Thursday, February 18, 2016

Reflection - Doing God's will

Source (book): "Faithful to the end", Chapter 7, Question 4, Page 107.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


It is important to know God’s will. At its most basic, the will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ. If we have not taken that first step, then we have not yet accepted God’s will.
PHOTO: It is important to know God’s will. At its most basic, the will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ. If we have not taken that first step, then we have not yet accepted God’s will.
Picture posted by TheGlorySite.com
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ugwf-r8upGg/VsWO9kqWw0I/AAAAAAAAjB0/7xgHNAE2NZI/s1600/JesusandtheDove.gif
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9ot7SJP9FrU/R1AfLITbjHI/AAAAAAAAAWw/wYSRT6TFtqc/s1600-R/JesusandtheDove.gif
http://theglorysite.blogspot.sg/2007/11/when-i-meditated-on-word-guidance-i.html



How do we determine God's will? What does the Bible say about that? Do you agree that if we are not doing God's will, then we are doing the Devil's will?

How do we determine God's will? [4]

1.  Through an inner voice.
This inner voice is the voice of all three persons of the trinity of God, because they are all one.  When we hear the voice of one person we are hearing, or at least sensing the voice of the other two as well.  The voice of the Father comes to us as the voice of one that cares and loves and listens.  The Father speaks not so much in words but through His actions of love.  And when we listen we hear His heart beat of compassion.  The Son speaks through the Word.  He is the Logos (the Word of God) - the expression of God.  The Son reveals to us the Father’s heart and His will in words, words that have come to us in the Bible. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.  Without the Holy Spirit we would not hear or know the Father or the Son.  When we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit it is the message of Jesus and of the Father, which He (the Holy Spirit) sends to us.



This inner voice is the voice of all three persons of the trinity of God, because they are all one.

PHOTO: This inner voice is the voice of all three persons of the trinity of God, because they are all one. The Father speaks not so much in words but through His actions of love. The Son speaks through the Word. The Son reveals to us the Father’s heart and His will in words, words that have come to us in the Bible. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. When we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit it is the message of Jesus and of the Father, which He (the Holy Spirit) sends to us.
Posted by wakatipuminister on Sunday, 3 June 2012
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Bpv62bI76U/Vsld84fPWMI/AAAAAAAAjDc/zNZzuEYeEd4/s1600/Trinity.JPG
https://i1.wp.com/www.mgr.org/Trinity.JPG
https://wakatipuminister.wordpress.com/category/sermons/page/2/


Sometimes in the Bible the author indicates that a certain person in the trinity is speaking.  For example, when Paul was saved on his way to Damascus, it was recorded that the person of Jesus spoke to Him: “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’  And he said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…’” (Acts 9:5)



Paul's Conversion on the road to Damascus
PHOTO: Paul's Conversion on the road to Damascus
It was recorded that the person of Jesus spoke to Him: “‘
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’  And he said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…’” (Acts 9:5). God spoke directly through Jesus.
Paul's Conversion by Jaden G.
Posted by Daniel R. Streett in Theology on 27 October 2014

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b6Ldb5L1fzg/Vsld_Bbw8eI/AAAAAAAAjD8/qBcXkvdcfYQ/s1600/st-paul-conversion.jpg
https://hbuchristianthought.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/st-paul-conversion.jpg
http://christianthought.hbu.edu/2014/10/27/pauls-conversion-and-name-change-separating-fact-from-fiction/



Another time when Philip, a deacon of the early church, was walking down a desert road on his way to Gaza, he saw an Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot reading from the scriptures.  And the Bible says, “And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot’” (Acts 8:29).



Philip, a deacon of the early church, was walking down a desert road on his way to Gaza, he saw an Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot reading from the scriptures.

PHOTO: Philip, a deacon of the early church, was walking down a desert road on his way to Gaza, he saw an Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot reading from the scriptures.  And the Bible says, “And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot’” (Acts 8:29). God spoke through the Holy Spirit.
Posted by theworkofgodschildren.org
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-goBh5_E8GtQ/Vsld8tAZQNI/AAAAAAAAjDY/TJ-f8sBiNWA/s1600/Philip_and_the_man_in_a_chariot.jpg
http://www.theworkofgodschildren.org/collaboration/images/f/fc/Philip_and_the_man_in_a_chariot.jpg
http://www.theworkofgodschildren.org/collaboration/index.php?title=File:Philip_and_the_man_in_a_chariot.jpg



Now in the first case God spoke directly through Jesus and in the second case God spoke through the Holy Spirit.  But in both cases weren’t the other persons of the trinity there, and weren’t they also speaking?  Yes, one may be named as the spokesman, but they were all speaking.

