I haven't written anything on this blog in a while. Every so often life brings about a season of dryness and distraction. I love to write and expound on scripture. But we had a series of events in life that created priorities above this blog.
First, my wife became pregnant for the first time in a while after a long long time of mis-carriage and medical consultation. God has helped us uncover the reasons for our infertility and has now begun leading us on a new journey of nine months to baby. This season is one of mixed emotions of joy, caution, at times fear and uncertainty. I make meals for my wife and get up every day right before seven so she can have breakfast and take one of two daily shots of heparin.
For over sixteen years we have been unusually close as a couple and do most everything together, so this pregnancy will be no different then our life so far. Many may feel we disappear and disengage but our priority is to one another. We feel those who know us well enough understand the importance of marriage and the priority of family even over ministry.
Amidst it all, we really sensed the need to move. Some things in the natural seemed to be leading us, but also something deep down in the spiritual. The only thing to do is obey that prompting of the Spirit and hold on for the ride. So we got a "God" deal on a new rental home a few miles away and have begun all that entails moving.
So . . . . we are wading through a couple big transitions at once, while trying to keep the vision of Renaissance Church alive and thriving. I stopped packing for a few minutes to update this blog so it didn't seem something that was neglected for too long. Thanks for reading.
The Importance of Church 2
Matthew 16:18,19
18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
That Jesus is the anointed one, that He is our connection to Creator, Father God, is the foundation of the church. There are keys to releasing heavenly kingdom reign in the earth that begin with the church. We are His body as many members that form the whole. The whole is broken down into many "wholes" individual sub-groups that have access to heaven's power in the earth. These powerful units are the many local churches. And make no mistake Jesus is passionate about every one of them.
John wrote in the book of Revelation of an encounter with Jesus that described all He desires us to know about our earthly presence. If it was true for those original seven churches then it certainly applies to us today.
Revelation 1:8
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Jesus continually reveals Himself to John, and to us as the self existent eternal one. One to whom worship is forever offered around the throne in heaven. Yet His mandate to the church is very much an earthly mandate.
Revelation 2:4,5
4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works,
That we re-ignite our first love and passion for Him to be consumed with the love He has given us, and to spread His message to everyone is our charge. And in doing so, all the way until the end, we will be given rule and power in the next stage of eternity.
Revelation 3:12
12He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
We think we have overcome if we keep a good attitude when someone cuts in front of us in line at the supermarket. The church in America doesn't know the life or death persecution of these early saints, so it is hard for us to relate.
I think our biggest enemy is a sense of comfort and entitlement. We seem to carry a picture of the church that has everything to do with ministering to us, and very little to do with our roles as ministers of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.
I suggest we overcome the church shopping mentality and get planted into a local body.
I recommend that we exert tremendous energy in doing the first works without concern for reward or recognition.
I think we ought to clear the clutter of our lives and re prioritize not mere church attendance, but dynamic church participation.
I say we step up and commit, hit our knees and pray for the church to arise in the world.
Our lives as believers should be propelled by a vision that stems from the local church. Not just going to the monthly men's pancake breakfast, but growing and maturing daily as believers. Taking the Word that is sown into our hearts for an hour on Sunday and creating a Redwood forest of new growth in and around us. Living lives as weekday worshipers so that Sunday morning song service turns into heaven on earth, nothing short of revival in the land. Living and acting as if it is to be, it is up to me. Teaching our children that vibrant church life is a part of a healthy life. If there are vast numbers leaving the church, perhaps we tried to sell them something we weren't living ourselves. Maybe church doesn't need to be designed to attract those who don't like church, but reinvigorated with sound teaching backed by right living.
18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
That Jesus is the anointed one, that He is our connection to Creator, Father God, is the foundation of the church. There are keys to releasing heavenly kingdom reign in the earth that begin with the church. We are His body as many members that form the whole. The whole is broken down into many "wholes" individual sub-groups that have access to heaven's power in the earth. These powerful units are the many local churches. And make no mistake Jesus is passionate about every one of them.
John wrote in the book of Revelation of an encounter with Jesus that described all He desires us to know about our earthly presence. If it was true for those original seven churches then it certainly applies to us today.
