About Me

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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

What Does God Want?

Have you ever wondered how to please God?  Are we supposed to be do-gooders and happy-go-lucky Pollyanna all the time? Are we to be grin and bear it?  What makes God happy? Can I give anything to God to return the favor of salvation? Do we have to be happy with our so-called lot in life? 

The only person who can boast is one who "knows the LORD." That is the whole of the functionality of our religious walk of faith with the Lord.  That entails a growing and living relationship.  We cannot give anything to God because it all belongs to Him, and we are mere stewards and shall be rewarded accordingly. We will be held accountable for our relationships, provisions, blessings, time, circle of friends and orbit of influence, and especially for our testimony and how we found opportunity to witness for our Lord. 

You must look in the mirror to see what God wants! He wants YOU.... He is not looking for you achievements or success or accomplishments, but your faithfulness in what HE gave you. We can please God with little if done with faith because it is not the size of our faith but the size of our God that counts in our testimony and fruit.  Remember this: we are known by our fruits, not our words or what we preach. 

God is looking for faith and Jesus said that when he comes, he will wonder if there is faith on the earth.  Our faith is not measured by our ecstasies, emotions, successes, but our obedience. No faith is not a constant or perpetual religious high of always walking on Cloud Nine! 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only those who believe are obedient; only those who are obedient believer." And Saint Teresa of Calcutta said: "God is not looking for success but faithfulness." Remember that we cannot divorce faith from faithfulness or obedience; they are juxtaposed and linked in scripture. 

We can have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge!  Just being good people in the eyes of man is not what God expects but a life of walking by faith and in the Spirit. Ignorance is frowned upon by God and not bliss. If you just want to be a good man, any religion will do!  Every religion has some good in it and just enough to deceive. 

Our ultimate goal is for God to say to us: Well, done, thou good and faithful servant....  Yes, we are the clay, and He is the Potter and Christianity is about relinquishment to God's will in obedience. 
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