Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Becoming Entirely His

"Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:4).


Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Careless is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.

Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression‍ of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to the one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wondering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.

We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God's redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. "Let patience have its perfect work...." The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, "Now let your patience become a finished product." Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, "Oh, that will have to do for now." Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

It's Supernatural / Nathan Morris

The Teaching Of Disillusionment

"Jesus did not commit Himself to them..., for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).


Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgements in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgement of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of suffering of human life. n And this is how suffering happens- if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, and yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord's confidence in God, and in what God's grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired never give up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Monday, July 29, 2013

Do You See Jesus In Your Clouds?

"Behold, He is coming with clouds..." (Revelations1:7).


In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrow, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is though these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have to faith. "The clouds are the dust of His feet" (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds- He does not come in clear-shining brightness.

It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child- a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God's character, we do not yet know Him.

"...they were fearful as they entered the cloud" (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is "no one anymore, but only Jesus..." (Mark9:8; also see verses 2-7).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]




Sunday, July 28, 2013

God's Purpose Or Mine?

"He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side..." Mark 6:45).


We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish- His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see "Him walking on the sea" (6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Way To Knowledge

"If anyone wills to do His will. he shall know concerning the doctrine..." (John 7:17).

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 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 say. 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 instruct 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.

[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Way To Purity

"Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart.... For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man..." (Matthew 15:18-20).


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.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Am I Blessed Like This?

"Blessed are..." (Matthew 5:3-11).


When we first read the statements of Jesus, they seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unnoticed into our subconscious minds. For instance, the Beatitudes initially seem to be merely soothing and beautiful precepts for overly spiritual and seemingly useless people, but of very little practical use in the rigid, fast-paced workdays of the world in which we live. We soon find, however, that the Beatitudes contain the "dynamite" of the Holy Spirit. And they "explode" when the circumstances of our lives cause them to do so. When the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance one of the Beatitudes, we say, "What a startling statement that is!" Then we must decide whether or not we will accept the tremendous spiritual upheaval that will be produced in our circumstances if we obey His words. That is the way the Spirit of God works. We do not need to be born again to apply the Sermon on the Sermon on the Mount literally. The literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is as easy as child's play. But the interpretation by the Spirit of God as He applies our Lord's statements to our circumstances is the strict and difficult work of a saint.

The teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort. We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations-it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.


[From "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers]

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

His Nature And Our Motives

"... unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharasees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).


The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is saying, "If you are My disciple, you must be right not only in your actions, but also in your motives, your aspirations, and in the deep recess of the thoughts of your mind." Your motives must be so pure that God almighty can see nothing to rebuke. Who can stand in the eternal light of God, and Jesus Christ claims that through His redemption He can place within anyone His own nature and make that person as pure and as simple as a child. The purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be made within, and that is exactly what Jesus has undertaken to do through Hid redemption.

No one can make Himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations- He gives us His teachings which are truth that can only be interpreted by His nature which He places within us. The great wonder of Jesus Christ's salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature- He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Sanctification

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us... sanctification..." (1 Corinthians 1:30).


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 in 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).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Do We Have True Faith?

SF.5.10.2013


Do we have true faith or are we only calling it faith when it is not?
Is my faith authentic? Is it original or is it fake, only a copy but not the real thing?
Many people desire goods that are authentic but there are so many good fake products out there.
The Lord desires our faith to be real.
God gives us the real thing.
He has given us the truth, but rather than take care of what was given to us, we have made it into something else.
The people around you may not know.
But who knows?
You know and so does God.
You act as if you believe, but do you truly believe in Jesus Christ?
Are you following in the Jesus that God has sent to us, or are you only pretending to do so as someone who carries around a fake product?
The person who carries around the authentic product is confident.
But the one who carries around a fake product, when you are alone you can pretend that you are confident, but when you are faced with someone who has the real product, you are not able to look them in the eye.
Why?
Because you know that you have a fake product.
What kind of faith do you have?
What kind of faith do you bring before God?
What kind of faith is it that you say you have as you confess to Him that you believe in Him and to say that this is the faith that was given to you that you cherish and maintain?
Where do you stand?
Do I truly believe Jesus according to the Word?
Do I see, hear and follow in the truth that the Spirit reveals in the Word?
Or do I do I what I want, going off slightly from the truth, following a Jesus that fulfills my demands, having a faith that is not real, as I live this life?
Where do you stand?
If you feel good today you sing hallelujah, you give thanks and say that you will follow.
But if you feel even the slightest bit unhappy, then you abandon Jesus as if He was useless.
Are you arguing, complaining and blaming God today?
Where do you stand?
What kind of Jesus do you want to believe?
Do you choose to believe in the Jesus that God has sent, or do you choose to believe in the Jesus that the world says is acceptable?
It clearly states that when you believe in Jesus that we will suffer, be persecuted and face trial and hardships but we do not want to believe in this Jesus.
We want to receive recognition from others.
We want others to know who we are.
We want others to praise us.
I too am the same.
We like that.
We do not like to be ignored, hated and unwanted.
But the Bible teaches us to not live this way.
We are told to turn the other cheek but do you offer your other cheek?
Do you offer it?
I do not.
Why?
Because I don’t want to.
When I am full of God’s grace then I do.
But when I distance myself from God, and not standing firm in the Word, and not praying, then when I am hit on my cheek then I want to go and hit the other person on both sides of their face.
Do we not have the heart that desires to hit the other person two or three times if we are hit once?
Then how can we come before God and say that this is what I did and confess that to Him?
Can we come to God in prayer and say that I was hit on my right cheek but failed to turn the other cheek.
We cry and repent.
But the moment we leave the house of God we do the same thing.
Is that repentance?
What kind of repentance is it, what kind of faith in Jesus do you have if you say you repent but the moment you are done praying you go out and the same thing you say that you have repented of?
You say you have confessed to God.
You say that the blood of Jesus has cleansed you, but does the blood of Jesus have such little power?
Is it that powerless?
Too many desire to be washed in such a kind of blood that has little value.
Jesus gave His life.
His life is more precious than all our lives.
He is the Son of God.
He is God.
What was He lacking that He would come to die for such wretched beings as us?
The blood of Jesus is priceless.
But to us that blood has little value.
We sin and then repent, and then sin and the repent again.
We keep washing ourselves with the blood again and again as if it was there for us because we are worthy to use it in any manner we please, whenever we think we need it.
This is how we are.

