"God's Perfect Will" Kathryn Kuhlman "The Holy Spirit Intercedes Part 1 of 2"

I am still amazed at the thousands of Christians who still do not see the importance of the Holy Spirit. I mean that. Do you realize just how important the Holy Spirit really is? Do you know that the sin for which there is no forgiveness He is not against God the Father. He is not against Jesus Christ the Son, but against the Holy Spirit, the person of the Holy Spirit that makes him a very important person. A sin committed against God the Father can be forgiven. Any sin committed against Jesus Christ the Son will be forgiven. But the sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come. I shall speak on that in another heart -to -heart talk. But I'm just saying that now so that you realize the importance of the Holy Spirit. In our little heart -to -heart talk today, I want you to see the importance of the Holy Spirit when we pray. Remember something. The hardest thing in the world is to know the perfect will of God. You've gone through it. I have experienced it. If you are a human being, if you've been born again, If you love the Lord with all of your heart, and you know the things of the Spirit, more than anything in the world, you want God's perfect will. And sometimes I think it's the hardest thing in the world to know the perfect will of God. I shall never forget dear old Brother McCloud. Portland, Oregon. He was well past 80. I was only in my teens, and that dear old saint of God, taking both of my hands, holding them very tightly in his long, scrawny hands, I can still somehow feel those bones. tightly clasping my hands. It was one Sunday afternoon when he said, Girl, I've lived my life. My ministry is over and you are just beginning. May I just say this to you? Never get out of the will of God. I was young. I was inexperienced. I knew practically nothing about the Word of God. I only knew that I had been born again. I was so inexperienced, and I didn't really know what he meant. I confess to you, I did not know what dear old Brother McCloud meant when he said, never. Get out of the will of God. But if this hour I could look into the face of dear Brother McCloud, that wonderful saint of God who's been in glory for years now, I would look into his face, I would take his hands and clasp those hands very tightly in mine. And I'd say, Brother McCloud, thank you for those words. It was the greatest advice that a human being could have given me. I know now what I didn't know then as a teenager. And I say to you with all the earnestness of my being, never. Never get out of the will of God, as long as you're in His will. The waters may be deep, and remember, when you talk about the will of God, the will of God may not always be in the sunshine. The will of God may not always be where there's prosperity, material prosperity. The will of God may not always lead in the paths where it's easy. No, ma 'am. Sometimes the will of God will lead you through deep waters, and sometimes you may feel those waters are about to overflow. The will of God may lead you in dark nights where there isn't a star in the sky. The will of God may lead you someplace where you cannot see his face. You can scarcely hear his voice and you may feel so alone away out there on the desert. John on the Isle of Patmos. One wonders whether he ever questioned whether or not that was God's perfect will. One wonders whether Paul ever considered and questioned whether or not those prison walls were God's perfect will. But when you're in God's perfect will, there'll be peace. You will have power and later the glory. There is such a thing as God's perfect will and God's permissive will. Let me read just a couple of verses of Scripture. Psalm One hundred and six. David here is talking about the children of Israel. Oh, sure, that glorious victory. He reducted the Red Sea also, and it was dried up. So he led them through the depths as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them. and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy, and the waters covered their enemies, there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words, they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works. They waited not for his counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, it god in the desert here it comes he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul he gave them their request but in granting their request it was not his perfect will for them. But he granted their request, but sent leanness into their soul. In granting their request, it was only his second best for them, his permissive will. not his perfect will, for they refuse to pay the price for his perfect will. And there's many a man, there's many a woman listening to me this very moment. I do not have to tell you. You know it better than anyone else. You have lived most of your life according to his permissive will. and not his perfect will. In preaching the other night, I made a statement regarding the permissive will of God, God's second best. It was only in the statement. It was not my sermon. After that service, a very well -dressed woman came to me. At the back of the sanctuary, she said, and her eyes were brimming with tears. Oh, she had married very well. Her husband is a very fine executive here in Pittsburgh. I shall never forget the look on her face. She said, Catherine Kuhlman, I know exactly what you meant. when you spoke about living one's life according to his permissive will. I knew exactly what you meant when you talked about getting God's second best. For I have lived most of my life in God's permissive will. There was a time in my life where... I came to a crisis. One decision meant a price that I would have to pay. The other looked so tempting. There was less of a sacrifice to be made. I chose the easier way. And I have lived my life in his permissive will. And in that moment of decision, I know now and have known for years that I missed his best. Because I didn't wait. Because I missed. His perfect will in not being willing to pay the price. I want you to see something. I know this very minute that I'm talking to folk who have struggled with this thing as to the will of God. Whatever you're doing, just pause because... This can be vitally important to you. Vitally important. I have been in the same predicament many, many times in my own life. I can only give to you what I have experienced myself. First of all, I seek at the very beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own. Guard to a given matter. And that's one of the hardest things in the world. I tell you frankly, I'm human too. I'm just as human as you are. When we face something and we're desperate about making the right decision, it's the hardest thing in the world to get your own feelings, your own personal feelings out of the situation. Because invariably, there is one thing we would rather do than another. You know, I always remember when I was a kid, I used to eat my spinach first. Because I didn't like it and I would hurry up and get that over with. So I wouldn't have to face it, you know. But we're human like that. We have our likes. We have our dislikes. We hate to face the spinach. You can never know God's perfect will. until you get your heart into such a state, you get your mind in such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. You know, nine -tenths of people and nine -tenths of our trouble is just here. Nine -tenths of the difficulties. or overcome when our hearts are ready to do God's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what his will is. If right now, somebody who's struggling with the will of God, if right now you can get your mind, you can get your own heart to the position where it has no will of its own, it'll only take... but a few seconds before, you will know God's perfect will. You'll know it. Having done this, I do not lead the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions. Some people, you know, govern their whole life by feelings. That's the reason they get themselves in such, uh... Oh, dear me, you. Look back for just a minute. You've brought all your trouble on yourself because you allow your emotions and your feelings to govern you. Don't do it. You can't. If you leave the result to feeling or simple impression, to emotions. If you do so, you'll make yourself liable to great delusions. You cannot govern your life by feelings. You'll get yourself into trouble as sure as you're born. Next, seek the will of the Spirit of God through the Word of God. For his will for you will never be contrary to his word. That's one thing you can be dead sure of. He'll never make you an exception. Never. He'll never make me an exception to his word. His word stands true. And if you're seeking the will of God, and it is contrary in making that decision, it is contrary to the Word of God, then it is not His will. His will will always be in accordance with His Word. Did you ever get to the place where after having done all these things, you steal? Couldn't get his perfect will. All right. Here is where the Holy Spirit comes in. The 8th chapter of Romans. The 26th verse. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not. what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. If you do not know God's perfect will, then do Absolutely nothing. Make no decision whatsoever. Be absolutely quiet. And let the Holy Spirit intercede for you before the throne of God. I'll continue in my next heart to heart talk.