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The The Will of God is the Word of God
Is God's will top-secret? When it comes to God’s will, you may live in fear that He is holding out on you somehow. Yet, the Bible clearly reveals God’s will for your life. You only need to listen. When it comes to discovering God’s will, author and pastor James MacDonald finds historic misunderstandings among • "Can you ever be sure about what God wants you to do?" • "What if you discover you’ve been doing something other than His will?" • "If you somehow stepped out of God’s will at some point, can you ever get back on track, or is your situation hopeless?" Are you in God’s will now? Is a confident answer to that question ever possible?
- GenresChristianChristianity
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2017
22 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
James MacDonald
260 books105 followersJames MacDonald (D. Min. Phoenix Seminary) is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and both are from Ontario, Canada. He is the father of three grown children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and grandfather to four amazing grandsons. James’ ministry focuses on the unapologetic proclamation of God’s Word. In 1988, along with a small group of ministry partners, James and Kathy planted Harvest Bible Chapel which has grown to 13,000 people each weekend, meeting in six locations.
In 1997, a Bible-teaching broadcast ministry called Walk in the Word was established, now reaching more than three million people weekly. In 2002, a church planting ministry called Harvest Bible Fellowship was born and has established more than 70 churches across North America and around the world. James’ vision is that God will use him to help plant 1,000 churches in his lifetime.
James’ extensive ministry also includes a training center for pastors, a year-round camp, a biblical counseling center, a disaster recovery organization, and a Christian school—all used to reach more people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Now impacting millions of lives annually, God’s favor upon these ministries has been described by James as “abundantly baffling.” The MacDonalds’ view their ministry as proof that God still uses broken vessels to pour out His grace.
In 1997, a Bible-teaching broadcast ministry called Walk in the Word was established, now reaching more than three million people weekly. In 2002, a church planting ministry called Harvest Bible Fellowship was born and has established more than 70 churches across North America and around the world. James’ vision is that God will use him to help plant 1,000 churches in his lifetime.
James’ extensive ministry also includes a training center for pastors, a year-round camp, a biblical counseling center, a disaster recovery organization, and a Christian school—all used to reach more people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Now impacting millions of lives annually, God’s favor upon these ministries has been described by James as “abundantly baffling.” The MacDonalds’ view their ministry as proof that God still uses broken vessels to pour out His grace.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 3, 2018
If you want to know God's will for your life, read the Bible. If you want to read a book that convinces you to do that, read this book. Incredible, Biblical take on discerning God's will.
May 23, 2017
In the first part of the book, James MacDonald presents a series of questions that seem as though they have obvious answers. He then sets out to systematically dismantle our false beliefs about the will of God. The overall message of this book is simple: God's will for us is found in the Word. Using scripture, MacDonald explains the will of God in easy to understand terms. He dives into the concept of sanctification as he describes God's sovereign will, God's moral will, and God's individual will. Sanctification is the lifelong process in which Christ-followers are refined and increasingly conformed to the behavior pattern of Jesus Christ. God’s sovereign will encompasses His planned purposes and the power to bring them about; God’s moral will relates to the human behavior He prescribes in His Word; God's individual will is more complicated. This is the concept that God allows us to make our own choices and decisions. He knows we will make bad choices sometimes. We must learn from our mistakes and seek Him in all we do. Every decision we make should be tested against the scriptures.
MacDonald highlights scripture that is often misquoted or taken out of context. This common problem will lead to misunderstanding and false teaching. God's will is not carried out when we misuse the scriptures. He will not be glorified. If God wants you to do something, He will reveal it to you in a very obvious way. MacDonald also presents practical questions to determine if teachings are true and if you are following the will of God. Each chapter ends with a prayer that directly reflects the theme of that chapter.
I found this book to be very interesting and helpful in explaining God's will. In essence MacDonald delves into the concept of compatibilism, which is the view that God's sovereignty is mutually compatible with human freedom and responsibility. The differing views on this subject stem from the teachings of John Calvin and Jacob Arminius, but that is a whole other topic altogether.
I recommend this book to all Christians as we seek to live according to God's will as laid out in the scriptures. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing Group on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
MacDonald highlights scripture that is often misquoted or taken out of context. This common problem will lead to misunderstanding and false teaching. God's will is not carried out when we misuse the scriptures. He will not be glorified. If God wants you to do something, He will reveal it to you in a very obvious way. MacDonald also presents practical questions to determine if teachings are true and if you are following the will of God. Each chapter ends with a prayer that directly reflects the theme of that chapter.
I found this book to be very interesting and helpful in explaining God's will. In essence MacDonald delves into the concept of compatibilism, which is the view that God's sovereignty is mutually compatible with human freedom and responsibility. The differing views on this subject stem from the teachings of John Calvin and Jacob Arminius, but that is a whole other topic altogether.