The other day I ran across an interesting passage - in
Acts 16:6-7.  Here, when Paul was on his second missionary journey and was passing through the Phrygian and the Galatian region, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to Speak the Word in Asia.  But then (in verse 7) it says, “And when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.”  Now the question is, were there two separate persons who spoke, the Holy Spirit in the first verse and the Spirit of Jesus in the next, or were they both speaking in both verses?  Well, as I said before, I think they were both speaking in both instances as well as the Father, but one was named as the spokesman in each case.  We must also understand that since the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son, that term “Spirit of Jesusis really one of the names of the Holy Spirit But since it is the Spirit of Jesus we know that Jesus is also there.  Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus, that same Jesus that walked this earth and died for our sins, is ever present with us and is still speaking to us through the Holy Spirit?


And when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.

PHOTO: And when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” That term “Spirit of Jesus” is really one of the names of the Holy Spirit.  That same Jesus that walked this earth and died for our sins, is ever present with us and is still speaking to us through the Holy Spirit.
Posted by Fallhiker on Monday, 6 August 2012 at 9:14 AM
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nXn7VGfU-Wg/Vsld-lI6IWI/AAAAAAAAjDw/VGw2x58XS8c/s1600/macedonia.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I2pDCiNlj9I/UB_tNq7X2pI/AAAAAAAAEeg/CBYgmygcoWs/s1600/macedonia.jpg
http://foundationsofmyfaith.blogspot.sg/2012/08/the-macedonian-call.html



Now since we as Christians have the mind of Christ - which means that we have a renewed, Christ-like mind (
1 Corinthians 2:16) - that inner voice of God comes to us through our renewed mind.  That is, our renewed mind is capable of knowing (or reading) His mind; we, through our renewed mind, hear the voice of His mind. Hence, when an idea comes to us, and we are walking in the will of God, that idea in our mind comes to us really from God’s mind.  But if we do not trust Him then the thoughts we have are not of God but are of our own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6).  And so, whether we are aware of it or not, when we walk with the Lord, whenever we think a thought, those thoughts have a vital connection to the mind of Christ.  I am not saying that our renewed mind is totally or comprehensively the mind of Christ (that could never be), but it is capable of knowing His mind, and understanding His will.


As Christians we have a renewed, Christ-like mind (1 Corinthians 2:16).

PHOTO: As Christians we have a renewed, Christ-like mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). That inner voice of God comes to us through our renewed mind. When an idea comes to us, and we are walking in the will of God, that idea in our mind comes to us really from God’s mind. Whether we are aware of it or not, when we walk with the Lord, whenever we think a thought, those thoughts have a vital connection to the mind of Christ. It is capable of knowing His mind, and understanding His will.
Picture posted by Secrets of the Ages on 17 February 2015
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http://www.tainy-veka.ru/katalog_statey/telepatiya.jpg
http://www.tainy-veka.ru/publ/zagadki_psihiki/paranormalnye_sposobnosti/osnovy_telepatiy/94-1-0-100



Sometimes, especially when we tend to resist that first idea that God is putting into our mind to do something, or to go somewhere, or to say something, that inner voice in our mind tends to overlap into our emotions.  And we may feel a tug or a nudge or a certain feeling in our stomach.  Well, those tugs and nudges are from the Lord, trying to get our attention.



Sometimes, especially when we tend to resist that first idea that God is putting into our mind to do something, or to go somewhere, or to say something, that inner voice in our mind tends to overlap into our emotions. PHOTO: Sometimes, especially when we tend to resist that first idea that God is putting into our mind to do something, or to go somewhere, or to say something, that inner voice in our mind tends to overlap into our emotions.  And we may feel a tug or a nudge or a certain feeling in our stomach.  Well, those tugs and nudges are from the Lord, trying to get our attention.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1889), Première rêverie (First Reverie)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXnnZ1_-psI/Vsld8BEt9bI/AAAAAAAAjDU/nEDmIQY96L8/s1600/Les_murmures_de_l%2527Amour%252C_William-Adolphe_Bouguereau.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Les_murmures_de_l'Amour%2C_William-Adolphe_Bouguereau.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premi%C3%A8re_r%C3%AAverie



Bill Hybels, in his book, Too Busy Not to Pray, tells of a time when he was driving out of his church parking lot, and he received what he thought was a leading from the Lord to offer a women whom he had just passed by some assistance.  Well, as Hybels told the story, he said, “I kept driving, rationalizing my disobedience to the little leading from God.  But the Holy Spirit persisted.  By the time I had reached the entrance sign, I felt so restless in my spirit that I said, ‘I can’t put up with this anymore’”

And so, Bill Hybels turned his car around and picked up the lady.   Well, as it turned out, the women really didn’t need any special help, but Hybels got to know the women and discovered that she was being led of the Lord to apply for an administrative job at his church.  She soon became Bill’s full time administrative assistant. 

Reflecting back on this incident, Hybels realized that without this women’s unique combination of skills and gifts, he would not have been able to do what God had called him to do.



Too Busy Not To Pray
PHOTO: Too Busy Not To Pray
Bill Hybels tells of a time when he was driving out of his church parking lot, and he received what he thought was a leading from the Lord to offer a women whom he had just passed by some assistance. He resisted but the Holy Spirit persisted. The women really didn’t need any special help, but Hybels got to know the women and discovered that she was being led of the Lord to apply for an administrative job at his church.  She soon became Bill’s full time administrative assistant. Reflecting back on this incident, Hybels realized that without this women’s unique combination of skills and gifts, he would not have been able to do what God had called him to do. It is so important to obey the inner voice of the Lord.  If we do not we will miss His will for us.
Posted by Bill Hybels on 21 December 2014

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http://assets.faithgateway.com/2014/12/too-busy-not-to-pray-500x325.png
http://www.faithgateway.com/author/bill-hybels/



So we see that it is so important to obey the inner voice of the Lord.  If we do not we will miss His will for us.

As we discuss the remaining four ways that God speaks to us, it is important for us to know that in all of these ways, and in any other way that God speaks to us, we will also always hear that inner voice of God in our mind. 

That is,
when we follow the leading of scripture, of prayer, of circumstances, or of wise council God will always be speaking to us in our thoughts.



When we follow the leading of scripture, of prayer, of circumstances, or of wise council God will always be speaking to us in our thoughts.
PHOTO: When we follow the leading of scripture, of prayer, of circumstances, or of wise council God will always be speaking to us in our thoughts. We will also always hear that inner voice of God in our mind.
Picture posted by Karen Barber on 8 October 2014
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPGN393YvC4/Vsld7-yaRkI/AAAAAAAAjDM/P7yLpucCIRE/s1600/Hendersonville-reunion-035.jpg
http://www.prayerideas.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Hendersonville-reunion-035.jpg
http://www.prayerideas.org/wp/praying_for_needs/world-concerns/mental-illness-education-and-support-prayer/



2.  Through the Bible.
The Bible is the record of God’s complete revelation to us.   (Since it is complete, He will not give us any other teaching.  For this reason, if there is any teaching or voice that adds to, takes away from, or is contrary to the Bible, that teaching is not true and is definitely not God’s Word to us.)



The Bible is the record of God’s complete revelation to us.

PHOTO: The Bible is the record of God’s complete revelation to us. If there is any teaching or voice that adds to, takes away from, or is contrary to the Bible, that teaching is not true and is definitely not God’s Word to us.
Picture posted in Dreams, Truth, Life on 22 April 2013

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojfzhDkN6F4/VslibHyNI6I/AAAAAAAAjEQ/NySzDCeRwb4/s1600/75abbe11.jpg
https://sacredspiritdance.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/75abbe11.jpg
https://sacredspiritdance.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/%E2%9C%A9-%E2%9C%A9-sacred-spirit-dance-%E2%9C%A9-%E2%9C%A9-1403/
https://sacredspiritdance.wordpress.com/category/sogni/page/146/



Here is what you must do to hear God’s voice through the Bible.  First, establish a regular habit of storing His Word in your mind.  I would suggest beginning in the morning. The morning for me is the best time to dig into the Word.  Let that studied Word be your meditation and delight throughout the day.



