UBOC Unified Body Of Christ

Disillusionment
By Oswald Chambers
July 30

Jesus did not commit Himself to them…, for He knew what was in man. —John 2:24-25

Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.

There is only one being who can satisfy the deepest aching abyss of the human heart, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

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THIS IS WHAT MY MESSAGE YESTERDAY WAS ABOUT! "HAVE NO AIM BUT HIM...FOLLOW HIM...NO PRECONCEIVED IDEAS!" - JH

The Way to Knowledge
By Oswald Chambers
July 27

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine… —John 7:17

The golden rule to follow to obtain spiritual understanding is not one of intellectual pursuit, but one of obedience. If a person wants scientific knowledge, then intellectual curiosity must be his guide. But if he desires knowledge and insight into the teachings of Jesus Christ, he can only obtain it through obedience. If spiritual things seem dark and hidden to me, then I can be sure that there is a point of disobedience somewhere in my life. Intellectual darkness is the result of ignorance, but spiritual darkness is the result of something that I do not intend to obey.

No one ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test regarding it. We disobey and then wonder why we are not growing spiritually. Jesus said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). He is saying, in essence, “Don’t say another word to me; first be obedient by making things right.” The teachings of Jesus hit us where we live. We cannot stand as impostors before Him for even one second. He instructs us down to the very last detail. The Spirit of God uncovers our spirit of self-vindication and makes us sensitive to things that we have never even thought of before.

When Jesus drives something home to you through His Word, don’t try to evade it. If you do, you will become a religious impostor. Examine the things you tend simply to shrug your shoulders about, and where you have refused to be obedient, and you will know why you are not growing spiritually. As Jesus said, “First…go….” Even at the risk of being thought of as fanatical, you must obey what God tells you.

Psalms 43-45; Acts 27:27-44

Wisdom from Oswald
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”
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Obey what God tells you to do, even if others might call you fanatical, and you will gain the understanding you seek.

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Some Folks will Never Understand Robbing God and Giving God His First!

OLD RED!
When I was in Bible school, my wife and I would go out into the hills of Missouri every Sunday morning and I would preach in a one-room schoolhouse. Farmers from all over that area would come. One little precious lady,
eighty-three years of age, would walk three miles, take her stockings off, and wade through a creek just to come and hear me preach. Even I wouldn't do that to hear me preach! (I was still learning how!)
She invited us to her home for dinner. She told us to park the car when we got to the creek and walk the rest of the way. We took our shoes off and waded through the creek, just like she did every Sunday. But that Sunday morning I was preaching on a difficult doctrinal subject—
tithing. I said, "Ten cents out of every dollar you ever get a hold of belongs to God."

There they sat, with smiles on their faces—which I knew was the wrong reaction. I wasn't getting the message through to them. So I said it again, and still they smiled. Finally it dawned on me, You know why they're smiling: They don't have any money, and 10 percent of nothing is nothing! So I have to come at it from another way.
It's amazing what comes out of you when you're anointed, I said, "If you have ten cows, one of those cows belongs to God." All the smiles left.
I knew they understood it now.
I said, "If you have 200 acres, 20 of them belong to God."
Nobody was smiling now.
After the service, a redheaded farmer came up to me, hands in his overall pockets. He said, "If my chickens lay 100 eggs every day, does God get 10 of the eggs?"
I said, "You got the message, brother. It's gratifying to know you got the message."
Without batting an eyelash, he looked me right in the eye and said, "You're not getting my eggs! Them chickens aren't laying anyway!"
I said, "You know why those chickens aren't laying?
Because you're robbing God! Those chickens can't even live a normal life!"
I didn't know how right I was. Remember, I was just learning. He looked at me and said, "You mean to tell me if I give God what belongs to Him, those chickens will lay more eggs? Wait here!"

He got into that pickup truck and went back to the farm and brought a brown sack full of eggs. He laid them down at the altar. He came back to me, hands still in his overalls, and said, "You going to be here next Sunday?"
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "This better work!"
I was so young in the Lord, I didn't know whether it was going to work or not. I went back to the Bible that week. I didn't get much studying done. But I got a whole lot of praying done. I was praying, "Lord, bless those
chickens! Lord, give them a double portion! Let them lay double yolks, Lord!"
The next Sunday, my wife and I headed out to that little town. I said, "Honey, do you see anybody standing in that schoolhouse?"
She said, "I believe somebody's there."
I said, "Does it have red hair?"
She said, "I'm not close enough to see that, yet."
Sure enough, it was Red waiting for me. But I couldn't see his face. I didn't know whether he was mad or glad. I brought my old DeSoto to a halt and pulled on the emergency brake. Old Red came running to the car. I don't ever like to be at a disadvantage, so I jumped out of the car. He grabbed hold of me and started dancing me around that DeSoto.
"Preach, man, it worked, brother!" he cried. "Praise
God, it worked! It worked!"
I breathed easy for the first time all week. Then I looked around and said, "Hold it, Red, wait! Where's the tithe?" I believed I had a right to ask him for that. I said, "If we made the thing work, where's the tithe?"
Hands still in his overalls, he said, "In there, at the altar, Preach. Brought 'em early today."
I walked into that one-room schoolhouse, and sitting in front of that altar was a whole crate of eggs—twenty-five dozen. I looked at him and said, "What did you do, bring them all?"

His hands were still in his overalls. "Just the tithe, Preach. Just the tithe." From a brown sack to twenty-five dozen!
He threw his arms around me and said, "Preacher, I ain't going to rob God no more."
I looked at him and said, "Me neither."
I believe we've all had an apple out of that bag. Then we wonder why we're not blessed.
God rewards obedience.

- RW SHAMBACH (You Can't Beat God Givin')
- Spiritual Notes

BELEIVERS FORM A COMMUNITY

Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47 NLT
[42] All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. [43] A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. [44] And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. [45] They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. [46] They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— [47] all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47 (NLT) - All the believers devoted themselve - Bible App All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the

THE MIRACLE OF BELIEF
By Oswald Chambers
July 17

My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom… —1 Corinthians 2:4

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “…as though God were pleading through us…” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

“And I, if I am lifted up…, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

Psalms 18-19; Acts 20:17-38

Wisdom from Oswald
Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but One who stands in the thick of the whole thing with man.
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We are commissioned to present his gospel, not human ideals.

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I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE 100% FACT IN LIFE!!!
YOU CANNOT BE DEVOTED TO A PERSON YOU DO NOT HEAR, THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH!!!! PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS! YOU CANNOT LOVE AND BE DEVOTED TO YOUR WIFE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH, THAT YOU NEVER HEAR OR COMMUNICATE WITH. THAT YOU NEVER FEEL OR EXPERIENCE ANYTHING WITH. SAME WITH YOUR MOTHER, FATHER ETC!
WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT AND A RELATIONSHIP, HOW CAN YOU LOVE JESUS OR ANYONE THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS LEVEL OF RELATIONSHIP WITH? - JH

The Conditions of Discipleship
By Oswald Chambers
July 02

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also….And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me….So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. —Luke 14:26-27, 33

If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

Job 22-24; Acts 11

Wisdom from Oswald
The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from.

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Jesus Christ was always consistent to God.

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