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

. . . but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings . . . —1 Peter 4:13

If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way. You say, “Oh, I can’t deal with that person.” Why can’t you? God gave you sufficient opportunities to learn from Him about that problem; but you turned away, not heeding the lesson, because it seemed foolish to spend your time that way.

The sufferings of Christ were not those of ordinary people. He suffered “according to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:19), having a different point of view of suffering from ours. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. When it comes to suffering, it is part of our Christian culture to want to know God’s purpose beforehand. In the history of the Christian church, the tendency has been to avoid being identified with the sufferings of Jesus Christ. People have sought to carry out God’s orders through a shortcut of their own. God’s way is always the way of suffering— the way of the “long road home.”

Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
I dont know anyone who would ask for more suffering … except those who need medication and therapy. But the fact is that suffering will come to all of us… one way or another. It is good to remember things like Romans 8:28 that you are able to make all things work together for good, And that you have plans for good, for a future and a hope. Jer 29:11. Rehearsing these facts is helpful when we find ourselves in the middle of disappointments or sufferings.

Things which you call sufferings are difficult only to the extent that you dont see as Jesus saw. So walk with me and gain my perspective. Then you’ll be like Jesus who only did what he saw me doing and only said what he heard me saying, Jn 5:19. He still “suffered” … but did not percieve it as suffering, but rather as opportunity to promote his (my) mission on earth. You can suffer and complain in your circumstances or look at them like Jesus did … You know which will make a happier life. So choose to walk with me and I will show you a way to live that will transform suffering into opportunity.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you —James 4:8

When a truth of God is brought home to your soul, never allow it to pass without acting on it internally in your will, not necessarily externally in your physical life. Record it with ink and with blood— work it into your life. The weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second he acts and God’s almighty power is available on his behalf. We come up to the truth of God, confess we are wrong, but go back again. Then we approach it again and turn back, until we finally learn we have no business going back. When we are confronted with such a word of truth from our redeeming Lord, we must move directly to transact business with Him. “Come to Me . . .” (Matthew 11:28). His word come means “to act.” Yet the last thing we want to do is come. But everyone who does come knows that, at that very moment, the supernatural power of the life of God invades him. The dominating power of the world, the flesh, and the devil is now paralyzed; not by your act, but because your act has joined you to God and tapped you in to His redemptive power.

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November 4, 2013-JDV

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 how can I, regularly and normally, as a part of my day, reach out to others with this message?

And God says…” You cannot capture nor seek intimacy with Me, and you cannot try to reach out to others as a part of your work, you can only surrender. When you surrender to Me, you are connected, and when you are connected, I can do the reaching out, you are simply available. You are not connected when you try to find Me in your efforts, works, study or even prayer or conformity. Although those are all things that are good .You will find our intimacy and ability to reach others in your surrender, allowing Me to live through you; outreach, works, study prayer and transformation can then occur.  Do not try to touch others, it will be demonstrated as artificial and contrived.  Let Me touch them as a result of your surrender.  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.

If you have faith as a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you —Matthew 17:20

We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach you to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony.

Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
In the last two days two devastating facts have come across my consciousness. The intense poverty in West Virginia coal towns, and the intense poverty in Haiti. The stories that went with these two made me cry. Earlier in my walk I may have thought, “how could a good God let that happen?” Same for tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and mass murderers. I dont think that anymore. That question has been replaced by 2 curiosities: …. What are you doing? and What shall I do about it? Thanks for making us curious beings. Curiosity has been a refuge for me to run into when things dont seem to make sense. Choosing and cultivating curiosity about what you are doing and how I can be involved has been one of the best things to keep my faith growing. Thank You

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him —2 Corinthians 5:21

That Christ died for me, and therefore I am completely free from penalty, is never taught in the New Testament. What is taught in the New Testament is that “He died for all” (2 Corinthians 5:15)— not, “He died my death”— and that through identification with His death I can be freed from sin, and have His very righteousness imparted as a gift to me. The substitution which is taught in the New Testament is twofold— “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The teaching is not Christ for me unless I am determined to have Christ formed in me (seeGalatians 4:19).

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Today I see where I have gotten tangled up in the past… Confusing the event and the process of my salvation. The event was a once and for all event. While the process of me “working out my salvation” continues on daily and will continue until I arrive there. The temptation is to work for salvation instead of toward Christlikeness. Aren’t we really working together on the project of my life? And your part is already done. It’s kind of like, you brought a Christmas gift … and I am spending a lifetime unwrapping it? Why dont I unwrap it faster and get more perfected in holiness faster? To continue the analogy of the Christmas gift, it would be one of those gifts that is a box inside of a box inside of a box …. As areas of sin and carnality get exposed and dealt with … more and deeper areas will just show up. So it’s a life long project, getting more and more of the gift unwrapped. Your ways are good. I am happy with the project. Thank you. I love you.