Does God Really Want to Become and Stay Active in Your Life and if so, How Does this Happen?
Meet PHP board member: Dr. Michael Elmore
Dr. Elmore has been a practicing physician since 1977 specializing in Gastroenterology. He is a former Chief Executive Officer and President of Indianapolis Gastroenterology and the past President of the Indianapolis Gastroenterology Research Foundation.
Throughout his career, he has been involved in teaching medical students and residents first as an Associate Clinical Professor of Biochemistry and later as an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the IU School of Medicine.
Dr. Elmore has had the privilege of participating in 50+ medical and relief missions to Central America, South America, and Asia. His missions have presented him “a real opportunity to share the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, with people in real and profound ways.”
“I Am”, You Are, God Is
It’s sad people don’t realize and take advantage of all that God wants to do for them.
Michael F. Elmore, MD
God is real. He is the answer to everything. He is everything you have ever or will ever search for.
Colossians 1:27 indicates that the secret is Christ in us. As He lives in us, He transforms us from within. It’s quite simple, if only you will let Jesus come into your life.
In 1972 when I asked God to fill me with The Holy Spirit, I didn’t feel any different, but I was different. I came to know not just about Jesus but to actually KNOW Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings witness of Jesus Christ. He fills us with His Holy Spirit whose primary purpose is to witness to us who Jesus Christ is. In the process, the Holy Spirit fills us with overflowing love for everybody. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, when I read the Bible, the words literally jumped off the pages and seemed to be written just for me!
The presence of the Holy Spirit also brought power. Ephesians 3:20-21 states, now to him who by his power within us is able to do infinitely more than we ever dare to ask or imagine - to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever, amen! (JB Phillips translation)
The Amplified Bible translation states, according to His power that is at work within us. We need to be filled with His Holy Spirit and be willing to let God operate through us. The difference between victory and defeat is faith in God.
If you yield every moment of each day to God, He will manage your day effectively and efficiently. Our God is the God of details, and He will take every day, every detail, every appointment, and every happening allowing it to fall into place. The secret is simply in yielding.
When Jesus said that following Him meant taking up your cross daily, He simply meant asking, “God, what do you want me to do?” The bottom line is that you CAN trust God to look after all of your affairs.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with us to guide us into all truth. God is in the business of renewal and restoration. He can take your old habits, hang ups, impurities and renew you from within. The Holy Spirit will fill you up with overflowing love and gives you knew thoughts and desires.
Just as Jesus gave Himself for you on the cross, He wants to give Himself to you each moment. He does not want to use you, but He wants you to use Him! In essence, what do you really have to give? Actually, nothing. But as you yield to Him and simply receive Him, He does the work He knows needs to be done.
In John 17 Jesus prayed for those His Father had given to Him. In verse 13 He prayed, . . . these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. (NASB).
Jesus said something very strange in Luke 6:22-23, Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Incredible, in the midst of terrible circumstances, we are instructed to rejoice and leap for joy! Similarly, the Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 12:10, That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. How is that even possible?
The very circumstances that we usually complain about, Paul was delighting in! Is it really a Biblical principle that we are to rejoice and thank God for everything that happens to us?
Jesus was glad to be used as a sacrifice when He was beaten, severely scourged, nailed to the cross, pieced with a spear and slowly died an inhuman death all for us.
If nothing can happen in your life that is not allowed by God for your own good, then why wouldn’t you always be thankful and even grateful for everything? Romans 8:28 states, and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
In I Thessalonians 5:16-18 it states, rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?
People are always saying they want to know God’s will for them but seem to avoid the clear direction of this verse since it seems so counterintuitive. In the world, it is, but not in God’s world.
Do you really believe that God controls every detail of your life? The fact is that God is in control of the universe and every detail of your life. He is concerned about literally every moment of your life. But God assures you that if you respond as He directs by thanking Him for everything, then He promises to work out everything for your good.
Satan intends all sorts of evil for you, but God loves flipping Satan’s evil intentions for your good. The greatest example of this is Jesus’ crucifixion.
Satan used evil men to condemn and crucify His own Son. Satan probably thought he had won, but when Jesus rose from the dead, that all changed. Jesus defeated death and became the firstborn of many (meaning us).
When we accept Him, we identify with His death and resurrection. So, what Satan intended for evil, our heavenly Father flipped for the greatest good for all mankind.
Remember, nothing happens to you that God does not allow for your own good. I have seen patients who were taken to death’s doorstep which is what it took for them to turn to God.
One man told me he had spent ten years in prison. I said, “That must have really been tough.” He responded, “Doc, I needed every day of those ten years for God to get me where I needed to be.” Your life is in the palm of God’s hand, and nothing and no one can hurt you unless He permits it, and if He does, He can use it for your good if you praise Him for it.
