GodsView : A Matter of the Will!

GodsView : A Matter of the Will!: Each of us has been given our own independent will. It can be competitive or compliant. It can be an asset or a liability. It can al...

A Matter of the Will!

Each of us has been given our own independent will. It can be competitive or compliant. It can be an asset or a liability. It can also lead us to victory or to defeat depending on how we exercise it. It all depends on how we position our will in relation to the will that really matters—the will of God.

There are times in our life when we find ourselves in a bracket similar to those that outline the sixty-four teams that start the NCAA “Road to the Final Four.” We’re at one end of the bracket and God is at the other; and with every game, we move closer and closer to one another. God is winning His games, of course; and by sheer force of will, we’re winning ours. Eventually, we meet in the final bracket: It’s my will against God’s.

This has happened in Scripture many times. Remember Jonah who exercised his will and refused God’s calling (and what it cost him)? Remember Peter who expressed his will to Jesus, saying the Master would never die (and the rebuke it brought him: “Get behind Me, Satan!”)? Remember Pharaoh who refused to obey God’s will through Moses (and the price he paid)? And let’s not forget the result of the expression of Adam and Eve’s competitive will in the Garden.

Do you recall times in your life when you have stood your ground in that final bracket, thinking you could out-will God (and the resulting misery it brought you)? Peter learned and taught, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17).

The Pleasure of God’s Will

Yes, our will is a gift from God—it is part of the divine image we bear. But God gave us a will in order that we might give it back to Him, that we might choose to submit our will to His and enjoy the pleasure of His presence (the pleasure of His blessings) both now and for all eternity.

The wisest, most mature quest any human being can begin and continue throughout life is the discovery of God’s will—and then to say “Yes” to it each day. We do that, of course, through His Word where we discover that it is God’s will for us to be saved through His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9). Then we discover how to follow Christ as Lord of our life when we submit our will to His. Here are just a few of His commands for us to follow:

• Love God with your whole being (Matthew 22:37-38).
• Fear God, not man (Matthew 10:28).
• Treat others the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
• Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39-40).
• Give to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:19-21).
• Love one another (John 13:35).
• Honor God’s laws (Matthew 5:17-19).
• Ask God for whatever you need (John 15:7).

The Pronouncement of God’s Will
In the recent National Championship game, it was not evident until the last few minutes of the competition whose will and skill would overcome and be victorious. Would it be the Gonzaga Bulldogs or the North Carolina Tar Heels? Both teams had the competitive spirit and the will to win. And both teams had amazing coaches. Some believe the Carolina team had the greater will to win because of their loss the previous year. Losses are teaching moments.

In the spiritual realm, we need to remember that we have a Coach who provides everything we need to be victorious, but we must allow Him to lead—we cannot question His counsel and direction. The Lord God is the only one who knows your future—He’s the only one. Jeremiah 10:23 tells us, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Though the plans we make seem right to us, they are usually oriented around our feelings, which can deceive and ruin us.

Stop competing against God and begin enjoying the pleasures of God’s perfect will in your life. If you are searching and trying to find the will of God for your life, then I encourage you to start by reading your Bible every day. It is through the study of the Word that you will find God’s will for your life.

GodsView : And Nothing but the Truth!

GodsView : And Nothing but the Truth!: God never intended His people to worship Him apart from the use of their minds. Real spirituality begins with a precise understanding...

And Nothing but the Truth!

God never intended His people to worship Him apart from the use of their minds. Real spirituality begins with a precise understanding of truth. Yet I see much of contemporary Christianity heading down the paths of mystical experience and fantasy.
That was illustrated in an article I once read in the Los Angeles Times:

PASADENA, Calif. — Under the militant banner of "spiritual warfare," a growing number of evangelical and charismatic Christian leaders are preparing broad assaults on what they call the cosmic powers of darkness.
Fascinated with the notion that Satan commands a hierarchy of territorial demons, some mission agencies and big-church pastors are devising strategies for "breaking the strongholds" of those evil spirits alleged to be controlling cities and countries.
Some proponents in the fledgling movement already claim focused prayer meetings ended the curse of the Bermuda Triangle, led to the 1985 downfall of guru Baghwan Shree Rajneesh and produced a two-week drop in crime and freeway traffic in Los Angeles for the 1984 Olympics.
Fuller Seminary professor C. Peter Wagner, who has written extensively on the subject, led a so called summit meeting on cosmic-level spiritual warfare...in Pasadena, Calif. Two dozen men and women took part, including a Texas couple who head a group called the "Generals of Intercession" and an Oregon man who conducts "spiritual-warfare bootcamps."
In his opening remarks, Wagner said, "If you do not know what you are doing, and few...have the necessary expertise, Satan will eat you for breakfast."

I am fearful that this type of mindset is just one example of how the church has fallen victim to the New Age Movement, a thinly veiled form of Hindu mysticism. It is belief in everything, and a belief in nothing — with no distinction between reality and fantasy.
Much of the professing church is in perfect harmony with the New Age movement's spirit of anti-intellectualism. For example, the Roman Catholic Church emphasizes ritual — a mechanical anti-intellectualism in which mystical ceremony replaces intelligent worship. Here Scripture becomes subservient to the church.
Liberal Protestants have emphasized social reform — a political anti-intellectualism produced by the despair of trying to find truth without submitting to the authority of Scripture as the standard for ruling the church.
Charismatics have long emphasized subjectivism — an experiential anti-intellectualism that is the product of weak theology and a careless handling of Scripture.
Those trends all contribute to a kind of mindless, mystical Christianity that is the antithesis of God's design for His church.
That's why I'm so concerned. A seminary professor claims that if we don't learn some mysterious techniques of spiritual warfare, Satan will eat us for breakfast! Is that true? The apostle Peter said, "Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). But the context is calling for sobriety and vigilance, not a mystical cosmic warfare strategy.
Some suggest all we need to do is bind Satan — just say, "Satan, I bind you," and he is caught. They cite Matthew 12:29, where Jesus says, "How can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house."
But Jesus was dispelling the Pharisees' foolish accusation that He worked under Satan's power (vv. 27-28), not relating a scenario whereby believers could "bind" Satan. He used the illustration of a thief, who, planning to rob a strong man's house while the man was there, would first have to bind him or risk being arrested and beaten. Jesus' point was that He had demonstrated to the Pharisees and all Israel His power over Satan and the kingdom of evil. Only God has the power and authority to enter the very house of Satan, successfully bind him, and carry off his property. Even Paul was hindered by Satan (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Are we to assume he didn't know the correct formula?
There is no magic phrase or mantra we can say that will bind Satan, but God has not left us without a divine strategy for dealing with him. God's strategy centers on objective truth, not subjective experience. It begins with sound doctrine, not cabalistic technique. Yet ironically, those who talk most about warfare against Satan often minimize the importance of doctrine.
In Ephesians 6:11 Paul says, "Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." What is our armor? It consists of the belt of truthfulness (not merely knowing the truth, but being committed to it), the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace (confidence that we have made peace with God), the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation (confidence in our security in Christ), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. None of those hints at any secret technique. Rather, they speak of clear understanding and a solid commitment to biblical truth and holiness.
When we resist Satan by taking our stand in the armor of God's truth, he flees. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Peter said, "Resist him, firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:9, emphasis added) — firm in the Christian faith, which is the revealed truth. This is objective truth, not some unseen cosmic force. Since Satan is a deceiver and a liar, we can successfully resist him only by knowing and obeying the truth.
Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Again, we don't battle Satan with magic words and imaginary forces; we rely on the power of His truth as it brings even our thoughts captive to our Lord. That is genuine and ultimate victory over satanic forces.
No matter how Satan attacks, the solution is the same. We stand in the truth. We don't need to learn hidden strategies to fight Satan. God's truth is the supreme weapon against the father of lies (cf. John 8:44). Only when we know the truth and commit ourselves to obey it will we stand strong.

GodsView : Challenges of Creating a Blended Family!

GodsView : Challenges of Creating a Blended Family!: I am a widow with two children planning to marry Bill, a father of three. Where should we start to build our new family? And could y...

Challenges of Creating a Blended Family!

I am a widow with two children planning to marry Bill, a father of three. Where should we start to build our new family? And could you identify the issues that are likely to be most difficult for us?

I would strongly suggest that you get some outside help as you bring your two families together. It is extremely difficult to do that on your own, and for some people, it is impossible. If you can afford professional counseling from a marriage, family, and child counselor who has dealt with blended families, it would be wise to get that assistance. A pastor also might be able to guide you, although there are some tough relationship issues to be handled by a professional who has "been there" before.
You're already experiencing the thorny issue of conflict between Bill and your children, which is common. One of the kids is likely to see him as a usurper. When a mother or father dies or when a divorce occurs, one child often moves into the power vacuum left by the departing parent. That youngster becomes the surrogate spouse. I'm not referring to sexual matters. Rather, that boy or girl becomes more mature than his or her years and relates to the remaining parent more as a peer. The status that comes with that supportive role is very seductive, and he or she is usually unwilling to give it up. The stepfather becomes a threat to that child. Much work must be done to bring them together.
The kids' loyalty to the memory of their dad is another issue that requires sensitive handling. In their eyes, to welcome the newcomer with open arms would be an act of betrayal. That's certainly understandable and something that must be worked through with your children. It will require time, patience, understanding, and prayer.
I would say the greatest problem you will face, however, is the way you and Bill will feel about your kids. Each of you is irrationally committed to your own, and you're merely acquainted with the others. When fights and insults occur between the two sets of children, you will be tempted to be partial to those you brought into the world, and Bill will probably favor his own flesh and blood. The natural tendency is to let the blended family dissolve into armed camps--us against them. If the kids sense any tension between you and Bill over their clashes, they will exploit and exaggerate it to gain power over the other children, etc. Unless there are some ways to ventilate these issues and work through them, battles will occur that will be remembered for a lifetime.
I have painted a worst-case scenario in order to prepare you for what could occur. Now let me encourage you. Many of these problems can be anticipated and lessened. Others can be avoided altogether. It is possible to blend families successfully, and millions have done it. But the task is difficult, and you will need some help in pulling it off.