Study – How To Discern The Will of God

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Short Summary
The study explores how Christians can discern God’s will by examining various scriptures, emphasizing the necessity of a renewed, Christlike mind and character, led by the Holy Spirit. It highlights Jesus as the ultimate example of discerning and submitting to God’s will through deep scriptural knowledge, prayer, and wholehearted obedience. Additionally, it discusses the differences between God’s guidance under the Old Testament law and the New Covenant, the importance of avoiding deception by testing spirits against scripture, and using patience and prayerful consideration to recognize God’s providential leading.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Study on “How to Discern the Will of God”

Introduction and Context:
– The study was originally planned to be in person but was conducted virtually due to illness.
– Greetings and love from various brethren groups in Chicago and Milwaukee were conveyed.
– Encouragement was given to register for the upcoming General Convention.
– The study focuses on discerning the will of God, a topic chosen for its relevance and need for deeper understanding.

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### Question 1: What Do the Scriptures Say About the Will of God Concerning Christians?

Romans 12:2 (“And be not fashioned according to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”):
– The will of God is described as “good, acceptable, and perfect.”
– Christians must renew their minds spiritually to discern God’s will; it is not accessible by natural human reasoning alone.
– The Greek word *metamorpho* implies a complete transformation, akin to a metamorphosis.
– Christians cannot dictate God’s will for others; each must discover it personally.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (“For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”):
– God’s will involves sanctification—being set apart and made holy.
– Sanctification is a continual spiritual struggle, modeled by Jesus who endured opposition perfectly.
– The will of God leads Christians toward holiness and separation from worldly immorality.

Galatians 1:4 (“He gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age…”):
– God’s will includes rescuing believers from the dominion of evil through Jesus’s sacrifice.
– Jesus’s giving of Himself was voluntary and purposeful according to God’s will.

Ephesians 6:6 (“…doing the will of God from the heart…”):
– Doing God’s will must be sincere and heartfelt, not merely external or superficial.
– God desires love and wholehearted commitment, not just lip service (cf. Isaiah 29:13).
– Psalm 40:8 is cited: “I delight to do thy will, O my God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:13-18:
– God’s will includes living a life of brotherly love, peace, encouragement, patience, avoiding evil retaliation, rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and thanksgiving.

1 Peter 2:13-15:
– Christians are to submit to earthly authorities for the Lord’s sake.
– Doing good silences foolish criticism, which is in line with God’s will.

Summary Insight:
– The will of God is holistic, covering transformation, sanctification, submission, love, and practical Christian living.
– New Testament scriptures emphasize an inward, spiritual transformation rather than mere external compliance.

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### Question 2: How Does Developing a Christlike Character Help Christians Discern God’s Will?

Romans 8:29 (“…predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son…”):
– God’s plan is for believers to be transformed into Christ’s image.

Philippians 2:5 (“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”):
– Christians are to adopt Christ’s attitude and mindset.

Colossians 3:15-16 (Peace ruling hearts, the word of Christ dwelling richly):
– Spiritual maturity and submission to Christ’s teachings help discern God’s will.

Key Points:
– Developing Christlike character aligns our thinking with God’s and enhances spiritual discernment.
– The analogy of learning God’s language shows character is essential to understanding God’s guidance.
– Christlike character develops progressively; full maturity is the goal but partial growth aids discernment.
– The “spirit of Christ” involves self-denial, humility, obedience, and loving service (cf. Philippians 2:7-8).
– Drawing closer to God through worship, prayer, and obedience deepens discernment.
– Jesus’s own submission to God’s will, despite having personal will, serves as the perfect example.

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### Question 3: Does the Leading of God’s Holy Spirit Help in Discerning God’s Will?

Matthew 4:1 (Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness):
– The Spirit led Jesus for testing and preparation.

Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25:
– Walking by the Spirit helps overcome fleshly desires.
– The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) guides believers.

Insights on Spirit’s Leading:
– The Holy Spirit reveals God’s deep plans beyond human understanding (1 Corinthians 2:10).
– The Spirit does not give loud commands but leads gently; believers must be willing and attentive.
– Spirit and Scripture must be combined to avoid delusions (George Muller’s counsel).
– Being “led by the Spirit” is evidence of sonship and developing Christlike character (Romans 8:14).
– Prayer and alignment of heart and mind with God’s will enable Spirit-led discernment.
– Submission to the Spirit’s leading is essential—like Jesus’s example.

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### Question 4: Why Was Jesus Successful in Discerning God’s Will, and How Can We Follow His Example?

Psalm 40:8 (“I delight to do thy will…thy law is written within my heart.”)
Psalm 37:30-31 (“The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom…the law of his God is in his heart.”)

Jesus’s Success Factors:
– Deep familiarity with Scripture and meditation on it.
– Desire and love for doing the Father’s will.
– Full submission and sacrifice of personal will.
– Received the Holy Spirit at baptism, empowering discernment.
– Prayer and constant communion with God.
– Understanding timing and purpose in God’s plan.

How to Follow Jesus:
– Study and meditate on the Bible.
– Cultivate desire to do God’s will.
– Develop Christlike character.
– Engage in persistent prayer.
– Be aware of God’s timing and purpose.
– Submit fully to the Father’s will.

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### Question 5: How Does Discerning God’s Will Differ Between Christians and the Nation of Israel?

Matthew 22:37-40 (Greatest commandments: love God and neighbor):
– The essence of God’s will is love, which undergirds all the law and the prophets.

Differences Highlighted:
– Israelites were under a covenant of law, given specific rules, often without full understanding of why.
– Christians are called as sons, with access to God’s Spirit and understanding, enabling personal relationship and comprehension.
– Old Testament focused on external obedience; New Testament emphasizes internal transformation and motive.
– The New Covenant writes God’s law in the heart (Jeremiah 31:33).
– Christians discern God’s will through love and spiritual principles rather than fixed legal codes.

Summary:
– God’s character and purpose remain consistent, but the New Covenant offers deeper insight, spiritual empowerment, and personal relationship.

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### Question 6: How Do We Avoid Being Misled by the Spirit of the Adversary, the World, or Our Fallen Flesh?

– Focus on understanding and embracing the true Word of God rather than focusing on counterfeits.
– Use scriptural tests such as 1 John 4:1-3:
– Test spirits by their confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
– Avoid love of the world (1 John 2:15).
– Maintain doctrinal soundness concerning key truths (nature of God, mortality of the soul, ransom).
– Be cautious and discerning; do not rely solely on feelings or impressions.
– Seek counsel and advice from spiritually mature brethren.
– Maintain continual prayer and scriptural study.

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### Question 7: How Can We Use God’s Overruling Providence to Discern His Will?

– Recognize that not all circumstances are direct providence; some are allowances.
– Decide and act in faith, then watch for God’s overruling to confirm or close doors.
– Patience and prayerful consideration are essential; do not rush decisions.
– Seek advice from mature Christians.
– Align decisions with Scripture and spiritual principles.
– Trust God’s timing and be sensitive to His guidance.
– Example given: Traveling to Israel—make a decision, then observe providential confirmations or obstacles.

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Concluding Remarks:

– Discerning God’s will is a process involving Scripture study, developing Christlike character, prayer, and submission to the Holy Spirit.
– The example of Jesus Christ is the ultimate model for discerning and doing God’s will.
– Christians enjoy a privileged relationship as God’s children, empowered by the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant.
– Constant vigilance is required to avoid deception from adversarial spirits.
– God’s providence works in conjunction with human responsibility and faith.
– The study emphasized practical applications, scriptural foundations, and spiritual attitudes necessary for understanding and following God’s will.

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Key Bible Verses Mentioned:

– Romans 12:2
– 1 Thessalonians 4:3
– Galatians 1:4
– Ephesians 6:6
– 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18
– 1 Peter 2:13-15
– Romans 8:29
– Philippians 2:5
– Colossians 3:15-16
– Matthew 4:1
– Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25
– Psalm 40:8
– Psalm 37:30-31
– Matthew 22:37-40
– Jeremiah 31:33
– 1 John 4:1-3
– 1 John 2:15
– Romans 8:14

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This extensive study provides a comprehensive biblical framework and practical guidance for Christians seeking to discern and do the will of God in their lives.

Transcript

We wish we could have extended it in person. That was the original plan, but other things intervened. We also bring you love from the brethren in Chicago. We attended their May convention three weeks ago, I think, and that was a very blessed experience, and we bring you the love from that convention.

We also bring you love from your Milwaukee brethren, who we met with to two weeks ago, as well as our son Chris and his family and the Haza family. We had some special fellowship with them while we were in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. So anyways, we’re glad to be here, at least virtually. We we caught the flu on the way home and it’s been an interesting week and a half, and so that’s why we’re not there. So that also makes one of my missions to talk as little as possible.

So we’ll be looking for lots of raised hands to keep to take advantage of in this study. One other note of business before we get started. I was hoping if I would be there in person to entice those of you who have not to sign up for the General convention. It’s only about a month away, and so now I’m going to have to do that encouragement virtually rather than in person. But those of you who have not registered, you know who you are and I know there’s a number of you that typically come to the convention, but, you know, other life intervenes.

But in any case, we’re hoping that we see you at the General Convention, and certainly you can text me, call me or email me your reservation information. We’re getting sort of tight here, so don’t mail it a snail mail, but send it to me electronically or just pick up the phone. Okay. Our study, this is the how to Convention.

And one of the choices was how to discern the will of God, and since I felt like I could use some more expertise in this area, we picked this subject and hopefully the result of our studies, and some of the questions will help bless you as they help sort of inform us about how we might do this in our Christian life. We want to go ahead and start out with the first question and ask Brother Vivin to turn the camera so I can see the front row, and we’re going to question number one is what do the following scriptures say about the will of God concerning the Christians?

So we’re going to read some of we’re going to have the brethren in the hall read some of these questions and then we’re going to see what comments brethren have about them. So Brother Ken, Allison, I’m going to ask you to read Romans 12:2. These are all listed under the first question. Brother Britt, I’m going to ask you to get first. Thessalonians 4:3.

Brother Keith, I’m going to ask you to get Galatians 1:4. Sister Karen Earl. Ephesians 6:6. I’m going to ask. Let’s see, Brother Jeff, you get first.

Thessalonians 5:12, 5. See, I’m not going to read the whole one. I’m going to read 13 through 18, and we’re going to ask Jonathan, who’s sitting next to you, if he would get first Peter 2, 13 to 15. Now we’re going to read a verse and then just talk about it and then we’ll move on.

So. So we’ll ask Brother Ken to start with us and read Romans 12:2. Romans 12:2, and be not fashioned according to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Okay, now one of the things that we need to do as we look into discerning the will of God is there’s a number of scriptures that sort of inform.

Inform us about what the will of God is. So we want to go through each of these scriptures that we’ve assigned and just say, what does this verse tell us about the will of God? Or discerning the will of God. So Romans 12:2, a verse we’re very familiar with. What does it tell us about the will of God?

Not a hard question. We have to prove it. Okay. We have to prove it. All right, brother.

Brother David, go ahead. It’s good and acceptable and perfect. Okay, Good, acceptable and perfect. Sister Gabriella, that you have it with your human mind. Your mind would have to be renewed in order to know it exactly.

We can’t determine the will of God by our own human way of thinking. Our minds have to be transformed, and when they are, then we can know the good and perfect will of God. Any other comments on that, Brother Homer in the back.

And we cannot tell others what God’s will is for them either. They have to discover it for themselves. Okay, very good. I see a hand, but not a face with it. Okay.

Is that Brother Michael Castelli? Go ahead.

Early on, when I first came into the truth, Brother Ernie, I was impressed with the Dioglots translation, which I believe says, be ye transformed by the renovation, and perhaps it may not be the exact wording, but what the thought that came through was, it’s not a cleaning up of Our old mind, it’s the accepting of a new mind, which is totally foreign to us because it’s spiritual. It’s not a human mind. It’s a spiritual mind that comes to us through the Holy Spirit. So that’s the thought there, rather than to go in and renovate or clean up an old house, so to speak.

Over. Thank you very much for making that point. Because I think the original Greek word there is metamorpho, means a complete change, a complete metamorphosis, like from a caterpillar to a butterfly. But the fact is that we need to remember that, because when we get into stressful situations or something catches us off guard or, you know, our emotions start to rise in us, we can lean back to the old way of thinking, and we need to remind ourselves.

The fact is to discern God’s will requires a new mind and a new way of thinking. Okay, let’s go on. Brother Britt coles first. Thessalonians 4. 3.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immortality. Okay, we want to focus just on the first half of that verse. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. So what does that tell us about the will of God or what God’s will for us should be?

Am I missing. Is there any hands up? I don’t see any.

Brother Andy, go ahead.

I’m looking at the Greek word for sanctification. It means, properly, purification. So we’re to develop a pure mind based on godly principles, not what we might have previously thought was purifying. Over. Okay, thank you, Brother Jonathan.

Go ahead. Or Jeff. Excuse me, Brother Jeff, earlier, in the context it talks about, you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel still more. You learned this from me. You learned all these things, what the will of God is.

These are the things that will set you apart. These are the things that are going to sanctify you, and this is the will of God and how you should live your lives. So there’s various things that we should know based in the Scriptures on how we should act and how we should live, and that’ll make us different than the world set us apart.

Okay, thank you very much, Sister Julianne. Go ahead.

In Hebrews 12, 4, it says, Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin, and so in our strive to attain sanctification, you know, it’s takes everything. It’s a fight. It’s a constant fight, and also the manna for October 5th.

We consider Jesus, who endured so much contradiction of sinners against himself. So it’s from the same set of Scriptures.

We have him as a pattern because we know that we can look at each other. Nobody is perfect, and so in our strive to perfection, to sanctification is only for the perfect pattern that God has given us, His Son. Okay, so we’ll get into that more in terms of Jesus being the perfect pattern. It’s a struggle, it’s a fight.

Paul talks about that later in Ephesians, the fourth chapter. Okay, any other hands?

I mean, one of the things that sanctification means is to be set apart. Another one is to be made holy, and the will of God is to lead us to holiness. So that’s always sort of a check we can go when we’re trying to discern the will of God and what it is in our lives. Is it going to lead to holiness in our lives?

Is it going to bring us closer to God, closer to our Lord and the standard of holiness? Okay, next scripture. Brother Keith, Galatians 1:4.

He gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. Okay, so what does this verse tell us about the will of God?

So what’s. Brother Keith, Go ahead, Brother Ken. I was going to say it was his will to rescue us from this present evil age, and that’s why he sent his son Jesus, and he gave himself. He wasn’t forced.

He gave himself to do that for us. Okay, thank you very much. He’s going to rescue us from this dominion of evil. Brother Ken, go ahead.

Yeah, those were pretty much my thoughts that I would, you know, that Christ gave was his will, that Christ give the ransom for our sins and that we would be delivered out of this present evil world, and that that is the will of God. Okay. All right, thank you very much, Sister Karen. The next verse.

Ephesians 6:6.

Yeah. Okay, so Ephesians 6:6. Not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, and I would say the stress is doing the will of God from the heart.

Okay. Yes, that’s key point, key point. Any comments on that?

Are we successful if we do the will of God, not from the heart? Will that work?

Is that acceptable to God?

What did, what did God criticize the nation of Israel for doing?

What does it say? They served God with their lips, but something was far from him.

Can you complete that sentence? I see a few heads shaking. Yes, But I don’t see any hands.

Brother David Stein, I think, is looking for a mic.

You have a pretty good picture there of us, brother, watching over. Yeah, the rest of the. But they’re not serving with their heart. You know, this might be considered a case of good, better, best. It’s better to do the will of God than not do it.

Not no matter what your motive is. But if you don’t have the motive of doing it from the heart, you are failing as respects what God wants. His will is not simply to do the will, but to love the will, to be fully engrossed with it and overcome by it, and when we have that, then we have a heart just like Jesus did. Anything less than that is not to meet what God is looking for.

Over. Well, thank you very much. Appreciate that. I see a hand. Sister Robin.

Go ahead. Yeah. Just wanted to bring out Psalm 40, verse 8. I delight to do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy law is written within my heart.

And then a couple in Psalms 119 about delighting myself in thy statutes and thy commandments. So we should have that desire and delight in doing God’s will and pleasing him, rather than just doing it because we’re out of duty or we’re forced to. Over. Okay, thank you. So for doing God’s will acceptably requires not better, as Brother David said, but best, which is do it the best that we can from the heart, that we put our heart into it.

That’s the only way it’s going to be acceptable, and God’s going to test us when he asks us to do his will. He’s going to test to see if he’s. If he’s getting the best. If he’s getting it from the heart.

So, and then I assigned. Let’s see, Jeff, did I give you first? Thessalonians 5, correct. 13 to 17. Go ahead.

Yeah. Regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another, and we urge you, brothers, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

Rejoice, always pray without ceasing everything. Give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Okay, so what is. What does this passage tell us about God’s will?

Brother Jeff, Go ahead. Live a life of service for others. True. Try to find where the need is needed. Seek those who need the help and try to Assist where you can, and sometimes it helps us to help others as well.

So we also learn and grow from the experience as well. Okay, so the will of God, what tells us how we should relate to one another tells us about our responsibilities towards one another.

Okay, Jonathan, I think the next one was first Peter 2:13 to 15, first Peter 2:13 to 15. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake, to every authority instituted among men, whether to the king as the supreme authority, or to governors who are sent to him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

So what does this first tell us about God’s will? We talked a little bit about this in our earlier study regarding prayer, I think praying for secular authorities. But what does this verse tell us about God’s will?

Any thoughts, Brother Homer? Go ahead.

So I notice that your question says, what do the following Scriptures say about the will of God concerning the Christian? I noticed that all of your scriptures are found in the New Testament. Okay, and you know, the Bible is the word of God, and these requirements are particularly upon those who profess the name of Christ. So there are an abundance of scriptures.

And I’ll give a different one, and it’s found in Colossians, chapter three, verses one to three, and it tells us what God expects of us. I won’t quote the whole thing, but it says, if he be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above set your affections, etc. Etc. So that’s my comment.

Okay, thank you. I don’t know that was necessarily by design, that we already did, only did the New Testament Scriptures. But we thank you for pointing that out, and the fact is that God’s will is for us to look upward heavenward, because what kind of call have we been given? We’ve been given an upward call in Christ Jesus.

So we are to look up because that’s where we’re going to find the will of God. Okay, I want to thank everybody for reading the Scriptures and move on now to the second question, which is how does developing a Christlike character help the Christian in discerning God’s will? And so we want to go ahead and have a couple of verses read. We’re going to ask Sister Estera to read for us Romans 8, 29, and then Sister Teresa to read for us Philippians 2, 5.

And then, let’s see, we’re going to ask, I think, Sister Tammy Russell, sitting next to Sister Teresa I want you to read Colossians 3, 15 and 16, and then we want to talk about the Christian’s responsibility to develop a Christlike character and how that works together with discerning God’s will. Sister Estera, I think Romans 8:29. Correct. Because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Okay, thank you, Rome. Excuse me. Philippians 2:5. Sister Theresa, Philippians 2:5. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Jesus. Okay, and then Sister Tammy, we’re going to skip down to Colossians 3. But verses 15 and 16. 15, 15 and 16. Colossians 15 and 16.

That the piece of Christ to which you were indeed called in one body, which rule over your hearts, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing the thankfulness in your hearts to God. Thank you. Okay, so going back to question number two.

How does developing a Christ like character help the Christian in discerning God’s will?

Brother Michael Castelli, Go ahead.

I wouldn’t say the word to use would be intuitive, but if we are living a Christlike life and we’re guided by his principles, it would appear to me that one could determine what might be God’s will in an event, in a matter, by the aspects of the, you know, the outcome of the situation. Like, you know. Well, I don’t want to list any particular item, but if you’re not in the will of God, you’re not going to recognize his handiwork. Over. Okay, thank you.

Very good.

Brother David Stein, Go ahead. I think maybe we can use a little bit of a parallel. I don’t speak very good French, so if I talk to Julianne and she speaks to me in French, I might pick up a little here and there. On the other hand, if I was fluent, I’d know exactly what she’s saying. We do not speak the same language of God unless we have the character of God.

Having the character of God enables us to understand what he’s saying and often why he’s saying it. So the character of God is an absolute foundational necessity to understand the will of God. Over. Okay, thank you very much.

What does it mean to develop a Christlike character?

So what does it mean? And what does the verse. Romans. Excuse me, Romans. Philippians 2, 5.

Tell us, what does it say? Let what be in us?

Let this mind, this disposition, this way of thinking, be in us as was in Christ Jesus, and then how does that inform us concerning the will of God? Does Jesus become our role model? Is he a person that we look to as we get into situations and decisions in our life that would point out how we should respond to them and what the will of God might be to carry us through this situation.

Brother Paul Lagno and then Brother Jeff Mezareth. Well, developing Christlikeness is the will of God. We all know that. We have to add to our faith all these virtues that will make us overcomers. So it’s a process.

I don’t think you have to have the full character of Christ yet in order to be able to discern perhaps a direction that God wants you to go in. But we have to have that in our mind that that’s the goal is to be like Christ and even to be like our heavenly Father. Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Okay, very good. It’s a process.

It’s called following in Jesus footsteps, being in the school of Christ. Correct. Brother Jeff Mezra, I think had a comment. I’m going to start with an analogy from the tabernacle. We think of the tabernacle, we think of going in through the gate, past the brazen altar and the laver, and then going into the tent.

But when God gave the instructions how to build the tabernacle, he started with the ark of the covenant. He started with the Most Holy and worked his way out, and so I use that as an example to say that we should learn to think like God. As Brother David Stein just said, you know, we need to learn what the Scripture says, what the Word says, but we also need to learn why, and sometimes that question why is the most important question.

Because that helps us not to learn just the fixed rules, but the principles, the philosophy of what the will of God is and how to live it.

Thank you, Sister Julianne and then Sister Gabriella.

I mean, the starting point to be like Jesus is to empty yourself of self. You know, he was selfless. He walked in self denial, self sacrifice, and the scripture that really touched my heart is Philippians 2, 7 and 8.

He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found in fashion of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. So it’s just a full submission. But in order to be fully submit, it’s deciding not to do your Own will at any cost. Always search for the will of God and just be very submissive to it and then becoming like a servant.

He was highly ranked in God’s heavenly kingdom, and he made himself of no reputation. He took the lowest place and he kept teaching his disciples. Who wants to be the first, need to be the last. If you want to have a high reward, you have to be servant of all, and that’s, you know, spirit of Christ.

Thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Sister Gabriella. Go ahead. Yeah, actually, Ellison had a comment.

She thought of a scripture for this. Go ahead. It’s about drawing closer to God and God will draw closer to you.

She was telling me that. Drawing close. What is drawing closer to God? Worshiping God, praising God and praying to God and then trying to be more like Jesus. So if you do those things and then God draws closer to you, that would be like a better able for you to discern God’s will, right?

Yes.

Very good. Thank you, Alison. The closer we get to God, the more we’re going to understand his thinking, as we’ve talked about that, and that’ll help us to be able to discern his will. Sister Joyce, and then Brother Homer after that, and going right along with that is, Jesus is our heavenly bridegroom.

And we want to be the ones that follow the Lamb wherever he goes. We want to be as close to him as possible. Nick ties in very well those closer we draw ourselves to Christ and his character, the more he’s going to reveal Himself to us. Okay, very good. Thank you, Brother Hummer.

Go ahead. So a question to be asked is, did our Lord have a will of his own? Was he a robot? And the reason I’m raising this question is because, and you can interpret this however you want, he says, let this cup passed from me, and there’s been discussion as to what the cup was or what does that mean.

But he did say, nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. So if he did not have a will of his own, maybe he would not have said that, but he submitted. Okay, thank you. Appreciate that. We’re going to get back to our Lord Jesus and His being our role model in this regard.

Another question. So we thank you for bringing that to our attention. Other comments on question number two. How does developing a Christlike character help in discerning God’s will?

You know, we’ve been talked about having our minds renovated or the development of the new creature, or as Paul talks about in Ephesians 4, growing up into our head, which is even Christ. I mean, all of this is talking about how we put on Christ, how we put on the new man, the new way of thinking, the new character. I think, as Brother David Stein mentioned earlier in his comment, in all of these ways, the closer we can get our thinking aligned with our Lord, our Heavenly Father and their principles of truth and righteousness, then the more naturally our ability to be able to discern God’s will in a particular situation becomes, because we now start to think as the Lord thinks and we’re not thinking as a fallen natural man, and that makes the process of discerning the will of God where we don’t have a thus saith the Lord, but where we have to make a matter of judgment, it makes that easier. Okay, let’s go on to question number three.

Does the leading of God’s Holy Spirit help discerning the God’s will? I want to go ahead and we’ll ask Brother David Stein if he’d read for us Matthew 4. Just verse 1. Okay, and then we’re going to ask, let’s see, Sister Kathy Stein, are you available there to to read or are you on grandparent duty?

We’re going to ask you to get for us.

Let’s see, Galatians 5, 16 and 17, and then 22 to 25. So we’ll just read those two passages and then we’ll talk about the Holy Spirit. Brother David, Matthew 4:1 Matthew chapter 4, verse 1. Then Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Okay.

