He . . . said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . —Luke 18:31
Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” ( John 5:30 ). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “. . . He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .” ( Luke 9:51 ).
The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” ( John 15:16 ).
We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming.At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside . . .” ( Luke 18:31 ). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
And I wake up with the awareness that God may have chosen me, but I am not worthy of being chosen. I do not “measure up”.
And God says…”Of course you do not “measure up.” Only Jesus measures up. Your failures are reminders that you are to allow Him to live through you. When you do this I can lead, guide and direct you. Allow Jesus to live through you and I can use you for My purposes.
Your role is not to understand MY purposes, and certainly NOT to try and anticipate them. Simply stay connected and I can…..and will use you.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world —John 16:33
The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . .” ( Psalm 91:1,10 )— the place where you are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life . . .” (Revelation 2:7 ). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.
Journal Entry for today-JDV
August 2, 2010
When I look at my circumstances I am often overwhelmed and concerned. I fight through the anxiety and fear and realize I simply need to trust God and allow Jesus to live through me. But try as I might, I still hold onto the fear and concern, all the while praying for God to take those fears and concerns from me. ..But then he shows me that He does not take them from me, He simply provides the courage to live through them.
In fact I now see that He does not provide me the courage, He is the courage and peace. I simply need to allow Him to live through me, all the while providing the courage and peace needed.
My pain and confusion are not gone….but the faith and trust Jesus provides overcomes the fear, confusion, and pain. Once I take His yoke, mine is gone.
And God says…” You will face trials and troubles in this world. Accept this. And accept the fact that I will always meet you at the very point of your need. Wherever you are, in trials and difficult times, look for me. For that is where we meet most often….at the point of your trials.
I will never leave or forsake you. I am your God. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.
DJR Journal
Thank you Lord for all the good things and the times that I remember them and to be thankful. I am amazed at your grace, and thankful for it. My brother and I have different pains. We see that our growth needs are different. I am grateful for your blessings and grace. Many things are just “no problem” for me. But of course that leaves the ones that are. Specifically the chronic ones that dont seem to change after 40 years of struggle. What’s the best thing for me to do?
You could read about the heroes of the faith. That’s the reason I put them in the book. None of them had perfect lives, as you would define perfect. Many had life long trials and seemingly untimely ends or certainly what the health, wealth and prosperity bunch would expect. But I loved them and worked with them and they with me and now they are with me perfectly. See how perfectly you can walk with me on your side of eternity. It will bring your problems into context. And they are more likely solved when you hold them that way than when you fret over them.
Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . . , for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25
Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.
Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.
I am often disillusioned with others when they fail to meet my expectations. But then I am often disillusioned with myself as well. I suspect that if I fail over and over, and God has the love and grace to forgive me, then it is only right and proper that I understand others are going through the same kinds of trials. It also occurs to me that I can still love someone and be disappointed by their failure to meet my expectations. When people fail me I should not be surprised. I often fail them and I often fail God.
And God says….”I cannot look at your failure. I cannot look at unrighteousness. That is why Jesus came so we could be reconciled. Not in a single event, as when you first believed, but every day, every hour and every minute. When you let Jesus live through you, by letting go of your own sense of well being, and self righteousness, Jesus can live through you, and we can have an intimate day to day relationship.”
“When you hold onto your own ideas of what is right and wrong, who and what should be judged, Jesus cannot live through you, and we cannot have an intimate relationship. When you judge your brother, or even yourself, you are in effect saying that the sacrifice of Jesus cannot and does not cover everyone.”
“Let Jesus cover you and access the grace of Jesus to extend to others. When others disappoint you, remember the grace given you, and allow it to flow on through. Your capacity to love will be multiplied and will surround you.”
DJR Journal
Thanks Lord, I needed that. I am so good at gaining this understanding and then losing it and taking things back… which included feeling disillusioned and like I am not getting my “rights” Will I ever get to the place where I dont backslide into entitlement and feeling disillusioned.
You will get better but perfection is on this side. Keep seeking me and set built in reminders in your schedule… to remind yourself to be grateful. That is what the alters and monuments were for in the old days.
OK, that’s what this is with JD right?
Right, this is good AND you need more.
What Kind? When? How?
As you know, cookie cutter recipes go only so far. The main thing is stay in the context of gratefulness and expectation and I will lead you
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” ( Nahum 1:3 ). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
“. . . they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus . . .” (Mark 9:8 ; also see Mark 2-7 ).
I woke up this morning counting my blessings in an effort to fortify my faith. I was remembering all the times in my life that God showed up right when I needed Him. I recalled time after time when He met me right at the point and time of my need. I was worrying and concerned about the timing of promises when I recalled that the children of Israel were too concerned as they wandered in the desert. God had blessed them with the miracles of the plagues, He had parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian Army in pursuit, and He had provided daily manna, and water as well as a guiding light. God protected, provided and directed them and still they worried one day to the next.
I felt a little bit like one of those desert wanderers this morning as I recalled all that God has provided me. I asked God to help and forgive my unbelief. Like the father that responded to Jesus I said “I believe, help me in my unbelief.” Let Me see you in my clouds.
And God says…..”You will be plagued with clouds, doubts and unbelief; that is what a normal natural human will do. You can replace the doubt and worry when you let go of the responsibility and allow Jesus to live through you. Do not try to give Him the worry or anxiety, simply give up yourself. Give up your rights and expectations and trust Me. Once you take Jesus into your life, you have Jesus in all things. He came to give you life and life more abundantly and He accomplishes this by living through you. Your circumstances may change, they may not, but when you give up yourself, you are profoundly changed. You then view your cloudy circumstances as simply one more set of blessings from which to see Jesus work in your life.
Seek first My kingdom, acknowledge Me in all your ways and lean not on your own ways of worry and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.
Wait on Me, trust Jesus, and you will rise up with the wings of eagles. I am your God; I cannot abandon or forsake you. I will hold you up in my strong right hand. You are My child.
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” ( Mark 6:49 ). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
I often think of the outcome instead of the process. In the past I might determine God in an effort or project by the outcome. If someone was converted, or if the mission or project or problem had a good outcome then God was in it. I am starting to understand that the outcome does not determine God’s involvement. Success or failure, it makes no difference; He simply wants me to trust and obey.
And God says…”Take the yolk and pressure of outcomes off of your shoulders. I am in control and it is My will that you simply trust Me. Let Jesus live through you, and trust Me to provide the outcome that is best for you and yours. Sometimes you will not understand the outcomes. Sometimes you will. It is not for you to understand always, it is simply for you to trust and obey. To know that if I would give My Son I will not withhold any good thing.
Wait on Me, trust in Me and believe. And when it seems difficult to believe, trust Me for the strength to believe. Be at peace and know I love you.”
The golden rule to follow to obtain spiritual understanding is not one of intellectual pursuit, but one of obedience. If a person wants scientific knowledge, then intellectual curiosity must be his guide. But if he desires knowledge and insight into the teachings of Jesus Christ, he can only obtain it through obedience. If spiritual things seem dark and hidden to me, then I can be sure that there is a point of disobedience somewhere in my life. Intellectual darkness is the result of ignorance, but spiritual darkness is the result of something that I do not intend to obey.
No one ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test regarding it. We disobey and then wonder why we are not growing spiritually. Jesus said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” ( Matthew 5:23-24 ). He is saying, in essence, “Don’t say another word to me; first be obedient by making things right.” The teachings of Jesus hit us where we live. We cannot stand as impostors before Him for even one second. He instructs us down to the very last detail. The Spirit of God uncovers our spirit of self-vindication and makes us sensitive to things that we have never even thought of before.
When Jesus drives something home to you through His Word, don’t try to evade it. If you do, you will become a religious impostor. Examine the things you tend simply to shrug your shoulders about, and where you have refused to be obedient, and you will know why you are not growing spiritually. As Jesus said, “First . . . go . . ..” Even at the risk of being thought of as fanatical, you must obey what God tells you.
I once heard then wrote; “You can have as much of Jesus as you want”. I want more.
And God says…”I stand at the door; all you need do is open your heart. Open your heart to Me, not just in spiritual things, but for all things. If you need knowledge, wisdom, or your daily bread…..seek Me. When you are searching for your next thought, idea, sentence or job, seek Me. Seek Me in all things and you will find Me.
I am not the God of some things. I am the God of all. You can stay connected to My power, understanding, loving kindness, knowledge and wisdom by allowing Me to live through you. Give Me your first thought about any issue or opportunity or problem or dilemma. Ask and you shall receive. My peace and grace will be with you in all things_
Journal DJR Good morning Lord. I bolded so much in today’s devo, I felt like bolding the whole thing. It just rings right to me that obedience is the way to intimacy and further connection with you. I wonder where to start… I thought of one relationship to repair, but then I read the scripture about going to the brother and it seemed to be the reverse case … the brother doesn’t have anything against me. He already took it. Won his case and I paid him some money. I think he’s self satisfied. It’s my heart that is still a little bruised. I think there are other verses that address that issue. I will be needing them more and more. Please direct me.