We assume that the blood of Jesus must wash us no matter what we may do.
No matter how evil we act.
If we assume that the blood of Jesus must wash us no matter how we act, then can the blood of Jesus truly have the power that it is supposed to have?
The blood of Jesus is not something that has little value.
That time during which God forsook His own Son Jesus on the cross, God was so frustrated that there was darkness over the whole earth.
Though we may not know that suffering we must at least try to understand.
Those of us that have children, when our children is a little sick, we get into a frenzy.
We could care less if someone else’s child is sick, but if our child is sick even the slightest, or someone says anything to correct them, or bothers them even in the slightest, it hurts us and we die on the inside.
Children, though you do not have children you have friends, siblings, those around you.
Siblings fight amongst themselves, but if someone outside the family fights with your sibling do you not get upset?
Doesn’t it bother you?
Do you feel good when your brother or sister gets scolded?
If you do then you are trash.
God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
Jesus came to earth bearing the burden of the cross.
Are you going to believe in this Jesus or are you going to believe in a fake one that you have made to your liking?
God did not give us His Word for us to create Jesus to be who we desire Him to be, something close to the real thing but not, and then have the conviction to think that by saying we believe in Jesus we would go to Heaven.
Why would we need the Word if we are going to believe in any manner each of us chooses to believe?
Why would we need the Bible?
We go about speaking boldly though some of us have barely read the Bible and only know what we have heard about it.
Maybe I am missing something or not intelligent because the more I read the Bible the less I understand.
Why?
Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to comprehend or understand the depth of God with my own mind.
When I feel like I may understand a little and dig deeper then I am left without knowing again.
When I feel like I have realized something then in the next moment I realize I haven’t.
God is too deep. He is too great. He is beyond measure.
The ocean is far beyond our comprehension but God is even further reaching and deeper than that.
The universe is vast.
Too great for us to examine thoroughly.
We cannot know this universe in its fullness.
We live on this planet and even this place we do not know fully.
This planet though great in size is but a speck in the universe.
How we think that we can understand God who keeps, and cares for all the things of this universe?
Why do we become prideful and think that we can know Him?
We say if we cannot understand God then we will not believe in Him.
We say that because I do not understand Him I will not obey Him.
That is pride.
You cannot know God.
Because we cannot know God we are to obey His commands, but rather than obey His commands we make excuses saying that we must understand in order to obey.
I have said it many time before, to understand before you obey is not obedience.
When that is the case, because you have understood then it only becomes a something that you have to do because now you know it has to be done that way.
But I have talked to many people who have said that if they can only understand then they would believe.
To understand first and then believe is not faith.
That which you understand are things that you must do and have no choice but to do.
When we teach children do they obey them because they understand the reason the parent is telling them to do something?
Do children obey because they understand?
When they do not we say that they are rebelling, it is because they do not trust the parent and therefore do not obey.
How much faith do we have in God’s Word?
How obedient are we?
How obedient are we to Him in following Him?
Our children are not born to us by our own strength, they are gifts given to us by God.
But we desire to do with them what we will.
God is the creator of this entire universe.
He is the One who opens and closes the womb.
He is the One Who gives us life and places us here.
How can we understand Him?
How can we say that we will believe Him if we understand Him, that we will obey Him when we understand Him?
How can we continue to keep making up our own Jesus?
Please do not believe in a false Jesus that you have made.
Do not follow the fake Jesus.
Do not act like you are following truth.
Follow Jesus in truth.
I am not telling you to follow me.
I teach you to read the Bible everyday.
I am asking you to read the Bible and be led by the Spirit everyday.
Everyone receives grace that is special.
If you have been deceived by the devil and led by him thinking that you are following Jesus then you have been led astray.
Why do you listen to the devil?
Why do we heed the words of the demons?
It is because we find pleasure in what they say.
It is because what they say is the same as the thoughts I have.
The devil knows all too well the things that I like.
You refuse to follow the voice of God because you claim that the devil knows you better than God and he, the devil, gives you what you want.
So that you would go in the right path, God has put before you trials, sufferings, and hardships so that you may be trained up.
But you hate it.
You think it hurts.
But the devil throws bait at you.
Like he threw it at Eve.
She ate the fruit.
He deceives you by saying, ”You know you like it.”
“You can make money this way.”
“You will be known.”
“You will have the right to judge others.”
“You can do as you like”
“You can live your life comfortably doing what you want.”
“Isn’t it difficult following Jesus?”
“I am not saying don’t believe Him, I am just saying just believe Him enough.”
“Just enough, don’t overdo it.”
In your ears this sounds like truth.
Then you pray and ask God why is the devil tempting me?
God does not allow it. It is your heart that has been given over to those things.
Then when things are not good you blame God.
When things are comfortable and then suddenly you hit a bump you question why God never disciplined you to avoid the circumstance?
No matter how many countless times God calls you to listen you never listen.
You do not follow His voice.
You say with your mouth that you will obey, you will follow.
But you go the way you stubbornly decide, according to your will, in the manner you decide which is following a false Jesus.
Believe in the true Jesus.
Remove your thought and follow God’s will.
Think the thoughts of God.
Do it God’s way.
Believe in this way.
This is the true way.
Do not believe according to your emotions.
Do you say it is difficult to follow Jesus? Then do not follow Him.
