Comments on: Do You Feel God’s Pleasure? http://kentdelhousaye.com/2009/08/19/is-god-pleased-with-you/ Exploring the intersection of faith and culture Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:35:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kent DelHousaye http://kentdelhousaye.com/2009/08/19/is-god-pleased-with-you/#comment-176 Kent DelHousaye Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:54:11 +0000 http://kentdelhousaye.com/?p=348#comment-176 Hello There. Thanks for visiting my blog and for posting a comment. If I understand your point correctly, you are saying that it is somehow inappropriate or ungodly to seek or notice God's pleasure in our life. I think perhaps you are misunderstanding the point of my post, which is not about patting ourselves on the back or seeking influence or recognition. The point of my post is that we should seek and sense God’s pleasure in our life when we are doing what He has created us to do, not for show or for influence. I have Oswald Chamber’s journal on my nightstand and read it before I sleep each night, and I do not get the sense that he would discourage us from seeking and feeling God’s delight in our lives. Hello There. Thanks for visiting my blog and for posting a comment. If I understand your point correctly, you are saying that it is somehow inappropriate or ungodly to seek or notice God’s pleasure in our life. I think perhaps you are misunderstanding the point of my post, which is not about patting ourselves on the back or seeking influence or recognition. The point of my post is that we should seek and sense God’s pleasure in our life when we are doing what He has created us to do, not for show or for influence. I have Oswald Chamber’s journal on my nightstand and read it before I sleep each night, and I do not get the sense that he would discourage us from seeking and feeling God’s delight in our lives.

]]> By: A Love 4 Him http://kentdelhousaye.com/2009/08/19/is-god-pleased-with-you/#comment-175 A Love 4 Him Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:07:18 +0000 http://kentdelhousaye.com/?p=348#comment-175 From my biblical studies and understanding of God's Word over the years, Oswald Chambers echoes my knowledge of this matter perfectly. Let's simply see what he has to say in response to your recent blog. This quote (word for word) is from his famous daily devotional book "My Utmost For His Highest" that I ironically read just yesterday (August 21st - a day or so after stumbling upon your blog) with the specific entry titled "The Ministry of the Unnoticed". Not that I wouldn't like to give my own personal thoughts to your comments, but I think I will allow Oswald to respond for me on this one because I think he says it best. Here it is: "'Blessed are the poor in spirit...' (Matthew 5:3). The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. 'Blessed are the poor in spirit...'. This literally means, 'Blessed are the paupers.' Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person's strength of will or the beauty of his character - things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, 'Make a decision for Jesus Christ', places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him - something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ's kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, 'Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom'. I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness - I can only enter it as an absolute pauper. The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. 'He who believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water' (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord. Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring." From my biblical studies and understanding of God’s Word over the years, Oswald Chambers echoes my knowledge of this matter perfectly. Let’s simply see what he has to say in response to your recent blog. This quote (word for word) is from his famous daily devotional book “My Utmost For His Highest” that I ironically read just yesterday (August 21st – a day or so after stumbling upon your blog) with the specific entry titled “The Ministry of the Unnoticed”. Not that I wouldn’t like to give my own personal thoughts to your comments, but I think I will allow Oswald to respond for me on this one because I think he says it best.

Here it is: “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit…’ (Matthew 5:3). The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit…’. This literally means, ‘Blessed are the paupers.’ Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character – things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, ‘Make a decision for Jesus Christ’, places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him – something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, ‘Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom’. I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness – I can only enter it as an absolute pauper. The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. ‘He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord. Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.”

]]>