As believers, the Son of God dwells in us. The spiritual temptations that He faced are now the temptations that we face. What is the answer against temptation? Abide in His presence. This past week has been a journey to quiet myself each day and abide in His love. I've learned that abiding in His love means to have the ability to seek Him in the secret place, but also to walk with Him throughout the day. Chambers wrote, "God engineers circumstances and whatever they may be like we have to see that face them while abiding continually with Him in His temptations." During the spring semester I took an ethics class. One key thing I learned about circumstances through that class is that you physically can not love every single person that you pass by. This was difficult for me, because even though it may not be physically possible, boy do I try! I soon learned that what my teacher meant by this is that you can not have genuine experiences with people that you pass by on the street. It is those circumstances that are specifically engineered by God that "We wear His badge" and answer "yes" to the question, "are we going with Him?". These may be interactions with strangers or with friend or family. Always remember to love as He loved us!
"Do you continue to go with Jesus? The way lies through Gethsemane, through the city gate, outside the camp; the way lies alone, and the way lies until there is no trace of a footstep left, only the voice, "Follow Me." Abide and walk with Him.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Day 6: He did not tire
I am in awe of the works of Jesus during His time of ministry. He healed the blind man, made the lame walk, and spoke words of power and love. In Matthew 3 Jesus was baptized. Immediately afterward, in Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted. His temptation was not like ours, "The temptations of Jesus are not those of a man, but the temptations of God as Man...He did not tire. He went through the temptation "without sin," and He retained the possessions of His personality intact" (Chambers). It was after this time that Jesus began the ministry that turned the world upside down. The power of this work is unfathomable. He did not tire...Amen!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Day 5: Hope and Fire!
How can we come into true understanding of our beliefs without testing, without temptation? We often think about that word as something evil and to be avoided, when really, we should have the opposite reaction, we should welcome it. This is not to say that we should seek out temptation or give into it, but rather conquer it! "Not to be tempted would be to be beneath contempt" (Chambers). Jesus was tempted. He knows the struggle. During our personal times of trial He helps and comforts us. To pass through the fire proves that we are genuine and continually growing towards likeness of Christ.
1 Peter 1:3-9...
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
1 Peter 1:3-9...
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Day 4: In the Secret Place
""Everyone that asketh receiveth." We pray pious blether, our will is not in it, and then we say God does not answer; we never asked for anything. "Ye shall ask what ye will," said Jesus. Asking means our will is in it. Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child: we bring in our critical temper and say - Yes, but...Jesus said "Ask." But remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God Whom Jesus Christ revealed."
What is the intent of prayer? In his Upmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers talks about coming before Christ in secret prayer with pure and honest intentions, "Have no other motive than to know your Father in heaven." The pursuit of relationship with Christ was our purpose for being created and prayer is the passageway. Our longing should be to enter into a relationship where, "Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God." May God ignite your passion and desire to find Him in the secret place.
What is the intent of prayer? In his Upmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers talks about coming before Christ in secret prayer with pure and honest intentions, "Have no other motive than to know your Father in heaven." The pursuit of relationship with Christ was our purpose for being created and prayer is the passageway. Our longing should be to enter into a relationship where, "Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God." May God ignite your passion and desire to find Him in the secret place.
Day 3: Different Standpoints
Last night I was busy doing homework and slacked off in my post, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't able to glean something from my devotional reading...
"Others are doing things which to you would be walking in craftiness, but it may not be so with them: God has given you another standpoint." This is a HUGE topic and can probably extend to so many things in life, but what it really comes down to is: don't judge. God has given each one of us different views, or standpoints, and it is only God's standards by which we are judged. Just as God has given us different talents and gifts, isn't it also possible that he has also given us different ears to hear? The answer...YES...heck that's why we have so many different church denominations! The key point is that we must be understanding of one another and open to the voice of God speaking to one another in different ways. So that's all on that. Not too deep or spiritual, just a few of my insights from yesterday.