Hear God’s voice through the Bible

PHOTO: Hear God’s voice through the Bible
Establish a regular habit of storing His Word in the mind, like beginning in the morning of each day. The Bible is the record of God’s complete revelation to us.
Joseph Smith reading Bible (Painting by Dale Kilbourn)
Picture posted by Daniel Peterson, For the Deseret News on Friday, 19 February 2016 at 8:43 p.m. MST

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http://m.deseretnews.com/photo/700207011



As you study the Bible and learn God’s principles, as you dig deep for the true meaning of each verse, and seek to find the intended themes of each passage, God will speak to you and give you a personal word - a word of encouragement, direction, or warning.   It is in my experience that He will keep directing your focus on that particular passage - until you have come to its intended application, that is, until you learn everything He has been showing you and are obedient to everything He is telling you.



As we study the Bible and learn God’s principles, God will speak to us and give us a personal word - a word of encouragement, direction, or warning.

PHOTO: As we study the Bible and learn God’s principles, God will speak to us and give us a personal word - a word of encouragement, direction, or warning. He will keep directing our focus on that particular passage - until we have come to its intended application (His will).
Painting by: N.C. Wyeth,  Robinson Crusoe & Bible
Historical Note: Robinson Crusoe is a fictional character that author Daniel Defoe based on the real-life Alexander Selkirk of Scotland, who had been marooned on an uninhabited island for many years.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKO937SecKk/Vsld-8qTM-I/AAAAAAAAjD0/-5WQ4O76JD8/s1600/robins3.jpg
http://prayerfoundation.org/robins3.jpg
http://prayerfoundation.org/robinson_crusoe_by_n_c_wyeth.htm



Now the Greek word that denotes the Bible as a whole and is God’s revelation to us is logos (the Word of God).  But when God speaks to us personally and directly from the Bible, whether He directs your attention to one verse or to a phrase, that personal message to you, that Word of God to you in the Greek is rehma.  This rehma is described in Hebrews 4:12 as living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.  It is living and active because it is the voice of the living God speaking to you.  He is able to discern your thoughts and intentions, and He knows all about your sins and problems and needs.



God speaks to us personally and directly from the Bible.

PHOTO: God speaks to us personally and directly from the Bible. That personal message to us in Greek is rehma.  This rehma is described in Hebrews 4:12 as living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is living and active because it is the voice of the living God speaking to us.  He is able to discern our thoughts and intentions. He knows all about our sins, problems and needs.
Posted by McNaughton Fine Art
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kc6mPrWFdZk/Vsld8G_UFQI/AAAAAAAAjDQ/ZjzCjMB3D7I/s1600/LetHimAskofGod.jpg
http://www.jonmcnaughton.com/content/Catzoom/LetHimAskofGod.jpg
http://www.jonmcnaughton.com/let-him-ask-of-god/



As
Hebrews 4:13 states, God sees you as you really are.  You are open and lay bare to His eyes.  But He is not only our judge, He is a sympathetic High Priest who is a wonderful counselor and helper.  He will speak to you and tell you what you need to know and what He wants you to do.  Heed His voice and draw near to Him with confidence, and you will receive His mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16).


Hebrews 4:13 states, God sees us as we really are.

PHOTO: Hebrews 4:13 states, God sees us as we really are.  We are open and lay bare to His eyes. He is a sympathetic High Priest who is a wonderful counselor and helper.  He will speak to us and tell us what we need to know, and what He wants us to do.  Heed His voice. Draw near to Him with confidence, and we will receive His mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). This is also His will for us.
Published on 29 July 2015 in Bible verses on How the Lord Formed us and Has Never Stop Caring for us, Jesus and the children
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi_bLz1rMs8/Vsld-HHm0qI/AAAAAAAAjDs/JHVkFb2cLiU/s1600/jesus-and-the-children.jpg
https://beatrizschiava.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/jesus-and-the-children.jpg
https://beatrizschiava.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/bible-verses-on-how-the-lord-formed-us-and-has-never-stop-caring-for-us/jesus-and-the-children/



As you receive that marvelous and penetrating Word (rehma) in the morning or evening (or whenever you dig into the Word), you will no doubt encounter various trials and have some pressing needs.  But take heart, God is always with you. If you put your trust in Him throughout the day He will speak to you and comfort you.  Moreover, God will bring to your remembrance a personal word from His Word just at the time when you need it.

For example, if you are facing a trial He may say to you, “I’m here, and I know your pain, and I will help you through this trial.”  And then the Holy Spirit may cause you to remember James 1:2-4, a verse that you have memorized.  That passage will at that instant become Jesus’ personal word to you, and He will say to you, “[your name], count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.



A verse that we have memorized will become Jesus’ personal word to us when we are facing a trial.

