The Deafening Silence

It's been bothering me for a long time and as I've seen more and more of it, I've become more and more appalled by the deafening silence around me. It's so loud that sometimes it feels that's all I can hear anymore. I wasn't going to say anything although every fiber of my being has wanted to scream it out and tell people to wake up and hear it for themselves. But I know that I'm viewed as some kind of fanatical idiot and goody two shoes, and those are probably the kindest things said about me. I can't be quiet though, because if I am, then I too am continuing to contribute to the silence. I just can't do it anymore. I talked to the Lord about it all day yesterday and talked to my daughter too, thinking perhaps that would be enough. But the Lord's word's burn inside me and they have to come out. I feel like I know how Jeremiah felt in Jeremiah 20:9 and Jeremiah 6:10–11 when he spoke of this. It's like I'll burst if I don't say something, so I will.

I'm sure you've heard the silence. I know I've been part of it, especially before I was saved, but even since then at times. What am I talking about? The dead silence we hear when someone we know has sinned or is sinning and others acknowledge what they're doing, even congratulating them, or at least acting and speaking as though it's perfectly normal and acceptable. Oh yes, there's plenty of noise...plenty of talking, but there's total silence concerning what God says and thinks about what they're doing.

Each time it happens now, I ask myself, "Why??? Why doesn't someone speak up???" What hit me really hard though was when someone I really respected as a mature Christian didn't speak up. That just floored me and really shook me up. It made me question if I was doing right, because I so respected them. And again I asked myself, "why didn't they speak up", and I came up with a number of reasons that could apply. Perhaps they were ignorant about what the other person was actually talking about since they're from different generations, so since they didn't know, they couldn't speak up. Or perhaps, again not realizing what had actually been done, they were in a hurry and simply wanted to encourage a youngster, not realizing they were encouraging sin. I hope and pray to God that's what happened in that instance, but I know that normally, that's not the case. Normally, no one cares, because everyone considers sin normal and acceptable; or those who do know better simply don't want to rock the boat and don't want others to be angry at them, or take the chance that they won't like them anymore. I feel I can say that because I know that's what my excuses have been in the past as well. I'm not innocent. I've added to the silence many times. I just can't do it anymore.

I'm glad that happened and made me question myself though, because I took my questions to the Lord and He assured me that I was to speak out, and not just me, but all of us. He showed me that in His Word, over and over again. I still wasn't sure He wanted me to say anything about the subject in general though. Not until I opened my bible this morning and the first words my eyes focused on were "Our Guilty Silence". Since my bible library opens up to random pages, and I don't believe in coincidences, I felt sure that was the Lord's way of confirming what He wanted to me talk about. Especially since I'd again, already brought it up to Him as I was opening my bible library.

How do we break out of our old habits of being silent when we see people we care about doing and saying things that we know are sinful, or even blasphemous, or that are leading them away from God? When we see a teenager flippantly talking back to their parents, or singing along with secular songs that are obviously about premarital sex, and other sins - an attitude totally opposite of that we're supposed to have as followers of Christ? When we hear a friend talk about getting their horoscope or seeing a psychic, or another talking about lying to their spouse, or another who defiantly insists that there's nothing wrong with looking at porn? Someone that's gotten involved with false teaching and is spreading it around? A parent who's caved to their teenager's demands and is allowing their teens boyfriend/girlfriend to live with them and sleep with their teen, or a parent who's living with someone without being married?

How can we speak up when we sin too and have even done some of those same things? All I know to do is to speak from my heart and tell them up front that I've done those things too and because I have, I know from experience that the Lord disciplines us when we sin, and I don't want to see them go through that. I think it only seems hard because we're afraid that we'll be seen as fanatics (and we will be). Because if I bought an expensive product and found it to be a piece of junk, every time I heard someone talking about that kind of product, I'd quickly jump in and warn them to never buy the one I did and I'd tell them why. It would never occur to me to be afraid of being seen in a bad light or losing them as a friend. And most would heed my advice or at least take it into great consideration. Yet for some reason, when it involves sin and God, the opposite happens!

If a child, friend or loved one, was about to get hit by a car or burnt by fire, we'd immediately jump into action and pull them out of harms way. We wouldn't even stop to think about it, because we love them and don't want to see them hurt or in pain. Yet when those same people we love are threatened with the fire of hell for eternity, or on the verge of being disciplined by the Lord for sin, we look the other way... in fact, we often run the other way as fast as we can! That doesn't make sense! Why do we do that???? The only answer I can come up with is that we've been literally brainwashed throughout our lives by Satan, the world and our flesh. But God expects us to change and to speak up. The good news is that we can, with His help. But that means spending time in His Word with Him every day, and many of us just won't do that either. (for which Satan is very grateful!) Romans 12:2 among other scriptures (Colossians 3:10; John 17:17 etc) tells us though that our minds must be renewed by God's Word in order to be sanctified and transformed. So I guess the silence will continue to grow and people will go through trials that might have been prevented, and more people will be lost to hell that might have been saved.

Father, Grant us boldness to speak the Truth with love, & to never compromise Your truth. Grant us boldness to tell others about Your gracious gift of salvation. Grant us the words & wisdom to speak so that no one will be able to resist or contradict us. Enable us to encourage, rebuke, train, and teach others in righteousness. I pray that we may be active in sharing our faith, so that we will all have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. I ask this that You would be honored and glorified. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen. (Luke 21:15; Ephesians 6:19; Acts 4:29; Titus 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16; Philemon 6)

Jeremiah 20:9 —But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. *

Jeremiah 6:10–11 —To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. *But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. *

Jeremiah 6:12–19 —Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD. *“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. *They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. *Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD. *This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ *I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’ *Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them. *Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law. *

 

None of us are perfect, and if we speak out as though we are, then we're sinning. But when we speak to someone because we love and care about them, and are concerned about them, it puts a totally different "tone" on what we're saying. People can tell when we love them, and when we don't. That's why I said this:

Quote:

How can we speak up when we sin too and have even done some of those same things? All I know to do is to speak from my heart and tell them up front that I've done those things too and because I have, I know from experience that the Lord disciplines us when we sin, and I don't want to see them go through that. I think it only seems hard because we're afraid that we'll be seen as fanatics (and we will be). Because if I bought an expensive product and found it to be a piece of junk, every time I heard someone talking about that kind of product, I'd quickly jump in and warn them to never buy the one I did and I'd tell them why. It would never occur to me to be afraid of being seen in a bad light or losing them as a friend. And most would heed my advice or at least take it into great consideration. Yet for some reason, when it involves sin and God, the opposite happens!