The burdens many of us carry are so unnecessary when we realize all that God wants to do for us. If you want to release the power of God in your life, you need to begin by praising God for your circumstances.
Have you ever thought that God might allow certain things in your life as a way for Him to demonstrate His power and increase your faith?
As I stated, God permitted His own Son to suffer for us. And the Apostle Paul said that we share in the sufferings of Christ. Romans 8:17 states, now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Jesus said that in the world we would have trials, but to take heart because He overcame the world. (John 16:33) Suffering, trials and sorrows are part of living on the earth while it remains under the curse brought about by sin. But for believers, we have access to the power of God working in and through us. God is always looking out for our good. Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24 NIV)
I believe that many Christians handcuff God preventing Him from doing the very things they need the most from Him. They don’t really believe that He is in control of everything in their life.
God doesn’t promise to always change our circumstances, but He does promise us peace and joy in the midst of them.
When you choose to praise God for your circumstances, you take the handcuffs off Him and release His power into your life. Remember that oftentimes the circumstances in your life are not the problem, it’s your attitude toward them.
By surrendering your situation to God and yielding to His sovereignty, you will find a great burden lifted.
You are freed, and He is free to operate for the best in your life. In the midst of life’s most difficult trials it is not easy to praise God, but by faith and through a deliberate act of obedience, you can do it. Of course, it does not make sense in the world and to those around you. People may think you are crazy. Fine, let them! But because it works, and it will be a powerful witness to demonstrate to them how God operates in your life.
I am absolutely convinced that God is willing to work in and through every detail of your life if you will only let Him by being obedient to His will to praise Him.
Think about it. If you really believe that God will work out everything that happens in your life for good, why wouldn’t you praise Him for everything? The amazing thing is that when I speak of everything, I mean everything.
Even your past can be redeemed for good if you release it to God. Whatever your past mistakes or failures, praise God for them so that He can use them for your good.
When you praise God in obedience, joy comes into your life - maybe not immediately, but it will come. Nehemiah 8:10 states, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
As a physician, I can tell you for certain that joy and hope are very powerful healing agents.
People often think of praise as just worship and/or prayer, but it is much more than that. Praise is a very powerful form of spiritual warfare. It is a way to attack Satan and thwart his attacks.
In 2 Chronicles 20 God told the Israelites that the battle they were facing was not theirs but his. The Israelites believed and praised God and defeated a whole army.
God has the power to send our enemies running for their lives. The Bible says that even though we are living here on earth, nonetheless, God raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6 NLT)
James told us, So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:7-8)
In Romans 12:21 Paul told us not to allow evil to overpower us but to take the offensive and overpower evil with good.
He told the Philippians, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Note, praise is not a way of bargaining with God to change your circumstances. It’s not praising Him in the midst of your trouble so He will get you out. It is actually praising Him for your trouble. God often uses our troubles to transform us.
Paul prayed three times to have his infirmity removed, but God told him that in his particular situation it was for his own good. He needed it to avoid pride which could have been his undoing. So, Paul accepted his situation knowing that God had only his best in mind. I am sure Paul continued to praise God. The author of Hebrews in chapter 13:15 states, Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
I want to close with one example. A good friend of mine named Lyndon went with me on a mission trip to Guatemala in 1997. He had been born in Guatemala, and his family came to the USA when he was fourteen. He had always wanted to go back and visit his home country. While on the mission trip, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After that he always said, “I have been born twice in Guatemala!” A couple years after the mission trip, he was struggling with his Christian walk and had a lot of questions. I asked him if he wanted to go deeper with God, and he said he did. We began meeting regularly exploring what the Scripture said about his questions. At one point, I taught him the principle of praise. I explained to him how God allows and uses circumstances in life for our good, and how God can use even the “bad” things for our good.
The next week he was driving with his wife, and his car started making noise that wasn’t good. He started to complain, and then he remembered what I had said. So, he started praising God for the problem with the car, and the noise went away. Later that week his wife was driving the car and it again began making the noise. She called Lyndon, and he told her to take it to the mechanic. When she called back later and told him the mechanic said it was a major engine issue that would cost $800 to fix, Lyndon, calmly told her to have it fixed even though they didn’t have the money. When she heard what he had said, she responded, “Put my real husband on the phone!” She knew that normally he would have complained.
The next day Lyndon called me all excited and said, “You won’t believe what happened! My boss took me to lunch today at his country club, gave me the Employee of the Year Award, and a check for $1000.”
I told him, “Don’t expect God to do that every time!” I love how God so profoundly confirmed the truth of His Word.
After reading all this, I hope you have come to realize how much God desires to become active in your life.
In 2 Chronicles 16:9 it states, For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (NLT).
He does not want you to be defeated by the circumstances of life, but to victorious and filled with peace and joy. Remember, praise offered in obedience to God unlocks His power.