The disciples had to tarry, staying in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost, not only for their own preparation but because they had to wait until the Lord was actually glorified. And as soon as He was glorified, what happened? “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). The statement in John 7:39 — “. . . for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”— does not pertain to us. The Holy Spirit has been given; the Lord is glorified— our waiting is not dependent on the providence of God, but on our own spiritual fitness.

The Holy Spirit’s influence and power were at work before Pentecost, but He was not here. Once our Lord was glorified in His ascension, the Holy Spirit came into the world, and He has been here ever since. We have to receive the revealed truth that He is here. The attitude of receiving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive reviving life from our ascended Lord.

It is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that changes people, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into their lives through the Holy Spirit. We all too often separate things that the New Testament never separates. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience apart from Jesus Christ— it is the evidence of the ascended Christ.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit does not make you think of time or eternity— it is one amazing glorious now. “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). Begin to know Him now, and never finish.

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March 27, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Over the last two days I have encountered my pastor preparing a sermon (and we prayed over him and the sermon) about knowing God and then I find this lesson and the music about knowing God. Hmmmm.  I have come to learn, Lord, that these kinds of “coincidences” are not coincidental at all.  I have come to learn that you are directing me to pay attention. So I stop and listen for clear direction.

And God says…”You have the very mind of Christ and when you  listen with your spiritual mind and abandon your natural mind, you come to know Me in ways that are beyond natural comprehension.  I want you to know Me more intimately; with a knowing that adds to your faith, hope and trust.  The more intimately you know Me, the more you realize just how much I love you and care for you and the more quickly you respond to my direction.  You become more obedient and you obey more quickly. The more you know Me, the more you understand that you must give up all control and the need to know your future.  You save your life by giving it to Me. Let Me take care of your future… you are to simply trust and obey.”

Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the unlimited certainty of knowing that prayer is always answered. Do we have through the Spirit of God that inexpressible certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when it seemed that God did not answer our prayer? Jesus said, “. . . everyone who asks receives . . .” (Matthew 7:8). Yet we say, “But . . . , but . . . .” God answers prayer in the best way— not just sometimes, but every time. However, the evidence of the answer in the area we want it may not always immediately follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?

The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile. The things Jesus taught about prayer are supernatural truths He reveals to us.

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May 26, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Pray without ceasing…when I first read this scripture I wondered how can I do that? How is that possible? I have to work, eat, communicate and interact with others. How can I pray all the time and still be functional? I thought this scripture was about other kinds of Christians; monks or people without daily responsibilities. Then one day I went looking for Jesus in everything I encountered.  I was so overwhelmed and devastated by my circumstances; I could not communicate or function. I needed God’s help for everything. And right there inside of my needs I discovered I could find Him in everything and everything in Him.

And God says…”Praying without ceasing is simply communicating and engaging God in all you do, all day every day. The reason you stop praying without ceasing is because you want to take control back on issues about which you do not want or think you need Me. You want to be God of your own life in certain situations…so you stop praying without ceasing and take back your life. And when you choose to take your life back I will release you and let you make your own choices. However, deep down you know that if you are to have your life, you must surrender it to Me. …… Matthew 16:25…. for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. When you lose your life in Me you pray without ceasing. When you give me control of your life this is your way of life.”

As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you. This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.

Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.

Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, “. . . walk before Me. . .” (Genesis 17:1).

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May 25, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

It is naturally hard to imagine that the very best things come to us as a result of giving up on what we think will provide us the greatest happiness. But, it is simply not in my nature to let go of the desire to reach for the things that I believe will make me happy. It is hard to give up the pursuit of goals I have set for myself.

I have been taught to set goals, visualize the goals and then move forward taking the steps necessary and critical to achieve my goals…all the while mitigating risks and avoiding potential roadblocks. It is what I do! It is even my life’s work. ……..And then I read that I often search for the good at the expense of Your best.

And God says…”That is it exactly. However, that does not mean that you cannot use your skills (talents) to pursue the very best that I have in store for you and yours. Rememebr you are wonderfully made. I gave you these goal setting skills, and I will bless you as you use them….as you give Me the outcomes. You are simply to be obedient and trust Me to provide the result that I want. It may not be the result that you thought or believed would provide you the most benefit. Leave that part to me…there is much you cannot see. Oftentimes I will ask you to step out when you cannot see or even believe there is a way.”

