. Choosing obedience from that context is results in relationship between us … and that’s what I wanted from the beginning.

My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “. . . as though God were pleading through us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

“And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

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June 17, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord it is a lesson that requires a daily reminder; that You are at the center of anything and everything that has value in my life. I can get caught up in my daily “mission” or activities and off I go in my own direction, and then I hit a bump in the road and I look around and wonder where  I left my awareness of You. Thank you for helping me live in a greater awareness of You in all that I say and do. Please help me see You at the center of my life and at the center of everything that crosses my life and way today.

And God says…”I have come so that you might have life and life more abundantly, and I hold out my gifts to and for you every day. However, you must receive these gifts from me, aware that I hold them out for you all day, every day long. Your ability to see my gifts, and take hold of the bounty I provide comes through My power. So look to Me inside every circumstance, opportunity, trial and uncertainty, and You will find Me and the abundant life I provide. Recall that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”  

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Journal DJR
Thank you Lord, for this message. It seems clear that our job is to just SHOW UP. And all that is included in those 2 words. Our expectation, our belief, our self assessment and our God assessment. All of it. Help us to just show up today. Then we can do what you did in John 5:19 … only did what he saw the father doing…

. . . how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11

Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?

Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7).

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July 16, 2012

Journal Entry for Today

Lord, help me know You are here, all around me all the time. I ask You to help me see You in everything, all around me. Lord, I know that when I can see You in my surroundings and circumstances I understand a bit more about Your all-consuming love, grace and mercy. If I see You in the morning sunrise, and the birds that sing in the new day, I am more likely to “see” you in my business activities and efforts. The more I see you in the trees and flowers, the more likely I am to see you in my trials and triumphs. Help me see you in everything around me this day and everyday Lord, so that I am connected and reminded that You are God, and all things work for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

And God says…”I will never leave you nor forsake you. And nothing can separate you from my love, nothing. When you can see me in everything you do, say and touch, and in all of your happiness and unhappiness, in pleasure and in pain; you transcend your circumstances and surroundings. When you live in this state, you are most likely to be connected to and with Me. And you find this state like a child
finds his parent, simply and naturally. And you can say to Me “I believe Lord,  help me in my unbelief”. Look for Me in all your circumstances this day and be blessed.”

. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . —Ephesians 4:13

Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose— that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “. . . that I may know Him. . .” (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace, Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less?

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
I thought we had a good concept … “The Peace Meter” Where we could know if we were off track by observing our level of peace or lack of peace. But this shows the danger of just seeking peace. It seems clear that peace should be a by-product of what we are really seeking which is simply YOU. Rather than seeking peace we should seek you … and peace will follow.

Anytime you try to create measurements or systems to analyze Me … you risk missing the point … missing Me. All of the systems that theologians and Sunday School teachers and you develop can have some value. Just keep them in their right place … They are not the target. They are the effect of you hitting the target. I am the target.

 . . that I may know Him . . . —Philippians 3:10

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is “that I may know Him . . .” Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.

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July 11, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, thank you for the reminder that life is so much better when I can see You in every circumstance and situation. Thank You for lifting me up yesterday when I started to slip into a “pity party” and started the “why me Lord” sniffling.   Even in that circumstance You showed me that You were inside the broken situation as well. I ruined the canvas I was painting, and You showed me how easy it was to cover it up and start over. Thank You for allowing me to start new again, over and over and over.

And God says…”So very often you want to first know the positive outcomes and all the details so you can believe more strongly, but that is not the way of it. You will never understand the outcomes, positive or negative, and you can never completely know or understand the details. Therefore you must simply trust Me. Trust Me to be God and trust Me to love you beyond comprehension. I gave you my Son as proof of My love. If you need reminding simply recall that if I gave you my Son how could I withhold any other good thing from you? Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your transformed heart.”

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together . . . —Hebrews 10:24-25

We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative— our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

“Yes, I think it is right,” Peter said, “. . . to stir you up by reminding you . . .” (2 Peter 1:13). It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up— someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up— all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement— He says, “Go and tell My brethren . . .” (Matthew 28:10).

Journal DJR
Oswald says “It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up—” I agree and in our “polite society” the level of stirring up that seems to be alluded to here… is pretty rare. The Stirred usually dont like the stirring and tell the Stirrer to stop meddling. And the potential Stirrer, by lack of practice, feels awkward and afraid of offending. That’s the status quo that we find ourselves in. And it is my own experience, on both ends. But you included it in the Bible that we have for a reason. So how do we go about stirring in the Spirt … rather than doing our own stirring and offending folks.

You just answered your own question. When you stay connected and my Spirit is flowing thru you, you wont have to worry. The stirring will be the right thing. Some may still be offended. Like they were with me. You’ll just have to get used to that part. So your job is to stay connected. Stay up here on my balcony and see thru my eyes. Then just do like I did and John recorded it in 5:19 “only did what I saw the Father doing…” You really can live this way. It is not beyond your capabilities. Stay connected and stay expectant, Then when you see what I see and see what I would do, Just Do It. It’s the best way to live.