God's Eternal Plan - Part 2

God loves humanity so much that He gave us His Word in the form of Jesus Christ, who left His place in the glories of Heaven and sacrificed His own life to pay the penalty for our sins (John 1:14). God also gave us His Word in written form to give us prophetic encouragement and His truth, as well as advice and instruction, which gives us skill for living in this world (2 Timothy 3:16).

Yet, the carnal mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). Some people, who were hurt by a Christian or who do not understand why God did not answer their prayer the way they expected Him to, will turn their back on God. They cannot see that the fairytales, which Satan feeds them, are actually lies;, and they call the Bible a book of fairytales instead (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

They end up condemning their self to eternal destruction by their unbelief (John 3:18). They forfeit the blessings of God in their life in order to maintain the illusion of control and independence. They want it said of them, "I did it my way." They are rebels at heart and will not submit their life to the will of God for them (Ephesians 2:10).

The more we share God's truth with God Haters, the further it pushes them away from our beloved King. They attribute their success to their own hard work, and little realize that God is sending love on thousands of generations of those who love Him (Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10). The only hope for them is that they will respond as God's Spirit draws them to our Father God (John 6:44).

We simply repent of our sinful thoughts, words and deeds and then surrender control of our life to God. We lose nothing but heartache, disappointment and stress. We gain all the fruit of God's Spirit, as well as a mind conformed to the mind of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:29). We live in a blessed environment now and forever, because our Daddy God cares for us so much better than we can ever care for our self.

Prayer:

Father God, You continually prod the children of Your beloved Saints to call out to You for salvation, but they often disregard Your call and warning. Their pride and rebellion resist believing the truths taught to them from the cradle. They prefer to buy into worldly propaganda, which teaches hate for You and Your followers. Of course, many people who are Christians in name only, and not by profession of faith in Christ, are poor examples of an authentic Believer. Please teach us to walk purely before You and please draw these angry unbelievers to Your loving heart.

Thought for the Day:

God haters often attribute hypocritical behavior to Believers, simply because we do not hold to or support their humanistic interpretation of Christ's teachings.

God's Plan for Us

 

God designed the earth with the exact atmosphere needed for our survival. He continues to keep the earth's axis tilted so that we do not perish. He provides the ozone layer to protect us. He gives us the sun and moon for light and to grow plants, which provide us with oxygen and food to eat. God is our all in all (Ephesians 4:6).

He provides for us abundantly more than we could ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). His Spirit takes us through the stages of sanctification, and we die to our self and gradually gain God's perspective and attitude. We stop dwelling on earthly matters and we focus instead on eternal issues.

Realizing that Christ lives in us, we come to depend more on Him than on our human abilities or associates. If we are willing, Christ will live out His life in and through us. We quickly repent of any sin and lay down any idol, which the Holy Spirit identifies in us. 

We relinquish our independence and self-centeredness, and start to focus on abiding in the will of God in the beauty of holiness (1 Chronicles 16:28-19). We function in the Body of Christ, His church, as individual members of one Body (1 Cor 12:12-27; Romans 12:4).

When we give in to the temptation to sin, we even have an advocate with our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). When we confess our sins, God is quick to forgive us (1 John 1:9). With Christ in us, there is no reason to choose to sin (Isaiah 35:8; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20). We have everything we need, including deep fulfillment in body, soul and spirit, through our relationship with Him.

Prayer:

Father God, You could save us from sin to serve You as a bond-servant until we pay off our sin debt to You. However, in Your mercy and grace, You make us Your children instead (Ephesians 1:4). All that You have is ours. We are co-heirs with Jesus of Your entire Kingdom (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:4-7). Thank You for Your love and for appointing angels to minister to us even while we still live on this earth (Hebrews 1:14).

Thought for the Day:

God has an inheritance for us that will never weaken, spoil or expire. - 1 Peter 1:4

Complete Dependence on God

Even in the midst of the most chaotic of circumstances, Jesus is still as present with us as if we were sitting alone by an ocean or a wooded stream. He makes His presence real to us if we take time to seek Him. He helps us to walk in the supernatural realm rather than in human wisdom and strength. We will not fail, because His Spirit enables us to live in the will of God each moment of the day.

