How do we know we are in GOD's Will? What does the LORD require of us?
We were created for GOD's good pleasure to fellowship with HIM and to have an intimate heart to heart RELATIONSHIP with HIM. What does that mean? What do we need to do?
In order to have a relationship with the LORD and be in HIS Will we need to PURSUE a RELATIONSHIP with HIM by being engaging with HIM in:
1. Bible reading everyday. HE wants us to read the Bible and feast on it as early in the day as possible. It is not GOD honoring for us to snack on it last thing of the day. We should not want to snack on HIS Word, we need to FEAST on it.
When we give him the last part of the day and we are tired and not pursuing HIM as we should then we are giving HIM leftovers, crumbs. The bible is the collection of HIS LOVE LETTERS to us.The bible tells of the Greatest Love Story ever told. When JESUS raised HIS arms to be nailed to the cross HE became the BEST thing that ever happened to us. We need to acknowledge this Great Act of Love by returning this LOVE to HIM. If someone loved us and wrote love letters to us and we only opened the letters and read them when we were tired or got around to it or after we had done everything else that suited our fancy would that be saying to that person that we REALLY LOVED them in return? NO!
2. Prayer throughout the day. It is pleasing to the LORD when we pray to HIM through out the day, just talk to HIM like HE is with us always because HE IS. We should not want only to give a quick message to HIM perhaps a rote one before lunch or other meals. We shouldn't want to just give an SOS to HIM when we are in trouble. This is an enmity to our GOD. We need to pursue HIM in a relationship throughout the day. We need to talk to GOD like HE is our BEST FRIEND. Again, when HE held out HIS Arms on the cross to die for us HE BECAME OUR BEST FRIEND. If you had a friend that only spoke to you when they needed something or when it was convenient you would not consider them a very good friend, now, would you? NO!
3. Quiet time. We need to be still, quiet ourselves, listen for HIM. If we are always scurrying around running ship shod often late and can hardly catch our breath are we going to take time to listen to HIM? NO! God will reveal HIMSELF to us in various ways. One way--HE may place something in our thoughts that we need to write down, HE may even speak a Word to us--what we consider our conscience may speak to us. We better be ready to listen if HE has something to say to us. IF we are always busy we will not have time to quiet ourselves and consider how GOD is speaking to us. HE speaks to us in various ways. Here are some of the ways the LORD speaks to us:
HE speaks to us when we:
hear a newborn baby cry
see a doe and fawn by the side of the road
see beautiful and playful and majestic animals
see a majestic mountain
see a field full of wildflowers
receive an answer to prayer
hear a child say, I love you
see a beautiful night sky, a sunset or sunrise
consider our intellect or conscience says something we need to hear
fall in love for the first time
receive a godly or good gift or something we badly needed
see a loved one out of pain and know they are in heaven
read HIS Word
4. Actively pursuing others for HIM. We don't see JESUS standing on the street corners preaching or speaking to people in our local parks, do we? NO. We don't see HIM because HE has US to speak the gospel and evangelize for HIM. If we are not actively sharing our faith then we are out of the Will of GOD for our lives.
We need to pursue others for HIM right where we are and not in some distant future. Did GOD not give us this place we are in as a blessing? Are we all living in a Christian Country Club so that we can take in all the benefits of being a Christian but never go out of our way for others right where we are planted and share the gospel with them that will pull them out of hell? NO! He put us exactly where we are so we can open our mouths and speak the Truth to people right here and now. Oh, we can go other places to tell others about HIM but the best proving ground, the best place to do just that is right here, right now, three feet in front of us. If we are not using our gifts and going out of our way for others right here and now how can we expect to do it somewhere else? We are ALL called to bring the harvest of the LOST SOULS to HIM, not just some select people called to do this. NO, all of us who know HIM need to pursue others for HIM. WE CANNOT PURSUE GOD WHEN OUR LIFE IS OUT OF CONTROL. WE cannot pursue HIM when we consistently do not get enough sleep, do not take care of ourselves and are on the go go go. We can not pursue HIM when we only leave HIM a morsel of our energy and time. Look at this verse, 2 Chron. 16:9 THE EYES OF THE LORD MOVE TO AND FRO ACROSS THE EARTH STRONGLY SUPPORTING THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE COMPLETELY HIS. Are our hearts completely HIS? Why not? Many people's hearts are not completely HIS because they are pursuing other interests of our time and are not pursuing GOD like HE requires of us.
If we are not pursuing a RELATIONSHIP with the LORD then we have 'missed the boat' just like they did in Noah's day. We are going to miss out on the Greatest Relationship we could ever have--the Relationship with our own CREATOR. When we meet GOD face to face and we have put all other things before our Relationship with HIM what do you think HE will say to us? I am going to print here Mt. 7:22-23 here. Now, in this verse if the people were casting out demons and they were performing miracles then they were already Christians. So the LORD is saying that HE never knew them because, although, they had professed their faith in HIM they did not pursue HIM in bible reading and prayer, getting to know HIM.
Mt. 7:22-23 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU DOER OF INIQUITY.' He is speaking to the lukewarm Christians, these are those people that we always think go to that church down the street. That is not how it is. The lukewarm are those who have a condition of the heart. They have hearts that are hardened, ears that do not hear HIM speak, eyes that do not see clearly. LUKEWARM is a CONDITION OF THE HEART not a building down the street. That would be the saddest for a Christian to hear. Rev. 3:15-16 states 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. The people who never knew HIM are better off according to this verse than someone who knew the LORD and pulled back from HIM or never pursued HIM on the level HE deserves. HE has given us HIS ALL. Should we not do the same if we 'love the LORD our GOD with all heart, mind, spirit and soul? Mt. 22:37 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment.…
5.Relying on the HOLY SPIRIT. The HOLY SPIRIT will guide and direct your paths and fill you with the dunamis you need to live a holy, pleasing life that pursues GOD. Without the power of the HOLY SPIRIT we would be rendered ineffective against the enemy or to overcome sin. John 14:26 NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
I pulled these timeless Truths together from various talks I have given over the last few years. If we are not totally entrenched in pursuing the LORD then we cannot be in the center of HIS Will for our lives and that is a dangerous place to be.
Bless you with the TRUTH that only the LORD can give.
Donna McDonald 6/27/14
We were created for GOD's good pleasure to fellowship with HIM and to have an intimate heart to heart RELATIONSHIP with HIM. What does that mean? What do we need to do?
In order to have a relationship with the LORD and be in HIS Will we need to PURSUE a RELATIONSHIP with HIM by being engaging with HIM in:
1. Bible reading everyday. HE wants us to read the Bible and feast on it as early in the day as possible. It is not GOD honoring for us to snack on it last thing of the day. We should not want to snack on HIS Word, we need to FEAST on it.
When we give him the last part of the day and we are tired and not pursuing HIM as we should then we are giving HIM leftovers, crumbs. The bible is the collection of HIS LOVE LETTERS to us.The bible tells of the Greatest Love Story ever told. When JESUS raised HIS arms to be nailed to the cross HE became the BEST thing that ever happened to us. We need to acknowledge this Great Act of Love by returning this LOVE to HIM. If someone loved us and wrote love letters to us and we only opened the letters and read them when we were tired or got around to it or after we had done everything else that suited our fancy would that be saying to that person that we REALLY LOVED them in return? NO!
2. Prayer throughout the day. It is pleasing to the LORD when we pray to HIM through out the day, just talk to HIM like HE is with us always because HE IS. We should not want only to give a quick message to HIM perhaps a rote one before lunch or other meals. We shouldn't want to just give an SOS to HIM when we are in trouble. This is an enmity to our GOD. We need to pursue HIM in a relationship throughout the day. We need to talk to GOD like HE is our BEST FRIEND. Again, when HE held out HIS Arms on the cross to die for us HE BECAME OUR BEST FRIEND. If you had a friend that only spoke to you when they needed something or when it was convenient you would not consider them a very good friend, now, would you? NO!
3. Quiet time. We need to be still, quiet ourselves, listen for HIM. If we are always scurrying around running ship shod often late and can hardly catch our breath are we going to take time to listen to HIM? NO! God will reveal HIMSELF to us in various ways. One way--HE may place something in our thoughts that we need to write down, HE may even speak a Word to us--what we consider our conscience may speak to us. We better be ready to listen if HE has something to say to us. IF we are always busy we will not have time to quiet ourselves and consider how GOD is speaking to us. HE speaks to us in various ways. Here are some of the ways the LORD speaks to us:
HE speaks to us when we:
hear a newborn baby cry
see a doe and fawn by the side of the road
see beautiful and playful and majestic animals
see a majestic mountain
see a field full of wildflowers
receive an answer to prayer
hear a child say, I love you
see a beautiful night sky, a sunset or sunrise
consider our intellect or conscience says something we need to hear
fall in love for the first time
receive a godly or good gift or something we badly needed
see a loved one out of pain and know they are in heaven
read HIS Word
4. Actively pursuing others for HIM. We don't see JESUS standing on the street corners preaching or speaking to people in our local parks, do we? NO. We don't see HIM because HE has US to speak the gospel and evangelize for HIM. If we are not actively sharing our faith then we are out of the Will of GOD for our lives.
We need to pursue others for HIM right where we are and not in some distant future. Did GOD not give us this place we are in as a blessing? Are we all living in a Christian Country Club so that we can take in all the benefits of being a Christian but never go out of our way for others right where we are planted and share the gospel with them that will pull them out of hell? NO! He put us exactly where we are so we can open our mouths and speak the Truth to people right here and now. Oh, we can go other places to tell others about HIM but the best proving ground, the best place to do just that is right here, right now, three feet in front of us. If we are not using our gifts and going out of our way for others right here and now how can we expect to do it somewhere else? We are ALL called to bring the harvest of the LOST SOULS to HIM, not just some select people called to do this. NO, all of us who know HIM need to pursue others for HIM. WE CANNOT PURSUE GOD WHEN OUR LIFE IS OUT OF CONTROL. WE cannot pursue HIM when we consistently do not get enough sleep, do not take care of ourselves and are on the go go go. We can not pursue HIM when we only leave HIM a morsel of our energy and time. Look at this verse, 2 Chron. 16:9 THE EYES OF THE LORD MOVE TO AND FRO ACROSS THE EARTH STRONGLY SUPPORTING THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE COMPLETELY HIS. Are our hearts completely HIS? Why not? Many people's hearts are not completely HIS because they are pursuing other interests of our time and are not pursuing GOD like HE requires of us.
If we are not pursuing a RELATIONSHIP with the LORD then we have 'missed the boat' just like they did in Noah's day. We are going to miss out on the Greatest Relationship we could ever have--the Relationship with our own CREATOR. When we meet GOD face to face and we have put all other things before our Relationship with HIM what do you think HE will say to us? I am going to print here Mt. 7:22-23 here. Now, in this verse if the people were casting out demons and they were performing miracles then they were already Christians. So the LORD is saying that HE never knew them because, although, they had professed their faith in HIM they did not pursue HIM in bible reading and prayer, getting to know HIM.
Mt. 7:22-23 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU DOER OF INIQUITY.' He is speaking to the lukewarm Christians, these are those people that we always think go to that church down the street. That is not how it is. The lukewarm are those who have a condition of the heart. They have hearts that are hardened, ears that do not hear HIM speak, eyes that do not see clearly. LUKEWARM is a CONDITION OF THE HEART not a building down the street. That would be the saddest for a Christian to hear. Rev. 3:15-16 states 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. The people who never knew HIM are better off according to this verse than someone who knew the LORD and pulled back from HIM or never pursued HIM on the level HE deserves. HE has given us HIS ALL. Should we not do the same if we 'love the LORD our GOD with all heart, mind, spirit and soul? Mt. 22:37 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment.…
5.Relying on the HOLY SPIRIT. The HOLY SPIRIT will guide and direct your paths and fill you with the dunamis you need to live a holy, pleasing life that pursues GOD. Without the power of the HOLY SPIRIT we would be rendered ineffective against the enemy or to overcome sin. John 14:26 NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
I pulled these timeless Truths together from various talks I have given over the last few years. If we are not totally entrenched in pursuing the LORD then we cannot be in the center of HIS Will for our lives and that is a dangerous place to be.
Bless you with the TRUTH that only the LORD can give.
Donna McDonald 6/27/14
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