I'm not suggesting though that if we speak in love that the person will always welcome what we say, because they won't, but it will plant a seed that the Lord can grow. Nor am I perfect at this because there's times I don't speak up when I know I should. With the Lord's help those times have gotten much fewer and will hopefully never happen again. But if it does happen, I know He will forgive me and that He will show me how to do a better job next time. We all have to speak when the Lord tells us to Ruthanne and keep our mouths shut when He tells us to. One thing to keep in mind though is that He tells us when to speak in His Word, not just in our heads, and expects us to obey Him.

Many of us are afraid of confrontation, which makes this near impossible. I know I sure was. But the Lord can teach us and help us overcome that too, I know because He's done so for me. It took quite awhile, but He did it. I had to remind myself of what's more important, God or the fear of rejection. God won.

Setting the Record Straight

Setting the Record Straight

by Phil Johnson

More than two years ago, I wrote an article titled “The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine,” critiquing the insanely popular I-Saw-Heaven-and-Here’s-What-It’s-Like genre of Christian best sellers. We posted that article on the Grace to You blog in anticipation of a revised and expanded edition of John MacArthur’s The Glory of Heaven.

One of the books I critiqued in that blog post was The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven by Kevin Malarkey. That book, published by Tyndale, is the story of Malarkey’s son, Alex, whose spinal column was completely severed at the neck in a horrific crash at an Ohio intersection on the way home from church one Sunday morning. Alex’s survival is a remarkable providence, and his courage and endurance through the whole ordeal is a true wonder. His experience is a compelling story, apart from the heaven-and-back element. Doctors said he would not survive, but Alex pressed on through numerous surgeries, countless inconveniences, and unbelievable adversity, always with a smile and a grateful heart.

Even at age six, recovering from an injury that would ordinarily be fatal, and coming to grips with total paralysis, Alex kept an unusually positive frame of mind. He pondered (as anyone would) troubling metaphysical questions like Why? What next? and What is God’s plan in this? One of the ways six-year-old Alex dealt with the trauma and the questions (while totally immobile and heavily sedated) was by imagining what had happened to him and what it all might mean. The tedium of hospital life was excruciating. So he answered people’s questions with stories he knew would get and hold their attention. Those stories became the seeds that planted the idea for Alex’s father’s book about heaven.

Shortly after “The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine” was posted on our blog two years ago, Alex’s mom, Beth Malarkey, contacted me to acknowledge that John MacArthur’s analysis is correct: “These modern testimonies . . . are simply untrue.” She and Alex had already been doing everything they could to get the word out that The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven told a largely imaginary story, and that most of the details had been greatly embellished and exaggerated in the writing. Publicity about the book had incited a cult of afterlife enthusiasts and hangers-on who wanted to canonize Alex and idolize him as a mystical seer with an open connection to heaven. Alex was uncomfortable with the feeling of moral and spiritual responsibility his sudden fame had thrust on him. Still a child, he nevertheless understood that the truth was more important than his own reputation.

The publisher refused to pull or alter the book. Alex’s father, thrilled with the book’s best-seller status, stood with the publisher. Even a pastor from whom Alex sought counsel said he thought the book was “blessing” people. He advised Alex to be quiet and let it ride.

Before John MacArthur’s new edition of The Glory of Heaven went to press, John added a section noting the disclaimers Alex and Beth Malarkey had published in their futile attempts to make the truth known. In a footnote on page 55, for example, John wrote:

Although Kevin and Alex Malarkey are listed as joint authors on the book’s cover, Alex has publicly disclaimed the book online, calling it “1 of the most deceptive books ever.” Beth Malarkey, Alex’s mom and Kevin’s wife, describes the book as “a beautiful testimony distorted, twisted, packaged and used as business.”

Reviewing The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven at length in Appendix 2, MacArthur noted:

The book’s cover lists Kevin and Alex as joint authors, but the copyright notice is in Kevin’s name alone, and it is clearly Kevin who tells the story. Also on the book’s cover, in large type, are the words “a true story.” But as we shall see, there is considerable evidence that Kevin Malarkey has embellished, exaggerated, and even fabricated the supposed visions and experiences he attributes to Alex. (p. 199)
. . . . . . . .
Kevin Malarkey has overlaid his son’s testimony with so much that is unbiblical that the book considered as a whole is dangerously misleading. Alex himself posted a similar assessment of his father’s narrative at a webpage publicizing the book, but the comment was quickly deleted. Beth Malarkey reposted Alex’s comment at her own blog, saying “Alex voiced accurately what the book was about but he was silenced.” Like Alex, she emphatically disavows many of the claims that are made in her husband’s book, adding this: “Buyer beware. There is only one absolutely infallible and ‘true’ book: God’s Word! It does not need fancied up or packaged for sale. It is incredible as it stands!” (pp. 200-201)

Beth Malarkey perfectly summarized the issue in three sentences, saying: “Alex never concluded he was in heaven. He was a small boy who experienced something extraordinary. The adults made it into what would sell to the masses” (footnote, p. 201).

The Glory of Heaven (2nd ed.) was published in early 2013, so the true story about The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven has been in circulation and widely available for two years. Justin Peters became aware of Mrs. Malarkey’s plight last year and tried many times to call attention to Alex’s disclaimers. But the publisher continued selling and promoting the book with a cover that boldly (and falsely) proclaims it “a true story.”

Last week, Alex Malarkey himself weighed in with a short open letter.

An Open Letter to Lifeway and Other Sellers, Buyers, and Marketers of Heaven Tourism, by the Boy Who Did Not Come Back from Heaven

Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short.

I did not die. I did not go to heaven.

I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.

It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of heaven outside of what is written in the Bible . . . not by reading a work of man. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.

In Christ,
Alex Malarkey

Alex’s letter is articulate. It is gospel centered. It has the clear ring of truth.

When Alex has tried to make similar statements on Facebook or in other online forums, he has been routinely shouted down, his comments deleted, and his fragile voice silenced. We want to give his testimony maximum exposure, because Alex is right: The truth is more important than how anyone feels about it.

One of the top online reviews of The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven says: “I can tend to be a little skeptical of otherworldly experiences, but when I hear it from the words of a child, I am much more open to the idea. A child is not going to be capable of making up these kinds of images and keeping his story straight for month after month after month.”

That, sadly, is what lots of readers think. What they don’t realize is that there is a massive industry behind books like these, heavily populated with decision makers who care more for filthy lucre than for truth. Employed in that industry are some mercenaries who have no scruples whatsoever about making up tales like these, polishing and embellishing them, and buttressing them with details designed to enhance the illusion of believability. It’s the very worst kind of pragmatism gone to seed. What’s “good” is defined by what sells. Scripture calls it “the teaching of Balaam” (Revelation 2:14).

Christian publishing is long overdue for reformation.

posted with permission http://www.gty.org/blog/B150116/setting-the-record-straight

 

Boy Says He Didn’t Go To Heaven; Publisher Says It Will Pull Book

LTRP Note: Today, there are many stories being highly publicized (and books being published) about people who supposedly have come back from the dead or near-dead, telling of their experiences in Heaven. The general public’s willingness (including multitudes of proclaiming Christians) to gobble such stories up shows how easily people are deceived. Many of the people who claim to have these experiences are not born-again Christian believers, such as the case with Dr. Eban Alexander, who wrote about his mystical experiences in his book, Proof of Heaven (see link below). Jesus made it very clear in Scripture that He is the only door to Heaven.

By Bill Chappell
NPR

Nearly five years after it hit best-seller lists, a book that purported to be a 6-year-old boy’s story of visiting angels and heaven after being injured in a bad car crash is being pulled from shelves. The young man at the center of The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, Alex Malarkey, said this week that the story was all made up.

The book’s publisher, Tyndale House, had promoted it as “a supernatural encounter that will give you new insights on Heaven, angels, and hearing the voice of God.”

But Thursday, Tyndale House confirmed to NPR that it is taking “the book and all ancillary products out of print.”
The decision to pull the book comes after Alex Malarkey wrote an open letter to retailer LifeWay and others who sell Christian books and religious materials. . . .

“I did not die. I did not go to Heaven,” Alex wrote. He continued, “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. Click here to continue reading.




Related Information:
Book Review: “Have Heart” by Steve Berger – Endorsed by Church Leaders, But Sadly Normalizes Necromancy (Communicating with the dead)
Dr. Eben Alexander’s “My Proof of Heaven”: A Review and Theological Commentary
Follow Up Story on Newsweek Article about Heaven: Author of “Proof of Heaven” Admits to Practicing Deep Meditation
NEW BOOKLET TRACT – REGENERATION: “Ye Must Be Born Again.” by Harry A. Ironside
A Warning: The Angel of Light and the “Wiles” of the Devil

posted with permission;
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=16774

What I learned about the catholic church yesterday

As many of you know, we had to go to a funeral yesterday and it was at a catholic church. We had to sit there for an hour before the service began (I have no idea why!) and I was bored so I started looking through the books that were in the pew. One was a child's book called Celebrating Eucharist, A Mass Book for Children. I was surprised at first because it wasn't bad at all and not what I was expecting...at least up to page 23. On that page however, I couldn't believe what I was reading. I read it 5 times because I kept thinking that I absolutely must be reading it wrong! But I wasn't. To make sure I remembered it correctly, I pulled the only thing I had in my purse that I could write on out: a kleenex, and wrote it down there. I didn't realize that I was going to get to see it played out in front of my eyes when the service started though. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut then!

Listen to what the priest says as he pours the wine and water into the chalice: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity."

You've got to be kidding! They actually think they're going to get to be mini gods someday, just like the mormons? Apparently the only difference is that Catholics don't think they get their own planet to rule as a god and women can get to be little gods too!

I looked up the word "divinity" in their catechism, and sure enough, it has something to say about this, and what it says blows me away too:

51 "It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature."2 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_PF.HTM#1O

Catechism of the Catholic Church
460 The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature":"For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/460.htm

This partially quotes Ephesians1:9, but I want to post at least some of the context of it too so you'll see it for what it really says: I've underlined verse 9.

Ephesians 1:7–14 —In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace *that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. *And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, *to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. *In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, *in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. *And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, *who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. *

I didn't want to make the mistake of assuming that the catholic church taught what it sure sounds like they teach, so I did some research on itfirst. Sad to say, they do in fact teach that very thing. I also discovered that it's this teaching that winds up messing up the catholics view of justification among other things. That's not hard to understand though, because when you mess up one doctrine, it's bound to affect your understanding of everything else. That's one reason I say that when people refuse to accept the doctrine of the pre-trib rapture, it messes up their understanding of everything else, including salvation.

I was pleased when I did the research to find that a pastor I greatly respect for his scriptural teaching, had written a great article about this very thing. I'll post a tiny portion of it here, and those who are interested in being able to defend that faith against this type of heresy, can click on the link and check out the rest of it. It's very well written and to the point.On Theosis, Or Divinization

By Pastor Larry DeBruyn

If biblical precedent exists for attaining unto divinity, “The only biblical text which seems to bear directly on deification is 2 Peter 1:4, where the destiny of Christian believers is described as becoming ‘partakers of the divine nature’.”[1] So the question becomes, does Peter’s reference to partaking of the divine nature support the teaching that in this life a Christian can become deified; that a Christian, as defined by the Orthodox Church, can become subjected to “God’s full and perfect penetration . . . in which [state of being] the operations and energies of human nature cease, having been replaced by the Divine Operations and Energies.”[2] On the face of it, Peter appears to be teaching the possibility of personal divinization, but upon a deeper investigation of the text, he is not.

A Translation
To understand partaking of the divine nature, the context, grammar and syntax of Peter’s statement needs to be attended to, because if we understand what the apostle is really saying to the saints of that era (that’s every believer), we will be clear as to what he meant; and that is not that a human soul can become divinized. For this understanding, the following translation of 2 Peter 1, verse 4, is offered:

For by His own glory and excellence, the Lord Jesus has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises in order that by them—His precious and magnificent promises—we participate in/with the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

In order to understand what Peter stated in this verse, several points can be noted, some of which in the English text are obvious, and others that are not. In noting these points, it will become evident the apostle was not teaching that Christians can become divinized, attain perfection in God.

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2011/0...inization.html

 

But there were other things that really bothered me too. One was the way the priest talked about heaven. He made heaven sound like the most boring place anyone could possibly go to. The only word he ever used to describe what it would be like was that the deceased would be at peace. I kept thinking, "we're talking about an 18 year old here....not some stressed out housewife!" That thought made me think of those calgon commercials, and honestly, those were more exciting then what the priest said about heaven! It made me feel badly for the parents and the siblings of the boy who died. I wanted to go tell them how awesome heaven really is, and would have, except I knew it wouldn't be accepted or appreciated.

The thing that really, really bothered me though was the superstition that was so prevalent and obvious during the service. I have to admit that I never, ever, expected to see that! They had communion, what they call the Eucharist, which we didn't participate in. But being family and in the front row, we could see and hear everything. It was quite obvious that they thought the priest was actually turning the bread and wine into the actual body of Christ.

What got to me though was this guy who was sitting up by the alter with the priest, basically doing the things that some churches have acolytes do. Only they did some things very differently. When the priest held up the host and was blessing it to turn it into the body of Christ (in their minds anyway), this guy picked up this whole mess of bells that were attached together and rang them 3 times. I don't know why he did this, but it sure seemed like he was doing it because of the belief that while the bells were ringing the host was being turned into Christ's body. And he did the same thing when the wine was being blessed and held up, which I again felt was for the purpose of showing that this is when they supposedly were changed.

I just looked it up to find out if it was what it looked like and sure enough, that's exactly what they were doing!

Quote:

The primary reason for the use of sanctus/altar bell(s) is to create a joyful noise to the Lord as a way to give thanks for the miracle taking place atop the Altar of Sacrifice. An ancillary function of the bell(s) is to focus the attention of those attending the Mass that a supernatural event is taking place on the altar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar_bell

Unbelievable! After that, the priest explained to everyone what was going to happen and told us that only catholics were allowed to partake of it. I already knew about that and had told Bruce we wouldn't be going up, although my reason for not doing so was that I couldn't bring myself to participate in such pagan superstition.

I desperately wanted to ask the priest if he believed that God didn't change, that He was the same today as yesterday, etc. And then when he said yes, (at least I hope he would, but you never know) I'd ask him why then did God have a law that stated we were not to drink or eat blood and repeated that law in the New Testament for Christians? I'm also pretty sure that God doesn't condone cannibalism.

I'm quite aware that the early Christians were accused of that very thing, but they were accused of it, not because they thought the bread and wine turned into the body and blood of Christ, but because of their words....the same words we use today at communion:

Matthew 26:26–28 —... Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” *And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, *for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. *

They were accused of it because people would overhear them saying that and took it to mean just what it sounded like, because they were very superstitious back then and because it wasn't at all unlikely in those days for something like that to be happening, when strange things were being done in the pagan temples all around them.

To see such superstition now though, really surprised me. I was prepared for them thinking it was the real body and blood, but not how they'd use the bells to try and make people think that's when the magic happens.

The other thing they did to prepare for the change to take place was smother bread and wine with incense. The priest held an incense burner on a rope and very slowly walked all the way around the alter, while causing the burner to swing back and forth from him to over the bread and wine, and back to him. Again, it was quite obvious that this was part of the magic ritual.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to use incense or bells in a church service. I've been at some lovely church services where both were used. But they weren't used to make it look like the priest was calling down some supernatural magic or something like that.

There were a number of other things, but I don't have time to mention them all. The one other thing that I'd like to share though was the obvious hypocrisy of it all. On the one hand the priest spent a lot of time acting very, very solemn and, well, priest like lol. But then, at the drop of the hat, just for a moment, you'd catch him acting totally flippant Maybe he thought no one was watching or that no one would catch it, I don't know. But I saw it, and was really appalled at it. It made me wonder just which actions were "real" and which were contrived.... I guess I'd feel better about it all if I thought the guy really truly believed what he was teaching and doing and that he was worshiping God the 1best he knew how; but to see the other side of him, made me question that too and made me wonder if he saw it all as foolishness, and if that applied to God as well.... Altogether it was quite unsettling.

Is God the desire of our hearts?

Isaiah 26:8–11 —Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. *My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. *Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD. *O LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them. *

Is God the desire of our hearts? Do we really long for Him? Do we love spending time with Him in His Word, and just can't get enough of it? Or is it what He can give us that we long for? Or rather what we want Him to give us? Are we just going through the motions, lukewarm at best? Or are we like this passage and so many others say, on fire for God and His Word? Loving Him with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength? Do we want to please Him more then we want to please our family, or our friends or bosses? Does He come before them? Does His Word?Do we examine ourselves to see if we're in the faith? (2 Cor 13:5) Do we pray with the psalmist: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. *See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. * (Psalm 139:23–24)

Adam & Eve; and Christ & the Church

I was reading Ephesians 1 and afterward wanted to see what the summarized bible said about it. When I read it, I was really surprised by what they said and thought that the way they compared Adam and Eve and Christ and the Church was really pretty neat, as I'd never thought of it that way. So I thought I'd share it with you guys.

‎Striking Facts: vv. 22–23. Jesus is Head of the Church which is His Body & His Bride. As Eve was of Adam’s body, yet was his bride, so the Church born out of His opened side, is both the Body & the Bride. This gives Him complete disposal of all the affairs of the true Church to the designs of His grace. Summarized Bible

Ephesians 1:22–23 —And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, *which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. *

Wow! This describes exactly what happened to me when I was saved!

I was totally amazed when I read today's devotion because it described what the Lord revealed to me when I was saved. I found and copied my old testimony about this so I could share it with you all again. And I'll post the devotion after it for you too. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



My parents were atheists, so the only knowledge I had of Jesus and the Gospel came from church. Although I was only 12, I did talk my mom into getting me a bible and I read it constantly. But no one explained the gospel to me. No one taught me what everything meant. I tried very hard to find out on my own. Even though I was 12, I decided that I'd start going to Sunday School. I didn't want to start with the 6th grade though, as I assumed I wasn't ready for that since I didn't know the basics. I went to the 1st grade classroom for awhile, then the 2nd, etc. till I felt I had learned all they had to offer. Then I went to my own grade. But I still didn't know the gospel! Oh yeah, I knew the bible stories now, and that's a start anyway, but I didn't know the most important things of all!

I struggled for years, all my teen years and the first few adult years, to "be good" so that I would go to heaven. I adored Jesus! But I couldn't live up to His standards. I finally gave up. I knew it was just impossible. So I told Him how sorry I was, and that I loved Him, and that I understood that I'd have to go to hell, but that was OK, cause I knew I deserved hell. I did presume to ask Him if I might just see His face one time before He sent me there though, and if maybe I could give Him a hug.

I lived most of the rest of my adult life with that thought. I still went to church every Sunday, I still read my bible, I still prayed. But I did it all with the knowledge that I'd never go to heaven. I only hoped that maybe my children might make it somehow. And I still loved Jesus with all my heart. But I also felt like I was missing something. I remembered how Peter was drastically changed after the resurrection, and how that seemed to be true for all the early Christians, yet I didn't see it in the people who were Christians today, except maybe a very, very few. They all seemed to be the same people they were before they were "saved". I didn't understand why, but somehow knew that there was a problem and it couldn't be with God so it had to be with us.

It wasn't until approximately 20 years ago, that the Lord in His great mercy, spoke to me and showed me the Truth. My life at that time was a total wreck. I desperately needed help and I wanted answers. I knew enough to know that the only real truth could be found only in the Bible, so that was where I turned, to the Bible and prayer. I pleaded with the Lord to help me, to show me what to do, and to show me why I couldn't be good enough for Him. The reason I asked Him why I couldn't be good enough for Him was because I wanted to know where I had gone wrong, and how other people did it. I wanted to be changed like Peter was. I wanted to try one more time, but at the same time, I wasn't real sure the Lord would allow me to. I had gotten baptized when I was 12 and figured that every sin I committed after that moment was on my slate and I would have to pay for it in hell. I didn't think the Lord would let me get baptized again, but I had a faint hope that He might, since I was only a child then.... so I prayed and I read.

I immersed myself in my bible, and I started reading "Satan is alive and well on planet earth" by Hal Lindsey. He explained the gospel in it, and the light went on, and I understood!!!! My soul rejoiced and I cried and prayed and cried some more as I realized that I was saved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That He loved me too! That I didn't have to be "good enough" for Him!!!! That He took me as I was!!!! Oh the glory of that moment!!! Time stood still and when it started again my whole world and my whole life was changed. Instantly.

(and yes, I'm crying my eyes out right now just remembering this)

Later, I asked the Lord, why it had taken me so long to learn the Truth. What I was really asking was "why didn't you tell me before!" The Lord showed me this verse:

Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

That last line just jumped right out at me and practically glowed!

Yes, I had sought Him before, many times, but never with my "whole" heart. All those other times, there were many other things that my heart felt were just as important...school, getting good grades, friends, raising my kids, day to day life, my job, money, fixing whatever current crisis my life was in at that time, etc. It wasn't until I literally laid it ALL down and made finding the Lord my top priority and my only priority that I found Him. If you read back to where I said I started searching and reading my Bible again, you'll see that this time, I wasn't running to God so that He would fix the crisis I was in or help me get a raise or anything else.

Yes, my life was a total wreck, but I had finally come to understand that it was a wreck because I didn't have Him in my life. I knew that He was what I needed, more then health, more then money, more then making my kids obey me, more then anything.

Ever since that moment, my life has been filled with joy. Oh yes, there have been many times that I had problems and that I had to deal with grief and heartache, as well as all the normal day to day problems everyone has. It wasn't an easy road to get my life turned around and put onto the right track, and I don't mean to imply that it was. Beneath it all however was a joy that has never left me. Joy that one day I will see my Savior face to face and that I will get to spend Eternity praising Him! That joy is my strength even now and I know it always will be no matter what comes. People may fail me, loved ones may hurt me, problems will come, but Jesus will never leave me and that joy is there, deep in my soul.

Another thing changed in me at that moment when I was saved. I was immediately at peace with God. I had fought Him for so long that it actually felt strange at first, although welcome as well. It felt kind of like the world had been lifted off my shoulders, and I hadn't even realized I was carrying the world on my shoulders until it was gone. That peace has also stayed with me and never leaves. I didn't understand what that was either at first--I just enjoyed it. Now I know that peace is Jesus, because Jesus is our peace and He is the Prince of peace and He alone can give us His peace which passes all understanding. I think that's why it's so hard to describe, because it is beyond understanding and beyond words. It's not even really a feeling, it's just a reality that's there....

And so I was saved and changed by the Lord and the changes have continued ever since then. I had to learn the hard way that I had to really and truly put God and His Word before everything and everyone else in my life, and from that moment on, I never stopped, never looked back and never wanted anything other then more of the Lord. I knew that if I slacked off, stopped or even decreased the time I spent with Him in His Word, that I'd start backsliding and that was the last thing I wanted to have happen!

The Gospel is really true, it really is "Good News!" God can and will save and change us and keep changing us from the inside out, making us more and more like Jesus, if we will only seek Him with ALL our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength. Let me tell you too, it really is like being "born again". I remember thinking that now I knew why that phrase was used because that's exactly what it felt like, like being born again and getting to start over with a clean slate in a brand new life!

PURSUING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” PHILIPPIANS 3:8

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God’s greatest desire for us is that we seek diligently to know Him.

To know God and all that He has revealed about Himself is the highest pursuit of life. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). Such a realization should really be the starting point for all of life’s other pursuits.

As David gave his throne to his son Solomon, his primary counsel was that Solomon know God: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” (1 Chron. 28:9).

Knowing God not only determines the quality of one’s present life, but also the destiny of one’s life in eternity. Jesus says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is simply knowing God in an intimate way for the rest of eternity. It begins here on earth when we believe in Christ and partake of His very nature and life.

How can we know God? The Lord says, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Solomon teaches us, “For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:3–5). This pursuit of God must be our top priority in life. Otherwise, it is so easy to be distracted by the pursuit of money, career success, personal power and prestige, or any earthly endeavor that demands our time and energy.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank the Lord that you know Him personally.

For Further Study: Read 2 Peter 1:1–11. What are the benefits to those who know God? ✧ What qualities should be evident in your life? (this is a great study to do!)

MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today.

Talk about Miracles!

Psalm 33:13–15 —From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; *from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— *he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. *

We all know that God created each of us in our mother's womb, but how often do we really sit back and reflect on it? It amazes me when I think about it and talk to the Lord about it. Every single one of us is totally unique. There is no one else that's ever been born, or will ever be born, that's exactly like me. Oh sure, there are twins and triplets, etc but even they aren't completely identical. When God says that He created us, He's not talking just about our physical bodies, but also our minds, our emotions, our desires, talents, abilities, etc. And He not only created us but He created us in His image, to be like Him. Whenever I think of that, I also think of how He's transforming each of us who are saved to be like His Son. In other words, to be even more like Him! Amazing!

This is the same God who created the stars, planets, trees, oceans, animals, birds, and everything in all creation, even the earth itself. He didn't just mix up a batch of molecules and decide that batch one was going to be this person, and batch two this other person, etc. No, He carefully, thoughtfully, molded us, knit us together in our mother's womb. The Bible says that He knew us before He even created the earth. When we're told He knew us, it doesn't mean that He knew about us, or knew we existed or would exist. Instead, the word in the original language shows us that He had a personal knowledge of each of us. The kind of knowledge you get when you know someone intimately. Wow! Knowing us intimately like that, He created each of us intentionally, and individually, in His image.

It doesn't end there though, because since we know He created each of us with specific talents, abilities, desires, and a certain way of seeing things, we can also know that He did that because He has a specific plan for each one of us. Pigs don't have wings, because God's plan for them didn't include flying. He didn't give me a natural talent for or desire to do math, because math wasn't going to be important in the plan He had for me. Instead, He gave me a talent for writing and a desire to write. Often we tend to think we don't have any particular talents or gifts, but God says that He gives us all talents and gifts, so we know that's not true. I think sometimes we're searching for some spectacular thing instead of just looking at what things we enjoy doing and realizing that's our talent or gift. It may be cooking, or encouraging others, or entertaining children, or working in an office or painting, history, math, or any number of normal things like that. The amazing thing is that we all have talents and abilities and that no one else is exactly like us, because God created us to be exactly who we are.

Having said that however, I have to add that while God created us to be exactly who we are, He does expect us to grow and change. He doesn't want us to stay like we are. If we don't grow, we may never realize many of the gifts and talents He's given us, or develop the ones we do see.

Getting back to God creating us though, when we carry all of this out to it's natural conclusion, we also realize that God created us to carry out a unique mission; that He has a unique plan(s) for each of us, that no one else could do. Let's say He created you to go overseas and tell people about Jesus. You say, well, lots of people can and do do that. True. But if that's God's plan for you, then you can be sure that no one other then you could reach certain individuals in that area. See, again, we tend to think of things like that in large groups or possibilities. As though God created 500,000 people to go on missions and had an extra 500,000 as backups. But God doesn't work that way. God created us individually. He loves us individually and knows us individually. He thinks about us- just us, not everyone in North America at the same time. When He has given someone the talents and gifts they need to be a missionary, He does that because He has specific people in mind for them to reach with the Good News. And those are people that wouldn't respond to anyone other then them. This is true for each of us no matter what purpose He's planned for us!

Isn't that amazing? Even more amazing to me is that the plans He has for each of us are tailored to us individually. His plans for me do not include something that involves having to do a lot of complicated math problems. They don't involve having to do any running (I hate math and running lol). If we remember that He is the one who gave us our talents, abilities and desires, then we can also know that His plan for us will be something that we will enjoy doing, something tailor made for us. Because we're all different from each other, we each relate to the Lord in a slightly different way too. No one else relates to the Lord in the exact same way I do, or that you do. We each show a little bit of a different aspect of the Lord to the world. Consequently, we each have a very unique relationship with Him. Further, God intended for our lives to be aimed at these special purposes even before He created us!

So you see, God created us individually in His image, to both live with Him forever, and to live for Him now. Sadly, Satan developed the secular worldview to get us to forget God and live for ourselves instead. It's like cutting off our nose to spite our face when we do that, but we still do it all the time. I often think of how we're all royalty, and yet many of us are scrubbing toilets instead of enjoying the plans the Lord has for us. It's only when we live for God that we can reach our full potential as the men and women He created us to be.

Jeremiah 29:11 —For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. *

How to find God's Will

How to find God's Will When You're Experiencing a Problem, Going through a Trial, being tempted, or whatever you may be going through.

Whenever we have a problem we have to deal with, we need to ask ourselves, "how does the Lord want me to handle this?". We may have other questions too such as "why" it's happening, or what we should or shouldn't do about it.

To get your answer to those and other questions, you go to your bible to find out how God wants you to handle it. Most importantly though you pray and ask the Lord to guide you as you look through His Word to see how He wants you to respond to your current situation. Why? Because that's how the Lord speaks to us today. While He's perfectly capable of speaking to us with His voice or in other ways, He generally speaks to us through His Word, so when we need to find an answer, that's where we need to go to talk to Him. Otherwise the only answers you're libel to get are a nudging to go to His Word or silence.

I'm going to pretend that the problem is co workers harassing you at work. Another word for someone that's harassing us is persecute:

Persecute means:
To oppress or harass with ill-treatment,
To annoy persistently; bother.
to subject to harassing or cruel treatment,
to oppress, torment, frustrate, harass, etc.

If you have a "concordance" or "index" in your bible, look up the word, "persecute" If not, you can use an online bible and search for the word on it. Not every verse with that word in it is going to be what we're looking for, but it's a good place to start and it's pretty easy to weed out the ones that aren't going to be helpful.

What you'll want to do is read the ones you think may apply to your situation, but you need to read them "in context" and not just that particular verse. If you only read that verse you'd miss a lot of what God has to say to you about it..

Just to give you some good ideas of words to look up when you're having a problem, going through a trial or something like that, let me give you some common words that are always good to look up during these times. You can also use these words to look up if you don't get enough information on the word you choose to look up first:
suffer
enemy
trouble
test
discipline
trial

Or you could look up a word or words that you notice show up a lot in the verses you already found. In the ones I'll list for you, you'll notice the word "perseverance" shows up a lot, so you could look that word up and see what other verses with that word in it say.

Since we're pretending you're being persecuted, I've looked up the word "persecute" in the New Testament, and I've picked out the ones that I think are the most helpful for us.

Remember, when you're doing this on your own, you need to read them in context too so you know how God wants you to respond and why. For that reason, I'm going to include verses that either come before or follow the one with the word persecute in it for you here.

As you read each scripture, you'd ask yourself the following questions:
A. What God is saying to you about how you should handle your situation now,
B. What you should expect or why
C. What He will do for you.

Some of the scriptures won't have all three of those in it, but answer as many of those three questions as you can for each scripture.

I've chosen 7 scriptures for our pretend problem. All you have to do is choose scriptures that looked like they might have something to do with what you're going through. I'll post the ones I chose here so you can see why it's important to read them in context. Obviously when you look up the scripture, you'll first read the verse with that word in it, but then look both back before that verse and after that verse to see what's pertinent to your situation now. (Remember, you're looking for the answers to those three questions I posted above as you read the following scriptures)

1. Matthew 5:44–47
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

2. John 15:20
20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

3. Romans 12:12–21
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

4. 1 Corinthians 4:11–13
11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

5. 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

6. 2 Thessalonians 1:4–10
4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

7. 2 Timothy 3:12–13
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.


Having answered the 3 questions or as many as you could for each scripture you read, you would now do the following:
1. Make a list of steps that you can take to do what God wants you to do about this.

2. Considering everything you've learned now, write down what you think the Lord may be either trying to teach you or help you practice.

3. Ask the Lord to help you respond to this problem the way He's now shown you that He wants you to.

Now that you are all done, all your questions should be answered, and you now know exactly what the Lord wants your attitude to be and what He wants you to do. The most important part of this entire process though is that we should be talking to the Lord about it asking His guidance before we look up the verses, while we're looking them up and studying them and after we've done so. We need to remember that He's right there with us, guiding us and that most of all, He wants to talk to us through His Word and make it personal to us. This way we not only get our questions answered, and answered correctly, but we also become closer to our Lord. This is how the Lord wants us to get our answers for right after talking about trials, He tells us:

James 1:5–8 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

I hope this helps someone.


KNOWING GOD’S WILL


Ephesians 5:17–18 —Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

I've often heard people say they wondered what God's Will was, and I used to say that too until I realized that His will isn't hard to discover. It's in His Word. No, it won't tell us what car to buy, but it will tell us what our motive in buying the car should be and what our attitude should be about it, and that's a lot more then most folks have. I started a list of things that are God's Will for us who are saved. I say it that way, because if I was making a list for all people, including the unsaved, the first thing on it would be "to be saved". I listed 25 things, although I could have gone on much longer, as I'm sure you'll see. I listed scriptures at the bottom, not in any particular order, but they do pertain to at least one of the 25 items I listed. We also need to remember that the Lord tells us not to trust our feelings, but to trust His Word. Therefore the only time we can know for sure our feelings are truthful, is when they line up with what God's Word says. Otherwise, we're to ignore them.

What is God's Will for those who've been saved?

1. To be sanctified
2. To do good works
3. To give thanks in all circumstances
4. To be eager to do good
5. To bear fruit that will last for His Kingdom
6. To declare His praises to others
7. To live for Him instead of ourselves
8. To bring praise to God
9. To become more and more like Jesus every day
10. To live a holy life instead of living like the rest of the world does
11. To grow to spiritual maturity & be fully assured
12. To be filled with His Spirit
13. To submit to those God has placed in authority over us
14. To do good so no one can say anything bad about you
15. To suffer for His sake
16. To avoid sexual immorality
17. To be Holy, perfect
18. To live a life of love; love God, love others; love sacrificially
19. To be joyful always
20. To pray continually
21. To give thanks in all circumstances
22. To fear God
23. To keep His commandments
24. To make sure God is before everyone and everything else in our lives.
25. To someday share in our Lord's glory

Here are a some of the scriptures that talk about His Will for us. many come right out and say, "this is God's Will for you", others are outright commands which would obviously be God's Will, and others you have to look at a bit more closely, but it's still not hard to see that it's God's Will for us. We're even told that the Bible contains the whole will of God, so why would we look anywhere else?

Acts 20:27 —For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. *

1 Thessalonians 4:3 —It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; *

Ephesians 5:17–18 —Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. *Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. *

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 —Be joyful always; *pray continually; *give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. *

1 Peter 2:13–15 —Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, *or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. *For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. *

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.

2 Corinthians 8:5 —And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. *

Ephesians 2:10 —For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. *

John 15:16 — You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. *

Titus 2:13–14 — while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. *

1 Peter 2:9 —But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. *

2 Corinthians 5:15 — And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. *

Ephesians 1:11–12 —In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Romans 8:29–30 —For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. *And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. *

2 Corinthians 3:18 —And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. *

2 Timothy 1:9 — who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, *

1 Thessalonians 4:7 —For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. *

2 Thessalonians 2:14 — He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. *

Mark 16:15 —He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. *

Colossians 4:12 —Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. *

1 Peter 4:2 —As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. *

1 Peter 4:19 —So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. *

1 Peter 3:17 —It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. *

Matthew 22:37–40 —Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ *This is the first and greatest commandment. *And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ *All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” *

John 13:34–35 —“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. *By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 14:15 —“If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Leviticus 19:2 —“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. *

Matthew 5:48 —Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. *

1 Peter 1:15–16 —But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; *for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:2 — who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. *

Ephesians 5:1–2 —Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children *and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. *

2 Peter 3:11 —Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives *

2 Peter 3:18 —But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. *

Hebrews 13:16 —And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. *

Ecclesiastes 12:13 —Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. *

How Do We Discern God's Will For Our Lives?

I know I've posted quite a bit about this in the past, but because it's such an important issue, I want to post more about it so that we'll all hopefully understand that there is no mysticism involved in finding what God's Will is for our lives. So I'm going to post several articles, including some that I wrote myself in this thread, so we can all have a very thorough understanding of this important issue.

How Do We Discern God's Will For Our Lives?

by Christine Pack

In a recent sermon, Voddie Baucham, pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Houston, TX, taught on the issue of discerning God's will. I was so thankful that a friend forwarded the link for this sermon to me because in listening to it, I was struck by what a timely and important message this is. The issue which Pastor Baucham is addressing - how it is that we hear from God - is, in my mind, the epic battle that is raging through today's church. Even among solid, Bible-believing Christians of today can be heard the language of a kind of "soft" mysticism:

"I didn't have 'a peace' in my spirit about that."

"I prayed until I had 'a peace'."

Have you ever heard this terminology? Perhaps you have yourself said something similar? Listen to Voddie Baucham explain why this kind of language and thinking is not Christian, but is in fact pagan:

This week, we move over into our very minds, and our very thinking, as it relates to the decisions that we make, and this issue of walking in God's will. This is not just a question....this is the question of our day. This is the slippery slope of our culture. This is that area where, even in the church, it is difficult to find biblical thinking. It is difficult to find a biblical understanding of seeking, knowing, and walking in the will of God, and the overwhelming majority of the instances to which we point are absolutely pagan and not Christian in their origins. Let me read for you if I may. This is from a book by Bruce Waltke, it's called Finding the Will of God? A Pagan Notion? And he's asking that question: is that concept of finding the will of God actually a pagan concept?

(Waltke) starts by giving several examples that will be very common to his hearers, as it relates to the way we talk in Christian circles about discerning God's will, making decisions: What do I do next? What do I do now? Where do I go next? Listen to this:

"Margaret is a successful career woman with a desire to please God. She worked her way up to a supervisor's position in the accounting division at First National Bank and married rather late in life. Now in her late 30's, she is struggling with the importance of her job. She would like to do something significant for Christ, but feels that her job prevents her from making any changes. Margaret's church recently held a missionary conference in which the speaker challenged Christians to become involved in world evangelism, and encouraged everyone to justify why they are not 'serving the Lord overseas.' Those words stay with Margaret as she ponders spending the next twenty five years at her desk doing the same old accounting tasks. The next day, she reads in the paper about a hurricane devastating the Marshall Islands. The accompanying photograph of two children crying over the death of their parents vividly captures the destruction and deprivation, and Margaret prays for those poor souls left to fend for themselves. That very afternoon, a co-worker making plans for his vacation leaves a brochure on the Marshall Islands, and Margaret decides to pray that the Lord would make his will clear to her. That night her husband comes home complaining that the best lawyer in his office - a young man named Marshall - has just been transferred to their east coast office.

'Honey,' Margaret says to her husband, 'I've been thinking about what the speaker said in church yesterday, and the funniest set of circumstances occurred. Do you think God could be calling us to be missionaries in the Marshall Islands?'"

Now, here's what would happen if Margaret and her husband went to the Marshall Islands as missionaries: they would come back from time to time, and they would go to churches and they would stand up before churches and tell that exact story, and it would be the evidence that God called them to be where they are. And people with tear-stained eyes would applaud the way God used those circumstances to reveal his will.

Now, let me first just give you the shocker, and then I'll explain myself. That is paganism, and not Christianity. That's paganism. That's reading tea leaves. That's not discerning the will of God. That's looking at the stars in the heavens, trying to discern the story that they tell. That's horoscope reading. That is not biblical Christianity, but is absolutely the most common approach to finding, discerning, and following God's will among Christians, and some of you are incredibly uncomfortable right now because that story is absolutely fine with you theologically. And if someone told you that story, you'd just shake your head and marvel at the goodness of God in being so clear and so specific with his people.

That is why we need to know Romans 12:2. (Romans 12:2 (ESV) — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.) Romans 12:2 talks clearly about walking in the will of God. Listen to what it says.......the end of Romans 12:2 says that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And that's what we want to get to, right? I want to get to the will of God. Now, the pagan way to get to the will of God is this....let me give you a definition and then I'll talk to you about some of the ways that the pagans do it. The pagan way to finding the will of God is this: you must somehow tap into the Divine Will. You must somehow transcend your human limitations and somehow access the mind of God so that you can know what the sovereign Lord of the universe has for you next. That's paganism. That's paganism.

How do the pagans do this? Well, fortune-telling is one way. I will have someone tell me what the will of the Divine is.

(Or), Transcendental Meditation, the idea of emptying your mind, because again, you've got to get in touch with the Divine. You've got to get out of your humanness and into the Divine. So you empty your mind, you clear your mind, and you wait upon the Divine to influence your empty mind.

Thirdly, pharmaceuticals. With the Indians, it was peyote. With others it's been LSD. You take a drug that allows you to enter into an altered state of consciousness, and in that altered state you transcend the human and the physical and you tap into the Divine to get guidance and direction and instruction.

Or, looking for and reading the signs. Like God is dropping breadcrumbs to let you know where to go. Somebody talked about missions. A hurricane hit the Marshall Islands. Somebody had a brochure about the Marshall Islands. A guy named Marshall left my husband's firm...God! I see the signs! I am listening! I have transcended the human and I am now in touch with the Divine, and You are obviously trying to let me in on what it is You are doing. You've got me, I'm there, my bags are packed, let's go.

How do Christians find the will of God? Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your (let's say that word together) mind......."

Here's the irony. The pagan concept of finding the will of God is to circumvent the mind. Turn off the mind. Alter the mind. Not trust the mind. The biblical way goes directly through the mind! "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind." And then, what's the result of that? "....that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Now let me lay it out for you before we go back and exegete this text further. What do we find here as the process? The pagan process is, get away from your mind, get away from the human realm, into the transcendent realm. Either read the tea leaves, have your fortune told, have your palm read, or meditate until somehow you have an encounter with the Divine that allows you to know with certainty. And here's how we say it with Christian terms: we don't say "Transcendental Meditation," "Nirvana," and achieving all this. The "Christian" word for this kind of meditation and the result of this kind of meditation, the "Christian" word for this kind of pagan mysticism is "finding peace about it." Inner peace, inner peace.....it's paganism:

"I know this is what I'm supposed to do!"

"Why?"

"Because I have a peace about it."

As though God would never lead you to do something about which you would not feel peace! Has God ever lead you to confront somebody about sin? Trust me, you don't feel "a peace" about that. Has God ever called you to witness to a hostile person? Trust me, you don't feel "a peace" about that. But that is the way we Christianize our pagan understanding of finding the will of God. Entire sermon can be listened to here)

posted with permission
http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-do-we-discern-gods-will-for-our.html