HOW CAN I KNOW GOD'S WILL?

1. Introduction

a) On 06/09/2012 (Thursday), my wife and I went for the IDMC (Intentional Disciple Making Conference) Conference 2012 in Singapore. This 3 days (6th-8th September 2012) was attended by 2,400 delegates coming from 40 nations. The Theme for the conference was "Knowing God's Will" A Vital Road-map In Discipleship Today. The yearly conference was organized by Covenant Evangelical Free Church in Singapore.

b) The plenary (main) speaker was Reverend Edmund Chan, who is a reflective practitioner (artful) with a well-recognized gift of making complex things simple.

2. The Will of God

a) Four theological statements about the will of God:

"God's will is totally sovereign (supreme or highest in power),
- Gloriously redemptive (recovery of something pawned or mortgage),
Sometimes puzzling (baffling or confusing),
But always perfect (being without defect or blemish)".

i) The will of God is totally sovereign ... (supreme or highest in power)

9 "Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, 'My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; (Isaiah 46:9, 10 NASB)

ii) The will of God is gloriously redemptive ... (recovery of something pawned or mortgage)

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8, 9 NASB)

iii) The will of God is sometimes puzzling ... (baffling or confusing)

10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him (Christ), putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure (will) of the LORD will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10 NASB)

10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10 NIV)

@1. Suffering... Those who refuse suffering is to refuse personal growth.

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Peter 4:12-16 NASB)

19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (1 Peter 4:19 NASB)

iv) The will of God is absolutely perfect ... (being without defect or blemish)

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1, 2 NASB)

3. Understand what the will of God is!

a) Four imperatives (absolutely necessary) questions:

i) Are you in the place of sanctification? Holiness; separation unto Christ at salvation.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NASB)

ii) Are you in a place of calling (witness)?

8... but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NASB)

iii) Are you in a place of trust?

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NASB)

iv) Are you in a place of rested-ness?

7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7 NASB)

4. My Testimony

a) In April this year 2012, my wife and I visited Living Hope Methodist Church in Tam-pines, Singapore. It was at that time that my wife noticed about the IDMC 2012 conference in September 2012. We decided to go for this conference. We booked the flight tickets early but we did not pay the conference fees S$160 per delegate.

b) Prior to the conference date, I had to pray for God to supply the money for the conference fees S$320 (RM 800) for both of us. Since I was not the keen one to go for the conference, I then asked the Lord for his will and purpose in my life for this trip.

c) When we arrived Singapore on Thursday 06/09/2012 morning, we went to meet our son, Arthur who is studying in Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore, at Changi Airport. We stayed in his room for the whole conference. When we were to go for the first night of the conference on 06/09/2012, the Senior Pastor of Living Hope Methodist Church had made arrangement to fetch us to the venue. On the way to the venue, he had to fetch his wife and when we stopped at St. Luke Hospital to pick up his wife, I took the opportunity to ask him how should I pay for the conference fees. The Senior Pastor said he and his wife had decided earlier to bless us for this conference and he did not accept my money. This was in fact God's answer to my prayer.

d) The conference ended on Saturday, 08/09/2012 and my wife and I were enriched by the expository of the concept of "Knowing God's Will". We decided to go to Living Hope Methodist Church for Sunday Service the next day 09/09/2012 morning before we flew back to Malaysia in the evening on the same day.

e) The Senior Pastor of Living Hope Methodist Church once again made arrangement to take us to their church on Sunday morning and we were told that he would be fetching a group of 4 Australian missionaries staying in a hotel to their church as the leader of this missionary group would be their guest speaker for the Sunday Service.

f) After the preaching by Pastor Paula Connelly, the leader of the Australian missionary group, people came to the altar for prayer. I remembered Pastor Paula prayed for a couple, the wife was the song leader for the Sunday morning and she cried and was touched by God when Pastor Paula ministered to her. Then, my wife and I went out to the altar to be body catchers. Pastor Paula prayed for her husband but only for a short while. When the prayer for the couple was over, I asked the husband whether I could pray for him. He consented, and the word of the Lord that came out from my mouth touched him and I could see that he was controlling his tears. After which, he thanked me for the prayer.

g) As I was making my way out of the sanctuary, one of the Australian missionary came to me for prayer. The reason being that he was very sick before coming to Malaysia. Then I asked him (Richard) to sit on the pew and prayed for him. The word of the Lord came out from my mouth regarding the desire in his heart some time back and God wanted to bring it to pass on top of the prayer for healing.

h) Then I made my way to the Senior Pastor's office where all the guests were entertained. Just before I entered the door to the Senior Pastor's office, I saw another Australian missionary by the name of Narelle Carnegie. She was also coming into the office. Then, I remembered earlier what the Lord had impressed upon my heart that he had a word for her when she was traveling with us in a same car heading toward the Sunday Service. I stopped her and said that I had a word for her. She agreed and as the word from the Lord came out from my mouth, she was seen in tears and trying to control and clean her teary eyes. She said to me that she was going to cry. The more the word came to her, the more she was in tears and most of the time, she was seen wiping away her tears coming out from her eyes. After that, the Australian missionary group in the office saw what happened and said that I made her cry. Later, I knew from someone by the name of Sally that the word had touched her heart. So, the word that I gave to Narelle was in fact God's will and purpose for the trip. Thank God that he can use us whenever we are willing and available.

5. Prayer focus

a) Pray that we will be in the center of God's will in whatever we do.