Our Focus - Part Ten

** Please note that I am not here to share these things with you because I feel I already have it all together and perfect in my own life, but rather because I am learning these things constantly myself and thought you might enjoy reading what I am learning through God's Word.**

What should our focus be as Christians?

We should:
*Read and memorize God’s Word
*Pray, rejoice and give thanks
*Love God and our neighbours
*Sanctify our lives and hearts – become holy even as He is holy – do no sin and ask forgiveness when we do sin *Watch for the return of the Lord to call us Home
*Preach the Gospel
*Be wise with our time, money and possessions
*Make no plans for the future but live each day as God blesses us
*Think on those things that please God
*Guard our tongues
*Pray for those in authority rather than becoming involved in politics
*Do all to the glory of God
*Reach out to the needy – ill, widows, fatherless
*Live within the will of God
*Fellowship with likeminded believers to worship, be edified, and remember the Lord at His table
*Be separate from the world and separate unto God, not allowing ourselves to be unequally yoked in or by any association
*Be a godly husband/godly wife/godly daughter/godly son
*Raise our children for the Lord and in the Lord
*Be in the service of the Lord
*Treat our bodies as the temple of God
*Allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us

As you read the words written in this post, keep in mind that those Scriptures used to expand each point are not necessarily the only Scriptures to be found on each issue, and I would encourage you to search the Scriptures - remember what God's Word says about that: "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Those who search the Scriptures are commended as being noble!

Worshiping God is a lot deeper and yet in some ways a lot simpler than people frequently think it is. Many people believe the way they can worship God is either by singing songs (that have God mentioned in them somewhere – often called worship songs), or by coming together with other Christians to “church” (a meeting together of believers who form the Body or Church of Christ). But is that all there is to worship?

If worship was to be defined in a single sentence, it would have to be said that worship was the act of ascribing honour, reverence, worth and adoration to, and the glorifying of a divine being. Anything or any act that gives glory to God can be considered a form of worship. God is the only being (or thing) we should worship. “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might… Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you” (Deuteronomy 6:5, 13-14). Worship is also an act of love, and worship is fellowship with God – we should turn to Him whether we are sad, sick, happy, anxious, or whatever our condition or emotions might be.

The ways in which we worship God includes prayer, praise, thanksgiving, charity and giving, confession, preaching and teaching, through the reading of Scripture and through personal discipline. Worship is a personal matter of the heart that exhibits itself through both inward reverence of God as well as external activities – no matter which way it presents, worship of God always glorifies Him and requires obedience to His will. We should worship God every day and as often as we can each day – God should be worshipped in everything, through a God-glorifying life. Psalms 29:2 says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness”.

The Bible contains many beautiful passages that encourage and exhort us to worship the Lord - here are a few examples:
Psalms 95:6 “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker”.
Psalms 99:9 “Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy”.
Psalms 149:1 “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints”.
Psalms 98:4-6 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King”.
Isaiah 42:10 “Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof”.
Psalms 147:7 “Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God”.
Psalms 147:1 “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely”.
Psalms 146:1-2 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being”.
Psalms 86:9-10 “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify Thy name. For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone”.

In the words of William Temple, “Worship quickens the conscience by the holiness of God, feeds the mind with the beauty of God, opens the heart to the love of God, and devotes the will to the purpose of God”. Worship is the first step towards wisdom. If we are living a life that glorifies God, it will result in us becoming more wise. We can always go to God for wisdom to deal with life’s varying moments, constantly seeking His face. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

Prayer is an important part of our worship and also an important part of our fellowship with God. Prayer draws us closer to God and helps us form a stronger relationship with Him. When we are saved by grace, we enter into a relationship with our God and Saviour – and the very word “relationship” indicates that it involves more than just reading the Word of God and trying to grasp its meaning. Christ did all that was necessary for our salvation on the cross of Calvary and in His resurrection, but from the moment we ask for forgiveness, we enter a two-sided relationship. Prayer is vital in helping us grow spiritually. Just as we cannot having a friendship here in this world where one party does all the talking and the other party purely listens and never says or does anything, so we have to do our part in our relationship with God.