Revelation 1:8
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Jesus continually reveals Himself to John, and to us as the self existent eternal one. One to whom worship is forever offered around the throne in heaven. Yet His mandate to the church is very much an earthly mandate.
Revelation 2:4,5
4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works,
That we re-ignite our first love and passion for Him to be consumed with the love He has given us, and to spread His message to everyone is our charge. And in doing so, all the way until the end, we will be given rule and power in the next stage of eternity.
Revelation 3:12
12He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
We think we have overcome if we keep a good attitude when someone cuts in front of us in line at the supermarket. The church in America doesn't know the life or death persecution of these early saints, so it is hard for us to relate.
I think our biggest enemy is a sense of comfort and entitlement. We seem to carry a picture of the church that has everything to do with ministering to us, and very little to do with our roles as ministers of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.
I suggest we overcome the church shopping mentality and get planted into a local body.
I recommend that we exert tremendous energy in doing the first works without concern for reward or recognition.
I think we ought to clear the clutter of our lives and re prioritize not mere church attendance, but dynamic church participation.
I say we step up and commit, hit our knees and pray for the church to arise in the world.
Our lives as believers should be propelled by a vision that stems from the local church. Not just going to the monthly men's pancake breakfast, but growing and maturing daily as believers. Taking the Word that is sown into our hearts for an hour on Sunday and creating a Redwood forest of new growth in and around us. Living lives as weekday worshipers so that Sunday morning song service turns into heaven on earth, nothing short of revival in the land. Living and acting as if it is to be, it is up to me. Teaching our children that vibrant church life is a part of a healthy life. If there are vast numbers leaving the church, perhaps we tried to sell them something we weren't living ourselves. Maybe church doesn't need to be designed to attract those who don't like church, but reinvigorated with sound teaching backed by right living.
The Importance of Church
Ephesians 3:10,11
10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Transitioning from my lengthy series of posts on the will of God, it seems fitting that I write concerning the importance of church as a component of living in God's will.
We take church for granted. Church experiences are as numerous as people in America. Models, approaches, and ministry styles, vary greatly. I'm beginning to wonder how valid all of this diversity really is. I think if we distill the primary purpose of the church to its simplest role, the elements requirements and demands become specific and clear.
Can the manifold wisdom of God be dispensed via methods that cater to feed and foster consumerism? Can an optional church be the vehicle to impart God's eternal purpose in a gates of hell storming type of way to principalities and powers in heavenly places?
If men are guilty of abusing the church as an institution, we should not be surprised. The church was never meant to be an institution. If the sinful deeds of fallen leaders have indicted the Body of Christ, the aftermath should be a resurrection of the best the church has to offer. If the church has failed to answer the questions of a skeptical generation, I question whether the skeptics want an answer, or just want to be skeptical. Those who search for truth will find it.
If the church is flawed it is flawed with the earthen vessels that carry the treasure of the great message of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We must stop reinventing church to reach a relevant culture. Instead we should loudly and clearly communicate the depth and riches of the blessed treasure we have to represent the body of Christ, to fellowship with Him and one another, and to worship for now and all eternity.
Our challenge is to get a plugged in generation to unplug. To get a sound bite society to silence itself long enough to listen to transcendence. The church should be a respite from the rat race. We must no longer apologize for the church. We must be the best church, invite the world to participate in a loving way, but keep our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith all the while.
10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Transitioning from my lengthy series of posts on the will of God, it seems fitting that I write concerning the importance of church as a component of living in God's will.
We take church for granted. Church experiences are as numerous as people in America. Models, approaches, and ministry styles, vary greatly. I'm beginning to wonder how valid all of this diversity really is. I think if we distill the primary purpose of the church to its simplest role, the elements requirements and demands become specific and clear.
Can the manifold wisdom of God be dispensed via methods that cater to feed and foster consumerism? Can an optional church be the vehicle to impart God's eternal purpose in a gates of hell storming type of way to principalities and powers in heavenly places?