As I am moving to Virginia, I am sensing that there is more to this than just “following the Grandbabies” which I have stated as the reason … and it’s good and true, but I’m sensing that there is more that I’m not sure about. Thru my friends, Steve and Marta, I am being introduced to ministry leaders, political leaders, etc… I’m looking for wisdom…
There is no cookie cutter or checklist that will be fully accurate. Stay by me and you will know and walk the straight path. There are many options that will look good but aren’t my best for you. Only as you stay in peace will you hear my voice, yes or no, right or left. keep your peace meter high.
Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart . . . . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man . . . —Matthew 15:18-20
Initially we trust in our ignorance, calling it innocence, and next we trust our innocence, calling it purity. Then when we hear these strong statements from our Lord, we shrink back, saying, “But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart.” We resent what He reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust the penetration of His Word into my heart, or would I prefer to trust my own “innocent ignorance”? If I will take an honest look at myself, becoming fully aware of my so-called innocence and putting it to the test, I am very likely to have a rude awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I will be appalled at the possibilities of the evil and the wrong within me. But as long as I remain under the false security of my own “innocence,” I am living in a fool’s paradise. If I have never been an openly rude and abusive person, the only reason is my own cowardice coupled with the sense of protection I receive from living a civilized life. But when I am open and completely exposed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis of me.
The only thing that truly provides protection is the redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will simply hand myself over to Him, I will never have to experience the terrible possibilities that lie within my heart. Purity is something far too deep for me to arrive at naturally. But when the Holy Spirit comes into me, He brings into the center of my personal life the very Spirit that was exhibited in the life of Jesus Christ, namely, the Holy Spirit, which is absolute unblemished purity.
I don’t know why, but I am still surprised by the carnal things I can say and do when I am not connected to the Spirit of God. Perhaps it is innocence, but I suspect it is ignorance, or even arrogance.
And God says…”When your spirit is connected to My Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ is living through you, you are protected and directed. When you choose to be “on your own” you are either ignorant or arrogant. There is no innocence left in your nature.
You fight against powers and principalities you cannot see, and without connection you have and will fail…continuously. You have struggled over and over and are often frustrated that you cannot demonstrate more growth and maturity. However, you are beginning to learn that the only REAL maturity is the knowledge that apart from Me you can do nothing. Apart from Me you are vulnerable and subject to carnal thoughts and deeds. Just when you know you should demonstrate your Christian maturity, you do not. Just when Jesus is needed to act through you, you find you have chosen to be disconnected from Him. Allowing Jesus to live through you is a decision. You must let go of your life.
Just as Paul said, even when you want to do right, you do not. Who is to save you from the carnal man you can become? It is already done. Jesus took all your carnal thoughts and deeds; past present and future, and nailed them to the cross. When you asked Jesus into your life, He came into your life with the goal of living through you. All you must do is stay connected. You accomplish this by allowing Jesus to live through you. Simply ask, and then receive.
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 ).
I am beginning to understand that sanctification; allowing Jesus to live through me, is also accompanied by keen sense of knowing when I have kept Him from living through me. I can look at my decisions and lack of peace and know exactly when and how I went off on my own. I can also remember very difficult times when I was at perfect peace because I knew Jesus was in control of my life.
It seems so simple.
And God says…”You often do not trust Me to meet all your needs and so you then go off to meet your needs on your own. You defend yourself, seek your own daily bread, and even seek out those to love and care about you. You forget my promise to meet all your needs because you don’t think you are worthy or you do not trust me to keep my promises….so you take matters into your own hands.
Then you worry about the outcome, and consequences. Fear, anxiety and worry then become a part of your daily life. You work hard trying to keep up and address your worries and concerns, until you are worn out. Until, you reach the end of yourself.
When you let Jesus live through you, you know the peace that passes understanding, regardless. The circumstances do not matter, the outcome is assured.
Pray without ceasing, stay connected and hear my voice. Do not trust your own efforts. Trust Me; find your hope in Me…..every day, every moment. I cannot disappoint you
The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Sanctification requires our coming to the place of death, but many of us spend so much time there that we become morbid. There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized— something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ. When the Holy Spirit begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle starts immediately. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . his own life . . . he cannot be My disciple” ( Luke 14:26 ).
