Not My Will.

As the words of the song “Not my will” are being threshed out in my mind I hear the Lord “I have a special message for you on this, your birthday – it is not a new message – it comes from the ‘Ancient of Days’ and is as old as I am. Look up at the mountain.” I look up and see a vast light shining on top of a tall mountain. “That represents my presence to you – Moses met with me on a mountain, Jesus had a special meeting on a mountain – Psalm 121 says ‘I will lift up my eyes to the mountain from whence comes my help – my help comes from the One who made heaven and earth’, so this is the message for you today – I am still with you – I am still pouring My love out on you – if I gave My Son on the cross for you, how much more will I give you all that you need – and mostly you need Me – you need My love. So this year you will continue to experience My grace – lavished on you, poured out without measure – and as you walk in step with the Spirit – will be helped to make the moment by moment decisions of ‘not my will but yours be done’. The big decision has been made but the moment by moment decisions can only be made as you come to them – that is how you grow in faith – making the decision, often difficult, which you believe by faith, is My will is instead of yours. So go out today and every day in My strength, grace and love which I will continually lavish on you”.

Just a short message today, but one that spoke powerfully to me. In Gal 4:17 Paul writes that “those people”, ie the false teachers, “are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may become zealous for them”. They wanted the glory, they had no desire to give God the glory for the salvation of the people of Galatia.

*** The whole fight, there in Galatia and the whole fight over the understanding of the gospel which is raging in the world on all fronts today, is not about the truth, it is about “my will against God’s will”. It is about me being right and getting the praise for it, which I can measure in the number of people who laud me and follow me. Don’t underestimate this battle. So for me as a teacher of the word, I have to be doubly careful that I submit to God’s word and His will which is revealed in it, remembering especially James 3:1-6. And for you folk it is your duty and responsibility to yourselves and to the church to make sure you are submitting your will to His and to listen to what He is saying to you, through His word and the teachers you listen to.

I am devastated at what I see happening around me in “Christian circles” as God’s word is being taken apart and submitted to the people by teachers who want to benefit from different “interpretations”. What they are actually doing is trying to make a name for themselves, like at the Tower of Babel. Following their own will rather than God’s will. That is why I chose to study Galatians and will tackle this again as I start to preach through it next month. Have a blessed day and thanks to all those who have wished me well on his special day