“When you set your goals continue as you have, and begin with prayer and petition asking Me to guide you and provide the direction and confirmation.  Continue to write out your goals, and review them daily-being open and objective about My leading….Be open and accepting of My will for your life.

“And know that I will operate in ways you cannot imagine even as you cannot fathom the depths of My love for you. Trust in Me.  Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own devices and I will make your paths straight. But first delight yourself in the Lord….and know I will give you the desires of  a transformed heart.”

When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . .” Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.

“. . . do not worry about your life. . .” (Matthew 6:25). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed— no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Don’t make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God.” Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.

It is one of the most difficult, yet critical, disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into absolute harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

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May 21, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

When I take my eyes and heart off of you…..that is when I am anxious, and fearful. I know now it must be lived, not read or heard. I must live surrounded by trials and tribulations still experiencing the peace that passes all understanding.

And God says…”Life and life more abundantly must be lived and experienced inside all the demands of your earthly life. How would you know that I meet all your needs if there were not needs? How would you know the peace that passes all understanding if there were not challenges to your peace? I promised to meet all your needs, and taught you to ask Me for your daily bread. This is where I meet you and demonstrate My love for you. This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it”

God does not keep His child immune from trouble; He promises, “I will be with him in trouble . . .” (Psalm 91:15). It doesn’t matter how real or intense the adversities may be; nothing can ever separate him from his relationship to God. “In all these things we are more than conquerors . . .” (Romans 8:37). Paul was not referring here to imaginary things, but to things that are dangerously real. And he said we are “super-victors” in the midst of them, not because of our own ingenuity, nor because of our courage, but because none of them affects our essential relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for the Christian who doesn’t have something in the circumstances of his life that he wishes were not there.

“Shall tribulation . . . ?” Tribulation is never a grand, highly welcomed event; but whatever it may be— whether exhausting, irritating, or simply causing some weakness— it is not able to “separate us from the love of Christ.” Never allow tribulations or the “cares of this world” to separate you from remembering that God loves you (Matthew 13:22).

“Shall . . . distress . . . ?” Can God’s love continue to hold fast, even when everyone and everything around us seems to be saying that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?

“Shall . . . famine . . . ?” Can we not only believe in the love of God but also be “more than conquerors,” even while we are being starved?

Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver, having deceived even Paul, or else some extraordinary thing happens to someone who holds on to the love of God when the odds are totally against him. Logic is silenced in the face of each of these things which come against him. Only one thing can account for it— the love of God in Christ Jesus. “Out of the wreck I rise” every time.

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May 19, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, when I am connected to You in an intimate relationship, praying without ceasing, that is an ongoing dialog, all is well. Regardless of circumstance or issue, I know that when I am in relationship with You all is right in my world. Thank you for teaching me this.

And God says…”I may never remove the trials or burdens in your life, but I will give you the strength, courage and hope to live victoriously within them.  When you pray for hope, faith and help in a situation please remember that the very best help may be to leave you inside your circumstance so that you develop the character of Christ. So do not try to escape from your trials too early. Let them have their perfect result in you.  You can move from the pain of the trials as you stay connected to Me and experience the love, faith and hope available in Me.”

5 19 11 DJR Journal

Good morning, Lord.

Today’s message was timely as I’ve been diagnosed with Lyme’s … even found a tick on me … bagged it and took it in to the doc.     I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about the politics and science and pseudo science of Lyme’s disease.    At the bottom of it all is a rock solid conviction that You and I are going to overcome this thing.   I know that some of it will be me getting more healthy habits going.   I tend to get so focused on “the fight” that I tend to forget to consult the greatest Healer, You, who I have in my corner.    Please forgive me for that.

I do.  And you are right, you are excited to be fighting.  You are wired to fight.   To be for or against something.   For is better.    You are better off being “for health and a strong immune system” than against Lymes.   The difference may be subtle but when you are against something you run more risk of activating negativity that isn’t good for you.  Why not just turn it over and fight for the inverse?

OK,  you know there are more “therapies” and “cures” and treatments out there than a person could even do in their lifetime.    I think I have found a good wise leading MD who is holistic and plan to just pretty much follow his protocol … unless you have better ideas or want  me to do some of the weird stuff….?

I’ll let you know on the weird stuff.   The basic protocols are just good sense for the way I designed the body.    The weird food and lack of excercize you Americans practice causes more than half of your problems and causes you to have such poor final years.   So do the protocol and thrive.

I almost think I can do this thing by myself and You.   Since I’ve found a way to get prescription drugs without prescriptions and most of the rest of what I need is just food selection and supplements from the health food store or internet.     But I’ll find a Lyme Doc for extra help.    I really like the guy who wrote the book (Singleton) and he’s just across the river in Maryland.   He’s not taking new patients.   Should I push to become a patient?

It’s who I made you.   Go ahead and push.   You’ll enjoy the adventure.   Stay tight with me and I’ll lead you….   Out of the ashes you’ll rise……

OK  I love you.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin”— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me.” In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.”

The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.

If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.

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May 18, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

I know. Lord, living in your grace and will is a daily experience. I also know that this life is a life of daily expectations, patience and faith. Thank you for giving me the patience and faith to wait on you with enormous expectations.  And I pray Lord that you allow me to share the gospel today without the use of words. Help me live out my faith connected to You, reaching out to others.

And God says…”The Holy Spirit shows you the magnitude of My love as you stay connected to Me. Acknowledge Me in all you do and I will make your paths straight. Your love, faith and patience grow as you seek Me; stay connected to Me and reach out to others. I can bless you as you bless others. You are a conduit, not a vessel….except to be poured out as I was poured out for you.”

5 18 11  DJR

Good morning, Lord

Today we re-learn that relationship with you is not cerebrally accomplished.   We just get it, more and more as we walk with you and focus on you and the Father.  Kind of like you showed us in John 5 : 19    My question is, “how then does that relate to scripture study.   You were a master of the scriptures.    I have assumed that we should aspire to that as well.  But the scripture experts in your day and today dont really impress me as “Knowing You”  as some of the brother Andrew types who work in the streets and give you away every day.   So what’s the connection?

You should study the scriptures as I did.  Do it every day.   Master them.   But not to show off but to be ready to give an answer to those who ask.   Also it helps you categorize and understand when you see me doing something.      Another picture I’ve shared in the past is Your Mind Like an Auto Parts store …. Where your conscious mind and place of interacting with the world is the front showroom.  There you observe things and have initial feelings about them.    The back warehouse is where all the real important parts are kept.   Your mind is like the back warehouse … full of shelves to store all the wisdom of life that you’ll ever need.    But have you stocked the shelves?     That’s what you do when you prayerfully study the Word.    Then when life brings you a tough challenge, you are not limited to your feelings of anger or compassion or any other.   Instead you can go back to where the wisdom is stored and bring out something that will stand you in good stead.    And amaze the ones who are limited to their feelings because they haven’t paid the price to stock the warehouse of their minds with my Word.

We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord’s life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward— Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection— everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity.

The transfiguration was completed on the Mount of Ascension. If Jesus had gone to heaven directly from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity.

The ascension is the complete fulfillment of the transfiguration. Our Lord returned to His original glory, but not simply as the Son of God— He returned to His father as the Son of Man as well. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But now they are His in absolute, full power. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ now has all the power at the throne of God. From His ascension forward He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

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May 17, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it is hard to imagine the love that You have for us…except as I try to grasp your sacrifice.  Sometimes I wonder why the cross as the vehicle? And then it strikes me that this symbol is uniquely  powerful. Thank You for Your sacrifice, and for the love that You demonstrated on that day and the days that followed. It is a lot to take in and I can only comprehend it through the Spirit.

And God says…”I gave My life freely. I ask you to give your life freely. I came to My sacrifice through great pain, and often you come to your life sacrifice out of great pain as well. However you also come to know Me through the love that envelopes you as you contemplate My origin, humanity, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. I came to serve, and so it is with you.”

We are made “partakers of the divine nature,” receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, “Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle.” And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.

Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, “All my springs are in You” (Psalm 87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . .” (2 Corinthians 9:8)— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.

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May 16, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it is a lesson I would like to learn all at once….and for all. But once again right in the middle of my circumstance…whatever it is….You show me that you have provided for my every need. And just as I set boundaries for where and how I believe You will show up…just as I begin to put you in my box of expectations…You deliver me from myself and all my notions of what you will and will not do for me.

And God says…”  I am able to do more than you can ever think or imagine, as long as you allow Me to work in your life. And you make a way for Me as you turn loose of your control; letting go of your boundaries for Me and allowing Me to be God in your life. My work in your life is beyond all you can think or imagine, as you follow Me and let go of your notions about how and when and where I will work in your life. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.”