I recommend this book to all Christians as we seek to live according to God's will as laid out in the scriptures. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing Group on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2017
First sentence: Do You wonder about God’s will for your life personally? Do you ponder specific decisions you need to make and if they are in line with God’s will? It might reassure you to know that most believers frequently wrestle with God’s will for their lives. Welcome to the puzzle party!
Premise/plot: Ever been confused about the will of God? Or confused about what God's will for your life is? James MacDonald has some good news to share with you. He explores misconceptions about the will of God, how Christians have perceived and applied this concept of doing-being-finding-seeking-discovering God's Will. His argument is simple yet profound:
The will of God IS the Word of God. The Word of God IS the will of God. Each IS true. And that discovery leads to a glorious experience of freedom for every Christ-follower. You no longer need to worry and wonder about the minute details of life. If you are increasingly the person God wants you to be, then you can be confident you are living the fullest and most joyful life possible. That, in the end, encapsulates for you personally what the will of God actually IS.
and
Stated simply, the will of God IS about who you are. The will of God IS about your sanctification, that refining process in which you are conformed more and more into the image of Christ Jesus.When we are increasingly the people God wants us to be, then we can be confident we are where God wants us to be and with whom God wants us to be. In other words, your character traits, spiritual priorities, and manner of living—what Christians have for twenty centuries called “holiness”—this is the will of God.
Throughout the book, MacDonald's focus is on God, on the Bible, and on the importance of obeying the revealed will of God found within the Word. The book is practical and packed with advice on how to understand and apply the Word of God.
My thoughts: I liked this one very much. I still prefer, I think, John MacArthur's glorious little book on the subject. It is more concise, perhaps. But this is a solid, straightforward, practical book on the subject. I agreed with much of what MacDonald has to say.
Premise/plot: Ever been confused about the will of God? Or confused about what God's will for your life is? James MacDonald has some good news to share with you. He explores misconceptions about the will of God, how Christians have perceived and applied this concept of doing-being-finding-seeking-discovering God's Will. His argument is simple yet profound:
The will of God IS the Word of God. The Word of God IS the will of God. Each IS true. And that discovery leads to a glorious experience of freedom for every Christ-follower. You no longer need to worry and wonder about the minute details of life. If you are increasingly the person God wants you to be, then you can be confident you are living the fullest and most joyful life possible. That, in the end, encapsulates for you personally what the will of God actually IS.
and
Stated simply, the will of God IS about who you are. The will of God IS about your sanctification, that refining process in which you are conformed more and more into the image of Christ Jesus.When we are increasingly the people God wants us to be, then we can be confident we are where God wants us to be and with whom God wants us to be. In other words, your character traits, spiritual priorities, and manner of living—what Christians have for twenty centuries called “holiness”—this is the will of God.
Throughout the book, MacDonald's focus is on God, on the Bible, and on the importance of obeying the revealed will of God found within the Word. The book is practical and packed with advice on how to understand and apply the Word of God.
My thoughts: I liked this one very much. I still prefer, I think, John MacArthur's glorious little book on the subject. It is more concise, perhaps. But this is a solid, straightforward, practical book on the subject. I agreed with much of what MacDonald has to say.
June 12, 2017
The Will of God is the Word of God
by James MacDonald
B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids)
B&H Books
Christian
Pub Date 01 May 2017
I am reviewing The Will of God is the Word of God through B&H Publishing Group and Netgalley:
This book reminds us God is the Word of God, and the word of God is the will of God. God's word gives us a ton of freedom within God's will.
This book points out that God has a will for each and everyone of us. We all have a unique purpose in this life. We are reminded too that if God wants us to do something he will show us that in a tangible way.
We are reminded too that God can control everything without controlling anything.
I give The Will of God is the Word of God five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
July 2, 2018
Not simply a theological and theoretical examination of what the will of God is, this book offers practical applications in real-life scenarios for discerning and carrying out God's sovereign will. James Macdonald writes with clarity and simplicity that is approachable and still deep enough to satisfy the serious disciple.
October 11, 2021
150 pages addressing God’s will and what that looks like according to the Bible. God doesn’t have one specific step by step plan detailing all the minutiae of our lives but rather God is more concerned with who we are. We strive to live according to His moral will. Ultimately He will achieve His sovereign will.
May 31, 2017
Solid, informative, and biblical - Pastor MacDonald delivers a helpful, direct word that clarifies what God's will is and how it impacts daily life and decisions.
(full disclosure: the agency I work for represents this author and book)
(full disclosure: the agency I work for represents this author and book)
May 27, 2017
Excellent book regarding the will of God in our lives.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews