A Good Name

Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”

In William Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo and Juliet, the love-struck Juliet tells Romeo that his name, Montague, means nothing to her. Her family, the Capulets, are embroiled in a feud with the Montagues, but she assures him that she loves him, not his name or his family. The theme of the play – its central struggle – its tragic circumstances are encapsulated in Juliet’s quote: “What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.” But contrary to Juliet’s assessment of the situation, names are extremely important. It should be our desire to maintain for ourselves a good name – oh, not necessarily our earthly moniker – but our new name. In fact Juliet asks Romeo to “deny [his] father,” to which Romeo promises to be “new baptized” as Juliet’s lover. We have denied our father – the father of lies – the prince of the power of the air – the devil and his minions – and been “new baptized” into the family of God. His is the name that we must strive to protect – to keep good – to maintain.

But to whom are we to maintain this good name? First of all, we are to keep a good name before the world. How men see us is important. In Matthew 5:16 Christ tells His disciples, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Our testimony before the world needs to be protected. Someone once said, “We are the only Bible some people will ever read.” Therefore it is important that we so live before them that they will want what we have. Our reputation before the world needs to be protected. Shakespeare said in his Othello: “He that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him And makes me poor indeed.” The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said, “Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of - for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”

Secondly, we are to keep a good name before God the Father – how He sees us is the only thing that is important. Pastor Steve Griffith once said, “Reputation is what the world thinks you are; character is what God knows you are.” When God looks at you, He looks for only one thing – the blood of Christ applied. If He sees that blood, then He can’t see the sins or the sinful nature that once controlled our hearts. If He sees not the blood applied, then all He can see is the sinful nature that is present. And He has to turn away, for His holiness cannot look upon sin. When Christ was on the cross taking upon Himself the sins of mankind, God had to turn His back upon Him. Look at Mark 15:34, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” A thrice holy God cannot look upon sin. And every time we who are saved choose to sin, we grieve the Spirit of God – Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God.” Our primary goal in this earth is to glorify God – to please Him in all we do. And how can we please Him if we don’t keep His commandments? 1 Thessalonians 4:1, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” And Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith, it is impossible to please him.” So, let us keep our testimony clean before the world and our hearts and lives clean before God.

Quote – “Your testimony is the most important thing you have – Keep it clean!” – H. M. Mickel

Consecration

2 Chronicles 29:31 – “Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near …”


Charles Spurgeon was saved on January 6, 1850, and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of consecration: O great and unsearchable God, who knowest my heart, and triest all my ways; with a humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit, I yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own reasonable sacrifice, I return to Thee Thine own. I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Thine; whilst I am on earth, I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever! Amen.

Though thousands of years apart, both Hezekiah, the speaker in the above passage of scripture, and Spurgeon made the same commitment – to be wholly consecrated to God. They both purposed in their hearts to give themselves totally to His Will. That’s what consecration is. A technical definition of consecration means that you are to set yourself apart from evil, turn to the Lord, and be prepared to be used by God. The difference between sanctification and consecration is that in sanctification, God is setting you aside for His service, but in consecration, He is actually cleansing you for His service. The two go hand in hand – God sanctifies you and then consecrates you.

It is not all God though. You have a part in both sanctification and consecration. God takes into account your will – He does not force sanctification on you – He does not force consecration on you. He yields to the will of the individual. The individual must, after salvation, make a decision to separate himself from the world. Romans 8:1 tells us to “Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Galatians 5:17 tells us to “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” He instructs us to cleanse ourselves from the world by not partaking in the world. He also tells us to draw near to God – James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” In doing this, we allow Him to do the work of washing us – we begin to lose interest in worldly things. The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” This is essential to our consecration.

In Matthew 23, Christ condemned the Pharisees because they cleaned the “outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” These scurrilous Pharisees were hypocrites – “whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” They wanted to appear consecrated, but were actually just putting on – pretending – hypocrites.

This consecration is a continual process. Christ says in Luke 14:27, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” This implies a continual bearing and a continual coming. It is not something that we do just once and our consecration is complete – No, it is an ongoing process. We will never get to the point on this side of the grave where we can put our cross down. 2 Corinthians 4:10 tells us, “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” We must get used to bearing Him about with us – letting Him live in us – carrying Him wherever we go. This is what consecration is all about.