It is through prayer that we can be brought into the will of God – our Lord Himself prayed for the very same thing: “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). When times are tough, prayer gives us an anchor – something we can do wherever we are and whatever is going on around us… Even if the world or our government wishes to persecute us for our beliefs, like Daniel in the Old Testament, we can and always should turn to God in prayer, even if it gets us sent to the lion’s den! When we affix ourselves to God through prayer, we proceed along His path for our lives in obedience to Him.

A God-glorifying life that worships God requires us to live a life that mirrors the righteousness and holiness of God. This holiness and righteousness is not possible in and of ourselves – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Our Lord Himself exhorted His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). As believers, the Holy Spirit dwells in us – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we can have any form of holiness or righteousness. Without Him, we are nothing. But with Him, we need to constantly sanctify ourselves (or make ourselves holy) by modeling ourselves on our Lord Jesus Christ – and then we give Him the glory He is due.

As Christians journeying through this evil world, it is important to spend time in fellowship together not only to worship (glorify) God, but also for our edification and obedience to God’s Word. The Lord tells us “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). What could be better than to have the Lord Himself in the midst of us?

In the book of Hebrews, Paul urges, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). We know that the “day” spoken of by Paul in that verse is getting nearer and nearer as more and more believers and groups of believers are being persecuted for their faith, and evil grows worse even as Paul warned us it would – “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13).

In the days of Noah when evil was getting worse and worse “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). God can only tolerate the increase in sin and evil for so long before He judges that sin, but Christians are not going to be judged with the earth (“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him,” Romans 5:8-9, italics added).

And so it is that we are encouraged to be faithful in meeting together to fellowship with one another and with God, and to also exhort each other. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). In the Scriptures, we are given a serious warning to not just have fellowship with God, but to be sure we are living sanctified lives; the verse serves as a timely reminder when we consider meeting to fellowship with one another and with God: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7).

“How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Edification (spiritual education and instruction) is vital for our growth as Christians, and it is through the Word of God that we obtain edification and grow spiritually – “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). This verse gives us the mental image of a baby thirsting for milk by which to satisfy a craving, to grow and to gain nutrition. Even so as Christians, we should thirst for the pure milk of the Word – it should satisfy our craving, it should help us grow spiritually healthy and strong – through the grace of God and nothing of ourselves.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). How important it is to “rightly [divide] the word of truth” - meaning to deal with the Scriptures correctly and appropriately! There is no edification to be found in messing up God’s Word, taking things out of context and applying them incorrectly. We are warned of this in the Scriptures: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). May our words be pure and our reading and teaching of the Word of God done with humility and truth. We must read and use the words of the Bible with much prayer, and never depend solely on the interpretations of people around us. To prayerfully and carefully use the words of the Bible to explain the words of the Bible is one way to be sure we are not teaching false doctrine.

We are given much encouragement regarding edification in the Scriptures, including the following:
Romans 14:19 “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another”.
1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not”.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do”.
1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church”.
2 Corinthians 12:19 “Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying”.
1 Timothy 1:2-4 “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do”.
Ephesians 4:11-16 “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”.

During our time spent together as Christians meeting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should not only worship God and edify one another and be edified and fellowship one with another in Christ, but we should never neglect the remembrance of the Lord with the breaking of bread. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42 – notice that prayer should play a vital part in our lives and fellowship; prayer is given a special mention here). Before making any comment on the Lord’s Supper, we should be reminded of what God’s Word says about this precious remembrance:

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread”.