And then we’re going to ask Sister Kathy to read for us Galatians 5, 16, 17, and then 22 to 25. Okay. Galatians 5, 16,17, 22 to 25. Okay. When I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do, and then 2022-25. Okay. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

Against such things there is no law, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh. Flesh and with passions and desire and its passions and its desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Thank you.

Okay, so we ask the question, how does the leading of God’s Holy Spirit help us in discerning God’s will?

Does it help us let’s see. I see a hand in the back. Is that Sister Karen? Sister Karen. It leads us, but we have to be willing to be led.

And we have to have our ears open to listen because it’s not like barking orders. It’s leading us, and we have to be of the right attitude. Over. Okay, we’re going to come back to you, Sister Karen, and ask you to read Galatians 5:18 in a minute.

So how else does the Holy Spirit help us? Brother Britt, go ahead.

Yeah. The Spirit reveals God’s plans and purpose, things we cannot grasp on our own, and I have that on 1st Corinthians 2:10, the Spirit searches all things, even in the deep things of God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Thank you. That’s an excellent point. Because later in that same chapter, doesn’t it say these things? The natural man does not understand. He doesn’t understand the call.

He doesn’t understand the new requirements. He doesn’t understand what God is developing. He doesn’t understand what the goal of developing the bride is. The fact that it’s actually going to result in the salvation of souls or the entire human family. So the point is, it’s only by the Spirit that we understand these things.

Brother David, go ahead. An example of this would be when Jesus said we are to love our enemies. The natural man looks at that and says, what, are you crazy? This guy’s going to hurt me or steal from me. How can I love him?

But the Holy Spirit has revealed unto us what God’s plan is, that God sees the potential in each one and sees even in our enemies, the potential of them to love us. So this is something spiritually discerned. A natural man doesn’t get it. Just one example over.

Thank you, Brother Jeff. Go ahead.

There’s a famous quote from an old preacher named George Muller, and he says, I seek in the beginning to get my heart in such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or single impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusion. I will seek the will or Spirit of God through or or in connection with the Word of God.

The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone, without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions. Also, if the Holy Spirit guides us at all. He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them, and it goes on.

This is in one of the reprints.

Okay, thank you very much. You read. Did you get that from one of the handouts that we sent out? Because that was a quotation from which I think Brother Russell was quoting from somebody else. He gave us a really nice prescription on how to.

When we get into matters where it’s a judgment call, how to determine the will of God in a matter, and how not to be derailed or diverted as as is mentioned in that case. Okay, thank you very much. Any other comments on how the Holy Spirit leads us in terms of discerning the will of God?

Brother Randy, go ahead.

I don’t know if Romans 8:14 was read or not, but it says, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, and verse 16 says, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God. So if we’re being led, it should be seen in us that we’re developing the character of Christ and we are his children. We’re being developed by the Lord and his Holy Spirit.

Thank you. God has given us his Spirit to both inform us and to lead us. You know, I think it’s interesting that it says in Matthew 4. One, the. I think the verse that Brother David read, it was the Spirit that led Jesus out into the wilderness, ultimately to be tested of the adversary.

I remember there was one experience where Samson went and asked his parents to go find him a lady as a wife from the Philistines, and it was actually God’s Spirit that was working through Samson because he caught. He wanted an occasion against the Philistines. So sometimes the Lord’s Spirit leads us in a particular direction for his accomplishment of his will or for our betterment. Sister Karen, you want to read for us?

I think it’s Ephesians 5:18.

Okay. I brought up Galatians. Was it? No. Was it?

Maybe it was. Maybe it was Galatians. So it’s about. No, I think it’s Ephesians. Okay.

It has to do with the spirit.

Yes. 5:18, Ephesians. So let me change the version because I don’t like that one.

Sorry. Do not get drunk on wine which leads to reckless indiscretion. This is the bsv. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Any other comments on question number three? How does the Spirit.

How does the leading of God’s Holy Spirit help in discerning God’s will?

With a. Ken, go ahead.

I think that The Spirit leads us when we pray in the Spirit that it is a two way street to where we come, and we recognize the Spirit of God in our prayers and in our intercessions, in our supplications to come into that will of God, then we are led by the Spirit. You know, it says in Matthew 5, 5, blessed are are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, and with discerning and abiding in the Spirit, in all that we do, in all that we say, and in our prayers, then we come into harmony with the heart, and the heart is much more than the mind.

The mind, we can have something in our mind and a knowledge of it. But when it comes to the heart, then we begin to discern the will of God through what we experience and what we feel in this walk, and then that is where I think that we begin to see God is when our heart gets pure. In 55 it says, Be ye perfect, as I am perfect, and Brother Russell brings up in reprint that what our goal is is to have perfect heart intention.

And that perfect heart intention, that is the will of God for us. That we would have that agape love reach that fourth quarter mark and then that would be the will of God for us is that that would be how we make our calling and election. Sure, if that makes sense. Okay. No, I think it does make sense.

I mean, I think one of the whole goals of the Christian the walk is to get our hearts in harmony with God. Not just our minds, not just our intellects, but our affections, our values, you know, and basically all those things in harmony with our heavenly fathers. Then our thinking and our decision making and the path we choose will more naturally follow what God’s will would be, what he would want us to do. But to do that, I think as we’ve all talked about is the first thing is we got to do is we got to empty ourselves of our own spirit, you know, and then we got to be filled with God’s spirit. We got to let his.

We got to allow him room in our hearts and our minds to pour that spirit to think about the things above. Brother, Brother Homer mentioned when seek those things which are above. I mean, that’s what we’re thinking not just intellectually, but also the value system that God has, and then the last part of that is we’ve got to submit ourselves to be led by it. You know, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Not only are we to be felled by the Spirit, but I think the verse that Brother Randy Read as many as our sons are God. What? It’s not that they just have the Holy Spirit. They’re led by the Spirit of God. They’ve surrendered themselves to the leading of the Spirit of God to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

So the Spirit is critical, not only telling us what’s God’s will, but then we’ve got to sort of submit. We got to give into its leading so that we follow it as opposed to necessarily following our own path. Okay, thank everybody for their contributions. Now we’re going to get back to our Lord, and question number four.

Why was Jesus so successful in discerning God’s will, and what can we do to follow his example? Sister Robin already read for us Psalm 40, verse 8. But we’ll ask her to read that again, and then we’re going to ask. Let’s see.

See, did I, what did I. Where did I stop on that next row. Oh, Sister Kathy harp, have you read a scripture for us yet?

We’re going to ask you to read Psalms 37, 30, and 31. But first, Sister Robin, on Isaiah 40. Excuse me, Psalm 48. 40, verse 8, and then Sister Kathy Harp, Psalm 37, Psalm 40, verse 8.

I delight to do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy law is written within my heart. Okay, and then Sister Kathy Harp, Psalm 37, 30 and 31.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart, and he steps and does not slip.

Right. So coming back to Jesus as the example, as our role model, why was he so successful in discerning God’s will? And what can we do to follow his example?

Sister Stara, go ahead.

When we think about Jesus being led into the wilderness, we talked about when he was tested. He immediately spoke scripture. He quoted scripture. His mind was, as Robin said, the law of God was written in his heart, so he immediately was able to quote scriptures. That’s the same with us.

If we fill our mind with the Word of God. Okay, thank you. Filling our mind with the Word of God is crucial. Okay, but is there a step we need to go beyond that? Brother Paul and then Sister Julianne, Brother Paul got his hand up first.

I beat her.

Jesus knew the time features of what God wanted for him, and he criticized the scribes and Pharisees for not knowing, for not recognizing who he was, of course, and what God’s will was for him. But Jesus, you know, told the disciples, I’m going to Jerusalem and they’re going to kill me. He knew exactly I think we should know the time. I know you know the time.

If I’m not mistaken, you put the thousand years future.

But, and I’m not criticizing, and I know this is a sore point for brother Homer. I think we need to know where we are in the stream of time, and I don’t think it’s rocket science to know, but.

And of course, of course we have to love all of our brethren, no matter what their opinions are about time. But I think Jesus understood the timing of where he was on the stream of time, and for me, I believe we should know that as well. Over. Okay, thank you, Sister Julianne.

When I think of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness after his baptismal, the adversary was very sneaky because he was using scriptures to tempt him. But Jesus knew the Scriptures and he knew the intention of the adversary. He knew that, you know, he had to say what’s pleasing to the heavenly Father, and you know, you would do what others did in the Old Testament. Thus saith the Lord, this is written that he was not deceived.

And I think that the danger also for us as new creature, we need to know the Scriptures. We can’t expect others to feed us. We have to do our research. We have to know the Scriptures, and we are warned, we are forewarned that there will be false Christs, false prophets, who if possible, would deceive the very elect.

Matthew 24:24. We know that there will be deceptions in 2nd Peter 3, 3, knowing that there will be scoffers that will come after their own lust. So we don’t want to be deceived, and the only way is through the Scriptures. Study the Scriptures, know what God’s will is.

Search it for yourself and be firm in it. Okay, thank you very much, Brother Keith. Go ahead, and then Brother Ken.

Yeah, the sister touched on it a little bit. I was going to say familiarity and desire. Now, obviously, you know, he had his pre existence and when he received the Holy Spirit, that obviously came back to him. But he also had a desire to do the will of the Father. So much so that he said, here am I, you know, I will go from the foundations of the.

Of the world. Right. So how can we do the same thing? Well, we have to become familiar with God’s will. How do we do that?

We get into His Word, we study what Jesus said and that helps us, and then we have to have the will to do God’s will. We have to desire to do God’s will. Okay, thank you very much for mentioning those two Points familiarity and then desire. Brother Ken, go ahead.

Yeah, Brother Keith touched on it. I think that what Jesus did is he gave up everything to do the will of the Father. I mean, and it was brought that at his baptism, when he received the Holy Spirit without measure, he remembered and he says the heavens were open to him and the heavens means the higher things, and so as those higher things were open to him and he discerned what he’d been looking for all his life. He was seeking to do the will of the Father.

We know as a boy at 12, he was ready to do that, and he had been in the Scriptures and he had been searching, search it in the Scriptures, and then at the age of 30, when his time came under the law, then the heavens were open to him at his baptism and he went off in the wilderness to fast for 40 days. I don’t think he just fasted for 40 days. I think he was out there learning the will of God and going over and meditating upon the word of God for all that time.

But you know, when you think about it, he gave up, first of all, he gave up his position as a Logos, and then he gave up a perfect life here on this earth to do the will of the Father, and so I think that is the main thing is the sacrifice that Jesus was willing to sacrifice, and our example is just like Paul says, I count all things as but loss and dross to do the Father’s will, and so I think that is why our Lord Jesus was so successful at doing the Father’s will. Because he loved the Father so much.

The Lord possessed him in the beginning of his ways, and the Lord will work with us in the same way, and that possession is what you do with, like if you’re going to possess a house or a piece of property or something, you make all the right preparations, and that’s how Jesus was nurtured, and I think that’s how we are nurtured under that same foundation, which is Christ.

And we build upon that foundation is how we learn to do the will of God. Okay, any other comments on this? Brother Homer and then Brother David Stein.

So we’re discussing scripture and I, I just have to give a comment for Brother Paul because we’re not studying Brother Homer, we’re not studying Brother Paul. We’re discussing in the main God and Jesus, and one of the comments I frequently make is that the reason that we probably meet with one another is because we have the same broadly appreciation for the writings of Brother Russell. That’s his general Statement, and so I would have to ask the question.

This is a rhetorical question for Brother Paul or anyone else who would like to speak for me is. So if you believe that he was that wise and faithful servant, then the question is, did he have it right or wrong? Because he expressed it both ways, whether or not the rain was future or it had already begun. Thank you.

Okay, Brother Paul, and then we’ll need to move on.

No comment to that. That’s a very good question. Okay, well, we’re getting. We’re getting a little off our topic, which was why was Jesus so successful? And I think the fact was both being familiar with God’s will and then basically he loved it and he submitted itself to him.

Brother David, I think you had your hand up and I think there was a hand in the back. Yeah. Just to add a little bit to what has been said, please pardon me for the duplication. Jesus, from the time he was a young boy, was interested in learning what God’s will is. We have gospel accounts of him doing that very thing.

And when he was begotten of the Holy Spirit, he already had what any perfect, unspirit begotten man would have. A photographic memory, encyclopedic knowledge of everything in what we call the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures. But all the dots hadn’t been connected yet. They certainly hadn’t been connected when he was 12 years old when the Spirit came upon him. That gave him the ability and capacity to connect those dots.

