What God Desires

by Loy Clements
(Springhill, LA. U.S.A.)

John 3:16

Introduction: "God so loved that He gave." Since He is Love, and love gives; just what does He desire from you and me? Well, let us take from this knowledge we now have about God and build our future upon this foundation.

I. God desires us to trust Him

There is a verse of scripture the Lord is always reminding me of, and it goes like this. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, and He will direct your path." When I lose my way, and don't know what to do in a situation; I run and hide in this promise from God.

I have learned that my actions of running into this promise not only pleases God; but it brings his light into my darkness. To me darkness is when we don't know what decision we need to make in a certain situation.

I remember when my Brother-in-law Don had a chance to leave his country church in Prattsville and pastor a bigger one in Magnolia. For over a month Don, through prayer and searching the scriptures, sought the Lord. One day he told me. "I believe the Lord is not through with me at Sweet Home."

Since I had been praying with him about his decision. I knew without a doubt, he had heard from God. The money, and circumstances looked like their moving to Magnolia was the right decision; but Don knew that to trust the Lord is the only path to take.

II. God desires us to prophesy (preach)

Revelation 19:10 "And I fell at his feet to worship him, And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

II Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear again; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." God has given to every born-again spirit the testimony of Jesus, and His desire is that we preach or make public what belongs to the world by faith in Jesus Christ.

Most church-goers don't understand how easy it is for someone to be saved from the life of sin and death. Righteousness is not our trying to be good enough to earn something from God. We'll never be good enough no matter what we do!

Romans 10:8-13 "But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is,the word of faith, which we preach: that if thou shalt confess with thou mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with thy mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scriptures saith Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."

Salvation is so simple: just believe God has raised Him from the dead, and confess His name Jesus in faith!

III. God desires us to live victorious

No matter what you are going through at this moment of your life, He has promised that we are "more than conquerors through Christ that strengthens us." Colossians says that Jesus has spoiled principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness. If Jesus has spoiled them; then they have no more power to use against us. How hard can it be to defeat someone that is already defeated.

Religion has kept Christians defeated by trying to make them perform like some kind of a circus animal. Not wearing makeup, and having to wear long dresses doesn't make a woman any more holy than my cousin Charley putting a dress on one of his horses make them any more human. A horse is a horse, and women are women no matter what they wear!

Christians are Christians even if we don't like their makeup. God created each individual with the personality He wanted them to have. Our personality is simply an expression of His Personality. When God wants to express Himself to the world; He simply uses one of His children to express Himself!

We must live this life in victory, and stop making our brothers and sisters in Christ feel defeated because they make a few mistakes. When someone slips and the pressure of life drags them down to the local bar, don't condemn; restore!

Galatians 6:1,2 "Brethren, if any man be overtaken in a fault (weakness), ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear one another burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

I don't read anything about being a self-righteous hypocrite, and judging them of their sin. Every time I read this verse, I am reminded of one of the most powerful witnesses I have ever met. She was a prostitute that loved the Lord with her whole heart.

Beverly's (name changed to protect her) problem was not a heart problem; it was an emotional problem. All of her childhood, her step-dad molested her beginning when she was only three years of age. At sixty years of age, she was still living the life of defeat. Why? No one ever told her the truth.

Beverly said to me, "Loy I have tried to go to church, and straiten out my life. But every preacher or church member I tried to get close to, all they wanted was what I had to offer physically. They knew where I had spent my life, and they thought that was all I could do."

I preached Beverly's funeral were we had over five thousand bikers in attendance. But, I guess I was the only one that called himself a Christian.

Conclusion: It is time that we give God what He desires, and quit playing little religious games. It is also time we support financially, and with our prayers those who have the guts to go after the forgotten folks in the drug world, porn business, and gambling industries.

Your Bible says in Mark 16:15-20 for you, not just preachers, to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL UNTO ALL CREATURES! And believe me, there are some crazy creatures out there; BUT JESUS DIED FOR THEM ALL! Quit being sorry, and become a true Christian, and go for the world!