The following is a vivid reminder of the seriousness of the Lord’s Supper and what it represents:

The bread represented the Lord’s body. The bread was broken to represent the breaking of His body. How amazing it is that Jesus blessed the bread and gave thanks for it! Jesus, Son of the living God, with full knowledge of the torture that lay ahead of Him, actually gave thanks for the breaking of His body. Just a few hours hence His enemies were going to hammer His holy hands to a tree – yet He gave thanks. They were going to take His feet, which had walked many weary miles in the service of the sons of men, and nail them to a cross – yet He gave thanks. His bruised and broken body was to be bowed beneath the weight of the whole world’s sin – yet He gave thanks.

Royal blood was to be drawn from Prince Emmanuel’s veins. The cost was enormous; His agony would be beyond human comprehension – still He gave thanks. He gave thanks because He could see beyond the tears, beyond the torment, beyond the anguish and pain, to the great multitude, which no one can number, from all the races of mankind and from all the ages of time. He could see them ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, washed in His blood, saved from their sins, forever like Him. He could see them singing His praise, worshipping God, and indwelt by His Spirit for eternity.*

How important it is that we not only remember the Lord through the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup, but that we do so in thankfulness and humbleness as we consider the enormity of the sacrifice God made when He turned His back on His only Son while He carried the sin of the entire world for all eternity and bore the punishment. And how important it is that we not stop at the cross and dwell on it alone, but that we remember that our Lord Jesus suffered, yes, but then He conquered death and the grave, and arose triumphant, victorious! This is the hope we have – that one day we too will rise to be with Him forever, and we shall be like Him! Not just with Him, but like Him and sharing in His inheritance and glory and His blessings for all eternity… How GOOD is the God we worship and adore!

How good is the God we adore,

Our faithful unchangeable Friend!

His love is as great as His power,

And knows neither measure nor end!

’Tis Jesus the First and the Last,

Whose Spirit shall Guide us safe home,

We’ll praise Him for all that is past,

And trust Him for all that’s to come.

(Hymn written by Joseph Hart)

*Quote from John Phillips’ Exploring the Gospel of Matthew.

Apologies

I wanted to write to apologise for not being very consistently regular with writing blogs... Life with kids and commitments can be so busy! For the past 5 days or so we've been sick, and the weekend before that we hosted an evening meal in our home for all those who wished to come after the evening church meeting service - which kept me busy cooking for a few days... Apart from that, I've recently started leading a young women's Bible Study for the young ladies in our group, which requires quite a bit of preparation. Dan and I have both taken on ministries at the church meeting, which keeps both of us busy! And then of course, I am homeschooling the children - and lately I've been really busy finally getting the schooling more organised and trying to set up a more structured programme for us to follow. I'm not sure how that will work out - but at least I'm TRYING to get organised!!
And so... that is what has been keeping me busy! Please keep checking in, I AM working on the next post... Each time, I do a very in-depth study and then try to compact it for the blog post... So please be patient with me!!

Our Focus - Part Nine B

By taking care of the needy, in one aspect we are living within the will of God. The Bible has much to say about living in God’s will rather than pursuing our own pleasures and following our own path of sin and empty good works. As we have studied in Part Four of this study, it is God’s will that all be saved (2 Peter 3:9), however not all will receive redemption because so many live a hedonistic sinful life with no thought of God’s gift of salvation. What else does the Bible have to say about living within the will of God?

In general terms, living within the will of God basically means we should follow the “guidelines” set out in His Word and obey His commands. In the Old Testament, as we know, the Lord Jesus had not come to earth to sacrifice Himself to pay the penalty of man’s sins, and so from the time of Moses, God’s people were commanded to obey God by keeping the law (part of which is known as the Ten Commandments). Beyond this, God expected them to make sacrifices and offerings to make atonement for their sins. When Christ died on the cross at Calvary, the law and the practice of offerings and sacrifices was done away with once and for all, however, as we read through the New Testament, we see that those who love God will have a desire to please Him and obey His Word. While we are not required to obey God’s commandments from the Old Testament (because the law cannot save us), the laws such as the Ten Commandments are still a good guideline for a life that is well-pleasing to God.

