What Does God Want?
Meditation on a Book | What Does God Want? Series | The Great Commission | Jesus Christ | Christianity
Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9
I Lost Subscribers
It’s been an interesting week since my post last Sunday: “Jesus Went to Burning Man. Again.”
On Facebook, both the Camp of the Unknown God page and Carl on his Carl Teichrib page shared my article. Lively discussion appeared in the Comments on Carl’s page. What happened next?
Night Owl Christian lost two Subscribers.
And gained 35.
Thank you, new Subscribers, and welcome!
Christians and the Pagan World
The lively discussion by visitors to Carl’s page regarding Christians at Burning Man intrigued me. I’ve watched several of his video presentations (on YouTube) and read his articles on his Forcing Change website. He has attended countless pagan events focused on Oneness and the universal religion the philosophy promotes. He has shared the conversations he has had with the attendees. The spiritual hunger is out there and it’s strong in the pagan world.
The pagan world has always existed, since the fall in the Garden of Eden. And God has always had His people in this world of humans who are caught up in the rebellion against Him, the pagan world.
And, I’ve pondered the following:
God’s chosen people were always surrounded by pagan cultures that didn’t worship Yahweh
Jesus ministered in the midst of a pagan culture that surrounded, and imposed itself upon, Jesus’ Hebrew homeland
The apostles and disciples traveled outside of Jerusalem into the pagan world to share Jesus’ good news
The early church’s growth exploded with converted pagans (Gentiles) from many nations
As evening gently fell Friday night with beautiful sunset colors, and I continued thinking about the Burning Man discussions, one thought kept coming to me:
What does God want?
Okay, Holy Spirit. You’ve prompted me before with persistent thoughts. What do you want me to write about?
What Does God Want?
He wants a family, a human family.
Before you say, “Okay, Night Owl Christian, I already know this.”, and click away from this article, please stay and continue reading.
Matthew 12:46-50 (NLT)
46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
Jesus wasn’t “dissing” His mother and brothers. Jesus was educating the crowd by expanding on the phrase “my mother, my brothers”. As the eternal second person of the Trinity, He took advantage of this moment to let humanity know what God wants. I can’t help but imagine that as He gazed out at the crowd, lost sheep seeking a shepherd, His heart filled with emotion when He spoke the words in verse 50.
Family is a central metaphor for understanding our relationship to God. Israel is portrayed as the Lord’s daughter or wife (Jer. 3:20; 31:22). Jesus’ followers are children of God; His brothers and sisters (Mark 3:31–35). In many of the letters of the apostles, followers of Jesus are referred to as brothers and sisters (Rom 16:17). The covenant with God is understood as a great extended family.
Michelle J. Morris, The Lexham Bible Dictionary, 2016.
The Book for this Series
My guide for my first Meditations on a Book series is the small but important book “What Does God Want?” by Dr. Michael S. Heiser. [ Note: The link to his book is not an affiliate link. This month, on Logos.com it’s 20% off, or $7.99 ]
Mike lost his cancer battle February of this year, and he now knows even more fully what God wants. But he did a pretty good job on this side of the unseen realm.
So what does God want? Best-selling author, Dr. Michael S. Heiser, shows readers that the answer is pretty simple. God wants YOU. That might surprise you. You may doubt it. That’s okay. But it’s the right answer. But it isn’t enough of an answer. You can’t get a sense of how amazing and profound the answer is by just that one sentence. There’s actually a long, remarkable story behind the answer—one that isn’t well known by most people interested in the question.
~ From the Overview on Logos.com of the book.
What’s Next?
Okay, you long-time Jesus followers in the pews, and theologians, pastors, small-group Bible study leaders, you’ve made it thus far. Thank you!
And, greetings to any of you who may be not-yet Jesus followers: The atheists, the agnostics, the doubters, the deconstructing, the Wiccans, the Satanists, any pagans… the spiritually wounded.
I have some sad news, but there’s good news to follow.
The Sad News
First, the sad news is that over a long time period in the 20th and 21st centuries (the centuries that apply to readers of NOC), a lot of churches, a lot of believers have deeply wounded earnest and sincere seekers after God. Those who served the Lord at Burning Man heard stories that would break your heart. My husband and I have a pagan friend whose stories of what “Christians” said to her angered us. My husband and I have also felt literally sick to our stomachs when our Jewish friends have told us what “Christians” said to them. About 30 years ago, I had to do damage control after my Jewish boss’ high-school-age Jewish (and bat mitzvah’ed) daughter went to the youth group of a local, evangelical, Bible-teaching church. My boss had asked me what I thought of the church, and I told her I had heard good things about it. I had attended one Sunday with my (former) boyfriend, and loved the senior pastor’s heart. A few weeks later, my boss walks to her office. On the way, she tells me that her daughter stopped going to the youth group, and she told me why. One kid in the group told the daughter that the Jews killed Jesus. Her daughter went home and cried. The damage was done, to the daughter and to my boss, no matter what I said. I called the Youth Pastor and told him. He was heartbroken, said he would speak to the youth group about this error. I hope he did. Thirty years later, and I still tear up as I tell you this story about my former boss and her daughter.
