Help in Finding God’s Will: Part Two

Acts 11: 1 – 14

In Acts 11:1, seven principles are found to have been used by Peter in proving that what he had done was God’s will.

What Peter had done violated four basic, ritualistic taboos. Therefore, the religious leaders “contended” with Him. The word means they kept on persecuting him. This was no academic debate; it was a verbal war.  Peter had:

–  Eaten with a Gentile. That simply wasn’t done.  He ate Gentile food.

–  This Gentile was a Roman.  He stayed in the house after dark.

In light of their contention, Peter “explained” his actions. The word means he kept on explaining it in historical order. The order was as follows.

Prayer was the first principle in seeking God’s will.

He said “I was in the city of Joppa praying….” (vs. 5) 

Prayer is essential in the search for God’s will. It is making a humble request of the Lord. Prayer is not a system of rationalization.  Prayer, though essential, is not enough alone. Other factors must converge.

Thinking was the second principle in seeking divine guidance.

Peter said “I observed it intently and considered….” (vs. 6)

The word literally meant “to put your mind to something, to ponder.” It is a reference to objective thinking. That is, thinking for a long time apart from emotions. 

God’s Word is the third principle involved in seeking divine guidance.

Peter did not have the Word like we have today. Therefore, before the Word was written it was rarely miraculously spoken. However, Peter heard the Word three times before it sank in. Prayer, the first principle in seeking God’s will must be combined with a knowledge of the Word.

Providential circumstances are to be considered in seeking divine guidance.

While Peter was praying and considering the vision, three men suddenly appeared with a special request. (vs. 11)

If circumstances are contrary to God’s Word, they are not of God.

Holy Spirit guidance is a vital part of seeking divine guidance.

Verse 12 shares a strategic principle. It is this. The Bible was not yet fully authored; and thus, Peter didn’t have the New Testament as his source of instruction. It must be ours. He had God’s Word vocally. We have it written. The vision was equivalent for him as the Word is for us today.

The Holy Spirit will NEVER lead anyone to do anything contrary to the written Word of God.

Comparisons are a factor in seeking divine guidance.

In verses 13 – 15 Peter and the men compare notes. This takes us back to the principle of thinking. As they compared notes, their insights dovetailed. This convergence was of God.

Scripture memorization is a vital part of seeking divine guidance.

Peter recalled the Word of the Lord as recorded in Isaiah 44:3 and Acts 1:5.

Under pressure it is the Word of God you know that helps you find what you don’t know. All of these principles must be taken into account in seeking divine guidance. Seek and you shall find.

In Times Like These Draw Near To God 8/30/98

James 4:7-10
Page 1763 Come Alive Bible

JESUS CHRIST said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Memorize that. Put it on the screen saver of your mind and reflect on it often. Invest your life in it and it will pay eternal dividends. We need such a truth to which to anchor our soul in our societies tempestuous sea.

Jesus Christ also said there would come a day in which there would be “distress among the nations, with perplexity” and “men’s hearts failing them for fear and expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21: 25, 26).

Is this that day? The international money market crisis seems to be worsening by the day and our own economy beginning to quake as a consequence. There is a moral crisis in the White House that appears to be being condoned by a majority of Americans and youth confused as to what is right or wrong.

Because of our tendency to assert there are no absolutes and all truth is relative we have lost our moral compass. Truth is now spoken of as being subjective. That is I alone, the subject, determine truth. There is no absolute objective truth in the marketplace. What influence is this having on our society?

Extensive studies show that youth who refuse to accept objective standards that govern their lives are:
65% more likely to mistrust people. Why shouldn’t they?
48% more likely to cheat on exams. Why not!
36% more likely to lie to their parents.
Twice as likely to lack purpose in life.
Twice as likely to be resentful.

People without objective truth, that is, the Bible to guide them live by what is called “cultural ethics.” That is whatever the ethic of the culture that is what is right. Whatever the culture approves is proper. In light of that America is headed toward a deeper abyss of immorality than ever imagined. By approving of the immorality made so public in Washington we are saying it is our new “cultural ethic.” There is a problem with that.

Many saw the movie “Schindler’s List” which depicted the horror of the holocaust. Was there anything wrong with the atrocities of the holocaust?

After the war when the Nazi officials were tried for war crimes in Nuremberg, Germany their defense was “how can you come from another culture and condemn what we did when our culture said it was acceptable?”

In condemning them the world court said there is something above culture that determines what is right or wrong. We say that something is the Scripture.

The international threat of terrorism is causing us to barricade our monuments and cower ourselves. There is indeed “distress among the nations, with perplexity.” The hearts of people are failing them because of fear.

