Is Your Ability to See God Blinded?

February 10th, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things . . . —Isaiah 40:26


The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.

 

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February 10, 2014-JDV

Lord, I would truly like to live the words to the song …”Let them see You in me”. But I am afraid that I spend too much time and energy just trying to keep myself on the “straight and narrow”. I spend too much time trying to find my own blessings and opportunities…. to find my own way.  Lord, please help me to be connected to You so that I can surrender my own notions (and perhaps even the notions of my church) about how to live day to day to day. Help me be connected to You so that I can become a man after Your own heart.

And God says…”You can be connected to Me by simply giving up your ideas of how to work, live and love. Trust Me with your minute by minute, hour by hour day by day steps of living.  Seek Me first in all you take on this day: Your work, living, loving, giving….all of it, and I will give you everything else you need. You do not need to know any of the answers in advance, I know the answers, your role is to trust Me; and to trust that I will keep my word to you.  How can you fail to trust a God that gives up His own Son?  Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.  You can help them see Me in you, by simply trusting Me to live through you as you surrender. “

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Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (2)

February 6th, 2014 by Dave No comments »

I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . —2 Timothy 4:6

Are you ready to be poured out as an offering? It is an act of your will, not your emotions. Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consequences as they come, without any complaints, in spite of what God may send your way. God sends you through a crisis in private, where no other person can help you. From the outside your life may appear to be the same, but the difference is taking place in your will. Once you have experienced the crisis in your will, you will take no thought of the cost when it begins to affect you externally. If you don’t deal with God on the level of your will first, the result will be only to arouse sympathy for yourself.

“Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27). You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents-burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose-the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don’t eliminate it, God does. You “bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar” and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What fire lies ahead in your life?

Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.

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Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)

February 5th, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all—Philippians 2:17


Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, “I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’
”It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a “doormat” under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased . . .” (Philippians 4:12). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket—to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served?
Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.
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February 5, 2015- JDV

God is this lesson about helping others or is it about allowing You to help others through me? I am not certain I can respond to the obligation and guilt that Oswald Chambers uses so well in many of his devotionals. In fact I am not even certain that obligation and guilt have any place at all in spiritual lessons. One thing You have taught us is that if we do anything for You apart from the motivation of love, it is wrong.

And God says…”I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. I do not want your fearful obedience. I do not want you to help others out of some sort of obligation and fear.  And I do not want you to reach out to help others because you feel it is your “duty”.  I gave you Jesus so that you could see my love for you, and so that you would be transformed and connected to Me. I gave you Jesus so that we could and would have a relationship of love. When you are connected to Me and you allow Jesus to live through you, you will be as amazed (as well as everyone else) by your actions to help others.  When you are connected to Me and allow Jesus to live though you, you reach out to help others, because you are unable to do anything less, given the love that pours out from Me to you. “

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Becoming the “Filth of the World”

February 3rd, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

 

We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13


These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves to become the refuse or “filth of the world.” “Fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24) is not the result of the holiness of sanctification, but the evidence of consecration-being “separated to the gospel of God . . .” (Romans 1:1).“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . .” (1 Peter 4:12). If we do think the things we encounter are strange, it is because we are fearful and cowardly. We pay such close attention to our own interests and desires that we stay out of the mire and say, “I won’t submit; I won’t bow or bend.” And you don’t have to— you can be saved by the “skin of your teeth” if you like. You can refuse to let God count you as one who is “separated to the gospel . . . .” Or you can say, “I don’t care if I am treated like ’the filth of the world’ as long as the gospel is proclaimed.” A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal His Son in me. . .” (Galatians 1:16).
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February 3, 2014

Lord please help me live out this song…whatever will come my way….I won’t be shaken.  When circumstances seem to be too much, I seem to only be able to see the circumstances, and wonder about my position with You. I mean if I am Your son, a man after your own heart, how can I be placed in these circumstances so often?  How can I find myself struggling over and over with the same trials with relationships, tent making, and my walk with You? I would think by now I would have achieved a certain position that would not allow me to be shaken by circumstances or difficulties.

 

And God says…”All things work for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose. All things work for your good…everything that occurs in your life; all the circumstances, all the difficulties, all the victories, all your achievements and failures to achieve work for your good.”