PHOTO: A verse that we have memorized will become Jesus’ personal word to us when we are facing a trial. He will say to us, “[our name], count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work,  so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).
That is tough for me. You’re telling me that when I lose my job, have divisions in my family, lose a loved one, or go through a heartache I am supposed to be happy? I don’t know about you, but that is almost impossible for me. I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t rejoice when I go through trials.
But as we continue to read this verse, the Holy Spirit begins to open it up a little bit more. I believe that God is telling us “I don’t want you to rejoice because of the trial you are going through, I want you to rejoice because of what the trial is going to produce in you.
God has a purpose for every trial. There is purpose in the pain, and there is a message in the mess.
Texts posted by Jubal Garcia on 30 December 2013, Never Ever Give Up!,
https://metanoyachurch.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/never-ever-give-up/
Picture posted by Louise Davis (QuotesGram)
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http://quotesgram.com/dont-give-up-funny-quotes/#gTy6gDvkyx



3.  Through prayer.
Prayer is not just you talking to God; it is God talking to you.  So prayer includes listening.  According to Henry Blackaby, in his book, Experiencing God, “…What God says in prayer is far more important than what you say…Prayer is designed more to adjust you to God than to adjust God to you…You need to pray because of what God wants to do in and through your praying.



Prayer is not just we talking to God; it is God talking to us.

PHOTO: Prayer is not just we talking to God; it is God talking to us. So prayer includes listening. What God says in prayer is far more important than what we say. Prayer is designed more to adjust us to God than to adjust God to us.
Picture posted by Mediawiki

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http://www.wikihow.com/Talk-to-God



Blackaby gives us an eight-point sequence of what happens in prayer.  I have revised it to a three-fold sequence and have provided the following comments.

First, God draws you to prayer.  He will either draw you to prayer because He knows you need cleansing or help, or He may also summon you to intercede for another who needs help.  This drawing may come conveniently at your appointed morning or evening prayer time, or it will come at a time when you least expect Him to call you.  Sometimes in the middle of a task you will be burdened to stop, bow your head and pray.  This drawing may be as a gentle whisper or nudge to remind you to pray, or it may be as an irresistible urge to stop everything, run to His throne, and bow down, even fall down on your face in tears.  For whatever purpose or combination of purposes, when God wants you to pray He will draw you.



God draws us to prayer.

PHOTO: God draws us to prayer. This drawing may come conveniently at our appointed morning or evening prayer time, or it will come at a time when we least expect Him to call us. 
Picture posted by Mediawiki
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ht3OW_eRGVI/Vsld9khLp5I/AAAAAAAAjDg/Fl3NQCbToDg/s1600/aid4850297-728px-Talk-to-God-Step-1-Version-2.jpg
http://pad2.whstatic.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Talk-to-God-Step-1-Version-2.jpg/aid4850297-728px-Talk-to-God-Step-1-Version-2.jpg
http://www.wikihow.com/Talk-to-God



Second, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to you.  The Holy Spirit knows the will of God.  As you pray He will show you the Father’s will.  Often times, when we begin to pray we pray the wrong things, but then as we dwell in prayer for a few minutes, meditating on His Word and waiting on Him in humble submission, He shows us the Father’s heart and puts on our lips all the correct words of prayer.

 

The Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to us.
PHOTO: The Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to us. The Holy Spirit knows the will of God. As we pray He will show us the Father’s will. When we begin to pray we pray the wrong things, He shows us the Father’s heart and puts on our lips all the correct words of prayer.
Picture posted by Catholicbible101

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http://www.catholicbible101.com/gift1.jpg
http://www.catholicbible101.com/theholyspirit.htm



Third, you adjust your life to the truth.  As you quietly listen to the Father’s heart in prayer, the last step is to plan to do whatever it is He wants you to do…and do it.



Adjust our life to the truth.

PHOTO: Adjust our life to the truth. As we quietly listen to the Father’s heart in prayer, the last step is to plan to do whatever it is He wants us to do and do it.
Posted by Father Paul Yi on Saturday, 25 October 2014 at 4:00 PM

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http://jesusthrumary.blogspot.sg/2014_10_01_archive.html

          

4.  Through circumstances.
When we listen for God’s voice through our circumstances we are not necessarily listening for a message in words, rather we are watching and observing to see how God is working around us.  We are looking to see what people are going through and what we are going through, so that we can make conclusions as to how God is working and how He wants us to join Him.



Determine God's will through circumstances.

