God’s Will Be Done?
December 12, 2008
God’s Will Be Done?
“Oh, well. I guess it wasn’t God’s will.”
“Well it’ll happen if God wants it to.”
These are sayings I’ve heard countless times. They are modern clichés in our churches and even in our secular society. Although, sometimes the thought is misdirected as karma or luck or fortune. Whatever you call it, the principal of it is wrong. Dead wrong.
It would certainly be nice to take solace in the fact that no matter how bad a situation gets, that if it happened, God wanted it to. The fact that it would be God’s plan and not our folly makes it all the more easily acceptable. The blame is off of us and we feel as though God is still in control. It would give us hope that all will turn out okay. It makes us believe that we deserved what we got, and that has to be somehow sanctioned.
The truth of the matter is simply this: God’s will is not always done. God doesn’t always get His way. To many, this comes as a complete shock.
“What about God’s plan? What about His control?”
Allow me to be clear on this: God is always in control, even when His will is not done. God is so multi-dimensional, that He can maintain absolute control over the entire cosmos and still be disappointed. God’s plan is so diverse that every possible mistake that every person could ever make, and the consequences thereof, has been accounted for. At the same time, God has allowed us the ability of free will and the exercise of that will.
Many times, a preacher will make reference to the fact that God is a God of second chances. Does that mean He wanted us to sin? Would God ever sanction something He told us not to do? Of course not. That’s why He’s all about another chance. Each time you go against His will, He is agreeable to forgive you and let you carry on with a clean slate.
Consider the Fall of mankind. Did God want Adam and Eve to sin? Of course not. If that were the case, He could’ve made it a lot easier for them to do so. He wouldn’t have offered Paradise as a reward for their remaining in perfection.
Then there’s the Flood. Do you suppose that God took joy and pride in having to destroy all of mankind, save eight? Do you really believe that He wanted the earth to be so corrupt that all the people of His planet, all His would-be followers, would instead choose to be evil? I don’t believe that for a minute. I believe that it was, and still is, God’s will that all of mankind follow Him; that we would all choose life eternal in His Kingdom.
Lest we not forget the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; two cities destroyed because of their wickedness, not because God wanted to be mean and destructive. To say that God’s will is always done would make Him nothing but a bully. That would mean that God took pride in every robbery, burglary, rape, scandal, slander, act of adultery, lust, pornography, every death, disaster and form of destruction, every lie and act of hate. This isn’t my God. Yes, He occasionally allows things to happen, as in the case of Job, but that does not mean it is His divine will. God is simply being truthful. He promises to punish the wicked, and both the wickedness and the punishment come in many forms. Friends, sin doesn’t please God, it angers Him.
Ø “But God was angry…” –Numbers 22:22
Ø “Now the LORD was angry with me…” –Deuteronomy 4:22
Ø “Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry.” -1 Samuel 11:6
Ø “Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD…” -1 Kings 11:9
Ø “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah…” -2 Chronicles 28:9
Ø “O God, You have rejected us You have broken us; You have been angry…” –Psalm 60:1
Ø “Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?” –Ecclesiastes 5:6
So now you have read many times over that God is indeed angered by sinfulness and disobedience. But God is also love, so He does not strike just because He’s angry; God only strikes when and where it is somehow earned.
Let me back this up. As we consider eternity, let’s examine a few points of Scripture.
“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” -1 Timothy 2:3-4
This verse is very clear, and hard to take out of context. It is obvious that the Scriptures here refer to God our Savior. The fact about Him is that He desires all men to be saved. Let me ask you, is that what is happening? Are all men being saved? Will there be no one in hell, then, because God wills that all be saved? Sadly, that isn’t true. I would hope that somehow it could be factual, but I cannot ignore this:
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” –Revelation 21:8
By that verse alone, we know that hell will not be empty. Not to mention anyone whose name isn’t written in the Book of Life and all the fallen angels. If God’s will is always done, we’d be able to strike out that verse (and the ones like it) entirely.
