Living for the Will of God

- by AW Tozer

The temptation to gear our lives to social consequences is frightfully strong in a world like ours, but it must be overcome all the way down the line. The Christian businessman when faced with a moral choice must never ask, How much will this cost me? The moment he regards consequences, he dethrones Christ as Lord of his life. His only concern should be with the will of God and the moral quality of the proposed act. To consult anything else is to sin against his own soul.

Again, the pastor when facing his congregation on Sunday morning, dare not think of the effect his sermon may have on his job, his salary or his future relation to the church. Let him but worry about tomorrow and he becomes a hireling and no true shepherd of the sheep. No man is a good preacher who is not willing to lay his future on the line every time he expounds the Word. He must let his job and his reputation ride on each and every sermon or he has no right to think that he stands in the prophetic tradition.

And the same principle is binding upon the religious writer and editor. The scribe who will trim his copy to hold his job is unworthy of public confidence. The editor who will reject an article or a paragraph of an article because he is afraid to accept it is standing in the shadow of the fear of consequences. The publisher who allows desire for profit or the fear of losing sales to decide what books he shall print is on a moral level not too far above the money-changers Christ drove out of the Temple. All these examples point up to a grave modern evil, permitting temporal consequences to decide eternal issues.

Prayer
"I choose Thee, blessed will of God! In Thee alone my heart can rest." Those words of May Stephens are my prayer, Father.

Scripture
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.—First Peter 4:1-2

Thought
God's will extends into every area of life--public and private, secular and sacred, temporal and eternal. There can be no compromise when it comes to the clear will of God. We obey it or we disobey it.

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THE LOST...THE LOST...

This was in my email today and it touched me deeply

THE LOST.. The LOST...
-Cynthia Nichols.

I thought you might be interested in the following. It was a dream that I feel is an admonition to todays' church.

Going With The Flow

I saw a wide stream flowing past where people stood on either side.
As the murky black water neared a precipice it flowed faster and ran deeper. A strong undertow drew it to the point where it roared headlong over the edge.

In the gathering darkness, which made the stream appear even blacker, a girl came drifting past. Those watching saw her, and from where they stood, could quite easily have grabbed her before she reached the rapids above the falls. But they didn't.

They murmured and pointed, even referring to her by her name, but not one ventured to help pull her out of the currents' ever increasing strength.

They were still pointing and murmuring when she tumbled over the falls and was gone.

One piercing scream drifted back to their ears and for a brief moment, they looked a bit distressed. But, it was a very brief moment indeed and then they simply picked up where they left off - murmuring and pointing as yet another person drifted into view.....

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WHICH JESUS DO YOU SERVE?

There seems to be more than one Jesus to choose from these days.
Which one is the true Jesus and who am I following?

• There’s a ‘seeker friendly’ Jesus, he’s the one who will not
  offend anyone in anyway. He loves everyone no mater what they do.
• There’s a ‘sow and reap’ Jesus, he made a covenant with man so that man could sow his seed and reap wealth and happiness on earth and then go to heaven when he dies.
• There’s a ‘blend in with the world’ Jesus, he wants us to look like, act like, and be like the world in order to reach the lost.
• There’s a ‘neverending grace’ Jesus, his ‘grace’ covers us no matter what we do or how we live.
• There’s a ‘just believe’ Jesus. As long as you truly believe
  in your heart, you’re saved.
• There’s a ‘name it claim it’ Jesus. You name it; anything and it’s yours! If you don’t get it, it’s because you lack faith. It’s your fault.
• There’s a ‘carnal’ Jesus. He doesn’t expect you to overcome sin, he understands you’re just carnal.
• There’s a ‘heart dwelling’ Jesus. All you have to do is ask him into your heart and voilà, he’s there. You’re going to heaven!
  
  Truth:
• There’s the Jesus who said “Repent and believe the gospel, the kingdom of God is at hand.” -Mark 1:15
• He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him.” -Lk 9:23-25
• He said without Him you are already condemned. -John 3:18
• He said He came to save the world -John 3:16
• He said unless you forsake all you have, you cannot be His disciple. -Luke 14:33
• He said if we love anyone more than Him we are not worthy of Him.-Matt 10:37-39
  He said if you love this life you’ll lose it. -John 12:25-26
• He said you cannot serve God and money. -Matt 6:24 He said fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. -Mt 10:28
• He said be extreme in your war against sin. -Matt 18:8-9
• He said love God with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbour as yourself. -Matt 22:37-39
• He said He is the light of the world. –John 8:12 He said the gate is narrow and the way is difficult and few find it.-Matt 7:13-14
• He said those who believe in Him but work iniquity will be cast out. -Matt 7:21-23
• He said you’ll be hated for His name’s sake, but if you endure to the end, you’ll be saved. -Matt 10:22
• He said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. –John 14:6
  
  Which Jesus do you serve?

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