{"id":10347,"date":"2013-09-24T09:59:53","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T13:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=10347"},"modified":"2013-09-24T10:19:05","modified_gmt":"2013-09-24T14:19:05","slug":"the-go-of-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=10347","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cGo\u201d of Preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>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\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?version=31&amp;search=Matthew+5%3A23-24%C2%A0\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew 5:23-24\u00a0<\/a><\/h1>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --><!-- .entry-header --><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7vzMyIzkyD4\" height=\"315\" width=\"620\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<section>It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact, it is a process that must be steadily maintained. It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience. The Christian life requires preparation <em>and<\/em> more preparation.<\/section>\n<p>The sense of sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord\u2019s words suddenly puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test. \u201c. . . <em>go<\/em> your way. First be reconciled to your brother. . . .\u201d The \u201cgo\u201d of preparation is to allow the Word of God to examine you closely. Your sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don\u2019t just <em>admit<\/em> it\u2014 <em>confess<\/em> it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?<\/p>\n<p>Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, \u201cI will not give up my right to myself\u201d\u2014 the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p>__________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>September 24, 2013 JDV<\/p>\n<p>Lord, I want you to take over all aspects of my life so please help me surrender all that I am and will be to You. I know, as do You, that I hold back certain aspects of my life; little treasures that I think I need to find my own way. Jesus, help me surrender it all to You.<\/p>\n<p>And God says\u2026\u201d<i>Surrender is not easy. Just as soon as you determine that our connection and your happiness are tied to the surrender \u2026of yourself, you try to rethink your position with Me.\u00a0 I have given you life and life more abundantly, I promise you the desires of your heart, and if you will seek the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, all you need will be provided.\u00a0 Simply surrender and let Jesus live through you.\u00a0 The gifts are yours, simply accept them and let your God love you.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2014Matthew 5:23-24\u00a0 It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10347"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10347"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10351,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10347\/revisions\/10351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}