God doesn’t like to make that choice. What father would? But God did promise His Kingdom for His faithful. By act of disobedience, those destined for hell have in a sense chosen it over God. They begin “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1) rather than choosing to follow God. That does not mean that God is pleased.
If God’s will is always done, then hell will be empty and all men will be saved. That would mean that there would have to be no consequence for any wrongdoing. Anyone could rape, kill, steal, blaspheme, etc. and be completely pardoned without ever admitting any faith or Lordship in Jesus Christ. So I ask again, is God’s will always done? No. It cannot be. God wills that all men be saved, and sadly, they won’t all be.
What does this reality mean? We must consider that we may not be doing God’s will. There can be, and have been, churches that perform a variety of ministry that is not what God wants them to do. In the same way, many have utterly ignored God’s divine will.
Say, for the sake of argument, a member of the church is very faithful in prayer- a real intercessor. One night while on their knees, asking for the Lord’s direction, the Lord speaks to this person. The Lord says, “I want you to start a homeless outreach.” The intercessor takes this to the Pastor, who brings the suggestion before the elders of the congregation. The elders bat the idea back and forth, concluding that they don’t have the capacity of staff or the finances set aside to start a new form of outreach. They justify it with all the other things they do, saying, “We have a food pantry, Sunday school, youth group, Bible studies, and we sponsor a child in India. We don’t need to do everything, so we’ll pass on this.”
Now imagine how this intercessor must feel. None of the elders or the Pastor was there when God spoke this command, but they chose not to do it. The intercessor knows that it is what God willed, but he cannot complete the mission alone. What is he to do? Without other faithful believers, the will goes undone.
How can we apply this to our own lives? We must take with all seriousness any person who claims to have heard from the Lord. If God has truly asked that something be done, we cannot justify its ignorance. It is our duty as proclaiming Christians to follow the will and direction of God.
“Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;” -1 Thessalonians 5:20
“Please receive instruction from His mouth; And establish His words in your heart.” –Job 22:22
“For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD;” –Isaiah 30:9
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” –Ephesians 6:4
When the Lord speaks, be faithful in carrying out His will.
“So Jesus answered them and said, ‘My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.’” –John 7:16-18
May God “equip you in every good thing to do His will,” –Hebrews 13:21
7 Deep Things of God
December 3, 2008
7 Deep things of God – 1 Cor. 2: 7-12
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory…But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)
Part I. 7 DEEP THINGS THAT GOD WILL REVEAL TO THE CHURCH
1. Deep love and affection –
That you may be able to comprehend….what is the width and length and depth and height– to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge… (Ephesians 3:18-19)
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
2. Deep displeasure – because of His deep love unto deep judgment
Then He shall…distress them in His deep displeasure (Psalm 2:5)
My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury… (Isaiah 63:5-6)
3. Deep judgments – complex in purpose and nature
Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD (Psalm 36:6)
How unsearchable are His judgments…(Romans 11:33)
4. Deep thoughts – hidden plans of the mystery of God
How great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. (Ps 92:5)
His ways are past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory… (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 )
Also see Eph 3:9; Col 1:26; Luke 19:42
5. Deep wisdom – administration of His plans
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)
6. Deep knowledge – possesses vast info
Oh, the depth of the riches of …the knowledge of God… (Romans 11:33)
7. Deep secrets – hidden manna
He reveals deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. (Daniel 2:22)
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him… (Psalm 25:14)
His secret counsel is with the upright. (Proverbs 3:32)
Part II. ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK
Called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. (Hebrews 5:10-11)
Order of Melchizedek – Holy Spirit merger with perfect harmony of kingly and priestly dimension of kingdom.
1. Warring with worship .2. Outreach with gazing 3. Working with loving 4. Ruling with adoring – NOTE: ruling that is in the flesh is “me” focused however, adoring is “God” focused.
