What Change Are You Ready For?

   What Change Are You Ready for?

                            Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. Let’s open in prayer. Recently, I was asked a very valid question or should I say many valid questions that caused me to know that I need to teach on God’s perfect will and His permissive will. Yes, these are different, and we should all be seeking His perfect will. But due to our humanity, we often mistakenly choose His permissive will. 

               So, what is the will of God? The Webster Dictionary defines the word will as this: power of choosing or determining, desire, determination, attitude, disposition, to bequeath, to command. The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the word will in the Greek as this: a determination, choice, purpose, decree, volition, inclination, desire, pleasure. 

                So the Lord has a special desire,purpose, decree, inclination, and/or pleasure concerning each and everyone of us. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

               The Lord also detailed His statement in Jeremiah in Deuteronomy 28:1-14  28 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

                       I believe Deuteronomy definitely gives us an idea of His perfect will towards us. The Webster Dictionary defines the word perfect as this: Faultless, exact, excellent, complete, to improve, to finish, to complete. The strong’s Exhaustive concordance in the Greek describes the word perfect as this: Complete. In this context it is true both present and future tense. So, In God’s mind, He is saying this to all of us. “My thoughts and goals for you are complete. I have already decided my plans and purposes for you. My commands are complete.”

                   There are so many ways He thinks about us. In the book of Psalms, King David says in Psalm 8:4-6  4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:  

                 You see, in the Father’s eyes, we never lost our dominion or authority that the Lord had given to mankind in the Garden of Eden. Satan can’t take away what the Lord never gave to Him. Because of the value of His great name, He doesn’t take back what He has freely given to us. The choice is ours to accept or refuse His wonderful Gift. His perfect will is this, 1 Timothy 2: 3-4   3 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. What would the Lord desire to save us from? Eternal damnation. Eternal separation from His divine presence. He wants all of us to be with Him eternally in Heaven in the glory of His presence. 

                        Now, the Webster dictionary defines permissive as this: allowing permission or lenient. 1 Corinthians 6:9-20  9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.19 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?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

                   I believe in verse 12, Paul is talking about what is lawful, what is allowed. He says that there are what according to the Torah law of the Lord, may be allowed. But then, He says that what we should aspire to is what is expedient. What is better for us, what is good for us, what we should aspire to in our choice making decisions in our walk with the Lord. So, the question presented to us today is this, what change are we ready for? 

                   Jesus had a conversation with a rich, young ruler. I believe that as the young man listened to Jesus’ teachings, the Spirit of God began to convict him. He had a choice to make. Let’s look at this conversation in Matthew 19:16-24   16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

                        If you notice, Jesus took everyone to the Torah. The laws of the LORD God. Why? Because it is a mirror for our souls. When I go to the Lord, I try to use this mirror to expose what really lies within my heart. So, that I can change my choice making decisions and ask for forgiveness of those sins. Being saved does not make us free from being a sinner. It allows the grace of the Lord to come in and convict us so that we can be changed by the spirit of the Lord Most high. Romans 12:2 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.

                     Did you see this? What is the perfect will of God? To allow Him to change our hearts and minds concerning our choice making decisions. How we live out the rest of our lives. We were created to glorify His wonderful name. How then, is praying the sinner’s prayer and going about our daily lives as usual glorifying the wonderful Name of the Lord? Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

                      If then, we are still sinners, saved by grace, can we be perfect? Because according to the Word of God, He sees the end of our lives as perfect. As we let Him work on our Christian walk. As we spend the rest of our lives allowing the Torah to be a mirror to our souls. As we repent, ask and thank Him for His forgiveness, we are letting patience have her perfect work. This is what Jesus called the crucified way. 

              You see, salvation is a free gift of God according to Romans 6:23. But, Jesus says that to keep it there is a cost. He asks us to consider this cost. Jesus said in Luke 14:23-33   23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.  

                     I believe that through our choice making decisions, we can choose to lose our salvation. So, there is clearly a cost to keep our salvation. This walk can and will separate us from those we love and or admire. But the Lord promises that we will not lose anything done in His Name, that He will not repay. This is why He says that anyone trying to preserve His life will eternally lose it. We can not afford to be ashamed of the Gospel. Hebrews 12:1-2   12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

            So, now the question is this. Are we ready for a radical change to all of our thinking, our relationships, our choice making decisions. Are we willing to give up everything and everyone we know for His Name sake? Are we ready to accept and walk in His perfect will? What is expedient for us? Or what is permissible, lawful? No, I am not saying that we have to ditch friends and family. Give up our homes. Or, any of the such. I am saying that when you truly live for Jesus, you will come under attack. Your faith will be tried. And, just like the rich young ruler, not everyone will accept this wonderful Gift of God. Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. Many are invited. The call has gone forth. But few eventually chose to be of the chosen.  

                     If you are listening today, and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. If you are desiring to accept this free gift and have counted all the cost. If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to Him. It is really simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior according to the mirror of the law of the Lord. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making decisions. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just an outline. The real work begins after I pray with you because it is a very personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                  Let me be the first to welcome you to the body of Christ. All of heaven and I are rejoicing right now. Please let me know of your decision today so that I can pray for you. If this message has spoken to you in some way, or you have a prayer request; please comment below or email me at my1littleafmp@aol.com. I would greatly love to hear from you. Remember I love you with the love of the Lord, but Jesus Christ of Nazareth will always love you more.

(close in prayer)