Bringing Joy To A Father's Heart

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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.’ CHAMBERS

 

The Bible says that God the Father will but everything under Jesus feet.  (Eph 1:22-23)  “And He (the Father) put all things under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him (Jesus) to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Meaning that Jesus has all authority over us. But when we become Christians and God seals us with His Spirit … He doesn’t take away our free will … so we no longer have the choice to sin … What do you prefer … that your child does the right thing or a good thing because they choose to .. or because you made them ..

 

Don’t you have a sense of joy when you see your children making the right decisions .. the right choices? It is not because it is your way .. but because it is for their good. As God’s children the same thing happens when we are obedient.  When we make the right choices .. those that are consistent with God’s word … It brings joy to our Father’s heart.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Motivated By Love

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“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.” CHAMBERS

 

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands”.  Our obedience is to be a result of our love .. not our fear of punishment.  Jesus said that our obedience would be a reflection of our love and the opposite is also true … our lack of obedience reflects our lack of love and commitment to Jesus …. Isn’t that really what hurts your heart when your children disobey?  Everything I do should have love behind it … Love for the One who has saved me .. love for others (Matthew 22:37-39).

 

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Not I But Christ Lives In Me

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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 the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.’ CHAMBERS

 

On reading the devotion this morning … two verses came to mind.  Zechariah 4:6 “[…]This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts” and Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

 

We must be careful that we don’t begin to live and think that we can be a Christian by the power of our flesh …  . It is so easy to fall into the thinking .. that I need to say it better or do it better or be better .. just try a little harder next time or use someone’s 10 Steps to Spiritual Fulfillment … There is only one ingredient in the magic formula .. faith … I can’t save anybody .. including myself … there is only One who can save us .. Jesus … When I step out and speak or do something for God .. He is the power in my words .. He is the One who multiplies the fishes and the loaves .. He is the One who gives me breath. Keep your focus on Him and not your imperfections and weaknesses.  God wants to use you  .. and through you, He will be glorified.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘He [Jesus] urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek. Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it.’ CHAMBERS

 

Where do you turn for answers to life’s questions? Do you trust God in everything or have you relegated only the “big” things for Him and you will handle everything else.  That does not mean that we don’t need friends and advice from them … but what we need is Godly counsel not man’s opinions … natural solutions … people who have experience in some area are good to turn to … but, as a Christian, you need to hear from the Father … Phil 4:6,7 says “be anxious for nothing … but in everything … “ 1 Peter 5:7 says ‘Cast ALL your cares’ … Prov 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart”  In Matthew 11:8, Jesus said “Come to Me” God is a first resort not a last resort.

 

You will have to fight your natural wisdom .. the thinking that God does not care about your problems … embrace the truth … God cares about every last detail of your life …

 

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

 

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”  (What a Friend We Have in Jesus)

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Nicodemus Knocking

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness. […]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.’ CHAMBERS

 

Do you feel an obligation to tell others about Jesus or do you dread it?  Are you focused on what their response might be towards you and avoid the conversation?  I preached at a Haitian church yesterday and talked to the Christians about being ready when Nicodemus knocks on your door.  Are you ready to tell people about Jesus .. about being born again .. or are you hoping that you won’t be put in that situation?  How you feel about it reveals where you are spiritually.  Do you think your salvation is simply for you?  Or do you believe that God has empowered you, expecting you to tell others.  You know you can’t save anyone .. but you can tell them about Jesus … that is your part.  The problem is that if Jesus is not important to you … if He is not the priority in your life … then you will likely avoid any discussions about Him.  The Bible says .. be ready (1 Peter 3:15) .. know the Gospel and stay connected to the Vine …. you never know when God will bring Nicodemus to your door …

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

All You Got To Do Is Act Super-Naturally

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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.[…] 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.” […] 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.’ CHAMBERS

 

Turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, giving your coat also … It makes no sense to the world … giving something at personal cost .. to someone who does not deserve it … do you see the reflection of God’s love in this? Romans 5:6-8 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

Doing something good for someone who is doing something bad.  It is not natural .. it is supernatural.  You can’t live that life .. behave that way in the power of your flesh .. your flesh cries out for retaliation … judgment.  But the Spirit says .. show grace and mercy … love your enemies … pray for those who despitefully use you … and remember .. it is not by might nor by power but My the Spirit, says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6)

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Feeling the Heat

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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.” CHAMBERS

 

God uses life as the place where the jars of clay are fired.  (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.”

