Will You Really Go Wherever He Leads?

My Utmost For His Highest

“We are God’s fellow workers…” —1 Corinthians 3:9

“[…] – once our concentration is on God, all the limits of our life are free and under the control and mastery of God alone. There is no longer any responsibility on you for the work. The only responsibility you have is to stay in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your cooperation with Him. […] But be careful to remember that you have been freed for only one thing– to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker.  We have no right to decide where we should be placed, or to have preconceived ideas as to what God is preparing us to do. God engineers everything; and wherever He places us, our one supreme goal should be to pour out our lives in wholehearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)."  CHAMBERS

When you are in the military, there are many places in the world that you can be assigned.  There are many different jobs that you can have.  The military asks you what you would like to do and where you would like to go, but there is a caveat … the primary motive for where you go and what you do is not your preference .. it is for the “good of the service”.  You are essentially bond-servants to your country.  Your primary purpose is to serve your country .. you took an oath to do that.  The military holds you to that oath.  Well, in a similar way, as Christians, we are bond-servants to God.  We have preferences of where we go and what we do, but God makes the decision .. he has purposed our lives for the good of the Church and for His glory. 

As you draw close to God, as you pour out your life, God will give you a passion for what He is passionate about.  That is always a cue to us that He is about to make a change in our lives and service.  The passion that we had, leaves us and there is a new passion the stirs within us.  God uses us as He pleases.  So, it is critical that we stay close to Him … do the things that strengthen our relationship with Him.  And if you find that you are discontent with where you are .. there are a couple possibilities .. 1) you have ignored God and gone your own way or 2) you are trying to do what God has called you to in your own power.  God never asks you to do anything that you can do on your own … His work is supernatural and requires supernatural abilities.  Here is a way to start …

Joshua 1:8-9 “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Flapping Your Wings Of Faith

My Utmost For His Highest

“A servant of God must stand so very much alone that he never realizes he is alone. In the early stages of the Christian life, disappointments will come— people who used to be lights will flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away. We have to get so used to it that we will not even realize we are standing alone. Paul said, “…no one stood with me, but all forsook me….But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…” (2 Timothy 4:16-17). We must build our faith not on fading lights but on the Light that never fails. When “important” individuals go away we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, so that only one thing is left for us to do— to look into the face of God for ourselves.[…] The secret of the servant’s life is that he stays in tune with God all the time.” CHAMBERS

I have a theory .. or maybe it is just an observation.  Many times, young men and women who have been raised in Christian homes, attend youth group, go to church regularly seem to abandon their faith when they leave for college or move away from home.  I wondered, “Is it because the parents failed somehow in living out the Gospel .. in training their children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6)?” But over time, I have come to believe that what happened was the children had been living in the power of their parents faith and not their own.  When they left the “nest”, they had to fly on their own faith which was weak.  Some fall to the ground, others fly but are unsteady, and, yes, there are some who soar.

Listen, I don’t pretend to understand all of this.  I certainly don’t want to offer excuses. My point is, that not all children will stay on the path … but that does not mean the parents should lose hope.  They must find their own way.  That may mean that they make mistakes .. maybe turn away from walking in the light … until they find their faith. I am convinced that “He who began a good in work in us will be faithful to complete it.” (Philippians 1:6)  Now here is the thing … we are all someone’s child … profound huh?! … that means that it may be you I am describing.  And you might be 50 or 60, your youth having been left far behind you.  Get your life in tune with the Grand Conductor.  Stop trusting in yourself .. doing things your own way as if you can prove to yourself that you have value …. kicking against what you know to be true .. you have great value in the eyes of God … and He wants you to draw near to Him.  Time to start flapping those wings of faith and soar above this world and its troubles. God loves you. ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Who Do People See When They Look At You

My Utmost For His Highest

“The mystery of God is not in what is going to be— it is now, though we look for it to be revealed in the future in some overwhelming, momentous event. We have no reluctance to obey Jesus, but it is highly probable that we are hurting Him by what we ask— “Lord, show us the Father…” (John 14:8). His response immediately comes back to us as He says, “Can’t you see Him? He is always right here or He is nowhere to be found.” We look for God to exhibit Himself to His children, but God only exhibits Himself in His children.” CHAMBERS