And as Brother Ken noted, that Jesus we’re told, and, well, in fact, the scripture that I read, Matthew 4:1, that he was led into the wilderness to be tempted. But that temptation did not come until the very last day after he had fasted 40 days and 40, 40 nights. Then the adversary came to him. So what was he doing? I think Ken is exactly right.

He was connecting the dots. He’s meditating upon what he already knew and putting it all together so that when he left that wilderness after that temptation, he knew everything that he needed to know about the next three and a half years. He knew the day he was going to die. He knew the time he was going to die. He knew how he was going to die.

He knew that he would accumulate his apostles to himself. He knew he’d be betrayed. All of these things were in the Hebrew scriptures, and Jesus got it all. So what does that tell us? Because the second part of your question is, what can we do to follow his example?

We don’t have any scripture that says that Jesus studied or was Studying the fact that he knew everything is clear that he did study. We need to study God’s word to know God’s will. There’s no escape from it. There’s no substitute for it, and in so doing, we do what Jesus did.

We need to meditate upon the knowledge that God gives us and think about how to connect the dots, not just doctrinally and academically. You know the there’s so much knowledge of the scripture, but the application in our lives to become sanctified and more like Jesus prayer life. This hasn’t been mentioned, but Jesus prayer life was thorough. He was a perfect man, and look how much the scriptures show that he prayed at the very beginning of his ministry when he was immersed.

One of the Gospel writers says he was praying the very end of his ministry on the clothes cross. What does he say? He’s still praying. So Jesus life of prayer again is another clue that this is how he was able to be successful in discerning and doing God’s will. Of course the Spirit Begetto allows us, gives us the capacity to do that.

And one last thing. He said, for this cause came I into the world. Jesus found purpose in his life. Each of us need to find purpose in our life. What is the purpose that God has called us to?

What does he want us to do now? In general terms, he wants us all to do the same things, but in specific terms. We have different roles, different obligations, different opportunities of serving the Lord by serving his people. Each of us needs to think and pray. What is my part in the body of Christ?

What is it the Lord wants me to do? And in the doing of God’s will, we are blessed, we bless others and we deepen our relationship with our heavenly Father as well. Over. Thank you. Let’s move on to question number five.

How does discerning God’s will for the Christian differ from what God led to the nation? Or differ from how how God led the nation of Israel under the law covenant? And we have one set of scriptures we’d like to have read. Let’s see. Brother Randy, Matthew the 22nd chapter, verses 37 to 40.

So we’ll ask you to go ahead and read that, and then the question is how does discerning God will differ from the Christian from what Israel was instructed to do?

Matthew 22:37 40.

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it thou Shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

So how does discerning God’s will differ for the Christian from Israel under the law? Sister Robin, go ahead. I think somebody may have mentioned it earlier, but I think being sons rather than servants, we’re given the privilege of knowing why we have that understanding of God’s plan and why we’re called to do what we’re called to do, and the servant class, the nation of Israel didn’t have that. They were just told, do this, don’t do that.

But they didn’t really understand the why over very good. They were given a list of rules. I see a hand back there next. Sister Joyce, go ahead, and then I see another one.

Brother Jeff. Yeah, and the relationship that the nation of Israel had was a national relationship. The covenant was made to Abraham for his natural descendants, and as Sister Robin said, it was a covenant of you.

If you obey what I say, you’re going to be blessed. Like the relationship of a master to a servant, the call of the church is indirect, individual, and we have the incredible ability to be called the children of God, each one of us, sons in particular. So we are able to find out what God wants because we can ask him and then we can find his word through the Holy. We can find his answer through the Holy Spirit in the Word.

And Jesus, you know, I think she said this as well. Jesus said this that the servant doesn’t know what the master is going to do next, but the children, the sons, the brethren of the Son are going to know what’s going to happen happen next, as long as they stay in the Word and try to discern God’s will, knowing that we’re children and heirs. That’s all. Okay, thank you very much, Brother Jeff. The Old Testament writers were inspired, but they didn’t understand exactly everything that they were writing.

They were told or given the Holy Spirit to be able to know how to build the tabernacle, but they didn’t know what it meant.

The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was knowledge. The work of the New Testament is the comprehension. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was might. In the New Testament, it’s light, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was power.

But the work of the New Testament Holy Spirit is the perception.

Okay, thank you. Appreciate that. Israel’s job in the Old Testament was. Well, we’ll ask Brother Benjamin. Go ahead.

Your comment? Actually, I wanted to read a scripture from Your previous question and connect it up with this one, and this was from Jeremiah 31, verse 30, 33, and it says, but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah, I will put my law in their inward parts and in their heart will I write it, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

I thought this was very interesting because of the wording, how it is written in their hearts, the law, and I think that there’s two ways that you can look at this. One, that there was an inward desire. You say, if it’s my heart’s desire to do this thing, and so you want to follow the law.

In that case, you want to follow his will. But then if you look at it from more of a mundane perspective, that it’s written on your heart and think of the heart as an organization, you can’t control your heart now. You can do things to your body to make it raise and lower its pulse, but it’s an automatic function. It continues to go while you sleep. If the law is something like that, where it is an automatic thing, you cannot control how it’s going to operate.

It continues to operate you. In that case, I would say that Israel under the law covenant, it was part of them. It was who they were as a people versus the Christians, which this is an experience where we have to go through and develop it. We look to have his law written in our hearts so that it is an automatic response. It’s an automatic feature.

His will, I should say, and so that’s where I draw the difference over. Okay, well, thank you very much, Sister Gabriella. Go ahead. I was just going to say from the Matthew scripture and the way this question is sort of worded, so the law, or I guess God’s will didn’t change from the Old Testament to the New Testament, but in.

In the Old Testament, it kind of feels more like God gave them all the examples, and when they went to discern God’s will, they would find which example matched and then do that, and in the New Testament instead, God gives us, you know, hey, love, love me and love everybody else, and from that, we are supposed to apply that to all the examples. So in the sense of how did God lead the two groups differently?

They both were supposed to get love out of it, but one was sort of backwards from the other in terms of the way that God led that, and I mean, I don’t know. It feels like maybe the Old Testament way would be easier because it’s like, oh, clearly do this, don’t do that. But really, maybe the New Testament way is better because we know, like, the main goal, we don’t have to figure it out. Okay, thank you, Brother Paul.

