#god'swill

[aclayjar]

The Mystery of God's Will - Ephesians 1:9-10

The Mystery of God's Will - Ephesians 1:9-10 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 reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.Ephesians 1:9-10 NIVIn the beginning, God created all that is. And he has been at work in his creation ever since. But what is his endgame? What is it that he is working toward?Paul calls this the mystery of God's will. As a mystery, it is something that was hidden from us. Something that we could not know. But one of the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ is the unveiling of that mystery. According to his good pleasure, God has chosen to share with us the end result of his work in creation. He is giving us a glimpse into what the future holds.The mystery of God's will is the uniting of all things in heaven and earth under Christ. My focus is often on myself and those closest to me.

[aclayjar]

Pleasing the Lord in Every Way - Colossians 1:10-12

Pleasing the Lord in Every Way - Colossians 1:10-12 So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.Colossians 1:10-12 NIVIn his prayer for the Colossian church, Paul prayed that God would fill them with the knowledge of his will. This would allow them to live a life worthy of the Lord and to please him in every way. Paul went on to list at least some ways we can please God.First is that we would be fruitful in every good work. Are we doing good things, caring for those in need, the poor, the immigrant, and the hurting (Zech. 7:10, Matt. 25:34-40)? Are we serving as the hands and feet of Jesus, following the example he set for us?

[aclayjar]

He Guides the Humble - Psalm 25:9, 12

He Guides the Humble - Psalm 25:9, 12 He guides the humble in what is rightand teaches them his way.Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.Psalm 25:9, 12 NIVDo you want to know God's will for your life? To know what he wants you to do? These two verses give us some clear direction on how we can know his way for us.The humble and those who fear the Lord. These are the ones who can expect the Lord to teach and instruct them in his ways. Those whose pride does not lead them to think they know better. And those who honor the Lord, believing that his ways are best.The Lord will, at times, guide even the prideful and those not committed to his ways. But only the humble and those who follow him as Lord can expect him to guide them.Discerning God's WillSo how can I discern God's way for me? Seek it with a humble heart. With a heart that is committed to obedience.

[letspraynow]

Don't give place to the Devil

A look at Judges 14:1-9 and a good look at the life of Samson. We see that there were various factors in his walk with the Lord-

He played with the world. He was drawn in by a woman of the Philistines. His youthful hormones were at work. (Judges 14:1-2)

He was a control freak. He liked having his way and was a spoiled child. (Judges 14:3)

He gave place to the devil and got himself in trouble (Judges 14:5)

God delivered him even though he was out of the will of God. A picture of God's great mercy (Judges 14:6)

He violated his Nazarite vow by touching a dead body. He killed a Lion with his bare hands. He did not tell his parents what he had done nor repented before the Lord. (Judges 14:5-9)

God was orchestrating his Master plan with Samson and the Philistines (Judges 14:4) The word for today--_Do not give place to the Devil. Let's learn from Samson's mistakes and avoid further headaches in our lives. God bless.

[aclayjar]

Discerning God's Will - Acts 16:9-10

Discerning God's Will - Acts 16:9-10 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10 NIV)Many of us struggle in trying to discern God's will. To know what direction in life we should be taking. The Scripture offers some general guidelines for living godly and holy lives. Guidelines that we can and should follow. But it can be less helpful in discerning the specific direction my life should take. Who should I marry? What should I do for a living? What place does God have for me in his kingdom?The latter half of the book of Acts follows Paul and his companions as they travel through the Roman world, sharing the gospel.

[aclayjar]

Making Plans for the Future - James 4:13-16

Making Plans for the Future - James 4:13-16 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.James 4:13-16 NIVHow much of your future do you plan for? I know some people who have their whole life planned out ahead of them. Others limit their planning to the near future. And still others, like myself, do little planning beyond the current day or an occasional upcoming event. But regardless of how detailed your planning is, James has something to say to us.James compares my life to the mist.

[aclayjar]

In Accordance with His Pleasure and Will - Ephesians 1:5

In Accordance with His Pleasure and Will - Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and willEphesians 1:5 NIVIt is really hard to comprehend all that God has done for us. - Blessed in the heavenly realms.- Chosen before creation to be holy and blameless in his sight.- Predestined for adoption.- Redeemed with the blood of Jesus.- Forgiven of our sins.Why did he do all of this for us? It was in accordance with his pleasure and will. He wanted to. And he chose to do all of this for us. He did not have to. And he did not do it grudgingly. Rather, it gave him great pleasure to redeem us and bring us into his family.It can be easy to picture God as demanding and judgmental, requiring us to live a certain way.

[aclayjar]

Was the Fall a Necessary Part of God’s Plan?

Was the Fall a Necessary Part of God’s Plan? I have been a part of Evangelical churches for as long as I can remember. I have attended Sunday school and other Bible studies from early childhood. And have sat through countless sermons. For a long time, I had the impression that Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden was a setback in God’s plan. One that required him to sacrifice his Son in order to redeem us and get us back to the state we were in prior to the fall.While I do not hear it explicitly expressed that way today, much of what I still read and hear seems to follow that mindset somewhat. We messed up, and God is working to fix the problem. But is that really the case? Was the fall an unfortunate failure on the part of humanity that God is working to overcome? Or was the fall a necessary part of God’s ultimate plan for humanity? This article will explore that last question and see what light the Scripture might have to shine on it.