“It may not appear to be that way, when your life and daily living does not turn out the way you think it should or would like it to.  But consider that I know what is good for you, in the very long run, not just this life but the everlasting next life as well.  I know what will help make you a man after My own heart.  If I would not spare My own Son how would I withhold any good thing from you?  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own devices, and I will make your paths straight. Simply be connected to Jesus, and trust Me to work out and provide all that you need in this world.”

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The Dilemma of Obedience

January 30th, 2014 by Dave No comments »

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15
God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?

Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.

Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).

Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .”

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The Dilemma of Obedience

January 30th, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15


God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.

Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” but trying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).

Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .” (Galatians 1:16).

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January 30, 2014

Lord, I am not so sure that I want to hear Your voice sometimes. I am afraid I have not measured up, that I have missed the mark over and over.  I am afraid that if hear Your voice it will be a voice reminding me that I have not prayed enough, I have not been obedient, and have failed again and again to be a man after Your own heart.

And God says…”You have not measured up, however, that thought never occurs to Me. When I look at you and your deeds, I can only see Jesus and His perfect obedience and perfect love. That is what I see and feel when I look at you.  When you miss the mark, look to Jesus, and let Jesus remind you of who you are in Him. When you are willful and disobedient, look to Jesus and revel in His obedience. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything you need, (including your reminder of your place in Jesus) will be provided. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Acknowledge me in al, your ways and I will make your paths straight.

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How Could Someone Be So Ignorant!

January 29th, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15


“The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . .” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do”-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8).
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When I am focused on You Lord, it seems that it is all I need. When I am connected to You, Jesus, I can be at peace without answers or solutions, because You are the answer and solution. You fill up my heart and head, when I seek You and You alone.  How is this Lord, and how can I sustain this kind of intimacy?

And God says…” You cannot capture nor seek intimacy with Me, you can only surrender. When you surrender to Me, you are connected. You are not connected when you try to find Me in works, study or even prayer or conformity. Although those are all things that are good .You will find our intimacy in your surrender, allowing Me to live through you; works, study prayer and transformation can then occur.  Seek first the Kingdome of God, which is Jesus, acknowledge the Lord in all you ways. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

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How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

January 28th, 2014 by Dave No comments »

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14

Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of “the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.

Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, The first paragraph mentions stubbornness and self will. Determination and perseverance fit in the same category. And it is rightly noted that these can lead us away from you and your best plan for us.
But we see the same characteristics in all the great Biblical leaders … after they got connected with you and then, with new direction, those same traits that had led astray became valuable. I think mainly of Paul (Saul) who was running hard, the wrong direction. When he got straightened out he ran just as hard … the right direction
Eugene Petersen has a good perspective on getting connected and coming from the right direction in the Message.

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Prayer: Lord, Help me today, to stay connected and learn those “unforced rhythms of grace”

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Look Again and Think

January 27th, 2014 by JDVaughn No comments »

Do not worry about your life . . . —Matthew 6:25


A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.“I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . .” Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.

“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, “What are your plans for next month— or next summer?” Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the “much more” of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).

 

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January 27, 2014

Lord, just when I think I have focused on my connection with You, some issue jumps up and grabs my attention.  I lose sight of You and focus on my needs, circumstances and difficulties.  Please help me focus on our connection; help me become a man after Your own heart, stepping out in faith in the ways You would have me live.

And God says…”I know the plans I have for you, for good and a future.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart.  Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything you need will be provided. Simply seek our connection….I can and will always bless you in this endeavor.  Then notice how I can and will live through you. “

 

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Transformed by Beholding

January 23rd, 2014 by Dave No comments »

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image . . . —2 Corinthians 3:18

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.

The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . . .”

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord, Today’s reading confirms something that I’ve been hearing you say recently … That complexity is the enemy of elegant and beautiful solutions. So “Keep It Simple” is a good motto. I heard instructions for the Christian Life reduced down to 4 words at the men’s retreat last week, “Glorify God, Serve People” There seems to be value in distilling a complex thing, like a Christian Life, down to it’s most basic form … so that we can make sure that those monumental basics are getting attended to, and not being squeezed out by “other things” that may be important but are less essential.

Prayer: Lord, help me today to stay focused on you … so that I become a mirror to those around who will look at me and see you.

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