July 27 2010

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine . . . —John 7:17

(Music and video click on link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubyVHdvVMnc&feature=related

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.

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July 27, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

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.

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.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 26, 2010

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  ).

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July 23, 2010

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  ).

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 22, 2010

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.”

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.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 21, 2010

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.

Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct in this passage for those people who have His Spirit. He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.

Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?

Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7 ).

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 16, 2010

My first thought this morning was to praise God, not necessarily as worship, but as a way of confirming that He was there.  Many of my prayers have been answered, however, many have not been answered, and sometimes I lose the “knowing”. Sometimes I do not “feel” connected because the evidence I seek in the human physical realm is not there. But then I seek Him in my first prayer of the morning and the “knowing” settles in like a very comforting peaceful sigh.

And God says…”I am always with you. I sought an intimate relationship with Adam and I sacrificed my Son so that you and I could have an intimate relationship. Pray without ceasing and know that I am always with you in everything you say and do. Stay connected to Me, hear my voice and respond. As you and I engage daily, hourly and minute by minute it will become as natural as breathing for you; and you will know I am here with you, always.

My sheep know My voice. Listen to and for me at every moment so our relationship can become more and more intimate.

Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent his life to express it. The greatest inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that same sense of indebtedness to Christ regarding every unsaved soul? As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness.

I am not a superior person among other people— I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus. Paul said, “. . . you are not your own . . . you were bought at a price . . .” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 15, 2010

I am restless…waiting on the Lord is hard work. I cannot see Him working, I do not know in my human mind that He is working; I simply must trust Him and take Him at His word. I know I am not capable of doing that…….but I know I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

And God says………..” Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Wait on me. Recall when you rushed out on your own ahead of me? Recall how those circumstances and their conclusions ended? Recall when you knew absolutely, positively that you were in My will and my timing and how you were able to move forward through any and all circumstances?

Rest and trust in Me, and I will bring it to pass. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own devices. Trust and obey and be at peace. I am your God and I know you future…a future for good. If I did not spare My Son, will I deny you any good thing?

Trust, rest, and be at peace. And while you wait let me touch others through you. Many of whom I touch through you and you do not even know it. You are sometimes unaware, you are simply trusting in me…… while others can see and know My love and grace by watching Me live through you.

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From Charles Stanley’s  In Touch devotional for today: 

 If you want to know what God is doing in your life, obey Him. Often, you won’t understand the intricacies of the plan, but you can trust the goodness of His heart. Rest assured that all He does is purposeful and for your benefit. So step forward in faith, and you will see His faithfulness.

This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” ( Colossians 1:24 ). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.

Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 14, 2010

Sometimes I wonder why I do the things I do. I mean I am a Christian aren’t I? Then why can I be on the mountaintop one minute and then in the valley the next minute, having failed miserably at being a Christian? Why is it that I do some of the same stupid things over and over again? Where is my maturity, my growth as a believer?

And God says…….  ”Just like you wrote in your book, being a believer has no hierarchy of attainment. You do not start out in 1^st grade and matriculate up the “Christian scale” of growth to high school and then college. You do not enter into My service as a private and then progress to corporal and then on and on and up to Captain Christian and beyond. You enter in need of a Savior and continue to need a Savior the rest of your days.

You can only operate as a believer with the strength, power and courage of Jesus when you allow Jesus to live through you. You are a human being with all the weakness of a human being. When you are not connected to Me allowing the Spirit of God to live through you, you are vulnerable. This does not mean you are not responsible, it simply means you are responsible for doing your part by allowing Me to live through you. I will do everything else. You can do nothing apart from Me.

Stay connected to Me and stay holy even as I am holy.

Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?

My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvnVjLX_hRE

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 13, 2010

Sometimes I wonder where you are or if you are even there in my life. I wonder if you hear my prayers and cries for some indication that you are there inside of me and my circumstance. I know from your word that you are there….it is just that sometimes I don’t see the changes occurring in my circumstances and life. And because I cannot see the impact you are having in my circumstances I sometimes get discouraged.

And God says…”You cannot define God working with your senses; My ways are not your ways…a thousand years is like a single day to Me. What is or is not happening in your life and surroundings is not for your review or even your experience…yours is to trust and obey. I am at work in your life, I have told you this. I am and will do immeasurably more in your life than you could ever imagine, however, you cannot pull your faith up out of the ground like a plant to use your senses to determine if and where I am working in your life.

Trust Me for the faith to wait and for the hope you need in day to day living. Simply stay connected and know I am with you. There is no need for you to know what and how I am working. I will make you aware when you need to react or experience the work I have done on your behalf. In the meantime, stay connected and reach out and let Christ live through you to others…..Trust and obey.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, trust Me and listen for the Spirit inside of you and you will never be discouraged. You cannot be discouraged when you are looking into the very eyes of love.