MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers

"God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes. The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will." Oswald Chambers

Individuality
Dec 11 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (b 1874 - d 1917 WWI)

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

Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). 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.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it." Oswald Chambers

The Offering of the Natural
Dec 10 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (b 1874 - d 1917 WWI)

It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman —Galatians 4:22

Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.

Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . .” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.

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.

God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

It is a question of .."giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will." Oswald Chambers

The Opposition of the Natural
Dec 09 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (b 1874, d 1917 WWI)

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24

The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “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.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

{The Healing Heart} The Underminer - Shame

"But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and thelifter of my head." Psalm 3

What is 'lifter of my head' mean? Dignity and respect.

Shame is the one thing that can undermine any person regardless of their successes in life.

Often we were exposed to shame in our childhoods or youth. We suddenly felt so inadequate, inept,
or even worthless because of something that was said or done that we were unable to understand,
and thus stuffed the unexplained - and unresolved - feeling deep within our hearts.

Shame untended becomes angry, resentful, jealous, envious, and bitter. And we are most of us aware of what bitterness
does to a person, and those around them.

Families can shame us by their behaviors or words. We can either overcome it at the moment, becoming
an 'invulnerable' , or we learn to stuff it because it is something we cannot figure out.

People who carry shame often have addictions, or habits, that they have adopted so to ease the pain of
the shame within them. The drawback is that the habit they are using causes its own shame, thus doubling
the shame within, like a downward spiral.

A person who carries shame can transfer that shame to others sometimes so effortlessly that we do not
realize we have picked it up, yet our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, even our choice of friends is
evidence, usually over time, that we are carrying shame.

If we have not the ability to resolve our own shame issues, why then would we want to be managing
someone else's?

Sometimes we feel shamed, or ashamed, because of something we have said or done. In truth, the
real definition for this is guilt.

Guilt is feeling poorly about ourselves for something we've said or done that has not been appropriate
for the time, i.e., wrong doing.

Shame is feeling poorly about ourselves for no apparent reason, i.e., wrong being.

We feel that we do not fit in, or are attracted to people who feel similarly to us. When we find ourselves spending
time in conversation or activity with others who are 'shame based', we are setting ourselves up (or they are setting
us up) for failure.

There is no blame to be put anywhere except on the underminer itself, the shame.

What I like about the Bible statement above is that God knows us to the deepest, most hidden, areas of our
hearts. He knows the shame we carry, and He is able to 'lift our heads', giving us respect and dignity
where we have not had it.

We can go to Him and ask Him to be the lifter of our heads. His wisdom can help us resolve the reasons
why we carry shame and to unravel the mystery of it, so we can heal. Then, we can help others still
mired in its grip.

We can also trust God to lead us to people who not only understand our pain, but who are ably equipped to
give us dignity and respect.

I learned long ago the power of shame, its innate ability to wreak havoc in the lives of others, and how
we can learn to identify it and overcome its powerful grasp.
First -- Admit that you are human and have made mistakes or have been deeply hurt by others' behaviors. It is truthfulness
and honesty to admit it, and okay. Then, as a result, making amends by apologizing to those we've hurt [or working on the
forgiveness (understanding) process], is a necessity, even if by an unsent letter, just so we are able to resolve the tumbler
of emotions within us. Often when we communicate with others we find a kindred spirit, one who understands, has no scorn,
and who will empathize with us for they've gone through similar experiences themselves. [Note: confronting one who has
shamed you is best done after you've worked through the forgiveness process or the wounds can be amplified].

Second -- Realize that avoiding people because of shame is avoiding gifts God can share between each
other. Shame alienates and divides. When we learn to be ourselves, we allow God's healing touch on our wounded hearts
and we are able to talk to others comfortably, thus others can find healing also.

Third -- Spend time talking with others about being fully a human being, with gifts and faults, and what you have
learned in the process or journey of being a human. "Oops, I blew it, okay now how can I remedy it?" is a good adage

to adopt. Avoidance only deepens things, communication builds and rebuilds asit is honest and humble.

Avoidance is like an ostrich, communication is like a flock of butterflies.

Start things off by admitting God loves you regardless of your success and failures. He loves and accepts, so will others.

He is the lifter of your head.

Copyright 2012 Gretchen Offord, Susannah's Grace Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

We protest..."It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) Oswald Chambers

The Impartial Power of God
Dec 08 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (b 1874 - d 1917 WWI)

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified —Hebrews 10:14

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “. . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood . . .” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption." Oswald Chambers

“Not by Might nor by Power”
Dec 03 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (b 1874, d 1917 WWI)

My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4

If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.

Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God."

Christian Perfection
Dec 02 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (born 1874, died 1917 WWI)

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect .. Philippians3:12

It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do God's purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life's determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, It could never be God's will for me to be sick? If it was God's will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn't He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God's standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God's purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use
me. Let Him do what He wants.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God."

Christian Perfection
Dec 02 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (born 1874, died 1917 WWI)

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect .. Philippians3:12

It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do God's purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life's determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, It could never be God's will for me to be sick? If it was God's will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn't He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God's standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God's purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use
me. Let Him do what He wants.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ." Oswald Chambers

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
Nov 29 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

He will glorify Me . . . ”John 16:14

The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, That is the work of God Almighty! Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.

The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!

Jesus said, . . when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, . . . He will glorify Me . . .(John 16:13-14). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute."

The Riches of the Destitute
Nov 28 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

. . . being justified freely by His grace . . . —Romans 3:24

The gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the truth that it reveals is not palatable or easy to swallow. There is a certain pride in people that causes them to give and give, but to come and accept a gift is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom; I will dedicate my life to service— I will do anything. But do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into
the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5).


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work." Oswald Chambers

The Focal Point of Spiritual Power
Nov 26 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

. . . except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14

If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me. . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the
truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.

The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so."

“When He Has Come”
Nov 19 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

When He has come, He will convict the world of sin . . . —John 16:8

Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned . . .” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again.
The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.

Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

1711Project} What Happens When...
"Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:

While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.

As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty." Jesus, in Matthew 13 (also Mark 4, Luke 8)

What happens with the seed sown on rocky soil? Imagine a roadside with rocks on it, plants struggle to grow and thrive because there is no

dirt, no place to root. The seed that hits rocky soil hits home (the heart) and is accepted with joy. But, life's problems along with no

training in how to live as a Christian (faithful daily Bible reading, prayer) interfere and cause discouragement. Often false teachings, that

disagree with Biblical teaching, on the supposed ease of Christian living, getting what one wants, wrong theology, compromised Christian theology

(using Scripture for personal gain) are responsible for the discouragement.

What happens with the seed sown among thorns? Thorns represent attitudes of mind and/or heart that are not acknowledged or resolved.

Bad habits, pride, selfishness, greed, gluttony, lust, anger, resentment, fear....all these and more, including false teachings that twist

Scripture to be self-focused rather than properly God-focused, are thorns that choke The Word of God and The Holy Spirit grieving

Him even to silencing Him.

Many many Christians active in churches have thorns in their lives. They can go through the motions of being a Christian but they've

let things fester and rot, becoming bitter and rancid, in their hearts. They wear a mask, looking the part of a good Christian but

their hearts are far from God. They have missed Jesus' teachings on the sacrificial nature of following Him in obedience, which is doing

as He said (Matthew 28), and instead maintain appearances (Matthew 23) though inside them their hearts of full of nasty stuff.

False teachings (that use Scripture out of context, twisting it to mean something other than what God intended) are epidemic

in today's churches worldwide. Denominations have created divisions, and those divisions (based on teachings that each group

holds as Biblical while they ignore or reject other commands of Jesus) promote the 'false doctrines'. The massive pride that

goes along with false teachings hinders them from admitting their mistakes.

Some false doctrines are insignificant, though dangerous (2 Timothy 3-4). Others are like yeast, growing like weeds and poisoning many, as

does bitterness. Pride is the worst as it denies wrongdoing; it blocks the realization of false teachings. Pride is very cold, and fearful as it

doesn't want to get too personally involved in the lives of others (Luke 10)...yet Jesus showed us, and commanded us, on the vital importance

of personal involvement as believers (John 4).

Listening to false teachings, accepting them as 'okay', disregarding their destructiveness brings about oppression to a person. Oppression is

a heaviness of spirit that grieves, then quenches, The Holy Spirit and God's Word. Oppressiveness exists where false teachings

exist. Just visit any group of people who are believing and promoting something in disagreement with clear Biblical teaching and you can see

it...in extreme cases, the people there wear their oppression and it's obvious, often you can see it in their eyes. They have

been deceived, and allowed it, either willfully in sin, or unwillingly in sincere searching for Truth.

There is a church where, because of the darkness of severe false teachings (occult activities paraded as Biblical), you can see the oppression in the eyes of those actively involved in the activities. There are many other churches, who have engaged in weeks-long studies of books and other activities that contradict Scripture, thus ignoring The Bible, and that has brought about oppression.

Visiting a group of healthy Christians will show you self-lessness, kindness and consideration for God and others. Visiting oppressed (unhealthy) Christians and you will see selfishness, greed, lack of obedience to Jesus, using Scripture for self-centered gain.

Check this: do the songs sung point to God, money, or self? Do they meet because of Jesus, or WITH Jesus? (Revelation 3)

Oppression will leave when sin is acknowledged, and repentant hearts seek God alone.

It is a reminder of how important it is to read The Bible as God's Word, treat Him and His Word with reverence and respect, do not use His Word for selfish material or personal gain but honor Him in all things.

What happens with the good seed? It is sown on hearts willing to listen to God, do what He says, learn of & from Him, and allow Him to change them from within.

Jesus said He came for those who admitted they needed Him, their Saviour, for they were sin-sick and in need of redemption.

Can each of us admit that -- we too are sin-sick and in need of Him as our Saviour? That we have compromised God's Word with humanistic teachings (media offerings such as books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, conferences, seminars, cruises, etc.), and activities that are based on human traditions rather than The Word of God?

Some may be deceived by the so-called prophetic movement (**) that claims to speak for God, giving them so called freedom to speak wishful thinking to others. BUT - isn't God best at speaking for Himself? It is His Word that we need to hear, and humbly admit that He alone is God. (Jeremiah 14, 23, 28; Ezekiel 13, 14)

Why use Bible verses alone, as it misrepresents what God, The Author (2 Timothy 3) is saying? Reading chapters as whole to keep in context what God has to say to us -- instead of pulling verses out here and there; we would not do that with any other book, as it misrepresents what the author is saying, so why do we do it with God's Word?

It is time that we put aside all our media offerings, which have oversaturated our lives, and get back to reading our Bibles each day, learning of & from God, building personally our relationship with Him, John 14-17.
That's the ONLY way to be a Christian!
Copyright 2012 Gretchen Offord, The Acts 1711 Project. All rights reserved.

"The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life."

Still Human!
Nov 16 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31

In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.

We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” or, “What a great woman of devotion she is!” If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.

We want to be able to say, “Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!” But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life “hidden with Christ in God” in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet."
Faith or Experience?
Nov 13 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20

We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, “I haven’t had this experience or that experience”! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!

We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.

It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you."

The Changed Life
Nov 12 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new —2 Corinthians 5:17

What understanding do you have of the salvation of your soul? The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically changed. You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you. One of the tests for determining if the work of salvation in your life is genuine is— has God changed the things that really matter to you? If you still yearn for the old things, it is absurd to talk about being born from above— you are deceiving yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the change very evident in your real life and thought. And when a crisis comes, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing change that is the very evidence that you are saved.

What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13 , or do I squirm and evade the issue? True salvation, worked out in me by the Holy Spirit, frees me completely. And as long as I “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7), God sees nothing to rebuke because His life is working itself into every detailed part of my being, not on the conscious level, but even deeper than my consciousness.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"If you seek great things
for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you
barricade God from using
you...I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. "

Fellowship in The Gospel

Nov 10 2012 -- My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

. . . fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ . . . —1 Thessalonians 3:2

After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy
Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He
used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things
for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you
barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal
interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified
with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of
your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you
directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God
is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me
is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such
heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop
telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any
hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness.
Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy
“world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth
"Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood� or even your own
thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on
your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete
with and hinder obedience to God."

The Supreme Climb
Nov 11 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
He said, Take now your son . . .Genesis 22:2

God's command is,Take now,not later. It is incredible how we
debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not
doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it
can never be done later it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be
worked through our will before we actually perform it.

So Abraham rose early in the morning . . . and went to the place of which God had told him (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of
Abraham! When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood
(Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to confer with flesh and blood or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, I will only go to there, but no farther. God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed.
If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or
pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"Have we come to realize that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him."

The Unrivaled Power of Prayer
Nov 08 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered —Romans 8:26

We realize that we are energized by the Holy Spirit for prayer; and we know what it is to pray in accordance with the Spirit; but we don’t often realize that the Holy Spirit Himself prays prayers in us which we cannot utter ourselves. When we are born again of God and are indwelt by the Spirit of God, He expresses for us the unutterable.

“He,” the Holy Spirit in you, “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27). And God searches your heart, not to know what your conscious prayers are, but to find out what the prayer of the Holy Spirit is.

The Spirit of God uses the nature of the believer as a temple in which to offer His prayers of intercession. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:19). When Jesus Christ cleansed the temple, “. . . He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple” (Mark 11:16). The Spirit of God will not allow you to use your body for your own convenience. Jesus ruthlessly cast out everyone who bought and sold in the temple, and said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer . . . . But you have made it a ’den of thieves’ ” (Mark 11:17).

Have we come to realize that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him. We have to remember that our conscious life, even though only a small part of our total person, is to be regarded by us as a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” He will be responsible for the unconscious part which we don’t know, but we must pay careful attention to and guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

Never put yourself in front of your circumstances. ..All your circumstances are in the hand of God.

The Undetected Sacredness of Circumstances
Nov 07 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God ”Romans 8:28

The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can't understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, I'm going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.
All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don't ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to
touch the whole world with His saints.

Am I making the Holy Spirit's work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, . . . but the Spirit Himself makes intercession in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But..."

Intimate Theology
Nov 06 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Do you believe this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ . . .” (John 11:27).

Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.

To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.

Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

Partakers of His Suffering
Nov 05 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

. . . but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings . . . —1 Peter 4:13

If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way. You say, “Oh, I can’t deal with that person.” Why can’t you? God gave you sufficient opportunities to learn from Him about that problem; but you turned away, not heeding the lesson, because it seemed foolish to spend your time that way.

The sufferings of Christ were not those of ordinary people. He suffered “according to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:19), having a different point of view of suffering from ours. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. When it comes to suffering, it is part of our Christian culture to want to know God’s purpose beforehand. In the history of the Christian church, the tendency has been to avoid being identified with the sufferings of Jesus Christ. People have sought to carry out God’s orders through a shortcut of their own. God’s way is always the way of suffering— the way of the “long road home.”

Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

"...not following my own ideas, but choosing absolute loyalty to Jesus."

A Bondservant of Jesus
Nov 03 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . . —Galatians 2:20

These words mean the breaking and collapse of my independence brought about by my own hands, and the surrendering of my life to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to this point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot push me through it. It means breaking the hard outer layer of my individual independence from God, and the liberating of myself and my nature into oneness with Him; not following my own ideas, but choosing absolute loyalty to Jesus. Once I am at that point, there is no possibility of misunderstanding. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ or understand what He meant when He said, “. . . for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). That is what makes a strong saint.

Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is— will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my own understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable— “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .”

The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint.

One student a year who hears God’s call would be sufficient for God to have called the Bible Training College into existence. This college has no value as an organization, not even academically. Its sole value for existence is for God to help Himself to lives. Will we allow Him to help Himself to us, or are we more concerned with our own ideas of what we are going to be?


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first."

Faith
Oct 30 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Without faith it is impossible to please Him . . . —Hebrews 11:6

Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, and as impulsiveness is from inspiration. Nothing that Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, but is revelation sense, and is complete, whereas common sense falls short. Yet faith must be tested and tried before it becomes real in your life. “We know that all things work together for good . . .” (Romans 8:28) so that no matter what happens, the transforming power of God’s providence transforms perfect faith into reality. Faith always works in a personal way, because the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children.

For every detail of common sense in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes. God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of
the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

..We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God..."

What is a Missionary?
Oct 26 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Jesus said to them again, ’. . . As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’ —John 20:21

A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.

Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19).

When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, “What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!” But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth
Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:15 pm (PDT) . Posted by: "Gretchen Offord [SGC]" gretchjc "...All of God’s people are ordinary people..."

Submitting to God’s Purpose
Oct 25 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some —1 Corinthians 9:22

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing. We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact— “. . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

“I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.

Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . .” (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth
... It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. We should belong so completely to the Victor that it is always His victory..."

The Proper Perspective
Oct 24 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ . . . —2 Corinthians 2:14

The proper perspective of a servant of God must not simply be as near to the highest as he can get, but it must be the highest. Be careful that you vigorously maintain God’s perspective, and remember that it must be done every day, little by little. Don’t think on a finite level. No outside power can touch the proper perspective.

The proper perspective to maintain is that we are here for only one purpose— to be captives marching in the procession of Christ’s triumphs. We are not on display in God’s showcase— we are here to exhibit only one thing— the “captivity [of our lives] to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). How small all the other perspectives are! For example, the ones that say, “I am standing all alone, battling for Jesus,” or, “I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold down this fort for Him.” But Paul said, in essence, “I am in the procession of a conqueror, and it doesn’t matter what the difficulties are, for I am always led in triumph.” Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul’s secret joy was that God took him as a blatant rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive— and that became his purpose. It was Paul’s joy to be a captive of the Lord, and he had no other interest in heaven or on earth. It
is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. We should belong so completely to the Victor that it is always His victory, and “we are more than conquerors through Him . . .” (Romans 8:37).

“We are to God the fragrance of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 2:15). We are encompassed with the sweet aroma of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth
"...the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me..."

The Method of Missions
Oct 27 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . —Matthew 28:19

Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go . . . make disciples of all the nations . . . .” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples returned from their first mission, they were filled with joy because even the demons were subject to them. But Jesus said, in effect, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20). The missionary’s great essential is remaining true to the call of God, and realizing that his one and only purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus.

Remember that there is a passion for souls that does not come from God, but from our desire to make converts to our point of view.

The challenge to the missionary does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the missionary’s own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter.

The one great challenge to us is— do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God’s sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said? Or am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God’s only call for a missionary? If I follow any other method, I depart altogether from the methods prescribed by our Lord— “All authority has been given to Me . . . . Go therefore. . .” (Matthew 28:18-19).


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

Submitting to God’s Purpose
Oct 25 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some —1 Corinthians 9:22

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing. We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact— “. . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

“I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.

Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . .” (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

Nothing of the Old Life!
Oct 23 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new —2 Corinthians 5:17

Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We even say to ourselves, “God has to deal with other people in a very strict way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right.” But we must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life! Instead of being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately removing them from us. It is part of our moral education to see our prejudices put to death by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is nothing remaining of the old life. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18). How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that “is kind . . . is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil”? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God— such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself. Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected? Once we truly see God at work, we will never be concerned again about the things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our
Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

The Key to the Missionary’s Devotion
Oct 18 2012 - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

. . . they went forth for His name’s sake . . . —3 John 7

Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said, “Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love— it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.

Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.

The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.

The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.


"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth