Reading an exert from a book written by the famous Christian evangelist and man of God, Benny Hinn, I was struck by an incident in his life that showed his complete and utter, child-like dependance on God to reveal His perfect will for his life.
The story goes that Benny Hinn had just met Suzanne- who is now his wife- and wanted to make sure that she was the right woman for him, so he set up 'fleeces' or tests for God to answer and make His will regarding this issue perfectly known. One of these tests involved asking God that Suzanne would specifically tell him, 'Benny, I've made you a cheesecake', which would confirm his suspicion that they were to be together. It seems almost amusing and very remarkable that Suzanne did say this word-for-word, very thing to Benny.
I really like this idea of 'fleeces' or tests. I believe, as I've already related in another one of my articles, that there can be so many voices in today's society; voices in our head, voices from the media, voices of those close to us and meaning well but not quite hitting the nail on the head, and the voice of the enemy, to name but a few; that we can get entirely confused as to what is the Real voice. Perhaps more of us ought to be doing as Benny Hinn did, and expecting more of these 'signs'.
I get serveral things from this story. 1) It shows Benny's utter dependance and child-like trust on and in God to reveal His perfect will to him, 2) It shows Benny's desire to have God's perfect will acted out in every area of his life.
I think I can definetely learn from this. I often like to adopt this 'fleece' method when trying to filter out all the confusing voices from the voice of the Spirit, or my heart. But sometimes I am doubtful as to whether God would really answer me in this way. I need to repent for my lack of trust in the One who is powerful enough, loving enough and good enough to reveal His will any way He chooses, and most certainly in a way that will make it perfectly clear and keep me from being confused.
Certainly, there are clear black-and-white issues laid down in the Scriptures which we can take as God's voice to the whole world, irrevokably. But there are other occassions, questions we have regarding greyer areas, or times of decision in our lives, where we would just like God to make His specific will for us clearer than crystal. We need to stop doubting God and His ability to do this, and we need to stop doubting His deep, deep love for us, which wants the very best for us in every situation, and to give us the security of knowing we are in His perfect will.
If God allowed Benny Hinn to use these 'fleeces' in order to find out what God wanted for Him, He will most certainly allow us to do the same. If we want God's will in our lives, He will move heaven and earth to show us the Way.
Friday, 5 February 2010
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
The Focus of Life... Living Worship
Sometimes life gets crowded. Sometimes everything seems to be caving in on you, everything that you leaned on is shaking, your very foundations are being uprooted, and suddenly you're forced to reach out and grasp the hand of the One Who's been holding you up all along.
This might sound fairly dramatic, but I'm sure we can all relate to this feeling of life just seeming too much to handle. It's times like this, times when you're being pushed and pulled in all directions, and your stress levels have increased to what feels like their maximum level, that you're forced into action of some kind or another. Hopefully, we will do the right thing and turn quickly to Jesus, Who's really the Only Person who can help us with our problems.
But sometimes we don't turn to Jesus. Sometimes we try and handle it all on our own. When we feel down, we run to the telephone. Or we run to the shopping centre. Or to the fridge. We battle on in our own strength, letting the stress and pain of life, which inevitably comes to us all at some time or another, build up like a great wall inside of us, until it can become almost impenetratable, and it will take a miracle for it to be broken down.
This may sound fairly pessimistic, but trials and tribulations do and will come to us all. It is a part and fact of life. But we don't have to let them get us down. We can let them mould us and shape, and force us into the arms of Jesus, where we actually find all we've been looking for in the first place.
One of the 'good things' that can happen while we're suffering, inwardly or outwardly, is that we're brought to a place of remembering what is most important in life. I think one of the greatest callings in a Christian's life, perhaps the greatest calling, is to worship Jesus.
When we're suffering and sore, worshipping can seem like one of the last things we would want to do. But isn't it ironic that when we do choose to make the 'sacrifice of praise', suddenly our great problems, which seemed like mountains in our eyes, become like molehills?
Worshipping isn't just a motion. It's not just singing a nice song or raising our hands in a service. It isn't just reading the Word or praying. It can be all of these things, but it's more than that. It's the direction and focus of our heart, the looking of our spiritual eyes to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our salvation. It's the genuine heart-attitude of thanksgiving and praise, and the offering of hope and trust, in any situation. Perhaps most importantly, it's loving God with our everything.
We can worship in many ways. Doing anything with and for Jesus is an act of worship. We could be cleaning, tidying, having a meal with friends, getting dressed or singing in church. Our whole lives can become an offering of worship to Jesus, in every and any situation, whether our present circumstances seem difficult or not. And when we truly worship Him we discover meaning and purpose in our lives, and the joy and peace which comes from loving God with a sincere heart.
This might sound fairly dramatic, but I'm sure we can all relate to this feeling of life just seeming too much to handle. It's times like this, times when you're being pushed and pulled in all directions, and your stress levels have increased to what feels like their maximum level, that you're forced into action of some kind or another. Hopefully, we will do the right thing and turn quickly to Jesus, Who's really the Only Person who can help us with our problems.
But sometimes we don't turn to Jesus. Sometimes we try and handle it all on our own. When we feel down, we run to the telephone. Or we run to the shopping centre. Or to the fridge. We battle on in our own strength, letting the stress and pain of life, which inevitably comes to us all at some time or another, build up like a great wall inside of us, until it can become almost impenetratable, and it will take a miracle for it to be broken down.
This may sound fairly pessimistic, but trials and tribulations do and will come to us all. It is a part and fact of life. But we don't have to let them get us down. We can let them mould us and shape, and force us into the arms of Jesus, where we actually find all we've been looking for in the first place.
One of the 'good things' that can happen while we're suffering, inwardly or outwardly, is that we're brought to a place of remembering what is most important in life. I think one of the greatest callings in a Christian's life, perhaps the greatest calling, is to worship Jesus.
When we're suffering and sore, worshipping can seem like one of the last things we would want to do. But isn't it ironic that when we do choose to make the 'sacrifice of praise', suddenly our great problems, which seemed like mountains in our eyes, become like molehills?
Worshipping isn't just a motion. It's not just singing a nice song or raising our hands in a service. It isn't just reading the Word or praying. It can be all of these things, but it's more than that. It's the direction and focus of our heart, the looking of our spiritual eyes to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our salvation. It's the genuine heart-attitude of thanksgiving and praise, and the offering of hope and trust, in any situation. Perhaps most importantly, it's loving God with our everything.
We can worship in many ways. Doing anything with and for Jesus is an act of worship. We could be cleaning, tidying, having a meal with friends, getting dressed or singing in church. Our whole lives can become an offering of worship to Jesus, in every and any situation, whether our present circumstances seem difficult or not. And when we truly worship Him we discover meaning and purpose in our lives, and the joy and peace which comes from loving God with a sincere heart.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Grace vs Legalism
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—" Galatians 1:6
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21
There are many, many verses which I could have chosen to demonstrate the idea that we are to live under grace and not the law. However, Galatians 2:21 is undeniably potent and states the message of the Gospel is clear terms. In effect, it is telling us that if we set aside the grace of God, we are demeaning Christ's death on the cross.
Some people ask, "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?" Although there will always be a mystery surrounding the events of the crucifixion, and our mortal human minds will never quite be able to grasp the full extent of its meaning, we do know that we are told in the Scriptures:
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
And our original verse: "...if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing." Galatians 2:21.
These three verses state that Christ died (1) For the ungodly, while we were still powerless to help ourselves, (2) Because He loved and loves us very much and (3) BECAUSE OUR RIGHT-STANDING IN GOD'S EYES CANNOT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH WORKS OF THE LAW.
Grace- A License to Sin?
While the bible makes it very clear that we are to live under grace and not the law, avoiding "foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless" (Titus 3:9), it warns us that we are not to turn God's grace into a license to sin. In his letter to the Romans, Paul admonishes those under his care, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2)
This makes the answer very clear; grace is not a license to sin. In fact, the very nature of God's grace should cause us to wish to turn away from our sins in obedience to the One Who is the Giver of grace.
Again, Paul admoishes those in Rome: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" (Romans 6:15)
So we are brought to the conclusion that grace is certainly not a license to sin. It seems that today, however, many professing Christians have overlooked these verses, and instead they seek to justify their own sinfulness with such verses as, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36) Indeed we are free, and I believe that many people, including myself, have not even touched the edges of the freedom that we are meant to enjoy, but we are never told that we are free to sin. Surely sin, by its very nature, constricts and inhibits our freedom. It is like a delicate web which weaves itself around our Spirits, until we are caught and held fast in its deceptive coils. The question is, if we are indulging in sin, are we free not to sin? True freedom is the ablity to say "no" to ourselves and the devil, and "yes" to Jesus, who is the Author of freedom.
Works of the Law vs Grace
To me it seems as though we fall into either one of two categories, namely, those who are truly living and operating under grace, or those who are living under the law.
As someone who falls very much into the 'legalist' category, i.e. someone who seeks to be justified through 'doing' or 'not doing' to please God, I know from experience that trying to break free from legalist ways of being, and especially legalistic thought patterns, is one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with.
Perhaps it is our fear. Perhaps we are afraid that if we try too hard to live under grace and to rid ourselves of all our legalistic attitudes, the pendulum will swing too far to the other side, and sin shall get a hold of us. But we are told in the Word that, "[sin] shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) This suggests to me that it is because we are under grace that sin shall not get a hold of us. Trying to live a legalistic, works-of-the-law kind of Christian life will actually drain us of the spiritual vitality, joy, peace and power that is needed to live for Jesus in our world today. An excessive scrutiny of our own spiritual state, allowing our minds to mull over the same empty controversies again and again, and maintaining the attitude that "I must be perfect or God can and never will love me, and if I make the slightest mistake I will lose my salvation" are ther very things that will drive us away from Christ.
As someone seeking to break free these kind of attitudes, I know very well what they will do to a person, inside and outwardly. A constant scrutiny of our spiritual condition is known as 'introspection' and is highly damaging. It causes our eyes to be looking inward, inside of upward to the only One who can save us from ourselves. It causes us to be dispondent, to only see that which is wrong, and it prevents us from seeing the good things which the Spirit of God within us is producing. It therefore keeps us from being thankful and from having a healthy, balanced attitude towards ourselves. We want to beat ourselves up all the time for the slightest mistake, forgetting that Jesus is always there to love us and help us and forgive us, and He is in fact our Mediator and Advocate, and our Friend. We can never enjoy the benefits of His friendship if we are living in an introspective state.
Similarly, allowing ourselves to ponder and worry about vain aspects of the law will also deaden our spiritual lives. Worrying, in fact, is a sin, and brings with it the same kind of consequences. Worry is 'to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret'. When we are constantly worrying about making a mistake, or worrying that we are falling short of the mark, or even worrying about whether a course of action we are about to take is in fact the right one or not, we are tormenting ourselves and bringing about the consequences of worry. Here are some of the consequences of worry that I have noticed in my own life and in the lives of others.
(1) Since worry is the repitition of a certain or certain thoughts, which are usually futile reasonings, it drains a person of mental energy which could be targeted elsewhere. Hence we are less able to focus on matters which are more impending or necessary. An overactive mind causes fatigue in body as well as in soul, and can often lead to minor or even major illnesses, including stress.
(2) Worry leads to anxiety which often manifests itself physically, for example in the tensing of shoulder muscles (which can often lead to back and neck-pain),or in the way a person carries themselves.
(3) It can cause depression, or at least hinder a person's joy.
(4) It keeps a person from being relaxed in any situation.
(5) In essence, it robs a person of the 'abundant life' that Jesus wishes us to enjoy.
