Emails To Henry # 5 - Day by Day

Dear Henry,

Just how long will we try to content ourselves with the things of this world, already knowing they won't satisfy. And why would we choose friendship with the world over God anyway? Especially in light of James 4:4 which says You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

We have chosen to love the world and the things of the world irregardless that 1John 2:15-16 says Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. And yet we continually try to provide security and a future to our lives through worldly wisdom instead of taking time to hear God and put His wisdom into practice in our lives.

However Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. If we believe God is who He said He is and believe He will do what he said He will do, then let's come before Him and receive His reward.

Of wisdom God says in James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Wisdom says in 8:33-35 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

God wants to bless us, God wants to reward us, God wants to give us wisdom for living, empowerment for serving, love for sharing, and miracles for praising. He actually wants to spend time with us!

In finishing 2 Corinthians 4:16 says: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Keeping Devotion,
jim

Emails To Henry #4 - Come Away My Lover

Dear Henry,

 

Song of Solomon 8:14 says: Come away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. How do we answer the inner call to "come away" when we no longer hear it?

 

There was a time when we did, but we began to put Him off, to put others and other things before Him, and the call of sleep became stronger and more inviting than the call of the Lover of our souls. It is like in 5:2 of Song of Solomon: I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night."

 

But we, as the Shulammite, at first had our excuses, vs 3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?

And finally we would give no excuse, only roll over in silence for more sleep. And when we awoke, we awoke to slience. And when we go to Him now there is only silence.

 

 

Again, how do we answer the inner call to "come away" when we no longer hear it? I think the following verses from SOS 5 will help direct us: 6 I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. We again open the door for Him and to Him. We enter that inner sanctuary again, and begin to cry out again, begin to seek him again.

 

8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you— if you find my lover, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love.

 

We again begin to tell Him of our love, of our desire and need for Him, of our desperation for Him. We again make Him and our relationship with Him the number one priority of our lives. As we again begin to nuture our relationship with him we will again hear the call to come away, to spend time with Him, in fellowship, worship, prayer, adoration and the Word. We will again enter into inrimacy with Him. The Amplified Bible words Proverbs 3:32 as … His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). (Prov 3:32)

Mt 6:6 says: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Andrew Murray in response to this verse writes "Of course, to go to your room and close the door means that you must also exclude all worldly thoughts, as well as that with which you are busy. You must be alone with God and pray to him only. ... Let this be the main purpose of your quitetime: to sense the presence of your heavenly Father. Take time to pray to Him. ... Then follows the great promise: You Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you openly. All through your busy, active day, God will answer your prayer. The prayer said in your sanctuary will be followed by the secrete working of God in your heart."

 

May it soon be said of us "Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?" (SOS 8:5)

Humbly seeking God,

jim

Emails To Henry #3 - A Secret Life With God

Dear Henry,

One thing we need everyday is fellowship with Jesus. Andrew Murray has said, "It is through a personal encounter that we are freed from our sins. ... As He and I commune in the expression of common love and longing, His love will by the working of the Holy Spirit, conquer all sin in me." I am reminded of this verse out of Rev 1:5 "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood". Another version says, "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood". (Emphasis mine)

Again from Andre Murray, "May you experience the joy of fellowship with Jesus every day. ... You will be aware of the presence of Jesus throughout the day and discover the secrete of a life dedicated to Him."

Romans 12:1-2 from the Amplified Bible says "I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
(Emphasis mine)

One last appeal from scripture, Luke 9:23 says "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
(Emphasis mine)

A secret life with God will empower a daily life lived for Him. And least you think this not possible, remember, Prov 3:32 says "... He is intimate with the upright." God both desires and enables us to have an intimate relationship with Him, but we must spend time with Him for it to be developed.

Traveling With You,

jim

Emails To Henry #2 - Focusing Our Faith

Dear Henry,

This is the second of what will hopefully be a few letters to encourage your and my faith.  I would like to start with John 15:9 - As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Jesus is telling us that he loves us in the same manner, in the same way, to the same depth that the Father loves Him. Then he tells us to remain, to stay, to abide in His love. John 15:10 tells us how this is done: If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. Part of remaining, staying in the love of Christ is in our obedience to Him. It is His Word being written upon our hearts and lived out in our lives.

Now least we think abiding/staying is about doing, we must remember that it is about trusting. It is about staying in that trust, beleiveing and relying on Him, and doing the things he wants us to do even when we don't want to. We must stay in relationship with Him, we must stay in fellowship with Him. Spending daily time with Him will help nuture that.

When we inherited eternal life, we got far more than being "born again". We got into a relationship with the God of all creation and his Son Jesus Christ. John 17:3 says Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. This knowing is an intimate, growing knowledge of and a relationship with the Trinity, Whom we should be getting to know better and better. Proverbs 3 32 says: ... He is intimate with the upright. That's right,  Intimate! Of course, as in any relationship, this does not come automatically.It has to be nurtured. The developing of this intimacy takes time and intentional purpose. Just as we must spend time with a person we love for this to happen, so must we also spend quality time with the Lover of our souls if we want intimacy with Him.

Andrew Murray on june 2 of Daily In His Presence says: "God gave His Son in order to draw us closer to Him. This can only be achieved by having fellowhip with Jesus Christ." Two sentances later he says: "For this we need to seperate ourselves from the world daily and focus our faith on Jesus."

This focusing of our faith sets the course for our day and our lives. It helps us to get our lives centered on Jesus. To quote Mr Murray again, "Take time for fellowship with Him."

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:1-4)

 

Together For Him,

jim

 

Reply to:

Reply to Jim Logan

Reply to Jim Logan

Send

Emails To Henry #1 - Ongoing Spiritual Renewal

Dear Henry,

I am writing you out of that which I am again having to learn. Let's learn together.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2Cor 4:16)

This is a good verse for us Henry, the promise of an ongoing spiritual renewal. However, this renewal only comes as we spend time in God's presence.

It won't be accomplished by an obligatory speed reading of a passage of scripture and a quick prayer to ward off evil and get a blessing every day or so, or even in meeting with other Christians.

It will take being disciplined. It will take making it a priority to spend quality time alone with God on a daily basis. We do that through His Word, worship, stillness, prayer, listening, etc.

Andrew Murray in Daily In His Presence says on June 1, "... you need to learn to spend time each day - without exception - in fellowship with the Lord. In this way the inner man will be renewed from day to day."

There is no short cut, but there is a promise. It is for daily renewal as we participate daily with him in His presence. Start again and continue, we can't afford not to. Our future and the future of our families depends on it. The best we can do for our families is not sound fiscal planning, though that is good.

The best we can do for our families is to show them a life lived for God, empowered by intimacy with Him, lived out on a daily basis, and attracting them to also abandon themselves to God. The best we can do for our families and ourselves, is to live for God wholeheartedly every day without fail. Of course, this will not happen with out spending that quality daily time with Him. We get distracted and discouraged very easily.

Any vision we have for our lives that doesn't have God at the forefront will not bring us into the abundant life that Jesus promises us in John 10:10. He will do His part but we must cooperate with Him. We have to do our part, which begins with spending quality time with Him.


Sincerely,
Jim