Chapter 8

How to look for God.

Deuteronomy 4:29; 1st Kings 3: 11-12; 1st Kings 4: 29-30; Job 28:28; Psalms 69:32; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 2:5-6; Proverbs 3:5; Proverb 9:10; Proverbs 28:5; Matthew 3:1-2; Matthew 4:16-17; John 6:26-29; Acts 17:28-31; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 6:5-8; Hebrews 11:6; James 1:19-25

Seeking God

God said to Solomon in 2nd Chronicles that if God’s people that were called by God’s name would humble themselves, pray, and seek His face. God graciously offers to pardon us and give us peace and happiness if we seek Him. However, there is a day coming when God will not be found. At death and judgment, the door will be shut to us if we have not accepted God in this life. To seek God, there must not only be a change from the way we do things, but also a change of our minds. We must correct our judgments about people and things. It is not enough for us to stop practicing evil; rather, we must also struggle against evil thoughts. To repent is to return to God. If we do so, God will gladly pardon our sins. We forgive, but we cannot forget; but when God forgives sin, he remembers it no more.

The sacred truths of the Scriptures produce a spiritual change in the heart and mind of men. The Scriptures shall not return to God without producing the desired effects. When we read the Scriptures, we shall find what great things God has done and will do for us. The Scriptures makes great changes in us. It delivers us from the wrath of God. The Scriptures brings peace to the heart and mind of the repented child of God. The Scriptures changes us from being wicked, controversial, selfish, and carnal. It makes us long-suffering, humble, compassionate, and peaceful. There are many ways to get various information about God, but the Scriptures still remains the best source of information for the child of God. Only the Scriptures can reveal to us the will of God for our lives.

Looking For the Will of God

As children of God, we should desire to know what the will of God is, and make an effort to do it since a change has taken place in our lives and behaviors. We are to conduct ourselves justly and honestly in everything, we do. The Spirit of God has placed the love of God in our hearts and he will help us to control our actions. Our actions are good when the Spirit of God controls them and the glory of God is the result of them. The main concern of a child of God must be to please God. The Scriptures clearly state in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith. God is a rewarder of those that seek Him.

We are to make every effort to control our desires. We are told to strive for the prize of the higher calling of God. Nevertheless, we cannot expect the prize unless we obey the laws. We are to do good to everyone, so that God will be praised. We are told to conduct ourselves in the right manner so that the good that we do may not be spoken evil of. We must do the will of God, before we receive the promises of God. If we want to receive help from God, we must seek God. God is a great rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

We must persistently pray for God to give us understanding and wisdom to do the will of God. Again, we must do the will of God, before we receive the promises of God. Everything that we do or plan on doing should be within the will of God. As the children of God, if we do not do the things that we know that God wants us to do, God will send us to hell. The true child of God allows the will of God to control their lives and actions. The will of God corrects the mind, decisions, affections, and conversation of the child of God. We are required, not only to keep from wickedness, but also from things that lead to sin. God will look down on us with kindness when we sincerely seek Him.

Understanding the Will of God

The Scriptures says in James 1:5 that if we want wisdom we are to ask God for it and he will give it to us. Wisdom is more than knowing something; rather it also understands how to use the information that we have. Wisdom is the capability to determine what is best and the moral fiber to act upon that understanding. As the children of God, we should not ask God to do the things that His will calls for us to do. Rather we should ask Him for the understanding of his will and his help to help us do his will.

God will give us understanding of his will if we ask him for it. We often try to find wisdom without going to the Scriptures, but this is a big mistake for the child of God. There is nowhere on earth where we can find the true meaning and purpose to our lives other than in the Scriptures.God is the source of all wisdom and the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. To be able to have life and have it more abundantly, we must know, trust, and understand the will of God for our lives.