It is better for you to leave than to pretend to follow Him.
Did you not have difficulties when you lived according to the ways of the world?
When you tried to live the way you wanted were you able to so?
If so, and you found that to be good, then go do that, do not follow Jesus.
You cannot go to Heaven if you are on the fence about Him.
I have met many people and before they met Jesus their lives were not good, and they had no joy or happiness.
But when they found Jesus they were filled with joy.
There are also those who blame Jesus for making their lives difficult.
God is not making your life difficult, but He is training you up that you may be ready for His kingdom, as His bride, His servant, and His child.
Where in life is there anything that you can do without being trained for it?
In your place of work, are you there without having been trained for it?
In business, if you are not trained to do it, then you will fail.
Doctors must get an education and pass the exams to be licensed.
You do not become a pianist without practicing.
A singer who does not give all to practicing their skill will never get to the place where they want.
We are foolish to think that without any effort we can stand in faith before God.
When it comes to the things of this world, we have heard many famous actors who have confessed to giving up so much in their lives to get to where they are now.
Famous vocal artists talk about giving up everything in life to do what they do.
But you, how will you have both this world and Jesus too?
An Olympic athlete gives up everything for a chance to win a gold medal.
What have you given up?
What have you given up that is so great that you complain to God about how difficult it is?
Is it easy to give up the things of this world to attain the position that these people have attained?
The things we speak make no sense.
Yet, we say we truly believe in Jesus?
I believe in Jesus.
I only have eyes for God.
I will obey.
Then the very next day you are living in disobedience and say that you are not happy with things.
You say that things don’t make sense.
This is how you follow the fake Jesus.
What you decide to think for yourself is not faith.
God is God.
You do not believe in something that you understand.
You are believing in God who created the entire universe.
Stop believing in the manner that you think is right.
Even today God has spoken to me and has said that He is searching all over the earth to find those whose heart is one with Him.
Though He searches He says there are very few.
Though He searches for those who are obedient to Him, He says that there are very few.
He says that many speak with their lips and say they do.
Many speak with their lips and say that they believe in Jesus.
He asks why did Sodom and Gomorrah perish?
He says because there was none righteous in that place.
When we face destruction do we not claim that we are righteous and it is because others that God has brought down His wrath?
If you and I were true believers and truly righteous what would be the outcome?
Do not look at others.
Do not say that that person needs to be a better believer.
I must be a true believer.
If you want to stand firm in the Word of God in obedience, then you must go through the trial by fire.
How did Abraham become the father of our faith?
What did he do?
Did he do nothing?
Did he do nothing?
Then why do you not obey?
How hard and difficult it was for him.
We have the Bible and have been given everything and yet do not believe.
During the time of Abraham, men did not know God.
To have heard the voice of God and to follow in obedience is what makes him the father of our faith.
He is great.
But we only focus on the mistakes made by Abraham.
We say,” Oh, if had only obeyed. If he had not have Ishmael.”
Yet we commit sins far more serious than that.
We have the Word and testimony of the death of Jesus that has been given to us for 2000 years.
And we still do not believe.
When he knew nothing of God, he heard the voice telling him that he would be led by Him.
Would you follow?
Think about it.
God tells you today to leave but do you obey?
God is calling us today as He has called Abraham.
Do you each follow in obedience?
You say it is difficult.
You cause a commotion.
You say foolish things like, ”I didn’t know following Jesus would be so difficult.”
Think about Abraham.
He was told to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
He was told to kill his son with his own hands.
We read that and it means nothing to us.
We get upset if someone says something we dislike to our own child.
He was not told to have someone else kill his son, but to offer his son as a sacrifice with his own hands.
Isaac was a young man and Abraham was old. Do you not think that Isaac could have overcome his father?
No matter how I think about it, Isaac could have overcome his father easily.
Are you obedient like Isaac?
Are you staying on the altar as a sacrifice?
Then miracles will happen.
Too many of you have the wrong idea because you see that God provided the ram as a sacrifice. You think that as soon as the test is over you can claim back what was once yours.
There are too many things that you do not understand correctly.
For example, you say that God wants you to offer up your house, and so you say Lord I give my house to you, and because you have said it you think that now you do not really have to give it to Him.
I am not telling you to offer up your homes.
This is only an example.
I am saying that this is the way that you believe.
If you say that you have offered God something then you are to give it to Him.
Isaac was dead.
Abraham had already killed Isaac.
Do not misunderstand this.
This is why Abraham became the father of our faith.
Due to his obedience, because he had given up his life in obedience, we see that Isaac was blessed, but we question, ”What did Isaac do to be blessed?”
He became a living sacrifice.
I too must be a living sacrifice.
Do not make for yourself a false Jesus and believe in that.
Believe in the true God and the one true Jesus.
Though it may be 99 percent authentic if even .01 percent is fake then it is a fake, is it not?
The fake and the authentic are now being made by the same company.
That is why much of the products are nearly the same.
They even have the same labels.
But if the company does not verify its authenticity, then it is a fake.
It is the same before God.
God wants true gold.
He does not want fake gold nor gold that is mixed with something else.
It must be 100 percent real gold.
God desires that you are true believers.
He desires that you truly believe in Jesus.
Do not be a false believer.
Confess with truth that Jesus is your Lord.
And do not say that it is difficult.
Living in this world is difficult.
Living in the Lord is much easier.
I pray that you will be victorious in faith.