And then we’re going to have to move on. So a good study on this would be 2nd Corinthians 3, comparing the glory of the Old Covenant with the glory of the New Covenant and the glory of the Mediator of the Old Covenant with the glory of the Mediator of the New Covenant, and there you find that they both had glory, but in Christ, of course, they didn’t have. The main answer to your question would be they didn’t have Christ who had sacrificed his life for the world, and so we have that.

And so one of my most favorite scriptures, which is the only direct scripture that proves we are part of the Mediator of the New Covenant is the last verse of 2nd Corinthians 3. We all with unveiled face, like Moses, are being changed the same word as Romans 12:2, by the way, we’re being changed into that through looking into the mirror, and I’m not of course quoting this directly, but looking into the mirror of God’s Word, we are being changed from glory to glory. You can take the glory to glory either, you know, from the glory of the Old Covenant to the glory of the New Covenant, or the glory of having this Spirit of Christ within us now, and the glory, if we are faithful, how much that would be surpass that we all like Moses with unveiled face. It’s an incredible scripture.

Okay, thank everybody for their comments. I think one of the essence is Israel was given a set of rules to follow. But the rules, while Sister Gabriella mentioned, you know, they gave him specific specifics on what to do in certain situations. They didn’t derive from them the principles, and God even in the book of Deuteronomy said, oh, for a heart in this people that they would want to do God’s will, which they never, never, ever adopted.

We’re going to need to move on to question number six, see if we can squeeze everything in. Question number six. How do we avoid being misled by the spirit of the adversary, the world, or the weakness of our fallen flesh? We talked about being led by God’s Spirit, but how do we avoid being misled by the other spirits in the world that are out there? What can we do to protect ourselves against that?

Any thoughts?

I’m sorry I seen your hand. Okay, Sister Kathy Stein, go ahead.

I like what somebody said one time, and that is people that work in the federal government in finding counterfeit bills. They don’t spend their time focusing on what a counterfeit bill looks like. Focus on what an actual real bill, dollar bill, whatever looks like, and if we spend our time focusing on what the heavenly Father shows us in the scriptures, we don’t have to look at anything else to know whether or not it’s of God or not, because we’re making our focus of God, so it becomes obvious when it is not of God. Okay.

All right, thank you very much. Appreciate that.

What else can we do? Brother Michael Castelli. Go ahead. I recall when I began my walk with the Lord, I was. Well, I was blessed to have Brother and Sister Buell in my company.

They were just a few blocks away from us. I remember listening to a lot of Garner 10 Armstrong, Herbert Armstrong, other voices as I was studying with them, and I was concerned, particularly when I went out and just talked with people I met, discussed religious subjects. How would I know if I was being led by the church? Truth of the adversary?

And it came down to an understanding I had gained from my study with the Buells in Brother Russell’s writings and the Bible. You know, God is not three persons. Number one. The soul is not immortal. The soul is mortal and can die.

You know, all the souls that sinneth, they die, and it grave was the hell. The Bible. Hell was the grave. Those three touch points were able to keep me from straying off into one thought or another.

And I was very thankful for that shepherding they made available to me. But. But it was the word of God, the truth, that kept me from being deceived by the adversary over you. What other things can we do to avoid being led? Brother ken, go ahead.

First John 4:1 beloved. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits where they are of God. Because. Because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God.

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of Antichrist. Wherever you have heard that it should come, and even now, already it is in the world.

That Gnostic system John was fighting about then is today the wiles of the adversary. Anyone that does not recognize the ransom is not of God, because the ransom is, and I’m not saying that people aren’t of God, but that this spirit of Antichrist is in the world and that we do well to stay underneath the ransom and in the Ransom and the belief of the ransom. Okay, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

So one of the tests we can use is those who believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Another one is from that same epistle of the Apostle John. Love not the world, neither the things in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Gives us a couple of minutes to go just to the last question number seven.

How can we use God’s overruling providence in our lives to discern his will, understanding that things that happen to us are not necessarily always God’s providence, but perhaps God’s allowance? Brother Paul, go ahead. So lots of principles, but I like to look at the one that says, do good unto all as you have opportunity, especially the household of faith, and we didn’t discuss this principle. But I think God wants us to discern.

And I think that there’s the best will of God, but there’s an acceptable will of God. But the main thing he wants from us is a decision, and, and so I often say to brethren who say, oh, I don’t know if I can go to Israel. I say, well, just say you’re going to go to Israel, and then look for the Lord’s overruling.

And that’s how I’ve always done it, and the Lord has definitely prevented us from going several times when we made that decision. But I think it was a good decision. He wants us to do good, and so how many want to go to Israel this year?

Raise your hand.

All right, we got.

Okay. Any other? Thank you, Brother Paul. Any other comments on how we can use God’s providential overruling in our lives to discern his will? You know, a lot of times it’s not every door that opens to us was opened by God.

Sometimes the adversary opens doors that will lead us astray. So how do we figure out which one is which? When a door opens to us, this is the way the Lord wants us to go versus maybe this is the adversary tiptoe. I mean, how do we determine that?

Because the adversary was pretty clever in trying to dissuade our Lord in the wilderness. Sister Julianne, go ahead.

Usually, you know, I don’t rush into decision. I think it’s really important to take time, consideration and also sometimes search for, you know, advice from the brethren.

In my life decisions, sometimes it took years of prayers that the Lord closes the door that are not meant for me, and when he opens them, that he would make it very obvious, and he always answered this prayer And I’m so grateful because when I had any doubt, instead of rushing into decision, I would be on my guard, always watch and pray, and the Lord preserved me from a lot of bad decisions that way, and I was very, very grateful for that. So not rush, but, you know, instant in prayer, always making sure that is that really God’s way and the way he closes the door, door, that’s amazing because sometimes it’s a disappointment, but afterwards, when he reveals unto you why it’s not good to you, it’s faith strengthening.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Sister Julianne. You gave us a really good prescription there. Any other comments?

You know, in one of the reprint articles that we cited as a reference for this, Brother Muscle makes that exact point. If you can take time to make a challenging decision, take it. Don’t rush into it, and then the quotation that Brother Jeff talked about with the other reprint, get your hearts in harmony with God’s will, and the fact is that the spirit leading it or the door opening it will never be counter to the word of God.

Things will all agree, and it’ll agree with such things as this is the will of God. Even our sanctification or being made holy, all these things need to align for us to oftentimes determine what is exactly God’s will in our life. Want to thank everybody for their participation, and we’ll turn the meeting back over to our chairman.

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