The only way that we can truly become wise and understand the will of God for our lives is to pray and ask God to reveal it to us. Jesus said that if we ask the Father for anything in his name that too shall he do. Normally, we want to seek wisdom through our life’s experiences and education, but we need to acknowledge that God is the true resource of all wisdom. The Scriptures make us wise to the traps and snares that Lucifer has set for us. The Scriptures also make us wise to the things that God has provided for us to keep us on the path of righteousness. Wisdom comes from allowing what the Scriptures teach us to direct our lives.

Wisdom is the mind of God revealed to men. God is willing to reveal his thoughts to us. If we want to receive them, then we must be willing to listen to the words that he has said and is saying to us. However, God will give it to only those that earnestly seeks him. This means that we must endeavor to find this wisdom. We must first understand that wisdom is found by trusting and respecting God. Next, we must understand that wisdom is revealed through the Scriptures. Finally, we must understand that wisdom is doing the will of God.

Doing the will of God

God has guaranteed us that we shall have what we need, if we pray for it. The Scriptures also says that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness everything also will be added. The way that we get spiritual blessings is by asking God for them. The way that we get earthly blessings is first to do the will of God. The will of God has been revealed to us and is within our ability to achieve. The will of God for his children is to fear God, and to depart from sin. The Scriptures reveal the will of God; and it is received by faith, through the Spirit of God.

Wisdom will not feed our pride or egos. Wisdom instructs and encourages us to fear God, repent from sin, and to have faith in God’s capability to solve the problems of our lives. Wisdom fills our minds with knowledge and enters our hearts to keep us from corruption and temptations. Wisdom will also protect us from those who will try to lead us into sin. Wisdom keeps us from being caught in the trap of Lucifer. Wisdom will help us to depend on God to help us. Wisdom helps us to do the will of God.

If we try to do God’s will by our own strength, we will fail; but if we depend upon God to strengthen us, we will be able to do whatever God instructs us to do. If we only hear what the Scriptures say and do not do what it says, then we are not true children of God. When we do what the Scriptures say, we will be blessed in all of our ways. Every part of the Scriptures is to be used by the child of God for their salvation, and to encourage us to walk and live according to the commands of God.

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Chapter 9

Repent of your sins

1 John 2:15-2:17

The doctrine of repentance

God said to Solomon in 2nd Chronicles that if God’s people that are called by God’s name would humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn or repent from their wick ways; then He would heal their land. Repentance means to turn away from that which is considered sinful to that which is considered righteous. According to the Scriptures, anything that is not in total and absolute agreement with God’s word and will is sin. When we repent, we stop doing those things that are not in agreement with the Scriptures. We stop rebelling against God and start to live the way his word instructs us. As the children of God, we are to turn away from our self-centered way of life.

The Scriptures refer to this way of life, as going after fleshly desires. 1st John 2:15-17 tells us to ‘stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father’s love is not in him. For everything that is in the world—the desire for fleshly gratification, the desire for possessions, and worldly arrogance—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world and its desires are fading away, but the person who does God’s will remains forever.’ This is a promise as well as wise instructs to be listened to.

We incorrectly believe that the expression desires of the flesh mean material desires. This term more accurately means the desires of the sinful part of man. This is the part of man that is in agreement with the way that Lucifer thinks. Desires of the flesh are rooted in the heart of man and it encourages us to think too highly of ourselves. The desires of the flesh encourage us to become so preoccupied with ourselves that we forget about God. The desires of the flesh encourage us to obtain the joys of life regardless of the cost to others or ourselves. The desires of the flesh encourage us to make the toys of life our gods. The reason many of us are in the shape that we are in today is we have been chasing after the joys and toys of this life. It is all right for us to have the joys and toys. However, if we are seeking the desires of the flesh, then we are not seeking God.

The call for repentance

The gospel is a call for us to repent. It is a call for us to change our minds, and to change our behavior. By repenting from our sins, we give glory to God whom we have offended. By having faith in God’s promise to forgive us, we give glory to Jesus, who came to save us from our sins. The purpose of God’s call for our repentance is to deliver us from the penalty of our sins. The results of our repentance are the remission of sins, spiritual cleansing, and a renewed heart.

When we repent, we allow the Spirit of God to bring the Scriptures into our heart. When we repent, we humble ourselves before God, and the Spirit of God brings us into obedience to the Scriptures. When we repent, God moves everything that hinders us from doing his will. When we repent, we show it by the good that we do. There is no way for us to avoid the penalty for our sins except by repentance. The same Scriptures that call for us to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, advises us to repent or else we shall die.

The nature of repentance

Repentance begins with us seeing ourselves as God’s unrepented children. This is a turning point in every sinner’s life. God opens our eyes to the truths of the Scriptures, and convinces us that we are sinners. He encourages us leave Lucifer and the desires of the flesh alone and return to Him. God has already given us an unexpected token of his love by allowing Jesus to pay the price for our sins. When we accept this precious gift, God clothes us in the robe of Christ’s righteousness, adopts us into his family, and give us never ending peace of mind. The Scriptures promise that God will give us peace if our minds are stayed on him. Repentance allows us to focus fully on God, because we have done away with the cares and desires of the flesh.

True repentance

Repentance is God’s gift to us. We are not only given it by His grace, but God’s grace works it in us. God takes away our heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh that is willing to do his will. The best sacrifice that we can ever give to God is a broken or humble spirit. True repentance humbles us so that God can use us. True repentance glorifies God. True repentance frees us from the shame and penalty of sin and from the power and control of sin. Nevertheless, only God can bring us to true repentance. He does this by the Spirit of God working with the Scriptures to awaken us to the reality of sin. True repentance brings a hatred of our sinful lives and thoughts. True repentance demands that our intentions be pure, and that we reject all the desires of the flesh.

Strife or contention against God or the will of God is the beginning of evil. Sin is the human will in a state of contention against God. However, true repentance brings sorrow to our heart for our disagreement with the will of God. True repentance makes our heart humble, regretful, and obedient to the Will of God. True repentance is connected with the saving faith in Christ, and is important in his atonement for our sins. The benefits of true repentance are a changed heart, a changed life, changed actions, hatred of sin, faith in Christ, and deep humility before God. True repentance brings God and us together.

The proof of true repentance consists of returning to the practice of seeking God, watchfulness, a humble mind, and a continual dependence on God, Jesus, and the presence of the Spirit of God to keep us from evil. The Scriptures says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. There is joy in heaven when one of God’s children repents.

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Chapter 10

Watch God do it.

Jeremiah 14:19-21; Jeremiah 30:10-13; 17-21

The healing touch of God

In 2nd Chronicles 7: 11-22, God has a conversation with the young King Solomon. King Solomon had finish building the very first stationary Temple of God. This temple was exquisitely made and decorated with gold. King Solomon prayed a very sincere prayer to God to ask God’s blessings on their meager efforts. The wise King Solomon’s prayer was not a prayer of dedication. It was a prayer that dealt with the eventually of the nation of Israel falling into sin. His prayer dealt with their deliverance from sin and its curse. This is why King Solomon was wise. He knew Israel eventually would sin.

In answer to King Solomon, God said, "I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place." God guarantees the nation of Israel that they would always have a chance to make things right with him. God guarantees them that he will always listen to their prayers.

As the children of God, we have this same guarantee. When we sin, we will have a chance to get right with God. Nevertheless, along with this guarantee comes conditions. The conditions of God’s help to get us out of the mess that we have let Lucifer talk us into is plainly stated in the Scriptures. The steps to our reclamation are, we, who are called the children of God, must stop thinking too highly of ourselves. We must communicate with God, submit to and do His will, and repent of our sins. Then and only then will God hear our cry for help and come to our rescue. We need to stop fooling ourselves. We can do nothing to save ourselves. We can do nothing to stop from sinning. We must face the fact that when we are in sin; we are down on the floor and out for the count. The reality of our present situation is that we are down and we can not get up. Nevertheless, there is hope.

