My Utmost for His Highest - April 21st - Now Don't Hurt the Lord!

Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? - John 14:9

    Our Lord must be repeatedly astounded at us--astounded at how un-simple we are. It is opinions of our own which make us stupid, when we are simple we are never stupid, we discern all the time. Philip expected the revelation of a tremendous mystery, but not in the One Who he knew. The mystery of God is not in what is going to be, it is now; we look for it presently, in some cataclysmic event. We have no reluctance in obeying Jesus, but it is probable that we are hurting Him by the questions we ask. "Lord, show us the Father. (John 14:8)" His answer comes straight back--"There He is, always here or nowhere." We look for God to manifest Himself to His children; God only manifests Himself in His children. Other people see the manifestation, the child of God does not. We want to be conscious of God; we cannot be conscious of our consciousness and remain sane. If we are asking God to give us experiences, or if conscious experience is in the road, we hurt the Lord. The very questions we ask hurt Jesus because they are not the questions of a child. 

    "Let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1, 27)"--then am I hurting Jesus by allowing my heart to be troubled? If I believe the character of Jesus, am I living up to my belief? Am I allowing anything to perturb my heart, any morbid questions to come in? I have to get to the implicit relationship that takes everything as it comes from Him. God never guides presently, but always now. Realize that the Lord is here now, and the emancipation is immediate. 

From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

- Underlines and Highlights are courtesy of Mom from her print edition. 

Mark 15:16-20 - The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Mark 15:16-20
16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they *called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 They *dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they *led Him out to crucify Him.

Message: The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has been seized on Thursday evening, then taken back and witnesses came but then Caiaphas question Jesus and he admitted he was the Messiah, the Son of God and would sit at the right hand of God. Caiaphas took this as blasphemy and wanted him to die. The people spat on him and beat him. They turned him over to Pilate for Roman authority carried out capital punishment. Pilate questioned him about being King of the Jews and he admitted it. There was an opportunity to pardon someone but the Jewish people wanted Barabbas, a man who revolted against Roman authority pardoned, and despite questions by Pilate of what should come of Jesus, the people responded in the same way the chief priests responded - Crucify Him.

In the scripture, when God deals with a people it is often through Gentiles. The Gentiles became instruments of God to deal with the sins of people - their turning their back on God or serving other God's. He used his chosen people's enemies to bring about judgment on His chosen people. However, these Gentiles were not aware of this, they were all acting for their own reasons. And though each was responsible they were also serving the role of God. God works all things together is what Romans 8:28 says. The sovereign Lord of history uses people for His purposes. It is for his good that often doesn't feel like good. And present day people don't understand this when our highest good is comfort, safety, personal enjoyment and being entertained. We are a people that not only hate to feel bad, but everything in our lives is about making sure nothing hurts. Tolerance is preached from the mountain tops which means we are never to have a hard day and never to pass judgment on anyone.

In this moment with Jesus he is being dealt a blow by his enemies at the time. The Jewish leaders were threatened by Him, not because He was was right, but because he was different. And their authority in that day was being threatened. And they wanted him to die. And they got the people to think the same thing and form a mob. They were responsible, but Jesus also predicted his death. Jesus was to die. He knew it. He prayed I think that he would have the strength, the human strength to go through with it.

He was a man without sin. Did he deserve this? No. But his purpose was carrying out and showing God's wrath for human sin. The Lamb must be slaughtered. God preached substitution atonement. Each person is responsible for their own sin but each person is incapable of enduring the wrath for their own sin. They need a substitute. The world cries out that each person is to "do the best they can" but God says "no one is worthy."

Today, I look at Jesus being mocked. In verse 15, Jesus has been scourged. But now in addition to being beaten in different ways -  twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him - they took a crown of thorns that when we touch a thorn in the garden we put on special gloves to prevent those thorns from pricking our hand because we hate that pain. We hate pain. And Jesus had a crown of thorns placed on His head. Every time he moved a thorn would jab him. Every time someone beat him it would press against his head. I hate thorns. I hate the stinging pain. He had a crown of thorns. What pain he experienced. They kept beating His head with a reed. While the crown of thorns was on his head, the reed was a scepter or instrument that inflicted more pain on him. Again, the reed would hit his head and drive those thorns into his temple. I'm not sure of the makeup of this reed. But, it was used to inflict more pain.

There was spitting on Him. They spit on his face. It was demeaning. And they kneeling and bowing before Him, so they mocked Him. They took his dignity away. O how we hate to have our dignity threatened. Many people spend years dealing through the pain of words.

Summary - Jesus has already been scourged to the point of death, but now he receives a crown of thorns and continued pain is inflicted on him as those thorns continue to prick his head and then he is mocked and spit on and mocked some more. Jesus takes all this pain. He stands their silent. He does not run. He does not try to get away. He accepts it.