 

The question is, how do you respond to the fire .. do you turn to God and trust Him or scramble to look for the door so you can escape.  Let go of your love and trust in the things of this world, your solution for personal peace and comfort, and trust God … Letting God work in you is a lot like going to the dentist.  You make yourself sit in the chair .. you know it won’t be a lot of fun, but you know that you will be better when you get out of the chair and a beautiful smile.  Let your light shine today.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Who Do You Love?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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, not joy nor peace, Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.’ CHAMBERS

 

So there are two ways you can live your new life .. first, is to continue to live your life as you always have .. focused on how to get the most out of the 70 or 80 years you might live on this planet …. calling on God when you need something .. expecting Him to bring you material and financial prosperity … guard you from illnesses, disappointment … allow you to live your life .. enjoying your culture and the comforts that all Americans should enjoy.

 

The second way is in total abandon to God, having an eternal perspective while we live this mortal life.  Offering your life to Him and realizing the blessing of the resulting fruit of the Spirit in your life. Specifically for Christians in the U.S., blessing does not equal material or financial accumulation   Blessing does not mean the absence of trouble … the absence of sickness or disappointment .. that is our cultures’ definition of blessing.  Blessing is having the presence of God in your life … that in spite of what may come … you are able to stand in the face of it .. with confidence and hope.

 

All Christians know the ‘right’ way is the second way … so why do so few actually live that way?  It is a problem with a divided heart.  God said you can’t love both … you are only deceiving yourself.  Actually you only love one of them .. and you hate the other. You don’t have to move to Haiti to be faithful to God .. you just have to surrender your heart .. your devotion to the things of this world.

 

(1 John 2:15-17 NKJV) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

 

“All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.  I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.  I surrender all” This is normally sung during an altar call … but it should be the commitment of every Believer every day …

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Living In A Different Reality

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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. […] 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. […] [our] aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.’ CHAMBERS

 

As a Christian we live in a new reality … We have been awakened to the fact that there is a spiritual dimension that is all around us .. one that before Christ, we were totally unaware of.  There are no coincidences .. no chance meetings .. no time when the Spirit of God is not with us .. we have been sealed by His Spirit (Ephesians 1).  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit .. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)

 

Start your day with the Word of God to remind yourself of whose you are and the reality that you live in.  Then watch for God to be at work around you … and let your light shine.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Spiritual Couch Potato

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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).’ CHAMBERS

 

Do you know that it is possible to do Christian type things and not be right with God or even be a Christian?  Of course you do.  Do you know that many Christians would like to live the same life with the same priorities that the rest of their culture has and enjoy the benefits of Salvation?  I think you know that too. But that is not the life that we have been called to .. you know that too.  I am sure you have heard that only a small percentage of any church does most of the work of that church … But what about the rest?  They are riding the wave created by those who are actively pursuing the call of God.  “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 focus on the gathering together … and not on the stirring up.  Why is that in the Bible anyway?  Because God knows us and He knows that we need to be stirred up.  Are you a spiritual couch potato?  Where does the ambivalence come from?  I think it comes from a lack of personal devotion with God and an unwillingness to let go of things that you have decided offer more peace or security than you believe God can.  For most of us, letting go of them is a huge challenge.  I want to encourage you to trust God .. He will not fail you .. but you have to trust Him and let go.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

The Problem of Unbelief

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘The person who is still relying and trusting in 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?’ CHAMBERS

 

Is there something inside of you that you trust in more than God?  Maybe something inside of you that you just can’t let go of.  If it doesn’t seem that God makes a difference in your life as a Christian, it may very well be because of unbelief .. your unbelief.  I am not talking about turning water into wine .. but transforming your life … blessing your life … doing the things that He said He would do when you trust Him and stop trusting yourself.  When you give all of your fears to Him … when you  release those things that cripple your relationships … those things that weigh you down and control you.  Give it all to Jesus .. That requires faith … and when you believe He will do mighty works in your life.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Are You Willing Or Won't-ing

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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 of 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.’ CHAMBERS

 

What is it that God has called you to do?  To go somewhere to serve Him .. or to be faithful right where you are.  The latter is no less important than the former.  (Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV) “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ[…]” We are all to be in ministry … all to be witnesses … all to be servants in the Kingdom.  (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” What is it that God has called you to do? Whatever the call is, to do it, you must be willing.  Many Christians struggle with living their new life in Christ.  Salvation is appealing to them .. but they fail to go beyond that.  They are unwilling to give God their lives but instead they choose to live like they always have with the addition of attending church.  Their lives remain focused on themselves and they miss what God has purposed for them.

 

(Romans 12:1-2 NKJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Taking a Stand

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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 our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?[…] 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.’ CHAMBERS

 

When Jesus said come to me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.  He did not say that if you believe in Me, your life will be easy .. you won’t face hardships … following me will be a stroll in the park.  The Christian life is filled with challenges .. mountains to climb … Following Jesus is not easy .. the Disciples followed Him, changed the world .. and were killed … Can you accept persecution as part of your new life or do you think something has gone wrong if you are persecuted, if people don’t like you because of your faith?

 

Jesus said  “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23 NKJV)

 

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19 NKJV)

 

When some people meet difficulty, they withdraw until they no longer feel the resistance.  Maybe they are silent about their faith, or maybe they compromise their beliefs to be accepted by their culture or friends. That resistance is the tension between a fallen world and a risen Lord.

 

‘Rise up O men of God, have done with lesser things.  Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the king of kings. Rise up the Lord is calling.  Rise up, this is the day, Rise up O men of faith. Lift high the cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod; as brothers of the Son of Man, rise up, O men of God!’

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Putting The Full Weight Of Our Faith On God

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘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.’ CHAMBERS

 

Contingency planning is a big part of how the military prepares to conduct combat operations.  There are so many unknown factors.  That is what most of us do in our faith walk.  We start out following God .. but think “If this does not work out, this is what I will do.” Instead, we are to be like Cortez, with better motives of course, and burn our ships .. scuttle our own plans and put the full weight of our faith in God. Romans 12:1 says we are to be living sacrifices … Lay our lives down for God .. make ourselves vulnerable toward God … not our wills but His will be done …. What is your plan B?  You need to send it to the bottom of the deep and trust God … The greatest expression of love to others is to sacrifice yourself for their good .. the greatest expression of love toward God is obedience.

 

“Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey .. “

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Don't Worry - Trust God

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. […]  Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). […] All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.’ CHAMBERS

 

We don’t want to think about worrying that way do we.  We say ‘I can’t help it.’ Or ‘It’s in my nature’ But really it is the fact that we don’t trust God.  Jesus did not worry because He was completely submitted to the Father.  We worry because we are not.  People have giants in their lives that rule over them.  Giants that they believe can never be defeated.  Like Israel and Goliath.  But Goliath was defeated by faith in God.  David was exercising faith when he threw that rock.  The army looked at the giant .. David looked at God.  When you worry, you are looking at the giants in your life believing they cannot be defeated .. which is doubt in God and lack of faith.  So how do you overcome that … turn to God .. look up!

 

Psalm 121 … “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Kept From His Presence

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘A person will easily say, “Oh yes, I know I am a sinner,” but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on our specific sin, and we realize, as Isaiah did, what we really are. This is always the sign that a person is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but a focusing on the concentration of sin in some specific, personal area of life. God begins by convicting us of the very thing to which His Spirit has directed our mind’s attention. If we will surrender, submitting to His conviction of that particular sin, He will lead us down to where He can reveal the vast underlying nature of sin. That is the way God always deals with us when we are consciously aware of His presence.’ CHAMBERS

 

What is keeping you from being in the presence of God?  It is sin .. not your sinful nature .. but your personal sin …  We know about Romans 3:23 and 6:23. And we know about 1 John 1:9. But we still let our personal sin prevent us from entering God’s presence .. Is it shame over what we have done?  Doubt that God would still love us or could love us?  Whatever it is .. it keeps us from experiencing the truth that God is a God of grace and mercy … that His Son is our righteousness .. that Jesus died for all sin … and that we can trust God.  So what is it for you?  Lay it down at the foot of the cross … and have a talk with your Father .. He is waiting for you!

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Jesus is more than a thought

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5).’

 

Our relationship with Jesus is often described as that of a marriage.  Martie and I have been married nearly 42 years.  What I have noticed is that the longer we are married the more we think alike .. Not just agree … Many times we will be having a conversation with someone .. a thought will come to my mind and before I can speak it, Martie is saying exactly what I was about to say.  It is really amazing when you think about it … as if our minds are linked by some invisible data cable …. That is how it is supposed to be with our Lord.  We are to have the mind of Christ.  (Philippians 1:27 CEV) “Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.”

 

The only way that you will do this is if you spend time with Jesus.

 

“I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.

 

He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing. And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.

 

And He walks with me and He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. “  I COME TO THE GARDEN ALONE -- Austin Miles

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

What Are You Hanging On To?

My Utmost For His Highest

‘God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment.[…] God is going to bring you out pure, spotless, and undefiled, but He wants you to recognize the nature you were exhibiting— the nature of demanding your right to yourself. The moment you are willing for God to change your nature, His recreating forces will begin to work. And the moment you realize that God’s purpose is to get you into the right relationship with Himself and then with others, He will reach to the very limits of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide to do it right now, saying, “Yes, Lord, I will write that letter,” or, “I will be reconciled to that person now.” CHAMBERS

Is there something in you that you feel you must hang on to?  Something that keeps God and others at arm’s length?  Maybe something you are not proud of .. or something that you feel like to must hang on to.  Isn’t it strange that we can agree that there is nothing that God does not know or that God cannot do .. but we act like He doesn’t know about that secret thing … or that thing that brings you comfort or assurance … there is nothing He can do to replace it?  Lay your burden down at the foot of the cross .. stop trusting in yourself and trust God.  Stop demanding your right to yourself Christian … trust in Jesus and live …

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)