"Others are doing things which to you would be walking in craftiness, but it may not be so with them: God has given you another standpoint." This is a HUGE topic and can probably extend to so many things in life, but what it really comes down to is: don't judge. God has given each one of us different views, or standpoints, and it is only God's standards by which we are judged. Just as God has given us different talents and gifts, isn't it also possible that he has also given us different ears to hear? The answer...YES...heck that's why we have so many different church denominations! The key point is that we must be understanding of one another and open to the voice of God speaking to one another in different ways. So that's all on that. Not too deep or spiritual, just a few of my insights from yesterday.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Day 2: It's Simple
"Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly...Immediately we obey, we discern...When the natural power of vision is devoted to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the power of perceiving God's will and the whole life is kept in simplicity." ~Oswald Chambers
These are some of the key phrases that stood out to me as I read my devotional for the day. I think is some way that they connect with what God has placed on my heart at this moment. In the MAT I am taking a class called Special and Diverse Populations. As an assignment we had to read the book Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol. This book compares the richy-rich schools to those in absolutely devastating poverty. It also talks about the severe depravity some children in America are facing every day in places like East St. Louis, Illinois, where the average crime index is 7xs the US average, and where over 50% of the population is under poverty levels. As we discuss this I am so upset by this information that I'm screaming on the inside, "Why isn't anyone doing anything?!? Where is the justic one behalf of these kids???" Our teacher provides a possible answer..."The American will, no the individual will, is the deciding factor." Our will as a nation is so weak and blinded sometimes! As I was sitting in class I was reminded of Revelation 3:15-17 that says, "15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Verse 17 is a whole other story, but in the end the choice is simple...we have to choose to do something, to not be lukewarm. Our teacher encouraged us to stand up against inequality. Will you stand with me?
More info about East St. Louis can be found at: East St. Louis Action Research Project website http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/view/why-east-st-louis.aspx
These are some of the key phrases that stood out to me as I read my devotional for the day. I think is some way that they connect with what God has placed on my heart at this moment. In the MAT I am taking a class called Special and Diverse Populations. As an assignment we had to read the book Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol. This book compares the richy-rich schools to those in absolutely devastating poverty. It also talks about the severe depravity some children in America are facing every day in places like East St. Louis, Illinois, where the average crime index is 7xs the US average, and where over 50% of the population is under poverty levels. As we discuss this I am so upset by this information that I'm screaming on the inside, "Why isn't anyone doing anything?!? Where is the justic one behalf of these kids???" Our teacher provides a possible answer..."The American will, no the individual will, is the deciding factor." Our will as a nation is so weak and blinded sometimes! As I was sitting in class I was reminded of Revelation 3:15-17 that says, "15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Verse 17 is a whole other story, but in the end the choice is simple...we have to choose to do something, to not be lukewarm. Our teacher encouraged us to stand up against inequality. Will you stand with me?
More info about East St. Louis can be found at: East St. Louis Action Research Project website http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/view/why-east-st-louis.aspx
Monday, September 14, 2009
Day 1: Surrender
This morning I woke up and read my devotional for the day from My Utmost for His Highest. The topic was surrender and I was so moved by this that I decided I wanted to surrender and submit something before Him. I felt that He had, very intentionally, placed the call to fast from Facebook on my heart and so today I begin Day 1 of my Facebook Fast. The key sentence in the devotional message, for me, was this: "The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God." After to submitting our lives to Him we began this inspiring journey towards a relationship of unbroken communion with the Creator! This just stirs such a passion within my heart that is indescribable. I am intrigued by the word aspiration within this sentence. Aspiration has multiple meanings, the one that would be common to associate with this senctence is "a strong desire to achieve something high or great", but it also means "an audible breath that accompanies or comprises a speech sound" or "the act of breathing or breathing in". We start to breathe in His life, to speak His life as we seek a relationship of unbroken communion with Him. How awesome is that!?! May God bless you richly as you surrender and seek His face. Amen!
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