09/10 Compass Guide Comments By Dr. Daniel Daves

10-Sep Isaiah 25-26, 2 Peter 1-2, Psalms 61-65, Proverbs 10

Isaiah 26:9-11 (NIV) 9 . . . . When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. 10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord. 11 O Lord, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

The scriptures declare that when grace is shown to the wicked, that evidence will not teach a wicked man about righteousness.  A wicked man continues to do evil because he is a wicked man.  He must be changed, and THIS change is a gift from God.  Let's progress forward to understand fully.

Eph 2:4-9 (NIV) 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

When we were wicked, dead in transgressions and sins, God came to us and GAVE US the gift of salvation.  He didn't have to do it.  He's not required or obligated to bring it.  But because He is rich in mercy, HE HE HE made us alive in Christ, while we were wicked people (enemies of His Kingdom).  It is by His GRACE that you and I are saved.  However, that grace which comes to you and I will NOT sway a wicked man from his wicked ways.  He will continue to walk in wickedness because he is wicked!  I can testify all day long to this man, and he will not stop doing evil.  Why?  Because he IS wicked, just as I was wicked.

Well then, what's the point in witnessing to wicked people, and sharing our testimonies?  The point is that we are in a CO-OPERATION with God to change wicked people into a new creation, and to transport or birth them from an old wicked world order to a new Kingdom world order.  This happens generally when we partner with God to move towards wicked people in the power of His Kingdom!  We speak to them, and we RE-PRESENT God's Kingdom and our changed lives to them.  Then it's GOD'S RESPONSIBILITY, by His grace, to come upon them by the power of His Holy Spirit and deal with them.

John 16:8-11 (NIV) 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[1] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

It is not my job to win men to Jesus.  I cannot.  Only the Holy Spirit can win men through Jesus for the Kingdom of God. There is no formula I can recite, no "three steps to winning souls", and nothing I can do in my own strength to win men for the Kingdom of God. ONLY GOD can win men for His Kingdom.  And I think that many times, we lose track of this.  I have seen many (including myself) get into our own works and try to win our cities for Christ, not fully trusting, relying, and depending on God to show up and do His part.  This will not produce fruit that remains, and wicked men will not turn from their wickedness, though we may be able to come back to the family of God and say that we had X amount of people give their hearts to the Lord today.

God is the ONE who must be present for a wicked man to turn from his wicked ways and become born again into the Kingdom of God.  It's by GRACE that we are saved, and that comes from FAITH which God must give to a person.  If God doesn't give the gift of faith, then a wicked man cannot possibly be saved.  So the process is as follows:  God has a servant preach the gospel of salvation to the wicked.  He appears with that message in the power of His Holy Spirit, and begins to convict that man of his sins, his crimes against Heaven, and his life which according to Heaven is in shambles and need of full rehabilitation.  God then gives that wicked person the gift of FAITH.  And through faith, that person is able to believe in God, and is able to grasp God's offer of salvation through GRACE.  Faith grasps hold of God's grace, and that wicked person is changed.  The old man dies and the new man is birthed.  His sins and wickedness are destroyed and nullified through death, and he/she becomes brand new with their spirit being made alive inside.  They are ushered into a new life and a brand new start as a child of God's kingdom.  The wicked man is nullified, deceased, and done away with, and a brand new, resurrected, eternal man arises.  This ALL is through the great gift of God. Grace is given and received through FAITH that is given by God.

The messenger is nothing.  The gifts of God are everything.  We are co-workers together, but there is no power in the messenger.  There is no power that derives from the one who testifies.  ALL POWER and ALL GLORY go to God who graces the wicked person with FAITH.   There is no "works" that can a man can look at which brought any of this upon the world.  No man can boast in any of this work.  The man who was saved can't look at his own works, or his own faith.  And the man who led him to Christ can't boast of his works, energies or efforts.

Unless the Lord shows up to the party, there will be NONE SAVED.  Some may pray a prayer, but none will really be changed, saved, born again, and made new.  The Lord MUST come to the party in power, bringing with Him the GIFT OF FAITH.

As I write this, and hopefully as you read this, we should be brought to our knees in understanding how important it is to PRAY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST for souls.  Pray that God would move on our communities, our nations, our families, co-workers, and everyone who doesn't know Jesus.  We need to pray that God will SEND WORKERS into the fields of harvest where He is harvesting souls and giving FAITH to people.  Once we pray that God would move and give the gift of faith, then we must listen to God for instructions on where we should go to tell our story, live our lives, and speak the words of God's salvation as written in the Holy Bible.  It's THEN that God will move to give FAITH to wicked people.  And it's then that faith grasps salvation through grace.  And it's then that grace works to change a wicked man into a saint, a son, a child of a different kingdom.

COMPASS GUIDE will put you right in the middle of God's will for your life so that you can know that those wicked people around you are direct targets of God's gift of faith, so that they can believe the message that you are living in front of them.  This FAITH OF GOD is the first step to their salvation.  Without this gift of faith coming upon the right people at the right time, through the right servant of God, they will remain unsaved.  This is why it's so important for you to get into God's perfect will and into His dream for your life.  When this happens, FAITH begins to spread to those around you, and the miracle of salvation and the born again experience begins to surround you!  Men and women will be saved for God's Kingdom!

Get a COMPASS GUIDE one year life planning book at www.doctordanieldaves.com .

11-Sep Isaiah 27-28, 2 Peter 3, Psalms 66-70, Proverbs 11