Quote from Forum Archives on May 23, 2003, 8:05 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today's message comes from devotional series Daily In Christ,
made available in Email form by Crosswalk.com, as cited in the
credits at the end of the message. Nail Anderson often writes
material that's consistent with things I believe in. On several
occasions, he's also written about the very issues I've been
thinking about and praying about. Today's message is one of
those times.

Do you believe that God answers prayer? I do. Do you believe
that God has a plan for our lives? Again, I do. Do you
struggle, trying to live for God, desiring to live within His
will? Do you want to pray for things that are within the will of
God?

I can honestly say yes to all of those things, but I can also
honestly tell you that I struggle with each of them. There often
seems to be a conflict in my life between things that sure seem
to be urgent, such as paying the bills on time, responding when
one (or all three) of the children are hollering about something,
when I have an unmet desire, and so many other things.

How do these every day events fit within the will of God? I
really believe that's what the Christian life is all about,
learning to conform the every day things around us within the
parameters of God's Word, determining what is good, right, pure,
wholesome, and true - not according to common wisdom, but
according to the wisdom of God, which He lays out so clearly in
His Word for each of us to read.

Neil Anderson concisely identifies several points in his message
today. Please read it. You can also find other recent messages
he's written by checking out the other links and sites listed
below.

Dear Lord,

I want to live within the parameters that You've arranged for my
life. I want to do more than that, I want to live a joyful,
obedient life, fully devoted to You.

I love You, Lord. Even though it is my heart's desire to give
You first place in everything, I confess that I battle with "I"
and "me", surrendering them so that You may really be first in
everything. My real prayer for today is that You would help me
with that, so that I can honestly say that I give You first
place. I ask this because my Lord Jesus Christ always gives You
first place, and I want to be like Him.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

____________________________________________________________

NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

May 23

ALL THINGS

All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have
received them, and they shall be granted (Mark 11:24).

If God wants it done, can it be done? Yes! "All things are
possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). If God wants me to do
it, can I do it? Of course! "I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

What are the "all things" mentioned in those verses? Is this
"miracle-a-moment" living? Can we just name it and claim it? No.
"All things" pertains to God's will. What God makes possible is
the doing of His will; what He empowers us to do is what He
desires done. Every miracle outside the will of God is made
possible by the god of this world. Satan can work miracles, but
he cannot please God (Matthew 7:20-23).

Jesus shocked His disciples when He cursed a fig tree which bore
no fruit for Him. The next day Peter noticed the tree was
withered from the roots up. When Peter pointed it out to Him,
Jesus answered, "Whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and
cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be
granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you
pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they
shall be granted" (Mark 11:23, 24).

Can such a miraculous thing happen by prayer and faith? Yes, if
we understand what a God-wrought miracle is. A miracle from God
is a supernatural intervention in the fixed order of the
universe for the sole purpose of establishing His kingdom. A
true miracle can only be accomplished by God and only to help
fulfill His redemptive purpose.

Moving a mountain into the sea fulfills no redemptive purpose.
Besides, given enough time and earth-moving equipment, we could
accomplish that without God. The point Jesus is making is this:
If God wants it done, it can be done. Nothing can keep us from
doing the will of God, if we believe. Nobody can stop us from
being the person God wants us to be. "Mountains" are often
obstacles standing in the way of accomplishing God's will. Faith
removes such barriers.

Lord, I ask that I will be so sensitive to Your Spirit and full
of faith that my prayers will be in harmony with Your will.

-----------
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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