PHOTO:  Determine God's will through circumstances.
When we listen for God’s voice through our circumstances,  we are watching and observing to see how God is working around us. We can make conclusions as to how God is working and how He wants us to join Him.
Posted by Father Paul Yi on Saturday, 4 October 2014 at 4:00 PM
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http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0KKksV1skI/VDAvaVSBu6I/AAAAAAAAGao/Gj2dT4dOu1w/s1600/God's%2Bwill.jpg
http://jesusthrumary.blogspot.sg/2014/10/oct-5-2014-27th-sunday-in-ordinary-a.html



But how do we make these conclusions?  Well, first of all, we must get out from under the cloud of our circumstances and get into the Word and into prayer so that we can see those circumstances from God’s perspective, and also so that we can see God for who He is and for what He is trying to accomplish in the world.  We should ask Him to show us why things are happening the way they are, and at the same time have faith that eventually all our circumstances will work out for good (Ro. 8:28) - that God will even use them as His voice to lead us this way or that way.



See those circumstances from God’s perspective.

PHOTO: See those circumstances from God’s perspective. We can then see God for who He is and for what He is trying to accomplish in the world. At the same time have faith that eventually all our circumstances will work out for good (Ro. 8:28).
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5.  Through other believers.
When you think that God has spoken to you about a certain thing through the Word, through prayer, and through your circumstances, when a brother or sister comes along and gives you that same message, this is a great confirmation of His leading.  If you are a Spirit-filled believer, this is normally how you should view another’s words of counsel - as confirmation, to confirm that word that God has already given you.  Too often we just accept solely what a believer says and go with it as the final Word of God.  But we should not immediately accept it unless God has already been speaking to us along these same lines.



Determine God's will through other believers

PHOTO:  Determine God's will through other believers
When you think that God has spoken to you about a certain thing through the Word, through prayer, and through your circumstances, when a brother or sister comes along and gives you that same message, this is a great confirmation of His leading. Too often we just accept solely what a believer says and go with it as the final Word of God.  But we should not immediately accept it unless God has already been speaking to us along these same lines.
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In some cases, however, especially in the case of a new believer, when God speaks to that person through another person it may be the first time they have heard Him speak.  In that case it is wise for them to search the scriptures to see if what was declared as God’s Word can be confirmed as true (Acts 17:11).  Then, it is always wise to pray about it as well; and if God gives His peace you may be assured that it is God’s Word to you. [4]



 It is wise to search the scriptures to see if what was declared as God’s Word can be confirmed as true (Acts 17:11).

PHOTO: It is wise to search the scriptures to see if what was declared as God’s Word can be confirmed as true (Acts 17:11). Especially in the case of a new believer, when God speaks to that person through another person it may be the first time they have heard Him speak. It is always wise to pray about it as well; and if God gives His peace you may be assured that it is God’s Word to us.
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What does the Bible say about that (God's will)? [3]
 It is important to know God’s will. Jesus said that His true relations are those who know and do the Father’s will: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). In the parable of the two sons, Jesus rebukes the chief priests and elders for failing to do the will of the Father; specifically, they “did not repent and believe” (Matthew 21:32). At its most basic, the will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ. If we have not taken that first step, then we have not yet accepted God’s will.



The will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ
PHOTO: The will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ
'Changing your mind' about your sins and your need of a Savior leads you to “receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” which God offers ...
Posted by Christer Åberg on Saturday, 30 November 2013 at 21:54
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Once we receive Christ by faith, we are made God’s children (John 1:12), and He desires to lead us in His way (Psalm 143:10). God is not trying to hide His will from us; He wants to reveal it. In fact, He has already given us many, many directions in His Word. We are to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We are to do good works (1 Peter 2:15). And “it is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).



God is not trying to hide His will from us
PHOTO: God is not trying to hide His will from us; He wants to reveal it. In fact, He has already given us many, many directions in His Word. We are to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Picture posted by Samuel (SCWatchman) on 7 July 2015
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https://scwatchman.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/revelation-cross-reference/



God’s will is knowable and provable. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.” This passage gives us an important sequence: the child of God refuses to be conformed to the world and instead allows himself to be transformed by the Spirit. As his mind is renewed according to the things of God, then he can know God’s perfect will.



God’s will is knowable and provable
PHOTO: God’s will is knowable and provable
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.
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As we seek God’s will, we should make sure what we are considering is not something the Bible forbids. For example, the Bible forbids stealing; since God has clearly spoken on the issue, we know it is not His will for us to be a bank robbers - we don’t even need to pray about it. Also, we should make sure what we are considering will glorify God and help us and others grow spiritually.



