What To Do In An Emergency

My Utmost For His Highest

‘We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.’ CHAMBERS

 

When I was learning to fly the Chinook, CH47, my instructor was  Dudley Moss.  He told me that he had trained Iranian pilots (under the Shah’s Regime).  He said that one day they had an emergency in the aircraft and the Iranian student took his hands off of the controls and said “Allah Wills”.  Dudley said, “Allah may will for you to die today, but not for me!” He took the controls and safely landed the helicopter.

 

In the operator’s or pilot’s manual for every helicopter is a chapter on emergency procedures.  What you must do if you have a problem – an emergency.

 

In the same way, the Bible is our manual, written by God, for how we are to live and respond to life's events.  And when we face a problem, and we most certainly will, we should do what the Bible says to do.  Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God … to dress ourselves spiritually … and then to stand and pray.  We are not to simply say “Allah Wills”.  Remember ....

 

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

 

Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,  a stronghold in times of trouble.”

 

“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.  You are my all in all.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

When Trouble Comes ..

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.’ CHAMBERS

 

Have you experienced turmoil in your heart? Anxiety, frustration, confusion … problems with others … disappointments in life and ambitions .. all us have experienced these things.  Jesus said that while we are in the world we will have troubles .. 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.”  Jesus was talking to the disciples about His leaving and the Spirit coming, about the disciples facing difficult times.

 

As much as you want to be in control of what happens around you, you are not.  When you find yourself in a difficult situation … trust God and not yourself.  The problem may not go away, but how you feel inside will change.  Peace is a fruit of the Spirit .. the result of walking by faith in God … That is not to say you should be a leaf in the wind, letting people take advantage of you … but to say … obey the Word of God .. do what it says … look to Jesus no matter what happens.  Recall that everyone around Job was troubled but Job trusted God and His wisdom.  His friends said he had trouble because of sin … sometimes our sin causes the troubles we have … if so we should confess them before God and repent … and accept that we may have to live with the consequence of that sin. But even then we can have the peace of God. But sin or no sin .. trouble will come your way.

 

I saw a bumper sticker that said …  No Jesus – No Peace .. Know Jesus – Know Peace.

 

Keep Trusting

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

A Missed Opportunity

My Utmost For His Highest

‘You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. …What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.’ CHAMBERS

 

Have you ever talked with someone, read an email or a Facebook post .. where they conveyed some hardship that they faced and you responded that you would pray for them? And then you didn’t pray for them?  In fact, 5 minutes later you could not even tell me what it was they needed prayer about.  What you were doing was conveying sympathy with a Christian twist.  Often times the words “I’ll pray for you” simply means I am sorry you are having that trouble.

 

Here is the solution.  First, you must believe that prayer matters.  Second, your heart must be right before God. Third, you should pray right then.  Just say .. “let’s pray right now” and pray.  Face to face, face to email, or face to book … it doesn’t matter … communicate a prayer to God and to that person.  You will point them to God.  Encourage them to draw close to Him.  It is an opportunity for ministry and witnessing to God’s sufficiency.  Don’t miss it!

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Can You Pass The Test?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . . .” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately.’ CHAMBERS

 

Anyone ever told you that you have a great personality? What they are talking about is that the way you interact with other people is pleasing.  You put people at ease when they are around you.  Because of that, people want to be around you … they like having you around. My personality was shaped more by my step father, Don Pierson, than by my biological father. When I worked with him and his brothers, people would do often say, you must one of the Pierson boys.  I was not, but I reminded them of the Piersons. So in a way, he was in me, because I reflected his personality.  In  John 14:8-20, when Jesus was asked to show the disciples the Father, Jesus told them if they had seen Jesus, which they had, they had seen the Father.  He explained that the Father was in Him and that He, Jesus, would be in us.

 

What that means is that our personality .. our actions .. our words should be a reflection of Who is in us.  When we are told to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed … it means that we should not reflect the world but Jesus.  Are you drawn to the things of this world? Many are pleasurable .. but the test is not whether you like them, but do they reflect and bring glory to God. It is an easy test .. but it is a hard one to pass. Most of us hold on to things that give us pleasure or comfort that do not pass the “Does it glorify God test” Examine your heart.  Let the Spirit, that Jesus told the disciples would be with them and in them forever show you.  Let Jesus shine from you and God be glorified in You.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

When Holding On Is Wrong

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Jesus said to His disciples, ’If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .’ —Matthew 16:24

 

‘God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “. . . let him deny himself . . .”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.’ CHAMBERS

 

Is it wrong to have preferences?  No. I don’t particularly care for liver.  The Haitians make a bullion soup using goat head parts and innards … not on the top of the list for what I want for supper tonight.  What is wrong is when you choose what you want over what God wants.  It is a matter of where you find security. You may want to cling to things … from the natural life .. that give you a feeling of being safe or in control.  God says .. give it all to me … Proverbs 3:5-6 says “trust with all”  Matthew 22:37 says “Love with all” We want to turn to God in part … holding on to those things that make us feel desperate if we think we have to let them go.  You know what they are.

 

In order to be where God wants you to be, to have the life He intends for you .... you must let go of those things.  That requires faith and trust.  You strengthen your faith by using faith. There is a phrase that I often use here “ti pa ti pa” which means step by step.  Look to the Father … draw near to Him (seek Him out – read the Word, pray, go to church to worship Him with other believers) … and He will draw near to you.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Have Thine Own Way Lord - Mold Me and Make Me After Thy Will

  My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.’ CHAMBERS

 

Romans 12:1-2 says to offer myself as a sacrifice … everything that I am, in the flesh, must be given up. I must not continue to be conformed to this world and what it says is good and right.  But I must draw near to God and seek that which brings glory to him … and then through the transformation of my mind .. and the offering of my heart and its desires … God will mold me into the image of His Son.

 

The closer you draw near to God the more obvious the corrupted nature of this world and what your flesh craves will become.  You will choose to reject what the world offers because your spirit will yearn for the presence of God.  You cannot have both .. even though you may have convinced yourself you can.  You cannot serve two masters.  You will love one and hate the other.  Luke 16:13 You may have convinced yourself that it is OK to speak the way you do, watch what you do, listen to what you do, do the things that you do … but in your heart .. you know what is right and good .. the Spirit testifies to you.  Be careful that you do not ignore the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19  God have given you the Spirit to help you in your new life … to reject the Spirit is to say you choose to live as you see fit and mock God.  You will find yourself on a slippery slope .. always wondering why the blessings and life promised in the Bible are always just out of reach.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

You Know What To Do

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘“Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.

 

The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.’ CHAMBERS

 

In the study, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says that when God speaks by the Holy Spirit, (the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and other Christians …) there are several things you know … two of them are 1 – You know it was God speaking .. 2- You know what He said.  The question is, will you obey. In the same way, you know what you are thinking, saying or doing  is acceptable and unacceptable to God ..  the only question is .. if it is unacceptable .. will you stop doing it.

 

We make excuses for what we do … but even then, we know, in our heart .. it’s wrong and we should give it up … but we like it … even more than we love God .. so we continue … somehow thinking that God will overlook it …. In the meantime, we miss God’s best for our lives.  Blackaby said that if you are having an obedience problem .. it is really a love problem … Matt 22:37 “Love God with all you heart, mind, soul and strength …”

 

Listen for God’s voice and then do what He says … you will be glad you did.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)