In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification. No wonder Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” ( Matthew 10:34 ). This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us falter. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ on this point. We say, “But this is so strict. Surely He does not require that of me.” Our Lord is strict, and He does require that of us.
Am I willing to reduce myself down to simply “me”? Am I determined enough to strip myself of all that my friends think of me, and all that I think of myself? Am I willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God? Once I am, He will immediately sanctify me completely, and my life will be free from being determined and persistent toward anything except God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ).
When I pray, “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me— it is Himself in me (see 1 Corinthians 1:30 ).
I wonder about doing the “right thing”. Is that a byproduct of being sanctified? Is that a byproduct of being a believer? Or does it just become a part of us after we are sanctified? And if a friend or relative or church member criticizes what we do and questions our doing “the right thing” how are we to respond?
And God says…”My apostle Paul lived in the midst of his sanctification process, and he said he was often unable to do the right thing. He too found his sanctification a process of giving up on himself and relying totally on Jesus Christ. The sanctification of your current state is really not possible. The process is not a process that “makes you better”; it is the process of dying. It will end when you join me and leave your earthly body behind.
As for interpreting your “goodness” or doing the “right thing”, simply accept the fact that even if you do the right thing, you will be criticized, just like My Son. You will deserve the criticism because you are suffering with Christ. You have the honor to suffer with Him as a part of your sanctification. And when you do the wrong thing you will deserve criticism (yours and others) because you earned it. It is not natural for you to freely accept the “slings and arrows” of unfair criticism, but dooing so is an indication of sanctification and identification with Christ.
Like Jesus, you will receive slings and arrows. Trust them as indicators of sanctification and trust Me to let nothing touch you that has not first touched My hands.
Be holy even as I am holy, through Christ Jesus. Let Me see Him when I look at you.”
Beware of thinking of our Lord as only a teacher. If Jesus Christ is only a teacher, then all He can do is frustrate me by setting a standard before me I cannot attain. What is the point of presenting me with such a lofty ideal if I cannot possibly come close to reaching it? I would be happier if I never knew it. What good is there in telling me to be what I can never be— to be “pure in heart” ( Matthew 5:8 ), to do more than my duty, or to be completely devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as my Savior before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of a lofty ideal which only leads to despair. But when I am born again by the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come only to teach— He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The redemption means that Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives us are based on that nature.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces a sense of despair in the natural man— exactly what Jesus means for it to do. As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way. Only then are we willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possessions; not making decisions for Jesus, but having such a sense of absolute futility that we finally admit, “Lord, I cannot even begin to do it.” Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you . . .” ( Matthew 5:11 ). This is the doorway to the kingdom, and yet it takes us so long to believe that we are actually poor! The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work.
I am demoralized again by my propensity to do the wrong thing, even as it appears that I am traveling along the right road. Once again I was feeling so “full of my spiritual self”…and then….whoa, what a slippery slope. Once again I failed, and feel so unworthy.
And God says….”Be poor in Spirit by realizing that you can do nothing good without Me; your works your “goodness” nor your very best even comes close to being acceptable to Me. When you come to the end of yourself by realizing that you must give up, then I can begin my work in you, from the inside out. Your constant failures should only reinforce the knowledge that apart from Me you can do nothing. Stay in Me. How do you do this?
Pray without ceasing or as you say, stay connected, and when you fall, and you will this side of heaven, get up dust yourself off, and reach out and up for Me. Nothing can separate you from My love. Not even your constant failures. Those simply convert themselves into an honest poor spirit that I can use and bless.
I love you so much I give you the opportunity to choose. When you choose Me you choose to be poor in your own Spirit and whatever brings you back to this decision …works for the good.
I turned the horrible image of the cross into a sign of love and grace and hope. I can turn your failures into life and life more abundantly.
This CO2- (Church Of 2) is where two guys meet each day to tighten up our Connections with Jesus. We start by placing the daily “My Utmost For His Highest” in this WordPress blog. Then we prayerfully select some matching worship music and usually pick out a few lyrics that fit especially well. Then we just start praying and editing and Bolding and adding comments and see where the Spirit takes us.
It’s been a blessing for both of us.
If you’d like to start a CO2, we’d be glad to help you and your partner get started. Also click the link below to see how others are doing CO2.Odds Monkey
Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus To A Secular Audience
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We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming.At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside . . .” ( Luke 18:31 ). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