The hope is in the repentance from our sins and the assurance that God will forgive our sins. The hope is in the glorious spiritual transformation that lies ahead. God is a God that keeps his word. He said that if we would, then he would; and we can believe God will. God will do abundantly more than we can ever ask or think. The hope is in the promise that if God is for us who can be against us. The hope is in the fact that Jesus has paid the price to set us free and whom the Son set free is free indeed and forever. Once the healing hands of God touches our hearts and change us into his new creations; all sins, habits, demons, quirks, and addictions that keeps us outside of the will of God has to let go of us.

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About the author

Reginald Levi Walker was born in rural Perry County in Alabama to the late Rev. R. Leon Walker, Jr. and Janie Mae Ward on July 9, 1964. He is the last of three children from this marriage. Reginald or Reggie, as he prefers to be called, was educated in the all black school system of rural Perry County. Reggie tried to excel at all his studies in School. He held memberships in the National Junior and Senior Honor Societies. In 1981, he moved to Miami, Florida to live with his mother. After graduating from American Senior High School, he enlisted in the U. S. Army. However, because of the call to preach and the tremendous preaching tradition in the Walker family, Reggie soon found himself preaching instead of fighting wars.

The first influence to preach came from his grandfather, Rev Walker, Sr. At the age of nine, Reggie accepted the call to preach at Greenleaf Baptist Church in Alabama. After discharging from service in 1985, he studied under his father and other ministers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was licensed to preach at St, John A.M.E. Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma ordained an elder at Bethel A.M.E. Church in North Little Rock Arkansas and educated at Shorter Junior College in Arkansas.

Reggie first pastorate was at Derrick Chapel A.M.E. Church in Van Buren, Arkansas. Since then, he has pastured many churches in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Oklahoma, He now resides in Red Bird, Oklahoma and pastors Vision of Hope Church, Inc. He works to encourage children of God everywhere to stand up and be the mighty men and women of God. His favorite saying is I am blessed just to be alive.

Reggie knows the importance of each day since he has been living with an incurable disease since 1987. However, he firmly believes, if he lives God get the glory and if he dies, God gets the blame. He gave his illness to God along time ago and refuses to worry about it anymore.

Copyright July 9, 2007

All rights reserved by Reginald Levi Walker

Contact:

Pastor R. L Walker, III

2120 North Xanthus Ave.

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74110

Email: Nabahood23@aol.com

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After thought

That hope, I have in Jesus, the Christ

I am caught and guilty in the sight of God.
There is no need for a trial for I am guilty and it is true.
The words about me that breeze through the vine,
Not all are just gossip; some are indeed true.

I am caught by those trying to see.
Found and brought forth like the prostitute of old.
I am caught and it is a scary thing.
There is no place to hide from an all seeing God.

Yet, I know deep down in my heart,
I know that there is still hope in Jesus, the Christ.
That bright flame of hope shall never die.
That everlasting hope, I have in Jesus, the Christ.

Yet, I know that God will hear my prayers.
Even, when I no longer run this race,
My God shall have mercy and forgive
Because of that hope, I have in Jesus, the Christ.

 

All intellectual property of this author has been copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Pastor Reginald Levi Walker.

(additional information about the meaning of Nabahood23)

Not Anger But Action will solve the problems of our nieghborHOODs.

23 stands for the 23rd Psalms.

P.S. 23 stands for 'God loves you, therefore, I love you, too.'

Tags: preachers, pastors, Black preachers, sermons, Reginald Levi Walker, Vision of Hope Curch Incorporated, Twenty-third Psalms Ministries Incorporated, Nabahood 23, A voice calling out in the wilderness, Poem, Poetry, popular blog, blog, Reginald Levi Walker, Nabahood23