The bible tells us that the antidote for worry is a deep, personal trust in Jesus. We are told not to fret, as this only causes harm (Psalm 37:8). Worry and anxiety comes more naturally to some than it does to others, but we are all required to put our faith in the Faithful One. Even the most fearful and the most timorous can put their trembling hand into the hand of the Mighty Saviour and find rest and peace for their souls.
Worrying and anxiety are related to fear, and we are told in God's Word that fear is not from God, because, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) So since we know that worry and fear are not God-given, we can be assured that we need not worry about trying to slavishly please God with our good works. When Jesus was asked what good works God requires us to do, he replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29) We also know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So since these things are true, we know that all the work that is left for us to do is to believe in God. We must become like little children and have simple trust and faith in His goodness, kindness and love. We must accept the gift of God's grace which was given to us at the cross and refuse to stand on our own righteousness any longer, since, in God's eyes, all our righteousness is like 'filthy rags'. (Isaiah 64:6)
In short, we have a decision to make. Our decision is this: will we continue to demean Christ's work on the cross by living in our man-made list of legalistic rituals, or will we live in the freedom of God's grace and enjoy Him forever? I know what my answer is, and I'm sure you feel the same way as I do!
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21
There are many, many verses which I could have chosen to demonstrate the idea that we are to live under grace and not the law. However, Galatians 2:21 is undeniably potent and states the message of the Gospel is clear terms. In effect, it is telling us that if we set aside the grace of God, we are demeaning Christ's death on the cross.
Some people ask, "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?" Although there will always be a mystery surrounding the events of the crucifixion, and our mortal human minds will never quite be able to grasp the full extent of its meaning, we do know that we are told in the Scriptures:
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
And our original verse: "...if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing." Galatians 2:21.
These three verses state that Christ died (1) For the ungodly, while we were still powerless to help ourselves, (2) Because He loved and loves us very much and (3) BECAUSE OUR RIGHT-STANDING IN GOD'S EYES CANNOT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH WORKS OF THE LAW.
Grace- A License to Sin?
While the bible makes it very clear that we are to live under grace and not the law, avoiding "foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless" (Titus 3:9), it warns us that we are not to turn God's grace into a license to sin. In his letter to the Romans, Paul admonishes those under his care, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2)
This makes the answer very clear; grace is not a license to sin. In fact, the very nature of God's grace should cause us to wish to turn away from our sins in obedience to the One Who is the Giver of grace.
Again, Paul admoishes those in Rome: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" (Romans 6:15)
So we are brought to the conclusion that grace is certainly not a license to sin. It seems that today, however, many professing Christians have overlooked these verses, and instead they seek to justify their own sinfulness with such verses as, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36) Indeed we are free, and I believe that many people, including myself, have not even touched the edges of the freedom that we are meant to enjoy, but we are never told that we are free to sin. Surely sin, by its very nature, constricts and inhibits our freedom. It is like a delicate web which weaves itself around our Spirits, until we are caught and held fast in its deceptive coils. The question is, if we are indulging in sin, are we free not to sin? True freedom is the ablity to say "no" to ourselves and the devil, and "yes" to Jesus, who is the Author of freedom.
Works of the Law vs Grace
To me it seems as though we fall into either one of two categories, namely, those who are truly living and operating under grace, or those who are living under the law.
As someone who falls very much into the 'legalist' category, i.e. someone who seeks to be justified through 'doing' or 'not doing' to please God, I know from experience that trying to break free from legalist ways of being, and especially legalistic thought patterns, is one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with.
Perhaps it is our fear. Perhaps we are afraid that if we try too hard to live under grace and to rid ourselves of all our legalistic attitudes, the pendulum will swing too far to the other side, and sin shall get a hold of us. But we are told in the Word that, "[sin] shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) This suggests to me that it is because we are under grace that sin shall not get a hold of us. Trying to live a legalistic, works-of-the-law kind of Christian life will actually drain us of the spiritual vitality, joy, peace and power that is needed to live for Jesus in our world today. An excessive scrutiny of our own spiritual state, allowing our minds to mull over the same empty controversies again and again, and maintaining the attitude that "I must be perfect or God can and never will love me, and if I make the slightest mistake I will lose my salvation" are ther very things that will drive us away from Christ.