The Good News
What’s the good news? This book series!
Mike Heiser’s book touched me spiritually in places where I needed the Lord’s touch. After reading it, my shyness melted, I grew excited, and a new zeal took root in me to go and love the lost, to do the job Jesus gave me—and you—to do: The Great Commission. Why? How? The message that God wants a family (and, I’ve modified it to God wants His family back) resonates with those outside of Christ. And, if you’re sick and tired of what Satan and the hordes of the evil ones are doing to humanity, here’s your chance to fight back. You can fight back one person at a time, one rescued and redeemed precious one at a time, snatched out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Lord God’s light.
I’ve already begun planting seeds and watering. People are hungry, they want to talk about spiritual matters. The conviction and redemption is the work of the Lord of the harvest, through His Holy Spirit. And that takes a ton of pressure off of me. I don’t need to “force” a repentance prayer just to “count coup”. (Yes, there were guys like that when I was in high school, in church youth groups.)
People want to hear the real story about Jesus. Many want the truth of who He is and what He came to do for humanity.
And, when we go where the pagans are, no need to fear. Jesus is with us every step of the way.
Your Take Away
It’s simple. I hope you’ll come along with me on this book series journey, praying for the Lord’s guidance for you. Our journeys may be different. Just ask Him what He has in mind for you.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Conversation & Community
Has God stirred your heart as you read this post? What thoughts have come to your mind?
You may email me at:
Feel free to share this post with others:
❤️ And, to bless the “Algorithm Angels”, please select the “heart” icon to like this post (if you do), even if you’re not a subscriber. That will help NOC, so thank you in advance.
Support My Publication
It’s easy and free:
save my Substack publication’s URL in your browser, or
subscribe for free and receive updates via email or in your Substack app.
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/NightOwlXian
Pin me on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/nightowlchristian/night-owl-christian-blog-posts/
© Copyright 2023—Present, Jenise Cook. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Linking and Sharing Brief Excerpts: We encourage you to quote briefly from our articles within reason, and to link to our content, with proper credit given to Night Owl Christian and contributors. Please provide a complete link to nightowlchristian.substack.com or directly to the article’s URL.
Reprint Permission: Please contact nightowlchristian@proton.me to request reprint permission. All reprints must include the language “Previously published in Night Owl Christian reprinted with permission” or “Reprinted with permission from Night Owl Christian along with a live link to nightowlchristian.substack.com. Content may not be reproduced, in any form, without permission from Night Owl Christian (Jenise Cook).
Excellent post! He wants a family. 2 Cor 6:18 and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me says the Lord Almighty.
"We are Family."
Dear Jenise, I just wrote this "Dear Sophie" 45 minutes ago and posted it in the comments for Donald Schuler's new letter published on September 15, 2023, "TABLE OF THE KING." https://substack.com/inbox/post/136867768
The story is about a humble beggar widow named Sophie. She is the wealthiest woman by GOD's standards but the poorest woman in the world's opinion. As soon as I posted my comment, your new post came up. It was the LORD's timing because that comment fits here as well. GOD bless you and your family. Yes, we are family and will live in His Kingdom for all eternity together. Praise the LORD, now let us all be faithful to what GOD has called us to do? The fields are white, ready for harvest. I pray GOD would send us all in "His family and ours." In JESUS' Name, we pray this day, Amen!
"Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest." John 4:35 ASV
Dear Sophie
"Though she wore rags, she was richer than kings,
For she taught us the value of the simplest of things."
Dearest, precious Sophie. Truthfully, I confess, if I could only be half the person, you are, I would be more than I am now. If I could only have your selfless love, I would be the wealthiest person in the world. To have your never-ending compassion for those in need, those suffering and in pain, would be the most cherished prize most sought after by the least of us.
My dear Sophie, how can we all be like you? How can we when our selfish deeds stand in our way, they oppose us, they say stay exalted, don't stoop down, don't succumb to the lower. How can we all be like you, dear Sophie, when the world around us says everything is good and only to be discovered a lie in the end. They say to come and buy everything you need, and happiness will follow close behind. How can we be like you when slogans everywhere say "eat, drink and be merry because you only have one life to live" broadcasted on every airway and posted on every street corner. How can we, dear Sophie, when all we hear are lies and more lies.
"I confess to you now, dear Sophie, if I could only be half the person, you are, I would be more than I am now."
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, you are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NLT
Luke 9:22-26 NLT "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day, he will be raised from the dead.”
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcODACIBTuc&list=PLMTXJ5fJUtz_NjeNGLHBfuuaCcQiZGs30&index=12