Quote – “People spend too much time making preparations for life on this earth, and not making preparations for eternity.” – Dr. Bob Jones, Jr.

Christian Living

Micah 6:8 – “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

General William Booth of the Salvation Army had ten rules for Christian living. They are: 1.) Consider your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and treat it with reverence and care. 2.) Keep your mind active. Stimulate it with thoughts of others that lead to doing something. 3.) Take time to be holy with daily Bible reading and prayer. 4.) Support the church. Mingle with others. 5.) Cultivate the presence of God. He wants to enter your life and will as far as you let him. 6.) Take God into the details of your life. You naturally call upon Him in trouble and for the bigger things. 7.) Pray for this troubled war-threatened world and the leaders who hold the destinies of the various nations. 8.) Have a thankful spirit for the blessings of God -- country, home, friends, and numerous other blessings. 9.) Work as if everything depended upon work, and pray as if everything depended upon prayer. 10.) Think of death not as something to be dreaded, but as a great and new experience where loved ones are met and ambitions realized.

How we live in this world is of extreme importance. Of course the most important aspect of our life in this world is that we “must be born again.” Our salvation determines not only how we are going to live here, but also how and where we are going to spend eternity. But once we have established the condition of our soul, we must turn our attention to the condition of our life. God continually directs us to live for Him – through Him – in Him. And if we will apply the principles of Scripture to our lives, we will walk in such a way that will please Him. 1 Peter 1:15 tells us, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [conduct].”

And how are we to do that? He tells us in our verse above. “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good” – notice He does not direct this to Israel, to whom the prophet is speaking directly, but to man – all mankind – Jew and Gentile alike – “he hath showed thee, O man!” What did He show us? He showed us “What is good.” He expects goodness of us – then our goose is cooked, for He tells us in Psalm 14:1 and again in Romans 3:12, “There is none that doeth good,” and Paul adds, “No not one.” Then how can we comply with what God expects of us – how can we do what is good if “there is none that doeth good?” The answer is in Christ – through His strength – through His Spirit. In ourselves we don’t have the strength to do good, but in Him we have complete strength – we have complete righteousness – we have complete goodness. In Christ we can meet all the conditions of God for living a good, clean Christian life.

First, He says we must “do justly.” This speaks of our dealing with God and our dealing with man. In our dealing with God, we are to keep His commandments (Jn 14:5), we are to glorify Him (1 Co 16:20), we are to live holy (1 Pe 1:16), we are to walk carefully (Ep 5:15). This is what God’s justice demands. In our dealing with man, we are to be honest (Ro 12:17), we are to be true (Phi 4:8), we are to be pure (Js 1:27). Even in the Decalogue, the ten commandments, the first four commandments deal with our relationship to God, the next six, our relationship to man. Secondly, He says we must “love mercy.” In the Beatitudes, Christ said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Mt 5:7).” In His parable of the Good Samaritan who showed mercy, Christ commands that we “Go, and do thou likewise (Lu 10:37).” We are to love the mercy of God on us and then return that mercy upon our fellow man (Mt 18:35). Thirdly, He says we must “walk humbly with thy God.” Enoch walked with God through faith and it pleased God (He 11:5). And God hates pride and haughtiness, so our walk must be in humility (Pr 6:17; 16:18).

Quote – “Live with eternity’s values in view.” – Unknown

Happy is the Man

Psalm 144:15 – “Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.”

On his deathbed, John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, was heard to say, "Weep not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will, through the mediation of His blessed Son, receive me, though a sinner, where I hope we shall meet to sing the new song, and remain everlastingly happy, world without end." John Bunyan found happiness in this world and knew that he would have happiness in the next. Men have strived for centuries to find happiness – most have not found it. Think of all the unhappiness that pervades our society today. Here in America, we live in the most affluent society that has ever existed – in all of history. But this is also probably the most unhappy of all time. Just what is it that brings happiness into our lives? An old man was asked what had robbed him of joy the most in his lifetime. He replied, "Things that never happened!"

