GOD’S WILL
Q: How do I know the will of God?
A: Refer to Romans 12:1-2. Knowing God's will should be looked in terms of the rest of your life rather than a particular aspect or circumstance in your life. The process is as follows:
Commitment to God is the changing of our mindset from the world’s view point of life to Kingdom’s view point of life through the study of the Bible - our beliefs will determine our lifestyle. The plan of God for humanity is lined up from Genesis to Revelation. A Christian must aligned his/her lifestyle in regard to the coming Kingdom that God will establish through the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus has given the goal in life for those who choose to follow Him. (Matthew 6:19-34; 28:18-20; 24:14)
In view of those scriptures, is it God's will for Christians to migrate to Australia or New Zealand to buy a property and retire there for the rest of their lives? The world’s view of education, money, career, marriage and family must be challenged in the light of scriptures. As long as we planned according to the Kingdom’s view of life (education, money, career, marriage and family), our planning will not be in futility as God will direct us. The mistake many Christians make is to plan their own future and ask for God's blessings. God will bless when walk according to His purpose. When one knows the will of God, who will not give his/her all? Abraham knew the will of God and gave his all. Jesus knew the will of God and gave his all.
FIRST LOVE
It has been said, "God is first in my life, my wife is second, my children third…….." By having such a ranking, how to "Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength."? Yes, such a statement did not infringe "You shall have no other gods before me", but does that mean we can have other gods after God?
The understanding of First Love is not about ranking where there should be second love and third love and so on. First Love is starting there and ending there in the Great Commandment. If one knows how to love God with all of oneself, loving others are being subsumed within the First Love.
Abraham loved God with his all. Issac wasn’t one of the loves after God but rather within Abraham’s first love for God. That was why Abraham was willing to sacrifice Issac when God commanded it.
In Rev. 2:1-5, the church in Ephesus was unaware that she had lost her First Love. On the surface, it was seemed that she was doing all right. The church assumed but God knew better.
Is there a possibility that many Christians are assuming in their First Love for God? To be sure, ask God to do a reality check on our loves in our lives. When there are struggles in those loves, it means they are outside of our love for God. When God takes away a love from a Christian and that Christian gets angry with God, it is obvious that love must have ranked somewhere after God. Or before God?
SAVED TO LOVE GOD
Ever heard of a typical statement "Will this affect my salvation if I do not do this?". Such a statement brings out the root problem of wanting to do the minimum to maintain the "saved" status. The essence of the gospel is to be restored to a perfect love relationship with God. Didn’t Jesus emphasize the greatest commandment that a believer should hold on to - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength".
A Christian who involves in the things of God proves his/her love for God and not to earn God’s love. When things are done out of love, the recipient receives pleasure. So, are Christians doing the perceived minimum in the purposes of God in order to have more time to do their own things? Or , are Christians doing the said maximum to the best of their ability in the purposes of God to bring Him pleasure and delight? Jesus was that example when He was on earth - He gave His all. Make no apologies, love for God can be measured, just look at one’s lifestyle and others. The one who knows the Word can make a right judgement without fear as long as one deliberately subject oneself to be judged by the Word also.
DISSATISFACTION
Dissatisfaction is the underlying thread of prayer. Dissatisfied of the present situation when benchmarked with the perfect purpose of God. This dissatisfaction will not lead to disillusionment but involvement with the things of God that will one day bring perfection. The theme of every prayer is "How long, Lord?" Those who serve and pray till they die are those who understood the purpose of God and are never satisfied with the present and what has already been done. Those who serve and then step down are those who never really understood why they serve. Most of time is for formality sake. It is a Christian thing to do. They have only the past to talk about and nothing much for the present.
Giving of thanks is just one aspect of prayer. It is not to be an end in itself but rather a means to an end. We thank God for the progress made so far and it is good but the best or perfection is yet to come. The reason why prayer life is lacking in individual Christians or collectively as a Church is because they are satisfied with life. They settle for what is good rather than what is the best. They are either ignorant of or negligent to the perfect purpose of God. The lifestyle of a Christian will reveal what captive his/her heart.
Where is the phrase "How long" in regard to prayer found in the Bible? It can be found within one year if one makes the point to finish the Bible with that time frame. When the whole Bible is read, one will find all the prayers have a constant theme - "Dissatisfaction"
How Long
by Stuart Townend
We have sung our songs of victory
We have prayed to You for rain
We have cried Your compassion
To renew the land again
Now we're standing in Your presence
More hungry than before
Now we're on Your steps of mercy and we're knocking at Your door
How long
Before You drench the barren land
How long
Before we see Your righteous hand
How long
Before Your name is lifted high
How long
Before the weeping turns to songs of joy
Lord, we know Your heart is broken
By the evil that You see
And You've stayed Your hand of judgment
For Your plan to set men free
But the land is still in darkness
And we've fled from what is right
And we've failed the silent children
Who will never see the light
But I know a day is coming
When the deaf will hear his voice
When the blind will see the Savior
And the lame will leap for joy
When a widow finds a husband
Who will always love his bride
And the orphan finds a father
Who will never leave her side
How long
Before Your glory lights the skies
How long
Before Your radiance lifts our eyes
How long
Before Your fragrance fills the air
How long
Before the earth resounds with songs of joy