Sermon by Pastor Joy Y. Lee
Translation by Miguel Park

Monday, July 22, 2013

Sanctification

"This is the will of God, your sanctification..." (1 Thessalonians 4:3).


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).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Doorway To The Kingdom

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..." (Matthew 5:3).


Beware of thinking of our Lord as only a teacher. If Jesus Christ is only a teacher, then all He can do is frustrate me by setting a standard before me I cannot attain. What is the point of presenting me with such a lofty ideal if I cannot possibly come close to reaching it? I would be happier if I never knew it. What good is there in telling me to be what I can never be- to be "pure in heart" (5:8), to do more than my duty, or to be completely devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as my Savior before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of a lofty ideal which only leads to despair. But when I am born again by the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come only to teach- He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The redemption means that Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standard God gives us are based on that nature.

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 out 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..." (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.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]


Saturday, July 20, 2013

... Only Few Of Them (Believers) Will Find Eternal Life...

Baal? (1)

Baal? (2)

Depend On God's Presence

"Those who wait on the LORD... shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).


There is no thrill for us in walking, yet it is the test for all of our steady and enduring qualities. To "walk and not faint" is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word walk is used in the Bible to express the character of a person- "... John... looking at Jesus as He walked... said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'" (John 1:36-36). There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, "Be spiritual," but He says, "Walk before Me..." (Genesis 17:1).

When we are in an unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we always look for thrills in life. In our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit; in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to the destruction of our morality; and in our spiritual life, if we insist on pursuing only thrills, on mounting up "with wings like eagles" (40:31), it will result in the destruction of our spirituality.

Having the reality of God's presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but it is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problem arises when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the Psamist speaks of- "We will not fear, even though..." (Psalm 46:2)- will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God's presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it. Then we will exclaim, "He has been there all the time!" At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, "Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that." Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to out spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Friday, July 19, 2013

Jesus Is The True Vine.....

All those who came back from death deliver same message....

The Submission Of The Believer

"You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am" (John 13:13).


Our Lord never insists on having authority over us. He never says, "You will submit to me." No, He leaves us perfectly free to choose- so free, in fact, that we can spit in His face or we can put Him to death, as others have done; and yet He will never say a word. But once His life has been created in me through His redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a complete and effective domination, in which I acknowledge that "You are worthy, O Lord..." (Revelation 4:11). It is simply the worthiness within me that refuses to bow down or to submit to one who is worthy. When I meet someone who is more holy than myself, and I don't recognize his worthiness, nor obey his instructions for me, it is a sign of my own unworthiness being revealed. God teaches us by using these people who are a little better than we are; not better intellectually, but more holy. And He continues to do so until we willingly submit. Then the whole attitude of our life is one of obedience to Him.

If our Lord insisted on our obedience, He would simply become a taskmaster and cease to have any real authority. He never insists on obedience, but when we truly see Him we will instantly obey Him. Then He is easily Lord of our life, and we live in adoration of Him from morning till night. The level of my growth in grace is revealed by the way I look at obedience. We should have a much higher view of the word obedience, rescuing it from the mire of the world. Obedience is only possible between people who are equal in thier relationship to each other; like the relationship between father and son, not that between master and servant. Jesus showed this relationship by saying, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). "... though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). The Son was obedient as our Redeemer, because He was the Son, not in order to become God's Son.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Mystery Of Believing

"He said, 'Who are You, Lord?'" (Acts 9:5).


Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bond-servant of the Lord Jesus.

There is nothing miraculous and mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other person's disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, "You must do this," and, "You will do that," he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.

Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart- Jesus Christ, not religion. But "Woe is me" if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5, also see verse 1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don't, I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, "I will not obey," He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God's grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But "Woe is me" if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Miracle Of Belief

"My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom..." (1 Corinthians 2:4).


Paul was a scholar and a orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of the deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God- "... as though God were pleading through us..." (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

"And I, if I am lifted up..., will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The Concept Of Divine Control

"... how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11).


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 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..." (7:7).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Monday, July 15, 2013

My Life's Spiritual Honor and Duty

"I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians..." (Romans 1:14).


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 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 into 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.


[From "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers]

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Suffering Affliction And Ging The Second Mile

"I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matthew 5:39).


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, "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.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Saturday, July 13, 2013

The Price Of The Vision




"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord..." (Isaiah 6:1).


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 that 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.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Friday, July 12, 2013

Scared to eat?

The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church

"... till we all come... to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..." (Ephesian 4:13).


Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose- that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ- "... that I may know Him..." (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God's perfect design for me requires my total surrender- complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.


My goal is God Himself, nor joy nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something else?


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Judges 16:4-21 Overcome Delilah

TL.5.5.2013

4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7 Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
8 Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. 9 With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.”
11 He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
13 Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.”
He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric 14 and tightened it with the pin.
Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
17 So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazarite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 After putting him to sleep on her 3lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.

