Purpose & The Big Picture

Next time anyone says, “God has a purpose for your life,” especially in the midst of difficulty or challenge or setback, it might be helpful to “go bigger” than one’s personal earthly plans and “dreams” and wish lists being either cancelled or fulfilled.

“… We may have to let go the particular occasion of our trouble, and first recognize, and then embrace with our heart, the fact that in the affliction there resides the immense eternal potentiality of an increase of the image of God’s Son, which is to be the one and the only character and nature of the eternal kingdom. We have too much visualized the ‘Heaven’ that is to be, as geographical and pleasurable, without giving sufficient weight to the fact of a nature to be inculcated and perfected.” (By T. Austin-Sparks from: One Universal Answer)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Romans 8:28,29 NKJV.

To be conformed to the image of His Son. Now that’s a tall order. It reminds me of some lines from a beautiful song from long ago that we used to sing at prayer meetings – “The dream I have today, My Lord, is only a shadow of Your dreams for me, only a shadow of all that will be, if I but follow you.”

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” James 4:13-16 NKJV.

Ouch.

When it feels like nowhere, we can be sure He’s now here. The omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent One.

Fear not. Surrender to redeeming grace.

Contentment

Contentment.

Where are you, where am I, with this? This world passes away like a vapor, and is nothing – with eternity stretching out before us.

Yet we are bombarded with ads and endless info every day that is designed to set its hook wherever there may be a “wandering eye” (See James 4:4) inside of us – whether it’s for more “stuff,” or simply “life enhancement products” – whether pills, powders, procedures, and promises – or some bogus “best life now” baloney about “manifesting” your dreams.

But where will all of that be when “that day” comes? And come it will for all of us. The advertisers want us to buy into the lie that we’re never going to die, quite bluntly, if we just get onboard with this or that. (Personally I’m convinced that this is a MAJOR source of stress and anxiety.)

This reveals that there are 2 ways to live as if there’s no tomorrow: one with a view of the passing away of this life and being in it to prepare and prioritize for eternity; or to live for this life because we do not believe there’s anything beyond it – in denial that we grow old and pass away with all that we have known of this world.

What has become odd to me is how much we worship public and entertainment figures who adhere to the latter, and then try to emulate them. Look how youthful so and so is and all he’s accomplishing… And so forth. Who knows if a “deal” has been struck for that? Yet, there will come a day of reckoning.

If we say we belong to Christ, our thoughts, words, and deeds should reflect that we do not belong to this world and its values which are passing away.

1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Hebrews 13:5. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Proverbs 16:8. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

Matthew 6:33. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Philippians 4:11. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

James 4:4. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

(All Scripture quotes from English Standard Version)

Might it be time to hear and heed what our Creator Father knows is best for us? He speaks from the broad expanse of Eternity; we are finite here in time, space, and physicality. We do not grasp the big picture of infiniteness in our finiteness! We have to take His Word for it!

Words from an old song I love: “Dance in the darkness; slow be the pace; SURRENDER to the rhythm of redeeming grace…?

Yes, SURRENDER.

Thy will be done, not mine.

Might it be a good idea to reflect on these things? How seriously do we take Jesus? Or are we just “nice people” who really have nothing different going for us, as we embrace humanistic values and the world’s ideas about what’s good and right for us, and wind up living for that? Let us remember that the whole “world” lies under the power of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)

Food for thought and prayer.

Peace and Good on you in Christ.

Boulders, Binders, and Blinders

Lazarus: a lesson in removing obstacles to spiritual resurrection?

Jn 11:44. “And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him and let him go.’”

Prior to Lazarus coming forth from the grave, Jesus also says  :39 “Take away the stone.” He does not do this Himself but instead enlists the cooperation of those who will witness this miracle.

The stone which prohibited the one to be resurrected from coming out of the grave had to be taken out of the way. Then once the newly resurrected came forth from the grave, he had to be freed of those binding, blinding things prohibiting him from walking, moving, and seeing in newness of life.

John 5:25 promises in Jesus’ own words, “Most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

(An aside: Jn 4:23 also employs that intriguing “non linear” phrase, “the hour is coming and now is.” Subject for another day. Suffice it to say, The Way is not that linear thinking. It is non local.)

The physical obstacles to Lazarus’ coming forth from the dead seem to hint at representing the tasks of believers prior to and afterwards in respect to the ones being called forth out of death and darkness. They hear the voice of Jesus calling them to newness of life. Those witnessing this participate by heeding what He says: to first remove the stone, then the grave wrappings, and face covering.

Much of this has to do with prayer. Such prayer deals effectively, in the authority of Jesus Christ, with the boulders, binders, and blinders in the unseen realms – those forces impeding or objecting to knowing Him and the power of His resurrection!

In other words our prayers ride on the authority to speak the word of the fully accomplished redemption on behalf of anyone Jesus is calling forth out of spiritual death and darkness into the glorious light of His kingdom and authority.

Some claim that when people are reborn there is no need for deliverance prayers. Yet throughout the journey of the Way, all seem to experience binders and blinders, and need the prayerful assistance of our brothers and sisters. Some of this may be in terms of physical needs as well.

Yet we may all be bound or blind to what needs to happen to move forward in the Lord, which can mean that these times must be dealt with at the word of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit by confronting unseen forces. A blindness may need to be lifted. Or likewise a lameness if some sort in the spiritual sense. We must see clearly. We must be empowered to move forward when it seems impossible.

Christ desires for us to move freely forward in the freedom for which He has set us free! This is why He calls us from death into life in the hour that is coming and which now is.

So, where does it say that we stop applying Ephesians 6:10-18, and the use of the spiritual gifts at His word on behalf of one another?

See 2 Corinthians 5:3-5!

Unobstructed View

A word for the redeemed:

Tabloid hype – mainstream or “alt”? Do we just pick our poison, the lesser of the evils? Could it be time to change the mental and spiritual “dwelling place?”

… IF….

“Therefore, IF you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4.

Keep on asking, seeking, knocking. You have not because you ask not.

Please grant us the “Vision” – eyes of faith that perceive past the darkness and the fear.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3.

The view of the Savior, the Sun of Righteousness, need not be eclipsed by any earthbound concern or perspective, or for that matter events in the cosmos.

Whom the Son has set free is free indeed.

Soli Deo Gloria!