Oscar Wilde once wrote that in our postmodern society, “People know the price of everything but the value of nothing.”

This has been called the “Age of the Sellout” in which “Everything is for sale. Honesty and integrity are traded off like chattels, for money and power.”

Whether it is the “Age of the Sellout,” or the “Age of the Fallout” or the “Age of the Blowout” it is our Age. This is the time in which this generation of Christians have been called upon to give light. This is our only time to be “the salt of the earth.”

In such a time as this we need to establish on the marque of our minds the words of Christ:

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

James 4: 7-10 lists some steps of preparation we each need to take in order to achieve this balanced mental, emotional, and spiritual state.

I. SUBMIT TO GOD (VERSE 7)
A. First, positively. You must “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”

This calls for a conscious willful action on your behalf. It requires you making a choice. Some persons arrogantly refuse to submit themselves. Each of us must respond to the self asked question: “Whom shall I serve, God or myself? Shall I make it my chief concern to do the will of my Heavenly Father, or shall I demand and assert my own way?”

It is said that when Aaron Burr, one of the most controversial personalities in early American life, reached the age of 21, he squarely faced the issue of whom to serve. Resolutely he decided to turn his back on the God of his fathers. He became a disgraced murderer and tried for treason. In death his body was laid to rest at the foot of the grave of his grandfather, Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was one of the most revered clergy/statesman of his era. The graves of the two illustrate the difference between one who seeks first the kingdom of God and who chooses slavery to self.

B. Second, negatively. “Resist the devil…”
The devil and his two allies: the world and the flesh, have designed and do desire your spiritual destruction.

A couple of decades ago the devil was thought to be only the figment of the imagination of radical Christians suffering a type of paranoia. Today devil worship proliferates. It is the natural Frankenstein created by a nation that has decided it can make it on its own.

When a decadent nation turns its back on God it turns back to the gods of decadence. Today Satan is more cunning than when he appeared to Eve. He is most effective as an angel of light.

Resist the devil: Through prayer. Pray “deliver us from the evil one.”

Bible study.
Regular public worship.
Association with friends who are committed Christians.

II. DRAW NEAR TO GOD (VERSE 8)
A. “Cleanse your hands” is a reference to outward actions. It is an appeal to our outward lifestyle. We must strive to maintain a clean lifestyle.

Verse 4 gives us a warning: “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” The Christian who endeavors to do so is described in our text as “double-minded.”

B. “Purify your hearts” is a reference to an inward attitude. Medical science had not progressed in that day. A common concept was that blood carried in it ideas. They became conscious thoughts when the blood flowed through the brain. It was known that the heart pumped the blood. Therefore, it was thought that the heart was the point of origin of all creative thoughts. Hence, an appeal to cleanse the heart was a directive to change the thought pattern. Don’t let your mind dwell on evil ideas. Purify your thoughts by driving out the wrong concepts and ideas with Bible oriented ideas.

A critical negative spirit is a condition which needs to be purified. If you are going to think the Christ thoughts the mind must be purified of negativism.

There is a new book entitled “The Theory of Twenty-One.” The author shows as a result of research that out of every 21 people, 20 think negatively about everything. Only one is a positive person.

In another book by a different author entitled “Hide-N-Seek”, persons are urged to inventory their 16 closest relatives. Be objective who among them was negative and who are positive. Most persons will conclude they were reared in a negative environment.

Pray to be the “one” among 21.

An article in “The Christian Herald” tells the story of a senior executive in one of New York’s largest banks. In it he recalls his start with the bank. Shortly after being hired as an office boy the bank president called him in and told him he wanted him to work with him each day. The boy expressed reluctance saying he knew nothing of banking. “Never mind,” said the president, “you’ll learn a lot faster if you just stay by my side and keep your eyes and ears open.”

The young boy did and later acknowledged, “Being with that man made me just like him. I began to do things the way he did, and that accounts for what I am today.”

If we live each day as close to the Lord as possible we gradually become more like Him. Draw near to God and draw nearer to His likeness.

III. CONFESS TO GOD “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep…” (vs. 9)

These are three evidences of repentance. Don’t waste your pain. Let it be used of the Lord to draw you to Him. Our life experiences can help us develop and maintain some admirable qualities.

1. A settled belief that the principles of God are true. This is a contrast to acceptance of the undefined postmodern dogma called “tolerance.” The choice between the two is as distinct as a sailor who charts his course by the North Star and one who maps his course by a pen light on the wall of his room.

2. Convictions which are rooted not grafted. Grafts often wilt easily in heat. When your convictions are rooted they withstand the heat of criticism and complaint.

3. The courage to act based on conviction not consensus. The issue is “Thus saith the Lord, not thus saith the majority.

4. Resilience born of heavy burdens and personal suffering.

IV. HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD (VERSE 10)
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord”

The word “covenant” means an agreement or testimony. Actually, our Bible is divided into a new and old testament, literally, new and old covenants. A covenant is an agreement. Therefore, agree with the Lord that you are going to “humble yourself.”

It can result in a new beginning as written of in “The Land of Beginning Again” by Louise Fletcher Tarkington:
So I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all out mistakes and all our heartaches,
And all our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never put on again.
A renewed covenant will result in guidance.

King George VI of England during World War II made the following words vital in his new year’s address: “I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year – ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.'”

The Lord will guide persons who made a covenant with Him.

Again I say this calls for a willful personal commitment from you. You are called on to make a choice.

George Beverly Shea, a name well known in Christian music, had to make such a decision as a young man. He was offered a significant secular recording contract and a major media job. During the time he was wrestling with this decision the Lord used his Godly mother to help make the decision. She copied 2 verses of Scripture and placed them on the piano. Shea came in and found them and sat for a time meditating on them. Slowly his fingers began to wander across the keyboard as ever so gradually his commitment as expressed in his newly emerging song beloved by millions. He wrote and sang:
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-scared hand.
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

Beverly Shea made a covenant with God. He decided to follow Jesus and that decision has influenced every other decision he has made.

Make your decision today. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow” (Proverbs 27).

HE WILL LIFT YOU UP (VS. 10C).

God will never put you down if you turn to Him.

He will build you up.

Help in Finding God’s Will: Part One

Acts 11: 1 – 14

Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12: 50)

The happiest, most content, most fulfilled person in all the world is the person doing God’s will.  That being true, one of the most important things in all the world is knowing God’s will.

The greatest deception perpetuated by Satan is that happiness and gratification can be found apart from God’s will. Momentary kicks, yes. But not lasting happiness. For kicks apart from Christ always, always  have kick-backs. If knowing God’s will is so important and results in such blessings, how can you know God’s will? Six biblical principles involved in finding God’s will, will follow this Post. There are some persons who are blind guides offering to guide the blind. Beware of these. Some types are:          

Those who have made up their minds what they are going to do, but are looking for somebody to agree with them; and thus, console themselves that they are right because of this agreement. They often look for a minister who agrees with them. If one doesn’t, they turn to another. If a friend doesn’t, they continue to look for a confirming friend.

Another type is the person who has fouled up his or her own life and is now ready to counsel everyone else on how to do it. These persons can be recognized by these traits.

a. They have goofed-up their own lives. 
b. They have a minimum understanding of grace.
c. They are nosey about other people’s business.
d. They believe they are experts because of their experience.

These persons are guilty of sticking their nose in other people’s business.

Consider these perimeters of God’s will.

–  It begins at the moment of salvation and ends at death.

–  All of God’s will is in keeping with the principles, commands, techniques, promises, doctrines, and declarations of the Bible.  God will never contradict His written Word — NEVER.

God’s basic will for the lost and saved is evident.

–  For the lost it is simple — God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) 

  “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ….”  (I John 3: 23)

–  For the saved it is simple — Ephesians 5: 17, 18.

To find God’s will, apply a basic principle of math. To find the unknown, start with the known. Remember such problems as: 2X = 10. What does X equal?  The answer is 5. To find the unknown, always start with the known.  For the lost, it is to receive Christ as Savior. For the saved, it is to live a Spirit- filled life. Before you look for the more complex aspects of God’s will, it is essential that these two “knowns” be complied with.

To Forget Is Often to Forfeit

“…when your heart is lifter up, and you forget the Lord….” Deuteronomy 8:12

Forgetfulness often results in great loss. This is especially true in the Kingdom World. Deuteronomy 8: 12 and 13 gives insight as to what causes people to forget the goodness of God. Actually verse 14 uses the expression which summarizes the result of the blessings noted in verses 12 and 13. It is “when your heart is lifted up.” This is an expression for pride.

Translating the Greek text into certain tribal languages is a challenge. A missionary was searching for a word to translate for the word “pride” when he overheard a native describe to another by saying “the ears are too far apart.”  In other words, the person had a big head. That expression was used to translate the word for pride. 

Forgetfulness causes self-centered pride. This results in the Lord God being denied as the one who delivered and established us as a nation.  As verse 14 notes, they were tending to forget God had delivered them; so we tend to think our military might have on occasions delivered us. Not so, God has.