Hymn 88 “I Have Found a Friend in Jesus”
Hymn 428 “There’s Sunshine in My Soul Today”

Judges chapter 16.
The story of Samson and Delilah.
It is a story that both believers and nonbelievers know about.
It is a famous story.
Delilah is a famous woman.
Let us look at these two people and their story and see is there any relation to our lives.
If there is, then what are the ways that our lives can relate to this story?
Let us think about this.
Before reading today’s Scripture we sang the hymns “I Have Found a Friend in Jesus” and “There’s Sunshine in My Soul Today.”
When we sing these hymns what is the condition of you heart as you do so?
Joyful?
Glad?
What is your heart’s condition when you sing these hymns?
There is sunshine in my soul today, More glorious and bright.
It is a 4 over 4 rhythm.
I have found a friend in Jesus, He is everything to me.
We sang this hymn.
I am asking you, though we have sung these hymns, what was the condition of your heart as you did so.
If you sing these hymns by yourself on a regular basis, what is the condition of your heart as you sing?
I am curious to know if you have ever thought about that as you sing these hymns, this is why I am asking.
I wanted to compare that with the Scripture we read today and this is why I ask you.
There is no reply.
I can only say what I see and understand.
Hymn 88.
I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me. He’s the fairest of ten thousand in my soul.
It is very poetic and gives a good feeling.
The Lily of the valley, the bright Morning star.
It describes Jesus in a beautiful way.
But let us take a look at the third verse.
He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, While I live by faith and do His blessed will.
Without giving all of my heart in complete faith I will be forsaken which is what you are also saying when you sing these words.
Do you want to be loved by Jesus?
Then you will be loved not by loving Him, but by following Him.
When you walk the path that Jesus has lived in obedience then you will not be forsaken.
A wall of fire around me, I’ve nothing now to fear, With His manna He my hungry souls shall fill, Then sweeping up in glory, I’ll see His blessed face where rivers of delight shall ever roll.
But what is the requirement in the beginning of verse three?
I must with all my heart follow Jesus in obedience.
I must do this first.
Though 99 percent is a extremely high percentage, in order to see His blessed face we need 100 percent.
The hymn “I Have Found a Friend In Jesus” starts off as a confession of love to Him, but in the end the words you confess are that off obedience in order to continue in His love and to never be forsaken.
The hymn “There’s Sunshine in My Soul Today” is a little different.
It starts off this way “There’s sunshine in my soul today, More glorious and bright,
Than glow in any earthly sky, for Jesus is my light.
Then it says, “There’s music in my soul today, A carol to my king”
“There’s springtime in my soul today, For when the soul is near”
“There’s gladness in my soul today, And hope and praise and love,
“For blessings which He gives me now, For joys “laid up” above.”
Hymn 428 is about meeting the Lord first and then being filled with joy and song.
After you meet the Lord then there is springtime in your soul, there is gladness and He gives you blessings.
Though the hymns seem similar, in hymn 88 (I Have Found a Friend in Jesus) you look to the Lord and draw near to Him.
You know in your mind about who Jesus is.
And as you knew more about Him, you decide one day to commit and follow Him.
Then you are filled with His love and receive the blessings of your faith.
There are those who have chosen to follow the Lord later though they have known about Him for quite some time.
Like those who have been going to church since their mother’s womb.
Then there are those who the Lord has revealed Himself to, later in their lives and this is where someone may sing the hymn in 428. (There is Sunshine in My Soul Today)
Those whose life are like that of hymn 88 do not understand the ones whose testimony is like that of hymn 428.
And there are also times when someone whose testimony is like that of hymn 428 do not understand the testimony of someone who is like that of hymn 88.
Though we are sitting here together we do not understand each other’s testimony.
The reason is because there are those who have known about Jesus since their birth and others who have been made known of Him later.
There are many different sequence of events that may happen before someone hears about Jesus.
This is possible.
I am saying that there are events that arise in order to bring one to the knowledge of Jesus.
In last weeks quiet time readings one of the topics was about complete abandonment of oneself.
The test of abandonment is refusing to think that “this much is good enough.”
It says to think that you are good enough is evidence that you have not truly surrendered everything.
When our Lord speaks to us and tells us to abandon ourselves, to die to ourselves and to let go of everything, but when we respond “Lord, isn’t this enough?”
This means we have not abandoned it all.
“Lord, what about this?”
This is not abandoning.
What is the reason that one is unable to completely surrender?
Because the truth is you do not believe in God, you are unable to believe in Him.
If you believe in God whole heartedly then why would you not be able to completely follow Him.
The desire and thoughts that you must do something, the feelings of resistance are not of surrender but of unbelief in God.
When you truly surrender to God and put your trust in Him, then even the act of asking God about having to let go is unnecessary.
What point is there in asking?
If God says to do then you do it, if He says do not do it, then you do not need to do it.
When you ask the reason why, then you are only arguing.
When you say why can’t I, you are only arguing.
That is not right.
Since you have surrendered, there is nothing to ask, but only to say yes.
This is complete surrender.
“And once you do get to that point of total surrender to Him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth. God will have you absolutely, without any limitations, and He will have given you your life.”
This is what was written in the quiet time reading.
“If you are not there, it is either because of disobedience in your life or your refusal to be simple enough.”
You have too many thoughts.
We say children are simple.
They are not trying to make excuses.
It is easy to just say “yes” and do.
But us, we say “rather than do it that way it is better to do it this way.”
Or we ask “do we really have to do it that way?”
This means that we are not completely surrendered and living in disobedience.
“The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty.”
We do not receive first and then follow the Lord after.
When He told the Israelites to follow Him, and the priest that carried the Ark of the Covenant put their feet into the Jordan river, then the water stopped flowing.
When you get your feet wet you think that if you continue you will drown.
But God works differently.
Did He tell the Israelites that if they circled Jericho in that manner the walls would fall down?
No.
He simply commanded them to circle them without giving a reason.
Once a day of six days and seven times on the seventh day.
He did not say that He was going to make the walls fall when they did so.
To follow in certainty in the midst of uncertainty is to live in the spirit.
In the world we live in we are accustomed to doing things with certainty. Adding 1 plus 1 which gives us 2. We have made ourselves these habits of making sure of the things that we think that we can control.
