Why Would The God Of Heaven Speak To You? Because He Loves You- Believe it!

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. —1 Samuel 3:15

 

“God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?  Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13, or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.”  CHAMBERS

 

Do you believe that God would ever speak to you?  Why would He?  Why should He?  There are any number of reasons that we can come up with that would lessen our standing and relationship with the Father.  Make us something less than the “spiritual” Christians that we read about or see standing in front of us, sharing about how God has used them.  And we think, that could never be me.  But it is you …. (Ephesians 2: 8-13)  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” 

 

The “we” in those verses includes you, my friend.  The works that we do in our flesh, on our own, cannot save us or please God, but the works we do by the power of the Spirit, God has ordained as part of His plan to restore the lost.  You are part of that plan.  What you need to do is accept that as truth, walk in it, and listen for God’s voice .. in circumstances ,  as your read the Word, as you pray, and through the encouragement of other saints who are, themselves, walking after the Spirit and not the flesh.  Sshhhh!  What was that?  Was that the Lord speaking to you by His Spirit through this devotion?  Think about it and pray about it, but more importantly, do what He says.  ELGIN

 

Charley Elgin

Why Do You Do What You Do, Is It God Or Is It You?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15

 

“There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.[…] Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction.” CHAMBERS

 

(Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end leads to destruction.”  I once heard someone say, we should do all we can and let God do the rest.  Well-meaning I suppose.  Suggesting it is wrong for us to not do anything.  And it is.  But the question is “Why are we doing what we do?”  Are you doing what you think you need to so you can get past a difficult place? Has the Lord showed you that you should be doing something else?  Are you submitted to the leading of the Spirit or are you cutting your own path.  Dr. Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing God, said “Some say don’t just stand there, do something.  But God often says, don’t just do something, stand there.”  In other words, wait on the Lord and then do what He says.  We should not be creating opportunities for God to intervene.  He may not.  God “speaks in the language of circumstances”.

 

What causes Christians to get ahead of God? To act on their own.  Fear …… which at its root is lack of faith in God.  How do you increase your faith?  By exercising your faith.  Keeping your eyes fixed on the Lord and stepping out in the direction that He leads.  We all have plenty of opportunities to do that.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Living For Yourself Or Living For God Is A Choice - Choose Well

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14

 

Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? […] Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, […]  Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. […] Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. […] All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake.” CHAMBERS

 

We must avoid taking on a form of godliness, while denying the source of our godliness.  How do we deny Him?  By living our lives the way we see fit and not in the way that the Spirit shows us.  Does it seem impossible to do right and live right at times?  It is, apart from the power of God at work in us.  Will we struggle with this our whole “earthly” lives?  Very likely.  I don’t believe, so long as we walk on this earth that we will not experience conflict between our flesh and spiritual nature.  They both want to be dominant.  Both require submission. The flesh is a bully … the spirit is not.  The first uses fear to coerce, the second uses love to encourage.  We are faced with the choice every day.  (Joshua 24:15)  “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It really is your choice, so choose well.   ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

The Pursuit Of Money, How Much Is Enough?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Do not worry about your life… —Matthew 6:25

 

“A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.  […]  Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing— our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. […] Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.”  CHAMBERS

 

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  (1 Tim 6:10)  You cannot serve God and money.  (Matt 6:24)  I will stop there.  The Bible is replete with warnings about money.  Old and New Testaments.  Remember, God has revealed His Truth.  He knows our sinful nature and it’s preferences and dependencies.  Recently, I heard an aspiring politician respond to the question, “Do you ask God to forgive you?” with “I have never asked God to forgive me”  In other words, I am successful, my own man, I don’t need God to forgive ME!  It reminded me of King Nebuchadnezzar, right before he stated grazing with the cows and sheep.  Money has been the moral ruin of many, many people.  Why?  Because we believe that if we have enough of it, we will be able to control our little corner of the world.  NOT!  Did you ever hear the saying “Money will not buy you happiness.”  There are many rich people in prison.  Many divorced.  Many combatting the same ills that plague the poor man.  When a famous billionaire (circa 1935) was asked, “With all the money you have, how much more do you need?”  He answered, “just a little bit more.”  Perhaps he was thinking, “Maybe if I had a little bit more then this feeling that something is missing will go away.”  The solution to not having enough money is to stop spending so much.  That certainly will require a change in lifestyle.  Think about it.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Learning To Rest In God's Care