As we seek God’s will, we should make sure what we are considering is not something the Bible forbids.
PHOTO: As we seek God’s will, we should make sure what we are considering is not something the Bible forbids. For example, the Bible forbids stealing; since God has clearly spoken on the issue, we know it is not His will for us to be a bank robbers - we don’t even need to pray about it.
As Hebrews 4:13 states, God sees you as you really are.  You are open and lay bare to His eyes.  But He is not only our judge, He is a sympathetic High Priest who is a wonderful counselor and helper.  He will speak to you and tell you what you need to know and what He wants you to do.  Heed His voice and draw near to Him with confidence, and you will receive His mercy and grace (Heb. 4:16).
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Painting by Jules Joseph Lefebvre, La Vérité "Truth"
Texts posted by Stephen Nielsen on 16 September 2012,
http://studyingprayer.com/2012/09/16/five-ways-god-speaks-to-us/
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Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult because it requires patience. It’s natural to want to know all of God’s will at once, but that’s not how He usually works. He reveals to us a step at a time - each move a step of faith - and allows us to continue to trust Him. The important thing is that, as we wait for further direction, we are busy doing the good that we know to do (James 4:17).



Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult because it requires patience.
PHOTO: Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult because it requires patience. It’s natural to want to know all of God’s will at once, but that’s not how He usually works. He reveals to us a step at a time - each move a step of faith - and allows us to continue to trust Him.
The Empty Tomb, by Clark Kelley Price
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Often, we want God to give us specifics - where to work, where to live, whom to marry, what car to buy, etc. God allows us to make choices, and, if we are yielded to Him, He has ways of preventing wrong choices (see Acts 16:6-7).


Often, we want God to give us specifics
PHOTO: Often, we want God to give us specifics - where to work, where to live, whom to marry, what car to buy, etc. God allows us to make choices, and, if we are yielded to Him, He has ways of preventing wrong choices (see Acts 16:6-7).
Picture from Christian Counseling
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http://churchlibrary.net/gsdl/collect/churchlib/index/assoc/HASH5f0c.dir/Christian%20Counseling.pdf



The better we get to know a person, the more acquainted we become with his or her desires. For example, a child may look across a busy street at the ball that bounced away, but he doesn’t run after it, because he knows “my dad wouldn’t want me to do that.” He doesn’t have to ask his father for advice on every particular situation; he knows what his father would say because he knows his father. The same is true in our relationship to God. As we walk with the Lord, obeying His Word and relying on His Spirit, we find that we are given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We know Him, and that helps us to know His will. We find God’s guidance readily available. “The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, / but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness” (Proverbs 11:5).



The better we get to know a person, the more acquainted we become with his or her desires.
PHOTO: The better we get to know a person, the more acquainted we become with his or her desires. As we walk with the Lord, obeying His Word and relying on His Spirit, we find that we are given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We know Him, and that helps us to know His will. We find God’s guidance readily available.
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If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desiring His will for our lives, God will place His desires in our hearts. The key is wanting God’s will, not our own. “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). [3]



If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desiring His will for our lives, God will place His desires in our hearts.
PHOTO: If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desiring His will for our lives, God will place His desires in our hearts. The key is wanting God’s will, not our own. “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
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Do you agree that if we are not doing God's will, then we are doing the Devil's will?
If you are not doing God's will, then you are doing the devil's will. There is no two ways about it. This is how serious it is. If you are not useful to Jesus, then you are useful to the devil. It is, therefore, important to ask yourself how useful you have been to your Lord. If you want to be useful to Him, then you must grow in His grace and seek to do His will. [2]



If you are not doing God's will, then you are doing the devil's will.
PHOTO: If you are not doing God's will, then you are doing the devil's will. If you are not useful to Jesus, then you are useful to the devil. It is, therefore, important to ask yourself how useful you have been to your Lord. If you want to be useful to Him, then you must grow in His grace and seek to do His will.
But, if while you are physically alive, you solve the problem of spiritual death, and are born again”, then you spend eternity with God.
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The true condition of the false teachers and those who followed them was described by Paul. They were caught in "the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive" (2 Timothy 2:26). They were prisoners of the devil who has led them astray, and his intention was to make them captive "to do his will". Those who flee from sin and pursue holiness are those who seek to do God's will. All others, by default, end up doing Satan's will. In other words, one either does God's will or the devil's will. Our sinful self-will and the pull of the worldly crowd all are the devil's will. Whether we are pursuing sinful desires of the flesh or worldly desires of popularity, power, materialism and self-indulgence, we are doing the devil's will. This should be a frightening thought for those who are not doing God's will. Those who think they are free to do whatever they desire are in fact prisoners of Satan. [1]


Those who flee from sin and pursue holiness are those who seek to do God's will. All others, by default, end up doing Satan's will.
PHOTO: Those who flee from sin and pursue holiness are those who seek to do God's will. All others, by default, end up doing Satan's will. Whether we are pursuing sinful desires of the flesh or worldly desires of popularity, power, materialism and self-indulgence, we are doing the devil's will. Those who think they are free to do whatever they desire are in fact prisoners of Satan.
Posted by Walmir Almeida on Saturday, 23 February 2013
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Sequence of what happens in prayer
PHOTO: Sequence of what happens in prayer
First, God draws you to prayer.  He will either draw you to prayer because He knows you need cleansing or help, or He may also summon you to intercede for another who needs help.  This drawing may come conveniently at your appointed morning or evening prayer time, or it will come at a time when you least expect Him to call you. 

Sometimes in the middle of a task you will be burdened to stop, bow your head and pray.  This drawing may be as a gentle whisper or nudge to remind you to pray, or it may be as an irresistible urge to stop everything, run to His throne, and bow down, even fall down on your face in tears.  For whatever purpose or combination of purposes, when God wants you to pray He will draw you.

Second, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to you.  The Holy Spirit knows the will of God.  As you pray He will show you the Father’s will.  Often times, when we begin to pray we pray the wrong things, but then as we dwell in prayer for a few minutes, meditating on His Word and waiting on Him in humble submission, He shows us the Father’s heart and puts on our lips all the correct words of prayer.

Third, you adjust your life to the truth.  As you quietly listen to the Father’s heart in prayer, the last step is to plan to do whatever it is He wants you to do…and do it.
Posted by Stephen Nielsen on 16 September 2012
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http://studyingprayer.com/2012/09/16/five-ways-god-speaks-to-us/


Reflection - Doing God's will
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012



Reference
[1] From "Faithful to the end" A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, Copyright © 2014 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-1-62707-241-0, PART TWO: USEFUL TO CHRIST, Chapter 7 "Ministering to the lost" (2 Timothy 2:20-26), Page 102-103.

[2] From "Faithful to the end" A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, Copyright © 2014 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-1-62707-241-0, PART TWO: USEFUL TO CHRIST, Chapter 7 "Ministering to the lost" (2 Timothy 2:20-26), Page 107.

[3] How can I know God's will for my life? What does the Bible say about knowing God's will?, Posted by Got Questions Ministries, http://www.gotquestions.org/know-God-will.html


[4] Five Ways God Speaks To Us, Posted by Stephen Nielsen on 16 September 2012, http://studyingprayer.com/2012/09/16/five-ways-god-speaks-to-us/

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1 Corinthians 2:16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+++Corinthians+2%3A16&version=NIV

1 Peter 2:15 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2%3A15&version=NIV

1 Thessalonians 4:3 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+4%3A3&version=NIV

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+++Thessalonians+5%3A18&version=NIV

2 Timothy 2:20-26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+2%3A20-26&version=NIV

2 Timothy 2:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+2%3A26&version=NIV

Acts 8:29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A29&version=NIV

Acts 9:5 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9%3A5&version=NIV

Acts 16:6-7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+++16%3A6-7&version=NIV

Acts 16:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+16%3A7&version=NIV

Acts 17:11 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A11&version=NIV

Hebrews 4:12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A12&version=NIV

Hebrews 4:13 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A13&version=NIV

Hebrews 4:16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A16&version=NIV

James 1:2-4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A2-4&version=NIV

James 4:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4%3A17&version=NIV

John 1:12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A12&version=NIV

Mark 3:35 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3%3A35&version=NIV

Matthew 21:32 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A32&version=NIV

Proverbs 3:5-6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3%3A5-6&version=NIV

Proverbs 11:5 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+11%3A5&version=NIV

Psalm 37:4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+37%3A4&version=NIV

Psalm 143:10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+143%3A10&version=NIV

Romans 8:28 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A28&version=NIV

Romans 12:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A2&version=NIV