The Habit of Rising to the Occasion

by Oswald Chambers

"That ye may know what is the hope of His calling . . ." Ephesians 1:18

Remember what you are saved for - that the Son of God might be manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion every time.

You cannot do anything for your salvation, but you must do something to manifest it, you must work out what God has worked in. Are you working it out with your tongue, and your brain and your nerves? If you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in order to see if you can vault over them properly - "By my God have I leaped over a wall." God will never shield you from any of the requirements of a son or daughter of His. Peter says - "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." Rise to the occasion; do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it gives God the chance to manifest Him self in your mortal flesh.

May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings. We have to exercise ourselves in order that the Son of God may be manifested in our mortal flesh. God never has museums. The only aim of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all dictation to God vanishes. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured out wine to feed and nourish others. http://www.myutmost.org/05/0515.html

I love Oswald Chambers. If you don't have his devotional book, "My Utmost For His Highest," give yourself a little spiritual treat and purchase it.

Royal Heir

Walking in The Spirit

What does that mean ... walking in the Spirit?

When I was a child, and then a teen and on up into my twenties, I heard many 'church phrases' (my father being in the ministry). I was born and raised on church terminology, accepted Jesus as my savior at a very young age, and yet most of these phrases meant little at all to me. I didn't know what they meant. In retrospect, I wonder why I didn't ask my parents. I'm still not sure, but one of the purposes of my blog is to enlighten people about scriptural things, so when I run across one of these phrases I try to remember that others might be in the dark, too.

Why do we talk this way? No, it's not just to annoy non-believers, to get on their nerves! It is the language of the Christian taken from God's Word. Just as scientists and accountants speak with words from their knowledge and experience base, so Christians speak from theirs. Maybe a good way to begin is to look at a few verses that refer to spirit.

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none." Matt. 12:43. The scripture plainly tells us here that the reference is to an unclean spirit. That is not the spirit we seek to walk with, but it is the spirit of all those who have not received Jesus Christ as savior. All human beings have either the spirit of the devil or the Spirit of the Lord directing and influencing their lives.

"And when the disciples saw him [Jesus] walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear." Matt. 14:26. Now in this case the scripture doesn't indicate what type of spirit they thought this to be. People were often initially frightened upon seeing spirits or angels - whether good or evil - simply because spirit manifestation is out of the realm of normal activity for most human beings. However, since that area of the world was filled with demon worship, this type of spirit appearance may not have been that unusual, and there is plenty of reason to be very frightened if demon spirits manifest themselves.

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out." Luke 11:24. This gives us a little more insight into demonic spirits, which are desperate to inhabit a person. They are so restless when disembodied that they will even enter into an animal, if necessary. That is why the demons Christ drove out of the demoniac begged Jesus to allow them to enter the swine, which he did allow.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. Notice the capitol letter "S." This immediately tells us that Paul is talking specifically about the Holy Spirit. He is reminding them that through Christ's sacrifice on the cross they are now free from the bondage of their old natures, since the Holy Spirit is now their guide.

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4. The moment a person accepts Christ into his life the Holy Spirit comes into his life. Unclean spirits may still influence a Christian, but they cannot inhabit or possess a Christian once the Holy Spirit resides in him.

"I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?" 2 Corinthians 12:18. Both Paul (who is speaking to the church in Corinth) and Titus were indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but here Paul is referring to the unity of spirit they shared together as people. They were united in their thoughts and spirits because they shared the same goals and outlook, as Christian men whose lives were now guided by the Holy Spirit.


"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Galatians 5:16,17. Here, Paul is talking to fellow Christians in Galatia. These were probably 'baby Christians,' who were not really allowing the Holy Spirit to rule and reign in their lives. He explains that it is necessary to obey the urging of the Holy Spirit within them if they wanted to attain to full Christian maturity. If they weren't being obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit they would be ineffective Christians rather than growing in their faith by walking in the Spirit. He is explaining that the 'natural man,' the natural fleshly nature of human beings, is prone to sin and demonic influences. They needed to vigilantly guard themselves against that.

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25. Paul is telling them to treasure and nurture the Holy Spirit, newly in them, through obedience. As we obey God's Word, the Bible, we make more and more of ourselves available to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as He leads us into Christian maturity. It is only in this way that we can fulfill the tasks God has for each one of us. Otherwise, we are ineffectual and make poor use of the mercy and grace he has extended toward us.

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Ephesians 2:1,2. Paul is warning the church at Ephesus the same as he did to the Galatians, reminding them that the Holy Spirit had 'quickened' them [made them alive] from their previously condition as 'world walkers' who remained subject to demonic persuasion. He is stressing how important it is for them to 'walk in the Spirit' which is newly within them.

The Holy Spirit is a precious gift Who resides within the believer and empowers him to overcome sin and live for the glory of God, serving the specific purpose He has for each Christian while on earth. We can, however, severely limit His power by ignoring Him. Those who seek to obey and follow His influence have limitless access to an abundant life of power that comes only from God.

Walking in the Spirit means that we rely on Him to lead the way, to speak, to give us warnings and direction. We, in turn, follow directions, heed His warnings and obey His directions. It is a path of complete surrender on our part. This is not easy - no argument there - but it is well worth the challenge. It leads to an incredibly rich and powerful fullness of life, an amazingly abundant and victorious journey ... a journey that prepares us to rule and reign with Jesus Christ on earth at His second coming. Our walks here will determine our rewards there.

If people could only comprehend the purpose for which they are intended while on this earth they would take an entirely different approach to life here. This life is a TEST. How well a Christian does while here on earth will determine the POSITION he will have throughout all of eternity. I read one theologian the other day who speculated about Christians having the opportunity to rule a planet or paint a sunset. I think he's right on target. I'm not interested in flipping burgers throughout eternity while I try to pass Eternity 101.

Which spirit will you walk with?

Royal Heir

They Walked The Walk

My mother and father walked the walk - and talked the talk.

They were living examples of true Christians. I never heard them take the Lord's name in vain. The worst thing my father ever said was, "Phooey!" which he said frequently, always in jest. I never heard them shout at each other. I never heard them seriously argue. I never saw any unkindness in them. I never saw any hypocrisy.

They were who they purported to be, a pastor and wife with two children. My brother and I could not have had better parents, better examples of Christians - people who have the spirit of Christ evident in every moment of their lives.

They were happy, joyful people ... content with whatever life handed them. When life handed them lemons they immediately went to the Lord in prayer. We had many miracles in our lives. God always took care of us. We were a family of praise for all the care He exhibited in our lives.

They thought they were simple people. They had no pretense of any kind. They never knew that they were heroes. They stood ten feet tall and never even knew it. Giants of the faith.

They were rich - in the things that counted. After I was grown they would talk about how tough things were financially when we were children, how at times they didn't know where the next meal was coming from at times. And yet the meal always did come. They were poor when they were young in the ministry ... poor in the world's eyes. I was always amazed when they talked about those times because I had no idea. As far as I was concerned we had everything. I had a perfect childhood.

I came to realize as an adult to what extremes the Lord has blessed me. It's not possible to explain how the blessings of a Christian heritage impact one's life in every single area. I am so thankful and grateful for it. I often wonder why the Lord has been so good to me. Every day is Thanksgiving for me. My Christian heritage goes back for generations. I was born into this world with the blessings of the fathers bestowed upon me.

Lest there be any confusion, I still had to answer God's call, respond personally to that call, repent and ask him to be the Lord of my life. That call is in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Everyone is invited to answer that call!

Mother and Daddy lived with us for a number of years in their old age. My mother would never admit being 'old' until she had passed 90 years of age! She was young at heart. What a smile she had. Every time I walked into the room she always seemed so thrilled to see me. As did Daddy. We were so very close - once I grew up ... yes, I went through my 'difficult' times. We were best friends. We talked about things of substance - religion, philosophy, politics. They never knew how intelligent they were. And so, so wise.

I don't want to give the impression that all of us have not had bad times. Our family has had troubles and even great tragedies in our lives. We do, after all, live here on earth :-) We can't escape that. But what is different is the supernatural assistance we have in dealing with them.

I never did really ever cry when Daddy went to be with the Lord in 2002, or when Mother followed him in 2008. It was all so perfectly right, even the timing. I knew where they were going and knew that I would see them again. It was a stunning story of peace and joy. Do you begin to see what I mean about how the Lord has blessed me? He brought me through those times in a truly supernatural way, as if I were actually floating above the circumstances. And those were not the only times. Walking with the Lord changes everything.

And do you know the most astonishing thing of all? My only son and my only grandson are walking in the very paths of my parents. I see that same integrity, honesty and love for the Lord in their lives, that same faith being lived out in this life. They are real Christians. They, too, are walking the walk - and talking the talk. It's the thrill of my life. It's a beautiful thing....

Generational blessings.

But, there is something even better. I am a child of the King himself ...

... A Royal Heir

God's Waiting Room, Part 1 of 3

"The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him." Lamentations 3:25

Do you wait well?

One of the most important and profound lessons I have learned as a Christian is how to wait.

I am not a naturally patient person. In fact, in my younger days, impatience was a hallmark of my nature. I am by nature an "action" person. I see a problem, decide on a course of action, and I want it done NOW. I set out immediately to get it accomplished. Grass never grew under my feet. This does not work well when one is dealing with the Lord because He requires you to act on His plan rather than on your own plan.

When you see how He works, you learn to love God's Waiting Room. And you learn that if you are willing to wait He leads you in a direction you never would have dreamed of on your own. I will give you two examples from my own experience.

I have played the piano since I was six years old. (I took violin lessons, too, but my dad made me quit those. He couldn't stand the noise.) Some time in the mid 1970s I was looking around to get involved in something new, and it wasn't happening. I was working full-time, had been involved in the pro-life movement, had almost completed a degree in Computer Systems Analysis going to night school, played the piano for First Baptist Church in Stockton, was involved with Concerned Women For America, and much more.

All of a sudden several of those activities wound down. And, after going through a university-wide computer conversion at my job as an accountant at UOP, and seeing the systems people being called in the middle of the night to come down and solve a problem, I decided that was not something I wanted to do. I quit my computer course just two classes short of that degree.

Now I had suddenly gained some blocks of time that I wanted to fill and began casting around for some new interest. Nothing emerged. Zip, zilch, nada.

It was around this time that I really began to take my Christian life very seriously, and so I began to pray about it. What was it that the Lord wanted me to do? I didn't realize it at the time, but I was about to spend my first spell in God's Waiting Room.

I have always loved to read but figured I could do more of that when I got 'old.' But, the Lord was able to get through to me that I needed to study. And so I became commited to have regular devotions -- prayer and Bible study. Now when I commit myself to something there's nothing in the world that's going to get in my way. And I threw myself into it with my characteristic zeal.

Not only did I have my scheduled devotions, but I found myself spending hour upon hour reading the Bible and studying commentaries. To my great amazement it turned out to be -- and still is -- the most absolutely fascinating thing I've ever done. I was seriously hooked on God's Word! The whole thing...Old and New Testaments. The first time through, some of it was a little tough, but slowly the Lord opened it up for me. I spent every spare minute in it.

I didn't even know it ... but I was in the Waiting Room. And I stayed there for a couple of years. I could have stayed forever.

One evening the phone rang and it was a man named Stan Dennis. He had heard of me through a mutual friend and wanted to know if I would be interested in playing piano for a traveling gospel group, The Crusaders. Well, I was completely honest and told him I would be thrilled to do that but I was positive that I was not the person they wanted, since everyone in the group played their instruments by ear, and I played strictly from written music. And yet he persisted. When I hung up I wondered how it had happened that I had agreed to go to just one practice and meet everyone. I knew it would be a waste of everyone's time and almost called him back and cancelled.

I didn't know it at the time, but the Lord had just opened the door of the Waiting Room and was calling me out.

The next week I showed up and met the four others in the group and proceeded to have the most frightening and humiliating scene in my life. It was awful. They gave me written words with chords written in by hand. I didn't have a clue what to do with it. It wasn't 'regular' music ... there were no notes ... I had never heard the songs before ... there was no 'time signature' telling the rhythm or beat ... and they began to sing and play their instruments. At some point I had the idea maybe we could record them doing the songs and I could work at home from the tape, so that is what we did.

Somehow the session ended. It was impossible to believe they actually wanted me to come back for another practice. I think this was the first time in my life that I had ever really failed at anything and I felt like a miserable failure. It was terrible. Unbearable.

Yet - somehow the indomitable spirit rose up in me and I was determined to work from those tapes and learn how to do this. After all, my name isn't Carole (Noel...Song) for nothing! I worked as if my life depended on it during that week, listening to those tapes probably hundreds of times and trying to work out the chords from the home-made music sheets and play along.

I didn't feel great about it by the time the next session rolled around but it was a challenge. I wasn't as good at the practice session as I thought I had been at home, but it was a cut above the week before. (It would have been impossible for it to have been worse.) Somehow we got through it, but I pressed upon them my offer to just back out. They refused to hear it. The third week was another cut above the second week.

I traveled with the Crusaders for over 15 years. We were gone almost every Sunday to churches throughout California. I had to stop playing for First Baptist. My son, Michael, was at that critical age of transition from adolescent to teen, and I was a single mom. He joined the group and we were able to do that wonderful Christian work together for several years. I composed all of the arrangements, learning to not only play by chord only, but learning how to turn the wonderful 'freedom from notes' into a personal expression of gratitude, through music, to that beautiful Holy Spirit who was teaching me Himself.

I went on to play for some fantastic choirs and with a contingent from the Stockton Symphony.

I never played the piano the same way again. The Lord had taken me and my gift and had transformed both.

It was several years later before I realized that I had been in God's Waiting Room, a room I have returned to often at His beck and call. A room I have come to love.

A Child of the King

^" Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me." Micah 7:7


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