Forgetfulness causes us to become egotistical. Verse 17 expresses the arrogance of many. Prosperity can create a diversion causing forgetfulness. Verse 18 balances reality.

There once was a massive, stately, old elm tree which withstood many harsh storms. One calm, summer morning a cracking and crashing was heard. To the amazement of all, large limbs had broken off and fallen. It was a calm and still morning causing people at first to wonder what caused a tree that had withstood storms to crash on such a quiet day. It was determined that the night had resulted in an exceptionally heavy dew formation. If there had been any breeze, the dew drops would have fallen. However, the dew accumulated on the leaves and collectively created such a weight as to break the limbs. Dew normally is a blessing to a tree. In this instance too much was too bad. 

Prosperity is acknowledged to be good. However, so much of what it causes the recipient to forget about God is defeating.

When you get wealth, “remember the Lord your God” (Vs. 18). When I see worthy ministries going begging and Christians prospering, yet not sharing, there is clear evidence they have forgotten.

Forgetfulness results in us failing to obey God. Verse 20 graphically notes the result. Another missionary was searching for a word to translate obedience. One day when the missionary whistled for his dog a native watched as the dog came running and said, “Your dog is all ears.” That was the word used by the missionary to translate the word obey. When God calls, we come running.

Continual obedience is a safeguard against forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is a thief. Guard against it by daily remembrance.

Check Your Position and Disposition 7/12/98

Romans 5:1-2
Page 1650 Come Alive Bible

Jesus Christ’s reason for visiting earth is explained in Romans 5: 8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

He is the focal feature, the empowering God who determines our position and disposition, in time and for eternity.

Romans chapter five concisely explains what it means to “follow Christ.” Therein, it is revealed:

We are saved by Christ’s death — objectively. He is the object of our faith.

We are saved by His life — subjectively. We, the subject, are impacted daily by His life.

Romans 5: 1 – 10 uses the word “sins,” plural. Christ’s death cleanses from them positionally.

Romans 5: 12 – 21 changes and uses “sin,” singular. Daily the life of Christ saves us from dominance by our old sin disposition.

I. WE ARE REDEEMED BY HIS DEATH
We are saved by His death positionally — we are in Christ. “…having now been justified by His blood” (Vs. 9a). We are “saved from wrath through Him” (Vs. 9c). The wonder of this salvation is that it is a gift. In verses 15, 16, 17, 18 we are told salvation is a “gift.” Twice redundance is used for emphasis. It is called a “free gift.” If it is free it is a gift. If it is a gift it is free.

The idea of doing something to earn, merit, or deserve the favor of God is alien to Scripture. The concept makes man and God look bad.

It makes man look bad because it appears everything he does is an attempt to benefit himself by getting something for doing it.

It makes God look bad because it appears He can be bought off.

Hear the Word of God clearly on this subject: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8,9).

“Grace” means God’s unmerited favor. Thus, from a Biblical standpoint there is no sacrament or service that can merit salvation. Therefore, the only way to obtain it is as a gift.

Let’s celebrate your birthday. Suppose I were to come to you with a gift and present it to you. Immediately you insist on paying for it. It is a valuable gift and I want to give it so I decline pay. You reach into your pocket and pull out a penny saying, “I want to at least give you something for it.” If that penny were received you would have purchased it. The penny is unacceptable because I love you so much I want to provide it for you.

Then too, what if I were to insist on you paying a penny for this valuable gift and you didn’t have a penny. You would be deprived of it. Salvation is a gift.

I have purchased the gift and now offer it to you. For it to be yours one thing remains. You have to receive it. You can reject it. For it to be yours you have to receive it.

God offers the wonderful free gift of salvation, but for it to be yours you must receive it. You do so by turning from your sin and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ with a life changing trust.

Once we are saved we should seek to serve the Lord and work for Him. We do so not in order to get something, salvation, but because we have already gotten something as a gift, salvation.

Recently I met a delightful person, Jim Brawner. He is the N national seminar director for Gary Smalley’s “Love is a Decision Seminars.” That is the new Jim.

He played football at the University of Arkansas during their glory days when Frank Broyles was coach. He was not a Christian at the time. He told me of the day Arkansas defeated the University of Texas 31 – 7. After the game the exuberant team piled on the bus. Excitement reigned. Jim sat down on the front seat next to the window as wild as any on the bus. Coach Broyles got on the bus and sat next to him. Immediately he felt he couldn’t be quite as rowdy as he intended to be. Coach Broyles sat down and said, “We have to give glory to God for that victory. We owe it to Him.”