This is the reasoning we use when it comes to our faith.
“Certainty is the common place life.”
Did we get the signature?
Did we get the receipt?
Did we receive the payment?
Is it in our hands?
We make sure that we have things that give us certainty.
But before God, our lives are about uncertainty.
Have you seen God?
Many people say they believe God.
We say we believe Jesus.
We say we believe and put our trust in Him.
When we desire to have the Word of God be applicable in our lives, then my life is a life of uncertainty.
When you open your business doors, you do not know how many customers will be coming or not come today.
Is there anyone who knows?
There are doctors that have scheduled appointments, but even those who are scheduled may not come, and also there may be emergency cases who need to be seen immediately.
You can never be for certain.
To truly follow God is to live a life of uncertainty.
But when we live by our standards of thinking then we kill off the faith we have in God.
We do that which we desire to do.
We do what we think is important then faith in God diminishes.
“But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.”
This is what was in one of last weeks quiet time studies.
I say to myself that this is the life that I should be living, but truthfully, I who raise my voice to you, stumble at times.
Why?
It is my thoughts, my calculations, all the things that don’t add up in my head, that cause me to stumble.
When I stumble, it would be a blessing if I found clarity, but when I am bound by it...
Yesterday, all day, no matter how much I desired to overcome, because I could not find peace, and having gone to bed without resolution I could not sleep.
I spent all night suffering.
I knew it would happen and prepared by going to bed early.
I thought I had found the reason for my troubles yesterday, narrowed it down to 99 percent and then let it go.
But there was 1 percent that I did not resolve.
As we sang hymns I continued to stumble because of it.
I keep falling and getting up.
The things of the spirit are powerful, once they grab a hold of you, they do not go away easily.
We say 100 percent.
If I truly put faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit 100 percent, then I should be clean.
But it was not 100 percent but 99 and the 1 percent is what keeps me stumbling as I stand here before you.
When I look at myself, the more I try to lay things down in my life, if the life I live is not more cleanly, then it only becomes more difficult.
Everyone is dressed in a different color.
Whose clothes would you be able to see the slightest blemish?
The one wearing white.
Then should the one who wears white be more cautious then others?
When you wear dark clothing, then whether you sit on the ground or get a little dirty, you are not aware of it easily.
So when you act without worry you do not know that you are staining yourself.
But if you dressed clean in white, like Tara, then will she eat in whatever manner spilling food on herself?
Would she just sit on the ground anywhere?
She would take extra care to wipe the place before she sits.
You would naturally take more care to prevent yourself from getting dirty.
As you behavior changes depending on the clothing you wear, then as you lay down yourself before the Lord, more and more each day, more today than yesterday,
then because you are being cleansed and being sanctified, you must be more righteous.
Your thoughts, your speech, if it is the same today as it was yesterday, today your clothes will only become more dirty.
Our spirit will be in the midst of suffering.
Why in more suffering? Because the Lord desires that you are more clean today than yesterday, and to the degree to which He is making you clean, He will through your suffering bring you to repentance, so that you can be holy.
These are levels that we pass through in the walk of our spiritual lives as we go toward eternity.
I spoke about hymn 88 and 428.
The Lord today wants to give you abundant grace and power.
But more importantly if you grab a hold of Jesus, and if you serve Jesus, and you are filled with the Holy Spirit...
Who owns grace?
Who holds power?
Who is it?
Let us say you desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you want the power of the Holy Spirit.
You ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power to love, the power to heal sickness.
People pray.
If that is the case...
The Bible speaks of the nine gifts of the Spirit.
To attain the nine gifts then you must pray nine different prayers.
Is that right?
Is it wrong?
Right or wrong?
If there are nine things that my child needs and I have all nine of them, then they can ask me for it one by one for all nine of them, as we can also do in prayer.
But the nine items are in a bag.
Then what is the only thing that you need ask for?
You just need to ask for the bag.
Then you can take all the items in the bag at once.
Then when we pray is it better to ask for the nine gifts of the Spirit or better to ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit Himself?
To be filled with the Holy Spirit covers it all.
All is taken care of.
We think that God gives to us one by one.
When God works through us by the Holy Spirit, we have already been given everything.
But we, the one who receive, use the gifts improperly, and that is why we are only capable of revealing one, two or three of the gifts.
Maybe we heal sickness, maybe have the gift of prayer...
But we have been given everything through the Holy Spirit so that we may live the lives that bear the fruit of Jesus.
But we only use the gift that we want when we need it and this is why we do not bear abundant fruit.
To look at this is another way, let us say I have all nine of the gift.
When we lose the gifts it would be nice to lose it one at a time, but what happens when you lose the bag that holds all nine items.
Then you have lost everything.
If I have been living in the Spirit but later troubled Him and the Lord and cause them to be quiet in my life, and then leave, after I have caused them to leave me, what do you think would happen if I call out to Him because I need Him now?
Jesus has already left me.
The Spirit has already left me because I have troubled Him.
Then will the answer that I receive for my prayer be an accurate answer?
Think about it.
You have already lost everything.
Let us see through the example of Samson and Delilah how important it is to hold onto the bag that contains the gifts that you have been given.
Samson was born as a Nazirite and given the power over Philistines.
It was through a promise given to him by God.
He lived as a judge that would save Israel with his incredible strength.
Samson was a man that ruined his life because of women.
When we look at the story of Samson, we see that through the promise of not cutting his hair, God gave him everything.
But the enemy, by simply cutting his hair, would cause him to be separated from God.
Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge and were separated from God.
In our lives today, through some circumstance, if I do something which is like eating of the fruit in disobedience, we forget that we are separating ourselves from God.
Whatever it may be, we get tempted by the bait, and the moment we take a bite of it, all that we did for the Lord, healing the sick, the prophesying, all that we did diligently for God, but we take bite of the fruit and sin, then what do you think will happen as a consequence.
There are many servants of God who are famous.
We have seen with our own eyes what happens to them when they fall after having taken bite if the bait that was before them.
