God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14

State your beliefs to yourself again. Get back to the foundation of the Cross of Christ, doing away with any belief not based on it. In secular history the Cross is an infinitesimally small thing, but from the biblical perspective it is of more importance than all the empires of the world. If we get away from dwelling on the tragedy of God on the Cross in our preaching, our preaching produces nothing. It will not transmit the energy of God to man; it may be interesting, but it will have no power. However, when we preach the Cross, the energy of God is released. “. . . it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. . . . we preach Christ crucified . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 23).

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

November 25, 2013

Good morning Lord and thank you for the reminder to look to the cross for consistency; a consistency that only You have and always provide me. It is true that when I look to the cross, and see You, it all becomes clear even though I do not understand. Then it occurs to me that I do not need to understand, I simply need to see You and allow You to live in my surrendered life.  And I know I must surrender my life, because I have enough experience to realize I am unable to live a life of love, peace, understanding, hope and thanksgiving without You living through me.  I know I can live an abundant life, in every area of my life, when I allow You to live through me. Thank You Lord.

And God says…”Left to your own devices, you chase the things that you think will make you happy and they do not. Left to your own devices, you can and will pursue noble and not so noble endeavors that you believe I have commissioned, and I have not. Left to your own understanding and you make choices that bring short term answers that do not hold up in the cold light of day. When you simply trust Me, and allow Me to live through you, you can do all things. You will rise above day to day chaos, complexity and trials. When you simply trust me, you can get out of the boat and walk on water, you will run and not get tired, and you will love without bounds. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31

When He has come, He will convict the world of sin . . . —John 16:8

Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned . . .” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.

Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.

Journal DJR

Good morning Lord,
I really like the conclusion of this thinking … “The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.” I get it. I love it. Thank you for it. But the way this conclusion is arrived at is … troubling, messy, hard to understand and somehow still causes some resistance in me. Perhaps in the yet uncrucified part of my mind. There is still that thinking that “there must have been some other way” …. And “Why did He set it up that way?” I know these thoughts are way above my pay grade … but they are there. What to do with them?

You have those thoughts in the yet unredeemed part of your mind. All humans have thoughts like that because they think and love with human love. You will have them less and less as you focus more and more on me and spend time with me. It’s automatic. Dont try to get rid of those thoughts, Just focus on me and let my thinking and my nature come into you and replace them. Getting stirred up about your old unredeemed parts won’t help the process … it will slow it down. Relax. I do love you. Know that and appropriate what I died for. Take it in and live the new life that I have for you.

If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed —John 8:36

God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life. We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our “arguments . . . and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)— we have to do it. Don’t say, “Oh, Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individual natural life and win freedom into the spiritual life.

“If the Son makes you free . . . .” Do not substitute Savior for Son in this passage. The Savior has set us free from sin, but this is the freedom that comes from being set free from myself by the Son. It is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20  when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” His individuality had been broken and his spirit had been united with his Lord; not just merged into Him, but made one with Him. “. . . you shall be free indeed”— free to the very core of your being; free from the inside to the outside. We tend to rely on our own energy, instead of being energized by the power that comes from identification with Jesus.

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November 18, 2013

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, when I read one of these “just pull yourself up from your own bootstraps” kind of devotionals it points out to me just how much I need you.  I cannot remember being successful at just gritting my teeth and forcing myself to control and discipline myself just because I know I should be a better Christian. It has not worked that way for me.

And God says…”It does not work that way for anyone. The apostle Paul, perhaps the most focused and disciplined explained his dilemma …”I want to do right but then I do not. Who is to save me from this….Thanks be to God I have been saved already by Jesus Christ”. You have been redeemed; you have been saved from the power of the natural. Now you can choose to live in the supernatural by simply surrendering to Me. Let Me provide the way, your truth and the light for your daily living. Seek Jesus first and everything else becomes clear and your choices are easily made by the power of Jesus.”

 Peter . . . said to Jesus, ’But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ’. . . what is that to you? You follow Me’ —John 21:21-22

Most of us live only within the level of consciousness— consciously serving and consciously devoted to God. This shows immaturity and the fact that we’re not yet living the real Christian life. Maturity is produced in the life of a child of God on the unconscious level, until we become so totally surrendered to God that we are not even aware of being used by Him. When we are consciously aware of being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, we have yet another level to reach— a level where all awareness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is completely eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint— a saint is consciously dependent on God.

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November 15, 2013

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I do understand that I am not to interfere with Your will but I also understand that You came to give us abundant life. How can I know which person to help and which to leave alone to the circumstances You allowed? How can I know when to reach out to help someone in need and when to leave them to Your divine circumstances?

