Not What I'm Gonna Be

My Utmost For His Highest

‘We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ. The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).  Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.’ CHAMBERS

What is the overruling passion of your heart?  Not what do you want it to be .. not what do you think it should be .. what is it .. today?  “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” ― John Newton

From a man who used to be a slave trader .. but became a man who repented and fought against slavery .. He penned Amazing Grace which I have heard sung by the ancestors of those who he brought from Africa

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Stop and Pray

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors-that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.’ CHAMBERS

When you think about what it means to be like Jesus … does it include praying for others … bearing one another’s burdens … making intercession for them a priority or is it an afterthought.  When someone asks me to pray for them … I try to be intentional to pray for them at that moment .. most are surprised because that typically means “pray for me if you happen to remember you said you would later.” Instead, we should stop what we are doing and pray at that moment.  Is there anything greater that we can do than to present them before the Lord .. to intercede for them .. there is no better time than “now”.

 

When Jesus was walking through the crowd … Mark 5:27-31  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "

 

The people wanted to see Jesus .. but this woman wanted to be healed by Him and had faith that she would be.  Mark 5:34  “And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

 

Do you realize that when someone asks you to pray for them .. it is because they want to touch the hem of His garment?  Do you stop what you are doing and address the spiritual need .. or do you make a quick mental note .. which you may misplace later in the day .. WWJD?

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

There But For The Grace Of God

My Utmost For His Highest

‘If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming critical of others and forgetting that God says, “. . . he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” Be careful that you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself.’ CHAMBERS

 

When you see something that is not right in another person’s life or someone does something that is unkind or selfish or that you disagree with .. do you condemn them or pray for them?  Do you judge them .. think harsh thoughts about them .. consider them to be less than you … cast them onto the pile of people who do not deserve forgiveness and grace?  It is so easy to feel justified in those attitudes .. when it is someone else …

 

Matthew 7:3-5  “And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

 

It is better to intercede than indict … to pray than to persecute … show others the same forgiveness and love that we were shown …

 

Romans 5:7-8  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Run To God .. Not From Him

My Utmost For His Highest

‘Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven’t turned back, but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually. Have you heard God say, “Come up higher,” not audibly on the outer level, but to the innermost part of your character?’ CHAMBERS

 

Does that seem odd to you?  Inconsistent with your view of being sanctified .. holy … Do you remember Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah was aware of the distance between a holy God and Isaiah’s sinful nature.

 

A danger that we face is thinking that we must be perfect and when we discover we are not, we want to hide our sin or worse .. run from God instead of to God.  Chambers is talking about my understanding that what the Word says is true … Not only about my old nature but also about my new nature.  “What can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus … what can make me whole again .. nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

 

You may believe  that where you are at this moment is as far as you can go with God, but He wants to take you to a higher place spiritually.  Are you aware of your failings, your sinful state? Good!  That is the first step … take it to the Lord and He will cleanse you … wash your feet … restore you …

 

Ephesians 3:17-19 “… so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Guard Your Heart

My Utmost For His Highest

‘[…] the outer level of our spiritual life with God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside until we make it right. Remember that spiritual vision depends on our character— it is “the pure in heart ” who “see God.” God makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace, but we still have something that we must carefully watch. It is through our bodily life coming in contact with other people and other points of view that we tend to become tarnished. Not only must our “inner sanctuary” be kept right with God, but also the “outer courts” must be brought into perfect harmony with the purity God gives us through His grace. Our spiritual vision and understanding is immediately blurred when our “outer court” is stained. If we want to maintain personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or even think certain things. And some things that are acceptable for others will become unacceptable for us.’ CHAMBERS

 

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

 

Why would we think that if we walk through a mud puddle that we won’t get muddy?  In the same way .. as we walk in this unholy world, we become stained from its unholiness.  We must be careful that we don’t put this world and the people in it ahead of God.  That somehow we must consider the world first and then accommodate God somehow.  If that thinking creeps in, we have lost our spiritual vision.

 

The outer court that Chambers is referring to is the outer court of the temple.  We are a temple.  1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”  You can think of the heart as the Holy of Holies … where the Spirit inhabits.

 

As I type this I can hear sounds outside … they are the sounds of Rara (rah rah) a Voodoo celebration that happens before Easter … It reminds me that we are in a world that does not know God and one that would prefer that we were not salt and light .. but would embrace darkness instead.  Guard your heart …. And bring glory to God.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Trusting When You Know It Will Cost You

My Utmost For His Highest

‘If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.’ CHAMBERS

 

It’s moving day in Jacmel so this will be a short devotion today.  Making irrevocable decisions is a faith challenge.  When you know it’s God .. and you will know in your heart, you can do nothing else than obey … there may be earthly consequences .. but the object of our service goes far beyond what we wear, what we eat, or where we live.  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)

New Life In Christ

My Utmost For His Highest

I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20

 

‘“. . . it is no longer I who live . . . .” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed.  “. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh-the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God . . . .” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son God had given to him (see Ephesians 2:8). It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits-a faith that comes only from the Son of God.’ CHAMBERS

 

Satanic right to myself .. do those words seem strange to you?  What was Satan’s problem?  He wanted to be God .. He didn’t want to be one with Him .. he wanted to rule.  When we go our own way that is what we are doing .. following the path of Satan.  This is the point where people start thinking that I am getting fanatical in my thinking.  The question we must ask ourselves is .. ‘Why am I wanting this or doing this?” to satisfy myself .. my insecurities, my misplaced passions, my lack of faith .. or am I doing it to bring glory to the Father and good to others.  And, by the way, good to others is not helping them follow after their own lusts .. but meeting their physical and spiritual needs . not wants.

 

A note of caution ….. I have noticed that Christians often tempted to hang their “sacrifices” to the Lord  on their gates as trophies for all to see and marvel at.  We must be careful that what we offer to God we offer in secret .. it should not be for the praise of men but for the glory of God that we do as we do. People will marvel when you give up what they love and try to give you credit for making a sacrifice .. be careful that you do not rob God of His glory.

 

This is what walking by faith and not by sight means … trust God and not yourself … abandon your affections for the things of this world so if and when you give them up .. they will mean no more than the empty soda bottle you just tossed in the trash .. er recycle bin …

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)