My Utmost For His Highest

 

If God so clothes the grass of the field…, will He not much more clothe you…? —Matthew 6:30

 

“By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that “if God so clothes the grass of the field…” how “much more” will He clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed “the cares of this world” to enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the “much more” of our heavenly Father. “Look at the birds of the air…” (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His Spirit within you, then God will care for your “feathers” too.[…] Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?”  CHAMBERS

 

I was talking with someone at work yesterday about work.  We were discussing  someone losing his job.  How vulnerable we are .. at the mercy of the ones who have hired us.  I told him that there is life after the work we do.  If we were all to lose our jobs, it might be difficult, but not fatal.  But more importantly, it spoke to where we place our trust.  Is it in the employer or in the Lord?  There are two birds, doves I think, sitting in the tree outside our window.  They seem to be a pair.  Their life is simple.  They depend upon the Lord’s creation and the food chain that is part of that creation to survive.  They have little expectation.  Content in their condition.  Dependent upon the Lord’s provision.  So what happens with us?  We are fearful … fearful that what we want will not be what we have.  Fearful that we will lose whatever control and security we think we have.  I want to encourage you to embrace these truths … God is the provider .. He is the source of everything.  You may not escape the furnace or the lion’s den, but you will never be abandoned by your Father.  ELGIN

 

“I’ve Never Been Out Of His Care”  Dallas Holm

 

“The eyes of God are upon me,  He sees everything I do.  The arms of God are around me,  They keep me safe and secure.

This changing world alarms me,  With war, with sin, with strife.  But my loving Father charms me,  With joy, with peace, and with life.

And He knows where I am  Every hour of every day. He knows each thought I think,  He knows each word that I might say.

And although there've been times I've been out of His will  I've never been out of His care.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

What Do You Want God To Do, And What If He doesn't Do It?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

When it pleased God… —Galatians 1:15

 

“Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly—God meets our life “…when it pleased God….” Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.”  CHAMBERS

 

Sometimes, when we are talking about the Christian life, the implication is that nothing beneficial ever happens to those who are not Christians.   Yet, we know that is not true.  (Matthew 5:45)  “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  When we reflect on what happens to us, our tendency is to view God through our workaday (cool word) lives. We wonder, how will God help me with my problems … food, money, relationships. We are focused on the physical.  Just has the sun shines on the unrighteous, the rain falls on the righteous.  God may intervene in some way, but remember, God sent Jesus to save you for eternity, to restore your condition to the way it was before the Fall in the Garden. Not to make certain that your bills are paid.  That your standard of living is maintained.  That you never get sick or suffer loss.  And when God does intervene in your life, His intervention may be for your physical good or it may not be.  But it is always for His glory.  Whether God chooses to stay His hand, as with Lazarus,  or to perform a miraculous healing as with the blind man, the underlying purpose will be for His glory and a testimony to the world.  How we react to what God does or doesn’t do in our lives, depends upon our spiritual health.  How much we worry or fret depends upon our trust level.  Our trust level depends upon our spiritual habits.  It’s as simple as that.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Acting Like A Christian May Get You An Oscar, But You Won't Get Peace

My Utmost For His Highest

 

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image… —2 Corinthians 3:18

 

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. […] The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that “is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.”  CHAMBERS

 

When people see you, what do they see?  What emanates from your life? The fragrance of Christ?  (2 Corinthians 2:15) “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”  Or do we look and act like everyone else?  If you want an idea, try asking your children.  Another option would be to ask the Spirit to show you.  Feigned spirituality is useless.  Have you ever been around someone who acts “spiritual” when they are with you, but you know that they are living a carnal life, trusting in themselves to get by?  Why do we do that?  Well, we do that to please people.  Every action we take points to the fact that we are living a life independent of God.  The Word cautions us against that … why?  Because God  knows us.  We are jars of clay.  Mere mortals, who must rely on the Spirit of God to live our new life.  The victory we have is supernatural but it is reflected in the natural … for the world to see.  Jesus said  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)  If you are not struggling with this, then you know someone who is.  As I encourage you, you encourage them to trust God.  So our lives will be a reflection of Jesus for the world to see.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Things We Do That Hurt The Heart Of God.

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Look to Me, and be saved… —Isaiah 45:22

 

“The greatest difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and His blessings are what make it so difficult. Troubles almost always make us look to God […] We will find what we are looking for if we will concentrate on Him. We get distracted from God and irritable with Him while He continues to say to us, “Look to Me, and be saved….” Our difficulties, our trials, and our worries about tomorrow all vanish when we look to God. Wake yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter how many things seem to be pressing in on you, be determined to push them aside and look to Him.”  CHAMBERS

 

Do you know someone who only calls or comes to see you when they need something?  You don’t hear from them for maybe months and then the phone rings.  The thought occurs to you, “I wonder what they want now?”  A name or names come to mind?  That is how it can be with God.  So long as things are going our way, God is a distant thought.  I didn't say He was not a thought, but we are not actively, daily, seeking Him.  He is not our primary focus.  But then, trouble comes and we want to draw close to God to ask Him to help us.  God is love, and love is patient and love is kind.  And God loves us.  He does not have the resentful thoughts that we do, but perhaps in some way, our actions hurt God’s heart.  Perhaps God allows people to cross our path to remind us of how we often treat Him.  And when God intervenes, does it cause us to love Him more or do we brush ourselves off and turn our focus away from Him, once again.  Waiting for the next crisis before we call on Him again.  Think about it.  And if it applies, repent.  Remember God loves you.  (Jeremiah 29:11) “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

You Won't Be Content With Where You Are If You Forget Where You've Been

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Thus says the Lord: "I remember…the kindness of your youth…" —Jeremiah 2:2

 

“Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don’t seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. […] How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?  God is saying to His people, “You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were.” He says, “I remember…the love of your betrothal…” (Jeremiah 2:2). Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? […] Am I so in love with Him that I take no thought for where He might lead me? […]  I may also begin to realize that He is not what He used to be to me. When this happens, I should allow the shame and humiliation it creates in my life, because it will bring godly sorrow, and “godly sorrow produces repentance…” (2 Corinthians 7:10).” CHAMBERS

 

When I would read about Israel in the Old Testament, I would wonder, how could they forget what God had done for them so quickly, and then demand more from God.  But that is really the nature of man.  We so often focus on what we don’t have and not what we have. We expect things to be “perfect” … for our needs to be perfectly satisfied … for people to make us happy .. not to be irritating or carnal or less than we think they should be.  We forget what God has done for us, that we, too, have feet of clay.  In other words, we become consumed with ourselves.  Why do you think that God chose to include those reminders in His Word?  The Bible is like a mirror.  If you look into it deeply, you can see yourself, as much as you may not want to.  And the Bible is like a window.  If you look into it, you can see the very nature of God.  When I was in Haiti, every time I met with the pastors and directors of the schools, I would take them back to the beginning, so they could remember how far they had come.  Be careful that you don’t forget how far God has brought you. How He has blessed you.  How He has saved you.  And how much He loves those around you that you are so quick to condemn.  So look in the mirror, then look out the window and tell God, thank you. (Psalm 103: 1-5) “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,  bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Our Part Is To Speak - God's Part Is To Save

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." —John 3:3

 

“Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God. […] Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed “that they may be one just as We are one” — with nothing in between (John 17:22). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.”  CHAMBERS

 

I was listening to the testimony of a young man the other day, sharing about a youth mission trip.  He spoke about how he and a couple other guys had shared the Gospel with someone on several occasions until he finally yielded his life to Christ.  It made me thing about how well intentioned, but misdirected our efforts can be.  Many may not agree with me on this, but I believe our responsibility is to tell, not to convince.  I believe that a person is drawn by the Spirit and we “just happen along” to accomplish God’s purpose.  We can’t save anyone.  Spiritual truth is born by the Spirit of God.  New birth is a transaction between a person and God.  If convincing were the answer, then I cannot explain why my folks shared Christ with me for 7 years, to no avail, but it was a sermon that stirred my heart and awakened a yearning to seek Jesus.  We often worry ourselves over not saying the right words, as if salvation is dependent upon us and our wisdom.  When, in fact, we are merely the messenger, sent by God.  What the person does with the message is between them and the One that sent the message.  When the Spirit prompts you to speak, speak.  God uses us for His purpose.  Something that no one fully understands, but something all of us must do.  So speak up and leave the saving part to God. ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Immediate Gratification - Not Having The Faith To Wait

My Utmost For His Highest

 

When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. —Genesis 15:12

 

“Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11). Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am Almighty God…”— El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful God (Genesis 17:1). […] As soon as God becomes real to us, people pale by comparison, becoming shadows of reality. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God.”  CHAMBERS

 

There is a recurring theme in the Bible.  Trusting God or trusting in ourselves.  Abram had waited on God to fulfill His promise.  He grew impatient and did something on his own. In Genesis 17 something happened … there was a transaction of faith between Abram and God, and God gave Abram a new name .. Abraham .. father of many nations.  Soon after Sarah conceived.  It happened when it was impossible to give credit to men.  God received all of the glory.  It’s the same way with us.  We know God’s promises, but are unwilling to wait on God.  We want to “make it happen”.  We accept something less than God’s best because we lacked the faith to wait.  Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.  Faith is trusting in something you can’t see . .being convinced that it will come to pass, and then living … making choices in the context of that belief.  Faith becomes stronger when faith is exercised.  Are you facing something in your life that is testing your faith?  Testing your confidence in God?  It is a common malady for us Christians.  There is or was a TV commercial where people receiving an annuity or settlement said “It’s my money and I want it now.”  To do that they had to be willing to give up a great deal of their money.  To receive something today, they were willing to sacrifice what they would receive tomorrow.  They didn’t want to wait.  Another example is the business that does taxes and promises an immediate tax return.  That is not the government’s money the tax payer receives, but the business provides the money at a significant cost to the tax payer. Don't accept anything but God's best.  Waiting on God is worth the wait.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Return To The Place Where Your First Found Your Joy

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" —John 20:28

 

“Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me…” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us. […] The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles.”  CHAMBERS

 

Do you remember the day that you were saved, born again?  It was on that day that you realized your true nature … a sinner in the hands of an angry God.  Bound for Hell.  In need of a savior.  It was at that point that you yielded your heart, your devotion, your trust to the God of heaven and place your faith in Jesus Christ.  So what happened?  As the glory faded and life on this earth began to intervene, the significance of that glorious day began to dim.  You know that you are a Christian, but the reality of your “need” for a savior no longer felt so dominant.  As the urgency to yield to the lordship of Jesus diminished from desperation to something more like a choice.  Sin became less intolerable as you slowly drift from the place where you first found your joy in the Lord.  Maybe this is not you, but it is true for many other Christians.  (Hebrews 10:24-25) “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  Why would we need to be stir one another up, if we didn’t need stirring?  ELGIN

 

“Take Me Back”  Andre Crouch

 

“ I feel that I'm so far from you Lord  But still I hear you calling me  Those simple things that I once knew,  The memories are drawing me.

 

I must confess, Lord I've been blessed  But yet my soul's not satisfied.  Renew my faith, restore my joy  And dry my weeping eyes.

 

I tried so hard,  To make it all alone.  I need your help  Just to make it home.

 

Take me back, take me back dear Lord  To the place where I first received you.  Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I  First believed.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Your Not Living For Jesus If You Are Accomodating Sin In Your Life

My Utmost For His Highest

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" —Isaiah 6:8

 

“When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls.[…] The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. […] The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. […] The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.”  CHAMBERS

 

Living your new life in Christ means that you have a new nature, a spiritual nature.  A nature that is “in tune” with God’s nature.  His Spirit is in us.  There is nothing in our old nature that can connect to or please God.  Our old nature can deceive us.  We can think we are living the Christian life, when in fact, we are walking in sin and have become spiritually disconnected from God.  Unconfessed sin is perhaps the biggest reason for the disconnect.  It may be the only reason.  We live our lives each day, often making bad choices, yielding to the flesh, yielding to temptation.  But instead of addressing it we accommodate it and ignore it.  We don’t see it as a problem but as “normal” and really not a big deal.  I mean it’s not like I robbed a bank.  We have redefined holiness.  So we live in a pseudo-righteous life.  (2 Timothy 3:2-5)   “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,   having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

 

Living the Christian life means that you must keep your heart clean from sin.  You may be familiar with the story of the  “sin of Achan”  in Joshua 7.  (if not, read it)  The army was suffering defeat at the hands of the enemy.  Joshua didn’t understand and God told him that there was “sin in the camp”.  Just one sinful act was causing the problem.  Does one sin really matter?  Jesus died to defeat it.  A Holy God can have no part of it.  Why would we think that it doesn’t matter.  Confess your sin when it happens, and repent.  You have heard, I am certain, the definition of repentance as doing an about face, a 180 degree turn.  Spiritual repentance does not mean to turn around and trust in yourself again.  It means to turn from trusting in yourself – your flesh – your old nature and turn to God, and trust in the power of God.  (Romans 8:13) “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

God's Call And Your Answer .. Fulfilling Your Spiritual Purpose On Earth

My Utmost For His Highest

 

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." —Isaiah 6:8

 

“God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, “…who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. [..] However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, “Now, you go.” He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.”  Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard— “the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”” CHAMBERS

 

When you think of a spiritual calling, what comes to your mind?  Pastors?  Missionaries?  I hear people speak of someone’s calling .. or more often saying .. “That is NOT my calling!” as they explain why they are not doing something.  God’s call is constant.  Romans 12:1-2.  Give your life to God, no matter what that means.  (Ephesians 4:7, 11-12) “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ…. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” Not everyone is gifted by God to do the same thing.  The Body of Christ is like a body in that it has parts and each part has its purpose.  It is a spiritual purpose that cannot be fulfilled without the power of the Spirit, and us yielded to that power.

 

(1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11-14)  “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all….  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

 

So there is a general context to God’s calling to serve Him and function in the Body of Christ and there is a specific purpose for you to fulfill as part of the Body.  The question is, will you live in that purpose for the glory of God or live for yourself?  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Be At Peace My Child Be At Peace

My Utmost For His Highest

When He was alone…the twelve asked Him about the parable. —Mark 4:10

“When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship— when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. [..] His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn’t understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26). [..] The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies?”  CHAMBERS

We try, but cannot understand God with our natural minds.  To understand anything of God requires spiritual understanding, yet we struggle, trying to make sense of something that is impossible to understand by the power of our human intellect.  We read the Word and see that God has told us we need the Spirit for such things, yet it is not the Spirit that questions God.  It is not the Spirit that cries out “Why?”.  I have heard more than one teacher/preacher say it is OK to be angry with God.  Where does that anger come from?  From disappointment, loss, heartbreak … from all things natural.  All of those things are part of our life here on earth.  Knowing that does not lesson the pain we feel, but knowing God does give us a source of comfort and spiritual insight into something better, greater, beyond our circumstances that will bring us peace and joy in the midst of a great tragedy. I have said it before and I will say it again, draw near to God.  (John 16:33) “I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.” (John 14:27)  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  Listen for the Lord in your alone time with Him and hear Him saying, "Be at peace my child, be at peace." ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Charley Elgin

Listening For God's Voice - He Speaks To You In A Whisper

My Utmost For His Highest

 

When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. —Mark 4:34

 

“Jesus doesn’t take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine our own souls. It is slow work— so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don’t even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. […]The only One who understands us is God. The greatest curse in our spiritual life is pride. […] Whenever there is any element of pride or conceit remaining, Jesus can’t teach us anything. He will allow us to experience heartbreak or the disappointment we feel when our intellectual pride is wounded. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires” CHAMBERS

 

Many people call getting alone with God, quiet time.  It is a time when you quiet your mind, your spirit.  You turn your full attention on God. It is during those times that you will hear God speak most clearly. (1 Kings 19:11-13) “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”  A still small voice.  When God speaks you must be listening.  Elijah was hiding in a cave, fearful that harm would come to him.  In one moment he was focused on God and the next moment he was focused on himself. In one moment, focused on what God could and did do, and in the next moment, afraid that he was doomed, alone, without hope.  Sound crazy? Or does it sound like you?  It is the nature of man.  It is a struggle to not depend on our own abilities.  And when we do, realizing that we are facing the impossible, we look for a cave to hide in.  Seek the Lord where He may be found.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Trust in the Lord and not yourself.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Do You Hate You Mother?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon…, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. —Luke 23:26

 

“If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything— it is a delight. But to those who do not love Him, our obedience does cost a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset. They will ridicule us as if to say, “You call this Christianity?” We could prevent the suffering, but not if we are obedient to God. We must let the cost be paid.[…] A lack of progress in our spiritual life results when we try to bear all the costs ourselves. And actually, we cannot. Because we are so involved in the universal purposes of God, others are immediately affected by our obedience to Him. Will we remain faithful in our obedience to God and be willing to suffer the humiliation of refusing to be independent? Or will we do just the opposite and say, “I will not cause other people to suffer”? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but it will grieve our Lord. […] We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him. Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.” CHAMBERS

 

As I read Chambers this morning, I was thinking about family and friends who are not believers, that have turned aside from us because of our faith and  about family and friends who were separated from us because of our service to the Lord. About counting the cost for following Jesus.  (Matthew 12:46-50) “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Jesus brought spiritual, eternal perspective that conflicted with natural understanding.  In that room, He was honoring his Father, but was given the opportunity to turn from that to honor His natural mother and family.  Nothing wrong with that.  In fact the fifth commandment says to honor your father and mother.  But if you notice that commandment is fifth.  The first four have to do with your relationship with the Father, who is in heaven.

 

Jesus also said, “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.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-27)  Our faith must be our priority.  Our relationship with our Father must shape every other facet of our lives.  Every relationship, every desire.  Our love for Him should pale every other relationship we have.  Do you remember Lot’s wife?  When she turned back to look, she was not just leaving a life style, she was leaving family. She did not have a heart for God, but for what she was told to leave behind.  You may be struggling with a broken relationship or with  God’s call for you to do something or go somewhere that will affect relationships that you care about.  Obey God.  Trust God.  Faith God.  And leave the rest to Him.  ELGIN

 

“I have decided to follow Jesus.  The world behind me, the Cross before me.  No turning back, No turning back.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

The Danger Of Being Satisfied With Less Than God's Best

My Utmost For His Highest

 

May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless… —1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

“Do we believe that God can fortify and protect our thought processes far beyond where we can go? “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If this verse means cleansing only on our conscious level, may God have mercy on us. The man who has been dulled by sin will say that he is not even conscious of it. But the cleansing from sin we experience will reach to the heights and depths of our spirit if we will “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). The same Spirit that fed the life of Jesus Christ will feed the life of our spirit. It is only when we are protected by God with the miraculous sacredness of the Holy Spirit that our spirit, soul, and body can be preserved in pure uprightness until the coming of Jesus-no longer condemned in God’s sight.”  CHAMBERS

 

As I write these devotions, I see a thread that runs through them .. It is the same thread that runs through the Bible.  God has called us to a life of faith and holiness.  We cannot achieve that life on our own.  And even when we are born again, even though we are “awakened” to the reality of spiritual Truth, we continue to struggle with living a life of faith and holiness.  We make excuses for our failings, unfortunately often resolving ourselves to some lower level of faith and holiness that God never intended as some sort of self-defined compromise.  When you talk to other Christians, even those that you might consider “more spiritual than most”, you should never think that they are immune to that struggle.  None of us are like Jesus, but all of us will be.  So should we be content with our not being like Him yet?  God forbid.  We are on a spiritual journey.  We must keep our eyes fixed on Him, and press on.  So my friend, let me encourage you to press on in your faith with confidence that “He who began a good work in your will be faithful to complete it.” (1 Philippians 1:6)  “I know I'm not what I could be ..I'm not who I want to be, but I know I'm not who I used to be.” (Author unknown)   ELGIN

 

(Philippians 3:13-14) “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin