Kenneth S. Wuest

ADORATION

Posted by

0

THE SPIRIT—MY INTERNAL SECURITY

Screen Shot 2016-05-14 at 1.57.40 PM“Give me the saving lamp of thy Spirit that I may see thee, the God of my salvation, the delight of my soul, rejoicing over me in love” The Valley of Vision (ref#76, p136).

It is the SPIRIT “…Who writes the law of God inwardly on the heart],…” (Isa 59:21 AMP). FATHER, the SPIRIT verifying Your Word reveals Your covenant, promises, faithfulness, and more.

By the SPIRIT I find joy, for when He brings the Gospel truths home to my soul with life, vigor and power, transforming me into the image and likeness of those truths, it is to my delight (ref#35, p388).

He understands my spiritual condition. When I stop to notice I find Him doing constantly what I need. What comfort to know He is always present with me continually (ref#35, p388-389).

He enables me to loose my desire to keep my agenda; there is an excitement and joy being led by the SPIRIT. I will exalt Him for making me able to stand empty—to stand waiting for Him.

FATHER, He prods me to recount Your graces—awakens me to comprehend how much You value me—makes me know the extent to which You cherish me (ref#130, p179). And all this is just a drop in a bucket compared to what He pours out for me.

“…the Father…will give to you…the Spirit… whom the world is not able to receive because it does not see Him with discernment and does not know Him experientially. But, as for you, you know Him experientially…” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p250, [John 14:16-17]).

ADORATION

Posted by

0

GOD’S POWER

Screen Shot 2016-03-26 at 1.44.24 PM“O the depth of the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments, and how untraceable the paths He takes…” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p372,373, [Rom 11:33]).

FATHER, the book of Nahum declares that You are slow to anger yet great in power (Nahum 1:3). How is it that You see Your enemies yet do not rouse Yourself to wrath but hold Your anger?

Remind me, that Your power is not a power that has to prove itself over and over. It is so great that no challenge comes close to overcoming You. It is Your greatness that brings me grace and goodness (ref#34, Feb 22nd PM).

 “When Moses said, ‘I beseech thee, show me thy glory,’ God replied, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before thee’ (Exod 33:18-19). Not, ‘I will make all My power, My majesty, My holiness pass before thee’ but ’I will make all My goodness to the weak, the sinful, and the undeserving pass before thee’… His glory is His grace (Eph 1:6)” Roy and Revel Hession (ref#100, p32).

FATHER, I naturally desire You show Your power—how often have I prayed, “LORD, show everyone how great You are by miraculously healing so and so.” I always want You to exalt Yourself. But isn’t that so “I” can be proud of You? “You are ‘my’ GOD who has great power.” Thus “I” boast and in so doing “I” give myself glory.

“Glory in a man’s eyes is always that which exalts him…God’s glory consists in the very reverse—not so much in His ability to exalt Himself and humble man, but in His willingness to humble Himself for the sake of man; not so much in a mighty display of power that would break in pieces those that oppose Him, but rather in the hiding of that power and the showing of grace to the undeserving when they turn to Him in repentance” Roy and Revel Hession (ref#100, p31,32).

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa 57:15 ESV).

GREAT GOD, You are unsearchable in Your judgments and Your paths are untraceable. Yet You make Yourself approachable!

CONFESSION

Posted by

0

 

NO MORE GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 3.41.06 PM…MY COMPASSIONATE SOVEREIGN, I easily discourage myself by believing I am sin because I am the one who is doing the sinning. But to the contrary, it is sin that uses the member’s of my body to work through (Rom 7:17).

CHRIST dwells in me (Gal 2:20) as well as my sinful nature (Rom 7:17,20) (ref#56, p1624, [Rom 7:14-25]). Help me LORD, to never forget that You have made me a saint yet because I’m a mortal creature I still am susceptible to sin. I am a saint who still has a sinful nature that indwells me. So, regarding sin, “…no longer is it I who do it, but the sinful nature which indwells me;…” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p363, [Rom 7:17]).

Remind me that possessing the nature of CHRIST I am no longer willingly habitually disobedient. It is I, in CHRIST, who makes me desire very much to be obedient even when I’m knowingly sinning (Rom 7:14-25).

And, even as I’m sinning the blood of JESUS cleanses all guilt from my conscience (Heb 10:22). So I should never feel guilty for sinning! You say, “…THEIR ERRORS AND THEIR BREACHES OF THE LAW WILL I SURELY NOT REMEMBER ANY MORE’” Arthur S. Way (ref#38, p242, [Heb 10:17]). There is absolute forgiveness of sins (Heb 10:18). I have been washed clean with pure water (Heb 10:22). Help me remind myself of that often, FATHER, for satan loves to bring my failures to remembrance.

When sin entangles me (Heb 12:1) and uses me for its evil purposes—when You, LORD, witness me aiding and abetting evil—when I’m caught in the crime of offending You—how exceedingly sorrowful I am for my participation in assaulting You. Sorrowful yes, but my faith in CHRIST eliminates guilt.

Again, it’s not I who sin but the sinful nature that still indwells me. Help me always make my confession thorough and quick so I may have the freedom again to praise You. I am always in CHRIST and clean (Heb 10:22). Do not let me wallow in self-pity because I find myself involved in sin. Keep me always from a guilty conscience. And encourage me with the fact that while sin still accompanies my new identity eventually my “new identity will result in the final triumph over indwelling sin (Rom 6:2-14)” The Reformation Study Bible (ref#56, p1624, [Rom 7:15]).

 

ADORATION

Posted by

0

FEAR OF THE LORD

Screen Shot 2016-01-14 at 2.16.30 PM…FATHER, Your Son delighted in the fear of You (Isa 11:3) and Isaiah the prophet predicted it will be Zion’s treasure (Isa 33:6). It is my delight as well. This day give me the ability to recognize some aspect of You that will produce fear.

Understanding the fear of You is to receive Your words and treasure Your commands seeking them intently (Prov 2:1,4,5). You say, the fear of You is the beginning of wisdom—it is insight and understanding (Prov 9:10).

There are two kinds of fear—paralyzing fear and energizing fear. Paralyzing fear comes to people who have no relationship with You when they recognize Your authority over them.

Your presence produces energizing fear though, for a Christian. Fear becomes an excitement waiting for what You will do next.

FATHER, I ask that energizing fear pull me out of my obsession with myself and into Your world of Your surprises (ref#58, p17). With such fear I will easily understand I’m not the center of my existence; (ref#58, p28) nor want to be.

Without some comprehension of You and Your awesome activities, FATHER, everything I do is a self-help project. When You and I are not close I become comfortable with myself and go about my daily business of setting goals and evaluating myself. But energizing fear makes me cast aside my predetermined plans and make an all-out effort to stay close to You (ref#58, p30).

No wonder CHRIST’s delight was the “fear of the LORD” (Isa 11:3). As Son of Man, He needed You, FATHER, minute by minute; His energized fear kept Him receiving miracle after miracle that filled Him with joy as well as moved Him through His earthly life accomplishing all Your will. Energizing fear, obedience, and joy come bundled together.

May I be like the first century church: …in possession of unbroken tranquility, being constantly built up and proceeding on its way in the fear of the Lord… Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p295, [Acts 9:31]).

 

CONFESSION

Posted by

0

STANDING BEFORE THE CROSS

Screen Shot 2015-11-07 at 12.02.08 PM“…the love which Christ has [for me] presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive,…” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p424, [2 Cor 5:14]).

FATHER, this is how CHRIST’s love moves me—controls me. In words He is able to express His love for me. In words He draws me to Himself as I desire His closeness. Reviewing CHRIST at the Cross is a place where I am reminded again of His impelling love.

“What about the Son of Man…As we stand before the cross, we should feel as if we are standing upon a battlefield, the ground still wet with blood and pain. The screams, His cries of thirst, should still ring our ears” Michael Card (ref#137, p181).

In experiencing the strength of CHRIST’s love, it’s moving enough to dwell on His physical agony, but FATHER, paint a word-picture of His emotional agony that I may have a deeper concept of His willingness to offer me His love.

Jesus cried out, “Why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46). FATHER, You separated Yourself from Him because You were too holy to look upon sin. I see CHRIST’s tear-filled eyes looking for You (ref#137, p181)…

THANKSGIVING

Posted by

0

GOD’S WORD IS NATURE-CHANGING

Screen Shot 2015-11-06 at 4.17.20 PM…FATHER, I thank You for Your Scriptures. And I thank You for providing the SPIRIT who guides me as I read.

I can easily fall back into reading with the mind of my flesh, using my natural “sense and reasons without the Holy Spirit…” (Rom 8:6 AMP). But by reading this way I’m only looking for information to help me. Without the SPIRIT to help, Your Word is external. It does not change me inside. It only gives me advice to act independently of You.

“God’s word,…is still living; it is instinct with energy; it is keener than any two-edged sword: that can but pierce flesh, but this finds its way to the dividing line between the animal life and the immortal spirit: it pierces the deepest recesses of our nature; it analyses the very emotions and purposes of the inmost heart” Arthur S. Way (ref#38, p229, [Heb 4:12]).

I praise You that Your Word “…is a sifter of the reflections and conceptions of the heart” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p519, [Heb 4:12]). Its energy seeks to get into and stay with me. It has the ability to stir me and work in me to a degree that I can’t get away from it (ref#28, p83).

All thanks to You, FATHER, that Your Scriptures are able to instruct, reproof, and train me in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). Thank You that Your Word will never pass away (Matt 24:35). The HOLY SPIRIT brings life to me through the Word which grants life to me both now and forever (Rom 8:6). Thank You. AMEN!

THANKSGIVING

Posted by

0

FEAR OF THE LORD

Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 4.27.09 PMFATHER, Your Son delighted in the fear of You (Isa 11:3) and Isaiah the prophet predicted it will be Zion’s treasure (Isa 33:6). It is my delight as well. This day give me the ability to recognize some aspect of You that will produce fear.

Understanding the fear of You is to receive Your words and treasure Your commands seeking them intently (Prov 2:1,4,5). You say, the fear of You is the beginning of wisdom—it is insight and understanding (Prov 9:10).

There are two kinds of fear—paralyzing fear and energizing fear. Paralyzing fear comes to people who have no relationship with You when they recognize Your authority over them.

Your presence produces energizing fear though, for a Christian. Fear becomes an excitement waiting for what You will do next.

FATHER, I ask that energizing fear pull me out of my obsession with myself and into Your world of Your surprises (ref#58, p17). With such fear I will easily understand I’m not the center of my existence; (ref#58, p28) nor want to be.

Without some comprehension of You and Your awesome activities, FATHER, everything I do is a self-help project. When You and I are not close I become comfortable with myself and go about my daily business of setting goals and evaluating myself. But energizing fear makes me cast aside my predetermined plans and make an all-out effort to stay close to You (ref#58, p30).

No wonder CHRIST’s delight was the “fear of the LORD” (Isa 11:3). As Son of Man, He needed You, FATHER, minute by minute; His energized fear kept Him receiving miracle after miracle that filled Him with joy as well as moved Him through His earthly life accomplishing all Your will. Energizing fear, obedience, and joy come bundled together.

May I be like the first century church: …in possession of unbroken tranquility, being constantly built up and proceeding on its way in the fear of the Lord… Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p295, [Acts 9:31]).

 

A JOURNAL ENTRY

Posted by

2

AMY MORE NEED FOR HARD BACK BOOKS?

Screen Shot 2015-11-06 at 2.05.39 PM

“…the love which Christ has [for me] presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive,…” (2 Corinthians 5:14) [The New Testament, An Expanded Translation, by Kenneth S. Wuest, p424].

The Bible, GOD’s revelation of Himself, has the ability to change me with His words. This is how the GOD of heaven and earth has chosen to reveal Himself—through words. Therefore, for me written words are of utmost importance.

Today marks my two months of engaging in social media. In that time I have read many, many, many, MANY, words—endless words… Does anyone ever get to the end of his or her newsfeed or personal blog rolls everyday?

One problem I’ve found is reading something one day and trying to find it the next. ‘Tis lots of good words but they don’t reside in a place I can be assured of accessing them in the future—especially the far future.

On my living room bookshelf I have certain volumes that I periodically reread as the years go by. I remember they influenced me once and I look to be influenced again.

I recall when movies were first offered on DVD’s. People said the new technology would close movie theaters. Are e-books and search engines going to close libraries? Or will there always be a place for hard-back, hold-in-your-hand, books?

Using e-words or hardcopy words…which method is easier for you to pause enough to get words from your brain to your heart where they have opportunity to change how you do life?

Social media definitely has its advantages. Yet I cannot put my bookshelf behind me and move forward solely with computer words. What do you think?