GOD'S
WILL
FOR
YOUR
LIFE
ROMMEL FERNANDES

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To
Sis.Jacintha Fernandes,
Bro.Cyprian D'souza
and
Pas.Evan Dias
for being
godly
examples

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

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Introduction
The purpose of this book is not to promise you material prosperity or physical healing -
you've probably read and heard too much about these doctrines already. This book
highlights what God exactly expects from you during your life here on earth. If you are
interested in pleasing Him in the years ahead read on. Aiding you to do His will, will be
God Himself.

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Chapter 1


Don't brood over woes (Phil.4:8)
Some thoughts can spoil your mood and drag you down. When you think of the
setbacks that you have faced or about the people who have let you down you turn
gloomy and slide into a state of depression. Don't brood over your woes or traumatic
incidents. Get such useless thoughts out of your head. That's the way to be happy and
cheerful.

Purify your heart (Jas.4:8)
People today listen to messages with no intention of changing their hearts. That is why
some churches are as dead as a doornail. The hearts of those who sing and pray,
"Change my heart O God" and then do nothing themselves remain as black as coal.
God won't do for us what He wants us to do ourselves. He wants us to purify our hearts.
How can that be done? In the same way water is purified. Al impurities have to be
thrown away. This in the only way to have clean lives and pure hearts. As long as
people continue to `let go and let God' chances of a revival will remain slim for God
doesn't treat us like puppets on a string. Prospects of seeing new souls in the kingdom
too will be dim, as unbelievers will be put off by hearts that are unclean.

Live in harmony (Ps.133:1; Acts 15:39)
When two human beings come together for a common purpose, differences are bound
to arise. In the church, this happens more than often, not just because of the strong
personalities there but also because of the devil and his accomplices (demons). They
don't want the church to be a close-knit family, with brothers and sisters al working
together. So they make sure that people take offence of someone else's idea or have a
misunderstanding. Therefore you see brothers in arms one week, go up in arms against
each other, the next.
Believers may have disagreements but they should see to it that these disagreements
don't get nasty. Don't be like those believers who don't talk to one another for years
after a bad incident. You should not have anything against anybody. Since you want
harmony, if a person has a misunderstanding with you, instead of waiting for him to
extend the olive branch, do it yourself. Resolve conflicts nicely. It will lead to a more
relaxing and a less stressful atmosphere in church.

Rejoice always (1Thes.5:16; Hab.3:17-18)
What is really important in the Christian life is a positive attitude. By adopting an
optimistic outlook (the-current-depressing-scenario-will-pass view) and by remembering
God's promise that the worst will work out for your best you can be joyful when your
going is bad. This way of seeing life gives victory over depression and makes the
problems you face far easier for you to deal with. When Paul was imprisoned he could
have questioned God's love. Instead he was joyful and gave time to praying and writing.
His writings minister to us even today. You may talk to unbelievers about the joy in your
life but they are going to check you out.

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Trust Him (Ps.125:1)
Nobody could have imagined that Joseph would one day become the prime minister of
Egypt. He did not have connections! But He knew a God who had not forgotten Him and
that made all the difference in the world. God knows which buttons to push to get the
best for us. Fast-forward a thousand years to the time of Mordecai and you find the
same thing. You see God working behind the scenes for Mordecai's good. He is a
master of timing things beautifully! (Esth.6:1-11). Trust Him even if He doesn't fix the
problem right away for in His time He will act far above your expectations (Compare
Ezra 4:21-24 with 6:6-12).
If there are enemies around you they are there for a reason. In Judg.2:22 God says,
"I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'l use them to test Israel." If we don't have
enemies how will we get tested? Do you understand now, why God allows rowdies to be
around? To test and see if we will obey Him by forgiving them or disobey Him by
punching them on their jaws. God deliberately sends people whom He loves through
tests to make them stronger.

Die to self (John 12:24)
One of the reasons some Christians are not fruitful is because they are not dying to self.
Paul was flogged and jailed in Philippi but instead of licking his wounds he started
praising God. There was an earthquake and al the prisoners escaped. Seeing this the
jailor was about to commit suicide. Paul could have thought, "Serves him right after
what he did to us!" But he didn't entertain such a thought. Instead He went and stopped
him. What was the result? The jailor and his family got saved. When we die fruit is
produced.
Same is the case with the fruit of the Spirit. It does not get produced magical y in a
person's life through other people's prayers. Prayer is not a magic wand. The Holy Spirit
can produce it only when we die to our rights - respond properly to provocation, injury,
abuse, sickness etc. Can you strive to make every difficulty an occasion to exhibit God's
fruit?

Don't be jealous (Jas.3:16)
Jealousy is one of the roads to unhappiness, and the most commonly traveled. It is
responsible for the internal strife that we see in churches. Just take a look around. You
will see gigantic wedges that divide believers apart. Because of jealousy even children
of God live as foes. When you need someone to talk to there is no one. Where there is
jealousy there is backbiting and belittling which lead to problems beyond resolving.
There's a lot of stress that comes with jealousy and selfish ambition.
Since we are children of the same Father, we should not feel insecure of each other
because of our different gifts. After al , all these gifts are important. And al of us are
important. All of us have our roles to play. We are not in competition with anyone.
We should have genuine love for one another. For where there is love there is no
burning desire to be number one, there is no desire to eclipse another person, there is
no bickering or fighting. You are as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are
about your own for you know that it's al about rowing the same boat.