It is one incident that separates us from God so the devil will do anything in his power without rest to tempt us and make us fall.
Through our children, the ones we love, husband, wife, money, status, the habits we have in our lives, our stubbornness, we can’t count the number of ways in which he is trying to make us fall.
When I look at myself and the things that cause me to stumble, it is my pride, my stubbornness, my face, all the things I use to protect myself, which are the things that allow me to stumble the most.
If my neighbor, children or my wife falls, then I can see it and tell them.
But when someone speaks words that seems to bother my pride, then though it be something that shouldn’t be a stumbling point, you may end up suffering the night without any sleep because you have allowed to be one.
Look at Samson.
How foolishly he behaves.
It is understandable when someone suddenly falls without warning.
But three times.
The woman tied him up once.
Then when he awoke he should have been aware that after listening to what he had said she was trying to take away his strength.
He should have waken up and not continued further.
Let us say that it happened a second time.
Let us say then it happens a third time.
It said that she nagged him until he was tired until the point of death.
Is she the only woman that he must be with?
Is there no one else?
Today we are told to let go of our pride and our will, should we not throw it away?
Why?
It is because of one thing that we are caused to fall.
You are not attacked on every front, but in this example, it is through one woman, Delilah, through which other temptations come in.
Let us say that your health suffers, or you lack financially, or you are having problems with pride.
It is through that one problem, through which we are constantly attacked from here and there, until we fall, which ultimately separates us from God.
Samson was constantly being tempted by Delilah until he confessed the truth.
If I too were in Samson’s position would I be doing the same thing?
Do not get lost and think about being in love with a woman but look at the spiritual truth.
Look at this and apply it in our lives.
As Samson held Delilah lovingly in his arms we too hold dearly onto our stubbornness, pride, and face, like Delilah, embracing and holding these in love in our own arms daily.
If someone comes to me and tells me that I have issues concerning pride and stubbornness then without knowing it I stumble.
These are the things which we must bring before the Word and kill and throw away.
Because I serve the Lord in my heart, I must not reveal myself, but humble myself to reveal the Lord.
I must surrender in death to the cross, and stay on it.
But we come running off of the cross.
Like Samson who spills the truth to Delilah, we vent our anger and cut ourselves off from God.
This foolishness is within us.
Though I too suffer from this, I only do so less often and in less duration, because the Lord is leading me to do His work and making me more sensitive to His teaching and guidance.
As I go through this path, what I want to share with you who also go this path, is the easy way is to let it all down.
Death is not committing suicide by taking away your breath, but it is the death of your pride, death of your will.
You hold onto it thinking that you need and therefore cannot get rid of it.
When you kill the desire that you are the one who must do, then the Lord will do what He will through you.
We sang “There is sunshine in my soul today”, Samson lived a life where God was present and worked through him.
But what is important is that through one incident, he was tempted into giving away the truth, and had his eyes gouged and sent to work in prison grinding.
When I look at Samson and look at myself, what is important is not that I have met the Lord and that there is sunshine in my soul, but I must live a life that no matter what temptation may come, I would not separate myself from the Lord.
I must live this life continually in order to receive the abundant blessings that God desires for me.
Hymn 428, when I live a life that reflects God’s glory and do so continually, then in my soul I will continue to sing praises, I will be glad, there will be hope, praise and love.
When I live continually seeking to give glory to God, then He will continue to give me blessings.
If I have seen the Lord and met Him but do not have these blessings in my life then...
There is a story where the sun and wind wagered to see who could make the man who was passing by remove his clothes.
What can we learn from this story?
There are many things we can learn from stories and this is why we have them.
What did the wind do?
The stronger he blew the person covered himself more.
He could not make the person remove their clothes.
The sun.
As the sun grew hotter, the person removed his clothes.
Right?
Today there is sunshine in my soul.
Today I have met the Lord.
Then daily as the sunshines within me, I am not to cover up my pride and stubbornness but rather I must daily remove those things that the sun is exposing.
If the sunshine within but I cover myself up more and refuse to rid myself of the pride and sin, then will I be able to receive God’s blessings?
You will not be able to.
If you truly desire to receive the blessings of God, then you must daily remove the sin nature from within you. Then you will be blessed.
Then though you be tempted like Samson, and all the things of this world tries to tempt you, you will not fall into sin and live a focused life of faith.
How beautiful was this woman that even though she tried to steal away his strength, he would lay his head on her lap and go to sleep?
When I see myself, though I see sunshine in my soul today, the refusal to throw away my pride, may be because I am in embraced by the arms of Delilah.
This is possible.
But I am not saying this because it is to be, but if this so, then what are we to do?
If this is so, then my spiritual eyes will be gouged out and I will be bound as a slave because of my sin.
Is this what you want your life to be?
Nobody wants this.
In the time you have been given, with the ability that you have been given, the work that God desires to do through you, do you not humble yourself before God in order to be completely used by Him?
Then as you receive the sunshine in your soul, then daily remove the sin in your life.
The more you remove the more sensitive you will be to the spiritual trials that come to you.
Because you will be more sensitive today than yesterday, as you remove your old self, at times it will be embarrassing, you will feel ashamed, your pride will be hurt, but when it is time to remove those things, you must be the person who is capable of doing so bravely.
Then you will be able to receive the blessings God has for you.
As you become this person, then as in hymn 88, you will be the one who gives their whole heart to follow Jesus until the end.
And when you decide to follow and do so with all your heart, He will never ever forsake you, and there will be nothing for you to fear for He will be the wall of fire around you and sweeping up to glory, and you will see His blessed face as you enter into His kingdom.
Shouldn’t we be the kind of Christian that lives completely in God’s will?
In order to do so, when the Lord persuades us so that we can be formed into His image, may we listen to His Word the way He means it to be, and may we understand its truth, live in obedience, and please the Lord.
When I live my life in union with the Lord, it is not I who is revealed, but it is Jesus who is revealed.
May this be the life that you choose to live.


Sermon by Pastor Howard Park
Translation by Miguel Park



The Spiritually Vigirous Saint

"... that I may know Him..." (Philippians 3:10).


A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point, over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing- even eating, drinking, or washing disciples' feet- we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. "Jesus, knowing... that He had come from God and was going to God, ... took a towel... and began to wash the disciples' feet..." (John 13:3-5).

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is "that I may know Him..." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Spiritually Lazy Saint

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." (Hebrews 10:24-25).


We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative- our willingness to take the first step toward Christian-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

"Yes, I think it is right," Peter said, "... to stir you up by reminding you..." (2 Peter 1:13). It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up- someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up- all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement- He says, "Go and tell My brethren..." (Matthew 28:10).


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Will You Examine Yourself?

"Joshua said to the people, 'You cannot serve the LORD...'" (Joshua 24:19).


Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, "I cannot live a holy life," but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. "You cannot serve the LORD..."- but you can place yourself in the position where God's almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?

"The people said to Joshua, 'No, but we will serve the LORD!" (24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, "But God could never have called me to this. I'm too unworthy. It can't mean me." It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is relying and trusting anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, "I will serve the Lord."

We say, "Oh, if only I really could believe!" The question is, Will I believe?" No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Monday, July 8, 2013

Will To Be Faithful

"... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15).


A Person's will is embodied in the actions of the whole person. I cannot give up my will- I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God's Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only what I will do. The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans. The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you.

"... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...." Your choice must be a deliberate determination- it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision. The proposal is between you and God- do not "confer with flesh and blood" about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading- the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.

Openly declare to Him, "I will be faithful." But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, "You are witnesses against yourselves..." (Joshua 24:22). Don't consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, "I will serve You." Will to be faithful- and give other people credit for being faithful too.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Sunday, July 7, 2013

His Grace Is Enough For Me...

Just when I am disheartened, Just when with cares oppressed,
Just when my way is darkest, Just when I am distressed,
Then is my Saviour near me; He knows my every care.
Jesus will never leave me, He helps my burdens bear.
His grace is enough fro me, His grace is enough for me.
Through sorrow and pain, Through loss or gain,
His grace is enough for me.



All Efforts Of Worth And Excellence Are Difficult

"Enter by the narrow gate.... Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life..." (Matthew 7:13-14).


If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in- it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be utmost for His Highest- our best for His glory?

God saves His people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and "it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). But we have to "work out" that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.

Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is "bringing many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God's grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Visions Becoming Reality

"The parched ground shall become a pool..." (Isaiah 35:7).


We always have a vision of something before it actually becomes real to us. When we realize that the vision is real, but is not yet real in us, Satan comes to us with his temptations, and we are inclined to say that there is no point in even trying to continue. Instead of the vision becoming real to us, we have entered into a valley of humiliation.

Life is not as idle ore,

But iron dug from central gloom,

And battered by the shocks of doom

To shape and use.

God gives us a vision, and then He take us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. Just think of the enormous amount of free time God has! He is never in a hurry. Yet we are always in such a frantic hurry. While still in the light of the glory of the vision, we go right out to do things, but the vision is not yet real in us. God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor's hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal.

The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on the lower level, but God will never allow it.


[from "My Utmost for His Highest" Oswald Chambers]

Friday, July 5, 2013

Don't Plan Without God

"Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5).


Don't plan without God. God seems have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him- that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our "spiritual face" before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.

Don't plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? "Love... thinks no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all our work from its standpoint.

Don't plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled..." (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command- "Let not...." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.