If men are guilty of abusing the church as an institution, we should not be surprised. The church was never meant to be an institution. If the sinful deeds of fallen leaders have indicted the Body of Christ, the aftermath should be a resurrection of the best the church has to offer. If the church has failed to answer the questions of a skeptical generation, I question whether the skeptics want an answer, or just want to be skeptical. Those who search for truth will find it.
If the church is flawed it is flawed with the earthen vessels that carry the treasure of the great message of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We must stop reinventing church to reach a relevant culture. Instead we should loudly and clearly communicate the depth and riches of the blessed treasure we have to represent the body of Christ, to fellowship with Him and one another, and to worship for now and all eternity.
Our challenge is to get a plugged in generation to unplug. To get a sound bite society to silence itself long enough to listen to transcendence. The church should be a respite from the rat race. We must no longer apologize for the church. We must be the best church, invite the world to participate in a loving way, but keep our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith all the while.
The Will Of God pt.10
Matthew 6:9a,10
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
The coming of the kingdom is the ultimate doing of the will of God. Most people fragment this famous prayer of Jesus and assign meaning to each individual element. "Your will be done," cannot stand alone in a vacuum without contextually being anchored to God's ultimate purpose, the "Your kingdom come" part.
His kingdom is as it should be in heaven. His kingdom is not as it should be on earth. The Redeemer ushered in the earthly aspect of the heavenly kingdom; a kingdom that invades the very territory of hell and stands victorious. The role of every cross carrying Christian is to take up the kingdom mandate and allow it to be released through us.
The kingdom of heaven is like . . .so many things we are empowered to live out. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. The kingdom is in us. We have access to the life changing power to see mighty signs and wonders at the name of Jesus. The kingdom is near us. The kingdom is now, yet more completely manifest in the age to come. What we do to expand His kingdom now will determine how we live in the kingdom to come.
So get this, one of our primary objectives is to usher in the final coming of the kingdom of heaven. The sands of the eternal hour glass are rushing towards eternity. Every act, every prayer, every seed sown, every moment of worship, every giving of a cup of cold water to a child in the name of Jesus moves the kingdom closer to completion.
How is it that we spend time occupied with anything else? We have to re-prioritize our life so that the emphasis is kingdom expansion. And I believe there is a way to balance life, families, commitments, jobs and still be totally yielded to this truth.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
The coming of the kingdom is the ultimate doing of the will of God. Most people fragment this famous prayer of Jesus and assign meaning to each individual element. "Your will be done," cannot stand alone in a vacuum without contextually being anchored to God's ultimate purpose, the "Your kingdom come" part.
His kingdom is as it should be in heaven. His kingdom is not as it should be on earth. The Redeemer ushered in the earthly aspect of the heavenly kingdom; a kingdom that invades the very territory of hell and stands victorious. The role of every cross carrying Christian is to take up the kingdom mandate and allow it to be released through us.
The kingdom of heaven is like . . .so many things we are empowered to live out. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. The kingdom is in us. We have access to the life changing power to see mighty signs and wonders at the name of Jesus. The kingdom is near us. The kingdom is now, yet more completely manifest in the age to come. What we do to expand His kingdom now will determine how we live in the kingdom to come.
So get this, one of our primary objectives is to usher in the final coming of the kingdom of heaven. The sands of the eternal hour glass are rushing towards eternity. Every act, every prayer, every seed sown, every moment of worship, every giving of a cup of cold water to a child in the name of Jesus moves the kingdom closer to completion.
How is it that we spend time occupied with anything else? We have to re-prioritize our life so that the emphasis is kingdom expansion. And I believe there is a way to balance life, families, commitments, jobs and still be totally yielded to this truth.
The Will Of God pt.9
If you find yourself reading this blog for the first time, do yourself a favor. Get in on all the posts relating to the current topic. The posts are progressive in development.
The will of God should never be the scapegoat for our irresponsible decision making. We make mistakes, we should own up to them. We all process through the lens of our emotional filters and upbringing. We hear at best imperfectly.
God doesn't change his mind as often as we would like. In fact, He never changes His mind. We do. So the most carefully weighed statement we should ever make should be, "God told me_____." As those words escape our lips, they carry the authority of the Almighty. That phrase leaves no room for anyone to question it's legitimacy. Most of the time it ends up embarrassing us, and bringing a reproach to the name of our God.
