ARE YOU PLEASING TO GOD?
If we are going to see miracles, we are going to have to come to a place that we are PLEASING to God. Not just some of the time, but ALL the time. As believers, we are to grow up in Jesus. We are to fully conform to His image which was placed within us the moment we were born again. We have been equipped with everything necessary so that we might continue growing and developing:
Ephesians 4:13, (NASB) Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
This is a powerful scripture. The Holy Spirit has the power to conform us to Jesus so completely that we "...become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!" (Eph. 3:19, Amp. Bible)
This is God's plan for man. But whether or not that divine plan will come to pass in our own individual lives is up to us. WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART! Our part is simply this: to walk pleasing before Him-to think His thoughts, to speak His words. In other words, to walk in His ways. We must make a DECISION and a DETERMINATION to stop living to please ourselves and start living EVERY moment of EVERY day to PLEASE the Father. We must walk out the prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the Colossians:
Colosssians 1:9-11, (NASB) For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have
not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
Jesus walked in the measureless, manifested power and presence of God because He always did those things that pleased the Father. God was able to say of Him, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mk. 1:11) WHY was God able to make this confession of Jesus?
John 8:29, (NASB) "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
John 5:30, (NASB) "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
It is clear from these scriptures that the reason God could make such a statement about Jesus, was because that Jesus ALWAYS sought to PLEASE the Father. WHERE DO YOU STAND THIS DAY? ARE YOU PLEASING THE FATHER?
1 Cor. 13:4-8, (NASB) 4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails;
This lesson is not to make you feel less of yourself, but to encourage you to make what ever adjustments you need to make in order to be PLEASING TO THE FATHER. Jesus was totally sold out to God. ARE YOU? He was dedicated. ARE YOU? He was without sin. ARE YOU? The Bible tells us that He ministered to the multitudes ALL DAY and then PRAYED ALL NIGHT, yet Jesus had a flesh and blood body just like yours and mine. He enjoyed a good night's sleep just as much as we do. So there was an element of crucifying the flesh involved in giving up that sleep and DOING WHAT PLEASED GOD. He had to say NO to His flesh, and YES to the Father. GOD EXPECTS THE SAME FROM US!
1 Peter 4:1-3, (NASB)
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
Suffering in the flesh is making your flesh do something it doesn't want to do. It's DEDICATING yourself to do what's PLEASING to God even when it causes your flesh discomfort. If you want to walk in the best God has for you, those are the kinds of sacrifices you must make, for Jesus said:
Matthew 10:38-39, (NASB) "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 "He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.
HOW DO WE DEVELOP THE SPIRITUAL STRENGTH TO DO THE THINGS THAT PLEASE THE FATHER RATHER THAN THE THINGS THAT PLEASE OURSELVES?
First and foremost by spending time in the WORD and in PRAYER.
Acts 6:4, (NASB) "But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."
Romans 8:5, (NASB) For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
IF YOU WANT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY, YOU WILL HAVE TO SPEND TIME DOING SPIRITUAL THINGS.
Ephesians 4:22-32; 5:1-7, (NASB) 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH, EACH ONE of you, WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3 But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
Romans 12:1-2, (NASB) 1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
BEING WHOLLY DEDICATED TO GOD IS OUR REASONABLE SERVICE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. IT IS SOMETHING EVERYONE IS SUPPOSE TO DO? GOD EXPECTS US ALL TO LIVE HOLY.
1 Peter 1:16, (NASB) 16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
DETERMINE in your heart to PLEASE God ALL the time. Make up your mind that you won't be sidelined by doing petty things that please yourself. DO YOU WANT TO SEE MIRACLES? Then DEDICATE yourself to live WHOLLY PLEASING TO THE FATHER and get ready for a life of POWER!
I'M GETTING READY! HOW ABOUT YOU!