There are many references to the will of God in the New Testament. Our Lord Jesus Himself spoke of coming to earth to do the will of His Father who sent Him! In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord suffered anguish in the face of the cross He was about to endure, and there He prayed, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). This is the example we should be always mindful of – we can ask anything of God, but we should always ultimately want God’s will to be done in the matter, because then we can walk upright before God, walking in the path He has set before us.

In 1 Peter we read that if we are living within God’s will by doing good and living righteously and suffer persecution because of it, that suffering is still within His will – “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Peter 3:17). Many will say that a God of love would not want any of the people He loves to suffer, but that is not a correct view. After all, God sent His only Son whom He loved, to suffer and die for our sins! “… our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father…”(Galatians 1:3-5). Our sufferings are not for the salvation of the world as His were, but they are usually sent for a reason nonetheless – whether that be to mould us and change us into the image of His Son, or whether the sufferings be to the glory of God in some other way... Sometimes the reason for our sufferings is obvious and easy to determine, sometimes they cannot be understood because we don’t see the big picture of life like God does.

According to the Word of God, these are some of those things that are the will of God:
- That we be thankful: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
- That we come to the knowledge of the truth: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
- That we do well and submit to authorities and the laws of the land (except if the law would lead to disobedience to God): “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king” (1 Peter 2:13-17).
- That we should be sanctified (make ourselves holy by living a life set apart to God): “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. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).
- That we be obedient: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free” (Ephesians 6:1-8).

Doing service for the Lord, using our talents for Him, exercising hospitality, speaking His Word and spending time with Him in worship, praise and prayer are also some of the other things that are God’s will for us. All the points laid out in this study are further examples of those things that are the will of God for our lives – they are the things He makes mention of or writes about extensively in the Scriptures. Anything He instructs us to do in His Word is part of His will for us! Those who live within the will of God are given great blessing – Hebrews 10:36 shows that if we patiently wait on God and do His will, we will receive a reward. According to 1 John, whoever does the will of God is guaranteed eternal life – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

The Holy Spirit abides by the will of God also; “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). It is God’s will that the Holy Spirit make intercession for us!

It is important for us to learn to do two things in particular: we need to learn to let go of our own will and willfulness in order to let God work in and through us (i.e. make a total commitment to God that involves every part of ourselves and our lives), and we need to learn to discern the will of God for our own lives. But how can we know what God’s will is??
“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.” (Romans 12:1). We must yield our bodies and lives to God for Him to use to His glory – this is “reasonable” because after all, God sent His Son to die and therefore the least we can do is to devote our lives and bodies to Him!
“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” (Romans 12:2). If we are to live according to the will of God, we must live IN this world, but not OF this world – we must live separate holy lives as befits the children of God who have been saved by grace. We are not of the world any more than Christ was or is of the world – we are His! We are here as a testimony of God’s grace and love, to preach and show through our lives the power of God. However, we should not only be separated from the world, we should also “be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind”, which basically means that we need to empty our mind of the world and begin to think the way God thinks, as revealed in His Word. Then we can experience the direct guidance of God in our lives. When we do this, we will find that His will is “good and acceptable and perfect”, rather than being distasteful and hard.
And so we see that there are three foundations for knowing God’s will:
(1) a yielded body,
(2) a separated life, and
(3) a transformed mind.

Sometimes it seems like we cannot seem to figure what God’s will is for us on a matter, and if feels like God mustn’t really care whether we know what His will is. However, God definitely does want us to know His will; “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Most of the time however, His will for us is not written clearly in the Bible for us to read, which can make the matter seem complicated. This is not because God is hiding it from us, but rather because He wants us to learn to live by faith! He wants us to always trust Him.

God also wants us to live our entire lives doing His will. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:1-3).

Notice that God wants us to experience the joy of walking in His will: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalms 40:7-8). Living within the will of God should bring us great joy!

God’s ultimate will for both all the world, and for our personal lives, is to glorify His Son. “Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ” (Ephesians 1:8-12).

