The Plan

This morning I have been thinking about the gospel "according to me" and here is how I had my eyes opened up in a whole new way, and I thought I would share it with you as well.
God saw from His place all that had become of this world that He created. It had started out perfect, but within just  a little while, man chose his way over God's and eventually we came to the place where God saw how depraved we were, (are) and knew we needed a solution. His plan? Jesus.
Jesus was the answer to our battle with the sinful nature. I can only imagine what people thought of Him at first however. Here he was, a "normal" baby, except for the fact that before He was even one He had had a following of kings! And, He preached talked about the things of God in the temple even as a young boy. I tried to picture my 5 year old talking about the deep aspects of scripture, I can only imagine what His befuddled parents must of thought. They understood that He was special (Jesus) but they did not understand the whole plan. I found it amazing that as Jesus began His ministry (derived from the first three chapters of Mark) that even in the very first chapter of Mark, a demon, who recognized Jesus (I imagine because they saw each other at some point in the heavenly realms) and before any of the human audience really understood who Jesus was or what His plan was really all about, the demon knew Jesus and called this out: "What do you want with us Jesus? I know who you are are! The Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24)
Isn't that amazing? I was absolutely struck by the fact that Jesus entered our realm to save us, and the world that had been so infested with evil suddenly shook with fear because the evil realized, there was a plan that they knew nothing about, and Jesus was here to change the way things were going. The depraved road the world was on was now about to change, and man was slow to understand!
The pharisees (the keepers of the law) from that day were confused. They were so used to living by the law,  that had been set in place by God, delivered by the hand of Moses, and this LAW was what would keep them, and make them holy. Now, Jesus came in and started preaching that the law was death? And that HE was the way the truth and the life? I can only imagine what they thought. But they did not have the plan of God in their minds and hearts yet. This is what Jesus's ministry was ALL about. Getting the idea of God's plan of salvation into the realm of understanding and helping them to know the way, that He was their escape.
The demons saw it and recognized it, but the people did not. This is why Jesus continually taught, and worked with the people. Even telling about a time when He got up so early, it was still dark..He had gotten up to pray and spend time with God but His followers found Him and told Him that everyone wanted to be with Him. Rather than getting frustrated like a human would at the fact that His "quiet time" had gotten interrupted, instead He turned to them as said, "This is why I have come..." (Mark 1:38b) and on He went with His eternally minded ministry. He knew He only had 30 years on earth to display God's plan to a lost and dying world. It wasn't enough that the demons knew who He was, it wasn't enough that humans knew who He was. He wanted them to see God's plan through Himself.
The plan is the reason that He went to the cross. Even though as a human His mortal displeasure with pain that all humans have was in fact present, but He continued His walk to the cross because it was part of the plan. It is why Jesus got frustrated with Peter when Peter said that "Jesus would never die that way!" And Jesus told Peter that he did not have in mind the things of GOD. How similar we are to Peter....
When things do not go according to "our plan" how we shake our fists at God. How we get frustrated. How we can angry....but again and again I remind myself, I am, I GET TO BE apart of HIS plan, and live my life according to HIS plan, and this is a gift. Have you ever thought about your circumstances in this light? It is shifting my thinking and realigning it with His plan. And this is a good thing. I do not want to have the things of man always in my forefront of thought. I would much rather be "Kingdom Minded" and have the plan of GOD in my first thoughts each day.
God made a way for us as Humans to escape our paths of death and destruction. Sin entered into our bodies/hearts/minds the very moment we first born. God was not surprised, but He knew we needed a way...so this is why, the plan of faith in Jesus is often called "The Way" through the book of Acts, and why Jesus is called the "Way, the Truth, and the Light" in John. Jesus saw and knew what we could not and He spent His entire ministry showing us the way out. The way out of sinfulness, and show us a different option.
The ONLY other option.
These are my initial thoughts from the first 3 chapters of Mark. I would encourage any and all of you who read this post to open your Bibles and read with me these first three chapters and see what He says to YOU about the plan, the way, and where you are at in all of this! Bless you on your journey.

Now What?!

New beginnings are fun aren't they? Any time something ends, it usually means there is room for something new. And when God calls you out of something, or lets you rest for a season, then usually He has plans for your very near future.
Sanctification is a process. I would much rather be fully sanctified all at once. But, I would be overwhelmed by the list of things I know He would have me change if I had to change all at once, so this is why The Lord only has us grow one area at a time. So this season I've just come out of, I like what He did with me. He took away some of  my selfishness and replaced in me a desire to do His will more than my own. Of course so much of my fleshly desires remain, but with patient, careful walking with the Shepherd I know He will tend to my little wayward sheep's heart and transform me into more of His likeness the longer I walk with Him and listen to His voice.
I'm the sort of person that if I think I have done something wrong, I want to confess everything, past present, and future. I'd rather just get everything out all at once, and perhaps even confess things I didn't need to confess. :) But I don't think this is His design for me in my walk. I do believe there are things He wants to refine in me, but He does them one at a time, and He does it gently. The enemy would like me to become overwhelmed, fearful and discouraged to the point of quitting. Not so with my Jesus. My Jesus wants to shape me, mold me and make me look more like Him, but He doesn't do it in a way that shames me, or makes me flounder. He does it perfectly.
And I am so very thankful that I serve a gentle Master. One who carefully examines my heart, and gently prods me to surrender certain things to Him, and once I give up what I once held so dear, He replaces it with such a better version then what I used to have.
Where I once went to bed each night afraid with fear and in-trepidation of what He might do to me to cause me to give up my idols, He now lays me down in sweet sleep and causes me to willingly give up the little things I was so afraid to give up. Like, my need for control. My need to be IN control. My need to control my children's every little breath, and my desire to control my life. Once I gave HIM the control, so much of my fear went out the window. What I clung to so desperately, enslaved me. Control, or lack there of lead me to fear. And so, I see the pattern of sanctification in my life, and that when I give up, or surrender things to Jesus because I now know what He has for me is better, my life has peace. My nights have peace. And fear is no longer something I battle with to extent that I once did. I trust Him. I trust His plan. I realize the bondage I was once enslaved to, and I realize that my giving up control and the "rights" to my life, and handing the drivers seat over to the one who really knows the way, is what is perfect and ultimately, better for me.
Why would I want to drive when I don't own a map, know the way, and frankly, am not that great of a driver to begin with. Now, I jump in the car, and although my hands may be on the steering wheel at times, He is the who is driving me along. His hands, on my hands. I like to picture myself sitting in His lap. You know  like how you used to when you were 5 and your far to short to reach the gas and break pedals in the car, and your daddy sets you on His lap, and asks, "want to drive?" Of course you do! So in the car you go, and onto His great big lap, and you rest your tiny little hands, so incapable still, yet, you feel like you can do just about anything while your sitting there in His lap with His hands resting on yours on the steering wheel. This my friends, is how I drive my life. He ultimately drives it, and I sit here....I turn where He guides, I steer which way He steers...I go where He wants me to go. And when I'm tired, He lets me rest in Him. He uses me...and I am thankful for that...He is in control, and I am in His lap.

Thankful for this word picture He gave me today, and I thought perhaps some of you reading might enjoy that image as well. Sit on your Fathers lap today. Rest yourself in His capable arms. Let Him drive. Yes, it's "your" life He is driving around, but who wants to drive when they don't know how. Lets face it, on our own, we can't even SEE the road, reach the pedals, much less put our seat belts on on our own. He is faithful. I love it how I can completely let HIM take over. So much peace to be found right there!

All That Glistens and Sparkles and fades

I have spent some time this past weekend thinking about the things that THIS world has to offer. Things that most people work their lives away to have. Things like, extra funds, excess cash, beautiful homes, perfect physical appearance, and everything our hearts desire....why do we do this?  Here are a few reasons I came up with:
We long to have time to relax, refresh, and just forget about the worries of life
We desire to escape
We want to be comfortable in life (not have discomfort in our life)
We want to be satisfied and think we will be by MORE.
We want to have all that we can have that this life has to offer.

Now let me preface this by saying, being wise with the money God has given you is NOT a bad thing..(putting your money into investments so it can grow..) but what I am saying is that when we try to find all our satisfaction in earthly things that do not last, we begin to have a problem.
Even the best of vacations, come to end. Even the loveliest girl, eventually ages and some of her youth will fade. Even the most gorgeous of homes become "old hat" after a while of living in them. And yes, all that this world has to offer to us as "good" will pass away, because friend, WE will pass away.
We will end. AND so this is why we try to live it up, live to the fullest, "You only have one life to live" type of mentality.
I for one know how this feels, and for me, my quest for earthly beauty, earthly satisfaction only led me to discontentedness. The more I had, the more I wanted. The more I studied the earthly fashions and that sparkled, the more I wanted, and the more I spent and the more discontent I grew. Oh what a vicious cycle! Someone will always be more beautiful than someone else, and some person will always have more than someone else...and most of us, are simply distraught by this fact and we strive all the more. But to no avail. It is a losing battle. So some give up, and some try harder till they die. I don't mean to sound depressing. I realize that this may, I would rather use the word, "sobering" because that is what this vicious cycle is. It is sobering. We want what we cannot have, and we live, strive and kill for what we cannot obtain, until the day the striving ceases, and the war ends. What is this day? This day could either be the day of your physical body, and you then perish. Or, it could the be the day of your introduction of the other way. The Way. The truth, and the Light.
You see for me, my striving ceased when I met Jesus. When I heard, read and understood as I was told that Jesus, made a way out for me to stop my striving. To stop the endless cycle of work that would eventually run me into the ground from my intense desire for perfection.
Perfection is not something that can be obtained, but I do have a way to be viewed as "spotless". Are you interested. Are you at least a little interested to hear about another way? Another option? A different path? As I mentioned my striving ceased on the day that I met Jesus, my Lord and Savior. My white Knight who rode in and saved the day. He said that I no long had to strive and toil in my own strength for an inheritance that would eventually and most assuredly pass away. Jesus said this, "Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away..." So what He is telling me, is true. And I wanted to know more about a life where He said, "My grace is sufficient for you.. " and I no longer have to do everything in my own strength. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." So now, I'm thinking this, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, and plans to give you a hope and future." -Jeremiah 29:11
A hope and a future? A secure future... one that will not fade. One that will not lose it's sparkle. One that is ETERNAL.
"I want in" I said. And so, I began to explore this other option. The option that lay in the nail pierced hands of Jesus. The one who did indeed die so that this other way could be made available to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The man from the Bible, who came as a baby, and died on a cross, who's Father is God, and who left behind for me and you the Word of God/The Bible and the gift and the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide me, if only I say to Him, "I want you, I need you, I'm sick of striving on my own,,," I was so tired.. Tired of trying to do it. You know what I mean, I know you have felt this way too..: It's Monday, another week of 9-5... to what you hope will end in the making of enough funds to get you a little more of what you hope will make you feel happy...make you feel peaceful. Make you feel content, secure..worth something, make you feel as though your life has meaning and purpose.
Can you relate? Do you feel like your life has depth, purpose, meaning and point? If not, why?
Ask these questions. They are worth asking.
I asked them of myself and I realized I was so tired. Tired of striving, searching, seeking, sobbing and longing for something that I felt I had no more strength to do..in my own strength.
So this is what I said, "Jesus, God of the Bible, if you are the real deal, and what you say is true, then would you please help me, show me, speak to me and take me up out of the endless cycle of endless striving that I am in right now. Help. me. out."
And He did. Oh how He did. My white Knight, on a horse, rushed in and little by little as I read the Bible, studied His words, and began to obey it's teachings I felt peace like a river flood into my heart and life, and for a moment I stopped and thought and said, "I think this is working..." And so began my journey, and my work for a Kingdom where the glory does not fade, the riches of my inheritance will not spoil and for work that has purpose.
I follow the lead of the Father of the Bible, and I listen. Each day I open up and read and learn and listen and become more and more at peace, and more and more fulfilled.
What a journey.
I want what cannot fade. Do you feel the same? If so...pray as I did, and accept what only Jesus can offer. Grace. Freedom. Hope. Peace. CONTENTMENT. Another way. The only REAL fulfilling way. Call out to a God who hears. He will answer.

Who I Am...

IN CHRIST. WHO I am in Christ. Let me list off to you  my friends you who we are when we put off the old ways of thinking, the old self that we were born into. The person He died to set us free from. The sinful self. The flesh. The sinful, selfish, self-seeking, self-focused, self-ambition seeker, the one who thought of themselves before they thought of others and the one who was never satisfied. (you know what I mean)  That is the person who God set me free from (and you) IN CHRIST, by Christ, through Christ's death on the cross. From the moment we said the words.."Jesus I need you, set me free from who I am in my sinful flesh" and Thanked Him with our lives for His gift of new life, abundant life, life that only begins for real as we enter into eternity. The life that will not fade and glory that will not cease. That is what we have in Him. Here is the list of what I have in Him from the moment I heard His voice, predestined to respond to His call...I received this:
*Grace
*Freedom in Christ
*Strength that is not my own
*Eyes to see what I could not see on my own
*Ears to hear what I could not hear in my own hearing
*The gift of serving Him
*The gift of walking with Him
*The gift of having a friend with me at all times
*The gift of knowing I am NEVER forsaken
*The knowledge of what He did on the cross
*The blessing of experiencing the ABUNDANT life
*The gift of eternity to come
*His wisdom as I ask for it
*His hand in mine
*His word!!!!!!!!
*The love that He makes available to me so that I can give out of that to others
*New Mercies EVERY MORNING (forgiven past, present and future)

OK...so these are just a few..but this is just what I wanted to start with so that you my friend could have your eyes opened along side of mine to see all that we have in HIM.
There is one new thing that can be added to that list that I just figured out was actually a gift and not a curse, I really have learned this just in the past week. The gift of partnering with Him in His sufferings. I know it is not something we tend to think of as a gift but in the economy of God, the fact that are considered worthy of suffering for the one who died to make us whole, is amazing. Think about it this way. The way you love your significant other. Even the title, (that I never really use) Significant other, means that they are considerably more significant to you that perhaps even yourself. We get the opportunity to do something in way of self-sacrificing for them...or in some extreme cases, say someone "takes a hit " for someone they love. I would do that in an instant for my children! But in this world were Jesus's name is not a name commonly said with much love, if we profess the name of Jesus and stand up for the name of Jesus and then we take a hit for the name of Jesus? This is a blessing. We are suffering for the name by which we are saved. suffering comes in all shapes and sizes, and it does not always equal catastrophic pain, it may entail just being left out of a group of friends, or being slandered by another, Paul in the Bible tells us to "count it all joy.." and other other echo his words as we take hits for Jesus in the Christian faith. We are to count our sufferings all joy. So, added to my list of gifts, I also add..."being given the gift of being considered worthy of taking hits for Jesus." The one who died to set me free is worthy of my devotion. And this life is but a wisp. A vapor, and then, the life we have with Him in eternity, where every tear is wiped away, and every sorrow gone, that is where we can say, "Now I rest in eternity of peace with the one I love.(Jesus)."
And if my friend, this idea of eternity seems "to good to be true.." Consider this: The void you feel in the pit of your soul when the party ends, and the crowd leaves, the late' has been drank all gone, and the good times are just not rolling anymore...what then? Do you feel vacant in any way? Do any of the gifts I  mentioned above seem like something that you possess in your being? If not...then why? Ask yourself these questions! They are questions worth asking! People will go to great lengths to find happiness but the one thing they fail to consider is that in this life of pain, that perhaps they are missing out on the one true source of joy that will not fade or vanish. Do you know that you can have joy even in suffering? Even in pain? HOW IS THE SO you may ask? Because you have the giver of joy who lives inside of you if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Who I am in Christ will not fade. And on the day of His return, (which I can almost taste!) All the pain of today will be washed away. It is to good to be true, but the catch is, is that it's TRUE! The Gospel is True!!!! The gospel of faith, through grace, by no works of our own, but by the gift of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of salvation is true. Man screwed up in the garden. God made  a way out for us, and His name is Jesus. Do you know Him? If you don't, find a Bible, open it up and start getting to know Him. You can buy a Bible at the store for less that 5 bucks these days. Get one, open it up and get to know the giver of all the gifts I just listed. Trust me, it will change your life for now, and for eternity.