What's Your Plan?

What's Your Plan?

• Ephesians 3:1 (NLT)

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Have you ever been in a situation where you just don't know what to do? You were caught off guard, not prepared for what you were facing and therefore had no plan on how to respond?

Life is full of uncertainties, we have many paths we can follow. God has one way for us, it is narrow, and few follow. Some of us take life as it comes, we go here and there depending on the moment with little forethought. Others plan so hard that they don't move until everything falls rightly in place. Yet many are afraid of taking risks so they follow the wide path that seems safe yet leads to disaster.

Can we say we know God's plan for our life? We cannot know it fully for it is beyond what we can imagine or think, but if we are walking with God, we should know enough to move forward. Paul here in Ephesians chapter 3 shares God's plan that was revealed to him. Paul was not confused and unstable but certain of his calling, and so should we.

Before I knew Jesus I had like a million plans for my life, so I kept changing my mind what I really wanted to do, and therefore changing my college degree, which wasted a lot of time and money. Now that I know Jesus I have so much confidence, I trust that He knows what is ahead of me, and is guiding me step by step. I have an inner witness that I am in His perfect will. He gives me enough of a glimpse ahead to make the decisions necessary to prepare for what is to come.

It is amazing to know that God has a plan for our lives, there is a reason we exist. He has made us unique, different than anyone else for a specific purpose.

Paul in Ephesians 3:6-7 "And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News."

This is God's ultimate plan and we all have a specific role with gifts and talents given to fulfill it. And as Paul states we don't deserve God's blessings yet because of His love for us He blesses us anyway. We the church have been set apart to display God's wisdom in it's rich variety (vs.7). If we follow God's plan the unique specifics will be revealed as needed. So let us therefore use whatever He has put in our hands, whatever he has placed in our hearts to spread His Good News.

I've Come So Far

I've Come So Far

• Ephesians 2:11 (NLT)

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I am not at all satisfied with my Christian walk. Yet, it doesn't take long reflecting on who I once was to be appreciative of who I now am. Change doesn't come easy, even before God is done working in one area He begins to work on the next, it is a life long process.

I am in a season of expanding my knowledge, to be greater equipped as a leader to serve people more effectively. Change comes with a price, I want to learn, but I don't want to work hard. Problem is you can't have both.

Ephesians 2:11-22 reminds us that we were once on the outside, we were disconnected with God, the Jews had the law, it affected them outwardly but not inwardly, and now we with the Jews have become one with God not by the law but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Salvation's price has already been paid by Jesus on the cross, so it's free, but walking out that salvation, takes picking up the cross, living a life of self-denial, now that comes with a cost, our lives. Yet this work is not done in our own strength it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our daily duty is to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, then we carry the grace of God and can do all things through Christ.

The only way man can be united with God and with one another, where cultural, personality, gender, and race differences are not a problem is through the Holy Spirit. The church is so divided because believers are not yielding to the Holy Spirit and rather are trying to walk with God, and understand the bible in their own strength and reasoning.

The quicker we get out of the way and submit to God by yielding to the Holy Spirit the further we get ahead and the more we become. I want to spend myself fully unto the Lord and not be disappointed for what coulda, shoulda, woulda.

Do ever feel like you have a hit a plateau, where you are no longer growing? 

Often, this develops because of the lack of connection with the rest of the body. Since we are part of a body made up of many members, our growth is determined by how inter-connected we are. One can only go so far alone. Ephesians 2:19-22 describes how we are the temple of God built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the chief cornerstone Jesus Christ. Only when each member operates together as one can we be build up. So if we want to grow further, no matter how difficult dealing with each other may be, it is the only way.

If Not For Grace!

• Ephesians 2:1 (NLT)

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Can you believe the crazy thoughts we think sometimes? Imagine if we did not have the grace of God to keep us restrained, and therefore followed through with our evil intentions. Where would our life be? We so easily judge others putting expectations on them when we know we are far from perfect and if others could read our mind we would look no different than them. We are all capable of doing wrong, if not for God who get's all the credit, we would not be who we are. 

Ephesians 2:2 says the "devil is at work in the hearts of unbelievers," so we should expect therefore his nature regarding their character. Why are we so shocked then when people behave a certain way, how else should we expect demonically influenced people to act. Humanism teaches that all people are basically good as long as they are in the right environment. Wrong, we are all prone to do evil, it is in our Adamic nature, we are born that way.

Have you ever gotten something you did not deserve? Often, I spoil my sons with what they want even when they didn't earn it. We haven't earned anything, yet God who is so rich in mercy because of His love for us (Ephesians 2:4), has blessed us with an incredible wealth of grace and kindness in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-7). 

Why are we so blessed? So we can take the gift of salvation that we don't deserve and therefore cannot take any credit for, or ownership of, and use it to do the things He has planned for us. 

Have you ever given a gift to someone and wish you hadn't because they did not use it for what it was intended? This happens often with my kids, what I give them becomes idols, an object of selfish obsession, my wife got so upset the other day, she rightfully destroyed one. 

When we take salvation and don't pass it on to others, just enjoying it for ourselves, God's blessings have become idols. Salvation was given not just for our sake but for the world. To love God is to walk with God, to walk with God takes obeying His commands, the greatest of which, is to go into all the world and make disciples. 

As Romans 12:1 says "considering the mercies of God let us present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him."

Fill Us, Fill the World!

Fill Us, Fill the World

• Ephesians 1:15-23 (NLT)

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How does the world change for the better? 

Change first begins with oneself and then it can be transferred to others. If each one reaches one multiplication takes place. 

Prayer is the key, words create, so when we speak the Word of God in prayer for another, we change what is to what God desires to be. It is easy to agree with what we see, it takes faith to disagree with what we see and speak what God wants to see. For example you may observe your child behaving rebelliously and out of frustration speak down to your child, which is actually agreeing with what you see, giving more power to it. Faith chooses to see the situation and speak the will of God releasing the Holy Spirit to counter one's fleshly nature. 

A quote I often speak but fall very short from is "pray about everything talk about nothing, pray for everyone, talk about no one." I want to pray without ceasing, where every word that comes out of my mouth is the will of the Father. This can only come by God's grace, so Holy Spirit more, more of you, in my life, in Jesus Name!

In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul is speaking to the Ephesians in this exact manner. Paul is speaking that they would grow in spiritual wisdom, insight, and the knowledge of God. He prays that they would know the hope He has given them and the riches of their inheritance. He prays that they would know the incredible power that God gives those who believe in Him. Paul wants them to understand who they now are in Christ, that Jesus has been given all authority and therefore His church is the recipient of all that is His, and we are to use what He has given us to fill the earth with Him.

The Word of God is the tool that perfects us, the words of the world are used to condemn us. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to control our tongue so that we speak life and not death. So we agree with the ministry of the Holy Spirit that reconciles man to God rather than the Devil whose ministry is to divide the church and separate man from God. 

I find when I am disappointed when my expectations are not met by my loved ones I am prone to speak negatively towards them. It does no good, it just makes the situation darker. It may be reality but it is not God's intention and therefore agreeing with darkness cannot change anything, only speaking the Word of God, releases the light of Christ that dispels darkness and God's glory manifests.

We Are Blessed

WE ARE BLESSED!

• Ephesians 1:3-14 (NLT)

It is so easy to lose focus, to get caught up in trivial matters, complaining, murmuring, frustrated, annoyed, burdened down, wanting to throw in the towel. We have all been in this place and then suddenly God opens our blind eyes and we see again how Great He is and how foolish we can be. 

It does not take long to change our perspective when we start as the old hymn says "count our blessings." Ephesians 1:3-15 is a good place to do just that!

In verse three it says we are blessed with "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ." All that is in heaven is available as it's needed, so what is there to complain about? A earthly perspective only sees what is in front of us, a heavenly perspective sees what is above and by faith pulls it from hope to reality.

Do you ever get sick and tired of yourself? You think you will never change, you wonder how God put's up with you. We are our own worst critics. God has given me the grace to recover quick, meaning when I get knocked down, I get back up right away, learn from it, and keep moving. It does know good to beat yourself up, we need to stop looking at us and look at Him, by gazing on Him, we change. 

Verse four says we have been chosen in Christ to be holy and without fault. Let's not put unrealistic expectations on ourselves, apart from Christ we can do nothing but in Christ we can do all things. So when we recognize we are apart from Him, we repent, and simply reconnect, and are once again holy as He is holy. We Are Blessed!

Have you ever felt out of place, unfit, unwanted? In verse five and six God says we are adopted into His family, and as His sons and daughters He pours into us His grace. We are part of the royal family of the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Master of the Universe. This truth should bring us peace and security. We Are Blessed!

Have you ever felt dirty, full of shame, and disgust? Verse seven says God has "purchased our freedom," we are no longer prisoners to the sins of our past. His blood has cleansed us and transformed our sinful nature. We Are Blessed!

Have you ever felt ignorant, under qualified, and lacking what is necessary to advance in life? Verse eight says we have been blessed with all wisdom and understanding. The All Wise God, who knows and understands everything is our Father, therefore we have at our disposal what we need to know in any given situation. We Are Blessed!

Have you ever been worried about the future, unsure of what lies ahead, afraid of making wrong decisions? Verse nine and ten says "God has revealed His plan to us, that at the right time He will bring everything together." Meaning everything will begin to make sense, "All things will work together for good, to those whom love Him." We don't have to worry as long as we are putting our trust in God all will work out for our good. We Are Blessed!

Have you struggled financially, born into poverty, don't have much or any inheritance? Verse eleven says in Christ we have received an inheritance from God for the purpose of fulfilling His plan. God's favor has more value than gold. We have a bank account in Heaven that has unlimited withdrawal. As long as we seek first the kingdom, all things are added unto us. We Are Blessed!

Have you ever heard something you thought too good to be true? Yet, you tried it with the hope it would work but being full of fear from lacking witness from anyone else. Verse 14-15 says through Christ we have the person of the Holy Spirit within, an inner witness, that what God has promised will come to pass. It is guaranteed, we can't lose! We Are Blessed! 

We have no reason to complain, so I don't know about you but for me I will Praise the Lord continually!