March 1998

The Gospel Light

Vol XI

To spread the true Gospel Light to all men.

THE WILL OF GOD

by Dr. Stanley R. Farrar
What is it that you would like to be doing at this very moment? Where and what would you be doing if you could have your way? To answer these questions you have to express what your will is for your life. You may have very strong desires for what you want, but have you stopped to think about what is the will of God for your life? We as humans each have a will and that will determine what we will do with life. Depending upon what we consider to be that most important thing in our lives will determine those decisions that we make in life. When we come to the point in our lives that we realize we need God in our lives then we have to turn our will over to God and serve God, doing His will. God has to be number one in our lives or God will not accept it. The word of God says that He is a jealous God and we are not to have any other gods before Him. Therefore, if we are to put God number one then we have to know what His will is for our lives.

So, lets take a look at some of the things that is the will of God. We can be fully sure of what is God's will by following the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The first and vital part of the will of God for our lives is that we would be saved from our sins. In the book of Matthew it tells us that Jesus came to save His people from their sins. (Mat 1:21) "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." The word of God then tells us that it is very important to God that we should be saved from sin. If it were not so important then the Heavenly Father would not have sent His son into the world to die on the cross for you and me. He is so concerned about our relationship with Him that He provided the very best for us and He is very patient toward us to allow us the opportunity to come to the saving grace of Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:9 it tells us of that patience and that He would have all to come to Him in repentance. For those who do not come to Him in true repentance is not one of His. God has a will for each one of us to be saved and then we must move on to the next work of grace.

God would have you to be, sanctified holy. From the very beginning God has had intentions of man being holy and in a proper relationship with Him. He created man in the image of God and the fall from grace by Adam broke that relationship. At that point of time man no longer was born in the image of God, but now was born in the image of sinful man. Man from the fall to the time of his conversion was living in sin. Man being born in the image of man has a carnal nature. Sin is not only the things that we commit or that we fail to do, it also consists of that inbred sin passed down through the generations from Adam. God originally created man without sin and it is His will that man should live a holy life. Until that carnal nature is eradicated the Holy Spirit cannot make His home in your heart. Sanctification literally means "to be set aside for the use of." When we become sanctified then God comes into our heart and cleanses us from all uncleanliness. We are to be cleansed for the masters use.

(2 Tim 2:21) " If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (Heb 10:9-14) "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Jesus became our sacrifice so that he could sanctify His people holy. Therefore, God's will is that we should be sanctified holy for His use in the service of God.

Next we are going to consider the instructions given to us by Paul to study so as that we will be able to recognize the truth when it is presented. (2 Tim 2:15) "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." God wants us to be well informed and able to recognize the truth from the false teachings that are so prevalent in the world today. If you have not studied the word of God how can you know when someone is teaching a false doctrine? But, when you have a knowledge of the word of God then the Holy Spirit can lead you into all truth. John warns us to watch out for those false teachers and that we need to be able to try those spirits that are tempting us. (1 John 4:1-2) "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:" God's will is that you have a good knowledge so as that others cannot draw us away from Him.

God also has a will that we spend time in prayer. It is given to us a number of times within the word to pray and to pray one for another. God wants to have communion with His people and prayer is the way that we stay in that communion with God. (1 Th 5:17) " Pray without ceasing." It was so important to the disciples that they requested that Jesus would teach them to pray. And Jesus gave to them what we refer to as being the Lord's Prayer. (Mat 6:9-14) "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Jesus gave a very important position to prayer or He would have told them that it was not important. Rather He told them what was the basic things to pray about when one prays. Also, James gave the instructions for those with afflictions, sicknesses, or problems to pray. Even the importance was given to prayer that we are to call on the elders of the church to pray the prayer of faith. Take a look at what James says about prayer and the answer of prayer. (James 5:13-15) "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." We often times do not receive those things that are needful in our lives because we do not ask. God wants to give the good gifts but he also wants us to ask for those things, so we can see the hand of God moving in our lives. Therefore to be in the will of God we have to communicate with him.

Evangelism is another aspect of the will of God, for when Jesus was preparing to return to the Heavenly Father, He gave to the church its commission. We are to evangelize the world. (Mat 28:19-20) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The will of God for his people is to reach out to others that they too can come to know Jesus as their own personal savior and be saved from the bondage of sin and the eternal destruction prepared for the Devil and his angels. We can be fully certain that we are in the will of God when we are evangelizing the area around about us and reaching out to carry the good news of Jesus to the entire world. He said to go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come into His house.