I've seen people fall short of all their commitments; commitments that were made because God told them to make them, only to later tell me, "He is now leading us in another direction." God gets glory when we follow through with our commitments even after the situation ceases to be what we anticipated. Even after it gets really uncomfortable. Even after we may realize it wasn't God at all, but maybe our emotional response to do something different that may have led us to our present circumstance.
Once we make a bad decision it then becomes God's will for us to follow through with the promises we have made. It is His will to form in us character. He desires to show us our weaknesses, to offer grace and to help us forge ahead with His best in every area of our life.
As difficult as it seems, much of what we need to follow God's will for us, comes through the downright nasty, sometimes negative, abrasive experiences we have in life with people. Many times those people represent leadership or authority figures.
I wonder what point at which Joseph in prison threw up his hands and said, "God this can't be your will!!!" "I am supposed to be a great leader with my siblings bowing at my feet!" Joseph had a dream from God. I am convinced that any number of paths could have led to the fulfillment of that dream. The constant? Josephs desire to honor God in every situation. His unswerving resiliency to be useful for the plan of God in whatever place he found himself.
Our measuring stick to determine the will of God needs to be changed. Perhaps the baseline measurement should be-are we intentionally yielding every area of our lives for the glory of God?
John 9:2,3
2And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
In the midst of people all around attempting to point the finger of causation, Jesus found the focal point for the will of God to be carried out. What does it matter who did what, how we arrived at this situation? What is most important is that this was a prime opportunity to demonstrate the works of God.
The will of God is demonstrated against the backdrop of a world that desperately needs the work of God. The authentic work of God, in essence, His perfect will, will always give glory to God.
Do the things that we say and do give glory to God? Are we making the most of every opportunity to give glory to God? Or is He merely the scapegoat for our lack of maturity and yieldedness to His purpose.
The will of God should never be the scapegoat for our irresponsible decision making. We make mistakes, we should own up to them. We all process through the lens of our emotional filters and upbringing. We hear at best imperfectly.
God doesn't change his mind as often as we would like. In fact, He never changes His mind. We do. So the most carefully weighed statement we should ever make should be, "God told me_____." As those words escape our lips, they carry the authority of the Almighty. That phrase leaves no room for anyone to question it's legitimacy. Most of the time it ends up embarrassing us, and bringing a reproach to the name of our God.
I've seen people fall short of all their commitments; commitments that were made because God told them to make them, only to later tell me, "He is now leading us in another direction." God gets glory when we follow through with our commitments even after the situation ceases to be what we anticipated. Even after it gets really uncomfortable. Even after we may realize it wasn't God at all, but maybe our emotional response to do something different that may have led us to our present circumstance.
Once we make a bad decision it then becomes God's will for us to follow through with the promises we have made. It is His will to form in us character. He desires to show us our weaknesses, to offer grace and to help us forge ahead with His best in every area of our life.
As difficult as it seems, much of what we need to follow God's will for us, comes through the downright nasty, sometimes negative, abrasive experiences we have in life with people. Many times those people represent leadership or authority figures.
I wonder what point at which Joseph in prison threw up his hands and said, "God this can't be your will!!!" "I am supposed to be a great leader with my siblings bowing at my feet!" Joseph had a dream from God. I am convinced that any number of paths could have led to the fulfillment of that dream. The constant? Josephs desire to honor God in every situation. His unswerving resiliency to be useful for the plan of God in whatever place he found himself.
Our measuring stick to determine the will of God needs to be changed. Perhaps the baseline measurement should be-are we intentionally yielding every area of our lives for the glory of God?
John 9:2,3
2And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
In the midst of people all around attempting to point the finger of causation, Jesus found the focal point for the will of God to be carried out. What does it matter who did what, how we arrived at this situation? What is most important is that this was a prime opportunity to demonstrate the works of God.
The will of God is demonstrated against the backdrop of a world that desperately needs the work of God. The authentic work of God, in essence, His perfect will, will always give glory to God.
Do the things that we say and do give glory to God? Are we making the most of every opportunity to give glory to God? Or is He merely the scapegoat for our lack of maturity and yieldedness to His purpose.
