Our Father Knows Best

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘He [Jesus] does the things that no one else can ever do. Am I prepared […]? Jesus cannot come and do His work in me as long as there is anything blocking the way, whether it is something good or bad. When He comes to me, am I prepared for Him to drag every wrong thing I have ever done into the light? That is exactly where He comes. Wherever I know I am unclean is where He will put His feet and stand, and wherever I think I am clean is where He will remove His feet and walk away. Repentance does not cause a sense of sin— it causes a sense of inexpressible unworthiness. When I repent, I realize that I am absolutely helpless, and I know that through and through I am not worthy even to carry His sandals. Have I repented like that, or do I have a lingering thought of possibly trying to defend my actions? The reason God cannot come into my life is that I am not at the point of complete repentance.’ CHAMBERS

 

Matthew 8:18-20   “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

 

Have you ever said that to Jesus?  I will follow you?  Jesus looked at the man’s heart and saw that his commitment was conditional … so long as he did not have to give up his home ….

 

Matthew 8:21-22   Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

 

Burying your father is not a bad thing … but God demands our complete devotion … Jesus saw the man’s heart and understood that his devotion to his family was greater that his love for God.

 

Luke 14:26  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

 

Our love for God should make our love for other things look like hate in comparison.  Following Jesus does not mean that you must necessarily leave your home, your job, your way of life .. it means that you must love God “primye” first and most.

 

Luke 16:13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

 

The point here is that there is no room for other things in your heart for a first love … you cannot do it .. no matter how much you want to believe you can.  One will always dominate … God, who created us said that ... He knows you ...

 

Luke 18:22-23  “When Jesus heard this [about the good things the man had done], he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.”

 

What is in your heart that competes  with God for first place in your life?  You need to lay it down …

 

"He Knows My Name"

 

"I have a Father, He calls me His own.  He'll never leave me, no matter where I go.

He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call."

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Soli Deo Gloria ( Glory to God Alone )

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord. Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.’ CHAMBERS

 

A singer, Mac Davis, sang “Lord It’s Hard To Be Humble, When You Are Perfect In So Many Ways” which was intended as ‘tongue in cheek’.  But, it speaks to a problem that can easily beset us. (Hebrews 12:1-2) We can begin to think that the fruit that is born from our new life in Christ is a result of our efforts, abilities, and resourcefulness. The truth is, born again or not … God has given us everything .. every capacity … if anyone can give you credit for anything it would be that you obeyed God.  That’s it .. and that’s enough.  The fragrance of Christ should emanate from you .. as naturally as the breath from your lungs.  2 Corinthians 2:15 “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  If you are aware of what Jesus is doing through you, it isn’t Jesus at work … but you trying to be like Jesus … there is a difference .. think about it.

 

ANDRAE CROUCH -  To God Be The Glory Lyrics

 

“How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me. Things so undeserved Yet you give to prove your love for me

The voices of a million angels Cannot express my gratitude. All that I am or ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee

 

Just let me live my life, And let it be pleasing, Lord to Thee. And should I gain any praise, Let it go to Calvary.

With His blood, He has saved me By His power, He has raised me. To God be the glory For the things he has done.

 

To God be the glory, To God be the glory, To God be the glory For the things He has done

With His blood, He has saved me, By His power, He has raised me. To God be the glory For the things he has done”

 

Soli Deo Gloria  ( Glory to God Alone )

Jesus Is Our All In All

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute.’ CHAMBERS

 

John 16:33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

I saw a bumper sticker once … “No Jesus, No Peace; Know Jesus, Know Peace” That is basically what Oswald Chambers is saying … that is certainly what Jesus said.  When you are suddenly aware that you are feeling anxious/stressed … it is like the transition from being healthy to being sick.  The absence of pain, worry, a troubled mind, a broken heart … in the midst of circumstances that would cause anyone of those symptoms is an indication that you are spiritually aware of the presence of Jesus and the strength He gives you to endure.  But, as those feelings begin to creep in. just like a cold or flu might come upon you.  As they begin to dominate your thinking and become the motivation for your actions and attitude,  you must recognize that you are drifting away from Jesus.  You are becoming aware of your fallibilities … of your weakness and vulnerabilities.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9 ‘But he (Jesus) said to me (Paul), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’

 

When we were born again, it was at that point that we admitted that we needed a savior … after we are born again .. that need does not go away …

 

Galatians 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

 

“All In All”

 

“You are my strength when I am weak.  You are the treasure that I seek.  You are my all in all.  Seeking you like a precious jewel, Lord to give up, I’d be a fool.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

You Of Little Faith, Why Did You Doubt?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Never allow anything that divides or destroys the oneness of your life with Christ to remain in your life without facing it. Beware of allowing the influence of your friends or your circumstances to divide your life. This only serves to sap your strength and slow your spiritual growth. Beware of anything that can split your oneness with Him, causing you to see yourself as separate from Him. Nothing is as important as staying right spiritually. And the only solution is a very simple one— “Come to Me . . . .” The intellectual, moral, and spiritual depth of our reality as a person is tested and measured by these words. Yet in every detail of our lives where we are found not to be real, we would rather dispute the findings than come to Jesus.’ CHAMBERS

 

Matthew 14:25-33 “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them (the disciples) , walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

 

Our faith is easy when it is not being tested.  Hebrews 11:1 says faith is trusting in what we don’t see and what we hope for.  So Peter started out by trusting, responding to the word of Jesus.  But then he felt the salt water splashing his face.  He saw the wave rolling around him.  He realized that what he was doing was impossible … but there he was.  The moment he stopped trusting .. he started sinking.

 

That is the same way it is for us.  There are situations in our lives that tell us that what we are doing or trusting will happen is impossible.  That you cannot do this .. you cannot survive this .. you cannot bear this another minute … look to Jesus …

 

He Will Come And Save You

 

“Say to those who are fearful hearted,  Do not be afraid  The Lord your God will come  And with His mighty arm  When you call on His Name  He will come and save you

 

Say those who are broken hearted  Do not lose your faith  The Lord your God will come  And with His loving hand  When you call on His Name  He will come and save you

 

Chorus:

 

He will come and save you Say to the weary one  Your God will surely come  He will come and save you

He will come and save you  Lift up your eyes to Him  You will arise again  He will come and save you”

 

You of little faith, why did you doubt?

Lord, I Give You My Heart

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich” —Luke 18:18-23

 

‘The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, and He will not plead with you. But every time He meets you at the place where He has pointed, He will simply repeat His words, saying, “If you really mean what you say, these are the conditions.” “Sell all that you have . . .” (Luke 18:22). In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. […]. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ.’ CHAMBERS

 

I have used this scripture reference so often when talking to people about what they value most.  We want it to be God, but when you boil it down … it is something else.  It is that something we trust in more than God .. that we worship .. that we hunger for … Matthew 6:24  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Your old nature will convince you otherwise …. You can do both … all of that began in the Garden when Satan asked “Did God really say….?”  The young man wanted to be affirmed … he was good … he was kind … but God examines the heart … his heart belonged to something else … if he was going to have eternal life .. he had to give his heart to God and all of his devotion …. Matthew 22:37 “Love God with all your heart..”  The greatest commandment.

 

If things don’t seem to be quite right spiritually for you .. maybe you need to look at your heart.  If you have allowed other gods in … other things that you put your trust in other than Jehovah God … you need to step back … and reassess …. That is another word for repent!  If you have indeed given God your heart .. don’t try to take it back … ELGIN

 

Lord, I Give You My Heart – Hillsong

 

“This is my desire: to honor You. Lord with all my heart I worship You.  All I have within me, I give You praise.  All that I adore is in You.

 

Lord I give You my heart,  I give You my soul, I live for You alone.  Every breath that I take,  Every moment I'm awake,  Lord have Your way in me.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Are You Trusting In An Experience Or Jesus?

My Utmost For His Highest

‘When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, “Unless I see . . . I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “Thomas . . . said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28).

 

When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, “Lord . . . You know that I love You” (John 21:17).’ CHAMBERS

 

When I was in Waveland, MS, I shared the Gospel with a young man who was struggling with life.  It is one of those calls that you get late at night .. a frantic parent .. asking for you to come over to help with a child in desperation.  As I talked with the young man, he shared that he had tried church.  He went to a particular church where the people would go forward, the pastor would walk by and touch them on their forehead and they would fall back as if in a swoon.  He said the preacher came to him, touched in on the forehead .. nothing happened .. touched him again .. nada .. touched him a third time … the same …so the young man watched as the pastor moved on … He told me .. “I wanted what they had .. but I was denied” …

 

I explained that what He needed was Jesus .. not an experience in the front of the church … Many of us are looking for an experience as proof of salvation .. something miraculous … something that we can set our faith on … thinking then .. perhaps then … we will have what those other people have … A surrendered heart is best demonstrated by how you live your life and not an experience in a church … One of the common complaints from wives whose husbands went to a Promise Keepers conference was that for two weeks .. life was wonderful .. then the glory faded and their husband slipped back into the same rut he had been in before the conference.  It is not an experience that matures you … that changes you .. that bears the fruit of the Spirit … (Galatians 5:22-25) it is you exercising the disciplines of your faith … fellowship with other Christians, reading and meditating on the Word of God, prayer, and sharing the Good News with others.

 

Friend if you have been trusting in an experience, but have never received Jesus as Lord … I want to encourage to do that today.  The experience won’t save you … it won’t change you for long … only Jesus can and will …

 

“Only Trust Him”

 

“Come, every soul by sin oppressed; There’s mercy with the Lord,  And He will surely give you rest By trusting in His Word.

For Jesus shed His precious blood  Rich blessings to bestow; Plunge now into the crimson flood That washes white as snow

 

Only trust Him, only trust Him, Only trust Him now; He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

How to Deal With Sin When It Comes Knocking

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘“Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . .” (1 John 3:9). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.’ CHAMBERS

 

Many times I have pointed people to Romans 7:21-25  where Paul talks about his struggle with sin in his life … “the things I don’t want to do (sin) I do and the things I want to do (live a sanctified life) I don’t do.  Then he asks the question, who will save me from this body of death.  In other words .. Paul knows he cannot defeat his sin nature .. nor can we defeat ours … only Jesus can and did.  Romans 7 is not intended to be an excuse for continuing to sin … but a reminder that we, by ourselves, are helpless against it.

 

When we are saved … born again … we don’t have to sin .. we choose to sin … 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God has given us a way to escape the temptation .. through Jesus, the Spirit and His Word …. But we have to choose it … you cannot ignore the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and then expect somehow that you can use it effectively in a struggle with sin  … you cannot expect to ignore prayer with God and then somehow “send a quick one up when you are in trouble”.  If you want to be consistently successful in battling sin, you have to be consistent in the disciplines of your faith.

 

And if and when you do sin, well … read 1 John 1:9 ….  (by the way, I have hyperlinked the scripture references to Bible Gateway so you can read these verses now.)

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)