As someone seeking to break free these kind of attitudes, I know very well what they will do to a person, inside and outwardly. A constant scrutiny of our spiritual condition is known as 'introspection' and is highly damaging. It causes our eyes to be looking inward, inside of upward to the only One who can save us from ourselves. It causes us to be dispondent, to only see that which is wrong, and it prevents us from seeing the good things which the Spirit of God within us is producing. It therefore keeps us from being thankful and from having a healthy, balanced attitude towards ourselves. We want to beat ourselves up all the time for the slightest mistake, forgetting that Jesus is always there to love us and help us and forgive us, and He is in fact our Mediator and Advocate, and our Friend. We can never enjoy the benefits of His friendship if we are living in an introspective state.
Similarly, allowing ourselves to ponder and worry about vain aspects of the law will also deaden our spiritual lives. Worrying, in fact, is a sin, and brings with it the same kind of consequences. Worry is 'to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret'. When we are constantly worrying about making a mistake, or worrying that we are falling short of the mark, or even worrying about whether a course of action we are about to take is in fact the right one or not, we are tormenting ourselves and bringing about the consequences of worry. Here are some of the consequences of worry that I have noticed in my own life and in the lives of others.
(1) Since worry is the repitition of a certain or certain thoughts, which are usually futile reasonings, it drains a person of mental energy which could be targeted elsewhere. Hence we are less able to focus on matters which are more impending or necessary. An overactive mind causes fatigue in body as well as in soul, and can often lead to minor or even major illnesses, including stress.
(2) Worry leads to anxiety which often manifests itself physically, for example in the tensing of shoulder muscles (which can often lead to back and neck-pain),or in the way a person carries themselves.
(3) It can cause depression, or at least hinder a person's joy.
(4) It keeps a person from being relaxed in any situation.
(5) In essence, it robs a person of the 'abundant life' that Jesus wishes us to enjoy.
The bible tells us that the antidote for worry is a deep, personal trust in Jesus. We are told not to fret, as this only causes harm (Psalm 37:8). Worry and anxiety comes more naturally to some than it does to others, but we are all required to put our faith in the Faithful One. Even the most fearful and the most timorous can put their trembling hand into the hand of the Mighty Saviour and find rest and peace for their souls.
Worrying and anxiety are related to fear, and we are told in God's Word that fear is not from God, because, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) So since we know that worry and fear are not God-given, we can be assured that we need not worry about trying to slavishly please God with our good works. When Jesus was asked what good works God requires us to do, he replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29) We also know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So since these things are true, we know that all the work that is left for us to do is to believe in God. We must become like little children and have simple trust and faith in His goodness, kindness and love. We must accept the gift of God's grace which was given to us at the cross and refuse to stand on our own righteousness any longer, since, in God's eyes, all our righteousness is like 'filthy rags'. (Isaiah 64:6)
In short, we have a decision to make. Our decision is this: will we continue to demean Christ's work on the cross by living in our man-made list of legalistic rituals, or will we live in the freedom of God's grace and enjoy Him forever? I know what my answer is, and I'm sure you feel the same way as I do!
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Contemporary Issues.... Standing up for Righteousness
Looking around me today, it seems as if a lot of the world is crumbling into serious moral decay, and my question is, what are we, as professing Christians, doing about it??
Time is running short. Clearly, we're in the last days. And instead of the Church standing up for holiness and righteousness, it looks as though we're backing down, cowering under, refusing to take up our responsibility of shining as beacons of light in today's society. We prefer to adapt and adjust- albeit only a little- to suit modern philosophies and morals. We become more tolerant and acceptant, instead of speaking up in love.
Surely we're doing God an injustice. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, but if we don't preach the need for sinners to repent and change their ways, and Christ's desire and ability to reconcile all things back to Himself, whether in heaven or on earth, then we're falling short of the Gospel.