Dull of hearing makes a false distinction between the kingly and priestly heart and function. This false distinction exists within the heart of the dull.
Source: Friends of the Bridegroom www.FOTB.com
Fruit of the Spirit- Part 9- SELF-CONTROL
October 10, 2008
SELF-CONTROL
-Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
The last mentioned of the Fruit of the Spirit, self control is the one most people would probably prefer to leave out. It can often be the hardest to practice, and it encompasses all the preceding Fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps that is why it was mentioned last; to leave it afresh in your mind. We know that a lack of SELF-CONTROL has a detrimental effect on us, but it also affects our relationships; those we come into contact with.
~Proverbs 25:28- Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
Without self-control in our lives, we become vulnerable to all kinds of problems. Anything out of CONTROL in your life can harm others and cause damage in relationships. Including (but not limited to):
-Uncontrolled anger
-Uncontrolled lust
-Uncontrolled spending (The #1 cause for divorce is financial stress & money problems)
-Uncontrolled drinking
-Uncontrolled ambition (The workaholic who’s never at home with the family)
-Uncontrolled tongue
~How do we obtain self-control? Here are 9 key ways that will help in maintaining your self-control:
1) Master your moods– Keep you attitude in check, do what’s right even when you don’t feel like it; live by commitment, not by emotions
2) Watch your words–Put your mind in gear before you talk.
-Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
3) Restrain your reaction– How much can you take before you lose your cool?
-Proverbs 19:11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
4) Stick to the plan– If you don’t determine how your time is spent, others will; Remember though, we are to follow God’s will & His plan 1st. Have control enough to be in it.
-Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
5) Manage your money– learn to live on less than you make; invest the rest. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go, instead of wondering where it went.
-Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
6) Maintain your health– (to the best of your ability) Thus, you can accomplish more & enjoy your achievements.
-Psalm 38:3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
7) Avert your eyes– This one’s tough. You can’t control everything you see, but you can control how much you look at it
-Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (I’m pretty sure the same standard applies to ladies looking at men; sorry, you’re not off the hook)
8.) Don’t allow anger to bring sin– like it plainly says in Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin” God let us know that we will get angry, but we must release the pressure before the top blows, no matter how we’ve been wronged.
-1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
9) Know when to “Cork the Bottle”– The Bible doesn’t specifically say that we can never drink, but it’s clear that we are not to get drunk.
-Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
~Now, where do you need self-control?
Discipline today will help you determine success tomorrow. We must realize that we cannot accomplish this on our own, but we need Holy Help.
–2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
The key to self-control, is giving up control to God. With Him in the driver’s seat, you’re sure to get where you need to be. The more our progression, the further He’ll take us.
–Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
There is tremendous potential to be used in positive ways that honor Christ. In reality, we are still subject to sin and death. Although we are not totally evil ourselves, we are still susceptible to weakness & fleshy desires. Our body can be used for good if the flesh is not in control.
-Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship..
~How can we be living sacrifices?
-Self-discipline isn’t in our nature. Spirit-Control, not self-control, makes the difference. The Holy Spirit can control the things I can’t. Ask God to help you, through the Holy Spirit, to help you do right in His eyes.
-Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
-Open the door to let the Holy Spirit fill you, and close the door of flesh to Satan by confessing sin & claiming Christ’s crucifixion.
-Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
-Renew your mind with God’s word
-Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
-Allow the Holy Spirit to help you master your emotions (with the fruit of the Spirit); Present yourself as an instrument of righteousness.
-Romans 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
-Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength.
-Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
-The key to self-control is surrendering control. Surrender your control to God; allow Him to move in your life. Who better to run your life, than the One who made your life?
“Fruit of the Spirit- Self-Control” Bible Study prepared by Justin Lessard. Email: ferventservant1@hotmail.com
Web: https://justinlessard.wordpress.com & http://www.myspace.com/justinlessard
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