God's Will Step III: Beware of Deceptions

Beware of deceptions and misleading choices

In knowing God's Will we need to focus on the source; especially those of us who are not experienced in letting God lead us and are easily turned off the path from what seems to be common sense and good opportunities. But these in fact are sometimes tricks of Satan to mislead us and confuse us. Sometimes we misinterpret our own will as being what God's will is. What we think might be the leading of the Holy Spirit may not be from Him at all but just our own selfish inclinations. Our focus needs to be on what God has revealed to us through His Scriptures; not our own personal desires regardless how good they may seem to be!

We tend to be guided by what we know and by what we have experienced, but to be guided by what we have not experienced takes a leap of faith. So, how can this happen for us to be guided by the facts of God's direction? Well this is where the labor pains are -- in our maturity and growth! Too few of us actually surrender to the facts and truth, only to the seemingly familiar deceptions and voices of unreason as our guide!

In knowing God's Will we need to focus on the Lordship of Christ, and not the strife and decisions we face!

Let us look at the wonderful facts the Lord has given us:

1. Read EPHESIANS 2:1-3 several times and answer these questions:

a) In Galatians 5:19-21, what are the sources for our desires?

b) In I John 2:15-17 How does the world influence our decision-making?

c) In EPHESIANS 6:12, who is our struggle against?

d) Read these following Scriptures and state what would be the result of following the source they direct: We have three sources to choose from.

e) What are these sources and what would be the result of following them? Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 6:8; I Corinthians 3:1-3; James 4:4; II Corinthians 11:3; and I Peter 5:8.

f) Read these following passages and determine how you can stand against the sources of confusion, ROMANS 8:9; 12:2; 1 PETER 2:11; JAMES 4:7-8.

We need to seek God's reliable counsel, not unreliable hunches.

In knowing God's Will we need to base our choices on Scripture and not on our experience

1. God draws us

2. God reveals truth!

3. God convicts us of sin!

4. God causes us to seek Him!

5. God convicts us of righteousness!

§ Know the LORD!

§ Love the LORD!

§ Believe the LORD!

§ Obey the LORD!

§ Trust the LORD!

PRAY and see what GOD does next in your life!!!

All we can do from Scripture is to discern possibilities and see what is the best choice to be made; the Bible may not give you specific direction!!

2. Let us take a hard look at our LORD'S response to temptation, as an example on how we can follow: MATTHEW 4:1-11

Q: What temptations did Jesus face?

Q: How did Satan tempt?

Q: How did Jesus resist?

Remember that ASTROLOGY, OUIJA BOARDS, TAROT CARDS, PALM READING, MEDIUMS, FORTUNE TELLING, SEEKERS, SHAMANS, SORCERY, WITCHCRAFT, & SIGNS…ARE OF SATAN!!

Q: What are the results of following these practices?

3. DEUTERONOMY 18:10-14; ACTS 13: 6-12; 19:18-20: God warns us very sternly of the dangers of dabbling in the occult!!!

4. We must NOT rely on our emotions and feelings, because they deceive our thinking. MATTHEW 16:21-23; LUKE22: 39-44.

Obedience is the fuel that puts God's will into action!

In knowing God's Will, our feelings must follow the truth of who we are in Christ! The fact of what Christ did on the cross to pay a debt we could never pay. And out of this comes a response of surrender and obedience and praise.

Faith in God is the foundation of our house of Christianity. Without this foundation our house will fall. The fact of what Christ did and who He is, are the walls that hold. Our obedience is the roof that keeps us safe on God's path by protecting us from the elements of deception. Our feelings are merely the paint that makes us shine, but alone does not stand up!

We must keep our emotions in check, not to be Vulcans without being robust about life, but not let them rule our day or allow them to be our guide! Would you want a house just of paint, it will not function or look good!

Feelings are one of the many misleading avenues of deception; all leading us away from the best plan for us -- the truth! As we use a recipe to make a soufflé, so we need a recipe to engage in our decision making. A recipe based on truth and not on tantalizing distractions. We need to take careful consideration and a whole lot of prayer as key ingredients in our recipes.

5. 1 KINGS 3:5-28 Solomon asks for wisdom, when he could have had anything He wanted YET…

God has given us a great gift -- our MIND, an ability to think and reason. So if you are confused, then pray for discernment, and it will be yours!!!

6. ECCLESIASTES 1:13-18 What has been your guide and teacher?

7. ACTS 16: 6-10 Beware of opportunities that are not open to us, or the way is blocked!

Beware of opposition from Satan! Any good decision may be met with resistance, sometimes little, sometimes big. We must be discerning to what is a closed door and what are misleading thoughts and actions by the Evil one.

