As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God “elbow room.” We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly— God meets our life “. . . when it pleased God . . . .”

Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.

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January 25, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Last week I was struck by the notion that I should rethink some of my “instant answers” to spiritual and not so spiritual questions. That I should be a bit slower on the uptake with answers for questions, especially in my responses to other people. That I should occasionally rest with the question or dilemma, I might attempt to answer for myself and others. I have read the same scripture again and again and can get many different  answers and spiritual direction over time. The Holy Spirit knows how to apply that scripture in ways that will shape my heart, mind and soul  differently based on God’s will and His omnipotence.   And I suspect that I should be slow to answer as I allow God to be God as He guides me even (or especially) in territory I feel is familiar.

 And God says…”You have often taken the response from a previous learning situation and applied it to the new circumstance for yourself and others. In some cases you become the instant answer man, immediately ready with the right scripture and or reference point when responding to a brother or sister’s question or problem…..not to mention your own. However, take time with the questions and issues of and for life…they are important and deserve a clear and open heart and mind that can and will be directed. Do not be too quick with an answer or response. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and give yourself the opportunity to see the issue from the perspective of the Holy Spirit. And even though you may have experience and knowledge, rest and wait on the Holy Spirit of God.”

2 Peter 1:19-21 (The Message)

 ^19-21We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.

The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was not a passing emotional experience, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him. And Paul stated, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Our Lord said to Paul, in effect, “Your whole life is to be overpowered or subdued by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” And the Lord also says to us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go . . .” (John 15:16).

When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all, we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be. It is important that I learn not to be “disobedient to the heavenly vision”—not to doubt that it can be attained. It is not enough to give mental assent to the fact that God has redeemed the world, nor even to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did a reality in my life. I must have the foundation of a personal relationship with Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim. He was brought into a vivid, personal, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ.Acts 26:16 is tremendously compelling “. . . to make you a minister and a witness . . . .” There would be nothing there without a personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s. He saw nothing else and he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

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January 24, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Every once in a while I find myself searching for faith, hope and or forgiveness.  I can become aware that I need more of a spiritual gift or a spiritual awareness; that I lack or am missing some key spiritual gift or ingredient in my life.  And then I understand ……

And God says…”Your faith, hope and love come to you in the person of Jesus Christ. You would not just seek out His arm, ear or leg would you? It is the same when you seek out a separate and single component of His love for and from the transformation in your life. You cannot seek just faith or more forgiveness or more of this or more of that at you choosing. It is for the Holy Spirit of God to furnish what you need as you identify and remain connected with Jesus……Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?

Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done.” That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us “in the light as He is in the light . . .” (1 John 1:7).

Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed “that they may be one just as We are one”-with nothing in between (John 17:22). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.

Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.

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January 20, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

 One of the indicators of my connection to You is the freshness with which you allow me to see the world and my place in and out of it. I know that I am intimately connected to You when the same old things surprise and amaze me.  

When I am truly connected to You I know I am fresh in the Spirit . It is one more indicator of my daily connection.

And God says…”When you are engaged and connected with Me as a little child, you are captivated and intrigued by everything. Every experience is like brand new as you observe Me operating in and around your life. You can live in the moment, in eager anticipation of life that is directed and controlled by Me…all things work for good for those that love Me and are called according to My purpose..

Galatians 5:22-25 (The Message)

 ^22-23But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely

Jesus said to her, ’Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7).

 How many of us are expecting   Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.

Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . .”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, “. . . who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear “the voice of the Lord” continually asking, “. . . who will go for Us?” However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, “Now, you go.” He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.”

Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard-”the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”

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January 14, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

I often wonder if I missed God’s direction or leading. Has He been calling me to a specific action or direction and I have simply missed His voice? What if He is speaking to me and giving me direction and I simply do not hear Him or recognize His voice?

And God says…”My sheep know My voice. However, you must take time to listen to My voice and learn what my voice sounds like inside the cacophony of noise and activity that surrounds you. Take time to listen for Me and to Me. Learn what My voice sounds like inside your heart. When you know it is Me you will follow.  I can speak to you in many, many ways. I speak to you inside My word, in music, in worship and through other people. Take time to learn My voice.”

John 10:27 (New Living Translation)

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

His Solitude with Us. When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship— when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. Notice Jesus Christ’s training of the Twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were confused. His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn’t understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26).

As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him.

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January 13, 2010

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

There I was cruising along in my spiritual naiveté enjoying the journey. Then out of nowhere, a call came reminding me of who I am and am not……. A friend reminded me that I was not nearly as pious as I thought I was, and I felt my anger boil up when made the point of the joke……  I was then reminded by circumstances and family that I had failed their expectations and was responsible for their pain and fear.

I thought I had grown beyond my petty anger and defensiveness. Are these the trials I am to stay in? Am I to stay patient inside these kinds of challenges and difficulties? Or was I simply too naive and “mature” to consider an enemy that prowls around searching for ways to interrupt my life and growth?

And God says…”Only the things that have first slipped through my fingers can touch you.. And the enemy prowls around looking for ways to wound you. The enemy must find ways to try and interrupt your growth and maturity…..that is all he has left to him. He already knows the outcome, but he also knows human nature. Resist the enemy. He will flee from you. Acknowledge and be aware of your shortcomings in a way that reminds you that you cannot grow into spiritual maturity. Real maturity comes about as you are reduced and Christ is increased in you. Real maturity has nothing to do with your personal growth; it has only to do with your brokenness. These circumstances help provide a brokenness that brings you to Me………. Hallelujah

All things work for the good of those that love the Lord…… a broken and contrite heart I cannot ignore…… And be reminded that you decrease so that Christ can increase in you.