The world needs to see Jesus, but the only way it can see Jesus is in the lives of the Saints.  (John 17: 6-18) “I [Jesus] have revealed you [God the Father] to those whom you gave me out of the world. [..] I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. […] they are still in the world[…] Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. [… ] I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [..] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

Jesus said that if you want to see the Father then look at Jesus.  The Word says if you want to see Jesus, look at Christians.  Do you feel the weight of that like I do? Suddenly all of those things that the Word tells me I should be doing become mandates not options.  My life is to be a reflection of Jesus not the world.  If people don’t know I am a Christian because of the way I live my life .. what I say .. what I do .. what I don’t say .. what I don’t do .. then I am failing in the charge given me by Jesus and the primary purpose for my being on this earth.  I was talking with someone the other day .. someone who is not a Christian.  In the course of the conversation, they caught a word before it had fully come out of their mouth and said another word.  The word not said was profane … but as I thought about it in the context of my faith, I realized that they were not responding to me, but Christ in me.  Oh, they like me certainly, but at other times, they have not been so careful around me.  So what that means to me is that I don’t always reflect Jesus in my life the way I should.  I feel the weight of that too.  How about you? ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Your Are Supposed To Tell The Truth

My Utmost For His Highest

“Jesus’ parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30  was a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our capacities. This parable has nothing to do with natural gifts and abilities, but relates to the gift of the Holy Spirit as He was first given at Pentecost. We must never measure our spiritual capacity on the basis of our education or our intellect; our capacity in spiritual things is measured on the basis of the promises of God. If we get less than God wants us to have, we will falsely accuse Him as the servant falsely accused his master when he said, “You expect more of me than you gave me the power to do. You demand too much of me, and I cannot stand true to you here where you have placed me.” When it is a question of God’s Almighty Spirit, never say, “I can’t.” Never allow the limitation of your own natural ability to enter into the matter. If we have received the Holy Spirit, God expects the work of the Holy Spirit to be exhibited in us.” CHAMBERS

I think that the term “personal relationship with Jesus” is very often misapplied by Christians. It can give me the idea that what I have been given is for me.  And, likewise, what other people receive is for them.  The truth of the matter is that what I have been given is for God and others, not just for me.  (1 Corinthians 12: 7,11-14,27)  “Now to each one the manifestation [spiritual gifts]of the Spirit is given for the common good. […] All these [gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Each Christian has a place in the body of Christ.  Each of us has been “gifted” for the purpose of being a light to the world … just like Jesus, we are to testify to the truth.  (John 18:37) “Jesus answered, “… the reason I (Jesus) was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” So as Pilate asked “What is truth?” There is a Creator God.  He loves His creation – Man. Man has sinned and must be restored. God sent His Son to be that means of restoration. Man must accept what the Son has done and choose to serve God and not himself. 

(Romans 10:9-13)  “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine.  How about you?  Let the people come to know the Truth by the way you live and the way you love others. ELGIN

(John 13:35) “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Possessions - Burden or Blessing - It Depends

My Utmost For His Highest

“The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage. Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.” CHAMBERS

When we share our story about our spiritual journey and how we abandoned earthly possessions, often times, people marvel at what they consider a great sacrifice.  Accumulation and possession is a big deal in the United States, if you have not noticed.  So giving those things that are prized and to some are an indication of being “blessed” are seen as significant and ultra-spiritual.  What it actually reveals  is the insidious nature of love for the things of this world that we struggle with and are often overcome by.  1 John 2: 15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

It is not that having things is wrong.  What is wrong when those things have you.  The rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 went away from Jesus sad.  He didn’t understand that God is interested in our hearts not our wallets.  It is not the “things” that are the problem.  It is the love of things.  Possessions can become our gods.  Especially in this country.  So don’t marvel when someone does what God views and “normal”.  Use it as an occasion to examine your own heart.  Possessions are not inherently bad.  They can either be a burden or a blessing … it all depends on what God asks you to do.  And whatever that is … do it.  God will provide.  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)