The Will Of God pt. 8
The specific will of God for our lives happens in our lives when we put legs to our faith. God's will is "in motion." The first step of motion in the direction of God is to acknowledge that He is, and that He is a rewarder.
Romans 10:13
Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Hebrews 11:6
6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God's will is for us to seek Him, and to do it with diligence. His specific plan and direction for us and to us will come in a place of continual seeking. We must look to Him for everything in our lives. Many people add Him in, acknowledge Him, or talk about Him. Few really seek Him.
When we find God and follow Him, life becomes a continuous faith adventure, with more uncertainties than guarantees. Our chief role should be obedience in faith, tempered with a ton of patience. We don't often get the whole plan laid out in front of us, with detailed blue prints and step-by-step instructions.
Genesis 12:1
1Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
We usually get step one from God which is, "get out of your comfort zones, move in a direction away from all that is familiar so that I can talk some sense into you!" The specific end is a greater unfolding of the initial plan, only activated as we walk towards it in faith, not looking back.
The greatest plan manifest as the will of God has already been spoken to every believer.
Mark 16:15
15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
It is in the "going" that we demonstrate the surrender of our will and the obedience to His will. each step out the front door is a journey into the world of endless potential for Kingdom increase, living a life of redemption and reconciliation for the Master.
Romans 10:13
Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Hebrews 11:6
6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God's will is for us to seek Him, and to do it with diligence. His specific plan and direction for us and to us will come in a place of continual seeking. We must look to Him for everything in our lives. Many people add Him in, acknowledge Him, or talk about Him. Few really seek Him.
When we find God and follow Him, life becomes a continuous faith adventure, with more uncertainties than guarantees. Our chief role should be obedience in faith, tempered with a ton of patience. We don't often get the whole plan laid out in front of us, with detailed blue prints and step-by-step instructions.
Genesis 12:1
1Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
We usually get step one from God which is, "get out of your comfort zones, move in a direction away from all that is familiar so that I can talk some sense into you!" The specific end is a greater unfolding of the initial plan, only activated as we walk towards it in faith, not looking back.
The greatest plan manifest as the will of God has already been spoken to every believer.
Mark 16:15
15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
It is in the "going" that we demonstrate the surrender of our will and the obedience to His will. each step out the front door is a journey into the world of endless potential for Kingdom increase, living a life of redemption and reconciliation for the Master.
The Will Of God pt. 7
Many times we confuse the will of God with the plan of God. By the plan of God we usually are myopically focused on our plan which we decide to dedicate to God with His stamp of approval. We get caught up in second guessing the nitty-gritty details of the every day happenings in our life. Most of us have a tendency to be very short sighted and narrow minded when it comes to thinking God's way. As a result, lines are divided between the various thoughts concerning out comes in the life of a believer; as to who's fault they were, whether someone was in faith or not, or whether a particular situation is part of God's Covenant blessing or some how a failure to walk in the authority of the believer.
Our vantage point must be taken from scripture, but not misinterpreted and transposed into our modern thought. We understand consumerism. We think in terms of exchange of goods and services. We often use analogies about sowing and reaping from scripture to tally our earthy gain and blessing. But the focus has to shift to a bigger picture. The will of God has to be viewed from a much greater time frame, in fact, one that is timeless.
Our search for the will of God must begin with truth about God. We must become saturated with the principles, purposes, and plans of God from the dawn of time. Only after we get a fuzzy view of His vantage point, we can work backwards to see our position, and place in His grand scheme.
Over the next several posts, I want to look at a couple thinking traps we can fall into, how we take scripture and twist it, and set ourselves up for disappointment and disillusionment and ultimately feel failure and condemnation as a result.
Thinking Trap 1
We should view ourselves just like the great heroes of the faith in the Old Testament. God used them to do mighty exploits and bring victory to the people of God.
That we should be inspired by Bible heroes yes. That we can do incredible things for God yes. That God is a righteous God and hates unrighteousness and evil yes. That His plan is for ultimate victory over the enemy yes. But . . . . .
God sent His son Jesus to carry out total and ultimate victory once and for all on our behalf. He did that so we could all have equal access to the fellowship and unrestrained love of God. Our position has changed. He has given us all a great mission, preach the gospel to every creature. Go empowered as you receive the Holy Spirit and do the work of the Kingdom.
We do not have to wait for a vision or dream to do something for God. We may get one, but we might not. We don't have to slay ten thousand Philistines to win a mighty victory for the Kingdom, in fact, every time we say yes to God and no to sin, we are expanding His kingdom in our own earthen vessel. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven.
So instead of feeling inadequate or condemned if we don't live the glamorous life of Joyce Myer, and I realize she has paid dues to achieve her influence, we can boldly expand God's kingdom in our small corner of the world. Our call to greatness is to become the least in the kingdom. To become the servant of all. God's will and His call have little to do with our feelings of being used properly because of our gifts and talents, and everything to do with our daily act of total surrender to Him.
We have to get delivered from the pressure to perform, the need for notoriety, and the quest to fill the vacuum of validation. Our daily search should be an inner one. Our quest should be to exude the message of good news to everyone we come in contact with because of the great peace we carry, the ability to not gut ruffled over the tiny details of our short term lives, and the brightness of the treasure the shines within us.
What if we realize from a position and posture of prayer we could change the world and no one would ever know about us? Could we feel fulfilled in doing the will of God? Could we stop focusing on what we get out of the deal and more on what we give because we have already so freely received? The will of God is positional, attitudinal, and sustainable as we walk and live in obedience to our salvation so greatly received by grace through faith.
Our vantage point must be taken from scripture, but not misinterpreted and transposed into our modern thought. We understand consumerism. We think in terms of exchange of goods and services. We often use analogies about sowing and reaping from scripture to tally our earthy gain and blessing. But the focus has to shift to a bigger picture. The will of God has to be viewed from a much greater time frame, in fact, one that is timeless.
Our search for the will of God must begin with truth about God. We must become saturated with the principles, purposes, and plans of God from the dawn of time. Only after we get a fuzzy view of His vantage point, we can work backwards to see our position, and place in His grand scheme.
Over the next several posts, I want to look at a couple thinking traps we can fall into, how we take scripture and twist it, and set ourselves up for disappointment and disillusionment and ultimately feel failure and condemnation as a result.
Thinking Trap 1
We should view ourselves just like the great heroes of the faith in the Old Testament. God used them to do mighty exploits and bring victory to the people of God.
That we should be inspired by Bible heroes yes. That we can do incredible things for God yes. That God is a righteous God and hates unrighteousness and evil yes. That His plan is for ultimate victory over the enemy yes. But . . . . .
God sent His son Jesus to carry out total and ultimate victory once and for all on our behalf. He did that so we could all have equal access to the fellowship and unrestrained love of God. Our position has changed. He has given us all a great mission, preach the gospel to every creature. Go empowered as you receive the Holy Spirit and do the work of the Kingdom.
We do not have to wait for a vision or dream to do something for God. We may get one, but we might not. We don't have to slay ten thousand Philistines to win a mighty victory for the Kingdom, in fact, every time we say yes to God and no to sin, we are expanding His kingdom in our own earthen vessel. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven.
So instead of feeling inadequate or condemned if we don't live the glamorous life of Joyce Myer, and I realize she has paid dues to achieve her influence, we can boldly expand God's kingdom in our small corner of the world. Our call to greatness is to become the least in the kingdom. To become the servant of all. God's will and His call have little to do with our feelings of being used properly because of our gifts and talents, and everything to do with our daily act of total surrender to Him.
We have to get delivered from the pressure to perform, the need for notoriety, and the quest to fill the vacuum of validation. Our daily search should be an inner one. Our quest should be to exude the message of good news to everyone we come in contact with because of the great peace we carry, the ability to not gut ruffled over the tiny details of our short term lives, and the brightness of the treasure the shines within us.
What if we realize from a position and posture of prayer we could change the world and no one would ever know about us? Could we feel fulfilled in doing the will of God? Could we stop focusing on what we get out of the deal and more on what we give because we have already so freely received? The will of God is positional, attitudinal, and sustainable as we walk and live in obedience to our salvation so greatly received by grace through faith.