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Love wife (Eph.5:25; 1Pet.3:7)
All husbands should make an effort to be kind to their wives. Being kind means meeting
her sexual needs; being romantic and not a fuddy duddy (S.of S.2:6). It means not
breaking her heart by calling her names when she forgets to iron the shirt that you need
for an important meeting. It means not hitting or pushing her when she irritates you. It
means giving her a hand in washing dirty vessels after dinner or mopping the floor
sometimes (some lazy fellows stay away from this by cal ing it unmanly) even if you
have to miss a footbal match on TV. Small gestures like these that show your concern
for her can make her happy.
If she is in the family way you have to care for her even more. You should always be
eager to help her. Her welfare should mean more to you than everything else. If she
loses her kidneys you should be willing to donate one of yours (if compatible) and not
wish that she died soon so you can marry another woman. That's what real love is. It
makes large sacrifices. Jesus loved us like that.

Stay away from useless talk (2Tim.2:16-18)
Discussing difficult biblical doctrines, which the Bible doesn't explain clearly is useless
talk. It only leads people farther away from God as doubts crop up. For example the
doctrine of the Trinity - How three different persons could have had no beginning is
something our finite minds cannot understand. If it was just one person we would have
found it easy to believe. That is where faith comes in. We believe because the Bible
says so. That is why we also believe that Jesus is equal to the Father even though He
will be subject to the Father for all eternity to come (1Cor.15:28). "But why does He
have to if He is God? It just doesn't add up," you may say. That's again going back to
useless talk.

Meditate on the Bible (Josh.1:8)
The verses of the Bible are meant for contemplation and implementation. This is the
way to become increasingly godly. When you have stuff from the Bible to ruminate over
there is no time for impure thinking! The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to change our way of
thinking. If you surrender yourself to Him by taking the Bible seriously and fol owing its
instructions day after day, He will mould you into a new person (Eph.4:23-24). You will
no longer be a crook. You will get polished to a radiant shine and become like God.
In the past false teachers have been able to slip through the door because people didn't
know their Bibles. Don't swallow the teachings of preachers hook, line and sinker. Let's
be careful for what we hear always isn't the truth. We have to read the Bible for
ourselves. It is a compass that can prevent us from straying.
God's words should mean something special to you. Despite your fast-paced life you
should not miss even one sitting. Those who meditate on the Bible get smarter. They
don't remain naive anymore. Vow to not let your Bible get dusty again.

Encourage children for mission work (Jude 23)
If you heard a piercing scream coming from a house on fire, wouldn't you ring the fire
brigade and then rush to help in whatever way possible? Probably you would. But there
are parents who wouldn't do that and would stop the firefighters who arrived too! So

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many young men and women are not in missions today because their parents wanted to
see them in nice respectable jobs with a future. In today's value system, serving in a
multinational corporation has greater value than serving the Lord as a missionary! You
can see this again and again when believers choose marriage partners for their
children.
A person may not be able to make money as God's servant but it is the most important
job on earth. Souls are eternal and hell is eternal. Hell will not cease to exist nor will
those who go there. They will suffer forever and ever in that pit of sulphur. That is why
God send His only Son to die a painful death on the cross. The gospel is the only hope
of mankind. It is sensible therefore to invest in the souls of men. God has kept us in this
world after saving us to be on a rescue mission. He is anxious that people should know
the gospel.

Don't contemplate suicide (Deut. 5:17)
If you are thinking about killing yourself, change your mind. Whatever terrible thing (a
bad childhood, disappointment in life, poor treatment from the people you were involved
with, failure, loneliness, an unhappy marriage or prolonged il ness) you may have
gone/are going through, you cannot let it make you take your life and suffer forever in
hell. You are precious to God. Don't separate yourself from Him for eternity. Maybe not
one person understands you. He does. Maybe you don't have anybody that loves you.
He loves you. Maybe there's nobody around to help ward off boredom. He longs for
your fellowship (Besides, we Christians have plenty to do. The gospel needs to reach
the nook and corner of our country).
You need to spend time al alone in a room with God. Just God, you and a copy of the
Bible. There you will learn the real meaning of life. You will realize that you are here for
a purpose and that everything that takes place in your life is also for a purpose - to
make you Christ like and to make you useful to others. It is by going through difficult
experiences that you can help people out there who are suffocated by life and crushed
under pressures and failures.

Continue in ministry (Gal.6:9; 2John 8)
Maybe you are thinking that you're working without any real recognition and it's unfair.
You want to give up. You must not get discouraged friend. A day will come when all
unsung heroes will be felicitated for their past endeavors. On that day you'll realize that
you had been noticed by someone all along and that al your sweat and hard work
wasn't in vain! Your lot in the hereafter will be total y different from that of believers who
were living selfishly on earth. Can you wait till that day and continue to work faithfully
(and happily) in your zone? It's worth the wait from God's standpoint because you will
get rewards that will be with you forever and they'll be things you'll be proud of.

Correct others (2Tim.4:2; Ezek.33:7-9)
Two men can be very close friends like David and Jonathan, two men can be very close
co-workers like Paul and Timothy but two men should never be involved sexually
(Lev.18:22). A man should marry a woman and not another man (Gen.2:24). Nor should
a woman marry a woman. Sex should be within marriage not before or outside it. These

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are God's laws. When people turn their backs on them they are doing the worst thing
that one can possibly do and God gets outraged.
If you see people in a homosexual relationship, it is wrong for you to look away or to be
tolerant. All believers have a responsibility to keep the moral fabric of society intact. You
cannot say, "Let's live and let live" or "It's none of my business." You are responsible for
their souls and have to warn them. You have to love them and then say, "My friend,
what you're doing is wrong. Change for the better." Some of them will consider you rude
for poking your nose into their affairs. Others will be receptive to God's word. Always be
faithful to the Great Commission.

Use common sense (Acts 13:2; 1Ki.3:16-28)
Pray to God for wisdom (1Ki.3:9). He will then open your eyes both to see and
understand things in a different way. You will be able to wrestle with everyday dilemmas
efficiently.
Like in those days the Holy Spirit won't tel you directly today that you have to take up a
particular job. He has given you a brain to make decisions. If there are three jobs you
have to weigh the pros and cons and choose the best one. You don't have to pray for
hours nor do you have to run to elder brothers (who usually act like wise sages just
down from a mountain) for the final decision. Just use your common sense and
everything will be al right.

Live in harmony (1Pet.3:11)
This is an age of distrust. Unity is a rare thing. Why can't people get along with each
other? Self-centredness - that's what's at the root of it! People have the appetite for
power. There is jealousy. There are disagreements and you can see sparks flying
everywhere. It's only love that can hold people together. For love doesn't try to
manipulate, doesn't try to push it's way to the front, doesn't outsmart others, treats
people as equals and doesn't bear grudges.

Don't poke fun at others (Neh.4:1-3)
In 2Ki.2:23-24 we read that some boys began making fun of prophet Elisha by calling
him baldy. Right away two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces forty-two of
the boys. This incident tells us that cracking jokes at the expense of others is a serious
matter in God's sight especial y when the other person is not amused. When you joke
about a person's characteristic that looks funny to you but that he can't do anything
about, you are being insensitive. You may do it for a giggle but it hurts the other person
mental y even if he laughs on the outside.
As we are in the grace period God may not send a wild animal to tear you to pieces but
He can make you as bald as a coot. Try to keep your bad sense of humour in check.

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Chapter 2


Don't meddle in other people's business (2Thes.3:11)
If we concern ourselves with what is happening in other people's houses it means we
are not looking at our own house. There are Christians who try to unmask other
people's personal lives. If a couple doesn't have children, they want to know which one
of them has the problem. The time that ought to be spent profitably is being wasted on
frivolous exercises. One should be concerned with ones responsibility in society and not
keep tabs on other people's affairs.

Be patient (Prov.16:32; 1Pet.2:20)
Your company is staffed by monkeys who don't know how to behave and who you wish
would go live in caves somewhere. But they won't. You know why? Because God has
kept them around for a purpose. Do you remember when you were smal your parents
forced you to go to school, and you hated that? But it taught you to read and write and
find a job when you grew up. Now you are grateful for their foresight. Similarly God has
a propose for keeping those `eggs' out there who you really like to keep a distance from.
He wants you to become more patient. Everything you experience in your life makes
you who you are. Every time you are patient you grow. By not telling your colleague
who's got a big mouth to shut up you grow to become a self-control ed person. By giving
a patient hearing to a person with a sob story you grow in love. The work situation may
not get any better in the near future but personally you can grow.

Love all of God's children (Phile. 4-7)
Some believers show disrespect to believers from the lower strata and yet claim to be
Christian. How can people who make others feel cheap and uncomfortable in church
cal themselves Christian? People from the lower strata are not asking for your money.
All that they wish for is a little respect. Can they be granted that much? Obliterate the
word low caste from your dictionary. They too are God's children as much as anyone
else.

Live properly (2Cor.6:3)
There are certain people who do damage to Christ's cause because of the way they
conduct themselves in their trade and commerce. Then they have the cheek to make
propaganda for the arrival of Jesus. It is not what we say as much as how we behave
that will catch the attention of unbelievers.

Help those around (Jas.2:14-16)
We wonder if one can love unknown people far away without loving those nearby?
Some people pray for the family members of fire and terrorism victims in some foreign
land without lifting a finger to help members of poor families in their own motherland.
Will those prayers lessen the agony of the bereaved members? Only with the passage
of time will that happen. Help people around by parting with your money.

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Document Outline

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