8. ACTS 16: 23-34 What are the open doors, even in the midst of opposition?

Too many of us will wait in some kind of holding pattern for our lives, and simply do nothing. Just sitting around waiting for our "ship" to come in. If you are waiting for a burning bush, well don't wait too long, unless you are Moses. God seldom communicates to us in dramatic ways, He wants us obedient and listening!

9. ACTS 6:1-7; 8:26-38 How can you make yourself aware of when the Lord leads?

THINGS TO PONDER

§ Do you use any occult practices?

§ How can you apply sound judgments?

§ How do you double-check your decisions?

§ Do the principles of common sense rule your way?

§ God is glorified when we obey Him!

§ God is ready to teach, are you ready to learn?

In knowing God's Will you are not to allow yourself to be taken in by distortions. Do not just look to being flashy or delusions of grandeur, but allow the subtle leading of our Lord, and for Him to place you where you are best suited.

8. EPHESIANS 4:19-24; 1 PETER 4:15 The best way to honor the Holy Spirit is to allow Him to guide you!

It's not about you; it's about God. It's not what we do that makes us a Christian, It's what Jesus has done for us!!!

Do not allow Satan or anything to twist your way from God's!

W.W.J.D. Is about being the kind of person Jesus was! What would He have me do!

11. PSALM 34:14; 37:27 Simple and straightforward! FLEE from EVIL!!!

10. ROMANS 8:14 Being led by the spirit is not about inward voices but it is about removing the sin from our lives!

11. DEUTERONOMY 32:29 God has given us wisdom. So, use it! Not thinking ahead and planning will lead you down the wrong road.

12. PROVERBS 12:15 Be willing to listen to advice of others.

Be a person who thinks things through. Be a person who is realistic with yourself. All too often, we are good at suspecting and discerning others but are hesitant to turn that discernment and wisdom inward. Our feelings and egos and self indulgence eclipses God's best for us. This is especially true when it comes to our sexuality and how quickly we throw God's plans out the window for a cheap skirt or good looking guy.

Good critical thinking and relying on what God has said to us will enable us to stay out of a lot of trouble and needless suffering and injury not only to ourselves but also to those around us. Sin has a way of infecting everything as it did in the fall with the soil, as it does with people around us. Our decisions not only affect ourselves; it affects our loved ones and those around us. Instead of asking how we feel about something, let's ask have we prayed about something.

"Search me oh God and know my heart! Try me and know my anxious thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way about me, and lead me in Your path forever!" PSALM 139:23-24.

Be heavily aware of the dangers of pride and egotism. There is nothing that gets more in the way of God working in us than our own selfish desires. How foolish are we to look upon ourselves with our limited intellect and experience, when we can draw upon the Creator and King of the Universe and His unlimited intellect, overwhelming love, His irresistible grace, and His perfect plan.

13. I THESSALONIANS 5:21 Be willing to test your decisions and options!

Be willing to wait upon the Lord. A constant theme in the Psalms is that God sometimes keeps us waiting, so do not be in a hurry - relax and enjoy the ride of life. Do not be in a hurry to get anywhere; all it does is causes stress and strife.

In God's will and leading, He will not contradict His law; that is, He will not call you to leave your spouse or marry a non-believer.

14. JOEL 2:25-26 Do not be afraid to fail. God will restore you. That is what grace is all about. All He wants is our obedience, not our occupation or personal plan!

15. GALATIANS 2:11-14 Peter, the rock, which the church is built upon, had to be corrected from his path by the Lord. So, be willing to allow God to correct you!

5 Misconceptions on God's Will:

1. God does not care about me!

2. I'm too small and insignificant for God to care!

3. It is too difficult to know God's will!

4. If I follow God's will, I will be sent to some strange mission field!

5. Knowing God's will is only important if you are going into the ministry!

The God who initiates our relationship to Him and gives us His work will also give us Himself with a guarantee to complete the work.

§ We must allow Christ all the time He needs to shape us for His glory and for His purpose.

§ God calls us for relationships primarily, not tasks.

§ Let the Lord work in you in His timing.

§ Let the details come in His timing.

§ God will not give us an assignment that we are unable or incapable of doing.

§ God will use our insignificance and frailties for His far-reaching accomplishments.

§ God can and will do anything He wants with us; all it requires is our belief, faith and obedience.

§ All we have to be is faithful for a small part to allow God to work His big part.

Remember that you can do all things through Christ whom strengthens you. Not by foolish and blind ways!!!

Phil 2:5-8 states Jesus came as God's servant, to accomplish His will to redeem us from our fallen selves!

§ To be a servant, we are to be as moldable as clay in His hands!

§ We can do nothing apart from God!

§ With Christ working in us, we can do anything!

Richard Joseph Krejcir, is the Director of 'Into Thy Word Ministries, 'a discipleing ministry. He is also a pastor, teacher, speaker is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California and has amounted nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry experience mostly in youth ministry, including serving as a church growth consultant.