In summary, this is the will of God for our lives:
- To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive salvation (John 6:40)
- To be thankful for all that He has done for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- To give ourselves to Him (2 Corinthians 8:4-5)
- To walk in holiness and be sanctified continually (1 Thessalonians 4)
- To come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
- To obey the ordinances of man for the Lord’s sake (1 Peter 2:13-15)
- To serve the Lord – obey those God places in authority over us, and do good works for Him
- To glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in all things (Romans 11:36)

When it comes to personal matters, how do we know what God’s will is for us? There are four guidelines we can work through each situation with:
(1) By being in communion with the Lord, having His presence with us: “Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people. And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence” (Exodus 33:13-15)
(2) Through principles in the Word of God: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105)
(3) Through providence: “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9)
(4) Through prophets: “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14), and “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
There are two ways in which God allows His will in our lives. There is God’s perfect will, which occurs when we relinquish our hold on a situation and truly pray for God’s will to be done in the matter – “that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). And then there is God’s permissive will, which occurs when our attitudes or ways do not please the Lord or we do not ask from our heart for His will to be done in a matter. He would have us go the way of His perfect will, however He sometimes allows us to go in the way of our own will. He is always in complete control of everything, but there are times when He allows things we so desperately want (which often go wrong because they are not in God’s perfect will for us) and then uses them to discipline or chasten us.

Something different and Fun!

Check out this video for something interesting... Play fair and do exactly what it asks of you and you might be surprised!! Let me know how you go...!

Our Focus - Part Nine A

I can't believe the last post I did in this series was back in February! Time seems to have flown by, and here we are in June already...
I had already divided this study up to cover two topics in part nine... however the study ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would, so now it has a part A and a part B! I apologise for this, however I got so interested in the study, I just couldn't seem to cut it down to be any shorter...

PART NINE

** Please note that I am not here to share these things with you because I feel I already have it all together and perfect in my own life, but rather because I am learning these things constantly myself and thought you might enjoy reading what I am learning through God's Word.**

What should our focus be as Christians?

We should:

*Read and memorize God’s Word
*Pray, rejoice and give thanks
*Love God and our neighbours
*Sanctify our lives and hearts – become holy even as He is holy – do no sin and ask forgiveness when we do sin
*Watch for the return of the Lord to call us Home
*Preach the Gospel
*Be wise with our time, money and possessions
*Make no plans for the future but live each day as God blesses us
*Think on those things that please God
*Guard our tongues
*Pray for those in authority rather than becoming involved in politics
*Do all to the glory of God
*Reach out to the needy – ill, widows, fatherless
*Live within the will of God
*Fellowship with likeminded believers to worship, be edified, and remember the Lord at His table
*Be separate from the world and separate unto God, not allowing ourselves to be unequally yoked in or by any association
*Be in the service of the Lord
*Be a godly husband/godly wife/godly daughter/godly son
*Raise our children for the Lord and in the Lord
*Treat our bodies as the temple of God
*Allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us

As you read the words written in this post, keep in mind that those Scriptures used to expand each point are not necessarily the only Scriptures to be found on each issue, and I would encourage you to search the Scriptures - remember what God's Word says about that: "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Those who search the Scriptures are commended as being noble!

Not everything we read in the Bible that we should focus on as women for God has to do with what we think about and what we know, as we have already seen. Some of the things we should focus on are physical activities that should occupy a portion of our time. God wants us to focus on a practical type of godliness that takes a compassionate interest in the well-being of others, particularly the less fortunate. God is a God of love, in fact, God IS love! (1 John 4:8) We see when the Lord was here on earth that He did not come to help those who were healthy, those who were without a need of something – “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (Luke 5:31). We read of Him being moved with compassion (Matthew 14:14), and healing the sick (Matthew 4:24) and helping those possessed with demons, because He loved them. In Luke 7:12-15 we also read of the Lord having compassion on a widow whose son had died. Thus we see that those who are ill, poor, widowed or needy have a special place in the Lord’s heart, and knowing that the Lord’s example is the example we should emulate, we know that these needy people should also have a special place in our hearts. We see in other parts of the Scriptures that those who are poor and needy include those who are fatherless or orphans.

In Acts 6:1 we read that the disciples were becoming too busy and the widows were being neglected – the ministration and helping of the widows in those days was so important that when it began to be neglected, it caused trouble. One of the greatest examples of a woman who took care of the poor and the widows is seen in Tabitha. “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did” (Acts 9:36). She was in the business of good deeds for people. When she died, the widows stood around crying because they remembered her goodness to them – “Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them” (Acts 9:39).

James writes, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). The “religion” James writes about here has nothing to do with religion as the world knows it – the religions of the world are often either pious rituals, observance of ritual ceremonies, or just a form or umbrella a person chooses to be under for social purposes. God is never satisfied with rituals; He is far more interested in a life that exhibits practical godliness.

The word “visit” in James 1:27 means literally to “look out” for someone or to “go to see” or “relieve” someone, according to Strong’s Concordance. It means to visit someone with the idea of helping them. We read of the same word in Matthew 25:36, 43 where the Lord talks of visiting the sick and afflicted. God Himself will reward those who have exhibited practical godliness. “Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:34-40). When we take care of the needy, we are showing love for the Lord and serving Him.

The Bible teaches that it is especially important to take care of those widows within our own families, as we see in 1 Timothy 5. The subject of widows and the care of them is so important to God that in this chapter alone, He devotes verses 3-16 to it. In fact, He says, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8); if there is a widow in our family and we don’t care for and provide for them, we are compared to a person who has denied the faith, and worse than pagans! Even pagan families take care of their widows, so if a Christian who has the love of God in their heart neglects this service, they are considered to be worse than an infidel!

In practical terms, reaching out to the needy does not necessarily mean just providing for them financially. It might mean spending time with a lonely widow, or helping to clean her house or do her shopping if she is frail. Sometimes it means visiting a sick person in hospital or in their own home, or helping take care of orphans. Sometimes it might include providing guidance for an orphan or lending a listening ear to a grieving widow. There are many ways we can support those who are ill, widowed or fatherless.

Hannah Part 5: Her Sacrifice (part B)

As Hannah left her son at the temple, we see her not focusing on the pain of her separation, not focusing on how great she is for making such a sacrifice, and not focusing on her problems, but instead on her great God! She didn’t just take her son alone, she also took offerings for the Lord. She was giving from the fullness and thankfulness of her heart!

After giving God glory as she presented Eli with Samuel, we read that Hannah turned to the Lord in prayer. She praised God and she worshiped Him! She was full of thanksgiving and love for her God! This is a clear example for us as fellow women of God: we need to bring our sacrifices to the Lord with praise, thanksgiving and we must worship Him from the depths of our hearts. The entire purpose of our lives is to bring glory to God! “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). How important it is to focus on the person and power and wondrous goodness of God in every event or difficulty we go through, rather than focusing on our circumstances or our sorrows.

After leaving her son at the temple, Hannah must have suffered grief as her home no longer rang with childish laughter and pattering feet. She must have felt an emptiness and a sense of loneliness. But we read of no wallowing in sorrow or fits of depression. Instead, we read in 1 Samuel 2:19 that Hannah kept from idleness by hand-making Samuel a coat that she then took to him each year. We may not be in that situation ourselves, but we too can serve our children by spending time and effort on caring for them, and most importantly, praying for them! There is no better way to show our love and care for our children than in going to the Lord in prayer for them – after all, He is the God who protects them and loves them with a greater love than we could ever have!

Our God is the giver of great gifts, He loves nothing more than to see us walking in His truth, and being able to shower us with many blessings. God not only answered Hannah’s prayer for a son, but then He blessed her besides – “And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters” (1 Samuel 2:21). When we pray to the Lord and worship Him and serve Him with our whole heart, He delights in blessing us! “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward” (Psalms 127:3).

**This is the last part of the study on Hannah**

Hannah Part 4: Her Sacrifice (part A)

After Samuel was born, Hannah devoted herself to raising him for the Lord. She had made a vow promising him to the Lord, but before giving him to God, she had a few brief years to raise him to be a man of God…. Until he was weaned. When Elkanah was preparing for the yearly journey to worship the Lord and offer sacrifices, Hannah told him she wanted to stay home and raise Samuel until the time she could take him and leave him at the temple as her ultimate offering of thankfulness to God. Elkanah allowed her to do as she wished, and so Hannah devoted herself to raising Samuel.

The Bible has much to say about child-raising, and we see through Hannah’s example that it is good to devote at least the first years to instilling the foundational basics and truths into our children from the time they are just babies. Some basic general guidelines for child-raising include the following:

- Love the Lord with all your heart (Deuteronomy 6:5). Training children for God requires us to first love God ourselves with our whole heart and soul. Our children will see our love for the Lord and learn to love God by our example.

- Teach your children God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6:7). God’s Word is His gift to mankind, and is a large portion of the way God speaks to us and shows us His will for our lives. God’s Word will teach, convict, guide and train our children as they grow older and understand more and more of what they hear. Timothy 3:15-16 - “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.

- Teach your children God’s ways. Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. The way a child should go is God’s way. This is the path to salvation and righteousness and the Bible is dedicated to telling us all about God’s ways so we are without excuse.

- Remember the Lord at all times and be a living testimony. Living a life of devotion to God and His Son, our Lord Jesus, shows our children that we ‘walk our talk’ – we live what we preach! In everyday life we must remember to acknowledge God… His lordship and power, His sovereignty and love, His protection and provision. Our actions (a good example) speak louder than words.

- Worship the Lord and consecrate our lives to Him. Giving God every part of our lives and worshipping Him regularly and faithfully is again an example we need to have for our children in order to raise them in a godly manner. God desires and demands our praise – His glory is what this world, our lives and the sacrificial death of His Son was for. Our lives need to always be to His glory – living such a life will give our children the best example possible as they grow and learn about God.

God Himself gives us the best example of parenthood. God is our Father and we are His children and His is the example we should seek to emulate. The way He treats us and the way He provides for us are the blueprint for parenthood. The Bible is overflowing with examples of God’s Fatherhood and the way we exhibit childlikeness!

So Hannah raised her firstborn son, Samuel, ever keeping in mind that she had vowed to loan him to the Lord’s service after she had weaned him. She never went back on that promise, it was a sacrifice she wanted to make because of her love for her God and her thankfulness for His answer to her prayer. It was a very personal sacrifice, and one that would cost her a lot. She had been barren, and now the only son she had must be left at the temple to serve God! We can imagine she would have had very mixed feelings as she and her husband made the journey to the temple after Samuel was weaned, knowing that she would return without her son!

The sacrifices that God loves most are those sacrifices that cost dearly. He Himself made the most costly sacrifice ever when He sent His only Son to earth to be humiliated, scorned, tempted, hated, and killed on the cruel cross. Think how much that cost Him when He had to turn His back on His sinless spotless perfect Son so that our sins could be payed for and redemption won! When we consider such a great sacrifice, our sacrifices seem small and insignificant. Yet God knows our form, He knows that we are nothing but dust, and He knows how much our sacrifices cost us.

We can make great show before men when we sacrifice our material possessions, time or money, but God knows our hearts and He knows if those offerings truly cost us! Our sacrifices and offerings are to be between ourselves and God – as we read in Matthew 6:1-4, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.”

As King David placed his offering on an altar to the Lord, his heart was full and he said, “Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). We must offer from the depths of our hearts, letting our love for God overflow in our willingness to offer what costs us a lot – not just in monetary value, but in true worth.