Plans

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Plans

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Is it a secret? The plans He has for you are they a secret? This is an inspiring, invigorating, motivating verse. However, taken in context, it is not secretive. God promised His people He would restore them back to their homeland. 

It is important that when we recite this verse, we keep it in context. We have to know what God's plans are for our lives. It does you no good to recite this verse without knowing His plans for your life. In Jeremiah 29:10 God tells Israel His plans. In verse 11 God is expanding on what He has already promised. Verse 11 is not a mystery verse of hopeful expectations. It is an explanatory statement tied to verse 10. God is referring to the prophecy He gave to Jeremiah. He is reassuring Israel of His good intentions.

What are the dreams God has placed in your heart? In Jeremiah God is speaking to captives and telling them I have a dream for you. A dream of freedom and restoration. He even tells them the time frame for the fulfillment of the dream. So, when verse 11 is made it is not something new it is the confirmation of an intended result. 

What dream do you have buried in your heart? What dreams have laid dormant in your life for years? Bring those dreams to the fore of your mind and then repeat express, recite and claim verse 11 of Jeremiah 29.

What if God has placed a dream in you too turn the world back to Him.  For years your dream has laid dormant in the furthest recesses of your mind. But now your God is saying to you "I know the plans I have for you." He is saying to you this is the time, this is the place I will bring this about through you.

All of the promises of God require one thing your action. Even the free gift of salvation requires something. John 3:16 (KJV) ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The condition of salvation is a belief in Jesus. 

The plans of God for you require the same thing your belief in Him.  Those dreams long regulated to the area of fantasy are they dreams God has placed in your heart? Dreams that require no more than belief in the God who put them there?  You must believe His plans for your life are for your benefit.

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The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

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The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

1“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-14  

The promises in Deuteronomy verses 28:1-14 are some of the most inspiring, exciting, motivating of the entire Bible.  But as with many of God's promises, there are conditions. First is "observe carefully all His commandments", second is "obey the voice of the Lord your God."  

Moses is speaking to the offspring of the liberated people of Israel.  They are about to enter the promised land.  He is giving them instructions on how to be blessed. Some of the pertinent facts to know is that there are 613 commands in Judaism.  I am not a scholar of Jewish law so I cannot attest about when these laws were given. I know that by this point they had been given the ten commandments. But to be blessed we understand the requirement is they obey the all the commandments. Secondly to be blessed you needed to  "obey the voice of the Lord your God." This second presupposes God will speak.   

How does that apply to us today? We Christians of all denominations accept the bible to be the inspired word of God.  Which means even though God allowed man to write it. At its essence and core, it is God who through His holy spirit directed and insured His will be conveyed.   

In John 1:1 John states everything that was created was created by Jesus. He literally puts Jesus at the beginning of creation and recognizes Him as being the cause of creation.  

 ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 (NKJV)  Jesus is saying if you see me you see God the father. Claiming He is one with God.

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:20 The Angel of God is telling Joseph, His wife is carrying the son of God. 

These scriptures and many more point to the deity of Jesus.  This is important because if we accept that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. Then we understand that Jesus is the one who inspired the writer of Deuteronomy.

The Pharisees and Sadducees, asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-39 Jesus answered the question with an old testament law.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 2 with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 

We understand the one answering the question is the one that wrote the law.  And He answers it with the same law He had written thousands of years before. With this concise answer, He brings an end to legalism by stating "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The one that wrote the law is now telling them how to fulfill the law. 

The promises of Deuteronomy are available to you. Because Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit in unison, as the Trinity have said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  He is saying if you do these two things you will not only fulfill the letter of the law but you will also fulfill the heart of it as well.  What he is saying is there is no sin in love. If we love as God loves we will not sin.

The promises of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 are available to anyone who will "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

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The Other Side of The Coin

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The Other Side of The Coin 

15“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Deuteronomy 28:15-68 

 

I've probably lost my audience with the way I began this post.  In modern America and maybe throughout the world it has become somewhat taboo to discuss the fulness of God. However, I am not one who agrees with that sentiment. So I need to share with you the other side of the coin. 

 

If you look at Deuteronomy 28:1-14 you will find some beautiful promises of God for His people. They are entirely uplifting inspiring and motivating. The problem is we stop after verse 14. 

 

We don't read the rest because from verses 15 - 68 are the most depressing, fearful and negative promises of God.  We tend to think all the promises of God are positive. Or at least that is the way we would like to think of God. We want to think of Him as being benevolent in all situation altruistic in all His actions. We want God to be one-sided. 

 

I urge you to read the rest of Deuteronomy what you will find is a mirror of our society.  It does not matter if we chose to remain ignorant of our complete God or not, His word will prevail.  You will see where the curse of God has come to pass not only in our society but throughout the world. The unspoken prevalent ideology of the day is. From sin, good will happen. We think we can ignore the word of God and it will be alright it will be okay.  

 

Let me state this plainly no good can come from sin. Regardless of how you dress it up parade it in with intellectual, emotional, and self-righteous support sin is sin, and no good can come from it. As individuals, we must quit diluting our intellect by accepting sin as anything other than sin.  The curse of God will follow and fall upon those who persist in their sin. Read the reference in  Deuteronomy see if you can get to the end of the chapter. This is no joke. It reads like our headlines. The horrible things that are occurring throughout the world. Are a result, not of God but of humanity ignoring God. 

 

The sovereignty of God will not be laid aside by the whims of man. Your choice to ignore Him will not delay or obstruct His will. You will reap the rewards of your decisions. Positively or negatively the will of God will prevail, and there is nothing you or I can do about it. There are two sides of a coin. Look at both decide which side you want to be on.   

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Any Good Thing

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Any Good Thing

"Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass."Joshua 21:45 Israel had been slaves in Egypt, They were persecuted by their neighbors. They had been through many trials and tribulations. After all, they had suffered Joshua says "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken." We are facing trials and tribulations from many sides but I know that we will declare. "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken." Regardless of the terrible events that happen in our lives, we can say God is a good God. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us in the midst of the storms of life. If we do not faint If we do not give up we will be able to say with Joshua. "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken."

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Joy

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Joy

 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

"Fullness of joy" To me this short phrase defines the height, depth, and breadth of the fullness of life. This verse promises me what my heart longs for peace, fulfillment, and love.  A life without lack, full of all of the good things of life. A lack of need, want or desire. It means that I will have abundance in every area of my life. And if that is not enough it then says," at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." When you're on the path of God, you will be safe, provided for loved and cared for. He will give you pleasures above and beyond that. Have you ever received a better offer?

When you are in the presence of God almighty He will give you the fullness joy. All you have to do is walk the path He has provided for you.  The path is not a secret. It is not anything that requires great education, superior, intelligence or a unique revelation. The path is the same for everyone. 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (ESV)  

Jesus is the path. He is the way into the presence of God the Father. Jesus is the one that makes your joy full. It is He that provides all that you need. He is the secret in plain sight. He is the fullness of life. In the God Man, that is Jesus rests the the completion of man, and it is offered to you freely. You can have all the promises of God, but only through the path, that is Jesus. Celebrate the joy which is Jesus. Look around you will not find a better life.

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The Corridors of Death

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The Corridors of Death

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:29-32 NIV

Every generation has claimed this verse as their own. Every generation comes up with more vile and despicable ways to sin. We have chosen to ignore the word of God and have created our own righteousness. We have traded the righteousness of God for the sinful nature of Man. We ignore the promises of God. What promises?  One day you will stand before God and answer to Him. It is an inescapable reality. If you are identified in this verse and are unrepentant and you claim independence from God, God you will grant your claim. You will have to defend yourself against the righteousness God of. You will not have another advocate. You will have to defend yourself through your independence. It will be your word against God. Your unrighteousness against the righteousness of God. There is no way that your rebellion against God will bring you the blessings of God. There is no way that your evil, sinful expression can bring you victory or peace. There is no way the sinful heart will see deliverance. It is illogical, impossible for you to expect good to come from evil. Evil begets evil, and the sum of that life is death apart from God. The end of your life will not arrive at the peace of non-existence. Your end will be the permanent justice of God. Repent, remove yourself from the corridors of death.

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Promises of God

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Promises of God.

15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalms 50:15

The bible is resplendent with promises of God that are as wonderful as this one. The question occupying my mind is. Am I putting myself in a position to receive the promises of God? Am I fulfilling the condition? The promises of God are not intended to be inspirational or uplifting they are to be lived. We cannot be the recipients of Gods promises if we don't expect Him to honor them, or if we don't fulfill the conditions. The promises of God are active and alive. but if we don't engage them, they will be fruitless in our lives. If we don't call on Him in the day of trouble, He can't deliver us. If we don't fulfill the conditions, the promise is void. How different would our lives be if we knew the promises of God? Then set out to fulfill the requirements.

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