Union with Christ requires dependence. If we have an ounce of independence left in our nature, we will struggle. However, there is no need for self-incrimination and condemnation. With each struggle, we learn valuable lessons, which we avoid the next time we are in similar circumstances. We can call on God in our trouble and He will answer us and show us great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3).

Eventually, the power of Christ in us will overcome the issues in our flesh with which we struggle. We walk in victory over that pesky sin that defeated us for so long. Not because of power in our own strength to overcome it, but because of our complete dependence on Christ in us. Our faith cannot save us; only complete trust in our Father can save us.

In us, in our flesh, nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18). Apart from Christ, we can only fail. Facing our failings chases us into the waiting arms of our Father God. By faith in God’s faithfulness, we walk in His Spirit each moment of our day. Our union with Christ empowers us to live in harmony with Biblical standards. We abide in continual fellowship with the Trinity and the power of God.

Prayer:

Father God, humility comes once we recognize our helpless state without You. Help us to avoid wandering in the wilderness of sin and deprivation by immediately revealing our lost state to us. Help us to obey when Your Spirit tells us to cross over Jordan (Joshua 3:1-4:24). Remind us that without You living in us, we can do nothing (John 15:5); but because you abide in us, we can do anything You call us to do (Philippians 4:13).

Thought for the Day:

Don’t spend a moment of your life wandering in the wilderness of sin. Live, move and have your being in God’s Spirit and walk in the victory of Canaan’s rest and abundance. – Acts 17:28; Hebrews 4:1-13

Freedom from Within

 

Those of us, who focus on the natural aspects of our earthly existence, live a very limited life. We live in physical bondage to the flesh, the world and the devil. Bad habits and sinful thoughts caused us to live independently from God. However, those who focus on the spiritual aspects of life here and in eternity, reap the benefits of living by God’s Spirit (Romans 8:5). We still function in this physical world, but we do not focus on things pertaining to the flesh.

Our weapons for spiritual warfare are not carnal, but divinely powerful against speculation and prideful beliefs that were ingrained in us from birth (2 Timothy 2:23). They may become strongholds in us, which come against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). However, by God’s Spirit, we are able to coral our thoughts until they come into submission to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). God’s Spirit makes us a new creation in Christ, by His redemptive work on Calvary’s cross (2 Corinthians 5:17).  

The longer we fellowship with the iniquity in the world, the more it takes a toll on us (2 Peter 2:8). Our spirit is grieved, our emotions are drained, our thoughts are cluttered, and we may even be tempted to join in with the ungodly behavior around us (Matthew 24:12). The only way to survive living in this world is to preserve our faith in God, and our standards of conviction. If we compromise even a little bit, to go along in order to get along, Satan has us right where he wants us.

Jesus destroys the satanic strongholds in our life one by one. He teaches us new habits and turns our negative thinking into acceptable, lovely and pure thoughts (Philippians 4:8). He reveals all the lies, which Satan planted in our subconscious mind, and which formerly controlled our decisions and emotions. This allows us to hear God’s truth about each one of them, so He can replace them with the beauty of His truth (John 8:32).

We live in the world, but we guard against being part of the world (2 Timothy 1:13-14). As God frees us from satanic lies, we are able to live a healthy life apart from the influence of this world. As we surrender all to Him, He enables us to supernaturally accomplish greater works than He did on this earth (John 14:12). He draws us closer to Himself and never lets us go. He is our Savior and Lord, but He is also our fellow heir, brother and friend (Isaiah 43:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Romans 8:17; Hebrews 2:10-18; John 15:12-15).

Prayer:

Father God, You are the most significant person in our life. We want to please You in all things and to bring You glory by our thoughts, words and deeds. Remind us that being unequally yoked in marriage, work and friendships with unbelievers just does not work for Believers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Help us to exist as the pure temple of Your Holy Spirit and to live righteously in the midst of this unrighteous world (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Thought for the Day:

Light has no fellowship with darkness. - Ephesians 5:11