And God says…”The same lesson, day by day is the answer to your question; you become aware of when to reach out and when to allow Me to work in another’s life, when you first surrender to Me and allow Me to work through you …”From the inside Out”.  You cannot determine who to help and who to leave for my shaping. You can only be available and open to My leading. Let Me be the lamp that lights your way a step or day at a time. Trust in Me with all your heart, and not your own ideas and understanding, and I will make your paths straight.  Seek Me first every day, and look for Me in every circumstance, and I will lead you from the inside out.”

As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me . . . —Genesis 24:27

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.

Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.

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November 14, 2013

Journal for Today-JDV

Lord, this part of the devotional spoke to my heart…”Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.” And if You cause all things to work together for my good, as You say in Romans 8:28, then I must believe that there are no random events.  You are orchestrating the circumstances of this life for my good….regardless of my current reality.  When I consider the notion of Your overwhelming love for me, I begin to see things differently.

And God says…”You can experience the overwhelming nature of My love when you simply consider the magnitude of My sacrifice. I want an intimate and loving relationship with you, based on love, faith, trust and surrender. Trust in Me with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding , and I will give you the directions for your life, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. When you live in the present with Me in a surrendered state, you can live a life of curiosity, observing the world around you and asking yourself, …”I wonder how God is going to work this out for my good and His honor and glory?” Delight yourself in the Lord and you will receive the desires of your heart. I know the plans I have for you, plans for good, for a wonderful future.  Trust Me to be God, and work all things for your good.”

. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20

We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.

It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.

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November 13, 2013-

Journal Entry- JDV

Lord, this devotional reminded me of one of those “hellfire and brimstone” sermons I would hear (and that chased me away from church) years ago.  When Chambers writes that all of our fears are sinful, and we need to just pull ourselves up by our faith bootstraps, and have solid and confident faith; well it doesn’t seem to work that way for me Lord. I am a great deal like the father of the girl that told Jesus, “I believe, help me in my unbelief”. I would like to have more confidence, more faith, more discipline, but how much less than 100% is acceptable? Lord, please help me understand how much more confident in my faith need I be to be acceptable?

And God says…”You are always and completely acceptable to Me because I see Jesus when I look at you. When you surrender and identify with Jesus, you are not required to grow and sustain your own faith. I will provide your growth and sustenance. You are not required to think or behave or even believe in things a certain way.  You simply trust in Jesus and give up your rights to your own notions of spirituality. You must even question the notions and ideas of preachers and teachers, as they preach and teach their ideas of faith. Simply trust in Me. “

The way to step out in confidence in an uncertain and demanding world, to live a life in confident faith, is to know that I love you beyond all you can imagine, and my love has nothing to do with your work or worthiness.  My love is because of what Jesus did and what He is for you. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and all you need, or hope will be provided. Delight yourself in Jesus and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

He said, ’Take now your son . . .’ —Genesis 22:2

“So Abraham rose early in the morning . . . and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, “I will only go to there, but no farther.” God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.

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November 11, 2013-JDV

God, whenever I hear or read about someone that hears your voice, and responds…or not; I think…”If I just knew it was God talking to me, I would respond.” I would do exactly what You want me to do God, if I only knew it was your voice.  But oftentimes I am uncertain about the still small voice inside my head. Is it You, is it my own voice or the voice of my parents, church or???  If I just knew it was You Lord.

And God says…” When you are connected, truly connected to Me, you know it is Me. When you have abandoned your own methods and devices, you know it is Me. You are uncertain about My voice only because you are not surrendered and connected. When you abandon your own notions, the notions of others, even the notions of the church and church leaders, and listen for Me, you will hear My voice. My sheep know My voice. And when you respond to Me you will hear Me even more clearly as  your next steps, become clear, one step at a time.  You then can respond to the church, and the voices that confirm I am God and I gave My Son for you. You can respond to the understanding that your first step is to be loved by Me. Surrender, and listen for and to Me, and you will hear My voice and know it is your God.  Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything you need will be provided.”

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . —Romans 8:28

The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.

Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “. . . but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.

Journal DJR

Good morning Lord,
Today I need a little help in discerning the circumstances that come in my life. I get it that all things work together for good … and that acceptance is a good mindset. But also there is the “devil running around like a raging lion seeking who he may destroy” When circumstances come against me, seemingly to destroy, or ready to destroy … I’m having trouble balancing acceptance with actively getting involved and fighting for my life or my future or my share,or my, my, my……..

I didn’t design you not to fight for survival or even for justice or your share. But it will work better for you if you do as Ms Underwood sings… and let me take the wheel. Of course you can do that when your life is sliding on black ice. But can you give me the wheel when things are going well? Staying curious about how I am going to work things out for good and expecting that I will … That’s your best mindset and your best chance of letting me keep the steering wheel of your life.

Do you believe this? —John 11:26

Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.

To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.

Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier