The Principle of Surrender

This is a really great blog post by Chip Brogden of The School of Christ. It’s about taking up our cross daily and what that truly means.

The Principle of Surrender

Do you know what that truly means? Have you experienced the power found in the surrender? There is a rest to be found in the genuine and true surrender to the Father and His ultimate will (no matter what it is!) that simply can not, and will not, ever be found anywhere else. It is surely reserved for only those who venture into the Way of the Cross and find what He has for us, that we have for so long felt was unattainable.

What you have thought was attainable to experience by being ‘born again’ and (although you may hesitate to confess it to be true) were disappointed when it wasn’t your experience, can be found in the OVERCOMING experience. That only happens by taking up your cross (not fighting the devil!) and fully surrendering. (Maybe that will be a seperate blog post).

Read this. Think about it and tell me what your thoughts are on this.

 

Validation

I thought this was a great video clip. It’s fun to watch (about 16 minutes), and it says so much. Hear the heart of the Father in this and be blessed.

Be a blessing. Be a validator.

 

Minister to One Another

Wow! Where have I been? It has been too long since I’ve been posting, but I have been legitimately busy.

I have already included in my blogroll, a friends website I have been working on, and I will include it on my ‘Recommended’ Page. This is kingdavidstable.com.

King David's Table

David Weber and I have carved out, what I think, is a beautiful site with many of his messages that should stir you on to greater things in and of God. We have both felt the hand of the Lord on this website and therefore expect many other people to be quite blessed by the treasures to be found there.

Although these messages are laid out for you like a bountiful buffet, please consider responding to David about what you are being blessed with from the site and even how you like the site visually and if things seem pretty easy to find.

I’ve come to realize myself, more so lately, that within the family of God, we don’t do enough to encourage our brothers and sisters, bear one another’s burdens, share things in common, and bless and minister to one another. We do need to come to understand that it is the Father we are blessing ultimately when we do these things. Jesus even said a day would come when He would say to MANY, “When you DID NOT minister to the least of these, you did not minister to me.” That does not mean a cheque written to World Vision. It means putting yourself aside and another FIRST until their burden or need is ended or changed or you are released from the spiritual responsibility of it. Or simply extending thoughtfulness, courtesy and kindness.

I’m sure you can think of several people you know, even as personal friends right now, that have needs of all kinds. But we also minister to another (and ultimately the Father) when we are ‘there for each other’ even when needs are prevalent or the main focus. Family is family ALL of the time. Consider in respectful prayer to whom the Lord would have you minister where there are needs, even something as simple as encouragement or a ‘hello’, that the body of Christ be built up.

You can be plug full of doctrine, but if you aren’t loving your neighbour, it’s like filthy rags.

Seriously pursue the Lord as to what you may do to minister to Him by ministering to another. You don’t ever have to be a bible scholar, a preacher, pastor or have any kind of ‘ministry’, when the Lord Himself desires to be ministered to by EVERYONE, even by you ministering to another in a way that may not even seem that great or special.

Please check out my friends website and be blessed and greatly enriched. And again I ask, please consider sharing your thoughts and blessings (and anything else) with a special brother (of the website I mentioned above) who has given his very life as a living sacrifice to minister to the Lord by ministering to the rest of us.

The Lord bless you as you bless one another,

dj

 

True Spiritual Abundance

“Just as the Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep, so the True Vine gives His Life for the Branches. Do you see the connection? It’s the same thing. It’s exactly the same thing. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep; the True Vine gives His Life for the Branches. This Life He gives is not for the purpose of making my life better; it is given so that I can exchange my life altogether, and rely upon the Life of Another.”

This portion just above is an excerpt from an email I received from The School of Christ website. It is an article based on an audio series as indicated below. The author, Chip Brogden, brings out so much truth in his book, articles and audio. I do encourage you to visit his site and see what the Holy Spirit would lead you to that He may bring you into further understanding of living by the life of another and that He must increase and you must decrease.

The preceeding article is based on an audio series titled “Abide In Me: The Way of Spiritual Abundance.”

To request your copy of this message on a double compact disc set, visit:

http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/audio/cds122.html

*******************************************

I mention the above because in reading it this morning my spirit rejoiced in the message and knowing that this is the way the Holy Spirit has been leading me, and very much so, lately.

I have described my experience lately as ‘defying’ the world. I am also obviously ‘denying’ myself (which is death to self). The world I have grown up in, and my carnal self, has dictated reactions I have had in the past to certain circumstances. Nothing life threatening or of an emergency nature at this point, but just daily stuff. Car breaking down, a complicated problem with work, a stressful relationship.

In these type of situations I am prone to have thoughts of anxiety, that lead to fear, or panic, or just greater stress and the resulting physical symptoms like headaches, loss of appetite, etc. The other day I was driving my car and it was making horrendous sounds. It sounded like the entire car would fall apart right there. It really sounded bad. Immediately my heart start racing because I’m in traffic, my thoughts go to my bank account and if I can afford a car repair bill right now, and so on.

Then I caught myself and said “No. I will not be afraid. You’d like that wouldn’t you (self)? I’m not going to. Lord, I trust you. Whatever happens, I trust you and I will not give myself over to fear. But I am taking the car in to get checked.”

The car was checked and found to have only a build up (a really big build up) of ice underneath. Problem solved.

This is not the first time I have done this, nor is it the last. It is my intention, that by the spirit, this shall continue until there is no vestige left of me that would fear or concern myself. (Until the devil can find nothing in me). It certainly doesn’t mean these things will never happen, but I will certainly handle them in and by the spirit and not self.

Here is definitely a worshiping of the Lord “in Spirit and in Truth”. My life is a living sacrifice, and the only worthy sacrifice is His life in me. My life is not a worthy sacrifice. My life is actually already dead IN HIM. It is the Holy Spirit that leads Christ’s life in me as a sacrifice. To deny the Father the Life of Christ in me as a living sacrifice, then I am saying I do not want the Father’s will, and therefore stand opposed to the Kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven. I can’t do that to my Father. I can’t do that to Christ who shows up faithful and consistent for me ever single day and moment.

My prayer is that all of you either already know this overcoming experience, or that you will. This is the abundant life given us in Christ. This is our eternal life now. His life is eternal. His life in us, the begotten spirit which is the real us, makes us eternal now. I think that’s pretty abundant.