Certainly we ought to demonstrate love to all men, as it was for all men that Jesus shed His precious blood. But to be tolerant of sinful behaviour, and to close our eyes and ears, so to speak, to the degradation into which humanity is slipping, is surely not what Christ intends for us. Surely He wishes us to 'put on love' more than ever before... to so love our fellow men that we cause them to be faced with the sinfulness of their actions, and hold out to them the Means of their redemption, justification and sanctification.
No matter what people may try to tell us in today's culture, through the use of media, and otherwise, we, as Christians, must hold onto the unchanging truths found in God's Word. We must reach out to a dying world in love, to all those who God wishes to save, for the Bible states that He wishes 'that no man perish'.
I think it's time for a wake-up call.
My question is, do you hear it? Will you hear it??
Time is running short. Clearly, we're in the last days. And instead of the Church standing up for holiness and righteousness, it looks as though we're backing down, cowering under, refusing to take up our responsibility of shining as beacons of light in today's society. We prefer to adapt and adjust- albeit only a little- to suit modern philosophies and morals. We become more tolerant and acceptant, instead of speaking up in love.
Surely we're doing God an injustice. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, but if we don't preach the need for sinners to repent and change their ways, and Christ's desire and ability to reconcile all things back to Himself, whether in heaven or on earth, then we're falling short of the Gospel.
Certainly we ought to demonstrate love to all men, as it was for all men that Jesus shed His precious blood. But to be tolerant of sinful behaviour, and to close our eyes and ears, so to speak, to the degradation into which humanity is slipping, is surely not what Christ intends for us. Surely He wishes us to 'put on love' more than ever before... to so love our fellow men that we cause them to be faced with the sinfulness of their actions, and hold out to them the Means of their redemption, justification and sanctification.
No matter what people may try to tell us in today's culture, through the use of media, and otherwise, we, as Christians, must hold onto the unchanging truths found in God's Word. We must reach out to a dying world in love, to all those who God wishes to save, for the Bible states that He wishes 'that no man perish'.
I think it's time for a wake-up call.
My question is, do you hear it? Will you hear it??
Monday, 16 November 2009
Initial Reflections- Sign Posts
I was walking along a street, thinking to myself, yeah. I know where I'm going. But as I came to a crossroads, I had a flicker of doubt. All three roads were alike, with nothing to distinguish them from one another. The road names looked vaguely unfamiliar. I had a decision to make. Do I go with my 'instinct', and take a road that has some kind of right feeling about it, or do I follow the sign post which is clearly labelled 'Grand Place'- my destination of choice?
Fortunately, I decided to follow the sign posts.
If only we did the same thing when it comes to making decisions in our spiritual life.
I felt that this incident highlighted how important it is for us to follow 'sign posts' and not our imigination when it comes to following God and His voice. We can 'feel' right about something, perhaps even believe that it is a spiritual inner-knowledge that God has put there, and yet be completely up a gum tree!
We're only human, and have fallen minds and emotions (although these are constantly 'being renewed' by His Spirit within us), and therefore it can be very easy to get confused between our own desires, God's desires, our own voices and sometimes, the voice of the enemy. That's why it's so important to pay heed to God's sign posts. And what better signs has He given us than the ones which are written in His Holy Word?
Surely if we follow these, we can't go wrong.
Fortunately, I decided to follow the sign posts.
If only we did the same thing when it comes to making decisions in our spiritual life.
I felt that this incident highlighted how important it is for us to follow 'sign posts' and not our imigination when it comes to following God and His voice. We can 'feel' right about something, perhaps even believe that it is a spiritual inner-knowledge that God has put there, and yet be completely up a gum tree!
We're only human, and have fallen minds and emotions (although these are constantly 'being renewed' by His Spirit within us), and therefore it can be very easy to get confused between our own desires, God's desires, our own voices and sometimes, the voice of the enemy. That's why it's so important to pay heed to God's sign posts. And what better signs has He given us than the ones which are written in His Holy Word?
Surely if we follow these, we can't go wrong.
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