Of course, the most crucial first step to happiness is to be saved – truly born again – trusting in Christ for salvation. But what about after salvation? Someone has cited these three keys to happiness:
1) Fret not – He loves you. Just read John 13:1 – “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” Now, isn’t that just wonderful – He loved us unto the end. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What a great and wonderful concept – God loves us – there’s no need to fret.
2) Faint not – He holds you. Look at Psalm 139:10 – “Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” We, as saints of God, are positioned in His hand, where none can touch us. John 10:29 – “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” We are safe in the hand of God – there’s no need to faint.
3) Fear not – He keeps you. Read Psalm 121:5 – “The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.” There is none more powerful than God, and He has promised to keep us safe in Him. In Philippians 4:7 Paul says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” What could be more able to keep us and keep us happy than the blessed peace of God – there’s no need to fear.

Ten rules for happier living:
1. Give something away (no strings attached)
2. Do a kindness (and forget it)
3. Spend a few minutes with the aged (their experience is a priceless guidance)
4. Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel)
5. Laugh often (it’s life’s lubricant)
6. Give thanks (a thousand times a day is not enough)
7. Pray (or you will lose the way)
8. Work (with vim and vigor)
9. Plan as though you’ll live forever (because you will)
10. Live as though you’ll die tomorrow (because you will on some tomorrow)
Author Unknown

Quote – “To see some people you would think that the essential of orthodox Christianity is to have a face so long you could eat oatmeal out of the end of a gas pipe.” – Billy Sunday

Daniel Purposed in His Heart

Daniel 1:8 – “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.”


In 1904, William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world's hurting people. Writing home, he said, "I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field." When he made this decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: "No Reserves." Turning down high-paying job offers after graduating from Yale University, he entered two more words in his Bible: "No Retreats." Completing studies at Princeton Seminary, Borden sailed for China to work with Muslims, stopping first at Egypt for some preparation. While there he was stricken with cerebral meningitis and died within a month. A waste, you say! Not in God's plan. In his Bible underneath the words "No Reserves" and "No Retreats," he had written the words "No Regrets."

Daniel made a conscious decision to follow God – this decision affected the rest of his life. He chose to keep himself clean from the world – this choice affected others as well. He could have gone along with the king’s plan – after all, he was miles away from home – no one would know – right? Daniel knew that God was always watching, and his choice was pleasing to God. His location and circumstances did not affect his conduct. It was the same in Babylon as it had been at home in Jerusalem. And his three friends, influenced by the stand that Daniel took, found the courage to take their own stand against the wicked king.

And because of his stand for God, Daniel was able to be used of God to do great things. We see in chapter 2, he interprets the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and is honored for his efforts; in chapter 5, he interprets the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar; in chapter 6, he is made a high official, a position which carries over into the reign of Darius; also in chapter 6, he is cast into the den of lions because of his faithfulness to God. He served God literally his whole life – his consecration to God, he “purposed in his heart,” carried him through to the end.

Dare To Be A Daniel

The prophet Daniel, when a youth, Was wont to make a choice.
With Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael In God they did rejoice.
There came a time when Satan’s crowd Did tempt them to give in,
By offering the devil’s fare, And thus partake of sin.

But Daniel purposed in his heart To not defile himself
For when we practice evil deeds God sets us on the shelf.
He told the king that he would not Be taking sumptuous fare.
“Just give us beans and we’ll be fine – You needn’t have a care.”

So beans and water they did take, Surpassed the rest by far,
And proved that worldly appetites Serve only flesh to mar.
So food or drink or whatsoe’er When choices come your way
Choose to follow Holy God And please Him every day.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

Quote – “A dog doesn’t go so far from home that his tail doesn’t follow.” – Missionary Bob Garrett

Paul's Spiritual Biography

Philippians 3:4 – “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more.”

An interesting map is on display in the British Museum in London. It's an old mariner's chart, drawn in 1525, outlining the North American coastline and adjacent waters. The cartographer made some intriguing notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored. He wrote: "Here be giants," "Here be fiery scorpions," and "Here be dragons." Eventually, the map came into the possession of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the early 1800s. Scratching out the fearful inscriptions, he wrote these words across the map: "Here is God." All those former misconceptions had to be conquered before they could really get anywhere.

The Apostle Paul finds himself here in an interesting position – one in which he defends his ministry in the present by defending his past. It is well known that Paul’s heart’s desire was to see Israel saved – yet he was called of God as the Apostle to the Gentiles – and Peter was given the dubious distinction of Apostle to the Jews. It’s interesting though that it was Peter who opened the door of the gospel to the Gentiles when he led Cornelius to the Lord – and it was Paul who wrote most of his epistles to the Jews in the various ports of call to which he ministered.

So it is in this passage in Philippians. Paul finds himself using his past life as a Jew’s Jew giving his defense of his calling. What he was actually doing in this passage was warning the Gentile Christians in Philippi of the false doctrine that some Jewish Christians were spreading around, that the Gentiles would have to be circumcised in order to be saved and follow Christ. Paul was refuting this erroneous doctrine. He told them, “If anyone deserves salvation based on Jewish heritage, it’s me. I was born a Jew – circumcised a Jew – raised a Jew – educated in the Scriptures – trained as a Pharisee – courted as a member of the Sanhedrin – followed a career path of persecuting the followers of Jesus – lost as a goose. All of that did me no good. I had to lose myself in Christ in order to find myself in Christ.” Then he explained in the next few verses exactly how he had to get rid of all his misconceptions about his former life and turn to Christ.

First, in verse 9, he had to be found in Him. He said that his own righteousness wasn’t enough to be found in Him – he had to lose all those things that he counted dear – he had to suffer loss. And Christ had to be found in him for him to be found in Christ – he had to put on the righteousness of Christ, which is completely by faith in Him. That faith is what is important – “For by grace are ye saved through faith (Eph 2:8).” He had to be found in Christ through faith.

And then, in verse 10, he had to fellowship with Him – “The fellowship of his sufferings.” How? Through the power of His resurrection and conforming to His death, he had to follow Him (v. 12), forget the past, and reach forth for the future (v. 13). These are some difficult steps, but they would eventually lead him to “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (v. 14).” This is the ultimate goal – to reach the prize – a difficult task indeed, but reachable with God’s help (v. 15). He had to partake in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings to reach for the prize.

Lastly, in verse 21, he had to be fashioned like Him. He was to do this by changing his walk from an enemy of the cross of Christ (v. 18), changing his desires from earthly things (v. 19), and changing his conduct to a heavenly look for the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 20). Romans 12:1 tells us to “present our bodies a living sacrifice,” and in verse 2 to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In Philippians 2:5, he tells us to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Only when he became fashioned like Christ was he able to go forward for Him.

Quote – “The Bible is our “Him” Book – It’s all about “Him.” – Dr. Jimmy Robbins

The Soul-Winner's Passion

2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because … one died for all ….”

When Dwight L. Moody was in London during one of his famous evangelistic tours, several British clergymen visited him. They wanted to know how and why this poorly educated American was so effective in winning throngs of people to Christ. Moody took the three men to the window of his hotel room and asked each in turn what he saw. One by one, the men described the people in the park below. Then Moody looked out the window with tears rolling down his cheeks. “What do you see, Mr. Moody?” asked one of the men. “I see countless thousands of souls that will one day spend eternity in hell if they do not find the Saviour.” Obviously, D. L. Moody saw people differently than the average observer does. And because he saw eternal souls where others saw only people strolling in a park, Moody approached life with a different agenda.

The context of our verse is one of living separated unto God, but in the verse cited, we can also see a soul-winning thrust. It is the love of Christ that constrains us to seek out those who know not Christ – it is the love of Christ that constrains us to tell others about His saving grace – it is the love of Christ that constrains us to pluck them as brands from the fire. Christ Himself had a passion for soul-winning. Everywhere He went He told of the free gift of salvation. Look in John 4 at His example of witnessing to the woman at the well. Verse 4 says, “And he must needs go through Samaria.” He was constrained to go through Samaria, for He knew there was a precious woman in great need of the salvation that only He could provide. He sought her out – He witnessed to her – He led her to the fountain of life – and He made a soul-winner out of her. He truly had a passion for lost souls.

