The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan is the battle for the souls of mankind. As it was in The Garden of Eden there was a tree put there to test the new couple to see which character they would choose: God's character of Agapé Love or Satan's character of Self. We all are well aware of their horrible choice.

And now here on earth the cosmic battle continues. Christ has claimed His own and willingly infuses His glorious character of love into anyone willing to be made like Him. But many are they that will be eternally lost. No one will be lost that does not choose Self over Agapé Love.

Satan has sifted for the souls of men and is claiming many to be his servants. Sadly these people will feel hurt by things in their life and surroundings. Slowly self will croud out Christ's love until all they see is others seeking to hurt them.

IF this is happening in your life, pray to Almighty God to help you and to fill your heart with the true love of Jesus. Let the Cross of Christ croud out feelings of self. Pray urgently and diligently that Jesus will help you. He will not refuse. Without this help from God the wayward person will continue down the road to Self until it is too late to turn back. Ask God for discernment of your true state - so that you will be able to see your errors.

If any of you reading this now think that even by some stretch that you could possibly be allowing self to rule in your life even in a small way. Further if it is your desire to have these feelings removed by Christ, and you would like to re-dedicate your life to God - please step forward and stand for Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour

Oh dear God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Elijah, my God - please accept us as yours, please fill us with the love that Jesus had for the human race as He poured out his blood for us while we were yet sinners and enemies of you and in rebellion, and fill us with your love. Make us able to see ourselves as we really are - wretched, naked, and poor. fill us with your Holy Spirit and make us willing and happy servants of yours, Oh God. Let us go forth from here with a renewal of our hearts, filled with the love of Jesus - no one loves us more.

In Jesus name, A-men.
--Ðøug

Doug, so true. Thank you. But must we beg God to do those things He is ready and willing to do? Must we ask Him to do things He is already doing? In your prayer you wrote, "Please accept us as yours...." Jesus made it clear that God already loves us, already accepts us, thus shouldn't our prayer be -

Thank you Lord for loving us with an everlasting love, thank you for sending Jesus to live and die for our salvation, thank you for the Holy Spirit who empowers us to daily live in harmony with the example of Jesus. Thank you for doing everything you can to influence our loved ones to accept and acknowledge Jesus as their personal Saviour. You are altogether lovely, and incredibly awesome. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for coming into my heart, you are welcome to stay. Thank you for making it possible for me to pray in the name of sweet Jesus. Amen.

Do you see the difference? And does it matter?

yes, we must beg.....

Like Jacob, we must cling to Jesus and not "let Him go unless He bless us."

"Strive to enter in" Seek with all our hearts to find,,, the gifts are ready and and The God of Mercy and Grace is willing to give gifts to His children, but we must Ask that we may recieve.

I think nothing would please Jesus more than for us to repent and beg for His forgivness and mercy like the parable of the two servants of Mathew 18.

1. What can you beg God to do that He isn't already doing better than you can possibly imagine and plead for?

2. Will any of your begging and pleading change God's mind, or influence Him to act and answer contrary to His will?

3. Does God pace back and forth wringing His hands until we give Him permission to do those things necessary for the completion of the gospel and great controversy?

Silly, We cannot ever expect God do do something against his purpose or will, however we have evidence of God answering man as he pleads to God and God changes His mind.

Just two comes to mind but i know there are more,
Moses and Hezekiah.

Also we are told in SOP that God answers our prayers that he would not have answered, unless we asked. And do not for get intercessory paryers.....much of which would not be answered, had not one be impressed to "plead" for whatever.

God does not just dole out blessings because He is able and wants to. He is willing, more willing to give gifts than our earthly father, but we need to ask. The Holy Spirit comes because we ask. The Spirit will come in Great measure only by earnest [pleading] prayers. This is not a trivial subject.

--Messages to young people PG- 268

"Do not neglect secret prayer, for it is the soul of religion. With earnest, fervent prayer, plead for purity of soul. Plead as earnestly, as eagerly, as you would for your mortal life, were it at stake. Remain before God until unutterable longings are begotten within you for salvation, and the sweet evidence is obtained of pardoned sin."

God's Amazing Grace--- Press Your Case [BEG]
-PG- 87

I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet and there alone plead with God. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10). Be in
earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much. Jacob-like, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. Jesus in the garden sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray, you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can, and will, appear in you."

1. Yes, but at point do we acknowledge that God has answered our prayer for purity?

2. Does God answer our prayer as soon as we believe it? Or, must we continue to plead until He believes it?

3. Can we ever come to the point where we just immediately believe God has answered our prayer, without long delays of unbelief? Or, must we always pray hard enough until we first persuade ourselves that He will answer our prayer? Will we always be so hard of believing?

You see, I do not doubt that God answers my prayers, so I do not find myself pleading or begging for Him to answer my prayers. I am fully persuaded in my mind and heart that God loves answering my prayers, and that He answers them as soon as I pray, and sometimes even before I pray, because He can answer them on credit knowing that I will be praying for it.

Also, God does not stop answering last week's prayers, or last year's prayers, and He has not stopped answering Jesus' prayers when He walked among men 2,000 years ago. When I first asked God, many years ago, to do everything He can to influence my children to respond favorably to the wooing of the Holy Spirit, I believe He is still answering that prayer. So that nowadays, instead of asking Him to do something He is already doing, I thank Him for doing it.

But I get the impression you think I'm doing something wrong because I no longer need to plead with God until I overcome my unbelief. But is it really wrong to immediately believe that God has answered my prayer, without first having to persuade myself, without always first having to overcome doubt?

Daryl wrote:

"Are we still not supposed to ask God to do for us what we know He wants to do for us?"

Why haven't you already asked for those things? And if you have already asked, and God has already answered, why do you feel you need to beg and plead with Him again and again? Can't you just thank Him for continually answering your initial request?

Or, do our prayers run out of gas after a day and God quits answering them? If so, how long must we beg and plead with God before He is willing to resume answering our original prayer, the one He answered all day the day before?

As I see it, God answers our prayers as long as we continue to believe He is answering our prayers. If we believe for a hour then He answers that prayer for an hour, if we believe for a day then He answers it for a day, and if we believe for the rest of our lives then He answers it all the time. If we never stop believing then we never need to beg and plead afresh every day as if we stopped believing and God stopped answering. It is great faith that continues to believe and then daily thanks God for continuing to answer prayer.

Charlene said:

quote:

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Silly, We cannot ever expect God do do something against His purpose or will, however we have evidence of God answering man as he pleads to God and God changes His mind.

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I seem to be saying this often. This could be a topic in itself.

I can think of at least two instances where it seems that God did answer against His purpose or will. Please correct me, if I am wrong about these two instances.

1 - What about Israel asking for a king? Didn't He give them a king much against His purpose or will?

2 - What about their asking for quail instead of the manna He was feeding them? Did He not grant their request much against His purpose or will?

Why did God grant them these requests, particularly their request for a king like the other nations? We can see the mostly sad results of Israel having a human king.

It was God's will to punish them for throwing tantrums over things they wanted. It was God's purpose to punish them and to teach them a lesson. So, He didn't do anything against His will or purpose.

P.S. Are we going to overlook the questions I asked in my last two posts?