Now we are going to consider being prepared for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation tells us of the bride that has made herself ready for the coming of the bridegroom. (Rev 21:1-7) "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Jesus is coming again for his faithful followers and they will be going to be with Him forever more. But, we are required to be prepared here and now. Jesus tells of the 10 virgins, 5 were ready at the coming of the Master, but 5 were not ready. He is telling us that we need to make ourselves ready now, in this life. When the Master, Jesus, comes there will be no more time for preparation. It is the will of God that we prepare for His coming now, He wants us to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, and live for Him in this life, so that when He comes for His church He will have a people that He can present to the Father that is without spot nor wrinkle.

These things referred to as being the will of God are spelled out within the word of God. With these we can plan and live our life within the will of God. He has not left us without information to know what the will of God is for our lives and He wants us to live right in the center of His will. I would ask you are you in the will of God or are you living outside of His will? If you are living in His will, then Praise God! But if you are outside His will then this is your day of salvation. God would have you to come into His will and live there day by day. May God bless you as you live within the will of God!

The Bible, A Word to Live By

by Pastor David P. Umbstead
One of the largest problems in our nation today is not having a standard to govern right and wrong. Who determines what is right and what is not? The secular world says, Psychology and the Government should set the standard, and so we see that every behavior that makes a person feel good is justified. The church is saying let the Bible be the standard for behavior. This, I believe, is one of the chief purposes of the Scriptures, to give us a life principle on which to hang our hats.

The answer that God's Word, the Scriptures, the Bible, is our rule of faith and for living is the correct answer. First of all, a standard must be unchanging. According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Standard is defined as, "having permanent and undisputed value." Greenwich is the standard of time, from that meridian in England the clocks of the world are set, and it is best done in that manner because it enables us to know what the time is anywhere we go relative to that standard.

The Bible is such a standard, in it all that is good is enjoined on us to perform, and all that is evil is condemned. We are commanded, encouraged, admonished and guided in correct behavior. We are warned, rebuked, cautioned and advised to shun every form of wrong and evil. As a moral compass it continually guides our life, if we will follow.

The pharisees, whom Jesus referred to as Hypocrites, Vain Worshipers of God, in Mark chapter 7, had another standard they followed, they taught "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (vs. 7). Jesus said that those who do so, "reject the commandment of God" "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition" (vs. 9,13). Jesus taught that God's Word was that standard by which men should live.

Let me give some of the attributes of God's Word that makes it such a Standard for Living:

*First, it is unchangeable. (Psa 119:89) "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." If it is settled in heaven it's settled here on earth, no one will ascend to heaven to change it, and no one on earth who alters it will profit by it, the original is beyond man's reach.

*Second, it is eternal. (Mat 24:35) "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." The permanence of God's Bible account will always be there, that's something you can wrap your faith around.

*Third, it is reliable. (Heb 4:12 a) "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword..." By the use of the word "reliable" I mean that it never returns void, it always has affect; whether it saves or adds judgment to all who fall under its sounding. Reliability points to the effect of the Word of God, in life of the hearer.

*Fourth, it has the innate ability to cause change in the life of the individual. (Rom 10:8-9) "...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." It is the Word that changes the life where nothing else can penetrate the hard shield of a sin enshrouded heart.

*Fifth, it is Divinely inspired. (2 Tim 3:16) "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". The Bible itself attests to its inspiration by internal proofs (such as is given here) and by external proofs, such as the lives of those who thoroughly embrace it. (See above *four)

*Sixth, it has Authority. Truly in the life of the individual the bible has only the authority that is given to it by choice, yet its authority, goes beyond the boundaries of governing the life, to the area of determining destiny. (Mat 25:31-34, 41) "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels". Man's destiny is fixed by his choice, but according to God's authority, as Almighty God.

*Seventh, the Bible is God's revelation of Himself to fallen man, it is progressive and complete. (Gen 1:1) "In the beginning God created..." The Bible goes on to reveal God as, Elohim, Jehovah, El-Shaddai, Adonai, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-rophe, Jehovah-nissi, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It concludes with an announcement that it is ending, "...If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev 22:18).

The Bible must be that plumb line by which we are governed, in the family, in the church, and in the state. Without it we perish, with it we thrive. These seven attributes are anchors to hold on to. They make the Bible a Word to live by.

Plank or Splinter?

By Rev. Stephen J Dickinson
We hear many poems about pastors, who are to display a Christlike life
And are instructed to live the example, that is only becoming of Christ.

Pastors are told they must walk like Jesus, upholding Christian standards of life
With Holiness being the earmark of a pastor, and Righteousness being his only guide.

Lay-men and women's eyes are upon them, watching with scrutiny each day and night
Quickly warning the pastor of sheer disaster, if he should move one degree out of flight.

They move and manipulate the pastor, often telling him what and how to preach
Instructing him in Biblical principles, as well as telling him how to teach.

They choose the direction of the church, dictating which way it should go
Assuring God's most humble pastor, if it's not their way--it just won't flow.

They speak of critical eyes being upon him, they warn--"pick and choose your every move"
Do not think--do--or say anything at all, that might alter your peoples daily groove.

But there are some very important things, that lay people seldom consider at all
There's another side of this heart felt story, that is not being told in heaven's hall.

Yes it's true that godly preachers can be faulty, it is also true that they can make many mistakes
But along with all of these most humbling facts, he receives from God the wisdom that it takes.

The messages the preacher brings to you weekly, are divinely chosen and inspired of Heaven
With the Holy Spirit speaking through him, the many words that are given without leaven.

God still guides and directs the godly pastor, in leading the sheep who are all going astray
Leading them towards the righteousness of Christ, and directing a holy path to walk day by day.

Although these many truths of a godly pastor, have been lost by lay-people and filed away
The godly pastor has been chosen of God, to lead the people in a holy— sin free way.

There is a deep deep moral to this message, that is stated straight forward and true
A very special message to the lay-people, yes--this message is meant especially for you.

For you too must set the example, of the Man called Jesus of Galilee
And walk that straight and narrow path, and spend some time on bended knee.

Far too soon will come a special day, a dreadful time will come to past
Where heaven and hell will be a reality, and that my friend will be the very last.

So my advise comes to you freely today, to warn you of your carnal sin
Take your eyes off the preacher man, and take a more extensive look within.

What you may see is the plank in your eye, which has grown bigger with time past
And the pastor's splinter dissolved and went, as he has prayed and prepared for the last.

Time for a Change?

E.W. Leonard

I am reminded this time of year of the many changes that we encounter. The early spring has been a time of dramatic change in my life and I would guess in your life as well. Buds on the trees and grass greening are but signs of the rebirth that God has built into the cycles of nature. As people we are not always in favor of change, we like things the way that they are. Changes do take place, sometimes to us and sometimes in us. Let's look at a young woman who had many changes in her life and the tough choices that came with them. This young lady had suffered the death of her mother and father, and she lived with her cousin who had raised her as his own daughter. This beautiful young woman was called Hadassah, although she is better known as Esther.

Esther found herself in the unusual situation of becoming the queen (see Esther chapter 2). It was in this context that she served the purpose that God had planned for her but she had a choice. (Esther 4:14-16) "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

Esther was well aware of the possible consequences of her choice. That choice was not made lightly or without contemplation. Most importantly this action of going before the king was made with prayer. The prayer was not a solitary prayer from Esther but involved her staff and her cousin Mordecai and all of the Jews in Shushan as well. Note as well that this was fasting prayer with all of those in prayer abstaining from eating and drinking for three days and nights.

Do you approach the major decisions in your life with the same attitude towards prayer that Esther did? If so I praise God for your faithfulness. If you are not, you missing out on some blessings from God. In the rush of today we are easily distracted by the little situations with which we must deal, the many hours at work, kids to soccer practice, buying groceries, and church board meetings, all these take time. Are you taking this time away from God in order to fit in all that we "must" do? Is God getting the prayer time that He deserves? If God is not getting the prayer time, you suffer and God suffers. God wants to spend time in fellowship with you. God wants an opportunity to show His unending love for you. Give God more time in prayer, you will be amazed at how much easier that life is to live. Is it the time in your life to make some changes in your prayer life? If so, make those changes. Spend more time in fellowship with God in prayer. Give God that opportunity that He wants, so that you may receive His blessings.

The Gospel Light

This publication is by the First Church of God, 818 4th St., Fairbury, Nebraska 68352, Chief Editor Pastor Stanley Farrar II, Editor Michelle Farrar.

The Gospel Light is published to spread the true light of God's word to all men. We are dedicated to the truths of the word of God. Such as salvation, holiness, sanctification, the unity of all believers, etc...It is also online at http://geocities.datacellar.net/Heartland/estates/6801. We are not responsible to return any articles submitted to The Gospel Light. We reserve the right to hold the articles for future printing, and possible reprinting. All articles submitted should be submitted to the First Church of God, 818 4th St. Fairbury, Ne 68352. I hope that the Gospel Light paper is a blessing to you, and may God bless those who read this paper.

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