Promise: The Lord endures suffering for me. What I am learning day by day to hate more than anything in this life is unease, discomfort, pain, feeling bad -- Jesus endured these things for me. He took the punishment and the pain.

Prayer: O Lord, I am so weak. I am getting trained in this world each day in the wrong way. Lord, I am to toil for you. I am to work hard. Yet Lord, my greatest goal is to protect myself from this to the point that I feel like many times I have graduated from pain. I just want things to be fixed. Lord Jesus thank you for taking my pain. I hate thorns and I protect myself against them but for you there was no protection. You took all the pain. Lord, my words of thanks will never be good enough, but help me to know that I can live my life in a better way. I can submit and surrender to You and give it my all each day to toil for you. Forgive me for looking for the easy road, the road of comfort and ease. Help me instead to surrender to You and accept what You provide. Make me withstand this in life.

Proverbs 7:21-27 - The Gatekeeper of Death

Proverbs 7:21-27
With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him.
Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as fetters to the discipline of a fool,
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it his life.

Now therefore, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths.
For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain.
Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

Message:  The Gatekeeper of Death

Time: King Solomon is the principal writer of Proverbs. Solomon's proverbs were penned around 900 B.C. In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations, too. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Background
For me, the crux of the first 20 verses of Proverbs 7 is the pleading from a father to his son to treasure the commandments that he is passing along. Treasure the words of the sage, of the Father God. Stay close to them. Adhere to  them in your life, for only then will you be able to withstand the temptations that will be present in this life. And temptations will be many. But, the sexual temptations, or the carrying away of ourselves to abandon our principles will be the strongest. We can't even give them a moment. The door opens when we allow ourselves to be in a dangerous environment. For the young boy, it is walking down the road of the adulteress, where she lives. There are other ways to get to our destination, so we should not even go there. 

The Problem
These remaining verses catapult the encounter and we get to witness first hand what is in store for the person that gets pulled away. I must admit, as a man, these verses resonate with me because I am pulled away too easily, it would seem. The clothing manufacturers have continued to make clothing that simply show off too much of a woman. I struggle with my eyes and it is a struggle when people are bending over in front of you or wearing short dresses. I'm captivated by my wife, but would prefer it in the privacy of my own home. It's really a horrible thing for the man to live with for it is everywhere. And the phone makes it worse. It is too easily accessible. Thus, the title of this message: the gatekeeper of death.

Studying this passage
Verse 21 begins "with her many persuasions." Again, these to me are not just verbal, but they are visual persuasions. They could be a glance, an alluring look, but most likely they are the way a person carries oneself. 'Many persuasions' also speaks to the many different ways we are confronted with this. The temptation now shows itself in so many different ways. But also in these verses is the inference that the person is reluctant because "she entices" and "she seduces." Thus, even in these verses, one could apply I Corinthians 10:13 in that there is a way out when the temptation presents itself.

And then the striking words of verse 22 "suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to slaughter." The road to death is set. The man is walking it. He is captivated, and yet, his life will never be the same. The visual expression of an ox going to slaughter is such an assault; it is such a picture of what the sin does to us. It because a drug that overtakes all of our senses. The ox is obviously not realizing his destination. The ox is being led somewhere that it is thought will only yield good outcomes. The "slaughter" represents the end, not the journey. But "he does not know it is his life." He is consumed with the moment, not the end. The consequences or results of this act are not overtaken by the momentary high.

And so the chapter ends the way it begins. There are words from the wise one to the son, "Listen to me" and "pay attention." Here is the reason: "Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways" and "do not stray into her paths." In these words is the idea I think of 1 Corinthians 10:13 and it is "don't go there." Don't put yourself in a position that is hard to come back from. Once the ox is on the way to the slaughter, it is too late. I must think about this in my life. For instance, I just realized that when I am down on life, or angry, then it is not good to have my phone with me and so, like going to bed - don't bring it to bed. Leave it in the other room. 

At the end of this passage is more ammunition. It is the father building the case. He hopes that the son would simply listen to his words. He would hope that this is compelling enough. But, he also then shows the son the results of the sinful lifestyle. This paints the picture of any addiction in our lives.

For many are the victims she has cast down, 
and numerous are all her slain.
Her house is the way to Sheol, 
descending to the chambers of death.

The language is final. They are victims. They are numerous. This is a problem many have. They are slain - again death. Her house is on the trek to death. Her house is lower than any person really wants to go. It should be clear, but instead deception has taken over. 

Promise: The foolish young man who heeds the call of the adulteress will find nothing but destruction in her arms.

Prayer: Oh Lord, I need help in this. I am not strong. I am too easily lured away. Once the sin starts, it just continues to be a problem. I'm embarrassed as to what this sin has done to me over the years. To think that I can be so easily enticed. Lord, place a hedge around me. I need your protection. Give me strength. Give me rest today. Lord, I want to be free. I hate the feeling of being a slave to it. I want to follow you. Help me Lord. 

Jesus Calling: October 26

Come to Me when you are hurting, and I will soothe your pain. Come to Me when you are joyful, and I will share your Joy, multiplying it many times over. I am All you need, just when you need it. Your deepest desires find fulfillment in Me alone.
     This is the age of self-help, Bookstores abound with books about "taking care of number one," making oneself the center of all things. The main goal of these methodologies is to become self-sufficient and confident. You however, have been called to take a "road less traveled": continual dependence on Me. True confidence comes from knowing you are complete in My Presence. Everything you need has its counterpart in Me. 

John 15:5
English Standard Version

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

James 1:4
English Standard Version

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

My Prayer
Lord, I am hurting today. Granted, it is emotional, concerned about my son and his current poor choices he is making with his life. You know about it. We've talked about it, but it hurts. It hurts to see him throwing his life away at the age of 15, with not a care in the world. Soothe my pain. Why is it I just come to you when its bad? Rarely do I come to you and celebrate victories. Yet, you are reminding me of this. You are reminding me that I need to keep coming to you. I want to be centered on you and run to you, no matter the experience and have confidence that you will take care of the problem. I do want to depend on You, not me and not even on what an author says about how I should handle this or that situation that is under your control. You are all I need. I want to believe that and live like that every moment of the day.

Update: October 26, 2017, 9:50am, Albuquerque, NM - I appreciate your prayers and standing in the gap with me. My son is 16 and still a challenge, but also a joy. His mother and I continue to commit him to the Lord, praying Ezekiel 36:26 for him daily and we are thankful for friends and many that support. We dis-enrolled him from school last month and he's doing an online public school with mostly my wife's help, as he is more accepting of her. We are praying for good people in his life, preferring people that honor God with their life. His idol of choice is Cannibas and we feel it has a big hold on him these last 2 years.  He was in substance abuse counseling for 16 months, but recently quit that since he has no desire to be sober. We understand that in life not everything works out the way we want it to, but this never changes our dependence on God and our trust and belief on Him to do the impossible and no matter the outcome, we want to continue to abide in Him. Thank you. 

Update: October 26, 2019 - My son is 18 now; he graduated from high school and is working now at a local restaurant. The bottom line is I love my son and nothing will ever change this. All of us have a tendency to turn to things not named God to cope with life and the struggles and disappointments and hurts we experience - but God remains the only anchor and help and the only one that brings true peace. While it hurts for anyone to not see this truth and naturally it hurts the most for those closest to us -- my response remains the same - love people, love God, and pray that more people, including my son, will love God more than anything else and turn to Him throughout all of the turns of life. Thank you for coming alongside me in this journey. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: October 14

Be prepared to suffer for Me, in My Name. All suffering has meaning in My kingdom. Pain and problems are opportunities to demonstrate your trust in Me. Bearing your circumstances bravely--even thanking Me for them--is one of the highest forms of praise. This sacrifice of thanksgiving rings golden-toned bells of you throughout heavenly realms. On earth also, your patient suffering sends out ripples of good tidings in ever-widening circles.
     When suffering strikes, remember that I am sovereign and that I can bring good out of everything. Do not try to run from pain or hide from problems. Instead, accept adversity in My Name, offering it up to Me for My purposes. Thus, your suffering gains meaning and draws you closer to Me. Joy emerges from the ashes of adversity through your trust and thankfulness. 

James 1:2-4
English Standard Version

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Psalm 107:21-22
English Standard Version

²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
²² And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

My Prayer: Lord, I admit that understanding value in suffering is hard for me to comprehend, especially when so much of the world that I live in trains me in the idea that entertainment, pleasure, comfort, and safety is not simply what we all want, but what we all think must be present at all times in our lives. Sometimes, the greatest obstacle I have in talking to people about You is the idea that you allow suffering to occur. Yet, you show me continually good that comes through it, though I know other suffering I won't understand till I reach the other side. I'm not sure I will ever do what you ask and that is, embrace the suffering, but with your help and strength I do want to trust You through it. Jesus walked into Jerusalem knowing that he would be spit on, mocked and then deeply wounded to the point of death. As much as I hate pain, I really can't comprehend the extent to which he suffered and that he would then do it to set me free. So in that suffering, something really good resulted. O Lord...I can't wait to be welcomed Home. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.