Jim said, “That wasn’t what I was thinking.” He was thinking what a whale of a game he and his team mates had played.

Jim said that after he got off the bus he couldn’t think of anything else but what Coach Broyles had said. He didn’t sleep a wink that night for thinking about it. Not being a Christian he nevertheless got up the next morning and went to church. There he realized Christ was the missing element in his life and that he needed to be saved. Right then and there he gave his life to Christ and experienced transformation, new life.

It all happened because a Christian coach expressed his faith spontaneously.

II. WE ARE RENEWED BY HIS LIFE
When you come to Christ He changes you world view, that is, the way you look at things.

Recently I met Dr. Bill and Linda Burnett. She shared that she was born in Greece and learned Greek before English. Her dad was in the military and returned to the states for a few years before being transferred to France. There she learned French. She said that after a few months she realized she was thinking in French.

Then she made a beautiful application. When we learn Scripture soon we realize we are thinking in terms of the Scripture. It becomes our thought pattern. At that point the mind of Christ becomes ours.

An oft repeated theme in Romans is “much more.” In verse 9 it is used. Christ saves us, what then can he do for us —- “much more.” Time and again it occurs.

We are saved by His life dispositionally — Christ is in us.

“We shall be saved by His life” (vs. 10c)

When we come to Christ we come with a lot of baggage. We have a certain disposition, mind set, temperament, and world view. Our old lifestyle is unbecoming of the new life we profess. It is at this point the living Christ enables us to “be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). He can then save us from our former ungodly attitudes and character. We become new creatures. Your old nature need no longer control. The Spirit controlled temperament then characterizes you. Did you get that? It means Christ can enable you to live a spiritually victoriously life. Daily, by the living Christ, you are being saved dispositionally. Old character and conduct habits are broken and new life emerges.

Daily I am treated to an inspiring example. I get up around 4:30am. No one else in our family does. My wife isn’t a morning person. If she were not a Christian she would have assaulted me before 8:00am long ago.

The dual inspiration I have daily is first an example of resurrection. She gets up at one hour and wakes up at another.

The other is a demonstration of a disposition disposed to behave as a new creature in Christ. Though I know what her metabolism must be shouting inside her she always offers a warm cheery greeting first thing in the morning. Her responses are positive and optimistic. She does so because her disposition is determined by her position in Christ. Genes, hormones, glands, and metabolism aren’t allowed to control. They are, I am confident, struggled with, but it is Christ who controls.

Her responses are explained in Romans 5: 11: “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

The more you become preoccupied with Christ the less you are absorbed with yourself and He begins to instinctively control your disposition.

Dispositionally He saves us from:

ANXIETY: There is a delightful little best seller called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” and all stuff is small.”

If we view the events of life from that perspective we avoid anxiety, that is, worry.

Take for instance the moment a car cuts in front of you in traffic and slows you down. Do you blow your cool? That’s sweating the small stuff. How much were you slowed down? Probably .6 of a second. Not worth sweating.

BITTERNESS: Dr. Dean Ornish, who has pioneered vascular damage reversal treatments. He says bitterness is the most toxic of personality traits. We are concerned about preventing toxins getting in our water, food, and atmosphere. When they are there we go to great lengths to remove them. We need to do the same in our spiritual life.

Bitterness is the only personality trait that is harmful to ones health. Get it out.

Forgiveness is the cornerstone to good health. It removes toxins.

A moment ago I used the word “transformed.” Let me illustrate that.

As a college student in the bayou country of southeast Louisiana I had a favorite retreat where I could enjoy solitude and occasionally study. I would use a pirogue, that is a small shallow one person boat, and pole it, you can’t paddle a pirogue, way down in the swamp. The sounds of nature was all to be heard.

One day as I lulled away the afternoon reading in the pirogue a big water bug crawled up the side and perched on the prow of the boat. With those big bug eyes he just sat there looking things over. Down in the tannic water among the decaying leaves his friends were scurrying around in the mud.

As the afternoon passed the crusty shell of this creature began to dry. I watched for some time as gradually the back of the shell began to crack. Slowly, every so imperceptibly the crack widened. Then a miracle happened. The creature in that shell emerged through that crack. It sat motionless for some time as the sun dried it.

A trimmer went through its little body. Next it spread its wings and barely fluttered them. This it did several times. Then it strutted its gossamer wings and lifted off in flight.

As it circled overhead in its new world I looked back down in the water. There were its old companions still crawling around in the mud and decay. Overhead rose the transformed new creature. It had been born again with a new life and lifestyle. That’s transformation.