But what gives us that passion? There are several things in this chapter that become new for us – that encourage us to win souls for Him.
First, in verse 1 we see we will have a new body in the future – “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” We have the promise that when this temporary body is gone, we will have a permanent new body – one that is eternal.
Secondly, in verses 2-4 we see we have a new desire – “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven … that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” We have the promise that when we have put off this body and gained a new body, we will live in heaven eternally with God.
Thirdly, in verse 5 we see we have a new assurance – “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit.” We have the promise of God through the assurance of the Holy Spirit – given to us a downpayment of that eternal glory that we will one day partake of.
Fourth, in verse 7 we see we have a new sphere –“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” We have the promise of God that we now walk in a different plane. Whereas we once could only walk in places we could actually see, now we have the ability to walk in places that only our faith can take us. We can actually walk with God in His plane – and someday, when we have that new body, we’ll physically walk with Him.
Lastly, in verses 8-9 we see we have a new incentive – “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” We have the promise of God that one day we will be present with Him – and that promise keeps us going that we may be accepted of Him. That’s our incentive – that’s our ambition. For one day we will have to stand before the judgment (v. 10), therefore, we persuade men because of the terror of the Lord, that is that their eternal destination without Christ is hell (v. 11). So, “the love of Christ constraineth us.”

Quote – “If you can get a man to think about his soul and where he will spend eternity for five minutes, then more than likely he’ll be converted.” – D. L. Moody

He That Is Spiritual

1 Corinthians 2:15 – “But he that is spiritual judgeth [discerns] all things.”

Leroy Eims used to tell how one spring his family was driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When they stopped for breakfast, he ordered orange juice with his eggs. "I'm sorry," the waitress said. "I can't bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." At first he was dumbfounded. They were surrounded by millions of oranges, and he knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished their plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. They were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. Christians are sometimes like that. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food--but that many Christians haven't grown enough to know how to get it for themselves.

The problem could also be in their environment. If you fill a clay pot with a gallon of water and carry it on your head it will soon grow heavy. However, when you swim underwater you have many gallons of water on top of your head and the weight is not nearly as burdensome. Why the difference? The environment that you are in. When you are in an environment of air, water is hard to carry. When you are in the environment of water, it is easier. So it is in the spirit. If you are in the environment of the flesh, then God's commands are extremely burdensome. If you are in the environment of the Spirit they are much easier.

So exactly how are we to become spiritual? First of all, we are to follow Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:18 – “Be filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit is the key to the spiritual life. I once demonstrated this concept with a gallon jug of Pepsi and a gallon jug of milk. I took the Pepsi jug and used it to represent the Christian life and the jug of milk to represent the Spirit. In order to fill the Pepsi jug with the milk, I found it necessary to empty out the Pepsi. Now, if I only emptied half of the Pepsi and poured milk into the jug, it became a mess. So it is with being filled with the Spirit – in order to be filled with the Spirit one must completely empty himself of self – then, and only then, can he be filled with the Spirit. If you will be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.

Secondly, we are to dedicate ourselves to God to do His Will as commanded in Romans 12:1-2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” If you’ll sell out to God and be filled with the Spirit, then this will be pleasing to God.

Thirdly, we are to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is found in Galatians 5:16-26. Paul first lists for us in verses 19-21 the works of the flesh and warns us to not do these things. Then in verses 22 and 23, he gives us the works he calls the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” These are very much the things we should strive to demonstrate in our lives. If you will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and sell out to God, and be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.

Lastly, we are allow ourselves to be fully controlled by the Spirit of God – look in Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” If you’ll be fully controlled by the Spirit of God, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and sell out to God, and be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.

Quote – “When the dew of God’s Spirit saturates our spiritual nature, it makes the doing of God’s will an easy matter.” – Dr. F. E. Marsh

Happy New Year!

1 Corinthians 16:9 – “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me.”

Every New Years Day that rolls around brings new resolutions – to lose weight – to make more money – to gain more things – blah – blah – blah.

Now I don't put a whole lot of stock in New Year's resolutions - we should live a consistent Christian life every day of the year. But for those who must make resolutions, why don’t we take a page from the Great Awakening preacher Jonathan Edwards? Look at his resolutions:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him, by His grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake. [I will] remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence.
Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.
Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.
Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
Resolved, Never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
Resolved, Never to do anything out of revenge.
Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot hope God will accept.
Resolved, To ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.
Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
Resolved, Always to do that which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.

So, as the new year comes upon us, let us resolve to do more for Christ, to seek His face more, to please Him more, and to strive to do His blessed Will in all we say and do.

Happy New Year

As I look in the face of another year,
I thrill with expectation.
As I close out the old and ring in the new,
It comes with jubilation.
For it holds a blank page upon which no pen
Has ever made any mark,
And not a single day has there been besmeared
By this world’s pretentious spark.

For if we give over every new day
To the Lord our God on high,
He can write on each page with a heavenly pen,
As to Jesus we draw nigh.
Then each day will be penned in God’s perfect Will,
The marks of His Spirit we’ll see,
And as we move on through the passing new year,
His obedient children we’ll be.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

God's Will

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – “For this is the will of God . . .”

As each new year rolls around, we begin thinking in terms of resolutions and decisions that we must make. Our hearts and minds may be in the right place as we resolve to do this or resolve to do that, but without seeking God’s will in each new decision, we end up just spinning our wheels. The resolutions we make are either based upon our own fleshly wants and desires or are not based on what God wants for us. Many Christians have chosen to live by their own plans rather than seek the will of God.

We question whether we should take a new job – or buy a new car – or move to a new place – or change to a new church. As we contemplate these decisions, we should inquire as to what God’s will is. Whether the decision is one as large as these or one of many small day to day choices, it is important to seek God’s face. Let us cry out with the psalmist, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. (Psa 143:10)”

But how can we know what God’s will is? We do know that God promised us in John 10:10, that we could “have life, and . . . have it more abundantly.” We can only do this if we will follow Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” If we are truly given over to Him, we can know God’s Will, but it is not some mystical idea, so His will cannot be determined by mysticism. According to Dr. Harold Sightler, God’s will can be known clearly by asking several questions about each choice we have to make:

1. Is that which I do true to the Scriptures? Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” and it leads us in His ways. He will never lead us to do that which His Word clearly forbids or lead us to disobey that which His Word clearly commands. If it is expressly forbidden in the Bible, we can be assured that it is not in the will of God.

2. Is that which I do ethical? God’s Word is our moral compass, from which He teaches us ethical behavior. And He expects us to measure each decision by that compass. If any choice that you make violates that ethical behavior, you can be assured that it is not in the will of God.

3. Is that which I do bringing glory to Jesus? 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Everything we undertake to do should glorify Him. If your decision does not glorify Christ, or if it glorifies anything or anyone other than Christ, you can be assured it is not the will of God.

4. Is that which I do governed by the true values of life? What are the true values of life? God – Family – Church – Morality – these are the things we should strive to fulfill in our lives. If the choice you make goes against the Christian values you have been taught from God's Word, you can be assured it is not God's will.

5. Is that which I do providing inward peace for me? God promises that “the work of righteousness shall be peace, (Isa 32:17).” When we do His will, he will bring about a peace in our hearts that assures us of being in the center of His will. He will show you His will – He promises – “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isa 30:21)” God will give you His perfect peace if your decisions are the right ones, but if not, you can be assured He's not in it.

6. Is that which I do altogether unselfish? Sometimes selfish motivations can affect our attempts to know and do God’s will. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3)” If your fleshly lusts are the only motivations you have, you can be assured it not His will.

7. Is that which I do proving a blessing to other people? 1 Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” We should make decisions based on how it blesses those around us – how it affects of family, our friends, and everyone we come in contact with. If it doesn't bring blessings to others - if it does not edify others - if it proves to be a stumblingblock to others, you can be assured God is not pleased.

Doing His will is the mark of true wisdom. "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:17)”